KSC-2009-4355

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-31

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister is lifted up to the Payload Changeout Room in the rotating service structure. Umbilical lines that keep the payload in an environmentally controlled environment are still attached. Inside is the payload for space shuttle Discovery and the STS-128 mission, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch of Discovery on its STS-128 mission is targeted for August 25. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2009-4353

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-31

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister is lifted up to the Payload Changeout Room in the rotating service structure. Umbilical lines that keep the payload in an environmentally controlled environment are still attached. Inside is the payload for space shuttle Discovery and the STS-128 mission, the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo and the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier. Discovery's 13-day flight will deliver a new crew member and 33,000 pounds of equipment to the station. The equipment includes science and storage racks, a freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment and the COLBERT treadmill. Launch of Discovery on its STS-128 mission is targeted for August 25. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

"Supporting" Beginning Secondary Science Teachers through Induction: A Multi-Case Study of Their Meaning Making and Identities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Angela W.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the induction experiences of beginning secondary science teachers, including their afforded and enacted identities-in-practice and their meaning making. I applied a model of identities and meaning making that considered the iterative nature of the (a) normative science teacher identities afforded by…

KSC-06pd0926

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-05-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From inside the payload changeout room on the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39B, workers maneuver the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo into Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay (at left). The payload ground-handling mechanism (PGHM) is used to transfer the module into the payload bay. Leonardo is a reusable logistics carrier. It is the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Leonardo is part of the payload on mission STS-121. Other payloads include the integrated cargo carrier with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module, and the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier. Discovery is scheduled to launch in a window extending from July 1 through July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-06pd0925

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-05-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- From inside the payload changeout room on the rotating service structure on Launch Pad 39B, the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo is being moved into Space Shuttle Discovery's payload bay (at left). The payload ground-handling mechanism (PGHM) is used to transfer the module into the payload bay. Leonardo is a reusable logistics carrier. It is the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Leonardo is part of the payload on mission STS-121. Other payloads include the integrated cargo carrier with the mobile transporter reel assembly and a spare pump module, and the lightweight multi-purpose experiment support structure carrier. Discovery is scheduled to launch in a window extending from July 1 through July 19. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Engineering a Multi-Purpose Test Collection for Web Retrieval Experiments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Peter; Craswell, Nick; Hawking, David

2003-01-01

Describes a test collection that was developed as a multi-purpose testbed for experiments on the Web in distributed information retrieval, hyperlink algorithms, and conventional ad hoc retrieval. Discusses inter-server connectivity, integrity of server holdings, inclusion of documents related to a wide spread of likely queries, and distribution of…

Using Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports to Promote Social Justice in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avant, Deneca Winfrey

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of response to intervention/multi-tiered systems of supports (RtI/MTSS) in promoting social justice in schools. Design/methodology/approach: This study used survey research, using a 32-item questionnaire, and presented results of approximately 200 school social workers (SSWs). Findings:…

Identifying the support needs of fathers affected by post-partum depression: a pilot study.

PubMed

Letourneau, N; Duffett-Leger, L; Dennis, C-L; Stewart, M; Tryphonopoulos, P D

2011-02-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to describe the experiences, support needs, resources, and barriers to support for fathers whose partners had post-partum depression (PPD) in preparation for a larger study. Qualitative methods and community-based research approaches were used in this exploratory/descriptive multi-site study, conducted in New Brunswick and Alberta. Telephone interviews were conducted with a total of 11 fathers in New Brunswick (n= 7) and Alberta (n= 4). Fathers experienced a number of depressive symptoms including: anxiety, lack of time and energy, irritability, feeling sad or down, changes in appetite, and thoughts of harm to self or baby. The most common barriers for fathers were lack of information regarding PPD resources and difficulty seeking support. This pilot study establishes the feasibility of the larger-scale exploration of fathers' experiences in supporting their spouses affected by PPD. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing.

A Chemical Containment Model for the General Purpose Work Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flippen, Alexis A.; Schmidt, Gregory K.

1994-01-01

Contamination control is a critical safety requirement imposed on experiments flying on board the Spacelab. The General Purpose Work Station, a Spacelab support facility used for life sciences space flight experiments, is designed to remove volatile compounds from its internal airpath and thereby minimize contamination of the Spacelab. This is accomplished through the use of a large, multi-stage filter known as the Trace Contaminant Control System. Many experiments planned for the Spacelab require the use of toxic, volatile fixatives in order to preserve specimens prior to postflight analysis. The NASA-Ames Research Center SLS-2 payload, in particular, necessitated the use of several toxic, volatile compounds in order to accomplish the many inflight experiment objectives of this mission. A model was developed based on earlier theories and calculations which provides conservative predictions of the resultant concentrations of these compounds given various spill scenarios. This paper describes the development and application of this model.

Waiting to Become: Adjunct Faculty Experiences at Multi-Campus Community Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bakley, Amanda L.; Brodersen, Lyn A.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of adjunct faculty who aspire to full-time positions at multi-campus community colleges. A paucity of research on this topic revealed the need to examine the experiences of adjunct faculty working at multi-campus community colleges (Wolfe & Strange, 2003). The notion that adjunct…

Using School Improvement and Implementation Science to Integrate Multi-Tiered Systems of Support in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohanon, Hank; Gilman, Carrie; Parker, Ben; Amell, Chris

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the integration of tiered interventions and supports in secondary schools, sometimes referred to as multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). The interventions include academic, behavioural, social, and emotional supports for all students. A description of the connections across specifc MTSS systems,…

Development and Validation of the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-Management (PETS): A Patient-Reported Measure of Treatment Burden

PubMed Central

Eton, David T.; Yost, Kathleen J.; Lai, Jin-shei; Ridgeway, Jennifer L.; Egginton, Jason S.; Rosedahl, Jordan K.; Linzer, Mark; Boehm, Deborah H.; Thakur, Azra; Poplau, Sara; Odell, Laura; Montori, Victor M.; May, Carl R.; Anderson, Roger T.

2017-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new comprehensive patient-reported measure of treatment burden – the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-Management (PETS). Methods A conceptual framework was used to derive the PETS with items reviewed and cognitively tested with patients. A survey battery, including a pilot version of the PETS, was mailed to 838 multi-morbid patients from two healthcare institutions for validation. Results A total of 332 multi-morbid patients returned completed surveys. Diagnostics supported deletion and consolidation of some items and domains. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a domain model for scaling comprised of 9 factors: medical information, medications, medical appointments, monitoring health, interpersonal challenges, medical/healthcare expenses, difficulty with healthcare services, role/social activity limitations, and physical/mental exhaustion. Scales showed good internal consistency (alpha range: 0.79 – 0.95). Higher PETS scores, indicative of greater treatment burden, were correlated with more distress, less satisfaction with medications, lower self-efficacy, worse physical and mental health, and lower convenience of healthcare (Ps<.001). Patients with lower health literacy, less adherence to medications, and more financial difficulties reported higher PETS scores (Ps<.01). Conclusion A comprehensive patient-reported measure of treatment burden can help to better characterize the impact of treatment and self-management burden on patient well-being and guide care toward minimally disruptive medicine. PMID:27566732

A Web-Based Multi-Database System Supporting Distributed Collaborative Management and Sharing of Microarray Experiment Information

PubMed Central

Burgarella, Sarah; Cattaneo, Dario; Masseroli, Marco

2006-01-01

We developed MicroGen, a multi-database Web based system for managing all the information characterizing spotted microarray experiments. It supports information gathering and storing according to the Minimum Information About Microarray Experiments (MIAME) standard. It also allows easy sharing of information and data among all multidisciplinary actors involved in spotted microarray experiments. PMID:17238488

“Kicked out”: LGBTQ youths’ bathroom experiences and preferences

PubMed Central

Porta, Carolyn M.; Gower, Amy L.; Mehus, Christopher J.; Yu, Xiaohui; Saewyc, Elizabeth; Eisenberg, Marla E.

2017-01-01

Attention toward who can use which gender binary, multi-stall bathroom has brought to the forefront, once again, the ways in which youth are supported or marginalized. No study has documented sexual and gender minority youths’ experiences with and perspectives about bathrooms. We collected qualitative data in 2014-2015. Participants were 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth, aged 14-19, in the United States and Canada. Their comments describe first- and second-hand bathroom experiences, identify advocacy efforts, and highlight the roles of peers and adults in making bathrooms safe (or not). Youth emphasized the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms in fostering a sense of safety and inclusivity. Adult support and gay-straight alliances (GSAs) were important contributors to a welcoming environment and fostered advocacy efforts for gender-neutral bathrooms. We encourage purposeful inclusivity of youths’ voices when enacting bathroom-specific policies and legislation that directly influence their health and well-being. PMID:28212504

STS-102 Onboard Photograph-Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, Leonardo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

A crewmember of Expedition One, cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, is dwarfed by transient hardware aboard Leonardo, the Italian Space Agency-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), a primary cargo of the STS-102 mission. The Leonardo MPLM is the first of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Station's (ISS's) moving vans, carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. The cylindrical module is approximately 21-feet long and 15- feet in diameter, weighing almost 4.5 tons. It can carry up to 10 tons of cargo into 16 standard Space Station equipment racks. Of the 16 racks the module can carry, 5 can be furnished with power, data, and fluid to support refrigerators or freezers. In order to function as an attached station module as well as a cargo transport, the logistics module also includes components that provide life support, fire detection and suppression, electrical distribution, and computer functions. The eighth Shuttle mission to visit the ISS, the STS-102 mission served as a crew rotation flight. It delivered the Expedition Two crew to the Station and returned the Expedition One crew back to Earth.

Multi-Fluid Simulations of Field Reversed Configuration Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sousa, Eder; Martin, Robert

2017-10-01

The use of field reversed configuration (FRC) have been studied extensively for fusion application but here we investigate them for propulsion purposes. FRCs have the potential to produce highly variable thrust and specific impulse using different gases as propellant. Aspects of the FRC formation physics, using a rotating magnetic field (RMF) at low power, are simulated using a multi-fluid plasma model. Results are compared with experimental observations with emphasis in the development of instabilities and robustness of the field reversal. The use of collisional radiative models are used to help compare experiment versus simulation results. Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited; Clearance No. 17445. This work is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Grant Number 17RQCOR465.

Multi-Tiered System of Support: Best Differentiation Practices for English Language Learners in Tier 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Izaguirre, Cecilia

2017-01-01

Purpose: This qualitative case study explored the best practices of differentiation of Tier 1 instruction within a multi-tiered system of support for English Language Learners who were predominately Spanish speaking. Theoretical Framework: The zone of proximal development theory, cognitive theory, and the affective filter hypothesis guided this…

TREAT Neutronics Analysis and Design Support, Part I: Multi-SERTTA

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

Bess, John D.; Woolstenhulme, Nicolas E.; Hill, Connie M.

2016-08-01

Experiment vehicle design is necessary in preparation for Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility restart and the resumption of transient testing to support Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) characterization and other future fuels testing requirements. Currently the most mature vehicle design is the Multi-SERTTA (Static Environments Rodlet Transient Test Apparatuses), which can accommodate up to four concurrent rodlet-sized specimens under separate environmental conditions. Robust test vehicle design requires neutronics analyses to support design development, optimization of the power coupling factor (PCF) to efficiently maximize energy generation in the test fuel rodlets, and experiment safety analyses. Calculations were performed to support analysis ofmore » a near-final design of the Multi-SERTTA vehicle, the design process for future TREAT test vehicles, and establish analytical practices for upcoming transient test experiments. Models of the Multi-SERTTA vehicle containing typical PWR-fuel rodlets were prepared and neutronics calculations were performed using MCNP6.1 with ENDF/B-VII.1 nuclear data libraries. Calculation of the PCF for reference conditions of a PWR fuel rodlet in clean water at operational temperature and pressure provided results between 1.10 and 1.74 W/g-MW depending on the location of the four Multi-SERTTA units with the stack. Basic changes to the Multi-SERTTA secondary vessel containment and support have minimal impact on PCF; using materials with less neutron absorption can improve expected PCF values, especially in the primary containment. An optimized balance is needed between structural integrity, experiment safety, and energy deposition in the experiment. Type of medium and environmental conditions within the primary vessel surrounding the fuel rodlet can also have a significant impact on resultant PCF values. The estimated reactivity insertion worth into the TREAT core is impacted more by the primary and secondary Multi-SERTTA vehicle structure with the experiment content and contained environment having a near negligible impact on overall system reactivity. Additional calculations were performed to evaluate the peak-to-average assembly powers throughout the TREAT core, as well as the nuclear heat generation for the various structural components of the Multi-SERTTA assembly. Future efforts include the evaluation of flux collars to shape the PCF for individual Multi-SERTTA units during an experiment such as to achieve uniformity in test unit environmental conditions impacted by the non-uniform axial flux/power profile of TREAT. Upon resumption of transient testing, experimental results from both the Multi-SERTTA and Multi-SERTTA-CAL will be compared against calculational results and methods for further optimization and design strategies.« less

Capacity Development and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: Guiding Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sugai, George; Simonsen, Brandi; Freeman, Jennifer; La Salle, Tamika

2016-01-01

Implementation of multi-tiered systems of support is occurring within and across a number of countries with an increased recent focus on the development of local system capacity to maintain high levels of practice implementation fidelity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the importance of local capacity development in the high fidelity and…

"Kicked out": LGBTQ youths' bathroom experiences and preferences.

PubMed

Porta, Carolyn M; Gower, Amy L; Mehus, Christopher J; Yu, Xiaohui; Saewyc, Elizabeth M; Eisenberg, Marla E

2017-04-01

Attention toward who can use which gender binary, multi-stall bathroom has brought to the forefront, once again, the ways in which youth are supported or marginalized. No study has documented sexual and gender minority youths' experiences with and perspectives about bathrooms. We collected qualitative data in 2014-2015. Participants were 25 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth, aged 14-19, in the United States and Canada. Their comments describe first- and second-hand bathroom experiences, identify advocacy efforts, and highlight the roles of peers and adults in making bathrooms safe (or not). Youth emphasized the importance of gender-neutral bathrooms in fostering a sense of safety and inclusivity. Adult support and gay-straight alliances (GSAs) were important contributors to a welcoming environment and fostered advocacy efforts for gender-neutral bathrooms. We encourage purposeful inclusivity of youths' voices when enacting bathroom-specific policies and legislation that directly influence their health and well-being. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A second generation experiment in fault-tolerant software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, J. C.

1986-01-01

Information was collected on the efficacy of fault-tolerant software by conducting two large-scale controlled experiments. In the first, an empirical study of multi-version software (MVS) was conducted. The second experiment is an empirical evaluation of self testing as a method of error detection (STED). The purpose ot the MVS experiment was to obtain empirical measurement of the performance of multi-version systems. Twenty versions of a program were prepared at four different sites under reasonably realistic development conditions from the same specifications. The purpose of the STED experiment was to obtain empirical measurements of the performance of assertions in error detection. Eight versions of a program were modified to include assertions at two different sites under controlled conditions. The overall structure of the testing environment for the MVS experiment and its status are described. Work to date in the STED experiment is also presented.

A Horizontal Multi-Purpose Microbeam System.

PubMed

Xu, Y; Randers-Pehrson, G; Marino, S A; Garty, G; Harken, A; Brenner, D J

2018-04-21

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system with a single electrostatic quadruplet focusing lens has been developed at the Columbia University Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). It is coupled with the RARAF 5.5 MV Singleton accelerator (High Voltage Engineering Europa, the Netherlands) and provides micrometer-size beam for single cell irradiation experiments. It is also used as the primary beam for a neutron microbeam and microPIXE (particle induced x-ray emission) experiment because of its high particle fluence. The optimization of this microbeam has been investigated with ray tracing simulations and the beam spot size has been verified by different measurements.

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y.; Randers-Pehrson, G.; Marino, S. A.; Garty, G.; Harken, A.; Brenner, D. J.

2018-04-01

A horizontal multi-purpose microbeam system with a single electrostatic quadruplet focusing lens has been developed at the Columbia University Radiological Research Accelerator Facility (RARAF). It is coupled with the RARAF 5.5 MV Singleton accelerator (High Voltage Engineering Europa, the Netherlands) and provides micrometer-size beam for single cell irradiation experiments. It is also used as the primary beam for a neutron microbeam and microPIXE (particle induced x-ray emission) experiment because of its high particle fluence. The optimization of this microbeam has been investigated with ray tracing simulations and the beam spot size has been verified by different measurements.

Student Experience of Oral Communication Assessment Tasks Online from a Multi-Disciplinary Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBain, Bonnie; Drew, Antony; James, Carole; Phelan, Liam; Harris, Keith M; Archer, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the experiences of tertiary students learning oral presentation skills in a range of online and blended learning contexts across diverse disciplines. Design/methodology/approach: The research was designed as a "federation" of trials of diverse online oral communications assessment tasks…

Impacts of a Support Intervention for Zimbabwean and Sudanese Refugee Parents: "I Am Not Alone".

PubMed

Stewart, Miriam; Makwarimba, Edward; Letourneau, Nicole L; Kushner, Kaysi Eastlick; Spitzer, Denise L; Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Shizha, Edward

2015-12-01

Knowledge about the beneficial effects of social support has not been used to systematically develop and evaluate interventions to help refugee new parents cope. The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate a social support intervention for refugee new parents. A multi-method research design was used and participatory research strategies were employed. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used to understand experiences of participants and to assess the perceived psychosocial and health-related outcomes of the intervention. Mentored support groups, matched by gender and ethnicity, met biweekly over 7 months. The participants were 48 Sudanese and 37 Zimbabwean refugee parents in 2 Canadian provinces. Increases were found in informational support, spousal support, community engagement, coping, and support-seeking. Decreases were found in parenting stress, loneliness, and isolation. The authors conclude that there is a need for culturally appropriate nursing practices and programs for refugee new parents from diverse cultures. Copyright© by Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University.

Multi-Purpose, Application-Centric, Scalable I/O Proxy Application

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

Miller, M. C.

2015-06-15

MACSio is a Multi-purpose, Application-Centric, Scalable I/O proxy application. It is designed to support a number of goals with respect to parallel I/O performance testing and benchmarking including the ability to test and compare various I/O libraries and I/O paradigms, to predict scalable performance of real applications and to help identify where improvements in I/O performance can be made within the HPC I/O software stack.

KSC-08pd3088

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lowers the flexible hose rotary coupler toward the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3087

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane moves the flexible hose rotary coupler across the floor to the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3090

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers keep close watch as the flexible hose rotary coupler is lowered onto the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3089

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers supervise as an overhead crane lowers the flexible hose rotary coupler onto the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

MISR Science Data Validation Plan Summary Charts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conel, J.; Ledeboer, W.; Ackerman, T.; Marchand, R.; Clothiaux, E.

2000-01-01

The purpose of the MISR experiment is to acquire systematic multi-angle imagery for global monitoring over a multi-year period of top-of-atmosphere and surface albedos and to measure the shortwave radiative properties of aerosols, clouds, and surface scenes.

The Art Teacher and Multi-Age Homeroom Teachers: Qualitative Observations and Comparisons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broome, Jeffrey L.

2016-01-01

Multi-age classrooms feature the intentional grouping of students from consecutive grade levels for the purpose of fostering a nurturing classroom atmosphere. While an abundance of research on multi-age education has been produced throughout the past 50 years, only recent efforts have seen researchers turn their attention to the experiences of art…

KSC-05PD-1449

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. At Launch Pad 39B, the Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) sensor package is viewed before the orbiter's payload bay doors are closed for launch. Payload bay door closure is a significant milestone in the preparations of Discovery for the first Return to Flight mission, STS-114. This sensor package will provide surface area and depth defect inspection for all the surfaces of the orbiter. It includes an intensified television camera (ITVC) and a laser dynamic range imager, which are mounted on a pan and tilt unit, and a laser camera system (LCS) mounted on a stationary bracket. The package is part of the new safety measures added for all future Space Shuttle missions. During its 12-day mission, Discoverys seven- person crew will test new hardware and techniques to improve Shuttle safety, as well as deliver supplies to the International Space Station. Discoverys payloads include the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello, the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier (LMC), and the External Stowage Platform-2 (ESP-2). Raffaello will deliver supplies to the International Space Station including food, clothing and research equipment. The LMC supports a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope and a tile repair sample box. The ESP-2 is outfitted with replacement parts. Launch of mission STS-114 was set for July 13 at the conclusion of the Flight Readiness Review yesterday.

Online friends, offline loved ones, and full-time media: young adult "mass personal" use of communication resources for informational and emotional support.

PubMed

Love, Brad; Donovan, Erin E

2014-06-01

As Web 2.0 technologies proliferate, patient education is changing dramatically. Information about prevention and survivorship arrives from a mix of sources. The present manuscript describes a study to shed light on how young adults (YAs) affected by cancer manage the digital world. Our investigation was guided by a research question asking how young adults affected by cancer engage in communication work in an environment of mass personal communication. The sample for this research consisted of 500 posts comprising 50 complete threads from an online support community for young adults affected by cancer. Threads were purposively sampled in a multi-stage process. Researchers used constant comparison to define themes, examining text in increments. Individuals harnessed assets of various communication tools for the purposes of message preparation and credibility checking. YAs demonstrated the multi-channel way they move between channels for different purposes, driven by preparation for future interactions. The result is a process that allows co-creation of knowledge in a trusted community. Findings indicate that completing communication work through multiple channels in a deliberate and savvy way is normal for YAs, particularly for message preparation and credibility checking. The multidirectional nature of digital tools plays an important role for YAs, as interactive resources appear to be the first or second stop for information after key events in the cancer trajectory. Results from this study are important as guidance to help manage the volume and depth of information common to the cancer experience in the Web 2.0 world.

The image-interpretation-workstation of the future: lessons learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maier, S.; van de Camp, F.; Hafermann, J.; Wagner, B.; Peinsipp-Byma, E.; Beyerer, J.

2017-05-01

In recent years, professionally used workstations got increasingly complex and multi-monitor systems are more and more common. Novel interaction techniques like gesture recognition were developed but used mostly for entertainment and gaming purposes. These human computer interfaces are not yet widely used in professional environments where they could greatly improve the user experience. To approach this problem, we combined existing tools in our imageinterpretation-workstation of the future, a multi-monitor workplace comprised of four screens. Each screen is dedicated to a special task in the image interpreting process: a geo-information system to geo-reference the images and provide a spatial reference for the user, an interactive recognition support tool, an annotation tool and a reporting tool. To further support the complex task of image interpreting, self-developed interaction systems for head-pose estimation and hand tracking were used in addition to more common technologies like touchscreens, face identification and speech recognition. A set of experiments were conducted to evaluate the usability of the different interaction systems. Two typical extensive tasks of image interpreting were devised and approved by military personal. They were then tested with a current setup of an image interpreting workstation using only keyboard and mouse against our image-interpretationworkstation of the future. To get a more detailed look at the usefulness of the interaction techniques in a multi-monitorsetup, the hand tracking, head pose estimation and the face recognition were further evaluated using tests inspired by everyday tasks. The results of the evaluation and the discussion are presented in this paper.

TREAT Neutronics Analysis and Design Support, Part II: Multi-SERTTA-CAL

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

Bess, John D.; Woolstenhulme, Nicolas E.; Hill, Connie M.

2016-08-01

Experiment vehicle design is necessary in preparation for Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) facility restart and the resumption of transient testing to support Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF) characterization and other future fuels testing requirements. Currently the most mature vehicle design is the Multi-SERTTA (Static Environments Rodlet Transient Test Apparatuses), which can accommodate up to four concurrent rodlet-sized specimens under separate environmental conditions. Robust test vehicle design requires neutronics analyses to support design development, optimization of the power coupling factor (PCF) to efficiently maximize energy generation in the test fuel rodlets, and experiment safety analyses. In integral aspect of prior TREAT transientmore » testing was the incorporation of calibration experiments to experimentally evaluate and validate test conditions in preparation of the actual fuel testing. The calibration experiment package established the test parameter conditions to support fine-tuning of the computational models to deliver the required energy deposition to the fuel samples. The calibration vehicle was designed to be as near neutronically equivalent to the experiment vehicle as possible to minimize errors between the calibration and final tests. The Multi-SERTTA-CAL vehicle was designed to serve as the calibration vehicle supporting Multi-SERTTA experimentation. Models of the Multi-SERTTA-CAL vehicle containing typical PWR-fuel rodlets were prepared and neutronics calculations were performed using MCNP6.1 with ENDF/B-VII.1 nuclear data libraries; these results were then compared against those performed for Multi-SERTTA to determine the similarity and possible design modification necessary prior to construction of these experiment vehicles. The estimated reactivity insertion worth into the TREAT core is very similar between the two vehicle designs, with the primary physical difference being a hollow Inconel tube running down the length of the calibration vehicle. Calculations of PCF indicate that on average there is a reduction of approximately 6.3 and 12.6%, respectively, for PWR fuel rodlets irradiated under wet and dry conditions. Changes to the primary or secondary vessel structure in the calibration vehicle can be performed to offset this discrepancy and maintain neutronic equivalency. Current possible modifications to the calibration vehicle include reduction of the primary vessel wall thickness, swapping Zircaloy-4 for stainless steel 316 in the secondary containment, or slight modification to the temperature and pressure of the water environment within the primary vessel. Removal of some of the instrumentation within the calibration vehicle can also serve to slightly increase the PCF. Future efforts include further modification and optimization of the Multi-SERTTA and Multi-SERTTA-CAL designs in preparation of actual TREAT transient testing. Experimental results from both test vehicles will be compared against calculational results and methods to provide validation and support additional neutronics analyses.« less

Spousal Support and Common Stressors of Nontraditional College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trackey, Rachel Phelps

2014-01-01

The purpose of my study was to expand the existing body of research regarding spousal support needs of nontraditional students. Richard Lazarus's (1999) cognitive contextual stress and coping theory provided the framework for this qualitative, phenomenological, multi-case study. Qualitative themes were (a) "spousal support," (b)…

Sustaining SWPBIS for Inclusive Behavior Instruction. Research to Practice Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center on Schoolwide Inclusive School Reform: The SWIFT Center, 2017

2017-01-01

Inclusive Behavior Instruction features universal or schoolwide positive behavior interventions and supports in a multi-tiered system of support. Many schools use School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS; Horner et al., 2009) for this purpose. Andreau, McIntosh, Ross, and Kahn describe thirteen characteristics of…

Identifying Representational Competence with Multi-Representational Displays

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stieff, Mike; Hegarty, Mary; Deslongchamps, Ghislain

2011-01-01

Increasingly, multi-representational educational technologies are being deployed in science classrooms to support science learning and the development of representational competence. Several studies have indicated that students experience significant challenges working with these multi-representational displays and prefer to use only one…

Flow characteristics of Korea multi-purpose research reactor

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

Heonil Kim; Hee Taek Chae; Byung Jin Jun

1995-09-01

The construction of Korea Multi-purpose Research Reactor (KMRR), a 30 MW{sub th} open-tank-in-pool type, is completed. Various thermal-hydraulic experiments have been conducted to verify the design characteristics of the KMRR. This paper describes the commissioning experiments to determine the flow distribution of KMRR core and the flow characteristics inside the chimney which stands on top of the core. The core flow is distributed to within {+-}6% of the average values, which is sufficiently flat in the sense that the design velocity in the fueled region is satisfied. The role of core bypass flow to confine the activated core coolant inmore » the chimney structure is confirmed.« less

A multi-group and preemptable scheduling of cloud resource based on HTCondor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xiaowei; Zou, Jiaheng; Cheng, Yaodong; Shi, Jingyan

2017-10-01

Due to the features of virtual machine-flexibility, easy controlling and various system environments, more and more fields utilize the virtualization technology to construct the distributed system with the virtual resources, also including high energy physics. This paper introduce a method used in high energy physics that supports multiple resource group and preemptable cloud resource scheduling, combining virtual machine with HTCondor (a batch system). It makes resource controlling more flexible and more efficient and makes resource scheduling independent of job scheduling. Firstly, the resources belong to different experiment-groups, and the type of user-groups mapping to resource-groups(same as experiment-group) is one-to-one or many-to-one. In order to make the confused group simply to be managed, we designed the permission controlling component to ensure that the different resource-groups can get the suitable jobs. Secondly, for the purpose of elastically allocating resources for suitable resource-group, it is necessary to schedule resources like scheduling jobs. So this paper designs the cloud resource scheduling to maintain a resource queue and allocate an appropriate amount of virtual resources to the request resource-group. Thirdly, in some kind of situations, because of the resource occupied for a long time, resources need to be preempted. This paper adds the preemption function for the resource scheduling that implement resource preemption based on the group priority. Additionally, the way to preempting is soft that when virtual resources are preempted, jobs will not be killed but also be held and rematched later. It is implemented with the help of HTCondor, storing the held job information in scheduler, releasing the job to idle status and doing second matcher. In IHEP (institute of high energy physics), we have built a batch system based on HTCondor with a virtual resources pool based on Openstack. And this paper will show some cases of experiment JUNO and LHAASO. The result indicates that multi-group and preemptable resource scheduling is efficient to support multi-group and soft preemption. Additionally, the permission controlling component has been used in the local computing cluster, supporting for experiment JUNO, CMS and LHAASO, and the scale will be expanded to more experiments at the first half year, including DYW, BES and so on. Its evidence that the permission controlling is efficient.

KSC-08pd3085

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane lifts the flexible hose rotary coupler. The coupler will be moved to the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3086

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- Amid the crowded hardware of the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the flexible hose rotary coupler is moved across the floor for installation onto Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3084

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers keep close watch as an overhead crane lifts the flexible hose rotary coupler. The coupler will be moved to the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Beyond the Pink Sand: Case Studies of Experiences of Multi-Tier System of Supports Implementation in the Bermuda Public School System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis-Thompson, Nyshawana

2017-01-01

This qualitative study examined how Multi-tier System of Supports (MTSS), a systematic approach to providing academic and behavioral supports to students, was implemented and experienced by macro and micro levels of educators in the Bermuda Public School system. I asked three research questions regarding: (a) how MTSS was being implemented in the…

KSC-08pd1842

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-06-26

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, STS-126 crew members check out the interior of the multi-purpose logistics module that will fly on the mission. Shuttle crews frequently visit Kennedy to get hands-on experience, called a crew equipment interface test, with hardware and equipment for their missions. On STS-126, Endeavour will deliver a multi-purpose logistics module to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for Nov. 10. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

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

Jensen, Colby B.; Folsom, Charles P.; Davis, Cliff B.

Experimental testing in the Multi-Static Environment Rodlet Transient Test Apparatus (SERTTA) will lead the rebirth of transient fuel testing in the United States as part of the Accident Tolerant Fuels (ATF) progam. The Multi-SERTTA is comprised of four isolated pressurized environments capable of a wide variety of working fluids and thermal conditions. Ultimately, the TREAT reactor as well as the Multi-SERTTA test vehicle serve the purpose of providing desired thermal-hydraulic boundary conditions to the test specimen. The initial ATF testing in TREAT will focus on reactivity insertion accident (RIA) events using both gas and water environments including typical PWR operatingmore » pressures and temperatures. For the water test environment, a test configuration is envisioned using the expansion tank as part of the gas-filled expansion volume seen by the test to provide additional pressure relief. The heat transfer conditions during the high energy power pulses of RIA events remains a subject of large uncertainty and great importance for fuel performance predictions. To support transient experiments, the Multi-SERTTA vehicle has been modeled using RELAP5 with a baseline test specimen composed of UO2 fuel in zircaloy cladding. The modeling results show the influence of the designs of the specimen, vehicle, and transient power pulses. The primary purpose of this work is to provide input and boundary conditions to fuel performance code BISON. Therefore, studies of parameters having influence on specimen performance during RIA transients are presented including cladding oxidation, power pulse magnitude and width, cladding-to-coolant heat fluxes, fuel-to-cladding gap, transient boiling effects (modified CHF values), etc. The results show the great flexibility and capacity of the TREAT Multi-SERTTA test vehicle to provide testing under a wide range of prototypic thermal-hydraulic conditions as never done before.« less

Development and validation of the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-management (PETS): a patient-reported measure of treatment burden.

PubMed

Eton, David T; Yost, Kathleen J; Lai, Jin-Shei; Ridgeway, Jennifer L; Egginton, Jason S; Rosedahl, Jordan K; Linzer, Mark; Boehm, Deborah H; Thakur, Azra; Poplau, Sara; Odell, Laura; Montori, Victor M; May, Carl R; Anderson, Roger T

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new comprehensive patient-reported measure of treatment burden-the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self-management (PETS). A conceptual framework was used to derive the PETS with items reviewed and cognitively tested with patients. A survey battery, including a pilot version of the PETS, was mailed to 838 multi-morbid patients from two healthcare institutions for validation. A total of 332 multi-morbid patients returned completed surveys. Diagnostics supported deletion and consolidation of some items and domains. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a domain model for scaling comprised of 9 factors: medical information, medications, medical appointments, monitoring health, interpersonal challenges, medical/healthcare expenses, difficulty with healthcare services, role/social activity limitations, and physical/mental exhaustion. Scales showed good internal consistency (α range 0.79-0.95). Higher PETS scores, indicative of greater treatment burden, were correlated with more distress, less satisfaction with medications, lower self-efficacy, worse physical and mental health, and lower convenience of healthcare (Ps < 0.001). Patients with lower health literacy, less adherence to medications, and more financial difficulties reported higher PETS scores (Ps < 0.01). A comprehensive patient-reported measure of treatment burden can help to better characterize the impact of treatment and self-management burden on patient well-being and guide care toward minimally disruptive medicine.

Co-Production of Knowledge in Multi-Stakeholder Processes: Analyzing Joint Experimentation as Social Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpo, Essegbemon; Crane, Todd A.; Vissoh, Pierre V.; Tossou, Rigobert C.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Changing research design and methodologies regarding how researchers articulate with end-users of technology is an important consideration in developing sustainable agricultural practices. This paper analyzes a joint experiment as a multi-stakeholder process and contributes to understand how the way of organizing social learning affects…

Managing multicentre clinical trials with open source.

PubMed

Raptis, Dimitri Aristotle; Mettler, Tobias; Fischer, Michael Alexander; Patak, Michael; Lesurtel, Mickael; Eshmuminov, Dilmurodjon; de Rougemont, Olivier; Graf, Rolf; Clavien, Pierre-Alain; Breitenstein, Stefan

2014-03-01

Multicentre clinical trials are challenged by high administrative burden, data management pitfalls and costs. This leads to a reduced enthusiasm and commitment of the physicians involved and thus to a reluctance in conducting multicentre clinical trials. The purpose of this study was to develop a web-based open source platform to support a multi-centre clinical trial. We developed on Drupal, an open source software distributed under the terms of the General Public License, a web-based, multi-centre clinical trial management system with the design science research approach. This system was evaluated by user-testing and well supported several completed and on-going clinical trials and is available for free download. Open source clinical trial management systems are capable in supporting multi-centre clinical trials by enhancing efficiency, quality of data management and collaboration.

Exploring demands from the perspective of employees identified as being at risk of burnout

PubMed Central

Gauche, Cecile; de Beer, Leon T.; Brink, Lizelle

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: Burnout has become an occupational health concern. However, little is known about the experiences of individuals identified as being at risk of burnout. This study aimed to address this gap by exploring employees’ experiences of well-being who were identified as burnout risks. Method: Interviews were conducted with 26 employees who agreed to participate in the study. A phenomenological approach was taken, with a case study design as the research strategy. Results: Three major themes were identified: job demands, life demands, and health concerns. It was evident that participants were experiencing demanding conditions in both their work and personal lives, indicating burnout to be a multi-domain phenomenon. Conclusions: Professionals and managers should take note of these results to assist and support employees who are identified as being at risk of burnout. PMID:28784048

Developing a Software for Fuzzy Group Decision Support System: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baba, A. Fevzi; Kuscu, Dincer; Han, Kerem

2009-01-01

The complex nature and uncertain information in social problems required the emergence of fuzzy decision support systems in social areas. In this paper, we developed user-friendly Fuzzy Group Decision Support Systems (FGDSS) software. The software can be used for multi-purpose decision making processes. It helps the users determine the main and…

Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Cross, Cynthia D.; Rains, George Edward

2012-01-01

The Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT1) vehicle to be launched in 2014. The development of the Orion Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the completing the components which are on EFT1. Additional development work has been done to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation for a flight tests in of EM1 in 2017 and in and EM2 in 2020. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2012 to April 2013.

Multi-Purpose Enrollment Projections: A Comparative Analysis of Four Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Debra Mary

2013-01-01

Providing support for institutional planning is central to the function of institutional research. Necessary for the planning process are accurate enrollment projections. The purpose of the present study was to develop a short-term enrollment model simple enough to be understood by those who rely on it, yet sufficiently complex to serve varying…

Biological Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Session MP2 includes short reports on: (1) Crew Regenerative Life Support in Long Duration Space Missions; (2) Bioconversion Systems for Food and Water on Long Term Space Missions; (3) Novel Laboratory Approaches to Multi-purpose Aquatic Biogenerative Closed-Loop Food Production Systems; and (4) Artificial Neural Network Derived Plant Growth Models.

Wakata in the JPM

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-15

View of Koichi Wakata,Expedition 38 Flight Engineer (FE),in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM). JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP),is visible. Photo was taken during Expedition 38. Image was released by astronaut on Twitter.

Graduate Student Perceptions of Multi-Modal Tablet Use in Academic Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Ezzard C., Jr.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore graduate student perceptions of use and the ease of use of multi-modal tablets to access electronic course materials, and the perceived differences based on students' gender, age, college of enrollment, and previous experience. This study used the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology to…

KSC-08pd3083

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, workers attach an overhead crane to the flexible hose rotary coupler. After attachment, the crane will lift and move the coupler to the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-08pd3082

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-10-09

CAPE CANAVERAL, FIa. -- In the Space Station Processing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, an overhead crane is maneuvered above the flexible hose rotary coupler. After attachment, the crane will lift and move the coupler to the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier for installation. The carrier will be installed in space shuttle Endeavour for the STS-126 mission to the International Space Station. The 15-day flight will deliver equipment and supplies to the space station in preparation for expansion from a three- to six-person resident crew aboard the complex. The mission also will include four spacewalks to service the station’s Solar Alpha Rotary Joints. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

A Place to Be, Not a Place to Go

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Tera

2011-01-01

The field of developmental disabilities is as multi-faceted, varied and intricate as anything imaginable. Most of the author's management and professional experience has centered on vocational opportunities and supported employment for people with significant disabilities. The author shares some thoughts and experiences about supporting people in…

Person-centred web-based support--development through a Swedish multi-case study.

PubMed

Josefsson, Ulrika; Berg, Marie; Koinberg, Ingalill; Hellström, Anna-Lena; Nolbris, Margaretha Jenholt; Ranerup, Agneta; Lundin, Carina Sparud; Skärsäter, Ingela

2013-10-19

Departing from the widespread use of the internet in modern society and the emerging use of web applications in healthcare this project captures persons' needs and expectations in order to develop highly usable web recourses. The purpose of this paper is to outline a multi-case research project focused on the development and evaluation of person-centred web-based support for people with long-term illness. To support the underlying idea to move beyond the illness, we approach the development of web support from the perspective of the emergent area of person-centred care. The project aims to contribute to the ongoing development of web-based supports in health care and to the emerging field of person-centred care. The research design uses a meta-analytical approach through its focus on synthesizing experiences from four Swedish regional and national cases of design and use of web-based support in long-term illness. The cases include children (bladder dysfunction and urogenital malformation), young adults (living close to persons with mental illness), and two different cases of adults (women with breast cancer and childbearing women with type 1 diabetes). All of the cases are ongoing, though in different stages of design, implementation, and analysis. This, we argue, will lead to a synthesis of results on a meta-level not yet described. To allow valid comparisons between the four cases we explore and problematize them in relation to four main aspects: 1) The use of people's experiences and needs; 2) The role of use of theories in the design of person-centred web-based supports; 3) The evaluation of the effects of health outcomes for the informants involved and 4) The development of a generic person-centred model for learning and social support for people with long-term illness and their significant others. Person-centred web-based support is a new area and few studies focus on how web-based interventions can contribute to the development of person-centred care. In summary, the main intention of the project outlined here is to contribute with both a synthesis of results on meta-level from four cases and a substantial contribution to the field person-centred care.

Jali - Unstructured Mesh Infrastructure for Multi-Physics Applications

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

Garimella, Rao V; Berndt, Markus; Coon, Ethan

2017-04-13

Jali is a parallel unstructured mesh infrastructure library designed for use by multi-physics simulations. It supports 2D and 3D arbitrary polyhedral meshes distributed over hundreds to thousands of nodes. Jali can read write Exodus II meshes along with fields and sets on the mesh and support for other formats is partially implemented or is (https://github.com/MeshToolkit/MSTK), an open source general purpose unstructured mesh infrastructure library from Los Alamos National Laboratory. While it has been made to work with other mesh frameworks such as MOAB and STKmesh in the past, support for maintaining the interface to these frameworks has been suspended formore » now. Jali supports distributed as well as on-node parallelism. Support of on-node parallelism is through direct use of the the mesh in multi-threaded constructs or through the use of "tiles" which are submeshes or sub-partitions of a partition destined for a compute node.« less

Inter-Disciplinary Collaboration in Support of the Post-Standby TREAT Mission

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

DeHart, Mark; Baker, Benjamin; Ortensi, Javier

Although analysis methods have advanced significantly in the last two decades, high fidelity multi- physics methods for reactors systems have been under development for only a few years and are not presently mature nor deployed. Furthermore, very few methods provide the ability to simulate rapid transients in three dimensions. Data for validation of advanced time-dependent multi- physics is sparse; at TREAT, historical data were not collected for the purpose of validating three-dimensional methods, let alone multi-physics simulations. Existing data continues to be collected to attempt to simulate the behavior of experiments and calibration transients, but it will be insufficient formore » the complete validation of analysis methods used for TREAT transient simulations. Hence, a 2018 restart will most likely occur without the direct application of advanced modeling and simulation methods. At present, the current INL modeling and simulation team plans to work with TREAT operations staff in performing reactor simulations with MAMMOTH, in parallel with the software packages currently being used in preparation for core restart (e.g., MCNP5, RELAP5, ABAQUS). The TREAT team has also requested specific measurements to be performed during startup testing, currently scheduled to run from February to August of 2018. These startup measurements will be crucial in validating the new analysis methods in preparation for ultimate application for TREAT operations and experiment design. This document describes the collaboration between modeling and simulation staff and restart, operations, instrumentation and experiment development teams to be able to effectively interact and achieve successful validation work during restart testing.« less

Investigating the use of patient involvement and patient experience in quality improvement in Norway: rhetoric or reality?

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Patient involvement in health care decision making is part of a wider trend towards a more bottom-up approach to service planning and provision, and patient experience is increasingly conceptualized as a core dimension of health care quality. The aim of this multi-level study is two-fold: 1) to describe and analyze how governmental organizations expect acute hospitals to incorporate patient involvement and patient experiences into their quality improvement (QI) efforts and 2) to analyze how patient involvement and patient experiences are used by hospitals to try to improve the quality of care they provide. Methods This multi-level case study combines analysis of national policy documents and regulations at the macro level with semi-structured interviews and non-participant observation of key meetings and shadowing of staff at the meso and micro levels in two purposively sampled Norwegian hospitals. Fieldwork at the meso and micro levels was undertaken over a 12-month period (2011–2012). Results Governmental documents and regulations at the macro level demonstrated wide-ranging expectations for the integration of patient involvement and patient experiences in QI work in hospitals. The expectations span from systematic collection of patients’ and family members’ experiences for the purpose of improving service quality through establishing patient-oriented arenas for ongoing collaboration with staff to the support of individual involvement in decision making. However, the extent of involvement of patients and application of patient experiences in QI work was limited at both hospitals. Even though patient involvement was gaining prominence at the meso level − and to a lesser extent at the micro level − relevant tools for measuring and using patient experiences in QI work were lacking, and available measures of patient experience were not being used meaningfully or systematically. Conclusions The relative lack of expertise in Norwegian hospitals of adapting and implementing tools and methods for improving patient involvement and patient experiences at the meso and micro levels mark a need for health care policymakers and hospital leaders to learn from experiences of other industries and countries that have successfully integrated user experiences into QI work. Hospital managers need to design and implement wider strategies to help their staff members recognize and value the contribution that patient involvement and patient experiences can make to the improvement of healthcare quality. PMID:23742265

A novel multi-target regression framework for time-series prediction of drug efficacy.

PubMed

Li, Haiqing; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Ying; Guo, Yumeng; Li, Guo-Zheng; Zhu, Xiaoxin

2017-01-18

Excavating from small samples is a challenging pharmacokinetic problem, where statistical methods can be applied. Pharmacokinetic data is special due to the small samples of high dimensionality, which makes it difficult to adopt conventional methods to predict the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription. The main purpose of our study is to obtain some knowledge of the correlation in TCM prescription. Here, a novel method named Multi-target Regression Framework to deal with the problem of efficacy prediction is proposed. We employ the correlation between the values of different time sequences and add predictive targets of previous time as features to predict the value of current time. Several experiments are conducted to test the validity of our method and the results of leave-one-out cross-validation clearly manifest the competitiveness of our framework. Compared with linear regression, artificial neural networks, and partial least squares, support vector regression combined with our framework demonstrates the best performance, and appears to be more suitable for this task.

A novel multi-target regression framework for time-series prediction of drug efficacy

PubMed Central

Li, Haiqing; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Ying; Guo, Yumeng; Li, Guo-Zheng; Zhu, Xiaoxin

2017-01-01

Excavating from small samples is a challenging pharmacokinetic problem, where statistical methods can be applied. Pharmacokinetic data is special due to the small samples of high dimensionality, which makes it difficult to adopt conventional methods to predict the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription. The main purpose of our study is to obtain some knowledge of the correlation in TCM prescription. Here, a novel method named Multi-target Regression Framework to deal with the problem of efficacy prediction is proposed. We employ the correlation between the values of different time sequences and add predictive targets of previous time as features to predict the value of current time. Several experiments are conducted to test the validity of our method and the results of leave-one-out cross-validation clearly manifest the competitiveness of our framework. Compared with linear regression, artificial neural networks, and partial least squares, support vector regression combined with our framework demonstrates the best performance, and appears to be more suitable for this task. PMID:28098186

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Active Thermal Control and Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Cross, Cynthia D.; Rains, George Edward

2013-01-01

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT1) vehicle to be launched in 2014. The development of the Orion Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the completing the components which are on EFT1. Additional development work has been done to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation for a flight tests in of EM1 in 2017 and in and EM2 in 2020. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2012 to April 2013.

Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Cross, Cynthia D.; Carrasquillo, Robyn; Rains, George Edward

2012-01-01

The Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely from the Earth beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT1) vehicle to be launched in 2014. The development of the Orion Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the components which are on EFT1 which includes pressure control and active thermal control systems, is progressing through the design stage into manufacturing. Additional development work was done to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation for a flight tests in 2017 and in 2020. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2011 to April 2012.

Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Cross, Cynthia D.; Carrasquillo, Robyn; Rains, George Edward

2011-01-01

The Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely from the Earth beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Orion Flight Test 1 (OFT1) vehicle to be launched in 2013. The development of the Orion Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the components which are on OFT1 which includes pressure control and active thermal control systems, is progressing through the design stage into manufacturing. Additional development work was done to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation for a flight test in 2017. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2011 to April 2012.

Second generation experiments in fault tolerant software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, J. C.

1987-01-01

The purpose of the Multi-Version Software (MVS) experiment is to obtain empirical measurements of the performance of multi-version systems. Twenty version of a program were prepared under reasonably realistic development conditions from the same specifications. The overall structure of the testing environment for the MVS experiment and its status are described. A preliminary version of the control system is described that was implemented for the MVS experiment to allow the experimenter to have control over the details of the testing. The results of an empirical study of error detection using self checks are also presented. The analysis of the checks revealed that there are great differences in the ability of individual programmers to design effective checks.

Secondary HIV prevention among kothi-identified MSM in Chennai, India.

PubMed

Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Newman, Peter A; Shunmugam, Murali

2008-05-01

This study explored experiences and contexts of HIV risk and prevention among HIV-positive kothi-identified men in Chennai, India. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HIV-positive men and three service providers, recruited using purposive sampling. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed in Tamil and translated into English. Data were analysed using a narrative thematic approach and constant comparative method. Misconceptions about HIV transmission; cultural taboos around discussing sexual behaviour and HIV; stigma related to same-sex behaviour; harassment; and the criminalization of consensual sex between men present formidable challenges to HIV prevention. Frank and open discussion about male-to-male sexual behaviour and living with HIV, which may support health and HIV prevention, may be dangerous in the context of pervasive risks due to stigmatization, violence and criminalization. Instead, culturally appropriate, multi-level interventions developed in collaboration with community stakeholders are needed to support HIV prevention among kothi-identified men in South India.

A study protocol of the effectiveness of PEGASUS: a multi-centred study comparing an intervention to promote shared decision making about breast reconstruction with treatment as usual.

PubMed

Harcourt, Diana; Paraskeva, Nicole; White, Paul; Powell, Jane; Clarke, Alex

2017-10-02

Increasingly, women elect breast reconstruction after mastectomy. However, their expectations of surgery are often not met, and dissatisfaction with outcome and ongoing psychosocial concerns and distress are common. We developed a patient-centered intervention, PEGASUS:(Patients' Expectations and Goals: Assisting Shared Understanding of Surgery) which supports shared decision making by helping women clarify their own, individual goals about reconstruction so that they can discuss these with their surgeon. Our acceptability/feasibility work has shown it is well received by patients and health professionals alike. We now need to establish whether PEGASUS improves patients' experiences of breast reconstruction decision making and outcomes. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to examine the effectiveness of PEGASUS, an intervention designed to support shared decision making about breast reconstruction. A multi-centered sequential study will compare the impact of PEGASUS with usual care, in terms of patient reported outcomes (self-reported satisfaction with the outcome of surgery, involvement in decision making and in the consultation) and health economics. Initially we will collect data from our comparison (usual care) group (90 women) who will complete standardized measures (Breast-Q, EQ5D -5 L and ICECAP- A) at the time of decision making, 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. Health professionals will then be trained to use PEGASUS, which will be delivered to the intervention group (another 90 women completing the same measures at the time of decision making, and 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery). Health professionals and a purposefully selected sample of participants will be interviewed about whether their expectations of reconstruction were met, and their experiences of PEGASUS (if appropriate). PEGASUS may have the potential to provide health professionals with an easily accessible tool aiming to support shared decision making and improve patients' satisfaction with breast reconstruction. Results of this study will be available at the end of 2019. ISRCTN 18000391 (DOI 10.1186/ISRCTN18000391) 27/01/2016.

78 FR 26269 - Connect America Fund; High-Cost Universal Service Support

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-06

... the model platform, which is the basic framework for the model consisting of key assumptions about the... combination of competitive bidding and a new forward-looking model of the cost of constructing modern multi-purpose networks.'' Using the cost model to ``estimate the support necessary to serve areas where costs...

STS-87 Payload installation in LC 39B PCR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

A payload canister, seen here half-open, containing the primary payloads for the STS-87 mission, is moved into the Payload Changeout Room at Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center. The STS-87 payload includes the United States Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP- 4), seen here on two Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structures in the center of the photo, and Spartan-201, wrapped in a protective covering directly above the USMP-4 experiments. Spartan-201 is a small retrievable satellite involved in research to study the interaction between the Sun and its wind of charged particles. USMP-4 is one of a series of missions designed to conduct scientific research aboard the Shuttle in the unique microgravity environment for extended periods of time. In the past, USMP missions have provided invaluable experience in the design of instruments needed for the International Space Station (ISS) and microgravity programs to follow in the 21st century. STS-87 is scheduled for launch Nov. 19.

Measurement of light yield dependence on electron energy for SNO+ scintillator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan Chan Tseung, Hok

2011-10-01

SNO+ is a multi-purpose neutrino experiment whose reach extends to the following areas of neutrino physics: neutrinoless double beta decay (with Nd-loaded scintillator), geo-neutrinos, reactor and low-energy solar neutrinos, as well as supernova neutrinos. It is a ~780-tonne liquid scintillator detector currently under construction at the SNOLAB facility in Sudbury, Ontario,Canada. The scintillator to be used in SNO+ is linear alkylbenzene (LAB) with ~2 g/L of PPO (2,5-diphenyloxazole). In this talk, we describe an experiment to test the linearity of the response of LAB-PPO with respect to electrons. We find that below ~0.4 MeV, the energy scale of LAB-PPO becomes non-linear. An explanation is given in terms of Cherenkov light absorption and re-emission by the scintillator. This research has been supported under DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER41020.

Design, Development, and Integration of A Space Shuttle Orbiter Bay 13 Payload Carrier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, Susan H.; Phillips, Michael W.; Upton, Lanny (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Bay 13 of the Space Shuttle Orbiter has been limited to small sidewall mounted payloads and ballast. In order to efficiently utilize this space, a concept was developed for a cross-bay cargo carrier to mount Orbital Replacement Units (ORU's) for delivery to the International Space Station and provide additional opportunities for science payloads, while meeting the Orbiter ballast requirements. The Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS) Carrie (LMC) was developed and tested by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the Boeing Company. The Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure (MPESS), which was developed for the Spacelab program was modified, removing the keel structure and relocating the sill trunnions to fit in Bay 13. Without the keel fitting, the LMC required a new and innovative concept for transferring Y loads into the Orbiter structure. Since there is no keel fitting available in the Bay 13 location, the design had to utilize the longeron bridge T-rail to distribute the Y loads. This concept has not previously been used in designing Shuttle payloads. A concept was developed to protect for Launch-On-Need ORU's, while providing opportunities for science payloads. Categories of potential ORU's were defined, and Get-Away Special (GAS) payloads of similar mass properties were provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. Four GAS payloads were manifest as the baseline configuration, preserving the capability to swap up to two ORU's for the corresponding science payloads, after installation into the Orbiter cargo bay at the pad, prior to closeout. Multiple configurations were considered for the analytical integration, to protect for all defined combinations of ORU's and GAS payloads. The first physical integration of the LMC war performed by Goddard Space Flight Center and Kennedy Space Center at an off-line facility at Kennedy Space Center. This paper will discuss the design challenges, structural testing, analytical and physical integration for the LMC's successful maiden flight on STS-108/ISS UF-1 mission in December 2001.

Mothers' lived experiences of support when living with young children with congenital heart defects

PubMed Central

Bruce, Elisabeth; Lilja, Catrine; Sundin, Karin

2014-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to illuminate the meanings of support as disclosed by mothers of children with congenital heart defects (CHD). Design and Method Narrative interviews were conducted with 10 mothers of children with CHD. A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used for interpretation of the transcribed interviews. Results The comprehensive understanding of mothers' lived experiences of support emerged as the experiences of receiving good support, receiving “poor support,” and absence of support. Practice Implications Mothers receiving person-centered and family-centered care feel more supported and are more likely to adapt to the stresses of parenting a child with CHD. PMID:24124764

Research on Equivalent Tests of Dynamics of On-orbit Soft Contact Technology Based on On-Orbit Experiment Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, F.; Dong, Z. H.; Ye, X.

2018-05-01

Currently, space robots have been become a very important means of space on-orbit maintenance and support. Many countries are taking deep research and experiment on this. Because space operation attitude is very complicated, it is difficult to model them in research lab. This paper builds up a complete equivalent experiment framework according to the requirement of proposed space soft-contact technology. Also, this paper carries out flexible multi-body dynamics parameters verification for on-orbit soft-contact mechanism, which combines on-orbit experiment data, the built soft-contact mechanism equivalent model and flexible multi-body dynamics equivalent model that is based on KANE equation. The experiment results approve the correctness of the built on-orbit soft-contact flexible multi-body dynamics.

Organizational Structures and Processes to Support and Sustain Effective Technical Assistance in a State-Wide Multi-Tiered System of Support Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison, Julie Q.; Russell, Christine; Dyer, Stephanie; Metcalf, Terri; Rahschulte, Rebecca L.

2014-01-01

Despite the national proliferation of technical assistance as a driver for school reform and as a model for embedded and sustained professional development, very little is known about the organizational structures and processes needed to support technical assistance. The purpose of this paper is to describe a structured needs assessment process…

Preparing culture change agents for academic medicine in a multi-institutional consortium: the C - change learning action network.

PubMed

Pololi, Linda H; Krupat, Edward; Schnell, Eugene R; Kern, David E

2013-01-01

Research suggests an ongoing need for change in the culture of academic medicine. This article describes the structure, activities and evaluation of a culture change project: the C - Change Learning Action Network (LAN) and its impact on participants. The LAN was developed to create the experience of a culture that would prepare participants to facilitate a culture in academic medicine that would be more collaborative, inclusive, relational, and that supports the humanity and vitality of faculty. Purposefully diverse faculty, leaders, and deans from 5 US medical schools convened in 2 1/2-day meetings biannually over 4 years. LAN meetings employed experiential, cognitive, and affective learning modes; innovative dialogue strategies; and reflective practice aimed at facilitating deep dialogue, relationship formation, collaboration, authenticity, and transformative learning to help members experience the desired culture. Robust aggregated qualitative and quantitative data collected from the 5 schools were used to inform and stimulate culture-change plans. Quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods were used. Participants indicated that a safe, supportive, inclusive, collaborative culture was established in LAN and highly valued. LAN members reported a deepened understanding of organizational change, new and valued interpersonal connections, increased motivation and resilience, new skills and approaches, increased self-awareness and personal growth, emotional connection to the issues of diversity and inclusion, and application of new learnings in their work. A carefully designed multi-institutional learning community can transform the way participants experience and view institutional culture. It can motivate and prepare them to be change agents in their own institutions. Copyright © 2013 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on CME, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Developing and testing an instrument to measure the presence of conditions for successful implementation of quality improvement collaboratives.

PubMed

Dückers, Michel L A; Wagner, Cordula; Groenewegen, Peter P

2008-08-11

In quality improvement collaboratives (QICs) teams of practitioners from different health care organizations are brought together to systematically improve an aspect of patient care. Teams take part in a series of meetings to learn about relevant best practices, quality methods and change ideas, and share experiences in making changes in their own local setting. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for measuring team organization, external change agent support and support from the team's home institution in a Dutch national improvement and dissemination programme for hospitals based on several QICs. The exploratory methodological design included two phases: a) content development and assessment, resulting in an instrument with 15 items, and b) field testing (N = 165). Internal consistency reliability was tested via Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Principal component analyses were used to identify underlying constructs. Tests of scaling assumptions according to the multi trait/multi-item matrix, were used to confirm the component structure. Three components were revealed, explaining 65% of the variability. The components were labelled 'organizational support', 'team organization' and 'external change agent support'. One item not meeting item-scale criteria was removed. This resulted in a 14 item instrument. Scale reliability ranged from 0.77 to 0.91. Internal item consistency and divergent validity were satisfactory. On the whole, the instrument appears to be a promising tool for assessing team organization and internal and external support during QIC implementation. The psychometric properties were good and warrant application of the instrument for the evaluation of the national programme and similar improvement programmes.

Data structures supporting multi-region adaptive isogeometric analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perduta, Anna; Putanowicz, Roman

2018-01-01

Since the first paper published in 2005 Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) has gained strong interest and found applications in many engineering problems. Despite the advancement of the method, there are still far fewer software implementations comparing to Finite Element Method. The paper presents an approach to the development of data structures that can support multi-region IGA with local mesh refinement (patch-based) and possible application in IGA-FEM models. The purpose of this paper is to share original design concepts, that authors have created while developing an IGA package, which other researchers may find beneficial for their own simulation codes.

Influence of Negotiations between Preservice Teachers and Pupils on Instruction within Multi-Activity and Sport Education Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wahl-Alexander, Zachary; Curtner-Smith, Matthew D.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of negotiations between pupils and preservice teachers (PTs) on PTs' instruction within multi-activity (MA) teaching and sport education (SE). Participants were 17 PTs engaged in a secondary early field experience in which they taught 12-lesson MA and SE soccer units. Data were collected using…

Parallelized computation for computer simulation of electrocardiograms using personal computers with multi-core CPU and general-purpose GPU.

PubMed

Shen, Wenfeng; Wei, Daming; Xu, Weimin; Zhu, Xin; Yuan, Shizhong

2010-10-01

Biological computations like electrocardiological modelling and simulation usually require high-performance computing environments. This paper introduces an implementation of parallel computation for computer simulation of electrocardiograms (ECGs) in a personal computer environment with an Intel CPU of Core (TM) 2 Quad Q6600 and a GPU of Geforce 8800GT, with software support by OpenMP and CUDA. It was tested in three parallelization device setups: (a) a four-core CPU without a general-purpose GPU, (b) a general-purpose GPU plus 1 core of CPU, and (c) a four-core CPU plus a general-purpose GPU. To effectively take advantage of a multi-core CPU and a general-purpose GPU, an algorithm based on load-prediction dynamic scheduling was developed and applied to setting (c). In the simulation with 1600 time steps, the speedup of the parallel computation as compared to the serial computation was 3.9 in setting (a), 16.8 in setting (b), and 20.0 in setting (c). This study demonstrates that a current PC with a multi-core CPU and a general-purpose GPU provides a good environment for parallel computations in biological modelling and simulation studies. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Leading the Comprehensive Community College Library: Defining, Aligning, and Supporting Innovation and Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Donna L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this multi-case study was to describe how library deans and directors at large comprehensive community colleges strategically advocate for and support instructional and technological innovation despite the reality of limited resources and the stress caused by recurring funding crises in higher education. It further sought to examine…

How Educators Perceive the Process and Implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS): A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maniglia, Linda M.

2017-01-01

In this qualitative case study the researcher examined educators' perceptions of an RTI/MTSS model of instruction and how staff perceptions relate to fidelity of implementation. The purpose of this research was to investigate educators' understanding of the critical components necessary to support implementation of RTI/MTSS framework. The…

A Case Study of a Program for University STEM Faculty to Redesign Courses Using Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernal, Elaine V.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to evaluate a multi-campus university program designed to support STEM faculty in redesigning bottleneck courses, with integration of technology as one strategy. Despite the positive student learning outcomes in course redesign programs with an aim to support faculty in technology integration, there remains a…

Bridging the Gap: Individual Growth and Development Indicators--The Which One Doesn't Belong Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Megan I.; Wackerle-Hollman, Alisha K.

2015-01-01

The Individual Growth and Development Indicator (IGDI): Which One Doesn't Belong (WODB) task is an early comprehension screening assessment designed for use in pre-Kindergarten multi-tiered systems of support. This article summarizes the purpose, procedures, and evidence base currently available in the literature to support the WODB task. Example…

Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Active Thermal Control and Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Boehm, Paul; Cross, Cynthia D.; Rains, George Edward

2014-01-01

The Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT1) vehicle to be launched in September of 2014. The development of the Orion Active Thermal Control (ATCS) and Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the integrating the components into the EFT1 vehicle and preparing them for launch. Work also has started on preliminary design reviews for the manned vehicle. Additional development work is underway to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation on the flight tests of EM1 in 2017 and of EM2 in 2020. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2013 to April 2014.

Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle Active Thermal Control and Environmental Control and Life Support Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, John F.; Barido, Richard A.; Boehm, Paul; Cross, Cynthia D.; Rains, George Edward

2014-01-01

The Orion Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) is the first crew transport vehicle to be developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in the last thirty years. Orion is currently being developed to transport the crew safely beyond Earth orbit. This year, the vehicle focused on building the Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT1) vehicle to be launched in September of 2014. The development of the Orion Active Thermal Control (ATCS) and Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) System, focused on the integrating the components into the EFT1 vehicle and preparing them for launch. Work also has started on preliminary design reviews for the manned vehicle. Additional development work is underway to keep the remaining component progressing towards implementation on the flight tests of EM1 in 2017 and of EM2 in 2020. This paper covers the Orion ECLS development from April 2013 to April 2014

What Does an Inventory of Recent Innovation Experiences Tell Us about Agricultural Innovation in Africa?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triomphe, Bernard; Floquet, Anne; Kamau, Geoffrey; Letty, Brigid; Vodouhe, Simplice Davo; Ng'ang'a, Teresiah; Stevens, Joe; van den Berg, Jolanda; Selemna, Nour; Bridier, Bernard; Crane, Todd; Almekinders, Cornelia; Waters-Bayer, Ann; Hocde, Henri

2013-01-01

Purpose: Within the context of the European-funded JOLISAA project (JOint Learning in and about Innovation Systems in African Agriculture), an inventory of agricultural innovation experiences was made in Benin, Kenya and South Africa. The objective was to assess multi-stakeholder agricultural innovation processes involving smallholders. Approach:…

Customer Avionics Interface Development and Analysis (CAIDA): Software Developer for Avionics Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, Sherry L.

2018-01-01

The Customer Avionics Interface Development and Analysis (CAIDA) supports the testing of the Launch Control System (LCS), NASA's command and control system for the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and ground support equipment. The objective of the semester-long internship was to support day-to-day operations of CAIDA and help prepare for verification and validation of CAIDA software.

Designing a Field Experience Tracking System in the Area of Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Wu; Watson, Silvana

2014-01-01

Purpose: To improve the quality of field experience, support field experience cooperation and streamline field experience management, the purpose of this paper is to describe the experience in using Activity Theory to design and develop a web-based field experience tracking system for a special education program. Design/methodology/approach: The…

A rack is installed in MPLM Leonardo

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Workers inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo check installation of a laboratory rack inside the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The pressurized module is the first of three that will serve as the International Space Station's '''moving vans,''' carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. Approximately 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter, Leonardo will be launched on Shuttle mission STS-102 March 1, 2001. On that flight, Leonardo will be filled with equipment and supplies to outfit the U.S. laboratory module, being carried to the ISS on the Jan. 19, 2001, launch of STS-98.

Exploring team working and shared leadership in multi-disciplinary cancer care.

PubMed

Willcocks, Stephen George

2018-02-05

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of shared leadership to multi-disciplinary cancer care. It examines the policy background and applies concepts from shared leadership to this context. It includes discussion of the implications and recommendations. Design/methodology/approach This is a conceptual paper examining policy documents and secondary literature on the topic. While it focuses on the UK National Health Services, it is also relevant to other countries given they follow a broadly similar path with regard to multi-disciplinary working. Findings The paper suggests that shared leadership is a possible way forward for multi-disciplinary cancer care, particularly as policy developments are supportive of this. It shows that a shared perspective is likely to be beneficial to the further development of multi-disciplinary working. Research limitations/implications Adopting shared leadership needs to be explored further using appropriate empirical research. Practical implications The paper offers comments on the implications of introducing shared leadership and makes recommendations including being aware of the barriers to its implementation. Originality/value The paper offers an alternative view on leadership in the health-care context.

SESAME/CASSE listening to the insertion of the MUPUS PEN at Abydos site, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knapmeyer, M.; Fischer, H.-H.; Knollenberg, J.; Seidensticker, K. J.; Thiel, K.; Arnold, W.; Faber, C.; Möhlmann, D.

2015-10-01

SESAME is a suite of three instruments (the Comet Acoustic Surface Sounding Experiment CASSE, the Dust Impact Monitor DIM, and the electrical Permittivity Probe PP) that have sensors and transmitters distributed all over the Philae lander, but share common electronics for commanding and processing. SESAME is conducted by a consortium of DLR, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (Göttingen), and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (Helsinki, [1]). The Multi-Purpose Sensor MUPUS, run also by DLR, combines a thermal conductivity and heat flow experiment with a mechanical properties experiment associated with the anchoring harpoons of the lander ([2]). It was recognized early in the preparation of both the SESAME and MUPUS experiments that the hammering mechanism of the latter, which drives the thermal probe into the ground, might as well serve as source of elastic waves for the CASSE experiment. To support the CASSE experiment, the MUPUS flight software provides information on its hammering process in a shared memory of the lander data management system. CASSE listening to the MUPUS PEN hammer mechanism proved to be the first active seismic experiment conducted on a celestial body other than Earth since the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, which was carried out on the Moon by the Apollo 17 astronauts in 1972 (e.g. [3]).

Design Multi-Sides System Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) Rocket

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syam, Rafiudin; Sutresman, Onny; Mappaita, Abdullah; Amiruddin; Wiranata, Ardi

2018-02-01

This study aims to design and test USV multislide forms. This system is excellent for maneuvering on the x-y-z coordinates. The disadvantage of a single side USV is that it is very difficult to maneuver to achieve very dynamic targets. While for multi sides system easily maneuvered though x-y-z coordinates. In addition to security defense purposes, multi-side system is also good for maritime intelligence, surveillance. In this case, electric deducted fan with Multi-Side system so that the vehicle can still operate even in reverse condition. Multipleside USV experiments have done with good results. In a USV study designed to use two propulsions.

Maximising Intercultural Learning in Short Term International Placements: Findings Associated with Orientation Programs, Guided Reflection and Immersion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Coral J. L.; Walta, Caroline

2015-01-01

Short-term international practicum experience is now a feature of many university education programs in Australia in an attempt to engage students with the growing multi-cultural aspects of Australian life. The stated purposes of such practicum experiences generally highlight intercultural learning, which is associated with the development of…

Second Life in the Library: An Empirical Study of New Users' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Christopher Peter

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the experiences of new users of Second Life in order to identify potential barriers and attractors to the expansion of the userbase and therefore the market for in-world information services. Design/methodology/approach: A multi-faceted methodological approach was taken utilising two questionnaires (pre- and…

Crewmember working on the spacelab Zeolite Crystal Growth experiment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

View showing Payload Specialists Bonnie Dunbar and Larry DeLucas in the aft section of the U. S. Microgravity Laboratory-1. Dunbar is preparing to load a sample in the Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) Integrated Furnace Experiment Assembly (IFEA) in rack 9 of the Microgravity Laboratory. DeLucas is checking out the multi-purpose Glovebox Facility.

Instructor Interaction and Immediacy Behaviors in a Multipoint Videoconferenced Instructional Environment: A Descriptive Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bohnstedt, Kathy D.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of professors teaching in a multi-point videoconferencing instructional environment and how they interacted with students in proximate and remote classrooms. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed to gain an understanding of the teaching experience and to examine differences between…

Supporting Working-Class Students in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soria, Krista; Bultmann, Mark

2014-01-01

Utilizing data from the multi-institutional "Student Experience in the Research University" survey, we examined self-identified working-class students' experiences in higher education. The results suggest that working-class students experience a lower sense of belonging, perceive a less welcoming campus climate, and pursue fewer social…

Multi-KW dc distribution system technology research study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dawson, S. G.

1978-01-01

The Multi-KW DC Distribution System Technology Research Study is the third phase of the NASA/MSFC study program. The purpose of this contract was to complete the design of the integrated technology test facility, provide test planning, support test operations and evaluate test results. The subjet of this study is a continuation of this contract. The purpose of this continuation is to study and analyze high voltage system safety, to determine optimum voltage levels versus power, to identify power distribution system components which require development for higher voltage systems and finally to determine what modifications must be made to the Power Distribution System Simulator (PDSS) to demonstrate 300 Vdc distribution capability.

Lenstronomy: Multi-purpose gravitational lens modeling software package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birrer, Simon; Amara, Adam

2018-04-01

Lenstronomy is a multi-purpose open-source gravitational lens modeling python package. Lenstronomy reconstructs the lens mass and surface brightness distributions of strong lensing systems using forward modelling and supports a wide range of analytic lens and light models in arbitrary combination. The software is also able to reconstruct complex extended sources as well as point sources. Lenstronomy is flexible and numerically accurate, with a clear user interface that could be deployed across different platforms. Lenstronomy has been used to derive constraints on dark matter properties in strong lenses, measure the expansion history of the universe with time-delay cosmography, measure cosmic shear with Einstein rings, and decompose quasar and host galaxy light.

Inspiring Equal Contribution and Opportunity in a 3D Multi-User Virtual Environment: Bringing Together Men Gamers and Women Non-Gamers in Second Life[R

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

deNoyelles, Aimee; Seo, Kay Kyeong-Ju

2012-01-01

A 3D multi-user virtual environment holds promise to support and enhance student online learning communities due to its ability to promote global synchronous interaction and collaboration, rich multisensory experience and expression, and elaborate design capabilities. Second Life[R], a multi-user virtual environment intended for adult users 18 and…

The place-value of a digit in multi-digit numbers is processed automatically.

PubMed

Kallai, Arava Y; Tzelgov, Joseph

2012-09-01

The automatic processing of the place-value of digits in a multi-digit number was investigated in 4 experiments. Experiment 1 and two control experiments employed a numerical comparison task in which the place-value of a non-zero digit was varied in a string composed of zeros. Experiment 2 employed a physical comparison task in which strings of digits varied in their physical sizes. In both types of tasks, the place-value of the non-zero digit in the string was irrelevant to the task performed. Interference of the place-value information was found in both tasks. When the non-zero digit occupied a lower place-value, it was recognized slower as a larger digit or as written in a larger font size. We concluded that place-value in a multi-digit number is processed automatically. These results support the notion of a decomposed representation of multi-digit numbers in memory. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Person-centred web-based support - development through a Swedish multi-case study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Departing from the widespread use of the internet in modern society and the emerging use of web applications in healthcare this project captures persons’ needs and expectations in order to develop highly usable web recourses. The purpose of this paper is to outline a multi-case research project focused on the development and evaluation of person-centred web-based support for people with long-term illness. To support the underlying idea to move beyond the illness, we approach the development of web support from the perspective of the emergent area of person-centred care. The project aims to contribute to the ongoing development of web-based supports in health care and to the emerging field of person-centred care. Methods/Design The research design uses a meta-analytical approach through its focus on synthesizing experiences from four Swedish regional and national cases of design and use of web-based support in long-term illness. The cases include children (bladder dysfunction and urogenital malformation), young adults (living close to persons with mental illness), and two different cases of adults (women with breast cancer and childbearing women with type 1 diabetes). All of the cases are ongoing, though in different stages of design, implementation, and analysis. This, we argue, will lead to a synthesis of results on a meta-level not yet described. Discussion To allow valid comparisons between the four cases we explore and problematize them in relation to four main aspects: 1) The use of people’s experiences and needs; 2) The role of use of theories in the design of person-centred web-based supports; 3) The evaluation of the effects of health outcomes for the informants involved and 4) The development of a generic person-centred model for learning and social support for people with long-term illness and their significant others. Person-centred web-based support is a new area and few studies focus on how web-based interventions can contribute to the development of person-centred care. In summary, the main intention of the project outlined here is to contribute with both a synthesis of results on meta-level from four cases and a substantial contribution to the field person-centred care. PMID:24139057

Enhanced Attitude Control Experiment for SSTI Lewis Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maghami, Peoman G.

1997-01-01

The enhanced attitude control system experiment is a technology demonstration experiment on the NASA's small spacecraft technology initiative program's Lewis spacecraft to evaluate advanced attitude control strategies. The purpose of the enhanced attitude control system experiment is to evaluate the feasibility of designing and implementing robust multi-input/multi-output attitude control strategies for enhanced pointing performance of spacecraft to improve the quality of the measurements of the science instruments. Different control design strategies based on modern and robust control theories are being considered for the enhanced attitude control system experiment. This paper describes the experiment as well as the design and synthesis of a mixed H(sub 2)/H(sub infinity) controller for attitude control. The control synthesis uses a nonlinear programming technique to tune the controller parameters and impose robustness and performance constraints. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed attitude control design strategy. Introduction

The Fluids And Combustion Facility Combustion Integrated Rack And The Multi-User Droplet Combustion Apparatus: Microgravity Combustion Science Using Modular Multi-User Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

OMalley, Terence F.; Myhre, Craig A.

2000-01-01

The Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) is a multi-rack payload planned for the International Space Station (ISS) that will enable the study of fluid physics and combustion science in a microgravity environment. The Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) is one of two International Standard Payload Racks of the FCF and is being designed primarily to support combustion science experiments. The Multi-user Droplet Combustion Apparatus (MDCA) is a multi-user apparatus designed to accommodate four different droplet combustion science experiments and is the first payload for CIR. The CIR will function independently until the later launch of the Fluids Integrated Rack component of the FCF. This paper provides an overview of the capabilities and the development status of the CIR and MDCA.

Lessons in Success: A Multi-Campus Study of Factors Influencing Academic Accomplishment among High-Achieving African American Students at Private Liberal Arts Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Ryan A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the academic experiences of highly successful African-American male graduates of small, private liberal arts colleges using a qualitative approach. Fourteen highly successful alumni from selective, private colleges were purposefully selected for the study, including seven African-American males and seven…

Application of multi-factorial design of experiments to successfully optimize immunoassays for robust measurements of therapeutic proteins.

PubMed

Ray, Chad A; Patel, Vimal; Shih, Judy; Macaraeg, Chris; Wu, Yuling; Thway, Theingi; Ma, Mark; Lee, Jean W; Desilva, Binodh

2009-02-20

Developing a process that generates robust immunoassays that can be used to support studies with tight timelines is a common challenge for bioanalytical laboratories. Design of experiments (DOEs) is a tool that has been used by many industries for the purpose of optimizing processes. The approach is capable of identifying critical factors and their interactions with a minimal number of experiments. The challenge for implementing this tool in the bioanalytical laboratory is to develop a user-friendly approach that scientists can understand and apply. We have successfully addressed these challenges by eliminating the screening design, introducing automation, and applying a simple mathematical approach for the output parameter. A modified central composite design (CCD) was applied to three ligand binding assays. The intra-plate factors selected were coating, detection antibody concentration, and streptavidin-HRP concentrations. The inter-plate factors included incubation times for each step. The objective was to maximize the logS/B (S/B) of the low standard to the blank. The maximum desirable conditions were determined using JMP 7.0. To verify the validity of the predictions, the logS/B prediction was compared against the observed logS/B during pre-study validation experiments. The three assays were optimized using the multi-factorial DOE. The total error for all three methods was less than 20% which indicated method robustness. DOE identified interactions in one of the methods. The model predictions for logS/B were within 25% of the observed pre-study validation values for all methods tested. The comparison between the CCD and hybrid screening design yielded comparable parameter estimates. The user-friendly design enables effective application of multi-factorial DOE to optimize ligand binding assays for therapeutic proteins. The approach allows for identification of interactions between factors, consistency in optimal parameter determination, and reduced method development time.

Systems engineering management plan : Dallas Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) demonstration project.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-12-01

The purpose of the Dallas ICM System is to implement a multi-modal operations decision support tool enabled by real-time data pertaining to the operation of freeways, arterials, and public transit. The system will be shared between information system...

Designing Multi-Channel Web Frameworks for Cultural Tourism Applications: The MUSE Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garzotto, Franca; Salmon, Tullio; Pigozzi, Massimiliano

A framework for the design of multi-channel (MC) applications in the cultural tourism domain is presented. Several heterogeneous interface devices are supported including location-sensitive mobile units, on-site stationary devices, and personalized CDs that extend the on-site experience beyond the visit time thanks to personal memories gathered…

Toward Transformative Learning: An Inquiry into the Work and Subsequent Learning Experiences of Individuals Who Assisted Hurricane Katrina Evacuees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ficks, David B., II.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this multi-case study was to examine in depth the personal and learning experiences of helping professionals and volunteer helpers when challenged to assist adult Hurricane Katrina evacuees and victims in the aftermath of the disaster. The study contributes theoretically, practically and substantively to the adult education field.…

Educative Experiences of Rural Junior High History Fair Participants Seeking and Evaluating Online Primary Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Riley Todd

2012-01-01

This phenomenological ethnographic multi-case study's purpose was to gain insight into experiences of rural junior high History Fair participants as they searched for and evaluated online primary sources. Drawing on the theories of Dewey and Kuhlthau, the study examined how the participants searched the Internet, what strategies they used to…

Building sustainable multi-functional prospective electronic clinical data systems.

PubMed

Randhawa, Gurvaneet S; Slutsky, Jean R

2012-07-01

A better alignment in the goals of the biomedical research enterprise and the health care delivery system can help fill the large gaps in our knowledge of the impact of clinical interventions on patient outcomes in the real world. There are several initiatives underway to align the research priorities of patients, providers, researchers, and policy makers. These include Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-supported projects to build flexible prospective clinical electronic data infrastructure that meet the needs of these diverse users. AHRQ has previously supported the creation of 2 distributed research networks as a new approach to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER) while protecting a patient's confidential information and the proprietary needs of a clinical organization. It has applied its experience in building these networks in directing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds for CER to support new clinical electronic infrastructure projects that can be used for several purposes including CER, quality improvement, clinical decision support, and disease surveillance. In addition, AHRQ has funded a new Electronic Data Methods forum to advance the methods in clinical informatics, research analytics, and governance by actively engaging investigators from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded projects and external stakeholders.

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider Facility Project. The Physics Programme for the Multi-Purpose Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geraksiev, N. S.; MPD Collaboration

2018-05-01

The Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility (NICA) is a new accelerator complex being constructed at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The general objective of the project is to provide beams for the experimental study of hot and dense strongly interacting QCD matter. The heavy ion programme includes two planned detectors: BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) a fixed target experiment with extracted Nuclotron beams; and MPD (MultiPurpose Detector) a collider mode experiment at NICA. The accelerated particles can range from protons and light nuclei to gold ions. Beam energies will span\\sqrt{s}=12-27 GeV with luminosity L ≥ 1 × 1030 cm‑2s‑1 and \\sqrt{{s}NN}=4-11 GeV and average luminosity L = 1 × 1027cm‑2 s ‑1(for 197Au79+), respectively. A third experiment for spin physics is planned with the SPD (Spin Physics Detector) at the NICA collider in polarized beams mode. A brief overview of the MPD is presented along with several observables in the MPD physics programme.

Satellite SAR imagery for site discovery, change detection and monitoring activities in cultural heritage sites: experiments on the Nasca region, Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapete, D.; Cigna, F.; Masini, N.; Lasaponara, R.

2012-04-01

Besides their suitability for multi-temporal and spatial deformation analysis, the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image archives acquired by space-borne radar sensors can be exploited to support archaeological investigations over huge sites, even those partially or totally buried and still to be excavated. Amplitude information is one of the main properties of SAR data from which it is possible to retrieve evidences of buried structures, using feature extraction and texture analysis. Multi-temporality allows the reconstruction of past and recent evolution of both landscape and built-up environment, with the possibility to detect natural and/or anthropogenic changes, including human-induced damages to the conservation of cultural heritage. We present the methodology and first results of the experiments currently undertaken using SAR data in the Nasca region (Southern Peru), where two important civilizations such as Paracas and Nasca developed and flourished from 4th century BC to the 6th century AD. The study areas include a wide spectrum of archaeological and environmental elements to be preserved, among which: the archaeological site of Cahuachi and its surroundings, considered the largest adobe Ceremonial Centre in the World; the Nasca lines and geoglyphs in the areas of Palpa, Atarco and Nasca; the ancient networks of aqueducts and drainage galleries in the Puquios area, built by Nasca in the 1st-6th centuries AD. Archaeological prospection and multi-purpose remote sensing activities are currently carried out in the framework of the Italian mission of heritage Conservation and Archaeogeophysics (ITACA), with the direct involvement of researchers from the Institute for Archaeological and Monumental Heritage and the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, Italian National Research Council. In this context, C- and L-band SAR images covering the Nasca region since 2001 were identified for the purposes of this research and, in particular, the following data stacks were selected: ERS-2 ascending data acquired in 2001-2011, ENVISAT ASAR ascending and descending data acquired in 2003-2007, and ALOS PALSAR descending and ascending data acquired in 2007 and 2008. The feature extraction was specifically addressed to the recognition of buried structures, archaeological deposits and the study of the buried networks of aqueducts, as well as the morphological study of the Nasca geoglyphs. Change detection analysis also included the multi-temporal reconstruction of the evolution of the Rio Nasca catchment basin, while specific tests were performed to demonstrate the usefulness of SAR imagery for monitoring looting activities. The results of the radar-interpretation compared and integrated with the field investigations will support the archaeological activities and contribute to the monitoring and enhancement of archaeological heritage and cultural landscape of the Nasca region.

A Multi-User Remote Academic Laboratory System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrios, Arquimedes; Panche, Stifen; Duque, Mauricio; Grisales, Victor H.; Prieto, Flavio; Villa, Jose L.; Chevrel, Philippe; Canu, Michael

2013-01-01

This article describes the development, implementation and preliminary operation assessment of Multiuser Network Architecture to integrate a number of Remote Academic Laboratories for educational purposes on automatic control. Through the Internet, real processes or physical experiments conducted at the control engineering laboratories of four…

Recovery Based on Spirituality in Substance Abusers in Iran

PubMed Central

Shamsalinia, Abbas; Norouzi, Kiyan; Khoshknab, Masoud Fallahi; Farhoudian, Ali

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose: Spirituality is an important factor influencing the decrease of substance abuse severity and maintenance of the recovery phase. This research, investigates the effect of spiritual experiences in the recovery of substance abusers. Material and Methods: Qualitative data was collected from 16 men and 6 women, selected through purposeful sampling to ensure an equilibrated gender representation and data from different recovery periods. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Results: Data showed two main categories: “Mutual relationship between spirituality and recovery,” divided into four subcategories: religious background, religious teachings, experience exchange, and support of family and society; and “A new perspective toward life” subdivided into access to calmness and spiritual development. A factor “spirituality meaning religion” arose repeatedly throughout the study. Conclusion: The results of this study can be useful for policy makers, care providers, families, and drug addicts. The promotion of spirituality in substance abusers can help in their struggle with temptation. Effective strategies to ensure drug abstinence and maintenance of the recovery phase are encouraging substance abusers and their families to participate in spirituality-based psychotherapy sessions held in addiction treatment centers, multi-disciplinary cooperation among the organizations involved in the addiction phenomenon, and training the families regarding the importance of spirituality in the mental health of their children through mass media. PMID:25363097

The Raffaello, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, arrives at KSC aboard a Beluga super transporter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

An Airbus Industrie A300-600ST 'Beluga' Super Transporter touches down at the Shuttle Landing Facility to deliver its cargo, the second Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) for the International Space Station (ISS). One of Italy's major contributions to the ISS program, the MPLM, named Raffaello, is a reusable logistics carrier and the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Weighing nearly 4.5 tons, the module measures 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Raffaello will join Leonardo, the first Italian-built MPLM, in the Space Station Processing Facility for testing. NASA, Boeing, the Italian Space Agency and Alenia Aerospazio will provide engineering support.

The Raffaello, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, arrives at KSC aboard a Beluga super transporter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

An Airbus Industrie A300-600ST 'Beluga' Super Transporter lands in the rain at the Shuttle Landing Facility to deliver its cargo, the second Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) for the International Space Station (ISS). One of Italy's major contributions to the ISS program, the MPLM, named Raffaello, is a reusable logistics carrier and the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Weighing nearly 4.5 tons, the module measures 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Raffaello will join Leonardo, the first Italian-built MPLM, in the Space Station Processing Facility for testing. NASA, Boeing, the Italian Space Agency and Alenia Aerospazio will provide engineering support.

Experiences of time: a qualitative inquiry into experiences of time as described by palliative care inpatients.

PubMed

Robertson, Matra

2015-02-01

In palliative care, health professionals provide support and care for patients for the duration of the unknown time toward death. While the experiences of patients diagnosed with a life limiting illness in palliative care have received some scholarly attention, little research has explored these experiences as described by palliative inpatients themselves. The purpose of this article is to explore how patients describe their lived experiences of time while in a palliative inpatient facility. This study used a qualitative phenomenological method and nine inpatients were recruited. They were interviewed utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were audio taped and transcribed. These interview transcripts of their descriptions were the data sources for this inquiry. Their description is part of a broader phenomenological inquiry on the experience of living with a life limiting illness described by palliative inpatients. Data were analyzed to identify essential themes within and across cases. Three essential themes were revealed: "brief time"; "waiting time," and "transcendental horizon: future time." These themes were not mutually exclusive and participant's experiences of time approaching death were described as a time of living toward death. The findings suggest that patients diagnosed with a life limiting illness have multi-dimensional experiences of time. Understanding the experiences of temporality for patients close to the gravity of death, from the patients' own words, can provide direction for patient informed interventions in clinical practice.

Two-probe STM experiments at the atomic level.

PubMed

Kolmer, Marek; Olszowski, Piotr; Zuzak, Rafal; Godlewski, Szymon; Joachim, Christian; Szymonski, Marek

2017-11-08

Direct characterization of planar atomic or molecular scale devices and circuits on a supporting surface by multi-probe measurements requires unprecedented stability of single atom contacts and manipulation of scanning probes over large, nanometer scale area with atomic precision. In this work, we describe the full methodology behind atomically defined two-probe scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments performed on a model system: dangling bond dimer wire supported on a hydrogenated germanium (0 0 1) surface. We show that 70 nm long atomic wire can be simultaneously approached by two independent STM scanners with exact probe to probe distance reaching down to 30 nm. This allows direct wire characterization by two-probe I-V characteristics at distances below 50 nm. Our technical results presented in this work open a new area for multi-probe research, which can be now performed with precision so far accessible only by single-probe scanning probe microscopy (SPM) experiments.

KSC-99pp1261

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

The support building at the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center takes form. It will house related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. The RLV complex includes a multi-purpose hangar that will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

The experience of well-being in professionals who support victims of political or familiar conflicts during their social integration process in Barranquilla, Colombia.

PubMed

Polo, Jean David; De Castro, Alberto; Amarís, María

2015-01-01

This article is the result of integration between a theoretical analysis and a qualitative approximation to the field about the experience of well-being. It presents the results of an investigation and its principal purpose was to examine the state and experience of well-being in the professionals who support victims of political or familiar conflicts during their social-integration processes. For this purpose, the researchers approached lived discourses, analyzed the context of the participants in the investigation in order to clarify direct and subjective experiences.

Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Camera Asset Planning: Imagery Previsualization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaulieu, K.

2014-01-01

Using JSC-developed and other industry-standard off-the-shelf 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software packages, the Image Science Analysis Group (ISAG) supports Orion Project imagery planning efforts through dynamic 3D simulation and realistic previsualization of ground-, vehicle-, and air-based camera output.

SU-E-I-100: Heterogeneity Studying for Primary and Lymphoma Tumors by Using Multi-Scale Image Texture Analysis with PET-CT Images

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

Li, Dengwang; Wang, Qinfen; Li, H

Purpose: The purpose of this research is studying tumor heterogeneity of the primary and lymphoma by using multi-scale texture analysis with PET-CT images, where the tumor heterogeneity is expressed by texture features. Methods: Datasets were collected from 12 lung cancer patients, and both of primary and lymphoma tumors were detected with all these patients. All patients underwent whole-body 18F-FDG PET/CT scan before treatment.The regions of interest (ROI) of primary and lymphoma tumor were contoured by experienced clinical doctors. Then the ROI of primary and lymphoma tumor is extracted automatically by using Matlab software. According to the geometry size of contourmore » structure, the images of tumor are decomposed by multi-scale method.Wavelet transform was performed on ROI structures within images by L layers sampling, and then wavelet sub-bands which have the same size of the original image are obtained. The number of sub-bands is 3L+1.The gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) is calculated within different sub-bands, thenenergy, inertia, correlation and gray in-homogeneity were extracted from GLCM.Finally, heterogeneity statistical analysis was studied for primary and lymphoma tumor using the texture features. Results: Energy, inertia, correlation and gray in-homogeneity are calculated with our experiments for heterogeneity statistical analysis.Energy for primary and lymphomatumor is equal with the same patient, while gray in-homogeneity and inertia of primaryare 2.59595±0.00855, 0.6439±0.0007 respectively. Gray in-homogeneity and inertia of lymphoma are 2.60115±0.00635, 0.64435±0.00055 respectively. The experiments showed that the volume of lymphoma is smaller than primary tumor, but thegray in-homogeneity and inertia were higher than primary tumor with the same patient, and the correlation with lymphoma tumors is zero, while the correlation with primary tumor isslightly strong. Conclusion: This studying showed that there were effective heterogeneity differences between primary and lymphoma tumor by multi-scale image texture analysis. This work is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 61201441), Research Fund for Excellent Young and Middle-aged Scientists of Shandong Province (No. BS2012DX038), Project of Shandong Province Higher Educational Science and Technology Program (No. J12LN23), Jinan youth science and technology star (No.20120109)« less

Support for Learning Goes beyond Academic Support: Voices of Students with Asperger's Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolic Baric, Vedrana; Hellberg, Kristina; Kjellberg, Anette; Hemmingsson, Helena

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the experiences of support at school among young adults with Asperger's disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and also to examine what support they, in retrospect, described as influencing learning. Purposive sampling was used to enroll participants. Data were collected through…

iss050e037283

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-01-31

iss050e037283 (01/31/2017) --- NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson removes the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP) from inside the Kibo airlock aboard the International Space Station. The airlock is used to deploy a number of scientific payloads from inside the station out into the vacuum of space.

Experiences with using information and communication technology to build a multi-municipal support network for informal carers.

PubMed

Torp, Steffen; Bing-Jonsson, Pia C; Hanson, Elizabeth

2013-09-01

This multi-municipal intervention study explored whether informal carers of frail older people and disabled children living at home made use of information and communication technology (ICT) to gain knowledge about caring and to form informal support networks, thereby improving their health. Seventy-nine informal carers accessed web-based information about caring and an e-based discussion forum via their personal computers. They were able to maintain contact with each other using a web camera and via normal group meetings. After the first 12 months, 17 informal carers participated in focus group interviews and completed a short questionnaire. Four staff members were also interviewed. Participant carers who had prior experiences with a similar ICT-based support network reported greater satisfaction and more extensive use of the network than did participants with no such prior experience. It seems that infrequent usage of the service may be explained by too few other carers to identify with and inappropriate recruitment procedures. Nevertheless, carers of disabled children reported that the intervention had resulted in improved services across the participant municipalities. To achieve optimal effects of an ICT-based support network due attention must be given to recruitment processes and social environment building for which care practitioners require training and support.

The effect of a multi-component smoking cessation intervention in African American women residing in public housing.

PubMed

Andrews, Jeannette O; Felton, Gwen; Ellen Wewers, Mary; Waller, Jennifer; Tingen, Martha

2007-02-01

The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a multi-component smoking cessation intervention in African American women residing in public housing. The intervention consisted of: (a) nurse led behavioral/empowerment counseling; (b) nicotine replacement therapy; and, (c) community health workers to enhance smoking self-efficacy, social support, and spiritual well-being. The results showed a 6-month continuous smoking abstinence of 27.5% and 5.7% in the intervention and comparison groups. Changes in social support and smoking self-efficacy over time predicted smoking abstinence, and self-efficacy mediated 6-month smoking abstinence outcomes. Spiritual well-being did not predict or mediate smoking abstinence outcomes. These findings support the use of a nurse/community health worker model to deliver culturally tailored behavioral interventions with marginalized communities.

Note: Modified anvil design for improved reliability in DT-Cup experiments.

PubMed

Hunt, Simon A; Dobson, David P

2017-12-01

The Deformation T-Cup (DT-Cup) is a modified 6-8 multi-anvil apparatus capable of controlled strain-rate deformation experiments at pressures greater than 18 GPa. Controlled strain-rate deformation was enabled by replacing two of the eight cubic "second-stage" anvils with hexagonal cross section deformation anvils and modifying the "first-stage" wedges. However, with these modifications approximately two-thirds of experiments end with rupture of the hexagonal anvils. By replacing the hexagonal anvils with cubic anvils and, split, deformation wedge extensions, we restore the massive support to the deformation anvils that were inherent in the original multi-anvil design and prevent deformation anvil failure. With the modified parts, the DT-Cup has an experimental success rate that is similar to that of a standard hydrostatic 6-8 multi-anvil apparatus.

The transformation of multi-sensory experiences into memories during sleep.

PubMed

Rothschild, Gideon

2018-03-26

Our everyday lives present us with a continuous stream of multi-modal sensory inputs. While most of this information is soon forgotten, sensory information associated with salient experiences can leave long-lasting memories in our minds. Extensive human and animal research has established that the hippocampus is critically involved in this process of memory formation and consolidation. However, the underlying mechanistic details are still only partially understood. Specifically, the hippocampus has often been suggested to encode information during experience, temporarily store it, and gradually transfer this information to the cortex during sleep. In rodents, ample evidence has supported this notion in the context of spatial memory, yet whether this process adequately describes the consolidation of multi-sensory experiences into memories is unclear. Here, focusing on rodent studies, I examine how multi-sensory experiences are consolidated into long term memories by hippocampal and cortical circuits during sleep. I propose that in contrast to the classical model of memory consolidation, the cortex is a "fast learner" that has a rapid and instructive role in shaping hippocampal-dependent memory consolidation. The proposed model may offer mechanistic insight into memory biasing using sensory cues during sleep. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multi-zone muffle furnace design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowe, Neil D.; Kisel, Martin

1993-01-01

A Multi-Zone Muffle-Tube Furnace was designed, built, and tested for the purpose of providing an in-house experience base with tubular furnaces for materials processing in microgravity. As such, it must not only provide the desired temperatures and controlled thermal gradients at several discrete zones along its length but must also be capable of sustaining the rigors of a Space Shuttle launch. The furnace is insulated to minimize radial and axial heat losses. It is contained in a water-cooled enclosure for purposes of dissipating un-wanted residual heat, keeping the outer surfaces of the furnace at a 'touch-safe' temperature, and providing a rugged housing. This report describes the salient features of the furnace, testing procedures and results, and concluding remarks evaluating the overall design.

Occupational therapy students' perspectives regarding international cross-cultural experiences.

PubMed

Humbert, Tamera Keiter; Burket, Allison; Deveney, Rebecca; Kennedy, Katelyn

2012-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perspectives of occupational therapy students who have engaged in international, cross-cultural learning and service experiences. This study utilized a qualitative, phenomenological design. Nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with students who engaged in international learning opportunities. The interviews were coded and analyzed using a constant comparative analysis approach. Three central themes emerged from the data analysis. Connectedness is the process of forming relationships with others while engaging in cross-cultural experiences. Students formed relationships with faculty, other students, and people within the community. Cultural awareness is the recognition and understanding of a different culture and responding to those differences. Students attempted to understand the new culture in comparison to their own lived experiences. Complexity portrays cross-cultural opportunities as dynamic, multi-faceted and intricate. This was demonstrated as the students raised additional questions about the conflict between their own culture and the new culture they entered. Students also identified limited orientation, support and structure with such experiences and the conflicting roles between volunteer, student, and team member. The ability to connect with others when building relationships in diverse cultural contexts held meaning for the students; however, the students also expressed conflict in trying to make sense of the new culture as it often challenged personal beliefs and constructs. The complexity and challenges of engaging in these opportunities needs to be recognized and further explored to assess how curricula and faculty best supports culturally responsive care. © 2011 The Authors Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2011 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Empowering Adolescents for Activist Literacies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Sally L.

2013-01-01

An essential requirement for supporting the activist literacies of adolescents is a critical understanding of the purposes, practices and roles of engaged citizens and of the linguistic and broader semiotic resources they deploy in response to their multi-layered contexts. Drawing on theories from social semiotic and rhetorical traditions as well…

76 FR 66048 - 36(b)(1) Arms Sales Notification

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

.... (iii) Description and Quantity or Quantities of Articles or Services under Consideration for Purchase... High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), 1 lot AN/MPQ- 64F1 SENTINEL Radar software, 290...-Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SL-AMRAAM) software to support Oman's Ground Based Air...

Orion Flight Test Architecture Benefits of MBSE Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reed, Don; Simpson, Kim

2012-01-01

Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1) is an unmanned first orbital flight test of the Multi Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Mission s purpose is to: Test Orion s ascent, on-orbit and entry capabilities Monitor critical activities Provide ground control in support of contingency scenarios Requires development of a large scale end-to-end information system network architecture To effectively communicate the scope of the end-to-end system a model-based system engineering approach was chosen.

Multi-threaded Event Processing with DANA

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

David Lawrence; Elliott Wolin

2007-05-14

The C++ data analysis framework DANA has been written to support the next generation of Nuclear Physics experiments at Jefferson Lab commensurate with the anticipated 12GeV upgrade. The DANA framework was designed to allow multi-threaded event processing with a minimal impact on developers of reconstruction software. This document describes how DANA implements multi-threaded event processing and compares it to simply running multiple instances of a program. Also presented are relative reconstruction rates for Pentium4, Xeon, and Opteron based machines.

Analysis of thermal performance of penetrated multi-layer insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Foster, Winfred A., Jr.; Jenkins, Rhonald M.; Yoo, Chai H.; Barrett, William E.

1988-01-01

Results of research performed for the purpose of studying the sensitivity of multi-layer insulation blanket performance caused by penetrations through the blanket are presented. The work described in this paper presents the experimental data obtained from thermal vacuum tests of various penetration geometries similar to those present on the Hubble Space Telescope. The data obtained from these tests is presented in terms of electrical power required sensitivity factors referenced to a multi-layer blanket without a penetration. The results of these experiments indicate that a significant increase in electrical power is required to overcome the radiation heat losses in the vicinity of the penetrations.

a Framework for Low-Cost Multi-Platform VR and AR Site Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallgrün, J. O.; Huang, J.; Zhao, J.; Masrur, A.; Oprean, D.; Klippel, A.

2017-11-01

Low-cost consumer-level immersive solutions have the potential to revolutionize education and research in many fields by providing virtual experiences of sites that are either inaccessible, too dangerous, or too expensive to visit, or by augmenting in-situ experiences using augmented and mixed reality methods. We present our approach for creating low-cost multi-platform virtual and augmented reality site experiences of real world places for education and research purposes, making extensive use of Structure-from-Motion methods as well as 360° photography and videography. We discuss several example projects, for the Mayan City of Cahal Pech, Iceland's Thrihnukar volcano, the Santa Marta informal settlement in Rio, and for the Penn State Campus, and we propose a framework for creating and maintaining such applications by combining declarative content specification methods with a central linked-data based spatio-temporal information system.

The Raffaello, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, arrives at KSC aboard a Beluga super transporter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

An Airbus Industrie A300-600ST 'Beluga' Super Transporter is reflected in the rain puddles as it comes to a stop at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The Beluga is carrying the Raffaello, the second Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) for the International Space Station (ISS). One of Italy's major contributions to the ISS program, the MPLM is a reusable logistics carrier and the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Weighing nearly 4.5 tons, the module measures 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Raffaello will join Leonardo, the first Italian-built MPLM, in the Space Station Processing Facility for testing. NASA, Boeing, the Italian Space Agency and Alenia Aerospazio will provide engineering support.

The Raffaello, a Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, arrives at KSC aboard a Beluga super transporter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

An Airbus Industrie A300-600ST 'Beluga' Super Transporter is reflected in the rain puddles as it taxis toward the mate/demate tower at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The Beluga is carrying the Raffaello, the second Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) for the International Space Station (ISS). One of Italy's major contributions to the ISS program, the MPLM is a reusable logistics carrier and the primary delivery system used to resupply and return station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Weighing nearly 4.5 tons, the module measures 21 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. Raffaello will join Leonardo, the first Italian-built MPLM, in the Space Station Processing Facility for testing. NASA, Boeing, the Italian Space Agency and Alenia Aerospazio will provide engineering support.

Time-Of-Flight Camera, Optical Tracker and Computed Tomography in Pairwise Data Registration

PubMed Central

Badura, Pawel; Juszczyk, Jan; Pietka, Ewa

2016-01-01

Purpose A growing number of medical applications, including minimal invasive surgery, depends on multi-modal or multi-sensors data processing. Fast and accurate 3D scene analysis, comprising data registration, seems to be crucial for the development of computer aided diagnosis and therapy. The advancement of surface tracking system based on optical trackers already plays an important role in surgical procedures planning. However, new modalities, like the time-of-flight (ToF) sensors, widely explored in non-medical fields are powerful and have the potential to become a part of computer aided surgery set-up. Connection of different acquisition systems promises to provide a valuable support for operating room procedures. Therefore, the detailed analysis of the accuracy of such multi-sensors positioning systems is needed. Methods We present the system combining pre-operative CT series with intra-operative ToF-sensor and optical tracker point clouds. The methodology contains: optical sensor set-up and the ToF-camera calibration procedures, data pre-processing algorithms, and registration technique. The data pre-processing yields a surface, in case of CT, and point clouds for ToF-sensor and marker-driven optical tracker representation of an object of interest. An applied registration technique is based on Iterative Closest Point algorithm. Results The experiments validate the registration of each pair of modalities/sensors involving phantoms of four various human organs in terms of Hausdorff distance and mean absolute distance metrics. The best surface alignment was obtained for CT and optical tracker combination, whereas the worst for experiments involving ToF-camera. Conclusion The obtained accuracies encourage to further develop the multi-sensors systems. The presented substantive discussion concerning the system limitations and possible improvements mainly related to the depth information produced by the ToF-sensor is useful for computer aided surgery developers. PMID:27434396

A multi-wavelength fiber-optic temperature-controlled laser soldering system for upper aerodigestive tract reconstruction: an animal model.

PubMed

Abergel, Avraham; Gabay, Ilan; Fliss, Dan M; Katzir, Abraham; Gil, Ziv

2011-06-01

Laser soldering of a thick multilayer organ using conventional CO(2) lasers is ineffective. The purpose of this work was to develop a method for bonding the multilayer tissue of the upper aerodigestive tracts (UADT) without the need of sutures or stapling. Animal model. Academic research laboratory. The authors developed a multi-wavelength laser system, based on 2 fiber-optic lasers applied simultaneously. A highly absorbable CO(2) laser interacts with the muscular layer, and a nonabsorbable GaAs laser interacts with indocyanine-green solid albumin, placed between the mucosa and the muscular layer. The authors used an ex vivo porcine model to examine the capability of this system to effectively correct esophageal tears. The soldered esophagi burst pressure was >175 cm H(2)O (98% success rate) in 88 of the 90 experiments. A conventional CO(2) laser soldering resulted in insufficient bonding (mean burst pressure of 40 ± 7 cm H(2)O, n = 5), while the multi-wavelength laser system provided an ~9-fold tighter seal (359 ± 75.4 cm H(2)O, P < .0001, n = 15). Burst pressures after conventional suturing of the defect was significantly lower (106 ± 65.8 cm H(2)O, P < .001) than in the multi-wavelength laser system. Bonding of the UADT mucosa using a multi-wavelength, temperature-controlled laser soldering system can support significantly higher pressures then conventional CO(2) laser soldering and suture repair. The mean bonding pressure was 3.5-fold higher than the maximal swallowing pressure. Our findings provide a basis for implementation of new surgical tools for repair of esophageal perforations.

Progress in catalytic ignition fabrication, modeling and infrastructure : (part 2) development of a multi-zone engine model simulated using MATLAB software.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-02-01

A mathematical model was developed for the purpose of providing students with data : acquisition and engine modeling experience at the University of Idaho. In developing the : model, multiple heat transfer and emissions models were researched and com...

Teaching Ethics to Undergraduates: An Examination of Contextual Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bush, H. Francis; Gutermuth, Karen; West, Clifford

2009-01-01

Our purpose was to advance the current academic discussion on how to most effectively teach managerial ethics at the undergraduate level. We argued that undergraduate ethics education should be comprehensive, multi-dimensional and woven into the fabric of each student's experience. In particular, we hypothesized that the inclusion of…

Gateway BioBox: A Compact, Multi-Purpose Biological Hardware Suite for In Situ Experiments and Analyses in Deep Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, D. J.; Parra, M.; Lane, M.; Almeida, E. A.; Space Biosciences Research Branch

2018-02-01

A compilation of NASA's smallest biological hardware systems (plus 1-g gravity controls and ancillary sensors) that will allow for a wide range of specimen cultivation and analysis, from molecular measurements to broader cell and tissue assays.

Automatic event detection in low SNR microseismic signals based on multi-scale permutation entropy and a support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Rui-Sheng; Sun, Hong-Mei; Peng, Yan-Jun; Liang, Yong-Quan; Lu, Xin-Ming

2017-07-01

Microseismic monitoring is an effective means for providing early warning of rock or coal dynamical disasters, and its first step is microseismic event detection, although low SNR microseismic signals often cannot effectively be detected by routine methods. To solve this problem, this paper presents permutation entropy and a support vector machine to detect low SNR microseismic events. First, an extraction method of signal features based on multi-scale permutation entropy is proposed by studying the influence of the scale factor on the signal permutation entropy. Second, the detection model of low SNR microseismic events based on the least squares support vector machine is built by performing a multi-scale permutation entropy calculation for the collected vibration signals, constructing a feature vector set of signals. Finally, a comparative analysis of the microseismic events and noise signals in the experiment proves that the different characteristics of the two can be fully expressed by using multi-scale permutation entropy. The detection model of microseismic events combined with the support vector machine, which has the features of high classification accuracy and fast real-time algorithms, can meet the requirements of online, real-time extractions of microseismic events.

HOSC DTN Gateway Test Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitts, Robert Lee

2012-01-01

Goals of this activity: Test the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) Gateway for operational use Current activity includes: (1) Test the Implementation of a new DTN2 gateway at the HOSC (2) Confirm integration of DTN nodes into the S-band uplink and Ku-band downlink of the ISS for limited use (3) Implement Aggregate Custody Signal to ISS platforms (4) Verify operational support for Colorado University (CU) onboard components (5) Verify ability to support Multi-Purpose End-To- End Robotic Operation Network (METERON) OpsCon-2

KSC-00pp0725

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-02

This closeup photo shows the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi-purpose hangar and to the left is a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and KSC

KSC00pp0725

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-06-02

This closeup photo shows the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi-purpose hangar and to the left is a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program and KSC

Simulation and experimental research of heat leakage of cryogenic transfer lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, B. C.; Xie, X. J.; Pan, W.; Jiang, R. X.; Li, J.; Yang, S. Q.; Li, Q.

2017-12-01

The heat leakage of cryogenic transfer lines directly influences the performance of large-scale helium refrigerator. In this paper, a thermal model of cryogenic transfer line considering numerical simulation of support coupled with MLI was established. To validate the model, test platform of cryogenic transfer lines with the merits of disassembly outer pipe and changeable easily multi-layer insulation has been built. The experimental results of heat leakage through overall length of cryogenic transfer lines, support and multi-layer insulation were obtained. The heat leakages of multi-layer insulation, a support and the overall leakage are 1.02 W/m, 0.44 W and 1.46 W/m from experimental data, respectively. The difference of heat leakage of MLI between experiment and simulation were less than 5%. The temperature distribution of support and MLI obtained in presented model in good agreement with experimental data. It is expected to reduce the overall heat leakage of cryogenic transfer lines further by optimizing structure of support based on the above thermal model and test platform in this paper.

New Capabilities in the Astrophysics Multispectral Archive Search Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheung, C. Y.; Kelley, S.; Roussopoulos, N.

The Astrophysics Multispectral Archive Search Engine (AMASE) uses object-oriented database techniques to provide a uniform multi-mission and multi-spectral interface to search for data in the distributed archives. We describe our experience of porting AMASE from Illustra object-relational DBMS to the Informix Universal Data Server. New capabilities and utilities have been developed, including a spatial datablade that supports Nearest Neighbor queries.

Next-generation registries: fusion of data for care, and research.

PubMed

Mandl, Kenneth D; Edge, Stephen; Malone, Chad; Marsolo, Keith; Natter, Marc D

2013-01-01

Disease-based registries are a critical tool for electronic data capture of high-quality, gold standard data for clinical research as well as for population management in clinical care. Yet, a legacy of significant operational costs, resource requirements, and poor data liquidity have limited their use. Research registries have engendered more than $3 Billion in HHS investment over the past 17 years. Health delivery systems and Accountable Care Organizations are investing heavily in registries to track care quality and follow-up of patient panels. Despite the investment, regulatory and financial models have often enforced a "single purpose" limitation on each registry, restricting the use of data to a pre-defined set of protocols. The need for cost effective, multi-sourced, and widely shareable registry data sets has never been greater, and requires next-generation platforms to robustly support multi-center studies, comparative effectiveness research, post-marketing surveillance and disease management. This panel explores diverse registry efforts, both academic and commercial, that have been implemented in leading-edge clinical, research, and hybrid use cases. Panelists present their experience in these areas as well as lessons learned, challenges addressed, and near innovations and advances.

The care unit in nursing home research: evidence in support of a definition.

PubMed

Estabrooks, Carole A; Morgan, Debra G; Squires, Janet E; Boström, Anne-Marie; Slaughter, Susan E; Cummings, Greta G; Norton, Peter G

2011-04-14

Defining what constitutes a resident care unit in nursing home research is both a conceptual and practical challenge. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence in support of a definition of care unit in nursing homes by demonstrating: (1) its feasibility for use in data collection, (2) the acceptability of aggregating individual responses to the unit level, and (3) the benefit of including unit level data in explanatory models. An observational study design was used. Research (project) managers, healthcare aides, care managers, nursing home administrators and directors of care from thirty-six nursing homes in the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provided data for the study. A definition of care unit was developed and applied in data collection and analyses. A debriefing session was held with research managers to investigate their experiences with using the care unit definition. In addition, survey responses from 1258 healthcare aides in 25 of the 36 nursing homes in the study, that had more than one care unit, were analyzed using a multi-level modeling approach. Trained field workers administered the Alberta Context Tool (ACT), a 58-item self-report survey reflecting 10 organizational context concepts, to healthcare aides using computer assisted personal interviews. To assess the appropriateness of obtaining unit level scores, we assessed aggregation statistics (ICC(1), ICC(2), η², and ω²), and to assess the value of using the definition of unit in explanatory models, we performed multi-level modeling. In 10 of the 36 nursing homes, the care unit definition developed was used to align the survey data (for analytic purposes) to specific care units as designated by our definition, from that reported by the facility administrator. The aggregation statistics supported aggregating the healthcare aide responses on the ACT to the realigned unit level. Findings from the multi-level modeling further supported unit level aggregation. A significantly higher percentage of variance was explained in the ACT concepts at the unit level compared to the individual and/or nursing home levels. The statistical results support the use of our definition of care unit in nursing home research in the Canadian prairie provinces. Beyond research convenience however, the results also support the resident unit as an important Clinical Microsystem to which future interventions designed to improve resident quality of care and staff (healthcare aide) worklife should be targeted.

Environmental Controls and Life Support System (ECLSS) Design for a Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stambaugh, Imelda; Baccus, Shelley; Buffington, Jessie; Hood, Andrew; Naids, Adam; Borrego, Melissa; Hanford, Anthony J.; Eckhardt, Brad; Allada, Rama Kumar; Yagoda, Evan

2013-01-01

Engineers at Johnson Space Center (JSC) are developing an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) design for the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV). The purpose of the MMSEV is to extend the human exploration envelope for Lunar, Near Earth Object (NEO), or Deep Space missions by using pressurized exploration vehicles. The MMSEV, formerly known as the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV), employs ground prototype hardware for various systems and tests it in manned and unmanned configurations. Eventually, the system hardware will evolve and become part of a flight vehicle capable of supporting different design reference missions. This paper will discuss the latest MMSEV ECLSS architectures developed for a variety of design reference missions, any work contributed toward the development of the ECLSS design, lessons learned from testing prototype hardware, and the plan to advance the ECLSS toward a flight design.

Comparison of Multi-Criteria Decision Support Methods (AHP, TOPSIS, SAW & PROMENTHEE) for Employee Placement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widianta, M. M. D.; Rizaldi, T.; Setyohadi, D. P. S.; Riskiawan, H. Y.

2018-01-01

The right decision in placing employees in an appropriate position in a company will support the quality of management and will have an impact on improving the quality of human resources of the company. Such decision-making can be assisted by an approach through the Decision Support System (DSS) to improve accuracy in the employee placement process. The purpose of this paper is to compare the four methods of Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), ie Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Simple Additive Weighting (SAW), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) for the application of employee placement in accordance with predetermined criteria. The ranking results and the accuracy level obtained from each method are different depending on the different scaling and weighting processes in each method.

Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Integrated Roadmap Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Metcalf, Jordan L.; Carrasquillo, Robyn; Bagdigian, Bob; Peterson, Laurie

2011-01-01

This white paper documents a roadmap for development of Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLS) Systems (ECLSS) capabilities required to enable beyond-Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Exploration missions. In many cases, the execution of this Exploration-based roadmap will directly benefit International Space Station (ISS) operational capability by resolving known issues and/or improving overall system reliability. In addition, many of the resulting products will be applicable across multiple Exploration elements such as Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV), Deep Space Habitat (DSH), and Landers. Within the ECLS community, this white paper will be a unifying tool that will improve coordination of resources, common hardware, and technologies. It will help to align efforts to focus on the highest priority needs that will produce life support systems for future human exploration missions that will simply run in the background, requiring minimal crew interaction.

Environmental Controls and Life Support System (ECLSS) Design for a Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stambaugh, Imelda; Baccus, Shelley; Naids, Adam; Hanford, Anthony

2012-01-01

Engineers at Johnson Space Center (JSC) are developing an Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) design for the Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV). The purpose of the MMSEV is to extend the human exploration envelope for Lunar, Near Earth Object (NEO), or Deep Space missions by using pressurized exploration vehicles. The MMSEV, formerly known as the Space Exploration Vehicle (SEV), employs ground prototype hardware for various systems and tests it in manned and unmanned configurations. Eventually, the system hardware will evolve and become part of a flight vehicle capable of supporting different design reference missions. This paper will discuss the latest MMSEV ECLSS architectures developed for a variety of design reference missions, any work contributed toward the development of the ECLSS design, lessons learned from testing prototype hardware, and the plan to advance the ECLSS toward a flight design.

Scientist, Single Cell Analysis Facility | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives.  The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for Cancer Research (CCR). 

47 CFR 54.675 - Cap.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... be $400 million per funding year, of which up to $150 million per funding year will be available to support upfront payments and multi-year commitments under the Healthcare Connect Fund. (b) Funding year. A funding year for purposes of the health care providers cap shall be the period July 1 through June 30. (c...

47 CFR 54.675 - Cap.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... be $400 million per funding year, of which up to $150 million per funding year will be available to support upfront payments and multi-year commitments under the Healthcare Connect Fund. (b) Funding year. A funding year for purposes of the health care providers cap shall be the period July 1 through June 30. (c...

Supervision of Agricultural Educators in Secondary Schools: What Do Teachers Want from Their Principals?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulsen, Thomas H.; Martin, Robert A.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this multi-state study was to identify agricultural education teachers' perceived level of importance regarding selected instructional supervisory practices used in the nonformal components of agricultural education. The theoretical frame supporting this study was the theory of andragogy. Data were reported on the perceived…

75 FR 35478 - Funding Opportunity; Street Outreach Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-22

... congregate, including what times they gather in certain areas, and how many youth are contacted on any given... opportunities during adolescence, a time of rapid growth and change. With this support, they can develop self... of time into which a multi-year period of assistance is divided for budgetary and funding purposes...

The Development of the Hawaii State Senior Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amor, Charles W.

A multi-purpose senior center within a community college setting is the focus of this presentation. The following points are discussed: (1) the historical development of the Hawaii State Senior Center with respect to national and local programs on aging; (2) the financial means of expanding and supporting the various stages of development; (3) the…

Electron Microscopy-Data Analysis Specialist | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION The Cancer Research Technology Program (CRTP) develops and implements emerging technology, cancer biology expertise and research capabilities to accomplish NCI research objectives.  The CRTP is an outward-facing, multi-disciplinary hub purposed to enable the external cancer research community and provides dedicated support to NCI’s intramural Center for

RapidIO as a multi-purpose interconnect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baymani, Simaolhoda; Alexopoulos, Konstantinos; Valat, Sébastien

2017-10-01

RapidIO (http://rapidio.org/) technology is a packet-switched high-performance fabric, which has been under active development since 1997. Originally meant to be a front side bus, it developed into a system level interconnect which is today used in all 4G/LTE base stations world wide. RapidIO is often used in embedded systems that require high reliability, low latency and scalability in a heterogeneous environment - features that are highly interesting for several use cases, such as data analytics and data acquisition (DAQ) networks. We will present the results of evaluating RapidIO in a data analytics environment, from setup to benchmark. Specifically, we will share the experience of running ROOT and Hadoop on top of RapidIO. To demonstrate the multi-purpose characteristics of RapidIO, we will also present the results of investigating RapidIO as a technology for high-speed DAQ networks using a generic multi-protocol event-building emulation tool. In addition we will present lessons learned from implementing native ports of CERN applications to RapidIO.

Expressing Parallelism with ROOT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piparo, D.; Tejedor, E.; Guiraud, E.; Ganis, G.; Mato, P.; Moneta, L.; Valls Pla, X.; Canal, P.

2017-10-01

The need for processing the ever-increasing amount of data generated by the LHC experiments in a more efficient way has motivated ROOT to further develop its support for parallelism. Such support is being tackled both for shared-memory and distributed-memory environments. The incarnations of the aforementioned parallelism are multi-threading, multi-processing and cluster-wide executions. In the area of multi-threading, we discuss the new implicit parallelism and related interfaces, as well as the new building blocks to safely operate with ROOT objects in a multi-threaded environment. Regarding multi-processing, we review the new MultiProc framework, comparing it with similar tools (e.g. multiprocessing module in Python). Finally, as an alternative to PROOF for cluster-wide executions, we introduce the efforts on integrating ROOT with state-of-the-art distributed data processing technologies like Spark, both in terms of programming model and runtime design (with EOS as one of the main components). For all the levels of parallelism, we discuss, based on real-life examples and measurements, how our proposals can increase the productivity of scientists.

Expressing Parallelism with ROOT

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

Piparo, D.; Tejedor, E.; Guiraud, E.

The need for processing the ever-increasing amount of data generated by the LHC experiments in a more efficient way has motivated ROOT to further develop its support for parallelism. Such support is being tackled both for shared-memory and distributed-memory environments. The incarnations of the aforementioned parallelism are multi-threading, multi-processing and cluster-wide executions. In the area of multi-threading, we discuss the new implicit parallelism and related interfaces, as well as the new building blocks to safely operate with ROOT objects in a multi-threaded environment. Regarding multi-processing, we review the new MultiProc framework, comparing it with similar tools (e.g. multiprocessing module inmore » Python). Finally, as an alternative to PROOF for cluster-wide executions, we introduce the efforts on integrating ROOT with state-of-the-art distributed data processing technologies like Spark, both in terms of programming model and runtime design (with EOS as one of the main components). For all the levels of parallelism, we discuss, based on real-life examples and measurements, how our proposals can increase the productivity of scientists.« less

Aorta: a management layer for mobile peer-to-peer massive multiplayer games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edlich, Stefan; Hoerning, Henrik; Brunnert, Andreas; Hoerning, Reidar

2005-03-01

The development of massive multiplayer games (MMPGs) for personal computers is based on a wide range of frameworks and technologies. In contrast, MMPG development for cell phones lacks the availability of framework support. We present Aorta as a multi-purpose lightweight MIDP 2.0 framework to support the transparent and equal API usage of peer-to-peer communication via http, IP and Bluetooth. Special experiments, such as load-tests on Nokia 6600s, have been carried out with Bluetooth support in using a server-as-client architecture to create ad-hoc networks by using piconet functionalities. Additionally, scatternet functionalities, which will be supported in upcoming devices, have been tested in a simulated environment on more than 12 cell phones. The core of the Aorta framework is the Etherlobby, which manages connections, peers, the game lobby, game policies and much more. The framework itself was developed to enable the fast development of mobile games, regardless of the distance between users, which might be within the schoolyard or much further away. The earliest market-ready application shown here is a multimedia game for cell phones utilizing all of the frameworks features. This game, called Micromonster, acts as platform for developer tests, as well as providing valuable information about interface usability and user acceptance.

Czech cryogenic fluid dynamics inspired by Russ Donnelly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrbek, Ladislav

2015-11-01

Following nearly five years of work along with Russ in Eugene on cryogenic turbulent convection and quantum grid turbulence, two laboratories in Prague and in Brno have been established to continue experimental research in cryogenic fluid dynamics using all three forms of cryogenic 4He - cold helium gas, normal liquid He I and superfluid He - as excellent multi-purpose working fluids. We review some of our investigations of very high Rayleigh number cryogenic thermal convection and classical and quantum turbulence in liquid helium. In particular, we discuss heat transfer efficiency of turbulent Rayleigh-Benard convection and the role of non-Oberbeck-Boussinesq conditions on possible transition to its ultimate regime; our second sound attenuation experiments probing both steady state and decaying coflow, counterflow and pure superflow of He II through channels of square cross-section including the concept of effective kinematic viscosity. We then introduce visualization experiments of classical and quantum flows of liquid helium using micron-size hydogen/deuterium particles and our recent results on transition to quantum turbulence based on the revisited experiments with a torsionally oscillating disc. Supported by GACR P203/11/0442 and 203/14/02005S.

Single-Parent Nontraditional Students: Faculty Support within the Classroom Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen-Drewry, Lisa M.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this Delphi study was to explore single-parent nontraditional student experiences within nontraditional university classroom environments and to determine methods for providing better support within the classroom setting. Methodology: The Delphi technique was conducted through 3 survey rounds to explore ways professors and…

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1991-04-03

The USML-1 Glovebox (GBX) is a multi-user facility supporting 16 experiments in fluid dynamics, combustion sciences, crystal growth, and technology demonstration. The GBX has an enclosed working space which minimizes the contamination risks to both Spacelab and experiment samples. The GBX supports four charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras (two of which may be operated simultaneously) with three black-and-white and three color camera CCD heads available. The GBX also has a backlight panel, a 35 mm camera, and a stereomicroscope that offers high-magnification viewing of experiment samples. Video data can also be downlinked in real-time. The GBX also provides electrical power for experiment hardware, a time-temperature display, and cleaning supplies.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

1995-08-29

The USML-1 Glovebox (GBX) is a multi-user facility supporting 16 experiments in fluid dynamics, combustion sciences, crystal growth, and technology demonstration. The GBX has an enclosed working space which minimizes the contamination risks to both Spacelab and experiment samples. The GBX supports four charge-coupled device (CCD) cameras (two of which may be operated simultaneously) with three black-and-white and three color camera CCD heads available. The GBX also has a backlight panel, a 35 mm camera, and a stereomicroscope that offers high-magnification viewing of experiment samples. Video data can also be downlinked in real-time. The GBX also provides electrical power for experiment hardware, a time-temperature display, and cleaning supplies.

Teacher Attunement: Supporting Students' Peer Experiences in the Early Elementary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Abigail S.

2012-01-01

This multi-method, longitudinal study examines the role of teacher attunement (teacher accuracy in identifying the peer group memberships of individual students) in children's peer experiences in early elementary classrooms (1st-3rd grades). Social cognitive mapping (SCM) procedures assessed and compared students' and teachers'…

Identifying the Camouflage: Uncovering and Supporting the Transition Experiences of Military and Veteran Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams-Klotz, Denise N.; Gansemer-Topf, Ann M.

2017-01-01

This study summarizes the qualitative findings from a multi-institutional study about the college transition experiences of military and veteran students, specifically students' articulation of their needs. Findings reveal (a) a lack of inprocessing, (b) need for community, and (c) institutional invisibility. Using the Student Veteran Transition…

Estimating the number of adults with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex, multi-agency needs.

PubMed

Whiteford, Harvey; Buckingham, Bill; Harris, Meredith; Diminic, Sandra; Stockings, Emily; Degenhardt, Louisa

2017-08-01

A population health approach to mental health service planning requires estimates that align interventions with the needs of people with mental illness. The primary objective was to estimate the number of people in Australia living with severe and persistent mental illness who have complex, multi-agency needs. The secondary objective was to describe the possible service needs of individuals with severe mental illness. We disaggregated the estimated 12-month prevalence of adults with severe mental illness into needs-based sub-groups, using multiple data sources. Possible service needs of 1825 adults with psychotic disorders and 334 adults with severe past-year affective and/or anxiety disorders were described using data from the 2010 Survey of High Impact Psychosis and 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, respectively. Using best available data, we estimated that 3.3% of adults experience a severe mental illness each year, of whom one-third (1.1% of adults) experience a persistent mental illness that requires ongoing services to address residual disability. Among those with severe and persistent mental illness, one-third of adults (0.4% or 59,000 adults in 2015) have complex needs requiring multi-agency support to maximise their health, housing, social participation and personal functioning. Survey of High Impact Psychosis data indicated that among adults with psychotic disorders, use of accommodation (40%), non-government (30%) services and receipt of income support (85%) services were common, as were possible needs for support with socialising, personal care and employment. National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing data indicated that among individuals with severe affective and anxiety disorders, receipt of income support (37%) was common (information on accommodation and non-government support services was not available), as were possible needs for financial management and employment support. Agreed indicators of complex, multi-agency needs are required to refine these estimates. Closer alignment of information collected about possible service needs across epidemiological surveys is needed.

The Use of Inflight Online Distance Education for Mission Support and Psychological Support.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardon, Austin; Nichol, Kenneth; Mardon, Catherine

Time, too much of and the resulting boredom is a major psychological barrier to multi year inner solar system space missions. Cross training which could be facilitated by online in flight educational programs might serve mission purposes and distract astronauts from the natural multiyear boredom to and from Mars. The personnel selected will be motivated well educated and likely very intelligent. They might have even experience some educational online and computer based education during their educational history. Distance learning is become more and more common in the educational landscape in the world. The mission doctor might learn geology. The geologist might learn ship systems. The pilot might learn basic medical treatment. The advantage of having planned out learning schemes might have major morale boosting factors by giving the self motivated high achieving crew something to direct their energies toward. The time lag could be compensated for by AI spacecraft educational software. Also for recreational purposes archeology or cultural studies could be taught to give greater breadth of interest. Online educational institutions might even do curriculum for free if they could be used afterward and before. Many high achievers have diverse interests and this might boost morale by allowing them to learn about a field of study that they had always had an interest in but their career took them in a different direction

A Guide to Using Language Experience with Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Katherine; Roeder, Stephanie

Language experience in adult basic education serves a variety of purposes: emphasizing communication, providing an atmosphere of sharing and personal growth, and most importantly, allowing students to confront their own learning blocks rather than ignoring them. Case histories support the fulfillment of those purposes. There are basic methods to…

Peer supporter experiences of home visits for people with HIV infection

PubMed Central

Lee, Han Ju; Moneyham, Linda; Kang, Hee Sun; Kim, Kyung Sun

2015-01-01

Purpose This study’s purpose was to explore the experiences of peer supporters regarding their work in a home visit program for people with HIV infection. Patients and methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted using focus groups. Participants were 12 HIV-positive peer supporters conducting home visits with people living with HIV/AIDS in South Korea. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results Six major themes emerged: feeling a sense of belonging; concern about financial support; facing HIV-related stigma and fear of disclosure; reaching out and acting as a bridge of hope; feeling burnout; and need for quality education. The study findings indicate that although peer supporters experience several positive aspects in the role, such as feelings of belonging, they also experience issues that make it difficult to be successful in the role, including the position’s instability, work-related stress, and concerns about the quality of their continuing education. Conclusion The findings suggest that to maintain a stable and effective peer supporter program, such positions require financial support, training in how to prevent and manage stress associated with the role, and a well-developed program of education and training. PMID:26445560

Industrial application experiment series

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluhm, S. A.

1980-01-01

The deployment of parabolic dish systems into the industrial sector for the purpose of providing users, suppliers, sponsors, and developers with a realistic assessment of system feasibility in selected near-term industrial applications will be accomplished initially through the industrial module experiment and later through additional experiments involving thermal, electric, and combined thermal and electrical systems. The approach is to progress through steps, from single module to multi-module systems, from thermal-only applications to more complex combined thermal and electric applications. The experience of other solar thermal experiments, particularly those involving parabolic dish hardware, will be utilized to the fullest extent possible in experiment planning and implementation.

"Technical note. Harmonization of the multi-scale multi-model activities HTAP, AQMEII and MICS-Asia: simulations, emission inventories, boundary conditions and output formats." For submission to ACP Special Issue on "Global and regional assessment of intercontinental transport of air pollution: results from HTAP, AQMEII and MICS"

EPA Science Inventory

The ACP Special Issue is being organized to draw together analysis of a set of cooperative modeling experiments (referred to as HTAP2). The purpose of this technical note is to provide a common description of the experimental design and set up for HTAP2 that can be referred to b...

Multisensory integration and the concert experience: An overview of how visual stimuli can affect what we hear

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyde, Jerald R.

2004-05-01

It is clear to those who ``listen'' to concert halls and evaluate their degree of acoustical success that it is quite difficult to separate the acoustical response at a given seat from the multi-modal perception of the whole event. Objective concert hall data have been collected for the purpose of finding a link with their related subjective evaluation and ultimately with the architectural correlates which produce the sound field. This exercise, while important, tends to miss the point that a concert or opera event utilizes all the senses of which the sound field and visual stimuli are both major contributors to the experience. Objective acoustical factors point to visual input as being significant in the perception of ``acoustical intimacy'' and with the perception of loudness versus distance in large halls. This paper will review the evidence of visual input as a factor in what we ``hear'' and introduce concepts of perceptual constancy, distance perception, static and dynamic visual stimuli, and the general process of the psychology of the integrated experience. A survey of acousticians on their opinions about the auditory-visual aspects of the concert hall experience will be presented. [Work supported in part from the Veneklasen Research Foundation and Veneklasen Associates.

Experiences integrating autonomous components and legacy systems into tsunami early warning systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reißland, S.; Herrnkind, S.; Guenther, M.; Babeyko, A.; Comoglu, M.; Hammitzsch, M.

2012-04-01

Fostered by and embedded in the general development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) the evolution of Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS) shows a significant development from seismic-centred to multi-sensor system architectures using additional sensors, e.g. sea level stations for the detection of tsunami waves and GPS stations for the detection of ground displacements. Furthermore, the design and implementation of a robust and scalable service infrastructure supporting the integration and utilisation of existing resources serving near real-time data not only includes sensors but also other components and systems offering services such as the delivery of feasible simulations used for forecasting in an imminent tsunami threat. In the context of the development of the German Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System (GITEWS) and the project Distant Early Warning System (DEWS) a service platform for both sensor integration and warning dissemination has been newly developed and demonstrated. In particular, standards of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS) have been successfully incorporated. In the project Collaborative, Complex, and Critical Decision-Support in Evolving Crises (TRIDEC) new developments are used to extend the existing platform to realise a component-based technology framework for building distributed TEWS. This talk will describe experiences made in GITEWS, DEWS and TRIDEC while integrating legacy stand-alone systems and newly developed special-purpose software components into TEWS using different software adapters and communication strategies to make the systems work together in a corporate infrastructure. The talk will also cover task management and data conversion between the different systems. Practical approaches and software solutions for the integration of sensors, e.g. providing seismic and sea level data, and utilisation of special-purpose components, such as simulation systems, in TEWS will be presented.

Evaluation of a multi-site program designed to strengthen relational bonds for siblings separated by foster care.

PubMed

Waid, Jeffrey; Wojciak, Armeda Stevenson

2017-10-01

Sibling relationships in foster care settings have received increased attention in recent years. Despite growing evidence regarding the protective potential of sibling relationships for youth in care, some sibling groups continue to experience foster care related separation, and few programs exist to address the needs of these youth. This study describes and evaluates Camp To Belong, a multi-site program designed to provide short-term reunification to separated sibling groups through a week-long summer camp experience. Using a pre-test post-test survey design, this paper examines changes in youth ratings of sibling conflict and sibling support across camps located in six geographically distinct regions of the United States. The effects of youth age, number of prior camp exposures, and camp location were tested using multilevel modeling procedures. Findings suggest that participation in Camp To Belong may reduce sibling conflict, and improvements in sibling support are noted for youth who have had prior exposure to the camp's programming. Camp-level variance in the sibling support outcome highlight the complex nature of relationships for siblings separated by foster care, and suggest the need for additional research. Lessons learned from this multi-site evaluation and future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-disciplinary decision making in general practice.

PubMed

Kirby, Ann; Murphy, Aileen; Bradley, Colin

2018-04-09

Purpose Internationally, healthcare systems are moving towards delivering care in an integrated manner which advocates a multi-disciplinary approach to decision making. Such an approach is formally encouraged in the management of Atrial Fibrillation patients through the European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Since the emergence of new oral anticoagulants switching between oral anticoagulants (OACs) has become prevalent. This case study considers the role of multi-disciplinary decision making, given the complex nature of the agents. The purpose of this paper is to explore Irish General Practitioners' (GPs) experience of switching between all OACs for Arial Fibrillation (AF) patients; prevalence of multi-disciplinary decision making in OAC switching decisions and seeks to determine the GP characteristics that appear to influence the likelihood of multi-disciplinary decision making. Design/methodology/approach A probit model is used to determine the factors influencing multi-disciplinary decision making and a multinomial logit is used to examine the factors influencing who is involved in the multi-disciplinary decisions. Findings Results reveal that while some multi-disciplinary decision-making is occurring (64 per cent), it is not standard practice despite international guidelines on integrated care. Moreover, there is a lack of patient participation in the decision-making process. Female GPs and GPs who have initiated prescriptions for OACs are more likely to engage in multi-disciplinary decision-making surrounding switching OACs amongst AF patients. GPs with training practices were less likely to engage with cardiac consultants and those in urban areas were more likely to engage with other (non-cardiac) consultants. Originality/value For optimal decision making under uncertainty multi-disciplinary decision-making is needed to make a more informed judgement and to improve treatment decisions and reduce the opportunity cost of making the wrong decision.

Characterising switching behaviour in perceptual multi-stability.

PubMed

Denham, Susan; Bendixen, Alexandra; Mill, Robert; Tóth, Dénes; Wennekers, Thomas; Coath, Martin; Bőhm, Tamás; Szalardy, Orsolya; Winkler, István

2012-09-15

When people experience an unchanging sensory input for a long period of time, their perception tends to switch stochastically and unavoidably between alternative interpretations of the sensation; a phenomenon known as perceptual bi-stability or multi-stability. The huge variability in the experimental data obtained in such paradigms makes it difficult to distinguish typical patterns of behaviour, or to identify differences between switching patterns. Here we propose a new approach to characterising switching behaviour based upon the extraction of transition matrices from the data, which provide a compact representation that is well-understood mathematically. On the basis of this representation we can characterise patterns of perceptual switching, visualise and simulate typical switching patterns, and calculate the likelihood of observing a particular switching pattern. The proposed method can support comparisons between different observers, experimental conditions and even experiments. We demonstrate the insights offered by this approach using examples from our experiments investigating multi-stability in auditory streaming. However, the methodology is generic and thus widely applicable in studies of multi-stability in any domain. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Farmer Experience of Pluralistic Agricultural Extension, Malawi

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowa, Clodina; Garforth, Chris; Cardey, Sarah

2013-01-01

Purpose: Malawi's current extension policy supports pluralism and advocates responsiveness to farmer demand. We investigate whether smallholder farmers' experience supports the assumption that access to multiple service providers leads to extension and advisory services that respond to the needs of farmers. Design/methodology/approach: Within a…

Seeking for the rational basis of the median model: the optimal combination of multi-model ensemble results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riccio, A.; Giunta, G.; Galmarini, S.

2007-04-01

In this paper we present an approach for the statistical analysis of multi-model ensemble results. The models considered here are operational long-range transport and dispersion models, also used for the real-time simulation of pollutant dispersion or the accidental release of radioactive nuclides. We first introduce the theoretical basis (with its roots sinking into the Bayes theorem) and then apply this approach to the analysis of model results obtained during the ETEX-1 exercise. We recover some interesting results, supporting the heuristic approach called "median model", originally introduced in Galmarini et al. (2004a, b). This approach also provides a way to systematically reduce (and quantify) model uncertainties, thus supporting the decision-making process and/or regulatory-purpose activities in a very effective manner.

Seeking for the rational basis of the Median Model: the optimal combination of multi-model ensemble results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riccio, A.; Giunta, G.; Galmarini, S.

2007-12-01

In this paper we present an approach for the statistical analysis of multi-model ensemble results. The models considered here are operational long-range transport and dispersion models, also used for the real-time simulation of pollutant dispersion or the accidental release of radioactive nuclides. We first introduce the theoretical basis (with its roots sinking into the Bayes theorem) and then apply this approach to the analysis of model results obtained during the ETEX-1 exercise. We recover some interesting results, supporting the heuristic approach called "median model", originally introduced in Galmarini et al. (2004a, b). This approach also provides a way to systematically reduce (and quantify) model uncertainties, thus supporting the decision-making process and/or regulatory-purpose activities in a very effective manner.

Multi-Purpose Avionic Architecture for Vision Based Navigation Systems for EDL and Surface Mobility Scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tramutola, A.; Paltro, D.; Cabalo Perucha, M. P.; Paar, G.; Steiner, J.; Barrio, A. M.

2015-09-01

Vision Based Navigation (VBNAV) has been identified as a valid technology to support space exploration because it can improve autonomy and safety of space missions. Several mission scenarios can benefit from the VBNAV: Rendezvous & Docking, Fly-Bys, Interplanetary cruise, Entry Descent and Landing (EDL) and Planetary Surface exploration. For some of them VBNAV can improve the accuracy in state estimation as additional relative navigation sensor or as absolute navigation sensor. For some others, like surface mobility and terrain exploration for path identification and planning, VBNAV is mandatory. This paper presents the general avionic architecture of a Vision Based System as defined in the frame of the ESA R&T study “Multi-purpose Vision-based Navigation System Engineering Model - part 1 (VisNav-EM-1)” with special focus on the surface mobility application.

A Triple-Mode Flexible E-Skin Sensor Interface for Multi-Purpose Wearable Applications

PubMed Central

Kim, Sung-Woo; Lee, Youngoh; Park, Jonghwa; Kim, Seungmok; Chae, Heeyoung; Ko, Hyunhyub

2017-01-01

This study presents a flexible wireless electronic skin (e-skin) sensor system that includes a multi-functional sensor device, a triple-mode reconfigurable readout integrated circuit (ROIC), and a mobile monitoring interface. The e-skin device’s multi-functionality is achieved by an interlocked micro-dome array structure that uses a polyvinylidene fluoride and reduced graphene oxide (PVDF/RGO) composite material that is inspired by the structure and functions of the human fingertip. For multi-functional implementation, the proposed triple-mode ROIC is reconfigured to support piezoelectric, piezoresistance, and pyroelectric interfaces through single-type e-skin sensor devices. A flexible system prototype was developed and experimentally verified to provide various wireless wearable sensing functions—including pulse wave, voice, chewing/swallowing, breathing, knee movements, and temperature—while their real-time sensed data are displayed on a smartphone. PMID:29286312

Bidding Behavior in a Multi-attribute First-price Auction

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

of applying key features of the multi-unit auction to proxy buyer /seller marginal valuations of the attributes of a job. Two experiments were...compensation package show promise in ascertaining buyer /seller marginal valuations of a job. This research effort was supported by a grant from the...auctions observed in the goods market, as measured by maximizing consumer and producer surplus, are likely to have promising applications to labor markets

Understanding the breast cancer experience: a qualitative study of Malaysian women.

PubMed

Yusuf, Azlina; Ab Hadi, Imi Sairi; Mahamood, Zainal; Ahmad, Zulkifli; Keng, Soon Lean

2013-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common and leading cause of cancer mortality among Malaysian women. Despite good survival rates, the diagnosis of cancer still invokes the feeling of stress, fear and uncertainty. Because very little is known about the experiences of Malaysian women with breast cancer, a qualitative study using semi- structured interviews to explore the lived experience of newly diagnosed breast cancer. Using a purposive sampling method, 20 Malaysian women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, including Malays (n=10) and Chinese (n=10) were recruited in two main public hospitals in Kelantan. Similarities and divergence in women's experience were identified through thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Three themes emerged from the data: uncertainty experience of the illness, transition process and fatalistic view of breast cancer. In many ways, these findings were parallel with previous studies, suggesting that the experience of breast cancer is to a certain extent similar among women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. This study adds to the sparse literature concerning the experience of illness following breast cancer diagnosis among the Malays and Chinese. More importantly, this study addressed areas that were previously lacking, specifically in depth information on breast cancer experience from a developing country with a multi-ethnic population. The results of this investigation provide preliminary information to healthcare professionals on the impact of illness and cultural influence on survivorship to plan for appropriate education and supportive programme in order to meet the needs of breast cancer women more effectively.

Investigation of negative moment reinforcing in bridge decks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-01

Multi-span pre-tensioned pre-stressed concrete beam (PPCB) bridges made continuous usually experience a negative live load : moment region over the intermediate supports. Conventional thinking dictates that sufficient reinforcement must be provided i...

STS-102 MS Voss suits up for launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - -- While suiting up in the Operations and Checkout Building, Mission Specialist James Voss shows his support of International Women'''s Day, March 8, with a sign in both Cyrillic and English. Voss is also part of a crew, known as Expedition One, who will be replacing Expedition One on the International Space Station. STS-102 is the eighth construction flight to the Space Station, carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment, Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny. Discovery is set to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST. The 12-day mission is expected to end with a landing at KSC on March 20.

STS-102 MS Usachev suits up for launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - STS-102 Mission Specialist Yury Usachev, a Russian cosmonaut, shows his support of International Women'''s Day, March 8, with a sign in both Cyrillic and English. This will be Usachev'''s second Shuttle flight. Usachev is also part of a crew, known as Expedition One, who will be replacing Expedition One on the International Space Station. STS-102 is the eighth construction flight to the Space Station, carrying the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The primary delivery system used to resupply and return Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment, Leonardo will deliver up to 10 tons of laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies for outfitting the newly installed U.S. Laboratory Destiny. Discovery is set to launch March 8 at 6:42 a.m. EST. The 12-day mission is expected to end with a landing at KSC on March 20.

MPLM-1, Leonardo, arrives at the SLF at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

An Airbus Beluga transporter parks on the Shuttle Landing Facility to deliver the first of three Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLMs), designed to transport experiments and supplies in a pressurized environment to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The MPLMs will be carried in the payload bay of a Shuttle orbiter, and will provide storage and additional work space for up to two astronauts when docked to the ISS. The modules are being provided by Alenia Aerospazio, in Italy, and will be operated by NASA and supported by ASI, the Italian space agency. The first MPLM has been named Leonardo, and is scheduled to be launched on STS-100 in December 1999. The second, to be handed over in April 1999, is named Raffaello. A third module, to be named Donatello, is due to be delivered in October 2000 for launch in January 2001.

KSC-98pc886

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-07-31

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- An Airbus Beluga transporter parks on the Shuttle Landing Facility to deliver the first of three Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules (MPLMs), designed to transport experiments and supplies in a pressurized environment to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The MPLMs will be carried in the payload bay of a Shuttle orbiter, and will provide storage and additional work space for up to two astronauts when docked to the ISS. The modules are being provided by Alenia Aerospazio, in Italy, and will be operated by NASA and supported by ASI, the Italian space agency. The first MPLM has been named Leonardo, and is scheduled to be launched on STS-100 in December 1999. The second, to be handed over in April 1999, is named Raffaello. A third module, to be named Donatello, is due to be delivered in October 2000 for launch in January 2001

The use of nanomodified concrete in construction of high-rise buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokhorov, Sergei

2018-03-01

Construction is one of the leading economy sectors. Currently, concrete is the basis of most of the structural elements, without which it is impossible to imagine the construction of a single building or facility. Their strength, reinforcement and the period of concrete lifetime are determined at the design stage, taking into account long-term operation. However, in real life, the number of impacts that affects the structural strength is pretty high. In some cases, they are random and do not have standardized values. This is especially true in the construction and exploitation of high-rise buildings and structures. Unlike the multi-storey buildings, they experience significant loads already at the stage of erection, as they support load-lifting mechanisms, formwork systems, workers, etc. The purpose of the presented article is to develop a methodology for estimating the internal fatigue of concrete structures based on changes in their electrical conductivity.

ISCE: A Modular, Reusable Library for Scalable SAR/InSAR Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agram, P. S.; Lavalle, M.; Gurrola, E. M.; Sacco, G. F.; Rosen, P. A.

2016-12-01

Traditional community SAR/InSAR processing software tools have primarily focused on differential interferometry and Solid Earth applications. The InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) was specifically designed to support the Earth Sciences user community as well as large scale operational processing tasks, thanks to its two-layered (Python+C/Fortran) architecture and modular framework. ISCE is freely distributed as a source tarball, allowing advanced users to modify and extend it for their research purposes and developing exploratory applications, while providing a relatively simple user interface for novice users to perform routine data analysis efficiently. Modular design of the ISCE library also enables easier development of applications to address the needs of Ecosystems, Cryosphere and Disaster Response communities in addition to the traditional Solid Earth applications. In this talk, we would like to emphasize the broader purview of the ISCE library and some of its unique features that sets it apart from other freely available community software like GMTSAR and DORIS, including: Support for multiple geometry regimes - Native Doppler (ALOS-1) as well Zero Doppler (ESA missions) systems. Support for data acquired by airborne platforms - e.g, JPL's UAVSAR and AirMOSS, DLR's F-SAR. Radiometric Terrain Correction - Auxiliary output layers from the geometry modules include projection angles, incidence angles, shadow-layover masks. Dense pixel offsets - Parallelized amplitude cross correlation for cryosphere / ionospheric correction applications. Rubber sheeting - Pixel-by-pixel offsets fields for resampling slave imagery for geometric co-registration/ ionospheric corrections. Preliminary Tandem-X processing support - Bistatic geometry modules. Extensibility to support other non-Solid Earth missions - Modules can be directly adopted for use with other SAR missions, e.g., SWOT. Preliminary support for multi-dimensional data products- multi-polarization, multi-frequency, multi-temporal, multi-baseline stacks via the PLANT and GIAnT toolboxes. Rapid prototyping - Geometry manipulation functionality at the python level allows users to prototype and test processing modules at the interpreter level before optimal implementation in C/C++/Fortran.

Using MultiMedia Content to Present Business Ethics: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanwick, Peter A.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine whether presenting a multimedia case study enhances the learning experience of students in an undergraduate management class. A questionnaire was administered before and after the presentation of the case study and the results showed that the multimedia case did indeed enhance the learning…

A Multi-Institutional Assessment of Moral Reasoning Development among First-Year Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayhew, Matthew J.; Seifert, Tricia A.; Pascarella, Ernest T.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the co-curricular experiences, course-taking behaviors, and educational practices that influence the moral reasoning development of 1,469 first-year students at 19 American colleges and universities. Results showed that contexts and practices that encourage students to engage divergent perspectives when…

Predictors of Sense of Belonging for Students with Psychological Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackie, Michele Matteo

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a portrait of students with psychological conditions, to determine the predictors of sense of belonging for these students, and to draw comparisons between the collegiate experiences of students with, and those without, psychological conditions. Using data from the 2009 Multi-Institutional Study of…

What is quality in assisted living technology? The ARCHIE framework for effective telehealth and telecare services.

PubMed

Greenhalgh, Trisha; Procter, Rob; Wherton, Joe; Sugarhood, Paul; Hinder, Sue; Rouncefield, Mark

2015-04-23

We sought to define quality in telehealth and telecare with the aim of improving the proportion of patients who receive appropriate, acceptable and workable technologies and services to support them living with illness or disability. This was a three-phase study: (1) interviews with seven technology suppliers and 14 service providers, (2) ethnographic case studies of 40 people, 60 to 98 years old, with multi-morbidity and assisted living needs and (3) 10 co-design workshops. In phase 1, we explored barriers to uptake of telehealth and telecare. In phase 2, we used ethnographic methods to build a detailed picture of participants' lives, illness experiences and technology use. In phase 3, we brought users and their carers together with suppliers and providers to derive quality principles for assistive technology products and services. Interviews identified practical, material and organisational barriers to smooth introduction and continued support of assistive technologies. The experience of multi-morbidity was characterised by multiple, mutually reinforcing and inexorably worsening impairments, producing diverse and unique care challenges. Participants and their carers managed these pragmatically, obtaining technologies and adapting the home. Installed technologies were rarely fit for purpose. Support services for technologies made high (and sometimes oppressive) demands on users. Six principles emerged from the workshops. Quality telehealth or telecare is 1) ANCHORED in a shared understanding of what matters to the user; 2) REALISTIC about the natural history of illness; 3) CO-CREATIVE, evolving and adapting solutions with users; 4) HUMAN, supported through interpersonal relationships and social networks; 5) INTEGRATED, through attention to mutual awareness and knowledge sharing; 6) EVALUATED to drive system learning. Technological advances are important, but must be underpinned by industry and service providers following a user-centred approach to design and delivery. For the ARCHIE principles to be realised, the sector requires: (1) a shift in focus from product ('assistive technologies') to performance ('supporting technologies-in-use'); (2) a shift in the commissioning model from standardised to personalised home care contracts; and (3) a shift in the design model from 'walled garden', branded products to inter-operable components that can be combined and used flexibly across devices and platforms. Please see related article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0305-8.

Multitiered Support Framework for Teachers' Classroom-Management Practices: Overview and Case Study of Building the Triangle for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simonsen, Brandi; MacSuga-Gage, Ashley S.; Briere, Donald E.; Freeman, Jennifer; Myers, Diane; Scott, Terrance M.; Sugai, George

2014-01-01

Many teachers enter the field without sufficient training in classroom management and continue to experience challenges throughout their careers. Therefore, school-based leaders need a multi-tiered support (MTS) framework to (a) provide training to all teachers in classroom management (Tier 1), (b) identify teachers who require additional…

Parental Social Support as a Moderator of Self-Medication in Adolescents

PubMed Central

Reimuller, Alison; Shadur, Julia; Hussong, Andrea M.

2010-01-01

Objective We examined the moderating effects of parenting on the temporal relationship between negative affect and subsequent alcohol use in adolescents as an indicator of self-medication. Specifically, we tested whether youth are more likely to self-medicate if they receive less parental social support. Method We used a multi-method, multi-reporter strategy and an experience sampling paradigm to examine these mechanisms in an elevated risk sample preparing for the transition to high school. Seventy-one adolescents and their parents completed home-based interviews and adolescents completed a 21-day experience sampling protocol in which they reported their alcohol use daily and their affect thrice daily. Results Parent-reported family communication, though no other parental support indicators, moderated the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Plotting of interactions showed a greater likelihood of drinking on days characterized by greater negative affect only in adolescents with higher levels of parent-reported family communication. Conclusions This study offers tentative support for parental support as a moderator of the relation between daily negative affect and alcohol use. Parental support may be a response to alcohol use and self-medication in teens such that parents become more involved and open in talking with their teens when they notice these patterns of behavior. PMID:21146938

Plasticity: The Online Learning Environment's Potential to Support Varied Learning Styles and Approaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greener, Susan L.

2010-01-01

Purpose: "I can't do online learning". This is a surprisingly common response from professional postgraduate students who have a narrow view of what online learning might comprise. Images of screen-gazing at mega-bytes of text or childish multi-choice quizzes on CD-ROMs have encouraged strange reactionary responses from many otherwise…

PREFER: a European service providing forest fire management support products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eftychidis, George; Laneve, Giovanni; Ferrucci, Fabrizio; Sebastian Lopez, Ana; Lourenco, Louciano; Clandillon, Stephen; Tampellini, Lucia; Hirn, Barbara; Diagourtas, Dimitris; Leventakis, George

2015-06-01

PREFER is a Copernicus project of the EC-FP7 program which aims developing spatial information products that may support fire prevention and burned areas restoration decisions and establish a relevant web-based regional service for making these products available to fire management stakeholders. The service focuses to the Mediterranean region, where fire risk is high and damages from wildfires are quite important, and develop its products for pilot areas located in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Greece. PREFER aims to allow fire managers to have access to online resources, which shall facilitate fire prevention measures, fire hazard and risk assessment, estimation of fire impact and damages caused by wildfire as well as support monitoring of post-fire regeneration and vegetation recovery. It makes use of a variety of products delivered by space borne sensors and develop seasonal and daily products using multi-payload, multi-scale and multi-temporal analysis of EO data. The PREFER Service portfolio consists of two main suite of products. The first refers to mapping products for supporting decisions concerning the Preparedness/Prevention Phase (ISP Service). The service delivers Fuel, Hazard and Fire risk maps for this purpose. Furthermore the PREFER portfolio includes Post-fire vegetation recovery, burn scar maps, damage severity and 3D fire damage assessment products in order to support relative assessments required in context of the Recovery/Reconstruction Phase (ISR Service) of fire management.

Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-25

ISS040-E-019318 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-25

ISS040-E-019300 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-25

ISS040-E-019312 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-25

ISS040-E-019307 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

Gerst working on JEM airlock satellite deployer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-06-25

ISS040-E-019299 (25 June 2014) --- In the International Space Station?s Kibo laboratory, European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, Expedition 40 flight engineer, prepares to transfer a multi-purpose experiment platform and a robotic arm known as the Small Fine Arm through the Kibo module?s scientific airlock. The Small Fine Arm, which attaches to the Kibo?s larger main arm, handles delicate operations involved in exchanging experiments and payloads located on the Exposed Facility.

School Climate for Transgender Youth: A Mixed Method Investigation of Student Experiences and School Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Jenifer K.; Anderson, Charles R.; Toomey, Russell B.; Russell, Stephen T.

2010-01-01

Transgender youth experience negative school environments and may not benefit directly from interventions defined to support Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual (LGB) youth. This study utilized a multi-method approach to consider the issues that transgender students encounter in school environments. Using data from two studies, survey data (total n = 2260,…

KSC-99pp1263

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

A steam roller packs down the ground next to construction of a support building, part of the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. The RLV complex, which includes a multi-purpose hangar and the building to be used for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support, will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

KSC-99pp1265

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

Construction workers are silhouetted against the sky as they work on the girders of a support building, part of the new $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. The building is to be used for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. The RLV complex also includes a multi-purpose hangar. The complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The facility, jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC, will be operational in early 2000

An interactive, multi-touch videowall for scientific data exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blower, Jon; Griffiths, Guy; van Meersbergen, Maarten; Lusher, Scott; Styles, Jon

2014-05-01

The use of videowalls for scientific data exploration is rising as hardware becomes cheaper and the availability of software and multimedia content grows. Most videowalls are used primarily for outreach and communication purposes, but there is increasing interest in using large display screens to support exploratory visualization as an integral part of scientific research. In this PICO presentation we will present a brief overview of a new videowall system at the University of Reading, which is designed specifically to support interactive, exploratory visualization activities in climate science and Earth Observation. The videowall consists of eight 42-inch full-HD screens (in 4x2 formation), giving a total resolution of about 16 megapixels. The display is managed by a videowall controller, which can direct video to the screen from up to four external laptops, a purpose-built graphics workstation, or any combination thereof. A multi-touch overlay provides the capability for the user to interact directly with the data. There are many ways to use the videowall, and a key technical challenge is to make the most of the touch capabilities - touch has the potential to greatly reduce the learning curve in interactive data exploration, but most software is not yet designed for this purpose. In the PICO we will present an overview of some ways in which the wall can be employed in science, seeking feedback and discussion from the community. The system was inspired by an existing and highly-successful system (known as the "Collaboratorium") at the Netherlands e-Science Center (NLeSC). We will demonstrate how we have adapted NLeSC's visualization software to our system for touch-enabled multi-screen climate data exploration.

An Analysis on the Experience of Mentoring Support in a College Alternative Teacher Certification Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kilgore, Debra V.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research study was to explore how college alternative teacher certification (ATC) participants experience mentoring support. The goal was to obtain a rich and deep understanding of the nature of the mentoring experience in a college ATC program through the perspectives of mentees and their mentors. The ATC program was the…

Landlord project multi-year program plan, fiscal year 1999, WBS 1.5

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

Dallas, M.D.

The MYWP technical baseline describes the work to be accomplished by the Project and the technical standards which govern that work. The mission of Landlord Project is to provide more maintenance replacement of general infrastructure facilities and systems to facilitate the Hanford Site cleanup mission. Also, once an infrastructure facility or system is no longer needed the Landlord Project transitions the facility to final closure/removal through excess, salvage or demolition. Landlord Project activities will be performed in an environmentally sound, safe, economical, prudent, and reliable manner. The Landlord Project consists of the following facilities systems: steam, water, liquid sanitary waste,more » electrical distribution, telecommunication, sanitary landfill, emergency services, general purpose offices, general purpose shops, general purpose warehouses, environmental supports facilities, roads, railroad, and the site land. The objectives for general infrastructure support are reflected in two specific areas, (1) Core Infrastructure Maintenance, and (2) Infrastructure Risk Mitigation.« less

Design of a Multi-mode Flight Deck Decision Support System for Airborne Conflict Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Krishnamurthy, Karthik

2004-01-01

NASA Langley has developed a multi-mode decision support system for pilots operating in a Distributed Air-Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM) environment. An Autonomous Operations Planner (AOP) assists pilots in performing separation assurance functions, including conflict detection, prevention, and resolution. Ongoing AOP design has been based on a comprehensive human factors analysis and evaluation results from previous human-in-the-loop experiments with airline pilot test subjects. AOP considers complex flight mode interactions and provides flight guidance to pilots consistent with the current aircraft control state. Pilots communicate goals to AOP by setting system preferences and actively probing potential trajectories for conflicts. To minimize training requirements and improve operational use, AOP design leverages existing alerting philosophies, displays, and crew interfaces common on commercial aircraft. Future work will consider trajectory prediction uncertainties, integration with the TCAS collision avoidance system, and will incorporate enhancements based on an upcoming air-ground coordination experiment.

Aerial photo shows RLV complex at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This closeup photo shows the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi- purpose hangar and to the left is a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC.

Customer Avionics Interface Development and Analysis (CAIDA) Lab DEWESoft Display Creation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coffey, Connor

2015-01-01

The Customer Avionics Interface Development and Analysis (CAIDA) Lab supports the testing of the Launch Control System (LCS), NASA's command and control system for the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), and ground support equipment. The objectives of the year-long internship were to support day-to-day operations of the CAIDA Lab, create prelaunch and tracking displays for Orion's Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), and create a program to automate the creation of displays for SLS and MPCV to be used by CAIDA and the Record and Playback Subsystem (RPS).

KSC-99pp1257

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

The first roof panels are placed on the multi-purpose hangar at the site of the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. The RLV complex, which includes the hangar and a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support, will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

KSC-99pp1259

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

Work continues on construction of the multi-purpose hangar at the site of the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. In the background can be seen the new construction for the building that will house related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

KSC-99pp1262

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-29

Workers place the first roof panels on the multi-purpose hangar at the site of the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. The RLV complex, which includes the hangar and a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support, will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

Self-Regulation in the Midst of Complexity: A Case Study of High School Physics Students Engaged in Ill-Structured Problem Solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milbourne, Jeffrey David

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the experiences of high school physics students who were solving complex, ill-structured problems, in an effort to better understand how self-regulatory behavior mediated the project experience. Consistent with Voss, Green, Post, and Penner's (1983) conception of an ill-structured problem in the natural sciences, the 'problems' consisted of scientific research projects that students completed under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Zimmerman and Campillo's (2003) self-regulatory framework of problem solving provided a holistic guide to data collection and analysis of this multi-case study, with five individual student cases. The study's results are explored in two manuscripts, each targeting a different audience. The first manuscript, intended for the Science Education Research community, presents a thick, rich description of the students' project experiences, consistent with a qualitative, case study analysis. Findings suggest that intrinsic interest was an important self-regulatory factor that helped motivate students throughout their project work, and that the self-regulatory cycle of forethought, performance monitoring, and self-reflection was an important component of the problem-solving process. Findings also support the application of Zimmerman and Campillo's framework to complex, ill-structured problems, particularly the cyclical nature of the framework. Finally, this study suggests that scientific research projects, with the appropriate support, can be a mechanism for improving students' selfregulatory behavior. The second manuscript, intended for Physics practitioners, combines the findings of the first manuscript with the perspectives of the primary, on-site research mentor, who has over a decade's worth of experience mentoring students doing physics research. His experience suggests that a successful research experience requires certain characteristics, including: a slow, 'on-ramp' to the research experience, space to experience productive failure, and an opportunity to enjoy the work they are doing.

Digital case-based learning system in school.

PubMed

Gu, Peipei; Guo, Jiayang

2017-01-01

With the continuing growth of multi-media learning resources, it is important to offer methods helping learners to explore and acquire relevant learning information effectively. As services that organize multi-media learning materials together to support programming learning, the digital case-based learning system is needed. In order to create a case-oriented e-learning system, this paper concentrates on the digital case study of multi-media resources and learning processes with an integrated framework. An integration of multi-media resources, testing and learning strategies recommendation as the learning unit is proposed in the digital case-based learning framework. The learning mechanism of learning guidance, multi-media materials learning and testing feedback is supported in our project. An improved personalized genetic algorithm which incorporates preference information and usage degree into the crossover and mutation process is proposed to assemble the personalized test sheet for each learner. A learning strategies recommendation solution is proposed to recommend learning strategies for learners to help them to learn. The experiments are conducted to prove that the proposed approaches are capable of constructing personalized sheets and the effectiveness of the framework.

Digital case-based learning system in school

PubMed Central

Gu, Peipei

2017-01-01

With the continuing growth of multi-media learning resources, it is important to offer methods helping learners to explore and acquire relevant learning information effectively. As services that organize multi-media learning materials together to support programming learning, the digital case-based learning system is needed. In order to create a case-oriented e-learning system, this paper concentrates on the digital case study of multi-media resources and learning processes with an integrated framework. An integration of multi-media resources, testing and learning strategies recommendation as the learning unit is proposed in the digital case-based learning framework. The learning mechanism of learning guidance, multi-media materials learning and testing feedback is supported in our project. An improved personalized genetic algorithm which incorporates preference information and usage degree into the crossover and mutation process is proposed to assemble the personalized test sheet for each learner. A learning strategies recommendation solution is proposed to recommend learning strategies for learners to help them to learn. The experiments are conducted to prove that the proposed approaches are capable of constructing personalized sheets and the effectiveness of the framework. PMID:29107965

Characterising and correcting batch variation in an automated direct infusion mass spectrometry (DIMS) metabolomics workflow.

PubMed

Kirwan, J A; Broadhurst, D I; Davidson, R L; Viant, M R

2013-06-01

Direct infusion mass spectrometry (DIMS)-based untargeted metabolomics measures many hundreds of metabolites in a single experiment. While every effort is made to reduce within-experiment analytical variation in untargeted metabolomics, unavoidable sources of measurement error are introduced. This is particularly true for large-scale multi-batch experiments, necessitating the development of robust workflows that minimise batch-to-batch variation. Here, we conducted a purpose-designed, eight-batch DIMS metabolomics study using nanoelectrospray (nESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometric analyses of mammalian heart extracts. First, we characterised the intrinsic analytical variation of this approach to determine whether our existing workflows are fit for purpose when applied to a multi-batch investigation. Batch-to-batch variation was readily observed across the 7-day experiment, both in terms of its absolute measurement using quality control (QC) and biological replicate samples, as well as its adverse impact on our ability to discover significant metabolic information within the data. Subsequently, we developed and implemented a computational workflow that includes total-ion-current filtering, QC-robust spline batch correction and spectral cleaning, and provide conclusive evidence that this workflow reduces analytical variation and increases the proportion of significant peaks. We report an overall analytical precision of 15.9%, measured as the median relative standard deviation (RSD) for the technical replicates of the biological samples, across eight batches and 7 days of measurements. When compared against the FDA guidelines for biomarker studies, which specify an RSD of <20% as an acceptable level of precision, we conclude that our new workflows are fit for purpose for large-scale, high-throughput nESI DIMS metabolomics studies.

Transitional Experiences of International Postgraduate Students Utilising a Peer Mentor Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menzies, Jane L.; Baron, Rachael; Zutshi, Ambika

2015-01-01

Background: Mentoring provides a range of benefits and one of them is social support. The number of students in transnational education has been increasing, and their transition into university is often fraught with difficulties. Universities can support transition through the use of a peer mentor programme (PMP). Purpose: The purpose of the study…

Brief gatekeeper training for suicide prevention in an ethnic minority population: a controlled intervention.

PubMed

Teo, Alan R; Andrea, Sarah B; Sakakibara, Rae; Motohara, Satoko; Matthieu, Monica M; Fetters, Michael D

2016-07-07

Suicide is a critical public health problem around the globe. Asian populations are characterized by elevated suicide rates and a tendency to seek social support from family and friends over mental health professionals. Gatekeeper training programs have been developed to train frontline individuals in behaviors that assist at-risk individuals in obtaining mental health treatment. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of a brief, multi-component gatekeeper intervention in promoting suicide prevention in a high-risk Asian community in the United States. We adapted an evidence-based gatekeeper training into a two-hour, multi-modal and interactive event for Japanese-Americans and related stakeholders. Then we evaluated the intervention compared to an attention control using mixed methods. A sample of 106 community members participated in the study. Intervention participants (n = 85) showed significant increases in all three types of intended gatekeeper behavior, all four measures of self-efficacy, and both measures of social norms relevant to suicide prevention, while the control group (n = 48) showed no significant improvements. Additional results showed significantly higher satisfaction and no adverse experiences associated with the gatekeeper training. The separate collection of qualitative data, and integration with the quantitative survey constructs confirmed and expanded understanding about the benefits of the intervention. A brief, multi-modal gatekeeper training is efficacious in promoting positive gatekeeper behaviors and self-efficacy for suicide prevention in an at-risk ethnic minority population of Japanese Americans.

The physical environment of purpose-built and non-purpose-built supported housing for persons with psychiatric disabilities in Sweden.

PubMed

Johansson, Maria; Brunt, David

2012-04-01

The primary aim of the present study was to investigate if methods derived from environmental psychology can be used to study the qualities of the physical environment of supported housing facilities for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Three units of analysis were selected: the private area, the common indoor area, and the outdoor area. Expert assessments of 110 features of the physical environment in these units and semantic environmental description of the visual experience of them consistently showed that purpose-built supported housing facilities had more physical features important for high quality residential environments than the non-purpose-built supported housing facilities. The employed methods were thus seen to be able to describe and discriminate between qualities in the physical environment of supported housing facilities. Suggestions for the development of tools for the assessment of the physical environment in supported housing are made.

Evaluation of trained volunteer doula services for disadvantaged women in five areas in England: women's experiences.

PubMed

Darwin, Zoe; Green, Josephine; McLeish, Jenny; Willmot, Helen; Spiby, Helen

2017-03-01

Disadvantaged childbearing women experience barriers to accessing health and social care services and face greater risk of adverse medical, social and emotional outcomes. Support from doulas (trained lay women) has been identified as a way to improve outcomes; however, in the UK doula support is usually paid-for privately by the individual, limiting access among disadvantaged groups. As part of an independent multi-site evaluation of a volunteer doula service, this study examined women's experiences of one-to-one support from a trained volunteer doula during pregnancy, labour and the post-natal period among women living in five low-income communities in England. A mixed methods multi-site evaluation was conducted with women (total n = 137) who received the service before December 2012, using a combination of questionnaires (n = 136), and individual or group interviews (n = 12). Topics explored with women included the timing and nature of support, its impact, the relationship with the doula and negative experiences. Most women valued volunteer support, describing positive impacts for emotional health and well-being, and their relationships with their partners. Such impacts did not depend upon the volunteer's presence during labour and birth. Indeed, only half (75/137; 54.7%) had a doula attend their birth. Many experienced volunteer support as a friendship, distinct from the relationships offered by healthcare professionals and family. This led to potential feelings of loss in these often isolated women when the relationship ended. Volunteer doula support that supplements routine maternity services is potentially beneficial for disadvantaged women in the UK even when it does not involve birth support. However, the distress experienced by some women at the conclusion of their relationship with their volunteer doula may compromise the service's impact. Greater consideration is needed for managing the ending of a one-to-one relationship with a volunteer, particularly given the likelihood of it coinciding with a period of heightened emotional vulnerability. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Advanced user support programme—TEMPUS IML-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diefenbach, A.; Kratz, M.; Uffelmann, D.; Willnecker, R.

1995-05-01

The DLR Microgravity User Support Centre (MUSC) in Cologne has supported microgravity experiments in the field of materials and life sciences since 1979. In the beginning of user support activities, MUSC tasks comprised the basic ground and mission support, whereas present programmes are expanded on, for example, powerful telescience and advanced real time data acquisition capabilities for efficient experiment operation and monitoring. In view of the Space Station era, user support functions will increase further. Additional tasks and growing responsibilities must be covered, e.g. extended science support as well as experiment and facility operations. The user support for TEMPUS IML-2, under contract of the German Space Agency DARA, represents a further step towards the required new-generation of future ground programme. TEMPUS is a new highly sophisticated Spacelab multi-user facility for containerless processing of metallic samples. Electromagnetic levitation technique is applied and various experiment diagnosis tools are offered. Experiments from eight U.S. and German investigator groups have been selected for flight on the second International Microgravity Laboratory Mission IML-2 in 1994. Based on the experience gained in the research programme of the DLR Institute for Space Simulation since 1984, MUSC is performing a comprehensive experiment preparation programme in close collaboration with the investigator teams. Complex laboratory equipment has been built up for technology and experiment preparation development. New experiment techniques have been developed for experiment verification tests. The MUSC programme includes thorough analysis and testing of scientific requirements of every proposed experiment with respect to the facility hard- and software capabilities. In addition, studies on the experiment-specific operation requirements have been performed and suitable telescience scenarios were analysed. The present paper will give a survey of the TEMPUS user support tasks emphasizing the advanced science support activities, which are considered significant for future ground programmes.

Investigation of negative moment reinforcing in bridge decks : [tech transfer summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-01

Multi-span pre-tensioned pre-stressed concrete beam (PPCB) bridges made : continuous, for live loads, usually may experience a negative total moment : over the intermediate supports, which this research investigated as part of an : investigation into...

Changes in student teachers' agency beliefs during a teacher education year, and relationships with observed classroom quality, and day-to-day experiences.

PubMed

Malmberg, Lars-Erik; Hagger, Hazel

2009-12-01

Conceptualizations of teachers' agency beliefs converge around domains of support and instruction. We investigated changes in student teachers' agency beliefs during a 1 year teacher education course, and related these to observed classroom quality and day-to-day experiences in partnership schools during the practicum. Out of a sample of 66 student teachers who had responded to at least two out of four times to a questionnaire (18 men 48 women; mean age 26.4 years), 30 were observed during teaching, and 20 completed a 4-day short form diary. Confirmatory factor analysis validated two agency belief constructs. Multi-level models for change investigated individual differences in change over time. Multi-level path models related observation and diary responses to agency beliefs. Supportive agency belief was high and stable across time. Instructional agency belief increased over time, suggesting a beneficial effect of teacher education. This increase was predicted by observed classroom quality (emotional support and student engagement) and daily positive affect and agency beliefs. Teacher education is successful in creating a context in which student teachers' supportive agency beliefs can be maintained and instructional agency beliefs can increase during the course.

The Meaning Students Make as Participants in Short-Term Immersion Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Susan R.; Rowan-Kenyon, Heather T.; Ireland, S. Mei-Yen; Niehaus, Elizabeth; Skendall, Kristan Cilente

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to present the results of a multi-site case study designed to investigate students' experiences as participants in four week-long immersion programs (New York City, Peru, the Czech Republic, Chicago). Results highlight the significance of the context of the trips and specific characteristics of the trip (e.g.,…

Why Forest Gardening for Children? Swedish Forest Garden Educators' Ideas, Purposes, and Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almers, Ellen; Askerlund, Per; Kjellström, Sofia

2018-01-01

Utilizing forest gardens as urban settings for outdoor environmental education in Sweden is a new practice. These forest gardens combine qualities of a forest, e.g., multi-layered polyculture vegetation, with those of a school garden, such as accessibility and food production. The study explores both the perceived qualities of forest gardens in…

Multi-Destination and Multi-Purpose Trip Effects in the Analysis of the Demand for Trips to a Remote Recreational Site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez-Espiñeira, Roberto; Amoako-Tuffour, Joe

2009-06-01

One of the basic assumptions of the travel cost method for recreational demand analysis is that the travel cost is always incurred for a single purpose recreational trip. Several studies have skirted around the issue with simplifying assumptions and dropping observations considered as nonconventional holiday-makers or as nontraditional visitors from the sample. The effect of such simplifications on the benefit estimates remains conjectural. Given the remoteness of notable recreational parks, multi-destination or multi-purpose trips are not uncommon. This article examines the consequences of allocating travel costs to a recreational site when some trips were taken for purposes other than recreation and/or included visits to other recreational sites. Using a multi-purpose weighting approach on data from Gros Morne National Park, Canada, we conclude that a proper correction for multi-destination or multi-purpose trip is more of what is needed to avoid potential biases in the estimated effects of the price (travel-cost) variable and of the income variable in the trip generation equation.

Sweet-spot training for early esophageal cancer detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Sommen, Fons; Zinger, Svitlana; Schoon, Erik J.; de With, Peter H. N.

2016-03-01

Over the past decade, the imaging tools for endoscopists have improved drastically. This has enabled physicians to visually inspect the intestinal tissue for early signs of malignant lesions. Besides this, recent studies show the feasibility of supportive image analysis for endoscopists, but the analysis problem is typically approached as a segmentation task where binary ground truth is employed. In this study, we show that the detection of early cancerous tissue in the gastrointestinal tract cannot be approached as a binary segmentation problem and it is crucial and clinically relevant to involve multiple experts for annotating early lesions. By employing the so-called sweet spot for training purposes as a metric, a much better detection performance can be achieved. Furthermore, a multi-expert-based ground truth, i.e. a golden standard, enables an improved validation of the resulting delineations. For this purpose, besides the sweet spot we also propose another novel metric, the Jaccard Golden Standard (JIGS) that can handle multiple ground-truth annotations. Our experiments involving these new metrics and based on the golden standard show that the performance of a detection algorithm of early neoplastic lesions in Barrett's esophagus can be increased significantly, demonstrating a 10 percent point increase in the resulting F1 detection score.

NASA AND ESA Partnership on the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Service Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Free, James M.; Schubert, Kathleen; Grantier, Julie

2012-01-01

In March 2011, NASA and ESA made a decision to partially offset the European obligations deriving from the extension of the ISS Program until the end of 2020 with different means than ATVs, following the ATV-5 mission foreseen in mid-2014. NASA and ESA considered a number of barter options, and concluded that the provision by ESA of the Service Module and Spacecraft Adaptor for the NASA Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) was the barter element with the most interest. A joint ESA - NASA working group was established to assess the feasibility of Europe developing this Module based on ATV heritage. The working group was supported by European and US industry namely Astrium, TAS-I and Lockheed-Martin. This paper gives an overview of the results of the on-going study as well as its projected utilization for the global space exploration endeavour.

Generic functional requirements for a NASA general-purpose data base management system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohman, G. M.

1981-01-01

Generic functional requirements for a general-purpose, multi-mission data base management system (DBMS) for application to remotely sensed scientific data bases are detailed. The motivation for utilizing DBMS technology in this environment is explained. The major requirements include: (1) a DBMS for scientific observational data; (2) a multi-mission capability; (3) user-friendly; (4) extensive and integrated information about data; (5) robust languages for defining data structures and formats; (6) scientific data types and structures; (7) flexible physical access mechanisms; (8) ways of representing spatial relationships; (9) a high level nonprocedural interactive query and data manipulation language; (10) data base maintenance utilities; (11) high rate input/output and large data volume storage; and adaptability to a distributed data base and/or data base machine configuration. Detailed functions are specified in a top-down hierarchic fashion. Implementation, performance, and support requirements are also given.

Design and Development of Multi-Purpose CCD Camera System with Thermoelectric Cooling: Hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Y.-W.; Byun, Y. I.; Rhee, J. H.; Oh, S. H.; Kim, D. K.

2007-12-01

We designed and developed a multi-purpose CCD camera system for three kinds of CCDs; KAF-0401E(768×512), KAF-1602E(1536×1024), KAF-3200E(2184×1472) made by KODAK Co.. The system supports fast USB port as well as parallel port for data I/O and control signal. The packing is based on two stage circuit boards for size reduction and contains built-in filter wheel. Basic hardware components include clock pattern circuit, A/D conversion circuit, CCD data flow control circuit, and CCD temperature control unit. The CCD temperature can be controlled with accuracy of approximately 0.4° C in the max. range of temperature, Δ 33° C. This CCD camera system has with readout noise 6 e^{-}, and system gain 5 e^{-}/ADU. A total of 10 CCD camera systems were produced and our tests show that all of them show passable performance.

The lived experience of self-transcendence in women with AIDS.

PubMed

Coward, D D

1995-05-01

To describe the lived experience of self-transcendence in women with AIDS, associated with increased sense of meaning and purpose, well-being, self-esteem, and connectedness with self and/or others. Exploratory-descriptive, using phenomenological research methods for the study approach, data collection, and data analysis. One written description and nine audiotaped interviews of self-transcendence experiences were provided by women with class IV HIV infection (AIDS). Ten women recruited by nurses at an AIDS family clinic and through a flyer at the AIDS Support Group House in Seattle. Participant descriptions indicated that women with AIDS continue to find meaning and purpose in their lives through experiences of receiving from others, giving to others, and maintaining hope. The findings support the theory that self-transcendence views and behaviors are a source of mental health at the end of life. The findings suggest several ways nurses may help women with AIDS discover or make meaning and purpose in their lives.

An Evaluation of the First Year Experience from the Mature Students' Perspective: A Multi-Institutional Comparison

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Amanda; Parmar, Deeba; Trotter, Eileen

2007-01-01

This study investigates the experiences of mature students across three higher education institutions in the UK. The issues arising are of relevance to academics who are involved in widening participation and in evaluating support in their own programmes for the diversity of students. The sample includes mature students from programmes in Health,…

Narrative as a Means of Understanding the Multi-Dimensional Benefits of Telehealth: An Exploration of Telehealth Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Lorraine Mary; Muir, Linda; McLean, Doris

2011-01-01

Telehealth is a wide range of health services delivered across distance through technology. In this technology-supported health world, sometimes, the client and his or her family can get lost as clinical consultations are counted for reporting purposes and new technologies are implemented. As a response to this situation and building on the…

Data management integration for biomedical core facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Guo-Qiang; Szymanski, Jacek; Wilson, David

2007-03-01

We present the design, development, and pilot-deployment experiences of MIMI, a web-based, Multi-modality Multi-Resource Information Integration environment for biomedical core facilities. This is an easily customizable, web-based software tool that integrates scientific and administrative support for a biomedical core facility involving a common set of entities: researchers; projects; equipments and devices; support staff; services; samples and materials; experimental workflow; large and complex data. With this software, one can: register users; manage projects; schedule resources; bill services; perform site-wide search; archive, back-up, and share data. With its customizable, expandable, and scalable characteristics, MIMI not only provides a cost-effective solution to the overarching data management problem of biomedical core facilities unavailable in the market place, but also lays a foundation for data federation to facilitate and support discovery-driven research.

16 CFR 1212.4 - Test protocol.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... participate. (6) Two children at a time shall participate in testing of surrogate multi-purpose lighters... at the same time. Two children at a time shall participate in testing of surrogate multi-purpose... appearance, including color. The surrogate multi-purpose lighters shall be labeled with sequential numbers...

Decision-making experiences of family members of older adults with moderate dementia towards community and residential care home services: a grounded theory study protocol.

PubMed

Le Low, Lisa Pau; Lam, Lai Wah; Fan, Kim Pong

2017-06-05

Caring and supporting older people with dementia have become a major public health priority. Recent reports have also revealed a diminishing number of family carers to provide dementia care in the future. Carers who are engaged in the caring role are known to bear significant psychological, practical and economic challenges as the disease advances over time. Seemingly, evidence indicates that the burden of care can be relieved by formal services. This study aims to explore decision-making experiences of family members of older adults with moderate dementia towards the use of community support (CS) and residential care home (RCH) services. A large multi-site constructivist grounded theory in a range of non-government organizations and a private aged home will frame this Hong Kong study. Purposive sampling will begin the recruitment of family members, followed by theoretical sampling. It is estimated that more than 100 family members using CS and RCH services will participate in an interview. The process of successive constant comparative analysis will be undertaken. The final product, a theory, will generate an integrated and comprehensive conceptual understanding which will explain the processes associated with decision-making of family members for dementia sufferers. Deeper understanding of issues including, but not exclusive to, service needs, expectations and hopes among family carers for improving service support to serve dementia sufferers in CS and RCH services will also be revealed. Importantly, this study seeks to illustrate the practical and strategic aspects of the theory and how it may be useful to transfer its applicability to various service settings to better support those who deliver formal and informal care to the dementia population.

Angular difference feature extraction for urban scene classification using ZY-3 multi-angle high-resolution satellite imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Xin; Chen, Huijun; Gong, Jianya

2018-01-01

Spaceborne multi-angle images with a high-resolution are capable of simultaneously providing spatial details and three-dimensional (3D) information to support detailed and accurate classification of complex urban scenes. In recent years, satellite-derived digital surface models (DSMs) have been increasingly utilized to provide height information to complement spectral properties for urban classification. However, in such a way, the multi-angle information is not effectively exploited, which is mainly due to the errors and difficulties of the multi-view image matching and the inaccuracy of the generated DSM over complex and dense urban scenes. Therefore, it is still a challenging task to effectively exploit the available angular information from high-resolution multi-angle images. In this paper, we investigate the potential for classifying urban scenes based on local angular properties characterized from high-resolution ZY-3 multi-view images. Specifically, three categories of angular difference features (ADFs) are proposed to describe the angular information at three levels (i.e., pixel, feature, and label levels): (1) ADF-pixel: the angular information is directly extrapolated by pixel comparison between the multi-angle images; (2) ADF-feature: the angular differences are described in the feature domains by comparing the differences between the multi-angle spatial features (e.g., morphological attribute profiles (APs)). (3) ADF-label: label-level angular features are proposed based on a group of urban primitives (e.g., buildings and shadows), in order to describe the specific angular information related to the types of primitive classes. In addition, we utilize spatial-contextual information to refine the multi-level ADF features using superpixel segmentation, for the purpose of alleviating the effects of salt-and-pepper noise and representing the main angular characteristics within a local area. The experiments on ZY-3 multi-angle images confirm that the proposed ADF features can effectively improve the accuracy of urban scene classification, with a significant increase in overall accuracy (3.8-11.7%) compared to using the spectral bands alone. Furthermore, the results indicated the superiority of the proposed ADFs in distinguishing between the spectrally similar and complex man-made classes, including roads and various types of buildings (e.g., high buildings, urban villages, and residential apartments).

Multi-unit Operations in Non-Nuclear Systems: Lessons Learned for Small Modular Reactors

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

OHara J. M.; Higgins, J.; DAgostino, A.

2012-01-17

The nuclear-power community has reached the stage of proposing advanced reactor designs to support power generation for decades to come. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are one approach to meet these energy needs. While the power output of individual reactor modules is relatively small, they can be grouped to produce reactor sites with different outputs. Also, they can be designed to generate hydrogen, or to process heat. Many characteristics of SMRs are quite different from those of current plants and may be operated quite differently. One difference is that multiple units may be operated by a single crew (or a singlemore » operator) from one control room. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is examining the human factors engineering (HFE) aspects of SMRs to support licensing reviews. While we reviewed information on SMR designs to obtain information, the designs are not completed and all of the design and operational information is not yet available. Nor is there information on multi-unit operations as envisioned for SMRs available in operating experience. Thus, to gain a better understanding of multi-unit operations we sought the lesson learned from non-nuclear systems that have experience in multi-unit operations, specifically refineries, unmanned aerial vehicles and tele-intensive care units. In this paper we report the lessons learned from these systems and the implications for SMRs.« less

[The implementation of strategy of medicinal support in multi-type hospital].

PubMed

Ludupova, E Yu

2016-01-01

The article presents brief review of implementation of strategy of medicinal support of population of the Russian Federation and experience of application of at the level of regional hospital. The necessity and importance of implementation into practice of hospitals of methodology of pharmaco-economical management of medicinal care using modern technologies of XYZ-, ABC and VEN-analysis is demonstrated. The stages of development and implementation of process of medicinal support of multifield hospital applying principles of system of quality management (processing and systemic approaches, risk management) on the basis of standards ISO 9001 are described. The significance of monitoring of results ofprocess of medicinal support of the basis of implementation of priority target programs (prevention of venous thrombo-embolic complications, system od control of anti-bacterial therapy) are demonstrated in relation to multi-field hospital using technique of ATC/DDD-analysis for evaluating indices of effectiveness and efficiency.

The Use of Animation in Higher Education Teaching to Support Students with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, M.; Duffy, S.; Hughes, G.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the research reported in this paper was to examine the potential usefulness of animated learning materials for supporting students with dyslexia in a UK higher education setting. Design/methodology/approach: An experiment was conducted with a set of 13 undergraduate computing students with dyslexia and a control group of 13…

A multi-case study of school gardens in Southwest Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, Kimberly Ann

Many children today spend little time outdoors exploring the natural world and a great deal of time inside viewing the television or playing video games. This new condition of childhood has many negative ramifications, such as poor social development, childhood obesity, and a lack of feeling connected to the environment. One instructional tool being used by some schools to address these rising concerns is a school garden. School gardens can provide an opportunity for students to experience learning in a real-world application, outside of the classroom walls. This qualitative multi-case study explores three school gardens in Southwest Montana and tells each of their unique stories. Through the process of participant observation, interviews, and the collection of multiple data sources, a thorough description is given of the history behind the gardens, how they have impacted the teachers and students, what challenges they have faced, and the common characteristics found in a successful school garden program. During the data analysis process, themes for each case study site were revealed. The results of this study found that each school garden was unique in character and purpose and that a number of dedicated garden supporters are essential to the success of a garden program. In conclusion, suggestions and resources were provided for practitioners interested in pursuing a garden program.

Lay versus expert understandings of workplace risk in the food service industry: a multi-dimensional model with implications for participatory ergonomics.

PubMed

Cann, Adam P; MacEachen, Ellen; Vandervoort, Anthony A

2008-01-01

The recent trend towards cooperative management and prevention of workplace injuries has introduced numerous health and safety actors to the workplace with varying amounts and types of expertise. The purpose of this qualitative research project was to explore the understandings of risk as experienced by food service workers (FSW) and how these compare with an 'expert' in risk assessment. In total 13 FSW, selected based on age, work location, and gender, and one experienced Ergonomist participated in the study. In-depth semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with each participant and transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis by drawing on methods closely related to grounded theory. The findings of this study indicated that the risks for occupational injury as experienced by FSW were multi-dimensional in nature representing not only the physical requirements of the individual's job, but also the social interactions of the FSW with their coworkers, management, and the organization. FSW were also found to be a rich source of knowledge and experience concerning occupational risk and may be under-utilized when designing interventions. The results of this study support a cooperative team approach to reduce the risks of injury in the workplace, with a specific emphasis on inclusion of the worker.

Tunable single-photon multi-channel quantum router based on an optomechanical system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Peng-Cheng; Yan, Lei-Lei; Zhang, Jian; Chen, Gui-Bin; Li, Xiao-Wei; Zhan, You-Bang

2018-01-01

Routing of photons plays a key role in optical communication networks and quantum networks. Although the quantum routing of signals has been investigated for various systems, both in theory and experiment, the general form of a quantum router with multi-output terminals still needs to be explored. Here, we propose an experimentally accessible tunable single-photon multi-channel routing scheme using an optomechanics cavity which is Coulomb coupled to a nanomechanical resonator. The router can extract single photons from the coherent input signal and directly modulate them into three different output channels. More importantly, the two output signal frequencies can be selected by adjusting the Coulomb coupling strength. For application purposes, we justify that there is insignificant influence from the vacuum and thermal noises on the performance of the router under cryogenic conditions. Our proposal may pave a new avenue towards multi-channel routers and quantum networks.

Construction continues on RLV Support Complex at SLF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

An aerial view reveals (foreground) the ongoing construction of an $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At left is a multi-purpose hangar and at right a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. In the background is the Vehicle Assembly Building. The road at right is the tow-way. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000.

77 FR 38766 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; International Client Life-Cycle Multi-Purpose...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... Request; International Client Life-Cycle Multi-Purpose Forms AGENCY: International Trade Administration... aspects of an international organization's life-cycle with CS. CS is mandated by Congress to help U.S... trade events to U.S. organizations. The International Client Life-cycle Multi-Purpose Forms, previously...

77 FR 38582 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Domestic Client Life-Cycle Multi-Purpose Forms

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... Request; Domestic Client Life-Cycle Multi-Purpose Forms AGENCY: International Trade Administration. ACTION... life-cycle with CS. CS is mandated by Congress to help U.S. organizations, particularly small and... Client Life-cycle Multi-Purpose Forms, previously titled Export Information Services Order Forms, are...

The Bimotor Turboprop Multi-Purpose Aircraft, the Yun-11T (Y-11),

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-13

TRANSLATION FTD-ID(RS)T-0521-82 13 August 1982 MICROFICHE N : FrD-82-C-001105 THE BIMOTOR TURBOPROP MULTI-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT, THE YUll 11T ( Y -11) By...AD-A142 848 THE BIMOTOR TURBOPROP MULTI-PURPOSE AIRCRAFT THE i/i YUN-jiT ( Y -ii)(U) FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIV WRIGHT-PATTERSON RFB OH X WENJIE 03 AUG 82...BUREAU OF STANDARDS- 1963-A -. -q 4 ,,> 1 .77. ADA1 42848 -. -,. FOREIGN TECHNOLOGY DIVISION THE BIMOTOR TURBOPROP MULTI-PURPOSE SAIRCRAFr, THE YTN-1T ( Y

KSC00pp0435

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-30

This broad aerial view shows the runway at KSC (top), the parking facility with the mate/demate device (center), and the remote launch vehicle (RLV) hangar, at right, still under construction at the south end of the Shuttle Landing Facility. Next to the multi-purpose RLV hangar are facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. The tow-way stretches from the runway past the hangar to lower right in the photo. Stretching toward the horizon are the grounds of the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC

KSC-00pp0435

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-03-30

This broad aerial view shows the runway at KSC (top), the parking facility with the mate/demate device (center), and the remote launch vehicle (RLV) hangar, at right, still under construction at the south end of the Shuttle Landing Facility. Next to the multi-purpose RLV hangar are facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. The tow-way stretches from the runway past the hangar to lower right in the photo. Stretching toward the horizon are the grounds of the Merritt island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC

KSC-98pc1881

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-12-18

Donald McMonagle (left), manager, Launch Integration, speaks to federal and state elected officials during the ground breaking ceremony for a multi-purpose hangar, phase one of the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex to be built near the Shuttle Landing Facility. At right are Center Director Roy Bridges and Executive Director of the Spaceport Florida Authority (SFA) Ed O'Connor. The new complex is jointly funded by SFA, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and Kennedy Space Center. It is intended to support the Space Shuttle and other RLV land X-vehicle systems. Completion is expected by the year 2000

Results of a Research Study to Identify Historical Procurement Obligations and Expenditures on Major Army Materiel and Non-Materiel Systems,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

release; distribution 2b. DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE unlimited. 4. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) 5. MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT...coding scheme derives from the location of the Budget Line Items in Exhibit P-1 (Supporting Data for the President’s Budget), the BLIN’s reflect the same...MULTI-PURPOSE WHEELED VEH 305046 COMMERCIAL UTILITY CARGO VEHICLE 305017 SMALL UNIT SUPPORT VEHICLE(SYSV) 30504 TRUCK ST 6X6 ABT 305019 TRUCK, iOT ,8X8,ART

The care unit in nursing home research: Evidence in support of a definition

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Defining what constitutes a resident care unit in nursing home research is both a conceptual and practical challenge. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence in support of a definition of care unit in nursing homes by demonstrating: (1) its feasibility for use in data collection, (2) the acceptability of aggregating individual responses to the unit level, and (3) the benefit of including unit level data in explanatory models. Methods An observational study design was used. Research (project) managers, healthcare aides, care managers, nursing home administrators and directors of care from thirty-six nursing homes in the Canadian prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba provided data for the study. A definition of care unit was developed and applied in data collection and analyses. A debriefing session was held with research managers to investigate their experiences with using the care unit definition. In addition, survey responses from 1258 healthcare aides in 25 of the 36 nursing homes in the study, that had more than one care unit, were analyzed using a multi-level modeling approach. Trained field workers administered the Alberta Context Tool (ACT), a 58-item self-report survey reflecting 10 organizational context concepts, to healthcare aides using computer assisted personal interviews. To assess the appropriateness of obtaining unit level scores, we assessed aggregation statistics (ICC(1), ICC(2), η2, and ω2), and to assess the value of using the definition of unit in explanatory models, we performed multi-level modeling. Results In 10 of the 36 nursing homes, the care unit definition developed was used to align the survey data (for analytic purposes) to specific care units as designated by our definition, from that reported by the facility administrator. The aggregation statistics supported aggregating the healthcare aide responses on the ACT to the realigned unit level. Findings from the multi-level modeling further supported unit level aggregation. A significantly higher percentage of variance was explained in the ACT concepts at the unit level compared to the individual and/or nursing home levels. Conclusions The statistical results support the use of our definition of care unit in nursing home research in the Canadian prairie provinces. Beyond research convenience however, the results also support the resident unit as an important Clinical Microsystem to which future interventions designed to improve resident quality of care and staff (healthcare aide) worklife should be targeted. PMID:21492456

Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB) User Manual: A ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities (SHC) Research Program is developing methodologies, resources, and tools to assist community members and local decision makers in implementing policy choices that facilitate sustainable approaches in managing their resources affecting the built environment, natural environment, and human health. In order to assist communities and decision makers in implementing sustainable practices, EPA is developing computer-based systems including models, databases, web tools, and web browsers to help communities decide upon approaches that support their desired outcomes. Communities need access to resources that will allow them to achieve their sustainability objectives through intelligent decisions in four key sustainability areas: • Land Use • Buildings and Infrastructure • Transportation • Materials Management (i.e., Municipal Solid Waste [MSW] processing and disposal) The Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB) is designed to support sustainable decision-making for communities, local and regional planners, and policy and decision makers. Document is an EPA Technical Report, which is the user manual for the Multi-Sector Sustainability Browser (MSSB) tool. The purpose of the document is to provide basic guidance on use of the tool for users

SNAVA-A real-time multi-FPGA multi-model spiking neural network simulation architecture.

PubMed

Sripad, Athul; Sanchez, Giovanny; Zapata, Mireya; Pirrone, Vito; Dorta, Taho; Cambria, Salvatore; Marti, Albert; Krishnamourthy, Karthikeyan; Madrenas, Jordi

2018-01-01

Spiking Neural Networks (SNN) for Versatile Applications (SNAVA) simulation platform is a scalable and programmable parallel architecture that supports real-time, large-scale, multi-model SNN computation. This parallel architecture is implemented in modern Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) devices to provide high performance execution and flexibility to support large-scale SNN models. Flexibility is defined in terms of programmability, which allows easy synapse and neuron implementation. This has been achieved by using a special-purpose Processing Elements (PEs) for computing SNNs, and analyzing and customizing the instruction set according to the processing needs to achieve maximum performance with minimum resources. The parallel architecture is interfaced with customized Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to configure the SNN's connectivity, to compile the neuron-synapse model and to monitor SNN's activity. Our contribution intends to provide a tool that allows to prototype SNNs faster than on CPU/GPU architectures but significantly cheaper than fabricating a customized neuromorphic chip. This could be potentially valuable to the computational neuroscience and neuromorphic engineering communities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patterns of Transition Experience for Parents Going Home from Hospital with their Infant after First Stage Surgery for Complex Congenital Heart Disease.

PubMed

Gaskin, Kerry L

2017-12-04

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' experiences of one specific timepoint in their infant's journey: the transition from hospital to home, following the first stage of their infant's cardiac surgery for complex congenital heart disease. A prospective longitudinal mixed methods study, underpinned with Middle Range Transition Theory (Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Hilfinger Messias, & Schumacher, 2000). Face to face and telephone interviews were conducted and self-report forms completed by parents at four-time points: before discharge (T0), 2weeks after discharge (T1), 8weeks after discharge (T2) and after stage two surgery (T3). Interviews were transcribed verbatim before inductive thematic analysis. Parents were recruited over a 15-month period from 2013 to 2015. Twelve mothers and 4 fathers took part. The infants had functionally univentricular heart (left n=10, right n=1) and a systemic shunt dependent lesion, tetralogy of Fallot (n=1). Dynamic constructivist and constructionist social processes occurred for all parents, involving physical, physiological, psychological and cognitive elements within four 'patterns of experience', two of which 'safety and security' and 'love and support' are presented in this paper. Parental support is essential; parents need to be engaged in discharge planning process and given the opportunity to express their needs to ensure that discharge care is truly patient and family centered. Transition from hospital to home was complex and multi-faceted, with unanticipated physical and emotional transitions superimposed upon those that were expected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of breast support and breast pain on upper-extremity kinematics during running: implications for females with large breasts.

PubMed

White, Jennifer; Mills, Chris; Ball, Nick; Scurr, Joanna

2015-01-01

The relationship between inappropriate breast support and upper-extremity kinematics for female runners is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of breast support and breast pain on upper-extremity kinematics during running. Eleven female recreational runners with larger breasts (UK D and E cup) completed a 7 min 20 s treadmill run (2.58 m · s(-1)) in a high and low breast support condition. Multi-planar breast and upper-extremity kinematic data were captured in each breast support condition by eight infrared cameras for 30 s towards the end of the run. Breast pain was rated at the end of each treadmill run using a numeric analogue scale. The high support bra reduced breast kinematics and decreased breast pain (P < 0.05). Upper-extremity kinematics did not differ between breast support conditions (P > 0.05), although some moderate positive correlations were found between thorax range of motion and breast kinematics (r = 0.54 to 0.73). Thorax and arm kinematics do not appear to be influenced by breast support level in female runners with large breasts. A high support bra that offers good multi-planar breast support is recommended for female runners with larger breasts to reduce breast pain.

Performance of GEM Detectors in the DarkLight Experiment at LERF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammed Prem Nazeer, Sahara Jesmin; DarkLight Collaboration

2017-01-01

The DarkLight experiment has been proposed to search for a heavy photon A' in the mass range of 10-100 MeV/c2 produced in electron-proton collisions. Phase-I of DarkLight has started to take place in 2016 at the Low Energy Recirculator Facility (LERF) at Jefferson Lab. LERF delivered a 100 MeV electron beam onto a windowless hydrogen gas target. The phase-I detector tracks leptons inside the DarkLight solenoid with a set of Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) detectors, combined with segmented scintillators for triggering. The GEM telescope consists of four 10 × 10 cm2 triple layer GEM chambers with 2D readout strips, mounted in a slightly angled fixed frame about 12 cm tall. The GEM data are read out with analog pipeline front-end cards (APV-25) each of which can process 128 readout channels. Each GEM chamber has 250 channels for each coordinate axis, read out with two APVs on each side, resulting in 2000 readout channels for the GEM stack, processed by 16 APVs. One Multi Purpose Digitizer (MPD) module is used to read out all of the 16 APV-25 cards. The current run status of DarkLight experiment and the performance of GEMs in the experiment will be discussed. This work has been supported by NSF PHY-1436680 and PHY-1505934.

Key Topics for High-Lift Research: A Joint Wind Tunnel/Flight Test Approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, David; Thomas, Flint O.; Nelson, Robert C.

1996-01-01

Future high-lift systems must achieve improved aerodynamic performance with simpler designs that involve fewer elements and reduced maintenance costs. To expeditiously achieve this, reliable CFD design tools are required. The development of useful CFD-based design tools for high lift systems requires increased attention to unresolved flow physics issues. The complex flow field over any multi-element airfoil may be broken down into certain generic component flows which are termed high-lift building block flows. In this report a broad spectrum of key flow field physics issues relevant to the design of improved high lift systems are considered. It is demonstrated that in-flight experiments utilizing the NASA Dryden Flight Test Fixture (which is essentially an instrumented ventral fin) carried on an F-15B support aircraft can provide a novel and cost effective method by which both Reynolds and Mach number effects associated with specific high lift building block flows can be investigated. These in-flight high lift building block flow experiments are most effective when performed in conjunction with coordinated ground based wind tunnel experiments in low speed facilities. For illustrative purposes three specific examples of in-flight high lift building block flow experiments capable of yielding a high payoff are described. The report concludes with a description of a joint wind tunnel/flight test approach to high lift aerodynamics research.

Support for learning goes beyond academic support: Voices of students with Asperger's disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Bolic Baric, Vedrana; Hellberg, Kristina; Kjellberg, Anette; Hemmingsson, Helena

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the experiences of support at school among young adults with Asperger's disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and also to examine what support they, in retrospect, described as influencing learning. Purposive sampling was used to enroll participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 young adults aged between 20 and 29 years. A qualitative analysis, based on interpreting people's experiences, was conducted by grouping and searching for patterns in data. The findings indicate that the participants experienced difficulties at school that included academic, social, and emotional conditions, all of which could influence learning. Support for learning included small groups, individualized teaching methods, teachers who cared, and practical and emotional support. These clusters together confirm the overall understanding that support for learning aligns academic and psychosocial support. In conclusion, academic support combined with psychosocial support at school seems to be crucial for learning among students with Asperger's disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. © The Author(s) 2015.

A qualitative investigation of Foundation Year 2 doctors' views on the European Working Time Directive.

PubMed

Duncan, Myanna; Haslam, Cheryl

2015-01-01

PURPOSE - The purpose of this paper is to examine the personal views and experiences of Foundation Year 2 doctors operating under the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH - In total, 36 Foundation Year 2 doctors from a single UK-based Deanery participated in this semistructured interview study. FINDINGS - Findings indicated that Foundation doctors typically welcomed a regulation of working hours, but reported frustration at the manner in which the Directive had been implemented. Participants reported concerns at reducing hours by removing out-of-hours working in order to meet EWTD requirements. Out-of-hours shifts were highly valued owing to their increased opportunities for autonomous clinical decision making. By contrast, day-shifts were regarded as heavily administrative in nature and were perceived as service provision. Foundation doctors discussed the unique nature of the out-of-hours working period which appeared to provide specific learning opportunities as doctors draw on time management and prioritisation skills. ORIGINALITY/VALUE - Given the challenges the EWTD presents, careful rota planning is essential. First, the authors would encourage the restructuring of day-shift work to provide a greater emphasis on hands-on skills experience in a supportive, supervised environment. Second, where possible, Foundation doctors might benefit from the opportunity to engage in some out-of-hours working, such as with multi-professional "Hospital at Night" teams. Third, the authors would encourage junior doctor involvement in rota design and planning which may increase their perceived autonomy and therefore buy-in of working practices.

Initial performance studies of a general-purpose detector for multi-TeV physics at a 100 TeV pp collider

DOE PAGES

Chekanov, S. V.; Beydler, M.; Kotwal, A. V.; ...

2017-06-13

This paper describes simulations of detector response to multi-TeV physics at the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh) or Super proton-proton Collider (SppC) which aim to collide proton beams with a centre-of-mass energy of 100 TeV. The unprecedented energy regime of these future experiments imposes new requirements on detector technologies which can be studied using the detailed geant4 simulations presented in this paper. The initial performance of a detector designed for physics studies at the FCC-hh or SppC experiments are described with an emphasis on measurements of single particles up to 33 TeV in transverse momentum. Furthermore, the granularity requirements for calorimetrymore » are investigated using the two-particle spatial resolution achieved for hadron showers.« less

Initial performance studies of a general-purpose detector for multi-TeV physics at a 100 TeV pp collider

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

Chekanov, S. V.; Beydler, M.; Kotwal, A. V.

This paper describes simulations of detector response to multi-TeV physics at the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh) or Super proton-proton Collider (SppC) which aim to collide proton beams with a centre-of-mass energy of 100 TeV. The unprecedented energy regime of these future experiments imposes new requirements on detector technologies which can be studied using the detailed geant4 simulations presented in this paper. The initial performance of a detector designed for physics studies at the FCC-hh or SppC experiments are described with an emphasis on measurements of single particles up to 33 TeV in transverse momentum. Furthermore, the granularity requirements for calorimetrymore » are investigated using the two-particle spatial resolution achieved for hadron showers.« less

NRL 1989 Beam Propagation Studies in Support of the ATA Multi-Pulse Propagation Experiment

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-31

papers presented here were all written prior to the completion of the experiment. The first of these papers presents simulation results which modeled ...beam stability and channel evolution for an entire five pulse burst. The second paper describes a new air chemistry model used in the SARLAC...Experiment: A new air chemistry model for use in the propagation codes simulating the MPPE was developed by making analytic fits to benchmark runs with

Aerial photo shows RLV complex at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

In the foreground of this aerial photo is the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi-purpose hangar and to its left is a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility (center). At the upper left is the runway. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC.

Treatment of Adolescent Marijuana Abuse: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Presentation 1: Structure of the Cannabis Youth Treatment Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Titus, Janet C.; Dennis, Michael L.; Diamond, Guy; Godley, Susan H.; Babor, Thomas; Donaldson, Jean; Herrell, James; Tims, Frank; Webb, Charles

The Cannabis Youth Treatment (CYT) study is a multi-site randomized field experiment examining five outpatient treatment protocols for adolescents who abuse or are dependent on marijuana. The purpose of the CYT project is twofold: (a) to test the relative clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of five promising interventions targeted at…

Investigating Attrition Trends in Order to Improve Student Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grebennikov, Leonid; Shah, Mahsood

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the experience of monitoring of first year student attrition in a large metropolitan multi-campus university during 2004-2010. The paper seeks to discuss the trends in student attrition which have been found and identify key issues which have been and need to be addressed by the university in order to increase…

Preservice Teachers' Use of Production and Reproduction Teaching Styles within Multi-Activity and Sport Education Units

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Mitchum; Curtner-Smith, Mathew

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of one component of physical education teacher education on preservice teachers' (PTs) use of Mosston's (1981) spectrum of teaching styles within an early field experience (EFE). Participants were two PTs who were trained to use the spectrum within a methods course and team/turn-taught…

Aesthetic Awareness: A Means to Improve Self Concept in a Multi-Cultural Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abbott, Wendell; Haynes, Margaret

An experimental program, examining a variety of experiences from an aesthetic point of view, focused on growth in the affective domain. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of a five-week program in value-building activities with emphasis on: 1) increasing aesthetic perceptions of the sensitivity to the environment; 2)…

A Phenomenological Examination of Virtual Game Developers' Experiences Using Jacob's Ladder Pre-Production Design Tactic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown-Turner, Jasmine

2017-01-01

Edutainment refers to curriculum and instruction designed with a clear educational purpose, including multi-faceted virtual learning game design. Tools such as the Jacob's Ladder pre-production design tactic have been developed to ensure that voices of both engineers and educators are heard. However, it is unclear how development team members…

Library Subject Guides: A Content Management Case Study at the Open University, UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wales, Tim

2005-01-01

Purpose: To share the experiences and challenges faced by the Open University Library (OUL) in developing a content management (CM) system for its subject guides. Design/methodology/approach: A summary of multi-format subject guide production at the OUL is provided to justify the decision to develop a new system for their production using a…

KSC-03pd0024

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Technicians in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility move NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) toward the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle for mating. SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

KSC-03pd0025

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility, NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) closes in on the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle for mating. SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

KSC-03pd0026

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility, NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) closes in on the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle for mating. SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Campus: "Lab" and "Window" for Sustainable Design Research and Education--The DECOS Educational Network Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vezzoli, Carlo; Penin, Lara

2006-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to diffuse the concept of a multi-lateral learning process as a means to promote experimental didactics and research (and the cross-fertilization between these two activities) in the field of design of sustainable product-service systems (PSSs) and to consider the university campus as the locus for the design,…

Public data and open source tools for multi-assay genomic investigation of disease.

PubMed

Kannan, Lavanya; Ramos, Marcel; Re, Angela; El-Hachem, Nehme; Safikhani, Zhaleh; Gendoo, Deena M A; Davis, Sean; Gomez-Cabrero, David; Castelo, Robert; Hansen, Kasper D; Carey, Vincent J; Morgan, Martin; Culhane, Aedín C; Haibe-Kains, Benjamin; Waldron, Levi

2016-07-01

Molecular interrogation of a biological sample through DNA sequencing, RNA and microRNA profiling, proteomics and other assays, has the potential to provide a systems level approach to predicting treatment response and disease progression, and to developing precision therapies. Large publicly funded projects have generated extensive and freely available multi-assay data resources; however, bioinformatic and statistical methods for the analysis of such experiments are still nascent. We review multi-assay genomic data resources in the areas of clinical oncology, pharmacogenomics and other perturbation experiments, population genomics and regulatory genomics and other areas, and tools for data acquisition. Finally, we review bioinformatic tools that are explicitly geared toward integrative genomic data visualization and analysis. This review provides starting points for accessing publicly available data and tools to support development of needed integrative methods. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Family Carers' Experiences Using Support Services in Europe: Empirical Evidence from the EUROFAMCARE Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamura, Giovanni; Mnich, Eva; Nolan, Mike; Wojszel, Beata; Krevers, Barbro; Mestheneos, Liz; Dohner, Hanneli

2008-01-01

Purpose: This article explores the experiences of family carers of older people in using support services in six European countries: Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK. Design and Methods: Following a common protocol, data were collected from national samples of approximately 1,000 family carers per country and clustered into…

Put Me in Coach: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study Examining School Wide Positive Behavior Support Coaches' Experience with Program Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieffannacht, Kimberlie Beth

2016-01-01

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe lived experience during School Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) implementation for School Wide Positive Behavior coaches in Pennsylvania public schools. Participants, identified as co-researchers throughout this study, included 11 SWPBS coaches selected from seven…

Ethics Review for a Multi-Site Project Involving Tribal Nations in the Northern Plains.

PubMed

Angal, Jyoti; Petersen, Julie M; Tobacco, Deborah; Elliott, Amy J

2016-04-01

Increasingly, Tribal Nations are forming ethics review panels, which function separately from institutional review boards (IRBs). The emergence of strong community representation coincides with a widespread effort supported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and other federal agencies to establish a single IRB for all multi-site research. This article underscores the value of a tribal ethics review board and describes the tribal oversight for the Safe Passage Study-a multi-site, community-based project in the Northern Plains. Our experience demonstrates the benefits of tribal ethics review and makes a strong argument for including tribal oversight in future regulatory guidance for multi-site, community-based research. © The Author(s) 2016.

Large-scale, high-performance and cloud-enabled multi-model analytics experiments in the context of the Earth System Grid Federation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiore, S.; Płóciennik, M.; Doutriaux, C.; Blanquer, I.; Barbera, R.; Williams, D. N.; Anantharaj, V. G.; Evans, B. J. K.; Salomoni, D.; Aloisio, G.

2017-12-01

The increased models resolution in the development of comprehensive Earth System Models is rapidly leading to very large climate simulations output that pose significant scientific data management challenges in terms of data sharing, processing, analysis, visualization, preservation, curation, and archiving.Large scale global experiments for Climate Model Intercomparison Projects (CMIP) have led to the development of the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF), a federated data infrastructure which has been serving the CMIP5 experiment, providing access to 2PB of data for the IPCC Assessment Reports. In such a context, running a multi-model data analysis experiment is very challenging, as it requires the availability of a large amount of data related to multiple climate models simulations and scientific data management tools for large-scale data analytics. To address these challenges, a case study on climate models intercomparison data analysis has been defined and implemented in the context of the EU H2020 INDIGO-DataCloud project. The case study has been tested and validated on CMIP5 datasets, in the context of a large scale, international testbed involving several ESGF sites (LLNL, ORNL and CMCC), one orchestrator site (PSNC) and one more hosting INDIGO PaaS services (UPV). Additional ESGF sites, such as NCI (Australia) and a couple more in Europe, are also joining the testbed. The added value of the proposed solution is summarized in the following: it implements a server-side paradigm which limits data movement; it relies on a High-Performance Data Analytics (HPDA) stack to address performance; it exploits the INDIGO PaaS layer to support flexible, dynamic and automated deployment of software components; it provides user-friendly web access based on the INDIGO Future Gateway; and finally it integrates, complements and extends the support currently available through ESGF. Overall it provides a new "tool" for climate scientists to run multi-model experiments. At the time this contribution is being written, the proposed testbed represents the first implementation of a distributed large-scale, multi-model experiment in the ESGF/CMIP context, joining together server-side approaches for scientific data analysis, HPDA frameworks, end-to-end workflow management, and cloud computing.

Mentoring to Promote Courage and Confidence among Elementary School Students with Internalizing Problems: A Single-Case Design Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiat, Aria E.; Cook, Clayton R.; Zhang, Yanchen; Renshaw, Tyler L.; DeCano, Polocarpio; Merrick, Jillian S.

2017-01-01

There is a paucity of selective, Tier 2 interventions that educators can implement for students with internalizing problems as part of their schools' Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. To fill this void, the authors' purpose was to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, and integrity of a structured school-based mentoring program, the Courage and…

Sowing the "Semillas" of Critical Multicultural Citizenship for Latina/o Undocumented Youth: Spaces in School and out of School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salazar, Maria del Carmen; Martinez, Lisa M.; Ortega, Debora

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to address how spaces in school and out of school support or constrain undocumented Latina/o youths' development as critical multicultural citizens. We draw on data from a multi-phase, qualitative study to present findings indicating that the youths persevered through academic and civic engagement. Ultimately, the…

Exploring the Effects of Integrating Self-Explanation into a Multi-User Game on the Acquisition of Scientific Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsu, Chung-Yuan; Tsai, Chin-Chung; Wang, Hung-Yuan

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of embedding collaboration into a game with a self-explanation design for supporting the acquisition of light and shadow concepts. The participants were 184 fourth graders who were randomly assigned to three conditions: a solitary mode of the game with self-explanation, a collaborative mode with…

Advanced Launch System Multi-Path Redundant Avionics Architecture Analysis and Characterization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Robert L.

1993-01-01

The objective of the Multi-Path Redundant Avionics Suite (MPRAS) program is the development of a set of avionic architectural modules which will be applicable to the family of launch vehicles required to support the Advanced Launch System (ALS). To enable ALS cost/performance requirements to be met, the MPRAS must support autonomy, maintenance, and testability capabilities which exceed those present in conventional launch vehicles. The multi-path redundant or fault tolerance characteristics of the MPRAS are necessary to offset a reduction in avionics reliability due to the increased complexity needed to support these new cost reduction and performance capabilities and to meet avionics reliability requirements which will provide cost-effective reductions in overall ALS recurring costs. A complex, real-time distributed computing system is needed to meet the ALS avionics system requirements. General Dynamics, Boeing Aerospace, and C.S. Draper Laboratory have proposed system architectures as candidates for the ALS MPRAS. The purpose of this document is to report the results of independent performance and reliability characterization and assessment analyses of each proposed candidate architecture and qualitative assessments of testability, maintainability, and fault tolerance mechanisms. These independent analyses were conducted as part of the MPRAS Part 2 program and were carried under NASA Langley Research Contract NAS1-17964, Task Assignment 28.

Detection of surface cracking in steel pipes based on vibration data using a multi-class support vector machine classifier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mustapha, S.; Braytee, A.; Ye, L.

2017-04-01

In this study, we focused at the development and verification of a robust framework for surface crack detection in steel pipes using measured vibration responses; with the presence of multiple progressive damage occurring in different locations within the structure. Feature selection, dimensionality reduction, and multi-class support vector machine were established for this purpose. Nine damage cases, at different locations, orientations and length, were introduced into the pipe structure. The pipe was impacted 300 times using an impact hammer, after each damage case, the vibration data were collected using 3 PZT wafers which were installed on the outer surface of the pipe. At first, damage sensitive features were extracted using the frequency response function approach followed by recursive feature elimination for dimensionality reduction. Then, a multi-class support vector machine learning algorithm was employed to train the data and generate a statistical model. Once the model is established, decision values and distances from the hyper-plane were generated for the new collected data using the trained model. This process was repeated on the data collected from each sensor. Overall, using a single sensor for training and testing led to a very high accuracy reaching 98% in the assessment of the 9 damage cases used in this study.

Chamber QoE: a multi-instrumental approach to explore affective aspects in relation to quality of experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Moor, Katrien; Mazza, Filippo; Hupont, Isabelle; Ríos Quintero, Miguel; Mäki, Toni; Varela, Martín.

2014-02-01

Evaluating (audio)visual quality and Quality of Experience (QoE) from the user's perspective, has become a key element in optimizing users' experiences and their quality. Traditionally, the focus lies on how multi-level quality features are perceived by a human user. The interest has however gradually expanded towards human cognitive, affective and behavioral processes that may impact on, be an element of, or be influenced by QoE, and which have been underinvestigated so far. In addition, there is a major discrepancy between the new, broadly supported and more holistic conceptualization of QoE proposed by Le Callet et al. (2012) and traditional, standardized QoE assessment. This paper explores ways to tackle this discrepancy by means of a multi-instrumental approach. More concretely, it presents results from a lab study on video quality (N=27), aimed at going beyond the dominant QoE assessment paradigm and at exploring affective aspects in relation to QoE and in relation to perceived overall quality. Four types of data were collected: `traditional' QoE self-report measures were complemented with `alternative', emotional state- and user engagement-related self-report measures to evaluate QoE. In addition, we collected EEG (physiological) data, gazetracking data and facial expressions (behavioral) data. The video samples used in test were longer in duration than is common in standard tests allowing us to study e.g. more realistic experience and deeper user engagement. Our findings support the claim that the traditional QoE measures need to be reconsidered and extended with additional, affective staterelated measures.

Experiment Design and Analysis Guide - Neutronics & Physics

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

Misti A Lillo

2014-06-01

The purpose of this guide is to provide a consistent, standardized approach to performing neutronics/physics analysis for experiments inserted into the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This document provides neutronics/physics analysis guidance to support experiment design and analysis needs for experiments irradiated in the ATR. This guide addresses neutronics/physics analysis in support of experiment design, experiment safety, and experiment program objectives and goals. The intent of this guide is to provide a standardized approach for performing typical neutronics/physics analyses. Deviation from this guide is allowed provided that neutronics/physics analysis details are properly documented in an analysis report.

Is the psychological impact of genetic testing moderated by support and sharing of test results to family and friends?

PubMed

Lapointe, Julie; Dorval, Michel; Noguès, Catherine; Fabre, Roxane; Julian-Reynier, Claire

2013-12-01

Receiving the results of genetic tests for a breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility can be a stressful experience. Here we studied the effects of social support (SS) and the sharing of test results on the psychological impact of BRCA1/2 test result disclosure. We also compared carriers and non-carriers on sharing, SS and psychological impact. Five-hundred and twenty-two unaffected women were followed prospectively for 2 years after receiving their test results. Psychological impact was measured on the impact of event scale. Multivariate multi-level models were used, and all the analyses were stratified depending on mutation status (carriers vs non-carriers). Two weeks after receiving their BRCA1/2 results, carriers had shared their test results less frequently than non-carriers (p < 0.01). Sharing test results was not significantly associated with psychological impact. Availability of SS was significantly associated with better psychological adjustment across time among carriers (p < 0.01), but not among non-carriers. For female BRCA1/2 mutation carriers, the importance of SS should be stressed, and possible ways of enlisting people in their entourage for this purpose should be discussed in the context of clinical encounters.

International Space Station (ISS)

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-03-01

A crewmember of Expedition One, cosmonaut Yuri P. Gidzenko, is dwarfed by transient hardware aboard Leonardo, the Italian Space Agency-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM), a primary cargo of the STS-102 mission. The Leonardo MPLM is the first of three such pressurized modules that will serve as the International Space Station's (ISS's) moving vans, carrying laboratory racks filled with equipment, experiments and supplies to and from the Space Station aboard the Space Shuttle. The cylindrical module is approximately 21-feet long and 15- feet in diameter, weighing almost 4.5 tons. It can carry up to 10 tons of cargo into 16 standard Space Station equipment racks. Of the 16 racks the module can carry, 5 can be furnished with power, data, and fluid to support refrigerators or freezers. In order to function as an attached station module as well as a cargo transport, the logistics module also includes components that provide life support, fire detection and suppression, electrical distribution, and computer functions. The eighth Shuttle mission to visit the ISS, the STS-102 mission served as a crew rotation flight. It delivered the Expedition Two crew to the Station and returned the Expedition One crew back to Earth.

The Formal Support Experiences of Family Carers of People with an Intellectual Disability Who Also Display Challenging Behaviour and/or Mental Health Issues: What Do Carers Say?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Neil

2013-01-01

This article reports the findings of a literature review of research that has explored the support experiences of family carers of a person with an intellectual disability who displays challenging behaviour and/or has a mental health problem. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the reported experiences of family carers from…

The Effects Classroom Experiences and Student Conduct Have on a Teacher's Self-Efficacy in Schools with Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Lorena G.

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this mixed-methods phenomenological study was to describe elementary school general education teachers' perceptions of how their efficacy, as teachers, was affected by their experiences in implementing the PBIS framework. This study also sought to determine a better understanding of the skills necessary to impact all…

Coping and caring: support resources integral to perioperative nurses during the process of organ procurement surgery.

PubMed

Smith, Zaneta; Leslie, Gavin; Wynaden, Dianne

2017-11-01

To discuss and explore the levels of support provided to perioperative nurses when participating in multi-organ procurement surgery and the impact to their overall well-being. Assisting within multi-organ procurement surgical procedures has been recognised to impact on the well-being of perioperative nurses leaving little opportunity for them to recover from their participation or to seek available support resources. To date, this area has remained largely unexplored with limited evidence of how nurses manage and cope with these procedures, in addition to the support received in the workplace. A qualitative grounded theory method. The study was informed by perioperative nurses (n = 35) who had previous participatory experience in these surgical procedures from two Australian states. Theoretical sampling directed the collection of data via semistructured in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using the constant comparative method. Three components of levels of support were identified from the data: lacking support within the operating room organisation; surgical team support and access to external professional support. These findings offer new insights into how nurses manage and cope with their participation in organ procurement surgical procedures and what types of support resources can be seen as barriers or enablers to their overall experiences. The need for timely and adequate support is vital to their overall well-being and future participation in organ procurement surgery. These findings have the potential to guide further research with implications for clinical initiatives and practices, looking at new ways of supporting perioperative nurses within the clinical environment both locally and internationally. Healthcare organisations need to acknowledge the emotional, psychosocial and psychological health and well-being of nurses impacted by these surgical procedures and provide appropriate and timely clinical support within the work environment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Objected-oriented remote sensing image classification method based on geographic ontology model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Z.; Liu, Z. J.; Gu, H. Y.

2016-11-01

Nowadays, with the development of high resolution remote sensing image and the wide application of laser point cloud data, proceeding objected-oriented remote sensing classification based on the characteristic knowledge of multi-source spatial data has been an important trend on the field of remote sensing image classification, which gradually replaced the traditional method through improving algorithm to optimize image classification results. For this purpose, the paper puts forward a remote sensing image classification method that uses the he characteristic knowledge of multi-source spatial data to build the geographic ontology semantic network model, and carries out the objected-oriented classification experiment to implement urban features classification, the experiment uses protégé software which is developed by Stanford University in the United States, and intelligent image analysis software—eCognition software as the experiment platform, uses hyperspectral image and Lidar data that is obtained through flight in DaFeng City of JiangSu as the main data source, first of all, the experiment uses hyperspectral image to obtain feature knowledge of remote sensing image and related special index, the second, the experiment uses Lidar data to generate nDSM(Normalized DSM, Normalized Digital Surface Model),obtaining elevation information, the last, the experiment bases image feature knowledge, special index and elevation information to build the geographic ontology semantic network model that implement urban features classification, the experiment results show that, this method is significantly higher than the traditional classification algorithm on classification accuracy, especially it performs more evidently on the respect of building classification. The method not only considers the advantage of multi-source spatial data, for example, remote sensing image, Lidar data and so on, but also realizes multi-source spatial data knowledge integration and application of the knowledge to the field of remote sensing image classification, which provides an effective way for objected-oriented remote sensing image classification in the future.

Multi -omics and metabolic modelling pipelines: challenges and tools for systems microbiology.

PubMed

Fondi, Marco; Liò, Pietro

2015-02-01

Integrated -omics approaches are quickly spreading across microbiology research labs, leading to (i) the possibility of detecting previously hidden features of microbial cells like multi-scale spatial organization and (ii) tracing molecular components across multiple cellular functional states. This promises to reduce the knowledge gap between genotype and phenotype and poses new challenges for computational microbiologists. We underline how the capability to unravel the complexity of microbial life will strongly depend on the integration of the huge and diverse amount of information that can be derived today from -omics experiments. In this work, we present opportunities and challenges of multi -omics data integration in current systems biology pipelines. We here discuss which layers of biological information are important for biotechnological and clinical purposes, with a special focus on bacterial metabolism and modelling procedures. A general review of the most recent computational tools for performing large-scale datasets integration is also presented, together with a possible framework to guide the design of systems biology experiments by microbiologists. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Assessing Patient Experiences with Healthcare in Multi-Cultural Settings

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

article from a Los Angeles Spanish language newspaper entitled "Resultado mixto en reduccion de clases" ( La Opinion, June 24, 1999: Al) and a...Giachello, Aday, & Chiu, 1981; Ginzberg, 1991; Schur, White, & Berk, 1995; Schur & Albers 1996; Valdez, Giachello, Rodriguez-Trias, Gomez, & de la Rocha...explicaciones de los procedimientos medicos y los resultados de los andlisis); and (5) reassurance and support from your doctor and support staff ( la

The Modified, Multi-patient Observed Simulated Handoff Experience (M-OSHE): Assessment and Feedback for Entering Residents on Handoff Performance.

PubMed

Gaffney, Sean; Farnan, Jeanne M; Hirsch, Kristen; McGinty, Michael; Arora, Vineet M

2016-04-01

Despite the identification of transfer of patient responsibility as a Core Entrustable Professional Activity for Entering Residency, rigorous methods to evaluate incoming residents' ability to give a verbal handoff of multiple patients are lacking. Our purpose was to implement a multi-patient, simulation-based curriculum to assess verbal handoff performance. Graduate Medical Education (GME) orientation at an urban, academic medical center. Eighty-four incoming residents from four residency programs participated in the study. The curriculum featured an online training module and a multi-patient observed simulated handoff experience (M-OSHE). Participants verbally "handed off" three mock patients of varying acuity and were evaluated by a trained "receiver" using an expert-informed, five-item checklist. Prior handoff experience in medical school was associated with higher checklist scores (23% none vs. 33% either third OR fourth year vs. 58% third AND fourth year, p = 0.021). Prior training was associated with prioritization of patients based on acuity (12% no training vs. 38% prior training, p = 0.014). All participants agreed that the M-OSHE realistically portrayed a clinical setting. The M-OSHE is a promising strategy for teaching and evaluating entering residents' ability to give verbal handoffs of multiple patients. Prior training and more handoff experience was associated with higher performance, which suggests that additional handoff training in medical school may be of benefit.

A tree canopy height delineation method based on Morphological Reconstruction—Open Crown Decomposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Q.; Jing, L.; Li, Y.; Tang, Y.; Li, H.; Lin, Q.

2016-04-01

For the purpose of forest management, high resolution LIDAR and optical remote sensing imageries are used for treetop detection, tree crown delineation, and classification. The purpose of this study is to develop a self-adjusted dominant scales calculation method and a new crown horizontal cutting method of tree canopy height model (CHM) to detect and delineate tree crowns from LIDAR, under the hypothesis that a treetop is radiometric or altitudinal maximum and tree crowns consist of multi-scale branches. The major concept of the method is to develop an automatic selecting strategy of feature scale on CHM, and a multi-scale morphological reconstruction-open crown decomposition (MRCD) to get morphological multi-scale features of CHM by: cutting CHM from treetop to the ground; analysing and refining the dominant multiple scales with differential horizontal profiles to get treetops; segmenting LiDAR CHM using watershed a segmentation approach marked with MRCD treetops. This method has solved the problems of false detection of CHM side-surface extracted by the traditional morphological opening canopy segment (MOCS) method. The novel MRCD delineates more accurate and quantitative multi-scale features of CHM, and enables more accurate detection and segmentation of treetops and crown. Besides, the MRCD method can also be extended to high optical remote sensing tree crown extraction. In an experiment on aerial LiDAR CHM of a forest of multi-scale tree crowns, the proposed method yielded high-quality tree crown maps.

Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite /BESS/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, W. E.; Tremor, J. W.; Aepli, T. C.

1976-01-01

The Biomedical Experiments Scientific Satellite (BESS) program is proposed to provide a long-duration, earth-orbiting facility to expose selected specimens in a series of biomedical experiments through the 1980's. Launched and retrieved by the Space Transportation System, the fully reusable, free-flying BESS will contain all systems necessary to conduct a six-month to one-year spaceflight mission. The spacecraft system will consist of a large pressurized experiment module and a standard NASA service module currently conceived as the Goddard Multi-Mission Spacecraft (MMS). The experiment module will contain the life-support systems, waste management system, specimen-holding facilities, and monitoring, evaluating, and data-handling equipment. Although a variety of specimens will be flown in basic biological and medical studies, the primate was taken as the principal design driver since it has a maximal life-support demand.

Educating Tomorrow's Men: Perceived School Support, Negative Youth Experiences, and Bravado Attitudes in African American Adolescent Males

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corprew, Charles S., III; Cunningham, Michael

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the association between negative youth experiences and bravado attitudes in African American urban males. In addition, an examination of positive factors, such as school social support, was examined to understand potential resilient pathways. Data were collected at two sites, a science and math center (n =…

Students' Lived Experiences with the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Program in Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyle, Lisa A.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to report the lived experiences of seventh and eighth grade students experiencing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in middle school. Although there is increasing popularity in the use of the PBIS system in schools throughout the country, there is little known about students' perceptions of the…

76 FR 59717 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Transformation Initiative: Family...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-27

... support research that will build upon a larger social experiment funded by HUD. The funds will be made... Account. The purpose of the effort is to provide funding to support research that will build upon a larger social experiment funded by HUD. The funds will be made available in the form of cooperative agreements...

A journey from nuclear criticality methods to high energy density radflow experiments

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

Urbatsch, Todd James

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a nuclear weapons laboratory supporting our nation's defense. In support of this mission is a high energy-density physics program in which we design and execute experiments to study radiationhydrodynamics phenomena and improve the predictive capability of our largescale multi-physics software codes on our big-iron computers. The Radflow project’s main experimental effort now is to understand why we haven't been able to predict opacities on Sandia National Laboratory's Z-machine. We are modeling an increasing fraction of the Z-machine's dynamic hohlraum to find multi-physics explanations for the experimental results. Further, we are building an entirely different opacitymore » platform on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF), which is set to get results early 2017. Will the results match our predictions, match the Z-machine, or give us something entirely different? The new platform brings new challenges such as designing hohlraums and spectrometers. The speaker will recount his history, starting with one-dimensional Monte Carlo nuclear criticality methods in graduate school, radiative transfer methods research and software development for his first 16 years at LANL, and, now, radflow technology and experiments. Who knew that the real world was more than just radiation transport? Experiments aren't easy, but they sure are fun.« less

Experimental demonstration of active vibration control for flexible structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, Douglas J.; Hyland, David C.; Collins, Emmanuel G., Jr.

1990-01-01

Active vibration control of flexible structures for future space missions is addressed. Three experiments that successfully demonstrate control of flexible structures are described. The first is the pendulum experiment. The structure is a 5-m compound pendulum and was designed as an end-to-end test bed for a linear proof mass actuator and its supporting electronics. Experimental results are shown for a maximum-entropy/optimal-projection controller designed to achieve 5 percent damping in the first two pendulum modes. The second experiment was based upon the Harris Multi-Hex prototype experiment (MHPE) apparatus. This is a large optical reflector structure comprising a seven-panel array and supporting truss which typifies a number of generic characteristics of large space systems. The third experiment involved control design and implementation for the ACES structure at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The authors conclude with some remarks on the lessons learned from conducting these experiments.

KSC-03pd0027

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility move the rotating work stand away from NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) after mating with the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle. SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

The Influence of Climate on the Academic and Athletic Success of Student-Athletes: Results from a Multi-Institutional National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rankin, Susan; Merson, Dan; Garvey, Jason C.; Sorgen, Carl H.; Menon, India; Loya, Karla; Oseguera, Leticia

2016-01-01

Students' perceptions of the campus climate can affect their success and outcomes. Student-athletes' experiences with campus life are unique. The Student-Athletes Climate Study (SACS) is a national study of over 8,000 student athletes from all NCAA sports and divisions. The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of individual and…

KSC-03pd0028

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A worker in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility checks out the mating of NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) with the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle. SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

[Transcultural self-efficacy and educational needs for cultural competence in nursing of Korean nurses].

PubMed

Kim, Sun-Hee

2013-02-01

This study was done to investigate the level of transcultural self-efficacy (TSE) and related factors and educational needs for cultural competence in nursing (CCN) of Korean hospital nurses. A self-assessment instrument was used to measure TSE and educational needs for CCN. Questionnaires were completed by 285 nurses working in four Korean hospitals. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data. Mean TSE score for all items was 4.54 and score for mean CCN educational needs, 5.77. Nurses with master's degrees or higher had significantly higher levels of TSE than nurses with bachelor's degrees. TSE positively correlated with English language proficiency, degrees of interest in multi-culture, degree of experience in caring for multi-cultural clients, and educational needs for CCN. The regression model explained 28% of TSE. Factors affecting TSE were degree of interest in multi-culture, degree of experience in caring for multi-cultural clients, and educational needs for CCN. The results of the study indicate a need for nurse educators to support nurses to strengthen TSE and provide educational program for TSE to provide nurses with strategies for raising interests in cultural diversity and successful experiences of cultural congruent care.

Nutrition therapy issues in esophageal cancer.

PubMed

Miller, Keith R; Bozeman, Matthew C

2012-08-01

Esophageal cancer has traditionally been a disease with poor long term outcomes in terms of both survival and quality of life. In combination with surgical and pharmacologic therapy, nutrition support has been demonstrated to improve patient tolerance of treatment, quality of life, and longterm outcomes. An aggressive multi-disciplinary approach is warranted with nutrition support remaining a cornerstone in management. Historically, nutrition support has focused on adequate caloric provision to prevent weight loss and allow for tolerance of treatment regimens. Alterations in metabolism occur in these patients making their use of available calories inefficient and the future of nutritional support may lie in the ability to alter this deranged metabolism. The purpose of this article is to review the current literature surrounding the etiology, treatment, and role of nutrition support in improving outcomes in esophageal cancer.

After the parade: military nurses' reintegration experiences from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

PubMed

Doherty, Mary Ellen; Scannell-Desch, Elizabeth

2015-05-01

The purpose of the current study was to describe reintegration experiences of U.S. military nurses returning from deployments in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. A qualitative study using a phenomenological method was conducted. The population comprised nurses who served in the U.S. Army, Navy, or Air Force in Iraq or Afghanistan during 2003-2013, including Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve nurses. Purposive sampling with Veteran and professional nursing organizations yielded a sample of 35 nurses. Nine themes emerged from analysis: (a) homecoming; (b) renegotiating roles; (c) painful memories of trauma; (d) getting help; (e) needing a clinical change of scenery; (f) petty complaints and trivial whining; (g) military unit or civilian job: support versus lack of support; (h) family and social networks: support versus lack of support; and (i) reintegration: a new normal. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

Semantic Support and Parallel Parsing in Chinese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Yufen; Boland, Julie E.

2015-01-01

Two eye-tracking experiments were conducted using written Chinese sentences that contained a multi-word ambiguous region. The goal was to determine whether readers maintained multiple interpretations throughout the ambiguous region or selected a single interpretation at the point of ambiguity. Within the ambiguous region, we manipulated the…

OBSIP: An Evolving Facility for the Future of Geoscience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evers, B.; Aderhold, K.

2015-12-01

The Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool "OBSIP" is a National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsored instrument facility that provides ocean bottom seismometers and technical support for research in the areas of marine geology, seismology, and geodynamics. OBSIP provides both short period instruments (for active source seismic refraction studies) and long period instruments (for long term passive experiments). OBSIP is comprised of three Institutional Instrument Contributors each of whom contribute instruments and technical support to the pool and an OBSIP Management Office. In 2015, OBSIP will provide instruments for six experiments and support nine research cruises recovering and/or deploying instruments. This includes the final recoveries for the Cascadia Initiative experiment and the Eastern North American Margin experiment, both multi-year community seismic experiments integrating large onshore and offshore deployments of instruments from multiple IICs. OBSIp supported additional experiments in New Zealand and Malawi, Africa. An active source experiment to image the magma plumbing of Santorini employs OBSIP's entire short period sensor pool. OBSIP is also incorporating new technical developments in the OBSIP fleet including long duration OBS technology, new shielding designs, and sensor upgrades. OBSIP continues to enable innovation in experiment design, instrument capabilities, and data return/QAQC tracking and adapts to the needs of a rapidly increasing and diversifying pool of users.

KSC-04pd1717

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-09-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In the Space Station Processing Facility, a worker wraps equipment in plastic in preparation for the expected impact of Hurricane Frances on Saturday. The various modules in the SSPF, such as the Japanese Experiment Module, U.S. Node 2 and Multi-Purpose Logistics Modules, are being covered as well. KSC workers also have powered down the Space Shuttle orbiters, closed their payload bay doors and stowed the landing gear. They are also taking precautions against flooding by moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging facilities. The SSPF can withstand sustained winds of 110 mph and wind gusts up to 132 mph. The Orbiter Processing Facility is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 105 mph. The Vehicle Assembly Building is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 125 mph. Other payload and flight hardware support facilities can endure winds of 110 mph. Launch pads and the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility can withstand 125-mph winds.

KSC-05pp1771

NASA Image and Video Library

2005-07-26

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A tracking camera on Launch Pad 39B captures a closeup of Space Shuttle Discovery moments after liftoff on the historic Return to Flight mission STS-114. The liftoff occurred at 10:39 a.m. EDT. On this mission to the International Space Station the crew will perform inspections on-orbit for the first time of all of the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) panels on the leading edge of the wings and the Thermal Protection System tiles using the new Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System and the data from 176 impact and temperature sensors. Mission Specialists will also practice repair techniques on RCC and tile samples during a spacewalk in the payload bay. During two additional spacewalks, the crew will install the External Stowage Platform-2, equipped with spare part assemblies, and a replacement Control Moment Gyroscope contained in the Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure. The 12-day mission is expected to end with touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility on Aug. 7.

Real-time autocorrelator for fluorescence correlation spectroscopy based on graphical-processor-unit architecture: method, implementation, and comparative studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laracuente, Nicholas; Grossman, Carl

2013-03-01

We developed an algorithm and software to calculate autocorrelation functions from real-time photon-counting data using the fast, parallel capabilities of graphical processor units (GPUs). Recent developments in hardware and software have allowed for general purpose computing with inexpensive GPU hardware. These devices are more suited for emulating hardware autocorrelators than traditional CPU-based software applications by emphasizing parallel throughput over sequential speed. Incoming data are binned in a standard multi-tau scheme with configurable points-per-bin size and are mapped into a GPU memory pattern to reduce time-expensive memory access. Applications include dynamic light scattering (DLS) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) experiments. We ran the software on a 64-core graphics pci card in a 3.2 GHz Intel i5 CPU based computer running Linux. FCS measurements were made on Alexa-546 and Texas Red dyes in a standard buffer (PBS). Software correlations were compared to hardware correlator measurements on the same signals. Supported by HHMI and Swarthmore College

An Exploration of Hispanic Mothers' Culturally Sustaining Experiences at an Informal Science Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiland, Ingrid

2015-01-01

Science education reform focuses on learner-centered instruction within contexts that support learners' sociocultural experiences. The purpose of this study was to explore Hispanic mothers' experiences as accompanying adults at an informal science center within the context of culturally sustaining experiences, which include the fluidity…

Outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation - the development of an evaluation instrument for clinical ethics support (the Euro-MCD)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Clinical ethics support, in particular Moral Case Deliberation, aims to support health care providers to manage ethically difficult situations. However, there is a lack of evaluation instruments regarding outcomes of clinical ethics support in general and regarding Moral Case Deliberation (MCD) in particular. There also is a lack of clarity and consensuses regarding which MCD outcomes are beneficial. In addition, MCD outcomes might be context-sensitive. Against this background, there is a need for a standardised but flexible outcome evaluation instrument. The aim of this study was to develop a multi-contextual evaluation instrument measuring health care providers’ experiences and perceived importance of outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation. Methods A multi-item instrument for assessing outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation (MCD) was constructed through an iterative process, founded on a literature review and modified through a multistep review by ethicists and health care providers. The instrument measures perceived importance of outcomes before and after MCD, as well as experienced outcomes during MCD and in daily work. A purposeful sample of 86 European participants contributed to a Delphi panel and content validity testing. The Delphi panel (n = 13), consisting of ethicists and ethics researchers, participated in three Delphi-rounds. Health care providers (n = 73) participated in the content validity testing through ‘think-aloud’ interviews and a method using Content Validity Index. Results The development process resulted in the European Moral Case Deliberation Outcomes Instrument (Euro-MCD), which consists of two sections, one to be completed before a participant’s first MCD and the other after completing multiple MCDs. The instrument contains a few open-ended questions and 26 specific items with a corresponding rating/response scale representing various MCD outcomes. The items were categorised into the following six domains: Enhanced emotional support, Enhanced collaboration, Improved moral reflexivity, Improved moral attitude, Improvement on organizational level and Concrete results. Conclusions A tentative instrument has been developed that seems to cover main outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation. The next step will be to test the Euro-MCD in a field study. PMID:24712735

Outcomes of moral case deliberation--the development of an evaluation instrument for clinical ethics support (the Euro-MCD).

PubMed

Svantesson, Mia; Karlsson, Jan; Boitte, Pierre; Schildman, Jan; Dauwerse, Linda; Widdershoven, Guy; Pedersen, Reidar; Huisman, Martijn; Molewijk, Bert

2014-04-08

Clinical ethics support, in particular Moral Case Deliberation, aims to support health care providers to manage ethically difficult situations. However, there is a lack of evaluation instruments regarding outcomes of clinical ethics support in general and regarding Moral Case Deliberation (MCD) in particular. There also is a lack of clarity and consensuses regarding which MCD outcomes are beneficial. In addition, MCD outcomes might be context-sensitive. Against this background, there is a need for a standardised but flexible outcome evaluation instrument. The aim of this study was to develop a multi-contextual evaluation instrument measuring health care providers' experiences and perceived importance of outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation. A multi-item instrument for assessing outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation (MCD) was constructed through an iterative process, founded on a literature review and modified through a multistep review by ethicists and health care providers. The instrument measures perceived importance of outcomes before and after MCD, as well as experienced outcomes during MCD and in daily work. A purposeful sample of 86 European participants contributed to a Delphi panel and content validity testing. The Delphi panel (n = 13), consisting of ethicists and ethics researchers, participated in three Delphi-rounds. Health care providers (n = 73) participated in the content validity testing through 'think-aloud' interviews and a method using Content Validity Index. The development process resulted in the European Moral Case Deliberation Outcomes Instrument (Euro-MCD), which consists of two sections, one to be completed before a participant's first MCD and the other after completing multiple MCDs. The instrument contains a few open-ended questions and 26 specific items with a corresponding rating/response scale representing various MCD outcomes. The items were categorised into the following six domains: Enhanced emotional support, Enhanced collaboration, Improved moral reflexivity, Improved moral attitude, Improvement on organizational level and Concrete results. A tentative instrument has been developed that seems to cover main outcomes of Moral Case Deliberation. The next step will be to test the Euro-MCD in a field study.

Structural Relationships among Variables Affecting Elementary School Students' Career Preparation Behavior: Using a Multi-Group Structural Equation Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Sun Hee; Jun, JuSung

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the structural relationships between parent support, career decision self-efficacy, career maturity, and career preparation behavior for elementary school students (5th and 6th grade) in Korea and to examine if there are gender differences. A total of 609 students of 7 elementary schools in Seoul, Korea was…

Safety Assessment of Multi Purpose Small Payload Rack(MSPR)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizutani, Yoshinobu; Takada, Satomi; Murata, Kosei; Ozawa, Daisaku; Kobayashi, Ryoji; Nakamura, Yasuhiro

2010-09-01

We are reporting summary of preliminary safety assessment for Multi Purpose Small Payload Rack(MSPR), which is one of the micro gravity experiment facilities that are being developed for the 2nd phase JEM utilization(JEM: Japanese Experiment Module) that will be launched on H-II Transfer Vehicle(HTV) 2nd flight in 2011. MSPR is used for multi-purpose micro-g experiment providing experimental spaces and work stations. MSPR has three experimental spaces; first, there is a space called Work Volume(WV) with capacity volume of approximately 350 litters, in which multiple resources including electricity, communication, and moving image functions can be used. Within this space, installation of devices can be done by simple, prompt attachment by Velcro and pins with high degree of flexibility. Second, there is Small Experiment Area(SEA), with capacity volume of approximately 70 litters, in which electricity, communication, and moving image functions can also be used in the same way as WV. These spaces protect experiment devices and specimens from contingent loads by the crewmembers. Third, there is Work Bench with area of 0.5 square meters, on which can be used for maintenance, inspection and data operations of installed devices, etc. This bench can be stored in the rack during contingency. Chamber for Combustion Experiment(CCE) that is planned to be installed in WV is a pressure-resistant experimental container that can be used to seal hazardous materials from combustion experiments. This CCE has double sealing design in chamber itself, which resist gas leakage under normal the temperature and pressure. Electricity, communication, moving image function can be used in the same way as WV. JAXA Phase 2 Safety Review Panel(SRP) has been held in April, 2010. For safety analysis of MSPR, hazards were identified based on Fault Tree Analysis methodology and then these hazards were classified into either eight ISS standard-type hazards or eight unique-type hazards that requires special controls based on ISS common safety assessment methodology. Safety evaluation results are reported in the Safety Assessment Report(SAR) 1). Regarding structural failure, unique hazards are especially evaluated considering not only the tolerance for launch load but also load by crewmembers or orbital loads. Regarding electrical shock, electricity design up to secondary power is evaluated in unique hazard from a view point of Electrical design suitable for high voltage(32VDC or more) circuit. Regarding rupture/leakage of pressure system, hazards of fuel supply line, waste line for combustion gas, and pressure system including CCE are evaluated. Also evaluation for contamination due to hazardous gas leakage from CCE is conducted. External propagation of fire from CCE is also evaluated. In this report, we will show the overview of the result of safety assessment and future plan toward critical design phase activity.

Between unemployment and employment: experience of unemployed long-term pain sufferers.

PubMed

Glavare, Maria; Löfgren, Monika; Schult, Marie-Louise

2012-01-01

This study explored and analysed how patients experienced possibilities for, and barriers to, work return after participation in a multi-professional pain-rehabilitation program followed by a coached work-training program (CWT). Eleven informants (8 women/3 men) with long-term musculoskeletal pain who had participated in the CWT program for 4-21 months (mean=11) comprised the study. A qualitative emergent design was used. Data collected with interviews were analysed using the constant comparison method of grounded theory. Triangulation in researchers were used. The analyses of the interviews resulted in the development of a three-category theoretical model, which was named "a way back to work". The main category "Experience of a way back to work" consisted of the informants' experience during the process between unemployment and employment. The category "Support" describes the help the informants received from various actors, and the category "Negative response" describes negative responses from the actors involved, which was an important barrier in the process between unemployment and employment. Professional individualised support, participants feeling involved in their rehabilitation process, coaching at real workplaces and multi-professional team including health care personnel, were valuable during the process towards work.

A folate modified pH sensitive targeted polymeric micelle alleviated systemic toxicity of doxorubicin (DOX) in multi-drug resistant tumor bearing mice.

PubMed

Li, Xinru; Yang, Xiucong; Lin, Zhiqiang; Wang, Dan; Mei, Dong; He, Bing; Wang, Xiaoyou; Wang, Xueqing; Zhang, Qiang; Gao, Wei

2015-08-30

The purpose of this work was to demonstrate the advantages of a folate modified pH sensitive micelle system (HPPF) on reducing the systemic toxicity of antitumor drug doxorubicin (DOX) as well as increasing the antitumor efficacy on multi-drug resistant tumor. The micelle HPPF was fabricated by PHIS-PEG and Fol-PEG-PLA using dialysis method. Multi-drug resistant human breast-cancer cell (MCF-7Adr) was used to test the therapeutic effect of DOX loaded HPPF micelles (HPPF/DOX). Nude mice bearing MCF-7Adr tumor was used to evaluate the systemic toxicity of HPPF/DOX. The micelle HPPF was successfully prepared with good size uniformity and pH sensitivity. The in vitro experiments showed that HPPF significantly increased the intracellular level and cytotoxicity of DOX. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that HPPF had largely reduced the mortality and body weight loss, improved the animal status and decreased damages on heart and lung tissues comparing to free DOX. The HPPF/DOX could significantly increase the antitumor efficacy of DOX and largely alleviate the systemic side effects induced by high dose DOX in the treatment of multi-drug resistant tumor. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Forward Bay Cover Separation Modeling and Testing for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ali, Yasmin; Chuhta, Jesse D.; Hughes, Michael P.; Radke, Tara S.

2015-01-01

Spacecraft multi-body separation events during atmospheric descent require complex testing and analysis to validate the flight separation dynamics models used to verify no re-contact. The NASA Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) architecture includes a highly-integrated Forward Bay Cover (FBC) jettison assembly design that combines parachutes and piston thrusters to separate the FBC from the Crew Module (CM) and avoid re-contact. A multi-disciplinary team across numerous organizations examined key model parameters and risk areas to develop a robust but affordable test campaign in order to validate and verify the FBC separation event for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). The FBC jettison simulation model is highly complex, consisting of dozens of parameters varied simultaneously, with numerous multi-parameter interactions (coupling and feedback) among the various model elements, and encompassing distinct near-field, mid-field, and far-field regimes. The test campaign was composed of component-level testing (for example gas-piston thrusters and parachute mortars), ground FBC jettison tests, and FBC jettison air-drop tests that were accomplished by a highly multi-disciplinary team. Three ground jettison tests isolated the testing of mechanisms and structures to anchor the simulation models excluding aerodynamic effects. Subsequently, two air-drop tests added aerodynamic and parachute elements, and served as integrated system demonstrations, which had been preliminarily explored during the Orion Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) flight test in May 2010. Both ground and drop tests provided extensive data to validate analytical models and to verify the FBC jettison event for EFT-1. Additional testing will be required to support human certification of this separation event, for which NASA and Lockheed Martin are applying knowledge from Apollo and EFT-1 testing and modeling to develop a robust human-rated FBC separation event.

Beginning Principals' Perceptions of Necessary Job-Related Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walters-Brazile, Belinda

2012-01-01

This qualitative case study examined first through fifth year principals and their perceptions of necessary job-related supports to successfully fulfill their professional role. The purpose of this study was to examine beginning principals' experiences regarding leadership support they received during their first year in the principalship.…

Supportive care needs of rural individuals living with cancer: A literature review.

PubMed

Loughery, Joanne; Woodgate, Roberta L

2015-01-01

Regardless of geographic location, the cancer journey is an extremely difficult experience for both patients and their families. The aim of this literature review is to explore the impact of rural or remote residence on the supportive care needs of individuals living with cancer. This review included ten qualitative, seven quantitative, and six mixed design studies. Data collection, analysis, and evaluation were guided using a multi-domain supportive care framework based on seven domains: physical, emotional, informational, psychological, spiritual, social, and practical (Fitch, 2009). This review will suggest that there are distinct experiences that present both challenges and benefits to individuals living with cancer in rural areas. These findings will be detailed with recommendations, and grounding for future research outlined.

Physics Learning Strategies with Multi-touch Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potter, Mark; Ilie, C.; Schofield, D.

2011-03-01

Advancements in technology have opened doorways to build new teaching and learning methods. Through conjunctive use of these technologies and methods, a classroom can be enriched to stimulate and improve student learning. The purpose of our research is to ascertain whether or not multi-touch technology enhances students' abilities to better comprehend and retain the knowledge taught in physics. At their basis, students learn via visual, aural, reading/writing, and kinesthetic styles. Labs provide for all but the aural style, while lectures lack kinesthetic learning. Pedagogical research indicates that kinesthetic learning is a fundamental, powerful, and ubiquitous learning style. By using multi-touch technology in lecture, not only can we accommodate kinesthetic learners, but we can also enrich the experiences of visual learners. Ushering to this wider array of students will hopefully lead to an increase in meaningful learning.

Collaborative real-time scheduling of multiple PTZ cameras for multiple object tracking in video surveillance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yu-Che; Huang, Chung-Lin

2013-03-01

This paper proposes a multi-PTZ-camera control mechanism to acquire close-up imagery of human objects in a surveillance system. The control algorithm is based on the output of multi-camera, multi-target tracking. Three main concerns of the algorithm are (1) the imagery of human object's face for biometric purposes, (2) the optimal video quality of the human objects, and (3) minimum hand-off time. Here, we define an objective function based on the expected capture conditions such as the camera-subject distance, pan tile angles of capture, face visibility and others. Such objective function serves to effectively balance the number of captures per subject and quality of captures. In the experiments, we demonstrate the performance of the system which operates in real-time under real world conditions on three PTZ cameras.

Aerial photos of KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Looking northeast, several elements of the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) can be seen. The road on the bottom left corner is the tow-way road, connecting the Orbiter Processing Facility with the landing strip, seen at upper left. The building in the center is the remote launch vehicle (RLV) hangar, still under construction, at the south end of the SLF. Next to the multi- purpose RLV hangar are facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. Beyond them is the parking tarmac with its mate-demate device. The lush grounds of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC, extend beyond.

Hybridization between multi-objective genetic algorithm and support vector machine for feature selection in walker-assisted gait.

PubMed

Martins, Maria; Costa, Lino; Frizera, Anselmo; Ceres, Ramón; Santos, Cristina

2014-03-01

Walker devices are often prescribed incorrectly to patients, leading to the increase of dissatisfaction and occurrence of several problems, such as, discomfort and pain. Thus, it is necessary to objectively evaluate the effects that assisted gait can have on the gait patterns of walker users, comparatively to a non-assisted gait. A gait analysis, focusing on spatiotemporal and kinematics parameters, will be issued for this purpose. However, gait analysis yields redundant information that often is difficult to interpret. This study addresses the problem of selecting the most relevant gait features required to differentiate between assisted and non-assisted gait. For that purpose, it is presented an efficient approach that combines evolutionary techniques, based on genetic algorithms, and support vector machine algorithms, to discriminate differences between assisted and non-assisted gait with a walker with forearm supports. For comparison purposes, other classification algorithms are verified. Results with healthy subjects show that the main differences are characterized by balance and joints excursion in the sagittal plane. These results, confirmed by clinical evidence, allow concluding that this technique is an efficient feature selection approach. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-99pp1209

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-14

Construction continues on an $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At left is a multi-purpose hangar and at right a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility (upper right). Near the top of the photo is the tow-way. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

KSC-99PP-1212

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-14

An aerial view reveals (foreground) the ongoing construction of an $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At left is a multi-purpose hangar and at right a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. In the background is the Vehicle Assembly Building. The road at right is the tow-way. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000.

KSC-98dc1879

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-12-18

An artist's rendering shows the $8-million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex planned for the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) at Kennedy Space Center. The ground breaking took place today. To be located at the tow-way adjacent to the SLF, the complex will include a multi-purpose RLV hangar and adjacent facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/technical support. It will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle, the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator, the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34, and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

KSC-99pp1210

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-10-14

An aerial closeup view reveals the ongoing construction of an $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. At right is a multi-purpose hangar and at left a building for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. The complex is situated at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Near the top of the photo can be seen the tow-way. The RLV complex will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000

Application of Terrestrial Environments in Orion Assessments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbre, Robert E.

2016-01-01

This presentation summarizes the Marshall Space Flight Center Natural Environments Terrestrial and Planetary Environments (TPE) Team support to the NASA Orion space vehicle. The TPE utilizes meteorological data to assess the sensitivities of the vehicle due to the terrestrial environment. The Orion vehicle, part of the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Program, is designed to carry astronauts beyond low-earth orbit and is currently undergoing a series of tests including Exploration Test Flight (EFT) - 1. The presentation describes examples of TPE support for vehicle design and several tests, as well as support for EFT-1 and planning for upcoming Exploration Missions while emphasizing the importance of accounting for the natural environment's impact to the vehicle early in the vehicle's program.

Algorithmic and user study of an autocompletion algorithm on a large medical vocabulary.

PubMed

Sevenster, Merlijn; van Ommering, Rob; Qian, Yuechen

2012-02-01

Autocompletion supports human-computer interaction in software applications that let users enter textual data. We will be inspired by the use case in which medical professionals enter ontology concepts, catering the ongoing demand for structured and standardized data in medicine. Goal is to give an algorithmic analysis of one particular autocompletion algorithm, called multi-prefix matching algorithm, which suggests terms whose words' prefixes contain all words in the string typed by the user, e.g., in this sense, opt ner me matches optic nerve meningioma. Second we aim to investigate how well it supports users entering concepts from a large and comprehensive medical vocabulary (snomed ct). We give a concise description of the multi-prefix algorithm, and sketch how it can be optimized to meet required response time. Performance will be compared to a baseline algorithm, which gives suggestions that extend the string typed by the user to the right, e.g. optic nerve m gives optic nerve meningioma, but opt ner me does not. We conduct a user experiment in which 12 participants are invited to complete 40 snomed ct terms with the baseline algorithm and another set of 40 snomed ct terms with the multi-prefix algorithm. Our results show that users need significantly fewer keystrokes when supported by the multi-prefix algorithm than when supported by the baseline algorithm. The proposed algorithm is a competitive candidate for searching and retrieving terms from a large medical ontology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Precipitation Observed in Complex Terrain During GPM Field Campaigns with the SIMBA Data-Fusion Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingo, S. M.; Petersen, W. A.; Gatlin, P. N.; Marks, D. A.; Wolff, D. B.; Pabla, C. S.

2017-12-01

The versatile SIMBA (System for Integrating Multi-platform data to Build the Atmospheric column) precipitation data-fusion framework produces an atmospheric column data product with multi-platform observations set into a common 3-D grid, affording an efficient starting point for multi-sensor comparisons and analysis that can be applied to any region. Supported data sources include: ground-based scanning and profiling radars (S-, X-, Ku-, K-, and Ka-band), multiple types of disdrometers and rain gauges, the GPM Core Observatory's Microwave Imager (GMI, 10-183 GHz) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR, Ka/Ku-band), as well as thermodynamic soundings and the Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor QPE product. SIMBA column data files provide a unique way to evaluate the complete vertical profile of precipitation. Two post-launch (GPM Core in orbit) field campaigns focused on different facets of the GPM mission: the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) was geared toward winter season (November-February) precipitation in Pacific frontal systems and their transition from the coastal to mountainous terrain of northwest Washington, while the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) sampled warm season (April-June) precipitation and supported hydrologic applications in the southern Appalachians and eastern North Carolina. Both campaigns included multiple orographic precipitation enhancement episodes. SIMBA column products generated for select OLYMPEX and IPHEx events will be used to evaluate spatial variability and vertical profiles of precipitation and drop size distribution parameters derived and/or observed by space- and ground-based sensors. Results will provide a cursory view of how well the space-based measurements represent what is observed from the ground below and an indication to how the terrain in both regions impacts the characteristics of precipitation within the column and reaching the ground.

Evaluating Precipitation Observed in Complex Terrain During GPM Field Campaigns with the SIMBA Data-Fusion Tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wingo, S. M.; Petersen, W. A.; Gatlin, P. N.; Marks, D. A.; Wolff, D. B.; Pabla, C. S.

2016-12-01

The versatile SIMBA (System for Integrating Multi-platform data to Build the Atmospheric column) precipitation data-fusion framework produces an atmospheric column data product with multi-platform observations set into a common 3-D grid, affording an efficient starting point for multi-sensor comparisons and analysis that can be applied to any region. Supported data sources include: ground-based scanning and profiling radars (S-, X-, Ku-, K-, and Ka-band), multiple types of disdrometers and rain gauges, the GPM Core Observatory's Microwave Imager (GMI, 10-183 GHz) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR, Ka/Ku-band), as well as thermodynamic soundings and the Multi-Radar/Multi-Sensor QPE product. SIMBA column data files provide a unique way to evaluate the complete vertical profile of precipitation. Two post-launch (GPM Core in orbit) field campaigns focused on different facets of the GPM mission: the Olympic Mountains Experiment (OLYMPEX) was geared toward winter season (November-February) precipitation in Pacific frontal systems and their transition from the coastal to mountainous terrain of northwest Washington, while the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) sampled warm season (April-June) precipitation and supported hydrologic applications in the southern Appalachians and eastern North Carolina. Both campaigns included multiple orographic precipitation enhancement episodes. SIMBA column products generated for select OLYMPEX and IPHEx events will be used to evaluate spatial variability and vertical profiles of precipitation and drop size distribution parameters derived and/or observed by space- and ground-based sensors. Results will provide a cursory view of how well the space-based measurements represent what is observed from the ground below and an indication to how the terrain in both regions impacts the characteristics of precipitation within the column and reaching the ground.

The Role of Student Support Services in Encouraging Student Involvement and Its Impact on Student Perceptions and Academic Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley-Hall, Caren

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the role of Student Support Services (SSS) in encouraging student involvement and its impact on student perceptions and academic experiences in three technical colleges in upstate South Carolina. By examining Alexander Astin's theory of student involvement in the services provided by the program, a better…

Listening to the Voices of Beginning Teachers: Providing Meaningful Administrative Support Is a Moral Act and Results in Increasing Retention among Beginning Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rumley, Mark Alvis

2010-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand and "make sense" of how beginning teachers experience and define lack of principal/administrative support during their beginning years of teaching. Utilizing grounded theory as a conceptual framework, I sought to deconstruct the stories and lived experiences of nine beginning…

Supporting Online Faculty Holistically: Developing a Support Website Resource

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nordin, Eric; Anthony, Peter John

2014-01-01

Current trends in post-secondary education enrollment indicate that colleges and universities are likely to experience an increase in the number of online students. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the type of resources and support features online faculty need, desire, and expect in a support website. The method used to collect research…

CLS to higher education administrator: the price they paid.

PubMed

Campbell, Suzanne; LaCost, Barbara Y

2010-01-01

To identify the barriers and/or obstacles these women experienced during their career paths as women clinical laboratory scientists who transitioned to higher education administration. To identify how being a woman influenced their careers as higher education administrators. A multi-site case study design was selected for this qualitative research involving a purposive sample of eight research participants. Data collection was guided by ten open-ended questions in seven face-to-face and one telephone semi-formal interviews. The purposive sample included women clinical laboratory scientists who held a current higher education administrative position at the dean's level, including associate and assistant dean positions, in a university setting. The participants were located in eight higher education institutions in Nebraska, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Missouri, and Texas. The price women pay, gender considerations, a need for balance, existence/absence of the glass ceiling for women in higher education administration. Making personal sacrifices, struggling with gender stereotypes, being a woman, knowing you are okay, and possessing the ability to separate the personal from the professional were identified by this group of women as challenging experiences as they obtained and maintained a position as a higher education administrator. Additionally, they described the need for balance, a support system, and how they successfully managed their marriage, family, and career. The participants presented conflicting statements concerning

Using Learning Communities to Build Faculty Support for Pedagogical Innovation: A Multi-Campus Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furco, Andrew; Moely, Barbara E.

2012-01-01

To encourage greater adoption of a pedagogical innovation (service-learning), semester long faculty learning communities were established at eight institutions. These learning community experiences produced gains in participants' (N = 152) self-assessed expertise with service-learning, ability to collaborate with community partners, and…

Measuring and Improving the Climate for Teaching: A Multi-Year Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyon, Julie S.; Gettman, Hilary J.; Roberts, Scott P.; Shaw, Cynthia E.

2015-01-01

All organizations have "climates" that significantly affect their employees' performance and satisfaction. The authors posit that an academic department's "climate for teaching" (CFT)--or the the extent to which excellent teaching is rewarded, supported, and expected--has a profound impact on the experience of its instructors…

Grassland Smoke Emission Measurement Supporting Multi-Modeling Framework Simulation of Rangeland Burning Practices for the Kansas Flint Hills Fire Experiment

EPA Science Inventory

Historically, frequent wildfires were essential for the maintenance of native prairie fire adapted ecosystems. Today prescribed fires are used to control invasive woody species and potentially improve forage production in these same prairie ecosystems for the beef-cattle industry...

A Scaffolding Framework to Support Learning of Emergent Phenomena Using Multi-Agent-Based Simulation Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basu, Satabdi; Sengupta, Pratim; Biswas, Gautam

2015-01-01

Students from middle school to college have difficulties in interpreting and understanding complex systems such as ecological phenomena. Researchers have suggested that students experience difficulties in reconciling the relationships between individuals, populations, and species, as well as the interactions between organisms and their environment…

General purpose free floating platform for KC-135 flight experimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borchers, Bruce A.; Yendler, Boris S.; Kliss, Mark H.; Gonzales, Andrew A.; Edwards, Mark T.

1994-01-01

The Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) program is evaluating higher plants as a means of providing life support functions aboard space craft. These plant systems will be capable of regenerating air and water while meeting some of the food requirements of the crew. In order to grow plants in space, a series of systems are required to provide the necessary plant support functions. Some of the systems required for CELSS experiments are such that is is likely that existing technologies will require refinement, or novel technologies will need to be developed. To evaluate and test these technologies, a series of KC-135 precursor flights are being proposed. A general purpose free floating experiment platform is being developed to allow the KC-135 flights to be used to their fullest. This paper will outline the basic design for the CELSS Free Floating Test Bed (FFTB), and the requirements for the individual subsystems. Several preliminary experiments suitable for the free floater will also be discussed.

On the utility of the multi-level algorithm for the solution of nearly completely decomposable Markov chains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leutenegger, Scott T.; Horton, Graham

1994-01-01

Recently the Multi-Level algorithm was introduced as a general purpose solver for the solution of steady state Markov chains. In this paper, we consider the performance of the Multi-Level algorithm for solving Nearly Completely Decomposable (NCD) Markov chains, for which special-purpose iteractive aggregation/disaggregation algorithms such as the Koury-McAllister-Stewart (KMS) method have been developed that can exploit the decomposability of the the Markov chain. We present experimental results indicating that the general-purpose Multi-Level algorithm is competitive, and can be significantly faster than the special-purpose KMS algorithm when Gauss-Seidel and Gaussian Elimination are used for solving the individual blocks.

Forward Bay Cover Separation Modeling and Testing for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ali, Yasmin; Radke, Tara; Chuhta, Jesse; Hughes, Michael

2014-01-01

Spacecraft multi-body separation events during atmospheric descent require complex testing and analysis to validate the flight separation dynamics model and to verify no recontact. NASA Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) teams examined key model parameters and risk areas to develop a robust but affordable test campaign in order to validate and verify the Forward Bay Cover (FBC) separation event for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). The FBC jettison simulation model is highly complex, consisting of dozens of parameters varied simultaneously, with numerous multi-parameter interactions (coupling and feedback) among the various model elements, and encompassing distinct near-field, mid-field, and far-field regimes. The test campaign was composed of component-level testing (for example gas-piston thrusters and parachute mortars), ground FBC jettison tests, and FBC jettison air-drop tests that were accomplished by a highly multi-disciplinary team. Three ground jettison tests isolated the testing of mechanisms and structures to anchor the simulation models excluding aerodynamic effects. Subsequently, two air-drop tests added aerodynamic and parachute parameters, and served as integrated system demonstrations, which had been preliminarily explored during the Orion Pad Abort-1 (PA-1) flight test in May 2010. Both ground and drop tests provided extensive data to validate analytical models and to verify the FBC jettison event for EFT-1, but more testing is required to support human certification, for which NASA and Lockheed Martin are applying knowledge from Apollo and EFT-1 testing and modeling to develop a robust but affordable human spacecraft capability.

STS-49 MS Akers handles strut during ASEM procedures in OV-105's payload bay

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-05-14

STS049-77-028 (14 May 1992) --- Astronaut Thomas D. Akers, STS-49 mission specialist, grabs a strut device as fourth period of extravehicular activity (EVA) gets underway in the Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay. Akers is positioned near the Multi-purpose Support Structure (MPESS). The purpose of the final EVA on this nine-day mission was the evaluation of Assembly of Station by EVA Methods (ASEM). The scene was recorded on 70mm film by a fellow crew member in the space shuttle's cabin. Astronaut Kathryn C. Thornton (out of frame) joined Akers on the 7 1/2 hour EVA.

Understanding patient and provider perceptions and expectations of genomic medicine

PubMed Central

Hall, Michael J; Forman, Andrea; Montgomery, Susan; Rainey, Kim; Daly, Mary B

2014-01-01

Advances in genome sequencing technology have fostered a new era of clinical genomic medicine. Genetic counselors, who have begun to support patients undergoing multi-gene panel testing for hereditary cancer risk, will review brief clinical vignettes, and discuss early experiences with clinical genomic testing. Their experiences will frame a discussion about how current testing may challenge patient understanding and expectations toward the evaluation of cancer risk and downstream preventive behaviors. PMID:24992205

Multi-mode Intravascular RF Coil for MRI-guided Interventions

PubMed Central

Kurpad, Krishna N.; Unal, Orhan

2011-01-01

Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of using a single intravascular RF probe connected to the external MRI system via a single coaxial cable to perform active tip tracking and catheter visualization, and high SNR intravascular imaging. Materials and Methods A multi-mode intravascular RF coil was constructed on a 6F balloon catheter and interfaced to a 1.5T MRI scanner via a decoupling circuit. Bench measurements of coil impedances were followed by imaging experiments in saline and phantoms. Results The multi-mode coil behaves as an inductively-coupled transmit coil. Forward looking capability of 6mm is measured. Greater than 3-fold increase in SNR compared to conventional imaging using optimized external coil is demonstrated. Simultaneous active tip tracking and catheter visualization is demonstrated. Conclusions It is feasible to perform 1) active tip tracking, 2) catheter visualization, and 3) high SNR imaging using a single multi-mode intravascular RF coil that is connected to the external system via a single coaxial cable. PMID:21448969

Impact Foam Testing for Multi-Mission Earth Entry Vehicle Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaab, Louis J.; Agrawal, Paul; Hawbaker, James

2013-01-01

Multi-Mission Earth Entry Vehicles (MMEEVs) are blunt-body vehicles designed with the purpose of transporting payloads from outer space to the surface of the Earth. To achieve high-reliability and minimum weight, MMEEVs avoid use of limited-reliability systems, such as parachutes and retro-rockets, instead using built-in impact attenuators to absorb energy remaining at impact to meet landing loads requirements. The Multi-Mission Systems Analysis for Planetary Entry (M-SAPE) parametric design tool is used to facilitate the design of MMEEVs and develop the trade space. Testing was conducted to characterize the material properties of several candidate impact foam attenuators to enhance M-SAPE analysis. In the current effort, two different Rohacell foams were tested to determine their thermal conductivity in support of MMEEV design applications. These applications include thermal insulation during atmospheric entry, impact attenuation, and post-impact thermal insulation in support of thermal soak analysis. Results indicate that for these closed-cell foams, the effect of impact is limited on thermal conductivity due to the venting of the virgin material gas and subsequent ambient air replacement. Results also indicate that the effect of foam temperature is significant compared to data suggested by manufacturer's specifications.

Parenting experiences of couples living with human immunodeficiency virus: a qualitative study from rural Southern Malawi.

PubMed

Gombachika, Belinda Chimphamba; Sundby, Johanne; Chirwa, Ellen; Malata, Address

2014-01-01

The advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has allowed couples living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to live longer and healthier lives. The reduction in the mother-to-child transmission of HIV has encouraged some people living with HIV (PLWH) to have children. However, little is known about the parenting experiences of couples living with HIV (CLWH). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe parenting experiences of seroconcordant couples who have a child while living with HIV in Malawi. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with 14 couples purposively sampled in matrilineal Chiradzulu and patrilineal Chikhwawa communities from July to December 2010. The research findings shows that irrespective of kinship organization, economic hardships, food insecurity, gender-specific role expectations and conflicting information from health institutions and media about sources of support underpin their parenting roles. In addition, male spouses are directly involved in household activities, childcare and child feeding decisions, challenging the existing stereotyped gender norms. In the absence of widow inheritance, widows from patrilineal communities are not receiving the expected support from the deceased husband relatives. Finally, the study has shown that CLWH are able to find solutions for the challenges they encounter. Contrary to existing belief that such who have children depend solely on public aid. Such claims without proper knowledge of local social cultural contexts, may contribute to stigmatizing CLWH who continue to have children. The study is also relevant to PLWH who, although not parents themselves, are confronted with a situation where they have to accept responsibility for raising children from their kin. We suggest the longer-term vision for ART wide access in Malawi to be broadened beyond provision of ART to incorporate social and economic interventions that support the rebuilding of CLWH social and economic lives. The interventions must be designed using a holistic multi-sector approach.

Parenting experiences of couples living with human immunodeficiency virus: A qualitative study from rural Southern Malawi

PubMed Central

Gombachika, Belinda Chimphamba; Sundby, Johanne; Chirwa, Ellen; Malata, Address

2014-01-01

Abstract The advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has allowed couples living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to live longer and healthier lives. The reduction in the mother-to-child transmission of HIV has encouraged some people living with HIV (PLWH) to have children. However, little is known about the parenting experiences of couples living with HIV (CLWH). The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe parenting experiences of seroconcordant couples who have a child while living with HIV in Malawi. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with 14 couples purposively sampled in matrilineal Chiradzulu and patrilineal Chikhwawa communities from July to December 2010. The research findings shows that irrespective of kinship organization, economic hardships, food insecurity, gender-specific role expectations and conflicting information from health institutions and media about sources of support underpin their parenting roles. In addition, male spouses are directly involved in household activities, childcare and child feeding decisions, challenging the existing stereotyped gender norms. In the absence of widow inheritance, widows from patrilineal communities are not receiving the expected support from the deceased husband relatives. Finally, the study has shown that CLWH are able to find solutions for the challenges they encounter. Contrary to existing belief that such who have children depend solely on public aid. Such claims without proper knowledge of local social cultural contexts, may contribute to stigmatizing CLWH who continue to have children. The study is also relevant to PLWH who, although not parents themselves, are confronted with a situation where they have to accept responsibility for raising children from their kin. We suggest the longer-term vision for ART wide access in Malawi to be broadened beyond provision of ART to incorporate social and economic interventions that support the rebuilding of CLWH social and economic lives. The interventions must be designed using a holistic multi-sector approach. PMID:24814816

SU-F-P-13: NRG Oncology Medical Physics Manpower Survey Quantifying Support Demands for Multi Institutional Clinical Trials

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

Monroe, J; Case Western Reserve University; Boparai, K

Purpose: A survey was taken by NRG Oncology to assess Full Time Equivalent (FTE) contributions to multi institutional clinical trials by medical physicists.No current quantification of physicists’ efforts in FTE units associated with clinical trials is available. The complexity of multi-institutional trials increases with new technologies and techniques. Proper staffing may directly impact the quality of trial data and outcomes. The demands on physics time supporting clinical trials needs to be assessed. Methods: The NRG Oncology Medical Physicist Subcommittee created a sixteen question survey to obtain this FTE data. IROC Houston distributed the survey to their list of 1802 contactmore » physicists. Results: After three weeks, 363 responded (20.1% response). 187 (51.5%) institutions reporting external beam participation were processed. There was a wide range in number of protocols active and supported at each institution. Of the 187 clinics, 134 (71.7%) participate in 0 to 10 trials, 28 (15%) in 11 to 20 trials, 10 (5.3%) in 21 to 30 trials, 9 (4.8%) had 40 to 75 trials. On average, physicist spent 2.7 hours (SD: 6.0) per week supervising or interacting with clinical trial staff. 1.25 hours (SD: 3.37), 1.83 hours (SD: 4.13), and 0.64 hours(SD: 1.13) per week were spent on patient simulation, reviewing treatment plans, and maintaining a DICOM server, respectively. For all protocol credentialing activities, physicist spent an average of 37.05 hours (SD: 96.94) yearly. To support dosimetrists, clinicians, and therapists, physicist spend on average 2.07 hours (SD: 3.52) per week just reading protocols. Physicist attended clinical trial meetings for on average 1.13 hours (SD: 1.85) per month. Conclusion: Responding physicists spend a nontrivial amount of time: 8.8 hours per week (0.22 FTE) supporting, on average, 9 active multi-institutional clinical trials.« less

Developing accreditation for community based surgery: the Irish experience.

PubMed

Ní Riain, Ailís; Collins, Claire; O'Sullivan, Tony

2018-02-05

Purpose Carrying out minor surgery procedures in the primary care setting is popular with patients, cost effective and delivers at least as good outcomes as those performed in the hospital setting. This paper aims to describe the central role of clinical leadership in developing an accreditation system for general practitioners (GPs) undertaking community-based surgery in the Irish national setting where no mandatory accreditation process currently exists. Design/methodology/approach In all, 24 GPs were recruited to the GP network. Ten pilot standards were developed addressing GPs' experience and training, clinical activity and practice supporting infrastructure and tested, using information and document review, prospective collection of clinical data and a practice inspection visit. Two additional components were incorporated into the project (patient satisfaction survey and self-audit). A multi-modal evaluation was undertaken. A majority of GPs was included at all stages of the project, in line with the principles of action learning. The steering group had a majority of GPs with relevant expertise and representation of all other actors in the minor surgery arena. The GP research network contributed to each stage of the project. The project lead was a GP with minor surgery experience. Quantitative data collected were analysed using Predictive Analytic SoftWare. Krueger's framework analysis approach was used to analyse the qualitative data. Findings A total of 9 GPs achieved all standards at initial review, 14 successfully completed corrective actions and 1 GP did not achieve the required standard. Standards were then amended to reflect findings and a supporting framework was developed. Originality/value The flexibility of the action-learning approach and the clinical leadership design allowed for the development of robust quality standards in a short timeframe.

Development of professional knowledge in action: experiences from an action science design focusing on acknowledging communication in mental health.

PubMed

Vatne, Solfrid; Bjornerem, Heidi; Hoem, Elisabeth

2009-03-01

This article reports a multi-professional development project that was based on an action science design. The purpose was to develop 'acknowledging communication' in a psychiatric department for young people, and the objective to study the staffs' experiences of participating in the project. The professional part of the project has its foundation in Schibbye's treatment theory of inter-subjective understanding of relationships, and involves three main approaches from her theory: self-reflection, self-delimitation and emotional presence. The article presents the specific action design used, where reflection processes were developed in three different arenas: multidisciplinary Reflection groups, a Leader support group for the group leaders of the Reflection groups and collective Project seminars for all employees. A formal study programme designed to increase professional expertise, 15 European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), was also offered. The research methods included the researcher's process notes taken during the process, field notes from participating in the Leader support group, and qualitative interviews of eight informants participating in the various reflection arenas. The article presents and discusses the experiences evolved from the methods that were developed during the professional action science project: reflection on specific situations of interaction with patients in the form of oral/written narratives and the development of video presentations in combination with 'reflective teams'. The study showed that to facilitate change in the role of staff members, it is important to combine several reflection arenas where theoretical principles can be converted into practical action. By drawing data from only one study site, the study has a limited transferability, but should be of interest for professionals working with clinical change processes.

The Role of Peer Advising in the First-Year Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuba, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

For more than 35 years, the first-year experience movement has been working to improve the first-year experience for freshmen and decrease first-year and subsequent dropout rates. The purpose of this study is to examine student perceptions of the role of peer advising in the first-year experience. Through emphasis on support, involvement, and…

Exploring eHealth Ethics and Multi-Morbidity: Protocol for an Interview and Focus Group Study of Patient and Health Care Provider Views and Experiences of Using Digital Media for Health Purposes.

PubMed

Townsend, Anne; Adam, Paul; Li, Linda C; McDonald, Michael; Backman, Catherine L

2013-10-17

eHealth is a broad term referring to the application of information and communication technologies in the health sector, ranging from health records to medical consultations (telemedicine) and multiple forms of health education, support, and tools. By providing increased and anytime access to information, opportunities to exchange experiences with others, and self-management support, eHealth has been heralded as transformational. It has the potential to accelerate the shift from traditional "passive patient" to an informed, engaged, and empowered "patient as partner," equipped to take part in shared decision-making, and take personal responsibility for self-managing their illness. The objective of our study is to examine how people with chronic illness use eHealth in their daily lives, how it affects patient-provider relationships, and the ethical and practical ramifications for patients, providers, and service delivery. This two-phase qualitative study is ongoing. We will purposively sample 60-70 participants in British Columbia, Canada. To be eligible, patient participants have to have arthritis and at least one other chronic health condition; health care providers (HCPs) need a caseload of patients with multi-morbidity (>25%). To date we have recruited 36 participants (18 patients, 18 HCPs). The participants attended 7 focus groups (FGs), 4 with patients and 3 with rehabilitation professionals and physicians. We interviewed 4 HCPs who were unable to attend a FG. In phase 2, we will build on FG findings and conduct 20-24 interviews with equal numbers of patients and HCPs (rehabilitation professionals and physicians). As in the FGs conducted in phase I, the interviews will use a semistructured, but flexible, discussion guide. All discussions are being audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Constant comparisons and a narrative approach guides the analyses. A relational ethics conceptual lens is being applied to the data to identify emergent ethical issues. This study explores ethical issues in eHealth. Our goal is to identify the role of eHealth in the lives of people with multiple chronic health conditions and to explore how eHealth impacts the patient role, self-managing, and the patient-HCP relationship. The ethical lens facilitates a systematic critical analysis of emergent ethical issues for further investigation and pinpoints areas of practice that require interventions as eHealth develops and use increases both within and outside of the clinical setting. The potential benefits and burdens of eHealth need to be identified before an ethical framework can be devised.

Multi-Purpose Thermal Hydraulic Loop: Advanced Reactor Technology Integral System Test (ARTIST) Facility for Support of Advanced Reactor Technologies

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

James E. O'Brien; Piyush Sabharwall; SuJong Yoon

2001-11-01

Effective and robust high temperature heat transfer systems are fundamental to the successful deployment of advanced reactors for both power generation and non-electric applications. Plant designs often include an intermediate heat transfer loop (IHTL) with heat exchangers at either end to deliver thermal energy to the application while providing isolation of the primary reactor system. In order to address technical feasibility concerns and challenges a new high-temperature multi-fluid, multi-loop test facility “Advanced Reactor Technology Integral System Test facility” (ARTIST) is under development at the Idaho National Laboratory. The facility will include three flow loops: high-temperature helium, molten salt, and steam/water.more » Details of some of the design aspects and challenges of this facility, which is currently in the conceptual design phase, are discussed« less

Numerical and Analytical Model of an Electrodynamic Dust Shield for Solar Panels on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calle, C. I.; Linell, B.; Chen, A.; Meyer, J.; Clements, S.; Mazumder, M. K.

2006-01-01

Masuda and collaborators at the University of Tokyo developed a method to confine and transport particles called the electric curtain in which a series of parallel electrodes connected to an AC source generates a traveling wave that acts as a contactless conveyor. The curtain electrodes can be excited by a single-phase or a multi-phase AC voltage. A multi-phase curtain produces a non-uniform traveling wave that provides controlled transport of those particles [1-6]. Multi-phase electric curtains from two to six phases have been developed and studied by several research groups [7-9]. We have developed an Electrodynamic Dust Shield prototype using threephase AC voltage electrodes to remove dust from surfaces. The purpose of the modeling work presented here is to research and to better understand the physics governing the electrodynamic shield, as well as to advance and to support the experimental dust shield research.

MACBenAbim: A Multi-platform Mobile Application for searching keyterms in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics.

PubMed

Oluwagbemi, Olugbenga O; Adewumi, Adewole; Esuruoso, Abimbola

2012-01-01

Computational biology and bioinformatics are gradually gaining grounds in Africa and other developing nations of the world. However, in these countries, some of the challenges of computational biology and bioinformatics education are inadequate infrastructures, and lack of readily-available complementary and motivational tools to support learning as well as research. This has lowered the morale of many promising undergraduates, postgraduates and researchers from aspiring to undertake future study in these fields. In this paper, we developed and described MACBenAbim (Multi-platform Mobile Application for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics), a flexible user-friendly tool to search for, define and describe the meanings of keyterms in computational biology and bioinformatics, thus expanding the frontiers of knowledge of the users. This tool also has the capability of achieving visualization of results on a mobile multi-platform context. MACBenAbim is available from the authors for non-commercial purposes.

Automatic sleep staging using multi-dimensional feature extraction and multi-kernel fuzzy support vector machine.

PubMed

Zhang, Yanjun; Zhang, Xiangmin; Liu, Wenhui; Luo, Yuxi; Yu, Enjia; Zou, Keju; Liu, Xiaoliang

2014-01-01

This paper employed the clinical Polysomnographic (PSG) data, mainly including all-night Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electrooculogram (EOG) and Electromyogram (EMG) signals of subjects, and adopted the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) clinical staging manual as standards to realize automatic sleep staging. Authors extracted eighteen different features of EEG, EOG and EMG in time domains and frequency domains to construct the vectors according to the existing literatures as well as clinical experience. By adopting sleep samples self-learning, the linear combination of weights and parameters of multiple kernels of the fuzzy support vector machine (FSVM) were learned and the multi-kernel FSVM (MK-FSVM) was constructed. The overall agreement between the experts' scores and the results presented was 82.53%. Compared with previous results, the accuracy of N1 was improved to some extent while the accuracies of other stages were approximate, which well reflected the sleep structure. The staging algorithm proposed in this paper is transparent, and worth further investigation.

A service model for delivering care closer to home.

PubMed

Dodd, Joanna; Taylor, Charlotte Elizabeth; Bunyan, Paul; White, Philippa Mary; Thomas, Siân Myra; Upton, Dominic

2011-04-01

Upton Surgery (Worcestershire) has developed a flexible and responsive service model that facilitates multi-agency support for adult patients with complex care needs experiencing an acute health crisis. The purpose of this service is to provide appropriate interventions that avoid unnecessary hospital admissions or, alternatively, provide support to facilitate early discharge from secondary care. Key aspects of this service are the collaborative and proactive identification of patients at risk, rapid creation and deployment of a reactive multi-agency team and follow-up of patients with an appropriate long-term care plan. A small team of dedicated staff (the Complex Care Team) are pivotal to coordinating and delivering this service. Key skills are sophisticated leadership and project management skills, and these have been used sensitively to challenge some traditional roles and boundaries in the interests of providing effective, holistic care for the patient.This is a practical example of early implementation of the principles underlying the Department of Health's (DH) recent Best Practice Guidance, 'Delivering Care Closer to Home' (DH, July 2008) and may provide useful learning points for other general practice surgeries considering implementing similar models. This integrated case management approach has had enthusiastic endorsement from patients and carers. In addition to the enhanced quality of care and experience for the patient, this approach has delivered value for money. Secondary care costs have been reduced by preventing admissions and also by reducing excess bed-days. The savings achieved have justified the ongoing commitment to the service and the staff employed in the Complex Care Team. The success of this service model has been endorsed recently by the 'Customer Care' award by 'Management in Practice'. The Surgery was also awarded the 'Practice of the Year' award for this and a number of other customer-focussed projects.

Keeping hope possible: a grounded theory study of the hope experience of parental caregivers who have children in treatment for cancer.

PubMed

Bally, Jill M G; Duggleby, Wendy; Holtslander, Lorraine; Mpofu, Christopher; Spurr, Shelley; Thomas, Roanne; Wright, Karen

2014-01-01

Hope has been found to support parents as they care for their child with a life-limiting or life-threatening illness. However, very little research focuses on the nursing care of parents of pediatric oncology patients, and therefore, nurses may have difficulty in understanding and supporting parental well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the experience of hope for parents who care for their child in treatment for cancer. Using purposive theoretical sampling, 16 parents participated in this study. Thirty-three open-ended, face-to-face interviews were conducted, and 14 parent journals were collected. Analysis of the data was conducted using Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory approach. A developing, substantive grounded theory was constructed. Parental hope was described as an essential, powerful, deliberate, life-sustaining, dynamic, cyclical process that was anchored in time; was calming and strengthening; and provided inner guidance through the challenging experience of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Parents' main concern was "fearing the loss of hope," which was ameliorated by the basic social process of "keeping hope possible" through accepting reality, establishing control, restructuring hope, and purposive positive thinking. Parents journeyed through numerous transitions related to the treatment of cancer that caused feelings of uncertainty, anxiety, stress, and loss of control. Hope was identified as vital to parents. To minimize these adverse experiences, nurses can support parents' ability to keep hope possible and thus to optimize their well-being by understanding, assessing, and supporting parental hope.

Stationary and Dynamic Permeability and Coupling Coefficient Measurements in Sintered Glass Bead Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gueven, I.; Steeb, H.; Luding, S.

2014-12-01

Electrokinetic waves describe the coupling between seismic and electromagnetic waves that exist in porous media. The coupling between them arise from an electrochemical boundary layer between grain and fluid interface of saturated porous media. Acoustical waves cause a disturbance of the electrical fluid charge within the double layer, which therefore creates an electric streaming current (seismoelectric effect). Inversely, electromagnetic waves can generate mechanical signals (electroseismic effect). Electrokinetic conversion potentially combines high seismic resolution with good electromagnetic hydrocarbon sensitivity. The (stationary and frequency-dependent) streaming potential coefficient is a key property, which gives rise to the coupling between electromagnetic and acoustical waves. It depends strongly on the fluid conductivity, porosity, tortuosity, permeability, pore throat and zeta potential of porous media. We examine experimentally both, the stationary and dynamic permeabilities and coupling coefficients of sintered glass bead systems. For this purpose a multi-purpose measuring cell was developed which allows us to carry out - besides common ultrasound experiments - also to perform stationary and frequency-dependent permeability and coupling coefficient measurements. For the experiments sintered mono- and slightly polydisperse glass bead samples with different glass bead diameters between 0.4 and 8mm and porosities ranging between 21 and 39% were used. The stationary and dynamic permeability and streaming potential measurements are supported by μCT scans which enable us a deeper insight into the porous medium. Based on the μCT scans of the produced sintered glass bead samples essential influence parameters, like tortuosity, porosity, effective particle diameters and pore throats in different regions of the entire scanned region have been analyzed in detail to understand the laboratory experiments, cf. Illustration 1. In addition lattice Boltzmann simulations on voxel-based data were performed to determine the numerical permeabilities of different-sized subsets and finally compared with laboratory experiments. A clearly defined permeability-, and porosity-gradient in dependence on the sample height due to gravitational influences could be determined.

XAFS and Protein Crystallography Beamline BL38B1 at SPring-8

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

Tanida, Hajime; Miura, Keiko; Takeshita, Kunikazu

2004-05-12

The SPring-8 bending magnet beamline BL38B1 is designed for R and D of optics, detectors, experiments for XAFS and protein X-ray crystallography (PX). This beamline has a multi-purpose hutch for two experimental stations of XAFS and PX, and removable optical benches used for R and D of detectors and instruments. The design and the performance of the beamline are presented.

Identifying Factors That Influence Persistence of Hawai'i Students Studying at Mainland Colleges: A Phenomenological Multi-Case Study of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lima, Kevin M.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of mainland college students, graduates of a unique Hawai'i high school, to identify factors that influenced higher education persistence. Students not persisting at college, a problem for students and higher education institutions is defined for this study as a student that did not return…

KSC-03pd0023

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- In the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility, a technician cleans NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) before its mating to the Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle. Built by Orbital Sciences Space Systems Group, SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

An Examination of Strategy Implementation During Abstract Nonlinguistic Category Learning in Aphasia

PubMed Central

Kiran, Swathi

2015-01-01

Purpose Our purpose was to study strategy use during nonlinguistic category learning in aphasia. Method Twelve control participants without aphasia and 53 participants with aphasia (PWA) completed a computerized feedback-based category learning task consisting of training and testing phases. Accuracy rates of categorization in testing phases were calculated. To evaluate strategy use, strategy analyses were conducted over training and testing phases. Participant data were compared with model data that simulated complex multi-cue, single feature, and random pattern strategies. Learning success and strategy use were evaluated within the context of standardized cognitive–linguistic assessments. Results Categorization accuracy was higher among control participants than among PWA. The majority of control participants implemented suboptimal or optimal multi-cue and single-feature strategies by testing phases of the experiment. In contrast, a large subgroup of PWA implemented random patterns, or no strategy, during both training and testing phases of the experiment. Conclusions Person-to-person variability arises not only in category learning ability but also in the strategies implemented to complete category learning tasks. PWA less frequently developed effective strategies during category learning tasks than control participants. Certain PWA may have impairments of strategy development or feedback processing not captured by language and currently probed cognitive abilities. PMID:25908438

Hybrid Structure Multichannel All-Fiber Current Sensor.

PubMed

Jiang, Junzhen; Zhang, Hao; He, Youwu; Qiu, Yishen

2017-08-02

We have experimentally developed a hybrid-structure multi-channel all-fiber current sensor with ordinary silica fiber using fiber loop architecture. According to the rationale of time division multiplexing, the sensor combines parallel and serial structures. The purpose of the hybrid-structure multi-channel all-fiber current sensor is to get more information from the different measured points simultaneously. In addition, the hybrid-structure fiber current sensor exhibited a good linear response for each channel. A three-channel experiment was performed in the study and showed that the system could detect different current positions. Each channel could individually detect the current and needed a separate calibration system. Furthermore, the three channels will not affect each other.

The Armys Armored Multi Purpose Vehicle (AMPV): Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-11

M-113 personnel carriers, which are still in service in a variety of support capacities in Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs). While M-113s no...reliability, and interoperability by mission role variant within the Heavy Brigade Combat Team (HBCT) [now known as the Armored Brigade Combat Team – ABCT... teams within complex operational environments. For example, “commanders will not allow them to leave Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) or enter

Racial Differences in Perceptions of Social Support in Consumer-Centered Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodward, Amanda Toler; Mowbray, Carol T.; Holter, Mark C.; Bybee, Deborah

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore potential racial differences in the experience of support offered by consumer-centered services for adults with serious mental illness. The study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the level of support consumers report receiving from programs and the extent to which program-level characteristics…

Experience of Social Support among Working Mothers: A Concept Map

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phang, A. Young; Lee, Ki-Hak

2009-01-01

The purpose of the study was to identify, categorize, and provide a model for the understanding of social support among Korean working mothers. The participants were interviewed and asked what kind of social support they received that allowed them to maintain work and family life. Using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical clustering analysis…

Adolescent Experiences with the Vaginal Ring

PubMed Central

Epstein, Laura B.; Sokal-Gutierrez, Karen; Ivey, Susan L.; Raine, Tina; Auerswald, Colette

2011-01-01

Purpose To understand racial/ethnic minority adolescent females’ experiences with the vaginal ring. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews with a clinic-based sample of 32 young women aged 15–24 years who had used the vaginal ring. Results Qualitative analysis using grounded theory revealed that adolescents undergo a multi-stage process when trying the ring and adopting ring use. These stages include hearing about the ring, initial reactions, first experiences with insertion and removal, and first sexual experiences. Adolescents subsequently enter an assessment and adjustment stage in which they decide whether to adopt or discontinue ring use. Ultimately they share their experiences with friends. Conclusions The model developed provides a context within which providers may advise adolescents as they begin use of the ring. Some specific recommendations are offered. PMID:18565439

Exploring DeepMedic for the purpose of segmenting white matter hyperintensity lesions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lippert, Fiona; Cheng, Bastian; Golsari, Amir; Weiler, Florian; Gregori, Johannes; Thomalla, Götz; Klein, Jan

2018-02-01

DeepMedic, an open source software library based on a multi-channel multi-resolution 3D convolutional neural network, has recently been made publicly available for brain lesion segmentations. It has already been shown that segmentation tasks on MRI data of patients having traumatic brain injuries, brain tumors, and ischemic stroke lesions can be performed very well. In this paper we describe how it can efficiently be used for the purpose of detecting and segmenting white matter hyperintensity lesions. We examined if it can be applied to single-channel routine 2D FLAIR data. For evaluation, we annotated 197 datasets with different numbers and sizes of white matter hyperintensity lesions. Our experiments have shown that substantial results with respect to the segmentation quality can be achieved. Compared to the original parametrization of the DeepMedic neural network, the timings for training can be drastically reduced if adjusting corresponding training parameters, while at the same time the Dice coefficients remain nearly unchanged. This enables for performing a whole training process within a single day utilizing a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 graphics board which makes this library also very interesting for research purposes on low-end GPU hardware.

Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory - a novel approach to undergraduate internships for first generation community college students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raftery, C. L.; Davis, H. B.; Peticolas, L. M.; Paglierani, R.

2015-12-01

The Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley launched an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program in the summer of 2015. The "Advancing Space Sciences through Undergraduate Research Experiences" (ASSURE) program recruited heavily from local community colleges and universities, and provided a multi-tiered mentorship program for students in the fields of space science and engineering. The program was focussed on providing a supportive environment for 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, many of whom were first generation and underrepresented students. This model provides three levels of mentorship support for the participating interns: 1) the primary research advisor provides academic and professional support. 2) The program coordinator, who meets with the interns multiple times per week, provides personal support and helps the interns to assimilate into the highly competitive environment of the research laboratory. 3) Returning undergraduate interns provided peer support and guidance to the new cohort of students. The impacts of this program on the first generation students and the research mentors, as well as the lessons learned will be discussed.

Cosmic-ray observations of the heliosphere with the PAMELA experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casolino, M.; Altamura, F.; Basili, A.; Bencardino, R.; de Pascale, M. P.; Marcelli, L.; Minori, M.; Morselli, A.; Nagni, M.; Picozza, P.; Russo, S.; Sparvoli, R.; Ambriola, M.; Bellotti, R.; Cafagna, F. S.; Circella, M.; de Marzo, C.; Giglietto, N.; Mirizzi, N.; Romita, M.; Spinelli, P.; Adriani, O.; Bonechi, L.; Bongi, M.; Papini, P.; Ricciarini, S. B.; Spillantini, P.; Straulino, S.; Taccetti, F.; Vannuccini, E.; Castellini, G.; Bongiorno, L.; Ricci, M.; Mitchell, J. W.; Streitmatter, R. E.; Stochaj, S. J.; Bazilevskaya, G. A.; Kvashnin, A. N.; Logachev, V. I.; Makhmutov, V. S.; Maksumov, O. S.; Stozhkov, Y. I.; Bakaldin, A.; Galper, A. M.; Koldashov, S. V.; Korotkov, M. G.; Mikhailov, V. V.; Voronov, S. A.; Yurkin, Y.; Barbarino, G. C.; Campana, D.; Osteria, G.; Rossi, G.; Russo, S.; Bogomolov, E. A.; Krutkov, S.; Vasiljev, G.; Boscherini, M.; Menn, W.; Simon, M.; Carlson, P.; Lund, J.; Lundquist, J.; Orsi, S.; Pearce, M.; Boezio, M.; Bonvicini, V.; Mocchiutti, E.; Schiavon, P.; Vacchi, A.; Zampa, G.; Zampa, N.

The PAMELA experiment is a multi-purpose apparatus built around a permanent magnet spectrometer, with the main goal of studying in detail the antiparticle component of cosmic rays. The apparatus will be carried in space by means of a Russian satellite, due to launch in 2005, for a three year-long mission. The characteristics of the detectors composing the instrument, alongside the long lifetime of the mission and the orbital characteristics of the satellite, will allow to address several items of cosmic-ray physics. In this paper, we will focus on the solar and heliospheric observation capabilities of PAMELA.

BM@N and MPD experiments at NICA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kekelidze, Vladimir; Kolesnikov, Vadim; Sorin, Alexander

2018-02-01

The project NICA (Nuclotron-based Ion Collider fAcility) aims to study hot and baryon rich QCD matter in heavy ion collisions in the energy range = 4 - 11 GeV. The rich heavy-ion physics program will be performed at two experiments, BM@N (Baryonic Matter at Nuclotron) at beams extracted from the Nuclotron, and at MPD (Multi-Purpose Detector) at the NICA collider. This program covers a variety of phenomena in strongly interacting matter of the highest baryonic density, which includes study of collective effects, production of hyperon and hypernuclei, in-medium modification of meson properties, and event-by-event fluctuations.

MPLM during Expedition 18 / STS-126

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

S126-E-008120 (18 Nov. 2008) --- Interior view of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module attached to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony node. Leonardo was moved from Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay and linked to the station on Nov. 17, carrying two water recovery systems racks for recycling urine into potable water, a second toilet system, new gallery components, two new food warmers, a food refrigerator, an experiment freezer, combustion science experiment rack, two separate sleeping quarters and a resistance exercise device (aRED) that allows station crewmembers to perform a variety of exercises.

MPLM during Expedition 18 / STS-126

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

S126-E-008117 (18 Nov. 2008) --- Interior view of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module attached to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony node. Leonardo was moved from Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay and linked to the station on Nov. 17, carrying two water recovery systems racks for recycling urine into potable water, a second toilet system, new gallery components, two new food warmers, a food refrigerator, an experiment freezer, combustion science experiment rack, two separate sleeping quarters and a resistance exercise device (aRED) that allows station crewmembers to perform a variety of exercises.

MPLM during Expedition 18 / STS-126

NASA Image and Video Library

2008-11-19

S126-E-008118 (18 Nov. 2008) --- Interior view of the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module attached to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Harmony node. Leonardo was moved from Space Shuttle Endeavour's cargo bay and linked to the station on Nov. 17, carrying two water recovery systems racks for recycling urine into potable water, a second toilet system, new gallery components, two new food warmers, a food refrigerator, an experiment freezer, combustion science experiment rack, two separate sleeping quarters and a resistance exercise device (aRED) that allows station crewmembers to perform a variety of exercises.

Twelve Years of Education and Public Outreach with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cominsky, Lynn R.; McLin, K. M.; Simonnet, A.; Fermi E/PO Team

2013-04-01

During the past twelve years, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has supported a wide range of Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities, targeting K-14 students and the general public. The purpose of the Fermi E/PO program is to increase student and public understanding of the science of the high-energy Universe, through inspiring, engaging and educational activities linked to the mission’s science objectives. The E/PO program has additional more general goals, including increasing the diversity of students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) pipeline, and increasing public awareness and understanding of Fermi science and technology. Fermi's multi-faceted E/PO program includes elements in each major outcome category: ● Higher Education: Fermi E/PO promotes STEM careers through the use of NASA data including research experiences for students and teachers (Global Telescope Network), education through STEM curriculum development projects (Cosmology curriculum) and through enrichment activities (Large Area Telescope simulator). ● Elementary and Secondary education: Fermi E/PO links the science objectives of the Fermi mission to well-tested, customer-focused and NASA-approved standards-aligned classroom materials (Black Hole Resources, Active Galaxy Education Unit and Pop-up book, TOPS guides, Supernova Education Unit). These materials have been distributed through (Educator Ambassador and on-line) teacher training workshops and through programs involving under-represented students (after-school clubs and Astro 4 Girls). ● Informal education and public outreach: Fermi E/PO engages the public in sharing the experience of exploration and discovery through high-leverage multi-media experiences (Black Holes planetarium and PBS NOVA shows), through popular websites (Gamma-ray Burst Skymap, Epo's Chronicles), social media (Facebook, MySpace), interactive web-based activities (Space Mysteries, Einstein@Home) and activities by amateur astronomers nation-wide (Supernova! Toolkit). This poster highlights various facets of the Fermi E/PO program.

Integrating care for frequent users of emergency departments: implementation evaluation of a brief multi-organizational intensive case management intervention.

PubMed

Kahan, Deborah; Leszcz, Molyn; O'Campo, Patricia; Hwang, Stephen W; Wasylenki, Donald A; Kurdyak, Paul; Wise Harris, Deborah; Gozdzik, Agnes; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-04-27

Addressing the needs of frequent users of emergency departments (EDs) is a health system priority in many jurisdictions. This study describes stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of a multi-organizational brief intervention designed to support integration and continuity of care for frequent ED users with mental health and addictions problems, focusing on perceived barriers and facilitators to early implementation in a large urban centre. Coordinating Access to Care from Hospital Emergency Departments (CATCH-ED) is a brief case management intervention bridging hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users experiencing mental illness and addictions. To examine barriers and facilitators to early implementation of this multi-organizational intervention, between July and October 2012, 47 stakeholders, including direct service providers, managers and administrators participated in 32 semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group exploring their experience with the intervention and factors that helped or hindered successful early implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Stakeholders valued the intervention and its potential to support continuity of care for this population. Service delivery system factors, including organizational capacity and a history of collaborative relationships across the healthcare continuum, and support system factors, such as training and supervision, emerged as key facilitators of program implementation. Operational challenges included early low program referral rates, management of a multi-organizational initiative, variable adherence to the model among participating organizations, and scant access to specialty psychiatric resources. Factors contributing to these challenges included lack of dedicated staff in the ED and limited local system capacity to support this population, and insufficient training and technical assistance available to participating organizations. A multi-organizational brief intervention is an acceptable model to support integration of hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users. The study highlights the importance of early implementation evaluation to identify potential solutions to implementation barriers that may be applicable to many jurisdictions.

Spectropolarimeter of ground support of space experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidmachenko, A. P.; Ivanov, Yu. S.; Morozhenko, O. V.; Siniavsky, I. I.; Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Nevodovskyi, P. V.; Sosonkim, M. G.

2017-08-01

At various space experiments it is necessary to plan carrying out parallel terrestrial observations. For this purpose spectropolarimeter of support of Space experiments in spectral range of 350-900 nm was developed and manufactured at the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. As a dispersing system of SPS it was proposed to use a complex prism system, whose elements can be located in different parts of the optical system and work with different angular increase. In the spectral range of 370-870 nm, the variance was almost uniform. Spectropolarimeter SPS of SE support, has been used for observation of stars with exoplanets and of Solar System bodies.

Forward and small-x QCD physics results from CMS experiment at LHC

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

Cerci, Deniz Sunar, E-mail: deniz.sunar.cerci@cern.ch

2016-03-25

The Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) is one of the two large, multi-purpose experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. During the Run I Phase a large pp collision dataset has been collected and the CMS collaboration has explored measurements that shed light on a new era. Forward and small-x quantum chromodynamics (QCD) physics measurements with CMS experiment covers a wide range of physics subjects. Some of highlights in terms of testing the very low-x QCD, underlying event and multiple interaction characteristics, photon-mediated processes, jets with large rapidity separation at high pseudo-rapidities and the inelastic proton-proton cross section dominatedmore » by diffractive interactions are presented. Results are compared to Monte Carlo (MC) models with different parameter tunes for the description of the underlying event and to perturbative QCD calculations. The prominent role of multi-parton interactions has been confirmed in the semihard sector but no clear deviation from the standard Dglap parton evolution due to Bfkl has been observed. An outlook to the prospects at 13 TeV is given.« less

Efficient provisioning for multi-core applications with LSF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dal Pra, Stefano

2015-12-01

Tier-1 sites providing computing power for HEP experiments are usually tightly designed for high throughput performances. This is pursued by reducing the variety of supported use cases and tuning for performances those ones, the most important of which have been that of singlecore jobs. Moreover, the usual workload is saturation: each available core in the farm is in use and there are queued jobs waiting for their turn to run. Enabling multi-core jobs thus requires dedicating a number of hosts where to run, and waiting for them to free the needed number of cores. This drain-time introduces a loss of computing power driven by the number of unusable empty cores. As an increasing demand for multi-core capable resources have emerged, a Task Force have been constituted in WLCG, with the goal to define a simple and efficient multi-core resource provisioning model. This paper details the work done at the INFN Tier-1 to enable multi-core support for the LSF batch system, with the intent of reducing to the minimum the average number of unused cores. The adopted strategy has been that of dedicating to multi-core a dynamic set of nodes, whose dimension is mainly driven by the number of pending multi-core requests and fair-share priority of the submitting user. The node status transition, from single to multi core et vice versa, is driven by a finite state machine which is implemented in a custom multi-core director script, running in the cluster. After describing and motivating both the implementation and the details specific to the LSF batch system, results about performance are reported. Factors having positive and negative impact on the overall efficiency are discussed and solutions to reduce at most the negative ones are proposed.

FEANICS: A Multi-User Facility For Conducting Solid Fuel Combustion Experiments On ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frate, David T.; Tofil, Todd A.

2001-01-01

The Destiny Module on the International Space Station (ISS) will soon be home for the Fluids and Combustion Facility's (FCF) Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR), which is being developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The CIR will be the platform for future microgravity combustion experiments. A multi-user mini-facility called FEANICS (Flow Enclosure Accommodating Novel Investigations in Combustion of Solids) will also be built at NASA Glenn. This mini-facility will be the primary means for conducting solid fuel combustion experiments in the CIR on ISS. The main focus of many of these solid combustion experiments will be to conduct basic and applied scientific investigations in fire-safety to support NASA's Bioastronautics Initiative. The FEANICS project team will work in conjunction with the CIR project team to develop upgradeable and reusable hardware to meet the science requirements of current and future investigators. Currently, there are six experiments that are candidates to use the FEANICS mini-facility. This paper will describe the capabilities of this mini-facility and the type of solid combustion testing and diagnostics that can be performed.

Detection of Cherenkov Photons with Multi-Anode Photomultipliers

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

Salazar, H.; Moreno, E.; Murrieta, T.

2006-09-25

The present paper describes the laboratory course given at the X Mexican Workshop on Particles and Fields. We describe the setup and procedure used to measure the Cherenkov circles produced by cosmic muons upon traversal of a simple glass radiator system. The main purpose of this exercise is to introduce the students to work with multi-anode photomultipliers such as the one used for this experiment (Hamamatsu R5900-M64), with which measurements requiring position sensitive detection of single photons can be successfully performed. We present a short introduction to multi-anode photomultipliers (MAPMT) and describe the setup and the procedure used to measuremore » the response of a MAPMT to a uniform source of light. Finally, we describe the setup and procedure used to measure the Cherenkov circles produced by cosmic muons upon traversal of a simple glass radiator system.« less

A Pulse Rate Detection Method for Mouse Application Based on Multi-PPG Sensors

PubMed Central

Chen, Wei-Hao

2017-01-01

Heart rate is an important physiological parameter for healthcare. Among measurement methods, photoplethysmography (PPG) is an easy and convenient method for pulse rate detection. However, as the PPG signal faces the challenge of motion artifacts and is constrained by the position chosen, the purpose of this paper is to implement a comfortable and easy-to-use multi-PPG sensor module combined with a stable and accurate real-time pulse rate detection method on a computer mouse. A weighted average method for multi-PPG sensors is used to adjust the weight of each signal channel in order to raise the accuracy and stability of the detected signal, therefore reducing the disturbance of noise under the environment of moving effectively and efficiently. According to the experiment results, the proposed method can increase the usability and probability of PPG signal detection on palms. PMID:28708112

Cultivating engineering innovation ability based on optoelectronic experimental platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dangjuan; Wu, Shenjiang

2017-08-01

As the supporting experimental platform of the Xi'an Technological University education reform experimental class, "optical technological innovation experimental platform" integrated the design and comprehensive experiments of the optical multi-class courses. On the basis of summing up the past two years teaching experience, platform pilot projects were improve. It has played a good role by making the use of an open teaching model in the cultivating engineering innovation spirit and scientific thinking of the students.

Understanding patient and provider perceptions and expectations of genomic medicine.

PubMed

Hall, Michael J; Forman, Andrea D; Montgomery, Susan V; Rainey, Kim L; Daly, Mary B

2015-01-01

Advances in genome sequencing technology have fostered a new era of clinical genomic medicine. Genetic counselors, who have begun to support patients undergoing multi-gene panel testing for hereditary cancer risk, will review brief clinical vignettes, and discuss early experiences with clinical genomic testing. Their experiences will frame a discussion about how current testing may challenge patient understanding and expectations toward the evaluation of cancer risk and downstream preventive behaviors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ka-Band Propagation Studies using the ACTS Propagation Terminal and the CSU-CHILL Multiparameter Radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bringi, V. N.; Beaver, John

1996-01-01

One of the first experimental communications satellites using Ka-band technology is the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS). In September 1993, ACTS was deployed into a geostationary orbit near 100 degrees W longitude by the space shuttle Discovery. The ACTS system supports both communication and propagation experiments at the 20/30 GHz frequency bands. The propagation experiment involves multi-year attenuation measurements along the satellite-Earth slant path.

Preparation and Launch of the JEM ISS Elements - A NASA Mission Manager's Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higginbotham, Scott A.

2016-01-01

The pre-flight launch site preparations and launch of the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) elements of the International Space Station required an intense multi-year, international collaborative effort between US and Japanese personnel at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This presentation will provide a brief overview of KSC, a brief overview of the ISS, and a summary of authors experience managing the NASA team responsible that supported and conducted the JEM element operations.

A journey from nuclear criticality methods to high energy density radflow experiments

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

Urbatsch, Todd James

Los Alamos National Laboratory is a nuclear weapons laboratory supporting our nation's defense. In support of this mission is a high energy-density physics program in which we design and execute experiments to study radiationhydrodynamics phenomena and improve the predictive capability of our largescale multi-physics software codes on our big-iron computers. The Radflow project’s main experimental effort now is to understand why we haven't been able to predict opacities on Sandia National Laboratory's Z-machine. We are modeling an increasing fraction of the Z-machine's dynamic hohlraum to find multi-physics explanations for the experimental results. Further, we are building an entirely different opacitymore » platform on Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility (NIF), which is set to get results early 2017. Will the results match our predictions, match the Z-machine, or give us something entirely different? The new platform brings new challenges such as designing hohlraums and spectrometers. The speaker will recount his history, starting with one-dimensional Monte Carlo nuclear criticality methods in graduate school, radiative transfer methods research and software development for his first 16 years at LANL, and, now, radflow technology and experiments. Who knew that the real world was more than just radiation transport? Experiments aren't easy and they are as saturated with politics as a presidential election, but they sure are fun.« less

A Pedagogy of Friendship: Young Children's Friendships and How Schools Can Support Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Caron; Nutbrown, Cathy

2016-01-01

Children's friendships are often neglected by teachers and researchers. This phenomenological study conducted with seven children aged five and six years explores young children's perceptions of their everyday friendship experiences. This multi-method study used role play interviews, drawings and persona doll scenarios to consider children's…

Being Online Peer Supported: Experiences from a Work-Based Learning Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altinay Aksal, Fahriye; Altinay, Zehra; De Rossi, Gazivalerio; Isman, Aytekin

2012-01-01

Problem Statement: Work-based learning programmes have become an increasingly popular way of fulfilling the desire for life-long learning; multi-dimensional work-based learning modes have recently played a large role in both personal and institutional development. The peculiarity of this innovative way of learning derives from the fact that…

"We're Changing Our Ways": Women's Coping Strategies for Obesity Risk-reducing Behaviors in American Indian Households.

PubMed

Gadhoke, Preety; Christiansen, Karina; Pardilla, Marla; Frick, Kevin; Gittelsohn, Joel

2015-01-01

This article reveals women caregivers' perceptions and coping strategies to improve households' food and physical activity habits. Results emerged from the pre-intervention formative research phase of a multi-site, multi-level obesity prevention pilot intervention on American Indian (AI) reservations. Using purposive sampling, 250 adults and children participated in qualitative research. Results reveal that having local institutional support was a key structural facilitator. 'Family connectedness' emerged as a key relational facilitator. Hegemony of systems, food deserts, transportation, and weather were key structural barriers; Childcare needs and time constraints were key relational barriers. Women's coping strategies included planning ahead, maximizing, apportioning, tempting healthy, and social support. Findings informed the development and implementation of a novel obesity prevention pilot intervention tailored for each participating AI community addressing culturally relevant messages, institutional policies, and programs. We conclude with future consideration for comparative, ethnicity-based, class-based, and gender-specific studies on women's coping strategies for household health behaviors.

Developing Visualization Support System for Teaching/Learning Database Normalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Folorunso, Olusegun; Akinwale, AdioTaofeek

2010-01-01

Purpose: In tertiary institution, some students find it hard to learn database design theory, in particular, database normalization. The purpose of this paper is to develop a visualization tool to give students an interactive hands-on experience in database normalization process. Design/methodology/approach: The model-view-controller architecture…

Dynamic Social Networks in High Performance Football Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Occhino, Joseph; Mallett, Cliff; Rynne, Steven

2013-01-01

Background: Sports coaching is largely a social activity where engagement with athletes and support staff can enhance the experiences for all involved. This paper examines how high performance football coaches develop knowledge through their interactions with others within a social learning theory framework. Purpose: The key purpose of this study…

Professional Competence Enhancement via Postgraduate Post-Experience Learning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chivers, Geoffrey

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the ways in which postgraduate study in vocational fields supports the development of advanced competences amongst mid-career professionals. Design/methodology/approach: The extensive written communications between health and safety professionals taking a postgraduate course in health and safety…

Participant Perceptions of an Individualised Physical Activity Anti-Smoking Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanlon, Clare; Morris, Tony; O'Sullivan, Grant Anthony

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore a health program comprising the individual experiences, successes and setbacks of adults in an individually tailored, community-based smoking intervention and physical activity program. The program incorporated physical activity consultation (PAC) and phone support from the well-established Quit…

The Art of Engaging Young Men as Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franco, Mary J.; Unrath, Kathleen

2015-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how purposeful and substantive visual art experiences might support the literacy learning of elementary-aged boys. The overarching research question that guided this exploration was: What happens when Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) art discussions and related artmaking are infused into a…

Determination of the critical bending speeds of a multy-rotor shaft from the vibration signal analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crâştiu, I.; Nyaguly, E.; Deac, S.; Gozman-Pop, C.; Bârgău, A.; Bereteu, L.

2018-01-01

The purpose of this paper is the development and validation of an impulse excitation technique to determine flexural critical speeds of a single rotor shaft and multy-rotor shaft. The experimental measurement of the vibroacoustic response is carried out by using a condenser microphone as a transducer. By the means of Modal Analysis using Finite Element Method (FEM), the natural frequencies and shape modes of one rotor and three rotor specimens are determined. The vibration responses of the specimens, in simple supported conditions, are carried out using algorithms based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). To validate the results of the modal parameters estimated using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) these are compared with experimental ones.

SU-D-213-03: Towards An Optimized 3D Scintillation Dosimetry Tool for Quality Assurance of Dynamic Radiotherapy Techniques

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

Rilling, M; Centre de Recherche sur le Cancer, Hôtel-Dieu de Québec, Quebec City, QC; Département de radio-oncologie, CHU de Québec, Quebec City, QC

2015-06-15

Purpose: The purpose of this work is to simulate a multi-focus plenoptic camera used as the measuring device in a real-time three-dimensional scintillation dosimeter. Simulating and optimizing this realistic optical system will bridge the technological gap between concept validation and a clinically viable tool that can provide highly efficient, accurate and precise measurements for dynamic radiotherapy techniques. Methods: The experimental prototype, previously developed for proof of concept purposes, uses an off-the-shelf multi-focus plenoptic camera. With an array of interleaved microlenses of different focal lengths, this camera records spatial and angular information of light emitted by a plastic scintillator volume. Themore » three distinct microlens focal lengths were determined experimentally for use as baseline parameters by measuring image-to-object magnification for different distances in object space. A simulated plenoptic system was implemented using the non-sequential ray tracing software Zemax: this tool allows complete simulation of multiple optical paths by modeling interactions at interfaces such as scatter, diffraction, reflection and refraction. The active sensor was modeled based on the camera manufacturer specifications by a 2048×2048, 5 µm-pixel pitch sensor. Planar light sources, simulating the plastic scintillator volume, were employed for ray tracing simulations. Results: The microlens focal lengths were determined to be 384, 327 and 290 µm. A realistic multi-focus plenoptic system, with independently defined and optimizable specifications, was fully simulated. A f/2.9 and 54 mm-focal length Double Gauss objective was modeled as the system’s main lens. A three-focal length hexagonal microlens array of 250-µm thickness was designed, acting as an image-relay system between the main lens and sensor. Conclusion: Simulation of a fully modeled multi-focus plenoptic camera enables the decoupled optimization of the main lens and microlens specifications. This work leads the way to improving the 3D dosimeter’s achievable resolution, efficiency and build for providing a quality assurance tool fully meeting clinical needs. M.R. is financially supported by a Master’s Canada Graduate Scholarship from the NSERC. This research is also supported by the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Optical Design.« less

Compressed multi-block local binary pattern for object tracking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Tianwen; Gao, Yun; Zhao, Lei; Zhou, Hao

2018-04-01

Both robustness and real-time are very important for the application of object tracking under a real environment. The focused trackers based on deep learning are difficult to satisfy with the real-time of tracking. Compressive sensing provided a technical support for real-time tracking. In this paper, an object can be tracked via a multi-block local binary pattern feature. The feature vector was extracted based on the multi-block local binary pattern feature, which was compressed via a sparse random Gaussian matrix as the measurement matrix. The experiments showed that the proposed tracker ran in real-time and outperformed the existed compressive trackers based on Haar-like feature on many challenging video sequences in terms of accuracy and robustness.

Aerial views of construction on the RLV hangar at the Shuttle Landing Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Looking southwest, this view shows ongoing construction of a multi-purpose hangar, which is part of the $8 million Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Support Complex at Kennedy Space Center. Edging the construction is Sharkey Road, which parallels the landing strip of the Shuttle Landing Facility nearby. The RLV complex will include facilities for related ground support equipment and administrative/ technical support. It will be available to accommodate the Space Shuttle; the X-34 RLV technology demonstrator; the L-1011 carrier aircraft for Pegasus and X-34; and other RLV and X-vehicle programs. The complex is jointly funded by the Spaceport Florida Authority, NASA's Space Shuttle Program and KSC. The facility will be operational in early 2000.

Impacts of historic and projected land-cover, land-use, and land-management change on carbon and water fluxes: The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, D. M.; Lombardozzi, D. L.; Lawrence, P.; Hurtt, G. C.

2017-12-01

Human land-use activities have resulted in large changes to the Earth surface, with resulting implications for climate. In the future, land-use activities are likely to intensify to meet growing demands for food, fiber, and energy. The Land Use Model Intercomparison Project (LUMIP) aims to further advance understanding of the broad question of impacts of land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) as well as more detailed science questions to get at process-level attribution, uncertainty, and data requirements in more depth and sophistication than possible in a multi-model context to date. LUMIP is multi-faceted and aims to advance our understanding of land-use change from several perspectives. In particular, LUMIP includes a factorial set of land-only simulations that differ from each other with respect to the specific treatment of land use or land management (e.g., irrigation active or not, crop fertilization active or not, wood harvest on or not), or in terms of prescribed climate. This factorial series of experiments serves several purposes and is designed to provide a detailed assessment of how the specification of land-cover change and land management affects the carbon, water, and energy cycle response to land-use change. The potential analyses that are possible through this set of experiments are vast. For example, comparing a control experiment with all land management active to an experiment with no irrigation allows a multi-model assessment of whether or not the increasing use of irrigation during the 20th century is likely to have significantly altered trends of regional water and energy fluxes (and therefore climate) and/or crop yield and carbon fluxes in agricultural regions. Here, we will present preliminary results from the factorial set of experiments utilizing the Community Land Model (CLM5). The analyses presented here will help guide multi-model analyses once the full set of LUMIP simulations are available.

Computation of Thermodynamic Equilibria Pertinent to Nuclear Materials in Multi-Physics Codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piro, Markus Hans Alexander

Nuclear energy plays a vital role in supporting electrical needs and fulfilling commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Research is a continuing necessity to improve the predictive capabilities of fuel behaviour in order to reduce costs and to meet increasingly stringent safety requirements by the regulator. Moreover, a renewed interest in nuclear energy has given rise to a "nuclear renaissance" and the necessity to design the next generation of reactors. In support of this goal, significant research efforts have been dedicated to the advancement of numerical modelling and computational tools in simulating various physical and chemical phenomena associated with nuclear fuel behaviour. This undertaking in effect is collecting the experience and observations of a past generation of nuclear engineers and scientists in a meaningful way for future design purposes. There is an increasing desire to integrate thermodynamic computations directly into multi-physics nuclear fuel performance and safety codes. A new equilibrium thermodynamic solver is being developed with this matter as a primary objective. This solver is intended to provide thermodynamic material properties and boundary conditions for continuum transport calculations. There are several concerns with the use of existing commercial thermodynamic codes: computational performance; limited capabilities in handling large multi-component systems of interest to the nuclear industry; convenient incorporation into other codes with quality assurance considerations; and, licensing entanglements associated with code distribution. The development of this software in this research is aimed at addressing all of these concerns. The approach taken in this work exploits fundamental principles of equilibrium thermodynamics to simplify the numerical optimization equations. In brief, the chemical potentials of all species and phases in the system are constrained by estimates of the chemical potentials of the system components at each iterative step, and the objective is to minimize the residuals of the mass balance equations. Several numerical advantages are achieved through this simplification. In particular, computational expense is reduced and the rate of convergence is enhanced. Furthermore, the software has demonstrated the ability to solve systems involving as many as 118 component elements. An early version of the code has already been integrated into the Advanced Multi-Physics (AMP) code under development by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory. Keywords: Engineering, Nuclear -- 0552, Engineering, Material Science -- 0794, Chemistry, Mathematics -- 0405, Computer Science -- 0984

Use seismic colored inversion and power law committee machine based on imperial competitive algorithm for improving porosity prediction in a heterogeneous reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Hamid Reza

2014-09-01

In this paper we propose a new method for predicting rock porosity based on a combination of several artificial intelligence systems. The method focuses on one of the Iranian carbonate fields in the Persian Gulf. Because there is strong heterogeneity in carbonate formations, estimation of rock properties experiences more challenge than sandstone. For this purpose, seismic colored inversion (SCI) and a new approach of committee machine are used in order to improve porosity estimation. The study comprises three major steps. First, a series of sample-based attributes is calculated from 3D seismic volume. Acoustic impedance is an important attribute that is obtained by the SCI method in this study. Second, porosity log is predicted from seismic attributes using common intelligent computation systems including: probabilistic neural network (PNN), radial basis function network (RBFN), multi-layer feed forward network (MLFN), ε-support vector regression (ε-SVR) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS). Finally, a power law committee machine (PLCM) is constructed based on imperial competitive algorithm (ICA) to combine the results of all previous predictions in a single solution. This technique is called PLCM-ICA in this paper. The results show that PLCM-ICA model improved the results of neural networks, support vector machine and neuro-fuzzy system.

KSC-03pd0021

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle is on a workstand in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility. The Pegasus XL will carry NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) into orbit. Built by Orbital Sciences Space Systems Group, SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

KSC-03pd0022

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-05

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The Pegasus XL Expendable Launch Vehicle is on a workstand in the Multi-Purpose Processing Facility. The Pegasus XL will carry NASA's Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) into orbit. Built by Orbital Sciences Space Systems Group, SORCE will study and measure solar irradiance as a source of energy in the Earth's atmosphere. The launch of SORCE is scheduled for Jan. 25 at 3:14 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

Providing Health Sciences Services in a Joint-Use Distributed Learning Library System: An Organizational Case Study.

PubMed

Enslow, Electra; Fricke, Suzanne; Vela, Kathryn

2017-01-01

The purpose of this organizational case study is to describe the complexities librarians face when serving a multi-campus institution that supports both a joint-use library and expanding health sciences academic partnerships. In a system without a centralized health science library administration, liaison librarians are identifying dispersed programs and user groups and collaborating to define their unique service and outreach needs within a larger land-grant university. Using a team-based approach, health sciences librarians are communicating to integrate research and teaching support, systems differences across dispersed campuses, and future needs of a new community-based medical program.

Perceptions of Supportive Leadership Behaviors of School Site Administrators for Secondary Special Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roderick, Erin; Jung, Adrian Woo

2012-01-01

School administrators fall short of supporting special education teachers due to a lack of knowledge of and experience in special education. The purpose of this study was to identify and compare leadership behaviors perceived as supportive by special education teachers and school site administrators. Data collection involved a survey instrument…

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Silvanna Rabbi, MPLM Program Manager, Italian Space Agency, gives an overview of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) in a prelaunch press conference. She describes the objectives, construction, specifications, and purpose of the three Italian-built modules, Leonardo, Rafaello, and Donatello. Ms. Rabbi then answers questions from the press.

Multi-criteria objective based climate change impact assessment for multi-purpose multi-reservoir systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, Ruben; Schütze, Niels

2014-05-01

Water resources systems with reservoirs are expected to be sensitive to climate change. Assessment studies that analyze the impact of climate change on the performance of reservoirs can be divided in two groups: (1) Studies that simulate the operation under projected inflows with the current set of operational rules. Due to non adapted operational rules the future performance of these reservoirs can be underestimated and the impact overestimated. (2) Studies that optimize the operational rules for best adaption of the system to the projected conditions before the assessment of the impact. The latter allows for estimating more realistically future performance and adaption strategies based on new operation rules are available if required. Multi-purpose reservoirs serve various, often conflicting functions. If all functions cannot be served simultaneously at a maximum level, an effective compromise between multiple objectives of the reservoir operation has to be provided. Yet under climate change the historically preferenced compromise may no longer be the most suitable compromise in the future. Therefore a multi-objective based climate change impact assessment approach for multi-purpose multi-reservoir systems is proposed in the study. Projected inflows are provided in a first step using a physically based rainfall-runoff model. In a second step, a time series model is applied to generate long-term inflow time series. Finally, the long-term inflow series are used as driving variables for a simulation-based multi-objective optimization of the reservoir system in order to derive optimal operation rules. As a result, the adapted Pareto-optimal set of diverse best compromise solutions can be presented to the decision maker in order to assist him in assessing climate change adaption measures with respect to the future performance of the multi-purpose reservoir system. The approach is tested on a multi-purpose multi-reservoir system in a mountainous catchment in Germany. A climate change assessment is performed for climate change scenarios based on the SRES emission scenarios A1B, B1 and A2 for a set of statistically downscaled meteorological data. The future performance of the multi-purpose multi-reservoir system is quantified and possible intensifications of trade-offs between management goals or reservoir utilizations are shown.

High performance MRI simulations of motion on multi-GPU systems.

PubMed

Xanthis, Christos G; Venetis, Ioannis E; Aletras, Anthony H

2014-07-04

MRI physics simulators have been developed in the past for optimizing imaging protocols and for training purposes. However, these simulators have only addressed motion within a limited scope. The purpose of this study was the incorporation of realistic motion, such as cardiac motion, respiratory motion and flow, within MRI simulations in a high performance multi-GPU environment. Three different motion models were introduced in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging SIMULator (MRISIMUL) of this study: cardiac motion, respiratory motion and flow. Simulation of a simple Gradient Echo pulse sequence and a CINE pulse sequence on the corresponding anatomical model was performed. Myocardial tagging was also investigated. In pulse sequence design, software crushers were introduced to accommodate the long execution times in order to avoid spurious echoes formation. The displacement of the anatomical model isochromats was calculated within the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) kernel for every timestep of the pulse sequence. Experiments that would allow simulation of custom anatomical and motion models were also performed. Last, simulations of motion with MRISIMUL on single-node and multi-node multi-GPU systems were examined. Gradient Echo and CINE images of the three motion models were produced and motion-related artifacts were demonstrated. The temporal evolution of the contractility of the heart was presented through the application of myocardial tagging. Better simulation performance and image quality were presented through the introduction of software crushers without the need to further increase the computational load and GPU resources. Last, MRISIMUL demonstrated an almost linear scalable performance with the increasing number of available GPU cards, in both single-node and multi-node multi-GPU computer systems. MRISIMUL is the first MR physics simulator to have implemented motion with a 3D large computational load on a single computer multi-GPU configuration. The incorporation of realistic motion models, such as cardiac motion, respiratory motion and flow may benefit the design and optimization of existing or new MR pulse sequences, protocols and algorithms, which examine motion related MR applications.

Derivation of optimal joint operating rules for multi-purpose multi-reservoir water-supply system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Qiao-feng; Wang, Xu; Wang, Hao; Wang, Chao; Lei, Xiao-hui; Xiong, Yi-song; Zhang, Wei

2017-08-01

The derivation of joint operating policy is a challenging task for a multi-purpose multi-reservoir system. This study proposed an aggregation-decomposition model to guide the joint operation of multi-purpose multi-reservoir system, including: (1) an aggregated model based on the improved hedging rule to ensure the long-term water-supply operating benefit; (2) a decomposed model to allocate the limited release to individual reservoirs for the purpose of maximizing the total profit of the facing period; and (3) a double-layer simulation-based optimization model to obtain the optimal time-varying hedging rules using the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II, whose objectives were to minimize maximum water deficit and maximize water supply reliability. The water-supply system of Li River in Guangxi Province, China, was selected for the case study. The results show that the operating policy proposed in this study is better than conventional operating rules and aggregated standard operating policy for both water supply and hydropower generation due to the use of hedging mechanism and effective coordination among multiple objectives.

The concept verification testing of materials science payloads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griner, C. S.; Johnston, M. H.; Whitaker, A.

1976-01-01

The concept Verification Testing (CVT) project at the Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama, is a developmental activity that supports Shuttle Payload Projects such as Spacelab. It provides an operational 1-g environment for testing NASA and other agency experiment and support systems concepts that may be used in shuttle. A dedicated Materials Science Payload was tested in the General Purpose Laboratory to assess the requirements of a space processing payload on a Spacelab type facility. Physical and functional integration of the experiments into the facility was studied, and the impact of the experiments on the facility (and vice versa) was evaluated. A follow-up test designated CVT Test IVA was also held. The purpose of this test was to repeat Test IV experiments with a crew composed of selected and trained scientists. These personnel were not required to have prior knowledge of the materials science disciplines, but were required to have a basic knowledge of science and the scientific method.

Associations among unit leadership and unit climates for implementation in acute care: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Shuman, Clayton J; Liu, Xuefeng; Aebersold, Michelle L; Tschannen, Dana; Banaszak-Holl, Jane; Titler, Marita G

2018-04-25

Nurse managers have a pivotal role in fostering unit climates supportive of implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) in care delivery. EBP leadership behaviors and competencies of nurse managers and their impact on practice climates are widely overlooked in implementation science. The purpose of this study was to examine the contributions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and nurse manager EBP competencies in explaining unit climates for EBP implementation in adult medical-surgical units. A multi-site, multi-unit cross-sectional research design was used to recruit the sample of 24 nurse managers and 553 randomly selected staff nurses from 24 adult medical-surgical units from 7 acute care hospitals in the Northeast and Midwestern USA. Staff nurse perceptions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and unit climates for EBP implementation were measured using the Implementation Leadership Scale and Implementation Climate Scale, respectively. EBP competencies of nurse managers were measured using the Nurse Manager EBP Competency Scale. Participants were emailed a link to an electronic questionnaire and asked to respond within 1 month. The contributions of nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors and competencies in explaining unit climates for EBP implementation were estimated using mixed-effects models controlling for nurse education and years of experience on current unit and accounting for the variability across hospitals and units. Significance level was set at α < .05. Two hundred sixty-four staff nurses and 22 nurse managers were included in the final sample, representing 22 units in 7 hospitals. Nurse manager EBP leadership behaviors (p < .001) and EBP competency (p = .008) explained 52.4% of marginal variance in unit climate for EBP implementation. Leadership behaviors uniquely explained 45.2% variance. The variance accounted for by the random intercepts for hospitals and units (p < .001) and years of nursing experience in current unit (p < .05) were significant but level of nursing education was not. Nurse managers are significantly related to unit climates for EBP implementation primarily through their leadership behaviors. Future implementation studies should consider the leadership of nurse managers in creating climates supportive of EBP implementation.

Virtual patients design and its effect on clinical reasoning and student experience: a protocol for a randomised factorial multi-centre study.

PubMed

Bateman, James; Allen, Maggie E; Kidd, Jane; Parsons, Nick; Davies, David

2012-08-01

Virtual Patients (VPs) are web-based representations of realistic clinical cases. They are proposed as being an optimal method for teaching clinical reasoning skills. International standards exist which define precisely what constitutes a VP. There are multiple design possibilities for VPs, however there is little formal evidence to support individual design features. The purpose of this trial is to explore the effect of two different potentially important design features on clinical reasoning skills and the student experience. These are the branching case pathways (present or absent) and structured clinical reasoning feedback (present or absent). This is a multi-centre randomised 2 x 2 factorial design study evaluating two independent variables of VP design, branching (present or absent), and structured clinical reasoning feedback (present or absent).The study will be carried out in medical student volunteers in one year group from three university medical schools in the United Kingdom, Warwick, Keele and Birmingham. There are four core musculoskeletal topics. Each case can be designed in four different ways, equating to 16 VPs required for the research. Students will be randomised to four groups, completing the four VP topics in the same order, but with each group exposed to a different VP design sequentially. All students will be exposed to the four designs. Primary outcomes are performance for each case design in a standardized fifteen item clinical reasoning assessment, integrated into each VP, which is identical for each topic. Additionally a 15-item self-reported evaluation is completed for each VP, based on a widely used EViP tool. Student patterns of use of the VPs will be recorded.In one centre, formative clinical and examination performance will be recorded, along with a self reported pre and post-intervention reasoning score, the DTI. Our power calculations indicate a sample size of 112 is required for both primary outcomes. This trial will provide robust evidence to support the effectiveness of different designs of virtual patients, based on student performance and evaluation. The cases and all learning materials will be open access and available on a Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike license.

Use of cultural probes for representation of chronic disease experience: exploration of an innovative method for design of supportive technologies.

PubMed

Hassling, Linda; Nordfeldt, Sam; Eriksson, Henrik; Timpka, Toomas

2005-01-01

Chronic diseases do not only manifest themselves as sets of pathophysiological factors. They bring about an equally important psychosocial impact. Unfortunately, it is difficult to account for this impact in the development of supportive technologies. This study describes and explores a method for elicitation of requirements on technologies supporting self-management including emotional aspects. The method takes advantage of a self-documentary media kit for collection of data from the everyday context of chronic disease. The resulting contextual data can contribute new insights to multi-disciplinary teams in the design of supporting technologies.

Recovery based on spirituality in substance abusers in Iran.

PubMed

Shamsalina, Abbas; Norouzi, Kiyan; Fallahi Khoshknab, Masoud; Farhoudiyan, Ali

2014-07-29

Spirituality is an important factor influencing the decrease of substance abuse severity and maintenance of the recovery phase. This research, investigates the effect of spiritual experiences in the recovery of substance abusers. Qualitative data was collected from 16 men and 6 women, selected through purposeful sampling to ensure an equilibrated gender representation and data from different recovery periods. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews. Data showed two main categories: "Mutual relationship between spirituality and recovery," divided into four subcategories: religious background, religious teachings, experience exchange, and support of family and society; and "A new perspective toward life" subdivided into access to calmness and spiritual development. A factor "spirituality meaning religion" arose repeatedly throughout the study. The results of this study can be useful for policy makers, care providers, families, and drug addicts. The promotion of spirituality in substance abusers can help in their struggle with temptation. Effective strategies to ensure drug abstinence and maintenance of the recovery phase are encouraging substance abusers and their families to participate in spirituality-based psychotherapy sessions held in addiction treatment centers, multi-disciplinary cooperation among the organizations involved in the addiction phenomenon, and training the families regarding the importance of spirituality in the mental health of their children through mass media.

A rank-based Prediction Algorithm of Learning User's Intention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Jie; Gao, Ying; Chen, Cang; Gong, HaiPing

Internet search has become an important part in people's daily life. People can find many types of information to meet different needs through search engines on the Internet. There are two issues for the current search engines: first, the users should predetermine the types of information they want and then change to the appropriate types of search engine interfaces. Second, most search engines can support multiple kinds of search functions, each function has its own separate search interface. While users need different types of information, they must switch between different interfaces. In practice, most queries are corresponding to various types of information results. These queries can search the relevant results in various search engines, such as query "Palace" contains the websites about the introduction of the National Palace Museum, blog, Wikipedia, some pictures and video information. This paper presents a new aggregative algorithm for all kinds of search results. It can filter and sort the search results by learning three aspects about the query words, search results and search history logs to achieve the purpose of detecting user's intention. Experiments demonstrate that this rank-based method for multi-types of search results is effective. It can meet the user's search needs well, enhance user's satisfaction, provide an effective and rational model for optimizing search engines and improve user's search experience.

Fast, Statistical Model of Surface Roughness for Ion-Solid Interaction Simulations and Efficient Code Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drobny, Jon; Curreli, Davide; Ruzic, David; Lasa, Ane; Green, David; Canik, John; Younkin, Tim; Blondel, Sophie; Wirth, Brian

2017-10-01

Surface roughness greatly impacts material erosion, and thus plays an important role in Plasma-Surface Interactions. Developing strategies for efficiently introducing rough surfaces into ion-solid interaction codes will be an important step towards whole-device modeling of plasma devices and future fusion reactors such as ITER. Fractal TRIDYN (F-TRIDYN) is an upgraded version of the Monte Carlo, BCA program TRIDYN developed for this purpose that includes an explicit fractal model of surface roughness and extended input and output options for file-based code coupling. Code coupling with both plasma and material codes has been achieved and allows for multi-scale, whole-device modeling of plasma experiments. These code coupling results will be presented. F-TRIDYN has been further upgraded with an alternative, statistical model of surface roughness. The statistical model is significantly faster than and compares favorably to the fractal model. Additionally, the statistical model compares well to alternative computational surface roughness models and experiments. Theoretical links between the fractal and statistical models are made, and further connections to experimental measurements of surface roughness are explored. This work was supported by the PSI-SciDAC Project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through contract DOE-DE-SC0008658.

Service user experiences of REFOCUS: a process evaluation of a pro-recovery complex intervention.

PubMed

Wallace, Genevieve; Bird, Victoria; Leamy, Mary; Bacon, Faye; Le Boutillier, Clair; Janosik, Monika; MacPherson, Rob; Williams, Julie; Slade, Mike

2016-09-01

Policy is increasingly focused on implementing a recovery-orientation within mental health services, yet the subjective experience of individuals receiving a pro-recovery intervention is under-studied. The aim of this study was to explore the service user experience of receiving a complex, pro-recovery intervention (REFOCUS), which aimed to encourage the use of recovery-supporting tools and support recovery-promoting relationships. Interviews (n = 24) and two focus groups (n = 13) were conducted as part of a process evaluation and included a purposive sample of service users who received the complex, pro-recovery intervention within the REFOCUS randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN02507940). Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Participants reported that the intervention supported the development of an open and collaborative relationship with staff, with new conversations around values, strengths and goals. This was experienced as hope-inspiring and empowering. However, others described how the recovery tools were used without context, meaning participants were unclear of their purpose and did not see their benefit. During the interviews, some individuals struggled to report any new tasks or conversations occurring during the intervention. Recovery-supporting tools can support the development of a recovery-promoting relationship, which can contribute to positive outcomes for individuals. The tools should be used in a collaborative and flexible manner. Information exchanged around values, strengths and goals should be used in care-planning. As some service users struggled to report their experience of the intervention, alternative evaluation approaches need to be considered if the service user experience is to be fully captured.

Strengthening Indonesia's health workforce through partnerships.

PubMed

Kurniati, A; Rosskam, E; Afzal, M M; Suryowinoto, T B; Mukti, A G

2015-09-01

Indonesia faces critical challenges pertaining to human resources for health (HRH). These relate to HRH policy, planning, mismatch between production and demand, quality, renumeration, and mal-distribution. This paper provides a state of the art review of the existing conditions in Indonesia, innovations to tackle the problems, results of the innovations to date, and a picture of the on-going challenges that have yet to be met. Reversing this crisis level shortage of HRH requires an inclusive approach to address the underlying challenges. In 2010 the government initiated multi-stakeholder coordination for HRH, using the Country Coordination and Facilitation approach. The process requires committed engagement and coordination of relevant stakeholders to address priority health needs. This manuscript is a formative evaluation of the program using documentary study and analysis. Consistent with Indonesia's decentralized health system, since 2011 local governments also started establishing provincial multi-stakeholder committees and working groups for HRH development. Through this multi-stakeholder approach with high level government support and leadership, Indonesia was able to carry out HRH planning by engaging 164 stakeholders. Multi-stakeholder coordination has produced positive results in Indonesia by bringing about a number of innovations in HRH development to achieve UHC, fostered partnerships, attracted international attention, and galvanized multi-stakeholder support in improving the HRH situation. This approach also has facilitated mobilizing technical and financial support from domestic and international partners for HRH development. Applying the multi-stakeholder engagement and coordination process in Indonesia has proved instrumental in advancing the country's work to achieve Universal Health Coverage and the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Indonesia continues to face an HRH crisis but the collaborative process provides an opportunity to achieve results. Indonesia's experience indicates that irrespective of geographical or economic status, countries can benefit from multi-stakeholder coordination and engagement to increase access to health workers, strengthen health systems, as well as achieve and sustain UHC. Copyright © 2015 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Results Not Typical: One Latino Family's Experiences in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jimenez-Silva, Margarita; Jimenez Hernandez, Norma V.; Luevanos, Ruth; Jimenez, Dulcemonica; Jimenez, Abel, Jr.

2009-01-01

In this narrative, five adult siblings bring their voices together to tell the stories of their interwoven college experiences--how they influenced, supported, and relied on one another and other family members. As the stories unfold, they reveal the strengths of the familial ties that provide meaning and purpose to the college experience, the…

The Perceived Undergraduate Classroom Experiences of African American Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Kimberly Monique

2013-01-01

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore African-American women's perceptions of undergraduate STEM classroom experiences, and the ways in which those experiences have supported or hindered their persistence in physics majors. The major research question guiding this study was: How do African-American women perceive the climate and…

Building tobacco control research in Thailand: meeting the need for innovative change in Asia.

PubMed

Hamann, Stephen L; Mock, Jeremiah; Hense, Sibasis; Charoenca, Naowarut; Kungskulniti, Nipapun

2012-01-28

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the past two decades locally relevant tobacco control research has been scant. Experience shows that tobacco control measures should be based on sound research findings to ensure that measures are appropriate for local conditions and that they are likely to have an impact. Research should also be integrated within tobacco control measures to ensure ongoing learning and the production of knowledge. Thailand, a middle-income country, has a public health community with a record of successful tobacco control and a longstanding commitment to research. Thailand's comprehensive approach includes taxation; bans on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; smoke-free areas; graphic cigarette pack warnings; social marketing campaigns; cessation counseling; and an established tobacco control research program. The purpose of this study was to document and analyze the development of tobacco control research capacity in Thailand and the impact of research on Thai tobacco control measures. We used mixed methods including review of historical documentation and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key members of Thailand's tobacco control community, and an analysis of research productivity. In Thailand, tobacco control research has evolved through three phases: (1) discovery of the value of research in the policymaking arena, (2) development of a structure to support research capacity building through international collaborations supported by foreign funding agencies, and (3) delivery of locally relevant research made possible largely through substantial stable funding from a domestic health promotion foundation. Over two decades, Thai tobacco control advocates have constructed five steppingstones to success: (1) adapting foreign research to inform policymaking and lobbying for more support for domestic research; (2) attracting foreign funding agencies to support small-scale research and capacity building; (3) participating in multi-country research and capacity building programs; (4) using collaborative experiences to demonstrate the need for domestic support of locally relevant research; and (5) maintaining an unwavering commitment to research while being vigilant to ensure continued research support. The evolution of tobacco control research in Thailand provides examples of steppingstones that LMICs may be able to use to construct their own tobacco control research pathways.

Building tobacco control research in Thailand: meeting the need for innovative change in Asia

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Introduction In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) over the past two decades locally relevant tobacco control research has been scant. Experience shows that tobacco control measures should be based on sound research findings to ensure that measures are appropriate for local conditions and that they are likely to have an impact. Research should also be integrated within tobacco control measures to ensure ongoing learning and the production of knowledge. Thailand, a middle-income country, has a public health community with a record of successful tobacco control and a longstanding commitment to research. Thailand's comprehensive approach includes taxation; bans on tobacco advertising, sponsorship and promotion; smoke-free areas; graphic cigarette pack warnings; social marketing campaigns; cessation counseling; and an established tobacco control research program. The purpose of this study was to document and analyze the development of tobacco control research capacity in Thailand and the impact of research on Thai tobacco control measures. Method We used mixed methods including review of historical documentation and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key members of Thailand's tobacco control community, and an analysis of research productivity. Findings In Thailand, tobacco control research has evolved through three phases: (1) discovery of the value of research in the policymaking arena, (2) development of a structure to support research capacity building through international collaborations supported by foreign funding agencies, and (3) delivery of locally relevant research made possible largely through substantial stable funding from a domestic health promotion foundation. Over two decades, Thai tobacco control advocates have constructed five steppingstones to success: (1) adapting foreign research to inform policymaking and lobbying for more support for domestic research; (2) attracting foreign funding agencies to support small-scale research and capacity building; (3) participating in multi-country research and capacity building programs; (4) using collaborative experiences to demonstrate the need for domestic support of locally relevant research; and (5) maintaining an unwavering commitment to research while being vigilant to ensure continued research support. Conclusion The evolution of tobacco control research in Thailand provides examples of steppingstones that LMICs may be able to use to construct their own tobacco control research pathways. PMID:22284811

Extraction and Analysis of Major Autumn Crops in Jingxian County Based on Multi - Temporal gf - 1 Remote Sensing Image and Object-Oriented

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, B.; Wen, Q.; Zhou, H.; Guan, F.; Li, L.; Yu, H.; Wang, Z.

2018-04-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide decision support for the adjustment and optimization of crop planting structure in Jingxian County. The object-oriented information extraction method is used to extract corn and cotton from Jingxian County of Hengshui City in Hebei Province, based on multi-period GF-1 16-meter images. The best time of data extraction was screened by analyzing the spectral characteristics of corn and cotton at different growth stages based on multi-period GF-116-meter images, phenological data, and field survey data. The results showed that the total classification accuracy of corn and cotton was up to 95.7 %, the producer accuracy was 96 % and 94 % respectively, and the user precision was 95.05 % and 95.9 % respectively, which satisfied the demand of crop monitoring application. Therefore, combined with multi-period high-resolution images and object-oriented classification can be a good extraction of large-scale distribution of crop information for crop monitoring to provide convenient and effective technical means.

APGEN Scheduling: 15 Years of Experience in Planning Automation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maldague, Pierre F.; Wissler, Steve; Lenda, Matthew; Finnerty, Daniel

2014-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the scheduling capability of APGEN (Activity Plan Generator), a multi-mission planning application that is part of the NASA AMMOS (Advanced Multi- Mission Operations System), and how APGEN scheduling evolved over its applications to specific Space Missions. Our analysis identifies two major reasons for the successful application of APGEN scheduling to real problems: an expressive DSL (Domain-Specific Language) for formulating scheduling algorithms, and a well-defined process for enlisting the help of auxiliary modeling tools in providing high-fidelity, system-level simulations of the combined spacecraft and ground support system.

Camouflage target reconnaissance based on hyperspectral imaging technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Wenshen; Guo, Tong; Liu, Xun

2015-08-01

Efficient camouflaged target reconnaissance technology makes great influence on modern warfare. Hyperspectral images can provide large spectral range and high spectral resolution, which are invaluable in discriminating between camouflaged targets and backgrounds. Hyperspectral target detection and classification technology are utilized to achieve single class and multi-class camouflaged targets reconnaissance respectively. Constrained energy minimization (CEM), a widely used algorithm in hyperspectral target detection, is employed to achieve one class camouflage target reconnaissance. Then, support vector machine (SVM), a classification method, is proposed to achieve multi-class camouflage target reconnaissance. Experiments have been conducted to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.

The social well-being of nurses shows a thirst for a holistic support: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Mozaffari, Naser; Peyrovi, Hamid; Nayeri, Nahid Dehghan

2015-01-01

Social well-being is one of the important aspects of health. In fact, this is a reflection of experience in a social environment, indicating how social challenges are determined. In other words, social well-being is an explanation of people's perception and experience of being in a good situation, satisfaction with the structure, and social interaction. This qualitative study intended to explore nurses' experience of social well-being. Qualitative content analysis was used to conduct the study. Through purposive sampling, a total of 18 nurses with various clinical experiences participated in semi-structured interviews. The data were analysed using the five-step, qualitative content analysis introduced by Graneheim and Lundman. The main theme extracted from the data analysis was "thirst for a holistic support" in nurses. It consisted of two subthemes including internal support (family's support, colleague's support, and organizational support) and external support (society's support and media's support). Nurses' experiences in shaping their social well-being show that nurses need support in order to rebuild their social well-being. It is supported in partnership with the media, the community, health-related organizations, and by nurses and family. This improves job satisfaction, hope, motivation, commitment, and confidence so as to ultimately facilitate improvement of social well-being of nurses.

Testing a model of componential processing of multi-symbol numbers-evidence from measurement units.

PubMed

Huber, Stefan; Bahnmueller, Julia; Klein, Elise; Moeller, Korbinian

2015-10-01

Research on numerical cognition has addressed the processing of nonsymbolic quantities and symbolic digits extensively. However, magnitude processing of measurement units is still a neglected topic in numerical cognition research. Hence, we investigated the processing of measurement units to evaluate whether typical effects of multi-digit number processing such as the compatibility effect, the string length congruity effect, and the distance effect are also present for measurement units. In three experiments, participants had to single out the larger one of two physical quantities (e.g., lengths). In Experiment 1, the compatibility of number and measurement unit (compatible: 3 mm_6 cm with 3 < 6 and mm < cm; incompatible: 3 cm_6 mm with 3 < 6 but cm > mm) as well as string length congruity (congruent: 1 m_2 km with m < km and 2 < 3 characters; incongruent: 2 mm_1 m with mm < m, but 3 > 2 characters) were manipulated. We observed reliable compatibility effects with prolonged reaction times (RT) for incompatible trials. Moreover, a string length congruity effect was present in RT with longer RT for incongruent trials. Experiments 2 and 3 served as control experiments showing that compatibility effects persist when controlling for holistic distance and that a distance effect for measurement units exists. Our findings indicate that numbers and measurement units are processed in a componential manner and thus highlight that processing characteristics of multi-digit numbers generalize to measurement units. Thereby, our data lend further support to the recently proposed generalized model of componential multi-symbol number processing.

m2-ABKS: Attribute-Based Multi-Keyword Search over Encrypted Personal Health Records in Multi-Owner Setting.

PubMed

Miao, Yinbin; Ma, Jianfeng; Liu, Ximeng; Wei, Fushan; Liu, Zhiquan; Wang, Xu An

2016-11-01

Online personal health record (PHR) is more inclined to shift data storage and search operations to cloud server so as to enjoy the elastic resources and lessen computational burden in cloud storage. As multiple patients' data is always stored in the cloud server simultaneously, it is a challenge to guarantee the confidentiality of PHR data and allow data users to search encrypted data in an efficient and privacy-preserving way. To this end, we design a secure cryptographic primitive called as attribute-based multi-keyword search over encrypted personal health records in multi-owner setting to support both fine-grained access control and multi-keyword search via Ciphertext-Policy Attribute-Based Encryption. Formal security analysis proves our scheme is selectively secure against chosen-keyword attack. As a further contribution, we conduct empirical experiments over real-world dataset to show its feasibility and practicality in a broad range of actual scenarios without incurring additional computational burden.

Analysis of In-Space Assembly of Modular Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, Robert W.; VanLaak, James; Johnson, Spencer L.; Chytka, Trina M.; Reeves, John D.; Todd, B. Keith; Moe, Rud V.; Stambolian, Damon B.

2005-01-01

Early system-level life cycle assessments facilitate cost effective optimization of system architectures to enable implementation of both modularity and in-space assembly, two key Exploration Systems Research & Technology (ESR&T) Strategic Challenges. Experiences with the International Space Station (ISS) demonstrate that the absence of this rigorous analysis can result in increased cost and operational risk. An effort is underway, called Analysis of In-Space Assembly of Modular Systems, to produce an innovative analytical methodology, including an evolved analysis toolset and proven processes in a collaborative engineering environment, to support the design and evaluation of proposed concepts. The unique aspect of this work is that it will produce the toolset, techniques and initial products to analyze and compare the detailed, life cycle costs and performance of different implementations of modularity for in-space assembly. A multi-Center team consisting of experienced personnel from the Langley Research Center, Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and the Goddard Space Flight Center has been formed to bring their resources and experience to this development. At the end of this 30-month effort, the toolset will be ready to support the Exploration Program with an integrated assessment strategy that embodies all life-cycle aspects of the mission from design and manufacturing through operations to enable early and timely selection of an optimum solution among many competing alternatives. Already there are many different designs for crewed missions to the Moon that present competing views of modularity requiring some in-space assembly. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the approach for scoring competing designs.

Teachers' Experiences with Middle-Level Mathematics Coaches

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Bernard Emmanuel

2013-01-01

Many school districts have provided support to middle school mathematics teachers who face challenges involving delivery of instruction by hiring instructional mathematics coaches. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences between classroom mathematics middle school teachers and their instructional coach, and to…

Forgotten grievers: an exploration of the grief experiences of bereaved grandparents.

PubMed

Gilrane-McGarry, Ursula; O Grady, Tom

2011-04-01

Current knowledge about bereavement has been derived mostly from the experiences of spouses, parents, and children. There is a paucity of studies on the grief of grandparents. The aims of this Irish national study were to identify and describe the bereavement experiences of grandparents following the death of a grandchild and to explore their needs and supports throughout this experience. A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed. A multi-pronged sampling strategy was adopted. Seventeen people participated in in-depth interviews. The data was subjected to thematic field analysis through NVivo. The small body of literature generally claims that grandparents experience 'double pain', meaning that they concurrently experience feelings of loss for their grandchild and pain associated with their own child's grief. However, this study found that grandparents experience 'cumulative pain'. That is, in addition to double pain, they also experience pain from other sources. There is a need for the complexity and intensity of the grief felt by bereaved grandparents to be recognized, acknowledged, and supported by health professionals and society in general.

A Decision Support System For The Real-Time Allocation Of The Water Resource Of The Tarim River Basin, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, J.; Wang, G.; Liu, R.

2008-12-01

The Tarim River Basin is the longest inland river in China. Due to water scarcity, ecologically-fragile is becoming a significant constraint to sustainable development in this region. To effectively manage the limited water resources for ecological purposes and for conventional water utilization purposes, a real-time water resources allocation Decision Support System (DSS) has been developed. Based on workflows of the water resources regulations and comprehensive analysis of the efficiency and feasibility of water management strategies, the DSS includes information systems that perform data acquisition, management and visualization, and model systems that perform hydrological forecast, water demand prediction, flow routing simulation and water resources optimization of the hydrological and water utilization process. An optimization and process control strategy is employed to dynamically allocate the water resources among the different stakeholders. The competitive targets and constraints are taken into considered by multi-objective optimization and with different priorities. The DSS of the Tarim River Basin has been developed and been successfully utilized to support the water resources management of the Tarim River Basin since 2005.

Initial performance studies of a general-purpose detector for multi-TeV physics at a 100 TeV pp collider

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

Chekanov, S. V.; Beydler, M.; Kotwal, A. V.

This paper describes simulations of detector response to multi-TeV physics at the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh) or Super proton-proton Collider (SppC) which aim to collide proton beams with a centre-of-mass energy of 100 TeV. The unprecedented energy regime of these future experiments imposes new requirements on detector technologies which can be studied using the detailed GEANT4 simulations presented in this paper. The initial performance of a detector designed for physics studies at the FCC-hh or SppC experiments is described with an emphasis on measurements of single particles up to 33 TeV in transverse momentum. The reconstruction of hadronic jets hasmore » also been studied in the transverse momentum range from 50 GeV to 26 TeV. The granularity requirements for calorimetry are investigated using the two-particle spatial resolution achieved for hadron showers.« less

A mixed methods study of peer-to-peer support in a group-based lifestyle intervention for adults with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Naslund, John A; Bartels, Stephen J

2016-12-01

There is potential for peer support to enhance healthy lifestyle interventions targeting changes in body weight and fitness for adults with serious mental illness. The purpose of this study was to explore peer-to-peer support among individuals participating in a group lifestyle intervention that included social media to enhance in-person weight management sessions. A mixed methods study design was used to explore participants' perceptions and experiences of support from other group members during a 6-month group lifestyle intervention. Twenty-five individuals with serious mental illness reported their perceptions of the peer group environment and social support during the intervention. Seventeen of these individuals also participated in focus group interviews further exploring their experiences with group members. More than 80% of participants agreed that other group members were trustworthy and dependable, and 92% reported a high level of shared purpose and active participation in the group. Participants described how shared learning and group problem-solving activities fostered friendships and provided essential support for health behavior change. Sharing information, personal successes and challenges, and "being in the same boat" as other group members were key features of peer-to-peer support. Findings from this exploratory study suggest that participants enrolled in a group-based lifestyle intervention for people with serious mental illness experience peer-to-peer support in various ways that promote health behavior change. These findings highlight opportunities to enhance future lifestyle interventions with collaborative learning and social network technologies that foster peer support among participants. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Multi-Perspective Indexing of Diverse Spatial Characteristics of an Outdoor Field toward Redesigning of Real-World Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okada, Masaya; Tada, Masahiro

2014-01-01

Real-world learning is important because it encourages learners to obtain knowledge through various experiences. To design effective real-world learning, it is necessary to analyze the diverse learning activities that occur in real-world learning and to develop effective strategies for learning support. By inventing the technologies of multimodal…

Experiences of Peer Evaluation of the Leicester Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleming, Jennie; Chong, Hannah Goodman; Skinner, Alison

2009-01-01

The Centre for Social Action was commissioned by the Leicester City Council to evaluate its Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Strategy. This was a multi-stage project with a central element of consulting with young people. This article outlines the process that was followed in order to recruit, train and support young people through the process of…

NASA and ESA Partnership on the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle Service Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Kathleen E.; Grantier, Julie A.

2012-01-01

(1) ESA decided in its Council Meeting in March 2011 to partially offset the European ISS obligations after 2015 with different means than ATVs; (2) The envisioned approach is based on a barter element(s) that would generate cost avoidance on the NASA side; (3) NASA and ESA considered a number of Barter options, NASA concluded that the provision by ESA of the Service Module for the NASA Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) was the barter with the most interest;. (4) A joint ESA - NASA working group was established in May 2011 to assess the feasibility of Europe developing this Module based on ATV heritage; (5)The working group was supported by European and US industry namely Astrium, TAS-I and Lockheed-Martin; and (6) The project is currently in phase B1 with the objective to prepare a technical and programmatic proposal for an ESA MPCV-SM development. This proposal will be one element of the package that ESA plans submit to go forward for approval by European Ministers in November 2012.

CRYogenic Orbital TEstbed Ground Test Article Thermal Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piryk, David; Schallhorn, Paul; Walls, Laurie; Stopnitzky, Benny; Rhys, Noah; Wollen, Mark

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to anchor thermal and fluid system models to CRYOTE ground test data. The CRYOTE ground test artide was jointly developed by Innovative Engineering Solutions, United Launch Alliance and NASA KSC. The test article was constructed out of a titanium alloy tank, Sapphire 77 composite skin (similar to G10), an external secondary payload adapter ring, thermal vent system, multi layer insulation and various data acquisition instrumentation. In efforts to understand heat loads throughout this system, the GTA (filled with liquid nitrogen for safety purposes) was subjected to a series of tests in a vacuum chamber at Marshall Space Flight Center. By anchoring analytical models against test data, higher fidelity thermal environment predictions can be made for future flight articles which would eventually demonstrate critical cryogenic fluid management technologies such as system chilldown, transfer, pressure control and long term storage. Significant factors that influenced heat loads included radiative environments, multi-layer insulation performance, tank fill levels and pressures and even contact conductance coefficients. This report demonstrates how analytical thermal/fluid networks were established and includes supporting rationale for specific thermal responses.

The Unified Database for BM@N experiment data handling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gertsenberger, Konstantin; Rogachevsky, Oleg

2018-04-01

The article describes the developed Unified Database designed as a comprehensive relational data storage for the BM@N experiment at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. The BM@N experiment, which is one of the main elements of the first stage of the NICA project, is a fixed target experiment at extracted Nuclotron beams of the Laboratory of High Energy Physics (LHEP JINR). The structure and purposes of the BM@N setup are briefly presented. The article considers the scheme of the Unified Database, its attributes and implemented features in detail. The use of the developed BM@N database provides correct multi-user access to actual information of the experiment for data processing. It stores information on the experiment runs, detectors and their geometries, different configuration, calibration and algorithm parameters used in offline data processing. An important part of any database - user interfaces are presented.

Instructional Effects of a Performance Support System Designed to Guide Preservice Teachers in Developing Technology Integration Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kalota, Faisal; Hung, Wei-Chen

2013-01-01

The purpose of this formative evaluation was to investigate the experiences of preservice teachers utilizing performance support system (PSS) technology to develop knowledge related to classroom technology integration. A PSS provides end users just-in-time support to perform various tasks. Because teachers have time constraints, a PSS can be used…

A Study of 10 States since Passage of the National Family Caregiver Support Program: Policies, Perceptions, and Program Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feinberg, Lynn Friss; Newman, Sandra L.

2004-01-01

Purpose: This study describes the preliminary experiences of 10 states in providing support services to family or informal caregivers of elderly adults and adults with disabilities; it focuses on the newly created National Family Caregiver Support Program, state general funds, Medicaid-waiver programs, and other state-funding streams. Design and…

SU-E-T-626: Accuracy of Dose Calculation Algorithms in MultiPlan Treatment Planning System in Presence of Heterogeneities

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

Moignier, C; Huet, C; Barraux, V

Purpose: Advanced stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) treatments require accurate dose calculation for treatment planning especially for treatment sites involving heterogeneous patient anatomy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of dose calculation algorithms, Raytracing and Monte Carlo (MC), implemented in the MultiPlan treatment planning system (TPS) in presence of heterogeneities. Methods: First, the LINAC of a CyberKnife radiotherapy facility was modeled with the PENELOPE MC code. A protocol for the measurement of dose distributions with EBT3 films was established and validated thanks to comparison between experimental dose distributions and calculated dose distributions obtained with MultiPlan Raytracing and MCmore » algorithms as well as with the PENELOPE MC model for treatments planned with the homogenous Easycube phantom. Finally, bones and lungs inserts were used to set up a heterogeneous Easycube phantom. Treatment plans with the 10, 7.5 or the 5 mm field sizes were generated in Multiplan TPS with different tumor localizations (in the lung and at the lung/bone/soft tissue interface). Experimental dose distributions were compared to the PENELOPE MC and Multiplan calculations using the gamma index method. Results: Regarding the experiment in the homogenous phantom, 100% of the points passed for the 3%/3mm tolerance criteria. These criteria include the global error of the method (CT-scan resolution, EBT3 dosimetry, LINAC positionning …), and were used afterwards to estimate the accuracy of the MultiPlan algorithms in heterogeneous media. Comparison of the dose distributions obtained in the heterogeneous phantom is in progress. Conclusion: This work has led to the development of numerical and experimental dosimetric tools for small beam dosimetry. Raytracing and MC algorithms implemented in MultiPlan TPS were evaluated in heterogeneous media.« less

Coach Autonomy Support, Basic Need Satisfaction, and Intrinsic Motivation of Paralympic Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banack, Hailey R.; Sabiston, Catherine M.; Bloom, Gordon A.

2011-01-01

The purpose of the present study, grounded in self-determination theory, was to explore the relationship between Paralympic athletes' perceptions of autonomy-supportive coach behavior, basic psychological needs, and intrinsic motivation to know, accomplish, and experience stimulation. One hundred thirteen Canadian Paralympic athletes completed an…

Relationship-Based Developmentally Supportive Approach to Infant Childcare Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yunhee

2016-01-01

Caregivers' warm, sensitive, and attentive interactions with their children have been widely considered key indicators of infant-caregiver interaction quality in childcare contexts. The primary purpose of this study was to explore infant's daily experiences and the characteristics of relationship-based supportive care practices in a childcare…

A Phenomenological Study of Parents' Involvement in Mathematics Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Delbridge, Natalie H.

2013-01-01

Many areas of support are needed when educating children and youth in mathematics education. One of the untapped areas is that of parental support and involvement. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to describe the "lived" experiences of parental involvement in their children's mathematics home instruction through individual…

Designing to Support Critical Engagement with Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gresalfi, Melissa Sommerfeld

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a trajectory of designing for particular forms of engagement with mathematics. The forms of engagement that were targeted through these design experiments involved making intentional choices about which procedures to leverage in order to support particular claims (what I call "critical…

Fostering SMART partnerships to develop an effective continuum of behavioral health services and supports in schools.

PubMed

Bruns, Eric J; Duong, Mylien T; Lyon, Aaron R; Pullmann, Michael D; Cook, Clayton R; Cheney, Douglas; McCauley, Elizabeth

2016-03-01

The education sector offers compelling opportunities to address the shortcomings of traditional mental health delivery systems and to prevent and treat youth mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) problems. Recognizing that social and emotional wellness is intrinsically related to academic success, schools are moving to adopt multi-tier frameworks based on the public health model that provide a continuum of services to all children, including services to address both academic and MEB problems. In this article, we review the potential value of multi-tier frameworks in facilitating access to, and increasing the effectiveness of, mental health services in schools, and review the empirical support for school-based mental health interventions by tier. We go on to describe a community-academic partnership between the Seattle Public Schools and the University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center that exemplifies how multi-tier educational frameworks, research and evidence, and purposeful collaboration can combine to improve development and implementation of a range of school-based strategies focused on MEB needs of students. Finally, we present a set of 10 recommendations that may help guide other research and practice improvement efforts to address MEB problems in youth through effective school mental health programming. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Fostering SMART Partnerships to Develop an Effective Continuum of Behavioral Health Services and Supports in Schools

PubMed Central

Bruns, Eric J.; Duong, Mylien T.; Lyon, Aaron R.; Pullmann, Michael D.; Cook, Clayton R.; Cheney, Douglas; McCauley, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The education sector offers compelling opportunities to address the shortcomings of traditional mental health delivery systems and to prevent and treat youth mental, emotional, and behavioral (MEB) problems. Recognizing that social and emotional wellness is intrinsically related to academic success, schools are moving to adopt multi-tier frameworks based on the public health model that provide a continuum of services to all children, including services to address both academic and MEB problems. In this paper, we review the potential value of multi-tier frameworks in facilitating access to, and increasing the effectiveness of, mental health services in schools and review the empirical support for school-based mental health interventions by tier. We go on to describe a community-academic partnership between the Seattle Public Schools and the University of Washington School Mental Health Assessment, Research, and Training (SMART) Center that exemplifies how multi-tier educational frameworks, research and evidence, and purposeful collaboration can combine to improve development and implementation of a range of school-based strategies focused on MEB needs of students. Finally, we present a set of 10 recommendations that may help guide other research and practice improvement efforts to address MEB problems in youth through effective school mental health programming. PMID:26963185

Multi-Purpose Tests: A Solution to Test Proliferation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Susan E.

This research, conducted for California State Department of Education, is one component of a feasibility study focusing on ways to make the testing process more efficient by application of multi-purpose tests (MPT). MPT are designed, administered and scored to serve more than one purpose and to consolidate and unify testing programs as a partial…

KSC-01pp1388

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-07-23

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- The Integrated Cargo Carrier is lowered into the payload canister in front of the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Leonardo. The ICC holds several payloads for mission STS-105, the Early Ammonia Servicer and two experiment containers. The canister will transport the MPLM and ICC transport to Launch Pad 39A where they will be placed in the payload bay of Space Shuttle Discovery. Launch of STS-105 is scheduled for 5:38 p.m. EDT Aug. 9

Multipurpose end-station for coherent diffraction imaging and scattering at FERMI@Elettra free-electron laser facility.

PubMed

Capotondi, Flavio; Pedersoli, Emanuele; Bencivenga, Filippo; Manfredda, Michele; Mahne, Nicola; Raimondi, Lorenzo; Svetina, Cristian; Zangrando, Marco; Demidovich, Alexander; Nikolov, Ivaylo; Danailov, Miltcho; Masciovecchio, Claudio; Kiskinova, Maya

2015-05-01

The Diffraction and Projection Imaging (DiProI) beamline at FERMI, the Elettra free-electron laser (FEL), hosts a multi-purpose station that has been opened to users since the end of 2012. This paper describes the core capabilities of the station, designed to make use of the unique features of the FERMI-FEL for performing a wide range of static and dynamic scattering experiments. The various schemes for time-resolved experiments, employing both soft X-ray FEL and seed laser IR radiation are presented by using selected recent results. The ongoing upgrade is adding a reflection geometry setup for scattering experiments, expanding the application fields by providing both high lateral and depth resolution.

Racial Discrimination and Psychological Wellbeing of Pregnant Women.

PubMed

Giurgescu, Carmen; Zenk, Shannon N; Engeland, Christopher G; Garfield, Lindsey; Templin, Thomas N

African American women are more likely to be exposed to racial discrimination and to experience psychological distress compared with white women. Although studies have shown that social support is positively related to psychological wellbeing, little is known about the potential buffering effect of social support on the relationship between racial discrimination and psychological wellbeing of pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to determine if social support moderates effects of racial discrimination on psychological wellbeing among pregnant African American women. Using a cross-sectional design, 107 African American women between 15 and 26 weeks gestation from an urban university-based midwifery practice completed questionnaires. Women who reported more experiences of racial discrimination also reported lower levels of social support and psychological wellbeing (p <.05). Maternal child nurses should be aware that experiences of racial discrimination have negative effects on psychological wellbeing of pregnant African American women regardless of their levels of social support. However, social support can reduce psychological distress and improve wellbeing of pregnant women. Therefore, nurses need to provide pregnant women with positive and supportive experiences that may improve their psychological wellbeing.

Teachers' Clinical Experiences and Attitudes toward Technology Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paganelli, Andrea Lynch

2010-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative multisite case study is to examine participants' attitudes toward technology, types of technology available for participant use, and the extent to which technology is used by preservice and mentor teachers during clinical experiences. Research supports the benefit of improved attitudes toward technology integration…

Flight Experiment Demonstration System (FEDS) analysis report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shank, D. E.

1986-01-01

The purpose of the Flight Experiment Demonstration System (FEDS) was to show, in a simulated spacecraft environment, the feasibility of using a microprocessor to automate the onboard orbit determination functions. The software and hardware configuration used to support FEDS during the demonstration and the results of the demonstration are discussed.

Internship Experiences for Aspiring Principals: Student Perceptions and Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christian, Ginger R.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative study was to investigate East Tennessee State University graduate student perceptions on the effectiveness of internship experiences as students explored the implementation of ISLLC Standards and the role of mentor support as they prepared for the principalship. The participating university for this study is…

Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) Cargo Heat Exchanger

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zampiceni, John J.; Harper, Lon T.

2002-01-01

This paper describes the New Shuttle Orbiter's Multi- Purpose Logistics Modulo (MPLM) Cargo Heat Exchanger (HX) and associated MPLM cooling system. This paper presents Heat Exchanger (HX) design and performance characteristics of the system.

Guidance for using mixed methods design in nursing practice research.

PubMed

Chiang-Hanisko, Lenny; Newman, David; Dyess, Susan; Piyakong, Duangporn; Liehr, Patricia

2016-08-01

The mixed methods approach purposefully combines both quantitative and qualitative techniques, enabling a multi-faceted understanding of nursing phenomena. The purpose of this article is to introduce three mixed methods designs (parallel; sequential; conversion) and highlight interpretive processes that occur with the synthesis of qualitative and quantitative findings. Real world examples of research studies conducted by the authors will demonstrate the processes leading to the merger of data. The examples include: research questions; data collection procedures and analysis with a focus on synthesizing findings. Based on experience with mixed methods studied, the authors introduce two synthesis patterns (complementary; contrasting), considering application for practice and implications for research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.