Two-dimensional dielectric nanosheets: novel nanoelectronics from nanocrystal building blocks.

PubMed

Osada, Minoru; Sasaki, Takayoshi

2012-01-10

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets, which possess atomic or molecular thickness and infinite planar lengths, are regarded as the thinnest functional nanomaterials. The recent development of methods for manipulating graphene (carbon nanosheet) has provided new possibilities and applications for 2D systems; many amazing functionalities such as high electron mobility and quantum Hall effects have been discovered. However, graphene is a conductor, and electronic technology also requires insulators, which are essential for many devices such as memories, capacitors, and gate dielectrics. Along with graphene, inorganic nanosheets have thus increasingly attracted fundamental research interest because they have the potential to be used as dielectric alternatives in next-generation nanoelectronics. Here, we review the progress made in the properties of dielectric nanosheets, highlighting emerging functionalities in electronic applications. We also present a perspective on the advantages offered by this class of materials for future nanoelectronics. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Long term stability of nanowire nanoelectronics in physiological environments.

PubMed

Zhou, Wei; Dai, Xiaochuan; Fu, Tian-Ming; Xie, Chong; Liu, Jia; Lieber, Charles M

2014-03-12

Nanowire nanoelectronic devices have been exploited as highly sensitive subcellular resolution detectors for recording extracellular and intracellular signals from cells, as well as from natural and engineered/cyborg tissues, and in this capacity open many opportunities for fundamental biological research and biomedical applications. Here we demonstrate the capability to take full advantage of the attractive capabilities of nanowire nanoelectronic devices for long term physiological studies by passivating the nanowire elements with ultrathin metal oxide shells. Studies of Si and Si/aluminum oxide (Al2O3) core/shell nanowires in physiological solutions at 37 °C demonstrate long-term stability extending for at least 100 days in samples coated with 10 nm thick Al2O3 shells. In addition, investigations of nanowires configured as field-effect transistors (FETs) demonstrate that the Si/Al2O3 core/shell nanowire FETs exhibit good device performance for at least 4 months in physiological model solutions at 37 °C. The generality of this approach was also tested with in studies of Ge/Si and InAs nanowires, where Ge/Si/Al2O3 and InAs/Al2O3 core/shell materials exhibited stability for at least 100 days in physiological model solutions at 37 °C. In addition, investigations of hafnium oxide-Al2O3 nanolaminated shells indicate the potential to extend nanowire stability well beyond 1 year time scale in vivo. These studies demonstrate that straightforward core/shell nanowire nanoelectronic devices can exhibit the long term stability needed for a range of chronic in vivo studies in animals as well as powerful biomedical implants that could improve monitoring and treatment of disease.

Long Term Stability of Nanowire Nanoelectronics in Physiological Environments

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Nanowire nanoelectronic devices have been exploited as highly sensitive subcellular resolution detectors for recording extracellular and intracellular signals from cells, as well as from natural and engineered/cyborg tissues, and in this capacity open many opportunities for fundamental biological research and biomedical applications. Here we demonstrate the capability to take full advantage of the attractive capabilities of nanowire nanoelectronic devices for long term physiological studies by passivating the nanowire elements with ultrathin metal oxide shells. Studies of Si and Si/aluminum oxide (Al2O3) core/shell nanowires in physiological solutions at 37 °C demonstrate long-term stability extending for at least 100 days in samples coated with 10 nm thick Al2O3 shells. In addition, investigations of nanowires configured as field-effect transistors (FETs) demonstrate that the Si/Al2O3 core/shell nanowire FETs exhibit good device performance for at least 4 months in physiological model solutions at 37 °C. The generality of this approach was also tested with in studies of Ge/Si and InAs nanowires, where Ge/Si/Al2O3 and InAs/Al2O3 core/shell materials exhibited stability for at least 100 days in physiological model solutions at 37 °C. In addition, investigations of hafnium oxide-Al2O3 nanolaminated shells indicate the potential to extend nanowire stability well beyond 1 year time scale in vivo. These studies demonstrate that straightforward core/shell nanowire nanoelectronic devices can exhibit the long term stability needed for a range of chronic in vivo studies in animals as well as powerful biomedical implants that could improve monitoring and treatment of disease. PMID:24479700

Single crystal diamond membranes for nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Bray, Kerem; Kato, Hiromitsu; Previdi, Rodolfo; Sandstrom, Russell; Ganesan, Kumaravelu; Ogura, Masahiko; Makino, Toshiharu; Yamasaki, Satoshi; Magyar, Andrew P; Toth, Milos; Aharonovich, Igor

2018-02-22

Single crystal, nanoscale diamond membranes are highly sought after for a variety of applications including nanophotonics, nanoelectronics and quantum information science. However, so far, the availability of conductive diamond membranes has remained an unreachable goal. In this work we present a complete nanofabrication methodology for engineering high aspect ratio, electrically active single crystal diamond membranes. The membranes have large lateral directions, exceeding ∼500 × 500 μm 2 and are only several hundreds of nanometers thick. We further realize vertical single crystal p-n junctions made from the diamond membranes that exhibit onset voltages of ∼10 V and a current of several mA. Moreover, we deterministically introduce optically active color centers into the membranes, and demonstrate for the first time a single crystal nanoscale diamond LED. The robust and scalable approach to engineer the electrically active single crystal diamond membranes offers new pathways for advanced nanophotonic, nanoelectronic and optomechanical devices employing diamond.

Condensed Matter Physics at ONR - A Nanoelectronics Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baatar, Chagaan

As a mission agency within the Department of Defense, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) currently does not have a program exclusively dedicated to condensed matter physics (CMP) research. Yet many CMP related topics are being funded under various programs scattered throughout the agency. In this talk I will provide an example of such a program - the ONR Nanoelectronics program, that I currently manage, and highlight some of the CMP related activities within the program. I may also mention a few topics that are funded by other ONR program officers. Finally, in addressing the theme of the session, I will describe the ONR Young Investigator Program (YIP) - its brief history, solicitation and evaluation processes involved, and provide a few examples from recent YIP projects.

Oxide nanoelectronics on demand.

PubMed

Cen, Cheng; Thiel, Stefan; Mannhart, Jochen; Levy, Jeremy

2009-02-20

Electronic confinement at nanoscale dimensions remains a central means of science and technology. We demonstrate nanoscale lateral confinement of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas at a lanthanum aluminate-strontium titanate interface. Control of this confinement using an atomic force microscope lithography technique enabled us to create tunnel junctions and field-effect transistors with characteristic dimensions as small as 2 nanometers. These electronic devices can be modified or erased without the need for complex lithographic procedures. Our on-demand nanoelectronics fabrication platform has the potential for widespread technological application.

Nanoelectronics and More-than-Moore at IMEC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cartuyvels, Rudi; Biesemans, Serge; Vandervorst, Wilfried; De Boeck, Jo

2011-11-01

This paper presents an overview of imec's R&D addressing the challenges of CMOS scaling towards the 10 nm node and its outlook beyond. In addition to the relentless geometrical shrinks, opportunities to further increase nanoelectronic system functionality and performance by co-integration and chip stacking technologies combined with emerging MEMS and optoelectronic technologies will be presented.

Toward Single Electron Nanoelectronics Using Self-Assembled DNA Structure.

PubMed

Tapio, Kosti; Leppiniemi, Jenni; Shen, Boxuan; Hytönen, Vesa P; Fritzsche, Wolfgang; Toppari, J Jussi

2016-11-09

DNA based structures offer an adaptable and robust way to develop customized nanostructures for various purposes in bionanotechnology. One main aim in this field is to develop a DNA nanobreadboard for a controllable attachment of nanoparticles or biomolecules to form specific nanoelectronic devices. Here we conjugate three gold nanoparticles on a defined size TX-tile assembly into a linear pattern to form nanometer scale isolated islands that could be utilized in a room temperature single electron transistor. To demonstrate this, conjugated structures were trapped using dielectrophoresis for current-voltage characterization. After trapping only high resistance behavior was observed. However, after extending the islands by chemical growth of gold, several structures exhibited Coulomb blockade behavior from 4.2 K up to room temperature, which gives a good indication that self-assembled DNA structures could be used for nanoelectronic patterning and single electron devices.

A model for the development of university curricula in nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruun, E.; Nielsen, I.

2010-12-01

Nanotechnology is having an increasing impact on university curricula in electrical engineering and in physics. Major influencers affecting developments in university programmes related to nanoelectronics are discussed and a model for university programme development is described. The model takes into account that nanotechnology affects not only physics but also electrical engineering and computer engineering because of the advent of new nanoelectronics devices. The model suggests that curriculum development tends to follow one of three major tracks: physics; electrical engineering; computer engineering. Examples of European curricula following this framework are identified and described. These examples may serve as sources of inspiration for future developments and the model presented may provide guidelines for a systematic selection of topics in the university programmes.

Oxide-based platform for reconfigurable superconducting nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Veazey, Joshua P; Cheng, Guanglei; Irvin, Patrick; Cen, Cheng; Bogorin, Daniela F; Bi, Feng; Huang, Mengchen; Bark, Chung-Wung; Ryu, Sangwoo; Cho, Kwang-Hwan; Eom, Chang-Beom; Levy, Jeremy

2013-09-20

We report quasi-1D superconductivity at the interface of LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. The material system and nanostructure fabrication method supply a new platform for superconducting nanoelectronics. Nanostructures having line widths w ~ 10 nm are formed from the parent two-dimensional electron liquid using conductive atomic force microscope lithography. Nanowire cross-sections are small compared to the superconducting coherence length in LaAlO3/SrTiO3, placing them in the quasi-1D regime. Broad superconducting transitions versus temperature and finite resistances in the superconducting state well below Tc ≈ 200 mK are observed, suggesting the presence of fluctuation- and heating-induced resistance. The superconducting resistances and V-I characteristics are tunable through the use of a back gate. Four-terminal resistances in the superconducting state show an unusual dependence on the current path, varying by as much as an order of magnitude. This new technology, i.e., the ability to 'write' gate-tunable superconducting nanostructures on an insulating LaAlO3/SrTiO3 'canvas', opens possibilities for the development of new families of reconfigurable superconducting nanoelectronics.

Computational nanoelectronics towards: design, analysis, synthesis, and fundamental limits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimeck, G.

2003-01-01

This seminar will review the development of a comprehensive nanoelectronic modeling tool (NEMO 1-D and NEMO 3-D) and its application to high-speed electronics (resonant tunneling diodes) and IR detectors and lasers (quantum dots and 1-D heterostructures).

Nanoparticle/nanotube-based nanoelectronic devices and chemically-directed assembly thereof

DOEpatents

Schmidt, Howard K [Cypress, TX

2011-02-22

According to some embodiments, the present invention provides a nanoelectronic device based on a nanostructure that may include a nanotube with first and second ends, a metallic nanoparticle attached to the first end, and an insulating nanoparticle attached to the second end. The nanoelectronic device may include additional nanostructures so a to form a plurality of nanostructures comprising the first nanostructure and the additional nanostructures. The plurality of nanostructures may arranged in a network comprising a plurality of edges and a plurality of vertices, wherein each edge comprises a nanotube and each vertex comprises at least one insulating nanoparticle and at least one metallic nanoparticle adjacent the insulating nanoparticle. The combination of at least one edge and at least one vertex comprises a diode. The device may be an optical rectenna.

Organizational and Pedagogical Fundamentals of Professional Training of Engineers in the Field of Nanoelectronics in UK Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mykhailiuk, Maryna

2014-01-01

The article deals with the organizational and pedagogical principles of the professional training of future nanoelectronics engineers in UK universities. There has been substantiated a number of general didactic and specific principles of the professional training of future nanoelectronics engineers, which facilitate the concretization of content,…

Sensors, nano-electronics and photonics for the Army of 2030 and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perconti, Philip; Alberts, W. C. K.; Bajaj, Jagmohan; Schuster, Jonathan; Reed, Meredith

2016-02-01

The US Army's future operating concept will rely heavily on sensors, nano-electronics and photonics technologies to rapidly develop situational understanding in challenging and complex environments. Recent technology breakthroughs in integrated 3D multiscale semiconductor modeling (from atoms-to-sensors), combined with ARL's Open Campus business model for collaborative research provide a unique opportunity to accelerate the adoption of new technology for reduced size, weight, power, and cost of Army equipment. This paper presents recent research efforts on multi-scale modeling at the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and proposes the establishment of a modeling consortium or center for semiconductor materials modeling. ARL's proposed Center for Semiconductor Materials Modeling brings together government, academia, and industry in a collaborative fashion to continuously push semiconductor research forward for the mutual benefit of all Army partners.

Creating Active Device Materials for Nanoelectronics Using Block Copolymer Lithography

PubMed Central

Morris, Michael A.

2017-01-01

The prolonged and aggressive nature of scaling to augment the performance of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and the technical challenges and costs associated with this has led to the study of alternative materials that can use processing schemes analogous to semiconductor manufacturing. We examine the status of recent efforts to develop active device elements using nontraditional lithography in this article, with a specific focus on block copolymer (BCP) feature patterning. An elegant route is demonstrated using directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs for the fabrication of aligned tungsten trioxide (WO3) nanowires towards nanoelectronic device application. The strategy described avoids conventional lithography practices such as optical patterning as well as repeated etching and deposition protocols and opens up a new approach for device development. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) silsesquioxane (SSQ)-based trenches were utilized in order to align a cylinder forming poly(styrene)-block-poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P4VP) BCP soft template. We outline WO3 nanowire fabrication using a spin-on process and the symmetric current-voltage characteristics of the resulting Ti/Au (5 nm/45 nm) contacted WO3 nanowires. The results highlight the simplicity of a solution-based approach that allows creating active device elements and controlling the chemistry of specific self-assembling building blocks. The process enables one to dictate nanoscale chemistry with an unprecedented level of sophistication, forging the way for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. We lastly outline views and future research studies towards improving the current platform to achieve the desired device performance. PMID:28973987

Creating Active Device Materials for Nanoelectronics Using Block Copolymer Lithography.

PubMed

Cummins, Cian; Bell, Alan P; Morris, Michael A

2017-09-30

The prolonged and aggressive nature of scaling to augment the performance of silicon integrated circuits (ICs) and the technical challenges and costs associated with this has led to the study of alternative materials that can use processing schemes analogous to semiconductor manufacturing. We examine the status of recent efforts to develop active device elements using nontraditional lithography in this article, with a specific focus on block copolymer (BCP) feature patterning. An elegant route is demonstrated using directed self-assembly (DSA) of BCPs for the fabrication of aligned tungsten trioxide (WO₃) nanowires towards nanoelectronic device application. The strategy described avoids conventional lithography practices such as optical patterning as well as repeated etching and deposition protocols and opens up a new approach for device development. Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) silsesquioxane (SSQ)-based trenches were utilized in order to align a cylinder forming poly(styrene)- block -poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PS- b -P4VP) BCP soft template. We outline WO₃ nanowire fabrication using a spin-on process and the symmetric current-voltage characteristics of the resulting Ti/Au (5 nm/45 nm) contacted WO₃ nanowires. The results highlight the simplicity of a solution-based approach that allows creating active device elements and controlling the chemistry of specific self-assembling building blocks. The process enables one to dictate nanoscale chemistry with an unprecedented level of sophistication, forging the way for next-generation nanoelectronic devices. We lastly outline views and future research studies towards improving the current platform to achieve the desired device performance.

A Model for the Development of University Curricula in Nanoelectronics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruun, E.; Nielsen, I.

2010-01-01

Nanotechnology is having an increasing impact on university curricula in electrical engineering and in physics. Major influencers affecting developments in university programmes related to nanoelectronics are discussed and a model for university programme development is described. The model takes into account that nanotechnology affects not only…

DNA-programmable multiplexing for scalable, renewable redox protein bio-nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Withey, Gary D; Kim, Jin Ho; Xu, Jimmy

2008-11-01

A universal, site-addressable DNA linking strategy is deployed for the programmable assembly of multifunctional, long-lasting redox protein nanoelectronic devices. This addressable linker, the first incorporated into a redox enzyme-nanoelectronic system, promotes versatility and renewability by allowing the reconfiguration and replacement of enzymes at will. The linker is transferable to all redox proteins due to the simple conjugation chemistry involved. The efficacy of this linking strategy is assessed using two model enzymes, glucose oxidase (GOx) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), self-assembled onto separate nanoelectrode regions comprised of a highly ordered carbon nanotube (CNT) array. The sequence-specificity of DNA hybridization provides the means of encoding spatial address to the self-assembling process that conjugates enzymes tagged with single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to the tips of designated CNTs functionalized with the complementary strands. In this study, we demonstrate the feasibility of multiplexed, scalable, reconfigurable and renewable transduction of redox protein signals by virtue of DNA addressing.

Open-Source Software for Modeling of Nanoelectronic Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oyafuso, Fabiano; Hua, Hook; Tisdale, Edwin; Hart, Don

2004-01-01

The Nanoelectronic Modeling 3-D (NEMO 3-D) computer program has been upgraded to open-source status through elimination of license-restricted components. The present version functions equivalently to the version reported in "Software for Numerical Modeling of Nanoelectronic Devices" (NPO-30520), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 27, No. 11 (November 2003), page 37. To recapitulate: NEMO 3-D performs numerical modeling of the electronic transport and structural properties of a semiconductor device that has overall dimensions of the order of tens of nanometers. The underlying mathematical model represents the quantum-mechanical behavior of the device resolved to the atomistic level of granularity. NEMO 3-D solves the applicable quantum matrix equation on a Beowulf-class cluster computer by use of a parallel-processing matrix vector multiplication algorithm coupled to a Lanczos and/or Rayleigh-Ritz algorithm that solves for eigenvalues. A prior upgrade of NEMO 3-D incorporated a capability for a strain treatment, parameterized for bulk material properties of GaAs and InAs, for two tight-binding submodels. NEMO 3-D has been demonstrated in atomistic analyses of effects of disorder in alloys and, in particular, in bulk In(x)Ga(1-x)As and in In(0.6)Ga(0.4)As quantum dots.

On-chip magnetic cooling of a nanoelectronic device.

PubMed

Bradley, D I; Guénault, A M; Gunnarsson, D; Haley, R P; Holt, S; Jones, A T; Pashkin, Yu A; Penttilä, J; Prance, J R; Prunnila, M; Roschier, L

2017-04-04

We demonstrate significant cooling of electrons in a nanostructure below 10 mK by demagnetisation of thin-film copper on a silicon chip. Our approach overcomes the typical bottleneck of weak electron-phonon scattering by coupling the electrons directly to a bath of refrigerated nuclei, rather than cooling via phonons in the host lattice. Consequently, weak electron-phonon scattering becomes an advant- age. It allows the electrons to be cooled for an experimentally useful period of time to temperatures colder than the dilution refrigerator platform, the incoming electrical connections, and the host lattice. There are efforts worldwide to reach sub-millikelvin electron temperatures in nanostructures to study coherent electronic phenomena and improve the operation of nanoelectronic devices. On-chip magnetic cooling is a promising approach to meet this challenge. The method can be used to reach low, local electron temperatures in other nanostructures, obviating the need to adapt traditional, large demagnetisation stages. We demonstrate the technique by applying it to a nanoelectronic primary thermometer that measures its internal electron temperature. Using an optimised demagnetisation process, we demonstrate cooling of the on-chip electrons from 9 mK to below 5 mK for over 1000 seconds.

On-chip magnetic cooling of a nanoelectronic device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, D. I.; Guénault, A. M.; Gunnarsson, D.; Haley, R. P.; Holt, S.; Jones, A. T.; Pashkin, Yu. A.; Penttilä, J.; Prance, J. R.; Prunnila, M.; Roschier, L.

2017-04-01

We demonstrate significant cooling of electrons in a nanostructure below 10 mK by demagnetisation of thin-film copper on a silicon chip. Our approach overcomes the typical bottleneck of weak electron-phonon scattering by coupling the electrons directly to a bath of refrigerated nuclei, rather than cooling via phonons in the host lattice. Consequently, weak electron-phonon scattering becomes an advant- age. It allows the electrons to be cooled for an experimentally useful period of time to temperatures colder than the dilution refrigerator platform, the incoming electrical connections, and the host lattice. There are efforts worldwide to reach sub-millikelvin electron temperatures in nanostructures to study coherent electronic phenomena and improve the operation of nanoelectronic devices. On-chip magnetic cooling is a promising approach to meet this challenge. The method can be used to reach low, local electron temperatures in other nanostructures, obviating the need to adapt traditional, large demagnetisation stages. We demonstrate the technique by applying it to a nanoelectronic primary thermometer that measures its internal electron temperature. Using an optimised demagnetisation process, we demonstrate cooling of the on-chip electrons from 9 mK to below 5 mK for over 1000 seconds.

Joining and interconnect formation of nanowires and carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics and nanosystems.

PubMed

Cui, Qingzhou; Gao, Fan; Mukherjee, Subhadeep; Gu, Zhiyong

2009-06-01

Interconnect formation is critical for the assembly and integration of nanocomponents to enable nanoelectronics- and nanosystems-related applications. Recent progress on joining and interconnect formation of key nanomaterials, especially nanowires and carbon nanotubes, into functional circuits and/or prototype devices is reviewed. The nanosoldering technique through nanoscale lead-free solders is discussed in more detail in this Review. Various strategies of fabricating lead-free nanosolders and the utilization of the nanosoldering technique to form functional solder joints are reviewed, and related challenges facing the nanosoldering technique are discussed. A perspective is given for using lead-free nanosolders and the nanosoldering technique for the construction of complex and/or hybrid nanoelectronics and nanosystems.

The impact of nanocontact on nanowire based nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Fu; Jian, Wen-Bin

2008-10-01

Nanowire-based nanoelectronic devices will be innovative electronic building blocks from bottom up. The reduced nanocontact area of nanowire devices magnifies the contribution of contact electrical properties. Although a lot of two-contact-based ZnO nanoelectronics have been demonstrated, the electrical properties bringing either from the nanocontacts or from the nanowires have not been considered yet. High quality ZnO nanowires with a small deviation and an average diameter of 38 nm were synthesized to fabricate more than thirty nanowire devices. According to temperature behaviors of current-voltage curves and resistances, the devices could be grouped into three types. Type I devices expose thermally activated transport in ZnO nanowires and they could be considered as two Ohmic nanocontacts of the Ti electrode contacting directly on the nanowire. For those nanowire devices having a high resistance at room temperatures, they can be fitted accurately with the thermionic-emission theory and classified into type II and III devices according to their rectifying and symmetrical current-voltage behaviors. The type II device has only one deteriorated nanocontact and the other one Ohmic contact on single ZnO nanowire. An insulating oxide layer with thickness less than 20 nm should be introduced to describe electron hopping in the nanocontacts, so as to signalize one- and high-dimensional hopping conduction in type II and III devices.

Nanocontact Disorder in Nanoelectronics for Modulation of Light and Gas Sensitivities.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Fu; Chang, Chia-Hung; Hung, Tsu-Chang; Jian, Wen-Bin; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Wu, Yue-Han; Chang, Li; Liu, Zhaoping; Fang, Jiye

2015-08-11

To fabricate reliable nanoelectronics, whether by top-down or bottom-up processes, it is necessary to study the electrical properties of nanocontacts. The effect of nanocontact disorder on device properties has been discussed but not quantitatively studied. Here, by carefully analyzing the temperature dependence of device electrical characteristics and by inspecting them with a microscope, we investigated the Schottky contact and Mott's variable-range-hopping resistances connected in parallel in the nanocontact. To interpret these parallel resistances, we proposed a model of Ti/TiOx in the interface between the metal electrodes and nanowires. The hopping resistance as well as the nanocontact disorder dominated the total device resistance for high-resistance devices, especially at low temperatures. Furthermore, we introduced nanocontact disorder to modulate the light and gas responsivities of the device; unexpectedly, it multiplied the sensitivities compared with the intrinsic sensitivity of the nanowires. Our results improve the collective understanding of electrical contacts to low-dimensional semiconductor devices and will aid performance optimization in future nanoelectronics.

In Situ Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Gold Nanocomposites for Nanoelectronics and Biosensing.

PubMed

Dong, Xiaochen; Huang, Wei; Chen, Peng

2011-12-01

In this study, an in situ chemical synthesis approach has been developed to prepare graphene-Au nanocomposites from chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in aqueous media. UV-Vis absorption, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to demonstrate the successful attachment of Au nanoparticles to graphene sheets. Configured as field-effect transistors (FETs), the as-synthesized single-layered rGO-Au nanocomposites exhibit higher hole mobility and conductance when compared to the rGO sheets, promising its applications in nanoelectronics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the rGO-Au FETs are able to label-freely detect DNA hybridization with high sensitivity, indicating its potentials in nanoelectronic biosensing.

In Situ Synthesis of Reduced Graphene Oxide and Gold Nanocomposites for Nanoelectronics and Biosensing

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

In this study, an in situ chemical synthesis approach has been developed to prepare graphene–Au nanocomposites from chemically reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in aqueous media. UV–Vis absorption, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were used to demonstrate the successful attachment of Au nanoparticles to graphene sheets. Configured as field-effect transistors (FETs), the as-synthesized single-layered rGO-Au nanocomposites exhibit higher hole mobility and conductance when compared to the rGO sheets, promising its applications in nanoelectronics. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the rGO-Au FETs are able to label-freely detect DNA hybridization with high sensitivity, indicating its potentials in nanoelectronic biosensing. PMID:27502682

Composition-dependent nanoelectronics of amido-phenazines: non-volatile RRAM and WORM memory devices.

PubMed

Maiti, Dilip K; Debnath, Sudipto; Nawaz, Sk Masum; Dey, Bapi; Dinda, Enakhi; Roy, Dipanwita; Ray, Sudipta; Mallik, Abhijit; Hussain, Syed A

2017-10-17

A metal-free three component cyclization reaction with amidation is devised for direct synthesis of DFT-designed amido-phenazine derivative bearing noncovalent gluing interactions to fabricate organic nanomaterials. Composition-dependent organic nanoelectronics for nonvolatile memory devices are discovered using mixed phenazine-stearic acid (SA) nanomaterials. We discovered simultaneous two different types of nonmagnetic and non-moisture sensitive switching resistance properties of fabricated devices utilizing mixed organic nanomaterials: (a) sample-1(8:SA = 1:3) is initially off, turning on at a threshold, but it does not turn off again with the application of any voltage, and (b) sample-2 (8:SA = 3:1) is initially off, turning on at a sharp threshold and off again by reversing the polarity. No negative differential resistance is observed in either type. These samples have different device implementations: sample-1 is attractive for write-once-read-many-times memory devices, such as novel non-editable database, archival memory, electronic voting, radio frequency identification, sample-2 is useful for resistive-switching random access memory application.

Ion Beam Diagnostics Planar Epitaxial Structures Nanophotonics, Nanoelectronics and Microsystems Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afanasiev, Sergey A.; Afanasiev, Mikhail S.; Zhukov, Alexander O.; Egorov, Vladimir K.; Egorov, Evgeniy V.

2016-01-01

The background of the study is that the planar film heterostructures are nowadays the most common objects nanophotonic and nanoelectronic technologies. The authors noted that, among such objects found so-called quantum wells, which are formed by a complex series of nanoscale layers are deposited with differing elemental composition, and simple…

Requirements and Markets for Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoefflinger, Bernd

The semiconductor market grew 2010 by 70Bio. against 2009, more than in the previous 9 years taken together, and the semiconductor industry launched the biggest investment program in its history with 100Bio. over a 2-year period. This was the overture to a decade with great potential and great challenges. We look at the market segments and the required electronic functions, and we highlight four product and service areas: Approaching 6 Billion mobile-phone subscribers Access to education for any child One Carebot (personal robot) per family Efficient and safe personal mobility. At the level of over four billion active mobile phones 2010, it is clear that mobile electronic companions have become the drivers of nanoelectronic innovations with growth only limited by the creation and support of new, attractive features and services. Energy, bandwidth, size and weight requirements of these consumer products provide the largest pressure for System-on-Chip (SoC) architectures. Other exemplary new products are selected for their significance, some for their lengthy path into the market. Health care is such an example: The non-invasive glucose sensor and the portable ECG recorder" with automatic, neuroprocessor-driven event detection in the size of a quarter would serve hundreds of millions of people. Nanoelectronics for self-guided health is an area of public policy in view of the cost of "a posteriori" medical care. Access to information and education for any child/student will be provided by 1 tablets where service contracts and the spin-offs from surfing and cloud-computing will generate the revenue. Personal robots, coined by the ageing Japanese nation as the key product after the PC and ridiculed by others, will arrive as carebots for education, entertainment, rehabilitation, and home-service, accepted as a large-scale need by 2020 in most developed countries including China. Accident prevention systems on rail and road already would make millions of units per year

Direct Writing of Graphene-based Nanoelectronics via Atomic Force Microscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-07

To) 07-05-2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Direct Writing of Graphene -based Nanoelectronics via Atomic Force Microscopy 5b. GRANT...ABSTRACT This project employs direct writing with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to fabricate simple graphene -based electronic components like resistors...and transistors at nanometer-length scales. The goal is to explore their electrical properties for graphene -based electronics. Conducting

Precise Nanoelectronics with Adatom Chains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yamada, Toshishige

1999-01-01

Adatom chains on an atomically regulated substrate will be building components in future precise nanoelectronics. Adatoms need to be secured with chemical bonding, but then electronic isolation between the adatom and substrate systems is not guaranteed. A one-dimensional model shows that good isolation with existence of surface states is expected on an s-p crossing substrate such as Si, Ge, or GaAs, reflecting the bulk nature of the substrate. Isolation is better if adatoms are electronically similar to the substrate atoms, and can be manipulated by hydrogenation. Chain structures with group IV adatoms with two chemical bonds, or group III adatoms with one chemical bond, are semiconducting, reflecting the surface nature of the substrate. These structures are unintentionally doped due to the charge transfer across the chemical bonds. Physical properties of adatom chains have to be determined for the unified adatom-substrate system.

Nanoelectronics from the bottom up.

PubMed

Lu, Wei; Lieber, Charles M

2007-11-01

Electronics obtained through the bottom-up approach of molecular-level control of material composition and structure may lead to devices and fabrication strategies not possible with top-down methods. This review presents a brief summary of bottom-up and hybrid bottom-up/top-down strategies for nanoelectronics with an emphasis on memories based on the crossbar motif. First, we will discuss representative electromechanical and resistance-change memory devices based on carbon nanotube and core-shell nanowire structures, respectively. These device structures show robust switching, promising performance metrics and the potential for terabit-scale density. Second, we will review architectures being developed for circuit-level integration, hybrid crossbar/CMOS circuits and array-based systems, including experimental demonstrations of key concepts such lithography-independent, chemically coded stochastic demultipluxers. Finally, bottom-up fabrication approaches, including the opportunity for assembly of three-dimensional, vertically integrated multifunctional circuits, will be critically discussed.

Nanocontact Disorder in Nanoelectronics for Modulation of Light and Gas Sensitivities

PubMed Central

Lin, Yen-Fu; Chang, Chia-Hung; Hung, Tsu-Chang; Jian, Wen-Bin; Tsukagoshi, Kazuhito; Wu, Yue-Han; Chang, Li; Liu, Zhaoping; Fang, Jiye

2015-01-01

To fabricate reliable nanoelectronics, whether by top-down or bottom-up processes, it is necessary to study the electrical properties of nanocontacts. The effect of nanocontact disorder on device properties has been discussed but not quantitatively studied. Here, by carefully analyzing the temperature dependence of device electrical characteristics and by inspecting them with a microscope, we investigated the Schottky contact and Mott’s variable-range-hopping resistances connected in parallel in the nanocontact. To interpret these parallel resistances, we proposed a model of Ti/TiOx in the interface between the metal electrodes and nanowires. The hopping resistance as well as the nanocontact disorder dominated the total device resistance for high-resistance devices, especially at low temperatures. Furthermore, we introduced nanocontact disorder to modulate the light and gas responsivities of the device; unexpectedly, it multiplied the sensitivities compared with the intrinsic sensitivity of the nanowires. Our results improve the collective understanding of electrical contacts to low-dimensional semiconductor devices and will aid performance optimization in future nanoelectronics. PMID:26260674

Nanoscopic Electrofocusing for Bio-Nanoelectronic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshmanan, Shanmugamurthy

2015-01-01

The ability to arrange precisely designed patterns of nanoparticles into a desired spatial configuration is the key to creating novel nanoscale devices that take advantage of the unique properties of nanomaterials. While two-dimensional arrays of nanoparticles have been demonstrated successfully by various techniques, a controlled way of building ordered arrays of three-dimensional (3D) nanoparticle structures remains challenging. This book describes a new technique called the 'nanoscopic lens' which is able to produce a variety of 3D nano-structures in a controlled manner. This ebook describes the nanoscopic lens technique and how it can serve as the foundation for device development that is not limited to a variety of optical, magnetic and electronic devices, but can also create a wide range of bio-nanoelectronic devices.

General strategy for biodetection in high ionic strength solutions using transistor-based nanoelectronic sensors.

PubMed

Gao, Ning; Zhou, Wei; Jiang, Xiaocheng; Hong, Guosong; Fu, Tian-Ming; Lieber, Charles M

2015-03-11

Transistor-based nanoelectronic sensors are capable of label-free real-time chemical and biological detection with high sensitivity and spatial resolution, although the short Debye screening length in high ionic strength solutions has made difficult applications relevant to physiological conditions. Here, we describe a new and general strategy to overcome this challenge for field-effect transistor (FET) sensors that involves incorporating a porous and biomolecule permeable polymer layer on the FET sensor. This polymer layer increases the effective screening length in the region immediately adjacent to the device surface and thereby enables detection of biomolecules in high ionic strength solutions in real-time. Studies of silicon nanowire field-effect transistors with additional polyethylene glycol (PEG) modification show that prostate specific antigen (PSA) can be readily detected in solutions with phosphate buffer (PB) concentrations as high as 150 mM, while similar devices without PEG modification only exhibit detectable signals for concentrations ≤10 mM. Concentration-dependent measurements exhibited real-time detection of PSA with a sensitivity of at least 10 nM in 100 mM PB with linear response up to the highest (1000 nM) PSA concentrations tested. The current work represents an important step toward general application of transistor-based nanoelectronic detectors for biochemical sensing in physiological environments and is expected to open up exciting opportunities for in vitro and in vivo biological sensing relevant to basic biology research through medicine.

Limits on silicon nanoelectronics for terascale integration.

PubMed

Meindl, J D; Chen, Q; Davis, J A

2001-09-14

Throughout the past four decades, silicon semiconductor technology has advanced at exponential rates in both performance and productivity. Concerns have been raised, however, that the limits of silicon technology may soon be reached. Analysis of fundamental, material, device, circuit, and system limits reveals that silicon technology has an enormous remaining potential to achieve terascale integration (TSI) of more than 1 trillion transistors per chip. Such massive-scale integration is feasible assuming the development and economical mass production of double-gate metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors with gate oxide thickness of about 1 nanometer, silicon channel thickness of about 3 nanometers, and channel length of about 10 nanometers. The development of interconnecting wires for these transistors presents a major challenge to the achievement of nanoelectronics for TSI.

Nanoelectronics-biology frontier: From nanoscopic probes for action potential recording in live cells to three-dimensional cyborg tissues.

PubMed

Duan, Xiaojie; Fu, Tian-Ming; Liu, Jia; Lieber, Charles M

2013-08-01

for the first time using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds that are analogous to synthetic tissue scaffold and the extracellular matrix in tissue. Free-standing 3D nanoelectronic scaffolds were cultured with neurons, cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells to yield electronically-innervated synthetic or 'cyborg' tissues. Measurements demonstrate that innervated tissues exhibit similar cell viability as with conventional tissue scaffolds, and importantly, demonstrate that the real-time response to drugs and pH changes can be mapped in 3D through the tissues. These results open up a new field of research, wherein nanoelectronics are merged with biological systems in 3D thereby providing broad opportunities, ranging from a nanoelectronic/tissue platform for real-time pharmacological screening in 3D to implantable 'cyborg' tissues enabling closed-loop monitoring and treatment of diseases. Furthermore, the capability of high density scale-up of the above extra- and intracellular nanoscopic probes for action potential recording provide important tools for large-scale high spatio-temporal resolution electrical neural activity mapping in both 2D and 3D, which promises to have a profound impact on many research areas, including the mapping of activity within the brain.

Nanoelectronics-biology frontier: From nanoscopic probes for action potential recording in live cells to three-dimensional cyborg tissues

PubMed Central

Duan, Xiaojie; Fu, Tian-Ming; Liu, Jia; Lieber, Charles M.

2013-01-01

merged in 3D for the first time using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds that are analogous to synthetic tissue scaffold and the extracellular matrix in tissue. Free-standing 3D nanoelectronic scaffolds were cultured with neurons, cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells to yield electronically-innervated synthetic or ‘cyborg’ tissues. Measurements demonstrate that innervated tissues exhibit similar cell viability as with conventional tissue scaffolds, and importantly, demonstrate that the real-time response to drugs and pH changes can be mapped in 3D through the tissues. These results open up a new field of research, wherein nanoelectronics are merged with biological systems in 3D thereby providing broad opportunities, ranging from a nanoelectronic/tissue platform for real-time pharmacological screening in 3D to implantable ‘cyborg’ tissues enabling closed-loop monitoring and treatment of diseases. Furthermore, the capability of high density scale-up of the above extra- and intracellular nanoscopic probes for action potential recording provide important tools for large-scale high spatio-temporal resolution electrical neural activity mapping in both 2D and 3D, which promises to have a profound impact on many research areas, including the mapping of activity within the brain. PMID:24073014

Single Nucleobase Identification Using Biophysical Signatures from Nanoelectronic Quantum Tunneling.

PubMed

Korshoj, Lee E; Afsari, Sepideh; Khan, Sajida; Chatterjee, Anushree; Nagpal, Prashant

2017-03-01

Nanoelectronic DNA sequencing can provide an important alternative to sequencing-by-synthesis by reducing sample preparation time, cost, and complexity as a high-throughput next-generation technique with accurate single-molecule identification. However, sample noise and signature overlap continue to prevent high-resolution and accurate sequencing results. Probing the molecular orbitals of chemically distinct DNA nucleobases offers a path for facile sequence identification, but molecular entropy (from nucleotide conformations) makes such identification difficult when relying only on the energies of lowest-unoccupied and highest-occupied molecular orbitals (LUMO and HOMO). Here, nine biophysical parameters are developed to better characterize molecular orbitals of individual nucleobases, intended for single-molecule DNA sequencing using quantum tunneling of charges. For this analysis, theoretical models for quantum tunneling are combined with transition voltage spectroscopy to obtain measurable parameters unique to the molecule within an electronic junction. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy is then used to measure these nine biophysical parameters for DNA nucleotides, and a modified machine learning algorithm identified nucleobases. The new parameters significantly improve base calling over merely using LUMO and HOMO frontier orbital energies. Furthermore, high accuracies for identifying DNA nucleobases were observed at different pH conditions. These results have significant implications for developing a robust and accurate high-throughput nanoelectronic DNA sequencing technique. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Electronics from the Bottom up: Strategies for Teaching Nanoelectronics at the Undergraduate Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaidyanathan, M.

2011-01-01

Nanoelectronics is an emerging area of electrical and computer engineering that deals with the current-voltage behavior of atomic-scale electronic devices. As the trend toward ever smaller devices continues, there is a need to update traditional undergraduate curricula to introduce electrical engineers to the fundamentals of the field. These…

Nanoelectronics: Opportunities for future space applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazier, Gary

1995-01-01

Further improvements in the performance of integrated electronics will eventually halt due to practical fundamental limits on our ability to downsize transistors and interconnect wiring. Avoiding these limits requires a revolutionary approach to switching device technology and computing architecture. Nanoelectronics, the technology of exploiting physics on the nanometer scale for computation and communication, attempts to avoid conventional limits by developing new approaches to switching, circuitry, and system integration. This presentation overviews the basic principles that operate on the nanometer scale that can be assembled into practical devices and circuits. Quantum resonant tunneling (RT) is used as the center-piece of the overview since RT devices already operate at high temperature (120 degrees C) and can be scaled, in principle, to a few nanometers in semiconductors. Near- and long-term applications of GaAs and silicon quantum devices are suggested for signal and information processing, memory, optoelectronics, and radio frequency (RF) communication.

16th Russian Youth Conference on Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Opto- and Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suris, Robert A.; Vorobjev, Leonid E.; Firsov, Dmitry A.

2015-01-01

The 16th Russian Youth Conference on Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Opto- and Nanoelectronics was held on November 24 - 28 at St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The program of the Conference included semiconductor technology, heterostructures with quantum wells and quantum dots, opto- and nanoelectronic devices, and new materials. A large number of participants with about 200 attendees from many regions of Russia provided a perfect platform for the valuable discussions between students and experienced scientists. The Conference included two invited talks given by a corresponding member of RAS P.S. Kopyev ("Nitrides: the 4th Nobel Prize on semiconductor heterostructures") and Dr. A.V. Ivanchik ("XXI century is the era of precision cosmology"). Students, graduate and postgraduate students presented their results on plenary and poster sessions. The total number of accepted papers published in Russian (the official conference language) was 92. Here we publish 18 of them in English. Like previous years, the participants were involved in the competition for the best report. Certificates and cash prizes were awarded to a number of participants for the presentations selected by the Program Committee. Two special E.F. Gross Prizes were given for the best presentations in semiconductor optics. Works with potential applications were recommended for participation in the following competition for support from the Russian Foundation for Assistance to Small Innovative Enterprises in Science and Technology. The Conference was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the "Dynasty" foundation and the innovation company "ATC - Semiconductor Devices", St. Petersburg. The official Conference website is http://www.semicond.spbstu.ru/conf2014-eng.html

Flexible low-power RF nanoelectronics in the GHz regime using CVD MoS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yogeesh, Maruthi

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted substantial interest for flexible nanoelectronics due to the overall device mechanical flexibility and thickness scalability for high mechanical performance and low operating power. In this work, we demonstrate the first MoS2 RF transistors on flexible substrates based on CVD-grown monolayers, featuring record GHz cutoff frequency (5.6 GHz) and saturation velocity (~1.8×106 cm/s), which is significantly superior to contemporary organic and metal oxide thin-film transistors. Furthermore, multicycle three-point bending results demonstrated the electrical robustness of our flexible MoS2 transistors after 10,000 cycles of mechanical bending. Additionally, basic RF communication circuit blocks such as amplifier, mixer and wireless AM receiver have been demonstrated. These collective results indicate that MoS2 is an ideal advanced semiconducting material for low-power, RF devices for large-area flexible nanoelectronics and smart nanosystems owing to its unique combination of large bandgap, high saturation velocity and high mechanical strength.

Domain wall nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catalan, G.; Seidel, J.; Ramesh, R.; Scott, J. F.

2012-01-01

Domains in ferroelectrics were considered to be well understood by the middle of the last century: They were generally rectilinear, and their walls were Ising-like. Their simplicity stood in stark contrast to the more complex Bloch walls or Néel walls in magnets. Only within the past decade and with the introduction of atomic-resolution studies via transmission electron microscopy, electron holography, and atomic force microscopy with polarization sensitivity has their real complexity been revealed. Additional phenomena appear in recent studies, especially of magnetoelectric materials, where functional properties inside domain walls are being directly measured. In this paper these studies are reviewed, focusing attention on ferroelectrics and multiferroics but making comparisons where possible with magnetic domains and domain walls. An important part of this review will concern device applications, with the spotlight on a new paradigm of ferroic devices where the domain walls, rather than the domains, are the active element. Here magnetic wall microelectronics is already in full swing, owing largely to the work of Cowburn and of Parkin and their colleagues. These devices exploit the high domain wall mobilities in magnets and their resulting high velocities, which can be supersonic, as shown by Kreines’ and co-workers 30 years ago. By comparison, nanoelectronic devices employing ferroelectric domain walls often have slower domain wall speeds, but may exploit their smaller size as well as their different functional properties. These include domain wall conductivity (metallic or even superconducting in bulk insulating or semiconducting oxides) and the fact that domain walls can be ferromagnetic while the surrounding domains are not.

From Microelectronics to Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoefflinger, Bernd

We highlight key events in over 100 years of electronic amplifiers and their incorporation in computers and communication in order to appreciate the electron as man's most powerful token of information. We recognize that it has taken about 25 years or almost a generation for inventions to make it into new products, and that, within these periods, it still took major campaigns, like the Sputnik effect or what we shall call 10× programs, to achieve major technology steps. From Lilienfeld's invention 1926 of the solid-state field-effect triode to its realization 1959 in Kahng's MOS field-effect transistor, it took 33 years, and this pivotal year also saw the first planar integrated silicon circuit as patented by Noyce. This birth of the integrated microchip launched the unparalleled exponential growth of microelectronics with many great milestones. Among these, we point out the 3D integration of CMOS transistors by Gibbons in 1979 and the related Japanese program on Future Electron Devices (FED). The 3D domain has finally arrived as a broad development since 2005. Consecutively, we mark the neural networks on-chip of 1989 by Mead and others, now, 20 years later, a major project by DARPA. We highlight cooperatives like SRC and SEMATECH, their impact on progress and more recent nanoelectronic milestones until 2010.

Numerical Modeling of Nanoelectronic Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klimeck, Gerhard; Oyafuso, Fabiano; Bowen, R. Chris; Boykin, Timothy

2003-01-01

Nanoelectronic Modeling 3-D (NEMO 3-D) is a computer program for numerical modeling of the electronic structure properties of a semiconductor device that is embodied in a crystal containing as many as 16 million atoms in an arbitrary configuration and that has overall dimensions of the order of tens of nanometers. The underlying mathematical model represents the quantummechanical behavior of the device resolved to the atomistic level of granularity. The system of electrons in the device is represented by a sparse Hamiltonian matrix that contains hundreds of millions of terms. NEMO 3-D solves the matrix equation on a Beowulf-class cluster computer, by use of a parallel-processing matrix vector multiplication algorithm coupled to a Lanczos and/or Rayleigh-Ritz algorithm that solves for eigenvalues. In a recent update of NEMO 3-D, a new strain treatment, parameterized for bulk material properties of GaAs and InAs, was developed for two tight-binding submodels. The utility of the NEMO 3-D was demonstrated in an atomistic analysis of the effects of disorder in alloys and, in particular, in bulk In(x)Ga(l-x)As and in In0.6Ga0.4As quantum dots.

Selected papers from the 7th IEEE International Nanoelectronics Conference (INEC 2016) and the 5th International Symposium on Next-Generation Electronics (ISNE 2016)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kok, Chi-Wah; Tam, Wing-Shan

2017-12-01

May is a busy but fruitful month of the year 2016, in which two renowned international conferences, the 7th IEEE International Nanoelectronics Conference (INEC 2016) and the 5th International Symposium on Next Generation Electronics (ISNE 2016), were successfully held in the technology hubs of Chengdu China and Hsinchu Taiwan, respectively. This special issue is a collection of selected research papers presented in these two conferences.

Fundamental device design considerations in the development of disruptive nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Singh, R; Poole, J O; Poole, K F; Vaidya, S D

2002-01-01

In the last quarter of a century silicon-based integrated circuits (ICs) have played a major role in the growth of the economy throughout the world. A number of new technologies, such as quantum computing, molecular computing, DNA molecules for computing, etc., are currently being explored to create a product to replace semiconductor transistor technology. We have examined all of the currently explored options and found that none of these options are suitable as silicon IC's replacements. In this paper we provide fundamental device criteria that must be satisfied for the successful operation of a manufacturable, not yet invented, device. The two fundamental limits are the removal of heat and reliability. The switching speed of any practical man-made computing device will be in the range of 10(-15) to 10(-3) s. Heisenberg's uncertainty principle and the computer architecture set the heat generation limit. The thermal conductivity of the materials used in the fabrication of a nanodimensional device sets the heat removal limit. In current electronic products, redundancy plays a significant part in improving the reliability of parts with macroscopic defects. In the future, microscopic and even nanoscopic defects will play a critical role in the reliability of disruptive nanoelectronics. The lattice vibrations will set the intrinsic reliability of future computing systems. The two critical limits discussed in this paper provide criteria for the selection of materials used in the fabrication of future devices. Our work shows that diamond contains the clue to providing computing devices that will surpass the performance of silicon-based nanoelectronics.

Strategic Partnership for Research in Nanotechnology

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-08-01

S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) Harold Weinstock, Program Manager, Physics and Electronics Directorate/M/ Air Force Office of...can be broken into two research areas "Nanotechnology for Energy Needs" and "Nanoelectronics". Highlights of both projects are outlines below. The...for Energy Needs" and "Nanoelectronics". Highlights of both projects are outlined below. 1. Nanotechnology for Energy Needs Developing new methods to

The smartest materials: the future of nanoelectronics in medicine.

PubMed

Cohen-Karni, Tzahi; Langer, Robert; Kohane, Daniel S

2012-08-28

Electronics have become central to many aspects of biomedicine, ranging from fundamental biophysical studies of excitable tissues to medical monitoring and electronic implants to restore limb movement. The development of new materials and approaches is needed to enable enhanced tissue integration, interrogation, and stimulation and other functionalities. Nanoscale materials offer many avenues for progress in this respect. New classes of molecular-scale bioelectronic interfaces can be constructed using either one-dimensional nanostructures, such as nanowires and nanotubes, or two-dimensional nanostructures, such as graphene. Nanodevices can create ultrasensitive sensors and can be designed with spatial resolution as fine as the subcellular regime. Structures on the nanoscale can enable the development of engineered tissues within which sensing elements are integrated as closely as the nervous system within native tissues. In addition, the close integration of nanomaterials with cells and tissues will also allow the development of in vitro platforms for basic research or diagnostics. Such lab-on-a-chip systems could, for example, enable testing of the effects of candidate therapeutic molecules on intercellular, single-cell, and even intracellular physiology. Finally, advances in nanoelectronics can lead to extremely sophisticated smart materials with multifunctional capabilities, enabling the spectrum of biomedical possibilities from diagnostic studies to the creation of cyborgs.

Research Programs & Initiatives

Cancer.gov

CGH develops international initiatives and collaborates with other NCI divisions, NCI-designated Cancer Centers, and other countries to support cancer control planning, encourage capacity building, and support cancer research and research networks.

PREFACE: Nanoelectronics, sensors and single molecule biophysics Nanoelectronics, sensors and single molecule biophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Nongjian

2012-04-01

This special section of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter (JPCM) is dedicated to Professor Stuart M Lindsay on the occasion of his 60th birthday and in recognition of his outstanding contributions to multiple research areas, including light scattering spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, biophysics, solid-liquid interfaces and molecular and nanoelectronics. It contains a collection of 14 papers in some of these areas, including a feature article by Lindsay. Each paper was subject to the normal rigorous review process of JPCM. In Lindsay's paper, he discusses the next generations of hybrid chemical-CMOS devices for low cost and personalized medical diagnosis. The discussion leads to several papers on nanotechnology for biomedical applications. Kawaguchi et al report on the detection of single pollen allergen particles using electrode embedded microchannels. Stern et al describe a structural study of three-dimensional DNA-nanoparticle assemblies. Hihath et al measure the conductance of methylated DNA, and discuss the possibility of electrical detection DNA methylation. Portillo et al study the electrostatic effects on the aggregation of prion proteins and peptides with atomic force microscopy. In an effort to understand the interactions between nanostructures and cells, Lamprecht et al report on the mapping of the intracellular distribution of carbon nanotubes with a confocal Raman imaging technique, and Wang et al focus on the intracellular delivery of gold nanoparticles using fluorescence microscopy. Park and Kristic provide theoretical analysis of micro- and nano-traps and their biological applications. This section also features several papers on the fundamentals of electron transport in single atomic wires and molecular junctions. The papers by Xu et al and by Wandlowksi et al describe new methods to measure conductance and forces in single molecule junctions and metallic atomic wires. Scullion et al report on the conductance of molecules with similar

Technology modules from micro- and nano-electronics for the life sciences.

PubMed

Birkholz, M; Mai, A; Wenger, C; Meliani, C; Scholz, R

2016-05-01

The capabilities of modern semiconductor manufacturing offer remarkable possibilities to be applied in life science research as well as for its commercialization. In this review, the technology modules available in micro- and nano-electronics are exemplarily presented for the case of 250 and 130 nm technology nodes. Preparation procedures and the different transistor types as available in complementary metal-oxide-silicon devices (CMOS) and BipolarCMOS (BiCMOS) technologies are introduced as key elements of comprehensive chip architectures. Techniques for circuit design and the elements of completely integrated bioelectronics systems are outlined. The possibility for life scientists to make use of these technology modules for their research and development projects via so-called multi-project wafer services is emphasized. Various examples from diverse fields such as (1) immobilization of biomolecules and cells on semiconductor surfaces, (2) biosensors operating by different principles such as affinity viscosimetry, impedance spectroscopy, and dielectrophoresis, (3) complete systems for human body implants and monitors for bioreactors, and (4) the combination of microelectronics with microfluidics either by chip-in-polymer integration as well as Si-based microfluidics are demonstrated from joint developments with partners from biotechnology and medicine. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2016, 8:355-377. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1367 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Squeezing effects applied in nonclassical superposition states for quantum nanoelectronic circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jeong Ryeol

2017-06-01

Quantum characteristics of a driven series RLC nanoelectronic circuit whose capacitance varies with time are studied using an invariant operator method together with a unitary transformation approach. In particular, squeezing effects and nonclassical properties of a superposition state composed of two displaced squeezed number states of equal amplitude, but 180° out of phase, are investigated in detail. We applied our developments to a solvable specific case obtained from a suitable choice of time-dependent parameters. The pattern of mechanical oscillation of the amount of charges stored in the capacitor, which are initially displaced, has exhibited more or less distortion due to the influence of the time-varying parameters of the system. We have analyzed squeezing effects of the system from diverse different angles and such effects are illustrated for better understanding. It has been confirmed that the degree of squeezing is not constant, but varies with time depending on specific situations. We have found that quantum interference occurs whenever the two components of the superposition meet together during the time evolution of the probability density. This outcome signifies the appearance of nonclassical features of the system. Nonclassicality of dynamical systems can be a potential resource necessary for realizing quantum information technique. Indeed, such nonclassical features of superposition states are expected to play a key role in upcoming information science which has attracted renewed attention recently.

Graphene as a platform for novel nanoelectronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Standley, Brian

Graphene's superlative electrical and mechanical properties, combined with its compatibility with existing planar silicon-based technology, make it an attractive platform for novel nanoelectronic devices. The development of two such devices is reported--a nonvolatile memory element exploiting the nanoscale graphene edge and a field-effect transistor using graphene for both the conducting channel and, in oxidized form, the gate dielectric. These experiments were enabled by custom software written to fully utilize both instrument-based and computer-based data acquisition hardware and provide a simple measurement automation system. Graphene break junctions were studied and found to exhibit switching behavior in response to an electric field. This switching allows the devices to act as nonvolatile memory elements which have demonstrated thousands of writing cycles and long retention times. A model for device operation is proposed based on the formation and breaking of carbon-atom chains that bridge the junctions. Information storage was demonstrated using the concept of rank coding, in which information is stored in the relative conductance of multiple graphene switches in a memory cell. The high mobility and two dimensional nature of graphene make it an attractive material for field-effect transistors. Another ultrathin layered materialmd graphene's insulating analogue, graphite oxidemd was studied as an alternative to bulk gate dielectric materials such as Al2O3 or HfO 2. Transistors were fabricated comprising single or bilayer graphene channels, graphite oxide gate insulators, and metal top-gates. Electron transport measurements reveal minimal leakage through the graphite oxide at room temperature. Its breakdown electric field was found to be comparable to SiO2, typically ˜1-3 x 108 V/m, while its dielectric constant is slightly higher, kappa ≈ 4.3. As nanoelectronics experiments and their associated instrumentation continue to grow in complexity the need for

Devices and circuits for nanoelectronic implementation of artificial neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turel, Ozgur

Biological neural networks perform complicated information processing tasks at speeds better than conventional computers based on conventional algorithms. This has inspired researchers to look into the way these networks function, and propose artificial networks that mimic their behavior. Unfortunately, most artificial neural networks, either software or hardware, do not provide either the speed or the complexity of a human brain. Nanoelectronics, with high density and low power dissipation that it provides, may be used in developing more efficient artificial neural networks. This work consists of two major contributions in this direction. First is the proposal of the CMOL concept, hybrid CMOS-molecular hardware [1-8]. CMOL may circumvent most of the problems in posed by molecular devices, such as low yield, vet provide high active device density, ˜1012/cm 2. The second contribution is CrossNets, artificial neural networks that are based on CMOL. We showed that CrossNets, with their fault tolerance, exceptional speed (˜ 4 to 6 orders of magnitude faster than biological neural networks) can perform any task any artificial neural network can perform. Moreover, there is a hope that if their integration scale is increased to that of human cerebral cortex (˜ 1010 neurons and ˜ 1014 synapses), they may be capable of performing more advanced tasks.

Ultraflexible nanoelectronic probes form reliable, glial scar–free neural integration

PubMed Central

Luan, Lan; Wei, Xiaoling; Zhao, Zhengtuo; Siegel, Jennifer J.; Potnis, Ojas; Tuppen, Catherine A; Lin, Shengqing; Kazmi, Shams; Fowler, Robert A.; Holloway, Stewart; Dunn, Andrew K.; Chitwood, Raymond A.; Xie, Chong

2017-01-01

Implanted brain electrodes construct the only means to electrically interface with individual neurons in vivo, but their recording efficacy and biocompatibility pose limitations on scientific and clinical applications. We showed that nanoelectronic thread (NET) electrodes with subcellular dimensions, ultraflexibility, and cellular surgical footprints form reliable, glial scar–free neural integration. We demonstrated that NET electrodes reliably detected and tracked individual units for months; their impedance, noise level, single-unit recording yield, and the signal amplitude remained stable during long-term implantation. In vivo two-photon imaging and postmortem histological analysis revealed seamless, subcellular integration of NET probes with the local cellular and vasculature networks, featuring fully recovered capillaries with an intact blood-brain barrier and complete absence of chronic neuronal degradation and glial scar. PMID:28246640

Lateral engineering of surface states - towards surface-state nanoelectronics.

PubMed

García de Abajo, F J; Cordón, J; Corso, M; Schiller, F; Ortega, J E

2010-05-01

Patterned metal surfaces can host electron quantum waves that display interference phenomena over distances of a few nanometres, thus providing excellent information carriers for future atomic-scale devices. Here we demonstrate that collimation and waveguiding of surface electrons can be realized in silver-induced strain dislocation networks on Cu(111) surfaces, as a conceptual proof-of-principle of surface-state nanoelectronics (SSNE). The Ag/Cu(111) system exhibits featured surface bands with gaps at the Fermi energy, which are basic requirements for a potential SSNE material. We establish a solid analogy between the behavior of surface-state electrons and surface plasmons in patterned metal surfaces, thus facilitating the transfer of existing knowledge on plasmonic structures to the new scenario presented by engineered electronic surface-state nanostructures, with the advantage of a 1000-fold reduction in wavelength and geometrical parameters.

Applications of biological pores in nanomedicine, sensing, and nanoelectronics

PubMed Central

Majd, Sheereen; Yusko, Erik C; Billeh, Yazan N; Macrae, Michael X; Yang, Jerry; Mayer, Michael

2011-01-01

Biological protein pores and pore-forming peptides can generate a pathway for the flux of ions and other charged or polar molecules across cellular membranes. In nature, these nanopores have diverse and essential functions that range from maintaining cell homeostasis and participating in cell signaling to activating or killing cells. The combination of the nanoscale dimensions and sophisticated – often regulated – functionality of these biological pores make them particularly attractive for the growing field of nanobiotechnology. Applications range from single-molecule sensing to drug delivery and targeted killing of malignant cells. Potential future applications may include the use of nanopores for single strand DNA sequencing and for generating bio-inspired, and possibly, biocompatible visual detection systems and batteries. This article reviews the current state of applications of pore-forming peptides and proteins in nanomedicine, sensing, and nanoelectronics. PMID:20561776

Generalized non-equilibrium vertex correction method in coherent medium theory for quantum transport simulation of disordered nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jiawei; Ke, Youqi

In realistic nanoelectronics, disordered impurities/defects are inevitable and play important roles in electron transport. However, due to the lack of effective quantum transport method, the important effects of disorders remain poorly understood. Here, we report a generalized non-equilibrium vertex correction (NVC) method with coherent potential approximation to treat the disorder effects in quantum transport simulation. With this generalized NVC method, any averaged product of two single-particle Green's functions can be obtained by solving a set of simple linear equations. As a result, the averaged non-equilibrium density matrix and various important transport properties, including averaged current, disordered induced current fluctuation and the averaged shot noise, can all be efficiently computed in a unified scheme. Moreover, a generalized form of conditionally averaged non-equilibrium Green's function is derived to incorporate with density functional theory to enable first-principles simulation. We prove the non-equilibrium coherent potential equals the non-equilibrium vertex correction. Our approach provides a unified, efficient and self-consistent method for simulating non-equilibrium quantum transport through disorder nanoelectronics. Shanghaitech start-up fund.

Nuclear demagnetisation cooling of a nanoelectronic device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Alex; Bradley, Ian; Guénault, Tony; Gunnarsson, David; Haley, Richard; Holt, Stephen; Pashkin, Yuri; Penttilä, Jari; Prance, Jonathan; Prunnila, Mika; Roschier, Leif

We present a new technique for on-chip cooling of electrons in a nanostructure: nuclear demagnetisation of on-chip, thin-film copper refrigerant. We are motivated by the potential improvement in the operation of nanoelectronic devices below 10 mK . At these temperatures, weak electron-phonon coupling hinders traditional cooling, yet here gives the advantage of thermal isolation between the environment and the on-chip electrons, enabling cooling significantly below the base temperature of the host lattice. To demonstrate this we electroplate copper onto the metallic islands of a Coulomb blockade thermometer (CBT), and hence provide a direct thermal link between the cooled copper nuclei and the device electrons. The CBT provides primary thermometry of its internal electron temperature, and we use this to monitor the cooling. Using an optimised demagnetisation profile we observe the electrons being cooled from 9 mK to 4 . 5 mK , and remaining below 5 mK for an experimentally useful time of 1200 seconds. We also suggest how this technique can be used to achieve sub- 1 mK electron temperatures without the use of elaborate bulk demagnetisation stages.

Applications of biological pores in nanomedicine, sensing, and nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Majd, Sheereen; Yusko, Erik C; Billeh, Yazan N; Macrae, Michael X; Yang, Jerry; Mayer, Michael

2010-08-01

Biological protein pores and pore-forming peptides can generate a pathway for the flux of ions and other charged or polar molecules across cellular membranes. In nature, these nanopores have diverse and essential functions that range from maintaining cell homeostasis and participating in cell signaling to activating or killing cells. The combination of the nanoscale dimensions and sophisticated - often regulated - functionality of these biological pores make them particularly attractive for the growing field of nanobiotechnology. Applications range from single-molecule sensing to drug delivery and targeted killing of malignant cells. Potential future applications may include the use of nanopores for single strand DNA sequencing and for generating bio-inspired, and possibly, biocompatible visual detection systems and batteries. This article reviews the current state of applications of pore-forming peptides and proteins in nanomedicine, sensing, and nanoelectronics. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Plasma Synthesized Vertical Carbon Nanofibers for Nanoelectronics Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jaesung; Feng, Philip X.-L.; Kaul, Anupama B.

2013-01-01

We report on the material characterization of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) which are assembled into a three-dimensional (3D) configuration for making new nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray electron dispersive spectroscopy (XEDS) are employed to decipher the morphology and chemical compositions of the CNFs at various locations along individual CNFs grown on silicon (Si) and refractory nitride (NbTiN) substrates, respectively. The measured characteristics suggest interesting properties of the CNF bodies and their capping catalyst nanoparticles, and growth mechanisms on the two substrates. Laser irradiation on the CNFs seems to cause thermal oxidation and melting of catalyst nanoparticles. The structural morphology and chemical compositions of the CNFs revealed in this study should aid in the applications of the CNFs to nanoelectronics and NEMS.

First-principles quantum transport method for disordered nanoelectronics: Disorder-averaged transmission, shot noise, and device-to-device variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jiawei; Wang, Shizhuo; Xia, Ke; Ke, Youqi

2017-03-01

Because disorders are inevitable in realistic nanodevices, the capability to quantitatively simulate the disorder effects on electron transport is indispensable for quantum transport theory. Here, we report a unified and effective first-principles quantum transport method for analyzing effects of chemical or substitutional disorder on transport properties of nanoelectronics, including averaged transmission coefficient, shot noise, and disorder-induced device-to-device variability. All our theoretical formulations and numerical implementations are worked out within the framework of the tight-binding linear muffin tin orbital method. In this method, we carry out the electronic structure calculation with the density functional theory, treat the nonequilibrium statistics by the nonequilbrium Green's function method, and include the effects of multiple impurity scattering with the generalized nonequilibrium vertex correction (NVC) method in coherent potential approximation (CPA). The generalized NVC equations are solved from first principles to obtain various disorder-averaged two-Green's-function correlators. This method provides a unified way to obtain different disorder-averaged transport properties of disordered nanoelectronics from first principles. To test our implementation, we apply the method to investigate the shot noise in the disordered copper conductor, and find all our results for different disorder concentrations approach a universal Fano factor 1 /3 . As the second test, we calculate the device-to-device variability in the spin-dependent transport through the disordered Cu/Co interface and find the conductance fluctuation is very large in the minority spin channel and negligible in the majority spin channel. Our results agree well with experimental measurements and other theories. In both applications, we show the generalized nonequilibrium vertex corrections play a determinant role in electron transport simulation. Our results demonstrate the

M-DNA: a self-assembling molecular wire for nanoelectronics and biosensing.

PubMed

Wettig, Shawn D; Li, Chen-Zhong; Long, Yi-Tao; Kraatz, Heinz-Bernhard; Lee, Jeremy S

2003-01-01

M-DNA is a complex between divalent metal ions such as Zn2+ and duplex DNA which forms at pH 8.5. Unlike B-DNA, M-DNA does not bind ethidium so that M-DNA formation can be monitored conveniently by an ethidium fluorescence assay. M-DNA was shown to be a better conductor than B-DNA by fluorometric measurements of electron transport in donor-acceptor labelled duplexes; by direct conductivity measurements of M-DNA bound between gold electrodes and by cyclic voltammetric studies on ferrocene labelled duplexes attached to gold microelectrodes. As is the case with B-DNA, M-DNA can self-assemble into a variety of structures and is anticipated to find widespread use in nanoelectronics and biosensing.

Nano-electron beam induced current and hole charge dynamics through uncapped Ge nanocrystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchand, A.; El Hdiy, A.; Troyon, M.; Amiard, G.; Ronda, A.; Berbezier, I.

2012-04-01

Dynamics of hole storage in spherical Ge nanocrystals (NCs) formed by a two step dewetting/nucleation process on an oxide layer grown on an n-doped <001> silicon substrate is studied using a nano-electron beam induced current technique. Carrier generation is produced by an electron beam irradiation. The generated current is collected by an atomic force microscope—tip in contact mode at a fixed position away from the beam spot of about 0.5 µm. This distance represents the effective diffusion length of holes. The time constants of holes charging are determined and the effect of the NC size is underlined.

Carbon Based Transistors and Nanoelectronic Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rouhi, Nima

Carbon based materials (carbon nanotube and graphene) has been extensively researched during the past decade as one of the promising materials to be used in high performance device technology. In long term it is thought that they may replace digital and/or analog electronic devices, due to their size, near-ballistic transport, and high stability. However, a more realistic point of insertion into market may be the printed nanoelectronic circuits and sensors. These applications include printed circuits for flexible electronics and displays, large-scale bendable electrical contacts, bio-membranes and bio sensors, RFID tags, etc. In order to obtain high performance thin film transistors (as the basic building block of electronic circuits) one should be able to manufacture dense arrays of all semiconducting nanotubes. Besides, graphene synthesize and transfer technology is in its infancy and there is plenty of room to improve the current techniques. To realize the performance of nanotube and graphene films in such systems, we need to economically fabricate large-scale devices based on these materials. Following that the performance control over such devices should also be considered for future design variations for broad range of applications. Here we have first investigated carbon nanotube ink as the base material for our devices. The primary ink used consisted of both metallic and semiconducting nanotubes which resulted in networks suitable for moderate-resistivity electrical connections (such as interconnects) and rfmatching circuits. Next, purified all-semiconducting nanotube ink was used to fabricate waferscale, high performance (high mobility, and high on/off ratio) thin film transistors for printed electronic applications. The parameters affecting device performance were studied in detail to establish a roadmap for the future of purified nanotube ink printed thin film transistors. The trade of between mobility and on/off ratio of such devices was studied and the

A Synthesis of Fluid Dynamics and Quantum Chemistry for the Design of Nanoelectronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

MacDougall, Preston J.

1998-01-01

In 1959, during a famous lecture entitled "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom", Richard Feynman focused on the startling technical possibilities that would exist at the limit of miniaturization, that being atomically precise devices with dimensions in the nanometer range. A nanometer is both a convenient unit of length for medium to large sized molecules, and the root of the name of the new interdisciplinary field of "nanotechnology". Essentially, "nanoelectronics" denotes the goal of shrinking electronic devices, such as diodes and transistors, as well as integrated circuits of such devices that can perform logical operations, down to dimensions in the range of 100 nanometers. The thirty-year hiatus in the development of nanotechnology can figuratively be seen as a period of waiting for the bottom-up and atomically precise construction skills of synthetic chemistry to meet the top-down reductionist aspirations of device physics. The sub-nanometer domain of nineteenth-century classical chemistry has steadily grown, and state-of-the-art supramolecular chemistry can achieve atomic precision in non-repeating molecular assemblies of the size desired for nanotechnology. For nanoelectronics in particular, a basic understanding of the electron transport properties of molecules must also be developed. Quantum chemistry provides powerful computational methods that can accurately predict the properties of small to medium sized molecules on a desktop workstation, and those of large molecules if one has access to a supercomputer. Of the many properties of a molecule that quantum chemistry routinely predicts, the ability to carry a current is one that had not even been considered until recently. "Currently", there is a controversy over just how to define this key property. Reminiscent of the situation in high-Tc superconductivity, much of the difficulty arises from the different models that are used to simplify the complex electronic structure of real materials. A model

Assessment of chemically separated carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Zaric, Sasa; Tu, Xiaomin; Wang, Xinran; Zhao, Wei; Dai, Hongjie

2008-02-27

It remains an elusive goal to obtain high performance single-walled carbon-nanotube (SWNT) electronics such as field effect transistors (FETs) composed of single- or few-chirality SWNTs, due to broad distributions in as-grown materials. Much progress has been made by various separation approaches to obtain materials enriched in metal or semiconducting nanotubes or even in single chiralties. However, research in validating SWNT separations by electrical transport measurements and building functional electronic devices has been scarce. Here, we performed length, diameter, and chirality separation of DNA functionalized HiPco SWNTs by chromatography methods, and we characterized the chiralities by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, optical absorption spectroscopy, and electrical transport measurements. The use of these combined methods provided deeper insight to the degree of separation than either technique alone. Separation of SWNTs by chirality and diameter occurred at varying degrees that decreased with increasing tube diameter. This calls for new separation methods capable of metallicity or chirality separation of large diameter SWNTs (in the approximately 1.5 nm range) needed for high performance nanoelectronics. With most of the separated fractions enriched in semiconducting SWNTs, nanotubes placed in parallel in short-channel (approximately 200 nm) electrical devices fail to produce FETs with high on/off switching, indicating incomplete elimination of metallic species. In rare cases with a certain separated SWNT fraction, we were able to fabricate FET devices composed of small-diameter, chemically separated SWNTs in parallel, with high on-/off-current (I(on)/I(off)) ratios up to 105 owing to semiconducting SWNTs with only a few (n,m) chiralities in the fraction. This was the first time that chemically separated SWNTs were used for short channel, all-semiconducting SWNT electronics dominant by just a few (n,m)'s. Nevertheless, the results suggest that

Macroporous nanowire nanoelectronic scaffolds for synthetic tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Bozhi; Liu, Jia; Dvir, Tal; Jin, Lihua; Tsui, Jonathan H.; Qing, Quan; Suo, Zhigang; Langer, Robert; Kohane, Daniel S.; Lieber, Charles M.

2012-11-01

The development of three-dimensional (3D) synthetic biomaterials as structural and bioactive scaffolds is central to fields ranging from cellular biophysics to regenerative medicine. As of yet, these scaffolds cannot electrically probe the physicochemical and biological microenvironments throughout their 3D and macroporous interior, although this capability could have a marked impact in both electronics and biomaterials. Here, we address this challenge using macroporous, flexible and free-standing nanowire nanoelectronic scaffolds (nanoES), and their hybrids with synthetic or natural biomaterials. 3D macroporous nanoES mimic the structure of natural tissue scaffolds, and they were formed by self-organization of coplanar reticular networks with built-in strain and by manipulation of 2D mesh matrices. NanoES exhibited robust electronic properties and have been used alone or combined with other biomaterials as biocompatible extracellular scaffolds for 3D culture of neurons, cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, we show the integrated sensory capability of the nanoES by real-time monitoring of the local electrical activity within 3D nanoES/cardiomyocyte constructs, the response of 3D-nanoES-based neural and cardiac tissue models to drugs, and distinct pH changes inside and outside tubular vascular smooth muscle constructs.

The unrestricted local properties: application in nanoelectronics and for predicting radicals reactivity.

PubMed

Dral, Pavlo O

2014-03-01

The local electron affinity (EA(L)) and the local ionization energy (IE(L)) are successfully used for predicting properties of closed-shell species for drug design and for nanoelectronics. Here the respective unrestricted Hartree-Fock variants of EA(L) and IE(L), i.e., the unrestricted local electron affinity (UHF-EA(L)) and ionization energy (UHF-IE(L)), have been shown to be useful for predicting properties of open-shell species. UHF-EA(L) and UHF-IE(L) have been applied for explaining unique electronic properties of an exemplary nanomaterial carbon peapod. It is also demonstrated that UHF-EA(L) is useful for predicting and better understanding reactivity of radicals related to alkanes activation.

Materials Research and Technology Initiatives

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-11-01

This report is the departments first report on current and planned research and technology efforts in advanced materials. The report was published in support of the Administration's initiative to establish an integrated program of research designed t...

Advanced Electronic Structure Calculations For Nanoelectronics Using Finite Element Bases and Effective Mass Theory.

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

Gamble, John King; Nielsen, Erik; Baczewski, Andrew David

This paper describes our work over the past few years to use tools from quantum chemistry to describe electronic structure of nanoelectronic devices. These devices, dubbed "artificial atoms", comprise a few electrons, con ned by semiconductor heterostructures, impurities, and patterned electrodes, and are of intense interest due to potential applications in quantum information processing, quantum sensing, and extreme-scale classical logic. We detail two approaches we have employed: nite-element and Gaussian basis sets, exploring the interesting complications that arise when techniques that were intended to apply to atomic systems are instead used for artificial, solid-state devices.

5 CFR 470.205 - Initiation of research programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Initiation of research programs. 470.205... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to Research Programs § 470.205 Initiation of research programs. OPM will announce opportunities for research...

5 CFR 470.205 - Initiation of research programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Initiation of research programs. 470.205... PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to Research Programs § 470.205 Initiation of research programs. OPM will announce opportunities for research...

Magnetic cooling for microkelvin nanoelectronics on a cryofree platform.

PubMed

Palma, M; Maradan, D; Casparis, L; Liu, T-M; Froning, F N M; Zumbühl, D M

2017-04-01

We present a parallel network of 16 demagnetization refrigerators mounted on a cryofree dilution refrigerator aimed to cool nanoelectronic devices to sub-millikelvin temperatures. To measure the refrigerator temperature, the thermal motion of electrons in a Ag wire-thermalized by a spot-weld to one of the Cu nuclear refrigerators-is inductively picked-up by a superconducting gradiometer and amplified by a SQUID mounted at 4 K. The noise thermometer as well as other thermometers are used to characterize the performance of the system, finding magnetic field independent heat-leaks of a few nW/mol, cold times of several days below 1 mK, and a lowest temperature of 150 μK of one of the nuclear stages in a final field of 80 mT, close to the intrinsic SQUID noise of about 100 μK. A simple thermal model of the system capturing the nuclear refrigerator, heat leaks, and thermal and Korringa links describes the main features very well, including rather high refrigerator efficiencies typically above 80%.

Three-dimensional macroporous nanoelectronic networks as minimally invasive brain probes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Chong; Liu, Jia; Fu, Tian-Ming; Dai, Xiaochuan; Zhou, Wei; Lieber, Charles M.

2015-12-01

Direct electrical recording and stimulation of neural activity using micro-fabricated silicon and metal micro-wire probes have contributed extensively to basic neuroscience and therapeutic applications; however, the dimensional and mechanical mismatch of these probes with the brain tissue limits their stability in chronic implants and decreases the neuron-device contact. Here, we demonstrate the realization of a three-dimensional macroporous nanoelectronic brain probe that combines ultra-flexibility and subcellular feature sizes to overcome these limitations. Built-in strains controlling the local geometry of the macroporous devices are designed to optimize the neuron/probe interface and to promote integration with the brain tissue while introducing minimal mechanical perturbation. The ultra-flexible probes were implanted frozen into rodent brains and used to record multiplexed local field potentials and single-unit action potentials from the somatosensory cortex. Significantly, histology analysis revealed filling-in of neural tissue through the macroporous network and attractive neuron-probe interactions, consistent with long-term biocompatibility of the device.

Introducing Research Initiatives into Healthcare: What Do Doctors Think?

PubMed Central

Wyld, Lucy; Smith, Sian; Hawkins, Nicholas J.; Long, Janet

2014-01-01

Background: Current national and international policies emphasize the need to develop research initiatives within our health care system. Institutional biobanking represents a modern, large-scale research initiative that is reliant upon the support of several aspects of the health care organization. This research project aims to explore doctors' views on the concept of institutional biobanking and to gain insight into the factors which impact the development of research initiatives within healthcare systems. Methods: Qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews. The research was conducted across two public teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia where institutional biobanking was being introduced. Twenty-five participants were interviewed, of whom 21 were medical practitioners at the specialist trainee level or above in a specialty directly related to biobanking; four were key stakeholders responsible for the design and implementation of the biobanking initiative. Results: All participants strongly supported the concept of institutional biobanking. Participants highlighted the discordance between the doctors who work to establish the biobank (the contributors) and the researchers who use it (the consumers). Participants identified several barriers that limit the success of research initiatives in the hospital setting including: the ‘resistance to change’ culture; the difficulties in engaging health professionals in research initiatives; and the lack of incentives offered to doctors for their contribution. Doctors positively valued the opportunity to advise the implementation team, and felt that the initiative could benefit from their knowledge and expertise. Conclusion: Successful integration of research initiatives into hospitals requires early collaboration between the implementing team and the health care professionals to produce a plan that is sensitive to the needs of the health professionals and tailored to the hospital setting. Research

[Support Team for Investigator-Initiated Clinical Research].

PubMed

Fujii, Hisako

2017-07-01

Investigator-initiated clinical research is that in which investigators plan and carry out their own clinical research in academia. For large-scale clinical research, a team should be organized and implemented. This team should include investigators and supporting staff, who will promote smooth research performance by fulfilling their respective roles. The supporting staff should include project managers, administrative personnel, billing personnel, data managers, and clinical research coordinators. In this article, I will present the current status of clinical research support and introduce the research organization of the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) study, an investigator-initiated international clinical research study, with particular emphasis on the role of the project management staff and clinical research coordinators.

Research Ethics Considerations Regarding the Cancer Moonshot Initiative.

PubMed

Hammer, Marilyn J

2016-07-01

If the Precision Medicine Initiative was the launching pad, the Cancer Moonshot Initiative is the liftoff. A billion-dollar mission to "eliminate cancer as we know it," the Cancer Moonshot Initiative underscores the Precision Medicine Initiative's near-term focus in oncology research and translation. Spearheaded by Vice President Biden, the goal is to condense a decade of research into actionable results within five years.

Asphaltenes as new objects for nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolomatov, M. Yu; Petrov, A. M.; Bakhtizin, R. Z.; Dolomatova, M. M.; Khairudinov, I. R.; Shutkova, S. A.; Kovaleva, E. A.; Paymurzina, N. Kh

2017-05-01

Abstract. Modern carbon nanomaterials (carbon nanotubes, graphenes, fullerenes, polycyclic molecules) are products of rather complicated technologies. Therefore development of new not expensive materials on the basis of natural substances, in particular high-molecular compounds of oil - asphaltenes, is actual for nanoelectronics. Asphaltenes are complex materials that are found in crude oil, bitumen and high-boiling hydrocarbons distillates. Usually asphaltenes are composed mainly of polyaromatic carbon with a small amount of vanadium and nickel, which are in porphyrin structures. Molecules of asphaltenes may contain 5-10-member benzene and naphthenic rings in their structure and also have paramagnetic centers. A variety of techniques: electronic phenomenological spectroscopy (EPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and quantum chemistry calculations were used to define the structure of oil asphaltenes. It was supposed that asphaltene fraction is a strong donor (ionization potential 4.10-6.70 eV) and an acceptor (electron affinity 1.80-2.50 eV). The structures of asphaltenes fragments were calculated by RHF-6-31G** methods. AFM images of asphaltenes obtained from crude oil showed the presence of structure fragments ranged from 3 to 10 nm, disposed to strong intermolecular interactions. We used doped compounds for formation of wide band gap amorphous semiconductors from a concentrates of asphaltens. Changes of conductivity in dispersed petroleum systems (DPS) were studied during a pyrolysis at 500 K. The numerous experiments defined of conductivity testify about phase transitions dielectric - semiconductor in DPS for range of 360 - 400 K. The main conclusion is paramagnetic phase of asphaltenes is organic amorphous wide band gap semiconductor. Besides this substance can be consider as an organic spin glasses.

Initiative Overview & Summary of Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Funders Research Initiative, 2013

2013-01-01

Education Funders Research Initiative (EdFunders), a project of Philanthropy New York, is supported by a group of diverse funding organizations that have pursued an array of education reform strategies. EdFunders have come together to engage New Yorkers and focus leaders on new research into how to best prepare students for college and…

Promoting Health Equity Research: Insights from a Canadian Initiative.

PubMed

Stewart, Miriam J; Kushner, Kaysi Eastlick

2014-03-01

In 2002 the Canadian Institutes of Health Research launched a national initiative to promote health equity research reflecting the World Health Organization imperative of investment in health equity research. Funded researchers and teams have investigated health disparities faced by vulnerable populations, analyzed interactions of health determinants, and tested innovative interventions. Strategies for building research capacity have supported students, postdoctoral fellows, new investigators, and interdisciplinary research teams. Partnerships have been created with 10 national and 7 international organizations. Strategies used to secure and sustain this research initiative could be adapted to other contexts. Nurse scholars led the launch and have sustained the legacy of this national research initiative. Moreover, nurse researchers and research trainees, supported by the initiative, have contributed to the expansion and translation of the health equity knowledge base. Copyright© by Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University.

One-step direct transfer of pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes for functional nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Wu, Chung Chiang; Liu, Chang Hua; Zhong, Zhaohui

2010-03-10

We report a one-step direct transfer technique for the fabrication of functional nanoelectronic devices using pristine single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Suspended SWNTs grown by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method are aligned and directly transferred onto prepatterned device electrodes at ambient temperature. Using this technique, we successfully fabricated SWNT electromechanical resonators with gate-tunable resonance frequencies. A fully suspended SWNT p-n diode has also been demonstrated with the diode ideality factor equal to 1. Our method eliminates the organic residues on SWNTs resulting from conventional lithography and solution processing. The results open up opportunities for the fundamental study of electron transport physics in ultraclean SWNTs and for room temperature fabrication of novel functional devices based on pristine SWNTs.

Center for Research Strategy Priority Initiatives

Cancer.gov

CRS leads priority initiatives to support cancer research to advance scientific knowledge and help people live longer, healthier lives. Learn more about the Resources for Cancer Researchers portal, Team Science, and Idea Generation with NCI staff.

Global cancer research initiative

PubMed Central

Love, Richard R

2010-01-01

Cancer is an increasing problem for low- and middle-income countries undergoing an epidemiologic transition from dominantly acute communicable disease to more frequent chronic disease with increased public health successes in the former domain. Progress against cancer in high-income countries has been modest and has come at enormous expense. There are several well-conceived global policy and planning initiatives which, with adequate political will, can favorably impact the growing global cancer challenges. Most financial resources for cancer, however, are spent on diagnosis and management of patients with disease in circumstances where specific knowledge about effective approaches is significantly limited, and the majority of interventions, other than surgery, are not cost-effective in resource-limited countries by global standards. In summary, how to intervene effectively on a global scale for the majority of citizens who develop cancer is poorly defined. In contrast to technology-transfer approaches, markedly increased clinical research activities are more likely to benefit cancer sufferers. In these contexts, a global cancer research initiative is proposed, and mechanisms for realizing such an effort are suggested. PMID:21188101

Band gap engineering of BC2N for nanoelectronic applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Wei Hong; Hamzah, Afiq; Ahmadi, Mohammad Taghi; Ismail, Razali

2017-12-01

The BC2N as an example of boron-carbon-nitride (BCN), has the analogous structure as the graphene and boron nitride. It is predicted to have controllable electronic properties. Therefore, the analytical study on the engineer-able band gap of the BC2N is carried out based on the schematic structure of BC2N. The Nearest Neighbour Tight Binding (NNTB) model is employed with the dispersion relation and the density of state (DOS) as the main band gap analysing parameter. The results show that the hopping integrals having the significant effect on the band gap, band structure and DOS of BC2N nanowire (BC2NNW) need to be taken into consideration. The presented model indicates consistent trends with the published computational results around the Dirac points with the extracted band gap of 0.12 eV. Also, it is distinguished that wide energy gap of boron nitride (BN) is successfully narrowed by this carbon doped material which assures the application of BC2N on the nanoelectronics and optoelectronics in the near future.

Nanoelectronics Meets Biology: From Novel Nanoscale Devices for Live Cell Recording to 3D Innervated Tissues†

PubMed Central

Duan, Xiaojie; Lieber, Charles M.

2013-01-01

High spatio-temporal resolution interfacing between electrical sensors and biological systems, from single live cells to tissues, is crucial for many areas, including fundamental biophysical studies as well as medical monitoring and intervention. This focused review summarizes recent progresses in the development and application of novel nanoscale devices for intracellular electrical recordings of action potentials, and the effort of merging electronic and biological systems seamlessly in three dimension using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds. The uniqueness of these nanoscale devices for minimally invasive, large scale, high spatial resolution, and three dimensional neural activity mapping will be highlighted. PMID:23946279

VERIFI | Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative

Science.gov Websites

VERIFI Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative Argonne National Laboratory Skip to Virtual Engine Research Institute and Fuels Initiative (VERIFI) at Argonne National Laboratory is the Argonne National Laboratory in which to answer your complex engine questions, verify the uncertainties

MONTANA PALLADIUM RESEARCH INITIATIVE

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

Peters, John; McCloskey, Jay; Douglas, Trevor

2012-05-09

Project Objective: The overarching objective of the Montana Palladium Research Initiative is to perform scientific research on the properties and uses of palladium in the context of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program. The purpose of the research will be to explore possible palladium as an alternative to platinum in hydrogen-economy applications. To achieve this objective, the Initiatives activities will focus on several cutting-edge research approaches across a range of disciplines, including metallurgy, biomimetics, instrumentation development, and systems analysis. Background: Platinum-group elements (PGEs) play significant roles in processing hydrogen, an element that shows highmore » potential to address this need in the U.S. and the world for inexpensive, reliable, clean energy. Platinum, however, is a very expensive component of current and planned systems, so less-expensive alternatives that have similar physical properties are being sought. To this end, several tasks have been defined under the rubric of the Montana Palladium Research Iniative. This broad swath of activities will allow progress on several fronts. The membrane-related activities of Task 1 employs state-of-the-art and leading-edge technologies to develop new, ceramic-substrate metallic membranes for the production of high-purity hydrogen, and develop techniques for the production of thin, defect-free platinum group element catalytic membranes for energy production and pollution control. The biomimetic work in Task 2 explores the use of substrate-attached hydrogen-producing enzymes and the encapsulation of palladium in virion-based protein coats to determine their utility for distributed hydrogen production. Task 3 work involves developing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) as a real-time, in situ diagnostic technique to characterize PGEs nanoparticles for process monitoring and control. The systems engineering work in task 4

Graphene Monoxide Bilayer As a High-Performance on/off Switching Media for Nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Woo, Jungwook; Yun, Kyung-Han; Chung, Yong-Chae

2016-04-27

The geometries and electronic characteristics of the graphene monoxide (GMO) bilayer are predicted via density functional theory (DFT) calculations. All the possible sequences of the GMO bilayer show the typical interlayer bonding characteristics of two-dimensional bilayer systems with a weak van der Waals interaction. The band gap energies of the GMO bilayers are predicted to be adequate for electronic device application, indicating slightly smaller energy gaps (0.418-0.448 eV) compared to the energy gap of the monolayer (0.536 eV). Above all, in light of the band gap engineering, the band gap of the GMO bilayer responds to the external electric field sensitively. As a result, a semiconductor-metal transition occurs at a small critical electric field (EC = 0.22-0.30 V/Å). It is therefore confirmed that the GMO bilayer is a strong candidate for nanoelectronics.

Semiempirical UNO-CAS and UNO-CI: method and applications in nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Dral, Pavlo O; Clark, Timothy

2011-10-20

Unrestricted Natural Orbital-Complete Active Space Configuration Interaction, abbreviated as UNO-CAS, has been implemented for NDDO-based semiempirical molecular-orbital (MO) theory. A computationally more economic technique, UNO-CIS, in which we use a configuration interaction (CI) calculation with only single excitations (CIS) to calculate excited states, has also been implemented and tested. The class of techniques in which unrestricted natural orbitals (UNOs) are used as the reference for CI calculations is denoted UNO-CI. Semiempirical UNO-CI gives good results for the optical band gaps of organic semiconductors such as polyynes and polyacenes, which are promising materials for nanoelectronics. The results of these semiempirical UNO-CI techniques are generally in better agreement with experiment than those obtained with the corresponding conventional semiempirical CI methods and comparable to or better than those obtained with far more computationally expensive methods such as time-dependent density-functional theory. We also show that symmetry breaking in semiempirical UHF calculations is very useful for predicting the diradical character of organic compounds in the singlet spin state.

Nanoelectronics meets biology: from new nanoscale devices for live-cell recording to 3D innervated tissues.

PubMed

Duan, Xiaojie; Lieber, Charles M

2013-10-01

High spatiotemporal resolution interfaces between electrical sensors and biological systems, from single live cells to tissues, is crucial for many areas, including fundamental biophysical studies as well as medical monitoring and intervention. Herein, we summarize recent progress in the development and application of novel nanoscale devices for intracellular electrical recording of action potentials and the effort of merging electronic and biological systems seamlessly in three dimensions by using macroporous nanoelectronic scaffolds. The uniqueness of these nanoscale devices for minimally invasive, large-scale, high spatial resolution, and three-dimensional neural activity mapping are highlighted. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Stencil Nano Lithography Based on a Nanoscale Polymer Shadow Mask: Towards Organic Nanoelectronics

PubMed Central

Yun, Hoyeol; Kim, Sangwook; Kim, Hakseong; Lee, Junghyun; McAllister, Kirstie; Kim, Junhyung; Pyo, Sengmoon; Sung Kim, Jun; Campbell, Eleanor E. B.; Hyoung Lee, Wi; Wook Lee, Sang

2015-01-01

A stencil lithography technique has been developed to fabricate organic-material-based electronic devices with sub-micron resolution. Suspended polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes were used as shadow masks for defining organic channels and top electrodes. Arrays of pentacene field effect transistors (FETs) with various channel lengths from 50 μm down to 500 nm were successfully produced from the same batch using this technique. Electrical transport measurements showed that the electrical contacts of all devices were stable and the normalized contact resistances were much lower than previously studied organic FETs. Scaling effects, originating from the bulk space charge current, were investigated by analyzing the channel-length-dependent mobility and hysteresis behaviors. This novel lithography method provides a reliable means for studying the fundamental transport properties of organic materials at the nanoscale as well as enabling potential applications requiring the fabrication of integrated organic nanoelectronic devices. PMID:25959389

Stencil nano lithography based on a nanoscale polymer shadow mask: towards organic nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Yun, Hoyeol; Kim, Sangwook; Kim, Hakseong; Lee, Junghyun; McAllister, Kirstie; Kim, Junhyung; Pyo, Sengmoon; Sung Kim, Jun; Campbell, Eleanor E B; Hyoung Lee, Wi; Wook Lee, Sang

2015-05-11

A stencil lithography technique has been developed to fabricate organic-material-based electronic devices with sub-micron resolution. Suspended polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) membranes were used as shadow masks for defining organic channels and top electrodes. Arrays of pentacene field effect transistors (FETs) with various channel lengths from 50 μm down to 500 nm were successfully produced from the same batch using this technique. Electrical transport measurements showed that the electrical contacts of all devices were stable and the normalized contact resistances were much lower than previously studied organic FETs. Scaling effects, originating from the bulk space charge current, were investigated by analyzing the channel-length-dependent mobility and hysteresis behaviors. This novel lithography method provides a reliable means for studying the fundamental transport properties of organic materials at the nanoscale as well as enabling potential applications requiring the fabrication of integrated organic nanoelectronic devices.

Three-dimensional mapping and regulation of action potential propagation in nanoelectronics innervated tissues

PubMed Central

Dai, Xiaochuan; Zhou, Wei; Gao, Teng; Liu, Jia; Lieber, Charles M.

2016-01-01

Real-time mapping and manipulation of electrophysiology in three-dimensional (3D) tissues could impact broadly fundamental scientific and clinical studies, yet realization lacks effective methods. Here we introduce tissue-scaffold-mimicking 3D nanoelectronic arrays consisting of 64 addressable devices with subcellular dimensions and sub-millisecond time-resolution. Real-time extracellular action potential (AP) recordings reveal quantitative maps of AP propagation in 3D cardiac tissues, enable in situ tracing of the evolving topology of 3D conducting pathways in developing cardiac tissues, and probe the dynamics of AP conduction characteristics in a transient arrhythmia disease model and subsequent tissue self-adaptation. We further demonstrate simultaneous multi-site stimulation and mapping to manipulate actively the frequency and direction of AP propagation. These results establish new methodologies for 3D spatiotemporal tissue recording and control, and demonstrate the potential to impact regenerative medicine, pharmacology and electronic therapeutics. PMID:27347837

Generalized nonequilibrium vertex correction method in coherent medium theory for quantum transport simulation of disordered nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Jiawei; Ke, Youqi

2016-07-01

Electron transport properties of nanoelectronics can be significantly influenced by the inevitable and randomly distributed impurities/defects. For theoretical simulation of disordered nanoscale electronics, one is interested in both the configurationally averaged transport property and its statistical fluctuation that tells device-to-device variability induced by disorder. However, due to the lack of an effective method to do disorder averaging under the nonequilibrium condition, the important effects of disorders on electron transport remain largely unexplored or poorly understood. In this work, we report a general formalism of Green's function based nonequilibrium effective medium theory to calculate the disordered nanoelectronics. In this method, based on a generalized coherent potential approximation for the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function, we developed a generalized nonequilibrium vertex correction method to calculate the average of a two-Keldysh-Green's-function correlator. We obtain nine nonequilibrium vertex correction terms, as a complete family, to express the average of any two-Green's-function correlator and find they can be solved by a set of linear equations. As an important result, the averaged nonequilibrium density matrix, averaged current, disorder-induced current fluctuation, and averaged shot noise, which involve different two-Green's-function correlators, can all be derived and computed in an effective and unified way. To test the general applicability of this method, we applied it to compute the transmission coefficient and its fluctuation with a square-lattice tight-binding model and compared with the exact results and other previously proposed approximations. Our results show very good agreement with the exact results for a wide range of disorder concentrations and energies. In addition, to incorporate with density functional theory to realize first-principles quantum transport simulation, we have also derived a general form of

Focused-electron-beam-induced processing (FEBIP) for emerging applications in carbon nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedorov, Andrei G.; Kim, Songkil; Henry, Mathias; Kulkarni, Dhaval; Tsukruk, Vladimir V.

2014-12-01

Focused-electron-beam-induced processing (FEBIP), a resist-free additive nanomanufacturing technique, is an actively researched method for "direct-write" processing of a wide range of structural and functional nanomaterials, with high degree of spatial and time-domain control. This article attempts to critically assess the FEBIP capabilities and unique value proposition in the context of processing of electronics materials, with a particular emphasis on emerging carbon (i.e., based on graphene and carbon nanotubes) devices and interconnect structures. One of the major hurdles in advancing the carbon-based electronic materials and device fabrication is a disjoint nature of various processing steps involved in making a functional device from the precursor graphene/CNT materials. Not only this multi-step sequence severely limits the throughput and increases the cost, but also dramatically reduces the processing reproducibility and negatively impacts the quality because of possible between-the-step contamination, especially for impurity-susceptible materials such as graphene. The FEBIP provides a unique opportunity to address many challenges of carbon nanoelectronics, especially when it is employed as part of an integrated processing environment based on multiple "beams" of energetic particles, including electrons, photons, and molecules. This avenue is promising from the applications' prospective, as such a multi-functional (electron/photon/molecule beam) enables one to define shapes (patterning), form structures (deposition/etching), and modify (cleaning/doping/annealing) properties with locally resolved control on nanoscale using the same tool without ever changing the processing environment. It thus will have a direct positive impact on enhancing functionality, improving quality and reducing fabrication costs for electronic devices, based on both conventional CMOS and emerging carbon (CNT/graphene) materials.

A Diversity Research Initiative: How Diverse Undergraduate Students Become Researchers, Change Agents, and Members of a Research Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingston-Mann, Esther, Ed.

This report presents information on the University of Massachusetts Boston's Diversity Research Initiative (DRI). Section 1, "Essays by Participant Observers," includes "Building a Diversity Research Initiative: An Introduction" (Esther Kingston-Mann); "Diversity Imperative: Reflections on the Diversity Research…

Human Research Initiative (HRI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Brian

2003-01-01

A code U initiative starting in the FY04 budget includes specific funding for 'Phase Change' and 'Multiphase Flow Research' on the ISS. NASA GRC developed a concept for two facilities based on funding/schedule constraints: 1) Two Phase Flow Facility (TphiFFy) which assumes integrating into FIR; 2) Contact Line Dynamics Experiment Facility (CLiDE) which assumes integration into MSG. Each facility will accommodate multiple experiments conducted by NRA selected PIs with an overall goal of enabling specific NASA strategic objectives. There may also be a significant ground-based component.

Guiding electrical current in nanotube circuits using structural defects: a step forward in nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Romo-Herrera, Jose M; Terrones, Mauricio; Terrones, Humberto; Meunier, Vincent

2008-12-23

Electrical current could be efficiently guided in 2D nanotube networks by introducing specific topological defects within the periodic framework. Using semiempirical transport calculations coupled with Landauer-Buttiker formalism of quantum transport in multiterminal nanoscale systems, we provide a detailed analysis of the processes governing the atomic-scale design of nanotube circuits. We found that when defects are introduced as patches in specific sites, they act as bouncing centers that reinject electrons along specific paths, via a wave reflection process. This type of defects can be incorporated while preserving the 3-fold connectivity of each carbon atom embedded within the graphitic lattice. Our findings open up a new way to explore bottom-up design, at the nanometer scale, of complex nanotube circuits which could be extended to 3D nanosystems and applied in the fabrication of nanoelectronic devices.

Characterization techniques for nano-electronics, with emphasis to electron microscopy. The role of the European Project ANNA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armigliato, A.

2008-07-01

, however, European laboratories with high-level expertise in materials characterization still operate in a largely independent way; this adversely affects the competitivity of European science and industry at the international level. For this reason the European Commission has started an Integrated Infrastructure Initiative (I3) in the sixth Framework Programme (now continuing in FP7) and funded a project called ANNA (2006-2010). This acronym stands for European Integrated Activity of Excellence and Networking for Nano and Micro- Electronics Analysis. The consortium includes 12 partners from 7 European countries and is coordinated by the Fondazione B.Kessler (FBK) in Trento (Italy); CNR-IMM is one of the 12 partners. Aim of ANNA is the onset of strong, long-term collaboration among the partners, so to form an integrated multi-site analytical facility, able to offer to the European community a wide variety of top-level analytical expertise and services in the field of micro- and nano-electronics. They include X-ray diffraction and scattering, SIMS, electron microscopy, medium-energy ion scattering, optical and electrical techniques. The project will be focused on three main activities: Networking (standardization of samples and methodologies, establishment of accredited reference laboratories), Transnational Access to laboratories located in the partners' premises to perform specific analytical experiments (an example is given by the two STEM methodologies discussed above) and Joint Research activity, which is targeted at the improvement and extension of the methodologies through a continuous instrumental and technical development. It is planned that the European joint analytical laboratory will continue its activity beyond the end of the project in 2010.

Three-dimensional mapping and regulation of action potential propagation in nanoelectronics-innervated tissues.

PubMed

Dai, Xiaochuan; Zhou, Wei; Gao, Teng; Liu, Jia; Lieber, Charles M

2016-09-01

Real-time mapping and manipulation of electrophysiology in three-dimensional (3D) tissues could have important impacts on fundamental scientific and clinical studies, yet realization is hampered by a lack of effective methods. Here we introduce tissue-scaffold-mimicking 3D nanoelectronic arrays consisting of 64 addressable devices with subcellular dimensions and a submillisecond temporal resolution. Real-time extracellular action potential (AP) recordings reveal quantitative maps of AP propagation in 3D cardiac tissues, enable in situ tracing of the evolving topology of 3D conducting pathways in developing cardiac tissues and probe the dynamics of AP conduction characteristics in a transient arrhythmia disease model and subsequent tissue self-adaptation. We further demonstrate simultaneous multisite stimulation and mapping to actively manipulate the frequency and direction of AP propagation. These results establish new methodologies for 3D spatiotemporal tissue recording and control, and demonstrate the potential to impact regenerative medicine, pharmacology and electronic therapeutics.

Localized Synthesis of Conductive Copper-Tetracyanoquinodimethane Nanostructures in Ultrasmall Microchambers for Nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Xing, Yanlong; Sun, Guoguang; Speiser, Eugen; Esser, Norbert; Dittrich, Petra S

2017-05-24

In this work, the microfluidic-assisted synthesis of copper-tetracyanoquinodimethane (Cu-TCNQ) nanostructures in an ambient environment is reported for the first time. A two-layer microfluidic device comprising parallel actuated microchambers was used for the synthesis and enabled excellent fluid handling for the continuous and multiple chemical reactions in confined ultrasmall chambers. Different precautions were applied to ensure the reduction state of copper (Cu) for the synthesis of Cu-TCNQ charge-transfer compounds. The localized synthesis of Cu and in situ transformation to Cu-TCNQ complexes in solution were achieved by applying different gas pressures in the control layer. Additionally, various diameters of the Cu-TCNQ nano/microstructures were obtained by adjusting the concentration of the precursors and reaction time. After the synthesis, platinum (Pt) microelectrode arrays, which were aligned at the microchambers, could enable the in situ measurements of the electronic properties of the synthesized nanostructures without further manipulation. The as-prepared Cu-TCNQ wire bundles showed good conductivity and a reversible hysteretic switching effect, which proved the possibility in using them to build advanced nanoelectronics.

Tandem array of nanoelectronic readers embedded coplanar to a fluidic nanochannel for correlated single biopolymer analysis

PubMed Central

Lesser-Rojas, Leonardo; Sriram, K. K.; Liao, Kuo-Tang; Lai, Shui-Chin; Kuo, Pai-Chia; Chu, Ming-Lee; Chou, Chia-Fu

2014-01-01

We have developed a two-step electron-beam lithography process to fabricate a tandem array of three pairs of tip-like gold nanoelectronic detectors with electrode gap size as small as 9 nm, embedded in a coplanar fashion to 60 nm deep, 100 nm wide, and up to 150 μm long nanochannels coupled to a world-micro-nanofluidic interface for easy sample introduction. Experimental tests with a sealed device using DNA-protein complexes demonstrate the coplanarity of the nanoelectrodes to the nanochannel surface. Further, this device could improve transverse current detection by correlated time-of-flight measurements of translocating samples, and serve as an autocalibrated velocimeter and nanoscale tandem Coulter counters for single molecule analysis of heterogeneous samples. PMID:24753731

Time required to initiate outbreak and pandemic observational research.

PubMed

Rishu, Asgar H; Marinoff, Nicole; Julien, Lisa; Dumitrascu, Mariana; Marten, Nicole; Eggertson, Shauna; Willems, Su; Ruddell, Stacy; Lane, Dan; Light, Bruce; Stelfox, Henry T; Jouvet, Philippe; Hall, Richard; Reynolds, Steven; Daneman, Nick; Fowler, Robert A

2017-08-01

Observational research focused upon emerging infectious diseases such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus has been challenging to quickly initiate. We aimed to determine the duration of start-up procedures and barriers encountered for an observational study focused upon such infectious outbreaks. At 1 pediatric and 5 adult intensive care units, we measured durations from protocol receipt to a variety of outbreak research milestones, including research ethics board (REB) approval, data sharing agreement (DSA) execution, and patient study screening initiation. The median (interquartile range) time from site receipt of the protocol to REB submission was 73 (30-126) days; to REB approval, 158 (42-188) days; to DSA completion, 276 (186-312) days; and to study screening initiation, 293 (269-391) days. The median time from REB submission to REB approval was 43 (13-85) days. The median time for all start-up procedures was 335 (188-335) days. There is a lengthy start-up period required for outbreak-focused research. Completing DSAs was the most time-consuming step. A reactive approach to newly emerging threats such as Ebola virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome, and Zika virus will likely not allow sufficient time to initiate research before most outbreaks are advanced. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

5 CFR 470.205 - Initiation of research programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Initiation of research programs. 470.205 Section 470.205 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMS AND DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS Regulatory Requirements Pertaining to...

Initial research program for the National Transonic Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gloss, B. B.

1984-01-01

The construction and checkout of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) have been completed, and detailed calibration is now in progress. The initial NTF research program covers a wide range of study areas falling into three major elements: (1) the assessment of Reynolds number sensitivities for a broad range of configurations and flow phenomena; (2) validation of the ability of NTF to simulate full-scale aerodynamics; and (3) the development of test techniques for improved test simulations in existing wind tunnels. This paper, therefore, is a status report on these various elements of the initial NTF research program.

The Hydric Effect in Inorganic Nanomaterials for Nanoelectronics and Energy Applications.

PubMed

Sun, Xu; Guo, Yuqiao; Wu, Changzheng; Xie, Yi

2015-07-08

Protons, as one of the world's smallest ions, are able to trigger the charge effect without obvious lattice expansion inside inorganic materials, offering a unique and important test-bed for controlling their diverse functionalities. Arising from the high chemical reactivity of hydrogen (easily losing an electron) with various main group anions (easily accepting a proton), the hydric effect provides a convenient and environmentally benign route to bring about fascinating new physicochemical properties, as well as to create new inorganic structures based on the "old lattice" without dramatically destroying the pristine structure, covering most inorganic materials. Moreover, hydrogen atoms tend to bond with anions or to produce intrinsic defects, both of which are expected to inject extra electrons into lattice framework, promising advances in control of bandgap, spin behavior, and carrier concentration, which determine functionality for wide applications. In this review article, recently developed effective hydric strategies are highlighted, which include the conventional hydric reaction under high temperature or room temperature, proton irradiation or hydrogen plasma treatment, and gate-electrolyte-driven adsorption or doping. The diverse physicochemical properties brought by the hydric effect via modulation of the intrinsic electronic structure are also summarized, finding wide applications in nanoelectronics, energy applications, and catalysis. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Intellectual Initiatives at a Research University: Origins, Evolutions, and Challenges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Susan H.; Jean, Paul M.; Teodorescu, Daniel; Brown, Amy B.

This qualitative case study explored the origins, evolutions, and challenges of 12 cross-disciplinary intellectual initiatives at 1 research university. Researchers conducted open-ended interviews with leaders of the 12 initiatives and used program literature to support the data gathered from the interviews. The study found that key factors such…

Effect of Initial Conditions on Reproducibility of Scientific Research

PubMed Central

Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Hozo, Iztok

2014-01-01

Background: It is estimated that about half of currently published research cannot be reproduced. Many reasons have been offered as explanations for failure to reproduce scientific research findings- from fraud to the issues related to design, conduct, analysis, or publishing scientific research. We also postulate a sensitive dependency on initial conditions by which small changes can result in the large differences in the research findings when attempted to be reproduced at later times. Methods: We employed a simple logistic regression equation to model the effect of covariates on the initial study findings. We then fed the input from the logistic equation into a logistic map function to model stability of the results in repeated experiments over time. We illustrate the approach by modeling effects of different factors on the choice of correct treatment. Results: We found that reproducibility of the study findings depended both on the initial values of all independent variables and the rate of change in the baseline conditions, the latter being more important. When the changes in the baseline conditions vary by about 3.5 to about 4 in between experiments, no research findings could be reproduced. However, when the rate of change between the experiments is ≤2.5 the results become highly predictable between the experiments. Conclusions: Many results cannot be reproduced because of the changes in the initial conditions between the experiments. Better control of the baseline conditions in-between the experiments may help improve reproducibility of scientific findings. PMID:25132705

Effect of initial conditions on reproducibility of scientific research.

PubMed

Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Hozo, Iztok

2014-06-01

It is estimated that about half of currently published research cannot be reproduced. Many reasons have been offered as explanations for failure to reproduce scientific research findings- from fraud to the issues related to design, conduct, analysis, or publishing scientific research. We also postulate a sensitive dependency on initial conditions by which small changes can result in the large differences in the research findings when attempted to be reproduced at later times. We employed a simple logistic regression equation to model the effect of covariates on the initial study findings. We then fed the input from the logistic equation into a logistic map function to model stability of the results in repeated experiments over time. We illustrate the approach by modeling effects of different factors on the choice of correct treatment. We found that reproducibility of the study findings depended both on the initial values of all independent variables and the rate of change in the baseline conditions, the latter being more important. When the changes in the baseline conditions vary by about 3.5 to about 4 in between experiments, no research findings could be reproduced. However, when the rate of change between the experiments is ≤2.5 the results become highly predictable between the experiments. Many results cannot be reproduced because of the changes in the initial conditions between the experiments. Better control of the baseline conditions in-between the experiments may help improve reproducibility of scientific findings.

Self-assembled molecular magnets on patterned silicon substrates: bridging bio-molecules with nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Chang, Chia-Ching; Sun, Kien Wen; Lee, Shang-Fan; Kan, Lou-Sing

2007-04-01

The paper reports the methods of preparing molecular magnets and patterning of the molecules on a semiconductor surface. A highly magnetically aligned metallothionein containing Mn and Cd (Mn,Cd-MT-2) is first synthesized, and the molecules are then placed into nanopores prepared on silicon (001) surfaces using electron beam lithography and reactive ion-etching techniques. We have observed the self-assemble growth of the MT molecules on the patterned Si surface such that the MT molecules have grown into rod or ring type three-dimensional nanostructures, depending on the patterned nanostructures on the surface. We also provide scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and magnetic force microscope studies of the molecular nanostructures. This engineered molecule shows molecular magnetization and is biocompatible with conventional semiconductors. These features make Mn,Cd-MT-2 a good candidate for biological applications and sensing sources of new nanodevices. Using molecular self-assembly and topographical patterning of the semiconductor substrate, we can close the gap between bio-molecules and nanoelectronics built into the semiconductor chip.

NIH Precision Medicine Initiative: Implications for Diabetes Research

PubMed Central

Fradkin, Judith E.; Hanlon, Mary C.; Rodgers, Griffin P.

2016-01-01

In his January 2015 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced a new Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) to personalize approaches toward improving health and treating disease (www.whitehouse.gov/precision-medicine). He stated that the goal of such an initiative was “to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes, and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier.” Since that time, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has taken a leadership role in implementing the President’s vision related to biomedical research (www.nih.gov/precisionmedicine). Here, we discuss the NIH component of the PMI, related ongoing diabetes research, and near-term research that could position the diabetes field to take full advantage of the opportunities that stem from the PMI. PMID:27289128

Multifunctional porous graphene for nanoelectronics and hydrogen storage: new properties revealed by first principle calculations.

PubMed

Du, Aijun; Zhu, Zhonghua; Smith, Sean C

2010-03-10

The lack of an obvious "band gap" is a formidable hurdle for making a nanotransistor from graphene. Here, we use density functional calculations to demonstrate for the first time that porosity such as evidenced in recently synthesized porous graphene ( http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084337.htm ) opens a band gap. The size of the band gap (3.2 eV) is comparable to most popular photocatalytic titania and graphitic C(3)N(4) materials. In addition, the adsorption of hydrogen on Li-decorated porous graphene is much stronger than that in regular Li-doped graphene due to the natural separation of Li cations, leading to a potential hydrogen storage gravimetric capacity of 12 wt %. In light of the most recent experimental progress on controlled synthesis, these results uncover new potential for the practical application of porous graphene in nanoelectronics and clean energy.

Introduction: the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative.

PubMed

Naylor, Mary D; Lustig, Adam; Kelley, Heather J; Volpe, Ellen M; Melichar, Lori; Pauly, Mark V

2013-04-01

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched the Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative (INQRI) program in 2005 to generate, disseminate, and translate research to understand how nurses contribute to and can improve patient care quality. This special edition of Medical Care provides an overview of the program's strategy, goals, and impact, highlighting cross-cutting issues addressed by the initiative. INQRI's leadership and select grantees discuss the implications of a collection of studies on the following: advances in the science of nursing's contribution to quality, measurement of quality, interdisciplinary collaboration, implementation methodology, dissemination and translation of findings, and the business case for nursing. A comprehensive review of the scholarly literature published in 2004 and 2009 found that the evidence linking nursing to quality of care has grown. The second paper discusses INQRI's work on measurement of quality of care, revealing the need for additional comprehensive measures. The third paper examines INQRI's focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, finding that it can enhance methodological approaches and result in substantive changes in health delivery systems. The fourth paper presents methodological challenges faced in health care implementation, emphasizing the need for standardized terms and research designs. The fifth paper addresses INQRI's commitment to translating research into practice, illustrating dissemination strategies and lessons learned. The final paper discusses how the INQRI program has contributed to the current evidence regarding the business case for nursing. This supplement describes the accomplishments of the INQRI program, discusses current issues in research design and implementation, and places INQRI research within the larger context regarding advances in nursing science.

Peer mentoring for undergraduates in a research-focused diversity initiative.

PubMed

Keller, Thomas E; Logan, Kay; Lindwall, Jennifer; Beals, Caitlyn

2017-01-01

To provide multi-dimensional support for undergraduates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to careers in research, the BUILD EXITO project, part of a major NIH-funded diversity initiative, matches each scholar with three mentors: peer mentor (advanced student), career mentor (faculty adviser), and research mentor (research project supervisor). After describing the aims of the diversity initiative, the institutional context of the BUILD EXITO project, and the training program model, this article devotes special attention to the rationale for and implementation of the peer mentoring component within the context of the multi-faceted mentoring model.

Variability of multilevel switching in scaled hybrid RS/CMOS nanoelectronic circuits: theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heittmann, Arne; Noll, Tobias G.

2013-07-01

A theory is presented which describes the variability of multilevel switching in scaled hybrid resistive-switching/CMOS nanoelectronic circuits. Variability is quantified in terms of conductance variation using the first two moments derived from the probability density function (PDF) of the RS conductance. For RS, which are based on the electrochemical metallization effect (ECM), this variability is - to some extent - caused by discrete events such as electrochemical reactions, which occur on atomic scale and are at random. The theory shows that the conductance variation depends on the joint interaction between the programming circuit and the resistive switch (RS), and explicitly quantifies the impact of RS device parameters and parameters of the programming circuit on the conductance variance. Using a current mirror as an exemplary programming circuit an upper limit of 2-4 bits (dependent on the filament surface area) is estimated as the storage capacity exploiting the multilevel capabilities of an ECM cell. The theoretical results were verified by Monte Carlo circuit simulations on a standard circuit simulation environment using an ECM device model which models the filament growth by a Poisson process. Contribution to the Topical Issue “International Semiconductor Conference Dresden-Grenoble - ISCDG 2012”, Edited by Gérard Ghibaudo, Francis Balestra and Simon Deleonibus.

Initiating Teachers' Action Research: Empowering Teachers' Voices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bognar, Branko

2013-01-01

The role of a teacher as an action researcher in Croatia is still insufficiently appreciated and promoted in initial teachers' training, school students learning and in the employed teachers' professional post-qualification development. In this country, teachers are most frequently perceived as mediators or technicians whose task is to prepare and…

Initial nonresponse and survey response mode biases in survey research.

PubMed

Chi, Donald L; Chen, Chao Ying

2015-01-01

We evaluated survey response factors (particularly initial nonresponse and survey mode) that may be associated with bias in survey research. We examined prevention-related beliefs and outcomes for initial mail survey responders (n=209), follow-up mail survey responders (n=78), and follow-up telephone survey responders (n=74). The Pearson chi-square test and analysis of variance identified beliefs and behavioral outcomes associated with survey response mode. Follow-up options to the initial mail survey improved response rates (22.0-38.0 percent). Initial mail survey responders more strongly believed topical fluoride protects teeth from cavities than others (P=0.04). A significantly larger proportion of parents completing a follow-up telephone survey (30.8 percent) refused topical fluoride for their child than those completing mail surveys (10.3-10.4 percent) (P<0.0001). Multiple mode surveys with follow-up improve response rates. Initial nonresponse and survey response mode may be associated with biases in survey research. © 2015 American Association of Public Health Dentistry.

Initiation of Research at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory

NASA Image and Video Library

1942-05-21

A group of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) officials and local dignitaries were on hand on May 8, 1942, to witness the Initiation of Research at the NACA's new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio. The group in this photograph was in the control room of the laboratory's first test facility, the Engine Propeller Research Building. The NACA press release that day noted, "First actual research activities in what is to be the largest aircraft engine research laboratory in the world was begun today at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics laboratory at the Cleveland Municipal Airport.” The ceremony, however, was largely symbolic since most of the laboratory was still under construction. Dr. George W. Lewis, the NACA's Director of Aeronautical Research, and John F. Victory, NACA Secretary, are at the controls in this photograph. Airport Manager John Berry, former City Manager William Hopkins, NACA Assistant Secretary Ed Chamberlain, Langley Engineer-in-Charge Henry Reid, Executive Engineer Carlton Kemper, and Construction Manager Raymond Sharp are also present. The propeller building contained two torque stands to test complete engines at ambient conditions. The facility was primarily used at the time to study engine lubrication and cooling systems for World War II aircraft, which were required to perform at higher altitudes and longer ranges than previous generations.

Fluorinated graphene as high performance dielectric materials and the applications for graphene nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Ho, Kuan-I; Huang, Chi-Hsien; Liao, Jia-Hong; Zhang, Wenjing; Li, Lain-Jong; Lai, Chao-Sung; Su, Ching-Yuan

2014-07-31

There is broad interest in surface functionalization of 2D materials and its related applications. In this work, we present a novel graphene layer transistor fabricated by introducing fluorinated graphene (fluorographene), one of the thinnest 2D insulator, as the gate dielectric material. For the first time, the dielectric properties of fluorographene, including its dielectric constant, frequency dispersion, breakdown electric field and thermal stability, were comprehensively investigated. We found that fluorographene with extremely thin thickness (5 nm) can sustain high resistance at temperature up to 400 °C. The measured breakdown electric field is higher than 10 MV cm(-1), which is the heightest value for dielectric materials in this thickness. Moreover, a proof-of-concept methodology, one-step fluorination of 10-layered graphene, is readily to obtain the fluorographene/graphene heterostructures, where the top-gated transistor based on this structure exhibits an average carrier mobility above 760 cm(2)/Vs, higher than that obtained when SiO₂ and GO were used as gate dielectric materials. The demonstrated fluorographene shows excellent dielectric properties with fast and scalable processing, providing a universal applications for the integration of versatile nano-electronic devices.

Fluorinated Graphene as High Performance Dielectric Materials and the Applications for Graphene Nanoelectronics

PubMed Central

Ho, Kuan-I; Huang, Chi-Hsien; Liao, Jia-Hong; Zhang, Wenjing; Li, Lain-Jong; Lai, Chao-Sung; Su, Ching-Yuan

2014-01-01

There is broad interest in surface functionalization of 2D materials and its related applications. In this work, we present a novel graphene layer transistor fabricated by introducing fluorinated graphene (fluorographene), one of the thinnest 2D insulator, as the gate dielectric material. For the first time, the dielectric properties of fluorographene, including its dielectric constant, frequency dispersion, breakdown electric field and thermal stability, were comprehensively investigated. We found that fluorographene with extremely thin thickness (5 nm) can sustain high resistance at temperature up to 400°C. The measured breakdown electric field is higher than 10 MV cm−1, which is the heightest value for dielectric materials in this thickness. Moreover, a proof-of-concept methodology, one-step fluorination of 10-layered graphene, is readily to obtain the fluorographene/graphene heterostructures, where the top-gated transistor based on this structure exhibits an average carrier mobility above 760 cm2/Vs, higher than that obtained when SiO2 and GO were used as gate dielectric materials. The demonstrated fluorographene shows excellent dielectric properties with fast and scalable processing, providing a universal applications for the integration of versatile nano-electronic devices. PMID:25081226

Developing the community empowered research training program: building research capacity for community-initiated and community-driven research.

PubMed

Kwon, Simona; Rideout, Catlin; Tseng, Winston; Islam, Nadia; Cook, Won Kim; Ro, Marguerite; Trinh-Shevrin, Chau

2012-01-01

Health promotion practice research conducted by or in partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AA and NHPI) can address health disparities. Few CBOs have the tools to integrate or initiate research into their programmatic agenda. The New York University (NYU) Center for the Study of Asian American Health (CSAAH) and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) created a partnership with the goal to support CBO research infrastructure development by creating the Community Empowered Research Training (CERT) program. A survey was conducted and discussions held with CBO leaders representing AA and NHPI communities to inform the development of the CERT program. The majority of participants are engaged in service-related research and reported interest in building their research capacity. CBOs may require help reframing how data can be collected and used to better inform programmatic activities and to address health disparities facing AA and NHPI communities. CBOs possess both an interest in and access to local knowledge that can inform health priorities. Findings have been applied to the CERT program to build capacity to support community-initiated/driven research to address health disparities affecting AAs and NHPIs.

Peer mentoring for undergraduates in a research-focused diversity initiative

PubMed Central

Keller, Thomas E.; Logan, Kay; Lindwall, Jennifer; Beals, Caitlyn

2017-01-01

To provide multi-dimensional support for undergraduates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to careers in research, the BUILD EXITO project, part of a major NIH-funded diversity initiative, matches each scholar with three mentors: peer mentor (advanced student), career mentor (faculty adviser), and research mentor (research project supervisor). After describing the aims of the diversity initiative, the institutional context of the BUILD EXITO project, and the training program model, this article devotes special attention to the rationale for and implementation of the peer mentoring component within the context of the multi-faceted mentoring model. PMID:29398880

The applications of statistical quantification techniques in nanomechanics and nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Mai, Wenjie; Deng, Xinwei

2010-10-08

Although nanoscience and nanotechnology have been developing for approximately two decades and have achieved numerous breakthroughs, the experimental results from nanomaterials with a higher noise level and poorer repeatability than those from bulk materials still remain as a practical issue, and challenge many techniques of quantification of nanomaterials. This work proposes a physical-statistical modeling approach and a global fitting statistical method to use all the available discrete data or quasi-continuous curves to quantify a few targeted physical parameters, which can provide more accurate, efficient and reliable parameter estimates, and give reasonable physical explanations. In the resonance method for measuring the elastic modulus of ZnO nanowires (Zhou et al 2006 Solid State Commun. 139 222-6), our statistical technique gives E = 128.33 GPa instead of the original E = 108 GPa, and unveils a negative bias adjustment f(0). The causes are suggested by the systematic bias in measuring the length of the nanowires. In the electronic measurement of the resistivity of a Mo nanowire (Zach et al 2000 Science 290 2120-3), the proposed new method automatically identified the importance of accounting for the Ohmic contact resistance in the model of the Ohmic behavior in nanoelectronics experiments. The 95% confidence interval of resistivity in the proposed one-step procedure is determined to be 3.57 +/- 0.0274 x 10( - 5) ohm cm, which should be a more reliable and precise estimate. The statistical quantification technique should find wide applications in obtaining better estimations from various systematic errors and biased effects that become more significant at the nanoscale.

Barriers to investigator-initiated deep brain stimulation and device research

PubMed Central

Malone, Donald; Okun, Michael S.; Booth, Joan; Machado, Andre G.

2014-01-01

The success of device-based research in the clinical neurosciences has overshadowed a critical and emerging problem in the biomedical research environment in the United States. Neuroprosthetic devices, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), have been shown in humans to be promising technologies for scientific exploration of neural pathways and as powerful treatments. Large device companies have, over the past several decades, funded and developed major research programs. However, both the structure of clinical trial funding and the current regulation of device research threaten investigator-initiated efforts in neurologic disorders. The current atmosphere dissuades clinical investigators from pursuing formal and prospective research with novel devices or novel indications. We review our experience in conducting a federally funded, investigator-initiated, device-based clinical trial that utilized DBS for thalamic pain syndrome. We also explore barriers that clinical investigators face in conducting device-based clinical trials, particularly in early-stage studies or small disease populations. We discuss 5 specific areas for potential reform and integration: (1) alternative pathways for device approval; (2) eliminating right of reference requirements; (3) combining federal grant awards with regulatory approval; (4) consolidation of oversight for human subjects research; and (5) private insurance coverage for clinical trials. Careful reformulation of regulatory policy and funding mechanisms is critical for expanding investigator-initiated device research, which has great potential to benefit science, industry, and, most importantly, patients. PMID:24670888

NIH Precision Medicine Initiative: Implications for Diabetes Research.

PubMed

Fradkin, Judith E; Hanlon, Mary C; Rodgers, Griffin P

2016-07-01

In his January 2015 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama announced a new Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) to personalize approaches toward improving health and treating disease (www.whitehouse.gov/precision-medicine). He stated that the goal of such an initiative was "to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes, and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier." Since that time, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has taken a leadership role in implementing the President's vision related to biomedical research (www.nih.gov/precisionmedicine). Here, we discuss the NIH component of the PMI, related ongoing diabetes research, and near-term research that could position the diabetes field to take full advantage of the opportunities that stem from the PMI. © 2016 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

78 FR 53466 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Transformation Initiative: Sustainable Communities Research...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-29

... Awards for Transformation Initiative: Sustainable Communities Research Grant (SCRGP) Program for Fiscal Year 2013 AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary of Policy Development and Research, HUD. ACTION... Fiscal Year (FY) 2013 Transformative Initiative: Sustainable Communities Research Grant Program (SCRGP...

Research at the Crossroads: How Intellectual Initiatives across Disciplines Evolve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Susan H.; Jean, Paul M.; Teodorescu, Daniel; Brown, Amy B.

2004-01-01

How do intellectual initiatives across disciplines evolve? This qualitative case study of 11 interdisciplinary research initiatives at Emory University identifies key factors in their development: the passionate commitments of scholarly leaders, the presence of strong collegial networks, access to timely and multiple resources, flexible practices,…

Space Exploration Technologies Developed through Existing and New Research Partnerships Initiatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nall, Mark; Casas, Joseph

2004-01-01

The Space Partnership Development Program of NASA has been highly successful in leveraging commercial research investments to the strategic mission and applied research goals of the Agency through industry academic partnerships. This program is currently undergoing an outward-looking transformation towards Agency wide research and discovery goals that leverage partnership contributions to the strategic research needed to demonstrate enabling space exploration technologies encompassing both robotic spacecraft missions and human space flight. New Space Partnership Initiatives with incremental goals and milestones will allow a continuing series of accomplishments to be achieved throughout the duration of each initiative, permit the "lessons learned" and capabilities acquired from previous implementation steps to be incorporated into subsequent phases of the initiatives, and allow adjustments to be made to the implementation of the initiatives as new opportunities or challenges arise. An Agency technological risk reduction roadmap for any required technologies not currently available will identify the initiative focus areas for the development, demonstration and utilization of space resources supporting the production of power, air, and water, structures and shielding materials. This paper examines the successes to date, lessons learned, and programmatic outlook of enabling sustainable exploration and discovery through governmental, industrial, academic, and international partnerships. Previous government and industry technology development programs have demonstrated that a focused research program that appropriately shares the developmental risk can rapidly mature low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies to the demonstration level. This cost effective and timely, reduced time to discovery, partnership approach to the development of needed technological capabilities addresses the dual use requirements by the investing partners. In addition, these partnerships

The Delaware River Basin Collaborative Environmental Monitoring and Research Initiative: Foundation Document

Treesearch

Peter S. Murdoch; Jennifer C. Jenkins; Richard A. Birdsey

2008-01-01

The U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service formed the Collaborative Environmental Monitoring and Research Initiative (CEMRI) to test strategies for integrated environmental monitoring among the agencies. The initiative combined monitoring and research efforts of the participating Federal programs to evaluate health and...

NASA Gulf of Mexico Initiative Hypoxia Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Curtis D.

2012-01-01

The Applied Science & Technology Project Office at Stennis Space Center (SSC) manages NASA's Gulf of Mexico Initiative (GOMI). Addressing short-term crises and long-term issues, GOMI participants seek to understand the environment using remote sensing, in-situ observations, laboratory analyses, field observations and computational models. New capabilities are transferred to end-users to help them make informed decisions. Some GOMI activities of interest to the hypoxia research community are highlighted.

Nanoelectronics enabled chronic multimodal neural platform in a mouse ischemic model

PubMed Central

Luan, Lan; Sullender, Colin T.; Li, Xue; Zhao, Zhengtuo; Zhu, Hanlin; Wei, Xiaoling; Xie, Chong; Dunn, Andrew K.

2018-01-01

Background Despite significant advancements of optical imaging techniques for mapping hemodynamics in small animal models, it remains challenging to combine imaging with spatially resolved electrical recording of individual neurons especially for longitudinal studies. This is largely due to the strong invasiveness to the living brain from the penetrating electrodes and their limited compatibility with longitudinal imaging. New Method We implant arrays of ultraflexible nanoelectronic threads (NETs) in mice for neural recording both at the brain surface and intracortically, which maintain great tissue compatibility chronically. By mounting a cranial window atop of the NET arrays that allows for chronic optical access, we establish a multimodal platform that combines spatially resolved electrical recording of neural activity and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) of cerebral blood flow (CBF) for longitudinal studies. Results We induce peri-infarct depolarizations (PIDs) by targeted photothrombosis, and show the ability to detect its occurrence and propagation through spatiotemporal variations in both extracellular potentials and CBF. We also demonstrate chronic tracking of single-unit neural activity and CBF over days after photothrombosis, from which we observe reperfusion and increased firing rates. Comparison with Existing Method(s) This multimodal platform enables simultaneous mapping of neural activity and hemodynamic parameters at the microscale for quantitative, longitudinal comparisons with minimal perturbation to the baseline neurophysiology. Conclusion The ability to spatiotemporally resolve and chronically track CBF and neural electrical activity in the same living brain region has broad applications for studying the interplay between neural and hemodynamic responses in health and in cerebrovascular and neurological pathologies. PMID:29203409

Nanoelectronics enabled chronic multimodal neural platform in a mouse ischemic model.

PubMed

Luan, Lan; Sullender, Colin T; Li, Xue; Zhao, Zhengtuo; Zhu, Hanlin; Wei, Xiaoling; Xie, Chong; Dunn, Andrew K

2018-02-01

Despite significant advancements of optical imaging techniques for mapping hemodynamics in small animal models, it remains challenging to combine imaging with spatially resolved electrical recording of individual neurons especially for longitudinal studies. This is largely due to the strong invasiveness to the living brain from the penetrating electrodes and their limited compatibility with longitudinal imaging. We implant arrays of ultraflexible nanoelectronic threads (NETs) in mice for neural recording both at the brain surface and intracortically, which maintain great tissue compatibility chronically. By mounting a cranial window atop of the NET arrays that allows for chronic optical access, we establish a multimodal platform that combines spatially resolved electrical recording of neural activity and laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) of cerebral blood flow (CBF) for longitudinal studies. We induce peri-infarct depolarizations (PIDs) by targeted photothrombosis, and show the ability to detect its occurrence and propagation through spatiotemporal variations in both extracellular potentials and CBF. We also demonstrate chronic tracking of single-unit neural activity and CBF over days after photothrombosis, from which we observe reperfusion and increased firing rates. This multimodal platform enables simultaneous mapping of neural activity and hemodynamic parameters at the microscale for quantitative, longitudinal comparisons with minimal perturbation to the baseline neurophysiology. The ability to spatiotemporally resolve and chronically track CBF and neural electrical activity in the same living brain region has broad applications for studying the interplay between neural and hemodynamic responses in health and in cerebrovascular and neurological pathologies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Beyond robotics: a new proactive research initiative from the EU IST program.

PubMed

Karp, Pekka

2005-01-01

A research initiative on embodied artificial intelligence has been launched in 2004 by the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) arm of the Information Society Technologies (IST) programme of the European Union. The initiative is called "Beyond Robotics" to emphasize that the research projects funded are required to set ambitious objectives and to aim at breakthroughs going well beyond the state of the art. Four projects worth 20 M E of EC funding were selected for 2004-2008 to address the objectives of the initiative.

Working Together, Creating Knowledge: The University-Industry Research Collaboration Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Business-Higher Education Forum, Washington, DC.

This document provides a detailed assessment of the opportunities and challenges facing university-industry research collaborations. This report represents a synthesis of the work and findings of this initiative. It analyzes several of the critical issues facing research collaborations between industry and universities and offers suggestions to…

Peer Mentoring for Undergraduates in a Research-Focused Diversity Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keller, Thomas E.; Logan, Kay; Lindwall, Jennifer; Beals, Caitlyn

2017-01-01

To provide multi-dimensional support for undergraduates from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds who aspire to careers in research, the BUILD EXITO project, part of a major NIH-funded diversity initiative, matches each scholar with three mentors: peer mentor (advanced student), career mentor (faculty adviser), and research mentor (research…

Nanoelectronics and Plasma Processing---The Next 15 Years and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lieberman, Michael A.

2006-10-01

The number of transistors per chip has doubled every 2 years since 1959, and this doubling will continue over the next 15 years as transistor sizes shrink. There has been a 25 million-fold decrease in cost for the same performance, and in 15 years a desktop computer will be hundreds of times more powerful than one today. Transistors now have 37 nm (120 atoms) gate lengths and 1.5 nm (5 atoms) gate oxide thicknesses. The smallest working transistor has a 5 nm (17 atoms) gate length, close to the limiting gate length, from simulations, of about 4 nm. Plasma discharges are used to fabricate hundreds of billions of these nano-size transistors on a silicon wafer. These discharges have evolved from a first generation of ``low density'' reactors capacitively driven by a single source, to a second generation of ``high density'' reactors (inductive and electron cyclotron resonance) having two rf power sources, in order to control independently the ion flux and ion bombarding energy to the substrate. A third generation of ``moderate density'' reactors, driven capacitively by one high and one low frequency rf source, is now widely used. Recently, triple frequency and combined dc/dual frequency discharges have been investigated, to further control processing characteristics, such as ion energy distributions, uniformity, and plasma etch selectivities. There are many interesting physics issues associated with these discharges, including stochastic heating of discharge electrons by dual frequency sheaths, nonlinear frequency interactions, powers supplied by the multi-frequency sources, and electromagnetic effects such as standing waves and skin effects. Beyond the 4 nm transistor limit lies a decade of further performance improvements for conventional nanoelectronics, and beyond that, a dimly-seen future of spintronics, single-electron transistors, cross-bar latches, and molecular electronics.

A Funding Initiative for Community-Based Participatory Research: Lessons from the Harvard Catalyst Seed Grants

PubMed Central

Tendulkar, Shalini A.; Chu, Jocelyn; Opp, Jennifer; Geller, Alan; DiGirolamo, Ann; Gandelman, Ediss; Grullon, Milagro; Patil, Pratima; King, Stacey; Hacker, Karen

2013-01-01

Background The National Institutes of Health–funded Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) have increasingly focused on community-engaged research and funded investigators for community-based participatory research (CBPR). However, because CBPR is a collaborative process focused on community-identified research topics, the Harvard CTSA and its Community Advisory Board (CERAB) funded community partners through a CBPR initiative. Objectives We describe lessons learned from this seed grants initiative designed to stimulate community–academic CBPR partnerships. Methods The CBPR program of the Harvard CTSA and the CERAB developed this initiative and each round incorporated participant and advisory feedback toward program improvement. Lessons Learned Although this initiative facilitated relevant and innovative research, challenges included variable community research readiness, insufficient project time, and difficulties identifying investigators for new partnerships. Conclusion Seed grants can foster innovative CBPR projects. Similar initiatives should consider preliminary assessments of community research readiness as well as strategies for meaningful academic researcher engagement. PMID:21441667

Improving Weather Research and Forecasting Model Initial Conditions via Surface Pressure Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Obsgrid) that creates input data for the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model ( WRF -ARW) is modified to perform a...surface pressure objective analysis to allow surface analyses of other fields to be more fully utilized in the WRF -ARW initial conditions. Nested 27-, 9...of surface pressure unnecessarily limits the application of other surface analyses into the WRF initial conditions and contributes to the creation of

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

PubMed

Banerjee, Arghya; Chattopadhyay, Kalyan K

2008-01-01

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

Electric field-assisted deposition of nanowires on carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics and sensor applications.

PubMed

Sivakumar, Kousik; Panchapakesan, Balaji

2005-02-01

Manipulation and control of matter at the nanoscale and atomic scale levels are crucial for the success of nanoscale sensors and actuators. The ability to control and synthesize multilayer structures using carbon nanotubes that will enable the building of electronic devices within a nanotube is still in its infancy. In this paper, we present results on selective electric field-assisted deposition of metals on carbon nanotubes realizing metallic nanowire structures. Silver and platinum nanowires have been fabricated using this approach for their applications in chemical sensing as catalytic materials to sniff toxic agents and in the area of biomedical nanotechnology for construction of artificial muscles. Electric field-assisted deposition allows the deposition of metals with a high degree of selectivity on carbon nanotubes by manipulating the charges on the surface of the nanotubes and forming electrostatic double-layer supercapacitors. Deposition of metals primarily occurred due to electrochemical reduction, electrophoresis, and electro-osmosis inside the walls of the nanotube. SEM and TEM investigations revealed silver and platinum nanowires between 10 nm and 100 nm in diameter. The present technique is versatile and enables the fabrication of a host of different types of metallic and semiconducting nanowires using carbon nanotube templates for nanoelectronics and a myriad of sensor applications.

Genuine participation in participant-centred research initiatives: the rhetoric and the potential reality.

PubMed

Feeney, Oliver; Borry, Pascal; Felzmann, Heike; Galvagni, Lucia; Haukkala, Ari; Loi, Michele; Nordal, Salvör; Rakic, Vojin; Riso, Brígida; Sterckx, Sigrid; Vears, Danya

2018-04-01

The introduction of Web 2.0 technology, along with a population increasingly proficient in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), coupled with the rapid advancements in genetic testing methods, has seen an increase in the presence of participant-centred research initiatives. Such initiatives, aided by the centrality of ICT interconnections, and the ethos they propound seem to further embody the ideal of increasing the participatory nature of research, beyond what might be possible in non-ICT contexts alone. However, the majority of such research seems to actualise a much narrower definition of 'participation'-where it is merely the case that such research initiatives have increased contact with participants through ICT but are otherwise non-participatory in any important normative sense. Furthermore, the rhetoric of participant-centred initiatives tends to inflate this minimalist form of participation into something that it is not, i.e. something genuinely participatory, with greater connections with both the ICT-facilitated political contexts and the largely non-ICT participatory initiatives that have expanded in contemporary health and research contexts. In this paper, we highlight that genuine (ICT-based) 'participation' should enable a reasonable minimum threshold of participatory engagement through, at least, three central participatory elements: educative, sense of being involved and degree of control. While we agree with criticisms that, at present, genuine participation seems more rhetoric than reality, we believe that there is clear potential for a greater ICT-facilitated participatory engagement on all three participatory elements. We outline some practical steps such initiatives could take to further develop these elements and thereby their level of ICT-facilitated participatory engagement.

Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) : User Needs Assessment: Stakeholder Engagement Report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-01

The Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) is a joint U.S. Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) initiative that is co-led by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). ATTRI ...

The California HIV/AIDS Research Program: History, Impact, and HIV Cure Initiative.

PubMed

Stanga, Lisa Loeb; Mujeeb, Anwer; Packel, Laura; Martz, Tyler; Lemp, George

2017-11-01

This Special Issue of AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses features results from the HIV Cure Initiative, funded by the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP). As a publicly funded grant maker, CHRP has served for more than three decades as a unique resource for innovative researchers in California, whose work seeks to address all aspects of the HIV epidemic and the communities affected by it. Early initiatives at CHRP pioneered what would become enduring cornerstones of HIV science: isolation of the virus; efficacy and toxicities of the first HIV treatments; the emergence of drug resistance; the first biospecimen banks for HIV-related research; the first community-based laboratory service for HIV diagnostic serology; and the first longitudinal case-control study of progression from HIV to AIDS-The San Francisco General Hospital Cohort. More recently, CHRP-funded conceptual studies of zinc-finger nuclease-mediated disruption of CCR5 genomic sequences and the safety of solid organ transplantation for HIV-positive patients have progressed from brilliant ideas to clinical realities, and CHRP is currently funding the first multisite trial of HIV preexposure prophylaxis for transgender persons in the United States. The present article outlines the founding of CHRP, our current grantmaking process, and our impact on HIV research over time. In 2013, CHRP launched a new initiative aimed at moving the then nascent frontier of HIV cure science forward: the CHRP HIV Cure Initiative provided over $1.4 million to multiple basic biomedical research projects, and selected results are presented in this Special Issue.

The European initiative on low-dose risk research: from the HLEG to MELODI.

PubMed

Belli, Mauro; Tabocchini, Maria Antonella; Jourdain, Jean-René; Salomaa, Sisko; Repussard, Jacques

2015-09-01

The importance of low-dose risk research for radiation protection is now widely recognised. The European Commission (EC) and five European Union (EU) Member States involved in the Euratom Programme set up in 2008 a 'High Level and Expert Group on European Low Dose Risk Research' (HLEG) aimed at identifying research needs and proposing a better integration of European efforts in the field. The HLEG revised the research challenges and proposed a European research strategy based on a 'Multidisciplinary European LOw Dose Initiative' (MELODI). In April 2009, five national organisations, with the support of the EC, created the initial core of MELODI (http://www.melodi-online.eu) with a view to integrate the EU institutions with significant programmes in the field, while being open to other scientific organisations and stakeholders, and to develop an agreed strategic research agenda (SRA) and roadmap. Since then, open workshops have been organised yearly, exploring ideas for SRA implementation. As of October 2014, 31 institutions have been included as members of MELODI. HLEG recommendations and MELODI SRA have become important reference points in the radiation protection part of the Euratom Research Programme. MELODI has established close interactions through Memorandum of Understanding with other European platforms involved in radiation protection (Alliance, NERIS and EURADOS) and, together with EURADOS, with the relevant medical European Associations. The role of Joint Programming in priority setting, foreseen in the forthcoming EU Horizon 2020, calls for keeping MELODI an open, inclusive and transparent initiative, able to avoid redundancies and possible conflicts of interest, while promoting common initiatives in radiation protection research. An important issue is the establishment of a proper methodology for managing these initiatives, and this includes the set-up of an independent MELODI Scientific Committee recently extended to Alliance, NERIS and EURADOS, with

Accessible transportation technologies research initiative : advancing mobility solutions for travelers with disabilities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-01-01

The Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) improves the mobility of travelers with disabilities through research, development, and implementation of transformative technologies, applications, or systems for people of all a...

Transdisciplinary Research and Evaluation for Community Health Initiatives

PubMed Central

Harper, Gary W.; Neubauer, Leah C.; Bangi, Audrey K.; Francisco, Vincent T.

2010-01-01

Transdisciplinary research and evaluation projects provide valuable opportunities to collaborate on interventions to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Given team members’ diverse backgrounds and roles or responsibilities in such projects, members’ perspectives are significant in strengthening a project’s infrastructure and improving its organizational functioning. This article presents an evaluation mechanism that allows team members to express the successes and challenges incurred throughout their involvement in a multisite transdisciplinary research project. Furthermore, their feedback is used to promote future sustainability and growth. Guided by a framework known as organizational development, the evaluative process was conducted by a neutral entity, the Quality Assurance Team. A mixed-methods approach was utilized to garner feedback and clarify how the research project goals could be achieved more effectively and efficiently. The multiple benefits gained by those involved in this evaluation and implications for utilizing transdisciplinary research and evaluation teams for health initiatives are detailed. PMID:18936267

Proceedings of Workshop on Priority Great Lakes Environmental Research Initiatives (Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Ann Arbor, Michigan, October 10-11, 1974).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinsak, Arthur P., Ed.

This publication contains the proceedings of a workshop held in Ann Arbor, Michigan to identify the priority Great Lakes environmental research initiatives. The five major objectives of the workshop include the determination of research initiatives, opportunities for university research communities to discuss and recommend future research…

Where Is Research on Massive Open Online Courses Headed? A Data Analysis of the MOOC Research Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaševic, Dragan; Kovanovic, Vitomir; Joksimovic, Srecko; Siemens, George

2014-01-01

This paper reports on the results of an analysis of the research proposals submitted to the MOOC Research Initiative (MRI) funded by the Gates Foundation and administered by Athabasca University. The goal of MRI was to mobilize researchers to engage into critical interrogation of MOOCs. The submissions--266 in Phase 1, out of which 78 was…

Research-Based Insights on Initial Teacher Education in Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sancho-Gil, Juana M.; Sánchez-Valero, Joan-Anton; Domingo-Coscollola, Maria

2017-01-01

This paper builds on two research projects on initial and in-service education of teachers, their professional experience, and the pathways they travelled to become teachers. The policy documents analysed and the teachers' professional histories, the micro-ethnographies and the discussion groups developed, allowed us to draw a broad picture of the…

Amphibian research and monitoring initiative: Concepts and implementation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corn, P.S.; Adams, M.J.; Battaglin, W.A.; Gallant, Alisa L.; James, D.L.; Knutson, M.; Langtimm, C.A.; Sauer, J.R.

2005-01-01

This report provides the basis for discussion and subsequent articulation of a national plan for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI). The authors were members of a task force formed from within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that included scientists with expertise in biology, cartography, hydrology, and statistics. The assignment of the task force was to extend work begun by the National Amphibian Leadership Group. This group, composed of senior USGS scientists, managers, and external authorities, met in Gainesville, Florida, in February 20001. The product of this meeting was a document outlining the framework for a national program to monitor amphibian populations and to conduct research into the causes of declines.

The Global Evidence Mapping Initiative: scoping research in broad topic areas.

PubMed

Bragge, Peter; Clavisi, Ornella; Turner, Tari; Tavender, Emma; Collie, Alex; Gruen, Russell L

2011-06-17

Evidence mapping describes the quantity, design and characteristics of research in broad topic areas, in contrast to systematic reviews, which usually address narrowly-focused research questions. The breadth of evidence mapping helps to identify evidence gaps, and may guide future research efforts. The Global Evidence Mapping (GEM) Initiative was established in 2007 to create evidence maps providing an overview of existing research in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). The GEM evidence mapping method involved three core tasks:1. Setting the boundaries and context of the map: Definitions for the fields of TBI and SCI were clarified, the prehospital, acute inhospital and rehabilitation phases of care were delineated and relevant stakeholders (patients, carers, clinicians, researchers and policymakers) who could contribute to the mapping were identified. Researchable clinical questions were developed through consultation with key stakeholders and a broad literature search. 2. Searching for and selection of relevant studies: Evidence search and selection involved development of specific search strategies, development of inclusion and exclusion criteria, searching of relevant databases and independent screening and selection by two researchers. 3. Reporting on yield and study characteristics: Data extraction was performed at two levels - 'interventions and study design' and 'detailed study characteristics'. The evidence map and commentary reflected the depth of data extraction. One hundred and twenty-nine researchable clinical questions in TBI and SCI were identified. These questions were then prioritised into high (n = 60) and low (n = 69) importance by the stakeholders involved in question development. Since 2007, 58 263 abstracts have been screened, 3 731 full text articles have been reviewed and 1 644 relevant neurotrauma publications have been mapped, covering fifty-three high priority questions. GEM Initiative evidence maps have a broad

The Global Evidence Mapping Initiative: Scoping research in broad topic areas

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Evidence mapping describes the quantity, design and characteristics of research in broad topic areas, in contrast to systematic reviews, which usually address narrowly-focused research questions. The breadth of evidence mapping helps to identify evidence gaps, and may guide future research efforts. The Global Evidence Mapping (GEM) Initiative was established in 2007 to create evidence maps providing an overview of existing research in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). Methods The GEM evidence mapping method involved three core tasks: 1. Setting the boundaries and context of the map: Definitions for the fields of TBI and SCI were clarified, the prehospital, acute inhospital and rehabilitation phases of care were delineated and relevant stakeholders (patients, carers, clinicians, researchers and policymakers) who could contribute to the mapping were identified. Researchable clinical questions were developed through consultation with key stakeholders and a broad literature search. 2. Searching for and selection of relevant studies: Evidence search and selection involved development of specific search strategies, development of inclusion and exclusion criteria, searching of relevant databases and independent screening and selection by two researchers. 3. Reporting on yield and study characteristics: Data extraction was performed at two levels - 'interventions and study design' and 'detailed study characteristics'. The evidence map and commentary reflected the depth of data extraction. Results One hundred and twenty-nine researchable clinical questions in TBI and SCI were identified. These questions were then prioritised into high (n = 60) and low (n = 69) importance by the stakeholders involved in question development. Since 2007, 58 263 abstracts have been screened, 3 731 full text articles have been reviewed and 1 644 relevant neurotrauma publications have been mapped, covering fifty-three high priority questions. Conclusions GEM

Practitioner Research as Part of Professional Development in Initial Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maaranen, Katriina

2009-01-01

The purpose of this research is to seek the connection between professional development and an MA thesis research project, which is conducted as part of initial teacher education in Finland. This article examines the experiences of teachers with work experience, but without an official qualification, who recently completed their MA thesis. The…

Issues of nanoelectronics: a possible roadmap.

PubMed

Wang, Kang L

2002-01-01

In this review, we will discuss a possible roadmap in scaling a nanoelectronic device from today's CMOS technology to the ultimate limit when the device fails. In other words, at the limit, CMOS will have a severe short channel effect, significant power dissipation in its quiescent (standby) state, and problems related to other essential characteristics. Efforts to use structures such as the double gate, vertical surround gate, and SOI to improve the gate control have continually been made. Other types of structures using SiGe source/drain, asymmetric Schottky source/drain, and the like will be investigated as viable structures to achieve ultimate CMOS. In reaching its scaling limit, tunneling will be an issue for CMOS. The tunneling current through the gate oxide and between the source and drain will limit the device operation. When tunneling becomes significant, circuits may incorporate tunneling devices with CMOS to further increase the functionality per device count. We will discuss both the top-down and bottom-up approaches in attaining the nanometer scale and eventually the atomic scale. Self-assembly is used as a bottom-up approach. The state of the art is reviewed, and the challenges of the multiple-step processing in using the self-assembly approach are outlined. Another facet of the scaling trend is to decrease the number of electrons in devices, ultimately leading to single electrons. If the size of a single-electron device is scaled in such a way that the Coulomb self-energy is higher than the thermal energy (at room temperature), a single-electron device will be able to operate at room temperature. In principle, the speed of the device will be fast as long as the capacitance of the load is also scaled accordingly. The single-electron device will have a small drive current, and thus the load capacitance, including those of interconnects and fanouts, must be small to achieve a reasonable speed. However, because the increase in the density (and

The Precision Medicine Initiative's All of Us Research Program: an agenda for research on its ethical, legal, and social issues.

PubMed

Sankar, Pamela L; Parker, Lisa S

2017-07-01

The Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI) is an innovative approach to developing a new model of health care that takes into account individual differences in people's genes, environments, and lifestyles. A cornerstone of the initiative is the PMI All of Us Research Program (formerly known as PMI-Cohort Program) which will create a cohort of 1 million volunteers who will contribute their health data and biospecimens to a centralized national database to support precision medicine research. The PMI All of US Research Program is the largest longitudinal study in the history of the United States. The designers of the Program anticipated and addressed some of the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with the initiative. To date, however, there is no plan to call for research regarding ELSI associated with the Program-PMI All of Us program. Based on analysis of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcements for the PMI All of Us program, we have identified three ELSI themes: cohort diversity and health disparities, participant engagement, and privacy and security. We review All of Us Research Program plans to address these issues and then identify additional ELSI within each domain that warrant ongoing investigation as the All of Us Research Program develops. We conclude that PMI's All of Us Research Program represents a significant opportunity and obligation to identify, analyze, and respond to ELSI, and we call on the PMI to initiate a research program capable of taking on these challenges.Genet Med advance online publication 01 December 2016.

Design and synthesis of diverse functional kinked nanowire structures for nanoelectronic bioprobes.

PubMed

Xu, Lin; Jiang, Zhe; Qing, Quan; Mai, Liqiang; Zhang, Qingjie; Lieber, Charles M

2013-02-13

Functional kinked nanowires (KNWs) represent a new class of nanowire building blocks, in which functional devices, for example, nanoscale field-effect transistors (nanoFETs), are encoded in geometrically controlled nanowire superstructures during synthesis. The bottom-up control of both structure and function of KNWs enables construction of spatially isolated point-like nanoelectronic probes that are especially useful for monitoring biological systems where finely tuned feature size and structure are highly desired. Here we present three new types of functional KNWs including (1) the zero-degree KNW structures with two parallel heavily doped arms of U-shaped structures with a nanoFET at the tip of the "U", (2) series multiplexed functional KNW integrating multi-nanoFETs along the arm and at the tips of V-shaped structures, and (3) parallel multiplexed KNWs integrating nanoFETs at the two tips of W-shaped structures. First, U-shaped KNWs were synthesized with separations as small as 650 nm between the parallel arms and used to fabricate three-dimensional nanoFET probes at least 3 times smaller than previous V-shaped designs. In addition, multiple nanoFETs were encoded during synthesis in one of the arms/tip of V-shaped and distinct arms/tips of W-shaped KNWs. These new multiplexed KNW structures were structurally verified by optical and electron microscopy of dopant-selective etched samples and electrically characterized using scanning gate microscopy and transport measurements. The facile design and bottom-up synthesis of these diverse functional KNWs provides a growing toolbox of building blocks for fabricating highly compact and multiplexed three-dimensional nanoprobes for applications in life sciences, including intracellular and deep tissue/cell recordings.

Initiating and Managing University-Based International Research and Development Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Marla P.

1987-01-01

Initiating and managing international research and development are discussed, including: basic principles for participation in international development activities; AID and World Bank project cycles; AID and World Bank contracting modes and instruments; and international contract negotiations. Some reference sources are appended. (MLW)

The NIMH Research Domain Criteria Initiative: Background, Issues, and Pragmatics.

PubMed

Kozak, Michael J; Cuthbert, Bruce N

2016-03-01

This article describes the National Institute of Mental Health's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative. The description includes background, rationale, goals, and the way the initiative has been developed and organized. The central RDoC concepts are summarized and the current matrix of constructs that have been vetted by workshops of extramural scientists is depicted. A number of theoretical and methodological issues that can arise in connection with the nature of RDoC constructs are highlighted: subjectivism and heterophenomenology, desynchrony and theoretical neutrality among units of analysis, theoretical reductionism, endophenotypes, biomarkers, neural circuits, construct "grain size," and analytic challenges. The importance of linking RDoC constructs to psychiatric clinical problems is discussed. Some pragmatics of incorporating RDoC concepts into applications for NIMH research funding are considered, including sampling design. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

2011 Vascular Research Initiatives Conference: basic foundations of translational research in vascular disease.

PubMed

Ziegler, Kenneth R; Dardik, Alan

2011-07-01

The Vascular Research Initiatives Conference (VRIC) is an annual conference organized by the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS). The 2011 VRIC was held in Chicago (IL, USA) to precede and coincide with the first day of the meeting of the Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB) of the American Heart Association. The event is designed to present world class vascular research results, encourage collaboration between vascular surgeons and basic scientists in related disciplines, as well as to stimulate interest in research among aspiring academic vascular surgeons. The 2011 VRIC featured plenary sessions addressing peripheral arterial disease, vascular endothelium and thrombosis, aneurysms, and stem cells and tissue engineering. Recipients of the SVS partner grants with the National Institutes of Health K08 awardees presented their progress reports, and keynote addresses were given by Linda Graham and Frank LoGerfo.

Nanotechnology Support for Memristor Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-01

hafnium oxide; 2) investigation of a conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) approach for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties , which was...films; and 4) successful measurement of memristive properties of nanoparticle -loaded insulating films. These results lay the groundwork for follow-on...a cAFM strategy for measuring nanoparticle electrical properties . Our initial approach to measuring nanoparticles was to attempt electrical

Wearable Sensors in Transportation - Exploratory Advanced Research Program Initial Stage Investigation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-03-01

This report summarizes an initial stage investigation into wearable sensors for transportation research : applications. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has observed significant activity in this area and : seeks to obtain an understanding of...

Perceptions of community-based participatory research in the delta nutrition intervention research initiative:an academic perspective

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (Delta NIRI) is an academic-community partnership between seven academic institutions and three communities in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. A range of community-based participatory methods have been employed to develop susta...

48 CFR 1352.235-73 - Research involving human subjects-after initial contract award.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Research involving human... Provisions and Clauses 1352.235-73 Research involving human subjects—after initial contract award. As prescribed in 48 CFR 1335.006(d), insert the following clause: Research Involving Human Subjects—After...

48 CFR 1352.235-73 - Research involving human subjects-after initial contract award.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Research involving human... Provisions and Clauses 1352.235-73 Research involving human subjects—after initial contract award. As prescribed in 48 CFR 1335.006(d), insert the following clause: Research Involving Human Subjects—After...

48 CFR 1352.235-73 - Research involving human subjects-after initial contract award.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Research involving human... Provisions and Clauses 1352.235-73 Research involving human subjects—after initial contract award. As prescribed in 48 CFR 1335.006(d), insert the following clause: Research Involving Human Subjects—After...

Initiatives in biological research in Indian psychiatry

PubMed Central

Shrivatava, Amresh

2010-01-01

Biological psychiatry is an exploratory science for mental health. These biological changes provide some explicit insight into the complex area of ‘brain-mind and behavior’. One major achievement of research in biological field is the finding to explain how biological factors cause changes in behavior. In India, we have a clear history of initiatives in research from a biological perspective, which goes back to 1958. In the last 61 years, this field has seen significant evolution, precision and effective utilization of contemporary technological advances. It is a matter of great pride to see that in spite of difficult times in terms of challenges of practice and services, administration, resource, funding and manpower the zest for research was very forthcoming. There was neither dedicated time nor any funding for conducting research. It came from the intellectual insight of our fore fathers in the field of mental health to gradually grow to the state of strategic education in research, training in research, international research collaborations and setting up of internationally accredited centers. During difficult economic conditions in the past, the hypothesis tested and conclusions derived have not been so important. It is more important how it was done, how it was made possible and how robust traditions were established. Almost an entire spectrum of biological research has been touched upon by Indian researchers. Some of these are electroconvulsive therapy, biological markers, neurocognition, neuroimaging, neuroendocrine, neurochemistry, electrophysiology and genetics. A lot has been published given the limited space in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry and other medical journals published in India. A large body of biological research conducted on Indian patients has also been published in International literature (which I prefer to call non-Indian journals). Newer research questions in biological psychiatry, keeping with trend of international standards are

Opening a band gap without breaking lattice symmetry: a new route toward robust graphene-based nanoelectronics.

PubMed

Kou, Liangzhi; Hu, Feiming; Yan, Binghai; Frauenheim, Thomas; Chen, Changfeng

2014-07-07

Developing graphene-based nanoelectronics hinges on opening a band gap in the electronic structure of graphene, which is commonly achieved by breaking the inversion symmetry of the graphene lattice via an electric field (gate bias) or asymmetric doping of graphene layers. Here we introduce a new design strategy that places a bilayer graphene sheet sandwiched between two cladding layers of materials that possess strong spin-orbit coupling (e.g., Bi2Te3). Our ab initio and tight-binding calculations show that a proximity enhanced spin-orbit coupling effect opens a large (44 meV) band gap in bilayer graphene without breaking its lattice symmetry, and the band gap can be effectively tuned by an interlayer stacking pattern and significantly enhanced by interlayer compression. The feasibility of this quantum-well structure is demonstrated by recent experimental realization of high-quality heterojunctions between graphene and Bi2Te3, and this design also conforms to existing fabrication techniques in the semiconductor industry. The proposed quantum-well structure is expected to be especially robust since it does not require an external power supply to open and maintain a band gap, and the cladding layers provide protection against environmental degradation of the graphene layer in its device applications.

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Sensitivity Comparisons for Warm Season Convective Initiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.

2007-01-01

This report describes the work done by the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) in assessing the success of different model configurations in predicting warm season convection over East-Central Florida. The Weather Research and Forecasting Environmental Modeling System (WRF EMS) software allows users to choose among two dynamical cores - the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). There are also data assimilation analysis packages available for the initialization of the WRF model - the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS). Besides model core and initialization options, the WRF model can be run with one- or two-way nesting. Having a series of initialization options and WRF cores, as well as many options within each core, creates challenges for local forecasters, such as determining which configuration options are best to address specific forecast concerns. This project assessed three different model intializations available to determine which configuration best predicts warm season convective initiation in East-Central Florida. The project also examined the use of one- and two-way nesting in predicting warm season convection.

Earth Observation Research for GMES Initial Operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Beijma, Sybrand; Balzter, Heiko; Nicolas-Perea, Virginia

2013-04-01

GMES Initial Operations - Network for Earth Observation Research Training (GIONET) is a Marie Curie funded project that aims to establish the first of a kind European Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation Research Training. GIONET is a partnership of leading Universities, research institutes and private companies from across Europe aiming to cultivate a community of early stage researchers in the areas of optical and radar remote sensing skilled for the emerging GMES land monitoring services during the GMES Initial Operations period (2011-2013) and beyond. GIONET is expected to satisfy the demand for highly skilled researchers and provide personnel for operational phase of the GMES and monitoring and emergency services. It will achieve this by: * Providing postgraduate training in Earth Observation Science that exposes students to different research disciplines and complementary skills, providing work experiences in the private and academic sectors, and leading to a recognized qualification (Doctorate). * Enabling access to first class training in both fundamental and applied research skills to early-stage researchers at world-class academic centres and market leaders in the private sector. * Building on the experience from previous GMES research and development projects in the land monitoring and emergency information services. * Developing a collaborative training network, through the placement of researchers for short periods in other GIONET organizations. Reliable, thorough and up-to-date environmental information is essential for understanding climate change the impacts it has on people's lives and ways to adapt to them. The GIONET researchers are being trained to understand the complex physical processes that determine how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the atmosphere and the land surface ultimately form the signal received by a satellite. In order to achieve this, the researchers have been placed in industry and universities across Europe, as

The Community Research Scholars Initiative: A Mid‐Project Assessment

PubMed Central

Pike, Earl; Sehgal, Ashwini R.; Fischer, Robert L.; Collins, Cyleste

2015-01-01

Abstract Community organizations addressing health and human service needs generally have minimal capacity for research and evaluation. As a result, they are often inadequately equipped to independently carry out activities that can be critical for their own success, such as conducting needs assessments, identifying best practices, and evaluating outcomes. Moreover, they are unable to develop equitable partnerships with academic researchers to conduct community‐based research. This paper reports on the progress of the Community Research Scholar Initiative (CRSI), a program that aims to enhance community research and evaluation capacity through training of selected employees from Greater Cleveland community organizations. The intensive 2‐year CRSI program includes didactic instruction, fieldwork, multiple levels of community and academic engagement, leadership training, and a mentored research project. The first cohort of CRSI Scholars, their community organizations, and other community stakeholders have incorporated program lessons into their practices and operations. The CRSI program evaluation indicates: the importance of careful Scholar selection; the need to engage executive leadership from Scholar organizations; the value of a curriculum integrating classwork, fieldwork, and community engagement; and the need for continual scholar skill and knowledge assessment. These findings and lessons learned guide other efforts to enhance community organization research and evaluation capacity. PMID:26073663

Population Health Intervention Research Initiative for Canada: progress and prospects.

PubMed

Hawe, Penelope; Samis, Stephen; Di Ruggiero, Erica; Shoveller, Jean A

2011-04-01

Actions in Canada are being designed to transform the way research evidence is generated and used to improve population health. Capacity is being built in population health intervention research. The primary target is more understanding and examination of policies and programs that could redress inequities in health. The Population Health Intervention Research Initiative for Canada is a loosely-networked collaboration designed to advance the science of the field as well as the quantity, quality and use of population health intervention research to improve the health of Canadians. In the first few years there have been new training investments, new funding programs, new working guidelines for peer review, symposia and new international collaborations. This has been brought about by the strategic alignment of communication, planning and existing investments and the leveraging of new resources.

76 FR 12717 - Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program; Field Initiated (FI...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program; Field...; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)--Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program--Field Initiated (FI) Projects AGENCY: Office of Special Education...

The NASA Software Research Infusion Initiative: Successful Technology Transfer for Software Assurance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinchey, Michael G.; Pressburger, Thomas; Markosian, Lawrence; Feather, Martin S.

2006-01-01

New processes, methods and tools are constantly appearing in the field of software engineering. Many of these augur great potential in improving software development processes, resulting in higher quality software with greater levels of assurance. However, there are a number of obstacles that impede their infusion into software development practices. These are the recurring obstacles common to many forms of research. Practitioners cannot readily identify the emerging techniques that may most benefit them, and cannot afford to risk time and effort in evaluating and experimenting with them while there is still uncertainty about whether they will have payoff in this particular context. Similarly, researchers cannot readily identify those practitioners whose problems would be amenable to their techniques and lack the feedback from practical applications necessary to help them to evolve their techniques to make them more likely to be successful. This paper describes an ongoing effort conducted by a software engineering research infusion team, and the NASA Research Infusion Initiative, established by NASA s Software Engineering Initiative, to overcome these obstacles.

Theory, Practice and Research in Initial Teacher Education in Brazil: Challenges and Alternatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcondes, Maria Inês; Finholdt Angelo Leite, Vânia; Karl Ramos, Rosane

2017-01-01

The main goal of this paper is to discuss initial teacher education in the Brazilian context, by presenting three educational experiences that prioritise the connection between theory, practice and research in initial teacher education. The paper is the result of a literature review and a document analysis. The theoretical framework for this paper…

Advanced Concepts Research Initiative

EPA Science Inventory

This initiative is investigating various approaches to controlling and treating wet-weather flow (WWF) discharges in the urban watershed. WWF, including combined sewer overflow (CSO), sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and stormwater discharges are leading causes of receiving water q...

The International Permafrost Association: current initiatives for cryospheric research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schollaen, Karina; Lewkowicz, Antoni G.; Christiansen, Hanne H.; Romanovsky, Vladimir E.; Lantuit, Hugues; Schrott, Lothar; Sergeev, Dimitry; Wei, Ma

2015-04-01

The International Permafrost Association (IPA), founded in 1983, has as its objectives to foster the dissemination of knowledge concerning permafrost and to promote cooperation among persons and national or international organizations engaged in scientific investigation and engineering work on permafrost. The IPA's primary responsibilities are convening International Permafrost Conferences, undertaking special projects such as preparing databases, maps, bibliographies, and glossaries, and coordinating international field programs and networks. Membership is through adhering national or multinational organizations or as individuals in countries where no Adhering Body exists. The IPA is governed by its Executive Committee and a Council consisting of representatives from 26 Adhering Bodies having interests in some aspect of theoretical, basic and applied frozen ground research, including permafrost, seasonal frost, artificial freezing and periglacial phenomena. This presentation details the IPA core products, achievements and activities as well as current projects in cryospheric research. One of the most important core products is the circumpolar permafrost map. The IPA also fosters and supports the activities of the Global Terrestrial Network on Permafrost (GTN-P) sponsored by the Global Terrestrial Observing System, GTOS, and the Global Climate Observing System, GCOS, whose long-term goal is to obtain a comprehensive view of the spatial structure, trends, and variability of changes in the active layer thickness and permafrost temperature. A further important initiative of the IPA are the biannually competitively-funded Action Groups which work towards the production of well-defined products over a period of two years. Current IPA Action Groups are working on highly topical and interdisciplinary issues, such as the development of a regional Palaeo-map of Permafrost in Eurasia, the integration of multidisciplinary knowledge about the use of thermokarst and permafrost

The Gulf of Mexico research initiative: It takes a village

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colwell, Rita R.

2016-07-01

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) was established at the time of one of the most significant ecological events in recent memory, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Defined by the discharge of over 150 million gallons of crude oil and the introduction of over 1.8 million gallons of chemical dispersants into the Gulf system, the impacts of the Deepwater Horizon disaster reached the Gulf Coast's wetlands and beaches and impacted the surface and deep ocean. The ecological story of the event reveals a strong linkage between the deep sea research community and research priorities in the Gulf of Mexico (coastal processes, human health, etc.). Deep Sea research efforts have revealed critical parts of the story, providing information on transport, fate, and effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil release and subsequent recovery of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystems.

Initial verification and validation of RAZORBACK - A research reactor transient analysis code

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

Talley, Darren G.

2015-09-01

This report describes the work and results of the initial verification and validation (V&V) of the beta release of the Razorback code. Razorback is a computer code designed to simulate the operation of a research reactor (such as the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR)) by a coupled numerical solution of the point reactor kinetics equations, the energy conservation equation for fuel element heat transfer, and the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations for the water cooling of the fuel elements. This initial V&V effort was intended to confirm that the code work to-date shows good agreement between simulation and actualmore » ACRR operations, indicating that the subsequent V&V effort for the official release of the code will be successful.« less

Research, Policy, and the Federal Role in Prevention Initiatives for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ripple, Carol H.; Zigler, Edward

2003-01-01

Reviews five federal policy-based initiatives for children and families (Project Head Start; lead poisoning prevention; Medicaid; Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children; and Earned Income Tax Credit), discussing aspects of federal prevention program design, implementation, policy, and research. (Contains references.) (SM)

Silicon Valley Meets Biomedical Research in the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

PubMed

Crow, Diana

2017-05-18

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropy launched by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, drew attention with its stated goal of helping to "cure, manage, or treat all diseases" by the end of the century. They intend to do it through funding basic research and addressing gaps in biomedical technology. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A Classroom-Based Distributed Workflow Initiative for the Early Involvement of Undergraduate Students in Scientific Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedrich, Jon M.

2014-01-01

Engaging freshman and sophomore students in meaningful scientific research is challenging because of their developing skill set and their necessary time commitments to regular classwork. A project called the Chondrule Analysis Project was initiated to engage first- and second-year students in an initial research experience and also accomplish…

The legacy of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI).

PubMed

Black, Robert E

2016-06-01

Under the Global Forum for Health Research, the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) began its operations in 1999 and became a Swiss foundation in 2006. The vision of CHNRI was to improve child health and nutrition of all children in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) through research that informs health policy and practice. Specific objectives included expanding global knowledge on childhood disease burden and cost-effectiveness of interventions, promoting priority setting in research, ensuring inclusion of institutions and scientists in LMIC in setting priorities, promoting capacity development in LMIC and stimulating donors and countries to increase resources for research. CHNRI created a knowledge network, funded research through multiple rounds of a global competitive process and published research papers and policy briefs. A signature effort was to develop a systematic methodology for prioritizing health and nutrition research investments. The "CHNRI method" has been extensively applied to global health problems and is now the most commonly used method for prioritizing health research questions.

Influence of a National Cancer Institute transdisciplinary research and training initiative on trainees' transdisciplinary research competencies and scholarly productivity.

PubMed

Vogel, Amanda L; Feng, Annie; Oh, April; Hall, Kara L; Stipelman, Brooke A; Stokols, Daniel; Okamoto, Janet; Perna, Frank M; Moser, Richard; Nebeling, Linda

2012-12-01

Over the past several decades, there has been burgeoning interest and investment in large transdisciplinary (TD) team science initiatives that aim to address complex societal problems. Despite this trend, TD training opportunities in the health sciences remain limited, and evaluations of these opportunities are even more uncommon due to funding constraints. We had the unique opportunity to conduct an exploratory study to examine the potential outcomes and impacts of TD training in a National Cancer Institute-supported initiative for TD research and training-the Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics and Cancer I (TREC I) initiative. This study used a retrospective mixed-methods approach leveraging secondary analysis of existing data sources to learn about TREC trainees' experiences with TREC training, TD research competencies, changes in scholarly productivity, and the associations among these domains. Results indicated that, on average, TREC trainees were satisfied with their TREC mentoring experiences and believed that TREC training processes were effective, in general. Participation in TREC training was associated with TD research competencies, including TD research orientation, positive general attitude toward TD training, development of scientific skills for TD research, and intrapersonal/interpersonal competencies for collaboration. There was also a significant increase in trainees' scholarly productivity from before to after starting in TREC training, as indicated by average annual number of publications and presentations and average number of coauthors per publication. Perceived effectiveness of TREC training was positively correlated with change in average annual number of research presentations from before to after starting in TREC training (r = 0.65, p < 0.05, N = 12), as well as TD research orientation (r = 0.36, p < 0.05), general attitude toward TD training (0.39, p < 0.05), scientific skills for TD research (r = 0

Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities and Economic Revitalization through Urban Agriculture Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schläppi, Michael R.

2017-01-01

Through interactions with the recently formed Cooperative of the Institute of Urban Agriculture and Nutrition (CIUAN), a catalyst initiative co-governed by community organizations and academia to engage in mutually beneficial research and teaching projects, Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is supporting community efforts to bring…

The Pacific Northwest Research Station biodiversity initiative: collaborating for biodiversity management.

Treesearch

Peter Nelson; Rachel White; Randy Molina

2006-01-01

The Pacific Northwest Research Station launched a biodiversity initiative to assist natural resource professionals in integrating complex biodiversity concepts into natural resource management processes. We canvassed clients from various affiliations to determine the main challenges they face in biodiversity management, to define their information needs, and to...

Composition and Morphology Control of Metal Dichalcogenides via Chemical Vapor Deposition for Photovoltaic and Nanoelectronic Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samad, Leith L. J.

The body of work reviewed here encompasses a variety of metal dichalcogenides all synthesized using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) for solar and electronics applications. The first reported phase-pure CVD synthesis of iron pyrite thin films is presented with detailed structural and electrochemical analysis. The phase-pure thin film and improved crystal growth on a metallic backing material represents one of the best options for potential solar applications using iron pyrite. Large tin-sulfur-selenide solid solution plates with tunable bandgaps were also synthesized via CVD as single-crystals with a thin film geometry. Solid solution tin-sulfur-selenide plates were demonstrated to be a new material for solar cells with the first observed solar conversion efficiencies up to 3.1%. Finally, a low temperature molybdenum disulfide vertical heterostructure CVD synthesis with layered controlled growth was achieved with preferential growth enabled by Van der Waals epitaxy. Through recognition of additional reaction parameters, a fully regulated CVD synthesis enabled the controlled growth of 1-6 molybdenum disulfide monolayers for nanoelectronic applications. The improvements in synthesis and materials presented here were all enabled by the control afforded by CVD such that advances in phase purity, growth, and composition control of several metal dichalcogenides were achieved. Further work will be able to take full advantage of these advances for future solar and electronics technologies.

Initial Review of Research Literature on Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) in Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiman, John; Beck, Laura; Peter, Marshall; Zeller, Dick; Moses, Philip; Engiles, Anita

2007-01-01

This article describes a literature search process employed to identify research in Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR) and special education, organizes some initial search results, briefly summarizes them, and raises important questions for the purpose of generating a future research agenda. The authors hope that this examination of literature…

Pediatric Critical Care Nursing Research Priorities-Initiating International Dialogue.

PubMed

Tume, Lyvonne N; Coetzee, Minette; Dryden-Palmer, Karen; Hickey, Patricia A; Kinney, Sharon; Latour, Jos M; Pedreira, Mavilde L G; Sefton, Gerri R; Sorce, Lauren; Curley, Martha A Q

2015-07-01

To identify and prioritize research questions of concern to the practice of pediatric critical care nursing practice. One-day consensus conference. By using a conceptual framework by Benner et al describing domains of practice in critical care nursing, nine international nurse researchers presented state-of-the-art lectures. Each identified knowledge gaps in their assigned practice domain and then poised three research questions to fill that gap. Then, meeting participants prioritized the proposed research questions using an interactive multivoting process. Seventh World Congress on Pediatric Intensive and Critical Care in Istanbul, Turkey. Pediatric critical care nurses and nurse scientists attending the open consensus meeting. Systematic review, gap analysis, and interactive multivoting. The participants prioritized 27 nursing research questions in nine content domains. The top four research questions were 1) identifying nursing interventions that directly impact the child and family's experience during the withdrawal of life support, 2) evaluating the long-term psychosocial impact of a child's critical illness on family outcomes, 3) articulating core nursing competencies that prevent unstable situations from deteriorating into crises, and 4) describing the level of nursing education and experience in pediatric critical care that has a protective effect on the mortality and morbidity of critically ill children. The consensus meeting was effective in organizing pediatric critical care nursing knowledge, identifying knowledge gaps and in prioritizing nursing research initiatives that could be used to advance nursing science across world regions.

The first interview: Anxieties and research on initiating psychoanalysis.

PubMed

Reith, Bernard

2015-06-01

A qualitative clinical study of preliminary interviews by the Working Party on Initiating Psychoanalysis (WPIP) of the European Psychoanalytic Federation suggests that the unconscious dynamics in first interviews are extraordinarily powerful and that they give rise to deep unconscious anxieties in both patient and analyst, with the corresponding defences against them. Furthermore, the group dynamics observed in the clinical workshops and in the research team doing the study suggest that both the anxieties and the defences are conveyed to these groups in the form of unelaborated 'session residues' provoking renewed anxieties and defences in them. These findings contribute to our understanding of what goes on in first interviews, but also raise interesting questions about the psychoanalytic research process in psychoanalysis and how confrontation with the unknown is dealt with in that context. Rather than as a means to avoid anxiety, method in clinical research can be seen as a way to help the research group to contain its reactions and to tolerate them until the group finds its way to further elaboration. These points are illustrated with a clinical case drawn from the study. Copyright © 2014 Institute of Psychoanalysis.

Research on Coupling Method of Watershed Initial Water Rights Allocation in Daling River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, J.; Fengping, W.

2016-12-01

Water scarcity is now a common occurrence in many countries. The situation of watershed initial water rights allocation has caused many benefit conflicts among regions and regional water sectors of domestic and ecology environment and industries in China. This study aims to investigate the method of watershed initial water rights allocation in the perspective of coupling in Daling River Watershed taking provincial initial water rights and watershed-level governmental reserved water as objects. First of all, regarding the allocation subsystem of initial water rights among provinces, this research calculates initial water rights of different provinces by establishing the coupling model of water quantity and quality on the principle of "rewarding efficiency and penalizing inefficiency" based on the two control objectives of water quantity and quality. Secondly, regarding the allocation subsystem of watershed-level governmental reserved water rights, the study forecasts the demand of watershed-level governmental reserved water rights by the combination of case-based reasoning and water supply quotas. Then, the bilaterally coupled allocation model on water supply and demand is designed after supply analysis to get watershed-level governmental reserved water rights. The results of research method applied to Daling River Watershed reveal the recommended scheme of watershed initial water rights allocation based on coordinated degree criterion. It's found that the feasibility of the iteration coupling model and put forward related policies and suggestions. This study owns the advantages of complying with watershed initial water rights allocation mechanism and meeting the control requirements of water quantity, water quality and water utilization efficiency, which help to achieve the effective allocation of water resources.

Single layer of MX3(M = Ti, Zr; X = S, Se, Te): a new platform for nano-electronics and optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yingdi; Li, Xingxing; Yang, Jinlong

A serial of two dimensional titanium and zirconium trichalcogenides nanosheets MX3 (M=Ti, Zr; X=S, Se, Te) are investigated based on first-principles calculations. The evaluated low cleavage energy indicates that stable two dimensional monolayers can be exfoliated from their bulk crystals in experiment. Electronic studies reveal very rich electronic properties in these monolayers, including metallic TiTe3 and ZrTe3, direct band gap semiconductor TiS3 and indirect band gap semiconductors TiSe3, ZrS3 and ZrSe3. The band gaps of all the semiconductors are between 0.57~1.90 eV, which implies their potential applications in nano-electronics. And the calculated effective masses demonstrate highly anisotropic conduction properties for all the semiconductors. Optically, TiS3 and TiSe3 monolayers exhibit good light absorption in the visible and near-infrared region respectively, indicating their potential applications in optical devices. In particular, the highly anisotropic optical absorption of TiS3 monolayer suggests it could be used in designing nano optical waveguide polarizers.

Initiating an Action Research Programme for University EFL Teachers: Early Experiences and Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Anne; Westmacott, Anne; Ferrer, Antonieta Hidalgo

2016-01-01

Accounts of how teacher educators begin to plan, develop, and support action research programmes for language teachers are rare, as are descriptions of the responses of the teachers who participate. This article documents and analyses the initial processes of introducing and supporting a new programme of action research for language teachers at…

Supporting knowledge translation through collaborative translational research initiatives: ‘Bridging’ versus ‘blurring’ boundary-spanning approaches in the UK CLAHRC initiative

PubMed Central

Evans, Sarah; Scarbrough, Harry

2014-01-01

Recent policy initiatives in the UK and internationally have sought to promote knowledge translation between the ‘producers’ and ‘users’ of research. Within this paper we explore how boundary-spanning interventions used within such initiatives can support knowledge translation between diverse groups. Using qualitative data from a 3-year research study conducted from January 2010 to December 2012 of two case-sites drawn from the CLAHRC initiative in the UK, we distinguish two different approaches to supporting knowledge translation; a ‘bridging’ approach that involves designated roles, discrete events and activities to span the boundaries between communities, and a ‘blurring’ approach that de-emphasises the boundaries between groups, enabling a more continuous process of knowledge translation as part of day-to-day work-practices. In this paper, we identify and differentiate these boundary-spanning approaches and describe how they emerged from the context defined by the wider CLAHRC networks. This highlights the need to develop a more contextualised analysis of the boundary-spanning that underpins knowledge translation processes, relating this to the distinctive features of a particular case. PMID:24561773

Harmonization in preclinical epilepsy research: A joint AES/ILAE translational initiative.

PubMed

Galanopoulou, Aristea S; French, Jacqueline A; O'Brien, Terence; Simonato, Michele

2017-11-01

Among the priority next steps outlined during the first translational epilepsy research workshop in London, United Kingdom (2012), jointly organized by the American Epilepsy Society (AES) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), are the harmonization of research practices used in preclinical studies and the development of infrastructure that facilitates multicenter preclinical studies. The AES/ILAE Translational Task Force of the ILAE has been pursuing initiatives that advance these goals. In this supplement, we present the first reports of the working groups of the Task Force that aim to improve practices of performing rodent video-electroencephalography (vEEG) studies in experimental controls, generate systematic reviews of preclinical research data, and develop preclinical common data elements (CDEs) for epilepsy research in animals. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League Against Epilepsy.

The Promise and Challenge of Practice-Research Collaborations: Guiding Principles and Strategies for Initiating, Designing, and Implementing Program Evaluation Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Secret, Mary; Abell, Melissa L.; Berlin, Trey

2011-01-01

The authors present a set of guiding principles and strategies to facilitate the collaborative efforts of social work researchers and practitioners as they initiate, design, and implement outcome evaluations of human service interventions and programs. Beginning with an exploration of the interpersonal barriers to practice-research collaborations,…

77 FR 40628 - HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Research Grant Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5600-N-18-C-1] HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Research Grant Program, Cancellation AGENCY: Office... Availability (NOFA) ``Transformation Initiative: Natural Experiments Grant Program'' on Grants.gov . The close...

Evaluating a community-based program to improve healthcare quality: research design for the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative.

PubMed

Scanlon, Dennis P; Alexander, Jeffrey A; Beich, Jeff; Christianson, Jon B; Hasnain-Wynia, Romana; McHugh, Megan C; Mittler, Jessica N; Shi, Yunfeng; Bodenschatz, Laura J

2012-09-01

The Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF's) signature effort to increase the overall quality of healthcare in targeted communities throughout the country. In addition to sponsoring this 16-site, complex program, the RWJF funds an independent scientific evaluation to support objective research on the initiative's effectiveness and contributions to basic knowledge in 5 core programmatic areas. The research design, data, and challenges faced in the evaluation of this 10-year initiative are discussed. A descriptive overview of the evaluation research design for a multi-site, community based, healthcare quality improvement initiative is provided. The multiphase research design employed by the evaluation team is discussed. Evaluation provides formative feedback to the RWJF, participants, and other interested audiences in real time; develops approaches to assess innovative and under-studied interventions; furthers the analysis and understanding of effective community-based collaborative work in healthcare; and helps to differentiate the various facilitators, barriers, and contextual dimensions that affect the implementation and outcomes of community-based health interventions. The AF4Q initiative is arguably the largest community-level healthcare improvement demonstration in the United States to date; it is being implemented at a time of rapid change in national healthcare policy. The implementation of large-scale, multi-site initiatives is becoming an increasingly common approach for addressing problems in healthcare. The evaluation research design for the AF4Q initiative, and the lessons learned from its approach, may be valuable to others tasked with evaluating similar community-based initiatives.

The effect of family policies and public health initiatives on breastfeeding initiation among 18 high-income countries: a qualitative comparative analysis research design.

PubMed

Lubold, Amanda Marie

2017-01-01

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of macro-level factors - welfare state policies and public health initiatives - on breastfeeding initiation among eighteen high-income countries. This study utilizes fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis methods to examine the combinations of conditions leading to both high and low national breastfeeding initiation rates among eighteen high-income countries. The most common pathway leading to high breastfeeding initiation is the combination of conditions including a high percentage of women in parliament, a low national cesarean section rate, and either low family spending, high rates of maternity leave, or high rates of women working part-time. The most common pathway leading to low breastfeeding initiation includes the necessary condition of low national adherence to the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. This research suggests that there is a connection between broad level welfare state polices, public health initiatives, and breastfeeding initiation. Compliance with the WHO/UNICEF initiatives depends on welfare regime policies and overall support for women in both productive and reproductive labor.

The use of theory based semistructured elicitation questionnaires: formative research for CDC's Prevention Marketing Initiative.

PubMed

Middlestadt, S E; Bhattacharyya, K; Rosenbaum, J; Fishbein, M; Shepherd, M

1996-01-01

Through one of its many HIV prevention programs, the Prevention Marketing Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes a multifaceted strategy for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS among people less than 25 years of age. The Prevention Marketing Initiative is an application of marketing and consumer-oriented technologies that rely heavily on behavioral research and behavior change theories to bring the behavioral and social sciences to bear on practical program planning decisions. One objective of the Prevention Marketing Initiative is to encourage consistent and correct condom use among sexually active young adults. Qualitative formative research is being conducted in several segments of the population of heterosexually active, unmarried young adults between 18 and 25 using a semistructured elicitation procedure to identify and understand underlying behavioral determinants of consistent condom use. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of this type of qualitative research methodology in designing effective theory-based behavior change interventions. Issues of research design and data collection and analysis are discussed. To illustrate the methodology, results of content analyses of selected responses to open-ended questions on consistent condom use are presented by gender (male, female), ethnic group (white, African American), and consistency of condom use (always, sometimes). This type of formative research can be applied immediately to designing programs and is invaluable for valid and relevant larger-scale quantitative research.

Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research and Training: Initial Outcomes and Evolution of the Affinity Research Collaboratives Model.

PubMed

Ravid, Katya; Seta, Francesca; Center, David; Waters, Gloria; Coleman, David

2017-10-01

Team science has been recognized as critical to solving increasingly complex biomedical problems and advancing discoveries in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human disease. In 2009, the Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research (ECIBR) was established in the Department of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine as a new organizational paradigm to promote interdisciplinary team science. The ECIBR is made up of affinity research collaboratives (ARCs), consisting of investigators from different departments and disciplines who come together to study biomedical problems that are relevant to human disease and not under interdisciplinary investigation at the university. Importantly, research areas are identified by investigators according to their shared interests. ARC proposals are evaluated by a peer review process, and collaboratives are funded annually for up to three years.Initial outcomes of the first 12 ARCs show the value of this model in fostering successful biomedical collaborations that lead to publications, extramural grants, research networking, and training. The most successful ARCs have been developed into more sustainable organizational entities, including centers, research cores, translational research projects, and training programs.To further expand team science at Boston University, the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Office was established in 2015 to more fully engage the entire university, not just the medical campus, in interdisciplinary research using the ARC mechanism. This approach to promoting team science may be useful to other academic organizations seeking to expand interdisciplinary research at their institutions.

Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) Institutional and Policy Issues Assessment : Task 6: Summary Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-16

This report summarizes the research and findings of the Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) Institutional and Policy Assessment. The objective of this project is to identify and analyze the policy, institutional, and le...

Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) Institutional and Policy Issues Assessment : Task 6 : Summary Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-16

This report summarizes the research and findings of the Accessible Transportation Technologies Research Initiative (ATTRI) Institutional and Policy Assessment. The objective of this project is to identify and analyze the policy, institutional, and le...

Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative (MELODI): strategic research agenda for low dose radiation risk research.

PubMed

Kreuzer, M; Auvinen, A; Cardis, E; Durante, M; Harms-Ringdahl, M; Jourdain, J R; Madas, B G; Ottolenghi, A; Pazzaglia, S; Prise, K M; Quintens, R; Sabatier, L; Bouffler, S

2018-03-01

MELODI (Multidisciplinary European Low Dose Initiative) is a European radiation protection research platform with focus on research on health risks after exposure to low-dose ionising radiation. It was founded in 2010 and currently includes 44 members from 18 countries. A major activity of MELODI is the continuous development of a long-term European Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) on low-dose risk for radiation protection. The SRA is intended to identify priorities for national and European radiation protection research programs as a basis for the preparation of competitive calls at the European level. Among those key priorities is the improvement of health risk estimates for exposures close to the dose limits for workers and to reference levels for the population in emergency situations. Another activity of MELODI is to ensure the availability of European key infrastructures for research activities, and the long-term maintenance of competences in radiation research via an integrated European approach for training and education. The MELODI SRA identifies three key research topics in low dose or low dose-rate radiation risk research: (1) dose and dose rate dependence of cancer risk, (2) radiation-induced non-cancer effects and (3) individual radiation sensitivity. The research required to improve the evidence base for each of the three key topics relates to three research lines: (1) research to improve understanding of the mechanisms contributing to radiogenic diseases, (2) epidemiological research to improve health risk evaluation of radiation exposure and (3) research to address the effects and risks associated with internal exposures, differing radiation qualities and inhomogeneous exposures. The full SRA and associated documents can be downloaded from the MELODI website ( http://www.melodi-online.eu/sra.html ).

Initial strides for invent-VTE: Towards global collaboration to accelerate clinical research in venous thromboembolism.

PubMed

Rodger, Marc; Langlois, Nicole; Middeldorp, Saskia; Kahn, Susan; Sandset, Per Morten; Brighton, Timothy; Huisman, Menno V; Meyer, Guy; Konstantinides, Stavros; Ageno, Walter; Morange, Pierre; Garcia, David; Kreuziger, Lisa Baumann; Young, Laura; Key, Nigel; Monreal, Manuel; Jiménez, David

2018-03-01

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) represents a major global burden of disease and requires collaborative efforts to conduct large, high-quality investigator-initiated and academically sponsored studies addressing the most relevant clinical questions. Owing to increasing regulatory requirements, the highly competitive nature of peer-reviewed funding and costs associated with conducting large, multinational clinical trials, completing practice-changing research constitutes a growing challenge for clinical investigators. As clinical trialists interested in VTE, we founded INVENT (International Network of Venous Thromboembolism Clinical Research Networks) in an effort to promote and accelerate patient-oriented, investigator-initiated, international collaborative research, to identify, prioritize and answer key clinical research questions for patients with VTE. We report on our activities to formalize the INVENT network and our accomplishments in our first year. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial Flight Test of the Production Support Flight Control Computers at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, John; Stephenson, Mark

1999-01-01

The NASA Dryden Flight Research Center has completed the initial flight test of a modified set of F/A-18 flight control computers that gives the aircraft a research control law capability. The production support flight control computers (PSFCC) provide an increased capability for flight research in the control law, handling qualities, and flight systems areas. The PSFCC feature a research flight control processor that is "piggybacked" onto the baseline F/A-18 flight control system. This research processor allows for pilot selection of research control law operation in flight. To validate flight operation, a replication of a standard F/A-18 control law was programmed into the research processor and flight-tested over a limited envelope. This paper provides a brief description of the system, summarizes the initial flight test of the PSFCC, and describes future experiments for the PSFCC.

A National Initiative of Teaching, Researching, and Dreaming: Community College Faculty Research in "Achieving the Dream" Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagedorn, Linda Serra

2015-01-01

Dating back to 2004, the Achieving the Dream initiative was established to promote evidence-based programs and interventions to produce and sustain student success. Achieving the Dream has created a new environment and new forms of thinking among the faculty that have spurred some to action research within their classrooms and beyond. Using three…

The quest for the next information processing technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welser, Jeffrey J.; Bourianoff, George I.; Zhirnov, Victor V.; Cavin, Ralph Keary

2008-01-01

Fundamental physical considerations indicate that the scaling of devices that use electron charge as the information carrier will limit within the next one to two decades. The Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI), a joint industry-government program, has been developed to fund university research seeking devices that utilize alternative physical information carriers or non-equilibrium switching mechanisms to continue the historical cost and performance trends of information technology. Three research centers have been established to pursue five research vectors that have been identified as critical to the effort to replace the electronic switch. A brief history and rationale for NRI is given and the projects currently underway are described in the context of the five research vectors.

CSPAP Professional Preparation and Research Initiatives at the University of South Carolina

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webster, Collin

2017-01-01

Several comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) professional preparation and research initiatives are underway in the Department of Physical Education and Athletic Training at the University of South Carolina. The CSPAP learning experiences have been mostly integrated into existing courses to help candidates in physical education…

Initiating undergraduate medical students into communities of research practise: what do supervisors recommend?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Much has been written in the educational literature on the value of communities of practise in enhancing student learning. Here, we take the experience of senior undergraduate medical students involved in short-term research as a member of a team as a paradigm for learning in a community of practise. Based on feedback from experienced supervisors, we offer recommendations for initiating students into the research culture of their team. In so doing, we endeavour to create a bridge between theory and practise through disseminating advice on good supervisory practise, where the supervisor is perceived as an educator responsible for designing the research process to optimize student learning. Methods Using the questionnaire design tool SurveyMonkey and comprehensive lists of contact details of staff who had supervised research projects at the University of Edinburgh during 1995 - 2008, current and previous supervisors were invited to recommend procedures which they had found successful in initiating students into the research culture of a team. Text responses were then coded in the form of derivative recommendations and categorized under general themes and sub-themes. Results Using the chi-square tests of linear trend and association, evidence was found for a positive trend towards more experienced supervisors offering responses (χ2 = 16.833, p < 0.0005, n = 215) while there was a lack of evidence of bias in the gender distribution of respondents (χ2 = 0.482, p = 0.487, n = 203), respectively. A total of 126 codes were extracted from the text responses of 65 respondents. These codes were simplified to form a complete list of 52 recommendations, which were in turn categorized under seven derivative overarching themes, the most highly represented themes being Connecting the student with others and Cultivating self-efficacy in research competence. Conclusions Through the design of a coding frame for supervisor responses, a wealth of ideas has been captured to

GMES Initial Operations - Network for Earth Observation Research Training (GIONET)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas-Perea, V.; Balzter, H.

2012-12-01

GMES Initial Operations - Network for Earth Observation Research Training (GIONET) is a Marie Curie funded project that aims to establish the first of a kind European Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation Research Training. GIONET is a partnership of leading Universities, research institutes and private companies from across Europe aiming to cultivate a community of early stage researchers in the areas of optical and radar remote sensing skilled for the emerging GMES land monitoring services during the GMES Initial Operations period (2011-2013) and beyond. GIONET is expected to satisfy the demand for highly skilled researchers and provide personnel for operational phase of the GMES and monitoring and emergency services. It will achieve this by: -Providing postgraduate training in Earth Observation Science that exposes students to different research disciplines and complementary skills, providing work experiences in the private and academic sectors, and leading to a recognized qualification (Doctorate). -Enabling access to first class training in both fundamental and applied research skills to early-stage researchers at world-class academic centers and market leaders in the private sector. -Building on the experience from previous GMES research and development projects in the land monitoring and emergency information services. The training program through supervised research focuses on 14 research topics (each carried out by an Early Stage Researchers based in one of the partner organization) divided in 5 main areas: Forest monitoring: Global biomass information systems Forest Monitoring of the Congo Basin using Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) Multi-concept Earth Observation Capabilities for Biomass Mapping and Change Detection: Synergy of Multi-temporal and Multi-frequency Interferometric Radar and Optical Satellite Data Land cover and change: Multi-scale Remote Sensing Synergy for Land Process Studies: from field Spectrometry to Airborne Hyperspectral and

DoD’s Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) Program: Impact and Highlights from 25 Years of Basic Research

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

Publication This work was conducted by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) under contract HQ0034-14-D-0001, Project AI-2-3863, “Multidisciplinary...Initiative (MURI) Program is a Department of Defense (DoD) effort that supports academic research teams to conduct basic research addressing...across the govern- ment’s historical records of the MURI grants for a quantitative analysis of the program. In addi- tion, IDA conducted interviews with

The use of theory based semistructured elicitation questionnaires: formative research for CDC's Prevention Marketing Initiative.

PubMed Central

Middlestadt, S E; Bhattacharyya, K; Rosenbaum, J; Fishbein, M; Shepherd, M

1996-01-01

Through one of its many HIV prevention programs, the Prevention Marketing Initiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes a multifaceted strategy for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS among people less than 25 years of age. The Prevention Marketing Initiative is an application of marketing and consumer-oriented technologies that rely heavily on behavioral research and behavior change theories to bring the behavioral and social sciences to bear on practical program planning decisions. One objective of the Prevention Marketing Initiative is to encourage consistent and correct condom use among sexually active young adults. Qualitative formative research is being conducted in several segments of the population of heterosexually active, unmarried young adults between 18 and 25 using a semistructured elicitation procedure to identify and understand underlying behavioral determinants of consistent condom use. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the use of this type of qualitative research methodology in designing effective theory-based behavior change interventions. Issues of research design and data collection and analysis are discussed. To illustrate the methodology, results of content analyses of selected responses to open-ended questions on consistent condom use are presented by gender (male, female), ethnic group (white, African American), and consistency of condom use (always, sometimes). This type of formative research can be applied immediately to designing programs and is invaluable for valid and relevant larger-scale quantitative research. PMID:8862153

Integrating photonics with silicon nanoelectronics for the next generation of systems on a chip.

PubMed

Atabaki, Amir H; Moazeni, Sajjad; Pavanello, Fabio; Gevorgyan, Hayk; Notaros, Jelena; Alloatti, Luca; Wade, Mark T; Sun, Chen; Kruger, Seth A; Meng, Huaiyu; Al Qubaisi, Kenaish; Wang, Imbert; Zhang, Bohan; Khilo, Anatol; Baiocco, Christopher V; Popović, Miloš A; Stojanović, Vladimir M; Ram, Rajeev J

2018-04-01

Electronic and photonic technologies have transformed our lives-from computing and mobile devices, to information technology and the internet. Our future demands in these fields require innovation in each technology separately, but also depend on our ability to harness their complementary physics through integrated solutions 1,2 . This goal is hindered by the fact that most silicon nanotechnologies-which enable our processors, computer memory, communications chips and image sensors-rely on bulk silicon substrates, a cost-effective solution with an abundant supply chain, but with substantial limitations for the integration of photonic functions. Here we introduce photonics into bulk silicon complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) chips using a layer of polycrystalline silicon deposited on silicon oxide (glass) islands fabricated alongside transistors. We use this single deposited layer to realize optical waveguides and resonators, high-speed optical modulators and sensitive avalanche photodetectors. We integrated this photonic platform with a 65-nanometre-transistor bulk CMOS process technology inside a 300-millimetre-diameter-wafer microelectronics foundry. We then implemented integrated high-speed optical transceivers in this platform that operate at ten gigabits per second, composed of millions of transistors, and arrayed on a single optical bus for wavelength division multiplexing, to address the demand for high-bandwidth optical interconnects in data centres and high-performance computing 3,4 . By decoupling the formation of photonic devices from that of transistors, this integration approach can achieve many of the goals of multi-chip solutions 5 , but with the performance, complexity and scalability of 'systems on a chip' 1,6-8 . As transistors smaller than ten nanometres across become commercially available 9 , and as new nanotechnologies emerge 10,11 , this approach could provide a way to integrate photonics with state-of-the-art nanoelectronics.

GIONET (GMES Initial Operations Network for Earth Observation Research Training)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nicolas, V.; Balzter, H.

2013-12-01

GMES Initial Operations - Network for Earth Observation Research Training (GIONET) is a Marie Curie funded project that aims to establish the first of a kind European Centre of Excellence for Earth Observation Research Training. Copernicus (previously known as GMES (Global Monitoring for Environment and Security) is a joint undertaking of the European Space Agency and the European Commission. It develops fully operational Earth Observation monitoring services for a community of end users from the public and private sector. The first services that are considered fully operational are the land monitoring and emergency monitoring core services. In GIONET, 14 early stage researchers are being trained at PhD level in understanding the complex physical processes that determine how electromagnetic radiation interacts with the atmosphere and the land surface ultimately form the signal received by a satellite. In order to achieve this, the researchers are based in industry and universities across Europe, as well as receiving the best technical training and scientific education. The training programme through supervised research focuses on 14 research topics. Each topic is carried out by an Early Stage Researcher based in one of the partner organisations and is expected to lead to a PhD degree. The 14 topics are grouped in 5 research themes: Forest monitoring Land cover and change Coastal zone and freshwater monitoring Geohazards and emergency response Climate adaptation and emergency response The methods developed and used in GIONET are as diverse as its research topics. GIONET has already held two summer schools; one at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena (Germany), on 'New operational radar satellite applications: Introduction to SAR, Interferometry and Polarimetry for Land Surface Mapping'. The 2nd summer school took place last September at the University of Leicester (UK )on 'Remote sensing of land cover and forest in GMES'. The next Summer School in September 2013

Planet Press: an EGU initiative to bring geoscientific research to children

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Bárbara

2016-04-01

Planet Press (http://www.egu.eu/education/planet-press/) is an EGU educational project that aims to get children (mainly 7-13 year olds), as well as their parents and educators, interested in and engaged with up-to-date scientific research and news. Planet Press articles are short versions of EGU press releases written in child-friendly language. Because EGU press releases cover research published in the various EGU scientific journals, Planet Press focuses on topics as varied as air pollution, glaciers, climate change, earthquakes, ocean sciences, droughts and floods, or space sciences. The texts are reviewed by both scientists and educators to make sure they are accurate and clear to their target audience. By sharing new and exciting geoscientific research with young kids, we hope to inspire them to develop an interest in the Earth, planetary and space sciences. In this presentation, we describe how the Planet Press idea came about, how the project is run, and the challenges and lessons learnt since the launch of this educational initiative in 2014. Planet Press, which has the support of the EGU Committee on Education, is made possible by the work of volunteer scientists and educators who review and translate the texts. We are grateful for the help of Jane Robb, former EGU Educational Fellow, with launching the project. Planet Press is inspired by Space Scoop (http://www.spacescoop.org/), an initiative by UNAWE, the EU-Universe Awareness organisation, that brings astronomy news to children every week.

NASA Education and Public Outreach Initiatives at the MIT Center for Space Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porro, I. L.

2003-12-01

Since its inception in 1999, the EPO office of the MIT Center for Space Research (CSR) has fostered direct participation of local scientists in educational initiatives such as teachers workshops and public tours of the Chandra Operations and Control Center. The role played by the CSR EPO office has grown significantly, thanks to the award of a number of EPO grants associated with the Chandra and HETE missions. In the past year about one-third of the CSR research staff was involved in the office's EPO initiatives: more than 500 K-12 students, about half from underrepresented groups, were included in formal education programs and informal education events attracted an estimated 900 people. Today the mission of the CSR EPO office is focused in two areas: professional development for K-12 science teachers, and educational programs in out-of-school time. To be associated with major NASA research missions is beneficial to our mission in several respects, but provides also specific challenges. We present here some of the strategies and intiatives that we have undertaken to overcome those challenges.

International Conference on Nanoscience - Young Giants of Nanoscience, 2016

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-12

Nanoelectronics • Nanoptics • Catalysis • Sense and Response Systems • Energy Conversion and Storage • Stimuli-responsive materials • Molecular motors...This issue will address the following topics: advanced nanointerfaces research in energy , medicine, optics, flexible electronics and nanofabrication...Methods • Nanomedicine • Nanoelectronics • Nanoptics • Catalysis • Sense and Response Systems • Energy Conversion and Storage • Stimuli

The Pacific Northwest Research Station biodiversity initiative: scooping out the challenges in managing for biodiversity.

Treesearch

Rachel White; Randy Molina

2006-01-01

The USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station's Biodiversity Initiative seeks to determine the types of science tools needed by natural resource professionals to meet diverse and complex biodiversity goals. During the scoping phase of this Initiative, we asked a broad cross-section of people whose work involves managing for biodiversity, from state...

77 FR 7565 - Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-13

... Food and Agriculture Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. ACTION: Notice; correction... public comment from persons who use or conduct research, extension, or education activities to assist...

Ohio’s Research Initiative for Locals Peer Exchange Report, March 8-9, 2017

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-10-23

On March 8-9, 2017, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) hosted a peer exchange on behalf of the Ohios Research Initiative for Locals (ORIL) program. Peer exchanges provide an opportunity to foster best practices and evaluate processes wit...

"I'll Take Care of the Flowers!" Researching Agency through Initiatives across Different Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kangas, Marjaana; Kopisto, Kaisa; Löfman, Krista; Salo, Laura; Krokfors, Leena

2017-01-01

This case study examined how the agency of a fifth-grade pupil appeared across different learning environments in the primary school context. In this study, agency is defined as the initiatives taken by an individual in interactive situations. The research question is: how does a pupil's agency manifest and vary through taking initiatives across…

The Ocean Observatories Initiative: A new initiative for sea floor observatory research in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, H. L.; Isern, A. R.

2003-04-01

The Division of Ocean Sciences of the American National Science Foundation (NSF) plans to initiate construction of an integrated observatory network that will provide the oceanographic research and education communities with a new mode of access to the ocean. This observatory system will have three elements: 1) a regional cabled network consisting of interconnected sites on the seafloor spanning several geological and oceanographic features and processes, 2) several relocatable deep-sea buoys that could also be deployed in harsh environments such as the Southern Ocean, and 3) new construction or enhancements to existing facilities leading to an expanded network of coastal observatories. The primary infrastructure for all components of the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) consists of an array of seafloor junction boxes connected to cables running along the seafloor to individual instruments or instrument clusters. These junction boxes include undersea connectors that provide not only the power and two-way communication needed to support seafloor instrumentation, but also the capability to exchange instrumentation in situ when necessary for conducting new experiments or for repairing existing instruments. Depending upon proximity to the coast and other engineering requirements, the junction box will be either terminated by a long dedicated fiber-optic cable to shore, or by a shorter cable to a surface buoy that is capable of two-way communications with a shore station. The scientific problems driving the need for an ocean observing system are broad in scope and encompass nearly every area of ocean science including: ecological characterizations; role of the ocean in climate; fluids, chemistry, and life in the oceanic crust; dynamics of the oceanic lithosphere and imaging of the earth’s interior; seafloor spreading and subduction; organic carbon fluxes; turbulent mixing and biophysical interaction; and coastal ocean processes. Thirty years ago, NSF leadership

BioWires: Conductive DNA Nanowires in a Computationally-Optimized, Synthetic Biological Platform for Nanoelectronic Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vecchioni, Simon; Toomey, Emily; Capece, Mark C.; Rothschild, Lynn; Wind, Shalom

2017-01-01

DNA is an ideal template for a biological nanowire-it has a linear structure several atoms thick; it possesses addressable nucleobase geometry that can be precisely defined; and it is massively scalable into branched networks. Until now, the drawback of DNA as a conducting nanowire been, simply put, its low conductance. To address this deficiency, we extensively characterize a chemical variant of canonical DNA that exploits the affinity of natural cytosine bases for silver ions. We successfully construct chains of single silver ions inside double-stranded DNA, confirm the basic dC-Ag+-dC bond geometry and kinetics, and show length-tunability dependent on mismatch distribution, ion availability and enzyme activity. An analysis of the absorbance spectra of natural DNA and silver-binding, poly-cytosine DNA demonstrates the heightened thermostability of the ion chain and its resistance to aqueous stresses such as precipitation, dialysis and forced reduction. These chemically critical traits lend themselves to an increase in electrical conductivity of over an order of magnitude for 11-base silver-paired duplexes over natural strands when assayed by STM break junction. We further construct and implement a genetic pathway in the E. coli bacterium for the biosynthesis of highly ionizable DNA sequences. Toward future circuits, we construct a model of transcription network architectures to determine the most efficient and robust connectivity for cell-based fabrication, and we perform sequence optimization with a genetic algorithm to identify oligonucleotides robust to changes in the base-pairing energy landscape. We propose that this system will serve as a synthetic biological fabrication platform for more complex DNA nanotechnology and nanoelectronics with applications to deep space and low resource environments.

Bioregenerative Life Support System Research as part of the DLR EDEN Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bamsey, Matthew; Schubert, Daniel; Zabel, Paul; Poulet, Lucie; Zeidler, Conrad

In 2011, the DLR Institute of Space Systems launched a research initiative called EDEN - Evolution and Design of Environmentally-closed Nutrition-Sources. The research initiative focuses on bioregenerative life support systems, especially greenhouse modules, and technologies for future crewed vehicles. The EDEN initiative comprises several projects with respect to space research, ground testing and spin-offs. In 2014, EDEN’s new laboratory officially opened. This new biological cleanroom laboratory comprises several plant growth chambers incorporating a number of novel controlled environment agriculture technologies. This laboratory will be the nucleus for a variety of plant cultivation experiments within closed environments. The utilized technologies are being advanced using the pull of space technology and include such items as stacked growth systems, PAR-specific LEDs, intracanopy lighting, aeroponic nutrient delivery systems and ion-selective nutrient sensors. The driver of maximizing biomass output per unit volume and energy has much application in future bioregenerative life support systems but can also provide benefit terrestrially. The EDEN laboratory also includes several specially constructed chambers for advancing models addressing the interaction between bioregenerative and physical-chemical life support systems. The EDEN team is presently developing designs for containerized greenhouse modules. One module is planned for deployment to the German Antarctic Station, Neumayer III. The shipping container based system will provide supplementation to the overwintering crew’s diet, provide psychological benefit while at the same time advancing the technology and operational readiness of harsh environment plant production systems. In addition to hardware development, the EDEN team has participated in several early phase designs such as for the ESA Greenhouse Module for Space System and for large-scale vertical farming. These studies often utilize the

Developing Initiatives for Home-Based Child Care: Current Research and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Toni; Paulsell, Diane

2011-01-01

Home-based child care accounts for a significant share of the child care supply in the United States, especially for infants and toddlers. A synthesis of the home-based care research literature and information about recent home-based care quality initiatives points to a critical need for more systematic efforts to develop and test quality…

Nanoelectromechanical Chip (NELMEC) Combination of Nanoelectronics and Microfluidics to Diagnose Epithelial and Mesenchymal Circulating Tumor Cells from Leukocytes.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seied Ali; Abdolahad, Mohammad; Zanganeh, Somayeh; Dahmardeh, Mahyar; Gharooni, Milad; Abiri, Hamed; Alikhani, Alireza; Mohajerzadeh, Shams; Mashinchian, Omid

2016-02-17

An integrated nano-electromechanical chip (NELMEC) has been developed for the label-free distinguishing of both epithelial and mesenchymal circulating tumor cells (ECTCs and MCTCs, respectively) from white blood cells (WBCs). This nanoelectronic microfluidic chip fabricated by silicon micromachining can trap large single cells (>12 µm) at the opening of the analysis microchannel arrays. The nature of the captured cells is detected using silicon nanograss (SiNG) electrodes patterned at the entrance of the channels. There is an observable difference between the membrane capacitance of the ECTCs and MCTCs and that of WBCs (measured using SiNG electrodes), which is the key indication for our diagnosis. The NELMEC chip not only solves the problem of the size overlap between CTCs and WBCs but also detects MCTCs without the need for any markers or tagging processes, which has been an important problem in previously reported CTC detection systems. The great conductivity of the gold-coated SiNG nanocontacts as well as their safe penetration into the membrane of captured cells, facilitate a precise and direct signal extraction to distinguish the type of captured cell. The results achieved from epithelial (MCF-7) and mesenchymal (MDA-MB231) breast cancer cells circulated in unprocessed blood suggest the significant applications for these diagnostic abilities of NELMEC. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Science, Space, and Scholarship: University Research and the Strategic Defense Initiative. ASHE 1987 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Randall D.

Issues concerning the federal role in financing research and development (R&D) and the impact of these policies on academic research are examined. Specific concerns are whether the Reagan Administration is militarizing research and implications of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) program. National Science Foundation data are examined,…

Results from the Data & Democracy initiative to enhance community-based organization data and research capacity.

PubMed

Carroll-Scott, Amy; Toy, Peggy; Wyn, Roberta; Zane, Jazmin I; Wallace, Steven P

2012-07-01

In an era of community-based participatory research and increased expectations for evidence-based practice, we evaluated an initiative designed to increase community-based organizations' data and research capacity through a 3-day train-the-trainer course on community health assessments. We employed a mixed method pre-post course evaluation design. Various data sources collected from 171 participants captured individual and organizational characteristics and pre-post course self-efficacy on 19 core skills, as well as behavior change 1 year later among a subsample of participants. Before the course, participants reported limited previous experience with data and low self-efficacy in basic research skills. Immediately after the course, participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in data and research self-efficacy. The subsample reported application of community assessment skills to their work and increased use of data 1 year later. Results suggest that an intensive, short-term training program can achieve large immediate gains in data and research self-efficacy in community-based organization staff. In addition, they demonstrate initial evidence of longer-term behavior change related to use of data and research skills to support their community work.

Results From the Data & Democracy Initiative to Enhance Community-Based Organization Data and Research Capacity

PubMed Central

Carroll-Scott, Amy; Toy, Peggy; Wyn, Roberta; Zane, Jazmin I.; Wallace, Steven P.

2012-01-01

Objectives. In an era of community-based participatory research and increased expectations for evidence-based practice, we evaluated an initiative designed to increase community-based organizations’ data and research capacity through a 3-day train-the-trainer course on community health assessments. Methods. We employed a mixed method pre–post course evaluation design. Various data sources collected from 171 participants captured individual and organizational characteristics and pre–post course self-efficacy on 19 core skills, as well as behavior change 1 year later among a subsample of participants. Results. Before the course, participants reported limited previous experience with data and low self-efficacy in basic research skills. Immediately after the course, participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in data and research self-efficacy. The subsample reported application of community assessment skills to their work and increased use of data 1 year later. Conclusions. Results suggest that an intensive, short-term training program can achieve large immediate gains in data and research self-efficacy in community-based organization staff. In addition, they demonstrate initial evidence of longer-term behavior change related to use of data and research skills to support their community work. PMID:22594748

California Breast Cancer Prevention Initiatives: Setting a research agenda for prevention.

PubMed

Sutton, P; Kavanaugh-Lynch, M H E; Plumb, M; Yen, I H; Sarantis, H; Thomsen, C L; Campleman, S; Galpern, E; Dickenson, C; Woodruff, T J

2015-07-01

The environment is an underutilized pathway to breast cancer prevention. Current research approaches and funding streams related to breast cancer and the environment are unequal to the task at hand. We undertook the California Breast Cancer Prevention Initiatives, a four-year comprehensive effort to set a research agenda related to breast cancer, the environment, disparities and prevention. We identified 20 topics for Concept Proposals reflecting a life-course approach and the complex etiology of breast cancer; considering the environment as chemical, physical and socially constructed exposures that are experienced concurrently: at home, in the community and at work; and addressing how we should be modifying the world around us to promote a less carcinogenic environment. Redirecting breast cancer research toward prevention-oriented discovery could significantly reduce the incidence and associated disparities of the disease among future generations. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research scholars program: a faculty development initiative at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine.

PubMed

Hammerschlag, Richard; Lasater, Kathie; Salanti, Sonya; Fleishman, Susan

2008-05-01

The Research Scholars Program (RSP) was created at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) to provide faculty development in research literacy, research-informed clinical practice, and research participation skills. The RSP is part of a broad effort, funded by a National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine R25 education grant, to infuse an evidence-based perspective into the curriculum at schools of complementary and alternative medicine. The RSP arose from the realization that this curriculum reform would first necessitate faculty training in both research appreciation and pedagogy. OCOM's grant, Acupuncture Practitioner Research Education Enhancement, is a partnership with the Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing (OHSU SON). The RSP was developed initially as a collaborative effort among the OCOM Dean of Research (R.H.), OCOM Director of Research Education (S.F.), and an OHSU SON education specialist (K.L.). The 9-month, 8 hours per month seminar-style RSP provides the opportunity for a cohort of OCOM faculty and staff to explore research-related concepts and content as well as pedagogical practices that emphasize interactive, learner-centered teaching. The RSP adheres to a competency-based approach as developed by the Education Committee of the grant. As a tangible outcome, each Research Scholar designs a sustainable learning activity that infuses a research perspective into their courses, clinic supervision, or other sphere of influence at the college. In this paper, we describe the creative process and the lessons learned during the planning and initial implementation of the RSP. We view the early successes of the RSP as encouraging signs that research literacy and an evidence-based perspective are becoming increasingly accepted as needed skill sets for present-day practitioners of acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

Outcome of the European initiative for radiation protection research and future perspectives.

PubMed

Repussard, J

2018-01-01

In 2009, the European Commission published the report of the high-level expert group that had been mandated to consider the scientific challenges posed by the issues of low dose effects of ionising radiation, and to formulate proposals for research policy evolution in this field at European level. This report formulated a first draft of a strategic research agenda. International scientific cooperation and an integrated approach are essential for the further development and enhancement of the international framework of radiation protection. This paper reflects on the results which have been gained through this integration approach: strategic research agendas have been established, policies and action plans have been developed for infrastructures and training education, several ambitious research projects have been launched, and a first draft of a European 'joint road map' for radiation protection research will be published. Reflecting on the challenges that lie ahead, this paper also presents the initiatives that the five European research platforms (MELODI: low dose research; ALLIANCE: radioecology; EURADOS: dosimetry; NERIS: emergency preparedness; EURAMED: radiation protection in medical applications) have jointly presented to the European Commission and Euratom member states to further enhance radiation protection research.

ONR Tropical Cyclone Motion Research Initiative; First-Year Review, Discussion and Tentative Hypotheses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-01

Pacific Network should have 3 to 4 levels of flight level observations and dropwindsonde from research aircraft. An outer box roughly 500 km2 should also...Motion Research Initiative: First. Year Review, Discussion and Tentative Hypotheses : ’ so A.t’oR’,S) Russell L. Elsberry *3j 0V R.OQ 2 ’ 3 .) T’E...Abstract 2 1. Introduction 3 2. Discussion Sessions 5 3 . Tentative Hypotheses 18 4. Preliminary field experiment design considerations 27 5

Research on plasma-puff initiation of high Coulomb transfer switches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venable, Demetrius D.; Han, Kwang S.

1993-01-01

The plasma-puff triggering mechanism based on hypocycloidal pinch geometry was investigated to determine the optimal operating conditions for an azimuthally uniform surface flashover which initiates plasma-puff under wide ranges of fill gas pressures of Ar, He and N2. Research is presented and resulting conference papers are attached. These papers include 'Characteristics of Plasma-Puff Trigger for an Inverse-Pinch Plasma Switch'; 'Ultra-High-Power Plasma Switch INPUTS for Pulse Power Systems'; 'Characteristics of Switching Plasma in an Inverse-Pinch Switch'; 'Comparative Study of INPIStron and Spark Gap'; and 'INPIStron Switched Pulsed Power for Dense Plasma Pinches.'

Changes in Attitudes, Beliefs and Behaviour: A Critical Review of Research into the Impacts of Environmental Education Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gralton, Anna; Sinclair, Mark; Purnell, Ken

2004-01-01

This paper reviews research literature on the impact of environmental education initiatives on learners' attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. The review focuses on initiatives involving learners of all ages and school-aged learners in particular. The review shows two things. There is some evidence that environmental education initiatives are…

Family-friendly research and workplace initiative announced

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2011-10-01

A new U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) initiative aims to increase the participation of women and girls in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) over the next 10 years by providing more flexible research policies, promoting flexible workplace options, and supporting STEM careers for women, Obama administration officials announced on 26 September. Currently, women earn about 41% of STEM doctoral degrees awarded by U.S. educational institutions but make up only about 28% of tenure-track faculty in U.S. colleges and universities, the officials said. "Unfortunately, too many young women drop out of promising careers in science, engineering, and math because of conflicts between their desire to start families and the need to rapidly ramp up their careers," said John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). "The way to help women stay in the STEM jobs pipeline is to create and support more flexible workplace policies that allow a women's career—or a man's, for that matter, but as we know, it's more common for women to give up STEM careers for family reasons—to thrive even as time is allowed for important family responsibilities."

The Project Data Sphere Initiative: Accelerating Cancer Research by Sharing Data

PubMed Central

Reeder-Hayes, Katherine E.; Corty, Robert W.; Basch, Ethan; Milowsky, Mathew I.; Dusetzina, Stacie B.; Bennett, Antonia V.; Wood, William A.

2015-01-01

Background. In this paper, we provide background and context regarding the potential for a new data-sharing platform, the Project Data Sphere (PDS) initiative, funded by financial and in-kind contributions from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, to transform cancer research and improve patient outcomes. Given the relatively modest decline in cancer death rates over the past several years, a new research paradigm is needed to accelerate therapeutic approaches for oncologic diseases. Phase III clinical trials generate large volumes of potentially usable information, often on hundreds of patients, including patients treated with standard of care therapies (i.e., controls). Both nationally and internationally, a variety of stakeholders have pursued data-sharing efforts to make individual patient-level clinical trial data available to the scientific research community. Potential Benefits and Risks of Data Sharing. For researchers, shared data have the potential to foster a more collaborative environment, to answer research questions in a shorter time frame than traditional randomized control trials, to reduce duplication of effort, and to improve efficiency. For industry participants, use of trial data to answer additional clinical questions could increase research and development efficiency and guide future projects through validation of surrogate end points, development of prognostic or predictive models, selection of patients for phase II trials, stratification in phase III studies, and identification of patient subgroups for development of novel therapies. Data transparency also helps promote a public image of collaboration and altruism among industry participants. For patient participants, data sharing maximizes their contribution to public health and increases access to information that may be used to develop better treatments. Concerns about data-sharing efforts include protection of patient privacy and confidentiality. To alleviate these concerns, data sets are

United States Air Force Research Initiation Program. 1985 Technical Report. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-04-01

Classification) USAF Research Initiation Program Volume 1 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Program Director Rodney C. Darrah 13a. TYPE OF...Maximum Voluntary +land Grip Torque for Circular Electrical Connectors 760-0MG-068 Temperature Dependence of Ion- Molecule Association Reactions...Foster 30 Photothermal and Photochemical Properties of Melanin and Their Role in Light Induced Degrad- ation of the Retina 760-0MG-106 Dr. James

Transformational leadership, initiating structure, and substitutes for leadership: a longitudinal study of research and development project team performance.

PubMed

Keller, Robert T

2006-01-01

Transformational leadership, initiating structure, and selected substitutes for leadership were studied as longitudinal predictors of performance in 118 research and development (R&D) project teams from 5 firms. As hypothesized, transformational leadership predicted 1-year-later technical quality, schedule performance, and cost performance and 5-year-later profitability and speed to market. Initiating structure predicted all the performance measures. The substitutes of subordinate ability and an intrinsically satisfying task each predicted technical quality and profitability, and ability predicted speed to market. Moderator effects for type of R&D work were hypothesized and found whereby transformational leadership was a stronger predictor of technical quality in research projects, whereas initiating structure was a stronger predictor of technical quality in development projects. Implications for leadership theory and research are discussed. (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Supporting open access to clinical trial data for researchers: The Duke Clinical Research Institute-Bristol-Myers Squibb Supporting Open Access to Researchers Initiative.

PubMed

Pencina, Michael J; Louzao, Darcy M; McCourt, Brian J; Adams, Monique R; Tayyabkhan, Rehbar H; Ronco, Peter; Peterson, Eric D

2016-02-01

There are growing calls for sponsors to increase transparency by providing access to clinical trial data. In response, Bristol-Myers Squibb and the Duke Clinical Research Institute have collaborated on a new initiative, Supporting Open Access to Researchers. The aim is to facilitate open sharing of Bristol-Myers Squibb trial data with interested researchers. Key features of the Supporting Open Access to Researchers data sharing model include an independent review committee that ensures expert consideration of each proposal, stringent data deidentification/anonymization and protection of patient privacy, requirement of prespecified statistical analysis plans, and independent review of manuscripts before submission for publication. We believe that these approaches will promote open science by allowing investigators to verify trial results as well as to pursue interesting secondary uses of trial data without compromising scientific integrity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: Managing a Multidisciplinary Data Explosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, M. K.; Gibeaut, J. C.; Reed, D.

2011-12-01

On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, experienced a catastrophic wellhead blowout. Roughly 5 billion barrels of oil and 1 million U.S. gallons of dispersant were released near the wellhead over the next three months. Within weeks of the blowout, BP announced the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GRI) and pledged 50M/yr over 10 years for independent scientific research on the spill's impact on the ecosystem. Two months after the blowout three institutions were awarded a total of 25M in fast-track grants (Louisiana State University, Northern Gulf Institute, and Florida Institute of Oceanography). Soon after the Alabama Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium and the National Institutes of Health were awarded 5M and 10M, respectively. These five institutions began to generate data almost immediately. First year grants funded 100's of researchers from nearly 100 research units. Their activities included numerical modeling, field data collection, and laboratory experiments. Measured parameters included those associated with chemical analyses of oil, gas, and dispersants, studies of bacteria, plants and animals -from phytoplankton to marsh grasses, from zooplankton to cetaceans. Studies were conducted from estuaries to the deep Gulf, from atmosphere to sediments. Parameters from physical oceanography, marine meteorology, and biogeochemistry were measured in abundance. Additionally, impact studies on human mental, physical health and businesses were made. Proposals for years 2-4 of the program were to be awarded in August 2011 supporting 4-8 research consortia. Consortia may have up to 20 named researchers. In aggregate, these studies yielded a multidisciplinary data explosion. Following the fast-track awards the GRI Administrative Unit (AU) was established and a data management activity initiated. That activity became the GRI Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC). "Cooperative" emphasizes the

The value of formal clinical research training in initiating a career as a clinical investigator.

PubMed

Kapoor, Karan; Wu, Bechien U; Banks, Peter A

2011-12-01

The aim of this study was to determine whether formal clinical research training is of value in the initiation of a successful career as a clinical investigator. We conducted a retrospective review of the career choices of all 25 fellows who entered the Academic Clinical Research Track at Brigham and Women's Hospital since its inception in 1995 and examined the impact of formal clinical research training during their fellowship on their career choice. The primary measure of a successful career as a clinical investigator was the obtainment of external funding for clinical research within 3 years of completion of fellowship. Thirteen of the 25 fellows (52%) received a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at the Harvard School of Public Health during their fellowship. Ten of these 13 fellows (77%) obtained external funding for clinical research within 3 years of completion of their fellowship. None of the 5 fellows who had already obtained an MPH degree prior to their fellowship and none of the 7 fellows who completed a 7-week summer Program in Clinical Effectiveness but did not complete an MPH degree attempted to receive external funding for clinical research within 3 years of completion of their fellowship. We conclude that formal clinical research training culminating in an MPH degree was extremely valuable in the initiation of a successful career as a clinical investigator.

Building clinicians-researchers partnerships: lessons from diverse natural settings and practice-oriented initiatives.

PubMed

Castonguay, Louis G; Youn, Soo Jeong; Xiao, Henry; Muran, J Christopher; Barber, Jacques P

2015-01-01

In this concluding paper, we identify the type of studies conducted by 11 teams of contributors to a special issue on building clinicians-researchers partnerships. Those studies were conducted across a variety of clinical settings. We also integrate the lessons that have emerged from their collaborative initiatives in terms of obstacles faced, strategies adopted to address these challenges, benefits gained, and general recommendations offered to facilitate studies conducted with or by clinicians. The paper ends with the authors' thoughts about the future success of practice-oriented research in general.

Applying a global justice lens to health systems research ethics: an initial exploration.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Hyder, Adnan A

2015-03-01

Recent scholarship has considered what, if anything, rich people owe to poor people to achieve justice in global health and the implications of this for international research. Yet this work has primarily focused on international clinical research. Health systems research is increasingly being performed in low and middle income countries and is essential to reducing global health disparities. This paper provides an initial description of the ethical issues related to priority setting, capacity-building, and the provision of post-study benefits that arise during the conduct of such research. It presents a selection of issues discussed in the health systems research literature and argues that they constitute ethical concerns based on their being inconsistent with a particular theory of global justice (the health capability paradigm). Issues identified include the fact that priority setting for health systems research at the global level is often not driven by national priorities and that capacity-building efforts frequently utilize one-size-fits-all approaches.

Translational Research Principles Applied to Education: The Mapping Educational Specialist Knowhow (MESH) Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burden, Kevin; Younie, Sarah; Leask, Marilyn

2013-01-01

The Mapping Educational Specialist Knowhow (MESH) Initiative is part of a research project applying knowledge management principles which are well known in other sectors, public and private, to the education sector. The goal is to develop and test out the new ways of working, now possible with digital technologies, which can address long standing…

Conceptual Design for the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battaglin, W. A.; Langtimm, C. A.; Adams, M. J.; Gallant, A. L.; James, D. L.

2001-12-01

In 2000, the President of the United States (US) and Congress directed Department of Interior (DOI) agencies to develop a program for monitoring trends in amphibian populations on DOI lands and to conduct research into causes of declines. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was given lead responsibility for planning and implementing the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) in cooperation with the National Park Service (NPS), Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management. The program objectives are to (1) establish a network for monitoring the status and distribution of amphibian species on DOI lands; (2) identify and monitor environmental conditions known to affect amphibian populations; (3) conduct research on causes of amphibian population change and malformations; and (4) provide information to resource managers, policy makers, and the public in support of amphibian conservation. The ARMI program will integrate research efforts of USGS, other Federal, and non-federal herpetologists, hydrologists, and geographers across the Nation. ARMI will conduct a small number (~20) of intensive research efforts (for example, studies linking amphibian population changes to hydrologic conditions) and a larger number (~50) of more generalized inventory and monitoring studies encompassing broader areas such as NPS units. ARMI will coordinate with and try to augment other amphibian inventory studies such as the National Amphibian Atlas and the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program. ARMI will develop and test protocols for the standardized collection of amphibian data and provide a centrally managed database designed to simplify data entry, retrieval, and analysis. ARMI pilot projects are underway at locations across the US.

Research priorities in Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health & Nutrition for India: An Indian Council of Medical Research-INCLEN Initiative.

PubMed

Arora, Narendra K; Swaminathan, Soumya; Mohapatra, Archisman; Gopalan, Hema S; Katoch, Vishwa M; Bhan, Maharaj K; Rasaily, Reeta; Shekhar, Chander; Thavaraj, Vasantha; Roy, Malabika; Das, Manoja K; Wazny, Kerri; Kumar, Rakesh; Khera, Ajay; Bhatla, Neerja; Jain, Vanita; Laxmaiah, Avula; Nair, M K C; Paul, Vinod K; Ramachandran, Prema; Ramji, Siddharth; Vaidya, Umesh; Verma, I C; Shah, Dheeraj; Bahl, Rajiv; Qazi, Shamim; Rudan, Igor; Black, Robert E

2017-05-01

In India, research prioritization in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) themes has traditionally involved only a handful of experts mostly from major cities. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INCLEN collaboration undertook a nationwide exercise engaging faculty from 256 institutions to identify top research priorities in the MNCHN themes for 2016-2025. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method of priority setting was adapted. The context of the exercise was defined by a National Steering Group (NSG) and guided by four Thematic Research Subcommittees. Research ideas were pooled from 498 experts located in different parts of India, iteratively consolidated into research options, scored by 893 experts against five pre-defined criteria (answerability, relevance, equity, investment and innovation) and weighed by a larger reference group. Ranked lists of priorities were generated for each of the four themes at national and three subnational (regional) levels [Empowered Action Group & North-Eastern States, Southern and Western States, & Northern States (including West Bengal)]. Research priorities differed between regions and from overall national priorities. Delivery domain of research which included implementation research constituted about 70 per cent of the top ten research options under all four themes. The results were endorsed in the NSG meeting. There was unanimity that the research priorities should be considered by different governmental and non-governmental agencies for investment with prioritization on implementation research and issues cutting across themes.

Research priorities in Maternal, Newborn, & Child Health & Nutrition for India: An Indian Council of Medical Research-INCLEN Initiative

PubMed Central

Arora, Narendra K.; Swaminathan, Soumya; Mohapatra, Archisman; Gopalan, Hema S.; Katoch, Vishwa M.; Bhan, Maharaj K.; Rasaily, Reeta; Shekhar, Chander; Thavaraj, Vasantha; Roy, Malabika; Das, Manoja K.; Wazny, Kerri; Kumar, Rakesh; Khera, Ajay; Bhatla, Neerja; Jain, Vanita; Laxmaiah, Avula; Nair, M.K.C.; Paul, Vinod K.; Ramachandran, Prema; Ramji, Siddharth; Vaidya, Umesh; Verma, I.C.; Shah, Dheeraj; Bahl, Rajiv; Qazi, Shamim; Rudan, Igor; Black, Robert E.

2017-01-01

In India, research prioritization in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) themes has traditionally involved only a handful of experts mostly from major cities. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-INCLEN collaboration undertook a nationwide exercise engaging faculty from 256 institutions to identify top research priorities in the MNCHN themes for 2016-2025. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method of priority setting was adapted. The context of the exercise was defined by a National Steering Group (NSG) and guided by four Thematic Research Subcommittees. Research ideas were pooled from 498 experts located in different parts of India, iteratively consolidated into research options, scored by 893 experts against five pre-defined criteria (answerability, relevance, equity, investment and innovation) and weighed by a larger reference group. Ranked lists of priorities were generated for each of the four themes at national and three subnational (regional) levels [Empowered Action Group & North-Eastern States, Southern and Western States, & Northern States (including West Bengal)]. Research priorities differed between regions and from overall national priorities. Delivery domain of research which included implementation research constituted about 70 per cent of the top ten research options under all four themes. The results were endorsed in the NSG meeting. There was unanimity that the research priorities should be considered by different governmental and non-governmental agencies for investment with prioritization on implementation research and issues cutting across themes. PMID:28948951

Student perception of initial transition into a nursing program: A mixed methods research study.

PubMed

McDonald, Meghan; Brown, Janine; Knihnitski, Crystal

2018-05-01

Transition into undergraduate education programs is stressful and impacts students' well-being and academic achievement. Previous research indicates nursing students experience stress, depression, anxiety, and poor lifestyle habits which interfere with learning. However, nursing students' experience of transition into nursing programs has not been well studied. Incongruence exists between this lack of research and the desire to foster student success. This study analyzed students' experiences of initial transition into a nursing program. An embedded mixed method design. A single site of a direct-entry, four year baccalaureate Canadian nursing program. All first year nursing students enrolled in the fall term of 2016. This study combined the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) with a subset of participants participating in qualitative focus groups. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify statistically significant differences in full-scale and subscale scores. Qualitative data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. Significant differences were seen between those who moved to attend university and those who did not, with those who moved scoring lower on the Academic Adjustment subscale. Focus group thematic analysis highlighted how students experienced initial transition into a baccalaureate nursing program. Identified themes included reframing supports, splitting focus/finding focus, negotiating own expectations, negotiating others' expectations, and forming identity. These findings form the Undergraduate Nursing Initial Transition (UNIT) Framework. Significance of this research includes applications in faculty development and program supports to increase student success in the first year of nursing and to provide foundational success for ongoing nursing practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Going Further: A Roadmap to the Works of the ACCLAIM Research Initiative. Working Paper No. 42

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Zach; Howley, Craig

2012-01-01

"Going Further" presents a roadmap to the works of the ACCLAIM (Appalachian Collaborative Center for Learning, Assessment, and Instruction in Mathematics) Research Initiative, the research effort of one the Centers for Learning and Teaching (CLTs) created with a grant (2001-2005) from the National Science Foundation. The Center began…

The South/Southeast Asia Research Initiative (SARI) Update and Meeting Objectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vadrevu, Krishna Prasad

2017-01-01

Land Use/Cover Change (LU/CC) is one of the most important types of environmental change in South and Southeast Asian countries. Several studies suggest that LU/CC in these countries is in large part driven by population growth and economic development. In the region, changes that are most common include urban expansion, agricultural land loss, land abandonment, deforestation, logging, reforestation, etc. To address the research needs and priorities in the region, a regional initiative entitled South Southeast Asia Regional Initiative (SARI) has been developed involving US and regional scientists. The initiative is funded by NASA Land Cover, Land Use Change program. The goal of SARI is to integrate state-of-the-art remote sensing, natural sciences, engineering and social sciences to enrich LU/CC science in South Southeast Asian countries. In the presentation, LU/CC change research in SARI countries will be highlighted including the drivers of change. For example, in South Asia, forest cover has been increasing in countries like India, Nepal and Bhutan due to sustainable afforestation measures; whereas, large-scale deforestation in Southeast Asian countries is still continuing, due to oil palm plantation expansion driven by the international market demand in Malaysia and Indonesia. With respect to urbanization, South and Southeast Asian countries contain 23 megacities, each with more than 10 million people. Rapid urbanization is driving agricultural land loss and agricultural intensification has been increasing due to less availability of land for growing food crops such as in India, Vietnam, and Thailand. The drivers of LUCC vary widely in the region and include such factors as land tenure, local economic development, government policies, inappropriate land management, land speculation, improved road networks, etc. In addition, variability in the weather, climate, and socioeconomic factors also drive LU/CC resulting in disruptions of biogeochemical cycles

Physics and Innovation: A Large-Company Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doering, Robert

2013-03-01

With regard to its influence on innovation (i.e., creating new commercial technologies), physics continuously faces the challenge of ``keeping ahead of engineering'' and ``moving on'' to new concepts as well as to potentially new roles with respect to industrial research. For most large companies, the R&D model has undergone significant transformation over the past three decades. This has been driven, in part, by the increasing cost of continuously developing new technologies upon which to base state-of-the-art products. Part of this challenge is to select which new concepts and ``emerging technologies'' to pursue. A poor decision at this point wastes development resources and can be very difficult to overcome later. Therefore, a key feature of many new R&D models is collaboration with entities outside of the corporation. Such partnerships reduce both the cost and risk of exploring multiple lines of research which may lead to new technologies. One flexible approach to organizing R&D partnerships is via the establishment of a consortium. The semiconductor industry has successfully used research consortia since the founding of the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) in 1982 and SEMATECH a few years later. The automotive industry has also used the consortium approach for many years since the formation of the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) in 1992. In the case of the SRC, the principal operating methodology is for the members to create requests for proposals leading to the collective funding of university research. This is often done in partnership with federal agencies. For example, the Focus Center Research Program (FCRP, an SRC subsidiary) is co-funded with DARPA. Another SRC subsidiary, the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) is jointly supported with the NSF and NIST. This NRI-agency partnership has partly been enabled by the National Nanotechnology Initiative's Signature Initiative on ``Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond

The project data sphere initiative: accelerating cancer research by sharing data.

PubMed

Green, Angela K; Reeder-Hayes, Katherine E; Corty, Robert W; Basch, Ethan; Milowsky, Mathew I; Dusetzina, Stacie B; Bennett, Antonia V; Wood, William A

2015-05-01

In this paper, we provide background and context regarding the potential for a new data-sharing platform, the Project Data Sphere (PDS) initiative, funded by financial and in-kind contributions from the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, to transform cancer research and improve patient outcomes. Given the relatively modest decline in cancer death rates over the past several years, a new research paradigm is needed to accelerate therapeutic approaches for oncologic diseases. Phase III clinical trials generate large volumes of potentially usable information, often on hundreds of patients, including patients treated with standard of care therapies (i.e., controls). Both nationally and internationally, a variety of stakeholders have pursued data-sharing efforts to make individual patient-level clinical trial data available to the scientific research community. For researchers, shared data have the potential to foster a more collaborative environment, to answer research questions in a shorter time frame than traditional randomized control trials, to reduce duplication of effort, and to improve efficiency. For industry participants, use of trial data to answer additional clinical questions could increase research and development efficiency and guide future projects through validation of surrogate end points, development of prognostic or predictive models, selection of patients for phase II trials, stratification in phase III studies, and identification of patient subgroups for development of novel therapies. Data transparency also helps promote a public image of collaboration and altruism among industry participants. For patient participants, data sharing maximizes their contribution to public health and increases access to information that may be used to develop better treatments. Concerns about data-sharing efforts include protection of patient privacy and confidentiality. To alleviate these concerns, data sets are deidentified to maintain anonymity. To address industry

Citizen science or scientific citizenship? Disentangling the uses of public engagement rhetoric in national research initiatives.

PubMed

Woolley, J Patrick; McGowan, Michelle L; Teare, Harriet J A; Coathup, Victoria; Fishman, Jennifer R; Settersten, Richard A; Sterckx, Sigrid; Kaye, Jane; Juengst, Eric T

2016-06-04

The language of "participant-driven research," "crowdsourcing" and "citizen science" is increasingly being used to encourage the public to become involved in research ventures as both subjects and scientists. Originally, these labels were invoked by volunteer research efforts propelled by amateurs outside of traditional research institutions and aimed at appealing to those looking for more "democratic," "patient-centric," or "lay" alternatives to the professional science establishment. As mainstream translational biomedical research requires increasingly larger participant pools, however, corporate, academic and governmental research programs are embracing this populist rhetoric to encourage wider public participation. We examine the ethical and social implications of this recruitment strategy. We begin by surveying examples of "citizen science" outside of biomedicine, as paradigmatic of the aspirations this democratizing rhetoric was originally meant to embody. Next, we discuss the ways these aspirations become articulated in the biomedical context, with a view to drawing out the multiple and potentially conflicting meanings of "public engagement" when citizens are also the subjects of the science. We then illustrate two uses of public engagement rhetoric to gain public support for national biomedical research efforts: its post-hoc use in the "care.data" project of the National Health Service in England, and its proactive uses in the "Precision Medicine Initiative" of the United States White House. These examples will serve as the basis for a normative analysis, discussing the potential ethical and social ramifications of this rhetoric. We pay particular attention to the implications of government strategies that cultivate the idea that members of the public have a civic duty to participate in government-sponsored research initiatives. We argue that such initiatives should draw from policy frameworks that support normative analysis of the role of citizenry. And

Action Research Supporting Students' Oral Language in Northern Canadian Schools: A Professional Development Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Shelley Stagg

2012-01-01

Interview, document, and observational data were used to examine grade K-2 teachers' and literacy coaches' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of collaborative action research as a professional development initiative in rural schools. Eleven teachers and five literacy coaches in five northern Ontario school districts participated in…

Transferring Chemical Research to a Spin-Off Initiative in Health Care: The Lipidomic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferreri, Carla; Chatgilialoglu, Chryssostomos; Ferreri, Rosaria

2008-01-01

Lipidomics is an emerging discipline in life sciences related to the lipid metabolism of living organisms. In the last decade chemical and biological research has attributed very important roles to membrane phospholipids in relationship to free radical stress and metabolic situations. An entrepreneurial initiative for diagnostic tools and health…

The politics of global immunization initiatives: can we learn from research on global environmental issues?

PubMed

Sandberg, Kristin Ingstad; Bjune, Gunnar

2007-11-01

The number of institutions, representing different groups of stakeholders and organizations, aiming to coordinate global health policy is on the rise. Yet, as each have distinct interests and priorities, the political dimension becomes an important factor in understanding how institutions work, and how the coordination at the global level affects implementation in countries. This is already a topic for research on global environmental cooperation, inciting the question if one can transfer their analytical framework to the health field. This paper combines a presentation of lessons from research on environmental regimes with a review of global immunization policies and initiatives in order to explore that possibility. The paper describes cooperation on vaccines and immunization according the concepts of institutions and regimes, as defined by international relations research. This description emphasizes efforts to fulfill transnational agreements on objectives, the different ways stakeholders organize and the dynamics of such arrangements. An account of the research practice on global environmental cooperation leads to a discussion of how one could adapt the analytical framework. The paper makes the case for the development of a research program, where the analytical approach is modified to account for the interaction between technology production and public-led institutions. The conclusion proposes a number of entry points to research that have already yielded policy-relevant knowledge in the environmental field. These include the formation of new institutions, the contribution of institutional design to effective implementation, and the interplay between vaccine initiatives and other global institutions.

BRIE: The Penn State Biogeochemical Research Initiative for Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freeman, K. H.; Brantley, S. L.; Brenchley, J.

2003-12-01

Few scientists are prepared to address the interdisciplinary challenges of biogeochemical research due to disciplinary differences in vocabulary, technique, and scientific paradigm. Thus scientists and engineers trained in traditional disciplines bring a restricted view to the study of environmental systems, which can limit their ability to exploit new techniques and opportunities for scientific advancement. Although the literature is effusive with enthusiasm for interdisciplinary approaches to biogeochemistry, there remains the basic difficulty of cross-training geological and biological scientists. The NSF-IGERT funded Biogeochemical Research Initiative for Education (BRIE) program at Penn State is specifically designed to break down both disciplinary and institutional barriers and it has fostered cross-disciplinary collaboration and training since 1999. Students and faculty are drawn from environmental engineering, geochemistry, soil science, chemistry and microbiology, and the program is regarded on the Penn State campus as a successful example of how interdisciplinary science can best be promoted. There are currently 23 Ph.D. students funded by the program, with an additional 7 affiliated students. At present, a total of 6 students have completed doctoral degrees, and they have done so within normal timeframes. The program is "discipline-plus," whereby students enroll in traditional disciplinary degree programs, and undertake broad training via 12 credits of graduate coursework in other departments. Students are co-advised by faculty from different disciplines, and engage in interdisciplinary research facilitated by research "credit cards." Funding is available for international research experiences, travel to meetings, and other opportunities for professional development. Students help institutionalize interdisciplinary training by designing and conducting a teaching module that shares their expertise with a class in another department or discipline

78 FR 7860 - Initial Research on the Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in Iraq and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-04

... design features. Existing research studies, such as the Million Veteran Program, the Cooperative Studies..., study designs, research and evaluation protocols, and results from burn pit emissions research. VA has... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Initial Research on the Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure...

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Sensitivity Comparisons for Warm Season Convective Initiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Hoeth, Brian; Blottman, Peter F.

2007-01-01

Mesoscale weather conditions can significantly affect the space launch and landing operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). During the summer months, land-sea interactions that occur across KSC and CCAFS lead to the formation of a sea breeze, which can then spawn deep convection. These convective processes often last 60 minutes or less and pose a significant challenge to the forecasters at the National Weather Service (NWS) Spaceflight Meteorology Group (SMG). The main challenge is that a "GO" forecast for thunderstorms and precipitation is required at the 90 minute deorbit decision for End Of Mission (EOM) and at the 30 minute Return To Launch Site (RTLS) decision at the Shuttle Landing Facility. Convective initiation, timing, and mode also present a forecast challenge for the NWS in Melbourne, FL (MLB). The NWS MLB issues such tactical forecast information as Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs), Spot Forecasts for fire weather and hazardous materials incident support, and severe/hazardous weather Watches, Warnings, and Advisories. Lastly, these forecasting challenges can also affect the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS), which provides comprehensive weather forecasts for shuttle launch, as well as ground operations, at KSC and CCAFS. The need for accurate mesoscale model forecasts to aid in their decision making is crucial. Both the SMG and the MLB are currently implementing the Weather Research and Forecasting Environmental Modeling System (WRF EMS) software into their operations. The WRF EMS software allows users to employ both dynamical cores - the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM). There are also data assimilation analysis packages available for the initialization of the WRF model- the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS) and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS). Having a series of initialization options and WRF cores, as well as many

Summary of semi-initiative and initiative control automobile engine vibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Wei; Qu, Zhou

2009-07-01

Engine vibration accounts for around 55% of automobile vibration, separating the engine vibration from transmitting to automobile to the utmost extent is significant for improving NVH performance. Semi-initiative and initiative control of engine vibration is one of the hot spots of technical research in domestic and foreign automobile industry, especially luxury automobiles which adopt this technology to improve amenity and competitiveness. This article refers to a large amount of domestic and foreign related materials, fully introduces the research status of semi-initiative and initiative control suspension of engine vibration suspension and many kinds of structural style, and provides control policy and method of semi-initiative and initiative control suspension system. Compare and analyze the structural style of semi-initiative and initiative control and merits and demerits of current structures of semi-initiative and initiative control of mechanic electrorheological, magnetorheological, electromagnetic actuator, piezoelectric ceramics, electrostriction material, pneumatic actuator etc. Models of power assembly mounting system was classified.Calculation example indicated that reasonable selection of engine mounting system parameters is useful to reduce engine vibration transmission and to increase ride comfort. Finally we brought forward semi-initiative and initiative suspension which might be applied for automobiles, and which has a promising future.

The DAST-1 remotely piloted research vehicle development and initial flight testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotsabasis, A.

1981-01-01

The development and initial flight testing of the DAST (drones for aerodynamic and structural testing) remotely piloted research vehicle, fitted with the first aeroelastic research wing ARW-I are presented. The ARW-I is a swept supercritical wing, designed to exhibit flutter within the vehicle's flight envelope. An active flutter suppression system (FSS) designed to increase the ARW-I flutter boundary speed by 20 percent is described. The development of the FSS was based on prediction techniques of structural and unsteady aerodynamic characteristics. A description of the supporting ground facilities and aircraft systems involved in the remotely piloted research vehicle (RPRV) flight test technique is given. The design, specification, and testing of the remotely augmented vehicle system are presented. A summary of the preflight and flight test procedures associated with the RPRV operation is given. An evaluation of the blue streak test flight and the first and second ARW-I test flights is presented.

Nanoelectronics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-14

way to do this is to replace the continuous domain of the problem by a mesh or lattice of discrete points in phase space. The position coordinates x... lattice -matched GaAs / AlxGal.xAs heterojunction system. The central undoped GaAs quantum well is "sandwiched" between two Al 3Ga 7As barriers and n" GaAs...device defined as a "quantum coupled device" ( QCD ), which employs resonant tunneling between discrete electronic energy levels. Though difficult, creation

Internal NASA Study: NASAs Protoflight Research Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coan, Mary R.; Hirshorn, Steven R.; Moreland, Robert

2015-01-01

The NASA Protoflight Research Initiative is an internal NASA study conducted within the Office of the Chief Engineer to better understand the use of Protoflight within NASA. Extensive literature reviews and interviews with key NASA members with experience in both robotic and human spaceflight missions has resulted in three main conclusions and two observations. The first conclusion is that NASA's Protoflight method is not considered to be "prescriptive." The current policies and guidance allows each Program/Project to tailor the Protoflight approach to better meet their needs, goals and objectives. Second, Risk Management plays a key role in implementation of the Protoflight approach. Any deviations from full qualification will be based on the level of acceptable risk with guidance found in NPR 8705.4. Finally, over the past decade (2004 - 2014) only 6% of NASA's Protoflight missions and 6% of NASA's Full qualification missions experienced a publicly disclosed mission failure. In other words, the data indicates that the Protoflight approach, in and of it itself, does not increase the mission risk of in-flight failure. The first observation is that it would be beneficial to document the decision making process on the implementation and use of Protoflight. The second observation is that If a Project/Program chooses to use the Protoflight approach with relevant heritage, it is extremely important that the Program/Project Manager ensures that the current project's requirements falls within the heritage design, component, instrument and/or subsystem's requirements for both the planned and operational use, and that the documentation of the relevant heritage is comprehensive, sufficient and the decision well documented. To further benefit/inform this study, a recommendation to perform a deep dive into 30 missions with accessible data on their testing/verification methodology and decision process to research the differences between Protoflight and Full Qualification

The Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) ESFRI Initiative - A possible future cornerstone of European Arctic research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansen, Georg H.; Refsnes, Karin

2010-05-01

The Norwegian initiative "Svalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) was included in the Revised Roadmap of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) in 2009; an application to perform a preparatory phase project is currently under evaluation. The main aim of the SIOS initiative is to establish an Earth System observation platform in the European Arctic that is capable to match the whole scope of Earth System Models (ESM) on the observational side, ranging from solar/space-terrestrial interaction via atmosphere-ocean land-cryosphere coupling at the ground to geosphere-biosphere coupling. To this end, it is planned to integrate and upgrade all Arctic research stations on- and offshore in the Svalbard region which are currently operated by 15 nations, both European and worldwide. The initiative will also include the comprehensive marine and airborne monitoring and research activities and utilize the easy access to remote sensing data emerging from the satellite receiving activities at Longyearbyen. The already very comprehensive activity - though with limited international coordination - on Svalbard preconditions, as a first step, a thorough gap analysis of existing infrastructure in light of the needs of the modeling community and a careful design of the future overarching infrastructure. The interdisciplinary scientific character of SIOS makes the initiative well-suited to serve as a catalyser and integrator of the environmental ESFRI initiatives in the Arctic, while the truly global composition of the consortium may serve as a model for the envisaged pan-Arctic observing system SAON.

Improving the Standards-Based Management-Recognition initiative to provide high-quality, equitable maternal health services in Malawi: an implementation research protocol.

PubMed

Mumtaz, Zubia; Salway, Sarah; Nyagero, Josephat; Osur, Joachim; Chirwa, Ellen; Kachale, Fannie; Saunders, Duncan

2016-01-01

The Government of Malawi is seeking evidence to improve implementation of its flagship quality of care improvement initiative-the Standards Based Management-Recognition for Reproductive Health (SBM-R(RH)). This implementation study will assess the quality of maternal healthcare in facilities where the SBM-R(RH) initiative has been employed, identify factors that support or undermine effectiveness of the initiative and develop strategies to further enhance its operation. Data will be collected in 4 interlinked modules using quantitative and qualitative research methods. Module 1 will develop the programme theory underlying the SBM-R(RH) initiative, using document review and in-depth interviews with policymakers and programme managers. Module 2 will quantitatively assess the quality and equity of maternal healthcare provided in facilities where the SBM-R(RH) initiative has been implemented, using the Malawi Integrated Performance Standards for Reproductive Health. Module 3 will conduct an organisational ethnography to explore the structures and processes through which SBM-R(RH) is currently operationalised. Barriers and facilitators will be identified. Module 4 will involve coordinated co-production of knowledge by researchers, policymakers and the public, to identify and test strategies to improve implementation of the initiative. The research outcomes will provide empirical evidence of strategies that will enhance the facilitators and address the barriers to effective implementation of the initiative. It will also contribute to the theoretical advances in the emerging science of implementation research.

Evaluating a complex, multi-site, community-based program to improve healthcare quality: the summative research design for the Aligning Forces for Quality initiative.

PubMed

Scanlon, Dennis P; Wolf, Laura J; Alexander, Jeffrey A; Christianson, Jon B; Greene, Jessica; Jean-Jacques, Muriel; McHugh, Megan; Shi, Yunfeng; Leitzell, Brigitt; Vanderbrink, Jocelyn M

2016-08-01

The Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q) initiative was the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's (RWJF's) signature effort to increase the overall quality of healthcare in targeted communities throughout the country. In addition to sponsoring this 16-site complex program, RWJF funded an independent scientific evaluation to support objective research on the initiative's effectiveness and contributions to basic knowledge in 5 core programmatic areas. The research design, data, and challenges faced during the summative evaluation phase of this near decade-long program are discussed. A descriptive overview of the summative research design and its development for a multi-site, community-based, healthcare quality improvement initiative is provided. The summative research design employed by the evaluation team is discussed. The evaluation team's summative research design involved a data-driven assessment of the effectiveness of the AF4Q program at large, assessments of the impact of AF4Q in the specific programmatic areas, and an assessment of how the AF4Q alliances were positioned for the future at the end of the program. The AF4Q initiative was the largest privately funded community-based healthcare improvement initiative in the United States to date and was implemented at a time of rapid change in national healthcare policy. The implementation of large-scale, multi-site initiatives is becoming an increasingly common approach for addressing problems in healthcare. The summative evaluation research design for the AF4Q initiative, and the lessons learned from its approach, may be valuable to others tasked with evaluating similarly complex community-based initiatives.

A Model for Undergraduate and High School Student Research in Earth and Space Sciences: The New York City Research Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scalzo, F.; Johnson, L.; Marchese, P.

2006-05-01

The New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI) is a research and academic program that involves high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, and high school teachers in research teams that are led by college/university principal investigators of NASA funded projects and/or NASA scientists. The principal investigators are at 12 colleges/universities within a 50-mile radius of New York City (NYC and surrounding counties, Southern Connecticut and Northern New Jersey), as well as the NASA Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS). This program has a summer research institute component in Earth Science and Space Science, and an academic year component that includes the formulation and implementation NASA research based learning units in existing STEM courses by high school and college faculty. NYCRI is a revision and expansion of the Institute on Climate and Planets at GISS and is funded by NASA MURED and the Goddard Space Flight Center's Education Office.

The NASA Climate Change Research Initiative - A Scientist's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeGrande, A. N.; Pearce, M. D.; Dulaney, N.; Kelly, S. M.

2017-12-01

For the last four years, I have been a lead mentor in the NASA GISS Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) program, a component in the NASA GSFC Office of Education portfolio. It creates a multidisciplinary; vertical research team including a NYC metropolitan teacher, graduate student, undergraduate student, and high school student. While the college and high school members of this research team function like a more traditional internship component, the teacher component provides a powerful, direct way to connect state-of-the art research with students in the classroom. Because the teacher internship lasts a full year, it affords a similar relationship with a teacher that normally only exists between a PhD student and scientist. It also provides an opportunity to train the teacher in using the extensive data archives and other information maintained on NASA's publicly available websites. This time and access provide PhD-level training in the techniques and tools used in my climate research to the high school teacher. The teacher then uses his/her own pedagogical expertise to translate these techniques into age/level appropriate lesson plans for the classroom aligned with current STEM education trends and expectations. Throughout the process, there is an exchange of knowledge between the teacher and scientist that is very similar to the training given to PhD level graduate students. The teacher's understanding of the topic and implementation of the tools is done under a very close collaboration with the scientist supervisor and the NASA Education Program Specialist. This vertical team model encourages collegial communication between teachers and learners from many different educational levels and capitalizes on the efficacy of near peer mentoring strategies. This relationship is important in building trust through the difficult, iterative process that results in the development of highly accurate and quality (continuously discussed and vetted) curriculum composed

77 FR 4984 - Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE National Institute of Food and Agriculture Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for stakeholder input. SUMMARY: In Fiscal Year...

75 FR 25199 - Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-07

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE National Institute of Food and Agriculture Solicitation of Input From Stakeholders Regarding the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) AGENCY: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for stakeholder input. SUMMARY: In...

ENVRI PLUS: European initiative towards technical and research cultural solutions for across-disciplines accessible Research Infrastructure products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asmi, A.; Kutsch, W. L.

2015-12-01

Environmental Research Infrastructures are often built as bottom-up initiatives to provide products for specific target group, which often is very discipline specific. However, the societal or environmental challenges are typically not concentrated on specific disciplines, and require usage of data sets from many RIs. ENVRI PLUS is an initiative where the European environmental RIs work together to provide common technical background (in physical observation technologies and in data products and descriptions) to make the RI products more usable to user groups outside of the original RI target groups. ENVRI PLUS also includes many policy and dissemination concentrated actions to make the RI operations coherent and understandable to both scientists and other potential users. The actions include building common technological capital of the RIs (physical and data-oriented), creating common access procedures (especially for cross-diciplinary access), developing ethical guidelines and related policies, distributing know-how between RIs and building common communication and collaboration system for European environmental RIs. All ENVRI PLUS products are free to use, e.g. for use of new or existing environmental RIs worldwide.

Western Mountain Initiative - Research Links

Science.gov Websites

Parks programS Forest Service Climate Change Resource Center (CCRC) North American Nitrogen Center to be told." US Global Change Research Program (GlobalChange.gov) USGS Climate and Land Use Rocky Mountain Science Center Global Change Research Program -- A Focus on Mountain Ecosystems Western

The promise and challenge of practice-research collaborations: Guiding principles and strategies for initiating, designing, and implementing program evaluation research.

PubMed

Secret, Mary; Abell, Melissa L; Berlin, Trey

2011-01-01

The authors present a set of guiding principles and strategies to facilitate the collaborative efforts of social work researchers and practitioners as they initiate, design, and implement outcome evaluations of human service interventions and programs. Beginning with an exploration of the interpersonal barriers to practice-research collaborations, and building on their experiences in successfully completing a community-based research evaluation, the authors identify specific relationship-focused principles and strategies and illustrate how these approaches can guide practice-research teams through the various sequential activities of the evaluation research process. In particular, it is suggested that practice-research collaborations can be formed, strengthened, and sustained by emphasis on a spirit of discovery and shared leadership at the start of the relationship, use of a comprehensive evaluation model to clarify and frame the evaluation and program goals, beginning where the client is when selecting research methodology and measurement tools, commitment to keeping the program first and recording everything during the implementation and data-collection stages, discussion of emerging findings and presentation of findings in graphic format at the data-analysis stage, and a total team approach at the dissemination stage.

Single Molecule Enzymology via Nanoelectronic Circuits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Philip

Traditional single-molecule techniques rely on fluorescence or force transduction to monitor conformational changes and biochemical activity. Recent demonstrations of single-molecule monitoring with electronic transistors are poised to add to the single-molecule research toolkit. The transistor-based technique is sensitive to the motion of single charged side chain residues and can transduce those motions with microsecond resolution, opening the doors to single-molecule enzymology with unprecedented resolution. Furthermore, the solid-state platform provides opportunities for parallelization in arrays and long-duration monitoring of one molecule's activity or processivity, all without the limitations caused by photo-oxidation or mutagenic fluorophore incorporation. This presentation will review some of these advantages and their particular application to DNA polymerase I processing single-stranded DNA templates. This research was supported financially by the NIH NCI (R01 CA133592-01), the NIH NIGMS (1R01GM106957-01) and the NSF (DMR-1104629 and ECCS-1231910).

Eastern Europe Research Reactor Initiative nuclear education and training courses - Current activities and future challenges

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

Snoj, L.; Sklenka, L.; Rataj, J.

2012-07-01

The Eastern Europe Research Reactor Initiative was established in January 2008 to enhance cooperation between the Research Reactors in Eastern Europe. It covers three areas of research reactor utilisation: irradiation of materials and fuel, radioisotope production, neutron beam experiments, education and training. In the field of education and training an EERRI training course was developed. The training programme has been elaborated with the purpose to assist IAEA Member States, which consider building a research reactor (RR) as a first step to develop nuclear competence and infrastructure in the Country. The major strength of the reactor is utilisation of three differentmore » research reactors and a lot of practical exercises. Due to high level of adaptability, the course can be tailored to specific needs of institutions with limited or no access to research reactors. (authors)« less

Weather Research and Forecasting Model Sensitivity Comparisons for Warm Season Convective Initiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Leela R.; Hoeth, Brian; Blottman, Peter F.

2007-01-01

configuration options are best to address this specific forecast concern, the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, which has two dynamical cores - the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) and the Non-hydrostatic Mesoscale Model (NMM) was employed. In addition to the two dynamical cores, there are also two options for a "hot-start" initialization of the WRF model - the Local Analysis and Prediction System (LAPS; McGinley 1995) and the Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS; Brewster 1996). Both LAPS and ADAS are 3- dimensional weather analysis systems that integrate multiple meteorological data sources into one consistent analysis over the user's domain of interest. This allows mesoscale models to benefit from the addition of highresolution data sources. Having a series of initialization options and WRF cores, as well as many options within each core, provides SMG and MLB with considerable flexibility as well as challenges. It is the goal of this study to assess the different configurations available and to determine which configuration will best predict warm season convective initiation.

Rapid Review Summit: an overview and initiation of a research agenda.

PubMed

Polisena, Julie; Garritty, Chantelle; Umscheid, Craig A; Kamel, Chris; Samra, Kevin; Smith, Jeannette; Vosilla, Ann

2015-09-26

The demand for accelerated forms of evidence synthesis is on the rise, largely in response to requests by health care decision makers for expeditious assessment and up-to-date information about health care technologies and health services and programs. As a field, rapid review evidence synthesis is marked by a tension between the strategic priority to inform health care decision-making and the scientific imperative to produce robust, high-quality research that soundly supports health policy and practice. In early 2015, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health convened a forum in partnership with the British Columbia Ministry of Health, the British Columbia Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and the University of Pennsylvania. More than 150 evidence synthesis producers and end users attended the Rapid Review Summit: Then, Now and in the Future. The Summit program focused on the evolving role and practices of rapid reviews to support informed health care policy and clinical decision-making, including the uptake and use of health technology assessment. Our discussion paper highlights the important discussions that occurred during the Rapid Review Summit. It focuses on the initial development of a research agenda that resulted from the Summit presentations and discussions. The research topics centered on three key areas of interest: (1) how to conduct a rapid review; (2) investigating the validity and utility of rapid reviews; and (3) how to improve access to rapid reviews.

NIH workshop summary: shaping the development of an iodine research initiative for the U.S.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at NIH sponsored a workshop May 12–13, 2011, to bring together representatives from various NIH Institutes and Centers as a first step in developing an NIH iodine initiative. The workshop also provided an opportunity to identify research needs that would infor...

Organizational Context Matters: A Research Toolkit for Conducting Standardized Case Studies of Integrated Care Initiatives

PubMed Central

Grudniewicz, Agnes; Gray, Carolyn Steele; Wodchis, Walter P.; Carswell, Peter; Baker, G. Ross

2017-01-01

Introduction: The variable success of integrated care initiatives has led experts to recommend tailoring design and implementation to the organizational context. Yet, organizational contexts are rarely described, understood, or measured with sufficient depth and breadth in empirical studies or in practice. We thus lack knowledge of when and specifically how organizational contexts matter. To facilitate the accumulation of evidence, we developed a research toolkit for conducting case studies using standardized measures of the (inter-)organizational context for integrating care. Theory and Methods: We used a multi-method approach to develop the research toolkit: (1) development and validation of the Context and Capabilities for Integrating Care (CCIC) Framework, (2) identification, assessment, and selection of survey instruments, (3) development of document review methods, (4) development of interview guide resources, and (5) pilot testing of the document review guidelines, consolidated survey, and interview guide. Results: The toolkit provides a framework and measurement tools that examine 18 organizational and inter-organizational factors that affect the implementation and success of integrated care initiatives. Discussion and Conclusion: The toolkit can be used to characterize and compare organizational contexts across cases and enable comparison of results across studies. This information can enhance our understanding of the influence of organizational contexts, support the transfer of best practices, and help explain why some integrated care initiatives succeed and some fail. PMID:28970750

Strengthening research capacity through the medical education partnership initiative: the Mozambique experience

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Since Mozambique’s independence, the major emphasis of its higher educational institutions has been on didactic education. Because of fiscal and human resource constraints, basic and applied research activities have been relatively modest in scope, and priorities have often been set primarily by external collaborators. These factors have compromised the scope and the relevance of locally conducted research and have limited the impact of Mozambique’s universities as major catalysts for national development. Case description We developed a multi-institutional partnership to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the research environment at Mozambique’s major public universities to identify factors that have served as barriers to the development of a robust research enterprise. Based on this analysis, we developed a multifaceted plan to reduce the impact of these barriers and to enhance research capacity within Mozambique. Interventions On the basis of our needs assessment, we have implemented a number of major initiatives within participating institutions to facilitate basic and applied research activities. These have included specialized training programmes, a reorganization of the research administration infrastructure, the development of multiple collaborative research projects that have emphasized local research priorities and a substantial investment in bioinformatics. We have established a research support centre that provides grant development and management services to Mozambique’s public universities and have developed an independent Institutional Review Board for the review of research involving human research subjects. Multiple research projects involving both communicable and non-communicable diseases have been developed and substantial external research support has been obtained to undertake these projects. A sizable investment in biomedical informatics has enhanced both connectivity and access to digital reference material. Active

Initial Investigation of Operational Concept Elements for NASA's NextGen-Airportal Project Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lohr, Gary; Lee, Jonathan; Poage, James L.; Tobias, Leonard

2009-01-01

The NextGen-Airportal Project is organized into three research focus areas: Safe and Efficient Surface Operations, Coordinated Arrival/Departure Operations Management, and Airportal Transition and Integration Management. The content in this document was derived from an examination of constraints and problems at airports for accommodating future increases in air traffic, and from an examination of capabilities envisioned for NextGen. The concepts are organized around categories of constraints and problems and therefore do not precisely match, but generally reflect, the research focus areas. The concepts provide a framework for defining and coordinating research activities that are, and will be, conducted by the NextGen-Airportal Project. The concepts will help the research activities function as an integrated set focused on future needs for airport operations and will aid aligning the research activities with NextGen key capabilities. The concepts are presented as concept elements with more detailed sub-elements under each concept element. For each concept element, the following topics are discussed: constraints and problems being addressed, benefit descriptions, required technology and infrastructure, and an initial list of potential research topics. Concept content will be updated and more detail added as the research progresses. The concepts are focused on enhancing airportal capacity and efficiency in a timeframe 20 to 25 years in the future, which is similar to NextGen's timeframe.

Learning from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Quality Enhancement Research Initiative: QUERI Series

PubMed Central

Graham, Ian D; Tetroe, Jacqueline

2009-01-01

As the recent collection of papers from the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) Series indicates, knowledge is leading to considerable action in the United States (U.S.) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The QUERI Series offers clinical researchers, implementation scientists, health systems, and health research funders from around the globe a unique window into the both the practice and science of implementation or knowledge translation (KT) in the VA. By describing successes and challenges as well as setbacks and disappointments, the QUERI Series is all the more useful. From the vantage point of Canadian KT researchers and officials at a national health research funding agency, we offer a number of observations and lessons that can be learned from QUERI. "Knowledge, if it does not determine action, is dead to us." Plotinus (Roman philosopher 205AD-270AD) PMID:19267920

MEASURING COERCION TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH WITHIN A DOUBLY VULNERABLE POPULATION: INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE COERCION ASSESSMENT SCALE

PubMed Central

Dugosh, Karen Leggett; Festinger, David S.; Croft, Jason R.; Marlowe, Douglas B.

2011-01-01

Despite many efforts aimed to ensure that research participation is autonomous and not coerced, there exists no reliable and valid measure of perceived coercion for the doubly vulnerable population of substance-abusing offenders. The current study describes the development and initial validation of an instrument measuring perceived coercion to participate in research among substance-abusing offenders. The results indicated that a substantial number of individuals report feeling coerced to participate in the study. In addition, the instrument has adequate levels of internal consistency, a one-dimensional factor structure, and evidence of discriminative validity. This study provides initial support for the instrument’s validity and clinical utility. PMID:20235867

A Comprehensive National Plan for New Initiatives in Home Economics Research, Extension, and Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science and Education Administration (USDA), Hyattsville, MD.

New initiatives in home economics research, extension, and higher education are proposed in order to influence national goals for family well-being measurably within five to ten years. The proposals are for work to be conducted cooperatively by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the land-grant colleges and universities, cooperative extension…

A Study on Dielectric Properties of Cadmium Sulfide-Zinc Sulfide Core-Shell Nanocomposites for Application as Nanoelectronic Filter Component in the Microwave Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, Jutika; Datta, Pranayee

2018-07-01

Complex permittivities of cadmium sulfide (CdS), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and of cadmium sulfide-zinc sulfide (CdS/ZnS) core-shell nanoparticles embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix (PVA) were measured in liquid phase using a VectorNetwork Analyzer in the frequency range of 500 MHz-10 GHz. These nanocomposites are modeled as an embedded capacitor, and their electric field distribution and polarization have been studied using COMSOL Multiphysics software. By varying the thickness of the shell and the number of inclusions, the capacitance values were estimated. It was observed that CdS, ZnS and CdS/ZnS core-shell nanoparticles embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix show capacitive behavior. There is a strong influence of the dielectric properties in the capacitive behavior of the embedded nanocapacitor. The capping matrix, position and filling factors of nanoinclusions all affect the capacitive behavior of the tested nanocomposites. Application of the CdS, ZnS and CdS/ZnS core-shell nanocomposite as the passive low-pass filter circuit has also been investigated. From the present study, it has been found that CdS/ZnS core-shell nanoparticles embedded in PVA matrix are potential structures for application as nanoelectronic filter components in different areas of communication.

A Study on Dielectric Properties of Cadmium Sulfide-Zinc Sulfide Core-Shell Nanocomposites for Application as Nanoelectronic Filter Component in the Microwave Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Devi, Jutika; Datta, Pranayee

2018-03-01

Complex permittivities of cadmium sulfide (CdS), zinc sulfide (ZnS), and of cadmium sulfide-zinc sulfide (CdS/ZnS) core-shell nanoparticles embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix (PVA) were measured in liquid phase using a VectorNetwork Analyzer in the frequency range of 500 MHz-10 GHz. These nanocomposites are modeled as an embedded capacitor, and their electric field distribution and polarization have been studied using COMSOL Multiphysics software. By varying the thickness of the shell and the number of inclusions, the capacitance values were estimated. It was observed that CdS, ZnS and CdS/ZnS core-shell nanoparticles embedded in a polyvinyl alcohol matrix show capacitive behavior. There is a strong influence of the dielectric properties in the capacitive behavior of the embedded nanocapacitor. The capping matrix, position and filling factors of nanoinclusions all affect the capacitive behavior of the tested nanocomposites. Application of the CdS, ZnS and CdS/ZnS core-shell nanocomposite as the passive low-pass filter circuit has also been investigated. From the present study, it has been found that CdS/ZnS core-shell nanoparticles embedded in PVA matrix are potential structures for application as nanoelectronic filter components in different areas of communication.

Advances in Retinal Prosthetic Research: A Systematic Review of Engineering and Clinical Characteristics of Current Prosthetic Initiatives.

PubMed

Cheng, Derrick L; Greenberg, Paul B; Borton, David A

2017-03-01

To date, reviews of retinal prostheses have focused primarily on devices undergoing human trials in the Western Hemisphere and fail to capture significant advances in materials and engineering research in countries such as Japan and Korea, as well as projects in early stages of development. To address these gaps, this systematic review examines worldwide advances in retinal prosthetic research, evaluates engineering characteristics and clinical progress of contemporary device initiatives, and identifies potential directions for future research in the field of retinal prosthetics. A literature search using PubMed, Google Scholar, and IEEExplore was conducted following the PRISMA Guidelines for Systematic Review. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed papers demonstrating progress in human or animal trials and papers discussing the prosthetic engineering design. For each initiative, a description of the device, its engineering considerations, and recent clinical results were provided. Ten prosthetic initiatives met our inclusion criteria and were organized by stimulation location. Of these initiatives, four have recently completed human trials, three are undergoing multi- or single-center human trials, and three are undergoing preclinical animal testing. Only the Argus II (FDA 2013, CE 2011) has obtained FDA approval for use in the United States; the Alpha-IMS (CE 2013) has achieved the highest visual acuity using a Landolt-C test to date and is the only device presently undergoing a multicenter clinical trial. Several distinct approaches to retinal stimulation have been successful in eliciting visual precepts in animals and/or humans. However, many clinical needs are still not met and engineering challenges must be addressed before a retinal prosthesis with the capability to fully and safely restore functional vision can be realized.

Western Mountain Initiative

Science.gov Websites

Home About WMI People Publications News Media Research Links Western Mountain Initiative The Western Mountain Initiative is a team of USGS, US Forest Service, and university scientists working to

Interdisciplinary Interactions within a Small-Scale Research Initiative Investigating Animation Creation as a Means of Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wishart, J. M.; Wakley, G.

2017-01-01

This paper reports an interdisciplinary research (IDR) initiative conducted by two lecturers from different university faculties who found they shared an interest in using animations to support teaching and learning. The research comprised an exploratory pilot to test the feasibility, and to explore the impact on learning, of having undergraduates…

Reshaping clinical science: Introduction to the Special Issue on Psychophysiology and the NIMH Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative.

PubMed

Patrick, Christopher J; Hajcak, Greg

2016-03-01

The National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative seeks to establish new dimensional conceptions of mental health problems, through the investigation of clinically relevant "process" constructs that have neurobiological as well as psychological referents. This special issue provides a detailed overview of the RDoC framework by NIMH officials Michael Kozak and Bruce Cuthbert, and spotlights RDoC-oriented investigative efforts by leading psychophysiological research groups as examples of how clinical science might be reshaped through application of RDoC principles. Accompanying commentaries highlight key aspects of the work by each group, and discuss reported methods/findings in relation to promises and challenges of the RDoC initiative more broadly. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Consensus for tinnitus patient assessment and treatment outcome measurement: Tinnitus Research Initiative meeting, Regensburg, July 2006

PubMed Central

Langguth, B.; Goodey, R.; Azevedo, A.; Bjorne, A.; Cacace, A.; Crocetti, A.; Del Bo, L.; De Ridder, D.; Diges, I.; Elbert, T.; Flor, H.; Herraiz, C.; Sanchez, T. Ganz; Eichhammer, P.; Figueiredo, R.; Hajak, G.; Kleinjung, T.; Landgrebe, M.; Londero, A.; Lainez, M.J.A.; Mazzoli, M.; Meikle, M.B.; Melcher, J.; Rauschecker, J.P.; Sand, P.G.; Struve, M.; Van de Heyning, P.; Van Dijk, P.; Vergara, R.

2014-01-01

There is widespread recognition that consistency between research centres in the ways that patients with tinnitus are assessed and outcomes following interventions are measured would facilitate more effective co-operation and more meaningful evaluations and comparisons of outcomes. At the first Tinnitus Research Initiative meeting held in Regensburg in July 2006 an attempt was made through workshops to gain a consensus both for patient assessments and for outcome measurements. It is hoped that this will contribute towards better cooperation between research centres in finding and evaluating treatments for tinnitus by allowing better comparability between studies. PMID:17956816

Report of the 1st meeting of the "Vienna Initiative to Save European Academic Research (VISAER)".

PubMed

Druml, Christiane; Singer, Ernst A; Wolzt, Michael

2006-04-01

The European Directive 2001/20/EC ("Clinical Trials Directive") was aimed at simplifying and harmonising European clinical research. The directive's attempt represents an important step because many European Member States lack national laws that specifically address details of research, but the goal has been only partly achieved. For academic investigators doing national or multi-national research the new European law and the requirements following its implementation are likely to have the opposite effect. Some areas seem to be of particular concern: trial sponsorship, the ethical review process, the participation of patients who are temporarily not able to consent in clinical trials, in particular the informed consent process, an accepted European registry for all clinical trials, insurance and pharmacovigilance. Furthermore there are fundamental problems of the conduct of clinical trials that could have been foreseen at the time of implementation of the new law, which are impeding academic basic clinical research. The bureaucratic burden for academic investigators has tremendously increased without representing any contribution to patients' safety or to the scientific value of research. Furthermore some large European academic trials cannot be conducted anymore due to the new regulations. This result in a reduction in the number of trials and additionally in a reduction in the number of patients enrolled in a study. European research and thus European patients will suffer from the loss of potential benefits of research. The Vienna Initiative to Save European Academic Research (VISEAR) brings together leading stakeholders from academic research groups and interested parties from industry, international organisations and regulatory authorities to focus on the issues of concern regarding the organisational and funding of academic clinical research in order to improve the development and use of medicines in Europe. The first step of the initiative was a meeting held

Children With Medical Complexity: An Emerging Population for Clinical and Research Initiatives

PubMed Central

Kuo, Dennis Z.; Agrawal, Rishi; Berry, Jay G.; Bhagat, Santi K. M.; Simon, Tamara D.; Srivastava, Rajendu

2011-01-01

Children with medical complexity (CMC) have medical fragility and intensive care needs that are not easily met by existing health care models. CMC may have a congenital or acquired multisystem disease, a severe neurologic condition with marked functional impairment, and/or technology dependence for activities of daily living. Although these children are at risk of poor health and family outcomes, there are few well-characterized clinical initiatives and research efforts devoted to improving their care. In this article, we present a definitional framework of CMC that consists of substantial family-identified service needs, characteristic chronic and severe conditions, functional limitations, and high health care use. We explore the diversity of existing care models and apply the principles of the chronic care model to address the clinical needs of CMC. Finally, we suggest a research agenda that uses a uniform definition to accurately describe the population and to evaluate outcomes from the perspectives of the child, the family, and the broader health care system. PMID:21339266

Role of the Educator in Social Software Initiatives in Further and Higher Education: A Conceptualisation and Research Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minocha, Shailey; Schroeder, Andreas; Schneider, Christoph

2011-01-01

Higher and further education institutions are increasingly using social software tools to support teaching and learning. A growing body of research investigates the diversity of tools and their range of contributions. However, little research has focused on investigating the role of the educator in the context of a social software initiative, even…

Charging conditions research to increase the initial projected velocity at different initial charge temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishchenko, Aleksandr; Burkin, Viktor; Kasimov, Vladimir; Samorokova, Nina; Zykova, Angelica; Diachkovskii, Alexei

2017-11-01

The problems of the defense industry occupy the most important place in the constantly developing modern world. The daily development of defense technology does not stop, nor do studies on internal ballistics. The scientists of the whole world are faced with the task of managing the main characteristics of a ballistic experiment. The main characteristics of the ballistic experiment are the maximum pressure in the combustion chamber Pmax and the projected velocity at the time of barrel leaving UM. During the work the combustion law of the new high-energy fuel was determined in a ballistic experiment for different initial temperatures. This combustion law was used for a parametric study of depending Pmax and UM from a powder charge mass and a traveling charge was carried out. The optimal conditions for loading were obtained for improving the initial velocity at pressures up to 600 MPa for different initial temperatures. In this paper, one of the most promising schemes of throwing is considered, as well as a method for increasing the muzzle velocity of a projected element to 3317 m/s.

Post-approval monitoring and oversight of U.S.-initiated human subjects research in resource-constrained countries.

PubMed

Brown, Brandon; Kinsler, Janni; Folayan, Morenike O; Allen, Karen; Cáceres, Carlos F

2014-06-01

The history of human subjects research and controversial procedures in relation to it has helped form the field of bioethics. Ethically questionable elements may be identified during research design, research implementation, management at the study site, or actions by a study's investigator or other staff. Post-approval monitoring (PAM) may prevent violations from occurring or enable their identification at an early stage. In U.S.-initiated human subjects research taking place in resource-constrained countries with limited development of research regulatory structures, arranging a site visit from a U.S. research ethics committee (REC) becomes difficult, thus creating a potential barrier to regulatory oversight by the parent REC. However, this barrier may be overcome through the use of digital technologies, since much of the world has at least remote access to the Internet. Empirical research is needed to pilot test the use of these technologies for research oversight to ensure the protection of human subjects taking part in research worldwide.

Outline Guide to Educational Reform Initiatives. ERS Research Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Research Service, Arlington, VA.

Many educational reform initiatives are being tried in an effort to restructure the American school system. This guide compares major educational reform efforts by goal, vision, teaching and learning, and system components. The first section of the guide covers major systemic educational reform initiatives, including Accelerated Schools Project,…

Building the field of population health intervention research: The development and use of an initial set of competencies.

PubMed

Riley, Barbara; Harvey, Jean; Di Ruggiero, Erica; Potvin, Louise

2015-01-01

Population health intervention research (PHIR) is a relatively new research field that studies interventions that can improve health and health equity at a population level. Competencies are one way to give legitimacy and definition to a field. An initial set of PHIR competencies was developed with leadership from a multi-sector group in Canada. This paper describes the development process for these competencies and their possible uses. Methods to develop the competencies included key informant interviews; a targeted review of scientific and gray literature; a 2-round, online adapted Delphi study with a 24-member panel; and a focus group with 9 international PHIR experts. The resulting competencies consist of 25 items grouped into 6 categories. They include principles of good science applicable though not exclusive to PHIR, and more suitable for PHIR teams rather than individuals. This initial set of competencies, released in 2013, may be used to develop graduate student curriculum, recruit trainees and faculty to academic institutions, plan non-degree professional development, and develop job descriptions for PHIR-related research and professional positions. The competencies provide some initial guideposts for the field and will need to be adapted as the PHIR field matures and to meet unique needs of different jurisdictions.

Building the field of population health intervention research: The development and use of an initial set of competencies

PubMed Central

Riley, Barbara; Harvey, Jean; Di Ruggiero, Erica; Potvin, Louise

2015-01-01

Population health intervention research (PHIR) is a relatively new research field that studies interventions that can improve health and health equity at a population level. Competencies are one way to give legitimacy and definition to a field. An initial set of PHIR competencies was developed with leadership from a multi-sector group in Canada. This paper describes the development process for these competencies and their possible uses. Methods to develop the competencies included key informant interviews; a targeted review of scientific and gray literature; a 2-round, online adapted Delphi study with a 24-member panel; and a focus group with 9 international PHIR experts. The resulting competencies consist of 25 items grouped into 6 categories. They include principles of good science applicable though not exclusive to PHIR, and more suitable for PHIR teams rather than individuals. This initial set of competencies, released in 2013, may be used to develop graduate student curriculum, recruit trainees and faculty to academic institutions, plan non-degree professional development, and develop job descriptions for PHIR-related research and professional positions. The competencies provide some initial guideposts for the field and will need to be adapted as the PHIR field matures and to meet unique needs of different jurisdictions. PMID:26844160

Aquaculture research and management in the telecoupled Belt and Road Initiative countries and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, W.; Ying, Z.; Marín, T.

2017-12-01

Due to the continuous growth in aquatic product consumption, globally the total production of aquatic products has increased by 20% in the past two decades. In 2014, for the first time, the production of aquatic products for direct human consumption from aquaculture surpassed that of wild catch. In 2016, the total production of global aquatic products reached 170 million tons, of which 45% comes from the aquaculture sector. More importantly, over 80% of the global aquaculture production occurs in the Belt and Road Initiative countries. Particularly, China alone contributes to two third of the global share. The rapid expansion and intensification of aquaculture have many environmental and socioeconomic impacts both at the cultivation places and also in places where feed is produced; however, these telecoupled processes and effects are largely unknown in a quantitative manner. Here, we apply the telecoupling framework to analyze the aquaculture trade among China and other Belt and Road Initiative countries and beyond. The integrated telecoupling framework helps to demonstrate the environmental and socioeconomic interactions among the feed (and aquatic product) sending, receiving, and spillover systems. It also provides a platform to model the telecoupled processes and effects across multiple remotely connected systems. Moreover, the application of the framework reveals many research gaps and management needs on aquaculture research and management.

Provincial development of a patient-reported outcome initiative to guide patient care, quality improvement, and research.

PubMed

Olson, Robert A; Howard, Fuchsia; Lapointe, Vincent; Schellenberg, Devin; Nichol, Alan; Bowering, Gale; Curtis, Susan; Walter, Allison; Brown, Steven; Thompson, Corinne; Bergin, Jackie; Lomas, Sheri; French, John; Halperin, Ross; Tyldesley, Scott; Beckham, Wayne

2018-01-01

The BC Cancer Agency Radiotherapy (RT) program started the Prospective Outcomes and Support Initiative (POSI) at all six centres to utilize patient-reported outcomes for immediate clinical care, quality improvement, and research. Patient-reported outcomes were collected at time of computed tomography simulation via tablet and 2 to 4 weeks post-RT via either tablet or over the phone by a registered nurse. From 2013 to 2016, patients were approached on 20,150 attempts by POSI for patients treated with RT for bone metastases (52%), brain metastases (11%), lung cancer (17%), gynecological cancer (16%), head and neck cancer (2%), and other pilots (2%). The accrual rate for all encounters was 85% (n = 17,101), with the accrual rate varying between the lowest and the highest accruing centre from 78% to 89% ( P < .001) and varying by tumour site ( P < .001). Using the POSI database, we have performed research and quality improvement initiatives that have changed practice.

S.T.E.M. Initiatives. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, David

2010-01-01

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) initiatives represent an extensive and expanding movement across American education. Nationally, funding for K-12 STEM programs increased from $700 million to almost $1 billion from 2005 to 2007 alone (US DOE, Report of the Academic Competitiveness Council, 2007, p. 51). Although there is a…

Getting There from Here: Research on the Effects of Work-Family Initiatives on Work-Family Conflict and Business Outcomes.

PubMed

Kelly, Erin L; Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Hammer, Leslie B; Durham, Mary; Bray, Jeremy; Chermack, Kelly; Murphy, Lauren A; Kaskubar, Dan

2008-08-01

Many employing organizations have adopted work-family policies, programs, and benefits. Yet managers in employing organizations simply do not know what organizational initiatives actually reduce work-family conflict and how these changes are likely to impact employees and the organization. We examine scholarship that addresses two broad questions: first, do work-family initiatives reduce employees' work-family conflict and/or improve work-family enrichment? Second, does reduced work-family conflict improve employees' work outcomes and, especially, business outcomes at the organizational level? We review over 150 peer-reviewed studies from a number of disciplines in order to summarize this rich literature and identify promising avenues for research and conceptualization. We propose a research agenda based on four primary conclusions: the need for more multi-level research, the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach, the benefits of longitudinal studies that employ quasi-experimental or experimental designs and the challenges of translating research into practice in effective ways.

Getting There from Here: Research on the Effects of Work–Family Initiatives on Work–Family Conflict and Business Outcomes

PubMed Central

KELLY, ERIN L.; KOSSEK, ELLEN ERNST; HAMMER, LESLIE B.; DURHAM, MARY; BRAY, JEREMY; CHERMACK, KELLY; MURPHY, LAUREN A.; KASKUBAR, DAN

2009-01-01

Many employing organizations have adopted work–family policies, programs, and benefits. Yet managers in employing organizations simply do not know what organizational initiatives actually reduce work–family conflict and how these changes are likely to impact employees and the organization. We examine scholarship that addresses two broad questions: first, do work–family initiatives reduce employees’ work–family conflict and/or improve work–family enrichment? Second, does reduced work–family conflict improve employees’ work outcomes and, especially, business outcomes at the organizational level? We review over 150 peer-reviewed studies from a number of disciplines in order to summarize this rich literature and identify promising avenues for research and conceptualization. We propose a research agenda based on four primary conclusions: the need for more multi-level research, the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach, the benefits of longitudinal studies that employ quasi-experimental or experimental designs and the challenges of translating research into practice in effective ways. PMID:20589229

Open science initiatives: challenges for public health promotion.

PubMed

Holzmeyer, Cheryl

2018-03-07

While academic open access, open data and open science initiatives have proliferated in recent years, facilitating new research resources for health promotion, open initiatives are not one-size-fits-all. Health research particularly illustrates how open initiatives may serve various interests and ends. Open initiatives not only foster new pathways of research access; they also discipline research in new ways, especially when associated with new regimes of research use and peer review, while participating in innovation ecosystems that often perpetuate existing systemic biases toward commercial biomedicine. Currently, many open initiatives are more oriented toward biomedical research paradigms than paradigms associated with public health promotion, such as social determinants of health research. Moreover, open initiatives too often dovetail with, rather than challenge, neoliberal policy paradigms. Such initiatives are unlikely to transform existing health research landscapes and redress health inequities. In this context, attunement to social determinants of health research and community-based local knowledge is vital to orient open initiatives toward public health promotion and health equity. Such an approach calls for discourses, norms and innovation ecosystems that contest neoliberal policy frameworks and foster upstream interventions to promote health, beyond biomedical paradigms. This analysis highlights challenges and possibilities for leveraging open initiatives on behalf of a wider range of health research stakeholders, while emphasizing public health promotion, health equity and social justice as benchmarks of transformation.

A personal history of the human exploration initiative with commentary on the pivotal role for life support research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendell, Wendell

1990-01-01

The author relates the history of the human exploration initiative from a personal perspective from the 1961 J. F. Kennedy initiative to land a man on the moon up to 1986 when a memo was circulated from NASA Headquarters to its employees which stated as a major goal the expansion of the human presence beyond Earth into the solar system. The pivotal role of life support research is woven into this personalized history.

Prioritizing Scientific Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahcall, John N.

1991-01-01

Discussed is the way in which a limited number of astronomy research initiatives were chosen and prioritized based on a consensus of members from the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee. A list of recommended equipment initiatives and estimated costs is provided. (KR)

New Generation Materials and Structures for Nanophotonics and Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-04-30

been investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. The nanoparticles appear to have excess surfactants on their surface, but...processes. We continued analysis of the vibrational modes of the InP/II- VI core-shell nanoparticles determined by IR and Raman studies, and initiated...photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), BET surface area analysis , transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and SQUID magnetometry. In

Recent Multidisciplinary Research Initiatives and IODP Drilling in the South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J.; Li, C. F.; Wang, P.; Kulhanek, D. K.

2016-12-01

The South China Sea (SCS) is the largest low-latitude marginal sea in the world. Its formation and evolution are linked to the complex continental-oceanic tectonic interaction of the Eurasian, Pacific, and Indo-Australian plates. Despite its relatively small size and short history, the SCS has undergone nearly a complete Wilson cycle from continental break-up to seafloor spreading to subduction, serving as a natural laboratory for studying the linkages between tectonic, volcanic, and oceanic processes. The last several years have witnessed significant progress in investigation of the SCS through comprehensive research programs using multidisciplinary approaches and enhanced international collaboration. The International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349 drilled and cored five sites in the SCS in 2014. The expedition successfully obtained the first basaltic rock samples of the SCS relict spreading center, discovered large and frequent deep-sea turbidity events, and sampled multiple seamount volcaniclastic layers. In addition, high-resolution near-seafloor magnetic surveys were conducted in the SCS with survey lines passing near some of the IODP drilling sites. Together the IODP drilling and deep-tow magnetic survey results confirmed, for the first time, that the entire SCS basin might have stopped seafloor spreading at similar ages in early Miocene, providing important constraints on marginal sea geodynamic models. In 2007, IODP Expeditions 367 and 368 will drill the northern margin of the SCS to investigate the mechanisms of rifting to spreading processes. Meanwhile, major progress in studying the SCS processes has also been made through comprehensive multidisciplinary programs, for example, the eight-year-long "South China Sea Deep" initiative, which also supports and encourages strong international collaboration. This presentation will highlight the recent multidisciplinary research initiatives in investigation of the SCS and the important role of

Multiscale modeling and computation of nano-electronic transistors and transmembrane proton channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Duan

The miniaturization of nano-scale electronic transistors, such as metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), has given rise to a pressing demand in the new theoretical understanding and practical tactic for dealing with quantum mechanical effects in integrated circuits. In biology, proton dynamics and transport across membrane proteins are of paramount importance to the normal function of living cells. Similar physical characteristics are behind the two subjects, and model simulations share common mathematical interests/challenges. In this thesis work, multiscale and multiphysical models are proposed to study the mechanisms of nanotransistors and proton transport in transmembrane at the atomic level. For nano-electronic transistors, we introduce a unified two-scale energy functional to describe the electrons and the continuum electrostatic potential. This framework enables us to put microscopic and macroscopic descriptions on an equal footing at nano-scale. Additionally, this model includes layered structures and random doping effect of nano-transistors. For transmembrane proton channels, we describe proton dynamics quantum mechanically via a density functional approach while implicitly treat numerous solvent molecules as a dielectric continuum. The densities of all other ions in the solvent are assumed to obey the Boltzmann distribution. The impact of protein molecular structure and its charge polarization on the proton transport is considered in atomic details. We formulate a total free energy functional to include kinetic and potential energies of protons, as well as electrostatic energy of all other ions on an equal footing. For both nano-transistors and proton channels systems, the variational principle is employed to derive nonlinear governing equations. The Poisson-Kohn-Sham equations are derived for nano-transistors while the generalized Poisson-Boltzmann equation and Kohn-Sham equation are obtained for proton channels. Related numerical

Rebuilding research capacity in fragile states: the case of a Somali–Swedish global health initiative

PubMed Central

Dalmar, Abdirisak Ahmed; Hussein, Abdullahi Sheik; Walhad, Said Ahmed; Ibrahim, Abdirashid Omer; Abdi, Abshir Ali; Ali, Mohamed Khalid; Ereg, Derie Ismail; Egal, Khadra Ali; Shirwa, Abdulkadir Mohamed; Aden, Mohamed Hussain; Yusuf, Marian Warsame; Abdi, Yakoub Aden; Freij, Lennart; Johansson, Annika; Mohamud, Khalif Bile; Abdulkadir, Yusuf; Emmelin, Maria; Eriksen, Jaran; Erlandsson, Kerstin; Gustafsson, Lars L; Ivarsson, Anneli; Klingberg-Allvin, Marie; Kinsman, John; Källestål, Carina; Målqvist, Mats; Osman, Fatumo; Persson, Lars-Åke; Sahlén, Klas-Göran; Wall, Stig

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT This paper presents an initiative to revive the previous Somali–Swedish Research Cooperation, which started in 1981 and was cut short by the civil war in Somalia. A programme focusing on research capacity building in the health sector is currently underway through the work of an alliance of three partner groups: six new Somali universities, five Swedish universities, and Somali diaspora professionals. Somali ownership is key to the sustainability of the programme, as is close collaboration with Somali health ministries. The programme aims to develop a model for working collaboratively across regions and cultural barriers within fragile states, with the goal of creating hope and energy. It is based on the conviction that health research has a key role in rebuilding national health services and trusted institutions. PMID:28799463

Mobile health in emerging countries: a survey of research initiatives in Brazil.

PubMed

Iwaya, L H; Gomes, M A L; Simplício, M A; Carvalho, T C M B; Dominicini, C K; Sakuragui, R R M; Rebelo, M S; Gutierrez, M A; Näslund, M; Håkansson, P

2013-05-01

To conduct a comprehensive survey of mobile health (mHealth) research initiatives in Brazil, discussing current challenges, gaps, opportunities and tendencies. Systematic review of publicly available electronic documents related to mHealth, including scientific publications, technical reports and descriptions of commercial products. Specifically, 42 projects are analyzed and classified according to their goals. This analysis considers aspects such as security features provided (if any), the health condition that are focus of attention, the main providers involved in the projects development and deployment, types of devices used, target users, where the projects are tested and/or deployed, among others. The study shows a large number (86%) of mHealth solutions focused on the following categories: health surveys, surveillance, patient records and monitoring. Meanwhile, treatment compliance, awareness raising and decision support systems are less explored. The main providers of solutions are the universities (56%) and health units (32%), with considerable cooperation between such entities. Most applications have physicians (55%) and Community Health Agents (CHAs) (33%) as targeted users, the latter being important elements in nation-wide governmental health programs. Projects focused on health managers, however, are a minority (5%). The majority of projects do not focus on specific diseases but rather general health (57%), although solutions for hearth conditions are reasonably numerous (21%). Finally, the lack of security mechanisms in the majority of the surveyed solutions (52%) may hinder their deployment in the field due to the lack of compliance with general regulations for medical data handling. There are currently many mHealth initiatives in Brazil, but some areas have not been much explored, such as solutions for treatment compliance and awareness raising, as well as decision support systems. Another research trend worth exploring refers to creating

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative: Multidisciplinary data management from the ground up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showalter, L. M.; Gibeaut, J. C.

2015-12-01

As more journals and funding organizations require data to be made available, more and more scientists are being exposed to the world of data science, metadata development, and data standards so they can ensure future funding and publishing success. The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) is the vehicle by which the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI) is making all data collected in this program publically available. This varied group of researchers all have different levels of experience with data management standards and protocols, thus GRIIDC has evolved to embrace the cooperative nature of our work and develop a number of tools and training materials to help ensure data managers and researchers in the GoMRI program are submitting high quality data and metadata that will be useful for years to come. GRIIDC began with a group of 8 data managers many of which had only ever managed their own data, who were then expected to manage the data of a large group of geographically distant researchers. As the program continued to evolve these data managers worked with the GRIIDC team to help identify and develop much needed resources for training and communication for themselves and the scientists they represented. This essential cooperation has developed a team of highly motivated scientists, computer programmers and data scientists who are working to ensure a data and information legacy that promotes continual scientific discovery and public awareness of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem and beyond.

Cancer patient and survivor research from the cancer information service research consortium: a preview of three large randomized trials and initial lessons learned.

PubMed

Marcus, Alfred C; Diefenbach, Michael A; Stanton, Annette L; Miller, Suzanne M; Fleisher, Linda; Raich, Peter C; Morra, Marion E; Perocchia, Rosemarie Slevin; Tran, Zung Vu; Bright, Mary Anne

2013-01-01

The authors describe 3 large randomized trials from the Cancer Information Service Research Consortium. Three web-based multimedia programs are being tested to help newly diagnosed prostate (Project 1) and breast cancer patients (Project 2) make informed treatment decisions and breast cancer patients prepare for life after treatment (Project 3). Project 3 also tests a telephone callback intervention delivered by a cancer information specialist. All participants receive standard print material specific to each project. Preliminary results from the 2-month follow-up interviews are reported for the initial wave of enrolled participants, most of whom were recruited from the Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) telephone information program (Project 1: n =208; Project 2: n =340; Project 3: n =792). Self-reported use of the multimedia program was 51%, 52%, and 67% for Projects 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Self-reported use of the print materials (read all, most, or some) was 90%, 85%, and 83% for Projects 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The callback intervention was completed by 92% of Project 3 participants. Among those using the Cancer Information Service Research Consortium interventions, perceived usefulness and benefit was high, and more than 90% reported that they would recommend them to other cancer patients. The authors present 5 initial lessons learned that may help inform future cancer communications research.

Understanding the value of mixed methods research: the Children’s Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services

PubMed Central

Hansen, Matthew; O’Brien, Kerth; Meckler, Garth; Chang, Anna Marie; Guise, Jeanne-Marie

2016-01-01

Mixed methods research has significant potential to broaden the scope of emergency care and specifically emergency medical services investigation. Mixed methods studies involve the coordinated use of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to gain a fuller understanding of practice. By combining what is learnt from multiple methods, these approaches can help to characterise complex healthcare systems, identify the mechanisms of complex problems such as medical errors and understand aspects of human interaction such as communication, behaviour and team performance. Mixed methods approaches may be particularly useful for out-of-hospital care researchers because care is provided in complex systems where equipment, interpersonal interactions, societal norms, environment and other factors influence patient outcomes. The overall objectives of this paper are to (1) introduce the fundamental concepts and approaches of mixed methods research and (2) describe the interrelation and complementary features of the quantitative and qualitative components of mixed methods studies using specific examples from the Children’s Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services (CSI-EMS), a large National Institutes of Health-funded research project conducted in the USA. PMID:26949970

Understanding the value of mixed methods research: the Children's Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services.

PubMed

Hansen, Matthew; O'Brien, Kerth; Meckler, Garth; Chang, Anna Marie; Guise, Jeanne-Marie

2016-07-01

Mixed methods research has significant potential to broaden the scope of emergency care and specifically emergency medical services investigation. Mixed methods studies involve the coordinated use of qualitative and quantitative research approaches to gain a fuller understanding of practice. By combining what is learnt from multiple methods, these approaches can help to characterise complex healthcare systems, identify the mechanisms of complex problems such as medical errors and understand aspects of human interaction such as communication, behaviour and team performance. Mixed methods approaches may be particularly useful for out-of-hospital care researchers because care is provided in complex systems where equipment, interpersonal interactions, societal norms, environment and other factors influence patient outcomes. The overall objectives of this paper are to (1) introduce the fundamental concepts and approaches of mixed methods research and (2) describe the interrelation and complementary features of the quantitative and qualitative components of mixed methods studies using specific examples from the Children's Safety Initiative-Emergency Medical Services (CSI-EMS), a large National Institutes of Health-funded research project conducted in the USA. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Setting priorities for zinc-related health research to reduce children's disease burden worldwide: an application of the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative's research priority-setting method.

PubMed

Brown, Kenneth H; Hess, Sonja Y; Boy, Erick; Gibson, Rosalind S; Horton, Susan; Osendarp, Saskia J; Sempertegui, Fernando; Shrimpton, Roger; Rudan, Igor

2009-03-01

To make the best use of limited resources for supporting health-related research to reduce child mortality, it is necessary to apply a suitable method to rank competing research options. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) developed a new methodology for setting health research priorities. To broaden experience with this priority-setting technique, we applied the method to rank possible research priorities concerning the control of Zn deficiency. Although Zn deficiency is not generally recognized as a direct cause of child mortality, recent research indicates that it predisposes children to an increased incidence and severity of several of the major direct causes of morbidity and mortality. Leading experts in the field of Zn research in child health were identified and invited to participate in a technical working group (TWG) to establish research priorities. The individuals were chosen to represent a wide range of expertise in Zn nutrition. The seven TWG members submitted a total of ninety research options, which were then consolidated into a final list of thirty-one research options categorized by the type of resulting intervention. The identified priorities were dominated by research investment options targeting Zn supplementation, and were followed by research on Zn fortification, general aspects of Zn nutrition, dietary modification and other new interventions. In general, research options that aim to improve the efficiency of an already existing intervention strategy received higher priority scores. Challenges identified during the implementation of the methodology and suggestions to modify the priority-setting procedures are discussed.

Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative

PubMed Central

Bellisle, France; Drewnowski, Adam; Fagt, Sisse; Livingstone, Barbara; Varela Moreiras, Gregorio; Moreno, Luis A.; Smith, Jessica; Vieux, Florent; Thielecke, Frank; Hopkins, Sinead

2018-01-01

Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day and in recent years has been implicated in weight control, cardio-metabolic risk factors and cognitive performance although, at present, the literature remains inconclusive as to the precise health benefits of breakfast. There are extensive reports of breakfast’s contributions to daily food and nutrient intakes, as well as many studies that have compared daily food and nutrient intakes by breakfast consumers and skippers. However, significant variation exists in the definitions of breakfast and breakfast skippers, and in methods used to relate breakfast nutrient intakes to overall diet quality. The present review describes a novel and harmonised approach to the study of the nutritional impact of breakfast through The International Breakfast research Initiative involving national dietary survey data from Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, the UK and the USA. It is anticipated that the analysis of such data along harmonised lines, will allow the project to achieve its primary goal of exploring approaches to defining optimal breakfast food and nutrient intakes. Such data will be of value to public health nutrition policy-makers and food manufacturers and will also allow consistent messaging to help consumers to optimize food choices at breakfast.

Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative.

PubMed

Gibney, Michael J; Barr, Susan I; Bellisle, France; Drewnowski, Adam; Fagt, Sisse; Livingstone, Barbara; Masset, Gabriel; Varela Moreiras, Gregorio; Moreno, Luis A; Smith, Jessica; Vieux, Florent; Thielecke, Frank; Hopkins, Sinead

2018-05-01

Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day and in recent years has been implicated in weight control, cardio-metabolic risk factors and cognitive performance although, at present, the literature remains inconclusive as to the precise health benefits of breakfast. There are extensive reports of breakfast’s contributions to daily food and nutrient intakes, as well as many studies that have compared daily food and nutrient intakes by breakfast consumers and skippers. However, significant variation exists in the definitions of breakfast and breakfast skippers, and in methods used to relate breakfast nutrient intakes to overall diet quality. The present review describes a novel and harmonised approach to the study of the nutritional impact of breakfast through The International Breakfast research Initiative involving national dietary survey data from Canada, Denmark, France, Spain, the UK and the USA. It is anticipated that the analysis of such data along harmonised lines, will allow the project to achieve its primary goal of exploring approaches to defining optimal breakfast food and nutrient intakes. Such data will be of value to public health nutrition policy-makers and food manufacturers and will also allow consistent messaging to help consumers to optimize food choices at breakfast.

The NASA research and technology program on space power: A key element of the Space Exploration Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Gary L.; Brandhorst, Henry W., Jr.; Atkins, Kenneth L.

1991-01-01

In July 1989, President Bush announced his space exploration initiative of going back to the Moon to stay and then going to Mars. Building upon its ongoing research and technology base, NASA has established an exploration technology program to develop the technologies needed for piloted missions to the Moon and Mars. A key element for the flights and for the planned bases is power. The NASA research and technology program on space power encompasses power sources, energy storage, and power management.

Deep-sea coral research and technology program: Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rooper, Chris; Stone, Robert P.; Etnoyer, Peter; Conrath, Christina; Reynolds, Jennifer; Greene, H. Gary; Williams, Branwen; Salgado, Enrique; Morrison, Cheryl L.; Waller, Rhian G.; Demopoulos, Amanda W.J.

2017-01-01

Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are widespread throughout most of Alaska’s marine waters. In some places, such as the central and western Aleutian Islands, deep-sea coral and sponge resources can be extremely diverse and may rank among the most abundant deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the world. Many different species of fishes and invertebrates are associated with deep-sea coral and sponge communities in Alaska. Because of their biology, these benthic invertebrates are potentially impacted by climate change and ocean acidification. Deepsea coral and sponge ecosystems are also vulnerable to the effects of commercial fishing activities. Because of the size and scope of Alaska’s continental shelf and slope, the vast majority of the area has not been visually surveyed for deep-sea corals and sponges. NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) sponsored a field research program in the Alaska region between 2012–2015, referred to hereafter as the Alaska Initiative. The priorities for Alaska were derived from ongoing data needs and objectives identified by the DSCRTP, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC), and Essential Fish Habitat-Environmental Impact Statement (EFH-EIS) process.This report presents the results of 15 projects conducted using DSCRTP funds from 2012-2015. Three of the projects conducted as part of the Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative included dedicated at-sea cruises and fieldwork spread across multiple years. These projects were the eastern Gulf of Alaska Primnoa pacifica study, the Aleutian Islands mapping study, and the Gulf of Alaska fish productivity study. In all, there were nine separate research cruises carried out with a total of 109 at-sea days conducting research. The remaining projects either used data and samples collected by the three major fieldwork projects or were piggy-backed onto existing research programs at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC).

Social Network Analysis of a Scientist-Practitioner Research Initiative Established to Facilitate Science Dissemination and Implementation within States and Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ginexi, Elizabeth M.; Huang, Grace; Steketee, Michael; Tsakraklides, Sophia; MacAllum, Keith; Bromberg, Julie; Huffman, Amanda; Luke, Douglas A.; Leischow, Scott J.; Okamoto, Janet M.; Rogers, Todd

2017-01-01

This article presents a case study of a scientist-practitioner research network established by the National Cancer Institute's State and Community Tobacco Control Research Initiative. While prior programs have focused on collaboration among scientists, a goal here was to encourage collaborations with non-university, practice-based partners. Two…

Tying up lions: multilateral initiative on malaria communications: the first chapter of a malaria research network in Africa.

PubMed

Royall, Julia; Bennett, Mark; van Schayk, Ingeborg; Alilio, Martin

2004-08-01

"When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion" (Ethiopian folk adage). The Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Communications Network (MIMCom) facilitates a new way of doing research in Africa and African scientists' participation in the international scientific community. The MIMCom supports full access to the Internet and the resources of the WorldWide Web at 19 research sites in 11 African countries. Furthermore, the MIMCom project comprises two websites: one includes links to resources, databases, and publications as well as a document delivery service for full text journal articles, and the other is a research agenda specific website with a server for a research network desiring to share raw data. Other important components of MIMCom are training and evaluation components. The MIMCom was conceived in 1997 by African researchers and has been designed, implemented, and overseen by the U.S. National Library of Medicine in collaboration with partners in Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This project demonstrates clearly that it can make a positive difference in the functioning of remote research sites in Africa, in terms of site growth and productivity and in the professional lives of individual researchers. This report reviews the project's background, methods of operation with an emphasis on local needs and priorities, cost effectiveness, and local responsibility; results focusing on a technical network; documentation of the system and two-way exchange of information; the MIMCom website; a network approach to research; and financial sustainability. The report concludes with summaries of evaluations by an independent panel, the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria Secretariat, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Copyright 2004 The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Guidelines for Initiating a Research Agenda: Research Design and Dissemination of Results.

PubMed

Delost, Maria E; Nadder, Teresa S

2014-01-01

Successful research outcomes require selection and implementation of the appropriate research design. A realistic sampling plan appropriate for the design is essential. Qualitative or quantitative methodology may be utilized, depending on the research question and goals. Quantitative research may be experimental where there is an intervention, or nonexperimental, if no intervention is included in the design. Causation can only be established with experimental research. Popular types of nonexperimental research include descriptive and survey research. Research findings may be disseminated via presentations, posters, and publications, such as abstracts and manuscripts.

Carbon Nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McEuen, Paul

2001-05-01

Recently, there has been tremendous interest in nanostructures built entirely out of carbon. The most famous are the soccer-ball shaped C60 molecule and single-walled nanotubes. The latter are nanometer-diameter cylinders made from rolled up single graphene sheets. These carbon nanostructures are proving to be wonderful systems for the study of the physics of electrons in reduced dimensions. They also have a variety of technological applications (both demonstrated and potential), in areas ranging from materials to electronics to biotechnology. In this talk, I will discuss our group's recent efforts to probe the electrical and electromechanical, and thermal properties of these fascinating systems. note

Consequences of BBPs Affordability Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

qÜáêíÉÉåíÜ=^ååì~ä= ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ= póãéçëáìã= tÉÇåÉëÇ~ó=pÉëëáçåë= sçäìãÉ=f= = Consequences of BBP’s Affordability Initiative Gregory Davis , Research...Initiative Gregory Davis , Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses Lawrence Goeller, Defense Acquisition Analyst, Institute for Defense...Consequences of BBP’s Affordability Initiative Gregory Davis —has been at the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) since 2006, conducting research on as

UV-Assisted Reduction in BBL/Graphene Nanocomposite for Micropatterning

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-27

properties has motivated the development of new composite materials for nanoelectronics, supercapacitors , batteries, photovoltaics, and related devices. The...for nanoelectronics, supercapacitors , batteries, photovoltaics, and related devices. The conjugated ladder polymer poly(benzimidazobenzo-phenanthroline...materials, is motivated by the development of new composite materials for nanoelectronics, supercapacitors , batteries, photovoltaics, and related devices

The White House BRAIN Initiative has the potential to further strengthen multidisciplinary research and training in psychology.

PubMed

Flattau, Pamela

2014-12-01

Comments on the original article by Robiner et al. (see record 2014-07939-001) regarding psychologists in medical schools and academic medical center settings. The current authors also discuss how to advance training in psychology using the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

Cancer Patient and Survivor Research from the Cancer Information Service Research Consortium: A Preview of Three Large Randomized Trials and Initial Lessons Learned

PubMed Central

MARCUS, ALFRED C.; DIEFENBACH, MICHAEL A.; STANTON, ANNETTE L.; MILLER-HALEGOUA, SUZANNE N.; FLEISHER, LINDA; RAICH, PETER C.; MORRA, MARION E.; PEROCCHIA, ROSEMARIE SLEVIN; TRAN, ZUNG VU; BRIGHT, MARY ANNE

2014-01-01

Three large randomized trials are described from the Cancer Information Service Research Consortium (CISRC). Three web-based multimedia programs are being tested to help newly diagnosed prostate (Project 1) and breast cancer patients (Project 2) make informed treatment decisions and breast cancer patients prepare for life after treatment (Project 3). Project 3 is also testing a telephone callback intervention delivered by a cancer information specialist. All participants receive standard print material specific to each project. Preliminary results from the two-month follow-up interviews are reported for the initial wave of enrolled participants, most of whom were recruited from the Cancer Information Service (1-800-4-CANCER) telephone information program (Project 1 = 208, Project 2 = 340, Project 3 = 792). Self-reported use of the multimedia program was 51%, 52% and 67% for Projects 1–3, respectively. Self-reported use of the print materials (read all, most or some) was 90%, 85% and 83% for Projects 1–3, respectively. The callback intervention was completed by 92% of Project 3 participants. Among those using the CISRC interventions, perceived utility and benefit was high, and more than 90% would recommend them to other cancer patients. Five initial lessons learned are presented that may help inform future cancer communications research. PMID:23448232

Human papillomavirus vaccine initiation in Asian Indians and Asian subpopulations: a case for examining disaggregated data in public health research.

PubMed

Budhwani, H; De, P

2017-12-01

Vaccine disparities research often focuses on differences between the five main racial and ethnic classifications, ignoring heterogeneity of subpopulations. Considering this knowledge gap, we examined human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine initiation in Asian Indians and Asian subpopulations. National Health Interview Survey data (2008-2013), collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, were analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted on adults aged 18-26 years (n = 20,040). Asian Indians had high income, education, and health insurance coverage, all positive predictors of preventative health engagement and vaccine uptake. However, we find that Asian Indians had comparatively lower rates of HPV vaccine initiation (odds ratio = 0.41; 95% confidence interval = 0.207-0.832), and foreign-born Asian Indians had the lowest rate HPV vaccination of all subpopulations (2.3%). Findings substantiate the need for research on disaggregated data rather than evaluating vaccination behaviors solely across standard racial and ethnic categories. We identified two populations that were initiating HPV vaccine at abysmal levels: foreign-born persons and Asian Indians. Development of culturally appropriate messaging has the potential to improve these initiation rates and improve population health. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multidisciplinary perspectives: Application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to evaluate a health coaching initiative.

PubMed

Brook, Judy; McGraw, Caroline

2018-05-01

Long-term conditions are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. Their management is founded on a combination of approaches involving government policy, better integration between health and care systems, and individual responsibility for self-care. Health coaching has emerged as an approach to encouraging individual responsibility and enhancing the self-management of long-term conditions. This paper focuses on the evaluation of a workforce initiative in a diverse and socially deprived community. The initiative sought both to improve integration between health and care services for people with long-term conditions, and equip practitioners with health coaching skills. The aim of the study was to contribute an empirical understanding of what practitioners perceive to be the contextual factors that impact on the adoption of health coaching in community settings. These factors were conceptualised using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). A stratified purposive sample of 22 health and care practitioners took part in semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were analysed using the CFIR as an analytical framework. The perceptions of trainees mapped onto the major domains of the CFIR: characteristics of the intervention, outer setting, inner setting, characteristics of individuals involved and process of implementation. Individual patient expectations, comorbidities and social context were central to the extent to which practitioners and patients engaged with health coaching. Structural constraints within provider services and the wider NHS were also reported as discouraging initiatives that focused on long-term rewards rather than short-term wins. The authors recommend further research is undertaken both to understand the role of health coaching in disadvantaged communities and ensure the service user voice is heard. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strengthening the evidence and action on multi-sectoral partnerships in public health: an action research initiative

PubMed Central

Willis, C. D.; Greene, J. K.; Abramowicz, A.; Riley, B. L.

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Multi-sectoral Partnerships Initiative, administered by the Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention (CCDP), brings together diverse partners to design, implement and advance innovative approaches for improving population health. This article describes the development and initial priorities of an action research project (a learning and improvement strategy) that aims to facilitate continuous improvement of the CCDP’s partnership initiative and contribute to the evidence on multi-sectoral partnerships. Methods: The learning and improvement strategy for the CCDP’s multi-sectoral partnership initiative was informed by (1) consultations with CCDP staff and senior management, and (2) a review of conceptual frameworks to do with multi-sectoral partnerships. Consultations explored the development of the multi-sectoral initiative, barriers and facilitators to success, and markers of effectiveness. Published and grey literature was reviewed using a systematic search strategy with findings synthesized using a narrative approach. Results: Consultations and the review highlighted the importance of understanding partnership impacts, developing a shared vision, implementing a shared measurement system and creating opportunities for knowledge exchange. With that in mind, we propose a six-component learning and improvement strategy that involves (1) prioritizing learning needs, (2) mapping needs to evidence, (3) using relevant data-collection methods, (4) analyzing and synthesizing data, (5) feeding data back to CCDP staff and teams and (6) taking action. Initial learning needs include investigating partnership reach and the unanticipated effects of multi-sectoral partnerships for individuals, groups, organizations or communities. Conclusion: While the CCDP is the primary audience for the learning and improvement strategy, it may prove useful for a range of audiences, including other government departments and external

The NASA SARP Software Research Infusion Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinchey, Mike; Pressburger, Tom; Markosian, Lawrence; Feather, Martin

2006-01-01

A viewgraph presentation describing the NASA Software Assurance Research Program (SARP) research infusion projects is shown. The topics include: 1) Background/Motivation; 2) Proposal Solicitation Process; 3) Proposal Evaluation Process; 4) Overview of Some Projects to Date; and 5) Lessons Learned.

Impact Models: Comprehensive Community Initiatives. Research Brief Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Promise, 2013

2013-01-01

The East Durham Children's Initiative (EDCI), a partnership among local government, nonprofit, faith, and school organizations, is focusing on the community's most promising resource--its children--in order to restore the city to the thriving African-American middle-class community it was throughout much of the mid-20th century. Since 2008, EDCI…

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: Building a Big Data System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard, M. K.; Gayanilo, F. C.; Gibeaut, J. C.

2012-12-01

On April 20, 2010 the Deepwater Horizon drilling unit located in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico experienced a catastrophic wellhead blowout. Billions of barrels of oil and roughly 1 million U.S. gallons of dispersant were released near the wellhead over the subsequent three months. On May 24, 2010 BP announced the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and pledged 500M over 10 years toward independent scientific research on the spill's impact on the ecosystem. Data collection began immediately. By summer 2012 nearly 200M will have been committed to this research. Five hundred and seventy researchers from 114 institutions in 30 states and 4 countries are involved. Research activities include substantial numerical modeling, field and laboratory investigations of the environment and biota, and chemical studies of oil and dispersants. An additional $300M will be competed in subsequent years. The administrative and data management elements of the enterprise began to build in earnest in mid 2011. The last position in the GoMRI Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) team was filled in July 2012. Due to the rapid evolution of the program in the first year, few data management requirements were imposed on the Year-One researchers. Proposal guidance for the Year 2-4 Research Consortia (RC) programs asked proposers to address data management questions but expressed few mandates. GRIIDC is charged with providing a portal to GoMRI data and metadata. Researchers are required to provide their data to GRIIDC and to national digital repositories with a minimum delay. Almost everything else was left to evolve through human networks. The GRIIDC team is composed of a System Architect, a Database Administrator, Software Engineers, a GIS specialist, a Technical Coordinator and several subject matter experts. The team faces the usual choices related to building a new cyberinfrastructure (e.g., metadata, ontologies, file formats, web services, etc.). However, the human element is

Research workshop to research work: initial steps in establishing health research systems on Malaita, Solomon Islands

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Introduction Atoifi Adventist Hospital is a 90 bed general hospital in East Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands providing services to the population of subsistence villagers of the region. Health professionals at the hospital and attached College of Nursing have considerable human capacity and willingness to undertake health research. However they are constrained by limited research experience, training opportunities, research systems, physical infrastructure and access to resources. This brief commentary describes an 'Introduction to Health Research' workshop delivered at Atoifi Adventist Hospital in September 2009 and efforts to move from 'research workshop' to 'research work'. The Approach Using a participatory-action research approach underpinned by decolonising methodologies, staff from Atoifi Adventist Hospital and James Cook University (Queensland, Australia) collaboratively designed, implemented and evaluated a health research workshop. Basic health research principles and methods were presented using active learning methodologies. Following the workshop, Atoifi Adventist Hospital and Atoifi College of Nursing staff, other professionals and community members reported an increased awareness and understanding of health research. The formation of a local Research Committee, improved ethics review procedures and the identification of local research mentors followed the week long workshop. The workshop has acted as a catalyst for research activity, increasing structural and human resource capacity for local health professionals and community leaders to engage in research. Discussion and Conclusions Participants from a variety of educational backgrounds participated in, and received benefit from, a responsive, culturally and linguistically accessible health research workshop. Improving health research systems at a remote hospital and aligning these with local and national research agendas is establishing a base to strengthen public health research and practice on

Research workshop to research work: initial steps in establishing health research systems on Malaita, Solomon Islands.

PubMed

Redman-Maclaren, Michelle L; Maclaren, David J; Solomon, Janella; Muse, Alwin; Asugeni, Rowena; Harrington, Humpress; Kekuabata, Esau; Speare, Richard; Clough, Alan R

2010-10-31

Atoifi Adventist Hospital is a 90 bed general hospital in East Kwaio, Malaita, Solomon Islands providing services to the population of subsistence villagers of the region. Health professionals at the hospital and attached College of Nursing have considerable human capacity and willingness to undertake health research. However they are constrained by limited research experience, training opportunities, research systems, physical infrastructure and access to resources. This brief commentary describes an 'Introduction to Health Research' workshop delivered at Atoifi Adventist Hospital in September 2009 and efforts to move from 'research workshop' to 'research work'. Using a participatory-action research approach underpinned by decolonising methodologies, staff from Atoifi Adventist Hospital and James Cook University (Queensland, Australia) collaboratively designed, implemented and evaluated a health research workshop. Basic health research principles and methods were presented using active learning methodologies. Following the workshop, Atoifi Adventist Hospital and Atoifi College of Nursing staff, other professionals and community members reported an increased awareness and understanding of health research. The formation of a local Research Committee, improved ethics review procedures and the identification of local research mentors followed the week long workshop. The workshop has acted as a catalyst for research activity, increasing structural and human resource capacity for local health professionals and community leaders to engage in research. Participants from a variety of educational backgrounds participated in, and received benefit from, a responsive, culturally and linguistically accessible health research workshop. Improving health research systems at a remote hospital and aligning these with local and national research agendas is establishing a base to strengthen public health research and practice on Malaita, Solomon Islands.

Self-assembled Nanomaterials for Hybrid Electronic and Photonic Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-15

storage media.  Project 3. Self‐assembling Circuit Defect Modeling The self‐assembly of  nanoelectronic  devices provide an opportunity to achieve... nanoelectronics . This work will be useful in predicting the potential success of defect‐ tolerance techniques for DNA self‐assembled  nanoelectronic  substrates...program with integrated circuit emphasis simulations for DNA self-assembled nanoelectronics ." IET Computers and Digital Techniques 3, no. 6 (2009): 553-569.        

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative: A Funding Model for Science, Engineering, and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colwell, R. R.

2016-12-01

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a massive ecological event, resulted in the tragic loss of 11 lives, and an environmental release of more than 130 million gallons of crude oil. Approximately 1.8 million gallons of dispersants were used in remediation efforts. An immediate response by BP was to establish a ten-year research program, with funding of 500 million. The funding was to determine the impact and long-term ecological and public health effects of oil spills and to develop improved preparation in the event of future oil or gas release into the environment. This Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), established by BP, provided independent leadership for both the program and administration of the 500 million funding, and the Research Board provides oversight, assisted by excellent staff. The Research Board of the GoMRI comprises twenty scientists, many of whom have prior scientific research administrative expertise. The Research Board, in accordance with its charge, develops research programs and carries out their evaluation and oversight, employing the peer review and operational principles of the National Science Foundation and the National Academies of Science. With these guiding principles, the Research Board established procedures for conflict of interest oversight and requesting and evaluating research programs. It has also focused on communicating the research findings accurately and responsibly. The GoMRI Research Board operates with transparency and ensures availability of all scientific results and data. GoMRI, currently midway through its 10-year mandate, has funded more than 3,000 scientists, representing 278 institutions in 42 states and 17 countries, who have produced more than 1,000 peer-reviewed publications to date. The Research Board is exploring mechanisms by which the GoMRI science findings can be communicated to the broader community and the public and to continue availability of data when the program has ended. A major contribution

A new DoD initiative: the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arevalo, S.; Atwood, C.; Bell, P.; Blacker, T. D.; Dey, S.; Fisher, D.; Fisher, D. A.; Genalis, P.; Gorski, J.; Harris, A.; Hill, K.; Hurwitz, M.; Kendall, R. P.; Meakin, R. L.; Morton, S.; Moyer, E. T.; Post, D. E.; Strawn, R.; Veldhuizen, D. v.; Votta, L. G.; Wynn, S.; Zelinski, G.

2008-07-01

In FY2008, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program, a 360M program with a two-year planning phase and a ten-year execution phase. CREATE will develop and deploy three computational engineering tool sets for DoD acquisition programs to use to design aircraft, ships and radio-frequency antennas. The planning and execution of CREATE are based on the 'lessons learned' from case studies of large-scale computational science and engineering projects. The case studies stress the importance of a stable, close-knit development team; a focus on customer needs and requirements; verification and validation; flexible and agile planning, management, and development processes; risk management; realistic schedules and resource levels; balanced short- and long-term goals and deliverables; and stable, long-term support by the program sponsor. Since it began in FY2008, the CREATE program has built a team and project structure, developed requirements and begun validating them, identified candidate products, established initial connections with the acquisition programs, begun detailed project planning and development, and generated the initial collaboration infrastructure necessary for success by its multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams.

A European initiative to define research needs and foster the adoption of Managed Aquifer Recharge into river basin management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kneppers, Angeline; Grützmacher, Gesche; Kazner, Christian; Zojer, Hans

2010-05-01

The European Technology Platform for Water (WssTP) was initiated by the European Commission to federate a highly fragmented sector with the aim to foster competitive innovations and promote sustainable solutions. To achieve this, pilot programmes endorsing a bottom-up approach were launched in 2007 with a variety of stakeholders having representative water issues to solve. Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was adopted as a balancing process for the safe and sustainable development, allocation and monitoring of water resource use in the context of current and future social, economic and environmental objectives. As a result key drivers were selected and a methodology was followed to identify and validate the needs with stakeholders and experts, and demonstrate solutions as an integrated part of the river basin management plans. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) was identified as a key component of integrated water resources management, especially in water scarce regions and an area relevant for further research. The paper shall summarize the process followed by the WssTP, initiating a Task Force with 36 representatives from European research institutes and industry partners with participation of a few international experts. During a workshop conducted in Graz in June 2009 these experts developed the basis for a report that has now been submitted to the European Commission for consideration in future research calls. Implementing IWRM and MAR is made difficult by the number of different water bodies, but also by the large number of stakeholders, policies, legislations and conflicting interests. The results of the MAR Task Force initiative set the basis for further discussions with the international MAR community on the relevance of the identified research needs but also on the importance and process to associate the institutional and managerial entities for capacity building and the adoption of MAR into the overall management strategies.

Multi-Functional UV-Visible-IR Nanosensors Devices and Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-29

Dual-Gate MOSFET System, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Computational Electronics, Nara, Japan, Society of Micro- and Nanoelectronics ...International Workshop on Computational Electronics, Nara, Japan, Society of Micro- and Nanoelectronics , 216-217 (2013); ISBN 978-3-901578-26-7 M. S...Raman Spectroscopy, Proceedings of the International Workshop on Computational Electronics, Nara, Japan, Society of Micro- and Nanoelectronics , 198

Reducing software security risk through an integrated approach research initiative model based verification of the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Protocol

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Powell, John D.

2003-01-01

This document discusses the verification of the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) communication protocol as a demonstration of the Model Based Verification (MBV) portion of the verification instrument set being developed under the Reducing Software Security Risk (RSSR) Trough an Integrated Approach research initiative. Code Q of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) funds this project. The NASA Goddard Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) facility manages this research program at the NASA agency level and the Assurance Technology Program Office (ATPO) manages the research locally at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (California institute of Technology) where the research is being carried out.

Research Updates: The three M's (materials, metrology, and modeling) together pave the path to future nanoelectronic technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Sean W.; Simka, Harsono; Herr, Dan; Akinaga, Hiro; Garner, Mike

2013-10-01

Recent discussions concerning the continuation of Moore's law have focused on announcements by several major corporations to transition from traditional 2D planar to new 3D multi-gate field effect transistor devices. However, the growth and progression of the semiconductor microelectronics industry over the previous 4 decades has been largely driven by combined advances in new materials, lithography, and materials related process technologies. Looking forward, it is therefore anticipated that new materials and materials technologies will continue to play a significant role in both the pursuit of Moore's law and the evolution of the industry. In this research update, we discuss and illustrate some of the required and anticipated materials innovations that could potentially lead to the continuation of Moore's law for another decade (or more). We focus primarily on the innovations needed to achieve single digit nanometer technologies and illustrate how at these dimensions not only new materials but new metrologies and computational modeling will be needed.

Structuring Cooperative Nuclear RIsk Reduction Initiatives with China.

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

Brandt, Larry; Reinhardt, Jason Christian; Hecker, Siegfried

The Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation engaged several Chinese nuclear organizations in cooperative research that focused on responses to radiological and nuclear terrorism. The objective was to identify joint research initiatives to reduce the global dangers of such threats and to pursue initial technical collaborations in several high priority areas. Initiatives were identified in three primary research areas: 1) detection and interdiction of smuggled nuclear materials; 2) nuclear forensics; and 3) radiological (“dirty bomb”) threats and countermeasures. Initial work emphasized the application of systems and risk analysis tools, which proved effective in structuring the collaborations. The extensive engagementsmore » between national security nuclear experts in China and the U.S. during the research strengthened professional relationships between these important communities.« less

An initial log analysis of usage patterns on a research networking system.

PubMed

Boland, Mary Regina; Trembowelski, Sylvia; Bakken, Suzanne; Weng, Chunhua

2012-08-01

Usage data for research networking systems (RNSs) are valuable but generally unavailable for understanding scientific professionals' information needs and online collaborator seeking behaviors. This study contributes a method for evaluating RNSs and initial usage knowledge of one RNS obtained from using this method. We designed a log for an institutional RNS, defined categories of users and tasks, and analyzed correlations between usage patterns and user and query types. Our results show that scientific professionals spend more time performing deep Web searching on RNSs than generic Google users and we also show that retrieving scientist profiles is faster on an RNS than on Google (3.5 seconds vs. 34.2 seconds) whereas organization-specific browsing on a RNS takes longer than on Google (117.0 seconds vs. 34.2 seconds). Usage patterns vary by user role, e.g., faculty performed more informational queries than administrators, which implies role-specific user support is needed for RNSs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Initial Log Analysis of Usage Patterns on a Research Networking System

PubMed Central

Boland, Mary Regina; Trembowelski, Sylvia; Bakken, Suzanne; Weng, Chunhua

2012-01-01

Abstract Usage data for research networking systems (RNSs) are valuable but generally unavailable for understanding scientific professionals’ information needs and online collaborator seeking behaviors. This study contributes a method for evaluating RNSs and initial usage knowledge of one RNS obtained from using this method. We designed a log for an institutional RNS, defined categories of users and tasks, and analyzed correlations between usage patterns and user and query types. Our results show that scientific professionals spend more time performing deep Web searching on RNSs than generic Google users and we also show that retrieving scientist profiles is faster on an RNS than on Google (3.5 seconds vs. 34.2 seconds) whereas organization‐specific browsing on a RNS takes longer than on Google (117.0 seconds vs. 34.2 seconds). Usage patterns vary by user role, e.g., faculty performed more informational queries than administrators, which implies role‐specific user support is needed for RNSs. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 340–347 PMID:22883612

Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI): A successful start to a national program in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muths, Erin; Jung, Robin E.; Bailey, Larissa L.; Adams, Michael J.; Corn, P. Stephen; Dodd, C. Kenneth; Fellers, Gary M.; Sadinski, Walter J.; Schwalbe, Cecil R.; Walls, Susan C.; Fisher, Robert N.; Gallant, Alisa L.; Battaglin, William A.; Green, D. Earl

2005-01-01

Most research to assess amphibian declines has focused on local-scale projects on one or a few species. The Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) is a national program in the United States mandated by congressional directive and implemented by the U.S. Department of the Interior (specifically the U.S. Geological Survey, USGS). Program goals are to monitor changes in populations of amphibians across U.S. Department of the Interior lands and to address research questions related to amphibian declines using a hierarchical framework of base-, mid- and apex-level monitoring sites. ARMI is currently monitoring 83 amphibian species (29% of species in the U.S.) at mid- and apex-level areas. We chart the progress of this 5-year-old program and provide an example of mid-level monitoring from 1 of the 7 ARMI regions.

Nucleation and growth mechanism of 2D SnS2 by chemical vapor deposition: initial 3D growth followed by 2D lateral growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Haodong; van Pelt, Thomas; Nalin Mehta, Ankit; Bender, Hugo; Radu, Iuliana; Caymax, Matty; Vandervorst, Wilfried; Delabie, Annelies

2018-07-01

Tin disulfide (SnS2) is a n-type semiconductor with a hexagonally layered crystal structure and has promising applications in nanoelectronics, optoelectronics and sensors. Such applications require the deposition of SnS2 with controlled crystallinity and thickness control at monolayer level on large area substrate. Here, we investigate the nucleation and growth mechanism of two-dimensional (2D) SnS2 by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using SnCl4 and H2S as precursors. We find that the growth mechanism of 2D SnS2 is different from the classical layer-by-layer growth mode, by which monolayer-thin 2D transition metal dichalcogenides can be formed. In the initial nucleation stage, isolated 2D SnS2 domains of several monolayers high are formed. Next, 2D SnS2 crystals grow laterally while keeping a nearly constant height until layer closure is achieved, due to the higher reactivity of SnS2 crystal edges than basal planes. We infer that the thickness of the 2D SnS2 crystals is determined by the height of initial SnS2 islands. After layer closure, SnS2 grows on grain boundaries and results in 3D growth mode, accompanied by spiral growth. Our findings suggest an approach to prepare 2D SnS2 with a controlled thickness of several monolayers and add more knowledge on the nucleation and growth mechanism of 2D materials.

DIZZYNET--a European network initiative for vertigo and balance research: visions and aims.

PubMed

Zwergal, Andreas; Brandt, Thomas; Magnusson, Mans; Kennard, Christopher

2016-04-01

Vertigo is one of the most common complaints in medicine. Despite its high prevalence, patients with vertigo often receive either inappropriate or inadequate treatment. The most important reasons for this deplorable situation are insufficient interdisciplinary cooperation, nonexistent standards in diagnostics and therapy, the relatively rare translations of basic science findings to clinical applications, and the scarcity of prospective controlled multicenter clinical trials. To overcome these problems, the German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ) started an initiative to establish a European Network for Vertigo and Balance Research called DIZZYNET. The central aim is to create a platform for collaboration and exchange among scientists, physicians, technicians, and physiotherapists in the fields of basic and translational research, clinical management, clinical trials, rehabilitation, and epidemiology. The network will also promote public awareness and help establish educational standards in the field. The DIZZYNET has the following objectives as regards structure and content: to focus on multidisciplinary translational research in vertigo and balance disorders, to develop interdisciplinary longitudinal and transversal networks for patient care by standardizing and personalizing the management of patients, to increase methodological competence by implementing common standards of practice and quality management, to internationalize the infrastructure for prospective multicenter clinical trials, to increase recruitment capacity for clinical trials, to create a common data base for patients with vertigo and balance disorders, to offer and promote attractive educational and career paths in a network of cooperating institutions. In the long term, the DIZZYNET should serve as an internationally visible network for interdisciplinary and multiprofessional research on vertigo and balance disorders. It ideally should equally attract the afflicted patients and

Control of Anion in Corporation in the Molecular Beam Epitaxy of Ternary Antimonide Superlattices for Very Long Wavelength Infrared Detection (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

ASSIGNED DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT. //Signature// //Signature// GAIL J. BROWN DIANA M. CARLIN, Chief Nanoelectronic ...Materials Branch Nanoelectronic Materials Branch Functional Materials Division Functional Materials Division //Signature// KAREN

Oncology service initiatives and research in regional Australia.

PubMed

Murphy, Caitlin; Sabesan, Sabe; Steer, Christopher; Yates, Patsy; Booms, Anne; Jones, Victoria; Simpson, Alison; Clarke, Kerrie; Eek, Richard; Ashley, David; Goldstein, David; Packer, Chris; Tuthill, Fiona; Boyce, Adam; Underhill, Craig

2015-02-01

This paper reflects on the recent growth of cancer research being conducted through some of Australia's rural centres. It encompasses work being done across the fields of clinical, translational and health services research. This is a collaborative piece with contributions from rural health researchers, clinical and cancer services staff from several different regions. The past decade has seen an expansion in cancer research in rural and regional Australia driven in part by the recognition that cancer patients in remote areas experience poorer outcomes than their metropolitan counterparts. This work has led to the development of more effective cancer networks and new models of care designed to meet the particular needs of the rural cancer patient. It is hoped that the growth of cancer research in regional centres will, in time, reduce the disparity between rural and urban communities and improve outcomes for cancer patients across both populations. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Nanoelectronics, Nanophotonics, and Nanomagnetics: Report of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop February 11-13, 2004

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-02-01

National Science and Technology Council Committee on Technology Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering , and Technology National...18 About the Nanoscale Science, Engineering , and Technology Subcommittee The Nanoscale Science, Engineering , and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee is the...workshop was to examine trends and opportunities in nanoscale science and engineering as applied to electronic, photonic, and magnetic technologies

Autonomous aircraft initiative study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hewett, Marle D.

1991-01-01

The results of a consulting effort to aid NASA Ames-Dryden in defining a new initiative in aircraft automation are described. The initiative described is a multi-year, multi-center technology development and flight demonstration program. The initiative features the further development of technologies in aircraft automation already being pursued at multiple NASA centers and Department of Defense (DoD) research and Development (R and D) facilities. The proposed initiative involves the development of technologies in intelligent systems, guidance, control, software development, airborne computing, navigation, communications, sensors, unmanned vehicles, and air traffic control. It involves the integration and implementation of these technologies to the extent necessary to conduct selected and incremental flight demonstrations.

NOAA Office of Exploration and Research > Education > NOAA Initiatives

Science.gov Websites

Organization Guiding Documents Organizational Structure Map of Staff and Affiliate Locations Strategic Plan Evaluation Education NOAA Initiatives Home About OER Overview Organization Guiding Documents Organizational Structure Map of Staff and Affiliate Locations Strategic Plan 2014 Funding Opportunities Contact Us Program

Comprehensive School Safety Initiative Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institute of Justice, 2014

2014-01-01

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) developed the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative in consultation with federal partners and Congress. It is a research-focused initiative designed to increase the safety of schools nationwide through the development of knowledge regarding the most effective and sustainable school safety interventions and…

Research Update: The materials genome initiative: Data sharing and the impact of collaborative ab initio databases

DOE PAGES

Jain, Anubhav; Persson, Kristin A.; Ceder, Gerbrand

2016-03-24

Materials innovations enable new technological capabilities and drive major societal advancements but have historically required long and costly development cycles. The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) aims to greatly reduce this time and cost. Here, we focus on data reuse in the MGI and, in particular, discuss the impact of three different computational databases based on density functional theory methods to the research community. Finally, we discuss and provide recommendations on technical aspects of data reuse, outline remaining fundamental challenges, and present an outlook on the future of MGI's vision of data sharing.

Predictors of High Motivation Score for Performing Research Initiation Fellowship, Master 1, Research Master 2, and PhD Curricula During Medical Studies

PubMed Central

Feigerlova, Eva; Oussalah, Abderrahim; Fournier, Jean-Paul; Antonelli, Arnaud; Hadjadj, Samy; Marechaud, Richard; Guéant, Jean-Louis; Roblot, Pascal; Braun, Marc

2016-01-01

Abstract Translational research plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between fundamental and clinical research. The importance of integrating research training into medical education has been emphasized. Predictive factors that help to identify the most motivated medical students to perform academic research are unknown. In a cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 315 medical students, residents and attending physicians, using a comprehensive structured questionnaire we assessed motivations and obstacles to perform academic research curricula (ie, research initiation fellowship, Master 1, Research Master 2, and PhD). Independent predictive factors associated with high “motivation score” (top quartile on motivation score ranging from 0 to 10) to enroll in academic research curricula were derived using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing Master 1 curriculum were: “considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential” (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.49–9.59; P = 0.005) and “knowledge of at least 2 research units within the university” (OR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.01–6.47; P < 0.0001). Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing Research Master 2 curriculum were: “attending physician” (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.86–11.37; P = 0.001); “considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential” (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.51–11.23; P = 0.006); “knowledge of at least 2 research units within the university” (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 1.91–6.46; P = 0.0001); and “male gender” (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02–3.25; P = 0.04). Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing PhD curriculum were: “considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential” (OR, 5.94; 95% CI, 2.33–15.19; P = 0.0002) and “knowledge of at

Contribution of the Nordic School of Public Health to the public mental health research field: a selection of research initiatives, 2007-2014.

PubMed

Forsman, Anna K; Fredén, Lars; Lindqvist, Rafael; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2015-08-01

The field of public mental health has been defined by an expert group convened by the Nordic School of Public Health (NHV) as encompassing the experience, occurrence, distribution and trajectories of positive mental health and mental health problems and their determinants; mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders; as well as mental health system policies, governance and organization. The mental health priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2010 signalled a mutual Nordic exchange of knowledge in the following thematic areas: child and adolescent mental health; working life and mental health; mental health in older people; strengthening the role of primary care in mental health service provision; stronger involvement of users and carers; and reduction of use of coercion in psychiatric care. Efforts to realize these priorities included commissioning the Nordic Research Academy for Mental Health, an NHV-based network of research institutions with a common interest in mental health research across the Nordic countries, to develop, organize and follow-up projects on public mental health. The research initiatives included mental health policy analysis, register-based research and research focused on the users' perspective in a Nordic context, as well as EU-level research policy analysis. The public mental health research conducted at the NHV highlighted the complexity of mental health and emphasized that the broad determinants of mental health need to be increasingly addressed in both public health research and practice. For example, health promotion actions, improved access to health care, a healthy alcohol policy and prevention of suicides and violence are all needed to reduce the life expectancy gap - a red flag indicator of public health inequalities. By exchanging knowledge and best practice, the collaboration between the Nordic countries contributes to the welfare of the region. The expertise and traditions developed at the NHV are of

Hawaii Energy and Environmental Technologies (HEET) Initiative

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT Hawaii Energy and Environmental Technologies (HEET) Initiative Office of Naval Research Grant Number N00014-06-1-0086 For the...Initiative 0) CM Office of Naval Research Grant Number N00014-06-1-0086 For the period October 17, 2005 to September 30, 2007 Hawaii Natural Energy Institute...Office of Naval Research ONR Regional Office Seattle 1107 NE 45th Street, Suite 350 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT Seattle, WA 98105-4631 NUMBER(S) 12

Research on a Community-Initiated Preschool Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Norma

This report describes and anlayzes the second year operations of an ongoing successful parent initiated and directed nursery school. Included are: (1) a brief review of relevant issues in early childhood education, such as parent participation and community control in education; (2) a short history of the program's inception and early development;…

When the research is not reproducible: The importance of author-initiated and institution-driven responses and investigations.

PubMed

Tang, Bor Luen

2018-05-20

Important and potentially useful findings in the sciences are under more intense public scrutiny now more than ever. Other researchers in the field dive into replicating and expanding the findings while the media swamps the community and the public with peripheral reporting and analyses. How should authors and the hosting/funding institutions respond when other workers in the field could not reproduce or replicate their published results? To illustrate the importance of author-initiated and institution-driven investigations in response to outcries of research irreproducibility, I draw on comparisons between three recent and well-publicized cases in the life sciences: betatrophin, STAP cells, and NgAgo. Swift, transparent responses and investigations facilitate activation of the self-correcting mechanism of science and are likely also critical in preserving the community's resources, public trust, and the reputation of the institutions and individuals concerned. Operational guidelines for "author and institutional responses" towards external reports of irreproducibility should therefore be in place for all research intensive institutions.

Improving Initiation and Tracking of Research Projects at an Academic Health Center: A Case Study.

PubMed

Schmidt, Susanne; Goros, Martin; Parsons, Helen M; Saygin, Can; Wan, Hung-Da; Shireman, Paula K; Gelfond, Jonathan A L

2017-09-01

Research service cores at academic health centers are important in driving translational advancements. Specifically, biostatistics and research design units provide services and training in data analytics, biostatistics, and study design. However, the increasing demand and complexity of assigning appropriate personnel to time-sensitive projects strains existing resources, potentially decreasing productivity and increasing costs. Improving processes for project initiation, assigning appropriate personnel, and tracking time-sensitive projects can eliminate bottlenecks and utilize resources more efficiently. In this case study, we describe our application of lean six sigma principles to our biostatistics unit to establish a systematic continual process improvement cycle for intake, allocation, and tracking of research design and data analysis projects. The define, measure, analyze, improve, and control methodology was used to guide the process improvement. Our goal was to assess and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations by objectively measuring outcomes, automating processes, and reducing bottlenecks. As a result, we developed a web-based dashboard application to capture, track, categorize, streamline, and automate project flow. Our workflow system resulted in improved transparency, efficiency, and workload allocation. Using the dashboard application, we reduced the average study intake time from 18 to 6 days, a 66.7% reduction over 12 months (January to December 2015).

The Forest Health Initiative, American chestnut (Castanea dentata) as a model for forest tree restoration: Biological Research Program

Treesearch

C. Dana Nelson; W.A. Powell; C.A. Maynard; K.M. Baier; A. Newhouse; S.A. Merkle; C.J. Nairn; L. Kong; J.E. Carlson; C. Addo-Quaye; M.E. Staton; F.V. Hebard; L.L. Georgi; A.G. Abbott; B.A. Olukolu; T. Zhebentyayeva

2013-01-01

The Forest Health Initiative (FHI) was developed and implemented to test the hypothesis that a coordinated effort in biotechnology research could lead to resistant trees capable of restoring a species in a relevant time frame. As a test case, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was chosen for study as it is an iconic forest tree species in the eastern United...

Flexible Regenerative Nanoelectronics for Advanced Peripheral Neural Interfaces

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

these materials will be developed based on 3D printing . Page 4 Task 3. Construct nerve guidance scaffolds comprising of embedded mesh electrodes with...Develop photo mask patterning methods. 1-9 In progress 50% Subtask 2.2.2. Develop 3D printing patterning methods. 9-18 9/1/2017 Milestone(s...research into patterning techniques, we found that 10% gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) base gel was the best for performing 3D printing of the gels

The ARL Scholars Portal Initiative.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Mary E.

2002-01-01

Describes an initiative of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), the Scholars Portal Initiative, a three-year collaborative effort which seeks to provide tools for an academic community to have a single point of access on the Web to find high-quality information resources and to deliver the information and related services directly to the…

OPM: The Open Porous Media Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flemisch, B.; Flornes, K. M.; Lie, K.; Rasmussen, A.

2011-12-01

The principal objective of the Open Porous Media (OPM) initiative is to develop a simulation suite that is capable of modeling industrially and scientifically relevant flow and transport processes in porous media and bridge the gap between the different application areas of porous media modeling, including reservoir mechanics, CO2 sequestration, biological systems, and product development of engineered media. The OPM initiative will provide a long-lasting, efficient, and well-maintained open-source software for flow and transport in porous media built on modern software principles. The suite is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Our motivation is to provide a means to unite industry and public research on simulation of flow and transport in porous media. For academic users, we seek to provide a software infrastructure that facilitates testing of new ideas on models with industry-standard complexity, while at the same time giving the researcher control over discretization and solvers. Similarly, we aim to accelerate the technology transfer from academic institutions to professional companies by making new research results available as free software of professional standard. The OPM initiative is currently supported by six research groups in Norway and Germany and funded by existing grants from public research agencies as well as from Statoil Petroleum and Total E&P Norge. However, a full-scale development of the OPM initiative requires substantially more funding and involvement of more research groups and potential end users. In this talk, we will provide an overview of the current activities in the OPM initiative. Special emphasis will be given to the demonstration of the synergies achieved by combining the strengths of individual open-source software components. In particular, a new fully implicit solver developed within the DUNE-based simulator DuMux could be enhanced by the ability to read industry-standard Eclipse input files and to run on

Graphene-based Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-01

Kong, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, Mildred Dresselhaus, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Leela Mohana Reddy Arava, and Paresh Ray ARL-TR-6351 February 2013...Jing Kong, Pablo Jarillo-Herrero, and Mildred Dresselhaus Massachusetts Institute of Technology Pulickel M. Ajayan and Leela Mohana Reddy Arava...Herrero, Mildred Dresselhaus, Pulickel M. Ajayan, Leela Mohana Reddy Arava, and Paresh Ray 5d. PROJECT NUMBER ARL DSI-FY-11 5e. TASK NUMBER

Graphene-based Nanoelectronics

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

deposition rate of 1 Å/s, 13 followed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) (15 nm). The SiO2 also serves as a nucleation layer...alternating pulses of trimethylaluminum (TMA) and H2O in a Cambridge Nanotech Fiji ALD system, enabled by nucleation on the SiO2. The thicknesses of...Y.; Liu, H.-K.; Dou, S.-X. Electrodeposition of MnO2 Nanowires on Carbon Nanotube Paper as Free-standing, Flexible Electrode for Supercapacitors

The Common Fund Initiative and Its Implication for Advancing Exercise and Physical Activity Research in Child Health.

PubMed

Cooper, Dan M; Radom-Aizik, Shlomit

2015-08-01

NIH Director Francis Collins noted that the Common Fund initiative would lead to unprecedented insights into the mechanisms responsible for the health effects of physical activity. He noted: “Armed with this knowledge, researchers and clinicians may one day be able to define optimal physical activity recommendations for people at various stages of life, as well as develop precisely targeted regimens for individuals with particular health needs.” Given the ominous burden of physical inactivity-related diseases and conditions in otherwise healthy children, and the growing number of children who survive chronic diseases in whom we know little about what constitutes healthy exercise, it is essential that the community of child health researchers develop compelling strategies and proposals in response to the unique opportunity offered through the Common Fund mechanism.

Initial Usability Testing of a Hand-Held Electronic Logbook Prototype for the Human Research Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berman, Andrea H.; Whitmore, Mihriban

1996-01-01

The Apple(R) Newton(TM) MessagePad 110 was flown aboard the KC-135 reduced gravity aircraft for microgravity usability testing. The Newton served as the initial hand-held electronic logbook prototype for the International Space Station (ISS) Human Research Facility (HRF). Subjects performed three different tasks with the Newton: (1) using the stylus to tap on different sections of the screen in order to launch an application and to select options within it; (2) using the stylus to write, and; (3) correcting handwriting recognition errors in a handwriting-intensive application. Subjects rated handwriting in microgravity 'Borderline' and had great difficulties finding a way in which to adequately restrain themselves at the lower body in order to have their hands free for the Newton. Handwriting recognition was rated 'Unacceptable,' but this issue is hardware-related and not unique to the microgravity environment. It is suggested that the restraint and handwriting issues are related and require further joint research with the current Handheld Electronic Logbook prototype: the Norand Pen*key Model #6300.

Functional Annotation of All Salmonid Genomes (FAASG): an international initiative supporting future salmonid research, conservation and aquaculture.

PubMed

Macqueen, Daniel J; Primmer, Craig R; Houston, Ross D; Nowak, Barbara F; Bernatchez, Louis; Bergseth, Steinar; Davidson, William S; Gallardo-Escárate, Cristian; Goldammer, Tom; Guiguen, Yann; Iturra, Patricia; Kijas, James W; Koop, Ben F; Lien, Sigbjørn; Maass, Alejandro; Martin, Samuel A M; McGinnity, Philip; Montecino, Martin; Naish, Kerry A; Nichols, Krista M; Ólafsson, Kristinn; Omholt, Stig W; Palti, Yniv; Plastow, Graham S; Rexroad, Caird E; Rise, Matthew L; Ritchie, Rachael J; Sandve, Simen R; Schulte, Patricia M; Tello, Alfredo; Vidal, Rodrigo; Vik, Jon Olav; Wargelius, Anna; Yáñez, José Manuel

2017-06-27

We describe an emerging initiative - the 'Functional Annotation of All Salmonid Genomes' (FAASG), which will leverage the extensive trait diversity that has evolved since a whole genome duplication event in the salmonid ancestor, to develop an integrative understanding of the functional genomic basis of phenotypic variation. The outcomes of FAASG will have diverse applications, ranging from improved understanding of genome evolution, to improving the efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture production, supporting the future of fundamental and applied research in an iconic fish lineage of major societal importance.

About the RAS Initiative

Cancer.gov

The RAS Initiative, a "hub and spoke" model, connects researchers to better understand and target the more than 30% of cancers driven by mutations in RAS genes. Includes oversight and contact information.

Partnership in Knowledge Creation: Lessons Learned from a Researcher-Policy Actor Partnership to Co-Produce a Rapid Appraisal Case Study of South Australia's Social Inclusion Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Lareen; Biedrzycki, Kate; Patterson, Jan; Baum, Fran

2011-01-01

This paper describes a partnership between researchers and policy actors that was developed within a short timeframe to produce a rapid appraisal case study of a government policy initiative--South Australia's "Social Inclusion Initiative"--for the Social Exclusion Knowledge Network of the international Commission on Social Determinants…

Initial Results from the Survey of Organizational Research Climates (SOuRCe) in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System

PubMed Central

Martinson, Brian C.; Nelson, David; Hagel-Campbell, Emily; Mohr, David; Charns, Martin P.; Bangerter, Ann; Thrush, Carol R.; Ghilardi, Joseph R.; Bloomfield, Hanna; Owen, Richard; Wells, James A.

2016-01-01

Background In service to its core mission of improving the health and well-being of veterans, Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership is committed to supporting research best practices in the VA. Recognizing that the behavior of researchers is influenced by the organizational climates in which they work, efforts to assess the integrity of research climates and share such information with research leadership in VA may be one way to support research best practices. The Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SOuRCe) is the first validated survey instrument specifically designed to assess the organizational climate of research integrity in academic research organizations. The current study reports on an initiative to use the SOuRCe in VA facilities to characterize the organizational research climates and pilot test the effectiveness of using SOuRCe data as a reporting and feedback intervention tool. Methods We administered the SOuRCe using a cross-sectional, online survey, with mailed follow-up to non-responders, of research-engaged employees in the research services of a random selection of 42 VA facilities (e.g., Hospitals/Stations) believed to employ 20 or more research staff. We attained a 51% participation rate, yielding more than 5,200 usable surveys. Results We found a general consistency in organizational research climates across a variety of sub-groups in this random sample of research services in the VA. We also observed similar SOuRCe scale score means, relative rankings of these scales and their internal reliability, in this VA-based sample as we have previously documented in more traditional academic research settings. Results also showed more substantial variability in research climate scores within than between facilities in the VA research service as reflected in meaningful subgroup differences. These findings suggest that the SOuRCe is suitable as an instrument for assessing the research integrity climates in VA and that the tool has similar patterns of

Initial Results from the Survey of Organizational Research Climates (SOuRCe) in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

PubMed

Martinson, Brian C; Nelson, David; Hagel-Campbell, Emily; Mohr, David; Charns, Martin P; Bangerter, Ann; Thrush, Carol R; Ghilardi, Joseph R; Bloomfield, Hanna; Owen, Richard; Wells, James A

2016-01-01

In service to its core mission of improving the health and well-being of veterans, Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership is committed to supporting research best practices in the VA. Recognizing that the behavior of researchers is influenced by the organizational climates in which they work, efforts to assess the integrity of research climates and share such information with research leadership in VA may be one way to support research best practices. The Survey of Organizational Research Climate (SOuRCe) is the first validated survey instrument specifically designed to assess the organizational climate of research integrity in academic research organizations. The current study reports on an initiative to use the SOuRCe in VA facilities to characterize the organizational research climates and pilot test the effectiveness of using SOuRCe data as a reporting and feedback intervention tool. We administered the SOuRCe using a cross-sectional, online survey, with mailed follow-up to non-responders, of research-engaged employees in the research services of a random selection of 42 VA facilities (e.g., Hospitals/Stations) believed to employ 20 or more research staff. We attained a 51% participation rate, yielding more than 5,200 usable surveys. We found a general consistency in organizational research climates across a variety of sub-groups in this random sample of research services in the VA. We also observed similar SOuRCe scale score means, relative rankings of these scales and their internal reliability, in this VA-based sample as we have previously documented in more traditional academic research settings. Results also showed more substantial variability in research climate scores within than between facilities in the VA research service as reflected in meaningful subgroup differences. These findings suggest that the SOuRCe is suitable as an instrument for assessing the research integrity climates in VA and that the tool has similar patterns of results that have been

The International Permafrost Association: new structure and initiatives for cryospheric research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

May, I.; Lewkowicz, A. G.; Christiansen, H.; Romanovsky, V. E.; Lantuit, H.; Schrott, L.; Sergeev, D.; Wei, M.

2012-12-01

within Global Climate Models and promote the study of the carbon cycle and other biogeochemical cycles in permafrost regions that contribute to atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Within the discussion of climate change and the organic carbon stored in the frozen ground, the IPA also fosters and supports the activities of the Global Terrestrial Network on Permafrost (GTN-P) sponsored by the Global Terrestrial Observing System, GTOS, and the Global Climate Observing System, GCOS, whose long-term goal is to obtain a comprehensive view of the spatial structure, trends, and variability of changes in the active layer thickness and permafrost temperature. A further important initiative of the IPA is the new Standing Committee on Outreach and Education that is responsible for the development and implementation of new outreach products and projects on permafrost for schools, universities, and the general public. In all of these activities, the IPA emphasizes the involvement of young researchers (especially through the Permafrost Young Researchers Network) as well as its international partner organizations.

Exploring the Benefits of a Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) Initiative to Develop a Research Community and Enhance Student Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantalini-Williams, Maria; Curtis, Debra; Eden-DeGasperis, Kimberley; Esposto, Lauren; Guibert, Jenny; Papp, Heather; Roque, Carlos

2015-01-01

This study examined a collaborative inquiry process, facilitated by university faculty in an elementary school, intended to develop a research community, foster knowledge mobilization, and enhance student engagement. The Collaborative Inquiry Team in Education (CITE) initiative consisted of five school-based sessions that included videos,…

The Role for Community-Based Participatory Research in Formulating Policy Initiatives: Promoting Safety and Health for In-Home Care Workers and Their Consumers

PubMed Central

Gong, Fang; Ayala, Linda; Stock, Laura; McDevitt, Susannah; Heaney, Cathy

2009-01-01

Although community-based participatory research (CBPR) can be effective in influencing policy, the process of formulating policy initiatives through CBPR is understudied. We describe a case study to illustrate how alliances among various community partners could be united to formulate policy directions. In collaboration with partners, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health initiated a project aimed at improving health and safety for low-income elderly and disabled persons and their in-home care workers. Community partners and stakeholders participated in focus groups, stakeholder interviews, and meetings; they played multiple roles including identifying organizational policy changes the partners could initiate immediately, as well as broader public policy goals. Results indicated that a strong community partnership, participation, and shared values contributed to successful formulation of policy initiatives. PMID:19890153

International and national initiatives in biobanking.

PubMed

Ectors, N

2011-01-01

Translational research and biobanking are "in", also in Flanders and in Belgium. In Flanders the Advice report 120 from the Flemish Council for Science and innovation, entitled "Extension of translational research in Flanders" paved the way for the Center for Medical Innovation. The Center for Medical Innovation aims at promoting collaboration between Flemish Universities, university hospitals, pharma and biotech industry and the Flemish Government specifically in the domain of translational research. The Initiative # 27 of the Cancer plan from the Federal Government aims at financing a virtual interuniversity tumor bank in order to promote "cancer" translational research in a collaborative network between academic structures, general hospitals en different industrial partners (pharmacy, biotechnology, diagnostics, ...) active in research in Belgium. However, the scientific interest in the human tissues is not new, at all. This text aims at giving an overview of the development and evolutions of "biobanking" initiatives.

Nanotechnology Based Materials and Devices for Health Care

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Srivastava, Deepaka; Cho, K.; Brenner, Don; Menon, Madhu; Andriotis, Antonis; Sagman, Uri; Biegel, Bryan A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

This viewgraph presentation provides information on trends in NASA nanotechnology research and development, and future biotechnological applications for that nanotechnology. The presentation covers nanoelectronics, nanosensors, and nanomaterials, biomimetics, devices and materials for health care, carbon nanotubes, biosensors for astrobiology, solid-state nanopores for DNA sequencing, and protein nanotubes.

REU Students' Initial Perceptions of Scientific Ethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Sytil; Zollman, Dean

2010-10-01

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

Faculty development initiatives to advance research literacy and evidence-based practice at CAM academic institutions.

PubMed

Long, Cynthia R; Ackerman, Deborah L; Hammerschlag, Richard; Delagran, Louise; Peterson, David H; Berlin, Michelle; Evans, Roni L

2014-07-01

To present the varied approaches of 9 complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) institutions (all grantees of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) used to develop faculty expertise in research literacy and evidence-based practice (EBP) in order to integrate these concepts into CAM curricula. A survey to elicit information on the faculty development initiatives was administered via e-mail to the 9 program directors. All 9 completed the survey, and 8 grantees provided narrative summaries of faculty training outcomes. The grantees found the following strategies for implementing their programs most useful: assess needs, develop and adopt research literacy and EBP competencies, target early adopters and change leaders, employ best practices in teaching and education, provide meaningful incentives, capitalize on resources provided by grant partners, provide external training opportunities, and garner support from institutional leadership. Instructional approaches varied considerably across grantees. The most common were workshops, online resources, in-person short courses, and in-depth seminar series developed by the grantees. Many also sent faculty to intensive multiday extramural training programs. Program evaluation included measuring participation rates and satisfaction and the integration of research literacy and EBP learning objectives throughout the academic curricula. Most grantees measured longitudinal changes in beliefs, attitudes, opinions, and competencies with repeated faculty surveys. A common need across all 9 CAM grantee institutions was foundational training for faculty in research literacy and EBP. Therefore, each grantee institution developed and implemented a faculty development program. In developing the framework for their programs, grantees used strategies that were viewed critical for success, including making them multifaceted and unique to their specific institutional needs. These strategies, in conjunction with the

Initial Symptoms of ALS

MedlinePlus

... Chapters Certified Centers and Clinics Support Groups About ALS About Us Our Research In Your Community Advocate ... Diagnosis En español Symptoms The initial symptoms of ALS can be quite varied in different people. One ...

A Multi-Disciplinary University Research Initiative in Hard and Soft Information Fusion: Overview, Research Strategies and Initial Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Multisource Information Fusion ( CMIF ) along with a team including the Pennsylvania State University (PSU), Iona College (Iona), and Tennessee State...License. 14. ABSTRACT The University at Buffalo (UB) Center for Multisource Information Fusion ( CMIF ) along with a team including the Pennsylvania...of CMIF current research on methods for Test and Evaluation ([7], [8]) involving for example large- factor-space experimental design techniques ([9

Data Collection and Harmonization in HIV Research: The Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain Initiative at the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

PubMed

Chandler, Redonna K; Kahana, Shoshana Y; Fletcher, Bennett; Jones, Dionne; Finger, Matthew S; Aklin, Will M; Hamill, Kathleen; Webb, Candace

2015-12-01

Large-scale, multisite data sets offer the potential for exploring the public health benefits of biomedical interventions. Data harmonization is an emerging strategy to increase the comparability of research data collected across independent studies, enabling research questions to be addressed beyond the capacity of any individual study. The National Institute on Drug Abuse recently implemented this novel strategy to prospectively collect and harmonize data across 22 independent research studies developing and empirically testing interventions to effectively deliver an HIV continuum of care to diverse drug-abusing populations. We describe this data collection and harmonization effort, collectively known as the Seek, Test, Treat, and Retain Data Collection and Harmonization Initiative, which can serve as a model applicable to other research endeavors.

Combat Wound Initiative program.

PubMed

Stojadinovic, Alexander; Elster, Eric; Potter, Benjamin K; Davis, Thomas A; Tadaki, Doug K; Brown, Trevor S; Ahlers, Stephen; Attinger, Christopher E; Andersen, Romney C; Burris, David; Centeno, Jose; Champion, Hunter; Crumbley, David R; Denobile, John; Duga, Michael; Dunne, James R; Eberhardt, John; Ennis, William J; Forsberg, Jonathan A; Hawksworth, Jason; Helling, Thomas S; Lazarus, Gerald S; Milner, Stephen M; Mullick, Florabel G; Owner, Christopher R; Pasquina, Paul F; Patel, Chirag R; Peoples, George E; Nissan, Aviram; Ring, Michael; Sandberg, Glenn D; Schaden, Wolfgang; Schultz, Gregory S; Scofield, Tom; Shawen, Scott B; Sheppard, Forest R; Stannard, James P; Weina, Peter J; Zenilman, Jonathan M

2010-07-01

The Combat Wound Initiative (CWI) program is a collaborative, multidisciplinary, and interservice public-private partnership that provides personalized, state-of-the-art, and complex wound care via targeted clinical and translational research. The CWI uses a bench-to-bedside approach to translational research, including the rapid development of a human extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) study in complex wounds after establishing the potential efficacy, biologic mechanisms, and safety of this treatment modality in a murine model. Additional clinical trials include the prospective use of clinical data, serum and wound biomarkers, and wound gene expression profiles to predict wound healing/failure and additional clinical patient outcomes following combat-related trauma. These clinical research data are analyzed using machine-based learning algorithms to develop predictive treatment models to guide clinical decision-making. Future CWI directions include additional clinical trials and study centers and the refinement and deployment of our genetically driven, personalized medicine initiative to provide patient-specific care across multiple medical disciplines, with an emphasis on combat casualty care.

MCEARD CONTRIBUTION TO ORD ASTHMA RESEARCH INITIATIVE

EPA Science Inventory

Beginning in 1998, EPA researchers have worked to examine the role of indoor molds/fungi in children's health. The make-up of the indoor environment is critical to the health of children in general and has a particularly important influence on the incidence and exacerbation of ...

Quality research in radiation oncology: a self-improvement initiative 30 years ahead of its time?

PubMed

Wilson, J Frank; Owen, Jean

2005-12-01

The quality of cancer care in the United States should be better than it is. Society has demanded improvement, but much work remains to be done to define and measure both the current quality of care and the steps needed to optimize such care. Various public and private organizations are directing early efforts toward attempts to determine the quality of selected oncology services as a first step in a broad-based quality improvement process. In contrast, the ACR Patterns of Care Study (PCS) for over 30 years has relied on exemplary voluntary engagement by American radiation oncologists in critical self-assessment and self-improvement as a highly effective pathway to improved practice quality. This article provides an overview of the documented historical and recent impact of PCS research findings on practice and describes the deliberate adaptation of the PCS identity and methodology to the quality-sensitive national environment with the new project name Quality Research in Radiation Oncology. The article concludes with a discussion of the rationale for continuing this unique quality improvement initiative and some of the challenges to this imperative that are being faced.

Time-efficient simulations of tight-binding electronic structures with Intel Xeon PhiTM many-core processors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, Hoon; Jeong, Yosang; Kang, Ji-Hoon; Cho, Kyu Nam

2016-12-01

Modelling of multi-million atomic semiconductor structures is important as it not only predicts properties of physically realizable novel materials, but can accelerate advanced device designs. This work elaborates a new Technology-Computer-Aided-Design (TCAD) tool for nanoelectronics modelling, which uses a sp3d5s∗ tight-binding approach to describe multi-million atomic structures, and simulate electronic structures with high performance computing (HPC), including atomic effects such as alloy and dopant disorders. Being named as Quantum simulation tool for Advanced Nanoscale Devices (Q-AND), the tool shows nice scalability on traditional multi-core HPC clusters implying the strong capability of large-scale electronic structure simulations, particularly with remarkable performance enhancement on latest clusters of Intel Xeon PhiTM coprocessors. A review of the recent modelling study conducted to understand an experimental work of highly phosphorus-doped silicon nanowires, is presented to demonstrate the utility of Q-AND. Having been developed via Intel Parallel Computing Center project, Q-AND will be open to public to establish a sound framework of nanoelectronics modelling with advanced HPC clusters of a many-core base. With details of the development methodology and exemplary study of dopant electronics, this work will present a practical guideline for TCAD development to researchers in the field of computational nanoelectronics.

Comparison of initial perturbation methods for the mesoscale ensemble prediction system of the Meteorological Research Institute for the WWRP Beijing 2008 Olympics Research and Development Project (B08RDP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Kazuo; Hara, Masahiro; Kunii, Masaru; Seko, Hiromu; Yamaguchi, Munehiko

2011-05-01

Different initial perturbation methods for the mesoscale ensemble prediction were compared by the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI) as a part of the intercomparison of mesoscale ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) of the World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Beijing 2008 Olympics Research and Development Project (B08RDP). Five initial perturbation methods for mesoscale ensemble prediction were developed for B08RDP and compared at MRI: (1) a downscaling method of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)'s operational one-week EPS (WEP), (2) a targeted global model singular vector (GSV) method, (3) a mesoscale model singular vector (MSV) method based on the adjoint model of the JMA non-hydrostatic model (NHM), (4) a mesoscale breeding growing mode (MBD) method based on the NHM forecast and (5) a local ensemble transform (LET) method based on the local ensemble transform Kalman filter (LETKF) using NHM. These perturbation methods were applied to the preliminary experiments of the B08RDP Tier-1 mesoscale ensemble prediction with a horizontal resolution of 15 km. To make the comparison easier, the same horizontal resolution (40 km) was employed for the three mesoscale model-based initial perturbation methods (MSV, MBD and LET). The GSV method completely outperformed the WEP method, confirming the advantage of targeting in mesoscale EPS. The GSV method generally performed well with regard to root mean square errors of the ensemble mean, large growth rates of ensemble spreads throughout the 36-h forecast period, and high detection rates and high Brier skill scores (BSSs) for weak rains. On the other hand, the mesoscale model-based initial perturbation methods showed good detection rates and BSSs for intense rains. The MSV method showed a rapid growth in the ensemble spread of precipitation up to a forecast time of 6 h, which suggests suitability of the mesoscale SV for short-range EPSs, but the initial large growth of the perturbation did not last long. The

Microsoft Biology Initiative: .NET Bioinformatics Platform and Tools

PubMed Central

Diaz Acosta, B.

2011-01-01

The Microsoft Biology Initiative (MBI) is an effort in Microsoft Research to bring new technology and tools to the area of bioinformatics and biology. This initiative is comprised of two primary components, the Microsoft Biology Foundation (MBF) and the Microsoft Biology Tools (MBT). MBF is a language-neutral bioinformatics toolkit built as an extension to the Microsoft .NET Framework—initially aimed at the area of Genomics research. Currently, it implements a range of parsers for common bioinformatics file formats; a range of algorithms for manipulating DNA, RNA, and protein sequences; and a set of connectors to biological web services such as NCBI BLAST. MBF is available under an open source license, and executables, source code, demo applications, documentation and training materials are freely downloadable from http://research.microsoft.com/bio. MBT is a collection of tools that enable biology and bioinformatics researchers to be more productive in making scientific discoveries.

A Survey of Current Trends in Master's Programs in Microelectronics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozanic, Mladen; Sinha, Saurabh

2018-01-01

Contribution: This paper brings forward a paradigm shift in microelectronic and nanoelectronic engineering education. Background: An increasing number of universities are offering graduate-level electrical engineering degree programs with multi-disciplinary Master's-level specialization in microelectronics or nanoelectronics. The paradigm shift…

Advanced Air Traffic Management Research (Human Factors and Automation): NASA Research Initiatives in Human-Centered Automation Design in Airspace Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Corker, Kevin M.; Condon, Gregory W. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

NASA has initiated a significant thrust of research and development focused on providing the flight crew and air traffic managers automation aids to increase capacity in en route and terminal area operations through the use of flexible, more fuel-efficient routing, while improving the level of safety in commercial carrier operations. In that system development, definition of cognitive requirements for integrated multi-operator dynamic aiding systems is fundamental. The core processes of control and the distribution of decision making in that control are undergoing extensive analysis. From our perspective, the human operators and the procedures by which they interact are the fundamental determinants of the safe, efficient, and flexible operation of the system. In that perspective, we have begun to explore what our experience has taught will be the most challenging aspects of designing and integrating human-centered automation in the advanced system. We have performed a full mission simulation looking at the role shift to self-separation on board the aircraft with the rules of the air guiding behavior and the provision of a cockpit display of traffic information and an on-board traffic alert system that seamlessly integrates into the TCAS operations. We have performed and initial investigation of the operational impact of "Dynamic Density" metrics on controller relinquishing and reestablishing full separation authority. (We follow the assumption that responsibility at all times resides with the controller.) This presentation will describe those efforts as well as describe the process by which we will guide the development of error tolerant systems that are sensitive to shifts in operator work load levels and dynamic shifts in the operating point of air traffic management.

Initial Teacher Education in Russia: Connecting Theory, Practice and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valeeva, Roza A.; Gafurov, Ilshat R.

2017-01-01

This paper explores initial teacher education (ITE) in Russia, its organisation and content in the light of international literature. Changes in the political, socio-economic and cultural life of Russia in recent decades have defined a completely different model of teacher education. This model has evolved through key policy documents including…

Rural-urban differences in breastfeeding initiation in the United States.

PubMed

Sparks, P Johnelle

2010-05-01

Research has noted a rural disadvantage in breastfeeding initiation; however, most previous research has been based on nonrepresentative samples and has been limited in its ability to compare racial/ethnic differences in breastfeeding initiation based on residential location. This research fills this gap by examining a nationally representative sample of births using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to explore associations between rural-urban residence and maternal race/ethnicity on breastfeeding initiation. Results indicate that associations observed for rural-urban breastfeeding initiation differ based on maternal race/ethnicity and poverty status. These patterns likely reflect differences in economic resources, work environments, and social support among rural minority postpartum women.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry. Supplement to the President’s FY 2008 Budget

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-31

nanoscale materials for cancer diagnostics, imaging agents, and therapeutics. Recently NCL has extended its work to in vivo models and testing by...THE NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry Supplement to the President’s FY...clear national goals for Federal science and technology investments in areas ranging from nanotechnology and health research to improving

Interlaboratory studies and initiatives developing standards for proteomics

PubMed Central

Ivanov, Alexander R.; Colangelo, Christopher M.; Dufresne, Craig P.; Friedman, David B.; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Mechtler, Karl; Phinney, Brett S.; Rose, Kristie L.; Rudnick, Paul A.; Searle, Brian C.; Shaffer, Scott A.; Weintraub, Susan T.

2013-01-01

Proteomics is a rapidly transforming interdisciplinary field of research that embraces a diverse set of analytical approaches to tackle problems in fundamental and applied biology. This view-point article highlights the benefits of interlaboratory studies and standardization initiatives to enable investigators to address many of the challenges found in proteomics research. Among these initiatives, we discuss our efforts on a comprehensive performance standard for characterizing PTMs by MS that was recently developed by the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Proteomics Standards Research Group (sPRG). PMID:23319436

Dust control research for SEI. [Space Exploration Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Kriss J.; Harris, Jeffrey R.

1992-01-01

A study, at NASA Johnson Space Center, of dust control requirements for surface habitats has focused on identification of the dust problem, identifying dust control techniques and dust control technology areas requiring research development. This research was performed for the Surface Habitats and Construction (SHAC) technology area. Dust control consists of two problems: (1) how to keep it out of the habitat; and (2) once the habitat or airlock is contaminated with dust, how to collect it. This paper describes the dust environment, the Apollo experience and dust control methods used, future EVA operational considerations, and dust control concepts for surface habitats.

Evaluating the Impact of Open Access at Berkeley: Results from the 2015 Survey of Berkeley Research Impact Initiative (BRII) Funding Recipients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teplitzky, Samantha; Phillips, Margaret

2016-01-01

The Berkeley Research Impact Initiative (BRII) was one of the first campus-based open access (OA) funds to be established in North America and one of the most active, distributing more than $244,000 to support University of California (UC) Berkeley authors. In April 2015, we conducted a qualitative study of 138 individuals who had received BRII…

Next generation initiation techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warner, Tom; Derber, John; Zupanski, Milija; Cohn, Steve; Verlinde, Hans

1993-01-01

Four-dimensional data assimilation strategies can generally be classified as either current or next generation, depending upon whether they are used operationally or not. Current-generation data-assimilation techniques are those that are presently used routinely in operational-forecasting or research applications. They can be classified into the following categories: intermittent assimilation, Newtonian relaxation, and physical initialization. It should be noted that these techniques are the subject of continued research, and their improvement will parallel the development of next generation techniques described by the other speakers. Next generation assimilation techniques are those that are under development but are not yet used operationally. Most of these procedures are derived from control theory or variational methods and primarily represent continuous assimilation approaches, in which the data and model dynamics are 'fitted' to each other in an optimal way. Another 'next generation' category is the initialization of convective-scale models. Intermittent assimilation systems use an objective analysis to combine all observations within a time window that is centered on the analysis time. Continuous first-generation assimilation systems are usually based on the Newtonian-relaxation or 'nudging' techniques. Physical initialization procedures generally involve the use of standard or nonstandard data to force some physical process in the model during an assimilation period. Under the topic of next-generation assimilation techniques, variational approaches are currently being actively developed. Variational approaches seek to minimize a cost or penalty function which measures a model's fit to observations, background fields and other imposed constraints. Alternatively, the Kalman filter technique, which is also under investigation as a data assimilation procedure for numerical weather prediction, can yield acceptable initial conditions for mesoscale models. The

Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

NCI is the nation's leader in cancer research. Learn more about NCI's cancer research areas, key initiatives, progress made in cancer research, and resources for researchers like research tools, specimens and data.

Initiation Capacity of a Specially Shaped Booster Pellet and Numerical Simulation of Its Initiation Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Li-Shuang; Hu, Shuang-Qi; Cao, Xiong; Zhang, Jian-Ren

2014-01-01

The insensitive main charge explosive is creating new requirements for the booster pellet of detonation trains. The traditional cylindrical booster pellet has insufficient energy output to reliably initiate the insensitive main charge explosive. In this research, a concave spherical booster pellet was designed. The initiation capacity of the concave spherical booster pellet was studied using varied composition and axial steel dent methods. The initiation process of the concave spherical booster pellet was also simulated by ANSYS/LS-DYNA. The results showed that using a concave spherical booster allows a 42% reduction in the amount of explosive needed to match the initiation capacity of a conventional cylindrical booster of the same dimensions. With the other parameters kept constant, the initiation capacity of the concave spherical booster pellet increases with decreased cone angle and concave radius. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Panic disorder with agoraphobia from a behavioral neuroscience perspective: Applying the research principles formulated by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative.

PubMed

Hamm, Alfons O; Richter, Jan; Pané-Farré, Christiane; Westphal, Dorte; Wittchen, Hans-Ulrich; Vossbeck-Elsebusch, Anna N; Gerlach, Alexander L; Gloster, Andrew T; Ströhle, Andreas; Lang, Thomas; Kircher, Tilo; Gerdes, Antje B M; Alpers, Georg W; Reif, Andreas; Deckert, Jürgen

2016-03-01

In the current review, we reconceptualize a categorical diagnosis-panic disorder and agoraphobia-in terms of two constructs within the domain "negative valence systems" suggested by the Research Domain Criteria initiative. Panic attacks are considered as abrupt and intense fear responses to acute threat arising from inside the body, while anxious apprehension refers to anxiety responses to potential harm and more distant or uncertain threat. Taking a dimensional view, panic disorder with agoraphobia is defined with the threat-imminence model stating that defensive responses are dynamically organized along the dimension of the proximity of the threat. We tested this model within a large group of patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia (N = 369 and N = 124 in a replication sample) and found evidence that panic attacks are indeed instances of circa strike defense. This component of the defensive reactivity was related to genetic modulators within the serotonergic system. In contrast, anxious apprehension-characterized by attentive freezing during postencounter defense-was related to general distress and depressive mood, as well as to genetic modulations within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Patients with a strong behavioral tendency for active and passive avoidance responded better to exposure treatment if the therapist guides the patient through the exposure exercises. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Recruitment experience for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial: Using EMR initiatives and minimizing research infrastructure.

PubMed

Joseph, Christine Lm; Ownby, Dennis R; Zoratti, Edward; Johnson, Dayna; Considine, Shannon; Bourgeois, Renee; Melkonian, Christina; Miree, Cheryl; Johnson, Christine Cole; Lu, Mei

2016-01-01

Modernized approaches to multisite randomized controlled trials (RCT) include the use of electronic medical records (EMR) for recruitment, remote data capture (RDC) for multisite data collection, and strategies to reduce the need for research infrastructure. These features facilitate the conduct of pragmatic trials, or trials conducted in "real life" settings. We describe the recruitment experience of an RCT to evaluate a clinic-based intervention targeting urban youth with asthma. Using encounter and prescription databases, a list of potentially-eligible patients was linked to the Epic appointment scheduling system. Patients were enrolled during a scheduled visit and then electronically randomized to a tailored versus generic online intervention. 1146 appointments for 580 eligible patients visiting 5 clinics were identified, of which 45.9% (266/580) were randomized to reach targeted enrollment (n=250). RDC facilitated multisite enrollment. Intervention content was further personalized through real- time entry of asthma medications prescribed at the clinic visit. EMR monitoring helped with recruitment trouble-shooting. Systemic challenges included a system-wide EMR transition and a system-wide reorganization of clinic staffing. Modernized RCTs can accelerate translation of research findings. Electronic initiatives facilitated implementation of this RCT; however, adaptations to recruitment strategies resulted in a more "explanatory" framework. .

Mechanics of the scrolling and folding of graphene.

PubMed

Li, Hao; Li, Ming; Kang, Zhan

2018-06-15

The competition between the out-of-plane rigidity and the van der Waals interaction leads to the scrolled and folded structural configurations of graphene. These configuration changes, as compared with the initially planar geometry, significantly affect the electronic, optical and mechanical properties of graphene, promising exciting applications in graphene-nanoelectronics. We propose a finite-deformation theoretical model, in which no presumed assumptions on the geometries of deformed configurations are required. Both the predicted deformed profiles and the critical conditions show great agreements with molecular dynamics simulations results when compared with existing studies with simple geometrical assumptions. Moreover, MD simulations are performed to explore the morphology transitions between different configurations. It is observed that the folded configuration is energetically favorable for a short graphene sheet, while a long graphene sheet tends to scroll. Of particular interest, we observe the morphology transition from a Fermat scroll to the Archimedean scroll for the bi-scrolled graphene. These findings are useful for understanding the stability of graphene and may provide guidance to the design of programmable graphene-nanoelectronics.

Mechanics of the scrolling and folding of graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hao; Li, Ming; Kang, Zhan

2018-06-01

The competition between the out-of-plane rigidity and the van der Waals interaction leads to the scrolled and folded structural configurations of graphene. These configuration changes, as compared with the initially planar geometry, significantly affect the electronic, optical and mechanical properties of graphene, promising exciting applications in graphene-nanoelectronics. We propose a finite-deformation theoretical model, in which no presumed assumptions on the geometries of deformed configurations are required. Both the predicted deformed profiles and the critical conditions show great agreements with molecular dynamics simulations results when compared with existing studies with simple geometrical assumptions. Moreover, MD simulations are performed to explore the morphology transitions between different configurations. It is observed that the folded configuration is energetically favorable for a short graphene sheet, while a long graphene sheet tends to scroll. Of particular interest, we observe the morphology transition from a Fermat scroll to the Archimedean scroll for the bi-scrolled graphene. These findings are useful for understanding the stability of graphene and may provide guidance to the design of programmable graphene-nanoelectronics.

Lateral spin transfer torque induced magnetic switching at room temperature demonstrated by x-ray microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buhl, M.; Erbe, A.; Grebing, J.; Wintz, S.; Raabe, J.; Fassbender, J.

2013-10-01

Changing and detecting the orientation of nanomagnetic structures, which can be used for durable information storage, needs to be developed towards true nanoscale dimensions for keeping up the miniaturization speed of modern nanoelectronic components. Therefore, new concepts for controlling the state of nanomagnets are currently in the focus of research in the field of nanoelectronics. Here, we demonstrate reproducible switching of a purely metallic nanopillar placed on a lead that conducts a spin-polarized current at room temperature. Spin diffusion across the metal-metal (Cu to CoFe) interface between the pillar and the lead causes spin accumulation in the pillar, which may then be used to set the magnetic orientation of the pillar. In our experiments, the detection of the magnetic state of the nanopillar is performed by direct imaging via scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM).

A bio-molecular inspired electronic architecture: bio-based device concepts for enhanced sensing (Invited Paper)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woolard, Dwight L.; Luo, Ying; Gelmont, Boris L.; Globus, Tatiana; Jensen, James O.

2005-05-01

A biological(bio)-molecular inspired electronic architecture is presented that offers the potential for defining nanoscale sensor platforms with enhanced capabilities for sensing terahertz (THz) frequency bio-signatures. This architecture makes strategic use of integrated biological elements to enable communication and high-level function within densely-packed nanoelectronic systems. In particular, this architecture introduces a new paradigm for establishing hybrid Electro-THz-Optical (ETO) communication channels where the THz-frequency spectral characteristics that are uniquely associated with the embedded bio-molecules are utilized directly. Since the functionality of this architecture is built upon the spectral characteristics of bio-molecules, this immediately allows for defining new methods for enhanced sensing of THz bio-signatures. First, this integrated sensor concept greatly facilitates the collection of THz bio-signatures associated with embedded bio-molecules via interactions with the time-dependent signals propagating through the nanoelectronic circuit. Second, it leads to a new Multi-State Spectral Sensing (MS3) approach where bio-signature information can be collected from multiple metastable state conformations. This paper will also introduce a new class of prototype devices that utilize THz-sensitive bio-molecules to achieve molecular-level sensing and functionality. Here, new simulation results are presented for a class of bio-molecular components that exhibit the prescribed type of ETO characteristics required for realizing integrated sensor platforms. Most noteworthy, this research derives THz spectral bio-signatures for organic molecules that are amenable to photo-induced metastable-state conformations and establishes an initial scientific foundation and design blueprint for an enhanced THz bio-signature sensing capability.

The Electronic Freight Management Initiative

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-04-01

This report discusses the Electronic Freight Management initiative, a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) sponsored research effort that partners with industry to improve the operating efficiencies, safety, and security of goods movement. The EFM...

AFRL Ludwieg Tube Initial Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-11-01

Nov 2016 14. ABSTRACT The Air Force Research Laboratory has developed and constructed a Ludwieg tube wind tunnel for hypersonic experimental ...Ludwieg tube wind tunnel for hypersonic experimental research. This wind tunnel is now operational and its initial performance has been...opening and the first expansion wave reflection was 100 ms, as expected. About 80 ms of quasi -steady pressure was obtained after the valve-opening

Incongruent Imagery Interferes with Action Initiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Richard; Cumming, Jennifer; Eastough, Daniel; Edwards, Martin G.

2010-01-01

It has been suggested that representing an action through observation and imagery share neural processes with action execution. In support of this view, motor-priming research has shown that observing an action can influence action initiation. However, there is little motor-priming research showing that imagining an action can modulate action…

SUMMARY REPORT ON RESEARCH RESULTS FROM THE ADVANCE MEASUREMENT INITIATIVE (AMI)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA created the Advanced Measurement Initiative (AMI) to permit the early and inexpensive evaluation of innovative advanced technology and to encourage broad and rapid application in EPA operations. The AMI program focused on improving EPA's technological capabilities and acceler...

Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC): Developing a Data Sharing Culture in the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showalter, L. M.; Gibeaut, J. C.

2016-02-01

Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP committed $500 million (USD) for a research program that investigates the impacts of oil, dispersed oil, and dispersant on the environment and to develop strategies for response to future disasters. This research program, the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), is mandated to make all the data produced available to the public. To fulfill this goal, GoMRI developed the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC). GRIIDC is the vehicle by which GoMRI is addressing the data and information needs of this large and varied community of more than 3,000 scientists. The mission of GRIIDC is to ensure a data and information legacy that promotes continual scientific discovery and public awareness of the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem. As part of its effort to encourage data sharing among scientists interested in oil-spill related research in the Gulf of Mexico GRIIDC provides tools to researchers to facilitate all aspects of the data management process, from developing data management plans, to creating robust metadata records, to ensuring the data is made discoverable by the public. GRIIDC also provides a service to ensure that GoMRI funded publications have any associated data linked and available. This cradle to grave approach to data management has been extremely effective in developing data management practices that will ensure better data stewardship and preservation of all the data created in the GoMRI research program.

Initiation devices, initiation systems including initiation devices and related methods

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

Daniels, Michael A.; Condit, Reston A.; Rasmussen, Nikki

Initiation devices may include at least one substrate, an initiation element positioned on a first side of the at least one substrate, and a spark gap electrically coupled to the initiation element and positioned on a second side of the at least one substrate. Initiation devices may include a plurality of substrates where at least one substrate of the plurality of substrates is electrically connected to at least one adjacent substrate of the plurality of substrates with at least one via extending through the at least one substrate. Initiation systems may include such initiation devices. Methods of igniting energetic materialsmore » include passing a current through a spark gap formed on at least one substrate of the initiation device, passing the current through at least one via formed through the at least one substrate, and passing the current through an explosive bridge wire of the initiation device.« less

Philanthropy as a source of funding for nursing initiatives.

PubMed

Kleinpell, Ruth M; Start, Rachel; McIntosh, Erik; Worobec, Sophia; Llewellyn, Jane

2014-01-01

Nurse leaders are challenged with ensuring that research and evidence-based practices are being integrated into clinical care. Initiatives such as the Magnet Recognition Program have helped reinforce the importance of advancing nursing practices to integrate best practices, conduct quality improvement initiatives, improve performance metrics, and involve bedside nurses in conducting research and evidence-based practice projects. While seeking research funding is an option for some initiatives, other strategies such as seeking funding from grateful patients or from philanthropic resources are becoming important options for nurse leaders to pursue, as the availability of funding from traditional sources such as professional organizations or federal funding becomes more limited. In addition, more institutions are seeking and applying for funding, increasing the pool of candidates who are vying for existing funding. Seeking alternative sources of funding, such as through philanthropy, becomes a viable option. This article reviews important considerations in seeking funding from philanthropic sources for nursing initiatives. Examples from a multiyear project that focused on promoting a healthy work environment and improving nursing morale are used to highlight strategies that were used to solicit, obtain, and secure extension funding from private foundation funding to support the initiative.

50 Years of Army Computing From ENIAC to MSRC

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

processing capability. The scientifi c visualization program was started in 1984 to provide tools and expertise to help researchers graphically...and materials, forces modeling, nanoelectronics, electromagnetics and acoustics, signal image processing , and simulation and modeling. The ARL...mechanical and electrical calculating equipment, punch card data processing equipment, analog computers, and early digital machines. Before beginning, we

The State of the NIH BRAIN Initiative.

PubMed

Koroshetz, Walter; Gordon, Joshua; Adams, Amy; Beckel-Mitchener, Andrea; Churchill, James; Farber, Gregory; Freund, Michelle; Gnadt, Jim; Hsu, Nina; Langhals, Nicholas; Lisanby, Sarah; Liu, Guoying; Peng, Grace; Ramos, Khara; Steinmetz, Michael; Talley, Edmund; White, Samantha

2018-06-19

The BRAIN Initiative® arose from a grand challenge to "accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought." The BRAIN Initiative is a public-private effort focused on the development and use of powerful tools for acquiring fundamental insights about how information processing occurs in the central nervous system. As the Initiative enters its fifth year, NIH has supported over 500 principal investigators, who have answered the Initiative's challenge via hundreds of publications describing novel tools, methods, and discoveries that address the Initiative's seven scientific priorities. We describe scientific advances produced by individual labs, multi-investigator teams, and entire consortia that, over the coming decades, will produce more comprehensive and dynamic maps of the brain, deepen our understanding of how circuit activity can produce a rich tapestry of behaviors, and lay the foundation for understanding how its circuitry is disrupted in brain disorders. Much more work remains to bring this vision to fruition, and NIH continues to look to the diverse scientific community, from mathematics, to physics, chemistry, engineering, neuroethics, and neuroscience, to ensure that the greatest scientific benefit arises from this unique research Initiative. Copyright © 2018 the authors.

Civil space technology initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

The Civil Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) is a major, focused, space technology program of the Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology (OAET) of NASA. The program was initiated to advance technology beyond basic research in order to expand and enhance system and vehicle capabilities for near-term missions. CSTI takes critical technologies to the point at which a user can confidently incorporate the new or expanded capabilities into relatively near-term, high-priority NASA missions. In particular, the CSTI program emphasizes technologies necessary for reliable and efficient access to and operation in Earth orbit as well as for support of scientific missions from Earth orbit.

Promoting Ethics and Integrity in Management Academic Research: Retraction Initiative.

PubMed

Ayodele, Freida Ozavize; Yao, Liu; Haron, Hasnah

2018-02-13

In the management academic research, academic advancement, job security, and the securing of research funds at one's university are judged mainly by one's output of publications in high impact journals. With bogus resumes filled with published journal articles, universities and other allied institutions are keen to recruit or sustain the appointment of such academics. This often places undue pressure on aspiring academics and on those already recruited to engage in research misconduct which often leads to research integrity. This structured review focuses on the ethics and integrity of management research through an analysis of retracted articles published from 2005 to 2016. The study employs a structured literature review methodology whereby retracted articles published between 2005 and 2016 in the field of management science were found using Crossref and Google Scholar. The searched articles were then streamlined by selecting articles based on their relevance and content in accordance with the inclusion criteria. Based on the analysed retracted articles, the study shows evidence of ethical misconduct among researchers of management science. Such misconduct includes data falsification, the duplication of submitted articles, plagiarism, data irregularity and incomplete citation practices. Interestingly, the analysed results indicate that the field of knowledge management includes the highest number of retracted articles, with plagiarism constituting the most significant ethical issue. Furthermore, the findings of this study show that ethical misconduct is not restricted to a particular geographic location; it occurs in numerous countries. In turn, avenues of further study on research misconduct in management research are proposed.

Air Force Research Initiation Program. 1986 Technical Report. Volume 3

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

functions quickly. b. Knowledgeable intermittent users retain the operation- al concepts. c. Error messages are rarely needed. d. Users can see...Motions," AIAA J., Vol. 23, No. 11, November 1985, pp. 1653-1659. 83-16 3.0 BEGINNING OF REGION OF FAST DYNAMIC STALL VORTEX GROWTH INITIATION OF DYNAMIC...19E6. Observations of the oil/water separator conducted during firetraining excercise March 1, 1986. Memorandum Subtask 4.31. Dynamac Corporation

United States Air Force Research Initiation Program for 1987. Volume 4.

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-01

devices containing an initial volume of 1.Oml TCE showed a decrease in performance and activity. 83-1 Acknowledgements Debbie Hollenbach (who completed...the Old German word for birch .) Parchment, the f’crvor of monks in medieval monasteries, and advancements in calligraphy and illumination turned books

Social Sleepwalkers. Scientific and Technological Research in California Agriculture. Research Monograph No. 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedland, William H.

Making a case for initiation of a systematic methodology that would predict and evaluate the potential social ramifications of scientific research, this monograph presents: (1) a review of the general lack of social concern among scientific researchers and rationale for utilization of scientific agricultural research as initiator of social…

Globalization of Nanoengineers' Professional Training: Foreign Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tretko, Vitaliy; Vashkurak, Yuriy

2017-01-01

Conceptual bases of globalization influence onto engineer education in the field of nanoelectronics as well as formation of global skills necessary for life and work in a globalized society have been considered. Modern state of incorporating the global dimension into the process of future nanoelectronics engineers' learning has been analyzed. Key…

The California Stem Cell Initiative: Persuasion, Politics, and Public Science

PubMed Central

Weinberg, Joanna K.

2010-01-01

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created by a California ballot initiative to make stem cell research a constitutional right, in response to Bush administration restrictions on stem cell research. The initiative created a taxpayer-funded, multibillion-dollar institution, intended to advance public health by developing cures and treatments for diabetes, cancer, paralysis, and other conditions. The initiative has been highly controversial among stakeholders and watchdog groups concerned with organizational transparency, accountability, and the ethics of stem cell research. We interviewed major stakeholders—both supporters and opponents—and analyzed documents and meeting notes. We found that the CIRM has overcome start-up challenges, been selectively influenced by criticism, and adhered to its core mission. PMID:20075315

The California stem cell initiative: persuasion, politics, and public science.

PubMed

Adelson, Joel W; Weinberg, Joanna K

2010-03-01

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created by a California ballot initiative to make stem cell research a constitutional right, in response to Bush administration restrictions on stem cell research. The initiative created a taxpayer-funded, multibillion-dollar institution, intended to advance public health by developing cures and treatments for diabetes, cancer, paralysis, and other conditions. The initiative has been highly controversial among stakeholders and watchdog groups concerned with organizational transparency, accountability, and the ethics of stem cell research. We interviewed major stakeholders-both supporters and opponents-and analyzed documents and meeting notes. We found that the CIRM has overcome start-up challenges, been selectively influenced by criticism, and adhered to its core mission.

A European multi-language initiative to make the general population aware of independent clinical research: the European Communication on Research Awareness Need project.

PubMed

Mosconi, Paola; Antes, Gerd; Barbareschi, Giorgio; Burls, Amanda; Demotes-Mainard, Jacques; Chalmers, Iain; Colombo, Cinzia; Garattini, Silvio; Gluud, Christian; Gyte, Gill; Mcllwain, Catherine; Penfold, Matt; Post, Nils; Satolli, Roberto; Valetto, Maria Rosa; West, Brian; Wolff, Stephanie

2016-01-12

The ECRAN (European Communication on Research Awareness Needs) project was initiated in 2012, with support from the European Commission, to improve public knowledge about the importance of independent, multinational, clinical trials in Europe. Participants in the ECRAN consortium included clinicians and methodologists directly involved in clinical trials; researchers working in partnership with the public and patients; representatives of patients; and experts in science communication. We searched for, and evaluated, relevant existing materials and developed additional materials and tools, making them freely available under a Creative Commons licence. The principal communication materials developed were: 1. A website ( http://ecranproject.eu ) in six languages, including a Media centre section to help journalists to disseminate information about the ECRAN project 2. An animated film about clinical trials, dubbed in the 23 official languages of the European Community, and an interactive tutorial 3. An inventory of resources, available in 23 languages, searchable by topic, author, and media type 4. Two educational games for young people, developed in six languages 5. Testing Treatments interactive in a dozen languages, including five official European Community languages 6. An interactive tutorial slide presentation testing viewers' knowledge about clinical trials Over a 2-year project, our multidisciplinary and multinational consortium was able to produce, and make freely available in many languages, new materials to promote public knowledge about the importance of independent and international clinical trials. Sustained funding for the ECRAN information platform could help to promote successful recruitment to independent clinical trials supported through the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network.

Balance control during gait initiation: State-of-the-art and research perspectives.

PubMed

Yiou, Eric; Caderby, Teddy; Delafontaine, Arnaud; Fourcade, Paul; Honeine, Jean-Louis

2017-11-18

It is well known that balance control is affected by aging, neurological and orthopedic conditions. Poor balance control during gait and postural maintenance are associated with disability, falls and increased mortality. Gait initiation - the transient period between the quiet standing posture and steady state walking - is a functional task that is classically used in the literature to investigate how the central nervous system (CNS) controls balance during a whole-body movement involving change in the base of support dimensions and center of mass progression. Understanding how the CNS in able-bodied subjects exerts this control during such a challenging task is a pre-requisite to identifying motor disorders in populations with specific impairments of the postural system. It may also provide clinicians with objective measures to assess the efficiency of rehabilitation programs and better target interventions according to individual impairments. The present review thus proposes a state-of-the-art analysis on: (1) the balance control mechanisms in play during gait initiation in able bodied subjects and in the case of some frail populations; and (2) the biomechanical parameters used in the literature to quantify dynamic stability during gait initiation. Balance control mechanisms reviewed in this article included anticipatory postural adjustments, stance leg stiffness, foot placement, lateral ankle strategy, swing foot strike pattern and vertical center of mass braking. Based on this review, the following viewpoints were put forward: (1) dynamic stability during gait initiation may share a principle of homeostatic regulation similar to most physiological variables, where separate mechanisms need to be coordinated to ensure stabilization of vital variables, and consequently; and (2) rehabilitation interventions which focus on separate or isolated components of posture, balance, or gait may limit the effectiveness of current clinical practices.

Balance control during gait initiation: State-of-the-art and research perspectives

PubMed Central

Yiou, Eric; Caderby, Teddy; Delafontaine, Arnaud; Fourcade, Paul; Honeine, Jean-Louis

2017-01-01

It is well known that balance control is affected by aging, neurological and orthopedic conditions. Poor balance control during gait and postural maintenance are associated with disability, falls and increased mortality. Gait initiation - the transient period between the quiet standing posture and steady state walking - is a functional task that is classically used in the literature to investigate how the central nervous system (CNS) controls balance during a whole-body movement involving change in the base of support dimensions and center of mass progression. Understanding how the CNS in able-bodied subjects exerts this control during such a challenging task is a pre-requisite to identifying motor disorders in populations with specific impairments of the postural system. It may also provide clinicians with objective measures to assess the efficiency of rehabilitation programs and better target interventions according to individual impairments. The present review thus proposes a state-of-the-art analysis on: (1) the balance control mechanisms in play during gait initiation in able bodied subjects and in the case of some frail populations; and (2) the biomechanical parameters used in the literature to quantify dynamic stability during gait initiation. Balance control mechanisms reviewed in this article included anticipatory postural adjustments, stance leg stiffness, foot placement, lateral ankle strategy, swing foot strike pattern and vertical center of mass braking. Based on this review, the following viewpoints were put forward: (1) dynamic stability during gait initiation may share a principle of homeostatic regulation similar to most physiological variables, where separate mechanisms need to be coordinated to ensure stabilization of vital variables, and consequently; and (2) rehabilitation interventions which focus on separate or isolated components of posture, balance, or gait may limit the effectiveness of current clinical practices. PMID:29184756

Predictors of High Motivation Score for Performing Research Initiation Fellowship, Master 1, Research Master 2, and PhD Curricula During Medical Studies: A Strobe-Compliant Article.

PubMed

Feigerlova, Eva; Oussalah, Abderrahim; Fournier, Jean-Paul; Antonelli, Arnaud; Hadjadj, Samy; Marechaud, Richard; Guéant, Jean-Louis; Roblot, Pascal; Braun, Marc

2016-02-01

Translational research plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between fundamental and clinical research. The importance of integrating research training into medical education has been emphasized. Predictive factors that help to identify the most motivated medical students to perform academic research are unknown. In a cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 315 medical students, residents and attending physicians, using a comprehensive structured questionnaire we assessed motivations and obstacles to perform academic research curricula (ie, research initiation fellowship, Master 1, Research Master 2, and PhD). Independent predictive factors associated with high "motivation score" (top quartile on motivation score ranging from 0 to 10) to enroll in academic research curricula were derived using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing Master 1 curriculum were: "considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential" (OR, 3.79; 95% CI, 1.49-9.59; P = 0.005) and "knowledge of at least 2 research units within the university" (OR, 3.60; 95% CI, 2.01-6.47; P < 0.0001). Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing Research Master 2 curriculum were: "attending physician" (OR, 4.60; 95% CI, 1.86-11.37; P = 0.001); "considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential" (OR, 4.12; 95% CI, 1.51-11.23; P = 0.006); "knowledge of at least 2 research units within the university" (OR, 3.51; 95% CI, 1.91-6.46; P = 0.0001); and "male gender" (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.02-3.25; P = 0.04). Independent predictors of high motivation score for performing PhD curriculum were: "considering that the integration of translational research in medical curriculum is essential" (OR, 5.94; 95% CI, 2.33-15.19; P = 0.0002) and "knowledge of at least 2 research units within the university" (OR, 2.63; 95

Ontario's Student Voice Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courtney, Jean

2014-01-01

This article describes in some detail aspects of the Student Voice initiative funded and championed by Ontario's Ministry of Education since 2008. The project enables thousands of students to make their voices heard in meaningful ways and to participate in student-led research. Some students from grades 7 to 12 become members of the Student…

Operationalizing Cognitive Science and Technologies' Research and Development; the "Brain and Cognition Study Group (BCSG)" Initiative from Shiraz, Iran.

PubMed

Ashjazadeh, Nahid; Boostani, Reza; Ekhtiari, Hamed; Emamghoreishi, Masoumeh; Farrokhi, Majidreza; Ghanizadeh, Ahmad; Hatam, Gholamreza; Hadianfard, Habib; Lotfi, Mehrzad; Mortazavi, Seyed Mohammad Javad; Mousavi, Maryam; Montakhab, Afshin; Nili, Majid; Razmkon, Ali; Salehi, Sina; Sodagar, Amir Mohammad; Setoodeh, Peiman; Taghipour, Mousa; Torabi-Nami, Mohammad; Vesal, Abdolkarim

2014-01-01

Recent advances in brain and cognitive science studies have revolutionized concepts in neural dynamics, regulating mechanisms, coding systems and information processing networks which govern our function and behavior. Hidden aspects of neurological and psychiatric diseases are being understood and hopes for their treatment are emerging. Although the two comprehensive mega-projects on brain mapping are in place in the United States and Europe; the proportion of science contributed by the developing countries should not be downsized. With the granted supports from the Cognitive Sciences and Technologies Council (CSTC), Iran can take its role in research on brain and cognition further. The idea of research and development in Cognitive Sciences and Technologies (CST) is being disseminated across the country by CSTC. Towards this goal, the first Shiraz interdisciplinary meeting on CST was held on 9 January 2014 in Namazi hospital, Shiraz. CST research priorities, infrastructure development, education and promotion were among the main topics discussed during this interactive meeting. The steering committee of the first CST meeting in Shiraz decided to frame future research works within the "Brain and Cognition Study Group-Shiraz" (BCSG-Shiraz). The study group comprises scientific leaders from various allied disciplines including neuroscience, neurosurgery, neurology, psychiatry, psychology, radiology, physiology, bioengineering, biophysics, applied physics and telecommunication. As the headquarter for CST in the southern Iran, BCSG-Shiraz is determined to advocate "brain and cognition" awareness, education and research in close collaboration with CSTC. Together with CSTC, Shiraz Neuroscience Research center (SNRC) will take the initiative to cross boundaries in interdisciplinary works and multi-centric research projects within the study group.

Transitioning a Fundamental Research Program to Align with the NASA Exploration Initiative-Perspectives from Microgravity Combustion Science and Fluid Physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutliff, Thomas J.; Kohl, Fred J.

2004-01-01

A new Vision for Space Exploration was announced earlier this year by U.S. President George W. Bush. NASA has evaluated on-going programs for strategic alignment with this vision. The evaluation proceeded at a rapid pace and is resulting in changes to the scope and focus of experimental research that will be conducted in support of the new vision. The existing network of researchers in the physical sciences - a highly capable, independent, and loosely knitted community - typically have shared conclusions derived from their work within appropriate discipline-specific peer reviewed journals and publications. The initial result of introducing this Vision for Space Exploration has been to shift research focus from a broad coverage of numerous, widely varying topics into a research program focused on a nearly-singular set of supporting research objectives to enable advances in space exploration. Two of these traditional physical science research disciplines, Combustion Science and Fluid Physics, are implementing a course adjustment from a portfolio dominated by "Fundamental Science Research" to one focused nearly exclusively on supporting the Exploration Vision. Underlying scientific and engineering competencies and infrastructure of the Microgravity Combustion Science and Fluid Physics disciplines do provide essential research capabilities to support the contemporary thrusts of human life support, radiation countermeasures, human health, low gravity research for propulsion and materials and, ultimately, research conducted on the Moon and Mars. A perspective on how these two research disciplines responded to the course change will be presented. The relevance to the new NASA direction is provided, while demonstrating through two examples how the prior investment in fundamental research is being brought to bear on solving the issues confronting the successful implementation of the exploration goals.

The CROWN initiative: journal editors invite researchers to develop core outcomes in women’s health

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Clinical trials, systematic reviews and guidelines compare beneficial and non-beneficial outcomes following interventions. Often, however, various studies on a particular topic do not address the same outcomes, making it difficult to draw clinically useful conclusions when a group of studies is looked at as a whole. This problem was recently thrown into sharp focus by a systematic review of interventions for preterm birth prevention, which found that among 103 randomised trials, no fewer than 72 different outcomes were reported. There is a growing recognition among clinical researchers that this variability undermines consistent synthesis of the evidence, and that what is needed is an agreed standardised collection of outcomes - a "core outcomes set" - for all trials in a specific clinical area. Recognising that the current inconsistency is a serious hindrance to progress in our specialty, the editors of over 50 journals related to women's health have come together to support The CROWN (CoRe Outcomes in WomeN's health) Initiative. PMID:25048583

The CROWN initiative: journal editors invite researchers to develop core outcomes in women’s health

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Clinical trials, systematic reviews and guidelines compare beneficial and non-beneficial outcomes following interventions. Often, however, various studies on a particular topic do not address the same outcomes, making it difficult to draw clinically useful conclusions when a group of studies is looked at as a whole. This problem was recently thrown into sharp focus by a systematic review of interventions for preterm birth prevention, which found that among 103 randomised trials, no fewer than 72 different outcomes were reported. There is a growing recognition among clinical researchers that this variability undermines consistent synthesis of the evidence, and that what is needed is an agreed standardised collection of outcomes - a “core outcomes set” - for all trials in a specific clinical area. Recognising that the current inconsistency is a serious hindrance to progress in our specialty, the editors of over 50 journals related to women’s health have come together to support The CROWN (CoRe Outcomes in WomeN’s health) Initiative. PMID:24957208

The CROWN Initiative: journal editors invite researchers to develop core outcomes in women’s health

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Clinical trials, systematic reviews and guidelines compare beneficial and non-beneficial outcomes following interventions. Often, however, various studies on a particular topic do not address the same outcomes, making it difficult to draw clinically useful conclusions when a group of studies is looked at as a whole. This problem was recently thrown into sharp focus by a systematic review of interventions for preterm birth prevention, which found that among 103 randomised trials, no fewer than 72 different outcomes were reported. There is a growing recognition among clinical researchers that this variability undermines consistent synthesis of the evidence, and that what is needed is an agreed standardised collection of outcomes - a "core outcomes set" - for all trials in a specific clinical area. Recognising that the current inconsistency is a serious hindrance to progress in our specialty, the editors of over 50 journals related to women's health have come together to support The CROWN (CoRe Outcomes in WomeN's health) Initiative. PMID:25050130

Updated global soil map for the Weather Research and Forecasting model and soil moisture initialization for the Noah land surface model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DY, C. Y.; Fung, J. C. H.

2016-08-01

A meteorological model requires accurate initial conditions and boundary conditions to obtain realistic numerical weather predictions. The land surface controls the surface heat and moisture exchanges, which can be determined by the physical properties of the soil and soil state variables, subsequently exerting an effect on the boundary layer meteorology. The initial and boundary conditions of soil moisture are currently obtained via National Centers for Environmental Prediction FNL (Final) Operational Global Analysis data, which are collected operationally in 1° by 1° resolutions every 6 h. Another input to the model is the soil map generated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (FAO-UNESCO) soil database, which combines several soil surveys from around the world. Both soil moisture from the FNL analysis data and the default soil map lack accuracy and feature coarse resolutions, particularly for certain areas of China. In this study, we update the global soil map with data from Beijing Normal University in 1 km by 1 km grids and propose an alternative method of soil moisture initialization. Simulations of the Weather Research and Forecasting model show that spinning-up the soil moisture improves near-surface temperature and relative humidity prediction using different types of soil moisture initialization. Explanations of that improvement and improvement of the planetary boundary layer height in performing process analysis are provided.

Teacher Incentive Systems, Final Report. Policy Research Initiative: Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, Yemen Arab Republic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemmerer, Frances; Thiagarajan, Sivasailam

Findings of a study that examined the implementation of a teacher incentives initiative in four countries--Haiti, Liberia, Somalia, and Yemen--are presented in this paper. The countries are participating in a 10-year initiative founded in 1984, Improving the Efficiency of Educational Systems (IEES). Methodology involved interviews with…

Initial Stage Reference Search : Behavioral Economics and Transportation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

The initial stage investigation is the beginning step in the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program process for exploring ideas across traditional and nontraditional fields of research and stimulating new approaches to problem solving. The proce...

The viability of establishing collaborative, reconfigurable research environments for the Human Performance Research Laboratory at NASA Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clipson, Colin

1994-01-01

This paper will review and summarize research initiatives conducted between 1987 and 1992 at NASA Ames Research Center by a research team from the University of Michigan Architecture Research Laboratory. These research initiatives, funded by a NASA grant NAG2-635, examined the viability of establishing collaborative, reconfigurable research environments for the Human Performance Research Laboratory at NASA Ames in California. Collaborative Research Environments are envisioned as a way of enhancing the work of NASA research teams, optimizing the use of shared resources, and providing superior environments for housing research activities. The Integrated Simulation Project at NASA, Ames Human Performance Research Laboratory is one of the current realizations of this initiative.

An evaluation of safety culture initiatives at BNSF Railway

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Major safety culture (SC) initiatives initiated in the FRA Office of Research, Technology and Development (RT&D), such as Clear Signal for Action (CSA), the Investigation of Safety Related Occurrences Protocol (ISROP), the Participative Safety Rules ...

Developing the Safety of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Registry Initiative (SAFARI) as a collaborative pan-stakeholder critical path registry model: a Cardiac Safety Research Consortium "Incubator" Think Tank.

PubMed

Al-Khatib, Sana M; Calkins, Hugh; Eloff, Benjamin C; Kowey, Peter; Hammill, Stephen C; Ellenbogen, Kenneth A; Marinac-Dabic, Danica; Waldo, Albert L; Brindis, Ralph G; Wilbur, David J; Jackman, Warren M; Yaross, Marcia S; Russo, Andrea M; Prystowsky, Eric; Varosy, Paul D; Gross, Thomas; Pinnow, Ellen; Turakhia, Mintu P; Krucoff, Mitchell W

2010-10-01

Although several randomized clinical trials have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) in experienced centers, the outcomes of this procedure in routine clinical practice and in patients with persistent and long-standing persistent AF remain uncertain. Brisk adoption of this therapy by physicians with diverse training and experience highlights potential concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of this procedure. Some of these concerns could be addressed by a national registry of AF ablation procedures such as the Safety of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Registry Initiative that was initially proposed at a Cardiac Safety Research Consortium Think Tank meeting in April 2009. In January 2010, the Cardiac Safety Research Consortium, in collaboration with the Duke Clinical Research Institute, the US Food and Drug Administration, the American College of Cardiology, and the Heart Rhythm Society, held a follow-up meeting of experts in the field to review the construct and progress to date. Other participants included the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; the AdvaMed AF working group; and additional industry representatives. This article summarizes the discussions that occurred at the meeting of the state of the Safety of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Registry Initiative, the identification of a clear pathway for its implementation, and the exploration of solutions to potential issues in the execution of this registry. Copyright © 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Partnering With NASA JSC for Community Research Needs; Collaborative and Student Opportunities via Jacobs and PSAMS Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danielson, Lisa; Draper, David

2016-01-01

NASA Johnson Space Center's (JSC's) Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division houses a unique combination of laboratories and other assets for conducting cutting-edge planetary research. These facilities have been accessed for decades by outside scientists; over the past five years, the 16 full time contract research and technical staff members in our division have hosted a total of 223 visiting researchers, representing 35 institutions. In order to continue to provide this level of support to the planetary sciences community, and also expand our services and collaboration within the broader scientific community, we intend to submit a proposal to NASA specifically for facilities support and establishment of our laboratories as a collective, PSAMS, Planetary Sample Analyses and Mission Science. This initiative should result in substantial cost savings to PIs with NASA funding who wish to use our facilities. Another cost saving could be realized by aggregating visiting user experiments and analyses through COMPRES, which would be of particular interest to researchers in earth and material sciences. JSC is a recognized NASA center of excellence for curation, and in future will allow PIs and mission teams easy access to samples in Curation facilities that they have been approved to study. Our curation expertise could also be used for a collection of experimental run products that could be shared and distributed to COMPRES community members. These experimental run products could range from 1 bar controlled atmosphere furnace, piston cylinder, multi-anvil, CETUS (see companion abstract), to shocked products. Coordinated analyses of samples is one of the major strengths of our division, where a single sample can be prepared with minimal destruction for a variety of chemical and structural analyses, from macro to nano-scale.

10 CFR 473.22 - Initial review by manager.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Initial review by manager. 473.22 Section 473.22 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Review and Certification of Grants, Cooperative Agreements, Contracts, and Projects § 473.22 Initial review by manager. (a...

10 CFR 473.22 - Initial review by manager.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Initial review by manager. 473.22 Section 473.22 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Review and Certification of Grants, Cooperative Agreements, Contracts, and Projects § 473.22 Initial review by manager. (a...

10 CFR 473.22 - Initial review by manager.