High-Level Data-Abstraction System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishwick, P. A.

1986-01-01

Communication with data-base processor flexible and efficient. High Level Data Abstraction (HILDA) system is three-layer system supporting data-abstraction features of Intel data-base processor (DBP). Purpose of HILDA establishment of flexible method of efficiently communicating with DBP. Power of HILDA lies in its extensibility with regard to syntax and semantic changes. HILDA's high-level query language readily modified. Offers powerful potential to computer sites where DBP attached to DEC VAX-series computer. HILDA system written in Pascal and FORTRAN 77 for interactive execution.

"DI Days:" Differentiating Instruction through Student Choice. Classroom Tips

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammond, Donald J.

2011-01-01

To better meet the needs of the author's high school students, who have a variety of abilities, interests and engagement levels, he often differentiates instruction through the use of "DI Days." On these days, students use a choice board to select from a wide range of activities offered in learning centers. Each center offers content-focused…

Argobots: A Lightweight Low-Level Threading and Tasking Framework

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

Seo, Sangmin; Amer, Abdelhalim; Balaji, Pavan

In the past few decades, a number of user-level threading and tasking models have been proposed in the literature to address the shortcomings of OS-level threads, primarily with respect to cost and flexibility. Current state-of-the-art user-level threading and tasking models, however, are either too specific to applications or architectures or are not as powerful or flexible. In this paper, we present Argobots, a lightweight, low-level threading and tasking framework that is designed as a portable and performant substrate for high-level programming models or runtime systems. Argobots offers a carefully designed execution model that balances generality of functionality with providing amore » rich set of controls to allow specialization by the user or high-level programming model. We describe the design, implementation, and optimization of Argobots and present integrations with three example high-level models: OpenMP, MPI, and co-located I/O service. Evaluations show that (1) Argobots outperforms existing generic threading runtimes; (2) our OpenMP runtime offers more efficient interoperability capabilities than production OpenMP runtimes do; (3) when MPI interoperates with Argobots instead of Pthreads, it enjoys reduced synchronization costs and better latency hiding capabilities; and (4) I/O service with Argobots reduces interference with co-located applications, achieving performance competitive with that of the Pthreads version.« less

Implementing a Workforce Development Pipeline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hix, Billy

2002-01-01

Research shows that the number of highly trained scientists and engineers has continued a steady decline during the 1990's. Furthermore, at the high school level, almost 40% of the total high school graduates are seeking technical skills in preparation of entering the workforce directly. The decrease of students in technology and science programs, along with the lack of viable vocational programs, haunts educators and businesses alike. However, MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) has the opportunity to become a leading edge model of workforce development by offering a unified program of apprenticeships, workshops, and educational initiatives. These programs will be designed to encourage young people of all backgrounds to pursue the fields of technology and science, to assist research opportunities, and to support teachers in the systemic changes that they are facing. The emphasis of our program based on grade levels will be: Elementary Level: Exposure to the workforce. Middle School: Examine the workforce. High School and beyond: Instruct the workforce. It is proposed that MSFC create a well-integrated Workforce Development Pipeline Program. The program will act to integrate the many and varied programs offered across MSFC directorates and offices. It will offer a clear path of programs for students throughout middle school, high school, technical training, and college and universities. The end result would consist of technicians, bachelors degrees, masters degrees, and PhDs in science and engineering fields entering the nation's workforce, with a focus on NASA's future personnel needs.

Premium growth and its effect on employer-sponsored insurance.

PubMed

Vistnes, Jessica; Selden, Thomas

2011-03-01

We use variation in premium inflation and general inflation across geographic areas to identify the effects of downward nominal wage rigidity on employers' health insurance decisions. Using employer level data from the 2000 to 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey-Insurance Component, we examine the effect of premium growth on the likelihood that an employer offers insurance, eligibility rates among employees, continuous measures of employee premium contributions for both single and family coverage, and deductibles. We find that small, low-wage employers are less likely to offer health insurance in response to increased premium inflation, and if they do offer coverage they increase employee contributions and deductible levels. In contrast, larger, low-wage employers maintain their offers of coverage, but reduce eligibility for such coverage. They also increase employee contributions for single and family coverage, but not deductibles. Among high-wage employers, all but the largest increase deductibles in response to cost pressures.

Liberalism Among Superintendents: An Attitude Profile Drawn from Contemporary Social and Political Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Carol M.

This report offers the results of an effort to trace a value profile of school superintendents, who are distinguished both by a high level of professional education and by a need to relate effectively with those who have a lower level of education. The intent was to examine the growing polarity between a highly educated liberal…

STEM Excellence and Leadership Program: Increasing the Level of STEM Challenge and Engagement for High-Achieving Students in Economically Disadvantaged Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ihrig, Lori M.; Lane, Erin; Mahatmya, Duhita; Assouline, Susan G.

2018-01-01

High-achieving students in economically disadvantaged, rural schools lack access to advanced coursework necessary to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational and employment goals at the highest levels, contributing to the excellence gap. Out-of-school STEM programming offers one pathway to students' talent…

Dynamic mobility applications open source application development portal task 6.1a : architecture and high-level design task 6.1b : list of requirements included in initial architecture and high-level design.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-12

This document offers a detailed discussion of the systems functionality that was planned to be implemented. However, following the Agile Development methodology, during the course of system development, diligent decisions were made based on the la...

Education Offered Via Telecommunications: Trends, Issues, and State-Level Problems in Instructional Technology for Colleges and Universities. Report 87-49.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Postsecondary Education Commission, Sacramento.

Issues concerning telecommunications courses offered by California universities and colleges are reviewed with a focus on the progress made over the past 6 years regarding the lack of incentives for faculty to use instructional technology in their teaching, lack of coordination among interested institutions and agencies, and high initial costs for…

Two-level main memory co-design: Multi-threaded algorithmic primitives, analysis, and simulation

DOE PAGES

Bender, Michael A.; Berry, Jonathan W.; Hammond, Simon D.; ...

2017-01-03

A challenge in computer architecture is that processors often cannot be fed data from DRAM as fast as CPUs can consume it. Therefore, many applications are memory-bandwidth bound. With this motivation and the realization that traditional architectures (with all DRAM reachable only via bus) are insufficient to feed groups of modern processing units, vendors have introduced a variety of non-DDR 3D memory technologies (Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC),Wide I/O 2, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)). These offer higher bandwidth and lower power by stacking DRAM chips on the processor or nearby on a silicon interposer. We will call these solutions “near-memory,” andmore » if user-addressable, “scratchpad.” High-performance systems on the market now offer two levels of main memory: near-memory on package and traditional DRAM further away. In the near term we expect the latencies near-memory and DRAM to be similar. Here, it is natural to think of near-memory as another module on the DRAM level of the memory hierarchy. Vendors are expected to offer modes in which the near memory is used as cache, but we believe that this will be inefficient.« less

Rates of trauma-informed counseling at substance abuse treatment facilities: reports from over 10,000 programs.

PubMed

Capezza, Nicole M; Najavits, Lisa M

2012-04-01

Trauma-informed treatment increasingly is recognized as an important component of service delivery. This study examined differences in treatment-related characteristics of facilities that offer moderate or high levels of trauma-informed counseling versus those that offer no or low levels of such counseling. Responses from 13,223 substance abuse treatment facilities surveyed in 2009 by the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (NSSATS) were used. A majority (66.6%) of facilities reported using trauma counseling sometimes or always or often. Facilities that provided moderate or high levels of trauma counseling were more likely to provide additional treatment services, such as disease testing and specialized group therapy, as well as child care, employment counseling, and other ancillary services. A majority of facilities reported provision of trauma counseling. Additional training and resources may be needed for programs that reported low rates of trauma counseling.

Globalisation and Education in the Postcolonial World: The Conundrum of the Higher Education System of the United Arab Emirates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burden-Leahy, Sheila M.

2009-01-01

Occupying a crucial economic role in supporting capitalism through the supply of oil, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a very-high income, early-development stage nation with high annual economic growth levels but low levels of labour market participation by its citizens. The national higher education system was established in 1977 and offers a…

A multilevel examination of school and student characteristics associated with moderate and high levels of physical activity among elementary school students (Ontario, Canada).

PubMed

Hobin, Erin P; Leatherdale, Scott T; Manske, Steve R; Robertson-Wilson, Jennifer

2010-01-01

Schools represent an important environment for physical activity (PA) promotion among youth. Schools can promote PA through policies and programs but our understanding of how these school characteristics associate with student PA levels is largely unknown. Developing this understanding is critical for implementing new prevention interventions. The aim of this study was to identify the school- and student-related characteristics associated with moderate and high levels of PA in a sample of Ontario elementary schools. Using multi-level logistic regression analyses, we explored the school- and student-level characteristics associated with being moderately and highly active using data collected from administrators and from students in grades 5 to 8 at 30 elementary schools in Ontario. Students' PA levels, sex, grade, and the number of physical education classes per week were linked to school environment data--specifically, a school's chosen implementation model for daily physical activity and whether it offers intramural and interschool PA programming. Findings indicate that there was significant between-school variation for being moderately and highly active. Students were less likely to be moderately or highly active if they attended a school offering interschool PA programming. An important student characteristic positively associated with student PA levels included participating in at least two physical education classes per week. The residual differences in PA by school suggest that school-level characteristics facilitate higher levels of student PA beyond individual-level factors. Although most variation in student PA lies between students within schools, there is sufficient between-school variation to be of interest to practitioners and policy-makers.

Argobots: A Lightweight Low-Level Threading and Tasking Framework

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

Seo, Sangmin; Amer, Abdelhalim; Balaji, Pavan

In the past few decades, a number of user-level threading and tasking models have been proposed in the literature to address the shortcomings of OS-level threads, primarily with respect to cost and flexibility. Current state-of-the-art user-level threading and tasking models, however, either are too specific to applications or architectures or are not as powerful or flexible. In this paper, we present Argobots, a lightweight, low-level threading and tasking framework that is designed as a portable and performant substrate for high-level programming models or runtime systems. Argobots offers a carefully designed execution model that balances generality of functionality with providing amore » rich set of controls to allow specialization by end users or high-level programming models. We describe the design, implementation, and performance characterization of Argobots and present integrations with three high-level models: OpenMP, MPI, and colocated I/O services. Evaluations show that (1) Argobots, while providing richer capabilities, is competitive with existing simpler generic threading runtimes; (2) our OpenMP runtime offers more efficient interoperability capabilities than production OpenMP runtimes do; (3) when MPI interoperates with Argobots instead of Pthreads, it enjoys reduced synchronization costs and better latency-hiding capabilities; and (4) I/O services with Argobots reduce interference with colocated applications while achieving performance competitive with that of a Pthreads approach.« less

Argobots: A Lightweight Low-Level Threading and Tasking Framework

DOE PAGES

Seo, Sangmin; Amer, Abdelhalim; Balaji, Pavan; ...

2017-10-24

In the past few decades, a number of user-level threading and tasking models have been proposed in the literature to address the shortcomings of OS-level threads, primarily with respect to cost and flexibility. Current state-of-the-art user-level threading and tasking models, however, are either too specific to applications or architectures or are not as powerful or flexible. In this article, we present Argobots, a lightweight, low-level threading and tasking framework that is designed as a portable and performant substrate for high-level programming models or runtime systems. Argobots offers a carefully designed execution model that balances generality of functionality with providing amore » rich set of controls to allow specialization by the user or high-level programming model. Here, we describe the design, implementation, and optimization of Argobots and present integrations with three example high-level models: OpenMP, MPI, and co-located I/O service. Evaluations show that (1) Argobots outperforms existing generic threading runtimes; (2) our OpenMP runtime offers more efficient interoperability capabilities than production OpenMP runtimes do; (3) when MPI interoperates with Argobots instead of Pthreads, it enjoys reduced synchronization costs and better latency hiding capabilities; and (4) I/O service with Argobots reduces interference with co-located applications, achieving performance competitive with that of the Pthreads version.« less

Argobots: A Lightweight Low-Level Threading and Tasking Framework

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

Seo, Sangmin; Amer, Abdelhalim; Balaji, Pavan

In the past few decades, a number of user-level threading and tasking models have been proposed in the literature to address the shortcomings of OS-level threads, primarily with respect to cost and flexibility. Current state-of-the-art user-level threading and tasking models, however, are either too specific to applications or architectures or are not as powerful or flexible. In this article, we present Argobots, a lightweight, low-level threading and tasking framework that is designed as a portable and performant substrate for high-level programming models or runtime systems. Argobots offers a carefully designed execution model that balances generality of functionality with providing amore » rich set of controls to allow specialization by the user or high-level programming model. Here, we describe the design, implementation, and optimization of Argobots and present integrations with three example high-level models: OpenMP, MPI, and co-located I/O service. Evaluations show that (1) Argobots outperforms existing generic threading runtimes; (2) our OpenMP runtime offers more efficient interoperability capabilities than production OpenMP runtimes do; (3) when MPI interoperates with Argobots instead of Pthreads, it enjoys reduced synchronization costs and better latency hiding capabilities; and (4) I/O service with Argobots reduces interference with co-located applications, achieving performance competitive with that of the Pthreads version.« less

An Investigation of the Products and Impact of Graduate Student SoTL Programs: Observations and Recommendations from a Single Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Nancy L.; Brame, Cynthia

2015-01-01

This study offers an investigation of three graduate-level SoTL programs offered since 2007 at a mid-size, highly selective, private, research-intensive university in the southeastern United States. We identify patterns in these early experiences with the scholarship of teaching and learning, specifically the choices made while carrying out their…

Native Studies in Colleges and Universities: A Guide to Courses in Native Studies Offered in Ontario Beyond the Secondary School Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities, Toronto.

Intended to provide general information about educational opportunities in Ontario beyond high school, this publication concentrates on post-secondary courses that may be of particular interest to Native people and non-Natives who wish to improve their appreciation of Native society and cultures. Courses of study described are offered by Ontario…

Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip

Cancer.gov

The HumanMethylation450 BeadChip offers a unique combination of comprehensive, expert-selected coverage and high throughput at a low price, making it ideal for screening large sample populations such as those used in genome-wide association study cohorts. By providing quantitative methylation measurement at the single-CpG–site level for normal and FFPE samples, this assay offers powerful resolution for understanding epigenetic changes.

Postcards from America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullin, Penn

"Postcards from America" is the publisher's name for a set of five high-interest low-level novellas written on a second-grade reading level and featuring a multicultural mix of adolescent characters (African-American, Mexican-American, Asian-American, and Caucasian). For recreational reading, the novellas in this set offer a mix of…

L-citrulline levels in watermelon cultivars from three locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Producers of fresh fruit and vegetables face increasing production costs and more intense international market competition. Maximizing marketability by offering high quality produce that is also highly nutritious gives new market niches for some crops, such as watermelons, if appropriate germplasm ...

Vocational Education Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davitt, Bob; And Others

Vocational education programs were offered in 10 middle schools, 5 area high schools, 2 alternative high schools, and at the central campus of Des Moines Public Schools (Iowa). The major curricular focus at the middle school was career exploration. At the area high school level, the program was broad based to meet the needs of a high percentage of…

Music at Lincoln Junior High (Minneapolis) and the Lincoln Junior High Girls' Band: 1923-1940

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamann, Keitha Lucas

2010-01-01

Examination of the music opportunities available to students in the junior high schools of the early twentieth century lends historical perspective to current challenges facing middle level music educators. This article describes the specific music offerings at Lincoln Junior High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from the school opening in 1923…

A Case of High School Hazing: Applying Restorative Justice to Promote Organizational Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeWitt, Douglas M.; DeWitt, Lori J.

2012-01-01

While collegiate fraternity and sorority hazing are well documented problems that receive prominent attention, hazing at the high school level is also a serious issue. Across the nation, media headlines offer a continual reminder that high school hazing is not a phenomenon of the past. As high school principals seek ways to discourage and…

Blueprint for Student Success: A Guide to Research-Based Teaching Practices K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Susan J.

This book presents a reality-based approach to classroom instruction designed to help learners at all levels achieve lifelong success. It offers teaching strategies, activities, and applications to enhance student achievement, stressing the importance of learning through discovery, creativity, application, adaptation, and high level thinking. It…

Examining Gender Inequality in a High School Engineering Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; Moore, Chelsea

2013-01-01

This paper examines gender inequality within the context of an upper-level high school engineering course recently offered in Texas. Data was collected from six high schools that serve students from a variety of backgrounds. Among the almost two hundred students who enrolled in this challenge-based engineering course, females constituted a clear…

LLNL/Lion Precision LVDT amplifier

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

Hopkins, D.J.

1994-04-01

A high-precision, low-noise, LVDT amplifier has been developed which is a significant advancement on the current state of the art in contact displacement measurement. This amplifier offers the dynamic range of a typical LVDT probe but with a resolution that rivals that of non contact displacement measuring systems such as capacitance gauges and laser interferometers. Resolution of 0.1 {mu} in with 100 Hz bandwidth is possible. This level of resolution is over an order of magnitude greater than what is now commercially available. A front panel switch can reduce the bandwidth to 2.5 Hz and attain a resolution of 0.025more » {mu} in. This level of resolution meets or exceeds that of displacement measuring laser interferometry or capacitance gauge systems. Contact displacement measurement offers high part spatial resolution and therefore can measure not only part contour but surface finish. Capacitance gauges and displacement laser interferometry offer poor part spatial resolution and can not provide good surface finish measurements. Machine tool builders, meteorologists and quality inspection departments can immediately utilize the higher accuracy and capabilities that this amplifier offers. The precision manufacturing industry can improve as a result of improved capability to measure parts that help reduce costs and minimize material waste.« less

Espanol para alumnos hispanohablantes: Niveles I y II de secundaria (Spanish for Spanish-Speaking Students: Secondary Levels I and II).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arce, Eugene; And Others

A curriculum guide for secondary levels 1 and 2 offers a linguistic and cultural program for native speakers of Spanish. Designed especially for bilingual students in Texas, the guide recognizes the high level of linguistic achievement of the Spanish-speaking pupils, and stresses an appreciation of Hispanic culture. The bulletin provides…

Employee choice of a high-deductible health plan across multiple employers.

PubMed

Lave, Judith R; Men, Aiju; Day, Brian T; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Yuting

2011-02-01

To determine factors associated with selecting a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) rather than a preferred provider plan (PPO) and to examine switching and market segmentation after initial selection. Claims and benefit information for 2005-2007 from nine employers in western Pennsylvania first offering HDHP in 2006. We examined plan growth over time, used logistic regression to determine factors associated with choosing an HDHP, and examined the distribution of healthy and sick members across plan types. We linked employees with their dependents to determine family-level variables. We extracted risk scores, covered charges, employee age, and employee gender from claims data. We determined census-level race, education, and income information. Health status, gender, race, and education influenced the type of individual and family policies chosen. In the second year the HDHP was offered, few employees changed plans. Risk segmentation between HDHPs and PPOs existed, but it did not increase. When given a choice, those who are healthier are more likely to select an HDHP leading to risk segmentation. Risk segmentation did not increase in the second year that HDHPs were offered. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

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

Bender, Michael A.; Berry, Jonathan W.; Hammond, Simon D.

A challenge in computer architecture is that processors often cannot be fed data from DRAM as fast as CPUs can consume it. Therefore, many applications are memory-bandwidth bound. With this motivation and the realization that traditional architectures (with all DRAM reachable only via bus) are insufficient to feed groups of modern processing units, vendors have introduced a variety of non-DDR 3D memory technologies (Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC),Wide I/O 2, High Bandwidth Memory (HBM)). These offer higher bandwidth and lower power by stacking DRAM chips on the processor or nearby on a silicon interposer. We will call these solutions “near-memory,” andmore » if user-addressable, “scratchpad.” High-performance systems on the market now offer two levels of main memory: near-memory on package and traditional DRAM further away. In the near term we expect the latencies near-memory and DRAM to be similar. Here, it is natural to think of near-memory as another module on the DRAM level of the memory hierarchy. Vendors are expected to offer modes in which the near memory is used as cache, but we believe that this will be inefficient.« less

Home Economics/Health Grades 6-12. Program Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Des Moines Public Schools, IA. Teaching and Learning Div.

Home economics programs are offered to students in grades 6-12 in the Des Moines INdependent Community School District (Iowa). Programs at the middle school level are exploratory, leading to occupational training in family and consumer science, child care, food service, and textile and fashion arts at the high school level. Health education…

Responding to a Challenging Perceptual-Motor Task as a Function of Level of Experiential Avoidance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zettle, Robert D.; Petersen, Connie L.; Hocker, Tanya R.; Provines, Jessica L.

2007-01-01

Participants displaying high versus low levels of experiential avoidance as assessed by the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (Hayes, Strosahl, et al., 2004) were compared in their reactions to and performance on a challenging perceptual-motor task. Participants were offered incentives for sorting colored straws into different colored containers…

Initiating and Strengthening College and University Instructional Physical Activity Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Michelle M.

2011-01-01

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education supports the offering of strong college and university instructional physical activity programs (C/UIPAPs). With a rapid decline in physical activity levels, high stress levels, and unhealthy weight-loss practices among college-age students, it is apparent that C/UIPAPs embedded in the…

Reconnaissance Report on San Pedro Ports, California.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

skirt completely around its periphery. More recent in technology than other types of vessels, ACV’s offer high speed at low drag. They offer a unique...concentrated on the present effect of the channel and on the communities through which it runs and on the citizens of those communities . The general...Vehicular traffic contributes significantly to the noise levels within the San Pedro Harbor area, and it is the dominating source within the area

Plugging into Pop at the Junior High Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Dick

1979-01-01

Describes a junior high music program in Ridgewood, New Jersey, which capitalizes on student interest in popular music through courses in rock music history, pop music choral concerts, and facilities offering modern music production and performance equipment. This article is part of a theme issue on popular music. (SJL)

Pueblo Community College, Dual Credit Handbook, 1998-99.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Mary

This Dual Credit Handbook from Pueblo Community College (CO) provides information and guidelines to assist instructors in meeting their assignment. These guidelines apply to dual credit courses offered to high school students during their regular school hours, for which students receive high school- and college-level credit simultaneously. This…

A Survey of Instructional Support for Undergraduate Research Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hensley, Merinda Kaye

2015-01-01

Undergraduate research and other high-impact educational practices simulate real-world learning environments and present an opportunity for high-level information literacy teaching to be better incorporated into the curriculum. The purpose of this survey is to examine efforts of libraries currently offering IL instruction to undergraduate research…

High power industrial picosecond laser from IR to UV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saby, Julien; Sangla, Damien; Pierrot, Simonette; Deslandes, Pierre; Salin, François

2013-02-01

Many industrial applications such as glass cutting, ceramic micro-machining or photovoltaic processes require high average and high peak power Picosecond pulses. The main limitation for the expansion of the picosecond market is the cost of high power picosecond laser sources, which is due to the complexity of the architecture used for picosecond pulse amplification, and the difficulty to keep an excellent beam quality at high average power. Amplification with fibers is a good technology to achieve high power in picosecond regime but, because of its tight confinement over long distances, light undergoes dramatic non linearities while propagating in fibers. One way to avoid strong non linearities is to increase fiber's mode area. Nineteen missing holes fibers offering core diameter larger than 80μm have been used over the past few years [1-3] but it has been shown that mode instabilities occur at approximately 100W average output power in these fibers [4]. Recently a new fiber design has been introduced, in which HOMs are delocalized from the core to the clad, preventing from HOMs amplification [5]. In these so-called Large Pitch Fibers, threshold for mode instabilities is increased to 294W offering robust single-mode operation below this power level [6]. We have demonstrated a high power-high efficiency industrial picosecond source using single-mode Large Pitch rod-type fibers doped with Ytterbium. Large Pitch Rod type fibers can offer a unique combination of single-mode output with a very large mode area from 40 μm up to 100μm and very high gain. This enables to directly amplify a low power-low energy Mode Locked Fiber laser with a simple amplification architecture, achieving very high power together with singlemode output independent of power level or repetition rate.

Enabling Professionalism: The Master Technician Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wimmer, Doris K.

1988-01-01

Describes Virginia's Master Technician Program, which offers a comprehensive coordinated curriculum in electronics/electromechanical technology that spans high school and community college levels of instruction. Highlights innovations of the project, curriculum design, advantages, and future projections. (DMM)

Education and Outreach Programs Offered by the Center for High Pressure Research and the Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richard, G. A.

2003-12-01

Major research facilities and organizations provide an effective venue for developing partnerships with educational organizations in order to offer a wide variety of educational programs, because they constitute a base where the culture of scientific investigation can flourish. The Consortium for Materials Properties Research in Earth Sciences (COMPRES) conducts education and outreach programs through the Earth Science Educational Resource Center (ESERC), in partnership with other groups that offer research and education programs. ESERC initiated its development of education programs in 1994 under the administration of the Center for High Pressure Research (CHiPR), which was funded as a National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center from 1991 to 2002. Programs developed during ESERC's association with CHiPR and COMPRES have targeted a wide range of audiences, including pre-K, K-12 students and teachers, undergraduates, and graduate students. Since 1995, ESERC has offered inquiry-based programs to Project WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) students at a high school and undergraduate level. Activities have included projects that investigated earthquakes, high pressure mineral physics, and local geology. Through a practicum known as Project Java, undergraduate computer science students have developed interactive instructional tools for several of these activities. For K-12 teachers, a course on Long Island geology is offered each fall, which includes an examination of the role that processes in the Earth's interior have played in the geologic history of the region. ESERC has worked with Stony Brook's Department of Geosciences faculty to offer courses on natural hazards, computer modeling, and field geology to undergraduate students, and on computer programming for graduate students. Each summer, a four-week residential college-level environmental geology course is offered to rising tenth graders from the Brentwood, New York schools in partnership with Stony Brook's Department of Technology and Society. During the academic year, a college-level Earth science course is offered to tenth graders from Sayville, New York. In both programs, students conduct research projects as one of their primary responsibilities. In collaboration with the Museum of Long Island Natural Sciences on the Stony Brook campus, two programs have been developed that enable visiting K-12 school classes to investigate earthquakes and phenomena that operate in the Earth's deep interior. From 1997 to 1999, the weekly activity-based Science Enrichment for the Early Years (SEEY) program, focusing on common Earth materials and fundamental Earth processes, was conducted at a local pre-K school. Since 2002, ESERC has worked with the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) to organize the Skills Workshops for their Annual Meeting and with EarthScope for the development of their Education and Outreach Program Plan. Future education programs and tools developed through COMPRES partnerships will place an increased emphasis on deep Earth materials and phenomena.

ProjectQ Software Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steiger, Damian S.; Haener, Thomas; Troyer, Matthias

Quantum computers promise to transform our notions of computation by offering a completely new paradigm. A high level quantum programming language and optimizing compilers are essential components to achieve scalable quantum computation. In order to address this, we introduce the ProjectQ software framework - an open source effort to support both theorists and experimentalists by providing intuitive tools to implement and run quantum algorithms. Here, we present our ProjectQ quantum compiler, which compiles a quantum algorithm from our high-level Python-embedded language down to low-level quantum gates available on the target system. We demonstrate how this compiler can be used to control actual hardware and to run high-performance simulations.

Psychiatric symptoms in methamphetamine users.

PubMed

Zweben, Joan E; Cohen, Judith B; Christian, Darrell; Galloway, Gantt P; Salinardi, Michelle; Parent, David; Iguchi, Martin

2004-01-01

The Methamphetamine Treatment Project (MTP) offers the opportunity to examine co-occurring psychiatric conditions in a sample of 1016 methamphetamine users participating in a multisite outpatient treatment study between 1999-2001. Participants reported high levels of psychiatric symptoms, particularly depression and attempted suicide, but also anxiety and psychotic symptoms. They also reported high levels of problems controlling anger and violent behavior, with a correspondingly high frequency of assault and weapons charges. Findings continue to support the value of integrated treatment for co-occurring conditions, especially the importance of training counseling staff to handle psychotic symptoms when needed.

Development of a Suitable Survey Instrument To Identify Causes Behind High Turnover Rates within the 0301 Series in the Communications Electronics Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

2008, the intern training program did not offer specialized training to interns hired under series 1101 (see Figure 1). The program provided...MMS interns (Logistics and Readiness Center [LRC], 2010-b, p. 5) (see Appendix B). This training offered 1101 interns suitable specialized LDS...level in place of the former Directorates of Logistics. ILSC customers should see seamless continuity of cutting edge logistics services . (Egolf

Who receives cannabis use offers: A general population study of adolescents.

PubMed

Burdzovic Andreas, Jasmina; Pape, Hilde

2015-11-01

Drug use is predicated on a combination of "willingness" and "opportunity". That is, independent of any desire to use drugs, a drug use opportunity is required; be it indirect (i.e., being in a drug-use setting) or direct (i.e., receiving a direct drug offer). However, whether some youth are more likely to encounter such direct drug use opportunities is not fully known. We examined whether certain characteristics placed adolescents at greater risk for being offered cannabis, after accounting for a number of demographic-, contextual-, interpersonal-, and personal-level risk factors. We utilized data from a Norwegian school survey (n=19,309) where the likelihood of receiving cannabis offer in the past year was estimated using logistic regression models. Substantive focus was on the individual and combined effects of personal (i.e., delinquency) and interpersonal (i.e., cannabis-using close friend) risk factors. Separate models were fit for middle- and high-school students. Delinquency was a significant risk factor for receiving cannabis offers, as was a cannabis-using best friend. In addition, peer cannabis use increased the risk of cannabis offers mostly for adolescents on the lower delinquency spectrum, but less so for highly delinquent adolescents. These interaction effects were primarily driven by the middle-school cohort. Cannabis offers were more likely to be extended to youth of certain high-risk profiles. Targeted prevention strategies can therefore be extended to a general profile of younger adolescents with externalizing problems and cannabis-using peers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

ARO in Review 2011

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

high school or undergraduate student research apprenticeships through HSAP/URAP. Seven institutions were funded under HSAP/URAP in FY11, totaling...The JSHS Program promotes original research and experimentation in the sciences, engineering, and mathematics at the high school level and publicly...national symposia. B. Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (REAP) REAP is designed to offer high school students the opportunity to expand their

The Value of Business Education: Perceptions of High School Guidance Counselors, Principals, and Boards of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Railsback, Barbara; Hite, Nancy Groneman

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the value of business education at the secondary school level as perceived by three groups of people who have great impact on course offerings, student advisement, and teacher hiring decisions. Specifically, high school counselors, high school principals, and local board of education presidents in a…

Headwaters: The Next Stage in High School Integrated Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elrick, Michael

2007-01-01

For 12 years, Centennial High School in Guelph has run an integrated program called the Community Environmental Leadership Program (CELP). In 1995 the program was offered at the grade 11 level. The program ran successfully in the second semester for seven years. In 2001, with the high school system being modified to fit into a four-year model, and…

Nanoporous metal/oxide hybrid electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Xingyou; Hirata, Akihiko; Fujita, Takeshi; Chen, Mingwei

2011-04-01

Electrochemical supercapacitors can deliver high levels of electrical power and offer long operating lifetimes, but their energy storage density is too low for many important applications. Pseudocapacitive transition-metal oxides such as MnO2 could be used to make electrodes in such supercapacitors, because they are predicted to have a high capacitance for storing electrical charge while also being inexpensive and not harmful to the environment. However, the poor conductivity of MnO2 (10-5-10-6 S cm-1) limits the charge/discharge rate for high-power applications. Here, we show that hybrid structures made of nanoporous gold and nanocrystalline MnO2 have enhanced conductivity, resulting in a specific capacitance of the constituent MnO2 (~1,145 F g-1) that is close to the theoretical value. The nanoporous gold allows electron transport through the MnO2, and facilitates fast ion diffusion between the MnO2 and the electrolytes while also acting as a double-layer capacitor. The high specific capacitances and charge/discharge rates offered by such hybrid structures make them promising candidates as electrodes in supercapacitors, combining high-energy storage densities with high levels of power delivery.

Nanoporous metal/oxide hybrid electrodes for electrochemical supercapacitors.

PubMed

Lang, Xingyou; Hirata, Akihiko; Fujita, Takeshi; Chen, Mingwei

2011-04-01

Electrochemical supercapacitors can deliver high levels of electrical power and offer long operating lifetimes, but their energy storage density is too low for many important applications. Pseudocapacitive transition-metal oxides such as MnO(2) could be used to make electrodes in such supercapacitors, because they are predicted to have a high capacitance for storing electrical charge while also being inexpensive and not harmful to the environment. However, the poor conductivity of MnO(2) (10(-5)-10(-6) S cm(-1)) limits the charge/discharge rate for high-power applications. Here, we show that hybrid structures made of nanoporous gold and nanocrystalline MnO(2) have enhanced conductivity, resulting in a specific capacitance of the constituent MnO(2) (~1,145 F g(-1)) that is close to the theoretical value. The nanoporous gold allows electron transport through the MnO(2), and facilitates fast ion diffusion between the MnO(2) and the electrolytes while also acting as a double-layer capacitor. The high specific capacitances and charge/discharge rates offered by such hybrid structures make them promising candidates as electrodes in supercapacitors, combining high-energy storage densities with high levels of power delivery.

Quantitation of Phenol Levels in Oil of Wintergreen Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry with Selected Ion Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobel, Robert M.; Ballantine, David S.; Ryzhov, Victor

2005-01-01

Industrial application of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis is a powerful technique that could be used to elucidate components of a complex mixture while offering the benefits of high-precision quantitative analysis. The natural wintergreen oil is examined for its phenol concentration to determine the level of refining…

Junior High Business Education. Arkansas Public School Course Content Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas State Dept. of Education, Little Rock.

This course content guide was developed in accordance with the Standards for Accreditation of Public Schools adopted by the Arkansas State Board of Education. The guide is offered as a framework upon which a curriculum can be built. Within the subject area and at each grade level, the content guide identifies skills at three instructional levels:…

Comparing Student Reflectiveness in Online Discussion Forums across Modes of Instruction and Levels of Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadha, Anita

2017-01-01

Fostering reflective deliberation in the online classroom ensures that students reach a high level of achievement in virtual courses. Student peer exchanges were evaluated on a collaborative web site structured around interactive weekly discussions offered across an online, face-to-face, and upper- and lower-division political science courses.…

The Role of Gratitude in Fostering School Bonding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furlong, Michael J.; Froh, Jeffrey J.; Muller, Meagan E.; Gonzalez, Victoria

2014-01-01

A body of research has emerged during the past three decades focusing on how students engage in the schooling process and the broader positive developmental outcomes associated with high levels of engagement and lower involvement in high-risk behaviors. This chapter suggests that gratitude might offer a unique contribution for understanding how…

Academic-Career Integration in Magnet High Schools: Assessing the Level of Implementation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tokarska, Barbara; And Others

An ongoing study examined implementation and student response to academic career magnet (ACM) programs in New York City high schools. The programs emphasize both college preparation and career education, demonstrating one approach to the current emphasis on integrating academic and vocational education. New York City offers a wide array of magnet…

Doing the Humanities: The Use of Undergraduate Classroom Humanities Research Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geib, George W.

"American Visions" is a freshman-level survey course offered by the Department of History as part of Butler University's core curriculum. The course is built around three primary contextual considerations: high culture, popular culture, and community culture. The high culture approach is designed to introduce students to major systems of thought…

Machine Tool--Metal Trades Competency Certificate. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maier, Esther

Because a need existed for better articulation between the metal trades programs offered at area high schools and at Blackhawk Technical Institute in Janesville, Wisconsin, a program of communication with the high schools was developed. This communication was expected to lead to a smoother transfer of students from one level of training to…

An Evaluation of Instructor Qualifications for Teaching Dual Enrollment Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul-Karim, Barbara Daaiyah

2010-01-01

This study examined instructor qualifications for teaching dual enrollment students, college-level work. This research focused on Maryland dual enrollment programs that offered both high school and college credit to high school students for each college Associate of Arts and Associate of Science transfer course taken. One significant goal of dual…

Self-Compassion: A Mentorship Framework for Counselor Educator Mothers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Coralis; Barden, Sejal Mehta

2016-01-01

Counselor educators experience high levels of stress. Mothers in academia face an additional set of emotional stressors. The authors offer a self-compassion framework for mentors to increase emotional resilience of mothers in counselor education.

Optimization-based sale transactions and hydrothermal scheduling

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

Prasannan, B.; Luh, P.B.; Yan, H.

1995-12-31

Selling and purchasing power are important activities for utilities because of potential savings. When a selling utility presents an offer including prices, power levels and durations, a purchasing utility selects power levels and durations within the offered range subject to relevant constraints. The decisionmaking process is complicated because transactions are coupled with system demand and reserve, therefore decisions have to be made in conjunction with the commitment and dispatching of units. Furthermore, transaction decisions have to be made in almost real time in view of the competitiveness of the power market caused by deregulation. In this paper, transactions are analyzedmore » from a selling utility`s viewpoint for a system consisting of thermal, hydro and pumped-storage units. To effectively solve the problem, linear sale revenues are approximated by nonlinear functions, and non-profitable options are identified and eliminated from consideration. The multipliers are then updated at the high level by using a modified subgradient method to obtain near optimal solutions quickly. Testing results show that the algorithm produces good sale offers efficiently.« less

Optimization-based sale transactions and hydrothermal scheduling

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

Prasannan, B.; Luh, P.B.; Yan, H.

1996-05-01

Selling and purchasing power are important activities for utilities because of potential savings. When a selling utility presents an offer including prices, power levels and durations, a purchasing utility selects power levels and durations within the offered range subject to relevant constraints. The decisionmaking process is complicated because transactions are coupled with system demand and reserve, therefore decisions have to be made in conjunction with the commitment and dispatching of units. Furthermore, transaction decisions have to be made in almost real time in view of the competitiveness of the power market caused by deregulation. In this paper, transactions are analyzedmore » from a selling utility`s viewpoint for a system consisting of thermal, hydro and pumped-storage units. To effectively solve the problem, linear sale revenues are approximated by nonlinear functions, and non-profitable options are identified and eliminated from consideration. The multipliers are then updated at the high level by using a modified subgradient method to obtain near optimal solutions quickly. Testing results show that the algorithm produces good sale offers efficiently.« less

Employee Choice of a High-Deductible Health Plan across Multiple Employers

PubMed Central

Lave, Judith R; Men, Aiju; Day, Brian T; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Yuting

2011-01-01

Objective To determine factors associated with selecting a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) rather than a preferred provider plan (PPO) and to examine switching and market segmentation after initial selection. Data Sources/Study Setting Claims and benefit information for 2005–2007 from nine employers in western Pennsylvania first offering HDHP in 2006. Study Design We examined plan growth over time, used logistic regression to determine factors associated with choosing an HDHP, and examined the distribution of healthy and sick members across plan types. Data Extraction We linked employees with their dependents to determine family-level variables. We extracted risk scores, covered charges, employee age, and employee gender from claims data. We determined census-level race, education, and income information. Principal Findings Health status, gender, race, and education influenced the type of individual and family policies chosen. In the second year the HDHP was offered, few employees changed plans. Risk segmentation between HDHPs and PPOs existed, but it did not increase. Conclusions When given a choice, those who are healthier are more likely to select an HDHP leading to risk segmentation. Risk segmentation did not increase in the second year that HDHPs were offered. PMID:20849558

PCs and Personal Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Don

1991-01-01

Studies suggest that computer work stations may induce high levels of physical and psychological stress. Advises school districts to take a proactive stance on ergonomics. Cites laws and pending litigation regulating computer use in the workspace and offers guidelines for computer users. (MLF)

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments focus on the benefits scientists received from networking with K-12 teachers. The classroom lessons resulting from STEP have been so popular among teachers, the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development recently contracted with the PI to create a website that will make the STEP database open to teachers across Alaska. When the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development launched the new website in August 2011, the name of the STEP program was changed to the Alaska K-12 Science Curricular Initiative (AKSCI). The STEP courses serving as the foundation to the new AKSCI site are located under the "History" tab of the new website.

An Air Pollution Resource Manual for Junior High School and High School Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nurnberger, Robert G.

This manual was conceived and developed by a team of teachers and subject matter experts from diverse areas and planned as a resource for teachers at the middle school and high school levels who are concerned with air pollution. Not intended as a syllabus or student text, it offers information and sample exercises which may be incorporated into a…

Who Enrolls in Dual Enrollment and Other Acceleration Programs in Florida High Schools? Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 119

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estacion, Angela; Cotner, Bridget A.; D'Souza, Stephanie; Smith, Chrystal A. S.; Borman, Kathryn M.

2011-01-01

This study of advanced-level high school courses that offer credit toward both a high school diploma and a college degree in Florida compares one such program (dual enrollment) with others, describing the number and characteristics of grade 11 and 12 students enrolled overall and by district. It also examines dual enrollment partnerships between…

Who Enrolls in Dual Enrollment and Other Acceleration Programs in Florida High Schools? Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 119

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estacion, Angela; Cotner, Bridget A.; D'Souza, Stephanie; Smith, Chrystal A. S.; Borman, Kathryn M.

2011-01-01

This study of advanced-level high school courses that offer credit toward both a high school diploma and a college degree in Florida compares one such program (dual enrollment) with others, describing the number and characteristics of grade 11 and 12 students enrolled overall and by district. It also examines dual enrollment partnerships between…

The cascade high productivity language

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, David; Chamberlain, Branford L.; Zima, Hans P.

2004-01-01

This paper describes the design of Chapel, the Cascade High Productivity Language, which is being developed in the DARPA-funded HPCS project Cascade led by Cray Inc. Chapel pushes the state-of-the-art in languages for HEC system programming by focusing on productivity, in particular by combining the goal of highest possible object code performance with that of programmability offered by a high-level user interface.

Diversifying High Schools in Racially Changing Suburban Districts: Expanding Opportunity, Creating Barriers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frankenberg, Erica; Ayscue, Jennifer B.; Tyler, Alison C.

2016-01-01

Although demographic change is happening more rapidly at the elementary school level, the intersection of these demographic trends with the changing mission of high schools may offer the opportunity to reduce some of the persistent racial gaps in educational attainment. At the same time, when schools became diverse as desegregation took place,…

Effect of Lactic Acid Lactobacillus Preservative and Moisture Level at Baling on In-situ Digestibility of Crabgrass Hay by Heifers.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Common crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris [Retz.] Koel.) is a warm-season annual that offers an advantage over many perennial warm-season grasses because of its greater nutritive value and high palatability. However, little is known about how baling crabgrass hay at high moisture affects ruminal forage ...

An Observational Study of Peer Learning for High School Students at a Cybersecurity Camp

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittman, Jason M.; Pike, Ronald E.

2016-01-01

This paper reports on the design and implementation of a cybersecurity camp offered as a cybersecurity learning experience to a group of female and male high school students. Students ranged in grade level from freshmen to senior. Student demographics, including any existing pre-requisite knowledge, were unknown to camp designers prior to the…

K-3 Policymakers' Guide to Action: Making the Early Years Count. Special Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atchison, Bruce; Diffey, Louisa; Workman, Emily

2016-01-01

High-quality early elementary years offer a critical opportunity for child development and academic learning for all children, regardless of their race, family-income level, or culture and home language. All students deserve access to high-quality teachers and leaders trained in how to effectively support their learning. They deserve to attend…

Status of Instructional Physical Education Programs in Ohio Senior High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schraibman, Carl

High school level instructional physical education programs in the state of Ohio are examined to determine the quality of their organizational structure and curricula offerings. Data collected from a 74.3 percent questionnaire response from 70 Ohio school systems describes the functional arrangement of the school programs based on the sex of the…

Giving Students Extra Support to Meet Standards in Challenging Academic and Career Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2010

2010-01-01

Successful schools at all levels provide extra-help strategies to assist students in meeting high standards in both academic and career/technical courses. Some schools design a flexible schedule and offer virtual learning opportunities to enable at-risk students to complete high school. Middle grades schools can provide an accelerated curriculum…

Practice guideline summary: Reducing brain injury following cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

PubMed

Geocadin, Romergryko G; Wijdicks, Eelco; Armstrong, Melissa J; Damian, Maxwell; Mayer, Stephan A; Ornato, Joseph P; Rabinstein, Alejandro; Suarez, José I; Torbey, Michel T; Dubinsky, Richard M; Lazarou, Jason

2017-05-30

To assess the evidence and make evidence-based recommendations for acute interventions to reduce brain injury in adult patients who are comatose after successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Published literature from 1966 to August 29, 2016, was reviewed with evidence-based classification of relevant articles. For patients who are comatose in whom the initial cardiac rhythm is either pulseless ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF) after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), therapeutic hypothermia (TH; 32-34°C for 24 hours) is highly likely to be effective in improving functional neurologic outcome and survival compared with non-TH and should be offered (Level A). For patients who are comatose in whom the initial cardiac rhythm is either VT/VF or asystole/pulseless electrical activity (PEA) after OHCA, targeted temperature management (36°C for 24 hours, followed by 8 hours of rewarming to 37°C, and temperature maintenance below 37.5°C until 72 hours) is likely as effective as TH and is an acceptable alternative (Level B). For patients who are comatose with an initial rhythm of PEA/asystole, TH possibly improves survival and functional neurologic outcome at discharge vs standard care and may be offered (Level C). Prehospital cooling as an adjunct to TH is highly likely to be ineffective in further improving neurologic outcome and survival and should not be offered (Level A). Other pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic strategies (applied with or without concomitant TH) are also reviewed. © 2017 American Academy of Neurology.

Do targeted child health promotion services meet the needs of the most disadvantaged? A qualitative study of the views of health visitors working in inner-city and urban areas in England.

PubMed

Condon, Louise

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to explore health visitors' views on the effects of policy change on the services they offer to preschool children in areas of high health inequalities in England. Child health promotion services are offered throughout the world to maintain and improve children's health. It is not known how the policy shift to a more overtly targeted service, which has occurred in some countries, has affected child health promotion practice in areas of deprivation. An in-depth telephone interview study was conducted between October 2006 and January 2007. All participants (n = 25) were registered health visitors who had taken part in a 2005 National Survey of Child Health Promotion Practice in England and were delivering health promotion services to preschool children in inner-city and urban areas. Despite high levels of need, some children who would have benefited from an enhanced health visiting service were offered only the core programme. Local interpretation of national policy is a key factor in determining the level of service offered, and the extent of targeting. This study illustrates the importance, in any country, of exploring the effects of national policy change from the perspective of practitioners, to identify unintended outcomes. Reductions in the core child health promotion programme can lead to difficulties in monitoring and improving children's health outcomes in areas of deprivation. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The ACTIVATE study: results from a group-randomized controlled trial comparing a traditional worksite health promotion program with an activated consumer program.

PubMed

Terry, Paul E; Fowles, Jinnet Briggs; Xi, Min; Harvey, Lisa

2011-01-01

PURPOSE. This study compares a traditional worksite-based health promotion program with an activated consumer program and a control program DESIGN. Group randomized controlled trial with 18-month intervention. SETTING. Two large Midwestern companies. SUBJECTS. Three hundred and twenty employees (51% response). INTERVENTION. The traditional health promotion intervention offered population-level campaigns on physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. The activated consumer intervention included population-level campaigns for evaluating health information, choosing a health benefits plan, and understanding the risks of not taking medications as prescribed. The personal development intervention (control group) offered information on hobbies. The interventions also offered individual-level coaching for high risk individuals in both active intervention groups. MEASURES. Health risk status, general health status, consumer activation, productivity, and the ability to evaluate health information. ANALYSIS. Multivariate analyses controlled for baseline differences among the study groups. RESULTS. At the population level, compared with baseline performance, the traditional health promotion intervention improved health risk status, consumer activation, and the ability to recognize reliable health websites. Compared with baseline performance, the activated consumer intervention improved consumer activation, productivity, and the ability to recognize reliable health websites. At the population level, however, only the activated consumer intervention improved any outcome more than the control group did; that outcome was consumer activation. At the individual level for high risk individuals, both traditional health coaching and activated consumer coaching positively affected health risk status and consumer activation. In addition, both coaching interventions improved participant ability to recognize a reliable health website. Consumer activation coaching also significantly improved self-reported productivity. CONCLUSION. An effective intervention can change employee health risk status and activation both at the population level and at the individual high risk level. However, program engagement at the population level was low, indicating that additional promotional strategies, such as greater use of incentives, need to be examined. Less intensive coaching can be as effective as more intensive, albeit both interventions produced modest behavior change and retention in the consumer activation arm was most difficult. Further research is needed concerning recruitment and retention methods that will enable populations to realize the full potential of activated consumerism.

Low Thrust Orbital Maneuvers Using Ion Propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramesh, Eric

2011-10-01

Low-thrust maneuver options, such as electric propulsion, offer specific challenges within mission-level Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (MS&A) tools. This project seeks to transition techniques for simulating low-thrust maneuvers from detailed engineering level simulations such as AGI's Satellite ToolKit (STK) Astrogator to mission level simulations such as the System Effectiveness Analysis Simulation (SEAS). Our project goals are as follows: A) Assess different low-thrust options to achieve various orbital changes; B) Compare such approaches to more conventional, high-thrust profiles; C) Compare computational cost and accuracy of various approaches to calculate and simulate low-thrust maneuvers; D) Recommend methods for implementing low-thrust maneuvers in high-level mission simulations; E) prototype recommended solutions.

A Review of Lightweight Thread Approaches for High Performance Computing

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

Castello, Adrian; Pena, Antonio J.; Seo, Sangmin

High-level, directive-based solutions are becoming the programming models (PMs) of the multi/many-core architectures. Several solutions relying on operating system (OS) threads perfectly work with a moderate number of cores. However, exascale systems will spawn hundreds of thousands of threads in order to exploit their massive parallel architectures and thus conventional OS threads are too heavy for that purpose. Several lightweight thread (LWT) libraries have recently appeared offering lighter mechanisms to tackle massive concurrency. In order to examine the suitability of LWTs in high-level runtimes, we develop a set of microbenchmarks consisting of commonlyfound patterns in current parallel codes. Moreover, wemore » study the semantics offered by some LWT libraries in order to expose the similarities between different LWT application programming interfaces. This study reveals that a reduced set of LWT functions can be sufficient to cover the common parallel code patterns and that those LWT libraries perform better than OS threads-based solutions in cases where task and nested parallelism are becoming more popular with new architectures.« less

On-Demand Testing and Maintaining Standards for General Qualifications in the UK Using Item Response Theory: Possibilities and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

He, Qingping

2012-01-01

Background: Although on-demand testing is being increasingly used in many areas of assessment, it has not been adopted in high stakes examinations like the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A level) offered by awarding organisations (AOs) in the UK. One of the major issues…

Supertitrations: High-Precision Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guenther, W. B.

1988-01-01

Offers challenging work at a higher level of technique than most students meet in elementary laboratory work. Uses a combined weight and volumetric sequence not shown in textbooks. Notes modern rapid balances help lower evaporation loss during weighings. Discusses the balance, weights, and buoyancy considerations. (MVL)

Differences between U.S. substance abuse treatment facilities that do and do not offer domestic violence services.

PubMed

Cohn, Amy; Najavits, Lisa M

2014-04-01

Victimization by and perpetration of domestic violence are associated with co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. This study used data from the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services to examine differences in organizational factors, treatment approaches offered, and client-level factors among 13,342 substance abuse treatment facilities by whether or not they offered domestic violence services. Only 36% of the facilities offered domestic violence services. Those that offered such services were more likely than those that did not to treat clients with co-occurring disorders. Principal-components analysis reduced eight treatment approaches to two factors: psychosocial services and traditional substance abuse services. Regression models indicated that the frequency with which psychosocial services were offered depended on the percentage of clients with co-occurring disorders who were being treated in the facility and whether or not that facility offered domestic violence services. Specifically, facilities that did not offer domestic violence services and that had a high percentage of clients with co-occurring disorders were more likely to offer psychosocial services than facilities that offered domestic violence services. A larger proportion of facilities offering domestic violence services offered traditional substance abuse treatment services, compared with facilities not offering domestic violence services, but this relationship was not contingent on the percentage of clients with co-occurring disorders at each facility. Improved efforts should be made to tailor treatments to accommodate the links between domestic violence, mental disorders, and substance abuse.

Professional Notes: Creativity in the Jazz Ensemble--Let's Get away from the Written Jazz Solo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Robert

2015-01-01

Performing jazz offers students the opportunity to participate in a unique group activity where notated passages are blended with exciting moments of improvisation. Expectations have risen over the years as middle and high school jazz ensembles have proved that they can perform at a very high level. This expectation however, has led to the…

High Cycle Life Cathode for High Voltage (5V) Lithium Ion Batteries

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-16

lithium cobalt phosphate (LiCoPO4) that provides higher energy density (15% > LiFePO4 demonstrated, up to 40% greater with further R&D). •The invention...standard LiFePO4 • Higher voltage at cell level may reduce number of cells required for application • Easy and inexpensive method to prepare • Offers safety

A Teaching-Learning Sequence for the Special Relativity Theory at High School Level Historically and Epistemologically Contextualized

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arriassecq, Irene; Greca, Ileana Maria

2012-01-01

This paper discusses some topics that stem from recent contributions made by the History, the Philosophy, and the Didactics of Science. We consider these topics relevant to the introduction of the Special Relativity Theory (SRT) in high school within a contextualized approach. We offer an outline of a teaching-learning sequence dealing with the…

High School Exit Exams and Dropout in an Era of Increased Accountability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemelt, Steven W.; Marcotte, Dave E.

2013-01-01

A key form of student-level accountability is the requirement for students to pass high school exit exams (HSEEs) in order to receive a diploma. In this paper, we examine the impact of HSEEs on dropout during a period when these exams became more common and rigorous. Further, we study whether offering alternate pathways to graduation for students…

NiF2 Cathodes For Rechargeable Na Batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bugga, Ratnakumar V.; Distefano, Salvador; Halpert, Gerald

1992-01-01

Use of NiF2 cathodes in medium-to-high-temperature rechargeable sodium batteries increases energy and power densities by 25 to 30 percent without detracting from potential advantage of safety this type of sodium battery offers over sodium batteries having sulfur cathodes. High-energy-density sodium batteries with metal fluoride cathodes used in electric vehicles and for leveling loads on powerlines.

Using Generalizability Theory to Examine Sources of Variance in Observed Behaviors within High School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abry, Tashia; Cash, Anne H.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

2014-01-01

Generalizability theory (GT) offers a useful framework for estimating the reliability of a measure while accounting for multiple sources of error variance. The purpose of this study was to use GT to examine multiple sources of variance in and the reliability of school-level teacher and high school student behaviors as observed using the tool,…

20 CFR 655.1308 - Offered wage rate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... Recruitment for this purpose begins when the job order is accepted by the SWA for posting. (d) Wage offer. The... job offers for beginning level employees who have a basic understanding of the occupation. These... monitored and reviewed for accuracy. (2) Level II wage rates are assigned to job offers for employees who...

Targeted alpha therapy using short-lived alpha-particles and the promise of nanobodies as targeting vehicle

PubMed Central

Dekempeneer, Yana; Keyaerts, Marleen; Krasniqi, Ahmet; Puttemans, Janik; Muyldermans, Serge; Lahoutte, Tony; D’huyvetter, Matthias; Devoogdt, Nick

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Introduction: The combination of a targeted biomolecule that specifically defines the target and a radionuclide that delivers a cytotoxic payload offers a specific way to destroy cancer cells. Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRNT) aims to deliver cytotoxic radiation to cancer cells and causes minimal toxicity to surrounding healthy tissues. Recent advances using α-particle radiation emphasizes their potential to generate radiation in a highly localized and toxic manner because of their high level of ionization and short range in tissue. Areas covered: We review the importance of targeted alpha therapy (TAT) and focus on nanobodies as potential beneficial vehicles. In recent years, nanobodies have been evaluated intensively as unique antigen-specific vehicles for molecular imaging and TRNT. Expert opinion: We expect that the efficient targeting capacity and fast clearance of nanobodies offer a high potential for TAT. More particularly, we argue that the nanobodies’ pharmacokinetic properties match perfectly with the interesting decay properties of the short-lived α-particle emitting radionuclides Astatine-211 and Bismuth-213 and offer an interesting treatment option particularly for micrometastatic cancer and residual disease. PMID:27145158

Why should we investigate the morphological disparity of plant clades?

PubMed Central

Oyston, Jack W.; Hughes, Martin; Gerber, Sylvain; Wills, Matthew A.

2016-01-01

Background Disparity refers to the morphological variation in a sample of taxa, and is distinct from diversity or taxonomic richness. Diversity and disparity are fundamentally decoupled; many groups attain high levels of disparity early in their evolution, while diversity is still comparatively low. Diversity may subsequently increase even in the face of static or declining disparity by increasingly fine sub-division of morphological ‘design’ space (morphospace). Many animal clades reached high levels of disparity early in their evolution, but there have been few comparable studies of plant clades, despite their profound ecological and evolutionary importance. This study offers a prospective and some preliminary macroevolutionary analyses. Methods Classical morphometric methods are most suitable when there is reasonable conservation of form, but lose traction where morphological differences become greater (e.g. in comparisons across higher taxa). Discrete character matrices offer one means to compare a greater diversity of forms. This study explores morphospaces derived from eight discrete data sets for major plant clades, and discusses their macroevolutionary implications. Key Results Most of the plant clades in this study show initial, high levels of disparity that approach or attain the maximum levels reached subsequently. These plant clades are characterized by an initial phase of evolution during which most regions of their empirical morphospaces are colonized. Angiosperms, palms, pines and ferns show remarkably little variation in disparity through time. Conifers furnish the most marked exception, appearing at relatively low disparity in the latest Carboniferous, before expanding incrementally with the radiation of successive, tightly clustered constituent sub-clades. Conclusions Many cladistic data sets can be repurposed for investigating the morphological disparity of plant clades through time, and offer insights that are complementary to more focused morphometric studies. The unique structural and ecological features of plants make them ideally suited to investigating intrinsic and extrinsic constraints on disparity. PMID:26658292

Why should we investigate the morphological disparity of plant clades?

PubMed

Oyston, Jack W; Hughes, Martin; Gerber, Sylvain; Wills, Matthew A

2016-04-01

Disparity refers to the morphological variation in a sample of taxa, and is distinct from diversity or taxonomic richness. Diversity and disparity are fundamentally decoupled; many groups attain high levels of disparity early in their evolution, while diversity is still comparatively low. Diversity may subsequently increase even in the face of static or declining disparity by increasingly fine sub-division of morphological 'design' space (morphospace). Many animal clades reached high levels of disparity early in their evolution, but there have been few comparable studies of plant clades, despite their profound ecological and evolutionary importance. This study offers a prospective and some preliminary macroevolutionary analyses. Classical morphometric methods are most suitable when there is reasonable conservation of form, but lose traction where morphological differences become greater (e.g. in comparisons across higher taxa). Discrete character matrices offer one means to compare a greater diversity of forms. This study explores morphospaces derived from eight discrete data sets for major plant clades, and discusses their macroevolutionary implications. Most of the plant clades in this study show initial, high levels of disparity that approach or attain the maximum levels reached subsequently. These plant clades are characterized by an initial phase of evolution during which most regions of their empirical morphospaces are colonized. Angiosperms, palms, pines and ferns show remarkably little variation in disparity through time. Conifers furnish the most marked exception, appearing at relatively low disparity in the latest Carboniferous, before expanding incrementally with the radiation of successive, tightly clustered constituent sub-clades. Many cladistic data sets can be repurposed for investigating the morphological disparity of plant clades through time, and offer insights that are complementary to more focused morphometric studies. The unique structural and ecological features of plants make them ideally suited to investigating intrinsic and extrinsic constraints on disparity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

High-resolution method for evolving complex interface networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Shucheng; Hu, Xiangyu Y.; Adams, Nikolaus A.

2018-04-01

In this paper we describe a high-resolution transport formulation of the regional level-set approach for an improved prediction of the evolution of complex interface networks. The novelty of this method is twofold: (i) construction of local level sets and reconstruction of a global level set, (ii) local transport of the interface network by employing high-order spatial discretization schemes for improved representation of complex topologies. Various numerical test cases of multi-region flow problems, including triple-point advection, single vortex flow, mean curvature flow, normal driven flow, dry foam dynamics and shock-bubble interaction show that the method is accurate and suitable for a wide range of complex interface-network evolutions. Its overall computational cost is comparable to the Semi-Lagrangian regional level-set method while the prediction accuracy is significantly improved. The approach thus offers a viable alternative to previous interface-network level-set method.

High temperature metal hydrides as heat storage materials for solar and related applications.

PubMed

Felderhoff, Michael; Bogdanović, Borislav

2009-01-01

For the continuous production of electricity with solar heat power plants the storage of heat at a temperature level around 400 degrees C is essential. High temperature metal hydrides offer high heat storage capacities around this temperature. Based on Mg-compounds, these hydrides are in principle low-cost materials with excellent cycling stability. Relevant properties of these hydrides and their possible applications as heat storage materials are described.

High Temperature Metal Hydrides as Heat Storage Materials for Solar and Related Applications

PubMed Central

Felderhoff, Michael; Bogdanović, Borislav

2009-01-01

For the continuous production of electricity with solar heat power plants the storage of heat at a temperature level around 400 °C is essential. High temperature metal hydrides offer high heat storage capacities around this temperature. Based on Mg-compounds, these hydrides are in principle low-cost materials with excellent cycling stability. Relevant properties of these hydrides and their possible applications as heat storage materials are described. PMID:19333448

Transient Expression and Purification of Horseradish Peroxidase C in Nicotiana benthamiana.

PubMed

Huddy, Suzanne M; Hitzeroth, Inga I; Meyers, Ann E; Weber, Brandon; Rybicki, Edward P

2018-01-01

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a commercially important reagent enzyme used in molecular biology and in the diagnostic product industry. It is typically purified from the roots of the horseradish ( Armoracia rusticana ); however, this crop is only available seasonally, yields are variable and often low, and the product is a mixture of isoenzymes. Engineering high-level expression in transiently transformed tobacco may offer a solution to these problems. In this study, a synthetic Nicotiana benthamiana codon-adapted full-length HRP isoenzyme gene as well as C-terminally truncated and both N- and C-terminally truncated versions of the HRP C gene were synthesized, and their expression in N. benthamiana was evaluated using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens -mediated transient expression system. The influence on HRP C expression levels of co-infiltration with a silencing suppressor (NSs) construct was also evaluated. Highest HRP C levels were consistently obtained using either the full length or C-terminally truncated HRP C constructs. HRP C purification by ion exchange chromatography gave an overall yield of 54% with a Reinheitszahl value of >3 and a specific activity of 458 U/mg. The high level of HRP C production in N. benthamiana in just five days offers an alternative, viable, and scalable system for production of this commercially significant enzyme.

Transient Expression and Purification of Horseradish Peroxidase C in Nicotiana benthamiana

PubMed Central

Huddy, Suzanne M.; Hitzeroth, Inga I.; Weber, Brandon; Rybicki, Edward P.

2018-01-01

Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a commercially important reagent enzyme used in molecular biology and in the diagnostic product industry. It is typically purified from the roots of the horseradish (Armoracia rusticana); however, this crop is only available seasonally, yields are variable and often low, and the product is a mixture of isoenzymes. Engineering high-level expression in transiently transformed tobacco may offer a solution to these problems. In this study, a synthetic Nicotiana benthamiana codon-adapted full-length HRP isoenzyme gene as well as C-terminally truncated and both N- and C-terminally truncated versions of the HRP C gene were synthesized, and their expression in N. benthamiana was evaluated using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transient expression system. The influence on HRP C expression levels of co-infiltration with a silencing suppressor (NSs) construct was also evaluated. Highest HRP C levels were consistently obtained using either the full length or C-terminally truncated HRP C constructs. HRP C purification by ion exchange chromatography gave an overall yield of 54% with a Reinheitszahl value of >3 and a specific activity of 458 U/mg. The high level of HRP C production in N. benthamiana in just five days offers an alternative, viable, and scalable system for production of this commercially significant enzyme. PMID:29301255

Printed Carbon Nanotube Electronics and Sensor Systems.

PubMed

Chen, Kevin; Gao, Wei; Emaminejad, Sam; Kiriya, Daisuke; Ota, Hiroki; Nyein, Hnin Yin Yin; Takei, Kuniharu; Javey, Ali

2016-06-01

Printing technologies offer large-area, high-throughput production capabilities for electronics and sensors on mechanically flexible substrates that can conformally cover different surfaces. These capabilities enable a wide range of new applications such as low-cost disposable electronics for health monitoring and wearables, extremely large format electronic displays, interactive wallpapers, and sensing arrays. Solution-processed carbon nanotubes have been shown to be a promising candidate for such printing processes, offering stable devices with high performance. Here, recent progress made in printed carbon nanotube electronics is discussed in terms of materials, processing, devices, and applications. Research challenges and opportunities moving forward from processing and system-level integration points of view are also discussed for enabling practical applications. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

School Community Relations and Resources in Effective Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michel, George J.

1985-01-01

Discusses resources available to schools operating as open and closed systems. Examines school/community relations and school effectiveness, schools as resource machines, and resources offered by teachers and parents. Stresses that broad concepts of community, good communication, and citizen involvement can utilize resources at high levels of…

Personalized Learning in Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walkington, Candace; Sherman, Milan; Howell, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Mathematical "funds of knowledge" (Civil 2007) that students bring from their community and home lives can offer entry points for concepts such as functions and rate of change, which are important "big ideas" across all grade levels (NCTM 2000). The Common Core State Standards (CCSSI 2010) ask high school students to…

Back to the Drawing Board? Articulation and Outreach Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melin, Charlotte

2005-01-01

Connections between high school and college-level German programs can be strengthened through a combination of curricular articulation and strategic outreach initiatives. This essay reviews approaches to articulation, examines promising outreach models, and offers guidelines for developing program-specific plans. An analysis of German program…

The Essence of Montessori: Those Adolescent Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loeffler, Margaret Howard

2003-01-01

Describes typical transitions during Montessori's third plane of development, focusing on how the educational environment can offer a curriculum consonant with development. Describes how contemporary Erdkinder models at middle and high school levels have incorporated work on the land and apprentice learning to meet adolescents' needs/interests.…

Foundationalism and Neuroscience; Silence and Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keestra, Machiel; Cowley, Stephen J.

2009-01-01

Neuroscience offers more than new empirical evidence about the details of cognitive functions such as language, perception and action. Since it also shows many functions to be highly distributed, interconnected and dependent on mechanisms at different levels of processing, it challenges concepts that are traditionally used to describe these…

Grid Integration of Single Stage Solar PV System using Three-level Voltage Source Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussain, Ikhlaq; Kandpal, Maulik; Singh, Bhim

2016-08-01

This paper presents a single stage solar PV (photovoltaic) grid integrated power generating system using a three level voltage source converter (VSC) operating at low switching frequency of 900 Hz with robust synchronizing phase locked loop (RS-PLL) based control algorithm. To track the maximum power from solar PV array, an incremental conductance algorithm is used and this maximum power is fed to the grid via three-level VSC. The use of single stage system with three level VSC offers the advantage of low switching losses and the operation at high voltages and high power which results in enhancement of power quality in the proposed system. Simulated results validate the design and control algorithm under steady state and dynamic conditions.

The impact of range anxiety and home, workplace, and public charging infrastructure on simulated battery electric vehicle lifetime utility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neubauer, Jeremy; Wood, Eric

2014-07-01

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) offer the potential to reduce both oil imports and greenhouse gas emissions, but have a limited utility due to factors including driver range anxiety and access to charging infrastructure. In this paper we apply NREL's Battery Lifetime Analysis and Simulation Tool for Vehicles (BLAST-V) to examine the sensitivity of BEV utility to range anxiety and different charging infrastructure scenarios, including variable time schedules, power levels, and locations (home, work, and public installations). We find that the effects of range anxiety can be significant, but are reduced with access to additional charging infrastructure. We also find that (1) increasing home charging power above that provided by a common 15 A, 120 V circuit offers little added utility, (2) workplace charging offers significant utility benefits to select high mileage commuters, and (3) broadly available public charging can bring many lower mileage drivers to near-100% utility while strongly increasing the achieved miles of high mileage drivers.

A VCSEL based system for on-site monitoring of low level methane emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kannath, A.; Hodgkinson, J.; Gillard, R. G.; Riley, R. J.; Tatam, R. P.

2011-03-01

Continuous monitoring of methane emissions has assumed greater significance in the recent past due to increasing focus on global warming issues. Many industries have also identified the need for ppm level methane measurement as a means of gaining carbon credits. Conventional instruments based on NDIR spectroscopy are unable to offer the high selectivity and sensitivity required for such measurements. Here we discuss the development of a robust VCSEL based system for accurate low level measurements of methane. A possible area of application is the measurement of residual methane whilst monitoring the output of flare stacks and exhaust gases from methane combustion engines. The system employs a Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy (WMS) scheme with second harmonic detection at 1651 nm. Optimum modulation frequency and ramp rates were chosen to maintain high resolution and fast response times which are vital for the intended application. Advanced data processing techniques were used to achieve long term sensitivity of the order of 10-5 in absorbance. The system is immune to cross interference from other gases and its inherent design features makes it ideal for large scale commercial production. The instrument maintains its calibration and offers a completely automated continuous monitoring solution for remote on site deployment.

Understanding Portability of a High-Level Programming Model on Contemporary Heterogeneous Architectures

DOE PAGES

Sabne, Amit J.; Sakdhnagool, Putt; Lee, Seyong; ...

2015-07-13

Accelerator-based heterogeneous computing is gaining momentum in the high-performance computing arena. However, the increased complexity of heterogeneous architectures demands more generic, high-level programming models. OpenACC is one such attempt to tackle this problem. Although the abstraction provided by OpenACC offers productivity, it raises questions concerning both functional and performance portability. In this article, the authors propose HeteroIR, a high-level, architecture-independent intermediate representation, to map high-level programming models, such as OpenACC, to heterogeneous architectures. They present a compiler approach that translates OpenACC programs into HeteroIR and accelerator kernels to obtain OpenACC functional portability. They then evaluate the performance portability obtained bymore » OpenACC with their approach on 12 OpenACC programs on Nvidia CUDA, AMD GCN, and Intel Xeon Phi architectures. They study the effects of various compiler optimizations and OpenACC program settings on these architectures to provide insights into the achieved performance portability.« less

Counter Electrical Generation and Distribution: An Assessment for Global Strike in 2035

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-15

magnetic field . Satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) or high earth orbit (HEO) orbits would be disabled from effects of the ionizing electrons on...of delivery.34 High power microwaves may also offer an ability to “dial down” the electro- magnetic fields being used to fine tune the effects on the...target system and reduce collateral damage. At high levels of electro- magnetic fields , permanent and catastrophic damage to circuitry, power lines

Educational Broadcasts of NHK.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Japan Broadcasting Co., Tokyo

Presented is an overview of the full range of educational and cultural broadcasts offered by Nippon Hoso Kyokai (NHK). NHK, or the Japan Broadcasting Company, is the only public service broadcasting organization in Japan. It produces instructional programs from the kindergarten level to high school via its television and radio network. These…

Teaching Computer Science Courses in Distance Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huan, Xiaoli; Shehane, Ronald; Ali, Adel

2011-01-01

As the success of distance learning (DL) has driven universities to increase the courses offered online, certain challenges arise when teaching computer science (CS) courses to students who are not physically co-located and have individual learning schedules. Teaching CS courses involves high level demonstrations and interactivity between the…

Autonomously Organized and Funded IT Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichol, Bruce

2004-01-01

Central IT organizations under stress often cannot offer a high level of service to groups with above-average support needs. An example of such a group would be a well-funded, research-oriented computer science department. Several factors contribute to the increased demand on IT organizations. Given the availability of relatively…

24 CFR 3280.309 - Health Notice on formaldehyde emissions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... efficiency standards may allow formaldehyde and other contaminants to accumulate in the indoor air. Additional ventilation to dilute the indoor air may be obtained from a passive or mechanical ventilation... offered with this home. High indoor temperatures and humidity raise formaldehyde levels. When a home is to...

Trends in Physical Activity Interest in the College and University Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melton, Bridget; Hansen, Andrew; Gross, Jonathon

2010-01-01

High levels of interest in physical activity courses correlate positively with student participation. Awareness of students' physical activity interests allows college and university program coordinators to match student interests with appropriate course offerings. Purpose: The purpose of this research is to track students' physical activity…

Teaching Ecological Concepts with Mud Dauber Nests.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Robert W.; Matthews, Janice R.

1999-01-01

Contends that mud dauber nests--which are widely available, safe, inexpensive, and easy to use--offer a novel and highly motivating way to teach ecological concepts to life science students at many grade levels. Presents background information for teachers, details classroom-tested methods for nest dissection, provides keys to nest contents, and…

Anthropology in the Pre-Collegiate Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collier, Malcolm; Dethlefsen, Edwin S.

1968-01-01

The paper suggests steps for developing an anthropology curriculum at the secondary level and offers an excerpt from an experimental teacher's guide. The development involves four steps: selection of the most significant topics from the rich mass of anthropological information, identification of the relevance of each topic to the high school…

Eating and Reading in the Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trelease, Jim; Krashen, Stephen

1996-01-01

This article, citing the example of large bookselling chains who offer cafes in their stores, advocates the provision of food and drink in school libraries as well. High-quality food, made available by vending machine, would increase levels of wellness, energy, and teachability. Protests involving mess, lack of money, and difficulties with parents…

Sweaty Palms! Virtual Reality Applied to Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treiber, Karin

A qualitative case study approach was used to identify the psychosocial effects of the high-fidelity, virtual reality simulation provided in the college-level air traffic control (ATC) training program offered at the Minnesota Air Traffic Control Training Center and to evaluate the applicability of virtual reality to academic/training situations.…

Teacher Perceptions of Learner-Learner Engagement at a Cyber High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borup, Jered

2016-01-01

Distance education has historically contained little or no learner-learner interactions. Currently the Internet allows for unprecedented levels of learner-learner interaction and has the potential to transform how students learn online. However, many courses offered online focus more on flexibility and independence than on interaction and…

Oregon School-Based Health Centers, 1992-1994 Services Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nystrom, Robert J.

This report describes the activities of Oregon's 25 high school-based health centers between 1992 and 1994. Information is provided on funding sources, services offered (including general medical services and reproductive health, mental health, health promotion services, and hours of operation), staffing (including levels of staffing and…

Engaging with Arranged Marriages: A Lesson for Transnational Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annabi, Carrie Amani; McStay, Amanda L.; Noble, Allyson Fiona; Sidahmed, Maha

2018-01-01

Purpose: High levels of absenteeism have been observed amongst male students attending two transnational higher education (TNHE) institutions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). One reason offered is an obligation to attend engagement ceremonies. Many ceremonies are linked to arranged marriages. The purpose of this paper is to contradict…

An Engineering Design STEM Project: T-Shirt Launcher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fantz, Todd D.; Grant, Melva R.

2013-01-01

The article offers information on making technology education students interested in science and mathematics through the use of a T-shirt launcher design project. This project was designed for junior and senior level high school students who have completed or are currently taking physics and precalculus. The project involves designing an…

Recruiting, Reviewing, and Retaining High-Risk Older Adult Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosen, Daniel

2014-01-01

The Institute on Aging and Social Work (IASW) provides social work faculty with advanced training in aging research with the goal of mentoring individuals to develop National Institutes of Health (NIH) research proposals. The program offers an excellent opportunity for top-level training with nationally recognized experts in research methodology…

Profiling and Utilizing Learning Style. NASSP Learning Style Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keefe, James W., Ed.

In 1986, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, with the assistance of a national task force, published the NASSP Learning Style Profile (LSP) for diagnosis of the cognitive styles, perceptual response tendencies, and instructional preferences of middle level and senior high school students. This monograph offers a short course…

The Development of a Physical Education Teachers' Physical Activity Self-Efficacy Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jeffrey J.; Kulinna, Pamela Hodges

2003-01-01

Developed a valid, reliable physical education teachers' physical activity self-efficacy scale for teaching classes in which students were engaged in high levels of physical activity. Results offer preliminary support for the psychometric properties of this instrument, which can help understand physical education teachers' efficacy in overcoming…

Who Benefits from Religion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mochon, Daniel; Norton, Michael I.; Ariely, Dan

2011-01-01

Many studies have documented the benefits of religious involvement. Indeed, highly religious people tend to be healthier, live longer, and have higher levels of subjective well-being. While religious involvement offers clear benefits to many, in this paper we explore whether it may also be detrimental to some. Specifically, we examine in detail…

Flywheel Energy Storage Technology Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okain, D.; Howell, D.

Advances in recent years of high strength/lightweight materials, high performance magnetic bearings, and power electronics technology has spurred a renewed interest by the transportation, utility, and manufacturing industries in flywheel energy storage (FES) technologies. FES offers several advantages over conventional electrochemical energy storage, such as high specific energy and specific power, fast charging time, long service life, high turnaround efficiency (energy out/energy in), and no hazardous/toxic materials or chemicals are involved. Potential applications of FES units include power supplies for hybrid and electric vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations, space systems, and pulsed power devices. Also, FES units can be used for utility load leveling, uninterruptable power supplies to protect electronic equipment and electrical machinery, and for intermittent wind or photovoltaic energy sources. The purpose of this workshop is to provide a forum to highlight technologies that offer a high potential to increase the performance of FES systems and to discuss potential solutions to overcome present FES application barriers. This document consists of viewgraphs from 27 presentations.

NASA Puffin Electric Tailsitter VTOL Concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Mark D.

2010-01-01

Electric propulsion offers dramatic new vehicle mission capabilities, not possible with turbine or reciprocating engines; including high reliability and efficiency, low engine weight and maintenance, low cooling drag and volume required, very low noise and vibration, and zero emissions. The only penalizing characteristic of electric propulsion is the current energy storage technology level, which is set to triple over the next 5-10 years through huge new investments in this field. Most importantly, electric propulsion offers incredible new degrees of freedom in aircraft system integration to achieve unprecedented levels of aerodynamic, propulsive, control, and structural synergistic coupling. A unique characteristic of electric propulsion is that the technology is nearly scale-free, permitting small motors to be parallelized for fail-safe redundancy, or distributed across the airframe for tightly coupled interdisciplinary functionality without significant impacts in motor-controller efficiency or specific weight. Maximizing the potential benefit of electric propulsion is dependent on applying this technology to synergistic mission concepts. The vehicle missions with the most benefit include those which constrain environmental impact (or limit noise, exhaust, or emission signatures) are short range, or where large differences exist in the propulsion system sizing between takeoff and cruise conditions. Electric propulsion offers the following unique capabilities that other propulsion systems can t provide for short range Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft; elimination of engine noise and emissions, drastic reduction in engine cooling and radiated heat, drastic reduction in vehicle vibration levels, drastic improvement in reliability and operating costs, variable speed output at full power, for improved cruise efficiency at low tip-speed, elimination of high/hot sizing penalty, and reduction of engine-out penalties.

Psychosocial distress in patients with thyroid cancer.

PubMed

Buchmann, Luke; Ashby, Shaelene; Cannon, Richard B; Hunt, Jason P

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate levels of psychosocial distress in thyroid cancer patients. An analysis of factors contributing to levels of distress is included. Individual retrospective cohort study. Head and neck cancer clinic at the Huntsman Cancer Institute. A total of 118 newly diagnosed thyroid cancer patients were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated levels of and factors contributing to distress. Almost half (43.3%) of patients had significant distress. Those with self-reported psychiatric history, use of antidepressant medication, and history of radiation treatment had higher levels of distress. On multivariate analysis, patient endorsement of emotional issues predicted a higher distress level. Thyroid cancer patients have high distress levels. Identification of thyroid cancer patients with high distress levels is important to offer additional support during cancer therapy. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2015.

Long-wavelength analyte-sensitive luminescent probes and optical (bio)sensors

PubMed Central

Staudinger, Christoph; Borisov, Sergey M

2016-01-01

Long-wavelength luminescent probes and sensors become increasingly popular. They offer the advantage of lower levels of autofluorescence in most biological probes. Due to high penetration depth and low scattering of red and NIR light such probes potentially enable in vivo measurements in tissues and some of them have already reached a high level of reliability required for such applications. This review focuses on the recent progress in development and application of long-wavelength analyte-sensitive probes which can operate both reversibly and irreversibly. Photophysical properties, sensing mechanisms, advantages and limitations of individual probes are discussed. PMID:27134748

An integrative view of storage of low- and high-level visual dimensions in visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Magen, Hagit

2017-03-01

Efficient performance in an environment filled with complex objects is often achieved through the temporal maintenance of conjunctions of features from multiple dimensions. The most striking finding in the study of binding in visual short-term memory (VSTM) is equal memory performance for single features and for integrated multi-feature objects, a finding that has been central to several theories of VSTM. Nevertheless, research on binding in VSTM focused almost exclusively on low-level features, and little is known about how items from low- and high-level visual dimensions (e.g., colored manmade objects) are maintained simultaneously in VSTM. The present study tested memory for combinations of low-level features and high-level representations. In agreement with previous findings, Experiments 1 and 2 showed decrements in memory performance when non-integrated low- and high-level stimuli were maintained simultaneously compared to maintaining each dimension in isolation. However, contrary to previous findings the results of Experiments 3 and 4 showed decrements in memory performance even when integrated objects of low- and high-level stimuli were maintained in memory, compared to maintaining single-dimension objects. Overall, the results demonstrate that low- and high-level visual dimensions compete for the same limited memory capacity, and offer a more comprehensive view of VSTM.

"Carbon gain vs. water saving, growth vs. defence": two dilemmas with soluble phenolics as a joker.

PubMed

Karabourniotis, George; Liakopoulos, Georgios; Nikolopoulos, Dimosthenis; Bresta, Panagiota; Stavroulaki, Vassiliki; Sumbele, Sally

2014-10-01

Despite that phenolics are considered as a major weapon against herbivores and pathogens, the primal reason for their evolution may have been the imperative necessity for their UV-absorbing and antioxidant properties in order for plants to compensate for the adverse terrestrial conditions. In dry climates the choice concerning the first dilemma (carbon gain vs. water saving) needs the appropriate structural and metabolic modulations, which protect against stresses such as high UV and visible radiation or drought, but reduce photosynthesis and increase oxidative pressure. Thus, when water saving is chosen, priority is given to protection (including phenolic synthesis), instead of carbon gain and hence growth. At the global level, the different choices by the individual species are expressed by an interspecific negative relationship between total phenolics and photosynthesis. On the other hand, the accumulation of phenolics in water saving plants offers additional defensive functions because these multifunctional compounds can also act as pro-oxidant, antifeeding or toxic factors. Therefore phenolics, as biochemical jokers, can give the answer to both dilemmas: water saving involves high concentrations of phenolics which also offer high level of defence. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sunlight-readable display technology: a dual-use case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blanchard, Randall D.

1996-05-01

This paper describes our vision of sunlight readable color display requirements, an alternate technology that offers a high level of performance, and how we implemented it for the military avionics display market. This knowledge base and product development experience was then applied with a comparable level of performance to commercial applications. The successful dual use of this technology for these two diverse markets is presented. Details of the technical commonality and a comparison of the design and performance differences are presented. A basis for specifying the required level of performance for a sunlight readable full color display is discussed. With the objective of providing a high level of image brightness and high ambient light rejection, a display architecture using collimated light is used. The resulting designs of two military cockpit display products, with contrast ratios above 20:1 in sunlight are shown. The performance of a commercial display providing several thousand foot- Lamberts of image brightness is presented.

Space augmentation of military high-level waste disposal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

English, T.; Lees, L.; Divita, E.

1979-01-01

Space disposal of selected components of military high-level waste (HLW) is considered. This disposal option offers the promise of eliminating the long-lived radionuclides in military HLW from the earth. A space mission which meets the dual requirements of long-term orbital stability and a maximum of one space shuttle launch per week over a period of 20-40 years, is a heliocentric orbit about halfway between the orbits of earth and Venus. Space disposal of high-level radioactive waste is characterized by long-term predictability and short-term uncertainties which must be reduced to acceptably low levels. For example, failure of either the Orbit Transfer Vehicle after leaving low earth orbit, or the storable propellant stage failure at perihelion would leave the nuclear waste package in an unplanned and potentially unstable orbit. Since potential earth reencounter and subsequent burn-up in the earth's atmosphere is unacceptable, a deep space rendezvous, docking, and retrieval capability must be developed.

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

Stewart, Gary

The primary objective of this project was to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of utilizing high-temperature superconducting (HTS) materials in a Transmission Level Superconducting Fault Current Limiter (SFCL) application. During the project, the type of high-temperature superconducting material used evolved from 1 st generation (1G) BSCCO-2212 melt cast bulk high-temperature superconductors to 2 nd generation (2G) YBCO-based high-temperature superconducting tape. The SFCL employed SuperPower's “Matrix” technology, that offers modular features to enable scale up to transmission voltage levels. The SFCL consists of individual modules that contain elements and parallel inductors that assist in carrying the current during the fault. Amore » number of these modules are arranged in an m x n array to form the current-limiting matrix.« less

Interoception drives increased rational decision-making in meditators playing the ultimatum game.

PubMed

Kirk, Ulrich; Downar, Jonathan; Montague, P Read

2011-01-01

Human decision-making is often conceptualized as a competition between cognitive and emotional processes in the brain. Deviations from rational processes are believed to derive from inclusion of emotional factors in decision-making. Here, we investigate whether experienced Buddhist meditators are better equipped to regulate emotional processes compared with controls during economic decision-making in the Ultimatum Game. We show that meditators accept unfair offers on more than half of the trials, whereas controls only accept unfair offers on one-quarter of the trials. By applying fMRI we show that controls recruit the anterior insula during unfair offers. Such responses are powerful predictors of rejecting offers in social interaction. By contrast, meditators display attenuated activity in high-level emotional representations of the anterior insula and increased activity in the low-level interoceptive representations of the posterior insula. In addition we show that a subset of control participants who play rationally (i.e., accepts >85% unfair offers) recruits the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex presumably reflecting increased cognitive demands, whereas rational meditators by contrast display elevated activity in the somatosensory cortex and posterior superior temporal cortex. In summary, when assessing unfairness in the Ultimatum Game, meditators activate a different network of brain areas compared with controls enabling them to uncouple negative emotional reactions from their behavior. These findings highlight the clinically and socially important possibility that sustained training in mindfulness meditation may impact distinct domains of human decision-making.

Recent Observations on the Performance of Hybrid Ceramic Tribo-Contacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buttery, M.; Cropper, M.; Wardzinski, B.; Lewis, S.; McLaren, S.; Kreuser, J.

2015-09-01

Hybrid ceramic ball bearings offer great promise in space applications but have not been rapidly adopted by industry perhaps partly due to the relatively low amount of published data on specific in-vacuum performance. Such bearings, having, typically, silicon nitride balls and 440C or high nitrogen steel (e.g. X30) raceways offer the potential for long life and low torque noise due a combination of chemical inertness, high hardness and the extremely smooth surfaces produced in ceramic balls. Though initial benefits were foreseen for high speed applications, the potential for reduced adhesive forces and wear in conditions of marginal lubrication, and for improvements in lubricant lifetime in long life applications limited by oil tribo-degradation render hybrid ceramic bearings more generally attractive.This paper draws together a number of experimental studies carried out at Pin-on-Disc (POD), Spiral Orbit Tribometer (SOT) and bearing-level recently at ESTL.

High-frequency applications of high-temperature superconductor thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, N.

2002-10-01

High-temperature superconducting thin films offer unique properties which can be utilized for a variety of high-frequency device applications in many areas related to the strongly progressing market of information technology. One important property is an exceptionally low level of microwave absorption at temperatures attainable with low power cryocoolers. This unique property has initiated the development of various novel type of microwave devices and commercialized subsystems with special emphasis on application in advanced microwave communication systems. The second important achievement related to efforts in oxide thin and multilayer technology was the reproducible fabrication of low-noise Josephson junctions in high-temperature superconducting thin films. As a consequence of this achievement, several novel nonlinear high-frequency devices, most of them exploiting the unique features of the ac Josephson effect, have been developed and found to exhibit challenging properties to be utilized in basic metrology and Terahertz technology. On the longer timescale, the achievements in integrated high-temperature superconductor circuit technology may offer a strong potential for the development of digital devices with possible clock frequencies in the range of 100 GHz.

43 CFR 12.715 - Evaluating offers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Act-Supplies § 12.715 Evaluating offers. (a) Unless the head of the grantee organization or a designee at a level no lower than the grantee's designated awarding official determines otherwise, the offered... 6-percent factor were applied, the head of the grantee organization or a designee at a level no...

Influence of raw milk quality on processed dairy products: How do raw milk quality test results relate to product quality and yield?

PubMed

Murphy, Steven C; Martin, Nicole H; Barbano, David M; Wiedmann, Martin

2016-12-01

This article provides an overview of the influence of raw milk quality on the quality of processed dairy products and offers a perspective on the merits of investing in quality. Dairy farmers are frequently offered monetary premium incentives to provide high-quality milk to processors. These incentives are most often based on raw milk somatic cell and bacteria count levels well below the regulatory public health-based limits. Justification for these incentive payments can be based on improved processed product quality and manufacturing efficiencies that provide the processor with a return on their investment for high-quality raw milk. In some cases, this return on investment is difficult to measure. Raw milks with high levels of somatic cells and bacteria are associated with increased enzyme activity that can result in product defects. Use of raw milk with somatic cell counts >100,000cells/mL has been shown to reduce cheese yields, and higher levels, generally >400,000 cells/mL, have been associated with textural and flavor defects in cheese and other products. Although most research indicates that fairly high total bacteria counts (>1,000,000 cfu/mL) in raw milk are needed to cause defects in most processed dairy products, receiving high-quality milk from the farm allows some flexibility for handling raw milk, which can increase efficiencies and reduce the risk of raw milk reaching bacterial levels of concern. Monitoring total bacterial numbers in regard to raw milk quality is imperative, but determining levels of specific types of bacteria present has gained increasing importance. For example, spores of certain spore-forming bacteria present in raw milk at very low levels (e.g., <1/mL) can survive pasteurization and grow in milk and cheese products to levels that result in defects. With the exception of meeting product specifications often required for milk powders, testing for specific spore-forming groups is currently not used in quality incentive programs in the United States but is used in other countries (e.g., the Netherlands). Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Materials and noncoplanar mesh designs for integrated circuits with linear elastic responses to extreme mechanical deformations.

PubMed

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Song, Jizhou; Choi, Won Mook; Kim, Hoon-Sik; Kim, Rak-Hwan; Liu, Zhuangjian; Huang, Yonggang Y; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zhang, Yong-wei; Rogers, John A

2008-12-02

Electronic systems that offer elastic mechanical responses to high-strain deformations are of growing interest because of their ability to enable new biomedical devices and other applications whose requirements are impossible to satisfy with conventional wafer-based technologies or even with those that offer simple bendability. This article introduces materials and mechanical design strategies for classes of electronic circuits that offer extremely high stretchability, enabling them to accommodate even demanding configurations such as corkscrew twists with tight pitch (e.g., 90 degrees in approximately 1 cm) and linear stretching to "rubber-band" levels of strain (e.g., up to approximately 140%). The use of single crystalline silicon nanomaterials for the semiconductor provides performance in stretchable complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits approaching that of conventional devices with comparable feature sizes formed on silicon wafers. Comprehensive theoretical studies of the mechanics reveal the way in which the structural designs enable these extreme mechanical properties without fracturing the intrinsically brittle active materials or even inducing significant changes in their electrical properties. The results, as demonstrated through electrical measurements of arrays of transistors, CMOS inverters, ring oscillators, and differential amplifiers, suggest a valuable route to high-performance stretchable electronics.

Effects of disordered Ru substitution in BaFe2As2: possible realization of superdiffusion in real materials.

PubMed

Wang, Limin; Berlijn, Tom; Wang, Yan; Lin, Chia-Hui; Hirschfeld, P J; Ku, Wei

2013-01-18

An unexpected insensitivity of the Fermi surface to impurity scattering is found in Ru substituted BaFe(2)As(2) from first-principles theory, offering a natural explanation of the unusual resilience of transport and superconductivity to a high level of disordered substitution in this material. This robustness is shown to originate from a coherent interference of correlated on-site and intersite impurity scattering, similar in spirit to the microscopic mechanism of superdiffusion in one dimension. Our result also demonstrates a strong substitution dependence of the Fermi surface and carrier concentration and provides a resolution to current discrepancies in recent photoelectron spectroscopy. These effects offer a natural explanation of the diminishing long-range magnetic, orbital, and superconducting orders with high substitution.

High education may offer protection against tauopathy in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Rolstad, Sindre; Nordlund, Arto; Eckerström, Carl; Gustavsson, Marie H; Blennow, Kaj; Olesen, Pernille J; Zetterberg, Henrik; Wallin, Anders

2010-01-01

The concepts of brain and cognitive reserve stem from the observation that premorbid factors (e.g., education) result in variation in the response to brain pathology. Potential early influence of reserve on pathology, as assessed using the cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers total tau (t-tau) and amyloid-beta42, and cognition was explored in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients who remained stable over a two-year period. A total of 102 patients with stable MCI grouped on the basis of educational level were compared with regard to biomarker concentrations and cognitive performance. Stable MCI patients with higher education had lower concentrations of t-tau as compared to those with lower education. Also, educational level predicted a significant proportion of the total variance in t-tau concentrations. Our results suggest that higher education may offer protection against tauopathy.

Student perceptions of an upper-level, undergraduate human anatomy laboratory course without cadavers.

PubMed

Wright, Shirley J

2012-01-01

Several programs in health professional education require or are considering requiring upper-level human anatomy as prerequisite for their applicants. Undergraduate students are confronted with few institutions offering such a course, in part because of the expense and logistical issues associated with a cadaver-based human anatomy course. This study describes the development of and student reactions to an upper-level human anatomy laboratory course for undergraduate students that used a regional approach and contemporary, alternative teaching methods to a cadaver-based course. The alternative pedagogy to deliver the curriculum included use of commercially available, three-dimensional anatomical virtual dissection software, anatomical models coupled with a learning management system to offer Web-based learning, and a new laboratory manual with collaborative exercises designed to develop the student's anatomical skills and collaborative team skills. A Likert-scale survey with open-ended questions was used to ascertain student perceptions of the course and its various aspects. Students perceived that the noncadaver-based, upper-level human anatomy course with an engaging, regional approach is highly valuable in their learning of anatomy. anatomy. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.

MLP: A Parallel Programming Alternative to MPI for New Shared Memory Parallel Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taft, James R.

1999-01-01

Recent developments at the NASA AMES Research Center's NAS Division have demonstrated that the new generation of NUMA based Symmetric Multi-Processing systems (SMPs), such as the Silicon Graphics Origin 2000, can successfully execute legacy vector oriented CFD production codes at sustained rates far exceeding processing rates possible on dedicated 16 CPU Cray C90 systems. This high level of performance is achieved via shared memory based Multi-Level Parallelism (MLP). This programming approach, developed at NAS and outlined below, is distinct from the message passing paradigm of MPI. It offers parallelism at both the fine and coarse grained level, with communication latencies that are approximately 50-100 times lower than typical MPI implementations on the same platform. Such latency reductions offer the promise of performance scaling to very large CPU counts. The method draws on, but is also distinct from, the newly defined OpenMP specification, which uses compiler directives to support a limited subset of multi-level parallel operations. The NAS MLP method is general, and applicable to a large class of NASA CFD codes.

"If It Feels Right, Do It": Intuitive Decision Making in a Sample of High-Level Sport Coaches.

PubMed

Collins, Dave; Collins, Loel; Carson, Howie J

2016-01-01

Comprehensive understanding and application of decision making is important for the professional practice and status of sports coaches. Accordingly, building on a strong work base exploring the use of professional judgment and decision making (PJDM) in sport, we report a preliminary investigation into uses of intuition by high-level coaches. Two contrasting groups of high-level coaches from adventure sports (n = 10) and rugby union (n = 8), were interviewed on their experiences of using intuitive and deliberative decision making styles, the source of these skills, and the interaction between the two. Participants reported similarly high levels of usage to other professions. Interaction between the two styles was apparent to varying degrees, while the role of experience was seen as an important precursor to greater intuitive practice and employment. Initially intuitive then deliberate decision making was a particular feature, offering participants an immediate check on the accuracy and validity of the decision. Integration of these data with the extant literature and implications for practice are discussed.

Army Officer Counseling Training for Commanders: Participant Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

but also create high levels of stress , burnout , and frustration. o Even social events may be perceived as burdensome because they take away from... level of security is not always present in private-sector jobs . o Educational opportunities stand out as the most attractive benefit the Army offers...and one or more silent observers. If you are an observer, your role will be to take notes on the counselor‟s performance and provide feedback at the

SNX -- Starlink Extensions to the NCAR Graphics Utilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rees, P. C. T.; Bly, M. J.; Wallace, P. T.

The NCAR graphics suite (SUN/88) consists of a set of subprograms which can be used to produce complete graphs in a variety of formats. The package has been in wide use for some years; the latest version employs the ISO standard GKS interfaces for its low-level plotting, giving it access to all Starlink graphics devices, present and future. The NCAR routines themselves are thoroughly documented, and just a few simple calls will produce graphs of excellent appearance. The package also provides a high level of flexibility, with dozens of different details of the plot independently controllable to give exactly the result required. However, beginners may be daunted by the mass of features offered, and unless they take the extreme step of reading the manual may give up before they realise what the package can do for them. This document describes minor extensions which provide more convenient access to certain features without sacrificing flexibility. The AUTOGRAPH part of the NCAR suite, used in conjunction with the Starlink NCAR extensions and the Starlink low level plotting package SGS (SUN/85), offers an alternative high level system to PGPLOT (SUN/15) for producing graphs of one variable plotted against another. All of the Starlink extensions provided within SNX enhance the power of the facilities provided by AUTOGRAPH and make it more accessible to the beginner.

Employee Participation Programs: Considerations for the School Site. Studies in Collective Bargaining.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

Site-based decisionmaking programs offer important opportunities for school systems; however, the risks involved are significant and the decision to embrace the concept at the local level is a highly complex one. With site-based decisionmaking programs, teachers are directly involved in making decisions that affect the whole school, not merely…

An Implementation and Outcome Evaluation of a Multicomponent Sexuality Education Programme for High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berglas, Nancy F.; Jerman, Petra; Rohrbach, Louise A.; Angulo-Olaiz, Francisca; Chou, Chih-Ping; Constantine, Norman A.

2016-01-01

Numerous classroom-based interventions have aimed to improve sexual health outcomes for young people, yet few have shown strong, lasting effects. Ecological approaches that address multiple levels of a young person's environment offer largely untapped potential to positively change sexual behaviour. This paper presents results of a…

Education for Judgment: The Artistry of Discussion Leadership.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, C. Roland, Ed.; And Others

This book offers a collection of essays on teaching, written by teachers who, though they represent high school to professional school levels and diverse fields of interest, favor teaching by discussion. Part I introduces key principles in "Barriers and Gateways to Learning" (David A. Garvin) and "Premises and Practices of Discussion Teaching" (C.…

Everyday Life in Two High-Risk Neighborhoods: Growing Up.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourgois, Philippe

1991-01-01

The mainstream economy and culture are unable to compete with the money, respect, and identity that selling crack offers. The infiltration of organized crime and narco-dollars into the local economy, the inadequacy of entry-level wages, and the breakdown of basic public services have created a new kind of poverty. (CJS)

An Analysis of State Policies Connected with Alternative School Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bielefeld, William C.; Stubblefield, Anna; Templeton, Zach

2009-01-01

Many school districts offer alternative education programs for their students who do not succeed in the regular classroom. At the high school level, many of these programs are separated from the regular schools. It seemed that many districts were establishing alternative education programs, but there were differences in the types of programs that…

Joint-Use Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casstevens, Susan

2017-01-01

The joint-use library is a place where people of all ages, interests, and income levels can find items of interest at no personal cost. The mission of A. H. Meadows Public and High School Library in Midlothian, Texas, is to offer what other public libraries provide: educational and entertainment resources to a community. Yet, the staff also wants…

Implementing Enrichment Clusters in Elementary Schools: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiddyment, Gail E.

2014-01-01

Enrichment clusters offer a way for schools to encourage a high level of learning as students and adults work together to develop a product, service, or performance by applying advanced knowledge and authentic processes to real-world problems. This study utilized a qualitative research design to examine the perceptions and experiences of two…

Through a Double-Crossed Eye: Sociology and the Movies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demerath, N.J., III

1981-01-01

Claiming that movies are used increasingly as teaching aids in sociology classes on the high school and college levels, this article evaluates their potential and their limitations. Suggestions are offered on how to avoid sociological distortion while viewing films. Also discussed are ways in which film can be seen as a source of cultural…

Stepping around the Brick Wall: Overcoming Student Obstacles in Methods Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bos, Angela L.; Schneider, Monica C.

2009-01-01

Many political science departments offer, and increasing numbers of them require, undergraduate research methods courses. At the same time, studies cite high levels of student anxiety about such courses. Utilizing survey data from both students who take and faculty who teach methods, we conduct an analysis that compares the barriers students and…

Development of Research-Based Protocol Aligned to Predict High Levels of Teaching Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Gary; Grigsby, Bettye; Vesey, Winona

2011-01-01

This study proposes a research-based teacher selection protocol. The protocol is intended to offer school district hiring authorities a tool to identify teacher candidates with the behaviors expected to predict effective teaching. It is hypothesized that a particular series of research-based interview questions focusing on teaching behaviors in…

Money and Schools. Fifth Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, David C.; Crampton, Faith E.; Wood, R. Craig

2012-01-01

In the new edition of this essential, all-inclusive text, the authors provide more important research for future principals and others enrolled in graduate-level school finance courses. Written in a style that is highly readable, the book offers strong connections to real-world experiences. Readers get both a broad overview of funding concepts and…

An Investigation of the Efficacy of Direct and Indirect AAC Service Provision via Telepractice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Nerissa C.

2013-01-01

There is a growing population of individuals using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) in need of evidence-based intervention from highly qualified personnel. However, not all speech pathology programs offer AAC coursework and/or practicum opportunities, and practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs) report low levels of…

Nanomagnet Logic: Architectures, design, and benchmarking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurtz, Steven J.

Nanomagnet Logic (NML) is an emerging technology being studied as a possible replacement or supplementary device for Complimentary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) Field-Effect Transistors (FET) by the year 2020. NML devices offer numerous potential advantages including: low energy operation, steady state non-volatility, radiation hardness and a clear path to fabrication and integration with CMOS. However, maintaining both low-energy operation and non-volatility while scaling from the device to the architectural level is non-trivial as (i) nearest neighbor interactions within NML circuits complicate the modeling of ensemble nanomagnet behavior and (ii) the energy intensive clock structures required for re-evaluation and NML's relatively high latency challenge its ability to offer system-level performance wins against other emerging nanotechnologies. Thus, further research efforts are required to model more complex circuits while also identifying circuit design techniques that balance low-energy operation with steady state non-volatility. In addition, further work is needed to design and model low-power on-chip clocks while simultaneously identifying application spaces where NML systems (including clock overhead) offer sufficient energy savings to merit their inclusion in future processors. This dissertation presents research advancing the understanding and modeling of NML at all levels including devices, circuits, and line clock structures while also benchmarking NML against both scaled CMOS and tunneling FETs (TFET) devices. This is accomplished through the development of design tools and methodologies for (i) quantifying both energy and stability in NML circuits and (ii) evaluating line-clocked NML system performance. The application of these newly developed tools improves the understanding of ideal design criteria (i.e., magnet size, clock wire geometry, etc.) for NML architectures. Finally, the system-level performance evaluation tool offers the ability to project what advancements are required for NML to realize performance improvements over scaled-CMOS hardware equivalents at the functional unit and/or application-level.

Electrolytic hydriding of LaFe(13-x)Si(x) alloys for energy efficient magnetic cooling.

PubMed

Lyubina, Julia; Hannemann, Ullrich; Ryan, Mary P; Cohen, Lesley F

2012-04-17

An effective, low-temperature and readily available electrochemical method for tuning the operation temperature of LaFe(13-x)Si(x)-type alloys is demonstrated. Electrolytically hydrided materials have the same high level magnetic properties as in high temperature gas-phase processed materials and offer an advantage of higher hydrogen absorption rate in the ferromagnetic state. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Low-power chip-level optical interconnects based on bulk-silicon single-chip photonic transceivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gyungock; Park, Hyundai; Joo, Jiho; Jang, Ki-Seok; Kwack, Myung-Joon; Kim, Sanghoon; Kim, In Gyoo; Kim, Sun Ae; Oh, Jin Hyuk; Park, Jaegyu; Kim, Sanggi

2016-03-01

We present new scheme for chip-level photonic I/Os, based on monolithically integrated vertical photonic devices on bulk silicon, which increases the integration level of PICs to a complete photonic transceiver (TRx) including chip-level light source. A prototype of the single-chip photonic TRx based on a bulk silicon substrate demonstrated 20 Gb/s low power chip-level optical interconnects between fabricated chips, proving that this scheme can offer compact low-cost chip-level I/O solutions and have a significant impact on practical electronic-photonic integration in high performance computers (HPC), cpu-memory interface, 3D-IC, and LAN/SAN/data-center and network applications.

Socioecological Influences on Community Involvement in HIV Vaccine Research

PubMed Central

Frew, Paula M.; Archibald, Matthew; Hixson, Brooke; del Rio, Carlos

2011-01-01

Objective This study investigated socioecological factors influencing HIV vaccine research participation among communities living in geographic areas with high HIV prevalence and high poverty rates. Methods We surveyed a sample of 453 adults ≥ 18 years from areas of high poverty and high HIV prevalence in metro Atlanta and differentiated the effects of individual-, social/organizational-, and community-level characteristics on participation in HIV vaccine research via multilevel modeling techniques that incorporated questionnaire, program, and census data. Results Models that adjusted for both individual-level covariates (such as race, gender, attitudes, and beliefs concerning HIV research), social/organizational- and community-level factors such as local HIV prevalence rates, revealed that the extent of HIV prevention-related programs and services in census tracts contributed to individuals’ likelihood of participation in an HIV vaccine study. Additionally, neighborhood-based organizations offering HIV medical and treatment programs, support groups, and services (e.g., food, shelter, and clothing) encourage greater HIV vaccine research participation. Conclusions The findings support the hypothesis that community-level factors facilitate participation in HIV vaccine research independent of both individual- and social/organizational-level factors. PMID:21722689

Women in the Physical Sciences in Sweden: Do We Have True Gender Equality in a ``Gender-Neutral'' Country?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, Stacey L.; Rachlew, Elisabeth; Wiesner, Karoline; Engblom, Pia Thorngren

2005-10-01

Sweden, together with the other Nordic countries, seems at first glance to offer an environment where women and men enjoy equal treatment at all levels of society. Governments proclaim policies invoking gender-neutral regulations and legal frameworks. Government-supported parental leave programs provide paid leave for both parents, the child-care system is well developed, women are represented at high levels in the government, and educational levels are high. Clearly, awareness of gender issues and openness in the classroom and workplace must be very high. Why, then, is the career pipeline for women in physics leaking so badly? Why are there so few women in high-level management positions in industry? How can salaries for women on all levels, not least within the public sector, be consistently lower than for their male counterparts? What factors are important and how can we influence the situation so that women receive their fair share of power and recognition for their achievements? We discuss some of these issues, and describe the present situation in Sweden.

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Adherence with Short-Term HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis in Female Sexual Partners of Migrant Miners in Mozambique.

PubMed

Lahuerta, Maria; Zerbe, Allison; Baggaley, Rachel; Falcao, Joana; Ahoua, Laurence; DiMattei, Pietro; Morales, Fernando; Ramiro, Isaias; El-Sadr, Wafaa M

2017-12-01

Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers protection from HIV acquisition if taken as prescribed. We evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and adherence with short-term PrEP among female sexual partners of migrant miners in Mozambique. HIV-negative female sexual partners of migrant miners were offered daily tenofovir/emtricitabine (TDF/FTC) for 6 weeks concurrent with miners' return home. Study visits occurred at baseline, week 4, 6, and 8. Dried blood spots (DBSs) were collected at week 4 and 6. Seventy-four women (median age: 42 years) were enrolled, 95% reported having 1 sexual partner and 80% reported never or rarely using condoms. At baseline, 41% had never tested for HIV; 65% were unaware of partners' HIV status. Of all women, 72 (97%) initiated PrEP, 7 (9%) discontinued PrEP before week 6; only 1 due to adverse events. Missed doses in the last week were self-reported by 8% and 3% of women at week 4 and 6, respectively. Of 66 (89%) women with DBS at week 4, 79% had detectable tenofovir diphosphate (TFV-DP) and 44% had levels consistent with ≥4 pills/wk (≥700 fmol/punch). Of 63 (88%) women with DBS at week 6, 76% had detectable TFV-DP and 42% had levels consistent with ≥4 pills/wk. In this first study assessing the use of short-term PrEP, a high percent of female partners of migrant workers initiated PrEP and had detectable DP levels during follow-up. Further efforts are needed to enhance adherence to ensure protection from HIV acquisition. Short-term PrEP offers promise for populations who are at high risk of HIV during specific periods of time.

BayMeth: improved DNA methylation quantification for affinity capture sequencing data using a flexible Bayesian approach

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Affinity capture of DNA methylation combined with high-throughput sequencing strikes a good balance between the high cost of whole genome bisulfite sequencing and the low coverage of methylation arrays. We present BayMeth, an empirical Bayes approach that uses a fully methylated control sample to transform observed read counts into regional methylation levels. In our model, inefficient capture can readily be distinguished from low methylation levels. BayMeth improves on existing methods, allows explicit modeling of copy number variation, and offers computationally efficient analytical mean and variance estimators. BayMeth is available in the Repitools Bioconductor package. PMID:24517713

Work, employment, and mental illness: expanding the domain of Canadian social work.

PubMed

Shankar, Janki; Barlow, Constance A; Khalema, Ernest

2011-01-01

Despite established evidence that work and employment are an important component of recovery for people who experience mental illness, social work education in Canada seldom offers graduate training or courses on the significance of work in peoples' lives or on the practices involved in helping to gain and retain employment for these individuals. In this article the authors argue that the high levels of unemployment among people who experience mental illness, and the rising incidence of mental health and addictions issues in workplaces, offer the opportunity, as well as the mandate, for social work educators to provide professional education in the area of employment support and assistance.

Altered economic decision-making in abstinent heroin addicts: Evidence from the ultimatum game.

PubMed

Hou, Yu; Zhao, Liyan; Yao, Qi; Ding, Lixiang

2016-08-03

The development and persistence of drug addiction has been suggested to involve decision-making deficits. The Ultimatum Game is a widely used economic decision-making paradigm that illustrates the tension between financial self-interest and fairness motives. The behavior of responders in the Ultimatum Game has been associated with emotional reactions and cognitive control abilities, both of which are dysregulated in drug addicts. In this study, we investigated whether this economic decision-making process that involves considerations of social norms is affected by heroin addiction. Heroin addicts (n=17) and demographically matched healthy control subjects (n=18) were recruited to play the part of responders in the Ultimatum Game, during which they decided to accept or reject the monetary offers proposed by strangers. The offers were manipulated by varying the stake sizes and fairness scales. The rejection rates of all of the offer categories, response times, fairness judgments, and impulsivity were compared between heroin addicts and healthy controls. Compared with healthy subjects, the rejection rates of most unfair offers in the Ultimatum Game were significantly higher under low-offer-size conditions among heroin addicts. In contrast, the most unfair offers were more likely to be accepted by heroin addicts in the high-offer-size condition than by healthy subjects. The ratings of unfairness were equal in both conditions although the rejection rates were different. Heroin addicts had higher scores on BIS attentional/cognitive impulsivity and non-planning impulsivity, but not in motor impulsivity. Rejection rates to most unfair offers under low-offer-size conditions significantly correlated with score on BIS non-planning impulsivity and total score of impulsivity. Heroin addicts differentially responded under different stake-level conditions in the Ultimatum Game, with emotional impulses in low-offer-size conditions and selfish motives in the face of high monetary reward. These findings indicate that Ultimatum Game may be associated with heroin addiction and provide a productive new target for enhancing treatment for heroin addiction. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Master of Professional Studies in Agriculture and Life Sciences Offered through the Field of Food Science and Technology at Cornell University: A Model for the Development of a Course-Based Graduate Degree in Food Science and Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weller, Daniel; Robbins, Janette; Elmore, Andrea; Wiedmann, Martin

2015-01-01

The shortage of highly qualified graduates with advanced training in food science is a pressing problem facing government agencies and the food industry. This has created a need to recruit and train food scientists at the graduate level. However, most graduate level programs are research-based and do not meet the needs of many students. The…

Deep Sky Imaging: Workflow 2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schedler, Johannes

As astrophotographers we are living in a golden age. In recent years CCD technology and the quality of amateur telescopes have reached a level of perfection, giving amateurs the chance to produce images rivaling those taken from mountaintops by large professional systems as recently as two decades ago. However hardware and good imaging location is only a part of the game. A high level of skill with image processing can offer amateurs an edge and provide a chance to compensate for the limited aperture of our telescopes.

Interactomes to Biological Phase Space: a call to begin thinking at a new level in computational biology.

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

Davidson, George S.; Brown, William Michael

2007-09-01

Techniques for high throughput determinations of interactomes, together with high resolution protein collocalizations maps within organelles and through membranes will soon create a vast resource. With these data, biological descriptions, akin to the high dimensional phase spaces familiar to physicists, will become possible. These descriptions will capture sufficient information to make possible realistic, system-level models of cells. The descriptions and the computational models they enable will require powerful computing techniques. This report is offered as a call to the computational biology community to begin thinking at this scale and as a challenge to develop the required algorithms and codes tomore » make use of the new data.3« less

Mapping Topographic Structure in White Matter Pathways with Level Set Trees

PubMed Central

Kent, Brian P.; Rinaldo, Alessandro; Yeh, Fang-Cheng; Verstynen, Timothy

2014-01-01

Fiber tractography on diffusion imaging data offers rich potential for describing white matter pathways in the human brain, but characterizing the spatial organization in these large and complex data sets remains a challenge. We show that level set trees–which provide a concise representation of the hierarchical mode structure of probability density functions–offer a statistically-principled framework for visualizing and analyzing topography in fiber streamlines. Using diffusion spectrum imaging data collected on neurologically healthy controls (N = 30), we mapped white matter pathways from the cortex into the striatum using a deterministic tractography algorithm that estimates fiber bundles as dimensionless streamlines. Level set trees were used for interactive exploration of patterns in the endpoint distributions of the mapped fiber pathways and an efficient segmentation of the pathways that had empirical accuracy comparable to standard nonparametric clustering techniques. We show that level set trees can also be generalized to model pseudo-density functions in order to analyze a broader array of data types, including entire fiber streamlines. Finally, resampling methods show the reliability of the level set tree as a descriptive measure of topographic structure, illustrating its potential as a statistical descriptor in brain imaging analysis. These results highlight the broad applicability of level set trees for visualizing and analyzing high-dimensional data like fiber tractography output. PMID:24714673

38 CFR 18a.1 - Delegations of responsibility between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... institutions of higher learning, including post-high school institutions which offer nondegree courses for which credit is given and which would be accepted on transfer by a degree-granting institution toward a... the elementary or secondary level; and (iii) Those institutions of higher learning and elementary and...

38 CFR 18a.1 - Delegations of responsibility between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... institutions of higher learning, including post-high school institutions which offer nondegree courses for which credit is given and which would be accepted on transfer by a degree-granting institution toward a... the elementary or secondary level; and (iii) Those institutions of higher learning and elementary and...

38 CFR 18a.1 - Delegations of responsibility between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... institutions of higher learning, including post-high school institutions which offer nondegree courses for which credit is given and which would be accepted on transfer by a degree-granting institution toward a... the elementary or secondary level; and (iii) Those institutions of higher learning and elementary and...

38 CFR 18a.1 - Delegations of responsibility between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... institutions of higher learning, including post-high school institutions which offer nondegree courses for which credit is given and which would be accepted on transfer by a degree-granting institution toward a... the elementary or secondary level; and (iii) Those institutions of higher learning and elementary and...

From E- to M-Learning: Feasibility for an African-Delivered Tertiary Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benner, Allison; Pence, Alan

2013-01-01

Since 2000, the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) has offered graduate-level programs in sub-Saharan Africa. These programs have been highly successful in creating a cadre of early childhood development (ECD) leaders in countries throughout Africa. When ECDVU was launched, the program was considered to be at the cutting edge…

The Use of Modern Pedagogical Techniques When Introducing Information Technology Students to Entrepreneurship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pardede, Eric

2015-01-01

This paper describes the design of teaching and learning activities (TLAs) in an entrepreneurship subject offered to Information Technology (IT) students. We describe the challenges that we have encountered. Within one teaching semester, the students are expected to achieve a high level of applied knowledge in an area where they have little…

A Modular Approach for Teaching Classical Literature in Inner-City High Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holt, Ben Edward

This developmental study offers a definitive strategy for successfully teaching such representative classics as Hamlet, A Tale of Two Cities, Silas Marner, and My Last Duchess to students who are reading as much as three years below grade level but who are nevertheless normally intelligent. The study provides evidence tending to support the…

K-8 Virtual Schools: A Glimpse into the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Revenaugh, Mickey

2006-01-01

Virtual courses and schools--in which the student and the teacher are in different locations--have become commonplace at the university and high school level. Public, full-time virtual schooling for younger students, however, is still on the frontier of education. About a dozen states now offer full-time virtual schools among their public school…

The Politics of Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellison, Art

2016-01-01

Art Ellison is longtime advocate for adult education, having managed numerous advocacy campaigns over the past forty years on the state and national levels. Prior to his employment in 1980 as the NH State Director of Adult Education he worked for many years as a high school teacher and as a community organizer. In this article, Ellison offers some…

Designing and Implementing Two-Way Bilingual Programs: A Step-by-Step Guide for Administrators, Teachers, and Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Calderon, Margarita Espino; Minaya-Rowe, Liliana

This book provides school administrators, teachers, and parents with the basic knowledge necessary for planning and implementing effective two-way bilingual programs. It offers essential elements to help students gain literacy in two languages, increase cross-cultural understanding, and meet high levels of achievement in all core academic areas.…

Teaching Anthropology as Science at the Junior High School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Decanay, Al, Jr.

1977-01-01

Describes an elective anthropology course of eighth grade students taught in 1974-75 and 1975-76. The course was offered as part of the science rather than social studies program, and emphasized physical anthropology and archaeology with laboratory and field methods. The content was within the grasp of motivated average and above average eighth…

Directory of Asian Studies in Secondary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suleski, Ronald, Ed.

This listing of schools that offer curriculum units dealing with Asia was compiled for the purpose of advancing the teaching of Asian Studies in schools throughout the United States, particularly at the secondary level. A total of 691 entries are included, the majority of which are from public or private junior or senior high schools within the…

Income Inequality and U.S. Tax Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crocco, Margaret S.; Marri, Anand R.; Wylie, Scott

2011-01-01

Many social scientists have recently commented on the high levels of income inequality in the United States. Indeed, the last time income inequality was as great as it is today was 1928, the year before the stock market crash ushered in the Great Depression. In this article, the authors offer a historical look at income inequality and taxation in…

ESSA Offers Changes That Can Continue Learning Gains

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chenoweth, Karin

2016-01-01

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives educators a fresh opportunity to think through how to ensure that all students achieve at high levels, especially kids from low-income families and kids of color. The new law continues with four principles that had been in earlier iterations, all of which have important implications for students from…

Observation of Instruction via Distance Learning: The Need for a New Evaluation Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Bobby G.; Malm, Loren D.; Nay, Fred W.; Oliver, Brad E.; Saunders, Nancy G.; Thompson, Jay C.

The evaluation of instruction via distance learning at the high school and college level offers special challenges, particularly the evaluation of one-way video--two-way audio instructional programs. The role of the teacher is radically changed and teaching strategies and course design are particularly important in a distance leaning environment.…

Creating a Sticky MOOC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakley, Barbara; Poole, Debra; Nestor, MaryAnne

2016-01-01

"Learning How to Learn," a MOOC from UC San Diego, is one of Coursera's most successful offerings; in its first year, nearly one million learners enrolled in the course. As a result of its high student satisfaction levels (4.55 on a 5-point Likert scale) and the persistence of strong student interest in the course, it is worth examining…

Middle School Exploratory Foreign Language Programs: A Position Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of State Supervisors of Foreign Language.

Four types of exploratory foreign language programs are described: (1) the language overview course, (2) the trial-study course, (3) the Level I offering, and (4) the course for the non-college bound. It is largely in the middle schools (grades 6-8) and junior high schools (grades 7-9) that exploratory programs are being used. The language…

Making It in Marketing Services. Exploration of Marketing Services Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkie, Barbara J., Ed.

This curriculum guide is designed to be used with a distributive education course offering. It provides students, at the middle or junior high school level, an opportunity to explore marketing services careers. The guide is divided into two sections: The Teacher's Guide and Student Materials. The Teacher's Guide is composed of eleven units: (1)…

Determinants of High Schools' Advanced Course Offerings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iatarola, Patrice; Conger, Dylan; Long, Mark C.

2011-01-01

This article examines the factors that determine a high school's probability of offering Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. The likelihood that a school offers advanced courses, and the number of sections that it offers, is largely driven by having a critical mass of students who enter high school with…

Mediaprocessors in medical imaging for high performance and flexibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Managuli, Ravi; Kim, Yongmin

2002-05-01

New high performance programmable processors, called mediaprocessors, have been emerging since the early 1990s for various digital media applications, such as digital TV, set-top boxes, desktop video conferencing, and digital camcorders. Modern mediaprocessors, e.g., TI's TMS320C64x and Hitachi/Equator Technologies MAP-CA, can offer high performance utilizing both instruction-level and data-level parallelism. During this decade, with continued performance improvement and cost reduction, we believe that the mediaprocessors will become a preferred choice in designing imaging and video systems due to their flexibility in incorporating new algorithms and applications via programming and faster-time-to-market. In this paper, we will evaluate the suitability of these mediaprocessors in medical imaging. We will review the core routines of several medical imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and DR, and present how these routines can be mapped to mediaprocessors and their resultant performance. We will analyze the architecture of several leading mediaprocessors. By carefully mapping key imaging routines, such as 2D convolution, unsharp masking, and 2D FFT, to the mediaprocessor, we have been able to achieve comparable (if not better) performance to that of traditional hardwired approaches. Thus, we believe that future medical imaging systems will benefit greatly from these advanced mediaprocessors, offering significantly increased flexibility and adaptability, reducing the time-to-market, and improving the cost/performance ratio compared to the existing systems while meeting the high computing requirements.

5 CFR 330.1104 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... any grade level, offered by the agency (whether competitive or excepted) when the employee applied and... without time limit in any Federal agency at any grade level; (4) When the DC DOC employee voluntarily... official inquiry of availability from the agency for a permanent appointment, at any grade level, offered...

Practice guideline update summary: Botulinum neurotoxin for the treatment of blepharospasm, cervical dystonia, adult spasticity, and headache

PubMed Central

Simpson, David M.; Hallett, Mark; Ashman, Eric J.; Comella, Cynthia L.; Green, Mark W.; Gronseth, Gary S.; Armstrong, Melissa J.; Gloss, David; Potrebic, Sonja; Jankovic, Joseph; Karp, Barbara P.; Naumann, Markus; So, Yuen T.; Yablon, Stuart A.

2016-01-01

Objective: To update the 2008 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guidelines regarding botulinum neurotoxin for blepharospasm, cervical dystonia (CD), headache, and adult spasticity. Methods: We searched the literature for relevant articles and classified them using 2004 AAN criteria. Results and recommendations: Blepharospasm: OnabotulinumtoxinA (onaBoNT-A) and incobotulinumtoxinA (incoBoNT-A) are probably effective and should be considered (Level B). AbobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT-A) is possibly effective and may be considered (Level C). CD: AboBoNT-A and rimabotulinumtoxinB (rimaBoNT-B) are established as effective and should be offered (Level A), and onaBoNT-A and incoBoNT-A are probably effective and should be considered (Level B). Adult spasticity: AboBoNT-A, incoBoNT-A, and onaBoNT-A are established as effective and should be offered (Level A), and rimaBoNT-B is probably effective and should be considered (Level B), for upper limb spasticity. AboBoNT-A and onaBoNT-A are established as effective and should be offered (Level A) for lower-limb spasticity. Headache: OnaBoNT-A is established as effective and should be offered to increase headache-free days (Level A) and is probably effective and should be considered to improve health-related quality of life (Level B) in chronic migraine. OnaBoNT-A is established as ineffective and should not be offered for episodic migraine (Level A) and is probably ineffective for chronic tension-type headaches (Level B). PMID:27164716

A comparison of Omaha worksite health promotion activities to the 1992 national survey with a special perspective on program intervention.

PubMed

Eickhoff-Shemek, J M; Ryan, K F

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the results from a survey of Omaha worksite health promotion activities with the results of a 1992 national survey. Comparisons were made on: (1) the kinds of health promotion activities offered, (2) progress toward the Healthy People 2000 worksite objectives, (3) types of program intervention offered, and (4) administrative factors. A one-time, written, mail-out/mail-back survey design was used. The study took place in Omaha, Nebraska. All area public and private worksites with 250 or more employees were sent surveys. Individuals who were preselected and identified as the best qualified within the company completed the survey instrument. Of the 176 worksites surveyed, 86 completed the survey (49%). Descriptive statistics (percentages) were used to compare the two surveys on kinds of programs offered, progress toward Healthy People 2000 related to worksite health promotion, the types of program intervention offered, and administrative factors. Generally, a greater percentage of respondent worksites from the national survey are offering more health promotion activities and have made more progress toward the Healthy People 2000 worksite objectives than the Omaha worksites. Results from both surveys showed that low levels of intervention are more prevalent than high levels of intervention, and that health promotion activities in most worksites are coordinated by human resources departments and not by someone professionally prepared in health education. Traditionally, major goals of worksite health promotion programs have focused on important organizational outcomes such as improved productivity/morale, reduction in absenteeism, and health care cost-containment. It is important to recognize, however, that low levels of intervention have less impact than more intensive programs on these desired outcomes. Future goals for local and national worksite health promotion programs may need to encourage implementation of more intensive intervention programs.

Influence of feeding hay on the alopecia of breeding guinea pigs.

PubMed

Gerold, S; Huisinga, E; Iglauer, F; Kurzawa, A; Morankic, A; Reimers, S

1997-08-01

Animals with partial alopecia were seen frequently in a breeding colony of guinea pigs. No pathologic aetiology could be determined. An influence of nutrition on the density of the hair coat was considered. Breeding groups were fed one of the commercial guinea pig diets of differing composition, with or without the addition of hay. Observation occurred over a period of months and the quality of the hair coat was evaluated periodically using a semi-quantitative scoring system. More extensive and more frequent fur defects were found is guinea pigs receiving a breeding diet with a high content of crude protein (23%) and a low level of crude fibre (12%), offered hay only restrictively compared with animals receiving a diet with a lower content of crude protein (15.5%) and a higher level of crude fibre (19.5%), offered the same amount of hay. The amount of hay offered is of paramount importance. Animals fed only the diet with the higher level of crude fibre (19.5%), according to the manufacturer's instructions as a complete food, without the addition of hay, showed a less dense hair coat within 4 weeks. In our colony a group of five breeding animals and their young required 200 g of hay daily in order to improve their hair coat quality to normal. Conversely, animals receiving less hay had progressively deteriorating hair coat density. Not only the amount of hay offered, but also the accessibility for all animals plays a role in preventing alopecia in guinea pigs. In larger cages (twice the usual ground surface area) fur defects were seen when the same amount of hay (200 g) was offered in only one central area, rather than spread out evenly throughout the cage. Hair loss was observed to be the result of trichophagia between adult animals kept in the same cage. The need for crude fibre of breeding animals does not appear to be completely met by pellets rich in fibre segments.

Nanoformulations of Rilpivirine for Topical Pericoital and Systemic Coitus-Independent Administration Efficiently Prevent HIV Transmission

PubMed Central

Date, Abhijit A.; Long, Julie M.; Nochii, Tomonori; Belshan, Michael; Shibata, Annemarie; Vincent, Heather; Baker, Caroline E.; Thayer, William O.; Kraus, Guenter; Lachaud-Durand, Sophie; Williams, Peter; Destache, Christopher J.; Garcia, J. Victor

2015-01-01

Vaginal HIV transmission accounts for the majority of new infections worldwide. Currently, multiple efforts to prevent HIV transmission are based on pre-exposure prophylaxis with various antiretroviral drugs. Here, we describe two novel nanoformulations of the reverse transcriptase inhibitor rilpivirine for pericoital and coitus-independent HIV prevention. Topically applied rilpivirine, encapsulated in PLGA nanoparticles, was delivered in a thermosensitive gel, which becomes solid at body temperature. PLGA nanoparticles with encapsulated rilpivirine coated the reproductive tract and offered significant protection to BLT humanized mice from a vaginal high-dose HIV-1 challenge. A different nanosuspension of crystalline rilpivirine (RPV LA), administered intramuscularly, protected BLT mice from a single vaginal high-dose HIV-1 challenge one week after drug administration. Using transmitted/founder viruses, which were previously shown to establish de novo infection in humans, we demonstrated that RPV LA offers significant protection from two consecutive high-dose HIV-1 challenges one and four weeks after drug administration. In this experiment, we also showed that, in certain cases, even in the presence of drug, HIV infection could occur without overt or detectable systemic replication until levels of drug were reduced. We also showed that infection in the presence of drug can result in acquisition of multiple viruses after subsequent exposures. These observations have important implications for the implementation of long-acting antiretroviral formulations for HIV prevention. They provide first evidence that occult infections can occur, despite the presence of sustained levels of antiretroviral drugs. Together, our results demonstrate that topically- or systemically administered rilpivirine offers significant coitus-dependent or coitus-independent protection from HIV infection. PMID:26271040

Heritability analysis of IgG4 antibodies in autoimmune thyroid disease.

PubMed

Outschoorn, I M; Talor, M V; Burek, C L; Hoffman, W H; Rose, N R

2014-08-01

A study of IgG4 autoantibody levels in juvenile thyroid disease patients showed evidence of heritability using the ROMP screening method. These levels increased with time despite the fact that total IgG antibody decreased with time. Evidence of heritability was demonstrated only in patients with high titers of autoantibodies to both thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroperoxidase (TPO) unlike family members who may show high titers of one or the other and be asymptomatic at the time of sampling. Since high and low IgG4 levels give different heritability plots, these findings may represent a more severe fibrotic form of thyroiditis with a distinct genetic background. Hence a simple predictive approach is offered by this screening tool for the disease in patients and family members which may be helpful in the future to identify IgG4-related thyroiditis early in the course of disease without the requirement for biopsy.

Evaluation of the cosmic-ray induced background in coded aperture high energy gamma-ray telescopes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owens, Alan; Barbier, Loius M.; Frye, Glenn M.; Jenkins, Thomas L.

1991-01-01

While the application of coded-aperture techniques to high-energy gamma-ray astronomy offers potential arc-second angular resolution, concerns were raised about the level of secondary radiation produced in a thick high-z mask. A series of Monte-Carlo calculations are conducted to evaluate and quantify the cosmic-ray induced neutral particle background produced in a coded-aperture mask. It is shown that this component may be neglected, being at least a factor of 50 lower in intensity than the cosmic diffuse gamma-rays.

Tuberculosis screening in high human immunodeficiency virus prevalence settings: turning promise into reality

PubMed Central

Corbett, E. L.; MacPherson, P.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY Twenty years of sky-high tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates and high TB mortality in high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence countries have so far not been matched by the same magnitude or breadth of responses as seen in malaria or HIV programmes. Instead, recommendations have been narrowly focused on people presenting to health facilities for investigation of TB symptoms, or for HIV testing and care. However, despite the recent major investment and scale-up of TB and HIV services, undiagnosed TB remains highly prevalent at community level, implying that diagnosis of TB remains slow and incomplete. This maintains high transmission rates and exposes people living with HIV to high rates of morbidity and mortality. More intensive use of TB screening, with broader definitions of target populations, expanded indications for screening both inside and outside of health facilities, and appropriate selection of new diagnostic tools, offers the prospect of rapidly improving population-level control of TB. Diagnostic accuracy of suitable (high throughput) algorithms remains the major barrier to realising this goal. In the present study, we review the evidence available to guide expanded TB screening in HIV-prevalent settings, ideally through combined TB-HIV interventions that provide screening for both TB and HIV, and maximise entry to HIV and TB care and prevention. Ideally, we would systematically test, treat and prevent TB and HIV comprehensively, offering both TB and HIV screening to all health facility attendees, TB households and all adults in the highest risk communities. However, we are still held back by inadequate diagnostics, financing and paucity of population-impact data. Relevant contemporary research showing the high need for potential gains, and pitfalls from expanded and intensified TB screening in high HIV prevalence settings are discussed in this review. PMID:23928165

A High-Fidelity Virtual Environment for the Study of Paranoia

PubMed Central

Broome, Matthew R.; Zányi, Eva; Selmanovic, Elmedin; Czanner, Silvester; Birchwood, Max; Chalmers, Alan; Singh, Swaran P.

2013-01-01

Psychotic disorders carry social and economic costs for sufferers and society. Recent evidence highlights the risk posed by urban upbringing and social deprivation in the genesis of paranoia and psychosis. Evidence based psychological interventions are often not offered because of a lack of therapists. Virtual reality (VR) environments have been used to treat mental health problems. VR may be a way of understanding the aetiological processes in psychosis and increasing psychotherapeutic resources for its treatment. We developed a high-fidelity virtual reality scenario of an urban street scene to test the hypothesis that virtual urban exposure is able to generate paranoia to a comparable or greater extent than scenarios using indoor scenes. Participants (n = 32) entered the VR scenario for four minutes, after which time their degree of paranoid ideation was assessed. We demonstrated that the virtual reality scenario was able to elicit paranoia in a nonclinical, healthy group and that an urban scene was more likely to lead to higher levels of paranoia than a virtual indoor environment. We suggest that this study offers evidence to support the role of exposure to factors in the urban environment in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences and symptoms. The realistic high-fidelity street scene scenario may offer a useful tool for therapists. PMID:24455255

A high-fidelity virtual environment for the study of paranoia.

PubMed

Broome, Matthew R; Zányi, Eva; Hamborg, Thomas; Selmanovic, Elmedin; Czanner, Silvester; Birchwood, Max; Chalmers, Alan; Singh, Swaran P

2013-01-01

Psychotic disorders carry social and economic costs for sufferers and society. Recent evidence highlights the risk posed by urban upbringing and social deprivation in the genesis of paranoia and psychosis. Evidence based psychological interventions are often not offered because of a lack of therapists. Virtual reality (VR) environments have been used to treat mental health problems. VR may be a way of understanding the aetiological processes in psychosis and increasing psychotherapeutic resources for its treatment. We developed a high-fidelity virtual reality scenario of an urban street scene to test the hypothesis that virtual urban exposure is able to generate paranoia to a comparable or greater extent than scenarios using indoor scenes. Participants (n = 32) entered the VR scenario for four minutes, after which time their degree of paranoid ideation was assessed. We demonstrated that the virtual reality scenario was able to elicit paranoia in a nonclinical, healthy group and that an urban scene was more likely to lead to higher levels of paranoia than a virtual indoor environment. We suggest that this study offers evidence to support the role of exposure to factors in the urban environment in the genesis and maintenance of psychotic experiences and symptoms. The realistic high-fidelity street scene scenario may offer a useful tool for therapists.

Materials and noncoplanar mesh designs for integrated circuits with linear elastic responses to extreme mechanical deformations

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae-Hyeong; Song, Jizhou; Choi, Won Mook; Kim, Hoon-Sik; Kim, Rak-Hwan; Liu, Zhuangjian; Huang, Yonggang Y.; Hwang, Keh-Chih; Zhang, Yong-wei; Rogers, John A.

2008-01-01

Electronic systems that offer elastic mechanical responses to high-strain deformations are of growing interest because of their ability to enable new biomedical devices and other applications whose requirements are impossible to satisfy with conventional wafer-based technologies or even with those that offer simple bendability. This article introduces materials and mechanical design strategies for classes of electronic circuits that offer extremely high stretchability, enabling them to accommodate even demanding configurations such as corkscrew twists with tight pitch (e.g., 90° in ≈1 cm) and linear stretching to “rubber-band” levels of strain (e.g., up to ≈140%). The use of single crystalline silicon nanomaterials for the semiconductor provides performance in stretchable complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated circuits approaching that of conventional devices with comparable feature sizes formed on silicon wafers. Comprehensive theoretical studies of the mechanics reveal the way in which the structural designs enable these extreme mechanical properties without fracturing the intrinsically brittle active materials or even inducing significant changes in their electrical properties. The results, as demonstrated through electrical measurements of arrays of transistors, CMOS inverters, ring oscillators, and differential amplifiers, suggest a valuable route to high-performance stretchable electronics. PMID:19015528

Insecticide-treated nets provide protection against malaria to children in an area of insecticide resistance in Southern Benin.

PubMed

Bradley, John; Ogouyèmi-Hounto, Aurore; Cornélie, Sylvie; Fassinou, Jacob; de Tove, Yolande Sissinto Savi; Adéothy, Adicath Adéola; Tokponnon, Filémon T; Makoutode, Patrick; Adechoubou, Alioun; Legba, Thibaut; Houansou, Telesphore; Kinde-Gazard, Dorothée; Akogbeto, Martin C; Massougbodji, Achille; Knox, Tessa Bellamy; Donnelly, Martin; Kleinschmidt, Immo

2017-05-26

Malaria control is heavily reliant on insecticides, especially pyrethroids. Resistance of mosquitoes to insecticides may threaten the effectiveness of insecticide-based vector control and lead to a resurgence of malaria in Africa. In 21 villages in Southern Benin with high levels of insecticide resistance, the resistance status of local vectors was measured at the same time as the prevalence of malaria infection in resident children. Children who used LLINs had lower levels of malaria infection [odds ratio = 0.76 (95% CI 0.59, 0.98, p = 0.033)]. There was no evidence that the effectiveness of nets was different in high and low resistance locations (p = 0.513). There was no association between village level resistance and village level malaria prevalence (p = 0.999). LLINs continue to offer individual protection against malaria infection in an area of high resistance. Insecticide resistance is not a reason to stop efforts to increase coverage of LLINs in Africa.

The effects of reimbursement mechanisms on medical technology diffusion in the hospital sector in the Italian NHS.

PubMed

Finocchiaro Castro, Massimo; Guccio, Calogero; Pignataro, Giacomo; Rizzo, Ilde

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate how the differences across the regional reimbursement mechanisms and in particular the use of the DRGs impact on the level in the high technology equipment diffusion. Based on hospital sector data at a regional level we build up indicators to measure the regional diffusion of high technological medical equipment in the period 1997-2007. These indicators are regressed on regional healthcare characteristics to investigate the relationship between the different reimbursement systems offered by Italian regions and the level of high technological medical equipment. Our results suggest that the per-case payment system is generally associated with a lower level of regional technology endowment per million of inhabitants, especially for the complex and expensive medical equipment. Our findings cast some doubts that an effective regulation of reimbursement mechanisms cannot limit the excessive diffusion of medical equipment that is a relevant driver of the increase in expenditure. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Centennial retrospective on the evolution and development of nursing education in Taiwan].

PubMed

Yeh, Mei Chang

2014-08-01

Nursing education in Taiwan has developed significantly over the past one hundred years. Throughout the first half of the 20th century, nursing education in Taiwan ended at the high school level. However, over the most recent 50 years, this level has been gradually raised, and nursing doctoral programs are now offered today. Changes in the nursing profession over the past century have been influenced by social and political factors, war, the health care policies, and national education policies. Areas of nursing education that have presented key challenges to change and innovation include the nursing faculty, curriculum, teaching materials, and quality of teaching. Today, key future goals for nursing education in Taiwan are: Raising the entry level of generic nursing education from junior high to the high-school level, improving the curricula for master's and doctoral students, cultivating advanced practice nurses, improving the quality of nursing faculties, and establishing a mechanism to ensure the consistent quality of nursing education.

Comments on settling chamber design for quiet, blowdown wind tunnels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beckwith, I. E.

1981-01-01

Transfer of an existing continous circuit supersonic wind tunnel to Langley and its operation there as a blowdown tunnel is planned. Flow disturbance requirements in the supply section and methods for reducing the high level broad band acoustic disturbances present in typical blowdown tunnels are reviewed. Based on recent data and the analysis of two blowdown facilities at Langley, methods for reducing the total turbulence levels in the settling chamber, including both acoustic and vorticity modes, to less than one percent are recommended. The pertinent design details of the damping screens and honeycomb and the recommended minimum pressure drop across the porous components providing the required two orders of magnitude attenuation of acoustic noise levels are given. A suggestion for the support structure of these high pressure drop porous components is offered.

International Nursing: How Much Power Do Nurse Managers Have?

PubMed

Trus, Marija; Martinkenas, Arvydas; Suominen, Tarja

This study was conducted to explore issues of nurse managers' power and empowerment. Data were collected from nurse managers by way of a questionnaire consisting of background factors, work-related questions, and power-related questions at the unit and organization levels. The degree of empowerment was evaluated using 2 established instruments (CWEQ-II and Work Empowerment Questionnaire). The overall level of managers' personal power within their own units was relatively high. Nurse managers' perception of their power at an organizational level was found to be at a moderate level. Several factors related to an individual's professional background were correlated to power issues, both at the unit and organizational levels. Structural and psychological empowerment correlated with the overall level of power at a unit level and the overall level of power at an organizational level. Nurse managers self-reported their own general power at a unit level as high, which offers them possibilities to lead the development of nursing care in their units. Organizations may benefit more from nurse managers' leadership by more fully integrating them in the development processes of the entire organization.

Exploring Ethnic Inequalities in Admission to Russell Group Universities

PubMed Central

Boliver, Vikki

2015-01-01

This article analyses national university applications and admissions data to explore why ethnic minority applicants to Russell Group universities are less likely to receive offers of admission than comparably qualified white applicants. Contrary to received opinion, the greater tendency of ethnic minorities to choose highly numerically competitive degree subjects only partially accounts for their lower offer rates from Russell Group universities relative to white applicants with the same grades and ‘facilitating subjects’ at A-level. Moreover, ethnic inequalities in the chances of receiving an admissions offer from a Russell Group university are found to be greater in relation to courses where ethnic minorities make up a larger percentage of applicants. This latter finding raises the possibility that some admissions selectors at some Russell Group universities may be unfairly rejecting a proportion of their ethnic minority applicants in an attempt to achieve a more ethnically representative student body. PMID:27904229

Problems of natural lighting for deepened buildings and underground premises under screen effect of high-rise construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larionova, Kira; Stetsky, Sergey

2018-03-01

The main rationale and objective of the submitted research work is to create a quality lighting environment in the premises of deepened buildings and below-ground structures under screen effect of high-rise construction (high-rise buildings). It is noted, that in modern megapolises, a deficiency of vacant urban territories leads to the increased density of urban development with increased amount of high-rise construction and tendency to increase efficiency in the use of underground space. The natural lighting of premises in underground buildings and structures is the most efficient way, but it can be implemented only under use of roof lighting system in the form of roof monitors or skylights. In this case the levels of indoor natural lighting will be affected with serious screening effect of high-rise buildings in surrounding development. Such an situation is not regulated, or even considered by the contemporary building Codes and Regulations on natural lighting of interiors. The authors offered a new formula for a daylight factor calculation with roof lighting system in the described cases. The results of theoretical calculations and experimental studies showed very similar values. This proved the truth of the offered formula and elaborated method of calculation on the basis of an offered hypothesis. It prooves, that it is possible to use some factor and guide points in the daylight factors design under system of side natural lighting in the same design for a system of roof lighting.

The Geoscience Ambassador: Training opportunities and skill development for tomorrow's geoscientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, Louise

2017-04-01

How can high schools geoscience teachers engage younger students who are not taught geoscience subjects at lower key stages? As passionate practitioners of learning, high school teachers are in a seemingly ideal position to inspire young learners to study and pursue a career in the field of geoscience. However, recruitment of students is often challenging if students do not have the opportunity to study the subjects first. For geoscience subjects such as geology to remain sustainable and viable at A-level, it is imperative that high schools invest time and effort in improving student awareness of subjects which students can access later in their academic career. Perhaps one of the greatest, most accessible and overlooked promotional tools for a geoscience subject are the students themselves. In 2016/2017, a new scheme at Hessle High School and Sixth Form in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, offered senior A-level geology students the opportunity to become "Geoscience Ambassadors". These students were recruited to act as champions for their geoscience subject (geology) to support with inspiring and engaging younger students who may otherwise not choose the subject. The traditional method of disseminating learning is to offer "train the trainer" sessions where training is delivered to peers for onward cascaded teaching and education. On returning from the 2016 Geosciences Information for Teachers (GIFT) workshop at EGU, training was provided to other teaching professionals on the activities and key learning points, the training was also disseminated to an enthusiastic group of A-level students to enable them to become Geoscience Ambassadors. This cascade approach moves away from the tradition of training high school staff alone on new pedagogies but additionally trains young and enthusiastic 17 year olds to work with groups of younger students in the local and regional area. Students use their newly discovered knowledge and skills to inspire younger students with their enthusiasm and passion for geology. The student ambassadors work with cohorts of junior students to share learning through projects and lessons in previous GIFT subjects including the Rosetta space mission and Mediterranean geoscience. This scheme has provided younger students with valuable knowledge and skills and an awareness of post 16 courses but also offers ambassadors the chance to practice and learn transferrable skills beneficial to their future higher-education careers. The scheme has also allowed their passion for their subject to be shared with others. All of the 2016 Geoscience Ambassadors successfully went on to apply for degrees in geology or geoscience related disciplines at university. The ambassador scheme offers an alternative approach to supporting the engagement and understanding of the geosciences. By encouraging students to become Geoscience Ambassadors, they have the opportunity to compound their knowledge of the subjects as well as inspiring junior students who previously had little awareness of geoscience.

High Sensitivity Gas Detection Using a Macroscopic Three-Dimensional Graphene Foam Network

PubMed Central

Yavari, Fazel; Chen, Zongping; Thomas, Abhay V.; Ren, Wencai; Cheng, Hui-Ming; Koratkar, Nikhil

2011-01-01

Nanostructures are known to be exquisitely sensitive to the chemical environment and offer ultra-high sensitivity for gas-sensing. However, the fabrication and operation of devices that use individual nanostructures for sensing is complex, expensive and suffers from poor reliability due to contamination and large variability from sample-to-sample. By contrast, conventional solid-state and conducting-polymer sensors offer excellent reliability but suffer from reduced sensitivity at room-temperature. Here we report a macro graphene foam-like three-dimensional network which combines the best of both worlds. The walls of the foam are comprised of few-layer graphene sheets resulting in high sensitivity; we demonstrate parts-per-million level detection of NH3 and NO2 in air at room-temperature. Further, the foam is a mechanically robust and flexible macro-scale network that is easy to contact (without Lithography) and can rival the durability and affordability of traditional sensors. Moreover, Joule-heating expels chemisorbed molecules from the foam's surface leading to fully-reversible and low-power operation. PMID:22355681

Physical fitness of an industrial fire department vs. a municipal fire department.

PubMed

Garver, Julie N; Jankovitz, Kristine Z; Danks, Jane M; Fittz, Ashley A; Smith, Heather S; Davis, Steven C

2005-05-01

Both industrial and municipal firefighters need to maintain high levels of physical fitness and minimize cardiovascular risk factors. The nature of firefighter responsibilities in industrial and municipal settings may vary, affecting the ability to sustain high levels of physical fitness. We compared the working conditions, physical fitness, and exercise training practices of an industrial fire department (n = 17) to those of a nearby municipal fire department (n = 55). After informed consent, aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, flexibility, blood lipid concentrations, and blood pressure levels were measured. Exercise training practices and related factors were assessed using a questionnaire. Despite programmatic differences, these departments demonstrated similar, relatively high degrees of physical fitness and similar blood lipid concentrations, blood pressure levels, and cardiac risk factors. It is recommended that fire departments involve appropriately trained staff, schedule on-duty times for exercise, offer well-equipped exercise facilities, and follow National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines for exercise conditioning in order to maintain a high degree of physical fitness.

The variation in chemical composition of barley feed with or without enzyme supplementation influences nutrient digestibility and subsequently affects performance in piglets.

PubMed

Clarke, L C; Sweeney, T; Curley, E; Duffy, S K; Rajauria, G; O'Doherty, J V

2018-06-01

This study investigates the effect of dietary supplementation of a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme mix to barley based diets, at two different chemical compositions achieved through different agronomical conditions on growth performance, coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of nutrients, selected faecal microbial populations and faecal scores in piglets. Sixty-four piglets (11.7 kg (SD 0.96)) housed in pens of two were assigned to one of four dietary treatments (n = 8). The dietary treatments were as follows: (T1) low quality barley diet, (T2) low quality barley diet containing a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme supplement, (T3) high quality barley diet and (T4) high quality barley diet containing a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme supplement. Piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet had a higher (p < .05) average daily gain (ADG) (0.73 vs. 0.69 kg, SEM 0.001), gain:feed (G:F) ratio (0.61 vs. 0.58 kg, SEM 0.011) and a higher CATTD (p < .001) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), ash, gross energy (GE) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) compared with piglets offered the high quality barley diet. Piglets offered the high quality barley-based diet had reduced faecal scores compared to piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet (2.44 vs. 2.57, SEM 0.036) (p < .05). There was a higher population of Lactobacillus spp. (11.6 vs. 10.5 log gene copy number/g faeces, SEM 0.177) (p < .001) and total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration (185 vs. 165 mmol/g faeces, SEM 5.658) (p < .001) in the faeces of piglets offered the high quality barley-based diet compared to piglets offered the low quality barley-based diet. The inclusion of a β-glucanase and β-xylanase enzyme complex had no effect on any variable measured. In conclusion, the higher quality barley-based diet showed beneficial effects on the faecal Lactobacillus spp. population and faecal scores of the piglets; however, the higher level of β-glucans in the diet decreased nutrient digestibility and subsequently decreased the performance. © 2018 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Strategies for achieving high-level expression of genes in Escherichia coli.

PubMed Central

Makrides, S C

1996-01-01

Progress in our understanding of several biological processes promises to broaden the usefulness of Escherichia coli as a tool for gene expression. There is an expanding choice of tightly regulated prokaryotic promoters suitable for achieving high-level gene expression. New host strains facilitate the formation of disulfide bonds in the reducing environment of the cytoplasm and offer higher protein yields by minimizing proteolytic degradation. Insights into the process of protein translocation across the bacterial membranes may eventually make it possible to achieve robust secretion of specific proteins into the culture medium. Studies involving molecular chaperones have shown that in specific cases, chaperones can be very effective for improved protein folding, solubility, and membrane transport. Negative results derived from such studies are also instructive in formulating different strategies. The remarkable increase in the availability of fusion partners offers a wide range of tools for improved protein folding, solubility, protection from proteases, yield, and secretion into the culture medium, as well as for detection and purification of recombinant proteins. Codon usage is known to present a potential impediment to high-level gene expression in E. coli. Although we still do not understand all the rules governing this phenomenon, it is apparent that "rare" codons, depending on their frequency and context, can have an adverse effect on protein levels. Usually, this problem can be alleviated by modification of the relevant codons or by coexpression of the cognate tRNA genes. Finally, the elucidation of specific determinants of protein degradation, a plethora of protease-deficient host strains, and methods to stabilize proteins afford new strategies to minimize proteolytic susceptibility of recombinant proteins in E. coli. PMID:8840785

The paradigm compiler: Mapping a functional language for the connection machine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dennis, Jack B.

1989-01-01

The Paradigm Compiler implements a new approach to compiling programs written in high level languages for execution on highly parallel computers. The general approach is to identify the principal data structures constructed by the program and to map these structures onto the processing elements of the target machine. The mapping is chosen to maximize performance as determined through compile time global analysis of the source program. The source language is Sisal, a functional language designed for scientific computations, and the target language is Paris, the published low level interface to the Connection Machine. The data structures considered are multidimensional arrays whose dimensions are known at compile time. Computations that build such arrays usually offer opportunities for highly parallel execution; they are data parallel. The Connection Machine is an attractive target for these computations, and the parallel for construct of the Sisal language is a convenient high level notation for data parallel algorithms. The principles and organization of the Paradigm Compiler are discussed.

Healthy public policy in poor countries: tackling macro-economic policies.

PubMed

Mohindra, K S

2007-06-01

Large segments of the population in poor countries continue to suffer from a high level of unmet health needs, requiring macro-level, broad-based interventions. Healthy public policy, a key health promotion strategy, aims to put health on the agenda of policy makers across sectors and levels of government. Macro-economic policy in developing countries has thus far not adequately captured the attention of health promotion researchers. This paper argues that healthy public policy should not only be an objective in rich countries, but also in poor countries. This paper takes up this issue by reviewing the main macro-economic aid programs offered by international financial institutions as a response to economic crises and unmanageable debt burdens. Although health promotion researchers were largely absent during a key debate on structural adjustment programs and health during the 1980s and 1990s, the international macro-economic policy tool currently in play offers a new opportunity to participate in assessing these policies, ensuring new forms of macro-economic policy interventions do not simply reproduce patterns of (neoliberal) economics-dominated development policy.

Perceptions of adults with hearing impairment regarding the promotion of trust in hearing healthcare service delivery.

PubMed

Preminger, Jill E; Oxenbøll, Maria; Barnett, Margaret B; Jensen, Lisbeth D; Laplante-Lévesque, Ariane

2015-01-01

This paper describes how trust is promoted in adults with hearing impairment within the context of hearing healthcare (HHC) service delivery. Data were analysed from a previously published descriptive qualitative study that explored perspectives of adults with hearing impairment on hearing help-seeking and rehabilitation. Interview transcripts from 29 adults from four countries with different levels of hearing impairment and different experience with the HHC system were analysed thematically. Patients enter into the HHC system with service expectations resulting in a preconceived level of trust that can vary from low to high. Relational competence, technical competence, commercialized approach, and clinical environment (relevant to both the clinician and the clinic) influence a patient's resulting level of trust. Trust is evolving rather than static in HHC: Both clinicians and clinics can promote trust. The characteristics of HHC that engender trust are: practicing good communication, supporting shared decision making, displaying technical competence, offering comprehensive hearing rehabilitation, promoting self-management, avoiding a focus on hearing-aid sales, and offering a professional clinic setting.

Frequency-tunable continuous-wave terahertz sources based on GaAs plasmonic photomixers

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

Yang, Shang-Hua; Jarrahi, Mona; Electrical Engineering Department, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095

2015-09-28

We present frequency-tunable, continuous-wave terahertz sources based on GaAs plasmonic photomixers, which offer high terahertz radiation power levels at 50% radiation duty cycle. The use of plasmonic contact electrodes enhances photomixer quantum efficiency while maintaining its ultrafast operation by concentrating a large number of photocarriers in close proximity to the device contact electrodes. Additionally, the relatively high thermal conductivity and high resistivity of GaAs allow operation under high optical pump power levels and long duty cycles without reaching the thermal breakdown limit of the photomixer. We experimentally demonstrate continuous-wave terahertz radiation with a radiation frequency tuning range of more thanmore » 2 THz and a record-high radiation power of 17 μW at 1 THz through plasmonic photomixers fabricated on a low temperature grown GaAs substrate at 50% radiation duty cycle.« less

Stunning Aurora Borealis from Space - Ultra-High Definition 4K

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-04-17

NASA Television’s newest offering, NASA TV UHD, brings ultra-high definition video to a new level with the kind of imagery only the world’s leader in space exploration could provide. Harmonic produced this show exclusively for NASA TV UHD, using time-lapses shot from the International Space Station, showing both the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis phenomena that occur when electrically charged electrons and protons in the Earth's magnetic field collide with neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere.

Phenoxazine Based Units- Synthesis, Photophysics and Electrochemistry

PubMed Central

Nowakowska-Oleksy, Anna; Cabaj, Joanna

2010-01-01

A few new phenoxazine-based conjugated monomers were synthesized, characterized, and successfully used as semiconducting materials. The phenoxazine-based oligomers have low ionization potentials or high-lying HOMO levels (~4.7 eV), which were estimated from cyclic voltammetry. Conjugated oligomers offer good film—forming, mechanical and optical properties connected with their wide application. These results demonstrate that phenoxazine-based conjugated mers are a promising type of semiconducting and luminescent structures able to be used as thin films in organic electronics. PMID:20625802

Exploring Careers in Consumer Homemaking and Related Occupations: A Guide for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Threlkeld, Joyce C.

One of 11 guides intended for use at the junior high school level of career exploration, the primary focus of the teacher's guide is on consumer homemaking and the related occupational cluster. Unit one offers an overview of the consumer homemaking field and unit two deals with student self-evaluation. Units three through six investigate four…

Teaching about Asia at the Secondary Level. Report of the Fifteenth Yale Conference on the Teaching of Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartlett, Beatrice S., Ed.; And Others

This conference booklet seeks to assist high school teachers who teach about Asia. Emphasis is upon providing a bibliography, with course outlines and background materials also offered. Four hundred annotated citations focusing on book, periodical, and other resource materials, published within the last decade, are provided for teachers working…

Math Refresher Workshop Series as an Aid to Registrants of a College Level Math Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Vivian; And Others

Because the failure rate for Math 110 (a college algebra course for non-science/technology-oriented majors at the University of Maryland) was so high, it was decided to offer selected registrants the opportunity to take a free refresher workshop series to improve their mathematics skills before they took the course. In summer 1985, 809 students…

High-Skill Training: Grants from H-1B Visa Fees Meet Specific Workforce Needs, But at Varying Skill Levels. Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Education, Workforce, and Income Security Issues.

A study examined the skill grant and scholarship grant programs. Findings indicated skill grantees offered training through various service delivery options to people needing skill upgrading; scholarship grantees provided scholarships to low income students for college degree programs in computer science, mathematics, and engineering. The skill…

Stepping Up: Improving Progression in English and Math from High School to College. Student Transcript-Enhanced Placement Study. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willett, Terrence; Karandjeff, Kelley

2014-01-01

How do we determine if incoming students are ready for college-level work? California's community college system is currently working to address this complex question in a more nuanced, comprehensive, and equitable way. This research brief offers insights that can inform these efforts resulting from the Student Transcript-Enhanced Placement Study…

Three Years of Using Robots in an Artificial Intelligence Course: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Amruth N.

2004-01-01

We have been using robots in our artificial intelligence course since fall 2000. We have been using the robots for open-laboratory projects. The projects are designed to emphasize high-level knowledge-based AI algorithms. After three offerings of the course, we paused to analyze the collected data and to see if we could answer the following…

Crossing Bridges That Connect the Arts, Cognitive Development, and the Brain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Rita

2005-01-01

Crossing high bridges offers the opportunity to ponder views from a distance: to see connections between places at the ground level or ideas that are familiar, and to capture an overview of places or ideas that are yet to be explored. The purpose of this essay is to explore the figural bridges that connect the arts with cognitive development and…

The Impact of Physical Activity on Academics in English Classes at the Junior High School Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helgeson, John L., Jr.

2013-01-01

The pressure educators, schools, and school districts face with meeting Adequate Yearly Progress on state assessments as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act has made some schools and school district reduce class offerings and time for subjects not considered core subjects. In addition, the rising obesity rates in students have prompted…

"Achieving Ensemble": Communication in Orthopaedic Surgical Teams and the Development of Situation Awareness--An Observational Study Using Live Videotaped Examples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleakley, Alan; Allard, Jon; Hobbs, Adrian

2013-01-01

Focused dialogue, as good communication between practitioners, offers a condition of possibility for development of high levels of situation awareness in surgical teams. This has been termed "achieving ensemble". Situation awareness grasps what is happening in time and space with regard to one's own unfolding work in relation to that of…

Research on Young Women in Computer Science: Promoting High Technology for Girls.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crombie, Gail

When the public school system of Ontario, Canada, began offering an all-female computer science course for girls in grade 11, female enrollment in computer science increased to approximately 40%. This increased enrollment level has been maintained for 3 years. The new course's effects on girls' attitudes were examined in a survey of 184 grade 11…

Progress on 2 MW STI8 gas turbine from Pratt & Whitney Canada

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

NONE

1997-01-01

In 1995 Pratt & Whitney Canada announced their intention to offer industrial and marine versions of the PW100 series aircraft gas turbine widely used in turboprop applications. The new ST18 gas turbine is rated in the two megawatt range for industrial and marine applications and offers an especially compact and lightweight gas turbine for this output level. As in other aeroderivative designs from Pratt & Whitney Canada, headquartered in Longueuil, Quebec, the ST18 gas turbine features a centrifugal compressor design. The two-stage centrifugal compressor, with a unique high efficiency external pipe diffuser system connecting the low pressure and high pressuremore » compressor, achieves an overall compression ratio of 15:1, with air flow of 7.7 kg/s. A relatively good thermal efficiency level of about 30% is achieved in this design. For exhaust emission control purposes, water injection in excess of a 1:1 ratio is utilized in the reverse flow annular combustion system to achieve less than 35 ppm NO{sub x} on natural gas fuel. This paper provides some of the design details of this gas turbine and changes made for the industrial and marine configuration. 4 figs.« less

A Comprehensive Program to Prepare Graduate Students for Careers in College or University Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krane, K. S.

1999-05-01

Although most universities do a superb job of training graduate students in research, relatively few offer training to enable M.S. or Ph.D. students to achieve the same level of mastery in teaching as a preparation for a career as a faculty member in a college or university. At Oregon State University we offer a comprehensive program that prepares students for a variety of careers in physics teaching. For students interested in teaching at a two-year college, we offer a M.S. degree with a specialty in physics education along with a strongly mentored teaching intern program at a local community college. For Ph.D. students, we offer a seminar that addresses a full range of pedagogical and methodological issues involved in physics teaching, an apprentice program that pairs each student with a faculty member of recognized teaching ability, and a capstone experience (following the completion of the Ph.D. dissertation) as an instructor to fill sabbatical or other vacancies. The impact of the program is measured by its extraordinarily high success at placing students in teaching jobs.

The Rat Model in Microsurgery Education: Classical Exercises and New Horizons

PubMed Central

Shurey, Sandra; Akelina, Yelena; Legagneux, Josette; Malzone, Gerardo; Jiga, Lucian

2014-01-01

Microsurgery is a precise surgical skill that requires an extensive training period and the supervision of expert instructors. The classical training schemes in microsurgery have started with multiday experimental courses on the rat model. These courses have offered a low threat supervised high fidelity laboratory setting in which students can steadily and rapidly progress. This simulated environment allows students to make and recognise mistakes in microsurgery techniques and thus shifts any related risks of the early training period from the operating room to the lab. To achieve a high level of skill acquisition before beginning clinical practice, students are trained on a comprehensive set of exercises the rat model can uniquely provide, with progressive complexity as competency improves. This paper presents the utility of the classical rat model in three of the earliest microsurgery training centres and the new prospects that this versatile and expansive training model offers. PMID:24883268

Drivers behind widespread informal payments in the Romanian public health care system: From tolerance to corruption to socio-economic and spatial patterns.

PubMed

Horodnic, Adrian V; Mazilu, Sorin; Oprea, Liviu

2018-03-15

In order to explain informal payments in public health care services in Romania, this paper evaluates the relationship between extra payments or valuable gifts (apart from official fees) and the level of tolerance to corruption, as well as the socio-economic and spatial patterns across those individuals offering informal payments. To evaluate this, a survey undertaken in 2013 is reported. Using logistic regression analysis, the findings are that patients with a high tolerance to corruption, high socio-economic risk (those divorced, separated, or with other form of marital status, and those not working), and located in rural or less affluent areas are more likely to offer (apart from official fees) extra payments or valuable gifts for health care services. The paper concludes by discussing the health policy implications. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ancillary Data Services of NASA's Planetary Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acton, C.

1994-01-01

JPL's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) has primary responsibility for design and implementation of the SPICE ancillary information system, supporting a wide range of space science mission design, observation planning and data analysis functions/activities. NAIF also serves as the geometry and ancillary data node of the Planetary Data System (PDS). As part of the PDS, NAIF archives SPICE and other ancillary data produced by flight projects. NAIF then distributes these data, and associated data access software and high-level tools, to researchers funded by NASA's Office of Space Science. Support for a broader user community is also offered to the extent resources permit. This paper describes the SPICE system and customer support offered by NAIF.

Regenerative Endodontics: A Road Less Travelled

PubMed Central

Bansal, Ramta; Mittal, Sunandan; Kumar, Tarun; Kaur, Dilpreet

2014-01-01

Although traditional approaches like root canal therapy and apexification procedures have been successful in treating diseased or infected root canals, but these modalities fail to re-establish healthy pulp tissue in treated teeth. Regeneration-based approaches aims to offer high levels of success by replacing diseased or necrotic pulp tissues with healthy pulp tissue to revitalize teeth. The applications of regenerative approaches in dental clinics have potential to dramatically improve patients’ quality of life. This review article offers a detailed overview of present regenerative endodontic approaches aiming to revitalize teeth and also outlines the problems to be dealt before this emerging field contributes to clinical treatment protocols. It conjointly covers the basic trilogy elements of tissue engineering. PMID:25478476

Chromosome numbers in three species groups of freshwater flatworms increase with increasing latitude.

PubMed

Lorch, Sven; Zeuss, Dirk; Brandl, Roland; Brändle, Martin

2016-03-01

Polyploidy in combination with parthenogenesis offers advantages for plasticity and the evolution of a broad ecological tolerance of species. Therefore, a positive correlation between the level of ploidy and increasing latitude as a surrogate for environmental harshness has been suggested. Such a positive correlation is well documented for plants, but examples for animals are still rare. Species of flatworms (Platyhelminthes) are widely distributed, show a remarkably wide range of chromosome numbers, and offer therefore good model systems to study the geographical distribution of chromosome numbers. We analyzed published data on counts of chromosome numbers and geographical information of three flatworm "species" (Phagocata vitta, Polycelis felina and Crenobia alpina) sampled across Europe (220 populations). We used the mean chromosome number across individuals of a population as a proxy for the level of ploidy within populations, and we tested for relationships of this variable with latitude, mode of reproduction (sexual, asexual or both) and environmental variables (annual mean temperature, mean diurnal temperature range, mean precipitation and net primary production). The mean chromosome numbers of all three species increased with latitude and decreased with mean annual temperature. For two species, chromosome number also decreased with mean precipitation and net primary production. Furthermore, high chromosome numbers within species were accompanied with a loss of sexual reproduction. The variation of chromosome numbers within individuals of two of the three species increased with latitude. Our results support the hypothesis that polyploid lineages are able to cope with harsh climatic conditions at high latitudes. Furthermore, we propose that asexual reproduction in populations with high levels of polyploidization stabilizes hybridization events. Chromosomal irregularities within individuals tend to become more frequent at the extreme environments of high latitudes, presumably because of mitotic errors and downsizing of the genome.

Adding Apples and Oranges: Telecourses Are Both Different and Important.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Leon C.

1982-01-01

Discusses advantages of offering telecourses at the college level and offers suggestions to make the courses first-rate educational offerings and first-rate learning experiences for students. (Author/JN)

Foods and Beverages Available at SNAP-Authorized Drugstores in Sections of North Carolina.

PubMed

Racine, Elizabeth F; Kennedy, Ashley; Batada, Ameena; Story, Mary

2017-09-01

To assess healthy food availability in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-authorized drugstores by store chain and neighborhood income level in 3 regions of North Carolina. Cross-sectional, descriptive study. Twenty-five counties in North Carolina. A total of 108 drugstores (36 CVS Health, 36 Rite Aid, and 36 Walgreens). Fifty foods and beverages offered at drugstores, categorized as healthier and less healthy. Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to test differences in the availability of foods and beverages by chain and neighborhood income. Of the 50 foods/beverages observed, 11 were available at all drugstores. Three of the 36 (8%) healthier items were available at all stores (100% fruit juice, water, and high-fiber cereal) whereas 8 of the 14 less healthy items (57%) were available at all stores (chips, sports drinks, energy drinks, regular soda, diet soda, sugar-sweetened beverages, beer, and wine). Only 3% of drugstores offered fresh vegetables and 4% offered fresh fruits. Less than 20% offered frozen chicken or beef. For 36 healthier foods, 11 differed by chain (28%); for less healthy foods 2 of 14 differed by chain (7%). Foods and beverages offered did not vary by neighborhood income. Although drugstores offer some healthier items, few offer fresh produce. As the drugstore industry changes, it is important for the nutrition community to study the impact of these changes on food purchasing behavior and ultimately health. Copyright © 2017 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Closing the Gap Between Specification and Programming: VDM++ and SCALA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Havelund, Klaus

2011-01-01

We argue that a modern programming language such as Scala offers a level of succinctness, which makes it suitable for program and systems specification as well as for high-level programming. We illustrate this by comparing the language with the Vdm++ specification language. The comparison also identifies areas where Scala perhaps could be improved, inspired by Vdm++. We furthermore illustrate Scala's potential as a specification language by augmenting it with a combination of parameterized state machines and temporal logic, defined as a library, thereby forming an expressive but simple runtime verification framework.

Communicating the Value of Program-Level Accreditation for Information Systems in a College of Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babb, Jeffry S.; Abdullat, Amjad

2014-01-01

Undergraduate programs in Information Systems are challenged to offer a curriculum that is both rigorous and relevant. Specialized college-level accreditation, such as AACSB, and program-level accreditation, such as ABET, offer an opportunity to signal quality in academics while also remaining relevant to local stakeholders and constituents.…

The College Level Teaching Core: An Orientation and Training System for New Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graber, Jared S.; Kinser, Paul

The College Level Teaching Core offered at Valencia Community College (Florida) has been developed as a planned orientation and training program for college faculty. Offered twice per academic year during the early part of both the fall and spring semesters, the majority of College Level Teaching Core participants are members of the college's…

The relationship between parenting styles and young adults' self-concepts and evaluations of parents.

PubMed

Parish, T S; McCluskey, J J

1992-01-01

In the present study, 123 college students were surveyed in order to assess their self-concepts, evaluations of parents, and perceptions of their parents' parenting styles. Notably, the students' self-concepts were found to vary directly with perceived level of parental warmth, but did not vary as a function of their parents' level of restrictiveness. Fathers and mothers were found to be rated more highly if they were perceived as being warm and permissive rather than hostile and restrictive. Finally, opposite-sex parents' level of warmth also correlated with how each parent was evaluated. Some explanations for these findings are offered.

A Study of Burnout in International and Country of Origin Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coulter, Mary Ann; Abney, Paul C.

2009-01-01

The study examined the extent to which burnout levels of teachers working in international schools differed from the burnout level of teachers working in their country of origin. All participants of the study were Canadian citizens who were educated in Canada, held Ontario College of Teachers certification and were teaching credit courses in high schools offering the Ontario curriculum under the auspice of the Ontario Ministry of Education. All teachers completed the Burnout Test Form 1 - Revised (Jerabeck, Burnout Test Form 1 - Revised, 2001) online. The study found that international teachers had a statistically lower level of burnout than teachers working in their country of origin.

Evaluating display fidelity and interaction fidelity in a virtual reality game.

PubMed

McMahan, Ryan P; Bowman, Doug A; Zielinski, David J; Brady, Rachael B

2012-04-01

In recent years, consumers have witnessed a technological revolution that has delivered more-realistic experiences in their own homes through high-definition, stereoscopic televisions and natural, gesture-based video game consoles. Although these experiences are more realistic, offering higher levels of fidelity, it is not clear how the increased display and interaction aspects of fidelity impact the user experience. Since immersive virtual reality (VR) allows us to achieve very high levels of fidelity, we designed and conducted a study that used a six-sided CAVE to evaluate display fidelity and interaction fidelity independently, at extremely high and low levels, for a VR first-person shooter (FPS) game. Our goal was to gain a better understanding of the effects of fidelity on the user in a complex, performance-intensive context. The results of our study indicate that both display and interaction fidelity significantly affect strategy and performance, as well as subjective judgments of presence, engagement, and usability. In particular, performance results were strongly in favor of two conditions: low-display, low-interaction fidelity (representative of traditional FPS games) and high-display, high-interaction fidelity (similar to the real world).

[Early diagnosis of HIV in Primary Care in Spain. Results of a pilot study based on targeted screening based on indicator conditions, behavioral criteria and region of origin].

PubMed

Agustí, Cristina; Martín-Rabadán, María; Zarco, José; Aguado, Cristina; Carrillo, Ricard; Codinachs, Roger; Carmona, Jose Manuel; Casabona, Jordi

2018-03-01

To estimate the prevalence of HIV infection in patients diagnosed with an indicator condition (IC) for HIV and/or risk behavior for their acquisition and/or coming from high prevalence countries. To determine the acceptability and feasibility of offering HIV testing based on IC and behavioral and origin criteria in Primary Care (PC). Cross-sectional study in a convenience sample. Six PC centers in Spain. The inclusion criteria were: patients between 16 and 65years old who presented at least one of the proposed ICs and/or at least one of the proposed behavioral and/or origin criteria. A total of 388 patients participated. HIV serology was offered to all patients who met the inclusion criteria. Description of IC frequency, behavioral and origin criteria. Prevalence of HIV infection. Level of acceptability and feasibility of the HIV screening based on IC and behavioral and origin criteria. A total of 174 patients had an IC (44.84%). The most common behavioral criterion was: having unprotected sex at some time in life with people who did not know their HIV status (298; 76.8%). Four HIV+ patients (1.03%) were diagnosed. All had an IC and were men who had sex with men. The level of acceptability in PC was high. Offering HIV testing to patients with IC and behavioral criteria is feasible and effective in PC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Improving health and safety conditions in agriculture through professional training of Florida farm labor supervisors.

PubMed

Morera, Maria C; Monaghan, Paul F; Tovar-Aguilar, J Antonio; Galindo-Gonzalez, Sebastian; Roka, Fritz M; Asuaje, Cesar

2014-01-01

Because farm labor supervisors (FLSs) are responsible for ensuring safe work environments for thousands of workers, providing them with adequate knowledge is critical to preserving worker health. Yet a challenge to offering professional training to FLSs, many of whom are foreign-born and have received different levels of education in the US and abroad, is implementing a program that not only results in knowledge gains but meets the expectations of a diverse audience. By offering bilingual instruction on safety and compliance, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) FLS Training program is helping to improve workplace conditions and professionalize the industry. A recent evaluation of the program combined participant observation and surveys to elicit knowledge and satisfaction levels from attendees of its fall 2012 trainings. Frequency distributions and dependent- and independent-means t-tests were used to measure and compare participant outcomes. The evaluation found that attendees rated the quality of their training experience as either high or very high and scored significantly better in posttraining knowledge tests than in pretraining knowledge tests across both languages. Nonetheless, attendees of the trainings delivered in English had significantly higher posttest scores than attendees of the trainings delivered in Spanish. As a result, the program has incorporated greater standardization of content delivery and staff development. Through assessment of its program components and educational outcomes, the program has documented its effectiveness and offers a replicable approach that can serve to improve the targeted outcomes of safety and health promotion in other states.

Evidence-based guideline update: steroids and antivirals for Bell palsy: report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

PubMed

Gronseth, Gary S; Paduga, Remia

2012-11-27

To review evidence published since the 2001 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) practice parameter regarding the effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of steroids and antiviral agents for Bell palsy. We searched Medline and the Cochrane Database of Controlled Clinical Trials for studies published since January 2000 that compared facial functional outcomes in patients with Bell palsy receiving steroids/antivirals with patients not receiving these medications. We graded each study (Class I-IV) using the AAN therapeutic classification of evidence scheme. We compared the proportion of patients recovering facial function in the treated group with the proportion of patients recovering facial function in the control group. Nine studies published since June 2000 on patients with Bell palsy receiving steroids/antiviral agents were identified. Two of these studies were rated Class I because of high methodologic quality. For patients with new-onset Bell palsy, steroids are highly likely to be effective and should be offered to increase the probability of recovery of facial nerve function (2 Class I studies, Level A) (risk difference 12.8%-15%). For patients with new-onset Bell palsy, antiviral agents in combination with steroids do not increase the probability of facial functional recovery by >7%. Because of the possibility of a modest increase in recovery, patients might be offered antivirals (in addition to steroids) (Level C). Patients offered antivirals should be counseled that a benefit from antivirals has not been established, and, if there is a benefit, it is likely that it is modest at best.

A High School Level Course On Robot Design And Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadler, Paul M.; Crandall, Jack L.

1984-02-01

The Robotics Design and Construction Class at Sehome High School was developed to offer gifted and/or highly motivated students an in-depth introduction to a modern engineering topic. The course includes instruction in basic electronics, digital and radio electronics, construction skills, robotics literacy, construction of the HERO 1 Heathkit Robot, computer/ robot programming, and voice synthesis. A key element which leads to the success of the course is the involvement of various community assets including manpower and financial assistance. The instructors included a physics/electronics teacher, a computer science teacher, two retired engineers, and an electronics technician.

Information specialist for a coming age (1)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, Kunihiko

It is said that a drastic progress is being made in information service today. Author guesses what talent and quality will be needed for future information specialist, on the assumption of image of the future information service. In the highly computerized society, information specialist will be required to make a quick delivery of high quality information. To meet such a high level request from researchers, information specialist will have to acquire much more information technology than ever. In the coming age of SIS, information specialist should have a qualification for librarian and researcher, and try to offer the active service with the enhanced technology.

A survey of reimbursement practices of private health insurance companies for pharmaceuticals not covered under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme 2008.

PubMed

Lingaratnam, Senthil M; Kirsa, Sue W; Mellor, James D; Jackson, John; Crellin, Wallace; Fitzsimons, Michael; Zalcberg, John R

2011-05-01

To describe the current practices and policy of Australian private health insurance (PHI) companies with respect to cover for pharmaceuticals not subsidised under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). A 2008 review of web-published policy statements for top-level hospital and comprehensive general treatment insurance, and survey of reimbursement practices by way of questionnaire, of 31 Australian-registered, open-membership PHI companies. Description of the level of pharmaceutical cover and important considerations identified by PHI companies for funding non-PBS pharmaceuticals through benefit entitlements or ex-gratia payments. Nine of thirty-one PHI companies (29%) provided responses accounting for ~60% market share of PHI. The majority of smaller PHI firms either declined participation or did not respond. The maximum limits offered for non-PBS pharmaceuticals, under comprehensive general treatment insurance, varied significantly and typically did not adequately cover high-cost pharmaceuticals. Some companies occasionally offered ex-gratia payments (or discretionary payments in excess of the policyholder's entitlement benefits) for high cost-pharmaceuticals. Factors considered important in their decision to approve or reject ex-gratia requests were provided. All results were de-identified. There is little consistency across PHI companies in the manner in which they handle requests for high-cost pharmaceuticals in excess of the defined benefit limits. Such information and processes are not transparent to consumers.

Laser waveform control of extreme ultraviolet high harmonics from solids.

PubMed

You, Yong Sing; Wu, Mengxi; Yin, Yanchun; Chew, Andrew; Ren, Xiaoming; Gholam-Mirzaei, Shima; Browne, Dana A; Chini, Michael; Chang, Zenghu; Schafer, Kenneth J; Gaarde, Mette B; Ghimire, Shambhu

2017-05-01

Solid-state high-harmonic sources offer the possibility of compact, high-repetition-rate attosecond light emitters. However, the time structure of high harmonics must be characterized at the sub-cycle level. We use strong two-cycle laser pulses to directly control the time-dependent nonlinear current in single-crystal MgO, leading to the generation of extreme ultraviolet harmonics. We find that harmonics are delayed with respect to each other, yielding an atto-chirp, the value of which depends on the laser field strength. Our results provide the foundation for attosecond pulse metrology based on solid-state harmonics and a new approach to studying sub-cycle dynamics in solids.

[Extraction of buildings three-dimensional information from high-resolution satellite imagery based on Barista software].

PubMed

Zhang, Pei-feng; Hu, Yuan-man; He, Hong-shi

2010-05-01

The demand for accurate and up-to-date spatial information of urban buildings is becoming more and more important for urban planning, environmental protection, and other vocations. Today's commercial high-resolution satellite imagery offers the potential to extract the three-dimensional information of urban buildings. This paper extracted the three-dimensional information of urban buildings from QuickBird imagery, and validated the precision of the extraction based on Barista software. It was shown that the extraction of three-dimensional information of the buildings from high-resolution satellite imagery based on Barista software had the advantages of low professional level demand, powerful universality, simple operation, and high precision. One pixel level of point positioning and height determination accuracy could be achieved if the digital elevation model (DEM) and sensor orientation model had higher precision and the off-Nadir View Angle was relatively perfect.

Enhancing Parental Well-Being and Coping through a Family-Centred Short Course for Iranian Parents of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samadi, Sayyed Ali; McConkey, Roy; Kelly, Greg

2013-01-01

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) generally experience high levels of stress and report poorer emotional well-being and family functioning compared to parents of children with other disabilities. They also tend to rely on emotional rather than problem-focused coping strategies. Seven group-based sessions were offered to two…

The Relationship between Upper-Level Math Course Completion and ACT Math Sub Score Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dial, Larry Michael

2016-01-01

More high school students are taking the ACT and more students are taking it at an earlier age. States such as Missouri are now testing all public and charter school students during their junior year to use the ACT as a formative assessment to drive discussions about student schedules, plans of study, and course offerings. With more data from more…

Secondary School Business Educators' Perceptions of the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed by Information Systems Majors Relative to Other Business Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Kevin; O'Bryan, David; Cummings, Maeve

2004-01-01

The demand for information technology (IT) or information systems (IS) personnel remains strong, despite the cyclical downturn in the technology industry. The field continues to offer good salaries, challenge, and high levels of job satisfaction. The IS profession needs to attract the best and brightest students to the field to satisfy the needs…

Tunable Shape-Shifting Structures for Military Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

autonomous (also self - healing and fault-tolerant) systems that can provide multifunctionality whilst minimising weight/size, particularly in extreme...The proof-of-concept approach was successfully demonstrated. It is possible to deform the surface of a multilayer soft structure with a high level...biological systems found in Nature (e.g. adaptive skin texture of cephalopods), active soft structures producing large deformations offer attractive ways to

Landscape evolution of Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jamieson, S.S.R.; Sugden, D.E.

2007-01-01

shelf before retreating to its present dimensions at ~13.5 Ma. Subsequent changes in ice extent have been forced mainly by sea-level change. Weathering rates of exposed bedrock have been remarkably slow at high elevations around the margin of East Antarctica under the hyperarid polar climate of the last ~13.5 Ma, offering potential for a long quantitative record of ice-sheet evolution with techniques such as cosmogenic isotope analysis

An advanced Ni-Cd battery cell design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, L.

1986-01-01

The evolution of an advanced Ni-Cd space battery cell design continues to prove very promising. High oxygen/hydrogen gas recombination rates (currently up to a C/5 charge rate) and increased electrolyte activation level tolerance (currently up to 5.6 grams Ah of positive capacity) were demonstrated by test. A superior performance, extended life battery cell offering advantages should soon be available for mission applications

THE PRE-TECHNICAL PROJECT, A DEMONSTRATION IN EDUCATION FOR TECHNOLOGY. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY, 11TH AND 12TH YEAR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY.

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY IS ONE OF THREE OFFERINGS OF THE PRETECHNICAL PROJECT DESIGNED TO REMOTIVATE UNDERACHIEVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO, UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, MAY BE ADMITTED TO THE CAREER PROGRAMS OF THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE. DEVELOPED BY A COMMITTEE OF TEACHERS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE MANUAL IS INTENDED TO ASSIST TEACHERS,…

Assessing Early Impacts of School-of-One: Evidence from the Three School-Wide Pilots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kemple, James J.; Segeritz, Micha D.; Cole, Rachel

2011-01-01

So1 is a new, individualized, technology-rich math program being implemented in three New York City middle schools. The program offers a high level of customization for each student, both in the content and material with which students engage, and in the teaching and learning modalities that are used to enhance students' mastery of the material.…

Adolescents Who Take Overdoses: Outcome in Terms of Changes in Psychopathology and the Adolescents' Attitudes to Care and to Their Overdose.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burgess, Sally; Hawton, Keith; Loveday, Gail

1998-01-01

Adolescent self-poisoners were followed up three months after taking an overdose. High levels of psychopathology were found. Subjects were offered follow-up treatment; 72% found this treatment useful. More than half the subjects (54%) thought that their overdose had resulted in overall improvements to their lives, while 44% would consider taking…

The Future of the U.S. Workforce: The Limited Career Prospects for High School Graduates without Additional Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Achieve, Inc., 2012

2012-01-01

The U.S. economy has undergone dramatic changes in recent decades. Jobs that required limited skills--but still paid a family-supporting wage--have disappeared and increasingly have been replaced with jobs that either require higher levels of education and skills "or" require little education and training but offer no pathways to careers…

Online Course Use in New York High Schools: Results from a Survey in the Greater Capital Region. REL 2015-075

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clements, Margaret; Pazzaglia, Angela M.; Zweig, Jacqueline

2015-01-01

As in most states, New York does not currently have a state-level protocol for collecting data about schools' objectives or methods for offering online courses. The goals of the study conducted by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands' Northeast Rural Districts Research Alliance (NRDRA) were (1) to create a survey tool capable…

Growing Clinical and Academic Nursing Leaders: Building the Pipeline.

PubMed

Sessler Branden, Pennie; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C

Nursing faces a crisis because there exists a dearth of qualified nurse academicians and administrators willing to step up to high-level leadership positions such as deanships and chief nursing operators. This article critically appraises the available literature regarding succession planning in the nursing profession and offers pragmatic suggestions to the profession to engage in succession planning in a deliberate and thoughtful manner.

Zimbabwean Female Participation in Physics: Facets of Identity Formation Considered to Be of Significance by Female Students in Relation to Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudyanga, Anna

2016-01-01

The study explored facets of identity formation considered to be of significance by Zimbabwean female adolescent students in physics. Four high schools that were offering physics at A' level in the Midlands Province, in Zimbabwe were targeted. Nine female adolescents doing mathematics and physics and only mathematics were chosen. Data generation…

Raising the Floor: New Approaches to Serving the Lowest-Skilled Students at Community Colleges in Texas and Beyond

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Visher, Mary; Cerna, Oscar; Diamond, John; Rutschow, Elizabeth Zachry

2017-01-01

Faced with many applicants with very low math skills, community colleges are responding with a variety of reforms, including restricting developmental courses to students with high-school-level skills. This brief provides context for the policy changes and describes the alternatives two colleges offer to those who don't make the cut. [This brief…

The Growth of the International Baccalaureate[R] Diploma Program: Concerns about the Consistency and Reliability of the Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bunnell, Tristan

2011-01-01

The International Baccalaureate[R] (IB) world, known as "the IB World," is doubling in size every five years. The IB has become a complex educational product, but offers high levels of consistency and reliability in terms of delivery and assessment. However, since late 2008, a number of concerns have been raised about the quality and manageability…

Retention of coded wire tags, and their effect on maturation and survival of yellow mealworms (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaffler, James J.; Isely, J.J.

2001-01-01

This study demonstrates that coded wire tags can be used to mark certain insect larvae without adverse effects on maturation, and that tags are retained through the adult phase in high enough proportion for practical application. Coded wire tags also offer the benefit that marked organisms can be identified to the batch or individual level.

Improving Chemistry Education by Offering Salient Technology Training to Preservice Teachers: A Graduate-Level Course on Using Software to Teach Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tofan, Daniel C.

2009-01-01

This paper describes an upper-level undergraduate and graduate-level course on computers in chemical education that was developed and offered for the first time in Fall 2007. The course provides future chemistry teachers with exposure to current software tools that can improve productivity in teaching, curriculum development, and education…

Bartter/Gitelman syndromes as a model to study systemic oxidative stress in humans.

PubMed

Maiolino, Giuseppe; Azzolini, Matteo; Rossi, Gian Paolo; Davis, Paul A; Calò, Lorenzo A

2015-11-01

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are intermediates in reduction-oxidation reactions that begin with the addition of one electron to molecular oxygen, generating the primary ROS superoxide, which in turn interacts with other molecules to produce secondary ROS, such as hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, and peroxynitrite. ROS are continuously produced during metabolic processes and are deemed to play an important role in cardiovascular diseases, namely, myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis and atherosclerosis, via oxidative damage of lipids, proteins, and deoxyribonucleic acid. Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a potent vasoactive agent that also exerts mitogenic, proinflammatory, and profibrotic effects through several signaling pathways, in part involving ROS, particularly superoxide and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, Ang II stimulates NADPH oxidases, leading to higher ROS generation and oxidative stress. Bartter/Gitelman syndrome patients, despite elevated plasma renin activity, Ang II, and aldosterone levels, exhibit reduced peripheral resistance, normal/low blood pressure, and blunted pressor effect of vasoconstrictors. In addition, notwithstanding the activation of the renin-angiotensin system and the increased plasma levels of Ang II, these patients display decreased production of ROS, reduced oxidative stress, and increased antioxidant defenses. In fact, Bartter/Gitelman syndrome patients are characterized by reduced levels of p22(phox) gene expression and undetectable plasma peroxynitrite levels, while showing increased plasma antioxidant power and expression of antioxidant enzymes, such as heme oxygenase-1. In conclusion, multifarious data suggest that Bartter and Gitelman syndrome patients are a model of low oxidative stress and high antioxidant defenses. The contribution offered by the study of these syndromes in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying this favorable status could offer chances for new therapeutic targets in disease characterized by high levels of reactive oxygen species. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The European network of Biosafety-Level-4 laboratories: enhancing European preparedness for new health threats.

PubMed

Nisii, C; Castilletti, C; Di Caro, A; Capobianchi, M R; Brown, D; Lloyd, G; Gunther, S; Lundkvist, A; Pletschette, M; Ippolito, G

2009-08-01

Emerging and re-emerging infections and possible bioterrorism acts will continue to challenge both the medical community and civilian populations worldwide, urging health authorities to respond rapidly and effectively. Established in 2005, the European Community (EC)-funded European Network of Biosafety-Level-4 laboratories (Euronet-P4), which brings together the laboratories in Porton Down, London, Hamburg, Marburg, Solna, Lyon and Rome, seeks to increase international collaboration in the areas of high containment laboratory biosafety and viral diagnostic capability, to strengthen Europe's capacity to respond to an infectious disease emergency, and to offer assistance to countries not equipped with such costly facilities. Network partners have agreed on a common strategy to fill the gaps identified in the field of risk group-4 agents' laboratory diagnosis, namely the lack of standardization and of reference samples. The network has received a further 3-year funding, to offer assistance to external laboratories, and to start the planning of field activities.

Distinct effects of apathy and dopamine on effort-based decision-making in Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Le Heron, Campbell; Plant, Olivia; Manohar, Sanjay; Ang, Yuen-Siang; Jackson, Matthew; Lennox, Graham; Hu, Michele T; Husain, Masud

2018-05-01

Effort-based decision-making is a cognitive process crucial to normal motivated behaviour. Apathy is a common and disabling complication of Parkinson's disease, but its aetiology remains unclear. Intriguingly, the neural substrates associated with apathy also subserve effort-based decision-making in animal models and humans. Furthermore, the dopaminergic system plays a core role in motivating effortful behaviour for reward, and its dysfunction has been proposed to play a crucial role in the aetiology of apathy in Parkinson's disease. We hypothesized that disrupted effort-based decision-making underlies the syndrome of apathy in Parkinson's disease, and that this disruption may be modulated by the dopaminergic system. An effort-based decision-making task was administered to 39 patients with Parkinson's disease, with and without clinical apathy, ON and OFF their normal dopaminergic medications across two separate sessions, as well as 32 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. On a trial-by-trial basis, participants decided whether to accept or reject offers of monetary reward in return for exerting different levels of physical effort via handheld, individually calibrated dynamometers. Effort and reward were manipulated independently, such that offers spanned the full range of effort/reward combinations. Apathy was assessed using the Lille apathy rating scale. Motor effects of the dopamine manipulation were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale part three motor score. The primary outcome variable was choice (accept/decline offer) analysed using a hierarchical generalized linear mixed effects model, and the vigour of squeeze (Newtons exerted above required force). Both apathy and dopamine depletion were associated with reduced acceptance of offers. However, these effects were driven by dissociable patterns of responding. While apathy was characterized by increased rejection of predominantly low reward offers, dopamine increased responding to high effort, high reward offers, irrespective of underlying motivational state. Dopamine also exerted a main effect on motor vigour, increasing force production independently of reward offered, while apathy did not affect this measure. The findings demonstrate that disrupted effort-based decision-making underlies Parkinson's disease apathy, but in a manner distinct to that caused by dopamine depletion. Apathy is associated with reduced incentivization by the rewarding outcomes of actions. In contrast, dopamine has a general effect in motivating behaviour for high effort, high reward options without altering the response pattern that characterizes the apathetic state. Thus, the motivational deficit observed in Parkinson's disease appears not to be simply secondary to dopaminergic depletion of mesocorticolimbic pathways, suggesting non-dopaminergic therapeutic strategies for apathy may be important future targets.

A digital front-end and readout microsystem for calorimetry at LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alippi, C.; Appelquist, G.; Berglund, S.; Bohm, C.; Breveglieri, L.; Brigati, S.; Carlson, P.; Cattaneo, P.; Dadda, L.; David, J.; Del Buono, L.; Dell'Acqua, A.; Engström, M.; Fumagalli, G.; Gatti, U.; Genat, J. F.; Goggi, G.; Hansen, M.; Hentzell, H.; Höglund, I.; Inkinen, S.; Kerek, A.; Lebbolo, H.; LeDortz, O.; Lofstedt, B.; Maloberti, F.; Nayman, P.; Persson, S.-T.; Piuri, V.; Salice, F.; Sami, M.; Savoy-Navarro, A.; Stefanelli, R.; Sundblad, R.; Svensson, C.; Torelli, G.; Vanuxem, J. P.; Yamdagni, N.; Yuan, J.; Zitoun, R.

1994-04-01

A digital solution to the front-end electronics for calorimetric detectors at future supercolliders is presented. The solution is based on high speed {A}/{D} converters, a fully programmable pipeline/digital filter chain and local intelligence. Questions of error correction, fault-tolerance and system redundancy are also being considered. A system integration of a multichannel device in a multichip, Silicon-on-Silicon Microsystem hybrid, is used. This solution allows a new level of integration of complex analogue and digital functions, with an excellent flexibility in mixing technologies for the different functional blocks. It also allows a high degree of programmability at both the function and the system level, and offers the possibility of customising the microsystem with detector-specific functions.

Mitochondrial Replacement Therapy in Reproductive Medicine

PubMed Central

Wolf, Don P.; Mitalipov, Nargiz; Mitalipov, Shoukhrat

2015-01-01

Mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated in disease and in age-related infertility. Mitochondrial replacement therapies (MRT) in oocytes or zygotes such as pronuclear (PNT), spindle (ST) or polar body (PBT) transfer could prevent second generation transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) defects. PNT, associated with high levels of mtDNA carryover in mice but low levels in human embryos, carries ethical issues secondary to donor embryo destruction. ST, developed in primates, supports normal development to adults and low mtDNA carryover. PBT in mice, coupled with PN or ST, may increase the yield of reconstructed embryos with low mtDNA carryover. MRT also offers replacement of the deficient cytoplasm in oocytes from older patients, with the expectation of high pregnancy rates following in vitro fertilization. PMID:25573721

Mammography Patient Information at Hospital Websites: Most Neither Comprehensible Nor Guideline Supported.

PubMed

Sadigh, Gelareh; Singh, Kush; Gilbert, Kirven; Khan, Ramsha; Duszak, Abigail M; Duszak, Richard

2016-11-01

Ongoing controversy regarding screening mammography guidelines has created confusion for many patients. Given recommendations that patient educational material be prepared at or below the 7th grade reading level of average Americans, the purpose of this study was to assess the readability of online mammography information offered by hospitals nationwide. During 2015, online mammography patient educational materials were identified for all Medicare-recognized hospitals nationwide for which screening mammography metrics were publicly available. Patient educational materials were assessed using six validated readability score algorithms. All references to official screening guidelines were captured. Of 4105 hospitals nationwide, 3252 had websites and confirmable screening mammography services. Of those, 1753 (54%) offered mammography information material online. Only 919 (28%) referenced any professional society guidelines. After excluding information not formatted in HTML and shorter than 100 words (to improve algorithm reliability), 1524 hospital mammography webpages were assessed for grade level scores. Nationally, the mean of each readability score for all hospitals varied between the 10th and 14th grade levels, all higher than the recommended 7th grade level (p < 0.001). At the individual hospital level, only 14 hospitals (0.4%) had mean scores at or below the 7th grade level. Of U.S. hospitals that offer screening mammography and have websites, only 54% provide online mammography educational material. Of those, only 0.4% present information at a reading level comprehensible to average Americans, and only 28% offer specific information to help patients reconcile conflicting guidelines. Health systems offering mammography should strive to better meet women's health information and literacy needs.

Practice guideline update summary: Corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

PubMed Central

Gloss, David; Moxley, Richard T.; Ashwal, Stephen; Oskoui, Maryam

2016-01-01

Objective: To update the 2005 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guideline on corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature from January 2004 to July 2014 using the AAN classification scheme for therapeutic articles and predicated recommendations on the strength of the evidence. Results: Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria. Recommendations: In children with DMD, prednisone should be offered for improving strength (Level B) and pulmonary function (Level B). Prednisone may be offered for improving timed motor function (Level C), reducing the need for scoliosis surgery (Level C), and delaying cardiomyopathy onset by 18 years of age (Level C). Deflazacort may be offered for improving strength and timed motor function and delaying age at loss of ambulation by 1.4–2.5 years (Level C). Deflazacort may be offered for improving pulmonary function, reducing the need for scoliosis surgery, delaying cardiomyopathy onset, and increasing survival at 5–15 years of follow-up (Level C for each). Deflazacort and prednisone may be equivalent in improving motor function (Level C). Prednisone may be associated with greater weight gain in the first years of treatment than deflazacort (Level C). Deflazacort may be associated with a greater risk of cataracts than prednisone (Level C). The preferred dosing regimen of prednisone is 0.75 mg/kg/d (Level B). Over 12 months, prednisone 10 mg/kg/weekend is equally effective (Level B), with no long-term data available. Prednisone 0.75 mg/kg/d is associated with significant risk of weight gain, hirsutism, and cushingoid appearance (Level B). PMID:26833937

DESIGNS FOR SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NIMNICHT, GLENDON P.; PARTRIDGE, ARTHUR R.

BY MULTIPLE-CLASS TEACHING AND FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING, SMALL HIGH SCHOOLS CAN OFFER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS COMPARABLE TO THOSE OFFERED BY LARGE HIGH SCHOOLS. WITH ATTENTION TO FACILITY DESIGN, NOT ONLY CAN SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, FOREIGN LANGUAGE, ART, BUSINESS, INDUSTRIAL ARTS, HOMEMAKING, ENGLISH, AND SOCIAL STUDIES BE OFFERED TO TWO OR MORE GROUPS OF…

Embedded controller for GEM detector readout system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zabołotny, Wojciech M.; Byszuk, Adrian; Chernyshova, Maryna; Cieszewski, Radosław; Czarski, Tomasz; Dominik, Wojciech; Jakubowska, Katarzyna L.; Kasprowicz, Grzegorz; Poźniak, Krzysztof; Rzadkiewicz, Jacek; Scholz, Marek

2013-10-01

This paper describes the embedded controller used for the multichannel readout system for the GEM detector. The controller is based on the embedded Mini ITX mainboard, running the GNU/Linux operating system. The controller offers two interfaces to communicate with the FPGA based readout system. FPGA configuration and diagnostics is controlled via low speed USB based interface, while high-speed setup of the readout parameters and reception of the measured data is handled by the PCI Express (PCIe) interface. Hardware access is synchronized by the dedicated server written in C. Multiple clients may connect to this server via TCP/IP network, and different priority is assigned to individual clients. Specialized protocols have been implemented both for low level access on register level and for high level access with transfer of structured data with "msgpack" protocol. High level functionalities have been split between multiple TCP/IP servers for parallel operation. Status of the system may be checked, and basic maintenance may be performed via web interface, while the expert access is possible via SSH server. System was designed with reliability and flexibility in mind.

Working with sports organizations and teams.

PubMed

McDuff, David R; Garvin, Michelle

2016-12-01

Athletes and coaches at all competitive levels will utilize sports performance and psychiatric services at very high rates if the services are offered on-site and free of charge and are broad in scope and culturally sensitive. Services should be available throughout the team year and cover areas such as team building, mental preparation, stress control, substance prevention, sleep and energy regulation, injury recovery, crisis intervention, and mental disorder treatment. The staff offering these services should be diverse by gender, profession, and culture, and the fees should be paid by the organization. When these services are endorsed by the team's leaders and integrated with the athletic training/medical/player development staff, their utilization will grow quickly and lead to positive outcomes individually and collectively.

Avoiding Thiol Compound Interference: A Nanoplatform Based on High-Fidelity Au-Se Bonds for Biological Applications.

PubMed

Hu, Bo; Kong, Fanpeng; Gao, Xiaonan; Jiang, Lulu; Li, Xiaofeng; Gao, Wen; Xu, Kehua; Tang, Bo

2018-05-04

Gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) assembled through Au-S covalent bonds have been widely used in biomolecule-sensing technologies. However, during the process, detection distortions caused by high levels of thiol compounds can still significantly influence the result and this problem has not really been solved. Based on the higher stability of Au-Se bonds compared to Au-S bonds, we prepared selenol-modified Au NPs as an Au-Se nanoplatform (NPF). Compared with the Au-S NPF, the Au-Se NPF exhibits excellent anti-interference properties in the presence of millimolar levels of glutathione (GSH). Such an Au-Se NPF that can effectively avoid detection distortions caused by high levels of thiols thus offers a new perspective in future nanomaterial design, as well as a novel platform with higher stability and selectivity for the in vivo application of chemical sensing and clinical therapies. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of Uncoordinated Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging on Residential Power Demand

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

Muratori, Matteo

Electrification of transport offers opportunities to increase energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and improve local air quality. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are creating new connections between the transportation and electric sectors, and PEV charging will create opportunities and challenges in a system of growing complexity. Here, I use highly resolved models of residential power demand and PEV use to assess the impact of uncoordinated in-home PEV charging on residential power demand. While the increase in aggregate demand might be minimal even for high levels of PEV adoption, uncoordinated PEV charging could significantly change the shape of the aggregate residential demand,more » with impacts for electricity infrastructure, even at low adoption levels. Clustering effects in vehicle adoption at the local level might lead to high PEV concentrations even if overall adoption remains low, significantly increasing peak demand and requiring upgrades to the electricity distribution infrastructure. This effect is exacerbated when adopting higher in-home power charging.« less

Impact of uncoordinated plug-in electric vehicle charging on residential power demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muratori, Matteo

2018-03-01

Electrification of transport offers opportunities to increase energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and improve local air quality. Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are creating new connections between the transportation and electric sectors, and PEV charging will create opportunities and challenges in a system of growing complexity. Here, I use highly resolved models of residential power demand and PEV use to assess the impact of uncoordinated in-home PEV charging on residential power demand. While the increase in aggregate demand might be minimal even for high levels of PEV adoption, uncoordinated PEV charging could significantly change the shape of the aggregate residential demand, with impacts for electricity infrastructure, even at low adoption levels. Clustering effects in vehicle adoption at the local level might lead to high PEV concentrations even if overall adoption remains low, significantly increasing peak demand and requiring upgrades to the electricity distribution infrastructure. This effect is exacerbated when adopting higher in-home power charging.

The use of many-body physics and thermodynamics to describe the dynamics of rhythmic generators in sensory cortices engaged in memory and learning.

PubMed

Vitiello, Giuseppe

2015-04-01

The problem of the transition from the molecular and cellular level to the macroscopic level of observed assemblies of myriads of neurons is the subject addressed in this report. The great amount of detailed information available at molecular and cellular level seems not sufficient to account for the high effectiveness and reliability observed in the brain macroscopic functioning. It is suggested that the dissipative many-body model and thermodynamics might offer the dynamical frame underlying the rich phenomenology observed at microscopic and macroscopic level and help in the understanding on how to fill the gap between the bio-molecular and cellular level and the one of brain macroscopic functioning. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality circles: the nurse executive as mentor.

PubMed

Flarey, D L

1991-12-01

Changes within and around the health care environment are forcing health care executives to reexamine their managerial and leadership styles to confront the resulting turbulence. The nurse executive is charged with the profound responsibility of directing the delivery of nursing care throughout the organization. Care delivered today must be of high quality. Declining financial resources as well as personnel shortages cause the executive to be an effective innovator in meeting the increasing demands. Quality circles offer the nurse executive an avenue of recourse. Circles have been effectively implemented in the health care setting, as has been consistently documented over time. By way of a participative management approach, quality circles may lead to increased employee morale and productivity, cost savings, and decreased employee turnover rates, as well as realization of socialization and self-actualization needs. A most effective approach to their introduction would be implementation at the first-line manager level. This promotes an acceptance of the concept at the management level as well as a training course for managers to implement the process at the unit level. The nurse executive facilitates the process at the first-line manager level. This facilitation will cause a positive outcome to diffuse throughout the entire organization. Quality circles offer the nurse executive the opportunity to challenge the existing environmental turmoil and effect a positive and lasting change.

High-temperature superconductivity using a model of hydrogen bonds.

PubMed

Kaplan, Daniel; Imry, Yoseph

2018-05-29

Recently, there has been much interest in high-temperature superconductors and more recently in hydrogen-based superconductors. This work offers a simple model that explains the behavior of the superconducting gap based on naive BCS (Bardeen-Cooper-Schrieffer) theory and reproduces most effects seen in experiments, including the isotope effect and [Formula: see text] enhancement as a function of pressure. We show that this is due to a combination of the factors appearing in the gap equation: the matrix element between the proton states and the level splitting of the proton.

The diverse use of clouds by CMS

DOE PAGES

Andronis, Anastasios; Bauer, Daniela; Chaze, Olivier; ...

2015-12-23

The resources CMS is using are increasingly being offered as clouds. In Run 2 of the LHC the majority of CMS CERN resources, both in Meyrin and at the Wigner Computing Centre, will be presented as cloud resources on which CMS will have to build its own infrastructure. This infrastructure will need to run all of the CMS workflows including: Tier 0, production and user analysis. In addition, the CMS High Level Trigger will provide a compute resource comparable in scale to the total offered by the CMS Tier 1 sites, when it is not running as part of themore » trigger system. During these periods a cloud infrastructure will be overlaid on this resource, making it accessible for general CMS use. Finally, CMS is starting to utilise cloud resources being offered by individual institutes and is gaining experience to facilitate the use of opportunistically available cloud resources. Lastly, we present a snap shot of this infrastructure and its operation at the time of the CHEP2015 conference.« less

Application of gaseous core reactors for transmutation of nuclear waste

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schnitzler, B. G.; Paternoster, R. R.; Schneider, R. T.

1976-01-01

An acceptable management scheme for high-level radioactive waste is vital to the nuclear industry. The hazard potential of the trans-uranic actinides and of key fission products is high due to their nuclear activity and/or chemical toxicity. Of particular concern are the very long-lived nuclides whose hazard potential remains high for hundreds of thousands of years. Neutron induced transmutation offers a promising technique for the treatment of problem wastes. Transmutation is unique as a waste management scheme in that it offers the potential for "destruction" of the hazardous nuclides by conversion to non-hazardous or more manageable nuclides. The transmutation potential of a thermal spectrum uranium hexafluoride fueled cavity reactor was examined. Initial studies focused on a heavy water moderated cavity reactor fueled with 5% enriched U-235-F6 and operating with an average thermal flux of 6 times 10 to the 14th power neutrons/sq cm-sec. The isotopes considered for transmutation were I-129, Am-241, Am-242m, Am-243, Cm-243, Cm-244, Cm-245, and Cm-246.

Advanced rechargeable sodium batteries with novel cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Distefano, S.; Ratnakumar, B. V.; Bankston, C. P.

1989-01-01

Various high energy density rechargeable batteries are being considered for future space applications. Of these, the sodium-sulfur battery is one of the leading candidates. The primary advantage is the high energy density (760 Wh/kg theoretical). Energy densities in excess of 180 Wh/kg were realized in practical batteries. Other technological advantages include its chemical simplicity, absence of self-discharge, and long cycle life possibility. More recently, other high temperature sodium batteries have come into the spotlight. These systems can be described as follow: Na/Beta Double Prime-Al2O3/NaAlCl4/Metal Dichloride Sodium/metal dichloride systems are colloquially known as the zebra system and are currently being developed for traction and load leveling applications. The sodium-metal dichloride systems appear to offer many of the same advantages of the Na/S system, especially in terms of energy density and chemical simplicity. The metal dichloride systems offer increased safety and good resistance to overcharge and operate over a wide range of temperatures from 150 to 400 C with less corrosion problems.

GPU-accelerated FDTD modeling of radio-frequency field-tissue interactions in high-field MRI.

PubMed

Chi, Jieru; Liu, Feng; Weber, Ewald; Li, Yu; Crozier, Stuart

2011-06-01

The analysis of high-field RF field-tissue interactions requires high-performance finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) computing. Conventional CPU-based FDTD calculations offer limited computing performance in a PC environment. This study presents a graphics processing unit (GPU)-based parallel-computing framework, producing substantially boosted computing efficiency (with a two-order speedup factor) at a PC-level cost. Specific details of implementing the FDTD method on a GPU architecture have been presented and the new computational strategy has been successfully applied to the design of a novel 8-element transceive RF coil system at 9.4 T. Facilitated by the powerful GPU-FDTD computing, the new RF coil array offers optimized fields (averaging 25% improvement in sensitivity, and 20% reduction in loop coupling compared with conventional array structures of the same size) for small animal imaging with a robust RF configuration. The GPU-enabled acceleration paves the way for FDTD to be applied for both detailed forward modeling and inverse design of MRI coils, which were previously impractical.

Availability of tobacco cessation services in substance use disorder treatment programs: Impact of state tobacco control policy.

PubMed

Abraham, Amanda J; Bagwell-Adams, Grace; Jayawardhana, Jayani

2017-08-01

Given the high prevalence of smoking among substance use disorder (SUD) patients, the specialty SUD treatment system is an important target for adoption and implementation of tobacco cessation (TC) services. While research has addressed the impact of tobacco control on individual tobacco consumption, largely overlooked in the literature is the potential impact of state tobacco control policies on availability of services for tobacco cessation. This paper examines the association between state tobacco control policy and availability of TC services in SUD treatment programs in the United States. State tobacco control and state demographic data (n=51) were merged with treatment program data from the 2012 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (n=10.413) to examine availability of TC screening, counseling and pharmacotherapy services in SUD treatment programs using multivariate logistic regression models clustered at the state-level. Approximately 60% of SUD treatment programs offered TC screening services, 41% offered TC counseling services and 26% offered TC pharmacotherapy services. Results of multivariate logistic regression showed the odds of offering TC services were greater for SUD treatment programs located in states with higher cigarette excise taxes and greater spending on tobacco prevention and control. Findings indicate cigarette excise taxes and recommended funding levels may be effective policy tools for increasing access to TC services in SUD treatment programs. Coupled with changes to insurance coverage for TC under the Affordable Care Act, state tobacco control policy tools may further reduce tobacco use in the United States. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study

PubMed Central

Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-01-01

Background Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults’ quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. Objectives The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. Methods A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London—Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. Results The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. Conclusions This study is the first to propose middle-agers’ needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. PMID:28546140

Occupational-level interactions between physical hazards and cognitive ability and skill requirements in predicting injury incidence rates.

PubMed

Ford, Michael T; Wiggins, Bryan K

2012-07-01

Interactions between occupational-level physical hazards and cognitive ability and skill requirements were examined as predictors of injury incidence rates as reported by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Based on ratings provided in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database, results across 563 occupations indicate that physical hazards at the occupational level were strongly related to injury incidence rates. Also, as expected, the physical hazard-injury rate relationship was stronger among occupations with high cognitive ability and skill requirements. In addition, there was an unexpected main effect such that occupations with high cognitive ability and skill requirements had lower injury rates even after controlling for physical hazards. The main effect of cognitive ability and skill requirements, combined with the interaction with physical hazards, resulted in unexpectedly high injury rates for low-ability and low-skill occupations with low physical hazard levels. Substantive and methodological explanations for these interactions and their theoretical and practical implications are offered. Results suggest that organizations and occupational health and safety researchers and practitioners should consider the occupational level of analysis and interactions between physical hazards and cognitive requirements in future research and practice when attempting to understand and prevent injuries.

Development of an undergraduate bioinformatics degree program at a liberal arts college.

PubMed

Bagga, Paramjeet S

2012-09-01

The highly interdisciplinary field of bioinformatics has emerged as a powerful modern science. There has been a great demand for undergraduate- and graduate-level trained bioinformaticists in the industry as well in the academia. In order to address the needs for trained bioinformaticists, its curriculum must be offered at the undergraduate level, especially at four-year colleges, where a majority of the United States gets its education. There are many challenges in developing an undergraduate-level bioinformatics program that needs to be carefully designed as a well-integrated and cohesive interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares the students for a wide variety of career options. This article describes the challenges of establishing a highly interdisciplinary undergraduate major, the development of an undergraduate bioinformatics degree program at Ramapo College of New Jersey, and lessons learned in the last 10 years during its management.

Endogenous risk-taking and physical appearance of sex workers.

PubMed

Egger, Peter H; Lindenblatt, Andreas

2015-12-01

Previous research found that physical appearance affects the risk-taking of sex workers through offering unprotected services. This paper utilizes a large individual-level data set covering 16,583 pay-for-sex contracts in 2011 and 2012 by 2,517 female suppliers in Germany. Results based on instrumental variables suggest that the incentive for risk-taking is about twice as high than when assuming random assignment of risk-taking.

Thermodynamic Improvements for the Space Thermoacoustic Refrigerator (STAR)

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

Sondhauss proved that the vibration of the glass itself did not generate the sound, but he offered no explanation as to what did. In his description...noise of aeroengines above that predicted by theory. He determined that the sound was produced by unsteady heat transfer. Each of these latter three...lifetimes (expendable cryogens) and high vibration levels and low reliability (closed cycle refrigerators). The advantages of the thermoacoustic

Building Instructional Quality: "Inside-Out" and "Outside-In" Perspectives on San Diego's School Reform. A Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darling-Hammond, Linda; Hightower, Amy M.; Husbands, Jennifer L.; LaFors, Jeannette R.; Young, Viki M.; Christopher, Carl

2003-01-01

During the 1990s, a new policy hypothesis focusing on the quality of teaching to provide a high-leverage means for improving student achievement began to gain currency. Based on interview, observation, survey, and record data collected at the state, district, and school levels over a five-year time period, the study offers a look at how the San…

CDC to CRAY FORTRAN conversion manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgary, C.; Diebert, D.

1983-01-01

Documentation describing software differences between two general purpose computers for scientific applications is presented. Descriptions of the use of the FORTRAN and FORTRAN 77 high level programming language on a CDC 7600 under SCOPE and a CRAY XMP under COS are offered. Itemized differences of the FORTRAN language sets of the two machines are also included. The material is accompanied by numerous examples of preferred programming techniques for the two machines.

Evidence-based practice of periodontics.

PubMed

Cobb, Charles M; MacNeill, Simon R; Satheesh, Keerthana

2010-01-01

Evidence-based practice involves complex and conscientious decision making based not only on the available evidence but also on patient characteristics, situations, and preferences. It recognizes that care is individualized and ever-changing and involves uncertainties and probabilities. The specialty of periodontics has abundant high-level evidence upon which treatment decisions can be determined. This paper offers a brief commentary and overview of the available evidence commonly used in the private practice of periodontics.

Translations on Sub-Saharan Africa, No. 2023.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-11-15

1, 3 Nov 78) 134 Half of Country Affected Bishop Expresses Fears Warning on Martial Law Extension Offered (Editorial; THE HERALD, 2 Nov 78...water level will be seriously affected . Unless the development of the Senegal River Basin is highly co-ordinated in the future, success will be a long...population will be affected anyway. National administrations are already moving into the area, notably SAEü’of Senegal, whose authority spreads along

Parallel language constructs for tensor product computations on loosely coupled architectures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrotra, Piyush; Vanrosendale, John

1989-01-01

Distributed memory architectures offer high levels of performance and flexibility, but have proven awkard to program. Current languages for nonshared memory architectures provide a relatively low level programming environment, and are poorly suited to modular programming, and to the construction of libraries. A set of language primitives designed to allow the specification of parallel numerical algorithms at a higher level is described. Tensor product array computations are focused on along with a simple but important class of numerical algorithms. The problem of programming 1-D kernal routines is focused on first, such as parallel tridiagonal solvers, and then how such parallel kernels can be combined to form parallel tensor product algorithms is examined.

Acidemia and blood free fatty acids: analysis of cardiovascular risk factors in a new context.

PubMed

Reis, António Heitor

2017-03-01

Following a hypothesis developed in an earlier paper, here it is discussed how deviations of blood pH from the normal range (namely states of acidemia) together with high blood levels of free fatty acids (FFA) may offer a rationale for many important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by shaping a context for formation of fatty acid micelles and vesicles with an acidic core, which fuse with the endothelia, disrupt vital cell processes, and thereby may initiate atherosclerotic plaque formation. Acidemia may arise primarily from dysregulation of the systemic buffers that control blood pH, chronic diseases of kidneys and lungs, inappropriate diet, or may be induced by some common drugs. The level of free fatty acids may be increased and maintained high by chronic stress, and adrenergic shocks. Elevated concentrations of blood FFA in a context of acidemia allow to understand important cardiovascular aspects: the increased risk of menopausal women, the protective effects of physical exercise, the changes in vascular behavior characteristic of metabolic acidosis/acidemia, the role of diet in the pH balance, on how some known medicines like metformin, steroids, NSAIDS, proton pump inhibitors, and calcium supplements may influence CVD risk, and an explanation is offered for the role of statins.

Summary of evidence-based guideline: Complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis

PubMed Central

Yadav, Vijayshree; Bever, Christopher; Bowen, James; Bowling, Allen; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Cameron, Michelle; Bourdette, Dennis; Gronseth, Gary S.; Narayanaswami, Pushpa

2014-01-01

Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: We searched the literature (1970–March 2011; March 2011−September 2013 MEDLINE search), classified articles, and linked recommendations to evidence. Results and recommendations: Clinicians might offer oral cannabis extract for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level A). Clinicians might offer tetrahydrocannabinol for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity (short-term)/tremor (Level B) and possibly effective for spasticity and pain (long-term) (Level C). Clinicians might offer Sativex oromucosal cannabinoid spray (nabiximols) for spasticity symptoms, pain, and urinary frequency (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity/urinary incontinence (Level B). Clinicians might choose not to offer these agents for tremor (Level C). Clinicians might counsel patients that magnetic therapy is probably effective for fatigue and probably ineffective for depression (Level B); fish oil is probably ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, MRI lesions, and quality of life (QOL) (Level B); ginkgo biloba is ineffective for cognition (Level A) and possibly effective for fatigue (Level C); reflexology is possibly effective for paresthesia (Level C); Cari Loder regimen is possibly ineffective for disability, symptoms, depression, and fatigue (Level C); and bee sting therapy is possibly ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, lesion burden/volume, and health-related QOL (Level C). Cannabinoids may cause adverse effects. Clinicians should exercise caution regarding standardized vs nonstandardized cannabis extracts and overall CAM quality control/nonregulation. Safety/efficacy of other CAM/CAM interaction with MS disease-modifying therapies is unknown. PMID:24663230

Summary of evidence-based guideline: complementary and alternative medicine in multiple sclerosis: report of the guideline development subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

PubMed

Yadav, Vijayshree; Bever, Christopher; Bowen, James; Bowling, Allen; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Cameron, Michelle; Bourdette, Dennis; Gronseth, Gary S; Narayanaswami, Pushpa

2014-03-25

To develop evidence-based recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in multiple sclerosis (MS). We searched the literature (1970-March 2011; March 2011-September 2013 MEDLINE search), classified articles, and linked recommendations to evidence. Clinicians might offer oral cannabis extract for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level A). Clinicians might offer tetrahydrocannabinol for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity (short-term)/tremor (Level B) and possibly effective for spasticity and pain (long-term) (Level C). Clinicians might offer Sativex oromucosal cannabinoid spray (nabiximols) for spasticity symptoms, pain, and urinary frequency (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity/urinary incontinence (Level B). Clinicians might choose not to offer these agents for tremor (Level C). Clinicians might counsel patients that magnetic therapy is probably effective for fatigue and probably ineffective for depression (Level B); fish oil is probably ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, MRI lesions, and quality of life (QOL) (Level B); ginkgo biloba is ineffective for cognition (Level A) and possibly effective for fatigue (Level C); reflexology is possibly effective for paresthesia (Level C); Cari Loder regimen is possibly ineffective for disability, symptoms, depression, and fatigue (Level C); and bee sting therapy is possibly ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, lesion burden/volume, and health-related QOL (Level C). Cannabinoids may cause adverse effects. Clinicians should exercise caution regarding standardized vs nonstandardized cannabis extracts and overall CAM quality control/nonregulation. Safety/efficacy of other CAM/CAM interaction with MS disease-modifying therapies is unknown.

Urbanization and the wealth of nations.

PubMed

Bloom, David E; Canning, David; Fink, Günther

2008-02-08

The proportion of a country's population living in urban areas is highly correlated with its level of income. Urban areas offer economies of scale and richer market structures, and there is strong evidence that workers in urban areas are individually more productive, and earn more, than rural workers. However, rapid urbanization is also associated with crowding, environmental degradation, and other impediments to productivity. Overall, we find no evidence that the level of urbanization affects the rate of economic growth. Our findings weaken the rationale for either encouraging or discouraging urbanization as part of a strategy for economic growth.

Measuring Value in Internal Medicine Residency Training Hospitals Using Publicly Reported Measures.

PubMed

Schickedanz, Adam; Gupta, Reshma; Arora, Vineet M; Braddock, Clarence H

2018-03-01

Graduate medical education (GME) lacks measures of resident preparation for high-quality, cost-conscious practice. The authors used publicly reported teaching hospital value measures to compare internal medicine residency programs on high-value care training and to validate these measures against program director perceptions of value. Program-level value training scores were constructed using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Program hospital quality and cost-efficiency data. Correlations with Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Annual Survey high-value care training measures were examined using logistic regression. For every point increase in program-level VBP score, residency directors were more likely to agree that GME programs have a responsibility to contain health care costs (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.18, P = .04), their faculty model high-value care (aOR 1.07, P = .03), and residents are prepared to make high-value medical decisions (aOR 1.07, P = .09). Publicly reported clinical data offer valid measures of GME value training.

A low cost, high performance, 1.2m off-axis telescope built with NG-Xinetics silicon carbide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rey, Justin J.; Wellman, John A.; Egan, Richard G.; Wollensak, Richard J.

2011-09-01

The search for extrasolar habitable planets is one of three major astrophysics priorities identified for the next decade. These missions demand very high performance visible-wavelength optical imaging systems. Such high performance space telescopes are typically extremely expensive and can be difficult for government agencies to afford in today's economic climate, and most lower cost systems offer little benefit because they fall short on at least one of the following three key performance parameters: imaging wavelength, total system-level wavefront error and aperture diameter. Northrop Grumman Xinetics has developed a simple, lightweight, low-cost telescope design that will address the near-term science objectives of this astrophysics theme with the required optical performance, while reducing the telescope cost by an order of magnitude. Breakthroughs in SiC mirror manufacturing, integrated wavefront sensing, and high TRL deformable mirror technology have finally been combined within the same organization to offer a complete end-to-end telescope system in the lower end of the Class D cost range. This paper presents the latest results of real OAP polishing and metrology data, an optimized optical design, and finite element derived WFE

Affinity-tuned ErbB2 or EGFR chimeric antigen receptor T cells exhibit an increased therapeutic index against tumors in mice

PubMed Central

Liu, Xiaojun; Jiang, Shuguang; Fang, Chongyun; Yang, Shiyu; Olalere, Devvora; Pequignot, Edward C.; Cogdill, Alexandria P.; Li, Na; Ramones, Melissa; Granda, Brian; Zhou, Li; Loew, Andreas; Young, Regina M.; June, Carl H.; Zhao, Yangbing

2015-01-01

Target-mediated toxicity is a major limitation in the development of chimeric antigen T cell receptors (CAR) for adoptive cell therapy of solid tumors. In this study, we developed a strategy to adjust the affinities of the scFv component of CAR to discriminate tumors overexpressing the target from normal tissues which express it at physiologic levels. A CAR-expressing T cell panel was generated with target antigen affinities varying over three orders of magnitude. High-affinity cells recognized target expressed at any level, including at levels in normal cells that were undetectable by flow cytometry. Affinity-tuned cells exhibited robust antitumor efficacy similar to high-affinity cells, but spared normal cells expressing physiologic target levels. The use of affinity-tuned scFvs offers a strategy to empower wider use of CAR T cells against validated targets widely overexpressed on solid tumors, including those considered undruggable by this approach. PMID:26330166

A cognitive perspective on Singaporean primary school pupils' use of reading strategies in learning to read in English.

PubMed

Zhang, Lawrence Jun; Gu, Peter Yongqi; Hu, Guangwei

2008-06-01

This study is conducted in Singapore, where learning to read in English is regarded as essential because it is offered as a First Language (L1) subject in the curriculum and is stipulated as the medium of instruction in the education system, and the mother tongues are offered as Second Language (L2) subjects, although the majority still learn English as an L2. The paper reports on the reading strategies used by Singaporean primary school pupils from a cognitive perspective, which is part of a larger study that aims to investigate these pupils' language learning strategies. The participants were 18 pupils from three neighbourhood primary schools, in grades Primary 4, 5 and 6. The data were collected from high- and low-proficiency pupils at each of the three grades in each school, who read two texts at each level. Grounded in an information-processing theory and based on successful experiences of scholars using think-aloud for data collection, we asked the pupils to read and report what they were thinking about while reading. The think-aloud protocols were recorded, transcribed verbatim, coded and analysed. The results suggest that participants' flexible and appropriate use of reading strategies varies according to language proficiency and grade level, with the high-proficiency group outperforming its lower-proficiency counterpart and the high-graders outnumbering the lower-graders in terms of the number of strategies that they used. These differences were also exemplified with qualitative findings from case studies. The use of reading strategies differs according to proficiency levels, and the quality of pupils' strategy-use patterns has more significant implications for understanding efficient reading among primary school pupils.

Practice guideline update summary: Corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

PubMed

Gloss, David; Moxley, Richard T; Ashwal, Stephen; Oskoui, Maryam

2016-02-02

To update the 2005 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) guideline on corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). We systematically reviewed the literature from January 2004 to July 2014 using the AAN classification scheme for therapeutic articles and predicated recommendations on the strength of the evidence. Thirty-four studies met inclusion criteria. In children with DMD, prednisone should be offered for improving strength (Level B) and pulmonary function (Level B). Prednisone may be offered for improving timed motor function (Level C), reducing the need for scoliosis surgery (Level C), and delaying cardiomyopathy onset by 18 years of age (Level C). Deflazacort may be offered for improving strength and timed motor function and delaying age at loss of ambulation by 1.4-2.5 years (Level C). Deflazacort may be offered for improving pulmonary function, reducing the need for scoliosis surgery, delaying cardiomyopathy onset, and increasing survival at 5-15 years of follow-up (Level C for each). Deflazacort and prednisone may be equivalent in improving motor function (Level C). Prednisone may be associated with greater weight gain in the first years of treatment than deflazacort (Level C). Deflazacort may be associated with a greater risk of cataracts than prednisone (Level C). The preferred dosing regimen of prednisone is 0.75 mg/kg/d (Level B). Over 12 months, prednisone 10 mg/kg/weekend is equally effective (Level B), with no long-term data available. Prednisone 0.75 mg/kg/d is associated with significant risk of weight gain, hirsutism, and cushingoid appearance (Level B). © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

An update on SCARLET hardware development and flight programs

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

Jones, P.A.; Murphy, D.M.; Piszczor, M.F.

1995-10-01

Solar Concentrator Array with Refractive Linear Element Technology (SCARLET) is one of the first practical photovoltaic concentrator array technologies that offers a number of benefits for space applications (i.e. high array efficiency, protection from space radiation effects, a relatively light weight system, minimized plasma interactions, etc.) The line-focus concentrator concept, however, also offers two very important advantages: (1) low-cost mass production potential of the lens material; and (2) relaxation of precise array tracking requirements to only a single axis. These benefits offer unique capabilities to both commercial and government spacecraft users, specifically those interested in high radiation missions, such asmore » MEO orbits, and electric-powered propulsion LEO-to-GEO orbit raising applications. SCARLET is an aggressive hardware development and flight validation program sponsored by the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) and NASA Lewis Research Center. Its intent is to bring technology to the level of performance and validation necessary for use by various government and commercial programs. The first phase of the SCARLET program culminated with the design, development and fabrication of a small concentrator array for flight on the METEOR satellite. This hardware will be the first in-space demonstration of concentrator technology at the `array level` and will provide valuable in-orbit performance measurements. The METEOR satellite is currently planned for a September/October 1995 launch. The next phase of the program is the development of large array for use by one of the NASA New Millenium Program missions. This hardware will incorporate a number of the significant improvements over the basic METEOR design. This presentation will address the basic SCARLET technology, examine its benefits to users, and describe the expected improvements for future missions.« less

High Strength and Wear Resistant Aluminum Alloy for High Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.; Chen, Po Shou

2003-01-01

Originally developed by NASA as high performance piston alloys to meet U.S. automotive legislation requiring low exhaust emission, the novel NASA alloys now offer dramatic increase in tensile strength for many other applications at elevated temperatures from 450 F (232 C) to about 750 F (400 C). It is an ideal low cost material for cast automotive components such as pistons, cylinder heads, cylinder liners, connecting rods, turbo chargers, impellers, actuators, brake calipers and rotors. It can be very economically produced from conventional permanent mold, sand casting or investment casting, with silicon content ranging from 6% to 18%. At high silicon levels, the alloy exhibits excellent thermal growth stability, surface hardness and wear resistant properties.

Development of PLA hybrid yarns for biobased self-reinforced polymer composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köhler, T.; Gries, T.; Seide, G.

2017-10-01

Lightweight materials are a necessity in various industries. Lightweight design is in the key interest of the mobility sector, e.g. the automotive and aerospace industry. This trend applies also for the consumer industries, e.g. sporting goods. In addition, the worldwide demand for replacing fossil-based materials has led to a significant growth of bioplastics. Due to their low mechanical performance and durability, their use is still limited. Therefore, it is necessary to develop biobased, sustainable polymeric materials with high stiffness, high impact and high durability without impairing recyclability at a similar price level of non-biobased solutions. Biobased self-reinforced polymer composites offer these unique properties.

Theory and Modeling of High-Power Gyrotrons

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

Nusinovich, Gregory Semeon

2016-04-29

This report summarized results of the work performed at the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics of the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) in the framework of the DOE Grant “Theory and Modeling of High-Power Gyrotrons”. The report covers the work performed in 2011-2014. The research work was performed in three directions: - possibilities of stable gyrotron operation in very high-order modes offering the output power exceeding 1 MW level in long-pulse/continuous-wave regimes, - effect of small imperfections in gyrotron fabrication and alignment on the gyrotron efficiency and operation, - some issues in physics of beam-wave interactionmore » in gyrotrons.« less

Fiberoptic sensors for rocket engine applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballard, R. O.

1992-01-01

A research effort was completed to summarize and evaluate the current level of technology in fiberoptic sensors for possible applications in integrated control and health monitoring (ICHM) systems in liquid propellant engines. The environment within a rocket engine is particuarly severe with very high temperatures and pressures present combined with extremely rapid fluid and gas flows, and high-velocity and high-intensity acoustc waves. Application of fiberoptic technology to rocket engine health monitoring is a logical evolutionary step in ICHM development and presents a significant challenge. In this extremely harsh environment, the additional flexibility of fiberoptic techniques to augment conventional sensor technologies offer abundant future potential.

Premature ejaculation.

PubMed

McMahon, Chris G

2007-04-01

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual disorder. Recent normative data suggests that men with an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of less than 1 minute have "definite" PE, while men with IELTs between 1 and 1.5 minutes have "probable" PE. Although there is insufficient empirical evidence to identify the etiology of PE, there is limited correlational evidence to suggest that men with PE have high levels of sexual anxiety and inherited altered sensitivity of central 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) receptors. Pharmacological modulation of the ejaculatory threshold using off-label daily or on-demand selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors is well tolerated and offers patients a high likelihood of achieving improved ejaculatory control within a few days of initiating treatment, consequential improvements in sexual desire and other sexual domains. Investigational drugs such as the ejaculo-selective serotonin transport inhibitor, dapoxetine represent a major development in sexual medicine. These drugs offer patients the convenience of on-demand dosing, significant improvements in IELT, ejaculatory control and sexual satisfaction with minimal adverse effects.

Premature ejaculation

PubMed Central

McMahon, Chris G.

2007-01-01

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual disorder. Recent normative data suggests that men with an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of less than 1 minute have “definite” PE, while men with IELTs between 1 and 1.5 minutes have “probable” PE. Although there is insufficient empirical evidence to identify the etiology of PE, there is limited correlational evidence to suggest that men with PE have high levels of sexual anxiety and inherited altered sensitivity of central 5-HT (5-hydroxytryptamine, serotonin) receptors. Pharmacological modulation of the ejaculatory threshold using off-label daily or on-demand selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors is well tolerated and offers patients a high likelihood of achieving improved ejaculatory control within a few days of initiating treatment, consequential improvements in sexual desire and other sexual domains. Investigational drugs such as the ejaculo-selective serotonin transport inhibitor, dapoxetine represent a major development in sexual medicine. These drugs offer patients the convenience of on-demand dosing, significant improvements in IELT, ejaculatory control and sexual satisfaction with minimal adverse effects. PMID:19675782

Ultrafast X-Ray Spectroscopy of Conical Intersections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neville, Simon P.; Chergui, Majed; Stolow, Albert; Schuurman, Michael S.

2018-06-01

Ongoing developments in ultrafast x-ray sources offer powerful new means of probing the complex nonadiabatically coupled structural and electronic dynamics of photoexcited molecules. These non-Born-Oppenheimer effects are governed by general electronic degeneracies termed conical intersections, which play a key role, analogous to that of a transition state, in the electronic-nuclear dynamics of excited molecules. Using high-level ab initio quantum dynamics simulations, we studied time-resolved x-ray absorption (TRXAS) and photoelectron spectroscopy (TRXPS) of the prototypical unsaturated organic chromophore, ethylene, following excitation to its S2(π π*) state. The TRXAS, in particular, is highly sensitive to all aspects of the ensuing dynamics. These x-ray spectroscopies provide a clear signature of the wave packet dynamics near conical intersections, related to charge localization effects driven by the nuclear dynamics. Given the ubiquity of charge localization in excited state dynamics, we believe that ultrafast x-ray spectroscopies offer a unique and powerful route to the direct observation of dynamics around conical intersections.

Fold-Back: Using Emerging Technologies to Move from Quality Assurance to Quality Enhancement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonard, Simon N.; Fitzgerald, Robert N.; Bacon, Matt

2016-01-01

Emerging technologies offer an opportunity for the development, at the institutional level, of quality processes with greater capacity to enhance learning in higher education than available through current quality processes. These systems offer the potential to extend use of learning analytics in institutional-level quality processes in addition…

Intramural Programming for Elementary, Junior Secondary, and Senior Secondary Schools. A Practical Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watts, Gayle E.; Korchinsky, Nestor N.

A justification for the offering of intramural sports is offered, and an introduction to methods for establishing such programs at the elementary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school levels is presented. General information on intramural programing at each level includes discussion of questions on commitment, financing, liability,…

Predictors of Online Learning Success in a Rural Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPhaul-Moore, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

The number of courses offered online and the level of students enrolled in online courses has dramatically increased over the last several years. The National Education Center for Education Statistics reports that during the 2006-2007 school term, 97% of public two-year institutions across the nation offered college-level distance learning…

43 CFR 12.815 - Evaluating offers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Act-Construction Materials § 12.815 Evaluating offers. (a) The restrictions of the Buy American Act do not apply when the head of the grantee organization or a designee at a level no lower than the grantee... to the head of the grantee organization or a designee at a level no lower than the grantee's...

The kelp highway hypothesis: marine ecology, the coastal migration theory, and the peopling of the Americas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erlandson, Jon M.; Graham, Michael H.; Bourque, Bruce J.; Corbett, Debra; Estes, James A.; Steneck, Robert S.

2007-01-01

In this article, a collaborative effort between archaeologists and marine ecologists, we discuss the role kelp forest ecosystems may have played in facilitating the movement of maritime peoples from Asia to the Americas near the end of the Pleistocene. Growing in cool nearshore waters along rocky coastlines, kelp forests offer some of the most productive habitats on earth, with high primary productivity, magnified secondary productivity, and three-dimensional habitat supporting a diverse array of marine organisms. Today, extensive kelp forests are found around the North Pacific from Japan to Baja California. After a break in the tropicswhere nearshore mangrove forests and coral reefs are highly productivekelp forests are also found along the Andean Coast of South America. These Pacific Rim kelp forests support or shelter a wealth of shellfish, fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and seaweeds, resources heavily used historically by coastal peoples. By about 16,000 years ago, the North Pacific Coast offered a linear migration route, essentially unobstructed and entirely at sea level, from northeast Asia into the Americas. Recent reconstructions suggest that rising sea levels early in the postglacial created a highly convoluted and island-rich coast along Beringia's southern shore, conditions highly favorable to maritime hunter-gatherers. Along with the terrestrial resources available in adjacent landscapes, kelp forests and other nearshore habitats sheltered similar suites of food resources that required minimal adaptive adjustments for migrating coastal peoples. With reduced wave energy, holdfasts for boats, and productive fishing, these linear kelp forest ecosystems may have provided a kind of kelp highway for early maritime peoples colonizing the New World.

Share 35 Changes Center Level Liver Acceptance Practices

PubMed Central

Goldberg, David S.; Levine, Matthew; Karp, Seth; Gilroy, Richard; Peter, L

2017-01-01

Share 35 was implemented to provide improved access to organs for patients with MELD scores ≥35. However, little is known about the impact of Share 35 on organ offer acceptance rates. We evaluated all liver offers to adult patients that were ultimately transplanted between 1/1/2011–12/31/2015. The analyses focused on patients ranked in the top five positions of a given match run, and used multi-level mixed-effects models, clustering on individual waitlist candidate and transplant center. There was a significant interaction between Share 35 era and MELD category (p<0.001). Comparing offers to MELD score ≥35 patients, offers post-Share 35 were 36% less likely to be accepted compared to offers to MELD score ≥35 patients pre-Share 35 (adjusted OR: 0.64). There was no clinically meaningful difference in the DRI of livers that were declined for patients with an allocation MELD score ≥35 in the pre- vs post-Share 35 era. Organ offer acceptance rates for patients with an allocation MELD≥35 decreased in every region post-Share 35; the magnitude of these changes was bigger in regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11, compared to regions 8 and 9 that had regional sharing in place pre-Share 35. There were significant changes in organ offer acceptance rates at the center level pre- vs post-Share 35, and these changes varied across centers (p<0.001). Conclusions In liver transplant candidates achieving a MELD score ≥35, liver acceptance of offers declined significantly after implementation of Share 35. The alterations in behavior at the center level suggest that practice patterns changed as a direct result of Share 35. Changes in organ acceptance under even broader organ sharing (redistricting) would likely be even greater, posing major logistical and operational challenges, while potentially increasing discard rates, thus decreasing the total number of transplant nationally. PMID:28240804

Developmental and Cognitive Characteristics of “High-Level Potentialities” (Highly Gifted) Children

PubMed Central

Vaivre-Douret, Laurence

2011-01-01

This study covers the interesting field of the development in gifted children which is often neglected in pediatrics because psychomotor development data are still rare, since “gifted” children are generally noticed towards the end of their primary schooling by IQ measurement. Developmental studies have shown the evidence from several fields that children identified as “high-level potentialities” or “intellectually gifted” develop sensory, locomotor, neuropsychological, and language skills earlier than typically expected. The hypothesis is offered that the earlier development originates from biological processes affecting the physical development of the brain and in turn even intellectual abilities are developed earlier, potentially allowing for advanced development. Further it is discussed how these developmental advances interact with the social environment and in certain circumstances may entail increased risk for developing socioemotional difficulties and learning disabilities that often go unaddressed due to the masking by the advance intellectual abilities. PMID:21977044

Evolving Righteousness in a Corrupt World

PubMed Central

Duéñez-Guzmán, Edgar A.; Sadedin, Suzanne

2012-01-01

Punishment offers a powerful mechanism for the maintenance of cooperation in human and animal societies, but the maintenance of costly punishment itself remains problematic. Game theory has shown that corruption, where punishers can defect without being punished themselves, may sustain cooperation. However, in many human societies and some insect ones, high levels of cooperation coexist with low levels of corruption, and such societies show greater wellbeing than societies with high corruption. Here we show that small payments from cooperators to punishers can destabilize corrupt societies and lead to the spread of punishment without corruption (righteousness). Righteousness can prevail even in the face of persistent power inequalities. The resultant righteous societies are highly stable and have higher wellbeing than corrupt ones. This result may help to explain the persistence of costly punishing behavior, and indicates that corruption is a sub-optimal tool for maintaining cooperation in human societies. PMID:22984510

Measures of Patient Activation and Social Support in a Peer-Led Support Network for Women With Cardiovascular Disease.

PubMed

Witt, Dawn; Benson, Gretchen; Campbell, Susan; Sillah, Arthur; Berra, Kathy

Social support has been associated with beneficial effects on many disease states and overall health and well-being. However, there is limited research exploring the impact of peer-led support models among women living with coronary heart disease. This study describes the structure of peer-led support groups offered by WomenHeart (WH): The National Coalition for Women Living with Heart Disease, and assesses WH participants' quality of life and social, emotional, and physical health. Participants were recruited from 50 WH groups. A 70-item online survey was administered, and the main analytic sample included 157 women. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between patient activation levels (lower activation levels: 1, 2 vs higher activation levels: 3, 4) and social support scores (range: lowest 8 to highest 34), adjusting for age. High levels of social support, patient activation, physical activity, and low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were reported. Those who were at or above the median for the social support measures (indicating high levels of social support) had greater odds of high levels of patient activation (level 3 or 4) than individuals reporting low levels of social support (OR = 2.23; 95% CI, 1.04-4.76; P = .012). Women who regularly attended a support group by a trained peer leader were highly engaged in their health care and had low levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. These findings lend credibility to the value of the peer support model and could potentially be replicated in other disease states to enhance patient care.

Profile of laboratory instruction in secondary school level chemistry and indication for reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Mei

This study is a profile of the laboratory component of instruction in secondary school level chemistry. As one of several companion studies, the purpose of the study is to investigate present practices related to instruction as a means of producing reform that improve cognitive and non-cognitive learning outcomes. Five hundred-forty students, from 18 chemistry classes taught by 12 teachers in ten high schools were involved in this study. Three schools included public and private schools, urban school, suburban schools, and rural schools. Three levels or types of chemistry courses were offered in these schools: school regular chemistry for college bound students, Chemistry in the Community or "ChemCom" for non-college bound students, and a second year of chemistry or advanced placement chemistry. Laboratory sessions in each of these three levels of courses were observed, videotaped, and later analyzed using the Modified Revised Science Teachers Behaviors Inventory (MR-STBI). The 12 chemistry teachers, eight science supervisors, and selected students were interviewed to determine their professional backgrounds and other factors that might influence how they teach, how they think, and how they learn. The following conclusions developed from the research are: (1) The three levels of chemistry courses are offered across high schools of varying sizes and locations. (2) Teachers perceive that students come to chemistry classes poorly prepared to effectively carry out laboratory experiences and/or investigations. (3) While students indicated that they are able to effectively use math skills in analyzing the results of chemistry laboratory experiments, teachers, in general, are not satisfied with the level at which students are prepared to use these skills, or to use writing skills. (4) Students working in pairs, is the typical approach. Group cooperation is sometimes used in carrying out the laboratory component of chemistry instruction in the ChemCom and AP chemistry courses. (5) Computers and other technology were not observed in use commonly in laboratory component of instruction in any levels of chemistry courses. (6) The results of MR-STBI (Modified Revised Science Teachers Behavior Inventory) indicates that the rank order of use of the teaching behaviors in laboratory based instruction among the three types of chemistry courses are similar. (7) A summary of recommended practices for use in teaching each of the three levels of high school chemistry courses is presented in Chapter 5.

Association of market, mission, operational, and financial factors with hospitals' level of cash and security investments.

PubMed

McCue, M J; Thompson, J M; Dodd-McCue, D

Using a resource dependency framework and financial theory, this study assessed the market, mission, operational, and financial factors associated with the level of cash and security investments in hospitals. We ranked hospitals in the study sample based on their cash and security investments as a percentage of total assets: hospitals in the high cash/security investment category were in the top 25th percentile of all hospitals; those in the low cash/security investment group were in the bottom 25th percentile. Findings indicate that high cash/security investment hospitals are under either public or private nonprofit ownership and have greater market share. They also serve more complex cases, offer more technology services, generate greater profits, incur a more stable patient revenue base, and maintain less debt.

Industrial integration of high coherence tunable VECSEL in the NIR and MIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denet, Stéphane; Chomet, Baptiste; Lecocq, Vincent; Ferrières, Laurence; Myara, Mikhaël.; Cerutti, Laurent; Sagnes, Isabelle; Garnache, Arnaud

2016-03-01

Laser technology is finding applications in areas such as high resolution spectroscopy, radar-lidar, velocimetry, or atomic clock where highly coherent tunable high power light sources are required. The Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology [1] has been identified for years as a good candidate to reach high power, high coherence and broad tunability while covering a wide emission wavelength range exploiting III-V semiconductor technologies. Offering such performances in the Near- and Middle-IR range, GaAs- and Sb-based VECSEL technologies seem to be a well suited path to meet the required specifications of demanding applications. Built up in this field, our expertise allows the realization of compact and low power consumption marketable products, with performances that do not exist on the market today in the 0.8- 1.1 μm and 2-2.5 μm spectral range. Here we demonstrate highly coherent broadly tunable single frequency micro-chip, intracavity element free, patented VECSEL technology, integrated into a compact module with driving electronics. VECSEL devices emitting in the Near and Middle-IR developed in the frame of this work [2] exhibit exciting features compared to diode-pumped solid-state lasers and DFB diode lasers; they combine high power (>100mW) high coherence with a low divergence diffraction limited TEM00 beam, class A dynamics with Relative Intensity Noise as low as -140dB/Hz and at shot noise level above 200MHz RF frequency (up to 160GHz), free running narrow linewidth at sub MHz level (fundamental limit at Hz level) with high spectral purity (SMSR >55dB), linear polarization (50dB suppression ratio), and broadband continuous tunability greater than 400GHz (< 30V piezo voltage, 6kHz cut off frequency) with total tunability up to 3THz. Those performances can all be reached thanks to the high finesse cavity of VECSEL technology, associated to ideal homogeneous QW gain behaviour [3]. In addition, the compact design without any movable intracavity elements offers a robust single frequency regime with a long term wavelength stability better than few GHz/h (ambient thermal drift limited). Those devices surpass the state of the art commercial technologies thanks to a combination of power-coherence wavelength tunability performances and integration.

Diploma in Seismology for High-School Teachers in Mexico Through an Open-Source Learning Plataform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perez-Campos, X.; Bello, D.; Dominguez, J.; Pérez, J.; Cruz, J. L.; Navarro Estrada, F.; Mendoza Carvajal, A. D. J.

2017-12-01

The high school Physics programs in Mexico do not consider the immediate application of the concepts learned by the students. According to some pedagogical theories many of the acquired knowledge are assimilated when experimenting, expressing, interacting and developing projects. It is in high school when young people are exploring and looking for experiences to decide the area in which they want to focus their studies. The areas of science and engineering are chosen, mainly motivated by technology and outer space. There is little interest in Earth science, reflected by the number of students in those areas. This may be due mainly to the lack of exposure and examples at the high school level. With this in mind, we are working on a project that seeks, through the preparation of teachers of this level, to bring their students to seismology and awaken in them their curiosity in issues related to it. Based on the above, and taking as examples the successful programs "Seismographs in Schools" from IRIS and "Geoscience Information For Teachers" from EGU, the Mexican National Seismological Service has launched a project that contemplates three stages. The first one consists of the design and delivery of a diploma addressed to high school teachers. The second contemplates the installation of short-period seismographs in each of the participating faculty facilities. Finally, the third one involves the active participation of teachers and their students in research projects based on the data collected in the instruments installed in their schools. This work presents the first phase. The diploma has been designed to offer teachers, in 170 hours, an introduction to topics related to seismology and to provide them with tools and examples that they can share with their students in their classroom. It is offered both online through Moodle, an open-source learning plataform, and in 12 classroom sessions. The first class started on June 2017 and will finish on November 2017. We selected high school professors from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), since their schools are based in Mexico City. Based on the results, we will adjust the program to offer it nation wide in future editions. The platform, diploma design and results on this first generation will be presented. This project has been funded by UNAM project DGAPA-PAPIME PE107317.

Effects of age-related differences in empathy on social economic decision-making.

PubMed

Beadle, Janelle N; Paradiso, Sergio; Kovach, Christopher; Polgreen, Linnea; Denburg, Natalie L; Tranel, Daniel

2012-05-01

The ways in which aging affects social economic decision-making is a central issue in the psychology of aging. To examine age-related differences in social economic decision-making as a function of empathy, 80 healthy volunteers participated in the Repeated Fixed Opponent Ultimatum Game (UG-R). Previous economic decision-making research has shown that in younger adults empathy is associated with prosocial behavior. The effects of empathy on older adult social economic decision-making are not well understood. On each of 20 consecutive trials in the UG-R, one player ("Proposer") splits $10 with another player ("Responder") who chooses either to accept (whereby both receive the proposed division) or reject (whereby neither receives anything). Trait cognitive and emotional empathy were measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. UG-R data were examined as a function of age and cognitive empathy. For "unfair" offers (i.e. offers less than $5), older Responders with high cognitive empathy showed less prosocial behavior and obtained greater payoffs than younger Responders with high cognitive empathy. High levels of cognitive empathy may differentially affect economic decision-making behavior in younger and older adults. For older adults, high cognitive empathy may play a role in obtaining high financial payoffs while for younger adults it may instead be involved in facilitating social relationships.

Impact of service delivery model on health care access among HIV-positive women in New York City.

PubMed

Pillai, Nandini V; Kupprat, Sandra A; Halkitis, Perry N

2009-01-01

As the New York City HIV=AIDS epidemic began generalizing beyond traditionally high-risk groups in the early 1990s, AIDS Service Organizations (ASO) sought to increase access to medical care and broaden service offerings to incorporate the needs of low-income women and their families. Strategies to achieve entry into and retention in medical care included the development of integrated care facilities, case management, and a myriad of supportive service offerings. This study examines a nonrandom sample of 60 HIV-positive women receiving case management and supportive services at New York City ASOs. Over 55% of the women interviewed reported high access to care, 43% reported the ability to access urgent care all of the time and 94% reported high satisfaction with obstetrics=gynecology (OB=GYN) care. This held true across race=ethnicity, income level, medical coverage, and service delivery model.Women who accessed services at integrated care facilities offering onsite medical care and case management=supportive services perceived lower access to medical specialists as compared to those who received services at nonintegrated sites. Data from this analysis indicate that supportive services increase access to and satisfaction with both HIV and non-HIV-related health care. Additionally, women who received services at a medical model agency were more likely to report accessing non-HIV care at a clinic compared to those receiving services at a nonmedical model agencies, these women were more likely to report receiving non-HIV care at a hospital.

Soil Science as a Field Discipline - Experiences in Iowa, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burras, C. Lee

2015-04-01

Effective field understanding of soils is crucial. This is true everywhere but especially so in Iowa, a 15 million hectare state in the central USA's "corn belt." Iowa is intensely farmed and almost exclusively privately owned. Many regions of Iowa have had over 90% of their land area in row crops for the past 60 years. In these regions two very common land management strategies are tile drainage (1.5 million km total) and high rates of fertilization (e.g., 200 kg N/ha-yr for cropland) Iowa also has problematic environmental issues including high rates of erosion, excessive sediment and nutrient pollution in water bodies and episodic catastrophic floods. Given the preceding the Agronomy, Environmental Science and Sustainable Agriculture programs at Iowa State University (ISU) offer a strong suite of soil science classes - undergraduate through graduate. The objective of this presentation is to review selected field based soil science courses offered by those programs. This review includes contrasting and comparing campus-based and immersion classes. Immersion classes include ones offered at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, as "soil judging" and internationally. Findings over the past 20 years are consistent. Students at all levels gain soil science knowledge, competency and confidence proportional to the amount of time spent in field activities. Furthermore their professional skepticism is sharpened. They are also preferentially hired even in career postings that do not require fieldwork. In other words, field learning results in better soil science professionals who have highly functional and sought after knowledge.

3D MHD Simulations of Radial Wire Array Z-pinches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niasse, N.; Chittenden, J. P.; Bland, S. N.; Suzuki-Vidal, F. A.; Hall, G. N.; Lebedev, S. V.; Calamy, H.; Zucchini, F.; Lassalle, F.; Bedoch, J. P.

2009-01-01

Recent experiments carried out on the MAGPIE (1 MA, 250 ns), OEDIPE (730 kA, 1.5 μs) and SPHINX (4 MA, 700 ns)[1] facilities have shown the relatively high level of scalability of the Radial Wire Array Z-pinches. These configurations where the wires stretch radially outwards from a central cathode offer numerous advantages over standard cylindrical arrays. In particular, imploding in a very stable and compact way, they seem suitable for coupling to small scale hohlraums. Making use of the 3D resistive magneto-hydrodynamic code GORGON[2] developed at Imperial College, the dynamic of the radial wire arrays is investigated. Influence of the cathode hotspots and wires angle on the x-ray emissions is also discussed. Comparison with experiments is offered to validate the numerical studies.

Safety analysis of urban arterials at the meso level.

PubMed

Li, Jia; Wang, Xuesong

2017-11-01

Urban arterials form the main structure of street networks. They typically have multiple lanes, high traffic volume, and high crash frequency. Classical crash prediction models investigate the relationship between arterial characteristics and traffic safety by treating road segments and intersections as isolated units. This micro-level analysis does not work when examining urban arterial crashes because signal spacing is typically short for urban arterials, and there are interactions between intersections and road segments that classical models do not accommodate. Signal spacing also has safety effects on both intersections and road segments that classical models cannot fully account for because they allocate crashes separately to intersections and road segments. In addition, classical models do not consider the impact on arterial safety of the immediately surrounding street network pattern. This study proposes a new modeling methodology that will offer an integrated treatment of intersections and road segments by combining signalized intersections and their adjacent road segments into a single unit based on road geometric design characteristics and operational conditions. These are called meso-level units because they offer an analytical approach between micro and macro. The safety effects of signal spacing and street network pattern were estimated for this study based on 118 meso-level units obtained from 21 urban arterials in Shanghai, and were examined using CAR (conditional auto regressive) models that corrected for spatial correlation among the units within individual arterials. Results showed shorter arterial signal spacing was associated with higher total and PDO (property damage only) crashes, while arterials with a greater number of parallel roads were associated with lower total, PDO, and injury crashes. The findings from this study can be used in the traffic safety planning, design, and management of urban arterials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Considerations for the effects of military deployment on children and families.

PubMed

Lincoln, Alan J; Sweeten, Kathie

2011-01-01

Children of deployed military personnel represent a unique subculture in the United States. While many children exhibit high levels of resiliency, others will struggle with the impact of a parent who has gone to war. This article looks at some of the stressors of deployment as experienced by children and offers three case examples as well as clinical considerations for those who work with the children and families of the deployed.

Py4Syn: Python for synchrotrons.

PubMed

Slepicka, H H; Canova, H F; Beniz, D B; Piton, J R

2015-09-01

In this report, Py4Syn, an open-source Python-based library for data acquisition, device manipulation, scan routines and other helper functions, is presented. Driven by easy-to-use and scalability ideals, Py4Syn offers control system agnostic solution and high customization level for scans and data output, covering distinct techniques and facilities. Here, most of the library functionalities are described, examples of use are shown and ideas for future implementations are presented.

Testing technology

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

Not Available

1993-10-01

This bulletin from Sandia National Laboratories presents current research highlights in testing technology. Ion microscopy offers new nondestructive testing technique that detects high resolution invisible defects. An inexpensive thin-film gauge checks detonators on centrifuge. Laser trackers ride the range and track helicopters at low-level flights that could not be detected by radar. Radiation transport software predicts electron/photon effects via cascade simulation. Acoustic research in noise abatement will lead to quieter travelling for Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) commuters.

Medical Careers Planning. A Comprehensive Guidance Manual on world-Wide Opportunities for Education, Training, Employment and Financial Assistance in All Fields of Medicine and Allied Health Professions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naseem, Attia; Mustafa, Kamil

The manual was designed to offer a comprehensive and unified source of information on professional career planning in all fields of medicine and the allied health vocations. Section 1 deals with the fundamental question, "How does one prepare oneself to become a physician?" Beginning with the high school level, factual information is presented to…

Immersive virtual reality platform for medical training: a "killer-application".

PubMed

2000-01-01

The Medical Readiness Trainer (MRT) integrates fully immersive Virtual Reality (VR), highly advanced medical simulation technologies, and medical data to enable unprecedented medical education and training. The flexibility offered by the MRT environment serves as a practical teaching tool today and in the near future the will serve as an ideal vehicle for facilitating the transition to the next level of medical practice, i.e., telepresence and next generation Internet-based collaborative learning.

A new pure ω-3 eicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester (AMR101) for the management of hypertriglyceridemia: the MARINE trial.

PubMed

Jacobson, Terry A

2012-06-01

ω-3 fatty acids reduce triglyceride (TG) levels, but corresponding increases in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels may compromise achievement of lipid goals in patients with elevated cardiovascular risk. AMR101 is an investigational agent containing ≥96% of pure icosapent ethyl (the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid). The Phase III Multi-Center, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized, Double-Blind, 12-Week Study with an Open-Label Extension (MARINE) investigated the efficacy and safety of AMR101 in 229 patients with very high TG levels (≥500 mg/dl). AMR101 4 g/day significantly reduced median placebo-adjusted TG levels from baseline by 33.1% (p < 0.0001), and AMR101 2 g/day reduced TG levels by 19.7% (p = 0.0051). Changes in LDL-C were minimal and nonsignificant. AMR101 may offer substantial TG lowering without increases in LDL-C levels.

Influence of dietary magnesium on mineral, ascorbic acid and glutathione concentrations in tissues of a freshwater fish, the common carp.

PubMed

Dabrowska, H; Dabrowski, K

1990-01-01

Supplementation with dietary Mg at a minimum level of 0.06% seems to be essential to prevent the hypercalcinosis of the kidney and hepatopancreas in a fish, the common carp. Mg deficiency appears to have no effect on the Mg level in kidneys and hepatic tissue, whereas the Fe level in those tissues was significantly diminished by increasing dietary Mg supplementation up to 3.2 g.kg-1. Both hypercalcinosis and accumulation of Fe in soft tissues were more pronounced in fish offered diets high in protein (44%) compared to fish on low dietary protein (25%). The ascorbic acid in the hepatopancreas and kidney was greatly depleted in fish fed the high-protein diets, and this depletion did not correlate with the dietary Mg level nor with a high level of tissue Ca. However, the increased Ca concentration in the kidney coincided with the greatest depletion of ascorbate in fish fed a high-protein diet. The concentration of ascorbate in the brain was much less affected by a low level of vitamin C in the diets than in other tissues. Depletion of ascorbate in soft tissues did not correspond to fish growth but might be rather related to the metabolic rate imposed by the dietary nutrients. It is suggested that the Mg and ascorbic acid requirements in the carp are considerably elevated by the increased dietary protein level.

Examining Perceptions of Networking among African American Women in Student Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Monica G.; Carter, Joelle D.

2015-01-01

Since career networks offer access to upper level positions, being a part of one can offer opportunities and access to information, knowledge and referrals for career mobility. However, the duality of race and gender can create a distinctive challenge to gaining access to career networks, which are crucial components to rise to the upper level of…

Association of Porphyromonas gingivalis with high levels of stress-induced hormone cortisol in chronic periodontitis patients.

PubMed

Ardila, Carlos M; Guzmán, Isabel C

2016-11-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the occurrence of periodontopathogens with cortisol levels in chronic periodontitis patients. Seventy-five chronic periodontitis patients were invited to participate in the present study. Cortisol levels in serum were measured using an immunoassay method. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were detected by polymerase chain reaction using primers designed to target the respective 16S rRNA gene sequences. Severe chronic periodontitis patients showed higher mean levels of cortisol (P < 0.05). Twenty-six patients had hypercortisolemia. High cortisol levels showed a positive significant correlation with P. gingivalis (r = 0.237, P < 0.01). Of the 26 patients with hypercortisolemia, 81% had P. gingivalis, of which 86% had severe chronic periodontitis (P < 0.001). There were higher levels of cortisol with the presence of P. gingivalis (478.65 ± 122.57 vs 402.58 ± 139.60, P = 0.01). The adjusted logistic regression model showed a significant association between high cortisol levels and P. gingivalis (odds ratio = 1.7, 95% confidence interval = 1.6-1.8). This research offers support for the association between P. gingivalis and higher levels of cortisol in chronic periodontitis patients. These results suggest that high levels of cortisol could increase the occurrence of P. gingivalis in the biofilm. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Emerging Fuel Cell Technology Being Developed: Offers Many Benefits to Air Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, James F.; Civinskas, Kestutis C.

2004-01-01

Fuel cells, which have recently received considerable attention for terrestrial applications ranging from automobiles to stationary power generation, may enable new aerospace missions as well as offer fuel savings, quiet operations, and reduced emissions for current and future aircraft. NASA has extensive experience with fuel cells, having used them on manned space flight systems over four decades. Consequently, the NASA Glenn Research Center has initiated an effort to investigate and develop fuel cell technologies for multiple aerospace applications. Two promising fuel cell types are the proton exchange membrane (PEM) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). PEM technology, first used on the Gemini spacecraft in the sixties, remained unutilized thereafter until the automotive industry recently recognized the potential. PEM fuel cells are low-temperature devices offering quick startup time but requiring relatively pure hydrogen fuel. In contrast, SOFCs operate at high temperatures and tolerate higher levels of impurities. This flexibility allows SOFCs to use hydrocarbon fuels, which is an important factor considering our current liquid petroleum infrastructure. However, depending on the specific application, either PEM or SOFC can be attractive. As only NASA can, the Agency is pursuing fuel cell technology for civil uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) because it offers enhanced scientific capabilities, including enabling highaltitude, long-endurance missions. The NASA Helios aircraft demonstrated altitudes approaching 100,000 ft using solar power in 2001, and future plans include the development of a regenerative PEM fuel cell to provide nighttime power. Unique to NASA's mission, the high-altitude aircraft application requires the PEM fuel cell to operate on pure oxygen, instead of the air typical of terrestrial applications.

A sensitive gel-based global O-glycomics approach reveals high levels of mannosyl glycans in the high mass region of the mouse brain proteome.

PubMed

Breloy, Isabelle; Pacharra, Sandra; Aust, Christina; Hanisch, Franz-Georg

2012-08-01

We developed a gel-based global O-glycomics method applicable for highly complex protein mixtures entrapped in discontinuous gradient gel layers. The protocol is based on in-gel proteolysis with pronase followed by (glyco)peptide elution and off-gel reductive β-elimination. The protocol offers robust performance with sensitivity in the low picomolar range, is compatible with gel-based proteomics, and shows superior performance in global applications in comparison with workflows eliminating glycans in-gel or from electroblotted glycoproteins. By applying this method, we analyzed the O-glycome of human myoblasts and of the mouse brain O-glycoproteome. After semipreparative separation of mouse brain proteins by one-dimensional SDS gel electrophoresis, the O-glycans from proteins in different mass ranges were characterized with a focus on O-mannose-based glycans. The relative proportion of the latter, which generally represent a rare modification, increases to comparatively high levels in the mouse brain proteome in dependence of increasing protein masses.

Preliminary study of the reliability of imaging charge coupled devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beall, J. R.; Borenstein, M. D.; Homan, R. A.; Johnson, D. L.; Wilson, D. D.; Young, V. F.

1978-01-01

Imaging CCDs are capable of low light level response and high signal-to-noise ratios. In space applications they offer the user the ability to achieve extremely high resolution imaging with minimum circuitry in the photo sensor array. This work relates the CCD121H Fairchild device to the fundamentals of CCDs and the representative technologies. Several failure modes are described, construction is analyzed and test results are reported. In addition, the relationship of the device reliability to packaging principles is analyzed and test data presented. Finally, a test program is defined for more general reliability evaluation of CCDs.

Understanding barriers to preventive health actions for occupational noise-induced hearing loss.

PubMed

Patel, D S; Witte, K; Zuckerman, C; Murray-Johnson, L; Orrego, V; Maxfield, A M; Meadows-Hogan, S; Tisdale, J; Thimons, E D

2001-01-01

A theoretically based formative evaluation was conducted with coal miners in the Appalachian Mountains who were at high risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). The results of four focus groups indicate that despite high levels of knowledge, strong perceived severity of negative consequences, and strong perceived susceptibility to hearing loss, two main categories of barriers (environmental and individual) keep coal miners from using their hearing protection devices (HPD). Further analysis suggests that the environmental factors, rather than individual variables, more strongly influence decisions against protective actions. Recommendations and practical implications are offered.

Robotic nurse duties in the urology operative room: 11 years of experience.

PubMed

Abdel Raheem, Ali; Song, Hyun Jung; Chang, Ki Don; Choi, Young Deuk; Rha, Koon Ho

2017-04-01

The robotic nurse plays an essential role in a successful robotic surgery. As part of the robotic surgical team, the robotic nurse must demonstrate a high level of professional knowledge, and be an expert in robotic technology and dealing with robotic malfunctions. Each one of the robotic nursing team "nurse coordinator, scrub-nurse and circulating-nurse" has a certain job description to ensure maximum patient's safety and robotic surgical efficiency. Well-structured training programs should be offered to the robotic nurse to be well prepared, feel confident, and maintain high-quality of care.

Satellite -Based Networks for U-Health & U-Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graschew, G.; Roelofs, T. A.; Rakowsky, S.; Schlag, P. M.

2008-08-01

The use of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as enabling tools for healthcare services (eHealth) introduces new ways of creating ubiquitous access to high-level medical care for all, anytime and anywhere (uHealth). Satellite communication constitutes one of the most flexible methods of broadband communication offering high reliability and cost-effectiveness of connections meeting telemedicine communication requirements. Global networks and the use of computers for educational purposes stimulate and support the development of virtual universities for e-learning. Especially real-time interactive applications can play an important role in tailored and personalised services.

Time-reversal-symmetric single-photon wave packets for free-space quantum communication.

PubMed

Trautmann, N; Alber, G; Agarwal, G S; Leuchs, G

2015-05-01

Readout and retrieval processes are proposed for efficient, high-fidelity quantum state transfer between a matter qubit, encoded in the level structure of a single atom or ion, and a photonic qubit, encoded in a time-reversal-symmetric single-photon wave packet. They are based on controlling spontaneous photon emission and absorption of a matter qubit on demand in free space by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage. As these processes do not involve mode selection by high-finesse cavities or photon transport through optical fibers, they offer interesting perspectives as basic building blocks for free-space quantum-communication protocols.

Perceptions of health and attractiveness: the effects of body fat, muscularity, gender, and ethnicity.

PubMed

Yanover, Tovah; Thompson, J Kevin

2010-10-01

Three hundred and thirty-three participants rated the health and attractiveness of schematic figures varying in muscularity, adiposity, gender, and race. In general, overweight and underweight figures were rated as less healthy and attractive. However, overweight figures with high levels of muscularity were rated more highly on these dimensions than figures with less muscularity. Females assigned higher attractiveness ratings than males; African Americans provided higher ratings than Caucasians and Hispanics for female figures and lower ratings than Caucasian and Hispanic raters for male figures. Theoretical explanations and applied implications are offered.

Low degradable protein supply to increase nitrogen efficiency in lactating dairy cows and reduce environmental impacts at barn level.

PubMed

Edouard, N; Hassouna, M; Robin, P; Faverdin, P

2016-02-01

Generally, <30% of dairy cattle's nitrogen intake is retained in milk. Large amounts of nitrogen are excreted in manure, especially in urine, with damaging impacts on the environment. This study explores the effect of lowering dietary degradable nitrogen supplies--while maintaining metabolisable protein--on dairy cows' performance, nitrogen use efficiency and gas emissions (NH3, N2O, CH4) at barn level with tied animals. Two dietary N concentrations (CP: 12% DM for LowN; 18% DM for HighN) were offered to two groups of three lactating dairy cows in a split-plot design over four periods of 2 weeks. Diets were formulated to provide similar metabolisable protein supply, with degradable N either in deficit or in excess (PDIN of 84 and 114 g/kg DM for LowN and HighN, respectively). Cows ingested 0.8 kg DM/day less on the LowN diet, which was also 2.5% less digestible. Milk yield and composition were not significantly affected. N exported in milk was 5% lower (LowN: 129 g N/day; HighN: 136 g N/day; P<0.001) but milk protein yield was not significantly affected (LowN: 801 g/day; HighN: 823 g/day; P=0.10). Cows logically ingested less nitrogen on the LowN diet (LowN: 415 g N/day; HighN: 626 g N/day; P<0.001) resulting in a higher N use efficiency (N milk/N intake; LowN: 0.31; HighN: 0.22; P<0.001). N excreted in urine was almost four times lower on the LowN diet (LowN: 65 g N/day; HighN: 243 g N/day; P<0.001) while urinary urea N concentration was eightfold lower (LowN: 4.6 g/l; HighN: 22.9 g/l; P<0.001). Ammonia emission (expressed in g/h in order to remove periods of the day with potential interferences with volatile molecules from feed) was also lower on the LowN diet (LowN: 1.03 g/h per cow; HighN: 1.25 g/h per cow; P<0.05). Greenhouse gas emissions (N2O and CH4) at barn level were not significantly affected by the amount of dietary N. Offering low amounts of degradable protein with suitable metabolisable protein amounts to cattle improved nitrogen use efficiency and lowered ammonia emissions at barn level. This strategy would, however, need to be validated for longer periods, other housing systems (free stall barns) and at farm level including all stages of manure management.

Feasibility of Screening Adolescents for Suicide Risk in “Real-World” High School Settings

PubMed Central

Hallfors, Denise; Brodish, Paul H.; Khatapoush, Shereen; Sanchez, Victoria; Cho, Hyunsan; Steckler, Allan

2006-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated the feasibility of a population-based approach to preventing adolescent suicide. Methods. A total of 1323 students in 10 high schools completed the Suicide Risk Screen. Screening results, student follow-up, staff feedback, and school responses were assessed. Results. Overall, 29% of the participants were rated as at risk of suicide. As a result of this overwhelming percentage, school staffs chose to discontinue the screening after 2 semesters. In further analyses, about half of the students identified were deemed at high risk on the basis of high levels of depression, suicidal ideation, or suicidal behavior. Priority rankings evidenced good construct validity on correlates such as drug use, hopelessness, and perceived family support. Conclusions. A simpler, more specific screening instrument than the Suicide Risk Screen would identify approximately 11% of urban high school youths for assessment, offering high school officials an important opportunity to identify young people at the greatest levels of need and to target scarce health resources. Our experiences from this study show that lack of feasibility testing greatly contributes to the gap between science and practice. PMID:16380568

Quantitative proteomic analysis in breast cancer.

PubMed

Tabchy, A; Hennessy, B T; Gonzalez-Angulo, A M; Bernstam, F M; Lu, Y; Mills, G B

2011-02-01

Much progress has recently been made in the genomic and transcriptional characterization of tumors. However, historically the characterization of cells at the protein level has suffered limitations in reproducibility, scalability and robustness. Recent technological advances have made it possible to accurately and reproducibly portray the global levels and active states of cellular proteins. Protein microarrays examine the native post-translational conformations of proteins including activated phosphorylated states, in a comprehensive high-throughput mode, and can map activated pathways and networks of proteins inside the cells. The reverse-phase protein microarray (RPPA) offers a unique opportunity to study signal transduction networks in small biological samples such as human biopsy material and can provide critical information for therapeutic decision-making and the monitoring of patients for targeted molecular medicine. By providing the key missing link to the story generated from genomic and gene expression characterization efforts, functional proteomics offer the promise of a comprehensive understanding of cancer. Several initial successes in breast cancer are showing that such information is clinically relevant. Copyright 2011 Prous Science, S.A.U. or its licensors. All rights reserved.

Time-series analysis of sleep wake stage of rat EEG using time-dependent pattern entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizaki, Ryuji; Shinba, Toshikazu; Mugishima, Go; Haraguchi, Hikaru; Inoue, Masayoshi

2008-05-01

We performed electroencephalography (EEG) for six male Wistar rats to clarify temporal behaviors at different levels of consciousness. Levels were identified both by conventional sleep analysis methods and by our novel entropy method. In our method, time-dependent pattern entropy is introduced, by which EEG is reduced to binary symbolic dynamics and the pattern of symbols in a sliding temporal window is considered. A high correlation was obtained between level of consciousness as measured by the conventional method and mean entropy in our entropy method. Mean entropy was maximal while awake (stage W) and decreased as sleep deepened. These results suggest that time-dependent pattern entropy may offer a promising method for future sleep research.

Novel approaches to development, delivery and evaluation of a peer-led occupational safety training for Latino day laborers.

PubMed

De Souza, Rachael Ann; Hecker, Steven; de Castro, A B; Stern, Hilary; Hernandez, Araceli; Seixas, Noah

2012-01-01

Latino day laborers experience high rates of work-related injuries and are a hard-to-reach group for safety interventions. This study describes the creation and implementation of safety training based in empowerment theory and its evaluation to address three levels in empowerment's hierarchy of change. Pictographic pre- and post-tests were used to assess knowledge level changes. Individual and large-group interviews were conducted to address attitudes and behavior-level changes. Results indicate that day laborers learn and apply lessons from this type of safety training. Findings also offer insight into challenges that day laborers encounter when trying to work safely as well as ideas for future training interventions.

Disability Within US Public Health School and Program Curricula.

PubMed

Sinclair, Lisa Bundara; Tanenhaus, Rachel H; Courtney-Long, Elizabeth; Eaton, Danice K

2015-01-01

To describe the percentage of US public health schools and programs offering graduate-level courses with disability content as a potential baseline measurement for Healthy People 2020 objective DH-3 and compare the percentage of public health schools that offered disability coursework in 1999 with those in 2011. In 2011, using SurveyMonkey.com, cross-sectional information was collected from the deans, associate deans, directors, or chairpersons of master of public health-granting public health schools and programs that were accredited and listed with the Council on Education for Public Health. Two rounds of follow-up were conducted at 4-month intervals by e-mails and phone calls to program contacts who had not responded. The responses from schools and programs were calculated and compared. There were 78 responses (34 schools and 44 programs) for a response rate of 63%. Fifty percent of public health schools and programs offered some disability content within their graduate-level courses. A greater percentage of schools than programs (71% vs 34%; P = .003) offered some graduate-level disability coursework within their curricula. The percentage of schools that offered disability coursework was similar in 1999 and 2011. This assessment provides a potential baseline measurement for Healthy People 2020 objective DH-3. Future assessments should focus on clarifying disability content within courses and identifying capacity to offering disability training within public health schools and programs.

High performance polymer development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hergenrother, Paul M.

1991-01-01

The term high performance as applied to polymers is generally associated with polymers that operate at high temperatures. High performance is used to describe polymers that perform at temperatures of 177 C or higher. In addition to temperature, other factors obviously influence the performance of polymers such as thermal cycling, stress level, and environmental effects. Some recent developments at NASA Langley in polyimides, poly(arylene ethers), and acetylenic terminated materials are discussed. The high performance/high temperature polymers discussed are representative of the type of work underway at NASA Langley Research Center. Further improvement in these materials as well as the development of new polymers will provide technology to help meet NASA future needs in high performance/high temperature applications. In addition, because of the combination of properties offered by many of these polymers, they should find use in many other applications.

Oral chronic ethanol administration to rodents by agar gel diet.

PubMed

Bykov, I; Palmén, M; Piirainen, L; Lindros, K O

2004-01-01

Chronic ethanol administration to rodents requires specially designed equipment and is labor intensive. Here we report a new procedure. A commercial liquid diet preparation was made into a gel by addition of 0.5% agar. The gel, containing 5.3% ethanol, was offered in Falcon tubes equipped with a feeding opening. The gel consumption by C57/Bl mice resulted in high blood ethanol levels (average 43 mM). After 6 weeks, marked liver steatosis and significantly increased serum alanine aminotransferase levels had developed. Administration of ethanol in a nutritionally adequate gel provides a simple method for studies on chronic ethanol effects in rodents.

[Pichia pastoris as an expression system for recombinant protein production].

PubMed

Ciarkowska, Anna; Jakubowska, Anna

2013-01-01

Pichia pastoris has become increasingly popular as a host for recombinant protein production in recent years. P. pastoris is more cost effective and allows achieving higher expression levels than insect and mammalian cells. It also offers some significant advantages over E. coli expression systems, such as avoiding problems with proper protein folding. Also, P. pastoris as an eukaryotic organism can carry out posttranslational modifications of produced proteins. Additionally, P. pastoris can produce high levels of recombinant proteins in extracellular medium which simplifies protein purification. Having many advantages over other expression systems makes P. pastoris an organism of choice for industrial protein production.

Good, but Not Perfect: Parental Knowledge About Risk Factors for Skin Cancer and the Necessity of Sun Protection in Southern Germany.

PubMed

Gefeller, Olaf; Uter, Wolfgang; Pfahlberg, Annette B

2015-01-01

The level of knowledge and awareness of skin cancer risks in parents of young children is largely unknown. The Erlangen Kindergarten study, which enrolled 3,129 parents of 3- to 6-year-old children in southern Germany, addressed this. The population-based survey found an overall high level of knowledge about skin cancer risks and strong support for the necessity of sun protection but identified two areas (role of intermittent sun exposure, sun protection on cloudy summer days) offering a target for improvement in future public health campaigns. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fusion of PET and MRI for Hybrid Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Zang-Hee; Son, Young-Don; Kim, Young-Bo; Yoo, Seung-Schik

Recently, the development of the fusion PET-MRI system has been actively studied to meet the increasing demand for integrated molecular and anatomical imaging. MRI can provide detailed anatomical information on the brain, such as the locations of gray and white matter, blood vessels, axonal tracts with high resolution, while PET can measure molecular and genetic information, such as glucose metabolism, neurotransmitter-neuroreceptor binding and affinity, protein-protein interactions, and gene trafficking among biological tissues. State-of-the-art MRI systems, such as the 7.0 T whole-body MRI, now can visualize super-fine structures including neuronal bundles in the pons, fine blood vessels (such as lenticulostriate arteries) without invasive contrast agents, in vivo hippocampal substructures, and substantia nigra with excellent image contrast. High-resolution PET, known as High-Resolution Research Tomograph (HRRT), is a brain-dedicated system capable of imaging minute changes of chemicals, such as neurotransmitters and -receptors, with high spatial resolution and sensitivity. The synergistic power of the two, i.e., ultra high-resolution anatomical information offered by a 7.0 T MRI system combined with the high-sensitivity molecular information offered by HRRT-PET, will significantly elevate the level of our current understanding of the human brain, one of the most delicate, complex, and mysterious biological organs. This chapter introduces MRI, PET, and PET-MRI fusion system, and its algorithms are discussed in detail.

Addressing Cross-Disciplinary Graduate-Level Learning Goals through Game Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, James; Hardin, Cindy

2014-01-01

With the rapid growth in online MBA programs, many traditional schools are seeking ways to differentiate their course offerings to avoid them becoming commoditized by the market. For some institutions this involves pulling away from traditional course offerings, and moving towards cross-disciplinary offerings. For many faculty members, this can be…

A Prescriptive Approach to Introducing An Experiential Entrepreneurship Course in Undergraduate Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherman, Peter S.

2006-01-01

Universities are continually adding entrepreneurship courses to their curriculum. Duhaime and Hitt (2000) found 82% of schools offered entrepreneurship courses at the undergraduate level and 69% of masters programs had offerings in entrepreneurship. A much smaller number of programs offer courses that require that the students actually start the…

Education of Older Adults in Communities with Varying Levels of Well-Being

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krašovec, Sabina Jelenc; Kump, Sonja

2014-01-01

This article deals with the education of older adults in communities with different levels of well-being. We are interested in whether the educational offerings for older adults depend on the well-being of the local community. We also examine how the educational offerings differ depending on whether the community is primarily rural or urban. In…

Parents' interest in whole-genome sequencing of newborns.

PubMed

Goldenberg, Aaron J; Dodson, Daniel S; Davis, Matthew M; Tarini, Beth A

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess parents' interest in whole-genome sequencing for newborns. We conducted a survey of a nationally representative sample of 1,539 parents about their interest in whole-genome sequencing of newborns. Participants were randomly presented with one of two scenarios that differed in the venue of testing: one offered whole-genome sequencing through a state newborn screening program, whereas the other offered whole-genome sequencing in a pediatrician's office. Overall interest in having future newborns undergo whole-genome sequencing was generally high among parents. If whole-genome sequencing were offered through a state's newborn-screening program, 74% of parents were either definitely or somewhat interested in utilizing this technology. If offered in a pediatrician's office, 70% of parents were either definitely or somewhat interested. Parents in both groups most frequently identified test accuracy and the ability to prevent a child from developing a disease as "very important" in making a decision to have a newborn's whole genome sequenced. These data may help health departments and children's health-care providers anticipate parents' level of interest in genomic screening for newborns. As whole-genome sequencing is integrated into clinical and public health services, these findings may inform the development of educational strategies and outreach messages for parents.

What to Build for Middle-Agers to Come? Attractive and Necessary Functions of Exercise-Promotion Mobile Phone Apps: A Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Liao, Gen-Yih; Chien, Yu-Tai; Chen, Yu-Jen; Hsiung, Hsiao-Fang; Chen, Hsiao-Jung; Hsieh, Meng-Hua; Wu, Wen-Jie

2017-05-25

Physical activity is important for middle-agers to maintain health both in middle age and in old age. Although thousands of exercise-promotion mobile phone apps are available for download, current literature offers little understanding regarding which design features can enhance middle-aged adults' quality perception toward exercise-promotion apps and which factor may influence such perception. The aims of this study were to understand (1) which design features of exercise-promotion apps can enhance quality perception of middle-agers, (2) whether their needs are matched by current functions offered in app stores, and (3) whether physical activity (PA) and mobile phone self-efficacy (MPSE) influence quality perception. A total of 105 middle-agers participated and filled out three scales: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the MPSE scale, and the need for design features questionnaire. The design features were developed based on the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London-Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Following the Kano quality model, the need for design features questionnaire asked participants to classify design features into five categories: attractive, one-dimensional, must-be, indifferent, and reverse. The quality categorization was conducted based on a voting approach and the categorization results were compared with the findings of a prevalence study to realize whether needs match current availability. In total, 52 multinomial logistic regression models were analyzed to evaluate the effects of PA level and MPSE on quality perception of design features. The Kano analysis on the total sample revealed that visual demonstration of exercise instructions is the only attractive design feature, whereas the other 51 design features were perceived with indifference. Although examining quality perception by PA level, 21 features are recommended to low level, 6 features to medium level, but none to high-level PA. In contrast, high-level MPSE is recommended with 14 design features, medium level with 6 features, whereas low-level participants are recommended with 1 feature. The analysis suggests that the implementation of demanded features could be low, as the average prevalence of demanded design features is 20% (4.3/21). Surprisingly, social comparison and social support, most implemented features in current apps, were categorized into the indifferent category. The magnitude of effect is larger for MPSE because it effects quality perception of more design features than PA. Delving into the 52 regression models revealed that high MPSE more likely induces attractive or one- dimensional categorization, suggesting the importance of technological self-efficacy on eHealth care promotion. This study is the first to propose middle-agers' needs in relation to mobile phone exercise-promotion. In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, suggestions are offered to app designers to enhance the performance of persuasive features. An interesting finding on change of quality perception attributed to MPSE is proposed as future research. ©Gen-Yih Liao, Yu-Tai Chien, Yu-Jen Chen, Hsiao-Fang Hsiung, Hsiao-Jung Chen, Meng-Hua Hsieh, Wen-Jie Wu. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 25.05.2017.

A Satellite-Based Infrastructure Providing Broadband IP Services on Board High Speed Trains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feltrin, Eros; Weller, Elisabeth

After the earlier technologies that offered satellite mobile services for civil and military applications, today’s specific antenna design, modulation techniques and most powerful new generation satellites also allow a good level of performance to be achieved on-board high speed modes of transport such as aircraft and trains. This paper reports the Eutelsat’s experience in the developing and deploying architecture based on a spread spectrum system in order to provide broadband connectivity on board of high speed trains. After introducing the adopted technologies, the architecture and the constraints, some results obtained from analysis, testing and measuring of the availability of the service are reported and commented upon.

Cast Aluminum Alloy for High Temperature Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jonathan A.

2003-01-01

Originally developed by NASA as high performance piston alloys to meet U.S. automotive legislation requiring low exhaust emission, the novel NASA alloys now offer dramatic increase in tensile strength for many other applications at elevated temperatures from 450 F (232 C) to about 750 F (400 C). It is an ideal low cost material for cast automotive components such as pistons, cylinder heads, cylinder liners, connecting rods, turbo chargers, impellers, actuators, brake calipers and rotors. It can be very economically produced from conventional permanent mold, sand casting or investment casting, with silicon content ranging from 6% to 18%. At high silicon levels, the alloy exhibits excellent dimensional stability, surface hardness and wear resistant properties.

Aspects of the passenger airbag E.C.U. location

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soica, A.

2016-08-01

Road accidents represent the dark side of road traffic, their consequences leading to material damage and often to vehicle occupant fatalities. Passive safety systems offer a high level of protection to vehicle occupants; yet, depending on a number of constructive factors and not only, these systems can not always ensure a high survival rate. The costs of road traffic accidents are to be borne by the whole society, with high amounts of money required. In this paper we analyze how the collision is felt in various points on the vehicle, at a given time and how this may affect the proper functioning of the passive safety systems, especially the airbag system.

On the peculiarities of LDA method in two-phase flows with high concentrations of particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poplavski, S. V.; Boiko, V. M.; Nesterov, A. U.

2016-10-01

Popular applications of laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) in gas dynamics are reviewed. It is shown that the most popular method cannot be used in supersonic flows and two-phase flows with high concentrations of particles. A new approach to implementation of the known LDA method based on direct spectral analysis, which offers better prospects for such problems, is presented. It is demonstrated that the method is suitable for gas-liquid jets. Owing to the progress in laser engineering, digital recording of spectra, and computer processing of data, the method is implemented at a higher technical level and provides new prospects of diagnostics of high-velocity dense two-phase flows.

Political Theory, Values and Public Health

PubMed Central

Latham, Stephen R.

2016-01-01

This article offers some general criticisms of the idea that any political theory can legitimate public health interventions, and then some particular criticisms of Civic Republicanism as a political theory for public health. Civic Republicanism, I argue, legitimizes liberty-infringing public health interventions by demanding high levels of civic engagement in framing and reviewing them; to demand such engagement in pursuit of such a baseline value as health will leave insufficient civic energy for the pursuit of higher values. PMID:27551295

Deep Ultraviolet Laser Diode for UV-Resonance Enhanced Raman Identification of Biological Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-03-31

Advanced Research Projects Agency (DOD) ( Controlling DARPA Office) ARPA Order Q51 1/00 Issued by U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command Under Contract No...documented in a wide range of books, research papers and monographs well described in McCreery14. Raman spectroscopy offers a non -contact method of...magnitude non -linear increase in intensity. High levels of chemical specificity can be obtained using Raman spectroscopy without sample preparation, contact

Epidemiology of Pediatric Critical Care Transport in Northern Alberta and the Western Arctic.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Atsushi; Nielsen, Charlene C; G Guerra, Gonzalo; Saunders, L Duncan; Yasui, Yutaka; DeCaen, Allan

2018-06-01

Specialized pediatric critical care transport teams are essential to pediatric retrieval systems. This study aims to describe the contemporary transports performed by a Canadian pediatric critical care transport team and to compare the treatment and outcomes of children referred from high-level care (hospitals offering pediatric services where an adult ICU exists) and nonhigh-level care (all other hospitals) hospitals. A descriptive cohort study. The Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, Western Canada. Children younger than 17 years old transported by the transport team from referral hospitals within the Stollery Children's Hospital catchment area to Stollery Children's Hospital between 1998 and 2015. None. Characteristics of transports, patient demographics presenting vital signs, and outcomes were described overall and compared by transport-related time and referral hospital types (high-level care and nonhigh-level care). In total, 3,352 transports met the inclusion criteria; 1,049 were retrieved from eight high-level care hospitals and 2,303 from 53 nonhigh-level care hospitals; the median one-way transport distance was 383 kilometers, and 70% of the transports were air transports. The annual number of transports has increased during the study period. The PICU admission rate was between 40% and 55%. Transports from high-level care hospitals had significantly higher odds of being admitted to the PICU (odds ratio, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.31-2.93). The odds of intubation at the referral hospital were higher in the high-level care group, but the odds of intubation upon PICU admission was similar between the two groups. Mortality during or after transport was not significantly different between high-level care and nonhigh-level care hospitals. The current transport system has multiple priorities with regard to efficiency and quality. The medical services at referral hospitals may affect the likelihood of PICU admission and subsequent PICU length of stay; however, no negative impact was observed in other outcomes including mortality.

Optimizability of OGC Standards Implementations - a Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misev, D.; Baumann, P.

2012-04-01

Why do we shop at Amazon? Because they have a unique offering that is nowhere else available? Certainly not. Rather, Amazon offers (i) simple, yet effective search; (ii) very simple payment; (iii) extremely rapid delivery. This is how scientific services will be distinguished in future: not for their data holding (there will be manifold choice), but for their service quality. We are facing the transition from data stewardship to service stewardship. One of the OGC standards which particularly enables flexible retrieval is the Web Coverage Processing Service (WCPS). It defines a high-level query language on large, multi-dimensional raster data, such as 1D timeseries, 2D EO imagery, 3D x/y/t image time series and x/y/z geophysical data, 4D x/y/z/t climate and ocean data. We have implemented WCPS based on an Array Database Management System, rasdaman, which is available in open source. In this demonstration, we study WCPS queries on 2D, 3D, and 4D data sets. Particular emphasis is placed on the computational load queries generate in such on-demand processing and filtering. We look at different techniques and their impact on performance, such as adaptive storage partitioning, query rewriting, and just-in-time compilation. Results show that there is significant potential for effective server-side optimization once a query language is sufficiently high-level and declarative.

Practice advisory: Recurrent stroke with patent foramen ovale (update of practice parameter)

PubMed Central

Messé, Steven R.; Gronseth, Gary; Kent, David M.; Kizer, Jorge R.; Homma, Shunichi; Rosterman, Lee; Kasner, Scott E.

2016-01-01

Objective: To update the 2004 American Academy of Neurology guideline for patients with stroke and patent foramen ovale (PFO) by addressing whether (1) percutaneous closure of PFO is superior to medical therapy alone and (2) anticoagulation is superior to antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of recurrent stroke. Methods: Systematic review of the literature and structured formulation of recommendations. Conclusions: Percutaneous PFO closure with the STARFlex device possibly does not provide a benefit in preventing stroke vs medical therapy alone (risk difference [RD] 0.13%, 95% confidence interval [CI] −2.2% to 2.0%). Percutaneous PFO closure with the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder possibly decreases the risk of recurrent stroke (RD −1.68%, 95% CI −3.18% to −0.19%), possibly increases the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) (RD 1.64%, 95% CI 0.07%–3.2%), and is highly likely to be associated with a procedural complication risk of 3.4% (95% CI 2.3%–5%). There is insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of anticoagulation compared with antiplatelet therapy in preventing recurrent stroke (RD 2%, 95% CI −21% to 25%). Recommendations: Clinicians should not routinely offer percutaneous PFO closure to patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke outside of a research setting (Level R). In rare circumstances, such as recurrent strokes despite adequate medical therapy with no other mechanism identified, clinicians may offer the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder if it is available (Level C). In the absence of another indication for anticoagulation, clinicians may routinely offer antiplatelet medications instead of anticoagulation to patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO (Level C). PMID:27466464

Practice advisory: Recurrent stroke with patent foramen ovale (update of practice parameter): Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology.

PubMed

Messé, Steven R; Gronseth, Gary; Kent, David M; Kizer, Jorge R; Homma, Shunichi; Rosterman, Lee; Kasner, Scott E

2016-08-23

To update the 2004 American Academy of Neurology guideline for patients with stroke and patent foramen ovale (PFO) by addressing whether (1) percutaneous closure of PFO is superior to medical therapy alone and (2) anticoagulation is superior to antiplatelet therapy for the prevention of recurrent stroke. Systematic review of the literature and structured formulation of recommendations. Percutaneous PFO closure with the STARFlex device possibly does not provide a benefit in preventing stroke vs medical therapy alone (risk difference [RD] 0.13%, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.2% to 2.0%). Percutaneous PFO closure with the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder possibly decreases the risk of recurrent stroke (RD -1.68%, 95% CI -3.18% to -0.19%), possibly increases the risk of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) (RD 1.64%, 95% CI 0.07%-3.2%), and is highly likely to be associated with a procedural complication risk of 3.4% (95% CI 2.3%-5%). There is insufficient evidence to determine the efficacy of anticoagulation compared with antiplatelet therapy in preventing recurrent stroke (RD 2%, 95% CI -21% to 25%). Clinicians should not routinely offer percutaneous PFO closure to patients with cryptogenic ischemic stroke outside of a research setting (Level R). In rare circumstances, such as recurrent strokes despite adequate medical therapy with no other mechanism identified, clinicians may offer the AMPLATZER PFO Occluder if it is available (Level C). In the absence of another indication for anticoagulation, clinicians may routinely offer antiplatelet medications instead of anticoagulation to patients with cryptogenic stroke and PFO (Level C). © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Pixel-level plasmonic microcavity infrared photodetector

PubMed Central

Jing, You Liang; Li, Zhi Feng; Li, Qian; Chen, Xiao Shuang; Chen, Ping Ping; Wang, Han; Li, Meng Yao; Li, Ning; Lu, Wei

2016-01-01

Recently, plasmonics has been central to the manipulation of photons on the subwavelength scale, and superior infrared imagers have opened novel applications in many fields. Here, we demonstrate the first pixel-level plasmonic microcavity infrared photodetector with a single quantum well integrated between metal patches and a reflection layer. Greater than one order of magnitude enhancement of the peak responsivity has been observed. The significant improvement originates from the highly confined optical mode in the cavity, leading to a strong coupling between photons and the quantum well, resulting in the enhanced photo-electric conversion process. Such strong coupling from the localized surface plasmon mode inside the cavity is independent of incident angles, offering a unique solution to high-performance focal plane array devices. This demonstration paves the way for important infrared optoelectronic devices for sensing and imaging. PMID:27181111

Optical Fiber Design And Fabrication: Discussion On Recent Developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Philippe; Devautour, Mathieu; Lavoute, Laure; Gaponov, Dmitry; Brasse, Gurvan; Hautreux, Stéphanie; Février, Sébastien; Restoin, Christine; Auguste, Jean-Louis; Gérôme, Frédéric; Humbert, Georges; Blondy, Jean-Marc

2008-10-01

Level of emitted power and beam quality of singlemode fiber lasers have been drastically increased at the expense of loss due to bend sensitivity, simplicity of manufacturing and packaging. Furthermore, the extension of the spectral coverage was primarily explored by exploiting non-linear effects, neglecting numerous possible transitions of rare earths. Through different research areas, we demonstrate the possibilities offered by new fiber designs and alternative methods of manufacturing. Photonic Band Gap fibers reconcile diffraction limited beam and large mode area with low bending loss. 80% slope efficiency is demonstrated together with a robust propagation allowing the fiber to be tightly bent until wounding radii as small as 6 cm. Highly ytterbium doped multimode core surrounded by high refractive index rods fiber exhibits a transverse singlemode behavior under continuous wave laser regime. A robust LP01 mode is observed and filtering effect is clearly observed. A non CVD process based on silica sand vitrification allows the synthesis of large and highly doped core with high index homogeneity, opening the way to design of efficient large mode area fiber lasers. 74% slope efficiency is measured, demonstrating the good quality of the core material. Finally, the use of rare earth (Er3+) doped zirconia nanocrystals in silica matrix offers a large panel of ignored energy transitions for visible or off-usual band of emission.

High power telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz emitters based on plasmonic nano-antenna arrays.

PubMed

Yardimci, Nezih Tolga; Lu, Hong; Jarrahi, Mona

2016-11-07

We present a high-power and broadband photoconductive terahertz emitter operating at telecommunication optical wavelengths, at which compact and high-performance fiber lasers are commercially available. The presented terahertz emitter utilizes an ErAs:InGaAs substrate to achieve high resistivity and short carrier lifetime characteristics required for robust operation at telecommunication optical wavelengths. It also uses a two-dimensional array of plasmonic nano-antennas to offer significantly higher optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiencies compared to the conventional photoconductive emitters, while maintaining broad operation bandwidths. We experimentally demonstrate pulsed terahertz radiation over 0.1-5 THz frequency range with the power levels as high as 300  μ W. This is the highest-reported terahertz radiation power from a photoconductive emitter operating at telecommunication optical wavelengths.

High power telecommunication-compatible photoconductive terahertz emitters based on plasmonic nano-antenna arrays

PubMed Central

Yardimci, Nezih Tolga; Lu, Hong; Jarrahi, Mona

2016-01-01

We present a high-power and broadband photoconductive terahertz emitter operating at telecommunication optical wavelengths, at which compact and high-performance fiber lasers are commercially available. The presented terahertz emitter utilizes an ErAs:InGaAs substrate to achieve high resistivity and short carrier lifetime characteristics required for robust operation at telecommunication optical wavelengths. It also uses a two-dimensional array of plasmonic nano-antennas to offer significantly higher optical-to-terahertz conversion efficiencies compared to the conventional photoconductive emitters, while maintaining broad operation bandwidths. We experimentally demonstrate pulsed terahertz radiation over 0.1–5 THz frequency range with the power levels as high as 300 μW. This is the highest-reported terahertz radiation power from a photoconductive emitter operating at telecommunication optical wavelengths. PMID:27916999

Incentives and other factors associated with employee participation in health risk assessments.

PubMed

Taitel, Michael S; Haufle, Vincent; Heck, Debi; Loeppke, Ronald; Fetterolf, Donald

2008-08-01

Investigate factors associated with employee participation rates in health risk assessments. This cross-sectional study using multiple regression analyzed data from 124 employers with 882,275 eligible employees who completed 344,825 health and productivity assessments (HPAs). Incentive value and Communications and Organizational Commitment Level (Com/Org Level) were the strongest predictors of HPA completion rates. Employer size and a Gateway Model were also significant predictors. In addition, a correlation of variables showed other important relationships. To achieve a 50% HPA completion rate, employers with a low Com/Org Level will need an incentive value of approximately $120 whereas employers with a high Com/Org Level only need approximately $40--a difference of $80 dollars. This applied study offers empirical evidence to help employers increase their employees' participation in health risk assessments.

Development of a Composite Measure of State-Level Malpractice Environment

PubMed Central

Chung, Jeanette W; Sohn, Min-Woong; Merkow, Ryan P; Oh, Elissa H; Minami, Christina; Black, Bernard S; Bilimoria, Karl Y

2014-01-01

Objective To develop a composite measure of state-level malpractice environment. Data Sources Public use data from the National Practitioner Data Bank, Medical Liability Monitor, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the American Bar Association. Study Design Principal component analysis of state-level indicators (paid claims rate, malpractice premiums, lawyers per capita, average award size, and malpractice laws), with indirect validation of the composite using receiver-operating characteristic curves to determine how accurately the composite could identify states with high-tort activity and costs. Principal Findings A single composite accounted for over 73 percent of total variance in the seven indicators and demonstrated reasonable criterion validity. Conclusion An empirical composite measure of state-level malpractice risk may offer advantages over single indicators in measuring overall risk and may facilitate cross-state comparisons of malpractice environments. PMID:24117397

Part I: Minicircle vector technology limits DNA size restrictions on ex vivo gene delivery using nanoparticle vectors: Overcoming a translational barrier in neural stem cell therapy.

PubMed

Fernandes, Alinda R; Chari, Divya M

2016-09-28

Genetically engineered neural stem cell (NSC) transplant populations offer key benefits in regenerative neurology, for release of therapeutic biomolecules in ex vivo gene therapy. NSCs are 'hard-to-transfect' but amenable to 'magnetofection'. Despite the high clinical potential of this approach, the low and transient transfection associated with the large size of therapeutic DNA constructs is a critical barrier to translation. We demonstrate for the first time that DNA minicircles (small DNA vectors encoding essential gene expression components but devoid of a bacterial backbone, thereby reducing construct size versus conventional plasmids) deployed with magnetofection achieve the highest, safe non-viral DNA transfection levels (up to 54%) reported so far for primary NSCs. Minicircle-functionalized magnetic nanoparticle (MNP)-mediated gene delivery also resulted in sustained gene expression for up to four weeks. All daughter cell types of engineered NSCs (neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes) were transfected (in contrast to conventional plasmids which usually yield transfected astrocytes only), offering advantages for targeted cell engineering. In addition to enhancing MNP functionality as gene delivery vectors, minicircle technology provides key benefits from safety/scale up perspectives. Therefore, we consider the proof-of-concept of fusion of technologies used here offers high potential as a clinically translatable genetic modification strategy for cell therapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct and comprehensive analysis of dyes based on integrated molecular and structural information via laser desorption laser postionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Liu, Rong; Yin, Zhibin; Leng, Yixin; Hang, Wei; Huang, Benli

2018-01-01

Laser desorption laser postionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LDPI-TOFMS) was employed for direct analysis and determination of typical basic dyes. It was also used for the analysis and comprehensive understanding of complex materials such as blue ballpoint pen inks. Simultaneous emergences of fragmental and molecular information largely simplify and facilitate unambiguous identification of dyes via variable energy of 266nm postionization laser. More specifically, by optimizing postionization laser energy with the same energy of desorption laser, the structurally significant results show definite differences in the fragmentation patterns, which offer opportunities for discrimination of isomeric species with identical molecular weight. Moreover, relatively high spectra resolution can be acquired without the expense of sensitivity. In contrast to laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS), LDPI-MS simultaneously offers valuable molecular information about dyes in traces, solvents and additives about inks, thereby offering direct determination and comprehensive understanding of blue ballpoint inks and giving a high level of confidence to discriminate the complicated evidentiary samples. In addition, direct analysis of the inks not only allows the avoidance of the tedious sample preparation processes, significantly shortening the overall analysis time and improving throughput, but allows minimized sample consumption which is important for rare and precious samples. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modern methods of cost saving of the production activity in construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silka, Dmitriy

2017-10-01

Every time economy faces recession, cost saving questions acquire increased urgency. This article shows how companies of the construction industry have switched to the new kind of economic relations over recent years. It is specified that the dominant type of economic relations does not allow to quickly reorient on the necessary tools in accordance with new requirements of economic activity. Successful experience in the new environment becomes demanded. Cost saving methods, which were proven in other industries, are offered for achievement of efficiency and competitiveness of the companies. Analysis is performed on the example of the retail sphere, which, according to the authoritative analytical reviews, is extremely innovative on both local and world economic levels. At that, methods, based on the modern unprecedentedly high opportunities of communications and informational exchange took special place among offered methods.

Nutritional quality of food items on fast-food 'kids' menus': comparisons across countries and companies.

PubMed

Hobin, Erin; White, Christine; Li, Ye; Chiu, Maria; O'Brien, Mary Fodor; Hammond, David

2014-10-01

To compare energy (calories), total and saturated fats, and Na levels for 'kids' menu' food items offered by four leading multinational fast-food chains across five countries. A content analysis was used to create a profile of the nutritional content of food items on kids' menus available for lunch and dinner in four leading fast-food chains in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. Food items from kids' menus were included from four fast-food companies: Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), McDonald's and Subway. These fast-food chains were selected because they are among the top ten largest multinational fast-food chains for sales in 2010, operate in high-income English-speaking countries, and have a specific section of their restaurant menus labelled 'kids' menus'. The results by country indicate that kids' menu foods contain less energy (fewer calories) in restaurants in the USA and lower Na in restaurants in the UK. The results across companies suggest that kids' menu foods offered at Subway restaurants are lower in total fat than food items offered at Burger King and KFC, and food items offered at KFC are lower in saturated fat than items offered at Burger King. Although the reasons for the variation in the nutritional quality of foods on kids' menus are not clear, it is likely that fast-food companies could substantially improve the nutritional quality of their kids' menu food products, translating to large gains for population health.

Do high-commitment work systems affect creativity? A multilevel combinational approach to employee creativity.

PubMed

Chang, Song; Jia, Liangding; Takeuchi, Riki; Cai, Yahua

2014-07-01

In this article, some information about the data used in the article and a citation were not included. The details of the corrections are provided.] This study uses 3-level, 2-wave time-lagged data from a random sample of 55 high-technology firms, 238 teams, and 1,059 individuals in China to investigate a multilevel combinational model of employee creativity. First, we hypothesize that firm (macrolevel) high-commitment work systems are conducive to individual (microlevel) creativity. Furthermore, we hypothesize that this positive crosslevel main impact may be combined with middle-level (mesolevel) factors, including team cohesion and team task complexity, such that the positive impact of firm high-commitment work systems on individual creativity is stronger when team cohesion is high and the team task more complex. The findings from random coefficient modeling analyses provide support for our hypotheses. These sets of results offer novel insight into how firms can use macrolevel and mesolevel contextual variables in a systematic manner to promote employee creativity in the workplace, despite its complex nature.

Availability of HIV-related health services in adolescent substance abuse treatment programs.

PubMed

Knudsen, H K; Oser, C B

2009-10-01

Given that alcohol and drug abuse heightens the risk of adolescents acquiring HIV, substance abuse treatment programs for youths may represent an important site of HIV prevention. In this research, we explored the adoption of three HIV-related health services: risk assessment during intake, HIV prevention programing, and HIV testing. Data were collection through telephone interviews with 149 managers of adolescent-only substance abuse treatment programs in the USA. About half of these programs had adopted HIV risk assessment and HIV prevention. On-site HIV testing was less widely adopted, with only one in four programs offering this service. At the bivariate level, the availability of on-site primary medical care and the availability of an overnight level of care were positively associated with these three types of services. The association for the measure of an overnight level of care was no longer significant once medical services were controlled. However, in a separate analysis, it was found that programs offering an overnight level of care were much more likely to offer on-site medical care than outpatient-only facilities. There was also evidence that publicly funded treatment programs were more likely to offer HIV prevention and on-site HIV testing, after controlling for other organizational characteristics. Much more research about the adoption of HIV-related services in adolescent substance abuse treatment is needed, particularly to offer greater insight into why certain types of organizations are more likely to adopt these health services.

Manganese peroxidase from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium is enzymatically active and accumulates to high levels in transgenic maize seed.

PubMed

Clough, Richard C; Pappu, Kameshwari; Thompson, Kevin; Beifuss, Katherine; Lane, Jeff; Delaney, Donna E; Harkey, Robin; Drees, Carol; Howard, John A; Hood, Elizabeth E

2006-01-01

Manganese peroxidase (MnP) has been implicated in lignin degradation and thus has potential applications in pulp and paper bleaching, enzymatic remediation and the textile industry. Transgenic plants are an emerging protein expression platform that offer many advantages over traditional systems, in particular their potential for large-scale industrial enzyme production. Several plant expression vectors were created to evaluate the accumulation of MnP from the wood-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium in maize seed. We showed that cell wall targeting yielded full-length MnP, whereas cytoplasmic localization resulted in multiple truncated peroxidase polypeptides as detected by immunoblot analysis. In addition, the use of a seed-preferred promoter dramatically increased the expression levels and reduced the negative effects on plant health. Multiple independent transgenic lines were backcrossed with elite inbred corn lines for several generations with the maintenance of high-level expression, indicating genetic stability of the transgene.

Stable genetic transformation of tomato plastids and expression of a foreign protein in fruit.

PubMed

Ruf, S; Hermann, M; Berger, I J; Carrer, H; Bock, R

2001-09-01

Transgenic chloroplasts offer unique advantages in plant biotechnology, including high-level foreign protein expression, absence of epigenetic effects, and gene containment due to the lack of transgene transmission through pollen. However, broad application of plastid genome engineering in biotechnology has been largely hampered by both the lack of chloroplast transformation systems for major crop plants and the usually low plastid gene expression levels in nongreen tissues such as fruits, tubers, and other storage organs. Here we describe the development of a plastid transformation system for tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. This is the first report on the generation of fertile transplastomic plants in a food crop with an edible fruit. We show that chromoplasts in the tomato fruit express the transgene to approximately 50% of the expression levels in leaf chloroplasts. Given the generally very high foreign protein accumulation rates that can be achieved in transgenic chloroplasts (>40% of the total soluble protein), this system paves the way to efficient production of edible vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and antibodies in tomato.

Preliminary test results from a free-piston Stirling engine technology demonstration program to support advanced radioisotope space power applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Maurice A.; Qiu, Songgang; Augenblick, Jack E.

2000-01-01

Free-piston Stirling engines offer a relatively mature, proven, long-life technology that is well-suited for advanced, high-efficiency radioisotope space power systems. Contracts from DOE and NASA are being conducted by Stirling Technology Company (STC) for the purpose of demonstrating the Stirling technology in a configuration and power level that is representative of an eventual space power system. The long-term objective is to develop a power system with an efficiency exceeding 20% that can function with a high degree of reliability for up to 15 years on deep space missions. The current technology demonstration convertors (TDC's) are completing shakedown testing and have recently demonstrated performance levels that are virtually identical to projections made during the preliminary design phase. This paper describes preliminary test results for power output, efficiency, and vibration levels. These early results demonstrate the ability of the free-piston Stirling technology to exceed objectives by approximately quadrupling the efficiency of conventional radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTG's). .

21 CFR 310.541 - Over-the-counter (OTC) drug products containing active ingredients offered for use in the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. 310.541 Section 310.541 Food and... products containing active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. (a) Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which an abnormally low plasma level of phosphate occurs in the blood. This...

21 CFR 310.541 - Over-the-counter (OTC) drug products containing active ingredients offered for use in the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. 310.541 Section 310.541 Food and... products containing active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. (a) Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which an abnormally low plasma level of phosphate occurs in the blood. This...

21 CFR 310.541 - Over-the-counter (OTC) drug products containing active ingredients offered for use in the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. 310.541 Section 310.541 Food and... products containing active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. (a) Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which an abnormally low plasma level of phosphate occurs in the blood. This...

21 CFR 310.541 - Over-the-counter (OTC) drug products containing active ingredients offered for use in the...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. 310.541 Section 310.541 Food and... products containing active ingredients offered for use in the treatment of hypophosphatemia. (a) Hypophosphatemia is a condition in which an abnormally low plasma level of phosphate occurs in the blood. This...

Information and Decision Superiority: Right Concept, Right Tools, Right Training

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

individual services, and numerous defense contractors have spoken of " information dominance " and "information superiority." Both, particularly the former...technologies will offer an unimaginable level of information to decision makers and operators. Ideas of information dominance , however, are fundamentally...other futuristic sensors will offer an unimaginable level of information to decision makers and operators. Ideas of information dominance , however

Interactive lesion segmentation with shape priors from offline and online learning.

PubMed

Shepherd, Tony; Prince, Simon J D; Alexander, Daniel C

2012-09-01

In medical image segmentation, tumors and other lesions demand the highest levels of accuracy but still call for the highest levels of manual delineation. One factor holding back automatic segmentation is the exemption of pathological regions from shape modelling techniques that rely on high-level shape information not offered by lesions. This paper introduces two new statistical shape models (SSMs) that combine radial shape parameterization with machine learning techniques from the field of nonlinear time series analysis. We then develop two dynamic contour models (DCMs) using the new SSMs as shape priors for tumor and lesion segmentation. From training data, the SSMs learn the lower level shape information of boundary fluctuations, which we prove to be nevertheless highly discriminant. One of the new DCMs also uses online learning to refine the shape prior for the lesion of interest based on user interactions. Classification experiments reveal superior sensitivity and specificity of the new shape priors over those previously used to constrain DCMs. User trials with the new interactive algorithms show that the shape priors are directly responsible for improvements in accuracy and reductions in user demand.

[Acceptance of preventive home visits among frail elderly persons : Participants an non-participants in a Follow-up after 2 and 4 years within the LUCAS longitudinal study].

PubMed

Pröfener, F; Anders, J; Dapp, U; Minder, C E; Golgert, S; von Renteln-Kruse, W

2016-10-01

The objective of preventive home visits (PHV) is to support independent living of elderly people. The target group is a matter of discussion and acceptance so far seems to have been low. The target group favored in studies were persons with functional impairments living independently; therefore, acceptance of this offer by frail persons and characteristics of participants and non-participants were studied. All participants classified as frail in the longitudinal urban cohort ageing study (LUCAS; BMBF Fkz 01ET0708-13/01, ET1002A-D/01EL1407) were randomized (RCT) in 2007/2008 into an intervention group (174 persons) and a control group (379 persons). Participants in the intervention group were offered the option of a PHV. Sociodemographic and health-related characteristics were compared between the participants with a PHV, non-participants and controls at baseline and after 2 and 4 years. Non-participants who refused the offer of the PHV were asked about their reasons. There were 64 persons (36.8 %) in the intervention group classified as frail who accepted the offer of a PHV. Of these, significantly more lived alone, tended to be female with a higher educational level and with less need of care. After 2 years significantly more persons in the group without PHV had died and after 4 years more participants with PHV reported a depressive mood. There were no other significant differences between the groups. Half of the reasons not to accept the PHV that were reported by the non-participants were because of health-related or psychological problems and one third because of lack of interest or need for PHV. The offer of PHV to frail elderly persons with an unlimited age was associated with a relatively high acceptance. The high number of refusals by non-participants with functional impairments is remarkable and needs further investigation.

Enhancing organizational capacity to provide cancer control programs among Latino churches: design and baseline findings of the CRUZA Study.

PubMed

Allen, Jennifer D; Torres, Maria Idali; Tom, Laura S; Rustan, Sarah; Leyva, Bryan; Negron, Rosalyn; Linnan, Laura A; Jandorf, Lina; Ospino, Hosffman

2015-04-09

Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have been successful in delivering health promotion programs for African Americans, though few studies have been conducted among Latinos. Even fewer have focused on organizational change, which is required to sustain community-based initiatives. We hypothesized that FBOs serving Latinos would be more likely to offer evidence-based strategies (EBS) for cancer control after receiving a capacity enhancement intervention to implement health programs, and designed the CRUZA trial to test this hypothesis. This paper describes the CRUZA design and baseline findings. We identified Catholic parishes in Massachusetts that provided Spanish-language mass (n = 65). A baseline survey assessed organizational characteristics relevant to adoption of health programs, including readiness for adoption, "fit" between innovation and organizational mission, implementation climate, and organizational culture. In the next study phase, parishes that completed the baseline assessment will be recruited to a randomized cluster trial, with the parish as the unit of analysis. Both groups will receive a Program Manual and Toolkit. Capacity Enhancement parishes will also be offered technical support, assistance forming health committees and building inter-institutional partnerships, and skills-based training. Of the 49 parishes surveyed at baseline (75%), one-third (33%) reported having provided at least one health program in the prior year. However, only two program offerings were cancer-specific. Nearly one-fifth (18%) had an active health ministry. There was a high level of organizational readiness to adopt cancer control programs, high congruence between parish missions and CRUZA objectives, moderately conducive implementation climates, and organizational cultures supportive of CRUZA programming. Having an existing health ministry was significantly associated with having offered health programs within the past year. Relationships between health program offerings and other organizational characteristics were not statistically significant. Findings suggest that many parishes do not offer cancer control programs, yet many may be ready to do so. However, the perceptions about existing organizational practices and policies may not be conducive to program initiation. A capacity enhancement intervention may hold promise as a means of increasing health programming. The efficacy of such an intervention will be tested in phase two of this study.

Learning Technology Adoption: Navy Barriers And Resistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-03-01

ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Technological developments offer opportunities to enhance training effectiveness, in support of achieving high-velocity...developments offer opportunities to enhance training effectiveness, in support of achieving high-velocity learning. However, resistance to change...considering what opportunities for enhanced training might be offered by learning-centered technologies. This is evident in the CNO’s statement, “We must

A survey of Canadian websites providing information about female urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Farrell, Karen D; Robinson, Lynne M; Baydock, Sandra A; Farrell, Scott A; Irving, Linda E; O'Connell, Colleen M

2006-08-01

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent health issue that has significant detrimental effects on quality of life. The Internet offers a unique vehicle for incontinent women to access information that could facilitate conservative self-help therapy. An evaluation of Canadian websites offering female UI information was conducted to determine their quality and readability. We evaluated websites using published general quality criteria for health sites and a quality assessment tool compiled by the authors for specific UI information derived from published, peer-reviewed clinical practice guidelines. Three health care professionals reviewed sites for quality, Canadian content, and interactivity. The readability of health information was also evaluated. Fifty-six Canadian sites (18 professional, 22 organizational, 16 commercial) were evaluated. Significant agreement was found among the raters' evaluations on all measures. For all sites, the mean scores were general quality, 9/14; specific UI quality, 30/122; reading ease, 37/100; grade level, 10.9. The median score for Canadian content was high, but for interactivity it was low. The only significant difference between site types was for general quality (F [2,165]=3.38, P=0.036). Post hoc Tukey's tests showed a significant difference between organizational and commercial sites, with organizational sites having higher general quality. Canadian websites providing female UI information have moderately high general quality, low specific UI information quality, minimal interactivity, and more than minimal Canadian content. The reading level of most sites is too high for average consumers. A webliography of the best sites has been developed to guide patients.

Who cares for involuntary clients?

PubMed

Soliman, Soheil; Pollack, Harold A; Alexander, Jeffrey A

2009-01-01

The objectives of this study were to compare characteristics of outpatient substance abuse treatment (OSAT) units that serve high proportions of involuntary clients (ICs) with those that serve a low percentage of such clients. The authors analyze unit-level 1995-2005 data from the National Drug Abuse Treatment System Survey (NDATSS). Approximately 1/6 of OSAT units draw the dominant majority of their clients from involuntary referrals. OSAT units that treat a high proportion of ICs are less likely to be accredited by professional organizations, have fewer treatment staff with advanced degrees, and have shorter average treatment duration than do OSAT units that serve few ICs. OSAT units that serve ICs are more likely to offer legal and domestic violence services but are less likely to offer mental health services or aftercare. OSAT units that serve ICs are less likely to be hospital-affiliated than are other units. Clients at such facilities are more likely to be convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI), are younger, are less likely to have received prior treatment, are more likely to remain abstinent after treatment, but are more likely to be remanded back to courts. The authors conclude that ICs are an important market niche in OSAT care. DWI is by far the most common offense reported in units that specialize in ICs. Aside from legal and domestic violence services, units with a high proportion of ICs appear to offer somewhat less intensive and professionalized services than do other facilities; however, clients at these units are more likely to be abstinent at the end of treatment and but more likely to be remanded back to the courts.

Establishing a community-wide DNA barcode library as a new tool for arctic research.

PubMed

Wirta, H; Várkonyi, G; Rasmussen, C; Kaartinen, R; Schmidt, N M; Hebert, P D N; Barták, M; Blagoev, G; Disney, H; Ertl, S; Gjelstrup, P; Gwiazdowicz, D J; Huldén, L; Ilmonen, J; Jakovlev, J; Jaschhof, M; Kahanpää, J; Kankaanpää, T; Krogh, P H; Labbee, R; Lettner, C; Michelsen, V; Nielsen, S A; Nielsen, T R; Paasivirta, L; Pedersen, S; Pohjoismäki, J; Salmela, J; Vilkamaa, P; Väre, H; von Tschirnhaus, M; Roslin, T

2016-05-01

DNA sequences offer powerful tools for describing the members and interactions of natural communities. In this study, we establish the to-date most comprehensive library of DNA barcodes for a terrestrial site, including all known macroscopic animals and vascular plants of an intensively studied area of the High Arctic, the Zackenberg Valley in Northeast Greenland. To demonstrate its utility, we apply the library to identify nearly 20 000 arthropod individuals from two Malaise traps, each operated for two summers. Drawing on this material, we estimate the coverage of previous morphology-based species inventories, derive a snapshot of faunal turnover in space and time and describe the abundance and phenology of species in the rapidly changing arctic environment. Overall, 403 terrestrial animal and 160 vascular plant species were recorded by morphology-based techniques. DNA barcodes (CO1) offered high resolution in discriminating among the local animal taxa, with 92% of morphologically distinguishable taxa assigned to unique Barcode Index Numbers (BINs) and 93% to monophyletic clusters. For vascular plants, resolution was lower, with 54% of species forming monophyletic clusters based on barcode regions rbcLa and ITS2. Malaise catches revealed 122 BINs not detected by previous sampling and DNA barcoding. The insect community was dominated by a few highly abundant taxa. Even closely related taxa differed in phenology, emphasizing the need for species-level resolution when describing ongoing shifts in arctic communities and ecosystems. The DNA barcode library now established for Zackenberg offers new scope for such explorations, and for the detailed dissection of interspecific interactions throughout the community. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Patient education-level affects treatment allocation and prognosis in esophageal- and gastroesophageal junctional cancer in Sweden.

PubMed

Linder, Gustav; Sandin, Fredrik; Johansson, Jan; Lindblad, Mats; Lundell, Lars; Hedberg, Jakob

2018-02-01

Low socioeconomic status and poor education elevate the risk of developing esophageal- and junctional cancer. High education level also increases survival after curative surgery. The present study aimed to investigate associations, if any, between patient education-level and treatment allocation after diagnosis of esophageal- and junctional cancer and its subsequent impact on survival. A nation-wide cohort study was undertaken. Data from a Swedish national quality register for esophageal cancer (NREV) was linked to the National Cancer Register, National Patient Register, Prescribed Drug Register, Cause of Death Register and educational data from Statistics Sweden. The effect of education level (low; ≤9 years, intermediate; 10-12 years and high >12 years) on the probability of allocation to curative treatment was analyzed with logistic regression. The Kaplan-Meier-method and Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the effect of education on survival. A total of 4112 patients were included. In a multivariate logistic regression model, high education level was associated with greater probability of allocation to curative treatment (adjusted OR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.08-2.03, p = 0,014) as was adherence to a multidisciplinary treatment-conference (adjusted OR: 3.13, 95% CI: 2.40-4.08, p < 0,001). High education level was associated with improved survival in the patients allocated to curative treatment (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69-0.99, p = 0,036). In this nation-wide cohort of esophageal- and junctional cancer patients, including data regarding many confounders, high education level was associated with greater probability of being offered curative treatment and improved survival. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An exploration of the prevalence and predictors of work-related well-being among psychosocial oncology professionals: An application of the job demands-resources model.

PubMed

Turnell, Adrienne; Rasmussen, Victoria; Butow, Phyllis; Juraskova, Ilona; Kirsten, Laura; Wiener, Lori; Patenaude, Andrea; Hoekstra-Weebers, Josette; Grassi, Luigi

2016-02-01

Burnout is reportedly high among oncology healthcare workers. Psychosocial oncologists may be particularly vulnerable to burnout. However, their work engagement may also be high, counteracting stress in the workplace. This study aimed to document the prevalence of both burnout and work engagement, and the predictors of both, utilizing the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, within a sample of psychosocial oncologists. Psychosocial-oncologist (N = 417) clinicians, recruited through 10 international and national psychosocial-oncology societies, completed an online questionnaire. Measures included demographic and work characteristics, burnout (the MBI-HSS Emotional Exhaustion (EE) and Depersonalization (DP) subscales), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and measures of job demands and resources. High EE and DP was reported by 20.2 and 6.6% of participants, respectively, while 95.3% reported average to high work engagement. Lower levels of job resources and higher levels of job demands predicted greater burnout, as predicted by the JD-R model, but the predicted interaction between these characteristics and burnout was not significant. Higher levels of job resources predicted higher levels of work engagement. Burnout was surprisingly low and work engagement high in this sample. Nonetheless, one in five psychosocial oncologists have high EE. Our results suggest that both the positive (resources) and negative (demands) aspects of this work environment have an on impact burnout and engagement, offering opportunities for intervention. Theories such as the JD-R model can be useful in guiding research in this area.

AstroFest: A Case Study of an Astronomy Outreach Program at Penn State University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palma, C.; Charlton, J. C.

2003-12-01

The Pennsylvania State University Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics has developed a multi-faceted approach to outreach in astronomy. Our programs include In-Service Workshops in Astronomy for middle-school and high-school science teachers, planetarium shows for local elementary school classes, and a series of sponsored, popular level talks, for example. One of our most popular outreach events is called ``AstroFest"; this is a four night festival of astronomy that we hold concurrently with the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (``ArtsFest"). The AstroFest program was devised by undergraduate students during the summer of 1999, and we continue to hold it annually. Each night of the event, we offer talks at a popular level on subjects such as black holes, life on Mars, and the world's largest telescopes. Throughout the night we also offer planetarium shows, a chance to use our rooftop telescopes, a question & answer table with prizes, kids' activities that include launching bubble rockets, and a number of other demonstrations and tours. In this poster, I present the full complement of astronomy outreach programs offered by Penn State, and I focus in particular on AstroFest as a case study that highlights the challenges we face and the positive outcomes we have realized. Funding for our outreach program has come from several sources, including NASA E/PO supplement grants, the STScI IDEAS program, The Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium, and the Pennsylvania State University Eberly College of Science.

Considerations that will determine if competency-based assessment is a sustainable innovation.

PubMed

Dauphinee, W Dale; Boulet, John R; Norcini, John J

2018-05-18

Educational assessment for the health professions has seen a major attempt to introduce competency based frameworks. As high level policy developments, the changes were intended to improve outcomes by supporting learning and skills development. However, we argue that previous experiences with major innovations in assessment offer an important road map for developing and refining assessment innovations, including careful piloting and analyses of their measurement qualities and impacts. Based on the literature, numerous assessment workshops, personal interactions with potential users, and our 40 years of experience in implementing assessment change, we lament the lack of a coordinated approach to clarify and improve measurement qualities and functionality of competency based assessment (CBA). To address this worrisome situation, we offer two roadmaps to guide CBA's further development. Initially, reframe and address CBA as a measurement development opportunity. Secondly, using a roadmap adapted from the management literature on sustainable innovation, the medical assessment community needs to initiate an integrated plan to implement CBA as a sustainable innovation within existing educational programs and self-regulatory enterprises. Further examples of down-stream opportunities to refocus CBA at the implementation level within faculties and within the regulatory framework of the profession are offered. In closing, we challenge the broader assessment community in medicine to step forward and own the challenge and opportunities to reframe CBA as an innovation to improve the quality of the clinical educational experience. The goal is to optimize assessment in health education and ultimately improve the public's health.

Effects of Age-related Differences in Empathy on Social Economic Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Beadle, Janelle N.; Paradiso, Sergio; Kovach, Christopher; Polgreen, Linnea; Denburg, Natalie; Tranel, Daniel

2012-01-01

Background The ways in which aging affects social economic decision-making is a central issue in the psychology of aging. To examine age-related differences in social economic decision-making as a function of empathy, 80 healthy volunteers participated in the Repeated Fixed Opponent Ultimatum Game (UG-R). Previous economic decision making research has shown that in younger adults empathy is associated with prosocial behavior. The effects of empathy on older adult social economic decision-making are not well understood. Methods On each of 20 consecutive trials in the UG-R, one player (“Proposer”) splits ten dollars with another player (“Responder”) who chooses either to accept (whereby both receive the proposed division) or reject (whereby neither receives anything). Trait cognitive and emotional empathy were measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Results UG-R data were examined as a function of age and cognitive empathy. For unfair offers (i.e., offers less than $5), older Responders with high cognitive empathy showed less prosocial behavior and obtained greater payoffs than younger Responders with high cognitive empathy. Conclusions High levels of cognitive empathy may differentially affect economic decision making behavior in younger and older adults. For older adults, high cognitive empathy may be involved in obtaining high financial payoffs while for younger adults it may instead facilitate social relationships. PMID:22237008

A homeostatic, chip-based platform for zebrafish larvae immobilization and long-term imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Timo; Zhu, Feng; Wlodkowic, Donald; Kaslin, Jan

2015-12-01

Zebrafish larvae are ideal for toxicology and drug screens due to their transparency, small size and similarity to humans on the genetic level. Using modern imaging techniques, cells and tissues can be dynamically visualised and followed over days in multiple zebrafish. Yet continued imaging experiments require specialized conditions such as: moisture and heat control to maintain specimen homeostasis. Chambers that control the environment are generally very expensive and are not always available for all imaging platforms. A highly customizable mounting configuration with built-in means of controlling temperature and media flow would therefore be a valuable tool for long term imaging experiments. Rapid prototyping using 3D printing is particularly suitable as a production method as it offers high flexibility in design, is widely available and allows a high degree of customizing. We study neural regeneration in zebrafish. Regeneration is limited in humans, but zebrafish recover from neural damage within days. Yet, the underlying regenerative mechanisms remain unclear. We developed an agarose based mounting system that holds the embryos in defined positions along removable strips. Homeostasis and temperature control is ensured by channels circulating buffer and heated water. This allows to image up to 120 larvae simultaneously for more than two days. Its flexibility and the low-volume, high larvae ratio will allow screening of small compound libraries. Taken together, we offer a low cost, highly adaptable solution for long term in-vivo imaging.

Numerical Simulations of Noise Generated by High Aspect Ratio Supersonic Rectangular Jets - Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswanath, Kamal; Johnson, Ryan; Kailasanath, Kailas; Malla, Bhupatindra; Gutmark, Ephraim

2017-11-01

The noise from high performance jet engines of both civilian and military aircraft is an area of active concern. Asymmetric exhaust nozzle configurations, in particular rectangular, potentially offer a passive way of modulating the farfield noise and are likely to become more important in the future. High aspect ratio nozzles offer the further benefit of easier airframe integration. In this study we validate the far field noise for ideally and over expanded supersonic jets issuing from a high aspect ratio rectangular nozzle geometry. Validation of the acoustic data is performed against experimentally recorded sound pressure level (SPL) spectra for a host of observer locations around the asymmetric nozzle. Data is presented for a slightly heated jet case for both nozzle pressure ratios. The contrast in the noise profile from low aspect ratio rectangular and circular nozzle jets are highlighted, especially the variation in the azimuthal direction that shows ``quiet'' and ``loud'' planes in the farfield in the peak noise direction. This variation is analyzed in the context of the effect of mixing at the sharp corners, the sense of the vortex pairs setup in the exit plane, and the evolution of the high aspect ratio exit cross-section as it propagates downstream including possible axis-switching. Supported by Office of Naval Research (ONR) through the Computational Physics Task Area under the NRL 6.1 Base Program.

Bridging the gap with a duel-credit Earth Science course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W.

2011-12-01

College-bound high school students rarely have any exposure to the Earth Sciences. Earth Science may be offered to Middle School students. What is offered in High School, however, is usually a watered-down course offered to the weakest students. Meanwhile, our best and brightest students are steered towards biology, chemistry, and physics, what most schools consider the "real sciences". As a direct result, our population is not literate in the Earth Sciences and few students choose to study the Earth Science in college. One way to counteract this trend is to offer a rigorous capstone Earth Science course to High School Juniors and Seniors. Offering a course does not guarantee enrollment, however. Top science students are too busy taking Advanced Placement courses to consider a non-AP course. For that reason, the best way to lure top students into studying Earth Science is to create a duel-credit course, for which students receive both high school and college credit. A collaboration between high school teachers and college professors can result in a quality Earth Science course that bridges the huge gap that now exists between middle school science and college Earth Science. Harvard-Westlake School has successfully offered a duel-credit course with UCLA, and has created a model that can be used by other schools.

New agents in the treatment of premature ejaculation.

PubMed

McMahon, Chris G; McMahon, Chelsea N; Leow, Liang Joo

2006-12-01

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual disorder. Recent normative data suggest that men with an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of less than 1 minute have "definite" PE, while men with IELTs between 1 and 1.5 minutes have "probable" PE. Although there is insufficient empirical evidence to identify the etiology of PE, there is limited correlational evidence to suggest that men with PE have high levels of sexual anxiety and inherited altered sensitivity of central 5-HT (serotonin) receptors. Pharmacological modulation of the ejaculatory threshold using off-label daily or on-demand selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) offers patients a high likelihood of achieving improved ejaculatory control within a few days of initiating treatment, consequential improvements in sexual desire and other sexual domains and is well tolerated. Investigational drugs such as the ejaculo-selective serotonin transport inhibitors (ESSTIs) such as dapoxetine and UK-390,957 represent a major development in sexual medicine. These drugs offer patients the convenience of on-demand dosing, significant improvements in IELT, ejaculatory control, and sexual satisfaction with minimal adverse effects.

New agents in the treatment of premature ejaculation

PubMed Central

McMahon, Chris G; McMahon, Chelsea N; Leow, Liang Joo

2006-01-01

Premature ejaculation (PE) is a common male sexual disorder. Recent normative data suggest that men with an intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) of less than 1 minute have “definite” PE, while men with IELTs between 1 and 1.5 minutes have “probable” PE. Although there is insufficient empirical evidence to identify the etiology of PE, there is limited correlational evidence to suggest that men with PE have high levels of sexual anxiety and inherited altered sensitivity of central 5-HT (serotonin) receptors. Pharmacological modulation of the ejaculatory threshold using off-label daily or on-demand selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) offers patients a high likelihood of achieving improved ejaculatory control within a few days of initiating treatment, consequential improvements in sexual desire and other sexual domains and is well tolerated. Investigational drugs such as the ejaculo-selective serotonin transport inhibitors (ESSTIs) such as dapoxetine and UK-390,957 represent a major development in sexual medicine. These drugs offer patients the convenience of on-demand dosing, significant improvements in IELT, ejaculatory control, and sexual satisfaction with minimal adverse effects. PMID:19412497

Design of three-well indirect pumping terahertz quantum cascade lasers for high optical gain based on nonequilibrium Green's function analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Tao; Kubis, Tillmann; Jie Wang, Qi; Klimeck, Gerhard

2012-03-01

The nonequilibrium Green's function approach is applied to the design of three-well indirect pumping terahertz (THz) quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) based on a resonant phonon depopulation scheme. The effects of the anticrossing of the injector states and the dipole matrix element of the laser levels on the optical gain of THz QCLs are studied. The results show that a design that results in a more pronounced anticrossing of the injector states will achieve a higher optical gain in the indirect pumping scheme compared to the traditional resonant-tunneling injection scheme. This offers in general a more efficient coherent resonant-tunneling transport of electrons in the indirect pumping scheme. It is also shown that, for operating temperatures below 200 K and low lasing frequencies, larger dipole matrix elements, i.e., vertical optical transitions, offer a higher optical gain. In contrast, in the case of high lasing frequencies, smaller dipole matrix elements, i.e., diagonal optical transitions are better for achieving a higher optical gain.

Optogenetic stimulation of a meso-scale human cortical model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvaraj, Prashanth; Szeri, Andrew; Sleigh, Jamie; Kirsch, Heidi

2015-03-01

Neurological phenomena like sleep and seizures depend not only on the activity of individual neurons, but on the dynamics of neuron populations as well. Meso-scale models of cortical activity provide a means to study neural dynamics at the level of neuron populations. Additionally, they offer a safe and economical way to test the effects and efficacy of stimulation techniques on the dynamics of the cortex. Here, we use a physiologically relevant meso-scale model of the cortex to study the hypersynchronous activity of neuron populations during epileptic seizures. The model consists of a set of stochastic, highly non-linear partial differential equations. Next, we use optogenetic stimulation to control seizures in a hyperexcited cortex, and to induce seizures in a normally functioning cortex. The high spatial and temporal resolution this method offers makes a strong case for the use of optogenetics in treating meso scale cortical disorders such as epileptic seizures. We use bifurcation analysis to investigate the effect of optogenetic stimulation in the meso scale model, and its efficacy in suppressing the non-linear dynamics of seizures.

Ultrasensitive direct impedimetric immunosensor for detection of serum HER2.

PubMed

Sharma, Shikha; Zapatero-Rodríguez, Julia; Saxena, Rahul; O'Kennedy, Richard; Srivastava, Sudha

2018-05-30

Assesment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status is a key factor prompting definitive treatment decisions that help in reducing mortality rates associated with breast cancer. In this article, highly sensitive and low-cost impedimetric immunosensor using single-chain fragment variable antibody fragments was developed for quantitative detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 from serum employing gold nanoparticle-modified disposable screen-printed carbon electrodes. The gold nanoparticles facilitate fast electron transfer and offer a biocompatible surface for immobilization of small antibody fragments in an oriented manner, resulting in improved antigen binding efficiency. The single-chain fragment variable antibody fragment-modified screen printed immunosensor exhibits wide dynamic range of 0.01-100 ng mL -1 and detection limit of 0.01 ng mL -1 . The advantages offered by this platform in terms of high sensitivity, broad dynamic range and low-cost demonstrates great potential for improved monitoring of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 levels for the management of breast and other cancers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Absolute quantification of prion protein (90-231) using stable isotope-labeled chymotryptic peptide standards in a LC-MRM AQUA workflow.

PubMed

Sturm, Robert; Sheynkman, Gloria; Booth, Clarissa; Smith, Lloyd M; Pedersen, Joel A; Li, Lingjun

2012-09-01

Substantial evidence indicates that the disease-associated conformer of the prion protein (PrP(TSE)) constitutes the etiologic agent in prion diseases. These diseases affect multiple mammalian species. PrP(TSE) has the ability to convert the conformation of the normal prion protein (PrP(C)) into a β-sheet rich form resistant to proteinase K digestion. Common immunological techniques lack the sensitivity to detect PrP(TSE) at subfemtomole levels, whereas animal bioassays, cell culture, and in vitro conversion assays offer higher sensitivity but lack the high-throughput the immunological assays offer. Mass spectrometry is an attractive alternative to the above assays as it offers high-throughput, direct measurement of a protein's signature peptide, often with subfemtomole sensitivities. Although a liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MRM) method has been reported for PrP(TSE), the chemical composition and lack of amino acid sequence conservation of the signature peptide may compromise its accuracy and make it difficult to apply to multiple species. Here, we demonstrate that an alternative protease (chymotrypsin) can produce signature peptides suitable for a LC-MRM absolute quantification (AQUA) experiment. The new method offers several advantages, including: (1) a chymotryptic signature peptide lacking chemically active residues (Cys, Met) that can confound assay accuracy; (2) low attomole limits of detection and quantitation (LOD and LOQ); and (3) a signature peptide retaining the same amino acid sequence across most mammals naturally susceptible to prion infection as well as important laboratory models. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the use of a non-tryptic peptide in a LC-MRM AQUA workflow.

Absolute quantification of prion protein (90-231) using stable isotope-labeled chymotryptic peptide standards in a LC-MRM AQUA workflow

PubMed Central

Sturm, Robert; Kreitinger, Gloria; Booth, Clarissa; Smith, Lloyd; Pedersen, Joel; Li, Lingjun

2012-01-01

Substantial evidence indicates that the disease-associated conformer of the prion protein (PrPTSE) constitutes the etiological agent in prion diseases. These diseases affect multiple mammalian species. PrPTSE has the ability to convert the conformation of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into a β-sheet rich form resistant to proteinase K digestion. Common immunological techniques lack the sensitivity to detect PrPTSE at sub-femtomole levels while animal bioassays, cell culture, and in vitro conversion assays offer ultrasensitivity but lack the high-throughput the immunological assays offer. Mass spectrometry is an attractive alternative to the above assays as it offers high-throughput, direct measurement of a protein’s signature peptide, often with sub-femtomole sensitivities. Although a liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MRM) method has been reported for PrPTSE, the chemical composition and lack of amino acid sequence conservation of the signature peptide may compromise its accuracy and make it difficult to apply to multiple species. Here, we demonstrate that an alternative protease (chymotrypsin) can produce signature peptides suitable for a LC-MRM absolute quantification (AQUA) experiment. The new method offers several advantages, including: (1) a chymotryptic signature peptide lacking chemically active residues (Cys, Met) that can confound assay accuracy; (2) low attomole limits of detection and quantitation (LOD and LOQ); and (3) a signature peptide retaining the same amino acid sequence across most mammals naturally susceptible to prion infection as well as important laboratory models. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of the use of a non-tryptic peptide in a LC-MRM AQUA workflow. PMID:22714949

Absolute Quantification of Prion Protein (90-231) Using Stable Isotope-Labeled Chymotryptic Peptide Standards in a LC-MRM AQUA Workflow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sturm, Robert; Sheynkman, Gloria; Booth, Clarissa; Smith, Lloyd M.; Pedersen, Joel A.; Li, Lingjun

2012-09-01

Substantial evidence indicates that the disease-associated conformer of the prion protein (PrPTSE) constitutes the etiologic agent in prion diseases. These diseases affect multiple mammalian species. PrPTSE has the ability to convert the conformation of the normal prion protein (PrPC) into a β-sheet rich form resistant to proteinase K digestion. Common immunological techniques lack the sensitivity to detect PrPTSE at subfemtomole levels, whereas animal bioassays, cell culture, and in vitro conversion assays offer higher sensitivity but lack the high-throughput the immunological assays offer. Mass spectrometry is an attractive alternative to the above assays as it offers high-throughput, direct measurement of a protein's signature peptide, often with subfemtomole sensitivities. Although a liquid chromatography-multiple reaction monitoring (LC-MRM) method has been reported for PrPTSE, the chemical composition and lack of amino acid sequence conservation of the signature peptide may compromise its accuracy and make it difficult to apply to multiple species. Here, we demonstrate that an alternative protease (chymotrypsin) can produce signature peptides suitable for a LC-MRM absolute quantification (AQUA) experiment. The new method offers several advantages, including: (1) a chymotryptic signature peptide lacking chemically active residues (Cys, Met) that can confound assay accuracy; (2) low attomole limits of detection and quantitation (LOD and LOQ); and (3) a signature peptide retaining the same amino acid sequence across most mammals naturally susceptible to prion infection as well as important laboratory models. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report on the use of a non-tryptic peptide in a LC-MRM AQUA workflow.

Prepared Food Availability in U.S. Food Stores: A National Study.

PubMed

Zenk, Shannon N; Powell, Lisa M; Isgor, Zeynep; Rimkus, Leah; Barker, Dianne C; Chaloupka, Frank J

2015-10-01

Prepared, ready-to-eat foods comprise a significant part of Americans' diets and are increasingly obtained from food stores. Yet, little is known about the availability and healthfulness of prepared, ready-to-eat food offerings at stores. This study examines associations among community characteristics (racial/ethnic composition, poverty level, urbanicity) and availability of both healthier and less-healthy prepared foods in U.S. supermarkets, grocery stores, and convenience stores. Observational data were collected from 4,361 stores in 317 communities spanning 42 states in 2011 and 2012. Prepared food availability was assessed via one healthier food (salads or salad bar), three less-healthy items (pizza, hot dog/hamburger, taco/burrito/taquito), and one cold sandwich item. In 2014, multivariable generalized linear models were used to test associations with community characteristics. Overall, 63.6% of stores sold prepared foods, with 20.0% offering prepared salads and 36.4% offering at least one less-healthy item. Rural stores were 26% less likely to carry prepared salads (prevalence ratio [PR]=0.74, 95% CI=0.62, 0.88) and 14% more likely to carry at least one less-healthy prepared food item (PR=1.14, 95% CI=1.00, 1.30). Convenience stores in high-poverty communities were less likely to carry prepared salads than those in low-poverty communities (PR=0.64, 95% CI=0.47, 0.87). Among supermarkets, prepared salads were more likely to be carried in majority-white, low-poverty communities than in non-white, high-poverty communities. Increasing the healthfulness of prepared foods within stores may offer an important opportunity to improve the food environment. Copyright © 2015 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Watermelon quality traits as affected by ploidy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Growers offering high quality watermelons [Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.), Matsum & Nakai] that are also high in phytonutrients will have stronger market opportunities. In order to offer highly nutritious fruit, the industry must understand the nature of phytonutrient accumulation as it is affected by ...

Student learning outcomes and attitudes when biotechnology lab partners are of different academic levels.

PubMed

Miller, Heather B; Witherow, D Scott; Carson, Susan

2012-01-01

The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In "Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA," students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer "boutique" courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed.

Negotiating water across levels: A peace and conflict "Toolbox" for water diplomacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grech-Madin, Charlotte; Döring, Stefan; Kim, Kyungmee; Swain, Ashok

2018-04-01

As a key policy tool, water diplomacy offers greater political engagement in the cooperative management of shared water. A range of initiatives has been dedicated to this end, almost invariably oriented around the interactions of nation states. Crucially, however, practitioners of water diplomacy also need to address water governance at sub-state levels. As a political, multi-level, and normative field, peace and conflict research offers a pluralism of approaches designed to bring actors together at all levels. Drawing upon this research, this paper offers new focal points for water diplomacy that can enhance its policy effectiveness and enrich its underlying academic current. More specifically, it presents three hitherto undervalued tools for water diplomacy: at the interstate level, to uncover the rich body of political norms that bind states to shared understandings of acceptable practice around water. At the intrastate level, to incorporate ethnography of water users and civil society groups' responses to state-led waterworks projects, and at the communal level to employ disaggregated georeferenced data on water resources in conflict-prone areas. Taken together, these analytical tools provide a multi-faceted political gauge of the dynamics of water diplomacy, and add vital impetus to develop water diplomacy across multiple levels of policy engagement.

Student Learning Outcomes and Attitudes When Biotechnology Lab Partners Are of Different Academic Levels

PubMed Central

Miller, Heather B.; Witherow, D. Scott; Carson, Susan

2012-01-01

The North Carolina State University Biotechnology Program offers laboratory-intensive courses to both undergraduate and graduate students. In “Manipulation and Expression of Recombinant DNA,” students are separated into undergraduate and graduate sections for the laboratory, but not the lecture, component. Evidence has shown that students prefer pairing with someone of the same academic level. However, retention of main ideas in peer learning environments has been shown to be greater when partners have dissimilar abilities. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that there will be enhanced student learning when lab partners are of different academic levels. We found that learning outcomes were met by both levels of student, regardless of pairing. Average undergraduate grades on every assessment method increased when undergraduates were paired with graduate students. Many of the average graduate student grades also increased modestly when graduate students were paired with undergraduates. Attitudes toward working with partners dramatically shifted toward favoring working with students of different academic levels. This work suggests that offering dual-level courses in which different-level partnerships are created does not inhibit learning by students of different academic levels. This format is useful for institutions that wish to offer “boutique” courses in which student enrollment may be low, but specialized equipment and faculty expertise are needed. PMID:22949428

Shear Fracture of Dual Phase AHSS in the Process of Stamping: Macroscopic Failure Mode and Micro-level Metallographical Observation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wurong; Wei, Xicheng; Yang, Jun; Shi, Gang

2011-08-01

Due to its excellent strength and formability combinations, dual phase (DP) steels offer the potential to improve the vehicle crashworthiness performance without increasing car body weight and have been increasingly used into new vehicles. However, a new type of crack mode termed as shear fracture is accompanied with the application of these high strength DP steel sheets. With the cup drawing experiment to identify the limit drawing ratio (LDR) of three DP AHSS with strength level from 600 MPa to 1000 MPa, the study compared and categorized the macroscopic failure mode of these three types of materials. The metallographical observation along the direction of crack was conducted for the DP steels to discover the micro-level propagation mechanism of the fracture.

Vitamin D in patients with intellectual and developmental disability in secure in-patient services in the North of England, UK.

PubMed

McKinnon, Iain; Lewis, Thomas; Mehta, Naomi; Imrit, Shahed; Thorp, Julie; Ince, Chris

2018-02-01

Aims and method To assess the benefits of the introduction of routine vitamin D serum sampling for all patients admitted to a secure in-patient hospital in the North of England providing medium security, low security and rehabilitation services for offenders with intellectual and developmental disability. The vitamin D levels of 100 patients were analysed at baseline. Those with insufficient or deficient levels were offered treatment and retested after 1 year. Vitamin D levels were analysed in the context of level of security, seasonality of test and co-prescription of psychotropic medications. Eighty-three per cent of patients had suboptimal vitamin D levels at initial test (41% deficient and 42% insufficient). This was seen among established patients and new admissions. Regression analysis of baseline vitamin D levels revealed no differences for levels of security, seasonality, whether patients were taking antipsychotic or anticonvulsant medication, or length of stay. Patients with deficiency or insufficiency were all offered supplementation. Those who opted in had significantly higher vitamin D levels at follow-up, compared with those who declined treatment. Clinical implications Established and newly admitted patients in our secure mental health services had substantial levels of vitamin D insufficiency. In the light of the morbidities that are associated with deficient vitamin D levels, routine screening and the offer of supplementation is advisable. Declaration of interest None.

A general, cryogenically-based analytical technique for the determination of trace quantities of volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coleman, R. A.; Cofer, W. R., III; Edahl, R. A., Jr.

1985-01-01

An analytical technique for the determination of trace (sub-ppbv) quantities of volatile organic compounds in air was developed. A liquid nitrogen-cooled trap operated at reduced pressures in series with a Dupont Nafion-based drying tube and a gas chromatograph was utilized. The technique is capable of analyzing a variety of organic compounds, from simple alkanes to alcohols, while offering a high level of precision, peak sharpness, and sensitivity.

Lattice QCD simulations using the OpenACC platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumdar, Pushan

2016-10-01

In this article we will explore the OpenACC platform for programming Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). The OpenACC platform offers a directive based programming model for GPUs which avoids the detailed data flow control and memory management necessary in a CUDA programming environment. In the OpenACC model, programs can be written in high level languages with OpenMP like directives. We present some examples of QCD simulation codes using OpenACC and discuss their performance on the Fermi and Kepler GPUs.

An LED solar simulator for student labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Manuel I.

2017-05-01

Measuring voltage-current and voltage-power curves of a photovoltaic module is a nice experiment for high school and undergraduate students. In labs where real sunlight is not available this experiment requires a solar simulator. A prototype of a simulator using LED lamps has been manufactured and tested, and a comparison with classical halogen simulators has been performed. It is found that LED light offers lower levels of irradiance, but much better performance in terms of module output for a given irradiance.

[Do Multiplex PCR techniques displace classical cultures in microbiology?].

PubMed

Auckenthaler, Raymond; Risch, Martin

2015-02-01

Multiplex PCR technologies progressively find their way in clinical microbiology. This technique allows the simultaneous amplification of multiple DNA targets in a single test run for the identification of pathogens up to the species level. Various pathogens of infectious diseases can be detected by a symptom-oriented approach clearly and quickly with high reliability. Essentially multiplex PCR panels are available for clarification of gastrointestinal, respiratory, sexually transmitted infections and meningitis. Today's offer from industry, university hospitals and large private laboratories of Switzerland is tabulated and commented.

Shale: an overlooked option for US nuclear waste disposal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, Christopher E.

2014-01-01

Toss a dart at a map of the United States and, more often than not, it will land where shale can be found underground. A drab, relatively featureless sedimentary rock that historically attracted little interest, shale (as used here, the term includes clay and a range of clay-rich rocks) is entering Americans’ consciousness as a new source of gas and oil. But shale may also offer something entirely different—the ability to safely and permanently house high-level nuclear waste.

The NASA thermionic-conversion (TEC-ART) program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, J. F.

1977-01-01

The current emphasis is on out-of-core thermionic conversion (TEC). The additional degrees of freedom offer new potentialities, but high-temperature material effects determine the level and lifetime of TEC performance: New electrodes not only raise power outputs but also maintain them regardless of emitter-vapor deposition on collectors. In addition, effective electrodes serve compatibly with hot-shell alloys. Space TEC withstands external and internal high-temperature vaporization problems, and terrestrial TEC tolerates hot corrosive atmospheres outside and near-vacuum inside. Finally, reduction of losses between converter electrodes is essential even though rather demanding geometries appear to be required for some modes of enhanced operation.

Regenerative biomaterials that "click": simple, aqueous-based protocols for hydrogel synthesis, surface immobilization, and 3D patterning.

PubMed

Nimmo, Chelsea M; Shoichet, Molly S

2011-11-16

The click chemistry era has generated a library of versatile "spring-loaded" reactions that offer high yields, regio- and stereospecificity, and outstanding functional group tolerance. These powerful transformations are particularly advantageous for the design of sophisticated biomaterials that require high levels of precision and control, namely, materials that promote tissue regeneration such as hydrogels, 2D functionalized substrates, and 3D biomimetic scaffolds. In this review, the synthesis and application of regenerative biomaterials via click chemistry are summarized. Particular emphasis is placed on the copper(I)-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition, Diels-Alder cycloadditions, and thiol-click coupling.

Multi-level manual and autonomous control superposition for intelligent telerobot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hirai, Shigeoki; Sato, T.

1989-01-01

Space telerobots are recognized to require cooperation with human operators in various ways. Multi-level manual and autonomous control superposition in telerobot task execution is described. The object model, the structured master-slave manipulation system, and the motion understanding system are proposed to realize the concept. The object model offers interfaces for task level and object level human intervention. The structured master-slave manipulation system offers interfaces for motion level human intervention. The motion understanding system maintains the consistency of the knowledge through all the levels which supports the robot autonomy while accepting the human intervention. The superposing execution of the teleoperational task at multi-levels realizes intuitive and robust task execution for wide variety of objects and in changeful environment. The performance of several examples of operating chemical apparatuses is shown.

Equal status in Ultimatum Games promotes rational sharing.

PubMed

Han, Xiao; Cao, Shinan; Bao, Jian-Zhang; Wang, Wen-Xu; Zhang, Boyu; Gao, Zi-You; Sánchez, Angel

2018-01-19

Experiments on the Ultimatum Game (UG) repeatedly show that people's behaviour is far from rational. In UG experiments, a subject proposes how to divide a pot and the other can accept or reject the proposal, in which case both lose everything. While rational people would offer and accept the minimum possible amount, in experiments low offers are often rejected and offers are typically larger than the minimum, and even fair. Several theoretical works have proposed that these results may arise evolutionarily when subjects act in both roles and there is a fixed interaction structure in the population specifying who plays with whom. We report the first experiments on structured UG with subjects playing simultaneously both roles. We observe that acceptance levels of responders approach rationality and proposers accommodate their offers to their environment. More precisely, subjects keep low acceptance levels all the time, but as proposers they follow a best-response-like approach to choose their offers. We thus find that status equality promotes rational sharing while the influence of structure leads to fairer offers compared to well-mixed populations. Our results are far from what is observed in single-role UG experiments and largely different from available predictions based on evolutionary game theory.

The Necessity and Applicability Levels of the Courses that are Offered in the Departments of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies (CEIT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acat, M. Bahaddin; Kilic, Abdurrahman; Girmen, Pinar; Anagun, Senegul S.

2007-01-01

The main purpose of this study is to identify the levels of the necessity and applicability of the courses offered in the Departments of Computer Education and Instructional Technologies based on the views of the fourth grade and graduated students. In the study descriptive research model was used. The population of the study were final-year and…

Beam profile measurement on HITU transducers using a thermal intensity sensor technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkens, V.; Sonntag, S.; Jenderka, K.-V.

2011-02-01

Thermal intensity sensors based on the transformation of the incident ultrasonic energy into heat inside a small cylindrical absorber have been developed at PTB in the past, in particular to determine the acoustic output of medical diagnostic ultrasound equipment. Currently, this sensor technique is being expanded to match the measurement challenges of high intensity therapeutic ultrasound (HITU) fields. At the high acoustic power levels as utilized in the clinical application of HITU transducers, beam characterization using hydrophones is critical due to the possible damage of the sensitive and expensive measurement devices. Therefore, the low-cost and robust thermal sensors developed offer a promising alternative for the determination of high intensity output beam profiles. A sensor prototype with a spatial resolution of 0.5 mm was applied to the beam characterization of an HITU transducer operated at several driving amplitude levels. Axial beam plots and lateral profiles at focus were acquired. The absolute continuous wave output power was, in addition, determined using a radiation force balance.

Implicit and Explicit Racial Attitudes Changed During Black Lives Matter.

PubMed

Sawyer, Jeremy; Gampa, Anup

2018-07-01

Lab-based interventions have been ineffective in changing individuals' implicit racial attitudes for more than brief durations, and exposure to high-status Black exemplars like Obama has proven ineffective in shifting societal-level racial attitudes. Antiracist social movements, however, offer a potential societal-level alternative for reducing racial bias. Racial attitudes were examined before and during Black Lives Matter (BLM) and its high points of struggle with 1,369,204 participants from 2009 to 2016. After controlling for changes in participant demographics, overall implicit attitudes were less pro-White during BLM than pre-BLM, became increasingly less pro-White across BLM, and were less pro-White during most periods of high BLM struggle. Considering changes in implicit attitudes by participant race, Whites became less implicitly pro-White during BLM, whereas Blacks showed little change. Regarding explicit attitudes, Whites became less pro-White and Blacks became less pro-Black during BLM, each moving toward an egalitarian "no preference" position.

A Subdivision-Based Representation for Vector Image Editing.

PubMed

Liao, Zicheng; Hoppe, Hugues; Forsyth, David; Yu, Yizhou

2012-11-01

Vector graphics has been employed in a wide variety of applications due to its scalability and editability. Editability is a high priority for artists and designers who wish to produce vector-based graphical content with user interaction. In this paper, we introduce a new vector image representation based on piecewise smooth subdivision surfaces, which is a simple, unified and flexible framework that supports a variety of operations, including shape editing, color editing, image stylization, and vector image processing. These operations effectively create novel vector graphics by reusing and altering existing image vectorization results. Because image vectorization yields an abstraction of the original raster image, controlling the level of detail of this abstraction is highly desirable. To this end, we design a feature-oriented vector image pyramid that offers multiple levels of abstraction simultaneously. Our new vector image representation can be rasterized efficiently using GPU-accelerated subdivision. Experiments indicate that our vector image representation achieves high visual quality and better supports editing operations than existing representations.

Dye-Incorporated Polynaphthalenediimide Acceptor for Additive-Free High-Performance All-Polymer Solar Cells.

PubMed

Chen, Dong; Yao, Jia; Chen, Lie; Yin, Jingping; Lv, Ruizhi; Huang, Bin; Liu, Siqi; Zhang, Zhi-Guo; Yang, Chunhe; Chen, Yiwang; Li, Yongfang

2018-04-16

All-polymer solar cells (all-PSCs) can offer unique advantages for applications in flexible devices, and naphthalene diimide (NDI)-based polymer acceptors are the widely used polymer acceptors. However, their power conversion efficiency (PCE) still lags behind that of state-of-the-art polymer solar cells, due to low light absorption, suboptimal energy levels and the strong aggregation of the NDI-based polymer acceptor. Herein, a rhodanine-based dye molecule was introduced into the NDI-based polymer acceptor by simple random copolymerization and showed an improved light absorption coefficient, an up-shifted lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level and reduced crystallization. Consequently, additive-free all-PSCs demonstrated a high PCE of 8.13 %, which is one of the highest performance characteristics reported for all-PSCs to date. These results indicate that incorporating a dye into the n-type polymer gives insight into the precise design of high-performance polymer acceptors for all-PSCs. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Industrial integration of high coherence tunable single frequency semiconductor lasers based on VECSEL technology for scientific instrumentation in NIR and MIR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecocq, Vincent; Chomet, Baptiste; Ferrières, Laurence; Myara, Mikhaël.; Beaudoin, Grégoire; Sagnes, Isabelle; Cerutti, Laurent; Denet, Stéphane; Garnache, Arnaud

2017-02-01

Laser technology is finding applications in areas such as high resolution spectroscopy, radar-lidar, velocimetry, or atomic clock where highly coherent tunable high power light sources are required. The Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VECSEL) technology [1] has been identified for years as a good candidate to reach high power, high coherence and broad tunability while covering a wide emission wavelength range exploiting III-V semiconductor technologies. Offering such performances in the Near- and Middle-IR range, GaAs- and Sb-based VECSEL technologies seem to be a well suited path to meet the required specifications of demanding applications. Built up in this field, our expertise allows the realization of compact and low power consumption marketable products, with performances that do not exist on the market today in the 0.8-1.1 μm and 2-2.5 μm spectral range. Here we demonstrate highly coherent broadly tunable single frequency laser micro-chip, intracavity element free, based on a patented VECSEL technology, integrated into a compact module with driving electronics. VECSEL devices emitting in the Near and Middle-IR developed in the frame of this work [2] exhibit exciting features compared to diode-pumped solid-state lasers and DFB diode lasers; they combine high power (>100mW) high temporal coherence together with a low divergence diffraction limited TEM00 beam. They exhibit a class-A dynamics with a Relative Intensity Noise as low as -140dB/Hz and at shot noise level reached above 200MHz RF frequency (up to 160GHz), a free running narrow linewidth at sub MHz level (fundamental limit at Hz level) with high spectral purity (SMSR >55dB), a linear polarization (>50dB suppression ratio), and broadband continuous tunability greater than 400GHz (< 30V piezo voltage, 6kHz cut off frequency) with total tunability up to 3THz. Those performances can all be reached thanks to the high finesse cavity of VECSEL technology, associated to ideal homogeneous QW gain behaviour [3]. In addition, the compact design without any movable intracavity elements offers a robust single frequency regime with a long term wavelength stability better than few GHz/h (ambient thermal drift limited). Those devices surpass the state of the art commercial technologies thanks to a combination of power-coherence-wavelength tunability performances and integration.

Mission Simulation Facility: Simulation Support for Autonomy Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pisanich, Greg; Plice, Laura; Neukom, Christian; Flueckiger, Lorenzo; Wagner, Michael

2003-01-01

The Mission Simulation Facility (MSF) supports research in autonomy technology for planetary exploration vehicles. Using HLA (High Level Architecture) across distributed computers, the MSF connects users autonomy algorithms with provided or third-party simulations of robotic vehicles and planetary surface environments, including onboard components and scientific instruments. Simulation fidelity is variable to meet changing needs as autonomy technology advances in Technical Readiness Level (TRL). A virtual robot operating in a virtual environment offers numerous advantages over actual hardware, including availability, simplicity, and risk mitigation. The MSF is in use by researchers at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) and has demonstrated basic functionality. Continuing work will support the needs of a broader user base.

District health manager and mid-level provider perceptions of practice environments in acute obstetric settings in Tanzania: a mixed-method study.

PubMed

Ng'ang'a, Njoki; Byrne, Mary Woods; Kruk, Margaret E; Shemdoe, Aloisia; de Pinho, Helen

2016-08-08

In sub-Saharan Africa, the capacity of human resources for health (HRH) managers to create positive practice environments that enable motivated, productive, and high-performing HRH is weak. We implemented a unique approach to examining HRH management practices by comparing perspectives offered by mid-level providers (MLPs) of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) in Tanzania to those presented by local health authorities, known as council health management teams (CHMTs). This study was guided by the basic strategic human resources management (SHRM) component model. A convergent mixed-method design was utilized to assess qualitative and quantitative data from the Health Systems Strengthening for Equity: The Power and Potential of Mid-Level Providers project. Survey data was obtained from 837 mid-level providers, 83 of whom participated in a critical incident interview whose aim was to elicit negative events in the practice environment that induced intention to leave their job. HRH management practices were assessed quantitatively in 48 districts with 37 members of CHMTs participating in semi-structured interviews. The eight human resources management practices enumerated in the basic SHRM component model were implemented unevenly. On the one hand, members of CHMTs and mid-level providers agreed that there were severe shortages of health workers, deficient salaries, and an overwhelming workload. On the other hand, members of CHMTs and mid-level providers differed in their perspectives on rewards and allocation of opportunities for in-service training. Although written standards of performance and supervision requirements were available in most districts, they did not reflect actual duties. Members of CHMTs reported high levels of autonomy in key HRH management practices, but mid-level providers disputed the degree to which the real situation on the ground was factored into job-related decision-making by CHMTs. The incongruence in perspectives offered by members of CHMTs and mid-level providers points to deficient HRH management practices, which contribute to poor practice environments in acute obstetric settings in Tanzania. Our findings indicate that members of CHMTs require additional support to adequately fulfill their HRH management role. Further research conducted in low-income countries is necessary to determine the appropriate package of interventions required to strengthen the capacity of members of CHMTs.

Aerodynamic Heat-Power Engine Operating on a Closed Cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ackeret, J.; Keller, D. C.

1942-01-01

Hot-air engines with dynamic compressors and turbines offer new prospects of success through utilization of units of high efficiencies and through the employment of modern materials of great strength at high temperature. Particular consideration is given to an aerodynamic prime mover operating on a closed circuit and heated externally. Increase of the pressure level of the circulating air permits a great increase of limit load of the unit. This also affords a possibility of regulation for which the internal efficiency of the unit changes but slightly. The effect of pressure and temperature losses is investigated. A general discussion is given of the experimental installation operating at the Escher Wyss plant in Zurich for a considerable time at high temperatures.

Nuclear magnetic resonance in high magnetic field: Application to condensed matter physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berthier, Claude; Horvatić, Mladen; Julien, Marc-Henri; Mayaffre, Hadrien; Krämer, Steffen

2017-05-01

In this review, we describe the potentialities offered by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique to explore at a microscopic level new quantum states of condensed matter induced by high magnetic fields. We focus on experiments realised in resistive (up to 34 T) or hybrid (up to 45 T) magnets, which open a large access to these quantum phase transitions. After an introduction on NMR observables, we consider several topics: quantum spin systems (spin-Peierls transition, spin ladders, spin nematic phases, magnetisation plateaus, and Bose-Einstein condensation of triplet excitations), the field-induced charge density wave (CDW) in high-Tc superconductors, and exotic superconductivity including the Fulde-Ferrel-Larkin-Ovchinnikov superconducting state and the field-induced superconductivity due to the Jaccarino-Peter mechanism.

A Saponification Method for Chlorophyll Removal from Microalgae Biomass as Oil Feedstock

PubMed Central

Li, Tao; Xu, Jin; Wu, Hualian; Wang, Guanghua; Dai, Shikun; Fan, Jiewei; He, Hui; Xiang, Wenzhou

2016-01-01

Microalgae oil is an optimal feedstock for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biodiesel production, but its high levels of chlorophyll limit its large-scale application. To date, few effective approaches have been developed to remove chlorophyll from microalgae oil. The main purpose of this study was to present a preprocessing method of algae oil feedstock (Scenedesmus) to remove chlorophyll by saponification. The results showed that 96% of chlorophyll in biomass was removed. High quality orange transparent oil could be extracted from the chlorophyll reduced biomass. Specifically, the proportion of neutral lipids and saturation levels of fatty acids increased, and the pigments composition became carotenoids-based. The critical parameters of chlorophyll reduced biodiesel conformed to the standards of the USA, China and EU. Sodium copper chlorophyllin could be prepared from the bleaching effluent. The results presented herein offer a useful pathway to improve the quality of microalgae oil and reduce the cost of microalgae biodiesel. PMID:27618070

A Saponification Method for Chlorophyll Removal from Microalgae Biomass as Oil Feedstock.

PubMed

Li, Tao; Xu, Jin; Wu, Hualian; Wang, Guanghua; Dai, Shikun; Fan, Jiewei; He, Hui; Xiang, Wenzhou

2016-09-07

Microalgae oil is an optimal feedstock for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and biodiesel production, but its high levels of chlorophyll limit its large-scale application. To date, few effective approaches have been developed to remove chlorophyll from microalgae oil. The main purpose of this study was to present a preprocessing method of algae oil feedstock (Scenedesmus) to remove chlorophyll by saponification. The results showed that 96% of chlorophyll in biomass was removed. High quality orange transparent oil could be extracted from the chlorophyll reduced biomass. Specifically, the proportion of neutral lipids and saturation levels of fatty acids increased, and the pigments composition became carotenoids-based. The critical parameters of chlorophyll reduced biodiesel conformed to the standards of the USA, China and EU. Sodium copper chlorophyllin could be prepared from the bleaching effluent. The results presented herein offer a useful pathway to improve the quality of microalgae oil and reduce the cost of microalgae biodiesel.

Object-oriented Approach to High-level Network Monitoring and Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi

2000-01-01

An absolute prerequisite for the management of large investigating methods to build high-level monitoring computer networks is the ability to measure their systems that are built on top of existing monitoring performance. Unless we monitor a system, we cannot tools. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the hope to manage and control its performance. In this underlying systems at NASA Langley Research Center, paper, we describe a network monitoring system that we use an object-oriented approach for the design, we are currently designing and implementing. Keeping, first, we use UML (Unified Modeling Language) to in mind the complexity of the task and the required model users' requirements. Second, we identify the flexibility for future changes, we use an object-oriented existing capabilities of the underlying monitoring design methodology. The system is built using the system. Third, we try to map the former with the latter. APIs offered by the HP OpenView system.

Attachment and Jealousy: Understanding the Dynamic Experience of Jealousy Using the Response Escalation Paradigm.

PubMed

Huelsnitz, Chloe O; Farrell, Allison K; Simpson, Jeffry A; Griskevicius, Vladas; Szepsenwol, Ohad

2018-04-01

Jealousy is a complex, dynamic experience that unfolds over time in relationship-threatening situations. Prior research has used retrospective reports that cannot disentangle initial levels and change in jealousy in response to escalating threat. In three studies, we examined responses to the Response Escalation Paradigm (REP)-a 5-stage hypothetical scenario in which individuals are exposed to increasing levels of relationship threat-as a function of attachment orientations. Highly anxious individuals exhibited hypervigilant, slow escalation response patterns, interfered earlier in the REP, felt more jealousy, sadness, and worry when they interfered, and wanted to engage in more vigilant, destructive, and passive behaviors aimed at their partner. Highly avoidant individuals felt more anger when they interfered in the REP and wanted to engage in more partner-focused, destructive behaviors. The REP offers a dynamic method for inducing and examining jealousy and introduces a novel approach to studying other emotional experiences.

Selective p-i-n photodetector with resonant tunneling

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

Mil'shtein, S.; Wilson, S.; Pillai, A.

2014-05-15

There are different fundamental approaches to designing selective photodetectors, where the selectivity of optical spectra is produced by a filtering aperture. However, manufacturing of multilayered filters is cumbersome for epitaxial technology. In the current study, we offer a novel approach in design of selective photodetectors. A p-i-n photodetector with superlattices in top n-layer becomes transparent for photons where hν<>E{sub ng}+E{sub n1}, the light will be absorbed, simultaneously producing high energy (hot) electrons. The designed thickness of the structure does prevent thermal relaxation of high energy electrons by thus enhancing the selectivity of the photodetector. However the most important selectivity elementmore » is the resonant tunneling which does happen only for electrons occupying E{sub n1} energy levels as they transfer to levels E{sub i1}aligned under reverse biasing.« less

Integration of professional judgement and decision-making in high-level adventure sports coaching practice.

PubMed

Collins, Loel; Collins, Dave

2015-01-01

This study examined the integration of professional judgement and decision-making processes in adventure sports coaching. The study utilised a thematic analysis approach to investigate the decision-making practices of a sample of high-level adventure sports coaches over a series of sessions. Results revealed that, in order to make judgements and decisions in practice, expert coaches employ a range of practical and pedagogic management strategies to create and opportunistically use time for decision-making. These approaches include span of control and time management strategies to facilitate the decision-making process regarding risk management, venue selection, aims, objectives, session content, and differentiation of the coaching process. The implication for coaches, coach education, and accreditation is the recognition and training of the approaches that "create time" for the judgements in practice, namely "creating space to think". The paper concludes by offering a template for a more expertise-focused progression in adventure sports coaching.

Analyzing the Language of Therapist Empathy in Motivational Interview based Psychotherapy

PubMed Central

Xiao, Bo; Can, Dogan; Georgiou, Panayiotis G.; Atkins, David; Narayanan, Shrikanth S.

2016-01-01

Empathy is an important aspect of social communication, especially in medical and psychotherapy applications. Measures of empathy can offer insights into the quality of therapy. We use an N-gram language model based maximum likelihood strategy to classify empathic versus non-empathic utterances and report the precision and recall of classification for various parameters. High recall is obtained with unigram while bigram features achieved the highest F1-score. Based on the utterance level models, a group of lexical features are extracted at the therapy session level. The effectiveness of these features in modeling session level annotator perceptions of empathy is evaluated through correlation with expert-coded session level empathy scores. Our combined feature set achieved a correlation of 0.558 between predicted and expert-coded empathy scores. Results also suggest that the longer term empathy perception process may be more related to isolated empathic salient events. PMID:27602411

Toward a systems-level view of dynamic phosphorylation networks

PubMed Central

Newman, Robert H.; Zhang, Jin; Zhu, Heng

2014-01-01

To better understand how cells sense and respond to their environment, it is important to understand the organization and regulation of the phosphorylation networks that underlie most cellular signal transduction pathways. These networks, which are composed of protein kinases, protein phosphatases and their respective cellular targets, are highly dynamic. Importantly, to achieve signaling specificity, phosphorylation networks must be regulated at several levels, including at the level of protein expression, substrate recognition, and spatiotemporal modulation of enzymatic activity. Here, we briefly summarize some of the traditional methods used to study the phosphorylation status of cellular proteins before focusing our attention on several recent technological advances, such as protein microarrays, quantitative mass spectrometry, and genetically-targetable fluorescent biosensors, that are offering new insights into the organization and regulation of cellular phosphorylation networks. Together, these approaches promise to lead to a systems-level view of dynamic phosphorylation networks. PMID:25177341

High efficacy and students' satisfaction after voluntary vs mandatory use of an e-learning program in traumatology and orthopedics--a follow-up study.

PubMed

Back, David Alexander; Haberstroh, Nicole; Sostmann, Kai; Schmidmaier, Gerhard; Putzier, Michael; Perka, Carsten; Hoff, Eike

2014-01-01

Within the last decade, e-learning has gained a consistent place in surgical teaching. However, as the use of new programs is often voluntary, more information on the implications of the data regarding user acceptance and knowledge with mandatory use is desirable, especially in the context of the long-term developments of courses. Starting in 2009, the e-learning program Network for Students in Traumatology and Orthopedics was offered in a voluntary blended learning context. Students' satisfaction and increase in knowledge were evaluated using questionnaires and written tests. With proven effectiveness, the program became a mandatory part of the curriculum, and students' attitudes and gain of knowledge were re-evaluated in 2010 and 2011 to detect differences in voluntary vs mandatory use. In the evaluation questionnaires (n = 108 voluntary vs n = 361 mandatory), the overall appreciation regarding the offerings remained high. Significantly more students felt better prepared for clinical situations (p < 0.001) and asked for e-tutoring (p = 0.025) with mandatory use. In written tests, both voluntary (n = 70) and mandatory (n = 147) users showed significantly increased knowledge (p < 0.001). Starting with a lower base level (p < 0.001), mandatory users had a significantly higher absolute increase compared with voluntary users (p = 0.015), leading to a similar final level. The presented blended learning concept was an efficient way to teach students orthopedics and traumatology. Data can support the assumption that even if the voluntary evaluation of e-learning offerings might be subject to a selection bias, the results can serve as a representative impression for the students' overall mood and their gain in knowledge. However, as changes would have to be anticipated when shifting to mandatory use, users' perceptions should be constantly evaluated. © 2013 Published by Association of Program Directors in Surgery on behalf of Association of Program Directors in Surgery.

A new ultra-high-accuracy angle generator: current status and future direction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guertin, Christian F.; Geckeler, Ralf D.

2017-09-01

Lack of an extreme high-accuracy angular positioning device available in the United States has left a gap in industrial and scientific efforts conducted there, requiring certain user groups to undertake time-consuming work with overseas laboratories. Specifically, in x-ray mirror metrology the global research community is advancing the state-of-the-art to unprecedented levels. We aim to fill this U.S. gap by developing a versatile high-accuracy angle generator as a part of the national metrology tool set for x-ray mirror metrology and other important industries. Using an established calibration technique to measure the errors of the encoder scale graduations for full-rotation rotary encoders, we implemented an optimized arrangement of sensors positioned to minimize propagation of calibration errors. Our initial feasibility research shows that upon scaling to a full prototype and including additional calibration techniques we can expect to achieve uncertainties at the level of 0.01 arcsec (50 nrad) or better and offer the immense advantage of a highly automatable and customizable product to the commercial market.

Intrinsic and extrinsic goals as moderators of stress and depressive symptoms in Chinese undergraduate students: A multi-wave longitudinal study.

PubMed

Ling, Yu; He, Yushu; Wei, Yong; Cen, Weihong; Zhou, Qi; Zhong, Mingtian

2016-05-11

Studies in western countries have examined the specific vulnerability hypothesis of Dykman's theory of goal-orientation predispositions to depression through two-time point designs. The purpose of this prospective longitudinal study was to investigate the moderating effects of intrinsic and extrinsic goals on stress and depressive symptoms in Chinese undergraduate students. A total of 462 undergraduate students [46% female; mean age, 19.06 (range, 17-22) years] completed self-reported measures assessing intrinsic and extrinsic goals, depressive symptoms, and the occurrence of social and academic hassles. Every 3 months over the subsequent 12 months, the undergraduate students completed measures assessing depressive symptoms and the occurrence of daily hassles. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that undergraduate students with low levels of intrinsic goals reported greater depressive symptoms following the occurrence of social and academic hassles than did those with high levels of such goals. However, undergraduate students with high levels of extrinsic goals did not report greater depressive symptoms following the occurrence of social and academic hassles than did those possessing low levels. These findings suggest that intrinsic goals can protect undergraduate students experiencing high levels of social and academic hassles from depressive symptoms. The study findings provide new insight into the course of depressive symptoms among undergraduate students, and offer psychologist and psychiatrists ways to protect individuals from depressive symptoms by building up intrinsic goals.

Serological Susceptibility to Varicella among U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Detainees

PubMed Central

Varan, Aiden K.; Lederman, Edith R.; Stous, Shanon S.; Elson, Diana; Freiman, Jennifer L.; Marin, Mona; Lopez, Adriana S.; Stauffer, William M.; Joseph, Rachael H.; Waterman, Stephen H.

2018-01-01

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is responsible for detaining unauthorized aliens during immigration proceedings. During 2014–2015, adult ICE detainees at a California facility were invited to complete a survey concerning self-reported varicella history and risk factors. Participants underwent serological testing for varicella-zoster virus (VZV) IgG; susceptible individuals were offered varicella vaccination. Among 400 detainees with available serology results, 48 (12%) were susceptible to varicella. Self-reported varicella history was negatively associated with susceptibility (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=0.16; 95% CI=0.07, 0.35). Among 196 detainees reporting a positive history, 95% had VZV IgG levels suggestive of varicella immunity. Among 44 susceptible detainees offered vaccination, 86% accepted. Given relatively high varicella susceptibility, targeted screening and vaccination among ICE detainees lacking a positive history might reduce varicella transmission risks. PMID:28945148

Physics Instructional Resource Usage by High-, Medium-, and Low-Skilled MOOC Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balint, Trevor A.; Teodorescu, Raluca; Colvin, Kimberly; Choi, Youn-Jeng; Pritchard, David

2017-04-01

In this paper we examine how different types of participants in a physics Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) tend to use the existing course resources. We use data from the 2013 offering of the Massive Open Online Course 8.MReVx designed by the RELATE (REsearch in Learning Assessing and Tutoring Effectively) Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and offered on the edX platform. We propose six measures of student performance in a course, and, based on these measures, we divide the student population into clusters and analyze the resource usage of the students from each cluster. This course contains a wide variety of physics problems targeting various levels of thinking. Our analysis focuses on 1080 participants (out of 16,787 enrolled in the course) who attempted more than 50% of available problems, as this is an indicator of students who participated actively in the entire course.

Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

DOE PAGES

Tamboli, Adele C.; Bobela, David C.; Kanevce, Ana; ...

2017-09-06

Achieving higher photovoltaic efficiency in single-junction devices is becoming increasingly difficult, but tandem modules offer the possibility of significant efficiency improvements. By device modeling we show that four-terminal CdTe/Si tandem solar modules offer the prospect of 25%-30% module efficiency, and technoeconomic analysis predicts that these efficiency gains can be realized at costs per Watt that are competitive with CdTe and Si single junction alternatives. The cost per Watt of the modeled tandems is lower than crystalline silicon, but slightly higher than CdTe alone. But, these higher power modules reduce area-related balance of system costs, providing increased value especially in area-constrainedmore » applications. This avenue for high-efficiency photovoltaics enables improved performance on a near-term timeframe, as well as a path to further reduced levelized cost of electricity as module and cell processes continue to advance.« less

Valley-selective optical Stark effect in monolayer WS2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gedik, Nuh

Monolayer semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have a pair of valleys that, by time-reversal symmetry, are energetically degenerate. Lifting the valley degeneracy in these materials is of great interest because it would allow for valley specific band engineering and offer additional control in valleytronic applications. In this talk, I will show that circularly polarized light, which breaks time-reversal symmetry, can be used to lift the valley degeneracy by means of the optical Stark effect. We demonstrate that this effect is capable of raising the exciton level in monolayer TMD WS2 by as much as 18 meV in a controllable valley-selective manner. The resulting energy shift is extremely large, comparable to the shift that would be obtained using a very high magnetic field (approximately 100 Tesla). These results offer a novel way to control valley degree of freedom, and may provide a means to realize new valley-selective Floquet topological state of matter.

Low-Cost CdTe/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells

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

Tamboli, Adele C.; Bobela, David C.; Kanevce, Ana

Achieving higher photovoltaic efficiency in single-junction devices is becoming increasingly difficult, but tandem modules offer the possibility of significant efficiency improvements. By device modeling we show that four-terminal CdTe/Si tandem solar modules offer the prospect of 25%-30% module efficiency, and technoeconomic analysis predicts that these efficiency gains can be realized at costs per Watt that are competitive with CdTe and Si single junction alternatives. The cost per Watt of the modeled tandems is lower than crystalline silicon, but slightly higher than CdTe alone. But, these higher power modules reduce area-related balance of system costs, providing increased value especially in area-constrainedmore » applications. This avenue for high-efficiency photovoltaics enables improved performance on a near-term timeframe, as well as a path to further reduced levelized cost of electricity as module and cell processes continue to advance.« less

Nanoscale probing of electron-regulated structural transitions in silk proteins by near-field IR imaging and nano-spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Qin, Nan; Zhang, Shaoqing; Jiang, Jianjuan; Corder, Stephanie Gilbert; Qian, Zhigang; Zhou, Zhitao; Lee, Woonsoo; Liu, Keyin; Wang, Xiaohan; Li, Xinxin; Shi, Zhifeng; Mao, Ying; Bechtel, Hans A.; Martin, Michael C.; Xia, Xiaoxia; Marelli, Benedetto; Kaplan, David L.; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Liu, Mengkun; Tao, Tiger H.

2016-01-01

Silk protein fibres produced by silkworms and spiders are renowned for their unparalleled mechanical strength and extensibility arising from their high-β-sheet crystal contents as natural materials. Investigation of β-sheet-oriented conformational transitions in silk proteins at the nanoscale remains a challenge using conventional imaging techniques given their limitations in chemical sensitivity or limited spatial resolution. Here, we report on electron-regulated nanoscale polymorphic transitions in silk proteins revealed by near-field infrared imaging and nano-spectroscopy at resolutions approaching the molecular level. The ability to locally probe nanoscale protein structural transitions combined with nanometre-precision electron-beam lithography offers us the capability to finely control the structure of silk proteins in two and three dimensions. Our work paves the way for unlocking essential nanoscopic protein structures and critical conditions for electron-induced conformational transitions, offering new rules to design protein-based nanoarchitectures. PMID:27713412

Dirac dispersion generates unusually large Nernst effect in Weyl semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watzman, Sarah J.; McCormick, Timothy M.; Shekhar, Chandra; Wu, Shu-Chun; Sun, Yan; Prakash, Arati; Felser, Claudia; Trivedi, Nandini; Heremans, Joseph P.

2018-04-01

Weyl semimetals contain linearly dispersing electronic states, offering interesting features in transport yet to be thoroughly explored thermally. Here we show how the Nernst effect, combining entropy with charge transport, gives a unique signature for the presence of Dirac bands and offers a diagnostic to determine if trivial pockets play a role in this transport. The Nernst thermopower of NbP exceeds its conventional thermopower by a 100-fold, and the temperature dependence of the Nernst effect has a pronounced maximum. The charge-neutrality condition dictates that the Fermi level shifts with increasing temperature toward the energy that has the minimum density of states (DOS). In NbP, the agreement of the Nernst and Seebeck data with a model that assumes this minimum DOS resides at the Dirac points is taken as strong experimental evidence that the trivial (non-Dirac) bands play no role in high-temperature transport.

[Regulation, innovation, and improvement of health care. The pharmaceutical sector].

PubMed

López-Casasnovas, Guillem

2008-01-01

The paper comments on present and future scenarios for the pharmaceutical sector in Spain, framed a highly regulated system. So far the drug industry has evolved under the short term public financial constraints for additional health care spending and the long term efforts to innovate. This has not proved to offer a stable setting for the relationship between the industry and Health Authorities. The author offers from the economic analysis and a subjective appraisal from his experience some recommendations for regulatory changes in order to better align the incentives of the parts for improving the health system as a whole. The basic point is that 'consumption levels' (quantities) and not (unit costs) are the main challenge to tackle today in our Public Health Care system, and for this the decentralisation of financial responsibility is not in itself 'the' problem but it may well be a part of the solution.

Toward biomaterial-based implantable photonic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humar, Matjaž; Kwok, Sheldon J. J.; Choi, Myunghwan; Yetisen, Ali K.; Cho, Sangyeon; Yun, Seok-Hyun

2017-03-01

Optical technologies are essential for the rapid and efficient delivery of health care to patients. Efforts have begun to implement these technologies in miniature devices that are implantable in patients for continuous or chronic uses. In this review, we discuss guidelines for biomaterials suitable for use in vivo. Basic optical functions such as focusing, reflection, and diffraction have been realized with biopolymers. Biocompatible optical fibers can deliver sensing or therapeutic-inducing light into tissues and enable optical communications with implanted photonic devices. Wirelessly powered, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and miniature lasers made of biocompatible materials may offer new approaches in optical sensing and therapy. Advances in biotechnologies, such as optogenetics, enable more sophisticated photonic devices with a high level of integration with neurological or physiological circuits. With further innovations and translational development, implantable photonic devices offer a pathway to improve health monitoring, diagnostics, and light-activated therapies.

Formation of the priority directions of innovative strategic energy management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mottaeva, Asiiat; Minnullina, Anna

2017-10-01

Article is devoted to the matter of the ensuring long-term potential of dynamic growth of the Russian economy, its sustainable development in which the special role is assigned to the energy industry. Inclusion of the stage of management of the human capital, which becomes one of priority levers in the field of management of the industrial enterprises, into the in structure of strategy of planning subsequently represents one of innovative steps at the heart of power management. In work the algorithm of the development of the key performance indicators of the human capital on the basis of stage-by-stage problem definition of energy saving, search of the centers of responsibility in energy consumption and quality control of the involved productions is offered in the article. The application of the offered innovative algorithm might promote the formation of high culture of energy saving and the decrease in the level of resistance to organizational changes.

NOW: A Workflow Language for Orchestration in Nomadic Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philips, Eline; van der Straeten, Ragnhild; Jonckers, Viviane

Existing workflow languages for nomadic or mobile ad hoc networks do not offer adequate support for dealing with the volatile connections inherent to these environments. Services residing on mobile devices are exposed to (temporary) network failures, which should be considered the rule rather than the exception. This paper proposes a nomadic workflow language built on top of an ambient-oriented programming language which supports dynamic service discovery and communication primitives resilient to network failures. Our proposed language provides high level workflow abstractions for control flow and supports rich network and service failure detection and handling through compensating actions. Moreover, we introduce a powerful variable binding mechanism which enables dynamic data flow between services in a nomadic environment. By adding this extra layer of abstraction on top of an ambient-oriented programming language, the application programmer is offered a flexible way to develop applications for nomadic networks.

Prospects and applicability of wave energy for South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavidas, George; Venugopal, Vengatesan

2018-03-01

Renewable energy offers significant opportunities for electricity diversification. South Africa belongs to the group of developing nations and encompasses a lot of potential for renewable energy developments. Currently, the majority of its electricity production originates from fossil fuels; however, incorporation of clean coal technologies will aid in reaching the assigned targets. This study offers a long-term wave power quantification analysis with a numerical wave model. The investigation includes long-term resource assessment in the region, variability, seasonal and monthly wave energy content. Locations with high-energy content but low variability pose an opportunity that can contribute in the alleviation of energy poverty. Application of wave converters depends on the combination of complex terms. The study presents resource levels and the joint distributions, which indicate suitability for converter selection. Depending on the region of interest, these characteristics change. Thus, this resource assessment adds knowledge on wave power and optimal consideration for wave energy applicability.

Fair pricing law prompts most California hospitals to adopt policies to protect uninsured patients from high charges.

PubMed

Melnick, Glenn; Fonkych, Katya

2013-06-01

Millions of uninsured Americans rely on hospital emergency departments (EDs) for medical care. Throughout the United States, uninsured patients treated in or admitted to the hospital through the ED receive hospital bills based on what hospitals call "billed charges." These charges are much higher than those paid by insured patients. In 2006 California approved "fair pricing" legislation to protect uninsured patients from having to pay full billed charges. We found that by 2011 most California hospitals had responded to the law by adopting financial assistance policies to make care more affordable for the state's 6.8 million uninsured people. Ninety-seven percent of California hospitals reported that they offered free care to uninsured patients with incomes at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty level. California's approach offers a promising policy option to other states seeking to protect the uninsured from receiving bills based on full billed charges.

How Do We Train Our Future Faculty to Teach? A Multidisciplinary Comparison of Graduate-Level Pedagogy Courses Offered at A Large Midwestern University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Loughlin, Valerie Dean; Kearns, Katherine; Sherwood-Laughlin, Catherine; Robinson, Jennifer Meta

2017-01-01

This study examines and documents graduate pedagogy courses offered at a large Midwestern research university. Thirty-three graduate pedagogy course instructors from 32 departments (a majority of those offering courses) completed an online survey. We report on enrollment demographics, preparation of faculty to teach such a course, and how a…

A Space Science Teacher Professional Development Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Limaye, Sanjay S.; Pertzborn, Rosalyn A.

Recent adoption of state/national science education standards by school districts in the US has created a need for effective teacher professional development in space science at elementary middle and high school level. Particularly at the elementary and middle school levels majority of teachers teaching the Astronomy/Space Science content have had little education in the area regardless of when they obtained their certification. To meet this growing need the Office of Space Science Education has developed a program to offer teachers background content knowledge through summer workshops and periodic school year meetings for a small number of teachers from Wisconsin and Illinois. The program has included lectures by experts tours of observatories (professional and amateur) science museums and planetariums and on-line learning. A highlight of the program has been introducing teachers to hands-on observing through remotely accessible telescopes. Another aspect has been to make them aware of the many resources available to them through NASA missions. The most significant benefit for the teachers however has been the creation of a peer group and the support it offers in sharing curriculum and lesson plans. This effort has been supported by a NASA/IDEAS grant

Satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel: data from healthcare services for substance users and their families.

PubMed

Hilgert, Juliana B; Bidinotto, Augusto B; Pachado, Mayra P; Fara, Letícia S; von Diemen, Lisia; De Boni, Raquel B; Bozzetti, Mary C; Pechansky, Flávio

2018-06-11

To evaluate satisfaction and burden of mental health personnel providing mental health services for substance users and their families. Five hundred twenty-seven mental health workers who provide treatment for substance users in five Brazilian states were interviewed. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and measures of satisfaction (SATIS-BR) and burden of mental health personnel (IMPACTO-BR) were collected. Type of mental health service and educational attainment were associated with degree of satisfaction and burden. Therapeutic community workers and those with a primary education level reported being more satisfied with the treatment offered to patients, their engagement in service activities, and working conditions. Workers from psychosocial care centers, psychosocial care centers focused on alcohol and other drugs, and social care referral centers (both general and specialized), as well as workers with a higher education, reported feeling overburdened. This study offers important information regarding the relationship of mental health personnel with their work. Care providers within this sample reported an overall high level of job satisfaction, while perceived burden differed by type of service and educational attainment. To our knowledge, this is the first study with a sample of mental health professionals working with substance users across five Brazilian states.

Impact of trained champions of comprehensive school physical activity programs on school physical activity offerings, youth physical activity and sedentary behaviors.

PubMed

Carson, Russell L; Castelli, Darla M; Pulling Kuhn, Ann C; Moore, Justin B; Beets, Michael W; Beighle, Aaron; Aija, Rahma; Calvert, Hannah G; Glowacki, Elizabeth M

2014-12-01

A quasi-experimental cluster-controlled design was used to test the impact of comprehensive school physical activity program (CSPAP) professional development on changes in school physical activity (PA) offerings, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviors of 9-14 year-old children during school. Two groups of Louisiana elementary and middle school physical education teachers (N=129) attended a CSPAP summer workshop (95 in 2012=intervention, 34 in 2013=control) and were assessed on school PA offerings (teacher-reported; pre, mid, and post). During the 2012-2013 school year, intervention teachers received CSPAP support while implementing new school PA programs. MVPA and sedentary behaviors were assessed (accelerometry; baseline and post) on a sample of 231 intervention, 120 control students from 16 different schools. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that intervention teachers reported significantly more PA offerings during school (3.35 vs. 2.37) and that involve staff (1.43 vs. 0.90). Three-level, mixed model regressions (stratified by sex) indicated that students overall spent less time in MVPA and more time being sedentary during school, but the effects were significantly blunted among intervention students, especially boys. This study provides preliminary evidence for CSPAP professional development programs to influence school-level PA offerings and offset student-level declines in MVPA and increases in sedentary behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Learning from the implementation of residential optional time of use pricing in the United States electricity industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xibao

Residential time-of-use (TOU) rates have been in practice in the U.S. since the 1970s. However, for institutional, political, and regulatory reasons, only a very small proportion of residential customers are actually on these schedules. In this thesis, I explore why this is the case by empirically investigating two groups of questions: (1) On the "supply" side: Do utilities choose to offer TOU rates in residential sectors on their own initiative if state commissions do not order them to do so? Since utilities have other options, what is the relationship between the TOU rate and other alternatives? To answer these questions, I survey residential tariffs offered by more than 100 major investor-owned utilities, study the impact of various factors on utilities' rate-making behavior, and examine utility revealed preferences among four rate options: seasonal rates, inverted block rates, demand charges, and TOU rates. Estimated results suggest that the scale of residential sectors and the revenue contribution from residential sectors are the only two significant factors that influence utility decisions on offering TOU rates. Technical and economic considerations are not significant statistically. This implies that the little acceptance of TOU rates is partly attributed to utilities' inadequate attention to TOU rate design. (2) On the "demand" side: For utilities offering TOU tariffs, why do only a very small proportion of residential customers choose these tariffs? What factors influence customer choices? Unlike previous studies that used individual-level experimental data, this research employs actual aggregated information from 29 utilities offering optional TOU rates. By incorporating neo-classical demand analysis into an aggregated random coefficient logit model, I investigate the impact of both price and non-price tariff characteristics and non-tariff factors on customer choice behavior. The analysis indicates that customer pure tariff preference (which captures the effect of all unincluded factors) is a crucial obstacle to the public acceptance of TOU tariffs. Besides rate levels, non-price tariff characteristics and non-tariff factors are also important in influencing customer choice. It is observed that high income home owners have very different preferences than others.

Effects of Air Pollution and Other Environmental Variables on Offered Wages (1980)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The purpose of this report is to construct some exploratory estimates of the effect of changes in air pollution levels on offered wage rates. Repercussions on the work time choice are not explicitly considered.

Pretreatment data is highly predictive of liver chemistry signals in clinical trials.

PubMed

Cai, Zhaohui; Bresell, Anders; Steinberg, Mark H; Silberg, Debra G; Furlong, Stephen T

2012-01-01

The goal of this retrospective analysis was to assess how well predictive models could determine which patients would develop liver chemistry signals during clinical trials based on their pretreatment (baseline) information. Based on data from 24 late-stage clinical trials, classification models were developed to predict liver chemistry outcomes using baseline information, which included demographics, medical history, concomitant medications, and baseline laboratory results. Predictive models using baseline data predicted which patients would develop liver signals during the trials with average validation accuracy around 80%. Baseline levels of individual liver chemistry tests were most important for predicting their own elevations during the trials. High bilirubin levels at baseline were not uncommon and were associated with a high risk of developing biochemical Hy's law cases. Baseline γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) level appeared to have some predictive value, but did not increase predictability beyond using established liver chemistry tests. It is possible to predict which patients are at a higher risk of developing liver chemistry signals using pretreatment (baseline) data. Derived knowledge from such predictions may allow proactive and targeted risk management, and the type of analysis described here could help determine whether new biomarkers offer improved performance over established ones.

Social surrogacy and adjustment: exploring the correlates of having a "social helper" for shy and non-shy young adolescents.

PubMed

Markovic, Andrea; Bowker, Julie C

2015-01-01

A social surrogate is an individual who offers help and comfort in social situations or makes social events more exciting. In this study of 157 young adolescents (55% female; Mage = 13.84 years, SD = 0.75 years), the authors examined whether the linear and curvilinear associations between self-reported social surrogate use and adjustment outcomes (social problems, loneliness, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms) varied as a function of shyness and gender, after accounting for the effects of positive friendship quality. Regression analyses revealed that low and high levels of social surrogate use were related to greater social problems for all adolescents. In addition, shyness emerged as a moderator for several curvilinear effects. Specifically, results indicated that (a) high levels of social surrogate use were associated with greater anxiety for adolescents high in shyness; and (b) low levels of social surrogate use were associated with greater depressive symptoms for adolescents low in shyness. Findings highlight the developmental importance of specific types of relationship experiences during early adolescence and point to different implications of social surrogate use for shy and non-shy young adolescents.