Population and reproductive health in National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) for climate change in Africa.

PubMed

Mutunga, Clive; Hardee, Karen

2010-12-01

This paper reviews 44 National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) to assess the NAPA process and identify the range of interventions included in countries' priority adaptation actions and highlight how population issues and reproductive health/family planning (RH/FP) are addressed as part of the adaptation agenda. A majority of the 44 NAPAs identify rapid population growth as a key component of vulnerability to climate change impacts. However, few chose to prioritise NAPA funds for family planning/reproductive health programmes. The paper emphasizes the need to translate the recognition of population pressure as a factor related to countries' ability to adapt to climate change into relevant project activities. Such projects should include access to RH/FP, in addition to other strategies such as girls' education and women's empowerment that lead to lower fertility. Attention to population and integrated strategies should be central and aligned to longer-term national adaptation plans and strategies.

Eradication: lessons from the past.

PubMed Central

Henderson, D. A.

1998-01-01

The declaration in 1980 that smallpox had been eradicated reawakened interest in disease eradication as a public health strategy. The smallpox programme's success derived, in part, from lessons learned from the preceding costly failure of the malaria eradication campaign. In turn, the smallpox programme offered important lessons with respect to other prospective disease control programmes, and these have been effectively applied in the two current global eradication initiatives, those against poliomyelitis and dracunculiasis. Taking this theme a step further, there are those who would now focus on the development of an inventory of diseases which might, one by one, be targeted either for eradication or elimination. This approach, while interesting, fails to recognize many of the important lessons learned and their broad implications for contemporary disease control programmes worldwide. PMID:10063668

EU Funded Research Activities on NPPS Operational Safety

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

Manolatos, P.; Van Goethem, G.

2002-07-01

The 5. framework programme (FP-5), the pluri-annual research programme of the European Union (EU), covers the period 1998-2002. Research on nuclear energy, fusion and fission, is covered by the EURATOM part of the FP-5. An overview of the Euratom's research on Nuclear Reactor Safety, managed by the DG-RTD of the European Commission (EC), is presented. This concerns 70 multi-partner projects of approximately euro 82.5 million total contract value that have been selected and co-financed during the period 1999-2001. They form the three clusters of projects dealing with the 'Operational Safety of Existing Installations'. 'Plant Life Extension and Management' (PLEM), 'Severemore » Accident Management' (SAM) and 'Evolutionary concepts' (EVOL). Emphasis is given here to the projects of the PLEM cluster. (authors)« less

Improving the urban family planning programme.

PubMed

1997-10-01

This report presents the directives on improving urban family planning (FP) programs issued by various Chinese departments in March 1997. The departments included the State Family Planning Commission, State Economic and Trade Commission, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Labor, Ministry of Public Health, and the National Industrial and Commercial Administration. The directives related to time frame, objectives, management, local level operations, IEC, the floating population's needs, the responsibility system, and a well-trained staff. It was stated that urban FP improvements will take some time, due to expansion of urban population, the increase in floating population, and the demand for quality services. The guiding principles support Deng Xiaoping's theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and balancing population with socioeconomic and sustainable development. The aim is to improve IEC and services and achieve low fertility as a way of creating favorable demographics for modernization. Leaders must be held responsible for the practice of FP in their unit. Subdistrict offices are a key link for managing FP in all units and neighborhood committees in their territory. Efforts need to be increased to spread IEC on population and FP and to reduce abortion. Every department registry should make an effort to provide comprehensive FP to floating populations. Urban centers should concentrate on improving the quality of FP services. Staff should be carefully chosen.

Measurement of HbA1c and HbA2 by Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing HbA1c programme for simultaneous management of diabetes and screening for thalassemia

PubMed Central

Ke, Peifeng; Liu, Jiawei; Chao, Yan; Wu, Xiaobin; Xiong, Yujuan; Lin, Li; Wan, Zemin; Wu, Xinzhong; Xu, Jianhua; Zhuang, Junhua; Huang, Xianzhang

2017-01-01

Introduction Thalassemia could interfere with some assays for haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) measurement, therefore, it is useful to be able to screen for thalassemia while measuring HbA1c. We used Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing (Capillarys 2FP) HbA1c programme to simultaneously measure HbA1c and screen for thalassemia. Materials and methods Samples from 498 normal controls and 175 thalassemia patients were analysed by Capillarys 2FP HbA1c programme (Sebia, France). For method comparison, HbA1c was quantified by Premier Hb9210 (Trinity Biotech, Ireland) in 98 thalassaemia patients samples. For verification, HbA1c from eight thalassaemia patients was confirmed by IFCC reference method. Results Among 98 thalassaemia samples, Capillarys 2FP did not provide an HbA1c result in three samples with HbH due to the overlapping of HbBart’s with HbA1c fraction; for the remaining 95 thalassaemia samples, Bland-Altman plot showed 0.00 ± 0.35% absolute bias between two systems, and a significant positive bias above 7% was observed only in two HbH samples. The HbA1c values obtained by Capillarys 2FP were consistent with the IFCC targets (relative bias below ± 6%) in all of the eight samples tested by both methods. For screening samples with alpha (α-) thalassaemia silent/trait or beta (β-) thalassemia trait, the optimal HbA2 cut-off values were ≤ 2.2% and > 2.8%, respectively. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the Capillarys 2FP HbA1c system could report an accurate HbA1c value in thalassemia silent/trait, and HbA2 value (≤ 2.2% for α-thalassaemia silent/trait and > 2.8% for β-thalassemia trait) and abnormal bands (HbH and/or HbBart’s for HbH disease, HbF for β-thalassemia) may provide valuable information for screening. PMID:28900367

Measurement of HbA1c and HbA2 by Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing HbA1c programme for simultaneous management of diabetes and screening for thalassemia.

PubMed

Ke, Peifeng; Liu, Jiawei; Chao, Yan; Wu, Xiaobin; Xiong, Yujuan; Lin, Li; Wan, Zemin; Wu, Xinzhong; Xu, Jianhua; Zhuang, Junhua; Huang, Xianzhang

2017-10-01

Thalassemia could interfere with some assays for haemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ) measurement, therefore, it is useful to be able to screen for thalassemia while measuring HbA 1c . We used Capillarys 2 Flex Piercing (Capillarys 2FP) HbA 1c programme to simultaneously measure HbA 1c and screen for thalassemia. Samples from 498 normal controls and 175 thalassemia patients were analysed by Capillarys 2FP HbA 1c programme (Sebia, France). For method comparison, HbA 1c was quantified by Premier Hb9210 (Trinity Biotech, Ireland) in 98 thalassaemia patients samples. For verification, HbA 1c from eight thalassaemia patients was confirmed by IFCC reference method. Among 98 thalassaemia samples, Capillarys 2FP did not provide an HbA 1c result in three samples with HbH due to the overlapping of HbBart's with HbA 1c fraction; for the remaining 95 thalassaemia samples, Bland-Altman plot showed 0.00 ± 0.35% absolute bias between two systems, and a significant positive bias above 7% was observed only in two HbH samples. The HbA 1c values obtained by Capillarys 2FP were consistent with the IFCC targets (relative bias below ± 6%) in all of the eight samples tested by both methods. For screening samples with alpha (α-) thalassaemia silent/trait or beta (β-) thalassemia trait, the optimal HbA 2 cut-off values were ≤ 2.2% and > 2.8%, respectively. Our results demonstrated the Capillarys 2FP HbA 1c system could report an accurate HbA 1c value in thalassemia silent/trait, and HbA 2 value (≤ 2.2% for α-thalassaemia silent/trait and > 2.8% for β-thalassemia trait) and abnormal bands (HbH and/or HbBart's for HbH disease, HbF for β-thalassemia) may provide valuable information for screening.

NGO involvement shows the way for FP officers.

PubMed

1999-11-01

This article reports the activities of a 3-week seminar and field trip that was attended by 15 Senior Family Planning (FP) officers from 15 countries in order to examine Japan's postwar experiences and governmental organization/nongovernmental organization (NGO) cooperation in public health and FP. In a span of three weeks, the participants attended lectures conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare on Maternal and Child Health Administration, and by the Japan Family Planning Association. They also took a tour to observe local government administration of health and welfare, as well as local government and NGO cooperation. They also observed community volunteer organizations, a hospital, nurse training and a primary school. During the summing-up and evaluation sessions in Tokyo, all participants expressed their satisfaction with the seminar and shared the lessons they learned during the field trip.

An analysis of subject areas and country participation for all health-related projects in the EU's FP5 and FP6 programmes.

PubMed

Galsworthy, Michael J; Irwin, Rachel; Charlesworth, Kate; Ernst, Kelly; Hristovski, Dimitar; Wismar, Matthias; McKee, Martin

2014-06-01

Previous analyses concerning health components of European Union (EU)-funded research have shown low project participation levels of the 12 newest member states (EU-12). Additionally, there has been a lack of subject-area analysis. In the Health Research for Europe project, we screened all projects of the EU's Framework Programmes for research FP5 and FP6 (1998-2006) to identify health research projects and describe participation by country and subject area. FP5 and FP6 project databases were acquired and screened by coders to identify health-related projects, which were then categorized according to the 47 divisions of the EU Health Portal (N = 2728 projects) plus an extra group of 'basic/biotech' projects (N = 1743). Country participation and coordination rates for projects were also analyzed. Approximately 20% of the 26 946 projects (value €29.2bn) were health-related (N = 4756. Value €6.04bn). Within the health categories, the largest expenditures were cancer (11.9%), 'other' (i.e. not mental health or cardiovascular) non-communicable diseases (9.5%) and food safety (9.4%). One hundred thirty-two countries participated in these projects. Of the 27 EU countries (and five partner countries), north-western and Nordic states acquired more projects per capita. The UK led coordination with > 20% of projects. EU-12 countries were generally under-represented for participation and coordination. Combining our findings with the associated literature, we comment on drivers determining distribution of participation and funds across countries and subject areas. Additionally, we discuss changes needed in the core EU projects database to provide greater transparency, data exploitation and return on investment in health research. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

What can artefact analysis tell us about patient transitions between the hospital and primary care? Lessons from the HANDOVER project.

PubMed

Johnson, Julie K; Arora, Vineet M; Barach, Paul R

2013-09-01

Hospital discharge often faces breakdowns in information, communication, and coordination. The European Union FP7 Health Research Programme commissioned the European HANDOVER Project in 2008, a three year, 3.5 million Euro programme to examine transitions of patient care from the hospital to the community care settings. Six European countries--Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, and Sweden--participated in this collaborative study. This paper highlights a multi-centre, multi-national research programme. We describe how HANDOVER participants conducted an 'artefact analysis' as one element of the mixed methods study to inform opportunities to make patient handovers between hospital and community care more effective. The artefact analysis consisted of a four-step process to assess different tools used in communication and treatment and their effects on the communication processes between the hospital and general practice settings. Four themes emerged from our analysis: (a) The inpatient care of a patient is 'hospital centric' whereby the hospital 'pulls' information regarding a patient's family physician (b) There are rich cognitive artefacts that support the patient clinician encounter; c) The use of information technology does not necessarily improve the communication process; and (d) There is a role for the patient, albeit not particularly well-defined or explicit, as a conduit for essential information communication. Cognitive artefact analysis is an innovative method to provide insights into transitions of patient care. It may be most useful to think about interventions at both the individual patient and the system levels that more fully address and overcome the system issues at work.

Collaborative research: Accomplishments & potential

PubMed Central

Katsouyanni, Klea

2008-01-01

Although a substantial part of scientific research is collaborative and increasing globalization will probably lead to its increase, very few studies actually investigate the advantages, disadvantages, experiences and lessons learned from collaboration. In environmental epidemiology interdisciplinary collaboration is essential and the contrasting geographical patterns in exposure and disease make multi-location projects essential. This paper is based on a presentation given at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Paris 2006, and is attempting to initiate a discussion on a framework for studying collaborative research. A review of the relevant literature showed that indeed collaborative research is rising, in some countries with impressive rates. However, there are substantial differences between countries in their outlook, need and respect for collaboration. In many situations collaborative publications receive more citations than those based on national authorship. The European Union is the most important host of collaborative research, mainly driven by the European Commission through the Framework Programmes. A critical assessment of the tools and trends of collaborative networks under FP6, showed that there was a need for a critical revision, which led to changes in FP7. In conclusion, it is useful to study the characteristics of collaborative research and set targets for the future. The added value for science and for the researchers involved may be assessed. The motivation for collaboration could be increased in the more developed countries. Particular ways to increase the efficiency and interaction in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration may be developed. We can work towards "the principles of collaborative research" in Environmental Epidemiology. PMID:18208596

How to Improve Integrated Care for People with Chronic Conditions: Key Findings from EU FP-7 Project INTEGRATE and Beyond.

PubMed

Borgermans, Liesbeth; Marchal, Yannick; Busetto, Loraine; Kalseth, Jorid; Kasteng, Frida; Suija, Kadri; Oona, Marje; Tigova, Olena; Rösenmuller, Magda; Devroey, Dirk

2017-09-25

Political and public health leaders increasingly recognize the need to take urgent action to address the problem of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity. European countries are facing unprecedented demand to find new ways to deliver care to improve patient-centredness and personalization, and to avoid unnecessary time in hospitals. People-centred and integrated care has become a central part of policy initiatives to improve the access, quality, continuity, effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare systems and are thus preconditions for the economic sustainability of the EU health and social care systems. This study presents an overview of lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care based on findings from the EU FP-7 Project Integrate, a literature review, other EU projects with relevance to this study, a number of best practices on integrated care and our own experiences with research and policy making in integrated care at the national and international level. Seven lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care were identified. The lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care show that a comprehensive systems perspective should guide the development of integrated care towards better health practices, education, research and policy.

How to Improve Integrated Care for People with Chronic Conditions: Key Findings from EU FP-7 Project INTEGRATE and Beyond

PubMed Central

Marchal, Yannick; Busetto, Loraine; Kalseth, Jorid; Kasteng, Frida; Suija, Kadri; Oona, Marje; Tigova, Olena; Rösenmuller, Magda; Devroey, Dirk

2017-01-01

Background: Political and public health leaders increasingly recognize the need to take urgent action to address the problem of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity. European countries are facing unprecedented demand to find new ways to deliver care to improve patient-centredness and personalization, and to avoid unnecessary time in hospitals. People-centred and integrated care has become a central part of policy initiatives to improve the access, quality, continuity, effectiveness and sustainability of healthcare systems and are thus preconditions for the economic sustainability of the EU health and social care systems. Purpose: This study presents an overview of lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care based on findings from the EU FP-7 Project Integrate, a literature review, other EU projects with relevance to this study, a number of best practices on integrated care and our own experiences with research and policy making in integrated care at the national and international level. Results: Seven lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care were identified. Conclusion: The lessons learned and critical success factors to policy making on integrated care show that a comprehensive systems perspective should guide the development of integrated care towards better health practices, education, research and policy. PMID:29588630

Fission products and nuclear fuel behaviour under severe accident conditions part 1: Main lessons learnt from the first VERDON test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontillon, Y.; Geiger, E.; Le Gall, C.; Bernard, S.; Gallais-During, A.; Malgouyres, P. P.; Hanus, E.; Ducros, G.

2017-11-01

This paper describes the first VERDON test performed at the end of September 2011 with special emphasis on the behaviour of fission products (FP) and actinides during the accidental sequence itself. Two other papers discuss in detail the post-test examination results (SEM, EPMA and SIMS) of the VERDON-1 sample. The first VERDON test was devoted to studying UO2 fuel behaviour and fission product releases under reducing conditions at very high temperature (∼2883 K), which was able to confirm the very good performance of the VERDON loop. The fuel sample did not lose its integrity during this test. According to the FP behaviour measured by the online gamma station (fuel sight), the general classification of the FP in relation to their released fraction is very accurate, and the burn-up effect on the release rate is clearly highlighted.

Basic and clinical proteomics from the EU Health Research perspective.

PubMed

Dyląg, Tomasz; Jehenson, Philippe; van de Loo, Jan-Willem; Sanne, Jean-Luc

2010-12-01

The European Union (EU) is one of the main public funders of research in Europe and its major instrument for funding is the Seventh Framework Programme for research and technological development (FP7). The bulk of funding in FP7 goes to collaborative research, with the objective of establishing excellent research projects and networks. Understanding the functions of proteins is essential for the rational development of disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, therefore the EU has largely invested in proteomics, in particular for technology development, data standardisation and sharing efforts, and the application of proteomics in the clinic. The scientific community, including both academia and industry, is encouraged to apply for FP7 funding so that the EU can even more efficiently support innovative health research and ultimately, bring better healthcare to patients.

Evaluation of family planning communications in El Salvador.

PubMed

Bertrand, J T; Zelaya, J D; Cisneros, R J; Morris, L

1982-01-01

During the 1970s, El Salvador had one of the most active communication programmes for family planning (FP) of any Latin American country. The current study, carried out nationwide among women of reproductive age in El Salvador, indicates that over 90% of women have been reached FP messages via mass or interpersonal channels. Levels of exposure were found to be relatively lower among women who live in rural areas, who work at home or not at all, who have little education, who are not married or live in union, and who are under 19 or over 40. The study was completed at a time of political stability in the country, and these data were to be used as a guideline for designing future communication programmes with respect to content, target population, and channels. With regard to communication research, this study yielded findings which usefully supplement those already recorded through a number of investigations of the subject.

Risk management and lessons learned solutions for satellite product assurance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larrère, Jean-Luc

2004-08-01

The historic trend of the space industry towards lower cost programmes and more generally a better economic efficiency raises a difficult question to the quality assurance community: how to achieve the same—or better—mission success rate while drastically reducing the cost of programmes, hence the cost and level of quality assurance activities. EADS Astrium Earth Observation and Science (France) Business Unit have experimented Risk Management and Lessons Learned on their satellite programmes to achieve this goal. Risk analysis and management are deployed from the programme proposal phase through the development and operations phases. Results of the analysis and the corresponding risk mitigation actions are used to tailor the product assurance programme and activities. Lessons learned have been deployed as a systematic process to collect positive and negative experience from past and on-going programmes and feed them into new programmes. Monitoring and justification of their implementation in programmes is done under supervision from the BU quality assurance function. Control of the system is ensured by the company internal review system. Deployment of these methods has shown that the quality assurance function becomes more integrated in the programme team and development process and that its tasks gain focus and efficiency while minimising the risks associated with new space programmes.

How primary care reforms influenced health indicators in Manisa district in Turkey: Lessons for general practitioners.

PubMed

Cevik, Celalettin; Sozmen, Kaan; Kilic, Bulent

2018-12-01

Turkish health reforms began in 2003 and brought some significant changes in primary care services. Few studies in Turkey compare the shift from health centres (HC) to family physicians (FP) approach, which was initiated by reforms. This study compares health status indicators during the HC period before reforms (2003-2007) and the FP period after reforms (2008-2012) in Turkey. This study encompasses time series data consisting of the results of a 10-year assessment (2003-2012) in Manisa district. All the data were obtained electronically and by month. The intersection points of the regression curves of these two periods and the beta coefficients were compared using segmented linear regression analysis. The mean number of follow-up per person/year during the HC period in infants (10.5), pregnant women (6.6) and women (1.8) was significantly higher than the mean number of follow-up during the FP period in infants (6.7), pregnant women (5.6) and women (0.9). Rates of BCG and measles vaccinations were significantly higher during the FP period; however, rates of HBV and DPT were same. The mean number of outpatient services per person/year during the FP period (3.3) was significantly higher than HC period (2.8). Within non-communicable diseases, no difference was detected for hypertension prevalence. Within communicable diseases, there was no difference for rabies suspected bites but acute haemorrhagic gastroenteritis significantly decreased. The infant mortality rate and under five-year child mortality rate significantly increased during the FP period. Primary care services should be reorganized and integrated with public health services.

Status of VICTORIA: NRC peer review and recent code applications

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

Bixler, N.E.; Schaperow, J.H.

1997-12-01

VICTORIA is a mechanistic computer code designed to analyze fission product behavior within a nuclear reactor coolant system (RCS) during a severe accident. It provides detailed predictions of the release of radioactive and nonradioactive materials from the reactor core and transport and deposition of these materials within the RCS. A summary of the results and recommendations of an independent peer review of VICTORIA by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is presented, along with recent applications of the code. The latter include analyses of a temperature-induced steam generator tube rupture sequence and post-test analyses of the Phebus FPT-1 test. Themore » next planned Phebus test, FTP-4, will focus on fission product releases from a rubble bed, especially those of the less-volatile elements, and on the speciation of the released elements. Pretest analyses using VICTORIA to estimate the magnitude and timing of releases are presented. The predicted release of uranium is a matter of particular importance because of concern about filter plugging during the test.« less

Nutritional and cognitive status of entry-level primary school children in Zomba, rural Malawi.

PubMed

Nkhoma, Owen W W; Duffy, Maresa E; Davidson, Philip W; Cory-Slechta, Deborah A; McSorley, Emeir M; Strain, J J; O'Brien, Gerard M

2013-05-01

Entry-level Malawian children (n = 226) aged 6-8 years from two public primary schools, one a participant in a national school feeding programme (FP), the other not, were investigated for differences in nutritional and cognitive status. Stunted growth (42%) and underweight (25%) were prevalent, with no significant differences between the schools, although the school attended was a significant predictor of mid-upper arm circumference. Previous attendance at a community-based childcare centre was significantly associated with lower body weight and height. There were no significant differences in memory, reversal learning and attention outcomes between the schools. These findings report no major significant difference in nutrition or cognitive statuses between the schools, and on this basis suggest that both schools were equally in need of FP participation. More inclusive interventions and broadening/review of FP participation criteria are recommended.

Unravelling the effect of the Dutch school-based nutrition programme Taste Lessons: the role of dose, appreciation and interpersonal communication.

PubMed

Battjes-Fries, Marieke C E; van Dongen, Ellen J I; Renes, Reint Jan; Meester, Hante J; Van't Veer, Pieter; Haveman-Nies, Annemien

2016-08-05

To unravel the effect of school-based nutrition education, insight into the implementation process is needed. In this study, process indicators of Taste Lessons (a nutrition education programme for Dutch elementary schools) and their association with changes in behavioural determinants relevant to healthy eating behaviour are studied. The study sample consisted of 392 Dutch primary school children from 12 schools. Data were collected using teacher and child questionnaires at baseline, and at one and six months after the intervention. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to study the association between dose, appreciation and children's engagement in interpersonal communication (talking about Taste Lessons with others after the lessons), and change in knowledge, awareness, skills, attitude, emotion, subjective norm and intention towards two target behaviours. With an average implementation of a third of the programme activities, dose positively predicted change in children's subjective norm of the teacher after one month. Teachers and children highly appreciated Taste Lessons. Whereas teacher appreciation was inversely associated, child appreciation was positively associated with children's change in awareness, emotion and subjective norm of teachers after one month and in attitude and subjective norm of parents after six months. Interpersonal communication was positively associated with children's change in five determinants after one month and in attitude and intention after six months. The implementation process is related to the programme outcomes of Taste Lessons. Process data provide valuable insights into factors that contribute to the effect of interventions in real-life settings.

An assessment of false positive rates for malaria rapid diagnostic tests caused by non-Plasmodium infectious agents and immunological factors.

PubMed

Gatton, Michelle L; Ciketic, Sadmir; Barnwell, John W; Cheng, Qin; Chiodini, Peter L; Incardona, Sandra; Bell, David; Cunningham, Jane; González, Iveth J

2018-01-01

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) can produce false positive (FP) results in patients with human African trypanosomiasis and rheumatoid factor (RF), but specificity against other infectious agents and immunological factors is largely unknown. Low diagnostic specificity caused by cross-reactivity may lead to over-estimates of the number of malaria cases and over-use of antimalarial drugs, at the cost of not diagnosing and treating the true underlying condition. Data from the WHO Malaria RDT Product Testing Programme was analysed to assess FP rates of 221 RDTs against four infectious agents (Chagas, dengue, Leishmaniasis and Schistosomiasis) and four immunological factors (anti-nuclear antibody, human anti-mouse antibody (HAMA), RF and rapid plasma regain). Only RDTs with a FP rate against clean negative samples less than 10% were included. Paired t-tests were used to compare product-specific FP rates on clean negative samples and samples containing non-Plasmodium infectious agents and immunological factors. Forty (18%) RDTs showed no FP results against any tested infectious agent or immunological factor. In the remaining RDTs significant and clinically relevant increases in FP rates were observed for samples containing HAMA and RF (P<0.001). There were significant correlations between product-matched FP rates for RF and HAMA on all RDT test bands (P<0.001), and FP rates for each infectious agent and immunological factor were also correlated between test bands of combination RDTs (P≤0.002). False positive results against non-Plasmodium infectious agents and immunological factors does not appear to be a universal property of malaria RDTs. However, since many malaria RDTs have elevated FP rates against HAMA and RF positive samples practitioners may need to consider the possibility of false positive results for malaria in patients with conditions that stimulate HAMA or RF.

Lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme.

PubMed

Hoy, Damian; Durand, A Mark; Hancock, Thane; Cash, Haley L; Hardie, Kate; Paterson, Beverley; Paulino, Yvette; White, Paul; Merritt, Tony; Fitzgibbons, Dawn; Gopalani, Sameer Vali; Flint, James; Edwin A Merilles, Onofre; Kashiwabara, Mina; Biaukula, Viema; Lepers, Christelle; Souares, Yvan; Nilles, Eric; Batikawai, Anaseini; Huseynova, Sevil; Patel, Mahomed; Saketa, Salanieta T; Durrheim, David; Henderson, Alden; Roth, Adam

2017-01-01

The Pacific region has widely dispersed populations, limited financial and human resources and a high burden of disease. There is an urgent need to improve the availability, reliability and timeliness of useable health data. The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme that was designed to respond to these Pacific health challenges. The pilot programme built on and further developed an existing field epidemiology training programme for Pacific health staff. The programme was delivered in country by epidemiologists working for Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network partners. The programme consisted of five courses: four one-week classroom-based courses and one field epidemiology project. Sessions were structured so that theoretical understanding was achieved through interaction and reinforced through practical hands-on group activities, case studies and other interactive practical learning methods. As of September 2016, 258 students had commenced the programme. Twenty-six course workshops were delivered and one cohort of students had completed the full five-course programme. The programme proved popular and gained a high level of student engagement. Face-to-face delivery, a low student-to-facilitator ratio, substantial group work and practical exercises were identified as key factors that contributed to the students developing skills and confidence. Close engagement of leaders and the need to quickly evaluate and adapt the curriculum were important lessons, and the collaboration between external partners was considered important for promoting a harmonized approach to health needs in the Pacific.

Teachers' Social Capital as a Resource for Curriculum Development: Lessons Learnt in the Implementation of a Child-Friendly Schools Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modipane, Mpho; Themane, Mahlapahlapana

2014-01-01

This paper reports on lessons learnt in the use of teachers' social capital as a resource for curriculum development, in the implementation of the Child-Friendly Schools (CFS) programme in South Africa. The researchers in this study were amongst the trainers. The study followed a qualitative research approach, where a descriptive research design…

Developing a Framework for Classroom Lesson Delivery to Improve English Teachers' Performance in the Foundation Year Programme at a Saudi University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aburizaizah, Saeed J.

2014-01-01

The current English programme provided to foundation year students at King Abdulaziz University is failing to equip learners with the desired level of English language. This paper assesses the teaching materials and proposes a teaching framework to improve teachers' lesson delivery. The framework was designed to overcome some of the shortfalls in…

Successful private-public funding of paediatric medicines research: lessons from the EU programme to fund research into off-patent medicines.

PubMed

Ruggieri, L; Giannuzzi, V; Baiardi, P; Bonifazi, F; Davies, E H; Giaquinto, C; Bonifazi, D; Felisi, M; Chiron, C; Pressler, R; Rabe, H; Whitaker, M J; Neubert, A; Jacqz-Aigrain, E; Eichler, I; Turner, M A; Ceci, A

2015-04-01

The European Paediatric Regulation mandated the European Commission to fund research on off-patent medicines with demonstrated therapeutic interest for children. Responding to this mandate, five FP7 project calls were launched and 20 projects were granted. This paper aims to detail the funded projects and their preliminary results. Publicly available sources have been consulted and a descriptive analysis has been performed. Twenty Research Consortia including 246 partners in 29 European and non-European countries were created (involving 129 universities or public-funded research organisations, 51 private companies with 40 SMEs, 7 patient associations). The funded projects investigate 24 medicines, covering 10 therapeutic areas in all paediatric age groups. In response to the Paediatric Regulation and to apply for a Paediatric Use Marketing Authorisation, 15 Paediatric Investigation Plans have been granted by the EMA-Paediatric Committee, including 71 studies of whom 29 paediatric clinical trials, leading to a total of 7,300 children to be recruited in more than 380 investigational centres. Notwithstanding the EU contribution for each study is lower than similar publicly funded projects, and also considering the complexity of paediatric research, these projects are performing high-quality research and are progressing towards the increase of new paediatric medicines on the market. Private-public partnerships have been effectively implemented, providing a good example for future collaborative actions. Since these projects cover a limited number of off-patent drugs and many unmet therapeutic needs in paediatrics remain, it is crucial foreseeing new similar initiatives in forthcoming European funding programmes.

Intervention fidelity in a school-based diet and physical activity intervention in the UK: Active for Life Year 5.

PubMed

Campbell, Rona; Rawlins, Emma; Wells, Sian; Kipping, Ruth R; Chittleborough, Catherine R; Peters, Tim J; Lawlor, Debbie A; Jago, Russell

2015-11-11

Active for Life Year 5 (AFLY5) is an educational programme for Year 5 children (aged 9-10) designed to increase children's physical activity, decrease sedentary behaviour and increase fruit and vegetable intake. This paper reports findings from a process evaluation embedded within a randomised controlled trial evaluating the programme's effectiveness. It considers the fidelity of implementation of AFLY5 with a focus on three research questions: 1. To what extent was the intervention delivered as planned? 2. In what ways, if any, did the teachers amend the programme? and 3. What were the reasons for any amendments? Mixed methods were used including data collection via observation of the intervention delivery, questionnaire, teacher's intervention delivery log and semi-structured interviews with teachers and parents. Qualitative data were analysed thematically and quantitative data were summarised using descriptive statistics. Following training, 42 of the 43 intervention school teachers/teaching staff (98%) were confident they could deliver the nutrition and physical activity lessons according to plan. The mean number of lessons taught was 12.3 (s.d. 3.7), equating to 77% of the intervention. Reach was high with 95% of children in intervention schools receiving lessons. A mean of 6.2 (s.d. 2.6) out of 10 homeworks were delivered. Median lesson preparation time was 10 min (IQR 10-20) and 28% of lessons were reported as having been amended. Qualitative findings revealed that those who amended the lessons did so to differentiate for student ability, update them for use with new technologies and to enhance teacher and student engagement. Teachers endorsed the aims of the intervention, but some were frustrated with having to adapt the lesson materials. Teachers also a reported tendency to delegate the physical activity lessons to other staff not trained in the intervention. Fidelity of intervention implementation was good but teachers' enthusiasm for the AFLY5 programme was mixed despite them believing that the messages behind the lessons were important. This may have meant that the intervention messages were not delivered as anticipated and explain why the intervention was found not to be effective. ISRCTN50133740.

Framework Programmable Platform for the advanced software development workstation: Framework processor design document

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayer, Richard J.; Blinn, Thomas M.; Mayer, Paula S. D.; Ackley, Keith A.; Crump, Wes; Sanders, Les

1991-01-01

The design of the Framework Processor (FP) component of the Framework Programmable Software Development Platform (FFP) is described. The FFP is a project aimed at combining effective tool and data integration mechanisms with a model of the software development process in an intelligent integrated software development environment. Guided by the model, this Framework Processor will take advantage of an integrated operating environment to provide automated support for the management and control of the software development process so that costly mistakes during the development phase can be eliminated.

Lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme

PubMed Central

Durand, A Mark; Hancock, Thane; Cash, Haley L; Hardie, Kate; Paterson, Beverley; Paulino, Yvette; White, Paul; Merritt, Tony; Fitzgibbons, Dawn; Gopalani, Sameer Vali; Flint, James; Edwin A Merilles, Onofre; Kashiwabara, Mina; Biaukula, Viema; Lepers, Christelle; Souares, Yvan; Nilles, Eric; Batikawai, Anaseini; Huseynova, Sevil; Patel, Mahomed; Saketa, Salanieta T; Durrheim, David; Henderson, Alden; Roth, Adam

2017-01-01

Problem The Pacific region has widely dispersed populations, limited financial and human resources and a high burden of disease. There is an urgent need to improve the availability, reliability and timeliness of useable health data. Context The purpose of this paper is to share lessons learnt from a three-year pilot field epidemiology training programme that was designed to respond to these Pacific health challenges. The pilot programme built on and further developed an existing field epidemiology training programme for Pacific health staff. Action The programme was delivered in country by epidemiologists working for Pacific Public Health Surveillance Network partners. The programme consisted of five courses: four one-week classroom-based courses and one field epidemiology project. Sessions were structured so that theoretical understanding was achieved through interaction and reinforced through practical hands-on group activities, case studies and other interactive practical learning methods. Outcome As of September 2016, 258 students had commenced the programme. Twenty-six course workshops were delivered and one cohort of students had completed the full five-course programme. The programme proved popular and gained a high level of student engagement. Discussion Face-to-face delivery, a low student-to-facilitator ratio, substantial group work and practical exercises were identified as key factors that contributed to the students developing skills and confidence. Close engagement of leaders and the need to quickly evaluate and adapt the curriculum were important lessons, and the collaboration between external partners was considered important for promoting a harmonized approach to health needs in the Pacific. PMID:29051838

Delivering comprehensive home-based care programmes for HIV: a review of lessons learned and challenges ahead in the era of antiretroviral therapy.

PubMed

Wringe, Alison; Cataldo, Fabian; Stevenson, Nicola; Fakoya, Ade

2010-09-01

Home-based care (HBC) programmes in low- and middle-income countries have evolved over the course of the past two decades in response to the HIV epidemic and wider availability of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Evidence is emerging from small-scale and well-resourced studies that ART delivery can be effectively incorporated within HBC programmes. However, before this approach can be expanded, it is necessary to consider the lessons learned from implementing routine HBC programmes and to assess what conditions are required for their roll-out in the context of ART provision. In this paper, we review the literature on existing HBC programmes and consider the arguments for their expansion in the context of scaling up ART delivery. We develop a framework that draws on the underlying rationale for HBC and incorporates lessons learned from community health worker programmes. We then apply this framework to assess whether the necessary conditions are in place to effectively scale up HBC programmes in the ART era. We show that the most effective HBC programmes incorporate ongoing support, training and remuneration for their workers; are integrated into existing health systems; and involve local communities from the outset in programme planning and delivery. Although considerable commitment has so far been demonstrated to delivering comprehensive HBC programmes, their effectiveness is often hindered by weak linkages with other HIV services. Top-down donor policies and a lack of sustainable and consistent funding strategies represent a formidable threat to these programmes in the long term. The benefits of HBC programmes that incorporate ART care are unlikely to be replicated on a larger scale unless donors and policymakers address issues related to human resources, health service linkages and community preparedness. Innovative and sustainable funding policies are needed to support HBC programmes if they are to effectively complement national ART programmes in the long term.

Informing New String Programmes: Lessons Learned from an Australian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Fintan; Rickard, Nikki; Gill, Anneliese; Grimmett, Helen

2011-01-01

Although there are many examples of notable string programmes there has been relatively little comparative analysis of these programmes. This paper examines three benchmark string programmes (The University of Illinois String Project, The Tower Hamlets String Teaching Project and Colourstrings) alongside Music4All, an innovative string programme…

Family planning and contraception in Islamic countries: a critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Shaikh, Babar Tasneem; Azmat, Syed Khurram; Mazhar, Arslan

2013-04-01

The population of the world reached seven billion in 2012. Pakistan's population stands at more than 180 million, is growing rapidly, and has the highest unmet need for family planning (FP) in isolated rural areas. The low usage of contraception in the rural areas of Pakistan correlates with the level of isolation, poverty, illiteracy, and to a large extent, religious misinterpretations/misconceptions. Almost 25% of couples who desired FP services were not receiving them for a variety of reasons of which religion could be one, especially in the rural remote areas where the media is still not reaching and influencing mind-sets. In this scenario, the role of social marketing in bringing about attitudinal and behavioural change among users in underserved areas and gatekeepers and opinion makers in society must not be neglected. The work in promoting FP, contraception and birth spacing requires authentic evidence from similar sociocultural contexts and this endeavour of compiling case studies from various Islamic countries on their FP initiatives is a good step. Governments around the world, including many in the Islamic world, support FP programmes to enable individuals and couples to choose the number and timing of their children. This paper is a review of secondary data accessed through PubMed and Google Scholar. It provides an overview of Islamic countries' policies on, and support for FP and modern contraception. For this purpose, literature from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Turkey was included. There are significant internal social and economic reasons to focus on FP in the Muslim world. Thus, arguments by religious scholars who see FP as an external western conspiracy aimed at curtailing the growth and strength of the Islamic world appear to be uninformed of both the socio-political and demographic realities in many Muslim countries, as well as the historical permissibility of contraception within the Islamic legacy. In fact, it can be argued that given the profound socio-economic and political difficulties in various parts of the Muslim world, a lack of FP and increasing populations would weaken and curtail the pace of overall development. Private institutions and the government must collaborate in leveraging initiatives and bridging gaps for more robust advocacy with clergymen and religious scholars to support the larger cause of FP and birth spacing i.e. improving infant and maternal health in Pakistan.

KP-LAB: Breaking New Ground on How to Create Knowledge through Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Sally; Camilleri, Anthony Fisher

2010-01-01

The 5 year KP-Lab project funded under the FP6 of the European Commission's Programme for Research and Technological Development is about developing theories, tools, practical models, and research methods that deliberately advance the ways in which knowledge is created and which help to transform knowledge practices in education and in the…

Teaching Chemistry about "Stevia"--A Case of Cooperative Curriculum Innovation within PROFILES in Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuckey, Marc; Lippel, Marianne; Eilks, Ingo

2014-01-01

PROFILES is a project of teacher education and curriculum innovation funded by the FP7-programme of the European Union. The aim of PROFILES is implementing innovative science teaching practices incorporating a societal perspective and compassing inquiry-based science learning. The University of Bremen, Germany, as one of the partners, combines…

Comparison of low-intensity blood flow-restricted training-induced muscular hypertrophy in eumenorrheic women in the follicular phase and luteal phase and age-matched men.

PubMed

Sakamaki, Mikako; Yasuda, Tomohiro; Abe, Takashi

2012-05-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the muscle hypertrophic response in women during both the follicular (FP) and the luteal phase (LP) of their menstrual cycles following short-term, low-intensity resistance training combined with blood flow restriction (BFR). Eight eumenorrheic women and five men, all previously untrained, performed unilateral low-intensity (30% of 1 repetition maximum) dumbbell curl training with BFR once a day for 6 days. The opposite arm served as an untrained control. This 6-day training programme was conducted during both menstrual cycle phases: the early FP and the mid LP. MRI-measured biceps muscle volume (MV) and isometric elbow flexion strength were measured in both arms before and 2 days after the final training bout. Significantly (P<0.05) greater muscle hypertrophy was observed in the LP (5·7%) than in the FP (3·7%). The absolute and relative changes in serum hormone concentrations between the two phases did not correlate (P>0.05) with the percentage change in MV between the LP and FP. There was no change in MV in the control arm for both cycle phases. Following training, isometric strength increased (P<0.01) in the LP, but not in the FP (P = 0.17). Relative strength (strength per unit MV) was similar pre- and post-training in both phases. The percentage changes in MV and strength were similar between the women (average of LP and FP) and men. Our results indicate that muscle hypertrophy and strength gain are higher in the LP than in the FP following 6 days of BFR training, although the sex difference in the training response is non-existent. © 2011 The Authors. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging © 2011 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine.

Lessons we most enjoy learning.

PubMed

Coleman, P L

1993-03-01

In the mid-1970s, the Philippine Commission on Population (POPCOM) began to use entertainment programs for reaching people with messages on population and development issues. 2 major motion pictures contained family planning (FP) messages. Radio dramas, print media, and theater also were used to convey FP messages. The early experiments were continued in the late 1980s through the work of the Philippine Center for Population and Development (PCPD). PCPD, with the assistance of the Johns Hopkins University/Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) project, embarked on a program which used popular music to encourage young people to become sexually responsible adults. In 1990, the Philippine Non-Governmental Organization Council (PNGOC), the Department of Health (DOH) and JHU/PCS began an effort funded by USAID to form a coalition with the entertainment community for social development causes. DOH, JHU/PCS, and USAID wanted to promote FP and health through the Enter-Educate concept. PNGOC and JHU/PCS contacted over 20 entertainment organizations and held more than 75 conferences, work shops, and meetings which attended by more than 300 people. The movement of Entertainment for Social Change was launched in October 1991 with the creation of the Enter-Educate Foundation, Inc. (EEF). The aims of EEF include rewards, professional approach, and establishment of a network of dedicated entertainment and social development professionals. In 1993, a television comedy series will focus on FP as well as on maternal and child health. Further plans at the local level include: tree planting; discussions on migration; talks about FP; meetings on community population and environment activities; and networking of organizations involved with youth, the environment, and population. JHU/PCS provides technical assistance for the production, monitoring, and evaluation of the project. With these efforts, the EEF is attempting to focus on the country's biggest problems: population and the environment.

Computer-Assisted Learning in UK Engineering Degree Programmes: Lessons Learned from an Extensive Case Study Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothberg, S. J.; Lamb, F. M.; Willis, L.

2006-01-01

This paper gives a synopsis of an extensive programme of case studies on real uses of computer-assisted learning (CAL) materials within UK engineering degree programmes. The programme was conducted between 2000 and 2003 and followed a questionnaire-based survey looking at CAL use in the UK and in Australia. The synopsis reveals a number of key…

The experience of purchaser-provider split in the implementation of family physician and rural health insurance in Iran: an institutional approach.

PubMed

Takian, Amirhossein; Rashidian, Arash; Doshmangir, Leila

2015-12-01

The Iranian health system, under the banner of family physician (FP) programme, has undergone substantial reforms to change utilization of health services, improve quality of care and enhance affordability. The national implementation of FP initiated in 2005 in parallel with rural health insurance (RHI) in rural areas and cities of <20 000 populations in Iran. The implementation of FP was the first national attempt to split the purchaser and provider of the primary health-care services in Iran. Using an adapted institutional approach, this article aims to explore the process of purchaser-provider split (PPS) during the implementation of FP and RHI reforms, and its consequences for the health system in Iran. We conducted 71 face-to-face interviews and three focus group discussions at national, provincial and local levels with policy makers, managers, researchers, health-care practitioners and representatives of the public. Interviews and focus groups were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data collection was supplemented by the review of relevant documents at all three levels. We analysed the data using an inductive-deductive framework analysis approach. Views towards PPS and its consequences on the implementation of FP were diverse. Some participants identified the PPS as an essential reform for undertaking the parallel implementation of FP and RHI. Others wondered whether the split has been beneficial as expected and asked for more scrutiny. The implementation of FP and RHI in Iran demonstrated the mixed effects of PPS on health system performance. Our research revealed that PPS did not succeed in changing the status quo, became a reason for fighting, misunderstanding, lack of co-operation and failure of the fragile partnership between the purchaser and provider. We advocate careful contextual preparation prior to large-scale application of PPS during nationwide implementation of FP in Iran as well as other settings. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2015; all rights reserved.

Key Programme Science lessons from an HIV prevention 'Learning Site' for sex workers in Mombasa, Kenya.

PubMed

McClarty, Leigh M; Bhattacharjee, Parinita; Isac, Shajy; Emmanuel, Faran; Kioko, Japheth; Njiraini, Margaret; Gichangi, Peter; Okoth, Clifford Duncan; Musimbi-Mbole, Janet; Blanchard, James F; Moses, Stephen; Muysyoki, Helgar; Becker, Marissa L

2017-12-14

In 2013, Kenya's National AIDS and STI Control Programme established a Learning Site (LS) in Mombasa County to support and strengthen capacity for HIV prevention programming within organisations working with sex workers. A defining feature of LS was the use of a Programme Science approach throughout its development and implementation. We provide an overview of the key components of LS, present findings from 23 months of programme monitoring data, and highlight key Programme Science lessons from its implementation and monitoring. Routine monitoring data collected from September 2013 through July 2015 are presented. Individual-level service utilisation data were collected monthly and indicators of interest were analysed over time to illustrate trends in enrolment, programme coverage and service utilisation among sex workers in Mombasa County. Over the monitoring period, outreach programme enrolment occurred rapidly; condom distribution targets were met consistently; rates of STI screening remained high and diagnoses declined; and reporting of and response to violent incidents increased. At the same time, enrolment in LS clinics was relatively low among female sex workers, and HIV testing at LS was low among both female and male sex workers. Lessons learnt from operationalising the Programme Science framework through the Mombasa LS can inform the development and implementation of similar LS in different geographical and epidemiological contexts. Importantly, meaningful involvement of sex workers in the design, implementation and monitoring processes ensures that overall programme performance is optimised in the context of local, 'on-the-ground' realities. Additionally, learnings from LS highlight the importance of introducing enhanced monitoring and evaluations systems into complex programmes to better understand and explain programme dynamics over time. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Opportunities across Boundaries: Lessons from a Collaboratively Delivered Cross-Institution Master's Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Róiste, Mairéad; Breetzke, Gregory; Reitsma, Femke

2015-01-01

Advances in technology have created opportunities for collaborative multi-institution programme delivery which are increasingly attractive within a constrained financial environment. This paper details the development of a cross-institution collaboratively delivered masters and postgraduate diploma programme in Geographical Information Science in…

The "Good", the ''Bad" and the "Ugly"? Views on Male Teachers in Foundation Phase Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Nadine

2014-01-01

In the context of the foundation phase, where women tend to dominate, the increasing numbers of male students entering teaching programmes for this phase of schooling has generated considerable praise, as well as criticism. This paper explores the views of two first-year foundation phase (FP) student cohorts at a Johannesburg university about male…

The Impact of a Professional Development Programme on Primary Teachers' Classroom Practice and Pupils' Attitudes to Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Greg

2015-04-01

This study investigates the relationship, if any, between teacher participation in a targeted professional development programme and changes in participants' instructional practice and their pupils' attitudes to learning primary science. The programme took place over a 2-year period in 15 small rural schools in the West of Ireland. Data sources include teacher and pupil questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and informal classroom observations. The findings reveal that as a result of their involvement in the programme, (a) teachers' instructional practice in science lessons became more inquiry-based and they were engaging their pupils in substantially more hands-on activities in science lessons and (b) pupils developed more positive attitudes towards learning science. The findings from this study add to what is known about delivering effective professional development.

Physically Active Lessons: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Sarah; Gildea, Aideen Gildea; Sloan, Seaneen; Thurston, Allen

2015-01-01

This is a report of a pilot study of the Physically Active Lessons (PAL) programme, which was piloted in five primary schools in Hertfordshire between February and July 2014. PAL involves adapting lesson plans to combine short bursts of physical activity with academic content. The study had two aims: (1) to explore the feasibility of adapting a…

Relationships of Out-of-School-Time Mathematics Lessons to Mathematical Literacy in Singapore and Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaur, Berinderjeet; Areepattamannil, Shaljan

2013-01-01

This study, drawing on date from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2009, examined the relationships of out-of-school-time mathematics lessons to mathematical literacy in Singapore and Australia. Results of two-level hierarchical linear modelling (HLM) analyses revealed that out-of-school-time enrichment lessons in…

Improving patient safety in Libya: insights from a British health system perspective.

PubMed

Elmontsri, Mustafa; Almashrafi, Ahmed; Dubois, Elizabeth; Banarsee, Ricky; Majeed, Azeem

2018-04-16

Purpose Patient safety programmes aim to make healthcare safe for both patients and health professionals. The purpose of this paper is to explore the UK's patient safety improvement programmes over the past 15 years and explore what lessons can be learnt to improve Libyan healthcare patient safety. Design/methodology/approach Publications focusing on UK patient safety were searched in academic databases and content analysed. Findings Several initiatives have been undertaken over the past 15 years to improve British healthcare patient safety. Many stakeholders are involved, including regulatory and professional bodies, educational providers and non-governmental organisations. Lessons can be learnt from the British journey. Practical implications Developing a national patient safety strategy for Libya, which reflects context and needs is paramount. Above all, Libyan patient safety programmes should reference internationally approved guidelines, evidence, policy and learning from Britain's unique experience. Originality/value This review examines patient safety improvement strategies adopted in Britain to help developing country managers to progress local strategies based on lessons learnt from Britain's unique experience.

Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE). Volume 2: Programmer's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Winifred I.

1990-01-01

This manual is intended as a guide for application programmers using the Concurrent Image Processing Executive (CIPE). CIPE is intended to become the support system software for a prototype high performance science analysis workstation. In its current configuration CIPE utilizes a JPL/Caltech Mark 3fp Hypercube with a Sun-4 host. CIPE's design is capable of incorporating other concurrent architectures as well. CIPE provides a programming environment to applications' programmers to shield them from various user interfaces, file transactions, and architectural complexities. A programmer may choose to write applications to use only the Sun-4 or to use the Sun-4 with the hypercube. A hypercube program will use the hypercube's data processors and optionally the Weitek floating point accelerators. The CIPE programming environment provides a simple set of subroutines to activate user interface functions, specify data distributions, activate hypercube resident applications, and to communicate parameters to and from the hypercube.

Space weather in the EU's FP7 Space Theme. Preface to the special issue on "EU-FP7 funded space weather projects"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiarini, Paola

2013-11-01

Technological infrastructures in space and on ground provide services on which modern society and economies rely. Space weather related research is funded under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (FP7) of the European Union in response to the need of protecting such critical infrastructures from the damage which could be caused by extreme space weather events. The calls for proposals published under the topic "Security of space assets from space weather events" of the FP7 Space Theme aimed to improve forecasts and predictions of disruptive space weather events as well as identify best practices to limit the impacts on space- and ground-based infrastructures and their data provision. Space weather related work was also funded under the topic "Exploitation of space science and exploration data", which aims to add value to space missions and Earth-based observations by contributing to the effective scientific exploitation of collected data. Since 2007 a total of 20 collaborative projects have been funded, covering a variety of physical phenomena associated with space weather, from ionospheric disturbances and scintillation, to geomagnetically induced currents at Earth's surface, to coronal mass ejections and solar energetic particles. This article provides an overview of the funded projects, touching upon some results and referring to specific websites for a more exhaustive description of the projects' outcomes.

Towards subsidized malaria rapid diagnostic tests. Lessons learned from programmes to subsidise artemisinin-based combination therapies in the private sector: a review

PubMed Central

Lussiana, Cristina

2016-01-01

The idea of a private sector subsidy programme of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) was first proposed in 2004. Since then, several countries around the world have hosted pilot projects or programmes on subsidized ACTs and/or the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria programme (AMFm). Overall the private sector subsidy programmes of ACTs have been effective in increasing availability of ACTs in the private sector and driving down average prices but struggled to crowd out antimalarial monotherapies. The results obtained from this ambitious strategy should inform policy makers in the designing of future interventions aimed to control malaria morbidity and mortality. Among the interventions recently proposed, a subsidy of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in the private sector has been recommended by governments and international donors to cope with over-treatment with ACTs and to delay the emergence of resistance to artemisinin. In order to improve the cost-effectiveness of co-paid RDTs, we should build on the lessons we learned from almost 10 years of private sector subsidy programmes of ACTs in malaria-endemic countries. PMID:25862732

What was the programme theory of New Labour's Health System Reforms?

PubMed

Millar, Ross; Powell, Martin; Dixon, Anna

2012-01-01

To examine whether the Health System Reforms delivered the promise of being a coherent and mutually supporting reform programme; to identify the underlying programme theory of the reform programme; to reflect on whether lessons have been learned. Documentary analysis mapping the implicit and explicit programme theories about how the reforms intended to achieve its goals and outcomes. Semi-structured interviews with policy-makers to further understand the programme theory. The Health System Reforms assumed a 'one size fits all' approach to policy implementation with little recognition that some contexts can be more receptive than others. There was evidence of some policy evolution and rebalancing between the reform streams as policy-makers became aware of some perverse incentives and unforeseen consequences. Later elements aimed to restore balance to the system. The Health System Reforms do not appear to comprise a coherent and mutually supportive set of levers and incentives. They appear unbalanced with the centre of gravity favouring suppliers over commissioners. However, recent reform changes have sought to redress this imbalance to some extent, suggesting that lessons have been learned and policies have been adapted over time.

Emerging technologies and perspectives for nutrition research in European Union 7th Framework Programme.

PubMed

de Froidmont-Görtz, Isabelle B M

2009-12-01

Nutrition trends in Europe are driven by taste, health and convenience. The possibilities of research using new technologies and tools such as nutrigenomics, imaging techniques, nanotechnology, bioinformatics, cognitive sciences, innovative processes are very promising to support these nutrition trends and in particular their health aspects. This is supported by European Union research. The opportunities offered in the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), among other innovations, will contribute to the general aim of improving nutrition policy as well as improving products from the food industry in accordance with the Lisbon strategy to create employment and improve the quality of life of the European citizens.

PERICLES: a knowledge management programme applied to solar data from International Space Station-Columbus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Christian; PERICLES Consortium

2017-06-01

The FP-7 (Framework Programme 7 of the European Union) PERICLES project addresses the life-cycle of large and complex data sets to cater for the evolution of context of data sets and user communities, including groups unanticipated when the data was created. Semantics of data sets are thus also expected to evolve and the project includes elements which could address the reuse of data sets at periods where the data providers and even their institutions are not available any more. This paper presents the PERICLES science case with the example of the SOLAR (SOLAR monitoring observatory) payload on International Space Station-Columbus.

Flood risk reduction and flow buffering as ecosystem services - Part 1: Theory on flow persistence, flashiness and base flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Noordwijk, Meine; Tanika, Lisa; Lusiana, Betha

2017-05-01

Flood damage reflects insufficient adaptation of human presence and activity to location and variability of river flow in a given climate. Flood risk increases when landscapes degrade, counteracted or aggravated by engineering solutions. Efforts to maintain and restore buffering as an ecosystem function may help adaptation to climate change, but this require quantification of effectiveness in their specific social-ecological context. However, the specific role of forests, trees, soil and drainage pathways in flow buffering, given geology, land form and climate, remains controversial. When complementing the scarce heavily instrumented catchments with reliable long-term data, especially in the tropics, there is a need for metrics for data-sparse conditions. We present and discuss a flow persistence metric that relates transmission to river flow of peak rainfall events to the base-flow component of the water balance. The dimensionless flow persistence parameter Fp is defined in a recursive flow model and can be estimated from limited time series of observed daily flow, without requiring knowledge of spatially distributed rainfall upstream. The Fp metric (or its change over time from what appears to be the local norm) matches local knowledge concepts. Inter-annual variation in the Fp metric in sample watersheds correlates with variation in the flashiness index used in existing watershed health monitoring programmes, but the relationship between these metrics varies with context. Inter-annual variation in Fp also correlates with common base-flow indicators, but again in a way that varies between watersheds. Further exploration of the responsiveness of Fp in watersheds with different characteristics to the interaction of land cover and the specific realisation of space-time patterns of rainfall in a limited observation period is needed to evaluate interpretation of Fp as an indicator of anthropogenic changes in watershed conditions.

What's the Buzz? A Social Skills Enrichment Programme for Primary Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Le Messurier, Mark; Parker, Madhavi Nawana

2011-01-01

Some children, for all manner of reasons, struggle to make friends and fit in socially. "What's the Buzz?" is a unique sixteen-lesson social skills enrichment programme designed to explicitly teach children how to think and relate to others in social situations. This lively, highly practical role-play and play-based programme targets everyday…

Additional Language Teaching within the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme: A Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebreton, Marlène

2014-01-01

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme supports the learning of languages and cultures, but the role of the additional language within this programme is often unclear. There remains a great variability in schools regarding the frequency of lessons and the way that the additional language is taught within the Primary Years…

Collaborative Framework for Designing a Sustainability Science Programme: Lessons Learned at the National Autonomous University of Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charli-Joseph, Lakshmi; Escalante, Ana E.; Eakin, Hallie; Solares, Ma. José; Mazari-Hiriart, Marisa; Nation, Marcia; Gómez-Priego, Paola; Pérez-Tejada, César A. Domínguez; Bojórquez-Tapia, Luis A.

2016-01-01

Purpose: The authors describe the challenges and opportunities associated with developing an interdisciplinary sustainability programme in an emerging economy and illustrate how these are addressed through the approach taken for the development of the first postgraduate programme (MSc and PhD) in sustainability science at the National Autonomous…

XML-based information system for planetary sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carraro, F.; Fonte, S.; Turrini, D.

2009-04-01

EuroPlaNet (EPN in the following) has been developed by the planetological community under the "Sixth Framework Programme" (FP6 in the following), the European programme devoted to the improvement of the European research efforts through the creation of an internal market for science and technology. The goal of the EPN programme is the creation of a European network aimed to the diffusion of data produced by space missions dedicated to the study of the Solar System. A special place within the EPN programme is that of I.D.I.S. (Integrated and Distributed Information Service). The main goal of IDIS is to offer to the planetary science community a user-friendly access to the data and information produced by the various types of research activities, i.e. Earth-based observations, space observations, modeling, theory and laboratory experiments. During the FP6 programme IDIS development consisted in the creation of a series of thematic nodes, each of them specialized in a specific scientific domain, and a technical coordination node. The four thematic nodes are the Atmosphere node, the Plasma node, the Interiors & Surfaces node and the Small Bodies & Dust node. The main task of the nodes have been the building up of selected scientific cases related with the scientific domain of each node. The second work done by EPN nodes have been the creation of a catalogue of resources related to their main scientific theme. Both these efforts have been used as the basis for the development of the main IDIS goal, i.e. the integrated distributed service. An XML-based data model have been developed to describe resources using meta-data and to store the meta-data within an XML-based database called eXist. A search engine has been then developed in order to allow users to search resources within the database. Users can select the resource type and can insert one or more values or can choose a value among those present in a list, depending on selected resource. The system searches for all the resources containing the inserted values within the resources descriptions. An important facility of the IDIS search system is the multi-node search capability. This is due to the capacity of eXist to make queries on remote databases. This allows the system to show all resources which satisfy the search criteria on local node and to show how many resources are found on remote nodes, giving also a link to open the results page on remote nodes. During FP7 the development of the IDIS system will have the main goal to make the service Virtual Observatory compliant.

Developing Innovative Approaches to Teaching and Learning through Lesson Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Runcieman, Andria

2015-01-01

The author, who teaches in a Norfolk comprehensive school, presents an account of her involvement with the new research practice of lesson study, and discusses its benefits as part of a continuing professional development programme designed to encourage teachers to become more reflective.

Nature Study, Aborigines and the Australian Kindergarten: Lessons from Martha Simpson's "Australian Programme Based on the Life and Customs of the Australian Black"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Jennifer

2014-01-01

This article examines an experimental kindergarten programme "Work in the Kindergarten: An Australian Programme based on the Life and Customs of the Australian Black" developed by Martha Simpson in early twentieth-century Australia. Here Simpson adapted international Revisionist Froebelian approaches to cultural epoch theory and nature…

Lessons Learned from PISA: A Systematic Review of Peer-Reviewed Articles on the Programme for International Student Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopfenbeck, Therese N.; Lenkeit, Jenny; El Masri, Yasmine; Cantrell, Kate; Ryan, Jeanne; Baird, Jo-Anne

2018-01-01

International large-scale assessments are on the rise, with the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) seen by many as having strategic prominence in education policy debates. The present article reviews PISA-related English-language peer-reviewed articles from the programme's first cycle in 2000 to its most current in 2015. Five…

Perceptions of Co-Operation and Collegiality by Participants of a One-Day Challenge Course Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Brent D.; Dattilo, John

2007-01-01

While many studies have sought to understand challenge courses and their benefits, less emphasis has been focused on understanding participants' perceptions of these programmes. In this study, 16 adults working at a dental office attended a one-day challenge course programme designed to teach lessons about co-operation. Data were collected via "in…

The application of Intervention Mapping in developing and implementing school-based sexuality and HIV/AIDS education in a developing country context: the case of Tanzania.

PubMed

Mkumbo, Kitila; Schaalma, Herman; Kaaya, Sylvia; Leerlooijer, Joanne; Mbwambo, Jessie; Kilonzo, Gad

2009-06-01

Effective sexuality and HIV/AIDS education programmes are needed to protect young people against HIV/AIDS and teenage pregnancy in Tanzania and other Sub-Saharan African countries. Using a theory- and evidence-based approach and adapting the programmes to local contexts, increases the effectiveness of these programmes. This paper describes and discusses the challenges and opportunities concerning the application of Intervention Mapping (IM) in the development and implementation of a sexuality and HIV/AIDS education programme targeting young people aged 12-14 in Tanzania. The sexuality and HIV/AIDS programme was designed in a participatory manner, involving researchers, curriculum developers and teachers' and students' panels. The programme comprised five lessons, organized around 23 sessions with the aim of delaying the onset of sexual intercourse and increase correct and consistent condom use among young people. The programme was delivered by trained teachers as an extracurricular lesson. The IM protocol facilitated the development of a comprehensive sexuality and HIV/AIDS education programme relevant and appropriate to the social cultural context and the needs of learners in Tanzania. The paper has demonstrated that, although the IM was developed in the Western context, it can be used in a flexible manner to adapt to local contexts such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Lessons for Implementation from the World's Most Successful Programme: The Global Eradication of Smallpox.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratt, David

1999-01-01

Focuses on lessons educators might learn from the Intensified Campaign for the Global Eradication of Smallpox. Outlines the history of smallpox eradication. Discusses the eradication effort's obstacles, campaign, and costs and benefits. Considers five factors relevant to the successful implementation of educational programs. (CMK)

Developing a Virtual Engineering Management Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Bill; Kidd, Moray; Smith, Robin; Wearne, Stephen

2016-01-01

The paper reviews the lessons of planning and running an "Engineering Management" practitioner development programme in a partnership between BP and the University of Manchester. This distance-learning programme is for professional engineers in mid-career experienced in the engineering and support activities for delivering safe,…

Making the Most Out of School-Based Prevention: Lessons from the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Humphrey, Neil; Lendrum, Ann; Wigelsworth, Michael

2013-01-01

This paper considers the role played by universal, school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) programmes in addressing the mental health needs of children and young people. Theory and research in the field are discussed. Particular attention is paid to the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in England, a flagship…

When Worlds Collide--Examining the Challenges Faced by Teacher Education Programmes Combining Professional Vocational Competence with Academic Study, Lessons from Further Education to Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Angela

2016-01-01

This paper examines the challenges faced by higher education institutions in designing, teaching and quality assuring programmes of study which, of necessity, must combine the gaining of professional vocational competence with academic study. The paper gives recognition to the policy framework in which these programmes fit--with particular…

Implementation of CycleTel Family Advice: an SMS-based service to provide family planning and fertility awareness information in India.

PubMed

Ashcroft, Nicki; Shelus, Victoria; Garg, Himanshu; McLarnon-Silk, Courtney; Jennings, Victoria H

2017-01-01

CycleTel Family Advice (CFA), an SMS-based service designed to improve knowledge of fertility and family planning (FP), was delivered to over 100,000 people in India from April to August 2015. The goal of CFA was to increase knowledge on a range of reproductive health topics, e.g., the menstrual cycle, fertility, and FP, and to increase positive perceptions and use of FP. This paper focuses on the best practices and operational challenges for providing an SMS service based on the implementation experience of CFA. The implementation process for CFA was well documented, specifically program design, commercial partnerships, formative research, design of messages, and recruitment of users. The impact of CFA on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors was assessed through phone surveys before and after message delivery. Programmatic data and phone surveys resulted in several operational findings, particularly in the areas of user behavior, partnership management, and mHealth research. While there were improvements in knowledge, there were not significant changes in FP use and couple communication. The intervention yielded insights into designing an mHealth intervention as well as the opportunities and challenges of implementing a stand-alone SMS-based service with a broad audience. Lessons learned were that (I) SMS-based interventions, without other supporting systems, may not lead to high user engagement or behavior change; (II) partnerships with private sector technical platforms can help overcome the difficult problem of marketing and outreach, but they bring limitations to user interface and dependencies on a commercial structure; (III) collecting demographic data required to provide tailored content may be a barrier to user acquisition; and (IV) while phone surveys are useful for evaluation of mHealth interventions, reaching users is challenging and response rates are low.

A rabies lesson improves rabies knowledge amongst primary school children in Zomba, Malawi.

PubMed

Burdon Bailey, Jordana L; Gamble, Luke; Gibson, Andrew D; Bronsvoort, Barend M deC; Handel, Ian G; Mellanby, Richard J; Mazeri, Stella

2018-03-01

Rabies is an important neglected disease, which kills around 59,000 people a year. Over a third of these deaths are in children less than 15 years of age. Almost all human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are due to bites from infected dogs. Despite the high efficacy of current rabies vaccines, awareness about rabies preventive healthcare is often low in endemic areas. It is therefore common for educational initiatives to be conducted in conjunction with other rabies control activities such as mass dog vaccination, however there are few examples where the efficacy of education activities has been assessed. Here, primary school children in Zomba, Malawi, were given a lesson on rabies biology and preventive healthcare. Subsequently, a mass dog vaccination programme was delivered in the same region. Knowledge and attitudes towards rabies were assessed by a questionnaire before the lesson, immediately after the lesson and 9 weeks later to assess the impact the lesson had on school children's knowledge and attitudes. This assessment was also undertaken in children who were exposed to the mass dog vaccination programme but did not receive the lesson. Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs increased following the lesson (both p<0.001), and knowledge remained higher than baseline 9 weeks after the lesson (both p<0.001). Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs was greater amongst school children who had received the lesson compared to school children who had not received the lesson, but had been exposed to a rabies vaccination campaign in their community (both p<0.001) indicating that the lesson itself was critical in improving knowledge. In summary, we have shown that a short, focused classroom-based lesson on rabies can improve short and medium-term rabies knowledge and attitudes of Malawian schoolchildren.

A rabies lesson improves rabies knowledge amongst primary school children in Zomba, Malawi

PubMed Central

Burdon Bailey, Jordana L.; Gamble, Luke; Gibson, Andrew D.; Bronsvoort, Barend M. deC.; Handel, Ian G.; Mellanby, Richard J.; Mazeri, Stella

2018-01-01

Rabies is an important neglected disease, which kills around 59,000 people a year. Over a third of these deaths are in children less than 15 years of age. Almost all human rabies deaths in Africa and Asia are due to bites from infected dogs. Despite the high efficacy of current rabies vaccines, awareness about rabies preventive healthcare is often low in endemic areas. It is therefore common for educational initiatives to be conducted in conjunction with other rabies control activities such as mass dog vaccination, however there are few examples where the efficacy of education activities has been assessed. Here, primary school children in Zomba, Malawi, were given a lesson on rabies biology and preventive healthcare. Subsequently, a mass dog vaccination programme was delivered in the same region. Knowledge and attitudes towards rabies were assessed by a questionnaire before the lesson, immediately after the lesson and 9 weeks later to assess the impact the lesson had on school children’s knowledge and attitudes. This assessment was also undertaken in children who were exposed to the mass dog vaccination programme but did not receive the lesson. Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs increased following the lesson (both p<0.001), and knowledge remained higher than baseline 9 weeks after the lesson (both p<0.001). Knowledge of rabies and how to be safe around dogs was greater amongst school children who had received the lesson compared to school children who had not received the lesson, but had been exposed to a rabies vaccination campaign in their community (both p<0.001) indicating that the lesson itself was critical in improving knowledge. In summary, we have shown that a short, focused classroom-based lesson on rabies can improve short and medium-term rabies knowledge and attitudes of Malawian schoolchildren. PMID:29522517

Executive summary for the Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance

PubMed Central

Nyhus Dhillon, Christina; Sarkar, Danya; Klemm, Rolf DW; Neufeld, Lynnette M; Rawat, Rahul; Tumilowicz, Alison

2017-01-01

Abstract Iron deficiency anaemia is estimated to be the leading cause of years lived with disability among children. Young children's diets are often inadequate in iron and other micronutrients, and provision of essential vitamin and minerals has long been recommended. With the limited programmatic success of iron drop/syrup interventions, interest in micronutrient powders (MNP) has increased. MNP are a mixture of vitamins and minerals, enclosed in single‐dose sachets, which are stirred into a child's portion of food immediately before consumption. MNP are an efficacious intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia and filling important nutrient gaps in children 6–23 months of age. As of 2014, 50 countries have implemented MNP programmes including 9 at a national level. This paper provides an overview of a 3‐paper series, based on findings from the “Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance” held by the USAID‐funded Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) Project. The objectives of the Consultation were to identify and summarize the most recent MNP programme experiences and lessons learned for operationalizing MNP for young children and prioritize an implementation research agenda. The Consultation was composed of 3 working groups that used the following methods: deliberations among 49 MNP programme implementers and experts, a review of published and grey literature, questionnaires, and key informant interviews, described in this overview. The following articles summarize findings in 3 broad programme areas: planning, implementation, and continual programme improvement. The papers also outline priorities for implementation research to inform improved operationalization of MNP. PMID:28960876

Mars in Motion: An online Citizen Science platform looking for changes on the surface of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sprinks, James Christopher; Wardlaw, Jessica; Houghton, Robert; Bamford, Steven; Marsh, Stuart

2016-10-01

The European FP7 iMars project has developed tools and 3D models of the Martian surface through the co-registration of NASA and ESA mission data dating from the Viking missions of the 1970s to the present day, for a much more comprehensive interpretation of the geomorphological and climatic processes that have taken and do take place. We present the Citizen Science component of the project, 'Mars in Motion', created through the Zooniverse's Panoptes framework to allow volunteers to look for and identify changes on the surface of Mars over time. 'Mars in Motion', as with many other current citizen science platforms of a planetary or other disciplinary focus, has been developed to compliment the results of automated data mining analysis software, both by validation through the creation of training data and by adding context - gathering more in-depth data on the type and metrics of change initially detected.Through the analysis of initial volunteer results collected in the second half of 2016, the accuracy and ability of untrained participants to identify geomorphological changes is considered, as well as the impact of their position in the system. Volunteer contribution, either as a filter for poor quality imagery pre-algorithm, validation of algorithmic analysis, or adding context to pre-detected change, and their awareness and interpretation of its importance, can directly influence engagement with the platform and therefore ultimately its success. Understanding the effect of the volunteer and software's role in the system on both the results of and engagement with planetary science citizen science platforms will be an important lesson for the future, especially as the next generation of planetary missions will likely collect data orders of magnitude greater in volume. To deal with the data overload, it is likely that human or software solutions alone will not be sufficient, and that a combination of the two working together in a complimentary system that combines and exploits their strengths could provide a viable solution.The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under iMars grant agreement no. 607379.

In-service and pre-service teacher education in IBSE: The ESTABLISH approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ješková, Zuzana; Kireš, Marián; McLoughlin, Eilish; Finlayson, Odilla; Ottander, Christina; Ekborg, Margareta

2016-05-01

One of the main goals of the ESTABLISH 7fp project (available on line at http://www.establish-fp7.eu/) was the development and implementation of the professional development teacher education programmes (TEP) to support teachers in adopting inquiry-based strategies in their teaching. Within the project there was a model for in-service and pre-service teacher training in IBSE designed and implemented across 12 participating countries. The programme is based on 4 core elements and 4 additional elements that are built around the IBSE teaching units developed within the project. As accepted by ESTABLISH partners, all teacher training programmes include the minimum of the four elements, i.e. introduction to IBSE, industrial content knowledge, teacher as implementer and teacher as developer of IBSE teaching materials. There are also four additional elements designed in detail, i.e. ICT for IBSE, argumentation in the classroom, research and design projects for students, assessment of IBSE. These can be added to the programme optionally with regard to the level of teachers' IBSE skills and current situation in education and teachers' professional development within the country. This ESTABLISH model of TEP was followed in participating countries in order to change teachers' attitudes from traditional ways of teaching towards adopting inquiry strategies and their successful implementation in the classroom. Within the face-to-face workshops teachers experienced and developed their inquiry based teaching strategies using specifically developed materials. In addition, the e-platform has been developed to provide on-line support. This platform provides educators and teachers with all the necessary materials for the training and IBSE teaching units and other teaching materials for teachers' ongoing help. The teacher training programme was successfully implemented in Slovakia. There were two runs of teacher training workshops on IBSE already carried out. Moreover, the additional element ICT in IBSE was developed more deeply designing a separate teacher training course for it. The contribution discusses in more details the success and problems of implementation in the context of Slovak educational environment.

Lessons learned during the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis from Australia

PubMed Central

More, S. J.; Radunz, B.; Glanville, R. J.

2015-01-01

There are very few international examples of the successful eradication of bovine tuberculosis (TB, caused by infection with Mycobacterium bovis) from a national cattle population. This paper presents a brief overview of the successful TB eradication programme in Australia from 1970, with primary emphasis on lessons of international relevance that were learned from the Australian experience. The national brucellosis and tuberculosis eradication campaign ran for 27 years from 1970 to 1997 and has been followed by ongoing abattoir surveillance. Rapid progress towards eradication was made in southern Australia, but proved much more challenging in extensive pastoral areas of northern Australia. Declaration of TB freedom was made on December 31, 1997. A range of factors were critical to this success, including a compelling rationale for eradication, an agreed final outcome, industry commitment and financial support, a business model for programme planning, implementation and review, consistent and transparent technical standards underpinned by a strict regulatory regime and applied research, the critical role of abattoir surveillance, effective elimination of residual infection and objective measures of programme progress. Although direct translation of some of these experiences may not be possible, many of the lessons learned from the Australian experience may be relevant to other countries. PMID:26338937

The Lesson Observation On-Line (Evidence Portfolio) Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, David G.

2015-01-01

At a time when teacher training is being moved to school-based programmes it is important to engage in a research-informed dialogue about creating more distinctive, and cost-effective 21st century models of teacher training. Three years ago I began feasibility field testing the Lesson Observation On-line (Evidence Portfolio) Platform [LOOP]…

Lessons from a New Science? On Teaching Happiness in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suissa, Judith

2008-01-01

Recent media reports about new programmes for "happiness lessons" in schools signal a welcome concern with children's well-being. However, as I shall argue, the presuppositions of the discourse in which many of these proposals are framed, and their orientation towards particular strands of positive psychology, involve ideas about human life that…

Thinking Skills Intervention for Low-Achieving First Graders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hotulainen, Risto; Mononen, Riikka; Aunio, Pirjo

2016-01-01

This paper reports the results of the improving thinking skills (ITS-1) intervention study on the thinking skills of low-achieving first graders. The intervention programme consists of 12 lessons, each lasting for 45 min. Lessons offer enriched-discovery learning activities and tasks to be solved through inductive reasoning. We used a…

The Experimental World Literacy Programme: A Critical Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

In 1964, Unesco, the United Nations Development Programme, and the governments of 11 countries agreed to evolve an effective approach to the problem of world illiteracy, which included the implementation and testing of functional literacy activities. This report of the pilot projects and microexperiments attempts to present the lessons learned by…

Early interventions and lessons from Harvard Business Review.

PubMed

Chong, Siow-Ann

2007-11-01

To describe the establishment and development of an Early Psychosis Intervention Programme in Singapore that is based on a business model and with concepts drawn from the corporate world. The author who directed this programme describes the circumstances that led to this initiative, the ideas borrowed and adapted from the corporate world, and the lessons learnt in setting up this intervention programme. The modus operandi of the programme is based on the Balanced Scorecard - a model which stresses four equally important components: customers, internal processes, financial health and learning and innovation. Other complementary actions like creating a sense of urgency, forging a vision with a core ideology, empowerment of team members, creating short-term wins, anchoring the changes and finding meaning in the work are vital for the programme to thrive. This model also emphasizes the importance of accountability through the measurability of indicators. These indicators included a significant reduction in the duration of untreated psychosis, a positive change in the referral patterns with better engagement of the primary health-care sector and an improvement in the quality of care for the patients. Much can be learnt from the business world in building and maintaining a public mental health programme. Effective change also requires effective leadership, and the successful implementation of certain strategic steps.

Towards subsidized malaria rapid diagnostic tests. Lessons learned from programmes to subsidise artemisinin-based combination therapies in the private sector: a review.

PubMed

Lussiana, Cristina

2016-09-01

The idea of a private sector subsidy programme of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) was first proposed in 2004. Since then, several countries around the world have hosted pilot projects or programmes on subsidized ACTs and/or the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria programme (AMFm). Overall the private sector subsidy programmes of ACTs have been effective in increasing availability of ACTs in the private sector and driving down average prices but struggled to crowd out antimalarial monotherapies. The results obtained from this ambitious strategy should inform policy makers in the designing of future interventions aimed to control malaria morbidity and mortality. Among the interventions recently proposed, a subsidy of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) in the private sector has been recommended by governments and international donors to cope with over-treatment with ACTs and to delay the emergence of resistance to artemisinin. In order to improve the cost-effectiveness of co-paid RDTs, we should build on the lessons we learned from almost 10 years of private sector subsidy programmes of ACTs in malaria-endemic countries. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

`Question Moments': A Rolling Programme of Question Opportunities in Classroom Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedrosa-de-Jesus, Helena; Leite, Sara; Watts, Mike

2016-06-01

This naturalistic study integrates specific `question moments' into lesson plans to increase pupils' classroom interactions. A range of tools explored students' ideas by providing students with opportunities to ask and write questions. Their oral and written outcomes provide data on individual and group misunderstandings. Changes to the schedule of lessons were introduced to explore these questions and address disparities. Flexible lesson planning over 14 lessons across a 4-week period of high school chemistry accommodated students' contributions and increased student participation, promoted inquiring and individualised teaching, with each teaching strategy feeding forward into the next.

Performance and measurement of a community-based distribution model of family planning services in Pakistan.

PubMed

Azmat, Syed Khurram; Ahmed, Shirin; Hameed, Waqas; Bilgrami, Mohsina; Khan, Ayesha; Khan, Adnan Ahmad; Mustafa, Ghulam

2013-04-01

Community-based distribution (CBD) has been successfully applied to family planning (FP) services worldwide. It forms the basis for the large lady health worker (LHW) programme in Pakistan which serves a limited number of women with contraception services. Thus, the concept has seen limited application in Pakistan. We present the outcomes of a CBD model that was implemented in 49 districts across Pakistan by a non-government organization (NGO). The Marie Stopes Society (MSS) developed a CBD model around its fixed centres and reached around half a million married women of reproductive age (MWRA) with services. The services provided included outreach, counselling, condoms, pills, injections, and referrals for intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs) and other reproductive health services. Services were provided in peri-urban locations for a subsidized fee using a businesslike target setting approach. The results of the programme were assessed by triangulating inception records against a cross-sectional end-of-project survey and service delivery records. The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) had increased from 38% to 51% by project-end with modern method use increasing by 50-200% and traditional method use remaining unchanged. Unmet need and self-reported pregnancy rates fell correspondingly. Approximately 73,500 new users were added to the initial user registered numbers to a total of 132,300; MSS accounted for 53,000 per year at the end of the project, which matched the commodities supplied by the NGO. The MSS CBD model presents a viable option for scaling effective FP services that may be replicated and scaled up with either donor support or by contracting out by the government. Triangulation of multiple data sources can provide more in-depth assessment of service delivery programmes and provide inferences that can inform service delivery.

Polio Eradication–Lessons from the Past and Future Perspective

PubMed Central

P, Basavaraj; Singh, Shilpi; Singla, Ashish; Kundu, Hansa; Singh, Khushboo

2014-01-01

Background: India has recently achieved the “Polio free status” by WHO with stringent efforts of the Health Ministry to control its spread. However, we should not forget the lessons learnt from the failure of National malaria eradication Programme and National Tuberculosis control Programme which creates a need to assess the probable barriers for the various National Health Programmes. The present article presents an overview of the Polio Eradication programme in India highlighting the lessons learnt from the past. Also, it evaluates the reality behind full participation of Pulse Polio Programme. Materials and Methods: The study results of a cross-sectional survey conducted with an aim to assess the probable reasons and barriers behind non compliance of Pulse Polio Programme among parents of children (1-5 yr of age) of Modinagar area have also been discussed. The survey instrument was a structured, 10 item, closed ended questionnaire. Statistical analysis used: Chi-square test was used to analyze the difference between proportions of individual responses for each question and multiple logistic regression was used to assess relation between socio demographic parameter and absence from Polio Ravivaar. Results: The study reveals a surprising 68% attendance of Pulse Polio programme which is far behind the desired goal. Most of the parents who did not attend polio ravivaar considered that there was no need for the repetition of Polio vaccine (76.9%) followed by their fear that the vaccine might get contaminated during transportation (74.5%). A significant positive association was found between older age group of the eligible children (4-5 yr, O.R.1.52), female gender, illiterate parents, distance of more than one km from residence to vaccination and lack of source of information (O.R. 1.47). Conclusion: Efforts should be done to investigate the probable reasons behind non compliance for various immunization programmes to analyse the current situation in detail and formulate appropriate programs for coming years so that the efforts so far don’t go in vain and we secure a healthy Polio free nation for our future generations. PMID:25177640

Subwavelength resolution Fourier ptychography with hemispherical digital condensers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, An; Zhang, Yan; Li, Maosen; Zhou, Meiling; Lei, Ming; Yao, Baoli

2018-02-01

Fourier ptychography (FP) is a promising computational imaging technique that overcomes the physical space-bandwidth product (SBP) limit of a conventional microscope by applying angular diversity illuminations. However, to date, the effective imaging numerical aperture (NA) achievable with a commercial LED board is still limited to the range of 0.3-0.7 with a 4×/0.1NA objective due to the constraint of planar geometry with weak illumination brightness and attenuated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Thus the highest achievable half-pitch resolution is usually constrained between 500-1000 nm, which cannot fulfill some needs of high-resolution biomedical imaging applications. Although it is possible to improve the resolution by using a higher magnification objective with larger NA instead of enlarging the illumination NA, the SBP is suppressed to some extent, making the FP technique less appealing, since the reduction of field-of-view (FOV) is much larger than the improvement of resolution in this FP platform. Herein, in this paper, we initially present a subwavelength resolution Fourier ptychography (SRFP) platform with a hemispherical digital condenser to provide high-angle programmable plane-wave illuminations of 0.95NA, attaining a 4×/0.1NA objective with the final effective imaging performance of 1.05NA at a half-pitch resolution of 244 nm with a wavelength of 465 nm across a wide FOV of 14.60 mm2 , corresponding to an SBP of 245 megapixels. Our work provides an essential step of FP towards high-NA imaging applications without scarfing the FOV, making it more practical and appealing.

Misdiagnosed HIV infection in pregnant women initiating universal ART in South Africa.

PubMed

Hsiao, Nei-Yuan; Zerbe, Allison; Phillips, Tamsin K; Myer, Landon; Abrams, Elaine J

2017-08-29

Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are the primary diagnostic tools for HIV used in resource-constrained settings. Without a proper confirmation algorithm, there is concern that false-positive (FP) RDTs could result in misdiagnosis of HIV infection and inappropriate antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation, but programmatic data on FP are few. We examined the accuracy of RDT diagnosis among HIV-infected pregnant women attending public sector antenatal services in Cape Town, South Africa. We describe the proportion of women found to have started on ART erroneously due to FP RDT results based on pre-ART viral load (VL) testing and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We analysed 952 consecutively enrolled pregnant women diagnosed as HIV infected based on two RDTs per local guideline and found 4.5% (43/952) of pre-ART VL results to be <50 copies/ml. After excluding 6 women who had detectable virus on subsequent VL measurements, ELISA was performed on the 37 remaining women. Of these, 3/952 (0.3%) HIV RDT diagnoses were found to be FP. We estimate that using ELISA to confirm all positive RDTs would cost $1110 (uncertainty interval $381-$5382) to identify one patient erroneously initiated on ART, while it costs $3912 for a lifetime of antiretrovirals with VL monitoring for one person. Compared to the cost of confirming the RDT-based diagnoses, the cost of HIV misdiagnosis is high. While testing programmes based on RDT should strive for constant quality improvement, where resources permit, laboratory confirmation algorithms can play an important role in strengthening the quality of HIV diagnosis in the era of universal ART.

HELIO: The Heliophysics Integrated Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bentley, R. D.; Csillaghy, A.; Aboudarham, J.; Jacquey, C.; Hapgood, M. A.; Bocchialini, K.; Messerotti, M.; Brooke, J.; Gallagher, P.; Fox, P.;

[Quality assessment of microscopic examination in tuberculosis diagnostic laboratories: a preliminary study].

PubMed

Simşek, Hülya; Ceyhan, Ismail; Tarhan, Gülnur; Güner, Uğur

2010-10-01

Recently, the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has based on smear microscopy in the Direct Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS) programme which provides the basis of treatment worldwide. Microscopic detection of AFB (Acid-Fast Bacilli) is one of the main components in the National TB Control Programmes (NTCP). Precision level in microscopy procedures and evaluations are the most important steps for accurate diagnosis of the disease and to initiate proper treatment. Therefore, the external quality assessment (EQA) is the most important implement to provide the reliability and validity of tests. In countries where NTCP are performed, this task is fulfilled by the National Reference Laboratories (NRL) according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO). For this purpose a pilot study was initiated by the central NRL of Turkey for EQA of AFB smear microscopy as part of the NTCP on January 1, 2005. A total of 5 laboratories of which 2 were district TB laboratories (A, B), 2 were tuberculosis control dispensaries (C, D), 1 was a national reference laboratory (E), participated in this study. Blind re-checking method (re-examination of randomly selected slides) was used for the evaluation, and the slides were sent to the central NRL with 3 months interval, four times a year, selected according to LQAS (Lot Quality Assurance Sampling) guides. In the re-evaluation of the slides, false positivity (FP), false negativity (FN) and quantification errors (QE) were noted. Laboratory A, sent totally 525 slides between January 1, 2005 and April 1, 2008. In the result of re-checking, 514 (97.9%) slides were found concordant, and 11 (2.1%) were discordant (10 FP, 1 FN). Laboratory B, participated in the study between October 1, 2005 and July 1, 2006 and of the 67 re-examined slides, 60 (89.5%) were concordant and 7 (10.5%) were discordant (2 FP, 0 FN, 5 QE). Laboratory C, sent 235 slides between January 1, 2005 and April 1, 2006; of them 218 (92.8%) were detected as compatible and 17 (7.2%) slides were incompatible (4 FP, 9 FN, 4 QE). Laboratory D, participated in QC for only once between January 1, 2008 and April 1, 2008; and all the 50 slides were found compatible, with no FP, FN and QE. Laboratory E, was included in the study between January 1, 2005 and January 1, 2008 and of the 696 re-checked slides, 690 (99.1%) were reported as compatible and 6 (0.9%) were incompatible (3 FN, 3 QE). Following EQA, on-site evaluation of the laboratories with major errors, was performed and necessary adjustments and training were done. In conclusion, external quality control measures for AFB microscopy is crucial and essential for the tuberculosis laboratory performances for accurate and reliable results.

EU-funded malaria research under the 6th and 7th Framework Programmes for research and technological development.

PubMed

Holtel, Andreas; Troye-Blomberg, Marita; Penas-Jimenez, Inmaculada

2011-01-14

While malaria research has traditionally been strong in Europe, targeted and sustained support for cooperative malaria research at EU level, namely through the EU's 6th and 7th Framework Programmes for research and technological development, FP6 (2002-2006) and FP7 (2007-2013), has boosted both impact and visibility of European malaria research. Most of the European malaria research community is now organized under a number of comprehensive and complementary research networks and projects, assembled around four key areas: (1) fundamental research on the malaria parasite and the disease, (2) development of new malaria drugs, (3) research and development of a malaria vaccine, and (4) research to control the malaria-transmitting mosquito vector. Considerable efforts were undertaken to ensure adequate participation of research groups from disease-endemic countries, in particular from Africa, with the long-term aim to strengthen cooperative links and research capacities in these countries. The concept of organizing European research through major strategic projects to form a "European Research Area" (ERA) was originally developed in the preparation of FP6, and ERA formation has now turned into a major EU policy objective explicitly inscribed into the Lisbon Treaty. EU-funded malaria research may serve as a showcase to demonstrate how ERA formation can successfully be implemented in a given area of science when several surrounding parameters converge to support implementation of this strategic concept: timely coincidence of political stimuli, responsive programming, a clearly defined--and well confined--area of research, and the readiness of the targeted research community who is well familiar with transnational cooperation at EU level. Major EU-funded malaria projects have evolved into thematic and organizational platforms that can collaborate with other global players. Europe may thus contribute more, and better, to addressing the global research agenda for malaria.

Seed Aid for Food Security? Some Lessons from Zimbabwe's Agricultural Recovery Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foti, Richard; Muringai, Violet; Mavunganidze, Zira

2007-01-01

Does agricultural input aid always lead to favourable food security outcomes? This paper describes Zimbabwe's agricultural recovery program for the 2003/2004 farming season and draws some lessons that can be used in the designing and implementation of future programs. Input aid was found to be most beneficial if it is packaged together with other…

The Use of Demonstration Lessons to Support Curriculum Implementation: Invitation or Intrusion?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Paor, Cathal

2015-01-01

Lesson demonstration within the context of school-based coaching can give teachers practical examples of a new curriculum in action, thereby reinforcing the key messages introduced in initial in-service training. At the same time, the demonstration needs to be sufficiently invitational so that teachers feel positively about the new programme and…

Lessons Learned from a Community Engagement Initiative within Irish Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quillinan, Bernie; McEvoy, Eileen; MacPhail, Ann; Dempsey, Ciara

2018-01-01

This paper focuses on a community-university partnership built around a programme of study co-created by residents of a disadvantaged community and situated, for the most part, within that community. The aim of this paper is to share lessons learned from this community engagement initiative, as identified through a research study which ran…

Tracking Change in Primary Teachers' Understanding of Mathematical Reasoning through Demonstration Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loong, Esther Yook-Kin; Vale, Colleen; Herbert, Sandra; Bragg, Leicha A.; Widjaja, Wanty

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the impact of a professional learning programme on participating teachers' perceptions of mathematical reasoning. A total of 26 teachers participated in this study from four schools in Victoria, Australia and one school in British Columbia, Canada. The participants observed two demonstration lessons prepared and taught by the…

Developing an evaluation framework for clinical redesign programs: lessons learnt.

PubMed

Samaranayake, Premaratne; Dadich, Ann; Fitzgerald, Anneke; Zeitz, Kathryn

2016-09-19

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present lessons learnt through the development of an evaluation framework for a clinical redesign programme - the aim of which was to improve the patient journey through improved discharge practices within an Australian public hospital. Design/methodology/approach The development of the evaluation framework involved three stages - namely, the analysis of secondary data relating to the discharge planning pathway; the analysis of primary data including field-notes and interview transcripts on hospital processes; and the triangulation of these data sets to devise the framework. The evaluation framework ensured that resource use, process management, patient satisfaction, and staff well-being and productivity were each connected with measures, targets, and the aim of clinical redesign programme. Findings The application of business process management and a balanced scorecard enabled a different way of framing the evaluation, ensuring measurable outcomes were connected to inputs and outputs. Lessons learnt include: first, the importance of mixed-methods research to devise the framework and evaluate the redesigned processes; second, the need for appropriate tools and resources to adequately capture change across the different domains of the redesign programme; and third, the value of developing and applying an evaluative framework progressively. Research limitations/implications The evaluation framework is limited by its retrospective application to a clinical process redesign programme. Originality/value This research supports benchmarking with national and international practices in relation to best practice healthcare redesign processes. Additionally, it provides a theoretical contribution on evaluating health services improvement and redesign initiatives.

The role of family planning in achieving safe pregnancy for serodiscordant couples: commentary from the United States government's interagency task force on family planning and HIV service integration.

PubMed

Mason, Jennifer; Medley, Amy; Yeiser, Sarah; Nightingale, Vienna R; Mani, Nithya; Sripipatana, Tabitha; Abutu, Andrew; Johnston, Beverly; Watts, D Heather

2017-03-08

People living with HIV (PLHIV) have the right to exercise voluntary choices about their health, including their reproductive health. This commentary discusses the integral role that family planning (FP) plays in helping PLHIV, including those in serodiscordant relationships, achieve conception safely. The United States (US) President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is committed to meeting the reproductive health needs of PLHIV by improving their access to voluntary FP counselling and services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and counselling for safer conception. Inclusion of preconception care and counselling (PCC) as part of routine HIV services is critical to preventing unintended pregnancies and perinatal infections among PLHIV. PLHIV not desiring a current pregnancy should be provided with information and counselling on all available FP methods and then either given the method onsite or through a facilitated referral process. PLHIV, who desire children should be offered risk reduction counselling, support for HIV status disclosure and partner testing, information on safer conception options to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to the partner and the importance of adhering to antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding to reduce the risk of vertical transmission to the infant. Integration of PCC, HIV and FP services at the same location is recommended to improve access to these services for PLHIV. Other considerations to be addressed include the social and structural context, the health system capacity to offer these services, and stigma and discrimination of providers. Evaluation of innovative service delivery models for delivering PCC services is needed, including provision in community-based settings. The US Government will continue to partner with local organizations, Ministries of Health, the private sector, civil society, multilateral and bilateral donors, and other key stakeholders to strengthen both the policy and programme environment to ensure that all PLHIV and serodiscordant couples have access to FP services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and safer conception counselling.

Contraceptive use in Indonesia: a history of the programme and the characteristics of users.

PubMed

Samosir, O B

1992-12-01

In Indonesia, President Suharto instituted a population policy in the late 1960s to achieve national development goals. The government also introduced education, health, and economic-oriented development programs. Since then, it has continued to provide political, legal, moral, administrative, and financial support to the national family planning (FP) program. The program was first introduced in the most populous provinces of Java and Bali. It eventually spread to the remaining provinces. It has 3 component programs to achieve national population goals: on extension program (IEC activities and free contraceptives), program maintenance (community-based distribution), and an institutionalization program (integrated programs, population education, and recruiting community leaders). In 1987, the FP Self-Reliance and Blue Circle Campaign programs began to turn FP responsibilities over to communities and individuals. Between 1967 and 1981, the total fertility rate (TFR) fell from 5.61 to 4.06. The greatest fertility declines were in Bali (48.11%) and North Sulawesi (47.2%). An analysis of 1987 National Indonesian Contraceptive Prevalence Survey data shows that the TFR fell from 4.3 to 3.5 (23%) between 1984 and 1987. Between 1980 and 1987, the contraceptive use rate rose from 27 to 48%. Java and Bali had the highest contraceptive user rates. Large family size had a significant positive effect on contraceptive use. Educated women were more likely to use contraceptives than uneducated women, especially in Outer Java-Bali regions. In some regions, the husband's education affected contraceptive use. Muslim women were less likely to use contraceptives than other women in Bali and Outer Java-Bali I. Even though urban women had the highest use rates, the FP program was more successful in rural areas. The success of the national FP program and other development programs accounted for the fertility decline as well as the decline in mortality, resulting in a fall in the population growth rate.

Executive summary for the Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance.

PubMed

Nyhus Dhillon, Christina; Sarkar, Danya; Klemm, Rolf Dw; Neufeld, Lynnette M; Rawat, Rahul; Tumilowicz, Alison; Namaste, Sorrel Ml

2017-09-01

Iron deficiency anaemia is estimated to be the leading cause of years lived with disability among children. Young children's diets are often inadequate in iron and other micronutrients, and provision of essential vitamin and minerals has long been recommended. With the limited programmatic success of iron drop/syrup interventions, interest in micronutrient powders (MNP) has increased. MNP are a mixture of vitamins and minerals, enclosed in single-dose sachets, which are stirred into a child's portion of food immediately before consumption. MNP are an efficacious intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia and filling important nutrient gaps in children 6-23 months of age. As of 2014, 50 countries have implemented MNP programmes including 9 at a national level. This paper provides an overview of a 3-paper series, based on findings from the "Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance" held by the USAID-funded Strengthening Partnerships, Results, and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING) Project. The objectives of the Consultation were to identify and summarize the most recent MNP programme experiences and lessons learned for operationalizing MNP for young children and prioritize an implementation research agenda. The Consultation was composed of 3 working groups that used the following methods: deliberations among 49 MNP programme implementers and experts, a review of published and grey literature, questionnaires, and key informant interviews, described in this overview. The following articles summarize findings in 3 broad programme areas: planning, implementation, and continual programme improvement. The papers also outline priorities for implementation research to inform improved operationalization of MNP. © 2017 The Authors. Maternal and Child Nutrition Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Outcomes and process evaluation of a programme integrating physical activity into the primary school mathematics curriculum: The EASY Minds pilot randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Riley, Nicholas; Lubans, David R; Morgan, Philip J; Young, Myles

2015-11-01

This study evaluated the feasibility of the 'Encouraging Activity to Stimulate Young (EASY) Minds' programme, a school-based intervention for integrating physical activity (PA) into mathematics lessons. Randomised controlled trial. Two classes from a single school (n = 54) were randomised to receive either the 6-week EASY Minds intervention (n = 27) or follow their usual school programme (n = 27). The intervention involved the embedding of PA across the pre-existing mathematics programme for 3 × 60 min sessions per week. Changes in PA were measured using accelerometers and 'on task' behaviour was measured using momentary time sampling observation. Using intention-to-treat analysis, significant intervention effects were found for MVPA (9.7%, 95%CI = 7.6, 11.8, p ≤ 0.001) and sedentary time (-22.4%, CI = -24.9, -12.2, p ≤ 0.001) for the intervention group during Mathematics lessons (9.30 am-10.30 am). Significant intervention effects were also shown for MVPA 8.7% (95% CI = 5.8, 11.6, p ≤ 0.001 and sedentary time -18.6% (95% CI = -24.9, -12.2, p ≤ 0.001) across the whole school day. Furthermore, children displayed significantly greater 'on-task' behaviour across the intervention period with a 19.9% (95%CI = 2.4, 37.4, p ≤ 0.03) mean difference between groups. The EASY Minds programme demonstrated that integrating movement across the primary mathematics syllabus is feasible and efficacious in enhancing school based-PA and improving on-task behaviour in mathematics lessons. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Ethics of Survival: Teaching the Traditional Arts to Disadvantaged Children in Post-Conflict Cambodia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kallio, Alexis A.; Westerlund, Heidi

2016-01-01

Cambodia's recent history of conflict and political instability has resulted in a recognized need to recover, regenerate, preserve and protect the nation's cultural heritage. Many education programmes catering for disadvantaged youth have implemented traditional Khmer music and dance lessons, suggesting that these programmes share the…

Evaluating Team Project-Work Using Triangulation: Lessons from Communities in Northern Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Gordon; Jasaw, Godfred Seidu

2014-01-01

This paper uses triangulation to assess key aspects of a team-based, participatory action research programme for undergraduates in rural communities across northern Ghana. The perceptions of the programme and its effects on the students, staff and host communities are compared, showing areas of agreement and disagreement. The successes of the…

Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Programme in a Low Socioeconomic High School in Regional Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Mary; Venville, Grady; Adey, Philip

2012-01-01

This paper presents research on the effects of a cognitive acceleration intervention in science lessons on low socioeconomic students in a government high school in regional Western Australia. "Thinking Science Australia" is a programme currently being implemented in Australian junior high school classes. The research was conducted for…

Evaluating Primary School Student's Deep Learning Approach to Science Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ilkörücü Göçmençelebi, Sirin; Özkan, Muhlis; Bayram, Nuran

2012-01-01

This study examines the variables which help direct students to a deep learning approach to science lessons, with the aim of guiding programmers and teachers in primary education. The sample was composed of a total of 164 primary school students. The Learning Approaches to Science Scale developed by Ünal (2005) for Science and Technology lessons…

Collaboration between a Child Telephone Helpline and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Organisations in Senegal: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flink, Ilse Johanna Elisabeth; Mbaye, Solange Marie Odile; Diouf, Simon Richard Baye; Baumgartner, Sophie; Okur, Pinar

2018-01-01

This study identifies lessons learned from a collaboration between a child telephone helpline and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organisations in Senegal established in the context of an SRHR programme for young people. We assessed how helpline operators are equipped to address sexual health and rights issues with young people,…

The Effects of Cluster-Based Mentoring Programme on Classroom Teaching Practices: Lessons from Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rizvi, Meher; Nagy, Philip

2016-01-01

This paper presents and evaluates a teacher training approach called the cluster-based mentoring programme (CBMP) for the professional development of government primary school teachers in Pakistan. The study sought to find differences in the teaching practices between districts where the CBMP was used (intervention) and control districts where it…

Financing Education for Children Affected by Conflict: Lessons from Save the Children's Rewrite the Future Campaign

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dolan, Janice; Ndaruhutse, Susy

2011-01-01

In recent years, Save the Children, a non-governmental organization, prioritized education for children affected by conflict through its Rewrite the Future Campaign. By significantly scaling up the resources allocated to programmes in conflict-affected countries, the organization has grown its education programmes in these contexts. Thus it has…

Implementation of the World Starts with Me, a Comprehensive Rights-Based Sex Education Programme in Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rijsdijk, Liesbeth E.; Bos, Arjan E. R.; Lie, Rico; Leerlooijer, Joanne N.; Eiling, Ellen; Atema, Vera; Gebhardt, Winifred A.; Ruiter, Robert A. C.

2014-01-01

This article presents a process evaluation of the implementation of the sex education programme the World Starts With Me (WSWM) for secondary school students in Uganda. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine factors associated with dose delivered (number of lessons implemented) and fidelity of implementation (implementation…

Advocacy for School-Based Sexuality Education: Lessons from India and Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samuels, Fiona; Kivela, Jari; Chetty, Dhianaraj; Herat, Joanna; Castle, Chris; Ketting, Evert; Baltussen, Rob

2013-01-01

Drawing on evidence from a wider study on the cost and cost-effectiveness of sexuality education programmes in six countries, and focusing on the examples of India and Nigeria, this paper argues that advocacy is a key, yet often neglected component of school-based sexuality education programmes, especially where sex and sexuality are politically…

Process Evaluation of the Teacher Training for an AIDS Prevention Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Nazeema; Flisher, Alan J.; Mathews, Catherine; Jansen, Shahieda; Mukoma, Wanjiru; Schaalma, Herman

2006-01-01

This paper provides a process evaluation of a 6-day teacher training programme which forms part of a sexuality education project. The training aimed at providing teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively teach a 16-lesson Grade 8 (14 year olds) life skills curriculum consisting of participatory exercises on sexual…

Social and Emotional Education with Australian Year 7 and 8 Middle School Students: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Midford, Richard; Cahill, Helen; Geng, Gretchen; Leckning, Bernard; Robinson, Gary; Te Ava, Aue

2017-01-01

Objective: This pilot study sought to better understand what can be achieved by an evidence-based classroom social and emotional education programme. Design and Methods: A 10-lesson, classroom-based programme that taught about emotional literacy, personal strengths, coping and problem-solving strategies, stress management, emotional regulation and…

Science Teacher Training Programme in Rural Schools: An ODL Lesson from Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mhishi, Misheck; Bhukuvhani, Crispen Erinos; Sana, Abel Farikai

2012-01-01

This case study looked at 76 randomly selected preservice science teachers from Mbire and Guruve districts who were learning at the Mushumbi Centre in Zimbabwe and assessed their motivations for enrolling under the Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE)'s Virtual and Open Distance Learning (VODL) programme. It also looked at the challenges…

Evaluating Entrepreneurship Education Programmes in Developing Countries: Lessons from Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Gerald

2012-01-01

Although a great deal of time, resources and effort goes into the education of potential or existing entrepreneurs, our knowledge of the effects of this education is still rather limited. It can be argued that an imbalance exists between the substantial amount of finance and manpower invested in entrepreneurship education programmes and the very…

Theory and Praxis: Reflections and Lessons from a Bilateral Educational Aid Programme in Guinea-Bissau

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos, Júlio Gonçalves dos; Silva, Rui da

2017-01-01

This article examines Portuguese official aid (POA) in Guinea-Bissau, based on the experience of a bilateral educational aid Programme--PASEG (2000-2012). It explores the theory and praxis (understood as instructed action) of PASEG as a complex and transversal intervention in a context of fragility and political uncertainty. It discusses the…

Foreign Language Learning in Primary School: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiggins, Meg; Parrao, Constanza Gonzalez; Austerberry, Helen; Ingold, Anne

2017-01-01

The Foreign Language Learning (FLL) programme aimed to improve the English language attainment of Year 3 and 4 pupils through a detailed curriculum of weekly French classes with linked activity in English lessons. The programme, created by the Education Development Trust (formerly CfBT), lasted for three half-terms. French classes were 45 minutes…

Establishing an Online HIV Peer Helping Programme: A Review of Process Challenges and Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Gregory E.; Corcoran, Valerie; Myles, Adam; Lundrigan, Philip; White, Robert; Greidanus, Elaine; Savage, Stephanie L.; Pope, Leslie; McDonald, James; Yetman, Gerard

2015-01-01

Background: Online peer support can be a valuable approach to helping people living with HIV, especially in regions with large rural populations and relatively centralised HIV services. Design: This paper focuses on a community-university partnership aimed at developing an online peer support programme in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and…

An evidence-based oral health promotion programme: Lessons from Leicester.

PubMed

Murphy, J M; Burch, T E; Dickenson, A J; Wong, J; Moore, R

2018-03-01

To provide an overview and draw lessons from the establishment of a local oral health promotion programme for preschool children in Leicester, England (2013-2017). The article provides information on the strategic approach taken in Leicester, one of the most ethnically diverse cities in England, and also one of the most deprived. Over a third of children aged 3 years, and half of those aged 5 years, have experience of obvious dental decay. A description of the evolution and development of the programme is provided along with commentary by the authors. This includes the origins, design and evaluation of the programme. Progress so far has been promising. There has been a statistically significant 8% decrease in the proportion of 5-year-old children in Leicester with dental decay from 2011/2012 to 2014/2015. This will need to be sustained and further developed to deliver the 10% reduction required within the strategy. The successful implementation of a local oral health improvement programme in Leicester has required leadership to coordinate a multiagency partnership approach to embedding effective concepts and realising opportunities collaboratively. However, longer term sustainability remains a concern. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

What factors hinder the decision-making process for women with cancer and contemplating fertility preservation treatment?

PubMed

Jones, Georgina; Hughes, Jane; Mahmoodi, Neda; Smith, Emily; Skull, Jonathan; Ledger, William

2017-07-01

Although fertility preservation (FP) treatment options have increased, the existing evidence suggests that many women with cancer do not feel well supported in making these decisions, but find them stressful and complex and fail to take up fertility care at this crucial time. Whilst existing reviews have all made important contributions to our understanding of the FP decision-making process, none of them examine solely and specifically these processes for women of reproductive age with a diagnosis of any cancer, leaving a gap in the knowledge base. Given the expectation that care is patient-centred, our review aims to address this gap which may be of help to those managing patients struggling to make difficult decisions in the often brief period before potentially sterilizing cancer treatment is started. Underpinning this narrative review was the question 'What factors hinder the decision-making process for women with any cancer and contemplating FP treatment?' Our objectives were to (i) assess and summarize this existing literature, (ii) identify the factors that hinder this decision-making process, (iii) explore to what extent these factors may differ for women choosing different methods of FP and (iv) make recommendations for service delivery and future research. A systematic search of the medical and social science literature from the 1 January 2005 up to the end of January 2016 was carried out using three electronic databases (Web of Science (PubMed), Ovid SP Medline and CINAHL via Ebsco). Included in the review were quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method studies. Reference lists of relevant papers were also hand searched. From the 983 papers identified, 46 papers were included. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. From the analysis, 6 key themes with 15 sub-themes emerged: (i) fertility information provision (lack of information, timing of the information, patient-provider communication); (ii) fear concerning the perceived risks associated with pursuing FP (delaying cancer treatment, aggravating a hormone positive cancer and consequences of a future pregnancy); (iii) non-referral from oncology (personal situation, having a hormone positive cancer, FP not a priority and transition between service issues); (iv) the dilemma (in survival mode, whether to prioritize one treatment over another); (v) personal situation (parity, relationship status) and (iv) costs (financial concerns). This review has found that a wide range of internal and external factors impact the FP decision-making process. Key external issues related to current service delivery such as the provision and timing of FP information, and lack of referral from oncology to the fertility clinic. However, internal issues such as women's fears concerning the perceived risks associated with pursuing FP also hindered decision-making but these 'risks' were typically overestimated and non-evidence based. These findings suggest that the implementation of a range of decision support interventions may be of benefit within the clinical care pathway of FP and cancer. Women would benefit from the provision of more evidence-based FP information, ideally received at cancer diagnosis, in advance of seeing a fertility specialist, for example through the implementation of patient decision aids. Healthcare professionals in both oncology and fertility services may also benefit from the implementation of training programmes and educational tools targeted at improving the communication skills needed to improve collaborative decision-making and deliver care that is patient-centred. Exploration of the current barriers, both intellectual and practical, that prevent some patients from accepting FP will help care providers to do better for their patients in the future. Finally, the extent to which a poorer prognosis and moral, ethical and religious beliefs influence the FP decision-making process also warrant further research. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Casimir effect and radiative heat transfer between Chern Insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez Lopez, Pablo; Grushin, Adolfo; Tse, Wang-Kong; Dalvit, Diego

2015-03-01

Chern Insulators are a class of two-dimensional topological materials. Their electronic properties are different from conventional materials, and lead to interesting new physics as quantum Hall effect in absence of an external magnetic field. Here we will review some of their special properties and, in particular, we will discuss the radiative heat transfer and the Casimir effect between two planar Chern Insulators sheets. Finally, we will see how to control the intensity and sign of this Casimir force and the requirements to observe a repulsive Casimir force in the lab with those materials. The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA Grant Agreement No. 302005.

Influenza Vaccine Research funded by the European Commission FP7-Health-2013-Innovation-1 project.

PubMed

Liu, Heng; Frijlink, Henderik W; Huckriede, Anke; van Doorn, Eva; Schmidt, Ed; Leroy, Odile; Rimmelzwaan, Guus; McCullough, Keneth; Whelan, Mike; Hak, Eelko

2016-11-21

Due to influenza viruses continuously displaying antigenic variation, current seasonal influenza vaccines must be updated annually to include the latest predicted strains. Despite all the efforts put into vaccine strain selection, vaccine production, testing, and administration, the protective efficacy of seasonal influenza vaccines is greatly reduced when predicted vaccine strains antigenically mismatch with the actual circulating strains. Moreover, preparing for a pandemic outbreak is a challenge, because it is unpredictable which strain will cause the next pandemic. The European Commission has funded five consortia on influenza vaccine development under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP7) in 2013. The call of the EU aimed at developing broadly protective influenza vaccines. Here we review the scientific strategies used by the different consortia with respect to antigen selection, vaccine delivery system, and formulation. The issues related to the development of novel influenza vaccines are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International institutions, global health initiatives and the challenge of sustainability: lessons from the Brazilian AIDS programme.

PubMed

Le Loup, G; Fleury, S; Camargo, K; Larouzé, B

2010-01-01

The sustainability of successful public health programmes remains a challenge in low and middle income settings. These programmes are often subjected to mobilization-demobilization cycle. Indeed, political and organizational factors are of major importance to ensure this sustainability. The cooperation between the World Bank and the Brazilian AIDS programme highlights the role of international institutions and global health initiatives (GHI), not only to scale up programmes but also to guarantee their stability and sustainability, at a time when advocacy is diminishing and vertical programmes are integrated within health systems. This role is critical at the local level, particularly when economic crisis may hamper the future of public health programmes. Political and organizational evolution should be monitored and warnings should trigger interventions of GHI before the decline of these programmes.

Lessons learned in global family medicine education from a Besrour Centre capacity-building workshop.

PubMed

Dyck, Clayton; Kvern, Brent; Wu, Edith; McKee, Ryan; Redwood-Campbell, Lynda

2016-09-01

At a global level, institutions and governments with remarkably different cultures and contexts are rapidly developing family medicine centred health and training programmes. Institutions with established family medicine programmes are willing to lend expertise to these global partners but run the risk of imposing a postcolonial, directive approach when providing consultancy and educational assistance. Reflecting upon a series of capacity building workshops in family medicine developed by the Besrour Centre Faculty Development Working Group, this paper outlines approaches to the inevitable challenges that arise between healthcare professionals and educators of differing contexts when attempting to share experience and expertise. Lessons learned from the developers of these workshops are presented in the desire to help others offer truly collaborative, context-centred faculty development activities that help emerging programmes develop their own clinical and educational family medicine frameworks. Established partner relationships, adequate preparation and consultation, and adaptability and sensitivity to partner context appear to be particularly significant determinants for success.

Developing a virtual engineering management community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hewitt, Bill; Kidd, Moray; Smith, Robin; Wearne, Stephen

2016-03-01

The paper reviews the lessons of planning and running an Engineering Management practitioner development programme in a partnership between BP and the University of Manchester. This distance-learning programme is for professional engineers in mid-career experienced in the engineering and support activities for delivering safe, compliant and reliable projects and operations worldwide. The programme concentrates on the why and how of leadership and judgement in managing the engineering of large and small projects and operational support. Two intensive residential weeks are combined with a virtual learning environment over one year. Assessed assignments between and after the residential weeks provide opportunities for individual reflective learning for each delegate through applying concepts and the lessons of case studies to their experience, current challenges and expected responsibilities. This successful partnership between a major global company and a university rich in research and teaching required a significant dedication of intellectual and leadership effort by all concerned. The rewards for both parties and most importantly for the engineers themselves are extensive.

Lessons from Africa: A Supplement to Middle School Courses in World Cultures, Global Studies, and World Geography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merryfield, Merry M., Ed.

Written by 25 African educators from 15 African nations that make up the African Social Studies Programme (ASSP), a Pan-African organization headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, this document is designed to supplement the sparse material on Africa available in the K-12 curriculum and textbooks in the United States, and these 11 lessons encourage U.S.…

Adult Literacy: Policies, Programs and Practices. Lessons Learned. Final Report = Alphabetisation des adultes: politiques, programmes et pratiques. Etude bilan. Rapport final.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2001

Studies and reports examining the problems associated with adult literacy and efforts to address those problems were reviewed to identify lessons for adult literacy programs in Canada and elsewhere. Low literacy levels were linked to above-average rates of personal and/or learning difficulties, low self-esteem, associated social problems, and…

New development of China's population programme.

PubMed

Peng, P

1998-06-01

This article presents excerpts of a speech presented by the State Family Planning Commissioner of China at the UNFPA headquarters. Madame Peng Peiyun indicated that China has adopted some new decision-making processes as a follow-up to the 1994 ICPD Plan of Action. President Jiang Zemin stated that sustainable development must be achieved as part of the movement toward modernization. China places great importance on balancing population growth, social production, economic development, resources, and the environment. In 1995, the State Family Planning Commission changed its guidelines and approaches by integrating family planning (FP) within socioeconomic development and shifting to an interest oriented program integrated with social restraints and integrating FP publicity and education with comprehensive services and modern management. The FP program should meet the needs for reproductive health and contraception and be integrated within poverty alleviation and economic development schemes in rural areas. The aim is to build happy and more civil-minded farming families. Attention should be directed to the interests of farmers and the physical and psychological health of women. Programs should be voluntary. Many poverty reduction programs operated in the early 1990s. Pilot programs were established in 1995, in 11 selected counties and urban districts. The aim was to improve grassroots efforts to meet clients' needs for quality reproductive health and contraception. In 1994, providers received upgrading of skills. As the most populous country in the world, China needs UNFPA support in stabilizing population growth.

Speculations on the Future of Taught Masters Courses in Gerontology: Lessons from a Comparison of England, Scotland, Finland, and Spain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askham, Janet; Gilhooly, Mary; Parkatti, Terttu; Vega, Jose-Luis

2007-01-01

Postgraduate education in gerontology is now widespread within European universities, but, even so, such developments remain very uneven. This paper outlines the variety of provision by describing Master's programmes in a sample of countries: England, Scotland, Finland, and Spain. These programmes illustrate some of the common problems: lack of…

How to Assess Children's Virtue Literacy: Methodological Lessons Learnt from the Knightly Virtues Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davison, Ian; Harrison, Tom; Hayes, Dan; Higgins, Jenny

2016-01-01

Character education is of growing importance in educational discourse. The Knightly Virtues programme draws on selected classic stories to teach eight moral virtues to nine- to 11-year-olds; it has proved to be hugely popular with UK schools. A finding of the trial was the different levels of "virtue literacy" in faith and non-faith…

Towards an Online Bachelor of Information Science Degree Programme in a Nigerian University: Part 1--Lessons from the Literature and Existing Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ajiferuke, Isola; Tiamiyu, Mutawakilu; Longe, Folake; Nwagwu, Williams; Ogunsola, Kemi; Opesade, Adeola; Olatokun, Wole

2012-01-01

Training programmes for the information professions worldwide have been shifting and diversifying the scope of their claimed domains and curricula in order to empower their graduates with diverse knowledge and versatile technical skills required to compete successfully in the highly competitive job markets in the information industries. In line…

Engaging Parents in Parentline Plus' Time to Talk Community Programme as Part of England's Teenage Pregnancy Strategy: Lessons for Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Mairi Ann; Davis, Liz; Lindsay, Geoff; Davis, Hilton

2012-01-01

Based on 65 interviews with professionals and parents conducted during 2007-2008, this 16-month, mainly qualitative evaluation of Parentline Plus' Time to Talk Community Programme (a preventative initiative within England's teenage pregnancy strategy) found that a community development approach and an ethos of partnership with parents and…

"External Conditions Affecting a Harmonious Family": Lessons Learned from a School-Based Parent Education Programme in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luk-Fong, Pattie Yuk Yee

2013-01-01

This article documents a parent education presentation on "External conditions affecting a harmonious family" within a school-based parent education programme in Hong Kong. The presentation adopted an eco-systems approach for understanding families and argued for the need to include the external conditions for a harmonious family as an…

Effect of the Dutch school-based education programme 'Taste Lessons' on behavioural determinants of taste acceptance and healthy eating: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Battjes-Fries, Marieke C E; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Renes, Reint-Jan; Meester, Hante J; van 't Veer, Pieter

2015-08-01

To assess the effect of the Dutch school-based education programme 'Taste Lessons' on children's behavioural determinants towards tasting unfamiliar foods and eating healthy and a variety of foods. In a quasi-experimental study design, data on behavioural determinants were collected at baseline, four weeks and six months after the intervention in both the intervention and control group. Children completed consecutively three questionnaires in which knowledge, awareness, skills, attitude, emotion, subjective norm and intention towards the two target behaviours were assessed. Teachers implemented on average a third of the programme activities. Multilevel regression analyses were conducted to compare individual changes in the determinants in the intervention group with those in the control group, corrected for children's gender and age. Effect sizes were expressed as Cohen's d. Dutch elementary schools. Forty-nine classes (1183 children, 9-12 years old) in grades 5-8 of twenty-one elementary schools. The intervention group showed a higher increase in knowledge (d=0·26, P<0·01), which persisted after six months (d=0·23, P<0·05). After four weeks, the intervention group showed a higher increase in number of foods known (d=0·22, P<0·05) and tasted (d=0·21, P<0·05), subjective norm of the teacher (d=0·17, P<0·05) and intention (d=0·16, P<0·05) towards the target behaviours. Partial implementation of Taste Lessons during one school year showed small short-term effects on increasing behavioural determinants in relation to tasting unfamiliar foods and eating healthy and a variety of foods. Full and repeated implementation of Taste Lessons in subsequent years might result in larger effects.

Adapting the Quebecois method for assessing implementation to the French National Alzheimer Plan 2008–2012: lessons for gerontological services integration

PubMed Central

Somme, Dominique; Trouvé, Hélène; Perisset, Catherine; Corvol, Aline; Ankri, Joël; Saint-Jean, Olivier; de Stampa, Matthieu

2014-01-01

Introduction Many countries face ageing-related demographic and epidemiological challenges, notably neurodegenerative disorders, due to the multiple care services they require, thereby pleading for a more integrated system of care. The integrated Quebecois method issued from the Programme of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy inspired a French pilot experiment and the National Alzheimer Plan 2008–2012. Programme of Research to Integrate Services for the Maintenance of Autonomy method implementation was rated with an evaluation grid adapted to assess its successive degrees of completion. Discussion The approaching end of the president's term led to the method's institutionalization (2011–2012), before the implementation study ended. When the government changed, the study was interrupted. The results extracted from that ‘lost’ study (presented herein) have, nonetheless, ‘found’ some key lessons. Key lessons/conclusion It was possible to implement a Quebecois integrated-care method in France. We describe the lessons and pitfalls encountered in adapting this evaluation tool. This process is necessarily multidisciplinary and requires a test phase. A simple tool for quantitative assessment of integration was obtained. The first assessment of the tool was unsatisfactory but requires further studies. In the meantime, we recommend using mixed methodologies to assess the services integration level. PMID:24959112

An integrated Diet Monitoring Solution for nutrigenomic research.

PubMed

Conti, Costanza; Rossi, Elena; Marceglia, Sara; Tauro, Vittorio; Rizzi, Federica; Lazzaroni, Monica; Barlassina, Cristina; Soldati, Laura; Cusi, Daniele

2015-01-01

The emergence of evidence pointing at diet as key risk factor for chronic diseases and at gene-diet interactions as key elements in the interplay between an individual genetic background and his/her lifestyle, pave the way for studies in nutrigenomics. Such studies need an integrated solution to collect, monitor and analyse a large set of data. In the frame of ATHENA, a European Commission FP7 project, we developed an integrated platform, called Dietary Monitoring Solution enabling the collection of phenotypic, genetic and lifestyle information, linked to a mHealth application tool. The data collection solution allows maintaining anonymized information and supports a number of features making it particularly suited for multicentre studies. The mHealth application was designed to translate the knowledge generated from research into a personalised prevention programme and to support the patient adherence to the programme.

The Impact of a Cryogenics-Based Enrichment Programme on Attitude Towards Science and the Learning of Science Concepts. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caleon, Imelda; Subramaniam, R.

2005-01-01

This study explores the impact of a cryogenics-based enrichment programme, which involves demonstrations that use liquid nitrogen, on attitudes towards science and the learning of science concepts. The findings presented in this paper are based on a sample of 214 fifth-grade students from two schools in Singapore who had their enrichment lesson in…

"I'm on a Journey I Never Thought I'd Be On": Using Process Drama Pedagogy for the Literacy Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Trish; Sandretto, Susan

2017-01-01

This paper argues that process drama is a productive pedagogy with multiple affordances for multiliteracies. We describe an exploratory study in which two teachers from a rural New Zealand primary school used process drama pedagogy in the literacy programme. Analysis of the initial and exit teacher interviews, lesson transcripts and transcripts of…

An innovative simplified MCH score for assessing the ideal babies in well baby shows of postpartum outreach programme.

PubMed

Anandalakshmy, P N; Mittal, S

1995-01-01

In India, a simple scoring method was used to select winners at 18 well-baby shows over the last five years in low-income areas of Kotla Mubarakpur and Gautam Nagar, in the Rajeev Gandhi Resettlement Colony, in jhuggi jhopri clusters around the All Institute of Medical Sciences (AAIMS) in New Delhi, and in the Bangladeshi refugee colony (Kidwai Nagar). The parameters used to select ideal babies were parents' age at marriage and educational status, mother's age at first birth, number of living children in relation to marriage duration, immunization status of living children, birth interval, contraceptive use, and routine criteria on general health and hygiene. Winners were chosen among infants, toddlers (1-2 years), and preschool children (2-5). Health promotional activities, maternal and child health (MCH) services, and family planning (FP) services were featured at the health camps where the well-baby shows occurred. 60-90 children and 100-2000 couples participated in the well-baby shows. Health workers explained to parents of children with a poor score why their children had a poor score. At the health camps, parents adopted FP methods and had their children immunized, regardless of score, so as to improve their score for the next show and to win prizes. The well-baby scores improved over time (24.64-31.2 for Kotla Mubarakpur, 19-24.6 for Gautam Nagar, 20.9-22.4 for Rajeev Gandhi, 20.6-23.6 for AIIMS jhuggi, and 13.6-21.4 for Kidwai Nagar). A weekly clinic operating in Kotla Mubarakpur accounted for the high initial mean score. Gautam Nagar had only periodic health services. A weekly mobile health van provided services in the Rajeev Gandhi colony. Door to door contacts were conducted in the jhuggi jhopri clusters to promote MCH/FP services. The scoring method reinforced integration of MCH/FP services. It allowed local health workers to make rapid analyses and MCH decision making. It also served as a tool to monitor the efficacy of local MCH/FP services.

The role of family planning in achieving safe pregnancy for serodiscordant couples: commentary from the United States government’s interagency task force on family planning and HIV service integration

PubMed Central

Mason, Jennifer; Medley, Amy; Yeiser, Sarah; Nightingale, Vienna R.; Mani, Nithya; Sripipatana, Tabitha; Abutu, Andrew; Johnston, Beverly; Watts, D. Heather

2017-01-01

Abstract Introduction: People living with HIV (PLHIV) have the right to exercise voluntary choices about their health, including their reproductive health. This commentary discusses the integral role that family planning (FP) plays in helping PLHIV, including those in serodiscordant relationships, achieve conception safely. The United States (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is committed to meeting the reproductive health needs of PLHIV by improving their access to voluntary FP counselling and services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and counselling for safer conception. Discussion: Inclusion of preconception care and counselling (PCC) as part of routine HIV services is critical to preventing unintended pregnancies and perinatal infections among PLHIV. PLHIV not desiring a current pregnancy should be provided with information and counselling on all available FP methods and then either given the method onsite or through a facilitated referral process. PLHIV, who desire children should be offered risk reduction counselling, support for HIV status disclosure and partner testing, information on safer conception options to reduce the risk of HIV transmission to the partner and the importance of adhering to antiretroviral treatment during pregnancy and breastfeeding to reduce the risk of vertical transmission to the infant. Integration of PCC, HIV and FP services at the same location is recommended to improve access to these services for PLHIV. Other considerations to be addressed include the social and structural context, the health system capacity to offer these services, and stigma and discrimination of providers. Conclusion: Evaluation of innovative service delivery models for delivering PCC services is needed, including provision in community-based settings. The US Government will continue to partner with local organizations, Ministries of Health, the private sector, civil society, multilateral and bilateral donors, and other key stakeholders to strengthen both the policy and programme environment to ensure that all PLHIV and serodiscordant couples have access to FP services, including prevention of unintended pregnancy and safer conception counselling. PMID:28361500

Engineering fluorescent proteins towards ultimate performances: lessons from the newly developed cyan variants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mérola, Fabienne; Erard, Marie; Fredj, Asma; Pasquier, Hélène

2016-03-01

New fluorescent proteins (FPs) are constantly discovered from natural sources, and submitted to intensive engineering based on random mutagenesis and directed evolution. However, most of these newly developed FPs fail to achieve all the performances required for their bioimaging applications. The design of highly optimised FP-based reporters, simultaneously displaying appropriate colour, multimeric state, chromophore maturation, brightness, photostability and environmental sensitivity will require a better understanding of the structural and dynamic determinants of FP photophysics. The recent development of cyan fluorescent proteins (CFPs) like mCerulean3, mTurquoise2 and Aquamarine brings a different view on these questions, as in this particular case, a step by step evaluation of critical mutations has been performed within a family of spectrally identical and evolutionary close variants. These efforts have led to CFPs with quantum yields close to unity, near single exponential emission decays, high photostability and complete insensitivity to pH, making them ideal choices as energy transfer donors in FRET and FLIM imaging applications. During this process, it was found that a proper amino-acid choice at only two positions (148 and 65) is sufficient to transform the performances of CFPs: with the help of structural and theoretical investigations, we rationalise here how these two positions critically control the CFP photophysics, in the context of FPs derived from the Aequorea victoria species. Today, these results provide a useful toolbox for upgrading the different CFP donors carried by FRET biosensors. They also trace the route towards the de novo design of FP-based optogenetic devices that will be perfectly tailored to dedicated imaging and sensing applications.

Reconnection of a Kinking Flux Rope Triggering the Ejection of a Microwave and Hard X-Ray Source. 2. Numerical Modeling

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-14

apex. The external field is thus mainly poloidal, with the ratio between toroidal and poloidal components at the flux rope apex being Bet/ Bep = 0.075...eruption involved a kink-unstable flux rope that had a high twist of Φ & 6π. This yields a coherent framework to understand the inverse gamma shape...leading to these results has received funding from the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under the grant agreement n 218816

Skills for the 21st Century: Findings and Policy Lessons from the OECD Survey of Adult Skills. OECD Education Working Papers, No. 166

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, John P.

2018-01-01

The OECD Survey of Adult Skills is the jewel in the crown of its Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). This paper argues that the findings and policy lessons from the project to date justify the high hopes which were placed in PIAAC when detailed planning for the project began in 2003. First, it presents a brief…

A protocol for the development of Mediterranean climate services based on the experiences of the CLIM-RUN case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodess, Clare; Ruti, Paolo; Rousset, Nathalie

2014-05-01

During the closing stages of the CLIM-RUN EU FP7 project on Climate Local Information in the Mediterranean region Responding to User Needs, the real-world experiences encountered by the case-study teams are being assessed and synthesised to identify examples of good practice and, in particular, to produce the CLIM-RUN protocol for the development of Mediterranean climate services. The specific case studies have focused on renewable energy (Morocco, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus), tourism (Savoie, Tunisia, Croatia, Cyprus) and wild fires (Greece) as well as one cross-cutting case study (Veneto region). They have been implemented following a common programme of local workshops, questionnaires and interviews, with Climate Expert Team and Stakeholder Expert Team members collaborating to identify and translate user needs and subsequently develop climate products and information. Feedback from stakeholders has been essential in assessing and refining these products. The protocol covers the following issues: the overall process and methodological key stages; identification and selection of stakeholders; communication with stakeholders; identification of user needs; translation of needs; producing products; assessing and refining products; methodologies for evaluating the economic value of climate services; and beyond CLIM-RUN - the lessons learnt. Particular emphasis is given to stakeholder analysis in the context of the participatory, bottom-up approach promoted by CLIM-RUN and to the iterative approach taken in the development of climate products. Recommendations are also made for an envisioned three-tier business model for the development of climate services involving climate, intermediary and stakeholder tiers.

Evaluation of an adaptive ice skating programme for children with disabilities.

PubMed

Fragala-Pinkham, Maria A; Dumas, Helene M; Boyce, Megan; Peters, Christine Y; Haley, Stephen M

2009-08-01

To describe an adaptive ice skating programme designed by paediatric therapists. Twenty-two children, ages 5-12 years, with developmental disabilities participated in this once per week skating programme lasting 6 weeks. Ice skating instructors led the group lessons, while university student coaches provided individualized assistance to the children. The programme was evaluated using a summative evaluation design. Outcomes included participant attendance, incidence of injuries, skating skills and parent and student coach survey data. On average, participants attended 83% of the sessions and one minor injury was reported. Participants' parents were very satisfied with the programme and reported improvements in their child's skating skills, leg strength, endurance, balance, self-esteem/confidence and ability to participate in a group. Student coaches also reported high levels of satisfaction with this programme and reported similar improvements in the children they coached. The programme appeared promising, but may require minor modifications.

Towards an Online Bachelor of Information Science Degree Programme in a Nigerian University: Part 2--Lessons from a Market Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tiamiyu, Mutawakilu; Ajiferuke, Isola; Longe, Folake; Nwagwu, Williams; Ogunsola, Kemi; Opesade, Adeola; Olatokun, Wole

2012-01-01

This is the second of two articles that reports aspects of a study that was undertaken to assess the information industry and job market needs that the curriculum of the proposed programme must target. The first article specified the research problem and objectives, reviewed some key definitions and methodologies that were used, and the findings,…

Food assistance to tuberculosis patients: lessons from Afghanistan.

PubMed

Pedrazzoli, D; Houben, R M; Grede, N; de Pee, S; Boccia, D

2016-06-21

Poverty, food insecurity and poor nutrition in the population are important contributors to the burden of tuberculosis (TB). For poor and food-insecure individuals, accessing and successfully completing anti-tuberculosis treatment over an extended period of time is challenging. Food and nutritional support as an incentive and enabler is employed by national TB control programmes (NTPs) worldwide as a means to encourage treatment initiation and adherence and to improve the nutritional status of patients with TB. It also offers a safety net for food-insecure households affected by TB to mitigate the financial consequences of the disease. This paper reports on the primary lessons from the review of the World Food Programme's (WFP's) Food Assistance Programme for TB patients in Afghanistan. It aims to inform the design, implementation and scale-up of TB programmes in settings where food insecurity and malnutrition are prevalent. It also documents qualitative findings that suggest that patients, their families and providers viewed food support as an important asset and an essential element of the national TB control strategy. While the impact on treatment success or case detection could not be quantified, it is likely that the WFP intervention had a positive impact on the patients and their households, therefore contributing to the success of the DOTS-based NTP.

Food assistance to tuberculosis patients: lessons from Afghanistan

PubMed Central

Houben, R. M.; Grede, N.; de Pee, S.; Boccia, D.

2016-01-01

Poverty, food insecurity and poor nutrition in the population are important contributors to the burden of tuberculosis (TB). For poor and food-insecure individuals, accessing and successfully completing anti-tuberculosis treatment over an extended period of time is challenging. Food and nutritional support as an incentive and enabler is employed by national TB control programmes (NTPs) worldwide as a means to encourage treatment initiation and adherence and to improve the nutritional status of patients with TB. It also offers a safety net for food-insecure households affected by TB to mitigate the financial consequences of the disease. This paper reports on the primary lessons from the review of the World Food Programme's (WFP's) Food Assistance Programme for TB patients in Afghanistan. It aims to inform the design, implementation and scale-up of TB programmes in settings where food insecurity and malnutrition are prevalent. It also documents qualitative findings that suggest that patients, their families and providers viewed food support as an important asset and an essential element of the national TB control strategy. While the impact on treatment success or case detection could not be quantified, it is likely that the WFP intervention had a positive impact on the patients and their households, therefore contributing to the success of the DOTS-based NTP. PMID:27358810

Implementing new models of care: Lessons from the new care models programme in England.

PubMed

Starling, Anna

2018-06-01

In 2014, the body that leads the National Health Service in England published a new strategic vision for the National Health Service. A major part of this strategy was a three-year-long national programme to develop new care models to coordinate care across primary care, community services and hospitals that could be replicated across the country. Local 'vanguard sites' were selected to develop five types of new care model with support from a national team. The new care models programme provided support for local leaders to enable them to collaborate to improve care for their local populations. We interviewed leaders in the vanguard sites to better understand how they made changes to care locally. Drawing on the insights from these interviews and the literature on cross-organisational change and improvement we devised a framework of 10 lessons for health and care leaders seeking to develop and implement new models of care. The framework emphasises the importance of developing relationships and building capability locally to enable areas to continuously develop and test new ideas.

The Design and Implementation of a Parallel Persistent Object System

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

Semantica JilP L Add descriptor (FP.L) to active pool JMPF r L If Frames, FP+r.O-0 Add descriptor (FP,L) to active pool Else Add descriptor (FP, IP+l...Syntax Semantica STARTO rl r2 Let FP’ = Frames[FP+rl] Let IP’ - Frames[FP+r2] Add (FP.IP+I) to active pool Add (FP I, P’ ) to active pool STARTI rl r2 r3...deadlock. 119 Syntaz Semantica ALLOCFRANE ri rj Let CallerFP - Frames [FP+ri] Let ResultIP - Frames [FP+ri+1] Let SignalIP = Frames [FP+ri+2] Let ResSlot

Teenagers and young adults with cancer in Europe: from national programmes to a European integrated coordinated project.

PubMed

Stark, D; Bielack, S; Brugieres, L; Dirksen, U; Duarte, X; Dunn, S; Erdelyi, D J; Grew, T; Hjorth, L; Jazbec, J; Kabickova, E; Konsoulova, A; Kowalczyk, J R; Lassaletta, A; Laurence, V; Lewis, I; Monrabal, A; Morgan, S; Mountzios, G; Olsen, P R; Renard, M; Saeter, G; van der Graaf, W T; Ferrari, A

2016-05-01

Over 14 000 patients aged 15-24 are estimated to be diagnosed with cancer in the European Union (EU) each year. Teenagers and young adults (TYA) often fall down gaps between children's and adults cancer services. The specific challenges of providing optimal care to them are described, but we present a summary of recent progress. Progress to overcome these challenges is happening at different rates across Europe. We summarise the European national projects in this field but more recently we have seen the beginnings of European coordination. Within the EU 7th Funding Programme (FP7) European Network for Cancer Research in Children and Adolescents programme (ENCCA), a specific European Network for Teenagers and Young Adults with Cancer has held a series of scientific meetings, including professionals, patients and caregivers. This group has proposed unanswered research questions and agreed key features of a high-quality service that can improve outcomes for TYA with cancer, including the primacy of collaboration between adult and paediatric services to eliminate the gap in the management of TYA with cancer. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is traditional contraceptive use in Moldova associated with poverty and isolation?

PubMed

Lyons-Amos, Mark J; Durrant, Gabriele B; Padmadas, Sabu S

2011-05-01

This study investigates the correlates of traditional contraceptive use in Moldova, a poor country in Europe with one of the highest proportions of traditional contraceptive method users. The high reliance on traditional methods, particularly in the context of sub-replacement level fertility rate, has not been systematically evaluated in demographic research. Using cross-sectional data on a sub-sample of 6039 sexually experienced women from the 2005 Moldovan Demographic and Health Survey, this study hypothesizes that (a) economic and spatial disadvantages increase the likelihood of traditional method use, and (b) high exposure to family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) programmes increases the propensity to modern method use. Multilevel multinomial models are used to examine the correlates of traditional method use controlling for exposure to sexual activity, socioeconomic and demographic characteristics and data structure. The results show that economic disadvantage increases the probability of traditional method use, but the overall effect is small. Although higher family planning media exposure decreases the reliance on traditional methods among younger women, it has only a marginal effect in increasing modern method use among older women. Family planning programmes designed to encourage women to switch from traditional to modern methods have some success--although the effect is considerably reduced in regions outside of the capital Chisinau. The study concludes that FP/RH efforts directed towards the poorest may have limited impact, but interventions targeted at older women could reduce the burden of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Addressing differentials in accessing modern methods could improve uptake in rural areas.

Frequency and Efficacy of Talk-Related Tasks in Primary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braund, Martin; Leigh, Joanne

2013-04-01

Pupil talk and discussion are seen as having important social and cognitive outcomes. In science classes, pupils' collaborative talk supports the construction of meaning and helps examine the status of evidence, theory and knowledge. However, pupil interactive talk in groups is rare in science lessons. The research reported is part of a project to increase the amount of pupil-pupil talk in primary schools through a programme of teaching and professional development. Pupils' self-reports of the frequency and learning efficacies of talk related activities in science lessons were collected before and after a programme of teaching in 24 schools in one of the most socially and educationally deprived areas of England. Findings showed pupils valued talking about their ideas over listening to those of other pupils. Science talk frequency (STF) was closely correlated with science talk efficacy (STE) and both were positively correlated with pupils' attitudes to school science. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) of the correlation of STF with STE showed values were independent of gender and ability but that school experience was a significant factor. After the teaching programme and, contrary to expectations, the frequency of talk activities in science lessons appeared to have decreased but varied according to class grades. The degree of correlation between STF and STE was stronger after the teaching in over half of the schools. Schools where STF/STE strengthened most as a result of teaching were those involved in an additional initiative to use modelled talk related to industrial contexts.

Lessons from the organisation of the UK medical services deployed in support of Operation TELIC (Iraq) and Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan)

PubMed Central

Bricknell, Martin C M; Nadin, M

2017-01-01

This paper provides the definitive record of the UK Defence Medical Services (DMS) lessons from the organisation of medical services in support of Operation (Op) TELIC (Iraq) and Op HERRICK (Afghanistan). The analysis involved a detailed review of the published academic literature, internal post-operational tour reports and post-tour interviews. The list of lessons was reviewed through three Military Judgement Panel cycles producing the single synthesis ‘the golden thread’ and eight ‘silver bullets’ as themes to institutionalise the learning to deliver the golden thread. One additional theme, mentoring indigenous healthcare systems and providers, emerged as a completely new capability requirement. The DMS has established a programme of work to implement these lessons. PMID:28062527

The assessment of professional competence: building blocks for theory development.

PubMed

van der Vleuten, C P M; Schuwirth, L W T; Scheele, F; Driessen, E W; Hodges, B

2010-12-01

This article presents lessons learnt from experiences with assessment of professional competence. Based on Miller's pyramid, a distinction is made between established assessment technology for assessing 'knows', 'knowing how' and 'showing how' and more recent developments in the assessment of (clinical) performance at the 'does' level. Some general lessons are derived from research of and experiences with the established assessment technology. Here, many paradoxes are revealed and empirical outcomes are often counterintuitive. Instruments for assessing the 'does' level are classified and described, and additional general lessons for this area of performance assessment are derived. These lessons can also be read as general principles of assessment (programmes) and may provide theoretical building blocks to underpin appropriate and state-of-the-art assessment practices. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality assessment and improvement of post graduate family medicine training in the USA.

PubMed

Hoekzema, Grant S; Maxwell, Lisa; Gravel, Joseph W; Mills, Walter W; Geiger, William; Honeycutt, J David

2016-09-01

In 2013, the World Organisation of Family Doctors published training standards for post-graduate medical education (GME) in Family Medicine/General Practice (FP/GP). GME quality has not been well-defined, other than meeting accreditation standards. In 2009, the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) developed a tool that would aid in raising the quality of family medicine residency training in the USA. We describe the development of this quality improvement tool, which we called the residency performance index (RPI), and its first three years of use by US family medicine residency (FMR) programmes. The RPI uses metrics specific to family medicine training in the USA to help programmes identify strengths and areas for improvement in their educational activities. Our review of three years of experience with the RPI revealed difficulties with collecting data, and lack of information on graduates' scope of practice. It also showed the potential usefulness of the tool as a programme improvement mechanism. The RPI is a nationwide, standardised, programme quality improvement tool for family medicine residency programmes in the USA, which was successfully launched as part of AFMRD's strategic plan. Although some initial challenges need to be addressed, it has the promise to aid family medicine residencies in their internal improvement efforts. This model could be adapted in other post-graduate training settings in FM/GP around the world.

Voices of students in competition: Health Science First Year at the University of Otago, Dunedin.

PubMed

Jameson, Madgerie; Smith, Jeffrey

2011-07-08

The experiences and adjustments of students enrolled in Health Science First Year (HSFY) at the University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand) were explored to understand students' response to competition. The paper highlights the expressions of past and present HSFY students' impressions of the programme, their experiences, coping strategies and the lessons they learned from the programme. Qualitative data were collected from past (n=15) and present (n=20) HSFY students who wanted to pursue medicine. Eight semi-structured interview questions were used to answer four research questions that aimed to answer the following: students' impressions of HSFY, students' experiences of HSFY; students' adjustments to HSFY, and lessons learned from HSFY. The interviews were analysed using narrative analysis to gain a greater understanding of their experiences and adjustment. The results indicate students perceive the programme as demanding and stressful. The highly competitive nature of the programme inhibited their engagement and involvement in other aspects of university life. Students identified their experiences as successes and challenges. In terms of adjustment, students used cognitive restructuring, self regulation and social support. Students learned that they need to balance academic and social life because spending too much time almost exclusively on academics didn't enrich their first year at university. The nature of the learning environment impacts on students' holistic development. The competitive nature of the programme elicited undue stress on students. However, they had to employ strategies to help minimise the impact of stress on their functioning.

Fission products and nuclear fuel behaviour under severe accident conditions part 2: Fuel behaviour in the VERDON-1 sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geiger, E.; Le Gall, C.; Gallais-During, A.; Pontillon, Y.; Lamontagne, J.; Hanus, E.; Ducros, G.

2017-11-01

Within the framework of the International Source Term Programme (ISTP), the VERDON programme aims at quantifying the source term of radioactive materials in case of a hypothetical severe accident in a light water reactor (LWR). Tests were performed in a new experimental laboratory (VERDON) built in the LECA-STAR facility (CEA Cadarache). The VERDON-1 test was devoted to the study of a high burn-up UO2 fuel and FP releases at very high temperature (≈2873 K) in a reducing atmosphere. Post-test qualitative and quantitative characterisations of the VERDON-1 sample led to the proposal of a scenario explaining the phenomena occurring during the experimental sequence. Hence, the fuel and the cladding may have interacted which led to the melting of UO2-ZrO2 alloy. Although no relocation was observed during the test, it may have been imminent.

The National Institute for Health Research Leadership Programme

PubMed Central

Jones, Molly Morgan; Wamae, Watu; Fry, Caroline Viola; Kennie, Tom; Chataway, Joanna

2012-01-01

Abstract RAND Europe evaluated the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leadership Programme in an effort to help the English Department of Health consider the extent to which the programme has helped to foster NIHR's aims, extract lessons for the future, and develop plans for the next phase of the leadership programme. Successful delivery of high-quality health research requires not only an effective research base, but also a system of leadership supporting it. However, research leaders are not often given the opportunity, nor do they have the time, to attend formal leadership or management training programmes. This is unfortunate because research has shown that leadership training can have a hugely beneficial effect on an organisation. Therefore, the evaluation has a particular interest in understanding the role of the programme as a science policy intervention and will use its expertise in science policy analysis to consider this element alongside other, more traditional, measures of evaluation. PMID:28083231

Interprofessional Education and Practice Guide No. 7: Development, implementation, and evaluation of a large-scale required interprofessional education foundational programme.

PubMed

Shrader, Sarah; Hodgkins, Renee; Laverentz, Delois; Zaudke, Jana; Waxman, Michael; Johnston, Kristy; Jernigan, Stephen

2016-09-01

Health profession educators and administrators are interested in how to develop an effective and sustainable interprofessional education (IPE) programme. We describe the approach used at the University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas City, United States. This approach is a foundational programme with multiple large-scale, half-day events each year. The programme is threaded with common curricular components that build in complexity over time and assures that each learner is exposed to IPE. In this guide, lessons learned and general principles related to the development of IPE programming are discussed. Important areas that educators should consider include curriculum development, engaging leadership, overcoming scheduling barriers, providing faculty development, piloting the programming, planning for logistical coordination, intentionally pairing IP facilitators, anticipating IP conflict, setting clear expectations for learners, publicising the programme, debriefing with faculty, planning for programme evaluation, and developing a scholarship and dissemination plan.

New approaches in human health risk assessment.

PubMed

Abass, Khaled; Carlsen, Anders; Rautio, Arja

2016-01-01

Studies on the precise impact of environmental pollutants on human health are difficult to undertake and interpret, because many genetic and environmental factors influence health at the same time and to varying degrees. Our chapter in the AMAP report was based on new approaches to describe risks and future needs. In this paper, we will introduce the issues associated with risk assessment of single chemicals, and present suggestions for future studies as well as a summary of lessons learned during the health-related parts of the European Union-funded FP7 project ArcRisk (Arctic Health Risks: Impacts on health in the Arctic and Europe owing to climate-induced changes in contaminant cycling, 2009-2014; www.arcrisk.eu).

Scale-up of a comprehensive harm reduction programme for people injecting opioids: lessons from north-eastern India

PubMed Central

Lalmuanpuii, Melody; Biangtung, Langkham; Mishra, Ritu Kumar; Reeve, Matthew J; Tzudier, Sentimoa; Singh, Angom L; Sinate, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Abstract Problem Harm reduction packages for people who inject illicit drugs, including those infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), are cost-effective but have not been scaled up globally. In the north-eastern Indian states of Manipur and Nagaland, the epidemic of HIV infection is driven by the injection of illicit drugs, especially opioids. These states needed to scale up harm reduction programmes but faced difficulty doing so. Approach In 2004, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded Project ORCHID to scale up a harm reduction programme in Manipur and Nagaland. Local setting In 2003, an estimated 10 000 and 16 000 people were injecting drugs in Manipur and Nagaland, respectively. The prevalence of HIV infection among people injecting drugs was 24.5% in Manipur and 8.4% in Nagaland. Relevant changes By 2012, the harm reduction programme had been scaled up to an average of 9011 monthly contacts outside clinics (80% of target); an average of 1709 monthly clinic visits (15% of target, well above the 5% monthly goal) and an average monthly distribution of needles and syringes of 16 each per programme participant. Opioid agonist maintenance treatment coverage was 13.7% and retention 6 months after enrolment was 63%. Antiretroviral treatment coverage for HIV-positive participants was 81%. Lessons learnt A harm reduction model consisting of community-owned, locally relevant innovations and business approaches can result in good harm reduction programme scale-up and influence harm reduction policy. Project ORCHID has influenced national harm reduction policy in India and contributed to the development of harm reduction guidelines. PMID:23599555

"India Population Projects" in Karnataka.

PubMed

Reddy, P H; Badari, V S

1991-12-01

An overview, objectives, implementation, and research and evaluation studies of 2 India Population Projects in Karnataka are presented. The India Population Project I (IPP-I) was conducted in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. India Population Project III (IPP-III) took place between 1984-92 in 6 districts of Karnataka: Belgaum, Bijapur, Dharwad, Bidar, Gulbarga, and Raichur, and 4 districts in Kerala. The 6 districts in Karnataka accounted for 36% (13.2 million) of the total national population. The project cost was Rs. 713.1 million which was shared by the World Bank, and the Indian national and regional government. Due to poor past performance, these projects were undertaken to improve health and family welfare status. Specific project objectives are outlined. IPP-I included an urban component, and optimal Government of India program, and an intensive rural initiative. The urban program aimed to improved pre- and postnatal services and facilities, and the family planning (FP) in Bangalore city. The rural program was primarily to provide auxiliary nurse-midwives and hospitals and clinics, and also supplemental feeding program for pregnant and nursing mothers and children up to 2 years. The government program provided FP staff and facilities. IPP-I had 3 units to oversee building construction, to recruit staff and provide supplies and equipment, and to establish a Population Center. IPP-III was concerned with service delivery; information, education, and communication efforts (IEC) and population education; research and evaluation; and project management. Both projects contributed significantly to improving the infrastructure. A brief account of the types and kinds of studies undertaken is given. Studies were grouped into longitudinal studies of fertility, mortality, and FP; management information and evaluation systems for health and family welfare programs; experimental strategies; and other studies. Research and evaluation studies in IPP-III encompassed studies in gaps in knowledge, skills, and practice of health and FP personnel; baseline and endline surveys; and operational evaluation of the management information and evaluation system; factors affecting primary health care in Gulbarga district; evaluation of radio health lessons and the impact of the Kalyana Matha Program; and studies of vaccination and child survival and maternal mortality. Training programs were also undertaken.

Effects of two physical education programmes on health- and skill-related physical fitness of Albanian children.

PubMed

Jarani, J; Grøntved, A; Muca, F; Spahi, A; Qefalia, D; Ushtelenca, K; Kasa, A; Caporossi, D; Gallotta, M C

2016-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of two school-based physical education (PE) programmes (exercise-based and games-based) compared with traditional PE, on health- and skill-related physical fitness components in children in Tirana, Albania. Participants were 378 first-grade (6.8 years) and 389 fourth-grade (9.8 years) children attending four randomly selected schools in Tirana. Twenty-four school classes within these schools were randomly selected (stratified by school and school grade) to participate as exercise group (EG), games group (GG) and control group (CG). Both EG and GG intervention programmes were taught by professional PE teachers using station/circuit teaching framework while CG referred to traditional PE school lessons by a general teacher. All programmes ran in parallel and lasted 5 months, having the same frequency (twice weekly) and duration (45 min). Heart rate (HR) monitoring showed that intensity during PE lessons was significantly higher in the intervention groups compared with control (P < 0.001). Both PE exercise- and games programmes significantly improved several health- and skill-related fitness indicators compared with traditional PE lessons (e.g. gross motor skill summary score: 9.4 (95% CI 7.9; 10.9) for exercise vs. control and 6.5 (95% CI 5.1; 8.1) for games vs. control, cardiorespiratory fitness: 2.0 ml O2 · min(-1) · kg(-1) (95% CI 1.5; 2.4) for exercise vs. control and 1.4 ml O2 · min(-1) · kg(-1) (95% CI 1.0; 1.8) for games vs. control). Furthermore, compared to games-based PE, exercise-based PE showed more positive changes in some gross motor coordination skills outcomes, coordination skills outcomes and cardiorespiratory fitness. The results from this study show that exercise- and games-based PE represents a useful strategy for improving health- and skill-related physical fitness in Albanian elementary school children. In addition, the study shows that exercise-based PE was more effective than games-based PE in improving gross motor function and cardiorespiratory fitness.

Effect of interconnection between cervical vagus trunk, epicardial fat pad on sinus node function, and atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Zhou, Qina; Zhang, Ling; Wang, Kun; Xu, Xiaoxia; Ji, Meng; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Hongli; Hou, Yuemei

2014-03-01

The epicardial fat pad (FP) integrates the autonomic innervation between the extrinsic and intrinsic cardiac autonomic nervous system and affects atrial electrophysiology and pathophysiology. Eighteen dogs were divided into two groups: sequential ablation of sinoatrial node FP (SAN-FP) and atrioventricular node FP (AVN-FP). Sinus rate (SR), atrial fibrillation (AF) inducibility, and effective refractory period (ERP) changes during electrical stimulation of the vagus trunk were detected before and after ablation. In the SAN-FP group, the SR slowing, increasing AF inducibility, and ERP shortening that induced by vagus trunk stimulation were significantly attenuated by isolated SAN-FP ablation, compared with the same group prior to ablation (all P < 0.05). Subsequent AVN-FP ablation following SAN-FP ablation almost cannot produce further attenuation during vagus trunk stimulation, compared with isolated SAN-FP ablation (P > 0.05). In the AVN-FP group, SR slowing, increasing AF inducibility, and ERP shortening that induced by vagus trunk stimulation were completely eliminated by isolated AVN-FP ablation, compared with the same group prior to ablation (all P < 0.05). Subsequent SAN-FP ablation following AVN-FP ablation produced no further attenuation, compared with isolated AVN-FP ablation (P > 0.05). A neural pathway from the cervical vagus trunk to the sinus node and atrium runs through the SAN-FP, but eventually converges at the AVN-FP and also suggested that the AVN-FP serves as an "integration center" for the SAN-FP to modulate sinus node function. The AVN-FP may play a more critical role in the initiation and maintenance of AF. ©2013 First Affilated Hospital of Xingiang Medical University Pacing and Clinical Electrophysiology ©2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Embedding operational research into national disease control programme: lessons from 10 years of experience in Indonesia

PubMed Central

Mahendradhata, Yodi; Probandari, Ari; Widjanarko, Bagoes; Riono, Pandu; Mustikawati, Dyah; Tiemersma, Edine W.; Alisjahbana, Bachti

2014-01-01

There is growing recognition that operational research (OR) should be embedded into national disease control programmes. However, much of the current OR capacity building schemes are still predominantly driven by international agencies with limited integration into national disease control programmes. We demonstrated that it is possible to achieve a more sustainable capacity building effort across the country by establishing an OR group within the national tuberculosis (TB) control programme in Indonesia. Key challenges identified include long-term financial support, limited number of scientific publications, and difficulties in documenting impact on programmatic performance. External evaluation has expressed concerns in regard to utilisation of OR in policy making. Efforts to address this concern have been introduced recently and led to indications of increased utilisation of research evidence in policy making by the national TB control programme. Embedding OR in national disease control programmes is key in establishing an evidence-based disease control programme. PMID:25361728

The imperative of functional integration for achievement of MDGs.

PubMed

Mohamud, Khalif Bile

2009-09-01

Pakistan launched its Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) programme in 2006 in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners to bridge gaps and upscale interventions aimed at reducing mortality and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The country will have an uphill task in meeting by 2020, the 2015 targets set for attainment of MDGs 4 and 5. The current Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) level of 30% is considerably below the 60% target set for 2020 and the current Total Fertility Rate (TFR), estimated at 4, is significantly higher than the set target of 2.1. Similarly, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) of 78 per 1,000 live births is lagging behind the MDG target of 40 per 1,000 live births, while the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 276 per 105 live births is higher than the MDG target of 140 per 105 live births. With the rural population at an added disadvantage by reporting 82% and 40% higher MMR and IMR respectively-relative to the population of urban and major cities-reducing the current population growth rate of about 1.7% to 1.3% in the envisaged limited timeframe appears challenging. To overcome these programmatic impediments, the existing fragmentation in implementation of MNCH/Reproductive Health (RH) and Family Planning (FP) services needs to be urgently addressed. To respond to this call, the ministries of Health and Population made a joint commitment at the end of 2008 to bring about functional integration by delivering the MNCH/RH/FP services in a unified manner and by setting up effective institutional, strategic and operational mechanisms that can enhance the implementation process. To significantly reduce IMR and MMR and improve RH/FP outcomes, the two ministries must challenge the status quo and promote the coordination of health and population policies, improve MNCH/RF and FP management practices including monitoring and supervision, deploy, train and motivate the health workforce and strengthen the health system. Functional integration must also aim at ensuring use of appropriate technologies and uninterrupted provision of supplies and equipment. This viewpoint, which is related to the Heartfile Report, aims at diagnosing outstanding challenges at the field level, as well as factors contributing to successful implementation of MNCH/RH and FP and their progress towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5.

E-mentoring for violence and injury prevention: early lessons from a global programme.

PubMed

Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Meddings, David; Gururaj, Gopalkrishna; Ozanne-Smith, Joan; Ameratunga, Shanthi; Hyder, Adnan A

2015-01-01

To address the growing burden of violence and injuries, especially in low- and middle-income countries, in 2007 the World Health Organization launched MENTOR-VIP, a global violence and injury prevention (VIP)-mentoring programme. The programme aims to develop human resource capacity through 12-month mentoring arrangements between individual VIP experts (mentors) and less-experienced injury practitioners (mentees). In this paper, we review the first five years of the programme (2007-2011) using a systems analysis and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) frameworks, discuss programme findings and make recommendations. A well-defined programme with clear instructions, successful matching of mentorship pairs with similar interests and language, a formal accord agreement, institutional support and effective communication were identified as programme strengths. Overambitious projects, lack of funds and difficulties with communications were identified as programme weaknesses. Mentorship projects that require institutional permissions or resources could be potential threats to the success of mentorship. The study resulted in the four following recommendations to strengthen the programme: (1) institute additional steps in selection and matching mentor-mentee pair; (2) train mentors on e-mentoring; (3) conduct special orientation for mentees to the programme; and (4) maintain effective and open communication throughout the programme.

Developing teachers' models for assessing students' competence in mathematical modelling through lesson study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydogan Yenmez, Arzu; Erbas, Ayhan Kursat; Cakiroglu, Erdinc; Alacaci, Cengiz; Cetinkaya, Bulent

2017-08-01

Applications and modelling have gained a prominent role in mathematics education reform documents and curricula. Thus, there is a growing need for studies focusing on the effective use of mathematical modelling in classrooms. Assessment is an integral part of using modelling activities in classrooms, since it allows teachers to identify and manage problems that arise in various stages of the modelling process. However, teachers' difficulties in assessing student modelling work are a challenge to be considered when implementing modelling in the classroom. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers' knowledge on generating assessment criteria for assessing student competence in mathematical modelling evolved through a professional development programme, which is based on a lesson study approach and modelling perspective. The data was collected with four teachers from two public high schools over a five-month period. The professional development programme included a cyclical process, with each cycle consisting of an introductory meeting, the implementation of a model-eliciting activity with students, and a follow-up meeting. The results showed that the professional development programme contributed to teachers' knowledge for generating assessment criteria on the products, and the observable actions that affect the modelling cycle.

Community Dialogue to Shift Social Norms and Enable Family Planning: An Evaluation of the Family Planning Results Initiative in Kenya

PubMed Central

Creanga, Andreea A.; Galavotti, Christine; Wamalwa, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Introduction Use of family planning (FP) is powerfully shaped by social and gender norms, including the perceived acceptability of FP and gender roles that limit women’s autonomy and restrict communication and decision-making between men and women. This study evaluated an intervention that catalyzed ongoing community dialogues about gender and FP in Siaya county, Nyanza Province, Kenya. Specifically, we explored the changes in perceived acceptability of FP, gender norms and use of FP. Methods We used a mixed-method approach. Information on married men and women’s socio-demographic characteristics, pregnancy intentions, gender-related beliefs, FP knowledge, attitudes, and use were collected during county-representative, cross-sectional household surveys at baseline (2009; n11 = 650 women; n12 = 305 men) and endline (2012; n21 = 617 women; n22 = 317 men); exposure to the intervention was measured at endline. We assessed changes in FP use at endline vs. baseline, and fitted multivariate logistic regression models for FP use to examine its association with intervention exposure and explore other predictors of use at endline. In-depth, qualitative interviews with 10 couples at endline further explored enablers and barriers to FP use. Results At baseline, 34.0% of women and 27.9% of men used a modern FP method compared to 51.2% and 52.2%, respectively, at endline (p<0.05). Exposure to FP dialogues was associated with 1.78 (95% CI: 1.20–2.63) times higher odds of using a modern FP method at endline for women, but this association was not significant for men. Women’s use of modern FP was significantly associated with higher spousal communication, control over own cash earnings, and FP self-efficacy. Men who reported high approval of FP were significantly more likely to use modern FP if reporting high approval of FP and more equitable gender beliefs. FP dialogues addressed persistent myths and misconceptions, normalized FP discussions, and increased its acceptability. Public examples of couples making joint FP decisions legitimized communication and decision-making with spouses about FP especially for men; women described partner support as key enabler of FP use. Conclusions Our evaluation demonstrates that an intervention that catalyzes open dialogue about gender and FP can shift social norms, enable more equitable couple communication and decision-making and, ultimately, increase use of FP. PMID:27124177

Five Years of Research Into Technology-Enhanced Learning at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Svetský, Štefan; Moravčík, Oliver; Rusková, Dagmar; Balog, Karol; Sakál, Peter; Tanuška, Pavol

2011-01-01

The article describes a five-year period of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) implementation at the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology (MTF) in Trnava. It is a part of the challenges put forward by the 7th Framework Programme (ICT research in FP7) focused on "how information and communication technologies can be used to support learning and teaching". The empirical research during the years 2006-2008 was focused on technology-driven support of teaching, i. e. the development of VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) and the development of database applications such as instruments developed simultaneously with the information support of the project, and tested and applied directly in the teaching of bachelor students. During this period, the MTF also participated in the administration of the FP7 KEPLER project proposal in the international consortium of 20 participants. In the following period of 2009-2010, the concept of educational activities automation systematically began to develop. Within this concept, the idea originated to develop a universal multi-purpose system BIKE based on the batch processing knowledge paradigm. This allowed to focus more on educational approach, i.e. TEL educational-driven and to finish the programming of the Internet application - network for feedback (communication between teachers and students). Thanks to this specialization, the results of applications in the teaching at MTF could gradually be presented at the international conferences focused on computer-enhanced engineering education. TEL was implemented at a detached workplace and four institutes involving more than 600 students-bachelors and teachers of technical subjects. Four study programmes were supported, including technical English language. Altogether, the results have been presented via 16 articles in five countries, including the EU level (IGIP-SEFI).

The EU paediatric regulation: still a large discrepancy between therapeutic needs and approved paediatric investigation plans.

PubMed

Wimmer, Stefan; Rascher, Wolfgang; McCarthy, Suzanne; Neubert, Antje

2014-10-01

Prior to the implementation of the EU Paediatric Regulation, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) defined unmet paediatric needs for active substances already available on the market. Seven years after the Paediatric Regulation came into force, we investigated the extent to which previously identified needs have led to programmes for generating evidence necessary for the regulatory approval of medicines for managing childhood conditions. The websites of the EMA and the European Commission Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) were systematically screened to identify active substances from the assessment of paediatric needs, off-patent priority list, agreed Paediatric Investigation Plans (PIP) and 7th Framework Programme (FP7) projects related to paediatric medicines. A total of 357 active substances with paediatric needs were identified by June 2013. 511 PIPs were agreed by the Paediatric Committee at the EMA (PDCO), including 51 (14.3 %) PIPs for a previously identified need. Amongst those, 21 were off-patent at the time of the PIP approval, 15 of which received funding from the European Commission's FP7. According to the assessment of paediatric needs, evidence is particularly needed for active substances treating cardiovascular diseases (n = 61), cancer (n = 40) and in the field of anaesthesiology (n = 38). Whereas oncology drugs (n = 66) were frequently represented in PIPs, drugs for cardiovascular diseases (n = 39) and anaesthesiology (n = 3) rarely were. Most PIPs are attributable to marketing authorisations of new active substances, whereas off-patent drugs which are commonly used off-label remain unstudied to a large extent. More effort including ongoing research funding is essential to further regularise and standardise paediatric pharmacotherapy.

SBDN: an information portal on small bodies and interplanetary dust inside the Europlanet Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrini, Diego; de Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Carraro, Francesco; Fonte, Sergio; Giacomini, Livia; Politi, Romolo

In the framework of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6) for Research and Technological Development of the European Community, the Europlanet project started the Integrated and Distributed Information Service (IDIS) initiative. The goal of this initiative was to "...offer to the planetary science community a common and user-friendly access to the data and infor-mation produced by the various types of research activities: earth-based observations, space observations, modelling and theory, laboratory experiments...". Four scientific nodes, repre-sentative of a significant fraction of the scientific themes covered by planetary sciences, were created: the Interiors and Surfaces node, the Atmospheres node, the Plasma node and the Small Bodies and Dust node. The original Europlanet program evolved into the Europlanet Research Infrastructure project, funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development, and the IDIS initiative has been renewed with the addiction of a new scientific node, the Planetary Dynamics node. Here we present the Small Bodies and Dust node (SBDN) and the services it already provides to the scientific community, i.e. a searchable database of resources related to its thematic domains, an online and searchable cat-alogue of emission lines observed in the visible spectrum of comet 153P/2002 C1 Ikeya-Zhang supplemented by a visualization facility, a set of models of the simulated evolution of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with a particular focus on the effects of the distribution of dust and a information system on meteors through the Virtual Meteor Observatory. We will also introduce the new services that will be implemented and made available in the course of the Europlanet Research Infrastructure project.

ENLIGHT: European network for Light ion hadron therapy.

PubMed

Dosanjh, Manjit; Amaldi, Ugo; Mayer, Ramona; Poetter, Richard

2018-04-03

The European Network for Light Ion Hadron Therapy (ENLIGHT) was established in 2002 following various European particle therapy network initiatives during the 1980s and 1990s (e.g. EORTC task group, EULIMA/PIMMS accelerator design). ENLIGHT started its work on major topics related to hadron therapy (HT), such as patient selection, clinical trials, technology, radiobiology, imaging and health economics. It was initiated through CERN and ESTRO and dealt with various disciplines such as (medical) physics and engineering, radiation biology and radiation oncology. ENLIGHT was funded until 2005 through the EC FP5 programme. A regular annual meeting structure was started in 2002 and continues until today bringing together the various disciplines and projects and institutions in the field of HT at different European places for regular exchange of information on best practices and research and development. Starting in 2006 ENLIGHT coordination was continued through CERN in collaboration with ESTRO and other partners involved in HT. Major projects within the EC FP7 programme (2008-2014) were launched for R&D and transnational access (ULICE, ENVISION) and education and training networks (Marie Curie ITNs: PARTNER, ENTERVISION). These projects were instrumental for the strengthening of the field of hadron therapy. With the start of 4 European carbon ion and proton centres and the upcoming numerous European proton therapy centres, the future scope of ENLIGHT will focus on strengthening current and developing European particle therapy research, multidisciplinary education and training and general R&D in technology and biology with annual meetings and a continuously strong CERN support. Collaboration with the European Particle Therapy Network (EPTN) and other similar networks will be pursued. Copyright © 2018 CERN. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of a mental health teaching programme on adolescents.

PubMed

Naylor, Paul B; Cowie, Helen A; Walters, Stephen J; Talamelli, Lorenzo; Dawkins, Judith

2009-04-01

Child and adolescent mental health disorders are present in around 10% of the population. Research indicates that many young people possess negative attitudes towards mental health difficulties among peers. To assess the impact of a mental health teaching programme on adolescent pupils' understanding. Two-group pre-test-post-test control group study in two English secondary schools. Experimental classes (School E) received a six-lesson teaching intervention on mental health; control classes (School C) did not. Participants were 14- and 15-year-old pupils. The intervention consisted of six lessons on mental health issues common to young people: stress; depression; suicide/self-harm; eating disorders; being bullied; and intellectual disability. School C was given access to these lesson plans and materials on completion of the study. Understanding was measured at two time points, Time 1 (T(1)) and Time 2 (T(2)), 8 months apart, by a Mental Health Questionnaire. Behavioural, emotional and relationship strengths and difficulties were measured by the self-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) with five subscales: hyperactivity, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems and prosocial behaviour. At T(2), pupils in School E compared with those in School C showed significantly more sensitivity and empathy towards people with mental health difficulties. They also used significantly fewer pejorative expressions to describe mental health difficulties. There was a significant reduction in SDQ scores on conduct problems and a significant increase on prosocial behaviour among School E pupils compared with controls. Pupils valued the intervention highly, in particular the lessons on suicide/self-harm. Teaching 14- and 15-year-olds about mental health difficulties helps to reduce stigma by increasing knowledge and promoting positive attitudes. The intervention also reduced self-reported conduct problems and increased prosocial behaviour. Generally, participating pupils were positive about the importance of lessons on mental health, and said that they had learnt much about the lesson topics.

Key principles to improve programmes and interventions in complementary feeding.

PubMed

Lutter, Chessa K; Iannotti, Lora; Creed-Kanashiro, Hilary; Guyon, Agnes; Daelmans, Bernadette; Robert, Rebecca; Haider, Rukhsana

2013-09-01

Although there are some examples of successful complementary feeding programmes to promote healthy growth and prevent stunting at the community level, to date there are few, if any, examples of successful programmes at scale. A lack of systematic process and impact evaluations on pilot projects to generate lessons learned has precluded scaling up of effective programmes. Programmes to effect positive change in nutrition rarely follow systematic planning, implementation, and evaluation (PIE) processes to enhance effectiveness over the long term. As a result a set of programme-oriented key principles to promote healthy growth remains elusive. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by proposing a set of principles to improve programmes and interventions to promote healthy growth and development. Identifying such principles for programme success has three requirements: rethinking traditional paradigms used to promote improved infant and young child feeding; ensuring better linkages to delivery platforms; and, improving programming. Following the PIE model for programmes and learning from experiences from four relatively large-scale programmes described in this paper, 10 key principles are identified in the areas of programme planning, programme implementation, programme evaluation, and dissemination, replication, and scaling up. Nonetheless, numerous operational research questions remain, some of which are highlighted in this paper. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prototype pushing robot for emplacing vitrified waste canisters into horizontal disposal drifts

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

Londe, L.; Seidler, W.K.; Bosgiraud, J.M.

2007-07-01

Within the French Underground Disposal concept, as described in ANDRA's (Agence Nationale pour la Gestion des Dechets Radioactifs) Dossier 2005, the Pushing Robot is an application envisaged for the emplacement (and the potential retrieval) of 'Vitrified waste packages', also called 'C type packages'. ANDRA has developed a Prototype Pushing Robot within the framework of the ESDRED Project (Engineering Studies and Demonstration of Repository Design) which is co-funded by the European Commission as part of the sixth EURATOM Research and Training Framework Programme (FP6) on nuclear energy (2002 - 2006). The Rationale of the Pushing Robot technology comes from various considerations,more » including the need for (1) a simple and robust system, capable of moving (and potentially retrieving) on up to 40 metres (m), a 2 tonne C type package (mounted on ceramic sliding runners) inside the carbon steel sleeve constituting the liner (and rock support) of a horizontal disposal cell, (2) small annular clearances between the package and the liner, (3) compactness of the device to be transferred from surface to underground, jointly with the package, inside a shielding cask, and (4) remote controlled operations for the sake of radioprotection. The initial design, based on gripping supports, has been replaced by a 'technical variant' based on inflatable toric jacks. It was then possible, using a test bench, to check that the Pushing Robot worked properly. Steps as high as 7 mm were successfully cleared by a dummy package pushed by the Prototype.. Based on the lessons learned by ANDRA's regarding the Prototype Pushing Robot, a new Scope of Work is being written for the Contract concerning an Industrial Scale Demonstrator. The Industrial Scale Demonstration should be completed by the end of the second Quarter of 2008. (authors)« less

Twenty-five years of the WHO vaccines prequalification programme (1987-2012): lessons learned and future perspectives.

PubMed

Dellepiane, Nora; Wood, David

2015-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) vaccines prequalification programme was established in 1987. It is a service provided to United Nations procurement agencies to ensure that the vaccines supplied through these agencies are consistently safe and effective under conditions of use in national immunization programmes. This review describes the purpose and aims of the programme, its evolution during 25 years of existence, its added value, and its role in the context of the WHO strategy to ensure the global availability of vaccines of assured quality. The rationale for changes introduced during the implementation of the programme is provided. The paper also discusses the resources involved, both human and financial, its performance, strengths and weaknesses and steps taken to maximize its efficiency. This historical perspective is used to inform proposed future changes to the service. Copyright © 2013 World Health Organization. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Lessons from the organisation of the UK medical services deployed in support of Operation TELIC (Iraq) and Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan).

PubMed

Bricknell, Martin C M; Nadin, M

2017-08-01

This paper provides the definitive record of the UK Defence Medical Services (DMS) lessons from the organisation of medical services in support of Operation (Op) TELIC (Iraq) and Op HERRICK (Afghanistan). The analysis involved a detailed review of the published academic literature, internal post-operational tour reports and post-tour interviews. The list of lessons was reviewed through three Military Judgement Panel cycles producing the single synthesis ' the golden thread ' and eight ' silver bullets ' as themes to institutionalise the learning to deliver the golden thread. One additional theme, mentoring indigenous healthcare systems and providers, emerged as a completely new capability requirement. The DMS has established a programme of work to implement these lessons. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

EUTEMPE-RX, an EC supported FP7 project for the training and education of medical physics experts in radiology.

PubMed

Bosmans, H; Bliznakova, K; Padovani, R; Christofides, S; Van Peteghem, N; Tsapaki, V; Caruana, C J; Vassileva, J

2015-07-01

The core activity of the medical physics expert (MPE) is to ensure optimal use of ionising radiation in healthcare. It is essential that these healthcare professionals are trained to the highest level, defined as European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF) level 8 by the European Commission's Radiation Protection Report 174 'Guidelines on the MPE'. The main objective of the EUTEMPE-RX project is to provide a model training scheme that allows the medical physicist in diagnostic and interventional radiology (D&IR) to reach this high level. A European network of partners was brought together in this FP7 EC project to ensure sufficient expertise in all aspects of the subject and to create a harmonised course programme. Targeted participants are medical physicists in D&IR in hospitals, engineers and scientists in medical device industries and officers working in regulatory authorities. Twelve course modules will be developed at EQF level 8, with radiation safety and diagnostic effectiveness being prevalent subjects. The modules will combine online with face-to-face teaching using a blended learning approach. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Cigarette taxation in China: lessons from international experiences

PubMed Central

Hu, T.

1997-01-01

This paper draws upon the experiences of foreign countries in implementing tobacco taxation to provide lessons the Chinese government can use when considering the feasibility of raising additional taxes on cigarettes. Based on current international data and Chinese published data, this paper concludes that there is still leeway to raise existing taxes. The Chinese government should consider conducting some pilot experiments in tobacco tax increases, with some of the new revenues allocated for tobacco control programmes as well as for financing healthcare services among the poor. 


 PMID:9291224

Initiating or changing to a fixed-dose combination of Fluticasone propionate/Formoterol over Fluticasone propionate/Salmeterol: A real-life effectiveness and cost impact evaluation.

PubMed

Wan Yau Ming, Simon; Haughney, John; Small, Iain; Wolfe, Stephanie; Hamill, John; Gruffydd-Jones, Kevin; Daly, Cathal; Soriano, Joan B; Gardener, Elizabeth; Skinner, Derek; Stagno d'Alcontres, Martina; Price, David B

2017-08-01

Asthma has a substantial impact on quality of life and health care resources. The identification of a more cost-effective, yet equally efficacious, treatment could positively influence the economic burden of this disease. Fluticasone propionate/Formoterol (FP/FOR) may be as effective as Fluticasone Salmeterol (FP/SAL). We evaluated non-inferiority of asthma control in terms of the proportion of patients free from exacerbations, and conducted a cost impact analysis. This historical, matched cohort database study evaluated two treatment groups in the Optimum Patient Care Research Database in the UK: 1) an FP/FOR cohort of patients initiating treatment with FP/FOR or changing from FP/SAL to FP/FOR and; 2) an FP/SAL cohort comprising patients initiating, or remaining on FP/SAL pMDI combination therapy. The main outcome evaluated non-inferiority of effectiveness (defined as prevention of severe exacerbations, lower limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) of the mean difference between groups in patient proportions with no exacerbations is -3.5% or higher) in patients treated with FP/FOR versus FP/SAL. After matching 1:3, we studied a total of 2472 patients: 618 in the FP/FOR cohort (174 patients initiated on FP/FOR and 444 patients changed to FP/FOR) and 1854 in the FP/SAL cohort (522 patients initiated FP/SAL and 1332 continued FP/SAL). The percentage of patients prescribed FP/FOR met non-inferiority as the adjusted mean difference in proportion of no severe exacerbations (95%CI) was 0.008 (-0.032, 0.047) between the two cohorts. No other significant differences were observed except acute respiratory event rates, which were lower for patients prescribed FP/FOR (rate ratio [RR] 0.82, 95% CI 0.71, 0.94). Changing to, or initiating FP/FOR combination therapy, is associated with a non-inferior proportion of patients who are severe exacerbation-free at a lower average annual cost compared with continuing or initiating treatment with FP/SAL. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glycopyrronium once-daily significantly improves lung function and health status when combined with salmeterol/fluticasone in patients with COPD: the GLISTEN study—a randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Frith, Peter A; Thompson, Philip J; Ratnavadivel, Rajeev; Chang, Catherina L; Bremner, Peter; Day, Peter; Frenzel, Christina; Kurstjens, Nicol

2015-01-01

Background The optimal use of various therapeutic combinations for moderate/severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unclear. The GLISTEN trial compared the efficacy of two long-acting anti-muscarinic antagonists (LAMA), when combined with an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting β2 agonist (LABA). Methods This randomised, blinded, placebo-controlled trial in moderate/severe COPD patients compared once-daily glycopyrronium (GLY) 50 µg, once-daily tiotropium (TIO) 18 µg or placebo (PLA), when combined with salmeterol/fluticasone propionate (SAL/FP) 50/500 µg twice daily. The primary objective was to determine the non-inferiority of GLY+SAL/FP versus TIO+SAL/FP on trough FEV1 after 12 weeks. An important secondary objective was whether addition of GLY to SAL/FP was better than SAL/FP alone. Results 773 patients (mean FEV1 57.2% predicted) were randomised; 84.9% completed the trial. At week 12, GLY+SAL/FP demonstrated non-inferiority to TIO+SAL/FP for trough FEV1: least square mean treatment difference (LSMdiff) −7 mL (SE 17.4) with a lower limit for non-inferiority of −60 mL. There was significant increase in week 12 trough FEV1 with GLY+SAL/FP versus PLA+SAL/FP (LSMdiff 101 mL, p<0.001). At 12 weeks, GLY+SAL/FP produced significant improvement in St George's Respiratory Questionnaire total score versus PLA+SAL/FP (LSMdiff −2.154, p=0.02). GLY+SAL/FP demonstrated significant rescue medication reduction versus PLA+SAL/FP (LSMdiff −0.72 puffs/day, p<0.001). Serious adverse events were similar for GLY+SAL/FP, TIO+SAL/FP and PLA+SAL/FP with an incidence of 5.8%, 8.5% and 5.8%, respectively. Conclusions GLY+SAL/FP showed comparable improvements in lung function, health status and rescue medication to TIO+SAL/FP. Importantly, addition of GLY to SAL/FP demonstrated significant improvements in lung function, health status and rescue medication compared to SAL/FP. Trial registration number NCT01513460. PMID:25841237

New approaches in human health risk assessment

PubMed Central

Abass, Khaled; Carlsen, Anders; Rautio, Arja

2016-01-01

Studies on the precise impact of environmental pollutants on human health are difficult to undertake and interpret, because many genetic and environmental factors influence health at the same time and to varying degrees. Our chapter in the AMAP report was based on new approaches to describe risks and future needs. In this paper, we will introduce the issues associated with risk assessment of single chemicals, and present suggestions for future studies as well as a summary of lessons learned during the health-related parts of the European Union-funded FP7 project ArcRisk (Arctic Health Risks: Impacts on health in the Arctic and Europe owing to climate-induced changes in contaminant cycling, 2009–2014; www.arcrisk.eu). PMID:27974141

Hilbert-Huang Transformation Based Analyses of FP1, FP2, and Fz Electroencephalogram Signals in Alcoholism.

PubMed

Lin, Chin-Feng; Su, Jiun-Yi; Wang, Hao-Min

2015-09-01

Chronic alcoholism may damage the central nervous system, causing imbalance in the excitation-inhibition homeostasis in the cortex, which may lead to hyper-arousal of the central nervous system, and impairments in cognitive function. In this paper, we use the Hilbert-Huang transformation (HHT) method to analyze the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals from control and alcoholic observers who watched two different pictures. We examined the intrinsic mode function (IMF) based energy distribution features of FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals in the time and frequency domains for alcoholics. The HHT-based characteristics of the IMFs, the instantaneous frequencies, and the time-frequency-energy distributions of the IMFs of the clinical FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals recorded from normal and alcoholic observers who watched two different pictures were analyzed. We observed that the number of peak amplitudes of the alcoholic subjects is larger than that of the control. In addition, the Pearson correlation coefficients of the IMFs, and the energy-IMF distributions of the clinical FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals recorded from normal and alcoholic observers were analyzed. The analysis results show that the energy ratios of IMF4, IMF5, and IMF7 waves of the normal observers to the refereed total energy were larger than 10 %, respectively. In addition, the energy ratios of IMF3, IMF4, and IMF5 waves of the alcoholic observers to the refereed total energy were larger than 10 %. The FP1 and FP2 waves of the normal observers, the FP1 and FP2 waves of the alcoholic observers, and the FP1 and Fz waves of the alcoholic observers demonstrated extremely high correlations. On the other hand, the FP1 waves of the normal and alcoholic observers, the FP1 wave of the normal observer and the FP2 wave of the alcoholic observer, the FP1 wave of the normal observer and the Fz wave of the alcoholic observer, the FP2 waves of the normal and alcoholic FP2 observers, and the FP2 wave of the normal observer and the Fz wave of the alcoholic observer demonstrated extremely low correlations. The IMF4 of the FP1 and FP2 signals of the normal observer, and the IMF5 of the FP1 and FP2 signals of the alcoholic observer were correlated. The IMF4 of the FP1 signal of the normal observer and that of the FP2 signal of the alcoholic observer as well as the IMF5 of the FP1 signal of the normal observer and that of the FP2 signal of the alcoholic observer exhibited extremely low correlations. In this manner, our experiment leads to a better understanding of the HHT-based IMFs features of FP1, FP2, and Fz EEG signals in alcoholism. The analysis results show that the energy ratios of the wave of an alcoholic observer to its refereed total energy for IMF4, and IMF5 in the δ band for FP1, FP2, and Fz channels were larger than those of the respective waves of the normal observer. The alcoholic EEG signals constitute more than 1 % of the total energy in the δ wave, and the reaction times were 0_4, 4_8, 8_12, and 12_16 s. For normal EEG signals, more than 1 % of the total energy is distributed in the δ wave, with a reaction time 0 to 4 s. We observed that the alcoholic subject reaction times were slower than those of the normal subjects, and the alcoholic subjects could have experienced a cognitive error. This phenomenon is due to the intoxicated central nervous systems of the alcoholic subjects.

Estimating the size of key populations at higher risk of HIV infection: a summary of experiences and lessons presented during a technical meeting on size estimation among key populations in Asian countries

PubMed Central

Calleja, Jesus Maria Garcia; Zhao, Jinkou; Reddy, Amala; Seguy, Nicole

2014-01-01

Problem Size estimates of key populations at higher risk of HIV exposure are recognized as critical for understanding the trajectory of the HIV epidemic and planning and monitoring an effective response, especially for countries with concentrated and low epidemics such as those in Asia. Context To help countries estimate population sizes of key populations, global guidelines were updated in 2011 to reflect new technical developments and recent field experiences in applying these methods. Action In September 2013, a meeting of programme managers and experts experienced with population size estimates (PSE) for key populations was held for 13 Asian countries. This article summarizes the key results presented, shares practical lessons learnt and reviews the methodological approaches from implementing PSE in 13 countries. Lessons learnt It is important to build capacity to collect, analyse and use PSE data; establish a technical review group; and implement a transparent, well documented process. Countries should adapt global PSE guidelines and maintain operational definitions that are more relevant and useable for country programmes. Development of methods for non-venue-based key populations requires more investment and collaborative efforts between countries and among partners. PMID:25320676

Public health genomics and personalized prevention: lessons from the COGS project.

PubMed

Pashayan, N; Hall, A; Chowdhury, S; Dent, T; Pharoah, P D P; Burton, H

2013-11-01

Using the principles of public health genomics, we examined the opportunities and challenges of implementing personalized prevention programmes for cancer at the population level. Our model-based estimates indicate that polygenic risk stratification can potentially improve the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of screening programmes. However, compared with 'one-size-fits-all' screening programmes, personalized screening adds further layers of complexity to the organization of screening services and raises ethical, legal and social challenges. Before polygenic inheritance is translated into population screening strategy, evidence from empirical research and engagement with and education of the public and the health professionals are needed. © 2013 The Association for the Publication of the Journal of Internal Medicine.

An evaluation of a public health practitioner registration programme: lessons learned for workforce development.

PubMed

Rahman, Em; Wills, Jane

2014-09-01

This article explores the lessons learned for workforce development from an evaluation of a regional programme to support the assessment and registration of public health practitioners to the UK Public Health Register (UKPHR) in England. A summative and process evaluation of the public health practitioner programme in Wessex was adopted. Data collection was by an online survey of 32 public health practitioners in the Wessex area and semi-structured interviews with 53 practitioners, programme support, employers and system leaders. All survey respondents perceived regulation of the public health workforce as very important or important. Managers and system leaders saw a register of those fit to practise and able to define themselves as a public health practitioner as a necessary assurance of quality for the public. Yet, because registration is voluntary for practitioners, less value was currently placed on this than on completing a master's qualification. The local programme supports practitioners in the compilation of a retrospective portfolio of evidence that demonstrates fitness to practise; practitioners and managers stated that this does not support current and future learning needs or the needs of those working at a senior level. One of the main purposes of statutory regulation of professionals is to protect the public by an assurance of fitness to practise where there is a potential for harm. The widening role for public health practitioners without any regulation means that there is the risk of inappropriate interventions or erroneous advice. Regulators, policy makers and system leaders need to consider how they can support the development of the public health workforce to gain professional recognition at all levels of public health, including practitioners alongside specialists, and support a professional career framework for the public health system. © Royal Society for Public Health 2014.

Adults with mild intellectual disabilities: can their reading comprehension ability be improved?

PubMed

van den Bos, K P; Nakken, H; Nicolay, P G; van Houten, E J

2007-11-01

Adults with a mild intellectual disability (ID) often show poor decoding and reading comprehension skills. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of teaching text comprehension strategies to these adults. Specific research goals were to determine (1) the effects of two instruction conditions, i.e. strategy instruction to individuals and strategy instruction in small groups in a reciprocal teaching context; (2) intervention programme effects on specific strategy tests (so-called direct effects), and possible differences between strategies; (3) (long-term) transfer effects of the programme on general reading comprehension ability; and (4) the regression of general text comprehension by the variables of technical reading, IQ, reading comprehension of sentences (RCS), and pretest and posttest scores on the strategies taught. In total, 38 adults (age range 20-72 years; mean age of 36 years) with ID participated in the study. IQs ranged from 45 to 69 with a mean IQ of 58. The intervention programme involved 15 weekly lessons of 1 h each, taught during 3 months. Blocks of lessons included each of Brown and Palincsar's strategies of summarizing, questioning, clarifying and predicting, as participants read and studied narrative and expository texts. Results indicated no significant difference between group and individual instruction conditions. Second, direct programme effects - as determined by posttest-pretest contrasts for strategy tests - were substantial, except for the questioning strategy. Third, even more substantial was the transfer effect to general text comprehension. Moreover, the results on this test were well maintained at a follow-up test. Finally, the variance of general reading comprehension ability was best explained by the test of RCS, and only moderately by the strategies trained. The presently used intervention programme provides a good starting point for adults with ID to become better readers.

Lessons learned from stakeholder-driven sustainability analysis of six national HIV programmes.

PubMed

Katz, Itamar; Glandon, Douglas; Wong, Wendy; Kargbo, Brima; Ombam, Regina; Singh, Shanti; Ramsammy, Leslie; Tal-Dia, Anta; Seck, Ibrahima; Osika, John S

2014-05-01

In light of the decline in donor HIV funding, HIV programmes increasingly need to assess their available and potential resources and maximize their utilization. This article presents lessons learned related to how countries have addressed the sustainability of HIV programmes in a stakeholder-driven sustainability analysis. During HIV/AIDS Programme Sustainability Analysis Tool (HAPSAT) applications in six countries (Benin, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and South Sudan), stakeholders identified key sustainability challenges for their HIV responses. Possible policy approaches were prepared, and those related to prioritization and resource mobilization are analysed in this article. The need to prioritize evidence-based interventions and apply efficiency measures is being accepted by countries. Five of the six countries in this study requested that the HAPSAT team prepare 'prioritization' strategies. Countries recognize the need to prepare for an alternative to 'universal access by 2015', acknowledging that their capacity might be insufficient to reach such high-coverage levels by then. There is further acceptance of the importance of reaching the most-at-risk, marginalized populations, as seen, for example, in South Sudan and Sierra Leone. However, the pace at which resources are shifting towards these populations is slow. Finally, only two of the six countries, Kenya and Benin, chose to examine options for generating additional financial resources beyond donor funding. In Kenya, three non-donor sources were recommended, yet even if all were to be implemented, it would cover only 25% of the funding needed. Countries are increasingly willing to address the challenges of HIV programme sustainability, yet in different ways and with varying urgency. To secure achievements made to date and maximize future impact, countries would benefit from strengthening their strategic plans, operational plans and funding proposals with concrete timelines and responsibilities for addressing sustainability issues.

Case descriptions of fibropapillomatosis in rehabilitating loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta in the southeastern USA.

PubMed

Page-Karjian, Annie; Norton, Terry M; Harms, Craig; Mader, Doug; Herbst, Larry H; Stedman, Nancy; Gottdenker, Nicole L

2015-08-20

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating neoplastic disease that affects all species of hard-shelled sea turtles, including loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta. FP can represent an important clinical concern in rehabilitating turtles, since managing these infectious lesions often requires special husbandry provisions including quarantine, and FP may affect clinical progression, extend rehabilitation duration, and complicate prognoses. Here we describe cases of rehabilitating loggerhead turtles with FP (designated FP+). Medical records of FP+ loggerhead cases from 3 sea turtle rehabilitation facilities in the southeastern USA were reviewed. Between 2001 and 2014, FP was observed in 8 of 818 rehabilitating loggerhead turtles (0.98% overall prevalence in admitted patients). FP+ loggerhead size classes represented were large juvenile (straight carapace length, SCL: 58.1-80 cm; n=7) and adult (SCL>87 cm; n=1). Three turtles presented with FP, and 5 developed tumors during rehabilitation within a range of 45 to 319 d. Sites of new tumor growth included the eyes, sites of trauma, neck, and glottis. FP+ turtles were scored as mildly (3/8), moderately (4/8), or heavily (1/8) afflicted. The mean total time in rehabilitation was 476±355 d (SD) (range: 52-1159 d). Six turtles were released without visible evidence of FP, 1 turtle was released with mild FP, and 1 turtle with internal FP was euthanized. Clinical decision-making for FP+ loggerhead patients can be aided by such information as time to tumor development, anatomic locations to monitor for new tumor growth, husbandry considerations, diagnostic and treatment options, and comparisons to FP in rehabilitating green turtles Chelonia mydas.

Effect of postpartum suppression of ovulation on uterine involution in dairy cows.

PubMed

Heppelmann, M; Brömmling, A; Weinert, M; Piechotta, M; Wrenzycki, C; Bollwein, H

2013-09-15

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of time of first postpartum ovulation after calving on uterine involution in dairy cows with and without uterine puerperal disease. Transvaginal follicular puncture (FP) of follicles >6 mm suppressed ovulation and development of a CL until Day 42 after calving. Fifty-three lactating Holstein Friesian cows (3.4 ± 1.2 years old, parity 2.5 ± 1.0 [median ± mean absolute deviation]) were divided into groups on the basis of the presence (UD+) or absence (UD-) of uterine disease and whether FP was carried out (FP+) or not (FP-). Uterine disease was defined as the occurrence of retained fetal membranes and/or metritis. This resulted in the following groups: UD-FP- (n = 15), UD-FP+ (n = 13), UD+FP- (n = 13), and UD+FP+ (n = 12). A general examination, vaginoscopy, transrectal palpation, and transrectal B-mode sonography of the reproductive organs were conducted on Days 8, 11, 18, and 25 and then every 10 days until Day 65 after calving. After hormonal synchronization of ovulation (cloprostenol between Days 55 and 60 postpartum and GnRH 2 days later), cows were inseminated in the next spontaneous estrus. On average, the cows ovulated on Day 21.0 ± 6.0 (UD-FP-), 50.0 ± 4.0 (UD-FP+), 16.0 ± 3.0 (UD+FP-), and 48.0 ± 2.0 (UD+FP+) postpartum. Calving-to-conception interval and first-service conception rates were not affected by FP (P > 0.05). Healthy cows with FP had smaller (P < 0.05) uterine horn and cervical diameters assessed sonographically than cows without FP. FP reduced the prevalence of purulent vaginal discharge and uterine size assessed transrectally in UD+ cows (P < 0.05). The results showed that suppression of an early ovulation by transvaginal FP improved uterine involution in cows with and without uterine disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lessons in empowerment.

PubMed

Shaw, Alan

Leading an Empowered Organisation (LEO) is a three-day programme of individual and group work that aims to improve managerial skills. The course encourages participants to move away from autocratic management styles and embrace a new approach that is based on empowering all staff and strengthening communication in the workplace.

Professional Learning: Lessons for Supervision from Doctoral Examining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisker, Gina; Kiley, Margaret

2014-01-01

Most research into research supervision practice focuses on functional, collegial or problematic power-related experiences. Work developing the supervisory role concentrates on new supervisors, and on taught development and support programmes. Most literature on academics' professional learning concentrates on learning to be a university teacher…

The value of demonstration projects for new interventions: The case of human papillomavirus vaccine introduction in low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Howard, N; Mounier-Jack, S; Gallagher, K E; Kabakama, S; Griffiths, U K; Feletto, M; LaMontagne, D S; Burchett, H E D; Watson-Jones, D

2016-09-01

Demonstration projects or pilots of new public health interventions aim to build learning and capacity to inform country-wide implementation. Authors examined the value of HPV vaccination demonstration projects and initial national programmes in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, including potential drawbacks and how value for national scale-up might be increased. Data from a systematic review and key informant interviews, analyzed thematically, included 55 demonstration projects and 8 national programmes implemented between 2007-2015 (89 years' experience). Initial demonstration projects quickly provided consistent lessons. Value would increase if projects were designed to inform sustainable national scale-up. Well-designed projects can test multiple delivery strategies, implementation for challenging areas and populations, and integration with national systems. Introduction of vaccines or other health interventions, particularly those involving new target groups or delivery strategies, needs flexible funding approaches to address specific questions of scalability and sustainability, including learning lessons through phased national expansion.

Lessons learned in using realist evaluation to assess maternal and newborn health programming in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Adams, Alayne; Sedalia, Saroj; McNab, Shanon; Sarker, Malabika

2016-03-01

Realist evaluation furnishes valuable insight to public health practitioners and policy makers about how and why interventions work or don't work. Moving beyond binary measures of success or failure, it provides a systematic approach to understanding what goes on in the 'Black Box' and how implementation decisions in real life contexts can affect intervention effectiveness. This paper reflects on an experience in applying the tenets of realist evaluation to identify optimal implementation strategies for scale-up of Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) programmes in rural Bangladesh. Supported by UNICEF, the three MNH programmes under consideration employed different implementation models to deliver similar services and meet similar MNH goals. Programme targets included adoption of recommended antenatal, post-natal and essential newborn care practices; health systems strengthening through improved referral, accountability and administrative systems, and increased community knowledge. Drawing on focused examples from this research, seven steps for operationalizing the realist evaluation approach are offered, while emphasizing the need to iterate and innovate in terms of methods and analysis strategies. The paper concludes by reflecting on lessons learned in applying realist evaluation, and the unique insights it yields regarding implementation strategies for successful MNH programming. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Retreat from Alma Ata? The WHO's report on Task Shifting to community health workers for AIDS care in poor countries.

PubMed

Campbell, C; Scott, K

2011-01-01

This paper examines the potential of community health worker (CHW) programmes, as proposed by the 2008 World Health Organisation (WHO) document Task Shifting to tackle health worker shortages, to contribute to HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and various Millennium Development Goals in low-income countries. It examines the WHO proposal through a literature review of factors that have facilitated the success of previous CHW experiences. The WHO has taken account of five key lessons learnt from past CHW programmes (the need for strong management, appropriate selection, suitable training, adequate retention structures and good relationships with other healthcare workers). It has, however, neglected to emphasise the importance of a sixth lesson, the 'community embeddedness' of CHWs, found to be of critical importance to the success of past CHW programmes. We have no doubt that the WHO plans will increase the number of workers able to perform medically oriented tasks. However, we argue that without community embeddedness, CHWs will be unable to successfully perform the socially oriented tasks assigned to them by the WHO, such as health education and counselling. We locate the WHO's neglect of community embeddedness within the context of a broader global public health trend away from community-focused primary healthcare towards biomedically focused selective healthcare.

Exploring the Feasibility of Service Integration in a Low-Income Setting: A Mixed Methods Investigation into Different Models of Reproductive Health and HIV Care in Swaziland

PubMed Central

Church, Kathryn; Wringe, Alison; Lewin, Simon; Ploubidis, George B.; Fakudze, Phelele; Mayhew, Susannah H.

2015-01-01

Integrating reproductive health (RH) with HIV care is a policy priority in high HIV prevalence settings, despite doubts surrounding its feasibility and varying evidence of effects on health outcomes. The process and outcomes of integrated RH-HIV care were investigated in Swaziland, through a comparative case study of four service models, ranging from fully integrated to fully stand-alone HIV services, selected purposively within one town. A client exit survey (n=602) measured integrated care received and unmet family planning (FP) needs. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the degree of integration per clinic and client demand for services. Logistic regression modelling was used to test the hypothesis that clients at more integrated sites had lower unmet FP needs than clients in a stand-alone site. Qualitative methods included in-depth interviews with clients and providers to explore contextual factors influencing the feasibility of integrated RH-HIV care delivery; data were analysed thematically, combining deductive and inductive approaches. Results demonstrated that clinic models were not as integrated in practice as had been claimed. Fragmentation of HIV care was common. Services accessed per provider were no higher at the more integrated clinics compared to stand-alone models (p>0.05), despite reported demand. While women at more integrated sites received more FP and pregnancy counselling than stand-alone models, they received condoms (a method of choice) less often, and there was no statistical evidence of difference in unmet FP needs by model of care. Multiple contextual factors influenced integration practices, including provider de-skilling within sub-specialist roles; norms of task-oriented routinised HIV care; perceptions of heavy client loads; imbalanced client-provider interactions hindering articulation of RH needs; and provider motivation challenges. Thus, despite institutional support, factors related to the social context of care inhibited provision of fully integrated RH-HIV services in these clinics. Programmes should move beyond simplistic training and equipment provision if integrated care interventions are to be sustained. PMID:25978632

Metabolic risk management, physical exercise and lifestyle counselling in low-active adults: controlled randomized trial (BELLUGAT).

PubMed

Ensenyat, Assumpta; Espigares-Tribo, Gemma; Machado, Leonardo; Verdejo, Francisco José; Rodriguez-Arregui, Rosa; Serrano, José; Miret, Marta; Galindo, Gisela; Blanco, Alfonso; Marsal, Josep-Ramon; Sarriegui, Susana; Sinfreu-Bergues, Xenia; Serra-Paya, Noemi

2017-03-14

The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of different doses (intensity) of supervised exercise training - concomitant with lifestyle counselling - as a primary care intervention tool for the management of metabolic syndrome risk factors in low-active adults with one or more such factors (programme name in Catalan: Bellugat de CAP a peus). Three-arm, randomized controlled clinical trial implemented in the primary care setting, with a duration of 40 weeks (16 weeks intervention and 24-week follow-up). Adults aged 30 to 55 years with metabolic risk factors will be randomized into three intervention groups: 1) aerobic interval training (16 supervised training lessons) plus a healthy lifestyle counselling programme (6 group and 3 individual meetings); 2) low-to-moderate intensity continuous training (16 supervised training lessons) plus the same counselling programme; or 3) the counselling- programme without any supervised physical exercise. The main output variables assessed will be risk factors for metabolic syndrome (waist circumference, blood pressure, and levels of plasma triglycerides, high-density lipoproteins and glucose), systemic inflammation, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity and sedentary behaviour, dietary habits, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy and empowerment. Economic factors will also be analysed in order to determine the cost-effectiveness of the programme. These variables will be assessed three times during the study: at baseline, at the end of the intervention, and at follow-up. We estimate to recruit 35 participants per group. The results of this study will provide insight into the immediate and medium-term effects on metabolic risk and lifestyle of a combined approach involving aerobic interval training and a multidisciplinary behavioural intervention. If effective, the proposed intervention would provide both researchers and practitioners in this field with a platform on which to develop similar intervention programmes for tackling the repercussions of an unhealthy lifestyle. Clinical trials.gov. NTC02832453 . Registered 6 July 2016 (retrospectively registered).

Mixed methods evaluation of the Getting it Right First Time programme - improvements to NHS orthopaedic care in England: study protocol.

PubMed

Barratt, Helen; Turner, Simon; Hutchings, Andrew; Pizzo, Elena; Hudson, Emma; Briggs, Tim; Hurd, Rob; Day, Jamie; Yates, Rachel; Gikas, Panagiotis; Morris, Stephen; Fulop, Naomi J; Raine, Rosalind

2017-01-23

Orthopaedic procedures, such as total hip replacement and total knee replacement, are among the commonest surgical procedures in England. The Getting it Right First Time project (GIRFT) aims to deliver improvements in quality and reductions in the cost of NHS orthopaedic care across the country. We will examine whether the planned changes have delivered improvements in the quality of care and patient outcomes. We will also study the processes involved in developing and implementing changes to care, and professional and organisational factors influencing these processes. In doing so, we will identify lessons to guide future improvement work in other services. We will evaluate the implementation of the GIRFT programme, and its impact on outcomes and cost, using a mixed methods design. Qualitative methods will be used to understand the programme theory underlying the approach and study the effect of the intervention on practice, using a case study approach. This will include an analysis of the central GIRFT programme and local provider responses. Data will be collected via semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and documentary analysis. Quantitative methods will be used to examine 'what works and at what cost?' We will also conduct focus groups with patients and members of the public to explore their perceptions of the GIRFT programme. The research will draw on theories of adoption, diffusion, and sustainability of innovation; its characteristics; and contextual factors at provider-level that influence implementation. We will identify generalisable lessons to inform the organisation and delivery of future improvement programmes, to optimise their implementation and impact, both within the UK and internationally. Potential challenges involved in conducting the evaluation include the phased implementation of the intervention in different provider organisations; the inclusion of both retrospective and prospective components; and the effects of ongoing organisational turbulence in the English NHS. However, these issues reflect the realities of service change and its evaluation.

Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of GSK961081, a novel inhaled muscarinic antagonist β2 -agonist, and fluticasone propionate administered alone, concurrently and as a combination blend formulation in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Norris, Virginia; Ambery, Claire; Riley, Trevor

2014-07-01

To investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of inhaled GSK961081 and fluticasone propionate (FP) given alone, concurrently and as a combination blend formulation. The study was double-blind, double-dummy, four-way crossover. Twenty-four healthy volunteers took single doses of the following in randomized order: (1) GSK961081 800 µg; (2) FP 500 µg; (3) GSK961081 800 µg and FP 500 µg as a blend formulation; and (4) GSK961081 800 µg and FP 500 µg concurrently via separate inhalers. The eLung breathing simulator was also used for the in vitro characterization of the formulations. There was no pharmacokinetic interaction when GSK961081 and FP were administered concurrently. Mean Cmax and AUC(0-t) of GSK961081 were lower (∼20%) and mean Cmax and AUC(0-t) of FP were higher (two fold) following GSK961081/FP blend formulation compared to concurrent or the individual components alone. There was an increase in the FP in vitro ex-throat dose for the GSK961081/FP blend from the eLung breathing simulator. Serum cortisol suppression was greater with GSK961081/FP blend, with lower (∼10%) cortisol levels than after GSK961081 + FP concurrent or FP alone. GSK961081/FP blend formulation was associated with an increase in FP systemic exposure and greater serum cortisol suppression. © 2014, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

'Midwives are the backbone of our health system': lessons from Afghanistan to guide expansion of midwifery in challenging settings.

PubMed

Turkmani, Sabera; Currie, Sheena; Mungia, Jaime; Assefi, Nassim; Javed Rahmanzai, Ahmed; Azfar, Pashtun; Bartlett, Linda

2013-10-01

over the last decade Afghanistan has made large investments in scaling up the number of midwives to address access to skilled care and the high burden of maternal and newborn mortality. at the request of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) an evaluation was undertaken to improve the pre-service midwifery education programme through identification of its strengths and weaknesses. The qualitative component of the evaluation specifically examined: (1) programme strengths; (2) programme weaknesses; (3) perceptions of the programme's community impact; (4) barriers to provision of care and challenges to impact; (5) perceptions of the recently graduated midwife's field experience, and (6) recommendations for programme improvement. the evaluation used a mixed methods approach that included qualitative and quantitative components. This paper focuses on the qualitative components which included in-depth interviews with 138 graduated midwives and 20 key informants as well as 24 focus group discussions with women. eight provinces in Afghanistan with functioning and accredited midwifery schools between June 2008 and November 2010. midwives graduated from one of the two national midwifery programmes: Institute of Health Sciences and Community Midwifery Education. Key informants comprised of stakeholders and female residents of the midwives catchment areas. midwives described overall satisfaction with the quality of their education. Midwives and stakeholders perceived that women were more likely to use maternal and child health services in communities where midwives had been deployed. Strengths included evidence-based content, standardised materials, clinical training, and supportive learning environment. Self-reported aspects of the quality education in respect to midwives empowerment included feeling competent and confident as demonstrated by respect shown by co-workers. Weaknesses of the programme included perceived low educational requirement to enter the programme and readiness of programmes to commence education. Insecurity and geographical remoteness are perceived as challenges with clients' access to care and the ability of midwives to make home visits. the depth of midwives' contribution in Afghanistan - from increased maternal health care service utilisation to changing community's perceptions of women's education and professional independence - is overwhelmingly positive. Lessons learned can serve as a model to other low resource, post-conflict settings that are striving to increase the workforce of skilled providers. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy recommendations and cost implications for a more sustainable framework for European human biomonitoring surveys.

PubMed

Joas, Anke; Knudsen, Lisbeth E; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike; Sepai, Ovnair; Casteleyn, Ludwine; Schoeters, Greet; Angerer, Jürgen; Castaño, Argelia; Aerts, Dominique; Biot, Pierre; Horvat, Milena; Bloemen, Louis; Reis, M Fátima; Lupsa, Ioana-Rodica; Katsonouri, Andromachi; Cerna, Milena; Berglund, Marika; Crettaz, Pierre; Rudnai, Peter; Halzlova, Katarina; Mulcahy, Maurice; Gutleb, Arno C; Fischer, Marc E; Becher, Georg; Fréry, Nadine; Jensen, Genon; Van Vliet, Lisette; Koch, Holger M; Den Hond, Elly; Fiddicke, Ulrike; Esteban, Marta; Exley, Karen; Schwedler, Gerda; Seiwert, Margarete; Ligocka, Danuta; Hohenblum, Philipp; Kyrtopoulos, Soterios; Botsivali, Maria; DeFelip, Elena; Guillou, Claude; Reniero, Fabiano; Grazuleviciene, Regina; Veidebaum, Toomas; Mørck, Thit A; Nielsen, Jeanette K S; Jensen, Janne F; Rivas, Teresa C; Sanchez, Jinny; Koppen, Gudrun; Smolders, Roel; Kozepesy, Szilvia; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Krskova, Andrea; Mannion, Rory; Jakubowski, Marek; Fucic, J Aleksandra; Pereira-Miguel, Jose; Gurzau, Anca E; Jajcaj, Michal; Mazej, Darja; Tratnik, Janja Snoj; Lehmann, Andrea; Larsson, Kristin; Dumez, Birgit; Joas, Reinhard

2015-08-01

The potential of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in exposure characterisation and risk assessment is well established in the scientific HBM community and regulatory arena by many publications. The European Environment and Health Strategy as well as the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 of the European Commission recognised the value of HBM and the relevance and importance of coordination of HBM programmes in Europe. Based on existing and planned HBM projects and programmes of work and capabilities in Europe the Seventh Framework Programme (FP 7) funded COPHES (COnsortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale) to advance and improve comparability of HBM data across Europe. The pilot study protocol was tested in 17 European countries in the DEMOCOPHES feasibility study (DEMOnstration of a study to COordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale) cofunded (50%) under the LIFE+ programme of the European Commission. The potential of HBM in supporting and evaluating policy making (including e.g. REACH) and in awareness raising on environmental health, should significantly advance the process towards a fully operational, continuous, sustainable and scientifically based EU HBM programme. From a number of stakeholder activities during the past 10 years and the national engagement, a framework for sustainable HBM structure in Europe is recommended involving national institutions within environment, health and food as well as European institutions such as ECHA, EEA, and EFSA. An economic frame with shared cost implications for national and European institutions is suggested benefitting from the capacity building set up by COPHES/DEMOCOPHES. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accelerated Leadership Development: Fast Tracking School Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Earley, Peter; Jones, Jeff

2010-01-01

"Accelerated Leadership Development" captures and communicates the lessons learned from successful fast-track leadership programmes in the private and public sector, and provides a model which schools can follow and customize as they plan their own leadership development strategies. As large numbers of headteachers and other senior staff…

Implementing Participatory Research with an Urban American Indian Community: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Erica B.; Jette, Shannon L.

2016-01-01

Objective: Participatory research has proven an effective method for improving health equity among American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) by addressing power imbalances between communities and researchers, incorporating community knowledge and theory, ensuring mutual benefit and improving community capacity and programme sustainability. However,…

Tiger cubs and little flowers.

PubMed

1993-01-01

Short vignettes are related to show the conditions for girls and women in Morocco. Descriptions are given for child labor, literacy, the government's education campaign, youth group efforts to enhance family planning (FP) knowledge, the impact of FP outreach in rural areas, and unmarried mothers. In Morocco's cities, young boys can be seen hawking cigarettes and working in market stalls; in the countryside, boys herd goats or do other farm work. In rural areas girls are hidden by having them perform work around the house or on the farm primarily indoors. Women are supervised by women. 54% work as maids and 39% are apprentices in carpet factories. Parents prefer to have their daughters working and consider it protection from mischief as well as needed income. Only 60% of girls are enrolled in primary school vs. 80% of the boys. In rural areas, only 44% of girls are enrolled, and 20% stay to complete their primary education, while 76% of boys enroll and 63% complete primary school. Literacy of women has an effect on the ability to accurately take birth control pills. All ages of women gather at schools in the evening for lessons in reading and writing in a program supported by the King. Women are pleased with their success in just learning how to write their own names. Television advertisements promote sending children to school, as another part of the Ministry of Education's campaign to increase girl's educational status. There are still not enough schools; many schools are double shift, and communities are building their own schools. Youth clubs, which refer to boys as "tiger cubs" and girls as "little flowers," try to familiarize young people with some basic information about contraception. A traditional midwife relates some problems with girl's education: costs for clothing and supplies, worry about male teachers, and poor role models. In some remote areas, farm families do not send their children to school, because of the distance to schools and the need for farm workers. Husbands divorce wives for not producing children, and turn away FP workers who knock on their doors. Unmarried mothers aged 14-19 are usually illiterate and poor and cannot afford abortion. Orphanages are full. FP is practiced only by the married, after having proven their fertility.

An analysis of pre-service family planning teaching in clinical and nursing education in Tanzania.

PubMed

Muganyizi, Projestine S; Ishengoma, Joyce; Kanama, Joseph; Kikumbih, Nassoro; Mwanga, Feddy; Killian, Richard; McGinn, Erin

2014-07-12

Promoting family planning (FP) is a key strategy for health, economic and population growth. Sub-Saharan Africa, with one of the lowest contraceptive prevalence and highest fertility rates globally, contributes half of the global maternal deaths. Improving the quality of FP services, including enhancing pre-service FP teaching, has the potential to improve contraceptive prevalence. In efforts to improve the quality of FP services in Tanzania, including provider skills, this study sought to identify gaps in pre-service FP teaching and suggest opportunities for strengthening the training. Data were collected from all medical schools and a representative sample of pre-service nursing, Assistant Medical Officer (AMO), Clinical Officer (CO) and assistant CO schools in mainland Tanzania. Teachers responsible for FP teaching at the schools were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Observations on availability of teaching resources and other evidence of FP teaching and evaluation were documented. Relevant approved teaching documents were assessed for their suitability as competency-based FP teaching tools against predefined criteria. Quantitative data were analyzed using EPI Info 6 and qualitative data were manually analyzed using content analysis. A total of 35 pre-service schools were evaluated for FP teaching including 30 technical education and five degree offering schools. Of the assessed 11 pre-service curricula, only one met the criteria for suitability of FP teaching. FP teaching was typically theoretical with only 22.9% of all the schools having systems in place to produce graduates who could skillfully provide FP methods. Across schools, the target skills were the same level of competence and skewed toward short acting methods of contraception. Only 23.3% (n = 7) of schools had skills laboratories, 76% (n = 22) were either physically connected or linked to FP clinics. None of the degree providing schools practiced FP at its own teaching hospital. Teachers were concerned with poor practical exposure and lack of teaching material. Pre-service FP teaching in Tanzania is theoretical, poorly guided, and skewed toward short acting methods; a majority of the schools are unable to produce competent FP service providers. Pre-service FP training should be strengthened with more focus on practical skills.

Consensus document on European brain research.

PubMed

Olesen, Jes; Baker, Mary G; Freund, Tamas; di Luca, Monica; Mendlewicz, Julien; Ragan, Ian; Westphal, Manfred

2006-08-01

Brain disease psychiatric and neurologic disease combined represents a considerable social and economic burden in Europe. Data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that brain diseases are responsible for 35% of Europe's total disease burden. An analysis of all health economic studies of brain diseases in Europe, published by the European Brain Council (EBC) in June 2005, estimated the total cost of brain disease in Europe in 2004 to be Euro 386 billion. That burden is set to grow, mainly due to the fact that the European population is ageing. Investment in brain sciences does not match that burden now, let alone in the future. Brain research received only 8% of the life science budget in the European Commission's Fifth Framework Programme, which represents less than 0.01% of the annual cost of brain disorders for that period. Over the last decade, Europe has been losing ground to the USA and Japan in terms of both basic and clinical research. Many of Europe's young researchers are taking up posts in the USA and staying there. Big pharmaceutical companies are fleeing Europe for the USA, taking their drug development programmes with them. Research in the brain sciences now holds the promise of therapies that halt and even reverse neurodegeneration, of better diagnostic tools, neural prostheses for the paralysed and drugs for depression and anxiety that are tailored to the individual, thereby eliminating or reducing side effects. Our growing understanding of the normal brain could lead to better prevention of brain disease and to more effective teaching methods. The need for innovative treatments has never been greater, and Europe boasts clusters of excellent researchers in biotechnology who could collaborate with brain scientists and the pharmaceutical industry to realise this promise. But if Europe is to seize these opportunities and meet the challenge of brain disease, it needs to go forward on the basis of greater collaboration between countries, greater collaboration between industry, academia and patient organisations, and increased investment in the brain sciences. The EBC was formed in 2002 to bring together scientists, clinicians, the pharmaceutical industry, charities and patient organisations from all over Europe to campaign for these goals. It takes a novel, bottom-up approach to research policy, and in developing this consensus document, it aims to promote a greater and more focused effort in this area, to improve public understanding of the brain sciences and above all, to support brain research as a priority under the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7, 2007-2013). The research programme outlined here was first conceived by the EBC board. An outline was sent to all member organisations and a number of individual experts for comments. Following that, a table of contents was developed. The 45 research themes were written by groups of experts from across Europe who represent a wide range of disciplines. Each one contains a proposal for future research on a specific brain-related theme which the EBC believes could form the basis of one or more integrated projects or strategic targeted research projects (STREP) funded under FP7. The EBC has deliberately focused on the major diseases and then described the basic research needed to understand and treat or perhaps even cure those diseases. The programme is therefore constructed "from man to molecule" and not the other way round, with equal importance attached to basic and clinical research. The EBC suggests that each of the proposed integrated projects or STREP should be awarded a budget in the order of Euro 10 to 15 million. In addition, brain research should be treated as an important element of many other parts of FP7, such as the European Research Council and research programmes on information technology and the causes of violence. Any research programme that concerns human behaviour should, by definition, take account of brain research. The EBC envisages that the priority for brain research it proposes at the European level will translate into higher priority for brain research at the national level, and this document may also serve as a starting point for the development of national consensus programmes. It seems likely that consensus conferences on brain research in Europe may further develop the themes and ideas discussed here. An EBC task force may also be established to further the consensus process. In general, increasing funding in the brain sciences would bring enormous economic returns by lightening the burden on healthcare systems and increasing the productivity of affected individuals-and might easily pay for itself. The human and social returns of such an investment are inestimable. And the time to act is now.

Providing maternal and child health-family planning services to a large rural population: results of the Bohol Project, Philippines.

PubMed Central

Williamson, N E; Parado, J P; Maturan, E G

1983-01-01

The Bohol Project (1975-1979) sought to improve maternal and child health and to increase the use of family planning among a rural Philippine population of 400,000. Research indicated that maternal and child health (MCH) services did become more available during the Project period and coverage of the priority populations improved. Family planning (FP) use, particularly of less effective methods, increased and fertility declined although some change could have been expected even without the Project. Deaths due to neonatal tetanus were almost eliminated by mortality rates did not decline for a number of reasons, including the fact that services were probably not tailored closely enough to local health problems, especially respiratory diseases. The Project showed that it was possible to increase health and family planning services by using low-cost strategies (such as setting up community drug stores) and by employing paramedical workers, in this case, midwives. Preventive MCH-FP services were not overwhelmed by curative services as had been feared. Perhaps the most significant contributions of the Project were the lessons learned about delivering health and family planning services and conducting evaluation research. In general, if developing countries could maintain well-evaluated field laboratories for working out health and family planning delivery approaches before going nationwide, it is likely that time and money would be saved in the long run. PMID:6848001

Crowdfunding Astronomy Outreach Projects: Lessons learned from the UNAWE crowdfunding campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashton, A. J., Heenatigala, T.; Russo, P.

2014-12-01

In recent years, crowdfunding has become a popular method of funding new technology or entertainment products, or artistic projects. The idea is that people or projects ask for many small donations from individuals who support the proposed work, rather than a large amount from a single source. Crowdfunding is usually done via an online portal or platform which handles the financial transactions involved. The Universe Awareness (UNAWE) programme decided to undertake a Kickstarter1 crowdfunding campaign centring on the resource Universe in a Box. In this article we present the lessons learned and best practices from that campaign.

Cost Analysis of Fluconazole Prophylaxis for Prevention of Neonatal Invasive Candidiasis.

PubMed

Swanson, Jonathan R; Vergales, Jeff; Kaufman, David A; Sinkin, Robert A

2016-05-01

Fluconazole prophylaxis (FP) in premature infants is well studied and has been shown to decrease invasive candidiasis (ICs). IC in neonates has significant financial costs; determining the cost-benefit of FP may provide additional justification for targeting high-risk neonates. We aimed to determine the IC rate in premature infants at which FP is cost-beneficial. A decision tree cost-analysis model using cost of FP related to costs associated with IC was used. We searched PubMed for all papers that used intravenous FP and reported rates of IC in very low birth weight neonates. Average IC rates in those who received FP (2.0%; range, 0-6.1%) and in those who did not receive FP (9.2%; range, 0-20.5%) were used. Incremental hospital costs because of IC and for FP were retrieved from the literature. Sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the incremental cost of FP across the range of published IC rates. The average cost per patient attributed to IC in patients receiving FP was $785 versus $2617 in those not receiving FP. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates the rate of IC would need to be <2.8% for FP to lose its cost-benefit. In Monte Carlo simulation, targeting infants <1000 g would lead to $50,304,333 in cost savings per year in the United States. FP provides a cost-advantage across most IC rates seen in the youngest premature infants. Using a rate of 2.8% for their individual high-risk neonatal intensive care unit patients, providers can determine if FP is cost-beneficial in determining for whom to provide IC prophylaxis.

Comparison of rapid descriptive sensory methodologies: Free-Choice Profiling, Flash Profile and modified Flash Profile.

PubMed

Liu, Jing; Bredie, Wender L P; Sherman, Emma; Harbertson, James F; Heymann, Hildegarde

2018-04-01

Rapid sensory methods have been developed as alternatives to traditional sensory descriptive analysis methods. Among them, Free-Choice Profiling (FCP) and Flash Profile (FP) are two that have been known for many years. The objectives of this work were to compare the rating-based FCP and ranking-based FP method; to evaluate the impact of adding adjustments to FP approach; to investigate the influence of the number of assessors on the outcome of modified FP. To achieve these aims, a conventional descriptive analysis (DA), FCP, FP and a modified version of FP were carried out. Red wines made by different grape maturity and ethanol concentration were used for sensory testing. This study showed that DA provided a more detailed and accurate information on products through a quantitative measure of the intensity of sensory attributes than FCP and FP. However, the panel hours for conducting DA were higher than that for rapid methods, and FP was even able to separate the samples to a higher degree than DA. When comparing FCP and FP, this study showed that the ranking-based FP provided a clearer separation of samples than rating-based FCP, but the latter was an easier task for most assessors. When restricting assessors on their use of attributes in FP, the sample space became clearer and the ranking task was simplified. The FP protocol with restricted attribute sets seems to be a promising approach for efficient screening of sensory properties in wine. When increasing the number of assessors from 10 to 20 for conducting the modified FP, the outcome tended to be slightly more stable, however, one should consider the degree of panel training when deciding the optimal number of assessors for conducting FP. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Business and HIV/AIDS: the case of Anglo American.

PubMed

Brink, Brian; Pienaar, Jan

2007-07-01

Anglo American is one of the world's leading mining companies. With operations in over 50 countries and approximately 200 000 permanent employees, its operating profit in 2006 was US$9.8 billion. As well as having financial goals, Anglo American is committed to sustainable development. One of its five sustainable development principles is to 'create meaningful employment in safe, healthy environments'. Its HIV/AIDS programme is part of this effort. Beginning in the mid-1980s with the appointment of an AIDS Education Advisor, the programme was formalized in the early 1990s, and has gained international recognition for its effectiveness and scope. This paper provides an overview of the Anglo American HIV/AIDS programme in southern Africa. Part one outlines the context in which the company works and its reasons for tackling the virus. Part two describes the workplace programme, with a specific focus on Anglo Coal as an example of best practice within the group. Part three looks at the community programme, and the final section discusses the lessons learned.

Compensatory expressive behavior for facial paralysis: adaptation to congenital or acquired disability.

PubMed

Bogart, Kathleen R; Tickle-Degnen, Linda; Ambady, Nalini

2012-02-01

Although there has been little research on the adaptive behavior of people with congenital compared to acquired disability, there is reason to predict that people with congenital conditions may be better adapted because they have lived with their conditions for their entire lives (Smart, 2008). We examined whether people with congenital facial paralysis (FP), compared to people with acquired FP, compensate more for impoverished facial expression by using alternative channels of expression (i.e., voice and body). Participants with congenital (n = 13) and acquired (n = 14) FP were videotaped while recalling emotional events. Expressive verbal behavior was measured using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (Pennebaker, Booth, & Francis, 2007). Nonverbal behavior and FP severity were rated by trained coders. People with congenital FP, compared to acquired FP, used more compensatory expressive verbal and nonverbal behavior in their language, voices, and bodies. The extent of FP severity had little effect on compensatory expressivity. This study provides the first behavioral evidence that people with congenital FP use more adaptations to express themselves than people with acquired FP. These behaviors could inform social functioning interventions for people with FP.

Bacteremia in free-ranging Hawaiian green turtles, Chelonia mydas, with fibropapillomatosis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Work, Thierry M.; Balazs, G.H.; Wolcott, M.; Morris, Robert

2003-01-01

Past studies of free-ranging green turtles Chelonia mydas with fibropapillomatosis (FP) in Hawaii have shown that animals become immunosuppressed with increasing severity of this disease. Additionally, preliminary clinical examination of moribund turtles with FP revealed that some animals were also bacteraemic. We tested the hypothesis that bacteraemia in sea turtles is associated with the severity of FP. We captured free-ranging green turtles from areas in Hawaii where FP is absent, and areas where FP has been endemic since the late 1950s. Each turtle was given an FP severity score ranging from 0 (no tumours) to 3 (severely affected). A fifth category included turtles that were stranded ashore and moribund with FP. We found that the percentage of turtles with bacteraemia increased with the severity of FP, and that the majority of bacteria cultured were Vibrio spp. Turtles with severe FP were more susceptible to bactaeremia, probably in part due to immunosuppression. The pattern of bacteraemia in relation to severity of disease strengthens the hypothesis that immunosuppression is a sequel to FP.

Lessons from the evaluation of the UK's NHS R&D Implementation Methods Programme

PubMed Central

Soper, Bryony; Hanney, Stephen R

2007-01-01

Background Concern about the effective use of research was a major factor behind the creation of the NHS R&D Programme in 1991. In 1994, an advisory group was established to identify research priorities in research implementation. The Implementation Methods Programme (IMP) flowed from this, and its commissioning group funded 36 projects. In 2000 responsibility for the programme passed to the National Co-ordinating Centre for NHS Service Delivery and Organisation R&D, which asked the Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Brunel University, to conduct an evaluation in 2002. By then most projects had been completed. This evaluation was intended to cover: the quality of outputs, lessons to be learnt about the communication strategy and the commissioning process, and the benefits from the projects. Methods We adopted a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods. They included: documentary analysis, interviews with key actors, questionnaires to the funded lead researchers, questionnaires to potential users, and desk analysis. Results Quantitative assessment of outputs and dissemination revealed that the IMP funded useful research projects, some of which had considerable impact against the various categories in the HERG payback model, such as publications, further research, research training, impact on health policy, and clinical practice. Qualitative findings from interviews with advisory and commissioning group members indicated that when the IMP was established, implementation research was a relatively unexplored field. This was reflected in the understanding brought to their roles by members of the advisory and commissioning groups, in the way priorities for research were chosen and developed, and in how the research projects were commissioned. The ideological and methodological debates associated with these decisions have continued among those working in this field. The need for an effective communication strategy for the programme as a whole was particularly important. However, such a strategy was never developed, making it difficult to establish the general influence of the IMP as a programme. Conclusion Our findings about the impact of the work funded, and the difficulties faced by those developing the IMP, have implications for the development of strategic programmes of research in general, as well as for the development of more effective research in this field. PMID:17309803

Risk communication in the case of the Fukushima accident: Impact of communication and lessons to be learned.

PubMed

Perko, Tanja

2016-10-01

Risk communication about the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in 2011 was often not transparent, timely, clear, nor factually correct. However, lessons related to risk communication have been identified and some of them are already addressed in national and international communication programmes and strategies. The Fukushima accident may be seen as a practice scenario for risk communication with important lessons to be learned. As a result of risk communication failures during the accident, the world is now better prepared for communication related to nuclear emergencies than it was 5 years ago The present study discusses the impact of communication, as applied during the Fukushima accident, and the main lessons learned. It then identifies pathways for transparent, timely, clear and factually correct communication to be developed, practiced and applied in nuclear emergency communication before, during, and after nuclear accidents. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:683-686. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Demand generation and social mobilisation for integrated community case management (iCCM) and child health: Lessons learned from successful programmes in Niger and Mozambique.

PubMed

Sharkey, Alyssa B; Martin, Sandrine; Cerveau, Teresa; Wetzler, Erica; Berzal, Rocio

2014-12-01

We present the approaches used in and outcomes resulting from integrated community case management (iCCM) programmes in Niger and Mozambique with a strong focus on demand generation and social mobilisation. We use a case study approach to describe the programme and contextual elements of the Niger and Mozambique programmes. Awareness and utilisation of iCCM services and key family practices increased following the implementation of the Niger and Mozambique iCCM and child survival programmes, as did care-seeking within 24 hours and care-seeking from appropriate, trained providers in Mozambique. These approaches incorporated interpersonal communication activities and community empowerment/participation for collective change, partnerships and networks among key stakeholder groups within communities, media campaigns and advocacy efforts with local and national leaders. iCCM programmes that train and equip community health workers and successfully engage and empower community members to adopt new behaviours, have appropriate expectations and to trust community health workers' ability to assess and treat illnesses can lead to improved care-seeking and utilisation, and community ownership for iCCM.

Effects of diet forage proportion on maintenance energy requirement and the efficiency of metabolizable energy use for lactation by lactating dairy cows.

PubMed

Dong, L F; Ferris, C P; McDowell, D A; Yan, T

2015-12-01

The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of dietary forage proportion (FP) on metabolizable energy (ME) requirement for maintenance (MEm) and the efficiency of ME use for lactation (kl) in lactating dairy cows. Data used were derived from 32 calorimetric chamber experiments undertaken at our institute between 1992 and 2010, including data from 818 Holstein-Friesian cows (HF), 50 Norwegian Red cows, and 62 crossbred cows (Jersey × HF or Norwegian Red × HF). Animals were offered forage-only rations (n=66) or forage and concentrate rations (n=864) with FP ranging from 18 to 100% (dry matter basis). The effect of FP was evaluated by dividing the whole data set into 4 groups according to the FP ranges, categorized as FP <30%, FP=30 to 59%, FP=60 to 99%, and FP=100%. The MEm for individual cows was calculated from heat production minus energy losses from inefficiencies of ME use for lactation, energy retention and pregnancy, and kl was obtained from milk energy output adjusted to zero energy balance (El(0)) divided by ME available for production. Increasing FP significantly reduced ME intake and milk energy output, although the differences between the 2 low FP groups were not significant. However, increasing FP significantly increased the ratio of heat production over ME intake and MEm (MJ/kg(0.75)), with the exception that the increases did not reach significance in heat production/ME intake between FP <30% and FP=30 to 59%, or in MEm between FP=60 to 99% and FP=100%. However, the FP had no significant effect on the kl values, which were similar among the 4 groups of cows. The effect of FP was also evaluated using the linear mixed regression technique relating El(0) to ME intake. The results demonstrated that with a common regression coefficient (slope), the regression constants (intercepts) taken as net energy requirement for maintenance significantly increased with increasing FP. However, the increase between the 2 high FP groups did not research significance. It is concluded that increasing diet FP had no effects on kl but significantly increased maintenance energy requirement (MJ/kg(0.75)). These results indicate that using the current energy feeding systems to ration dairy cows managed under low input systems may underestimate their nutrient requirements, because the majority of feeding systems adopted globally do not differentiate the maintenance energy requirements between low and high forage input systems. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel injection strategy of flurbiprofen axetil by inhibiting protein binding with 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid.

PubMed

Ogata, Kenji; Takamura, Norito; Tokunaga, Jin; Ikeda, Tetsuya; Setoguchi, Nao; Tanda, Kazuhiro; Yamasaki, Tetsuo; Nishio, Toyotaka; Kawai, Keiichi

2016-04-01

Flurbiprofen axetil (FPA) is an injection product and a prodrug of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). After injection, it is rapidly hydrolyzed to the active form, flurbiprofen (FP). Since frequent injections of FPA can lead to abnormal physiology, an administration strategy is necessary to ensure there is enhancement of the analgesic efficiency of FP after a single dose and to reduce the total number of doses. FP strongly binds to site II of albumin, and thus the free (unbound) FP concentration is low. This study focused on 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (6-MNA), the active metabolite of nabumetone (a prodrug of NSAID). We performed ultrafiltration experiments and pharmacokinetics analysis in rats to investigate whether the inhibitory effect of 6-MNA on FP binding to albumin increased the free FP concentration in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated that 6-MNA inhibited the binding of FP to albumin competitively. When 6-MNA was injected in rats, there was a significant increase in the free FP concentration and the area under concentration-time curve (AUC) calculated from the free FP concentration, while there was a significant decrease in the total (bound + free) FP concentration and the AUC calculated from the total FP concentration. These findings indicate that 6-MNA inhibits the protein binding of FP in vivo. This suggests that the frequency of FPA injections can be reduced when administered with nabumetone, as there is increase in the free FP concentration associated with pharmacological effect.

Engaging community organizations in falls prevention for older adults: Moving from research to action.

PubMed

Markle-Reid, Maureen F; Dykeman, Catherine S; Reimer, Holly D; Boratto, Lorna J; Goodall, Carol E; McGugan, Jennifer L

2015-04-29

Falls prevention (FP) evidence abounds but falls rates remain relatively unaffected. This study aimed to explore community service providers' use of evidence-based FP interventions, attitudes toward implementation, knowledge and capacity for FP engagement, collaboration in FP, and organizational readiness to implement evidence. To our knowledge, this is the first study exploring the potential for broader integration of FP throughout communities. A purposive sampling of providers (n = 84), in varied roles within diverse senior-serving community organizations (both health and non-health sectors) across disparate geographies, completed a structured survey as part of a larger mixed methods study. Nearly all (90%) reported already implementing at least one evidence-based FP practice. The majority indicated that falls were preventable (82%) and a top concern for older adults (75%), and that FP would be beneficial to their clients (75%). There were, however, notable differences between health and non-health sectors in their: confidence in providing FP activities (86% vs. 47%), desire for future collaboration (86% vs. 56%) and already knowing how best to provide FP activities (49% vs. 36%). Only some (21%) perceived that staff to a great extent had the necessary knowledge and skills, and few (10%) perceived that available resources could support FP activities. Community service providers generally supported FP, but resources limited implementation, particularly in non-health sectors. Translating FP evidence to better fit community settings, and fostering collaboration to bridge resource gaps, suggest a public health role in the broader integration of FP within and across community sectors.

How To Prepare Materials for Neo-Literates. Literacy Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasaoka, Taichi

Literacy materials are either for illiterate people or for neoliterate people (those who have attained limited literacy but might easily relapse if they do not practice reading with appropriate materials). Thirty-five kinds of prototype materials for neoliterate persons have been developed by the Asian/Pacific Joint Production Programme of…

Evaluating Quality in Educational Facilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abend, Allen; Ornstein, Sheila Walbe; Baltas, Emmanuel; de la Garza, Jaime; Watson, Chris; Lange, Kurt; von Ahlefeld, Hannah

2006-01-01

In 2005, the OECD Programme on Educational Building (PEB) organised two international experts' group meetings to discuss how countries define and evaluate quality in educational facilities. The research and experiences of six experts are presented in this article, in addition to the lessons learned from the experts' group meetings. The director of…

The Professional Educator: Lessons from Finland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahlberg, Pasi

2011-01-01

Since Finland emerged in 2000 as the top-scoring Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nation on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), researchers have been pouring into the country to study the so-called "Finnish miracle." How did a country with an undistinguished education system in the…

"Question Moments": A Rolling Programme of Question Opportunities in Classroom Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedrosa-de-Jesus, Helena; Leite, Sara; Watts, Mike

2016-01-01

This naturalistic study integrates specific "question moments" into lesson plans to increase pupils' classroom interactions. A range of tools explored students' ideas by providing students with opportunities to ask and write questions. Their oral and written outcomes provide data on individual and group misunderstandings. Changes to the…

Designing Effective Programmes for Encouraging the Business Start-up Process: Lessons from UK Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibb, Allan A.

1987-01-01

Outlines programs in the United Kingdom (UK) designed to encourage the starting of small businesses. Successful programs help entrepreneurs obtain financial support, get business training, and develop a business plan. Recommends emphasis on personal competency and motivation training as well as shorter courses. (CH)

ReflectED: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motteram, Gary; Choudry, Sophina; Kalambouka, Afroditi; Hutcheson, Graeme; Barton, Hutcheson

2016-01-01

The ReflectED programme was developed by Rosendale Primary School to improve pupils' metacognition--their ability to think about and manage their own learning. This includes the skills of setting and monitoring goals, assessing progress, and identifying personal strengths and challenges. ReflectED consists of 28, weekly, half-hour lessons, which…

Late Departures from Paper-Based to Supported Networked Learning in South Africa: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kok, Illasha; Beter, Petra; Esterhuizen, Hennie

2018-01-01

Fragmented connectivity in South Africa is the dominant barrier for digitising initiatives. New insights surfaced when a university-based nursing programme introduced tablets within a supportive network learning environment. A qualitative, explorative design investigated adult nurses' experiences of the realities when moving from paper-based…

Doing well while fighting river blindness: the alignment of a corporate drug donation programme with responsibilities to shareholders.

PubMed

Hernando, Yolanda; Colwell, Kaela; Wright, Brian D

2016-10-01

Using the example of Merck's donations of ivermectin, to show how tax incentives and non-profit collaborators can make corporate largesse consistent with obligations to maximise returns to shareholders. We obtained information from publicly available data and estimated Merck's tax deductions according to the US Internal Revenue Code. Reviews of Merck-Kitasato contracts and personal interviews provided additional information regarding key lessons from this collaboration. Our best estimate of the direct cost to Merck of the ivermectin tablets donated during 2005-2011 is around US$ 600 million, well below the stated value of US$ 3.8 billion. Our calculation of tax write-offs reduces the net cost to around US$ 180 million in that period. Indirect market benefits and effects on goodwill further enhanced the compatibility of Merck's donation programme with the company's profit-maximising objective. The case offers lessons for effective management of collaborations with public and non-profit organisations. Merck's role in the donation of ivermectin for the treatment of onchocerciasis is widely and justly acknowledged as a prime example of corporate largesse in the public interest. It is nevertheless important to note that several public and non-profit collaborators, and United States taxpayers, played significant roles in increasing Merck's incentives, and indeed ability, to conduct the donation programme that changed so many lives in poor countries, while meeting its responsibilities to shareholders. Overall, the record indicates responsible corporate management of Merck's ivermectin programme and demonstrates the feasibility of socially responsible policies in a manner compatible with obligations to shareholders. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Integrating care for older people with complex needs: key insights and lessons from a seven-country cross-case analysis.

PubMed

Wodchis, Walter P; Dixon, Anna; Anderson, Geoff M; Goodwin, Nick

2015-01-01

To address the challenges of caring for a growing number of older people with a mix of both health problems and functional impairment, programmes in different countries have different approaches to integrating health and social service supports. The goal of this analysis is to identify important lessons for policy makers and service providers to enable better design, implementation and spread of successful integrated care models. This paper provides a structured cross-case synthesis of seven integrated care programmes in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and the USA. All seven programmes involved bottom-up innovation driven by local needs and included: (1) a single point of entry, (2) holistic care assessments, (3) comprehensive care planning, (4) care co-ordination and (5) a well-connected provider network. The process of achieving successful integration involves collaboration and, although the specific types of collaboration varied considerably across the seven case studies, all involved a care coordinator or case manager. Most programmes were not systematically evaluated but the two with formal external evaluations showed benefit and have been expanded. Case managers or care coordinators who support patient-centred collaborative care are key to successful integration in all our cases as are policies that provide funds and support for local initiatives that allow for bottom-up innovation. However, more robust and systematic evaluation of these initiatives is needed to clarify the 'business case' for integrated health and social care and to ensure successful generalization of local successes.

Disease eradication and health systems development.

PubMed Central

Melgaard, B.; Creese, A.; Aylward, B.; Olivé, J. M.; Maher, C.; Okwo-Bele, J. M.; Lee, J. W.

1998-01-01

This article provides a framework for the design of future eradication programmes so that the greatest benefit accrues to health systems development from the implementation of such programmes. The framework focuses on weak and fragile health systems and assumes that eradication leads to the cessation of the intervention required to eradicate the disease. Five major components of health systems are identified and key elements which are of particular relevance to eradication initiatives are defined. The dearth of documentation which can provide "lessons learned" in this area is illustrated with a brief review of the literature. Opportunities and threats, which can be addressed during the design of eradication programmes, are described and a number of recommendations are outlined. It is emphasized that this framework pertains to eradication programmes but may be useful in attempts to coordinate vertical and horizontal disease control activities for maximum mutual benefits. PMID:10063670

Fertility preservation counselling in Dutch Oncology Practice: Are nurses ready to assist physicians?

PubMed

Krouwel, E M; Nicolai, M P J; van Steijn-van Tol, A Q M J; Putter, H; Osanto, S; Pelger, R C M; Elzevier, H W

2017-11-01

Cancer and its treatments may result in impaired fertility, which could cause long-term distress to cancer survivors. For eligible patients, fertility preservation (FP) is available to secure future reproductive potential. Many physicians, however, feel inhibited about discussing FP. Oncology nurses may serve as an initiator for discussing the subject and provide additional support. Our aim was to investigate their knowledge about FP, the way they apply this, and possible barriers to discussing FP with patients of reproductive age. A questionnaire was administered via mail, Internet and the Dutch Oncology Nursing Congress. Four hundred and twenty-one oncology nurses participated, a third of whom (31.1%) had "sufficient" knowledge of FP. Twenty-eight per cent of participants reported that they "never/hardly ever" discussed FP; 32.2% "almost always/always." FP discussions were more frequently performed by graduate nurses, academic nurses, experienced nurses and nurses with sufficient knowledge. Reasons for not discussing FP were a "lack of knowledge" (25.2%), "poor prognosis" (16.4%) and "lack of time" (10.5%). In conclusion, several obstacles may result in FP not being routinely discussed, specifically a lack of knowledge. Yet nurses feel responsible for addressing the issue, indicating that assistance with FP discussions should be encouraged. Educational training about FP is recommended. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The EuroBioBank Network: 10 years of hands-on experience of collaborative, transnational biobanking for rare diseases

PubMed Central

Mora, Marina; Angelini, Corrado; Bignami, Fabrizia; Bodin, Anne-Mary; Crimi, Marco; Di Donato, Jeanne- Hélène; Felice, Alex; Jaeger, Cécile; Karcagi, Veronika; LeCam, Yann; Lynn, Stephen; Meznaric, Marija; Moggio, Maurizio; Monaco, Lucia; Politano, Luisa; de la Paz, Manuel Posada; Saker, Safaa; Schneiderat, Peter; Ensini, Monica; Garavaglia, Barbara; Gurwitz, David; Johnson, Diana; Muntoni, Francesco; Puymirat, Jack; Reza, Mojgan; Voit, Thomas; Baldo, Chiara; Bricarelli, Franca Dagna; Goldwurm, Stefano; Merla, Giuseppe; Pegoraro, Elena; Renieri, Alessandra; Zatloukal, Kurt; Filocamo, Mirella; Lochmüller, Hanns

2015-01-01

The EuroBioBank (EBB) network (www.eurobiobank.org) is the first operating network of biobanks in Europe to provide human DNA, cell and tissue samples as a service to the scientific community conducting research on rare diseases (RDs). The EBB was established in 2001 to facilitate access to RD biospecimens and associated data; it obtained funding from the European Commission in 2002 (5th framework programme) and started operation in 2003. The set-up phase, during the EC funding period 2003–2006, established the basis for running the network; the following consolidation phase has seen the growth of the network through the joining of new partners, better network cohesion, improved coordination of activities, and the development of a quality-control system. During this phase the network participated in the EC-funded TREAT-NMD programme and was involved in planning of the European Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure. Recently, EBB became a partner of RD-Connect, an FP7 EU programme aimed at linking RD biobanks, registries, and bioinformatics data. Within RD-Connect, EBB contributes expertise, promotes high professional standards, and best practices in RD biobanking, is implementing integration with RD patient registries and ‘omics' data, thus challenging the fragmentation of international cooperation on the field. PMID:25537360

Regularized inner products and weakly holomorphic Hecke eigenforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bringmann, Kathrin; Kane, Ben

2018-01-01

We show that the image of repeated differentiation on weak cusp forms is precisely the subspace which is orthogonal to the space of weakly holomorphic modular forms. This gives a new interpretation of weakly holomorphic Hecke eigenforms. The research of the first author is supported by the Alfried Krupp Prize for Young University Teachers of the Krupp foundation and the research leading to these results receives funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant agreement n. 335220—AQSER. The research of the second author was supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR, China (project numbers HKU 27300314, 17302515, and 17316416).

How to Apply for and Secure EU Funding for Collaborative IBD Research Projects

PubMed Central

Satsangi, Jack; Kitten, Olivier; Chavez, Marcela; Kalla, Rahul; Prel, Nadege; Meuwis, Marie-Alice; Scott, Stephanie; Bonetti, Illaria; Ventham, Nicholas T.

2016-01-01

The European Union offers opportunities for high-level of funding of collaborative European research. Calls are regularly published: after the end of the FP7 funding programme the new round of Horizon 2020 calls started in 2015. Several topics are relevant to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) challenges, including chronic disease management, biomarker discovery and new treatments developments. The aim of this Viewpoint article is to describe the new Horizon 2020 instrument and the project submission procedures, and to highlight these through the description of tips and tricks, taking advantage of four examples of successful projects in the field of IBD: the SADEL, IBD-BIOM, IBD Character and BIOCYCLE projects. PMID:26744440

An analysis of pre-service family planning teaching in clinical and nursing education in Tanzania

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Promoting family planning (FP) is a key strategy for health, economic and population growth. Sub-Saharan Africa, with one of the lowest contraceptive prevalence and highest fertility rates globally, contributes half of the global maternal deaths. Improving the quality of FP services, including enhancing pre-service FP teaching, has the potential to improve contraceptive prevalence. In efforts to improve the quality of FP services in Tanzania, including provider skills, this study sought to identify gaps in pre-service FP teaching and suggest opportunities for strengthening the training. Methods Data were collected from all medical schools and a representative sample of pre-service nursing, Assistant Medical Officer (AMO), Clinical Officer (CO) and assistant CO schools in mainland Tanzania. Teachers responsible for FP teaching at the schools were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Observations on availability of teaching resources and other evidence of FP teaching and evaluation were documented. Relevant approved teaching documents were assessed for their suitability as competency-based FP teaching tools against predefined criteria. Quantitative data were analyzed using EPI Info 6 and qualitative data were manually analyzed using content analysis. Results A total of 35 pre-service schools were evaluated for FP teaching including 30 technical education and five degree offering schools. Of the assessed 11 pre-service curricula, only one met the criteria for suitability of FP teaching. FP teaching was typically theoretical with only 22.9% of all the schools having systems in place to produce graduates who could skillfully provide FP methods. Across schools, the target skills were the same level of competence and skewed toward short acting methods of contraception. Only 23.3% (n = 7) of schools had skills laboratories, 76% (n = 22) were either physically connected or linked to FP clinics. None of the degree providing schools practiced FP at its own teaching hospital. Teachers were concerned with poor practical exposure and lack of teaching material. Conclusions Pre-service FP teaching in Tanzania is theoretical, poorly guided, and skewed toward short acting methods; a majority of the schools are unable to produce competent FP service providers. Pre-service FP training should be strengthened with more focus on practical skills. PMID:25016391

Physically active academic lessons: acceptance, barriers and facilitators for implementation.

PubMed

Dyrstad, Sindre M; Kvalø, Silje E; Alstveit, Marianne; Skage, Ingrid

2018-03-06

To improve health and academic learning in schoolchildren, the Active School programme in Stavanger, Norway has introduced physically active academic lessons. This is a teaching method combining physical activity with academic content. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the response to the physically active lessons and identify facilitators and barriers for implementation of such an intervention. Five school leaders (principals or vice-principals), 13 teachers and 30 children from the five intervention schools were interviewed about their experiences with the 10-month intervention, which consisted of weekly minimum 2 × 45 minutes of physically active academic lessons, and the factors affecting its implementation. All interviews were transcribed and analysed using the qualitative data analysis program NVivo 10 (QSR international, London, UK). In addition, weekly teacher's intervention delivery logs were collected and analysed. On average, the physically active academic lessons in 18 of the 34 weeks (53%) were reported in the teacher logs. The number of delivered physically active academic lessons covered 73% of the schools' planned activity. Physically active lessons were well received among school leaders, teachers and children. The main facilitators for implementation of the physically active lessons were active leadership and teacher support, high self-efficacy regarding mastering the intervention, ease of organizing physically active lessons, inclusion of physically active lessons into the lesson curricula, and children's positive reception of the intervention. The main barriers were unclear expectations, lack of knowledge and time to plan the physiclly active lessons, and the length of the physically active lessons (15-20 min lessons were preferred over the 45 min lessons). Physically active academic lessons were considered an appropriate pedagogical method for creating positive variation, and were highly appreciated among both teachers and children. Both the principal and the teachers should be actively involved the implementation, which could be strengthened by including physical activity into the school's strategy. Barriers for implementing physically active lessons in schools could be lowered by increasing implementation clarity and introducing the teachers to high quality and easily organized lessons. Clinicaltrail.gov ID identifier: NCT03436355 . Retrospectively registered: 16th of Feb, 2018.

Revisiting the relationship between environmental and financial performance in Chinese industry.

PubMed

Qi, G Y; Zeng, S X; Shi, Jonathan J; Meng, X H; Lin, H; Yang, Q X

2014-12-01

The debate on the relationship between corporate or industrial environmental performance (EP) and financial performance (FP) has yet to be resolved, and studies need to examine the possible moderating effects on the EP-FP link. We argue that industrial EP has a positive effect on FP and that industrial munificence and resource slack can moderate the EP-FP link. Using a dataset from Chinese industrial firms, we examine the direct effect of industrial EP on FP and the indirect effects of industrial munificence and resource slack on the EP-FP link. Our results show that improving corporate or industrial-level EP significantly influences FP and that slack resources play a significant role on the EP-FP link. However, we found no significant moderating effect of industrial munificence on the link. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

IMPACT OF FISSION PRODUCTS IMPURITY ON THE PLUTONIUM CONTENT IN PWR MOX FUELS

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

Gilles Youinou; Andrea Alfonsi

2012-03-01

This report presents the results of a neutronics analysis done in response to the charter IFCA-SAT-2 entitled 'Fuel impurity physics calculations'. This charter specifies that the separation of the fission products (FP) during the reprocessing of UOX spent nuclear fuel assemblies (UOX SNF) is not perfect and that, consequently, a certain amount of FP goes into the Pu stream used to fabricate PWR MOX fuel assemblies. Only non-gaseous FP have been considered (see the list of 176 isotopes considered in the calculations in Appendix 1). This mixture of Pu and FP is called PuFP. Note that, in this preliminary analysis,more » the FP losses are considered element-independent, i.e., for example, 1% of FP losses mean that 1% of all non-gaseous FP leak into the Pu stream.« less

Healthwise South Africa: cultural adaptation of a school-based risk prevention programme

PubMed Central

Wegner, L.; Flisher, A. J.; Caldwell, L. L.; Vergnani, T.; Smith, E. A.

2008-01-01

There is a need for effective prevention programmes aimed at reducing risk behaviour among South African adolescents. HealthWise South Africa is a school-based programme designed to reduce sexual and substance use risk behaviour, and promote positive use of leisure time among high-school learners (students). Based on successful programmes in the United States of America, HealthWise was developed for use in South Africa and pilot tested in four South African high schools. We carried out a process evaluation to establish the fidelity of implementation and make sure HealthWise was culturally relevant. Data sources comprised focus groups with educators and learners, lesson evaluations and observations, and interviews with school principals. Qualitative analysis of data highlighted pertinent cultural and contextual factors and identified areas for modifying HealthWise in order to promote better programme-consumer fit. These areas centred on time, language, and leisure. We noted a dynamic tension between the educators' desire to adhere to plan, and to make adaptations in accordance with learners' needs and the context. Ultimately, researchers need to find a balance between fidelity of implementation and programme adaptation to obtain effective programmes that are culturally acceptable to local consumers. PMID:17956882

Setting up a clinical trial for a novel disease: a case study of the Doxycycline for the Treatment of Nodding Syndrome Trial – challenges, enablers and lessons learned

PubMed Central

Anguzu, Ronald; Akun, Pamela R; Ogwang, Rodney; Shour, Abdul Rahman; Sekibira, Rogers; Ningwa, Albert; Nakamya, Phellister; Abbo, Catherine; Mwaka, Amos D; Opar, Bernard; Idro, Richard

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT A large amount of preparation goes into setting up trials. Different challenges and lessons are experienced. Our trial, testing a treatment for nodding syndrome, an acquired neurological disorder of unknown cause affecting thousands of children in Eastern Africa, provides a unique case study. As part of a study to determine the aetiology, understand pathogenesis and develop specific treatment, we set up a clinical trial in a remote district hospital in Uganda. This paper describes our experiences and documents supportive structures (enablers), challenges faced and lessons learned during set-up of the trial. Protocol development started in September 2015 with phased recruitment of a critical study team. The team spent 12 months preparing trial documents, procurement and training on procedures. Potential recruitment sites were pre-visited, and district and local leaders met as key stakeholders. Key enablers were supportive local leadership and investment by the district and Ministry of Health. The main challenges were community fears about nodding syndrome, adverse experiences of the community during previous research and political involvement. Other challenges included the number and delays in protocol approvals and lengthy procurement processes. This hard-to-reach area has frequent power and Internet fluctuations, which may affect cold chains for study samples, communication and data management. These concerns decreased with a pilot community engagement programme. Experiences and lessons learnt can reduce the duration of processes involved in trial-site set-up. A programme of community engagement and local leader involvement may be key to the success of a trial and in reducing community opposition towards participation in research. PMID:29382251

Setting up a clinical trial for a novel disease: a case study of the Doxycycline for the Treatment of Nodding Syndrome Trial - challenges, enablers and lessons learned.

PubMed

Anguzu, Ronald; Akun, Pamela R; Ogwang, Rodney; Shour, Abdul Rahman; Sekibira, Rogers; Ningwa, Albert; Nakamya, Phellister; Abbo, Catherine; Mwaka, Amos D; Opar, Bernard; Idro, Richard

2018-01-01

A large amount of preparation goes into setting up trials. Different challenges and lessons are experienced. Our trial, testing a treatment for nodding syndrome, an acquired neurological disorder of unknown cause affecting thousands of children in Eastern Africa, provides a unique case study. As part of a study to determine the aetiology, understand pathogenesis and develop specific treatment, we set up a clinical trial in a remote district hospital in Uganda. This paper describes our experiences and documents supportive structures (enablers), challenges faced and lessons learned during set-up of the trial. Protocol development started in September 2015 with phased recruitment of a critical study team. The team spent 12 months preparing trial documents, procurement and training on procedures. Potential recruitment sites were pre-visited, and district and local leaders met as key stakeholders. Key enablers were supportive local leadership and investment by the district and Ministry of Health. The main challenges were community fears about nodding syndrome, adverse experiences of the community during previous research and political involvement. Other challenges included the number and delays in protocol approvals and lengthy procurement processes. This hard-to-reach area has frequent power and Internet fluctuations, which may affect cold chains for study samples, communication and data management. These concerns decreased with a pilot community engagement programme. Experiences and lessons learnt can reduce the duration of processes involved in trial-site set-up. A programme of community engagement and local leader involvement may be key to the success of a trial and in reducing community opposition towards participation in research.

Compensatory Expressive Behavior for Facial Paralysis: Adaptation to Congenital or Acquired Disability

PubMed Central

Bogart, Kathleen R.; Tickle-Degnen, Linda; Ambady, Nalini

2015-01-01

Purpose/Objective Although there has been little research on the adaptive behavior of people with congenital compared to acquired disability, there is reason to predict that people with congenital conditions may be better adapted because they have lived with their conditions for their entire lives (Smart, 2008). We examined whether people with congenital facial paralysis (FP), compared to people with acquired FP, compensate more for impoverished facial expression by using alternative channels of expression (i.e. voice and body). Research Method/Design Participants with congenital (n = 13) and acquired (n = 14) FP were videotaped while recalling emotional events. Main Outcome Measures Expressive verbal behavior was measured using the Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (Pennebaker, Booth & Francis, 2007). Nonverbal behavior and FP severity were rated by trained coders. Results People with congenital FP, compared to acquired FP, used more compensatory expressive verbal and nonverbal behavior in their language, voices, and bodies. The extent of FP severity had little effect on compensatory expressivity. Conclusions/Implications This study provides the first behavioral evidence that people with congenital FP use more adaptations to express themselves than people with acquired FP. These behaviors could inform social functioning interventions for people with FP. PMID:22369116

Factors affecting unmet need for contraception among currently married fecund young women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Ahmed Zohirul; Mostofa, Md Golam; Islam, Mohammad Amirul

2016-12-01

The aim of our study was to explore the factors associated with unmet need for contraception among currently married fecund women under age 25, in Bangladesh. This study utilised a cross-sectional data (n = 4982) extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of unmet need for contraception among currently married fecund young women. The unmet need for contraception was 17% and contraceptive prevalence was 54% in this young group. Total demand for contraception was 71% and the proportion of demand satisfied was 77%. The results suggest that region, place of residence, religion, husband's desire for children, visits of FP workers, decision-making power on child health care, reading about FP in newspaper/magazine and number of births in three years preceding the survey were significant predictors of unmet need for contraception. The BDHS of 2011 found that unmet need for contraception among currently married, fecund women under 25 years old is higher than the national level, and hence different or more intensive programme initiatives are required for them than for older women. The present study identifies important predictors of unmet need for contraception among fecund married Bangladeshi women under age 25.

Integrating family planning and HIV services in western Kenya: the impact on HIV-infected patients' knowledge of family planning and male attitudes toward family planning.

PubMed

Onono, Maricianah; Guzé, Mary A; Grossman, Daniel; Steinfeld, Rachel; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Shade, Starley; Cohen, Craig R; Newmann, Sara J

2015-01-01

Little information exists on the impact of integrating family planning (FP) services into HIV care and treatment on patients' familiarity with and attitudes toward FP. We conducted a cluster-randomized trial in 18 public HIV clinics with 12 randomized to integrated FP and HIV services and 6 to the standard referral-based system where patients are referred to an FP clinic. Serial cross-sectional surveys were done before (n = 488 women, 486 men) and after (n = 479 women, 481 men) the intervention to compare changes in familiarity with FP methods and attitudes toward FP between integrated and nonintegrated (NI) sites. We created an FP familiarity score based on the number of more effective FP methods patients could identify (score range: 0-6). Generalized estimating equations were used to control for clustering within sites. An increase in mean familiarity score between baseline (mean = 5.16) and post-intervention (mean = 5.46) occurred with an overall mean change of 0.26 (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 0.09, 0.45; p = 0.003) across all sites. At end line, there was no difference in increase of mean FP familiarity scores at intervention versus control sites (mean = 5.41 vs. 5.49, p = 0.94). We observed a relative decrease in the proportion of males agreeing that FP was "women's business" at integrated sites (baseline 42% to end line 30%; reduction of 12%) compared to males at NI sites (baseline 35% to end line 42%; increase of 7%; adjusted odds ration [aOR] = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.22, 0.85). Following FP-HIV integration, familiarity with FP methods increased but did not differ by study arm. Integration was associated with a decrease in negative attitudes toward FP among men.

Effectiveness of Taste Lessons with and without additional experiential learning activities on children's willingness to taste vegetables.

PubMed

Battjes-Fries, Marieke C E; Haveman-Nies, Annemien; Zeinstra, Gertrude G; van Dongen, Ellen J I; Meester, Hante J; van den Top-Pullen, Rinelle; Van't Veer, Pieter; de Graaf, Kees

2017-02-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of the Dutch school programme Taste Lessons with and without additional experiential learning activities on children's willingness to taste unfamiliar vegetables. Thirty-three primary schools (877 children in grades 6-7 with a mean age of 10.3 years) participated in Taste Lessons Vegetable Menu (TLVM, lessons and extra activities), Taste Lessons (TL, lessons), or a control group. A baseline and follow-up measurement was used to assess for each child: number of four familiar and four unfamiliar vegetables tasted, quantity tasted, choice of vegetable of which to eat more, and number of vegetables willing to taste again later. Furthermore, children filled out a questionnaire on daily vegetable intake and food neophobia. Multilevel and Cox regression analyses were conducted to compare changes in the outcome measures between the three study groups. No significant intervention effects were found on willingness to taste unfamiliar vegetables. Neither were effects found on familiar vegetables, except for number of familiar vegetables tasted (p < 0.05). Furthermore, no significant intervention effects were found on daily vegetable consumption and food neophobia. These results indicate that more intensive school-based nutrition education activities are needed to increase children's willingness to taste unfamiliar vegetables and increase their vegetable intake. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comparative studies of lepidopteran baculovirus-specific protein FP25K: development of a novel Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus-based vector with a modified fp25K gene.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Tadashi; Goto, Chie; Kobayashi, Michihiro; Kang, Wonkyung; Suzuki, Takehiro; Dohmae, Naoshi; Matsumoto, Shogo; Shimada, Toru; Katsuma, Susumu

2010-05-01

Lepidopteran baculovirus-specific protein FP25K performs many roles during the infection cycle, including functions in the production of occlusion bodies (OBs) and budded viruses (BVs), oral infection, and postmortem host degradation. To explore the common and specific functions of FP25K proteins among lepidopteran baculoviruses, we performed comparative analyses of FP25K proteins from group I and group II nucleopolyhedroviruses (NPVs) and granulovirus (GV). Using recombinant Bombyx mori NPVs (BmNPVs), we showed that the FP25Ks from NPVs were able to eliminate all the phenotypic defects observed in an infection with a BmNPV mutant lacking functional fp25K but that FP25K from GV did not show abilities to recover oral infectivity and postmortem host degradation. We also observed that introduction of Autographa californica multiple NPV (AcMNPV) fp25K into the BmNPV genome enhanced OB and BV production. According to these results, we generated a novel BmNPV-based expression vector with AcMNPV fp25K and examined its potential in BmN cells and B. mori larvae. Our results showed that the introduction of AcMNPV fp25K significantly increases the expression of foreign gene products in cultured cells and shortens the time for obtaining the secreted recombinant proteins from larval hemolymph.

A Performance Analysis of Long-term Acute-Care Hospitals Owned by Large, Multistate Investor-Owned Companies.

PubMed

Nayar, Preethy; Liu, Xinliang; McCue, Michael J

2016-01-01

This study provides a descriptive assessment of the operating performance of for-profit long-term acute-care hospitals owned by multistate, investor-owned companies (large FP LTCHs) compared with FP LTCHs owned by smaller FP companies (small FP LTCHs) and nonprofit LTCHs (NP LTCHs). The study used the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost report data for 290 LTCHs from 2010 through 2012 to compare the financial performance of large and small FP LTCHs and NP LTCHs. The study found that the median operating profit margin for large FP LTCHs was 8.06%, which was twice as high as that of the small FP LTCHs and NP LTCHs (4.78% and 2.80%, respectively). Larger size, serving a greater proportion of private pay and more complex patients and incurring lower operating expenses, including salary expenses, may account for the higher operating margin of the large FP LTCHs.

Community immunization programme in response to an outbreak of invasive Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C infection in the Trent region of England 1995-1996.

PubMed

Irwin, D J; Miller, J M; Milner, P C; Patterson, T; Richards, R G; Williams, D A; Insley, C A; Stuart, J M

1997-06-01

Between 8 December 1995 and 16 January 1996 seven laboratory confirmed cases of septicaemia owing to infection with Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C strains and one highly probable case of meningococcal septicaemia occurred in three electoral wards in south Rotherham and the Retford area of north Nottinghamshire. All cases occurred among children aged 1-17 years. One patient died. The public health response to this outbreak was the largest community prophylactic antibiotic and immunization programme against meningococcal infection, to date, in the United Kingdom. The target group for each Health Authority was 8900 for Rotherham Health Authorities and 8000 for North Nottinghamshire Health. Local logistical factors led to differences in the implementation of the programme by each Health Authority. At the completion of each programme, 8320 doses of vaccine had been administered (92.5 per cent coverage) during the Rotherham Health Authorities programme and 7660 (95.7 per cent coverage) during the North Nottinghamshire Health programme. The additional financial cost of the exercise amounted to approximately Pounds 125000 for each Health Authority. This paper describes the evolution of the outbreak, the decision-making process resulting in the immunization programme in each Health Authority, the implementation of each programme, problems identified and lessons learned.

Are Hemorrhoids Associated with False-Positive Fecal Immunochemical Test Results?

PubMed

Kim, Nam Hee; Park, Jung Ho; Park, Dong Il; Sohn, Chong Il; Choi, Kyuyong; Jung, Yoon Suk

2017-01-01

False-positive (FP) results of fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) conducted in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening could lead to performing unnecessary colonoscopies. Hemorrhoids are a possible cause of FP FIT results; however, studies on this topic are extremely rare. We investigated whether hemorrhoids are associated with FP FIT results. A retrospective study was conducted at a university hospital in Korea from June 2013 to May 2015. Of the 34547 individuals who underwent FITs, 3946 aged ≥50 years who underwent colonoscopies were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with FP FIT results. Among 3946 participants, 704 (17.8%) showed positive FIT results and 1303 (33.0%) had hemorrhoids. Of the 704 participants with positive FIT results, 165 had advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACRN) and 539 had no ACRN (FP results). Of the 1303 participants with hemorrhoids, 291 showed FP results, of whom 81 showed FP results because of hemorrhoids only. Participants with hemorrhoids had a higher rate of FP results than those without hemorrhoids (291/1176, 24.7% vs. 248/2361, 10.5%; p<0.001). Additionally, the participants with hemorrhoids as the only abnormality had a higher rate of FP results than those experiencing no such abnormalities (81/531, 15.3% vs. 38/1173, 3.2%; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the presence of hemorrhoids was identified as an independent predictor of FP results (adjusted odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval, 2.24-3.40; p<0.001). Hemorrhoids are significantly associated with FP FIT results. Their presence seemed to be a non-negligible contributor of FP results in FIT-based CRC screening programs.

Do Patient Characteristics Decide if Young Adult Cancer Patients Undergo Fertility Preservation?

PubMed

Flink, Dina M; Sheeder, Jeanelle; Kondapalli, Laxmi A

2017-06-01

The Fertility Attitudes and Cancer Treatment Study (FACTS) is a two-phase research initiative aimed to understand factors involved with decision making for future fertility. The FACTS will improve services and utilization of fertility preservation (FP) before cancer treatment. Phase-I examined patient characteristics as associated with FP decision. A retrospective cohort study of 108 reproductive-aged (18-45 years) males and females who received a fertility consultation before cancer treatment from January 1, 2012 to April 30, 2014 was conducted. Chi-square, student's t-test, and logistic regression were conducted to examine associations with FP decision. The utilization rate of FP following fertility consultation was 49%. Gender was the most significant factor contributing to FP decision; 74% of those who choose FP were male (odds ratio = 12.5; 95% confidence interval 5.1-31.4). Those who opted for FP were more likely to be Caucasian (p = 0.042), have a solid tumor (p = 0.03), and have a shorter time from diagnosis to fertility consultation (29.5 vs. 58.8 days; p = 0.017). Age, relationship, tumor location, treatment plan, and parity were not significant predictors of FP. Current perceptions about patient demographics do not predict FP utilization by young adult cancer patients. Providing patients an informed fertility consultation has demonstrated an increase in FP utilization to nearly one-half of patients. Despite gender being a significant factor in choosing FP, the study did not provide reasons as to why. The phase-II study will explore patients' reasons for FP decision in a qualitative design to understand these differences.

Fluorescent Proteins: A Cell Biologist's User Guide

PubMed Central

Snapp, Erik Lee

2009-01-01

Fluorescent Proteins (FPs) have revolutionized cell biology. The value of labeling and visualizing proteins in living cells is evident from thousands of publications since the cloning of Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Biologists have been flooded with a cornucopia of FPs; however, the FP toolbox has not necessarily been optimized for cell biologists. Common FP plasmids are suboptimal for FP-fusion protein construction. More problematic are commercial and investigator-constructed FP-fusion proteins that disrupt important cellular targeting information. Even when cell biologists correctly construct FP-fusion proteins, it is rarely self-evident which FP should be used. Important FP information, such as oligomer formation or photostability, is often unsearchable or anecdotal. This brief guide is offered to assist in correctly exploiting FPs in cells. PMID:19819147

Control of bromate and THM precursors using ozonation combined system.

PubMed

Xie, Shu-Guang; Shi, Dong-Wen; Wen, Dong-Hui; Wang, Rui; Xi, Dan-Li

2007-06-01

To investigate the feasibility of reducing THM precursors and controlling bromate taste and odor in drinking water taken from the Yellow River by an ozonation combined system. The appropriate ozone dosage was determined, and then the changes of TOC, UV254 and THM formation potential (THMFP) in the combined system were evaluated. One mg/L ozone could effectively remove taste and odor and meet the maximum allowable bromate level in drinking water. The pre-ozonation increased THMFP, but the conventional treatment system could effectively reduce the odor. The bio-ceramic filter could partly reduce CHCl3FP, but sometimes might increase CHCl2BrFP and CHClBr2FP. The biological activated carbon (BAC) filter could effectively reduce CHCl3FP and CHCl2BrFP, but increase CHClBr2FP. Compared with other filters, the fresh activated carbon (FAC) filter performed better in reducing THMFP and even reduced CHClBr2FP. The combined system can effectively reduce taste, odor, CHCl3FP, and CHCl2BrFP and also bring bromate under control.

Refuah Shlema: a cross-cultural programme for promoting communication and health among Ethiopian immigrants in the primary health care setting in Israel: evidence and lessons learned from over a decade of implementation.

PubMed

Levin-Zamir, Diane; Keret, Sandra; Yaakovson, Orit; Lev, Boaz; Kay, Calanit; Verber, Giora; Lieberman, Niki

2011-03-01

The Refuah Shlema programme was established to reduce health disparities, promote health literacy and health indicators of the Ethiopian immigrant community in Israel, and included: (i) integrating Ethiopian immigrant liaisons in primary care as inter-cultural mediators; (ii) in-service training of clinical staff to increase cultural awareness and sensitivity; and (iii) health education community activities. Qualitative and quantitative evidence showed improvements in: (i) clinic staff–patient relations; (ii) availability and accessibility of health services, and health system navigation without increasing service expenditure; (iii) perception of general well-being; and (iv) self-care practice with regards to chronic conditions. Evidence significantly contributed to sustaining the programme for over 13 years.

Support for EU fundraising in the field of Environment & Energy - BayFOR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammerl, Thomas; Baumann, Cornelia; Reiter, Andrea; Blume, Andreas; Just, Jana; Franke, Jan

2013-04-01

The Bavarian Research Alliance (BayFOR, http://www.bayfor.org) is a private company for the support of Bavaria (Free State in the South East of Germany) as a centre for science and innovation within the European Research Area. It was set up on the initiative of the Bavarian universities to strengthen their networking at regional, national and international level while helping them to prepare to meet the requirements for European research funding. The focus is directed at the current EU Framework Programme (FP7) and the forthcoming Framework Programme for Research and Innovation "Horizon 2020", but also comprises the wide range of European programmes (e.g. FP7, LIFE+, Interreg, COST, EUREKA, ERA-Nets, IEE (CIP), LLP, Calls for tender). BayFOR is also a partner institution in the Bavarian "Haus der Forschung" (www.hausderforschung.bayern.de/en). BayFORs overall aim is to strengthen and permanently anchor the science and innovation location of Bavaria in the European Research Area through: a) Initiation of national and in particular European innovation and science partnerships from academia and business b) Improvement of innovation potential of Bavarian universities and SME c) Support in acquisition, management and dissemination of results of European and international projects in the field of research and technological development The service portfolio of the EU Funding Advisory Service reaches from the first project idea to project implementation. The minimum condition for BayFOR support is at least one partner from Bavaria (Germany) must be part of the applying consortium: a) Recommendation of funding programmes/instruments (incl. integration of relevant EU policies & directives) b) Partner search c) Project development and proposal elaboration (Online platform, Creation of consortium, Attendance at meetings, Preparation of documents, Proposal structure elaboration, Provision of templates, Editorial support: Gantt, PERT, Impact, EU added value) d) Support in the Contract negotiations with the European Commission e) Project implementation (Project management, dissemination, Science-Policy-Interface) BayFOR staff has profound R&D background, as well as knowledge and experience in disseminating project outcomes, in particular with regard to the adaptation of results to the needs of relevant target groups like science, industry/SMEs, policy makers and the public. Furthermore, BayFOR can draw on distinct experience in the management of European research projects (e.g. CLIMB, Largecells, AlpBC, GeoMol, WE-EEN, WINALP). As a partner in the network for SMEs "Enterprise Europe Network" (EEN), BayFOR offers advice and support on topics such as funding, research programs, public procurement, market penetration and the promotion of innovation at European level. Beyond, BayFOR will make use of its regional networks to promote uptake and exploitation of project results. BayFOR is also commissioned by Bavaria's State Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts to look after the Bavarian University Funding Programme for the Initiation of International Projects (BayIntAn). Our efforts are aimed at initiating or strengthening transnational collaborative research involving Bavarian universities and universities of applied sciences.

Assessing Inquiry Learning: How Much Is a Cubic Metre?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fry, Kym

2014-01-01

In this article, Kym Fry uses the "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA) assessment framework to break down what her Year 6 students learned as they explored the inquiry question, "How much is a cubic metre?" First, an overview of the lessons in the unit is provided. Quality assessment opportunities are…

The OECD PISA Study as a Soft Power in Education? Lessons from Switzerland and the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bieber, Tonia; Martens, Kerstin

2011-01-01

Although originally created for economic purposes, the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) has increasingly gained weight in education policy in recent years and is now regarded as an international authority in the field, particularly through its "Programme for International Student Assessment" (PISA), which was…

Design for Review - Applying Lessons Learned to Improve the FPGA Review Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Figueiredo, Marco A.; Li, Kenneth E.

2014-01-01

Flight Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) designs are required to be independently reviewed. This paper provides recommendations to Flight FPGA designers to properly prepare their designs for review in order to facilitate the review process, and reduce the impact of the review time in the overall project schedule.

Can Information and Communications Technology Application Contribute to Poverty Reduction? Lessons from Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toluyemi, Samuel Taiwo; Mejabi, Omenogo Veronica

2011-01-01

There is a growing optimism among international organizations such as United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can transform developing countries such as Nigeria to developed ones in a relatively short time. Experiences from Asian and European countries such as India, Bangladesh, Malaysia,…

Effective Evidence-Based Interventions for Emotional Well-Being: Lessons for Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bywater, Tracey; Sharples, Jonathan

2012-01-01

School-based programmes developed to promote social and emotional well-being aims to reduce the risk of academic failure and other negative outcomes, such as antisocial behaviour and mental health problems. This article maps the British political trajectory from understanding the importance of social and emotional well-being, to delivering…

Lessons from the AIME Approach to the Teaching Relationship: Valuing Biepistemic Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMahon, Samantha; Harwood, Valerie; Bodkin-Andrews, Gawaian; O'Shea, Sarah; McKnight, Anthony; Chandler, Paul; Priestly, Amy

2017-01-01

The Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) is a national, extra-curricular mentoring programme that is closing the educational gap for young Indigenous Australians. So what is AIME doing that is working so well? This article draws on a large-scale classroom ethnography to describe the pedagogies that facilitate the teacher-student…

Lessons from the Training Programme for Women with Domestic Violence Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anczewska, Marta; Roszczynska-Michta, Joanna; Waszkiewicz, Justyna; Charzynska, Katarzyna; Czabala, Czeslaw

2013-01-01

It is well recognized that trauma of domestic violence has destructive impact on somatic and mental health--hence quality of life. In Poland today's assistance programs provide a quite wide range of services, including emergency shelter, crisis intervention, support groups and counselling services. While health care providers may be successful at…

Enhancing "ICT Teaching" in English Schools: Vital Lessons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Twining, Peter; Henry, Fiona

2014-01-01

Despite substantial investments in digital technology in schools the impact has been less than advocates anticipated. This raises issues about the effectiveness of past approaches to the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers. Vital was a £9.4million programme, funded by English governments between 2009 and 2013, to enhance the use…

Two Related Approaches to Teacher Professional Learning in the Asia Pacific Region

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Allan

2007-01-01

This paper examines the similarities and differences between two successful programmes of teacher professional learning. Firstly, Lesson Study developed in Japan over 40 years ago. It examines practice either through direct observation or through classroom artefacts and case studies. It assumes that teacher learning will be more meaningful and…

Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders for the 21st Century: Lessons from around the World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schleicher, Andreas, Ed.

2012-01-01

Results from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD's) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) have shown that the degree to which education systems succeed in equipping students with important foundation skills varies significantly. Since the quality of teaching is at the heart of student learning…

Distributed Group Design Process: Lessons Learned.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eseryel, Deniz; Ganesan, Radha

A typical Web-based training development team consists of a project manager, an instructional designer, a subject-matter expert, a graphic artist, and a Web programmer. The typical scenario involves team members working together in the same setting during the entire design and development process. What happens when the team is distributed, that is…

Reflections of a "Late-Career" Early-Career Researcher: An Account of Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Catherine J.

2016-01-01

This account of practice describes the journey of an "accidental academic" through the Doctoral programme in Business Administration (DBA). It reflects on her experience of action learning and lessons learned to better embed action learning in future DBA teaching and assessment. The account is told from the perspective of a mature…

The effects of a three-year smoking prevention programme in secondary schools in Helsinki.

PubMed

Vartiainen, Erkki; Pennanen, Marjaana; Haukkala, Ari; Dijk, Froukje; Lehtovuori, Riku; De Vries, Hein

2007-06-01

This study evaluates the effects of a 3-year smoking prevention programme in secondary schools in Helsinki. The study is part of the European Smoking prevention Framework Approach (ESFA), in which Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the UK participated. A total of 27 secondary schools in Finland participated in the programme (n = 1821). Schools were randomised into experimental (13) and control groups (14). The programme included 14 information lessons about smoking and refusal skills training. The 3-year smoking prevention programme was also integrated into the standard curriculum. The community-element of the programme included parents, parish confirmation camps and dentists. The schools in the experimental group received the prevention programme and the schools in the control group received the standard health education curriculum. Among baseline never smokers (60.8%), the programme had a significant effect on the onset of weekly smoking in the experimental group [OR = 0.63 (0.45-0.90) P = 0.009] when compared with the control group. Being female, doing poorly at school, having parents and best friends who smoke and more pocket money to spend compared with others were associated with an increased likelihood of daily and weekly smoking onset. These predictors did not have an interaction effect with the experimental condition. This study shows that a school- and community-based smoking prevention programme can prevent smoking onset among adolescents.

Are Hemorrhoids Associated with False-Positive Fecal Immunochemical Test Results?

PubMed Central

Kim, Nam Hee; Park, Jung Ho; Park, Dong Il; Sohn, Chong Il; Choi, Kyuyong

2017-01-01

Purpose False-positive (FP) results of fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) conducted in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening could lead to performing unnecessary colonoscopies. Hemorrhoids are a possible cause of FP FIT results; however, studies on this topic are extremely rare. We investigated whether hemorrhoids are associated with FP FIT results. Materials and Methods A retrospective study was conducted at a university hospital in Korea from June 2013 to May 2015. Of the 34547 individuals who underwent FITs, 3946 aged ≥50 years who underwent colonoscopies were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with FP FIT results. Results Among 3946 participants, 704 (17.8%) showed positive FIT results and 1303 (33.0%) had hemorrhoids. Of the 704 participants with positive FIT results, 165 had advanced colorectal neoplasia (ACRN) and 539 had no ACRN (FP results). Of the 1303 participants with hemorrhoids, 291 showed FP results, of whom 81 showed FP results because of hemorrhoids only. Participants with hemorrhoids had a higher rate of FP results than those without hemorrhoids (291/1176, 24.7% vs. 248/2361, 10.5%; p<0.001). Additionally, the participants with hemorrhoids as the only abnormality had a higher rate of FP results than those experiencing no such abnormalities (81/531, 15.3% vs. 38/1173, 3.2%; p<0.001). In multivariate analysis, the presence of hemorrhoids was identified as an independent predictor of FP results (adjusted odds ratio, 2.76; 95% confidence interval, 2.24–3.40; p<0.001). Conclusion Hemorrhoids are significantly associated with FP FIT results. Their presence seemed to be a non-negligible contributor of FP results in FIT-based CRC screening programs. PMID:27873508

Phenylpyrazole insecticide fipronil induces male infertility in the estuarine meiobenthic crustacean Amphiascus tenuiremis.

PubMed

Cary, Tawnya L; Chandler, G Thomas; Volz, David C; Walse, Spencer S; Ferry, John L

2004-01-15

Copepods are the most abundant arthropods on earth and are often the most important secondary producers in estuarine/marine food webs. The new GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid)-disrupting insecticide fipronil (FP) induces unique sex-specific reproductive dysfunction in male meiobenthic copepods, leading to trans-generational population depression at environmentally realistic concentrations (0.63 microg/L). Using a newly developed 96-well microplate lifecycle bioassay, more than 700 individual Stage-I juveniles were reared to adulthood in as short as 12 days in only 200 microL of control (CTL) or 0.63 microg-FP/L seawater solution. Individual virgin male: female pairs were then cross-mated for all possible combinations within and across rearing treatments and allowed to mate for an additional 12 days in CTL or 0.63 microg-FP/L solution. FP at 0.63 microg/L caused no significant lethality to any mating combinations but evoked 73% or 89% inhibition of reproduction when FP-reared males were mated with either a control- or FP-reared female in FP solution, respectively. In contrast, when CTL-reared males were mated with FP-reared females in FP solution, there was no difference in reproductive success compared to FP-free controls. When FP-reared males were mated with either female group in FP-free solution, these mating pairs displayed a 3-day delay in time to brood sac extrusion but ultimately did reproduce. As fipronil (1) has a high K(ow), (2) is persistent in sediments where meiobenthic copepods live, and (3) has been detected in estuarine waters >0.7 microg/L, it may pose high risk to copepod production in estuarine systems.

Factors influencing survivorship of rehabilitating green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis.

PubMed

Page-Karjian, Annie; Norton, Terry M; Krimer, Paula; Groner, Maya; Nelson, Steven E; Gottdenker, Nicole L

2014-09-01

Marine turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a debilitating, infectious neoplastic disease that has reached epizootic proportions in several tropical and subtropical populations of green turtles (Chelonia mydas). FP represents an important health concern in sea turtle rehabilitation facilities. The objectives of this study were to describe the observed epidemiology, biology, and survival rates of turtles affected by FP (FP+ turtles) in a rehabilitation environment; to evaluate clinical parameters as predictors of survival in affected rehabilitating turtles; and to provide information about case progression scenarios and potential outcomes for FP+ sea turtle patients. A retrospective case series analysis was performed using the medical records of the Georgia Sea Turtle Center (GSTC), Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA, during 2009-2013. Information evaluated included signalment, morphometrics, presenting complaint, time to FP onset, tumor score (0-3), co-morbid conditions, diagnostic test results, therapeutic interventions, and case outcomes. Overall, FP was present in 27/362 (7.5%) of all sea turtles admitted to the GSTC for rehabilitation, either upon admittance or during their rehabilitation. Of these, 25 were green and 2 were Kemp's ridley turtles. Of 10 turtles that had only plaque-like FP lesions, 60% had natural tumor regression, all were released, and they were significantly more likely to survive than those with classic FP (P = 0.02 [0.27-0.75, 95% CI]). Turtles without ocular FP were eight times more likely to survive than those with ocular FP (odds ratio = 8.75, P = 0.032 [1.21-63.43, 95% CI]). Laser-mediated tumor removal surgery is the treatment of choice for FP+ patients at the GSTC; number of surgeries was not significantly related to case outcome.

Eye position signals modify vestibulo- and cervico-ocular fast phases during passive yaw rotations in humans.

PubMed

Anastasopoulos, D; Mandellos, D; Kostadima, V; Pettorossi, V E

2002-08-01

We studied the amplitude, latency, and probability of occurrence of fast phases (FP) in darkness to unpredictable vestibular and/or cervical yaw stimulation in normal human subjects. The rotational stimuli were smoothed trapezoidal motion transients of 14 degrees amplitude and 1.25 s duration. Eye position before stimulus application (initial eye position, IEP) was introduced as a variable by asking the subjects to fixate a spot appearing either straight ahead or at 7 degrees eccentric positions. The recordings demonstrated that the generation of FP during vestibular stimulation was facilitated when the whole-body rotation was directed opposite the eccentric IEP. Conversely, FP were attenuated if the whole-body rotation was directed toward the eccentric IEP; i.e., the FP attenuated if they were made to further eccentric positions. Cervical stimulation-induced FP were small and variable in direction when IEP was directed straight ahead before stimulus onset. Eccentric IEPs resulted in large FP, the direction of which was essentially independent of the neck-proprioceptive stimulus. They tended to move the eye toward the primary position, both when the trunk motion under the stationary head was directed toward or away from the IEP. FP dependence on IEP was evident also during head-on-trunk rotations. No consistent interaction between vestibularly and cervically induced FP was found. We conclude that extraretinal eye position signals are able to modify vestibularly evoked reflexive FP in darkness, aiming at minimizing excursions of the eyes away from the primary position. However, neck-induced FP do not relate to specific tasks of stabilization or visual search. By keeping the eyes near the primary position, FP may permit flexibility of orienting responses to incoming stimuli. This recentering bias for both vestibularly and cervically generated FP may represent a visuomotor optimizing strategy.

Assessing psychological distress in patients with facial paralysis using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

PubMed

Pouwels, Sjaak; Beurskens, Carien H G; Kleiss, Ingrid J; Ingels, Koen J A O

2016-08-01

Anxiety and depression are seen among patients with facial paralysis (FP), but less is known about the exact prevalence. The aim of the current study is to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in the FP population and to investigate possible differences between patients with left- and right-sided FP. Fifty-nine patients with FP and 59 healthy individuals were included in this study between March and December of 2014. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression among these groups. The mean age of the patients and controls was 56 ± 15 and 40 ± 16 years, respectively. Twenty-eight patients had left-sided FP, 30 patients had right-sided FP, and one patient had bilateral FP. In the patient group, approximately 30% had anxiety and 25% had a depressive disorder. Compared with the control group, significantly more patients presented with mild anxiety (p = 0.031), mild depression (p = 0.047), and moderate depression (p = 0.006). No significant differences were found in terms of the prevalence of anxiety between left- and right-sided FP. However, significantly more patients with left-sided FP had mild depression (p = 0.018) than those with right-sided FP. This study found a significant difference in anxiety and depression between patients with FP and healthy controls. No clinically significant difference was noted in the prevalence of anxiety or depression between patients with left- and right-sided FP. Copyright © 2016 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and cognitive functions in Saudi pre-school children with feeding problems without underlying medical disorders.

PubMed

Hegazi, Moustafa A; Sehlo, Mohammad G; Al-Jasir, Albandari; El-Deek, Basem S

2015-09-01

This study was conducted to assess development and cognitive functions in relation to growth in Saudi pre-school children with feeding problems (FPs) without underlying medical disorders. Three hundred fifteen pre-school children with FPs (221 with normal growth (FP-N), 62 with failure to thrive (FTT) (FP-FTT), 32 with overweight (FP-OW)) and 100 healthy children (Ref group) underwent in-depth assessment by anthropometric measurements, dietetic history, Behavioral Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale, Denver Developmental Screening test (DDST) and Stanford Binet fifth edition intelligence scales (SB-5). The main FPs detected in Saudi children were picky eating in 85.5% of FP-N group, infantile anorexia and poor eating in more than 90% of FP-FTT group and overeating in 53% of FP-OW group. FPs were not due to evident psychosocial factors but were mostly related to unhealthy feeding behaviours. FP-N children were still having normal growth parameters, but they had significantly lower growth parameters than healthy children. Failed screening with DDST was only more significantly recorded in FP-FTT children than in Ref children (P = 0.04). The overall IQ value by SB-5 was significantly lower in FP-FTT group compared with FP-N group (P = 0.01), in FP-FTT group compared with Ref group (P < 0.001) as well as in FP-OW group compared with Ref group (P < 0.001). Persistent FPs resulted in significant negative impact not only on growth status but also on developmental milestones and cognitive functions of pre-school children. Healthy feeding habits are mandatory to prevent serious consequences of FPs on growth and development of Saudi pre-school children. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2015 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Effects of inhaled fluticasone and oral prednisolone on clinical and inflammatory parameters in patients with asthma

PubMed Central

Meijer, R; Kerstjens, H; Arends, L; Kauffman, H; Koeter, G; Postma, D

1999-01-01

BACKGROUND—Guidelines state that oral and inhaled corticosteroids are the cornerstone of asthma treatment. The effect of both types of treatment can be assessed by measuring lung and systemic parameters. Treatment for two weeks with either oral prednisolone (30 mg/day), high dose fluticasone propionate (2000 µg/day, FP2000), or lower dose FP (500 µg/day, FP500), both given by a dry powder inhaler, were compared.
METHODS—One hundred and twenty patients with asthma were treated for two weeks in a double blind parallel group design. Lung function, asthma symptoms, airway hyperresponsiveness (PC20 methacholine and adenosine-5'-monophosphate), sputum eosinophil and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) levels were measured as lung parameters. In addition, morning serum blood cortisol, blood eosinophil, and serum ECP levels were measured as systemic parameters.
RESULTS—PC20 methacholine and adenosine-5'-monophosphate showed significantly greater improvement with FP2000 (1.99 and 4.04 doubling concentrations (DC), respectively) than prednisolone (0.90 DC, p = 0.02; 2.15 DC, p = 0.05) and marginally more than with FP500 (1.69 and 3.54 DC). Changes in sputum eosinophil and ECP concentrations showed similar trends; the decrease in ECP was significantly greater with FP2000 than with FP500. In contrast, the systemic parameters of steroid activity (cortisol, peripheral blood eosinophils, and serum ECP) decreased to a similar extent with FP2000 and prednisolone but significantly less with FP500.
CONCLUSIONS—Oral prednisolone (30 mg/day) was inferior to FP2000 in improving airway hyperresponsiveness to both methacholine and AMP, with similar trends in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), sputum eosinophil and ECP concentrations. Systemic effects were similar with prednisolone and FP2000 and less with FP500.

 PMID:10491451

A 50-year precipitation analysis over Europe at 5.5km within the UERRA project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bazile, Eric; Abida, Rachid; Soci, Cornel; Verrelle, Antoine; Szczypta, Camille; Le Moigne, Patrick

2017-04-01

The UERRA project is a 4-year project (2014-2017) financed by the European Union under its 7th Framework Programme SPACE. One of its main objectives is to provide a 50-year reanalysis dataset of surface essential climate variables (ECV) at 5.5km grid at European scale, together with, as much as possible, uncertainty estimates. One of the ECV is the precipitation and this variable is of essential interest in weather forecasting, climate study and to "drive" hydrological model for water management, or agrometeorology. After a brief description of the method used for the precipitation analysis (Soci et al. 2016)during this project, the preliminary results will be presented. The estimation of uncertainties will be also discussed associated with the problem of the evolution of the observation density network and its impact on the long term series. Additional information about the UERRA project can be found at http://www.uerra.eu The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union, Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-SPACE-2013-1) under grant agreement no 607193.

The maximum drag reduction asymptote

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choueiri, George H.; Hof, Bjorn

2015-11-01

Addition of long chain polymers is one of the most efficient ways to reduce the drag of turbulent flows. Already very low concentration of polymers can lead to a substantial drag and upon further increase of the concentration the drag reduces until it reaches an empirically found limit, the so called maximum drag reduction (MDR) asymptote, which is independent of the type of polymer used. We here carry out a detailed experimental study of the approach to this asymptote for pipe flow. Particular attention is paid to the recently observed state of elasto-inertial turbulence (EIT) which has been reported to occur in polymer solutions at sufficiently high shear. Our results show that upon the approach to MDR Newtonian turbulence becomes marginalized (hibernation) and eventually completely disappears and is replaced by EIT. In particular, spectra of high Reynolds number MDR flows are compared to flows at high shear rates in small diameter tubes where EIT is found at Re < 100. The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA grant agreement n° [291734].

COST-ENLIGHT strategic workshop on hadron (particle) therapy, CERN, Geneva, 3-4 May 2007.

PubMed

Taylor, R E

2008-03-01

This meeting was convened by COST (Co-operation in the Field of Scientific and Technical Research) and ENLIGHT (European Network for Research in Light-Ion Hadron Therapy) to review the current status of hadron therapy in Europe. The aims were to increase awareness of hadron therapy within the scientific community, to produce a document outlining the present and future prospects for this treatment modality and to bring together hadron therapy scientists and clinicians. Proton therapy offers the potential for therapeutic gain from dose distribution advantages when compared with photon therapy. Carbon ion therapy, by nature of its higher linear energy transfer (LET) and relative biological effectiveness (RBE), may further improve local control. A further potential benefit of carbon ion therapy is the ability to deliver hypofractionated radiotherapy. A further aim of this meeting was to commence preparation of a programme of work packages with a view to submitting an application for European Union funding within the FP7 programme. This comprises a series of seven work packages, which will be a focus for European collaboration.

Advance care planning and physician orders in nursing home residents with dementia: a nationwide retrospective study among professional caregivers and relatives.

PubMed

Vandervoort, An; Houttekier, Dirk; Van den Block, Lieve; van der Steen, Jenny T; Vander Stichele, Robert; Deliens, Luc

2014-02-01

Advance care planning (ACP) is key to good palliative care for nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. We examined the extent to which the family physicians (FPs), nurses, and the relative most involved in the resident's care are informed about ACP, written advance directives, and FP treatment orders (FP-orders) for NH residents dying with dementia. We also examined the congruence among FP, nurse, and relative regarding the content of ACP. This was a representative nationwide post-mortem study (2010) in Flanders, Belgium, using random cluster sampling. In selected NHs, all deaths of residents with dementia in a three month period were reported. A structured questionnaire was completed by the FP, the nurse, and the patient's relative. We identified 205 deceased residents with dementia in 69 NHs. Residents expressed their wishes regarding end-of-life care in 11.8% of cases according to the FP. The FP and nurse spoke with the resident in 22.0% and 9.7% of cases, respectively, and with the relative in 70.6% and 59.5%, respectively. An advance directive was present in 9.0%, 13.6%, and 18.4% of the cases according to the FP, nurse, and the relative, respectively. The FP-orders were present in 77.3% according to the FP, and discussed with the resident in 13.0% and with the relative in 79.3%. Congruence was fair (FP-nurse) on the documentation of FP-orders (k=0.26), and poor to slight on the presence of an advance directive (FP-relative, k=0.03; nurse-relative, k=-0.05; FP-nurse k=0.12). Communication regarding care is rarely patient driven and more often professional caregiver or family driven. The level of congruence between professional caregivers and relatives is low. Copyright © 2014 U.S. Cancer Pain Relief Committee. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Florid papillomatosis of the nipple. A study of 51 patients, including nine with mammary carcinoma.

PubMed

Rosen, P P; Caicco, J A

1986-02-01

The present study was undertaken to review the pathology of florid papillomatosis (FP) of the nipple and to examine the relationship of FP to breast carcinoma. Clinical features of 49 women studied did not differ appreciably from those noted on prior reports, except that in one instance the lesion was probably congenital. Histologically, three distinct growth patterns were found: sclerosing papillomatosis (17 cases), papillomatosis (12 cases), and adenosis (3 cases). In 17 other cases, mixtures of these proliferative patterns were seen. FP with the sclerosing papillomatosis pattern more frequently had areas of focal necrosis in hyperplastic ducts and scattered mitoses, features that might be interpreted as evidence of carcinoma. No prognostic significance can be attributed to these patterns, since all types were cured by excision with follow-up that averaged 8.3 years. Seven of the 49 women had carcinoma in the same breast as FP: Two women had invasive carcinoma that appeared to arise from FP, and four women had concurrent invasive carcinomas that were separate from the FP; the seventh woman developed diffuse intraductal carcinoma 10 years after FP was excised from the same breast. Three of the seven women were also treated for contralateral breast carcinoma. Also reviewed were lesions from two men who had carcinoma arising in FP. One had intraductal carcinoma with Paget's disease and the other had invasive carcinoma. Appreciation of the diverse histological patterns of FP may be helpful in avoiding an erroneous diagnosis of carcinoma. Features indicative of carcinoma arising in FP are Paget's disease and areas of invasion. FP of the nipple is rarely the substrate for mammary carcinoma and is adequately treated by local excision. Coexistence with carcinoma elsewhere in the same or opposite breast occurs often enough to warrant thorough examination of the breasts when FP of the nipple is diagnosed. The risk of subsequent carcinoma following excision of FP appears to be low, but clinical follow-up is prudent.

Developing children’s palliative care in Africa through beacon centres: lessons learnt

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Much progress has been made in the provision of palliative care across sub-Saharan Africa, however much still remains to be done, particularly in the area of children’s palliative care (CPC). The Beacon Centres programme was set up in 2009, aimed at improving access to CPC in South Africa, Uganda and Tanzania through more and better-trained health professionals and CPC clinical services of a high standard. Having identified sites in each country to develop into CPC Beacon Centres, Navigators were identified who would be the ‘champions’ for CPC in those sites and lead a programme of training, mentorship and support. Five navigators (2 in Uganda and Tanzania and 1 in South Africa) were trained between September and December 2009. Following this they undertook CPC needs assessments at the 3 centres and set up and delivered a six-month CPC training programme, providing mentorship and support to students to enable them to integrate CPC into their workplaces. To date, 188 participants have commenced the six-month course, with 80 having completed it. CPC has been integrated into the activities of the centres and a CPC virtual resource centre set up in South Africa. The achievements from the Beacon project have been great and the work of the navigators immense, but as in all projects it has not been without its challenges. Lessons learnt include issues around: the focus of the project; the length and nature of the training; assessment; accreditation; the choice of navigators; mentoring; administrative support; co-ordination; the choice of project sites; and the integration of CPC into services. The need for CPC is not going to go away and it is therefore important that models of scaling-up are found that are not only practical, feasible, affordable and sustainable, but that focus on the outcome of improved CPC for all those who need it. It is hoped that the lessons shared from the Beacon Project will help in developing and implementing such models. PMID:23419095

Strengthening Indonesia’s Field Epidemiology Training Programme to address International Health Regulations requirements

PubMed Central

Samaan, Gina; Santoso, Hari; Kushadiwijaya, Haripurnomo; Juwita, Ratna; Mohadir, Andi; Aditama, Tjandra

2010-01-01

Abstract Problem According to the International Health Regulations (IHR), countries need to strengthen core capacity for disease surveillance and response systems. Many countries are establishing or enhancing their field epidemiology training programmes (FETPs) to meet human resource needs but face challenges in sustainability and training quality. Indonesia is facing these challenges, which include limited resources for field training and limited coordination in a newly decentralized health system. Approach A national FETP workplan was developed based on an evaluation of the existing programme and projected human resource needs. A Ministry of Health Secretariat linking universities, national and international partners was established to oversee revision and implementation of the FETP. Local setting The FETP is integrated into the curriculum of Indonesian universities and field training is conducted in district and provincial health offices under the coordination of the universities and the FETP Secretariat. Relevant changes The FETP was included in the Ministry of Health workforce development strategy through governmental decree. Curricula have been enhanced and field placements strengthened to provide trainees with better learning experiences. To improve sustainability of the FETP, links were established with the Indonesian Epidemiologists’ Association, local governments and donors to cultivate future FETP champions and maintain funding. Courses, competitions and discussion forums were established for field supervisors and alumni. These changes have increased the geographic distribution of students, intersectoral and international participation and the quality of student performance. Lessons learnt The main lesson learnt is that linkages with universities, ministries and international agencies such as the World Health Organization are critical for building a sustainable high-quality programme. The most critical factors were development of trusting relationships and clear definitions of the responsibilities of each stakeholder. PMID:20428389

Fluticasone propionate/formoterol for COPD management: a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Papi, A; Dokic, D; Tzimas, W; Mészáros, I; Olech-Cudzik, A; Koroknai, Z; McAulay, K; Mersmann, S; Dalvi, PS; Overend, T

2017-01-01

Purpose To evaluate fluticasone propionate/formoterol (FP/FORM) in COPD. Patients and methods COPD patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) ≤50% predicted and ≥1 moderate/severe COPD exacerbation in the last 12 months were randomized to FP/FORM 500/20 or 250/10 µg bid, or formoterol (FORM) 12 µg bid for 52 weeks. The primary outcome was the annualized rate of moderate/severe COPD exacerbations. Results In total, 1,765 patients were randomized. There were fewer discontinuations with FP/FORM 500/20 µg (20.6%) and 250/10 µg (24.0%) compared with FORM (26.1%). None of the two FP/FORM doses reduced the moderate/severe exacerbation rate versus FORM (rate ratios [RR]: 0.93; P≤0.402). There was a trend toward a lower moderate/severe exacerbation rate with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM in patients with ≥2 exacerbations in the preceding year (RR: 0.79; P=0.084). Pre- and post-dose FEV1 and forced vital capacity were greater with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM (P≤0.039). There was a trend toward a lower EXAcerbations of Chronic pulmonary disease Tool (EXACT) exacerbation rate with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM (RR: 0.87; P=0.077). There were more St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD (SGRQ-C) responders with FP/FORM 500/20 µg than FORM (odds ratios [OR] at weeks 6, 23 and 52 ≥1.28; P≤0.054). EXACT-respiratory symptoms total and breathlessness scores were lower with both FP/FORM 500/20 µg and 250/10 µg versus FORM (P≤0.066). Acute β2-agonist-induced effects and 24-hour Holter findings were similar for all treatments. Mean 24-hour urinary cortisol was similarly reduced with both FP/FORM doses. Radiologically confirmed pneumonia was seen in 2.4%, 3.2% and 1.5% of FP/FORM 500/20 µg, FP/FORM 250/10 µg and FORM-treated patients, respectively. Adverse events were otherwise similar across treatment groups. Conclusion FP/FORM did not reduce exacerbation rates versus FORM. Numerical benefits were observed with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM for secondary variables, including lung function, EXACT exacerbations, SGRQ-C and EXACT-respiratory symptoms total and breathlessness scores. Few efficacy differences were evident between FP/FORM 250/10 µg and FORM. Pneumonia was more frequent in FP/FORM-treated patients, although the absolute difference was low. Adverse events were otherwise similar between treatments. PMID:28740376

Fluticasone propionate/formoterol for COPD management: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Papi, A; Dokic, D; Tzimas, W; Mészáros, I; Olech-Cudzik, A; Koroknai, Z; McAulay, K; Mersmann, S; Dalvi, P S; Overend, T

2017-01-01

To evaluate fluticasone propionate/formoterol (FP/FORM) in COPD. COPD patients with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV 1 ) ≤50% predicted and ≥1 moderate/severe COPD exacerbation in the last 12 months were randomized to FP/FORM 500/20 or 250/10 µg bid, or formoterol (FORM) 12 µg bid for 52 weeks. The primary outcome was the annualized rate of moderate/severe COPD exacerbations. In total, 1,765 patients were randomized. There were fewer discontinuations with FP/FORM 500/20 µg (20.6%) and 250/10 µg (24.0%) compared with FORM (26.1%). None of the two FP/FORM doses reduced the moderate/severe exacerbation rate versus FORM (rate ratios [RR]: 0.93; P ≤0.402). There was a trend toward a lower moderate/severe exacerbation rate with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM in patients with ≥2 exacerbations in the preceding year (RR: 0.79; P =0.084). Pre- and post-dose FEV 1 and forced vital capacity were greater with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM ( P ≤0.039). There was a trend toward a lower EXAcerbations of Chronic pulmonary disease Tool (EXACT) exacerbation rate with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM (RR: 0.87; P =0.077). There were more St George's Respiratory Questionnaire for COPD (SGRQ-C) responders with FP/FORM 500/20 µg than FORM (odds ratios [OR] at weeks 6, 23 and 52 ≥1.28; P ≤0.054). EXACT-respiratory symptoms total and breathlessness scores were lower with both FP/FORM 500/20 µg and 250/10 µg versus FORM ( P ≤0.066). Acute β 2 -agonist-induced effects and 24-hour Holter findings were similar for all treatments. Mean 24-hour urinary cortisol was similarly reduced with both FP/FORM doses. Radiologically confirmed pneumonia was seen in 2.4%, 3.2% and 1.5% of FP/FORM 500/20 µg, FP/FORM 250/10 µg and FORM-treated patients, respectively. Adverse events were otherwise similar across treatment groups. FP/FORM did not reduce exacerbation rates versus FORM. Numerical benefits were observed with FP/FORM 500/20 µg versus FORM for secondary variables, including lung function, EXACT exacerbations, SGRQ-C and EXACT-respiratory symptoms total and breathlessness scores. Few efficacy differences were evident between FP/FORM 250/10 µg and FORM. Pneumonia was more frequent in FP/FORM-treated patients, although the absolute difference was low. Adverse events were otherwise similar between treatments.

Experience with a sophisticated computer based authoring system

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

Gardner, P.R.

1984-04-01

In the November 1982 issue of ADCIS SIG CBT Newsletter the editor arrives at two conclusions regarding Computer Based Authoring Systems (CBAS): (1) CBAS drastically reduces programming time and the need for expert programmers, and (2) CBAS appears to have minimal impact on initial lesson design. Both of these comments have significant impact on any Cost-Benefit analysis for Computer-Based Training. The first tends to improve cost-effectiveness but only toward the limits imposed by the second. Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) recently purchased a sophisticated CBAS, the WISE/SMART system from Wicat (Orem, UT), for use in the Nuclear Power Industry. This reportmore » details our experience with this system relative to Items (1) and (2) above; lesson design time will be compared with lesson input time. Also provided will be the WHC experience in the use of subject matter experts (though computer neophytes) for the design and inputting of CBT materials.« less

Minimal domain of bacterial phytochrome required for chromophore binding and fluorescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumyantsev, Konstantin A.; Shcherbakova, Daria M.; Zakharova, Natalia I.; Emelyanov, Alexander V.; Turoverov, Konstantin K.; Verkhusha, Vladislav V.

2015-12-01

Fluorescent proteins (FP) are used to study various biological processes. Recently, a series of near-infrared (NIR) FPs based on bacterial phytochromes was developed. Finding ways to improve NIR FPs is becoming progressively important. By applying rational design and molecular evolution we have engineered R. palustris bacterial phytochrome into a single-domain NIR FP of 19.6 kDa, termed GAF-FP, which is 2-fold and 1.4-fold smaller than bacterial phytochrome-based NIR FPs and GFP-like proteins, respectively. Engineering of GAF-FP involved a substitution of 15% of its amino acids and a deletion of the knot structure. GAF-FP covalently binds two tetrapyrrole chromophores, biliverdin (BV) and phycocyanobilin (PCB). With the BV chromophore GAF-FP absorbs at 635 nm and fluoresces at 670 nm. With the PCB chromophore GAF-FP becomes blue-shifted and absorbs at 625 nm and fluoresces at 657 nm. The GAF-FP structure has a high tolerance to small peptide insertions. The small size of GAF-FP and its additional absorbance band in the violet range has allowed for designing a chimeric protein with Renilla luciferase. The chimera exhibits efficient non-radiative energy transfer from luciferase to GAF-FP, resulting in NIR bioluminescence. This study opens the way for engineering of small NIR FPs and NIR luciferases from bacterial phytochromes.

Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA.

PubMed

Tsoukalas, T H; Glantz, S A

2003-06-01

Minnesota was the first state in the USA to implement a large state funded tobacco control programme (in 1985). Despite evidence of effectiveness, it was dismantled in 1993. To describe and analyse how and why these events transpired and identify lessons for tobacco control advocates facing similar challenges in the 21st century. Case study based on previously secret tobacco industry documents, news reports, research reports, official documents, and interviews with health advocates and state government officials. Unable to defeat funding for this campaign in 1985, the tobacco industry organised groups which eliminated it later. Despite the programme's documented effectiveness, it was dismantled based on claims of fiscal crisis. These claims were not true; the real debate was what to do with the state's surplus. Health advocates failed to challenge the claim of fiscal crisis or mobilise public support for the programme. Simply quoting evidence that a tobacco control programme is effective does not ensure its continuing survival. Claims of fiscal crisis are an effective cover for tobacco industry efforts to dismantle successful programmes, particularly if health advocates accept these claims and fail to mobilise political pressure to defend the programme.

Demand generation and social mobilisation for integrated community case management (iCCM) and child health: Lessons learned from successful programmes in Niger and Mozambique

PubMed Central

Sharkey, Alyssa B; Martin, Sandrine; Cerveau, Teresa; Wetzler, Erica; Berzal, Rocio

2014-01-01

Aim We present the approaches used in and outcomes resulting from integrated community case management (iCCM) programmes in Niger and Mozambique with a strong focus on demand generation and social mobilisation. Methods We use a case study approach to describe the programme and contextual elements of the Niger and Mozambique programmes. Results Awareness and utilisation of iCCM services and key family practices increased following the implementation of the Niger and Mozambique iCCM and child survival programmes, as did care–seeking within 24 hours and care–seeking from appropriate, trained providers in Mozambique. These approaches incorporated interpersonal communication activities and community empowerment/participation for collective change, partnerships and networks among key stakeholder groups within communities, media campaigns and advocacy efforts with local and national leaders. Conclusions iCCM programmes that train and equip community health workers and successfully engage and empower community members to adopt new behaviours, have appropriate expectations and to trust community health workers’ ability to assess and treat illnesses can lead to improved care–seeking and utilisation, and community ownership for iCCM. PMID:25520800

Development and destruction of the first state funded anti-smoking campaign in the USA

PubMed Central

Tsoukalas, T; Glantz, S

2003-01-01

Background: Minnesota was the first state in the USA to implement a large state funded tobacco control programme (in 1985). Despite evidence of effectiveness, it was dismantled in 1993. Objective: To describe and analyse how and why these events transpired and identify lessons for tobacco control advocates facing similar challenges in the 21st century. Design: Case study based on previously secret tobacco industry documents, news reports, research reports, official documents, and interviews with health advocates and state government officials. Results: Unable to defeat funding for this campaign in 1985, the tobacco industry organised groups which eliminated it later. Despite the programme's documented effectiveness, it was dismantled based on claims of fiscal crisis. These claims were not true; the real debate was what to do with the state's surplus. Health advocates failed to challenge the claim of fiscal crisis or mobilise public support for the programme. Conclusions: Simply quoting evidence that a tobacco control programme is effective does not ensure its continuing survival. Claims of fiscal crisis are an effective cover for tobacco industry efforts to dismantle successful programmes, particularly if health advocates accept these claims and fail to mobilise political pressure to defend the programme. PMID:12773734

The Value of Fidelity of Implementation Criteria to Evaluate School-Based Science Curriculum Innovations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Yew-Jin; Chue, Shien

2013-10-01

School-based curriculum innovations, including those in science education, are usually not adequately evaluated, if at all. Furthermore, current procedures and instruments for programme evaluations are often unable to support evidence-based decision-making. We suggest that adopting fidelity of implementation (FOI) criteria from healthcare research can both characterize and narrow the separation between programme intent and actual implementation, which is a mandatory stage of evaluation before determining overall programme value. We demonstrate how such a process could be applied by science educators using data from a secondary school in Singapore that had devised a new curriculum to promote interest, investigative processes, and knowledge in science. Results showed that there were ambivalent student responses to this programme, while there were high levels of science process skill instruction and close alignment with the intended lesson design. The implementation of this programme appeared to have a satisfactory overall level of FOI, but we also detected tensions between programme intent and everyday classroom teaching. If we want to advance science education, then our argument is that applying FOI criteria is necessary when evaluating all curricular innovations, not just those that originate from schools.

Learning globally to enhance local practice: an international programme in primary care & family health.

PubMed

Godoy-Ruiz, Paula; Rodas, Jamie; Talbot, Yves; Rouleau, Katherine

2016-09-01

In a global context of growing health inequities, international learning experiences have become a popular strategy for equipping health professionals with skills, knowledge, and competencies required to work with the populations they serve. This study sought to analyse the Chilean Interprofessional Programme in Primary Health Care (CIPPHC), a 5 week international learning experience funded by the Ministry of Health in Chile targeted at Chilean primary care providers and delivered in Toronto by the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. The study focused on three cohorts of students (2010-2012). Anonymous programme evaluations were analysed and semi-structured interviews conducted with programme alumni. Simple descriptive statistics were gathered from the evaluations and the interviews were analysed via thematic content analysis. The majority of participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the training programme, knowledge gain, particularly in the areas of the Canadian model of primary care, and found the materials delivered to be applicable to their local context. The CIPPHC has proven to be a successful educational initiative and provides valuable lessons for other academic centres in developing international interprofessional training programmes for primary care health care providers.

FP core carrier technique: thermoplasticized gutta-percha root canal obturation technique using polypropylene core.

PubMed

Kato, Hiroshi; Nakagawa, Kan-Ichi

2010-01-01

Core carrier techniques are unique among the various root canal filling techniques for delivering and compacting gutta-percha in the prepared root canal system. Thermafil (TF), considered the major core carrier device, is provided as an obturator consisting of a master core coated with thermoplasticized gutta-percha. We have devised a thermoplasticized gutta-percha filling technique using a polypropylene core, FlexPoint® NEO (FP), which was developed as a canal filling material that can be sterilized in an autoclave. Therefore, FP can be coated onto thermoplasticized gutta-percha and inserted into the prepared canal as a core carrier. The FP core carrier technique offers many advantages over the TF system: the core can be tested in the root canal and verified radiographically; the core can be adjusted to fit and surplus material easily removed; furthermore the core can be easily removed for retreatment. The clinical procedure of the FP core carrier technique is simple, and similar that with the TF system. Thermoplasticized gutta-percha in a syringe is heated in an oven and extruded onto the FP core carrier after a trial insertion. The FP core carrier is inserted into the root canal to the working length. Excess FP is then removed with a red-hot plastic instrument at the orifice of the root canal. The FP core carrier technique incorporates the clinical advantages of the existing TF system while minimizing the disadvantages. Hence the FP core carrier technique is very useful in clinical practice. This paper describes the FP core carrier technique as a new core based method.

The independent effects of speed and propulsive force on joint power generation in walking

PubMed Central

Browne, Michael G.; Franz, Jason R.

2017-01-01

Walking speed is modulated using propulsive forces (FP) during push-off and both preferred speed and FP decrease with aging. However, even prior to walking slower, reduced FP may be accompanied by potentially unfavorable changes in joint power generation. For example, compared to young adults, older adults exhibit a redistribution of mechanical power generation from the propulsive plantarflexor muscles to more proximal muscles acting across the knee and hip. Here, we used visual biofeedback based on real-time FP measurements to decouple and investigate the interaction between joint-level coordination, whole-body FP, and walking speed. 12 healthy young subjects walked on a dual-belt instrumented treadmill at a range of speeds (0.9 – 1.3 m/s). We immediately calculated the average FP from each speed. Subjects then walked at 1.3 m/s while completing a series of biofeedback trials with instructions to match their instantaneous FP to their averaged FP from slower speeds. Walking slower decreased FP and total positive joint work with little effect on relative joint-level contributions. Conversely, subjects walked at a constant speed with reduced FP, not by reducing total positive joint work, but by redistributing the mechanical demands of each step from the plantarflexor muscles during push-off to more proximal leg muscles during single support. Interestingly, these naturally emergent joint- and limb-level biomechanical changes, in the absence of neuromuscular constraints, resemble those due to aging. Our findings provide important reference data to understand the presumably complex interactions between joint power generation, whole-body FP, and walking speed in our aging population. PMID:28262285

Structure-Related Roles for the Conservation of the HIV-1 Fusion Peptide Sequence Revealed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance.

PubMed

Serrano, Soraya; Huarte, Nerea; Rujas, Edurne; Andreu, David; Nieva, José L; Jiménez, María Angeles

2017-10-17

Despite extensive characterization of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) hydrophobic fusion peptide (FP), the structure-function relationships underlying its extraordinary degree of conservation remain poorly understood. Specifically, the fact that the tandem repeat of the FLGFLG tripeptide is absolutely conserved suggests that high hydrophobicity may not suffice to unleash FP function. Here, we have compared the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structures adopted in nonpolar media by two FP surrogates, wtFP-tag and scrFP-tag, which had equal hydrophobicity but contained wild-type and scrambled core sequences LFLGFLG and FGLLGFL, respectively. In addition, these peptides were tagged at their C-termini with an epitope sequence that folded independently, thereby allowing Western blot detection without interfering with FP structure. We observed similar α-helical FP conformations for both specimens dissolved in the low-polarity medium 25% (v/v) 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP), but important differences in contact with micelles of the membrane mimetic dodecylphosphocholine (DPC). Thus, whereas wtFP-tag preserved a helix displaying a Gly-rich ridge, the scrambled sequence lost in great part the helical structure upon being solubilized in DPC. Western blot analyses further revealed the capacity of wtFP-tag to assemble trimers in membranes, whereas membrane oligomers were not observed in the case of the scrFP-tag sequence. We conclude that, beyond hydrophobicity, preserving sequence order is an important feature for defining the secondary structures and oligomeric states adopted by the HIV FP in membranes.

Standard curves of placental weight and fetal/placental weight ratio in Japanese population: difference according to the delivery mode, fetal sex, or maternal parity.

PubMed

Ogawa, Masaki; Matsuda, Yoshio; Nakai, Akihito; Hayashi, Masako; Sato, Shoji; Matsubara, Shigeki

2016-11-01

Placental weight (PW) and fetal/placental weight ratio (F/P) have been considered to be useful parameters for understanding the pathophysiology of fetal growth. However, there have been no standard data on PW and F/P in Asian populations. This study was conducted to establish nomograms of PW and F/P in the Japanese population and to clarify characteristics of PW and F/P in this population. Included in the study were 79,590 Japanese cases: 58,871 vaginal and 20,719 cesarean deliveries at obstetrical facilities (2001-2002) and registered to the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Database. Multiple pregnancies, stillbirths, and fetal anomalies were excluded. Nomograms of PW and F/P were created by spline methods in groups categorized by fetal sex (male or female) and maternal parity (primipara or multipara). Standard curves of PW and F/P were established, which indicated that PW and F/P were lower in cesarean deliveries than vaginal deliveries, especially during preterm period. PW differed depending on fetal sex and maternal parity. F/P differed according to fetal sex. We for the first time established standard curves of PW and F/P in the Japanese population with statistically sufficient data, which showed that PW and F/P were lower in cesarean deliveries. PW and F/P were also affected by fetal sex. These data might be useful to understand the pathophysiology between the fetus and placenta in utero. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

osFP: a web server for predicting the oligomeric states of fluorescent proteins.

PubMed

Simeon, Saw; Shoombuatong, Watshara; Anuwongcharoen, Nuttapat; Preeyanon, Likit; Prachayasittikul, Virapong; Wikberg, Jarl E S; Nantasenamat, Chanin

2016-01-01

Currently, monomeric fluorescent proteins (FP) are ideal markers for protein tagging. The prediction of oligomeric states is helpful for enhancing live biomedical imaging. Computational prediction of FP oligomeric states can accelerate the effort of protein engineering efforts of creating monomeric FPs. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first computational model for predicting and analyzing FP oligomerization directly from the amino acid sequence. After data curation, an exhaustive data set consisting of 397 non-redundant FP oligomeric states was compiled from the literature. Results from benchmarking of the protein descriptors revealed that the model built with amino acid composition descriptors was the top performing model with accuracy, sensitivity and specificity in excess of 80% and MCC greater than 0.6 for all three data subsets (e.g. training, tenfold cross-validation and external sets). The model provided insights on the important residues governing the oligomerization of FP. To maximize the benefit of the generated predictive model, it was implemented as a web server under the R programming environment. osFP affords a user-friendly interface that can be used to predict the oligomeric state of FP using the protein sequence. The advantage of osFP is that it is platform-independent meaning that it can be accessed via a web browser on any operating system and device. osFP is freely accessible at http://codes.bio/osfp/ while the source code and data set is provided on GitHub at https://github.com/chaninn/osFP/.Graphical Abstract.

Lessons learnt from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in 45 low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Gallagher, Katherine E; Howard, Natasha; Kabakama, Severin; Mounier-Jack, Sandra; Griffiths, Ulla K; Feletto, Marta; Burchett, Helen E D; LaMontagne, D Scott; Watson-Jones, Deborah

2017-01-01

To synthesise lessons learnt and determinants of success from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine demonstration projects and national programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). Interviews were conducted with 56 key informants. A systematic literature review identified 2936 abstracts from five databases; after screening 61 full texts were included. Unpublished literature, including evaluation reports, was solicited from country representatives; 188 documents were received. A data extraction tool and interview topic guide outlining key areas of inquiry were informed by World Health Organization guidelines for new vaccine introduction. Results were synthesised thematically. Data were analysed from 12 national programmes and 66 demonstration projects in 46 countries. Among demonstration projects, 30 were supported by the GARDASIL® Access Program, 20 by Gavi, four by PATH and 12 by other means. School-based vaccine delivery supplemented with health facility-based delivery for out-of-school girls attained high coverage. There were limited data on facility-only strategies and little evaluation of strategies to reach out-of-school girls. Early engagement of teachers as partners in social mobilisation, consent, vaccination day coordination, follow-up of non-completers and adverse events was considered invaluable. Micro-planning using school/ facility registers most effectively enumerated target populations; other estimates proved inaccurate, leading to vaccine under- or over-estimation. Refresher training on adverse events and safe injection procedures was usually necessary. Considerable experience in HPV vaccine delivery in LAMICs is available. Lessons are generally consistent across countries and dissemination of these could improve HPV vaccine introduction.

Experiences and lessons learned for planning and supply of micronutrient powders interventions

PubMed Central

Schauer, Claudia; Sunley, Nigel; Nyhus Dhillon, Christina; Roca, Claudia; Tapia, Gustavo; Mathema, Pragya; Walton, Shelley; Situma, Ruth; Zlotkin, Stanley; DW Klemm, Rolf

2017-01-01

Abstract Realistic planning for a nutrition intervention is a critical component of implementation, yet effective approaches have been poorly documented. Under the auspices of “The Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance,” 3 working groups were formed to summarize experiences and lessons across countries regarding micronutrient powders (MNP) interventions for young children. This paper focuses on programmatic experiences in the planning stages of an MNP intervention, encompassing assessment, enabling environment and adaptation, as well as considerations for supply. Methods included a review of published and grey literature, key informant interviews, and deliberations throughout the consultation process. We found that assessments helped justify adopting an MNP intervention, but these assessments were often limited by their narrow scope and inadequate data. Establishing coordinating bodies and integrating MNP into existing policies and programmes have helped foster an enabling environment and support programme stability. Formative research and pilots have been used to adapt MNP interventions to specific contexts, but they have been insufficient to inform scale‐up. In terms of supply, most countries have opted to procure MNP through international suppliers, but this still requires understanding and navigating the local regulatory environment at the earliest stages of an intervention. Overall, these findings indicate that although some key planning and supply activities are generally undertaken, improvements are needed to plan for effective scale‐up. Much still needs to be learned on MNP planning, and we propose a set of research questions that require further investigation. PMID:28960875

An oral health education programme based on the National Curriculum.

PubMed

Chapman, A; Copestake, S J; Duncan, K

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a teaching programme based on the national curriculum for use in a primary school setting. National Curriculum guidelines were combined with oral health education messages to draw up lesson plans for teachers to deliver. A questionnaire was used to demonstrate children's oral health knowledge prior to the teaching programme, and at 1 and 7 weeks following the programme. The study took place in inner-city, state-run primary schools in Manchester and North London, UK. The subjects were children between the ages of 7 and 8 years from Manchester (n = 58) and North London (n = 30). The main outcome measure was change in knowledge attributable to a newly developed teaching programme. The children in Manchester had a higher level of knowledge prior to the teaching programme. Following the teaching programme, children in both schools showed a significant improvement in dental health knowledge (P < 0.001). Seven weeks later, the Manchester children showed no significant loss of knowledge (P < 0.001). The aims of the National Curriculum were easily integrated with oral health messages. A more widely available teaching resource, such as the one described in this study, would be useful to encourage the teaching profession to take on oral health education without more costly input from dental professionals.

Knowledge gaps that hamper prevention and control of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection.

PubMed

Barkema, H W; Orsel, K; Nielsen, S S; Koets, A P; Rutten, V P M G; Bannantine, J P; Keefe, G P; Kelton, D F; Wells, S J; Whittington, R J; Mackintosh, C G; Manning, E J; Weber, M F; Heuer, C; Forde, T L; Ritter, C; Roche, S; Corbett, C S; Wolf, R; Griebel, P J; Kastelic, J P; De Buck, J

2018-05-01

In the last decades, many regional and country-wide control programmes for Johne's disease (JD) were developed due to associated economic losses, or because of a possible association with Crohn's disease. These control programmes were often not successful, partly because management protocols were not followed, including the introduction of infected replacement cattle, because tests to identify infected animals were unreliable, and uptake by farmers was not high enough because of a perceived low return on investment. In the absence of a cure or effective commercial vaccines, control of JD is currently primarily based on herd management strategies to avoid infection of cattle and restrict within-farm and farm-to-farm transmission. Although JD control programmes have been implemented in most developed countries, lessons learned from JD prevention and control programmes are underreported. Also, JD control programmes are typically evaluated in a limited number of herds and the duration of the study is less than 5 year, making it difficult to adequately assess the efficacy of control programmes. In this manuscript, we identify the most important gaps in knowledge hampering JD prevention and control programmes, including vaccination and diagnostics. Secondly, we discuss directions that research should take to address those knowledge gaps. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Civil forensic psychiatry - Part 2: specific issues.

PubMed

Samuels, Anthony H

2018-06-01

This paper describes the main areas of civil forensic psychiatry (FP) and the skills required by psychiatric experts. Some specific areas of civil FP are discussed, including tort law reform, reliability of psychiatric evidence, contentious psychiatric disorders, and the many domains of civil FP. Civil FP is an important sub-specialty component of forensic psychiatry that requires greater emphasis in the training and continuing education of psychiatrists. A process of accrediting psychiatrists as having competency in advanced civil FP may be of value.

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

Nishi, Shohei; Taguchi, Dai; Manaka, Takaaki

By using electric-field-induced optical second-harmonic generation measurement coupled with the conventional current-voltage (I-V) measurement, we studied the carrier transport of organic double-layer diodes with a Au/pentacene/fluorine polymer (FP)/indium zinc oxide (IZO) structure. The rectifying I-V characteristics were converted into the I-E characteristics of the FP and pentacene layers. Results suggest a model in which Schottky-type electron injection from the IZO electrode to the FP layer governs the forward electrical conduction (V > 0), where the space charge electric field produced in the FP layer by accumulated holes at the pentacene/FP interface makes a significant contribution. On the other hand, Schottky-type injection bymore » accumulated interface electrons from the pentacene layer to the FP layer governs the backward electrical conduction (V < 0). The electroluminescence generated from the pentacene layer in the region V > 0 verifies the electron transport across the FP layer, and supports the above suggested model.« less

Troops to Teaching: Lessons from English Teaching Assistants' Experiences of Foundation Degree Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Paul H.

2012-01-01

This article explores the suggestion that the UK should follow the lead of the United States and establish "Troops to Teaching" programmes. In particular, it examines the worth of the suggestion that non-graduate qualifications similar to those that have been designed for teaching assistants might be usefully employed to achieve this. In…

Why the South African NQF Failed: Lessons for Countries Wanting to Introduce National Qualifications Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allais, Stephanie Matseleng

2007-01-01

This article examines the South African National Qualifications Framework as a case study of a particular approach to the design of qualifications frameworks, which revolves around the specification of learning outcomes separate from educational institutions or programmes. It shows how an outcomes-led qualifications framework was seen as a…

"Over the Edge of the Wild": Lessons of Discovery through Developing Transdisciplinary (Breadth) Units in Blended Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osborne, Jo; Dibben, Mark

2017-01-01

Universities are increasingly recognising the need to broaden the experience and understanding of their students beyond a single disciplinary approach, to produce graduates more capable of solving the problems of a multidisciplinary world. At the University of Tasmania, a "breadth unit" programme is underway with the dual purpose of…

Changing Pedagogical Practice in Kenyan Primary Schools: The Impact of School-Based Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Frank; Abd-Kadir, Jan; Agg, Catherine; Migwi, James; Ndambuku, Jacinta; Smith, Fay

2009-01-01

This study reports on an investigation into the impact of a national, school-based teacher development programme on learning and teaching in Kenyan primary schools. Building on a national baseline study (n=102), 144 video-recorded lessons, covering the teaching of English, maths and science at Standards 3 and 6, were analysed to investigate…

Understanding Challenges Physics Teachers Come Across as They Implement Learner-Centred Approaches in Lesotho

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qhobela, Makomosela; Moru, Eunice Kolitsoe

2014-01-01

Teacher-centred strategies have dominated most physics lessons in Lesotho. This study attempted to understand the contributing factors for the choice of teacher-centred teaching instead of learner-centred teaching with the goal of informing a professional development programme designed to address this problem. The paper responds to the research…

Implementing Community-Based Comprehensive Sexuality Education with High-Risk Youth in a Conservative Environment: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Secor-Turner, Molly; Randall, Brandy A.; Christensen, Katie; Jacobson, Amy; Loyola Meléndez, Migdalia

2017-01-01

Although comprehensive sexuality education programmes have the potential to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, many socially conservative rural states in the USA have laws and policies restricting school-based comprehensive sexuality education and supporting abstinence-only education. This paper describes the process of…

Lessons for Research Policy and Practice: The Case of Co-Enquiry Research with Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caruso, Emily; Schunko, Christoph; Corbera, Esteve; Ruiz Mallén, Isabel; Vogl, Christian R.; Martin, Gary; Arrázola, Susana; Bandeira, Fábio Pedro; Calvo Boyero, Diana; Camacho Benavides, Claudia; Cardoso, Thiago Mota; Chan-Dzul, Albert; Conde, Esther; del Campo García, Carlos; Huanca, Tomás; Sampaio, José Augusto Laranjeiras; Oliveros Lopez, Sara; Porter-Bolland, Luciana; Ruiz Betancourt, Olga

2016-01-01

This article explores the relationship between institutional funding for research and community-based or co-enquiry research practice. It examines the implementation of co-enquiry research in the COMBIOSERVE project, which was funded by the European Commission's Seventh Framework Programme for research and innovation, between the years 2012 and…

Experience in Teaching OOAD to Various Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boberic-Krsticev, Danijela; Tešendic, Danijela

2013-01-01

The paper elaborates on experiences and lessons learned from the course on object-oriented analyses and design at the Faculty of Sciences, Novi Sad. The course on OOAD is taught to students of computer science and to the students of mathematical programme. Conclusions made in this paper are based on results of students' assignments as well as…

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanley, Pam; Slavin, Robert; Elliott, Louise

2015-01-01

Thinking, Doing, Talking Science (TDTS) is a programme that aims to make science lessons in primary schools more practical, creative and challenging. Teachers are trained in a repertoire of strategies that aim to encourage pupils to use higher order thinking skills. For example, pupils are posed 'Big Questions,' such as 'How do you know that the…

Integration of Population Education in APPEAL. Volume Two: Population Education in Universal Primary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

These lesson plans are the result of two regional workshops sponsored by UNESCO in Indonesia in 1989 and Pakistan in 1991. The workshops focused on the need to introduce population education core messages in the Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL). These prototypes of exemplar instructional materials for primary education,…

Making a Case for Exact Language as an Aspect of Rigour in Initial Teacher Education Mathematics Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Jaarsveld, Pieter

2016-01-01

Pre-service secondary mathematics teachers have a poor command of the exact language of mathematics as evidenced in assignments, micro-lessons and practicums. The unrelenting notorious annual South African National Senior Certificate outcomes in mathematics and the recognition by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) that the correct use of…

Developing School-Scientist Partnerships: Lessons for Scientists from Forests-of-Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falloon, Garry; Trewern, Ann

2013-01-01

The concept of partnerships between schools and practicing scientists came to prominence in the United States in the mid 1980s. The call by government for greater private sector involvement in education to raise standards in science achievement saw a variety of programmes developed, ranging from short-term sponsorships through to longer-term,…

Finnish Mathematics Teaching from a Reform Perspective: A Video-Based Case-Study Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Paul

2013-01-01

This article offers a qualitative analysis of videotaped mathematics lessons taught by four teachers in a provincial university city in Finland. My study is framed not only by Finnish success on Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) but also by the objectives of current mathematics education reform, which are consistent with PISA's…

Designing and Integrating Reusable Learning Objects for Meaningful Learning: Cases from a Graduate Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koh, Joyce Hwee Ling

2017-01-01

E-learning quality depends on sound pedagogical integration between the content resources and lesson activities within an e-learning system. This study proposes that a meaningful learning with technology framework can be used to guide the design and integration of content resources with e-learning activities in ways that promote learning…

Does Higher Education Matter? Lessons from a Comparative Graduate Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teichler, Ulrich

2007-01-01

Renewed public interest in the relationships between higher education and the world of work and a deficient data base contributed to the decision to undertake a major comparative study on graduate employment and work. In the framework of the CHEERS study, supported by the European Commission's TSER programme, some 40,000 graduates of the academic…

Introducing E-Portfolios to Pre-Service Teachers as Tools for Reflection and Growth: Lessons Learnt

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakley, Grace; Pegrum, Mark; Johnston, Shannon

2014-01-01

E-portfolios are being introduced into initial teacher education programmes internationally to help pre-service teachers build records of their learning journeys and develop into reflective practitioners; to allow them to assemble collections of evidence of their achievements against graduate standards, which can function as digital CVs; and to…

Developmental Dissociations of Preparation over Time: Deconstructing the Variable Foreperiod Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vallesi, Antonino; Shallice, Tim

2007-01-01

In a variable foreperiod (FP) paradigm, reaction times (RTs) decrease as a function of FP on trial n (FP effect) but increase with FP on trial n = 1 (sequential effects). These phenomena have traditionally been ascribed to different strategic preparation processes. According to an alternative explanation, common conditioning laws underlie both…

Galaxy Properties Across and Through the 6dFGS Fundamental Plane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Springob, Chris M.; Magoulas, C.; Proctor, R.; Colless, M.; Jones, D. H.; Kobayashi, C.; Campbell, L.; Lucey, J.; Mould, J.; Merson, A.

2011-05-01

The 6dF Galaxy Survey (6dFGS) is an all southern sky galaxy survey, including 125,000 redshifts and a Fundamental Plane (FP) subsample of 10,000 peculiar velocities, making it the largest peculiar velocity sample to date. We have developed a robust procedure for fitting the FP, performing a maximum likelihood fit to a tri-variate Gaussian. We have subsequently examined the variation of a variety of properties across and through the FP, including environment, morphology, metallicity, alpha-enhancement, and stellar age. We find little variation in the FP with global environment. Some variation of morphology is found along the plane, though this is likely a consequence of selection effects. Elemental abundances are found to vary both across and through the FP. The parameter that varies most directly through the FP is stellar age. We find that galaxies with stellar populations with average ages older than 3 Gyr occupy a thinner FP than those younger than 3 Gyr. Thus, a modest improvement in distance errors is realized if one divides the sample into subsamples segregated by age, and fits the FP of each subsample independently.

Multi-scale comparison of the fine particle removal capacity of urban forests and wetlands.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhenming; Liu, Jiakai; Wu, Yanan; Yan, Guoxin; Zhu, Lijuan; Yu, Xinxiao

2017-04-10

As fine particle (FP) pollution is harmful to humans, previous studies have focused on the mechanisms of FP removal by forests. The current study aims to compare the FP removal capacities of urban forests and wetlands on the leaf, canopy, and landscape scales. Water washing and scanning electron microscopy are used to calculate particle accumulation on leaves, and models are used to estimate vegetation collection, sedimentation, and dry deposition. Results showed that, on the leaf scale, forest species are able to accumulate more FP on their leaf surface than aquatic species in wetlands. On the canopy scale, horizontal vegetation collection is the major process involved in FP removal, and the contribution of vertical sedimentation/emission can be ignored. Coniferous tree species also showed stronger FP collection ability than broadleaf species. In the landscape scale, deposition on the forest occurs to a greater extent than that on wetlands, and dry deposition is the major process of FP removal on rain-free days. In conclusion, when planning an urban green system, planting an urban forest should be the first option for FP mitigation.

Pediatric oncology nurses' attitudes related to discussing fertility preservation with pediatric cancer patients and their families.

PubMed

Vadaparampil, Susan T; Clayton, Heather; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; King, Lindsey M; Nieder, Michael; Wilson, Crystal

2007-01-01

This study explores nurses' attitudes toward the discussion of fertility preservation (FP) with pediatric cancer patients and their families. A cross-sectional survey was administered to attendees of a pediatric oncology conference. Of the 115 nurses who responded and comprised the study sample, most reported discussing risks of infertility or FP

Infusion of oxytocin induces successful delivery in prostanoid FP-receptor-deficient mice.

PubMed

Kawamata, Masaki; Yoshida, Masahide; Sugimoto, Yukihiko; Kimura, Tadashi; Tonomura, Yutaka; Takayanagi, Yuki; Yanagisawa, Teruyuki; Nishimori, Katsuhiko

2008-02-13

The dramatic increase of oxytocin (OT) receptor (OTR) in the myometrium as well as circulating progesterone withdrawal has been thought to be the most important factor in the induction and accomplishment of parturition since delivery fails in prostaglandin F2alpha receptor (FP) knockout (FP KO) mice. The expression levels of OTR mRNA/protein were not dramatically increased in the near-term uteri of FP KO mice. However, OT-induced myometrial contractions and the concentration-response curves in FP KO in vitro were almost similar to those in wild-type (WT) mice. OT-infusion (0.3 U/day) enabled FP KO mice to experience successful delivery, and furthermore the duration until the onset was hastened by a higher dose of OT (3 U/day). The plasma progesterone levels of FP KO females were maintained at high levels, but decreased during labor by OT-infusion (3 U/day). These results suggest that OT has potentials to induce strong myometrial contractions in uterus with low expression levels of OTR and luteolysis in ovary, which enabled FP KO females to undergo successful delivery.

China's women leaders promote quality and equity in family planning.

PubMed

He, S

1995-08-01

In China, key policy-makers at the highest levels of government recognize that the success of the family planning (FP) program depends upon improving the status of Chinese women. The highest ranking female government official, Peng Peiyun, a State Councilor and the Minister of the State Family Planning (FP) Commission, has initiated a new policy of improving the quality of service in the FP program. She recognizes that women who are gainfully employed and control their income are less likely to desire large families. One aspect of the effort to improve quality involves training FP personnel in interpersonal communication and counseling skills. The results of a pilot training program show that clients are pleased with the new approach and that use of FP services has increased. The FP Commission is also experimenting with programs which integrate all the needs of women and their families (FP, credit availability, old age support) in rural areas. Traditionally, sons provided for their elderly parents, so families with only one daughter are concerned about old age provision. Thus, national efforts are underway to develop social security systems. In the meantime, women at all levels, from grassroots FP acceptors to FP staff members and researchers are the major contributors to the innovations which will allow China to control its population growth.

Direct observation of trapped charges under field-plate in p-GaN gate AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors by electric field-induced optical second-harmonic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsuno, Takashi; Manaka, Takaaki; Soejima, Narumasa; Iwamoto, Mitsumasa

2017-02-01

Trapped charges underneath the field-plate (FP) in a p-gallium nitride (GaN) gate AlGaN/ GaN high electron mobility transistor device were visualized by using electric field-induced optical second-harmonic generation imaging. Second-harmonic (SH) signals in the off-state of the device with FP indicated that the electric field decreased at the p-GaN gate edge and concentrated at the FP edge. Nevertheless, SH signals originating from trapped charges were slightly observed at the p-GaN gate edge and were not observed at the FP edge in the on-state. Compared with the device without FP, reduction of trapped charges at the p-GaN gate edge of the device with FP is attributed to attenuation of the electric field with the aid of the FP. Negligible trapped charges at the FP edge is owing to lower trap density of the SiO2/AlGaN interface at the FP edge compared with that of the SiO2/p-GaN sidewall interface at the p-GaN gate edge and attenuated electric field by the thickness of the SiO2 passivation layer on the AlGaN surface.

Time Frame and Justice Motive: Future Perspective Moderates the Adaptive Function of General Belief in a Just World

PubMed Central

Wu, Michael Shengtao; Sutton, Robbie M.; Yan, Xiaodan; Zhou, Chan; Chen, Yiwen; Zhu, Zhuohong; Han, Buxin

2013-01-01

Background The human ability to envision the future, that is, to take a future perspective (FP), plays a key role in the justice motive and its function in transcending disadvantages and misfortunes. The present research investigated whether individual (Study 1) and situational (Study 2) differences in FP moderated the association of general belief in a just world (GBJW) with psychological resilience. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated FP, GBJW, and resilience in sample of adolescents (n = 223) and disaster survivors (n = 218) in China. In Study 1, adolescents revealed stronger GBJW than PBJW, and GBJW uniquely predicted resilience in the daily lives of those with high FP (but not those with low FP). In Study 2, natural priming of FP (vs. no FP) facilitated the association of GBJW with resilience after disaster. Conclusions/Significance Supporting predictions, participants endorsed GBJW more strongly than PBJW. Further, GBJW interacted with FP in both studies, such that there was an association between GBJW and resilience at high but not low levels of FP. The results corroborate recent findings suggesting that GBJW may be more psychologically adaptive than PBJW among some populations. They also confirm that focusing on the future is an important aspect of the adaptive function of just-world beliefs. PMID:24312235

Policy Support and Resources Mobilization for the National Schistosomiasis Control Programme in The People's Republic of China.

PubMed

Zhu, H; Yap, P; Utzinger, J; Jia, T-W; Li, S-Z; Huang, X-B; Cai, S-X

2016-01-01

Schistosomiasis remains a public health problem in many developing countries around the world. After the founding of The People's Republic of China, from 1949 till date, all levels of government, from central to local, have been attaching great importance to schistosomiasis control in The People's Republic of China. With considerable policy support and resources mobilization, the national schistosomiasis control programmes have been implemented during the past 65years. Here, we summarize the successful experience of schistosomiasis control during the process. Recommendations for the future management of the Chinese national schistosomiasis elimination programme are put forward after considering the remaining challenges, shortcomings and lessons learnt from 65years of schistosomiasis control drives in The People's Republic of China. They will help to sustain past achievements, foster the attainment of the ultimate goal of schistosomiasis elimination for the country and provide reference for schistosomiasis control programme in other countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prostaglandin F2α receptor silencing attenuates vascular remodeling in rats with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Li, Ya; Han, Lu; Ding, Wen-Yuan; Ti, Yun; Li, Yi-Hui; Tang, Meng-Xiong; Wang, Zhi-Hao; Zhang, Yun; Zhang, Wei; Zhong, Ming

2015-12-01

Vascular remodeling is an important feature of diabetic macrovascular complications. The prostaglandin F2α receptor (FP), the expression of which is upregulated by insulin resistance and diabetes, is reportedly involved in myocardial remodeling. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the FP receptor is implicated in diabetes-induced vascular remodeling. A type 2 diabetic rat model was induced through a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ). Thirty-two rats were randomized into four groups: control, diabetes, diabetes treated with empty virus and diabetes treated with FP receptor-shRNA. Then, we evaluated the metabolic index, FP receptor expression and vascular remodeling. We used FP receptor gene silencing in vivo to investigate the role that the FP receptor plays in the pathophysiologic features of vascular remodeling. Diabetic rats displayed increased levels of blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides, as well as severe insulin resistance and FP receptor overexpression. In addition, increased medial thickness, excessive collagen deposition and diminished elastic fibers were observed in the diabetic rats, resulting in vascular remodeling. In the FP receptor-shRNA group, the medial thickness, collagen content, elastin/collagen ratio, and collagen I/collagen III content ratio were markedly decreased. Additionally, with FP receptor gene silencing, the JNK phosphorylation level was markedly decreased. Silencing of the FP receptor exerts a protective effect on diabetes-induced vascular remodeling, thereby suggesting a new therapeutic target for vascular remodeling in diabetes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Toward a Model-Based Approach to Flight System Fault Protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Day, John; Murray, Alex; Meakin, Peter

2012-01-01

Fault Protection (FP) is a distinct and separate systems engineering sub-discipline that is concerned with the off-nominal behavior of a system. Flight system fault protection is an important part of the overall flight system systems engineering effort, with its own products and processes. As with other aspects of systems engineering, the FP domain is highly amenable to expression and management in models. However, while there are standards and guidelines for performing FP related analyses, there are not standards or guidelines for formally relating the FP analyses to each other or to the system hardware and software design. As a result, the material generated for these analyses are effectively creating separate models that are only loosely-related to the system being designed. Development of approaches that enable modeling of FP concerns in the same model as the system hardware and software design enables establishment of formal relationships that has great potential for improving the efficiency, correctness, and verification of the implementation of flight system FP. This paper begins with an overview of the FP domain, and then continues with a presentation of a SysML/UML model of the FP domain and the particular analyses that it contains, by way of showing a potential model-based approach to flight system fault protection, and an exposition of the use of the FP models in FSW engineering. The analyses are small examples, inspired by current real-project examples of FP analyses.

Long-Term Safety of Letrozole and Gonadotropin Stimulation for Fertility Preservation in Women With Breast Cancer

PubMed Central

Kim, Jayeon; Turan, Volkan

2016-01-01

Context and Objective: There has been increased attention to the issue of fertility preservation (FP). We aimed to investigate the long-term safety of FP via controlled ovarian stimulation with letrozole supplementation (COSTLES) prior to breast cancer treatment. Design, Setting, and Participants: This is a prospective, nonrandomized, controlled study conducted between the years 2002 and 2014. A total of 337 women diagnosed with stage 3 or less invasive breast cancer were enrolled during a FP consultation before chemotherapy. Of those, 120 elected to undergo COSTLES for FP prior to chemotherapy (FP group). The remaining 217 patients did not undergo any FP procedure and served as the controls. Main Outcome Measure: The primary end point was cancer recurrence defined as the detection of locoregional tumor (chest wall, regional nodal disease), distant metastases, or contralateral invasive breast cancer. Results: The baseline characteristics at enrollment were similar between the FP and control groups except for the less frequent lymph node involvement (P = .02) in the former. The mean follow-up after diagnosis was 5.0 years in the FP group and 6.9 years in the control group. In the FP group, the hazard ratio for recurrence after ovarian stimulation was 0.77 (95% confidence interval 0.28–2.13), and the survival was not compromised compared with controls (P = .61). Neither BRCA gene mutation status (P = .57) nor undergoing FP before or after breast surgery (P = .44) affected survival outcomes in the FP group. Likewise, none of the tumor characteristics including the estrogen receptor status affected the survival rates after the COSTLES. Conclusion: COSTLES is unlikely to cause a substantially increased recurrence risk in breast cancer during the 5 years after diagnosis. PMID:26751194

Traditional GFP-type cyclization and unexpected fragmentation site in a purple chromoprotein from Anemonia sulcata, asFP595.

PubMed

Zagranichny, Vasily E; Rudenko, Natalia V; Gorokhovatsky, Andrey Yu; Zakharov, Mikhail V; Balashova, Tamara A; Arseniev, Alexander S

2004-10-26

The purple chromoprotein (asFP595) from Anemonia sulcata belongs to the family of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Absorption and emission spectra of asFP595 are similar to those of a number of recently cloned GFP-like red proteins of the DsRed subfamily. The earlier proposed asFP595 chromophore structure [Martynov, V. I.; et al. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. 276, 21012-21016] was postulated to result from an "alternative cyclization" giving rise to a pyrazine-type six-membered heterocycle. Here we report that the asFP595 chromophore is actually very close in chemical structure to that of zFP538, a yellow fluorescent protein [Zagranichny, V. E.; et al. (2004) Biochemistry 43, 4764-4772]. NMR spectroscopic studies of four chromophore-containing peptides (chromopeptides) isolated under mild conditions from enzymatic digests of asFP595 and one chromopeptide obtained from DsRed revealed that all of them contain a p-hydroxybenzylideneimidazolinone moiety formed by Met-65/Gln-66, Tyr-66/67, and Gly-67/68 of asFP595/DsRed, respectively. Two asFP595 chromopeptides are proteolysis products of an isolated full-length polypeptide containing a GFP-type chromophore already formed and arrested at an earlier stage of maturation. The two other asFP595 chromopeptides were isolated as proteolysis products of the purified chromophore-containing C-terminal fragment. One of these has an oxo group at Met-65 C(alpha) and is a hydrolysis product of another one, with the imino group at Met-65 C(alpha). The N-unsubstituted imino moiety of the latter is generated by spontaneous polypeptide chain cleavage at a very unexpected site, the former peptide bond between Cys-64 C' and Met-65 N(alpha). Our data strongly suggest that both zFP538 and asFP595 could be attributed to the DsRed subfamily of GFP-like proteins.

A BCWD-resistant line of rainbow trout exhibits higher abundance of IgT+ B cells and heavy chain tau transcripts compared to a susceptible line following challenge with Flavobacterium psychrophilum.

PubMed

Zwollo, Patty; Hennessey, Erin; Moore, Catherine; Marancik, David P; Wiens, Gregory D; Epp, Lidia

2017-09-01

Bacterial Cold Water Disease (BCWD) is a common, chronic disease in rainbow trout, and is caused by the gram-negative bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum (Fp). Through selective breeding, the National Center for Cool and Cold Water Aquaculture has generated a genetic line that is highly resistant to Fp challenge, designated ARS-Fp-R (or R-line), as well as a susceptible "control" line, ARS-Fp-S (S-line). In previous studies, resistance to Fp had been shown to correlate with naive animal spleen size, and further, naïve R-line trout had been shown to have a lower abundance of IgM + and IgM ++ cells compared to S-line fish. Here we wished to first determine whether the abundance of IgT + and/or IgT ++ cells differed between the two lines in naïve fish, and if so, how these patterns differed after in vivo challenge with Fp. Fp challenge was by intramuscular injection of live Fp and tissue collections were on days 5, 6, and/or 28 post-challenge, in two independent challenge experiments. Flow cytometric and gene expression analyses revealed that naïve R-line fish had a higher abundance of IgT + B cells in their anterior kidney, spleen, and blood, compared to S line fish. Further, that after Fp challenge, this difference was maintained between the two lines. Lastly, abundance of IgT + B cells and expression of secHCtau correlated with lower Fp pathogen loads in challenged fish. In the anterior kidney, IgM + B cell abundance correlated with increased Fp loads. Together, these results suggest that IgT + B lineage cells may have a protective function in the immune response to Fp. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhancing the biophysical properties of mRFP1 through incorporation of fluoroproline

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

Deepankumar, Kanagavel; Nadarajan, Saravanan Prabhu; Ayyadurai, Niraikulam

2013-11-01

Graphical abstract: Enhancing the biophysical properties of mRFP1 through incorporation of (2S, 4R)-4-fluoroproline at proline residues after mutating non-permissive site Pro63 into Ala. -- Highlights: •We incorporate (4S)-FP into mRFP1 led to insoluble protein. •Whereas, incorporation of (4R)-FP resulted in soluble but lost its fluorescence. •mRFP1-P63A mutant accommodate (4R)-FP and gave soluble protein with fluorescence. •Moreover mRFP1-P63A[(4R)-FP] showed enhanced biophysical properties of protein. -- Abstract: Here we enhanced the stability and biophysical properties of mRFP1 through a combination of canonical and non-canonical amino acid mutagenesis. The global replacement of proline residue with (2S, 4R)-4-fluoroproline [(4R)-FP] into mRFP1 led to solublemore » protein but lost its fluorescence, whereas (2S, 4S)-4-fluoroproline [(4S)-FP] incorporation resulted in insoluble protein. The bioinformatics analysis revealed that (4R)-FP incorporation at Pro63 caused fluorescence loss due to the steric hindrance of fluorine atom of (4R)-FP with the chromophore. Therefore, Pro63 residue was mutated with the smallest amino acid Ala to maintain non coplanar conformation of the chromophore and helps to retain its fluorescence with (4R)-FP incorporation. The incorporation of (4R)-FP into mRFP1-P63A showed about 2–3-fold enhancement in thermal and chemical stability. The rate of maturation is also greatly accelerated over the presence of (4R)-FP into mRFP1-P63A. Our study showed that a successful enhancement in the biophysical property of mRFP1-P63A[(4R)-FP] using non-canonical amino acid mutagenesis after mutating non-permissive site Pro63 into Ala.« less

An analysis of the determinants of family planning volunteer workers' performance in Iloilo City.

PubMed

David, F; Chin, F

1993-01-01

This report analyzes data from a survey of 106 Barangay (village) Service Point Officers (BSPOs) associated with the City Population Office and 106 Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) associated with the City Health Office to compare the family planning (FP) service delivery performance of these voluntary workers in Iloilo City in the Philippines and to quantify the effects of the factors which influence their performance. Both the BSPOs and the BHWs assist in the delivery of health and FP services at the grassroots level. The survey data were supplemented with interviews with key informants, focus group discussions with married couples of reproductive age, clinic records, and observations of the BSPOs and BHWs at work. The analysis compared the sociodemographic characteristics of the two groups; the recruitment procedures followed (if any); FP training; actual FP-related work; involvement in community organizing; incentives received; supervision of the volunteers; attitude towards their work; FP knowledge, attitude, and practice; time allocated to FP activities; number of clients served; and number of clients counseled. Correlation analysis of factors influencing volunteer performance indicated that FP training had the largest positive influence on FP activities. The output of the workers was also positively affected by the amount of time spend in FP activities and by their involvement in community organizing. The commitment of the workers had a significant impact on the number of clients they resupplied with contraceptives. Variation in the FP performances of the two groups was caused by the fact that delivery of FP services is a major role of the BSPOs and only one of many responsibilities of the BHWs. These findings reinforce the planned restructuring of Iloilo City's FP program which would once again designate the Population Office as the lead agency. Increasing the knowledge of these volunteers about the side effects and contraindications of various methods should have a positive effect on continuation rates. Recruitment of volunteers should be based on the individual's level of interest and commitment.

An educational partnership in health promotion for pre-registration nurses and further education college students.

PubMed

Abbott, Stephen; Thomas, Nicki; Apau, Daniel; Benato, Rosa; Hicks, Siobhan; MacKenzie, Karin

2012-07-01

This paper describes a partnership between a university and a college of further education, whereby first-year nursing students administered health checks to college students. Despite many challenges, the experience was positive for both sets of students and has been mainstreamed. Many lessons were learnt about how best to support nursing students to ensure a good quality experience for both student groups. Data gained from the health checks are also presented, and the programme is compared with the brief community placement that previous nursing students had undertaken at this stage of their training. Theoretical underpinnings for the programme are discussed.

FP-receptor gene silencing ameliorates myocardial fibrosis and protects from diabetic cardiomyopathy.

PubMed

Ding, Wen-yuan; Liu, Lin; Wang, Zhi-hao; Tang, Meng-xiong; Ti, Yun; Han, Lu; Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Yun; Zhong, Ming; Zhang, Wei

2014-06-01

Prostaglandin F2(α)-F-prostanoid (PGF2(α)-FP) receptor is closely related to insulin resistance, which plays a causal role in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). We sought to reveal whether PGF2(α)-FP receptor plays an important part in modulating DCM and the mechanisms involved. We established the type 2 diabetes rat model by high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ) and then evaluated its characteristics by metabolite tests, Western blot analysis for FP-receptor expression, histopathologic analyses of cardiomyocyte density and fibrosis area. Next, we used gene silencing to investigate the role of FP receptor in the pathophysiologic features of DCM. Our study showed elevated cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and insulin levels, severe insulin resistance, and FP-receptor overexpression in diabetic rats. The collagen volume fraction (CVF) and perivascular collagen area/luminal area (PVCA/LA) were higher in the diabetic group than the control group (CVF% 10.99 ± 0.99 vs 1.59 ± 0.18, P < 0.05; PVCA/LA% 17.07 ± 2.61 vs 2.86 ± 0.69, P < 0.05). We found that the silencing of FP receptor decreased cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and insulin levels and ameliorated insulin resistance. The CVF and PVCF/LA were significantly downregulated in FP-receptor short hairpin RNA (shRNA) treatment group (FP-receptor shRNA group vs vehicle group: CVF% 5.59 ± 0.92 vs 10.97 ± 1.33, P < 0.05, PVCA/LA% 4.74 ± 1.57 vs 14.79 ± 2.22, P < 0.05; FP-receptor shRNA + PGF2(α) group vs vehicle group : CVF% 5.19 ± 0.79 vs 10.97 ± 1.33, P < 0.05, PVCA/LA% 5.96 ± 1.15 vs 14.79 ± 2.22, P < 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, with FP-receptor gene silencing, the activated protein kinase C (PKC) and Rho kinase were significantly decreased, and the blunted phosphorylation of Akt was restored. FP-receptor gene silencing may exert a protective effect on DCM by improving myocardial fibrosis, suggesting a new therapeutic approach for human DCM. FP-receptor gene silencing improves glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes (T2D). FP-receptor gene silencing modulates the activities of PKC/Rho and Akt signaling pathways in T2D. FP-receptor gene silencing decreases collagen expression and ameliorates myocardial fibrosis in T2D. FP-receptor gene silencing protects from diabetic cardiomyopathy in T2D.

Lazy evaluation of FP programs: A data-flow approach

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

Wei, Y.H.; Gaudiot, J.L.

1988-12-31

This paper presents a lazy evaluation system for the list-based functional language, Backus` FP in data-driven environment. A superset language of FP, called DFP (Demand-driven FP), is introduced. FP eager programs are transformed into DFP lazy programs which contain the notions of demands. The data-driven execution of DFP programs has the same effects of lazy evaluation. DFP lazy programs have the property of always evaluating a sufficient and necessary result. The infinite sequence generator is used to demonstrate the eager-lazy program transformation and the execution of the lazy programs.

Linking agriculture and nutrition education to improve infant and young child feeding: Lessons for future programmes.

PubMed

Muehlhoff, Ellen; Wijesinha-Bettoni, Ramani; Westaway, Elizabeth; Jeremias, Theresa; Nordin, Stacia; Garz, Julia

2017-10-01

Agriculture and food systems play a central role in nutrition by supplying nutritious, healthy and affordable foods. When integrated with nutrition education for behaviour change, agricultural interventions that supply diverse affordable foods from all food groups have great scope for improving young child and family diets. In 2014, process reviews were conducted in Cambodia and Malawi of food security projects that provided agricultural support and community-based nutrition education on improved infant and young child feeding (IYCF). In both countries, household visits were carried out with mothers/caregivers, and interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were conducted with purposively selected project stakeholders (53 in Cambodia, 170 in Malawi), including government staff from the agriculture and health sectors. Results highlight that adoption of improved IYCF practices was facilitated by participation in nutrition education and practical cooking sessions, and supportive family and community structures. Barriers faced by families and caregivers were identified, such as women's workload and lack of access to high quality foods, namely fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and animal source foods. Implementation challenges regarding coordination of cross-sectoral targeting strategies and capacities of extension services to sustain community-based IYCF nutrition education need to be addressed to improve programme effectiveness and impact. The project lessons from Cambodia and Malawi are useful for integrated agriculture-IYCF nutrition education programmes to help ensure better young child nutrition outcomes. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Role and goals of the EUR-OCEANS Consortium - Bringing marine scientists priorities and strategies to the European research planning agenda.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cury, Philippe; Baisnée, Pierre-François

2010-05-01

The EUR-OCEANS Consortium is the follow-up structure of the homonym European Network of Excellence (NoE; 2005-2008, FP6 contract number 511106). It is a scientific network, benefiting from and relying upon the institutional commitment of the 27 research performing organisations forming its core (paying) membership. It aims at the long-term harmonization of European research efforts related to ocean ecosystems undergoing anthropogenic and natural forcing. More specifically, its objectives are to facilitate and promote: (1) top-level scientific research on the impacts of anthropogenic and natural forcing on ocean ecosystems, fostering collaborations across the European Research Area; (2) the optimal use of any shared technical infrastructures and scientific facilities; and (3) activities to spread excellence, such as the training of scientific personnel and students, or knowledge dissemination towards the general public and socio-economic users. A particular focus is put during the first scientific coordination mandate on the building of scenarios for marine ecosystems under anthropogenic and natural forcing in the XXI Century, and on the improvement of the science-policy interface. Through calls for projects and networking activities, the Consortium seeks to favour the emergence of coordinated projects on key hot topics on one hand, and the crystallisation of scientific priorities and strategies that could serve as input to ERA-NETs, ESFRI, Joint Programming Initiatives and European Research Planning actors in general. While being an active standalone structure, the Consortium is also engaged in the Euromarine FP7 project (submitted) aiming at the definition of a common coordinating or integrating structure for the three follow-up entities of FP6 marine science NoEs (Marine Genomics Europe, MarBEF, EUR-OCEANS). The 2009-2011 strategy and activity plan of EUR-OCEANS will be presented and the involvement of EUR-OCEANS members in other key projects or programmes will be summarized.

[Oral health hygiene education programme for nursing personnel to improve oral health of residents in long-term care facilities 2010 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany].

PubMed

Czarkowski, G; Allroggen, S; Köster-Schmidt, A; Bausback-Schomakers, S; Frank, M; Heudorf, U

2013-06-01

Many studies have shown the urgent need for improving oral health hygiene in nursing home residents. Deficits in the knowledge of the personnel about dental and oral hygiene are often cited as one of the causes. Therefore, an oral health education programme was provided to the personnel of 20 nursing homes in Frankfurt/Main. Here the results of the assessment of the impact of the education programme on knowledge and attitudes of the personnel as well as on oral health of the residents are presented. In May/June 2010, 471 nurses in 20 nursing homes in the Frankfurt/Main, Germany, received a two-hour education programme on oral health. The lessons were held by dentists with special education in geriatric dentistry. The personnel were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding knowledge and attitudes on oral health care before the education programme and 4-6 months afterwards. The oral health status of 313 residents (i. e., about 10% of the total residents) was examined by two dentists. Before and 4-6 months after education of the caregivers, the following data were recorded in the residents: number of teeth, caries, plaque index (PI), sulcus bleeding index (SBI), community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) and denture hygiene index (DHI). By attending the lessons, good improvements in knowledge of the caregivers could be obtained. The education programme was rated as very good/good by 85% of the nurses, having reduced their fear of oral care in the seniors and having gained more competence in practical oral hygiene procedures. Mean age of the residents was 80±13 years. About 32% of the residents were edentulous. Teeth were carious in 53% of the residents. Initially, one half of the residents exhibited plaque index>2, in 29% of the residents a severe and in 59% of them a very severe parodontitis was found (CPITN 3 or, respectively, 4). At 4-6 months after the education programme, an improvement in oral and dental hygiene of the residents could be demonstrated, significant for plaque index, cleanliness of the tongue and denture hygiene index. The positive assessment of the nursing personnel as well as the positive effects on oral hygiene in the residents are in agreement with the results of many other studies in many countries. Therefore, these education programmes will be continued in the long-term care facilities in Frankfurt/Main, Germany.· © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

The Fast-spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility FASTEF: Main design achievements (part 2: Reactor building design and plant layout) within the FP7-CDT collaborative project of the European Commission

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

De Bruyn, D.; Engelen, J.; Ortega, A.

MYRRHA (Multi-purpose hybrid Research Reactor for High-tech Applications) is the flexible experimental accelerator-driven system (ADS) in development at SCK-CEN in replacement of its material testing reactor BR2. SCK-CEN in association with 17 European partners from industry, research centres and academia, responded to the FP7 (Seventh Framework Programme) call from the European Commission to establish a Central Design Team (CDT) for the design of a Fast Spectrum Transmutation Experimental Facility (FASTEF) able to demonstrate efficient transmutation and associated technology through a system working in subcritical and/or critical mode. The project has started on April 01, 2009 for a period of threemore » years. In this paper, we present the latest concept of the reactor building and the plant layout. The FASTEF facility has evolved quite a lot since the intermediate reporting done at the ICAPP'10 and ICAPP'11 conferences 1,2. Many iterations have been performed to take into account the safety requirements. The present configuration enables an easy operation and maintenance of the facility, including the possibility to change large components of the reactor. In a companion paper 3, we present the latest configuration of the reactor core and primary system. (authors)« less

New insights on short-term solar irradiance forecast for space weather applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vieira, L. A.; Dudok de Wit, T.; Balmaceda, L. A.; Dal Lago, A.; Da Silva, L. A.; Gonzalez, W. D.

2013-12-01

The conditions of the thermosphere, the ionosphere, the neutral atmosphere, and the oceans on time scales from days to millennia are highly dependent on the solar electromagnetic output, the solar irradiance. The development of physics-based solar irradiance models during the last decade improved significantly our understanding of the solar forcing on Earth's climate. These models are based on the assumption that most of the solar irradiance variability is related to the magnetic field structure of the Sun. Recently, these models were extended to allow short-term forecast (1 to 15 days) of the total and spectral solar irradiance. The extension of the irradiance models is based on solar surface magnetic flux models and/or artificial neural network models. Here, we discuss in details the irradiance forecast models based on observations of the solar surface magnetic field realized by the HMI instrument on board of SDO spacecraft. We constrained and validated the models by comparing the output of the models and observations of the solar irradiance made by instruments onboard The SORCE spacecraft. This study received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013, FP7-SPACE-2010-1) under the grant agreement nrs. 218816 (SOTERIA project, www.soteria-space.eu) and 261948 (ATMOP,www.atmop.eu), and by the CNPq/Brazil under the grant number 312488/2012-2. We also gratefully thank the instrument teams for making their data available.

Coping with changing conditions: alternative strategies for the delivery of maternal and child health and family planning services in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Routh, S.; el Arifeen, S.; Jahan, S. A.; Begum, A.; Thwin, A. A.; Baqui, A. H.

2001-01-01

The door-to-door distribution of contraceptives and information on maternal and child health and family planning (MCH-FP) services, through bimonthly visits to eligible couples by trained fieldworkers, has been instrumental in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate and immunization coverage in Bangladesh. The doorstep delivery strategy, however, is labour-intensive and costly. More cost-effective service delivery strategies are needed, not only for family planning services but also for a broader package of reproductive and other essential health services. Against this backdrop, operations research was conducted by the Centre for Health and Population Research at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) from January 1996 to May 1997, in collaboration with government agencies and a leading national nongovernmental organization, with a view to developing and field-testing alternative approaches to the delivery of MCH-FP services in urban areas. Two alternative strategies featuring the withdrawal of home-based distribution and the delivery of basic health care from fixed-site facilities were tested in two areas of Dhaka. The clinic-based service delivery strategy was found to be a feasible alternative to the resource-intensive doorstep system in urban Dhaka. It did not adversely affect programme performance and it allowed the needs of clients to be addressed holistically through a package of essential health and family planning services. PMID:11242821

Hemorrhoids detected at colonoscopy: an infrequent cause of false-positive fecal immunochemical test results.

PubMed

van Turenhout, Sietze T; Oort, Frank A; Terhaar sive Droste, Jochim S; Coupé, Veerle M H; van der Hulst, Rene W; Loffeld, Ruud J; Scholten, Pieter; Depla, Annekatrien C T M; Bouman, Anneke A; Meijer, Gerrit A; Mulder, Chris J J; van Rossum, Leo G M

2012-07-01

Colorectal cancer screening by fecal immunochemical tests (FITs) is hampered by frequent false-positive (FP) results and thereby the risk of complications and strain on colonoscopy capacity. Hemorrhoids might be a plausible cause of FP results. To determine the contribution of hemorrhoids to the frequency of FP FIT results. Retrospective analysis from prospective cohort study. Five large teaching hospitals, including 1 academic hospital. All subjects scheduled for elective colonoscopy. FIT before bowel preparation. Frequency of FP FIT results in subjects with hemorrhoids as the only relevant abnormality compared with FP FIT results in subjects with no relevant abnormalities. Logistic regression analysis to determine colonic abnormalities influencing FP results. In 2855 patients, 434 had positive FIT results: 213 had advanced neoplasia and 221 had FP results. In 9 individuals (4.1%; 95% CI, 1.4-6.8) with an FP FIT result, hemorrhoids were the only abnormality. In univariate unadjusted analysis, subjects with hemorrhoids as the only abnormality did not have more positive results (9/134; 6.7%) compared with subjects without any abnormalities (43/886; 4.9%; P = .396). Logistic regression identified hemorrhoids, nonadvanced polyps, and a group of miscellaneous abnormalities, all significantly influencing false positivity. Of 1000 subjects with hemorrhoids, 67 would have FP results, of whom 18 would have FP results because of hemorrhoids only. Potential underreporting of hemorrhoids; high-risk individuals. Hemorrhoids in individuals participating in colorectal cancer screening will probably not lead to a substantial number of false-positive test results. Copyright © 2012 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Family planning offered in local welfare offices.

PubMed

1998-04-01

This article describes expanded access to family planning (FP) services through community welfare offices in Washington state, US. The government aim is to decrease unintended pregnancies and to help families achieve self-sufficiency. The staff must be sensitive and respectful of clients served. The team effort includes contacting clients in other community locations to offer FP education. The approach is characterized as "1-stop shopping" that includes FP, welfare, access to jobs, training, and medical coupons. Preventing unintended pregnancies is cost effective. A state (90%) investment of $40/person for contraceptives is good business compared to $400/person as a 50/50 state/federal investment in prenatal and delivery costs. The program began in 1992, by educating staff members in community services offices (CSOs) about FP issues. In 1994, the program hired registered nurses and nurse practitioners at CSOs to provide FP services. Almost all CSOs now have nurses, and there are 8 full exam clinics. A resource handbook for CSO workers and FP nurses was compiled by state and local FP personnel. CSOs typically assign 1 staff member to FP, usually on a part time basis. Close collaboration between nurses and CSO workers usually involves more creative strategies and outreach projects. For example, in 1 CSO in Washington, the FP worker offers contraceptive counseling, pregnancy tests, and sexually transmitted disease prevention. Contraceptives are provided at a separate time with local private providers or at health department clinics. CSOs continue to provide counseling regardless of referrals to private clinics. The project is growing and forming collaborations with other FP groups. These 1-stop sites offer accessible, familiar, and comfortable services.

Hybrid coconut seedlings, scholarships, and discount cards for family planning acceptors.

PubMed

Sumarsono

1989-10-01

Having learned from failed family planning (FP) incentive schemes in other countries, Indonesia implemented a reward system designed to popularize FP in the community. In order to overcome cultural opposition to FP, many countries in the 1970s opted to give incentives--money, materials, etc.--to new contraceptive acceptors and the FP workers who successfully recruited them. These countries, which oftentimes spent up to 1/4 of their program budget on incentives, saw rapid increases in the number of new acceptors. The results, however, only reflected a superficial acceptance of FP. When the incentives stopped, the number of acceptors dropped considerably. Recognizing this, the Indonesian government set out to increase FP acceptance by making the small family the norm in the community. And one of the approaches for doing so was a reward system. The goals of the reward program were: 1) to raise awareness of the recognition given to individuals or groups that have accepted FP; 2) to create pride among FP workers and new acceptors; and 3) to generate leadership in the community. Villages with high FP acceptance receive rewards such as deep-wells that provide clean water or income generating projects. Individuals also receive rewards that sometimes include hybrid coconut seedlings which, after 3 years, can yield up to 700 coconuts, which can provide a family with a significant supplemental income. The government also gives scholarships to children of FP acceptors. Also, the president of Indonesia publicly recognized family planning acceptors. In 1989, over 800,000 couples received awards for practicing contraception over the past 5-16 years.

Use of Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation products in bread-making to prevent Bacillus subtilis ropy spoilage.

PubMed

Valerio, Francesca; De Bellis, Palmira; Lonigro, Stella L; Visconti, Angelo; Lavermicocca, Paola

2008-03-20

Four fermentation products (FPs) of the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum ITM21B were screened for their anti-Bacillus activity in vitro and in bread-making trials. Results of the storage tests performed with loaves prepared with an FP or calcium propionate demonstrated that after 3 days at 30 degrees C, gross spoilage was evident in only the control loaves, which contained Bacillus subtilis at numbers of about 10(9) cfu/g. The highest inhibitory activity was shown by DM-FP obtained by growing L. plantarum in a defined medium (DM). Significantly, this medium contained an amino acceptor of the aminoacid transamination, namely alpha-ketoglutaric acid, and an aminoacid pool. With loaves prepared using the DM-acid mixture which simulated the DM-FP composition, the same reduction of ropy spoilage as with DM-FP was obtained after 3 days, while the efficacy of the mixture decreased after 7 days. This result suggests the potential involvement of some unknown metabolites in the inhibitory activity of DM-FP. In baked products made with flour based media (M1-FP, M2-FP, M3-FP), no ropy symptoms were noticeable after 3 days storage although a considerable Bacillus count was detected. DM-FP was as effective as calcium propionate (0.3% w/w, based on flour mass) in prolonging the Bacillus free-shelf life of yeast-leavened bread for 7 days.

Modulus, strength and thermal exposure studies of FP-Al2O3/aluminum and FP-Al2O3/magnesium composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bhatt, R. T.

1981-01-01

The mechanical properties of FP-Al2O3 fiber reinforced composites prepared by liquid infiltration techniques are improved. A strengthening addition, magnesium, was incorporated with the aluminum-lithium matrix alloy usually selected for these composites because of its good wetting characteristics. This ternary composite, FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li-(3-5)Mg, showed improved transverse strength compared with FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li composites. The lower axial strengths found for the FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li-(3-5)Mg composites were attributed to fabrication related defects. Another technique was the use of Ti/B coated FP-Al2O3 fibers in the composites. This coating is readily wet by molten aluminum and permitted the use of more conventional aluminum alloys in the composites. However, the anticipated improvements in the axial and transverse strengths were not obtained due to poor bonding between the fiber coating and the matrix. A third approach studied to improve the strengths of FP-Al2O3 reinforced composites was the use of magnesium alloys as matrix materials. While these alloys wet fibers satisfactorily, the result indicated that the magnesium alloy composites used offered no axial strength or modulus advantage over FP-Al2O3/Al-(2-3)Li composites.

Fertility preservation in pediatric and adolescent cancer patients in Switzerland: A qualitative cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Diesch, Tamara; von der Weid, Nicolas Xavier; Szinnai, Gabor; Schaedelin, Sabine; De Geyter, Christian; Rovó, Alicia

2016-10-01

Fertility preservation (FP) is an important topic of discussion in the field of oncology, particularly in pediatric oncology. Despite the awareness of severe impact of infertility on quality of life and different guidelines available in this area, the options in FP are not routinely discussed with the pediatric cancer patients and their parents. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first survey report concerned to FP counseling and procedures in pediatric and adolescent cancer patients in Switzerland. This survey was conducted from June 2014 to October 2014 on the counseling and procedures performed between 2009 and 2013; the questionnaire was completed by one of the professional from hematology/oncology centers in Switzerland. Currently, only four out of nine centers have a program for FP. In 2013, 45/301 (15%) patients received FP counseling and 36/301 (12%) underwent an FP procedure. The most commonly performed procedures from 2009 to 2013 were administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (3%) and cryopreservation of ovarian tissue in females (3%) and cryopreservation of sperms in males (6%); the most frequently cited reason for the absence of FP counseling was lack of time (55%). Therefore, this survey should help to develop and harmonize practices with respect to FP counseling and procedures in Switzerland, and to establish FP as a standard of care during cancer treatment. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Facultative parthenogenesis discovered in wild vertebrates.

PubMed

Booth, Warren; Smith, Charles F; Eskridge, Pamela H; Hoss, Shannon K; Mendelson, Joseph R; Schuett, Gordon W

2012-12-23

Facultative parthenogenesis (FP)-asexual reproduction by bisexual species-has been documented in a variety of multi-cellular organisms but only recently in snakes, varanid lizards, birds and sharks. Unlike the approximately 80 taxa of unisexual reptiles, amphibians and fishes that exist in nature, FP has yet to be documented in the wild. Based on captive documentation, it appears that FP is widespread in squamate reptiles (snakes, lizards and amphisbaenians), and its occurrence in nature seems inevitable, yet the task of detecting FP in wild individuals has been deemed formidable. Here we show, using microsatellite DNA genotyping and litter characteristics, the first cases of FP in wild-collected pregnant females and their offspring of two closely related species of North American pitviper snakes-the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Our findings support the view that non-hybrid origins of parthenogenesis, such as FP, are more common in squamates than previously thought. With this confirmation, FP can no longer be viewed as a rare curiosity outside the mainstream of vertebrate evolution. Future research on FP in squamate reptiles related to proximate control of induction, reproductive competence of parthenogens and population genetics modelling is warranted.

Facultative parthenogenesis discovered in wild vertebrates

PubMed Central

Booth, Warren; Smith, Charles F.; Eskridge, Pamela H.; Hoss, Shannon K.; Mendelson, Joseph R.; Schuett, Gordon W.

2012-01-01

Facultative parthenogenesis (FP)—asexual reproduction by bisexual species—has been documented in a variety of multi-cellular organisms but only recently in snakes, varanid lizards, birds and sharks. Unlike the approximately 80 taxa of unisexual reptiles, amphibians and fishes that exist in nature, FP has yet to be documented in the wild. Based on captive documentation, it appears that FP is widespread in squamate reptiles (snakes, lizards and amphisbaenians), and its occurrence in nature seems inevitable, yet the task of detecting FP in wild individuals has been deemed formidable. Here we show, using microsatellite DNA genotyping and litter characteristics, the first cases of FP in wild-collected pregnant females and their offspring of two closely related species of North American pitviper snakes—the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Our findings support the view that non-hybrid origins of parthenogenesis, such as FP, are more common in squamates than previously thought. With this confirmation, FP can no longer be viewed as a rare curiosity outside the mainstream of vertebrate evolution. Future research on FP in squamate reptiles related to proximate control of induction, reproductive competence of parthenogens and population genetics modelling is warranted. PMID:22977071

Tunable single frequency fiber laser based on FP-LD injection locking.

PubMed

Zhang, Aiqin; Feng, Xinhuan; Wan, Minggui; Li, Zhaohui; Guan, Bai-ou

2013-05-20

We propose and demonstrate a tunable single frequency fiber laser based on Fabry Pérot laser diode (FP-LD) injection locking. The single frequency operation principle is based on the fact that the output from a FP-LD injection locked by a multi-longitudinal-mode (MLM) light can have fewer longitudinal-modes number and narrower linewidth. By inserting a FP-LD in a fiber ring laser cavity, single frequency operation can be possibly achieved when stable laser oscillation established after many roundtrips through the FP-LD. Wavelength switchable single frequency lasing can be achieved by adjusting the tunable optical filter (TOF) in the cavity to coincide with different mode of the FP-LD. By adjustment of the drive current of the FP-LD, the lasing modes would shift and wavelength tunable operation can be obtained. In experiment, a wavelength tunable range of 32.4 nm has been obtained by adjustment of the drive current of the FP-LD and a tunable filter in the ring cavity. Each wavelength has a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of at least 41 dB and a linewidth of about 13 kHz.

Specificity and false positive rates of the Test of Memory Malingering, Rey 15-item Test, and Rey Word Recognition Test among forensic inpatients with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Love, Christopher M; Glassmire, David M; Zanolini, Shanna Jordan; Wolf, Amanda

2014-10-01

This study evaluated the specificity and false positive (FP) rates of the Rey 15-Item Test (FIT), Word Recognition Test (WRT), and Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) in a sample of 21 forensic inpatients with mild intellectual disability (ID). The FIT demonstrated an FP rate of 23.8% with the standard quantitative cutoff score. Certain qualitative error types on the FIT showed promise and had low FP rates. The WRT obtained an FP rate of 0.0% with previously reported cutoff scores. Finally, the TOMM demonstrated low FP rates of 4.8% and 0.0% on Trial 2 and the Retention Trial, respectively, when applying the standard cutoff score. FP rates are reported for a range of cutoff scores and compared with published research on individuals diagnosed with ID. Results indicated that although the quantitative variables on the FIT had unacceptably high FP rates, the TOMM and WRT had low FP rates, increasing the confidence clinicians can place in scores reflecting poor effort on these measures during ID evaluations. © The Author(s) 2014.

Addition of topical pimecrolimus to once-daily mid-potent steroid confers no short-term therapeutic benefit in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis; a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Spergel, J M; Boguniewicz, M; Paller, A S; Hebert, A A; Gallagher, P R; McCormick, C; Parneix-Spake, A; Hultsch, T

2007-08-01

Combination therapy with pimecrolimus cream 1%, a topical calcineurin inhibitor (TCI), and fluticasone propionate cream 0.05% (FP), a mid-potency topical corticosteroid, may have a synergistic effect for treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) because their mechanism of action differs. To assess the efficacy of concomitant pimecrolimus twice daily/FP once daily vs. vehicle twice daily/FP once daily in patients with severe AD. An exploratory, 2-week, double-blind, randomized, within-patient study was conducted (n = 45). Two target areas of similar severity, size and location were assessed. Assessments included the modified Eczema Area and Severity Index (0-12 scale) (primary variable), localized investigator global assessment (0-4 scale) and Patients' Self-Assessment of Disease Severity (0-4 scale). Data for all variables were similar for the TCI/FP and vehicle/FP treatments. The efficacy observed for treatment of severe AD flares with this TCI/FP combination regimen was equivalent to that of vehicle/FP.

Fall Prevention Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Community Stakeholders and Older Adults

PubMed Central

Laing, Sharon S.; Silver, Ilene F.; York, Sally; Phelan, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

We assessed knowledge, attitude, and provision of recommended fall prevention (FP) practices by employees of senior-serving organization and participation in FP practices by at-risk elders. The Washington State Department of Health administered structured telephone surveys to 50 employees and 101 elders in Washington State. Only 38% of employees felt “very knowledgeable” about FP, and a majority of their organizations did not regularly offer FP services. Almost half (48%) of seniors sustained a fall within the past 12 months; however, one-third perceived falling to be among their least important health concerns, and most had minimal working knowledge of proven FP practices. Seniors who perceived avoiding falls as important to their well-being were more likely to participate in practices about which they had the least knowledge (risk assessment, medication management). Increased awareness and availability of FP services might help engage older adults in FP practices and reduce the adverse effects of falls. PMID:21915377

Fertility Preservation for Transgender Adolescents.

PubMed

Chen, Diane; Simons, Lisa; Johnson, Emilie K; Lockart, Barbara A; Finlayson, Courtney

2017-07-01

To describe fertility preservation (FP) utilization by transgender adolescents within a pediatric gender clinic between July 2013 and July 2016. A retrospective chart review was conducted to abstract demographic and clinical information among adolescents initiating gender-affirming hormones, including patient age at initial FP consultation, birth-assigned sex, race/ethnicity, and outcome of FP consultation. In our sample of 105 transgender adolescents, a total of 13 (seven transgender men and six transgender women) between the age of 14.2 and 20.6 years were seen in formal consultation for FP before initiating hormones. Of these adolescents, four completed sperm cryopreservation and one completed oocyte cryopreservation. Rates of FP utilization among transgender youth were low, which is consistent with a recently published report of FP utilization among transgender youth at another pediatric institution. Identified barriers to FP in our sample included cost, invasiveness of procedures, and desire not to delay medical transition. Copyright © 2017 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Africa takes a more male-friendly approach to family planning.

PubMed

Omuodo, D O

1996-12-01

It has been demonstrated that men are more likely to support family planning (FP) and to use a method themselves if services and educational programs are targeted to them. Because men fear that contraception reduces their control over their wives' sexuality, male-friendly approaches can enhance gender equality in reproductive health decisions. In Togo, the media is being used to encourage positive attitudes towards FP in specific male groups. In Ghana, FP services targeted to men have resulted in increased male involvement. In Swaziland, male audiences are targeted with FP education. In Sierra Leone, men have met in groups to learn about how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases and about the benefits of FP, and in Kenya, three male-only clinics exist to provide FP services to men.

Isolation and characterization of a cysteine protease of freesia corms.

PubMed

Uchikoba, Tetsuya; Okubo, Michiko; Arima, Kazunari; Yonezawa, Hiroo

2002-02-01

A protease, freesia protease (FP)-A, was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity from regular freesia (Freesia reflacta) corms in harvest time. The Mr of FP-A was estimated to be 24 k by SDS-PAGE. The optimum pH of the enzyme was 8.0 using a casein substrate. These enzymes were strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoic acid but not by phenylmethane-sulfonylfluoride and EDTA. These results indicate that FP-A belongs to the cysteine proteases. The amino terminal sequence of FP-A was similar to that of papain, and the sequences was regarded to the conservative residues of cysteine protease. From the hydrolysis of peptidyl-p-NAs, the specificity of FP-A was found to be broad. It was thought that FP-A was a new protease from freesia corms.

Non-Mydriatic Fundus Retinography in Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy: Agreement Between Family Physicians, General Ophthalmologists, and a Retinal Specialist.

PubMed

Cunha, Leonardo Provetti; Figueiredo, Evelyn Alvernaz; Araújo, Henrique Pereira; Costa-Cunha, Luciana Virgínia Ferreira; Costa, Carolina Ferreira; Neto, José de Melo Costa; Matos, Aline Mota Freitas; de Oliveira, Marise Machado; Bastos, Marcus Gomes; Monteiro, Mário Luiz Ribeiro

2018-01-01

To determine the level of agreement between trained family physicians (FPs), general ophthalmologists (GOs), and a retinal specialist (RS) in the assessment of non-mydriatic fundus retinography in screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the primary health-care setting. 200 Diabetic patients were submitted to two-field non-mydriatic digital fundus camera. The images were examined by four trained FPs, two GOs, and one RS with regard to the diagnosis and severity of DR and the diagnosis of macular edema. The RS served as gold standard. Reliability and accuracy were determined with the kappa test and diagnostic measures. A total of 397 eyes of 200 patients were included. The mean age was 55.1 (±11.7) years, and 182 (91%) had type 2 diabetes. The mean levels of serum glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c were 195.6 (±87.3) mg/dL and 8.9% (±2.1), respectively. DR was diagnosed in 166 eyes by the RS and in 114 and 182 eyes by GO 1 and GO 2 , respectively. For severity, DR was graded as proliferative in 8 eyes by the RS vs. 15 and 9 eyes by GO 1 and GO 2 , respectively. The agreement between the RS and the GOs was substantial for both DR diagnosis (GO 1 k  = 0.65; GO 2 k  = 0.74) and severity (GO 1 k  = 0.60; GO 2 k  = 0.71), and fair or moderate for macular edema (GO 1 k  = 0.27; GO 2 k  = 0.43). FP 1 , FP 2 , FP 3 , and FP 4 diagnosed DR in 108, 119, 163, and 117 eyes, respectively. The agreement between the RS and the FPs with regard to DR diagnosis was substantial (FP 2 k  = 0.69; FP 3 k  = 0.73; FP 4 k  = 0.71) or moderate (FP 1 k  = 0.56). As for DR severity, the agreement between the FPs and the RS was substantial (FP 2 k  = 0.66; FP 3 k  = 069; FP 4 k  = 0.64) or moderate (FP 1 k  = 0.51). Agreement between the FPs and the RS with regard to macular edema was fair (FP 1 k  = 0.33; FP 2 k  = 0.39; FP 3 k  = 0.37) or moderate (FP 4 k  = 0.51). Non-mydriatic fundus retinography was shown to be useful in DR screening in the primary health-care setting. FPs made assessments with good levels of agreement with an RS. Non-mydriatic fundus retinography associated with appropriate general physicians training is essential for the DR screening.

Impacts of Electric Propulsion Systems on Submarine Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-06-01

in oersteds D = the density of the steel in grams per cubic centimeter p = the elec" .,; al resistivity of the steel in microohm-centimeters N = the...Condition Al (Sum W1-W7) 4138.64 144.09 15.24 Lead Ballast 413.86 142.50 13.70 Condition A 4552.50 143.95 15.1 Variable Load Weights 209.53 87.46 9.86...fscanf(fp, "%lf", &lr); fscanf(fp, *W%lf?, &vol); fscanf(fp, "%lf", &wt.); fac~ azif (f p, "%lf" &ph); fscant (fp, "%If, &pe); fscanf(fp, "%lf" &i2r

Family Presence During Pediatric Tracheal Intubations.

PubMed

Sanders, Ronald C; Nett, Sholeen T; Davis, Katherine Finn; Parker, Margaret M; Bysani, G Kris; Adu-Darko, Michelle; Bird, Geoffrey L; Cheifetz, Ira M; Derbyshire, Ashley T; Emeriaud, Guillaume; Giuliano, John S; Graciano, Ana Lia; Hagiwara, Yusuke; Hefley, Glenda; Ikeyama, Takanari; Jarvis, J Dean; Kamat, Pradip; Krishna, Ashwin S; Lee, Anthony; Lee, Jan Hau; Li, Simon; Meyer, Keith; Montgomery, Vicki L; Nagai, Yuki; Pinto, Matthew; Rehder, Kyle J; Saito, Osamu; Shenoi, Asha N; Taekema, Hester Christianne; Tarquinio, Keiko M; Thompson, Ann E; Turner, David A; Nadkarni, Vinay M; Nishisaki, Akira

2016-03-01

Family-centered care, which supports family presence (FP) during procedures, is now a widely accepted standard at health care facilities that care for children. However, there is a paucity of data regarding the practice of FP during tracheal intubation (TI) in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). Family presence during procedures in PICUs has been advocated. To describe the current practice of FP during TI and evaluate the association with procedural and clinician (including physician, respiratory therapist, and nurse practitioner) outcomes across multiple PICUs. Prospective cohort study in which all TIs from July 2010 to March 2014 in the multicenter TI database (National Emergency Airway Registry for Children [NEAR4KIDS]) were analyzed. Family presence was defined as a family member present during TI. This study included all TIs in patients younger than 18 years in 22 international PICUs. Family presence and no FP during TI in the PICU. The percentage of FP during TIs. First attempt success rate, adverse TI-associated events, multiple attempts (≥ 3), oxygen desaturation (oxygen saturation as measured by pulse oximetry <80%), and self-reported team stress level. A total of 4969 TI encounters were reported. Among those, 81% (n = 4030) of TIs had documented FP status (with/without). The median age of participants with FP was 2 years and 1 year for those without FP. The average percentage of TIs with FP was 19% and varied widely across sites (0%-43%; P < .001). Tracheal intubations with FP (vs without FP) were associated with older patients (median, 2 years vs 1 year; P = .04), lower Paediatric Index of Mortality 2 score, and pediatric resident as the first airway clinician (23%, n = 179 vs 18%, n = 584; odds ratio [OR], 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.7). Tracheal intubations with FP and without FP were no different in the first attempt success rate (OR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.85-1.18), adverse TI-associated events (any events: OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.85-1.30 and severe events: OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 0.75-1.43), multiple attempts (≥ 3) (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.82-1.28), oxygen desaturation (oxygen saturation <80%) (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.80-1.18), or self-reported team stress level (OR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.92-1.31). This result persisted after adjusting for patient and clinician confounders. Wide variability exists in FP during TIs across PICUs. Family presence was not associated with first attempt success, adverse TI-associated events, oxygen desaturation (<80%), or higher team stress level. Our data suggest that FP during TI can safely be implemented as part of a family-centered care model in the PICU.

The Rise and Fall of Workplace Basic Skills Programmes: Lessons for Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Alison; Aspin, Liam; Waite, Edmund; Ananiadou, Katerina

2010-01-01

Since the publication of the Moser Report in 1999, improving the basic skills of adults has been a major priority for all of the UK's governments. There has been a particular interest in building up workplace provision, because of the assumed relationship between the basic skills of the employed population and productivity. A longitudinal study…

The Programme of Experiments in Intercultural Education from 1986 to 1991. Final Educational Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perotti, Antonio; And Others

This document reports on a five year series of experiments in intercultural education. The main lessons emerging from the project are summarized under four headings: (1) the new frame of reference in analyzing the problem; (2) new concepts and new educational aims and content; (3) results and limitations of the experiments in relation to the new…

School-Based Professional Development in a Developing Context: Lessons Learnt from a Case Study in Zambia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haßler, Björn; Hennessy, Sara; Cross, Andrew; Chileshe, Eness; Machiko, Brian

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the development and outcomes of the second phase of OER4Schools, a school-based professional development programme supporting interactive forms of subject teaching in conjunction with Open Educational Resources (OER) and technology in Zambian primary schools. We worked with partners to identify the needs of school-based…

Lessons from Finland: Where the Country's Education System Rose to the Top in Just a Couple Decades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahlberg, Pasi

2011-01-01

Since Finland emerged in 2000 as the top-scoring Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nation on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), researchers have been pouring into the country to study the so-called "Finnish miracle." How did a country with an undistinguished education system in the…

Developing Perspective: What Can We Learn about Education from Lower-Income Countries? The Claremont Letter. Volume 5, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luschei, Thomas

2010-01-01

To the extent that Americans look abroad for lessons about education, they primarily concern themselves with wealthy nations that perform well on international tests like the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In this paper, the author argues that Americans…

Professional Development Programmes for Teachers Moving from Majority to Minoritised Language Medium Education: Lessons from a Comparative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPake, Joanna; McLeod, Wilson; O'Hanlon, Fiona; Fassetta, Giovanna; Wilson, Mona

2017-01-01

Education through the medium of a minoritised language is widely regarded as a critical component of language revitalisation initiatives. Given the demographic and social position of many minoritised languages, however, it may not be easy to find teachers who are fluent and literate in the language, confident about using and teaching it, and…

Recruiting, Retaining and Engaging Men in Social Interventions: Lessons for Implementation Focusing on a Prison-Based Parenting Intervention for Young Incarcerated Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buston, Katie

2018-01-01

Recruiting, retaining and engaging men in social interventions can be challenging. The focus of this paper is the successful implementation of a parenting programme for incarcerated fathers, delivered in a Young Offender Institution (YOI) in Scotland. Reasons for high levels of recruitment, retention and engagement are explored, with barriers…

Asthma control using fluticasone propionate/salmeterol in Asian and non-Asian populations: a post hoc analysis of the GOAL study.

PubMed

Bousquet, Jean; Barnes, Neil; Gibbs, Michael; Gul, Nadeem; Tomkins, Susan A; Zhou, Xin; Cho, Young-Joo; Park, Hae-Sim; Busse, William; Zhong, Nanshan

2017-04-28

To analyse the efficacy of fluticasone propionate (FP) alone and combined with salmeterol (SAL) in achieving guideline-defined asthma control in Asian patients. A post hoc analysis of the GOAL study in which patients were stratified by prior-medication use into inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-naïve (Stratum [S] 1), low-dose ICS (S2), and medium-dose ICS (S3), and randomised to receive FP/SAL or FP. Doses were stepped-up every 12 weeks until Totally Controlled asthma or maximum dose was reached (PhI) and then maintained until study end (PhII). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients achieving Well-Controlled asthma during PhI. Additional endpoints included Total Control and adverse events. Asian and non-Asian patients were analysed separately. In Asian patients in PhI, 74% (n = 87/118) in S1 achieved Well-Controlled asthma with FP/SAL versus 74% (n = 89/121) with FP alone (p = 0.839); corresponding values were 76% (n = 81/107) versus 60% (n = 62/104; p = 0.005) in S2, and 58% (n = 59/102) versus 43% (n = 41/95; p = 0.015) in S3. More patients in all three strata achieved Totally Controlled asthma with FP/SAL versus FP alone. Control was achieved more rapidly and with lower ICS doses with FP/SAL versus FP. A high proportion of patients who achieved control during PhI maintained control during PhII. Similar trends were found in non-Asian patients. No new safety concerns were identified. A greater proportion of Asian patients (S2 and S3, for Well-Controlled; all strata, for Totally Controlled) achieved guideline-defined asthma control with FP/SAL versus FP alone. High proportions of Asian patients in S1 achieved Well-Controlled asthma in both treatment groups.

Cat iris sphincter smooth-muscle contraction: comparison of FP-class prostaglandin analog agonist activities.

PubMed

Sharif, Najam A; Kaddour-Djebbar, Ismail; Abdel-Latif, Ata A

2008-04-01

The pharmacologic characteristics of a number of FP-class prostaglandin (PG) analogs were determined by using the cat iris sphincter smooth-muscle-contraction assay. Cumulative concentration-response curves were generated for each compound. The relative agonist potencies (EC(50)) of the compounds were: cloprostenol (0.0012 +/- 0.0004 nM) > travoprost acid (0.46 +/- 0.13 nM) = bimatoprost acid (0.99 +/- 0.19 nM) > (+/-)-fluprostenol (15.8 +/- 2.6 nM) = PGF(2alpha) (18.6 +/- 1.8 nM) > latanoprost acid (29.9 +/- 1.6 nM) > bimatoprost (140 +/- 45 nM) > S-1033 (588 +/- 39 nM) > unoprostone (UF-021; 1280 +/- 50 nM; n = 4-14). The maximum response induced by travoprost acid (122% +/- 2.3% maximum response relative to PGF(2alpha)) was significantly greater than that induced by all the other PG compounds (P < 0.001 - P < 0.02). Interestingly, the FP-receptor antagonist, AL-8810, behaved as a moderate efficacy partial agonist (EC(50) = 2140 +/- 190 nM; 63 +/- 4.3% maximum response relative to PGF(2alpha)), indicating that the cat iris contains an extremely well-coupled FP-receptor population, and/or the tissue contains an extremely high density of the FP-receptor and/or spare receptors. The cat iris contraction data were well correlated with other FP-receptor-mediated signal-transduction processes, including FP-receptor binding in bovine corpus luteum (r = 0.86), FP-receptor binding in human iris (r = 0.61), phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis in human ciliary muscle and trabecular meshwork cells (r = 0.77 - 0.86), PI turnover in rat and mouse cells (r = 0.73 - 0.76) and via cloned human FP-receptor (r = 0.9), and rat uterus contraction (r = 0.84). These data confirm the presence of functional FP-receptors in the cat iris sphincter, which are exquisitely well coupled and which respond to a variety of FP-class PG analogs with differing potencies.

Preface to FP-UML 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trujillo, Juan; Kim, Dae-Kyoo

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) has been widely accepted as the standard object-oriented (OO) modeling language for modeling various aspects of software and information systems. The UML is an extensible language, in the sense that it provides mechanisms to introduce new elements for specific domains if necessary, such as web applications, database applications, business modeling, software development processes, data warehouses. Furthermore, the latest version of UML 2.0 got even bigger and more complicated with more diagrams for some good reasons. Although UML provides different diagrams for modeling different aspects of a software system, not all of them need to be applied in most cases. Therefore, heuristics, design guidelines, lessons learned from experiences are extremely important for the effective use of UML 2.0 and to avoid unnecessary complication. Also, approaches are needed to better manage UML 2.0 and its extensions so they do not become too complex too manage in the end.

Comparison of the Outcome of Silicone Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation with a Surface Area between 96 and 184 mm2 in Adult Eyes

PubMed Central

Koh, Kyung Min; Hwang, Young Hoon; Jung, Jong Jin; Sohn, Yong Ho

2013-01-01

Purpose To compare the success rates, complications, and visual outcomes between silicone Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation with 96 mm2 (FP8) or 184 mm2 (FP7) surface areas. Methods This study is a retrospective review of the records from 132 adult patients (134 eyes) that underwent silicone AGV implant surgery. Among them, the outcomes of 24 eyes from 24 patients with refractory glaucoma who underwent FP8 AGV implantation were compared with 76 eyes from 76 patients who underwent FP7 AGV implantation. Preoperative and postoperative data, including intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, number of medications, and complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). The postoperative visual acuity of the patients in the FP8 group was better than that of the patients in the FP7 group in some early postoperative periods (p < 0.05); however, after 10 postoperative months, visual acuity was not significantly different through the 3-year follow-up period (p > 0.05). Postoperative IOP was not significantly different between the 2 groups (p > 0.05) except for IOP on postoperative day 1 (11.42 mmHg for the FP7 group and 7.42 mmHg for the FP8 group; p = 0.031). There was no statistical difference in success rates, final IOP, number of medications, or complication rates between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions The FP7 and FP8 AGV implants showed no difference in terms of vision preservation, IOP reduction, and number of glaucoma medications required. PMID:24082774

Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequences and the PCR to generate fingerprints of genomic DNAs from Vibrio cholerae O1, O139, and non-O1 strains.

PubMed

Rivera, I G; Chowdhury, M A; Huq, A; Jacobs, D; Martins, M T; Colwell, R R

1995-08-01

Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) sequence polymorphism was studied in Vibrio Cholerae strains isolated before and after the cholera epidemic in Brazil (in 1991), along with epidemic strains from Peru, Mexico, and India, by PCR. A total of 17 fingerprint patterns (FPs) were detected in the V. cholerae strains examined; 96.7% of the toxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains and 100% of the O139 serogroup strains were found to belong to the same FP group comprising four fragments (FP1). The nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 also yielded four fragments but constituted a different FP group (FP2). A total of 15 different patterns were observed among the V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two patterns were observed most frequently for V. cholerae non-01 strains, 25% of which have FP3, with five fragments, and 16.7% of which have FP4, with two fragments. Three fragments, 1.75, 0.79, and 0.5 kb, were found to be common to both toxigenic and nontoxigenic V. cholerae O1 strains as well as to group FP3, containing V. cholerae non-O1 strains. Two fragments of group FP3, 1.3 and 1.0 kb, were present in FP1 and FP2 respectively. The 0.5-kb fragment was common to all strains and serogroups of V. cholerae analyzed. It is concluded from the results of this study, based on DNA FPs of environmental isolates, that it is possible to detect an emerging virulent strain in a cholera-endemic region. ERIC-PCR constitutes a powerful tool for determination of the virulence potential of V. cholerae O1 strains isolated in surveillance programs and for molecular epidemiological investigations.

Halobacillus alkaliphilus sp. nov., a halophilic bacterium isolated from a salt lake in Fuente de Piedra, southern Spain.

PubMed

Romano, Ida; Finore, Ilaria; Nicolaus, Giancarlo; Huertas, F Javier; Lama, Licia; Nicolaus, Barbara; Poli, Annarita

2008-04-01

A Gram-positive, spore-forming, halophilic bacterial strain, FP5T, was isolated from a salt lake in southern Spain and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. Strain FP5T was strictly aerobic. Cells were coccoidal, occurring singly or in clusters. The cell-wall peptidoglycan type of strain FP5T was A4 beta based on l-Orn-d-Asp. Strain FP5T was characterized chemotaxonomically by having MK-7 as the major menaquinone and anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C15 : 0 and iso-C16 : 0 as the main fatty acids. The isolate grew optimally at 37 degrees C and in presence of 10 % NaCl; no growth was observed in the absence of NaCl. The DNA G+C content was 43.5 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain FP5T falls within the evolutionary radiation of species of the genus Halobacillus. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between strain FP5T and the type strains of nine recognized Halobacillus species were in the range 97.0-99.0 %. Levels of DNA-DNA relatedness indicated that strain FP5T represents a genomic species that is distinct from recognized Halobacillus species. Strain FP5T could be differentiated from recognized Halobacillus species based on several phenotypic characteristics. On the basis of phenotypic, phylogenetic and genomic data, strain FP5T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Halobacillus, for which the name Halobacillus alkaliphilus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FP5T (=DSM 18525T =ATCC BAA-1361T).

Challenges in Evaluating the Severity of Fibropapillomatosis: A Proposal for Objective Index and Score System for Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Brazil

PubMed Central

Rossi, Silmara; Sánchez-Sarmiento, Angélica María; Vanstreels, Ralph Eric Thijl; dos Santos, Robson Guimarães; Prioste, Fabiola Eloisa Setim; Gattamorta, Marco Aurélio; Grisi-Filho, José Henrique Hildebrand; Matushima, Eliana Reiko

2016-01-01

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease that affects marine turtles worldwide, especially green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). FP tumors can develop on the body surface of marine turtles and also internally in the oral cavity and viscera. Depending on their quantity, size and anatomical distribution, these tumors can interfere with hydrodynamics and the ability to feed, hence scoring systems have been proposed in an attempt to quantify the clinical manifestation of FP. In order to establish a new scoring system adapted to geographic regions, we examined 214 juvenile green sea turtles with FP caught or rescued at Brazilian feeding areas, counted their 7466 tumors and classified them in relation to their size and anatomical distribution. The patterns in quantity, size and distribution of tumors revealed interesting aspects in the clinical manifestation of FP in specimens studied in Brazil, and that FP scoring systems developed for other areas might not perform adequately when applied to sea turtles on the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. We therefore propose a novel method to evaluate the clinical manifestation of FP: fibropapillomatosis index (FPI) that provides the Southwest Atlantic fibropapillomatosis score (FPSSWA). In combination, these indexing and scoring systems allow for a more objective, rapid and detailed evaluation of the severity of FP in green sea turtles. While primarily designed for the clinical manifestation of FP currently witnessed in our dataset, this index and the score system can be adapted for other areas and compare the characteristics of the disease across regions. In conclusion, scoring systems to classify the severity of FP can assist our understanding on the environmental factors that modulate its development and its impacts on the individual and population health of green sea turtles. PMID:27936118

Challenges in Evaluating the Severity of Fibropapillomatosis: A Proposal for Objective Index and Score System for Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Brazil.

PubMed

Rossi, Silmara; Sánchez-Sarmiento, Angélica María; Vanstreels, Ralph Eric Thijl; Dos Santos, Robson Guimarães; Prioste, Fabiola Eloisa Setim; Gattamorta, Marco Aurélio; Grisi-Filho, José Henrique Hildebrand; Matushima, Eliana Reiko

2016-01-01

Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a neoplastic disease that affects marine turtles worldwide, especially green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas). FP tumors can develop on the body surface of marine turtles and also internally in the oral cavity and viscera. Depending on their quantity, size and anatomical distribution, these tumors can interfere with hydrodynamics and the ability to feed, hence scoring systems have been proposed in an attempt to quantify the clinical manifestation of FP. In order to establish a new scoring system adapted to geographic regions, we examined 214 juvenile green sea turtles with FP caught or rescued at Brazilian feeding areas, counted their 7466 tumors and classified them in relation to their size and anatomical distribution. The patterns in quantity, size and distribution of tumors revealed interesting aspects in the clinical manifestation of FP in specimens studied in Brazil, and that FP scoring systems developed for other areas might not perform adequately when applied to sea turtles on the Southwest Atlantic Ocean. We therefore propose a novel method to evaluate the clinical manifestation of FP: fibropapillomatosis index (FPI) that provides the Southwest Atlantic fibropapillomatosis score (FPSSWA). In combination, these indexing and scoring systems allow for a more objective, rapid and detailed evaluation of the severity of FP in green sea turtles. While primarily designed for the clinical manifestation of FP currently witnessed in our dataset, this index and the score system can be adapted for other areas and compare the characteristics of the disease across regions. In conclusion, scoring systems to classify the severity of FP can assist our understanding on the environmental factors that modulate its development and its impacts on the individual and population health of green sea turtles.

Family medicine residency program directors' plans to incorporate maintenance of certification into residency training: a CERA survey.

PubMed

Peterson, Lars E; Blackburn, Brenna; Phillips, Robert L; Mainous, Arch G

2014-04-01

Participation in Maintenance of Certification for Family Physicians (MC-FP) is now a requirement for residents to take the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) certification examination. The objective of this study was to determine baseline use of MC-FP products prior to this requirement and assess how family medicine residency program directors (FMPD) intended to integrate MC-FP into residency education. We used the CERA platform to survey FMPDs. In addition to the core CERA demographic questions, we asked about the use of MC-FP in residency, how FMPDs intended to incorporate MC-FP, and how useful they believe MC-FP will be for resident evaluation. Additionally, we compared select results with the ABFM administrative database. A total of 224 FMPDs responded, for a 50.6% response rate. There was agreement between CERA and ABFM data on the percentage of residencies already using Part 4 modules (39.3% versus 38.8%) but not Part 2 modules (24.7% versus 62.8%). Group MC-FP activities were the preferred method for both Part 2 (45.0%) and Part 4 (54.4%). Most FMPDs agreed that MC-FP will be effective in teaching quality improvement and assessing competencies. Respondents from dually accredited programs were more likely to have used Part 4, but not Part 2, activities prior to 2012. Prior to MC-FP becoming a requirement in residency, a sizeable minority of residencies were already using these tools for education. Assessment of competencies will be crucial in the Next Accreditation System, and MC-FP may help in tracking clinical development over a physician's career.

Integrated fingerprint and high wavenumber confocal Raman spectroscopy for in vivo diagnosis of cervical precancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duraipandian, Shiyamala; Zheng, Wei; Ng, Joseph; Low, Jeffrey J. H.; Ilancheran, A.; Huang, Zhiwei

2013-03-01

Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopic technique capable of optically probing the compositional, conformational, and structural changes in the tissue associated with disease progression. The main goal of this work is to develop an integrated fingerprint (FP) and high wavenumber (HW) in vivo confocal Raman spectroscopy for simultaneous FP/HW tissue Raman spectral measurements. This work further explores the potential of integrated FP/HW Raman spectroscopy developed as a diagnostic tool for in vivo detection of cervical precancer. A total of 473 in vivo integrated FP/HW Raman spectra (340 normal and 133 precancer) were acquired from 35 patients within 1 s during clinical colposcopy. The major tissue Raman peaks are noticed around 854, 937, 1001, 1095, 1253, 1313, 1445, 1654, 2946 and 3400 cm-1, related to the molecular changes (e.g., proteins, lipids, glycogen, nucleic acids, water, etc.) that accompany the dysplastic transformation of tissue. The FP (800 - 1800 cm-1), HW (2800 - 3800 cm-1) and the integrated FP/HW Raman spectra were analyzed using partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) together with the leave-one patient-out, cross-validation. The developed PLS-DA classification models and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves for the FP, HW and integrated FP/HW spectroscopy further discloses that the performance of integrated FP/HW Raman spectroscopy is superior to that of all others in discriminating the dysplastic cervix. The results of this work indicate that the co-contributions of underlying rich biochemical information revealed by the complementary spectral modalities (FP and HW Raman) can improve the in vivo early diagnosis of cervical precancer at clinical colposcopy

Co-operation, participation and conflicts faced in public health--lessons learned from a long-term prevention programme in Sweden.

PubMed

Brännström, I; Emmelin, M; Dahlgren, L; Johansson, M; Wall, S

1994-09-01

A comprehensive community-based programme for prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes was established in 1985 in a small municipality in northern Sweden. A cross-sectional survey to the general public was performed and semi-structured open-ended interviews were taken of actors at different levels. Notes from official records were also included in the study. The aim was to describe and discuss some factors that promote or constrain community participation in health programmes. The results generally confirmed that the right of definition concerning the health programme mainly remained with the health professionals. Community participation was mainly defined by the actors based on the medical and health planning approach and, thereby, as a means to transform health policy plans into reality by transmitting health knowledge and increasing consciousness among the citizens of the need for changing lifestyles. However, participation as a means of identifying problems and demonstrating power relationships and as elements in promoting local democracy was hardly represented among the actors at all. Overall, the CVD health programme was characterized by consensus between the actors. Despite this, debates and arguments about interpretations, social interests, personal conflicts and ideological constraints were observed. However, a majority of the public wanted the CVD preventive programme to continue.

Optimizing adherence to antiretroviral therapy

PubMed Central

Sahay, Seema; Reddy, K. Srikanth; Dhayarkar, Sampada

2011-01-01

HIV has now become a manageable chronic disease. However, the treatment outcomes may get hampered by suboptimal adherence to ART. Adherence optimization is a concrete reality in the wake of ‘universal access’ and it is imperative to learn lessons from various studies and programmes. This review examines current literature on ART scale up, treatment outcomes of the large scale programmes and the role of adherence therein. Social, behavioural, biological and programme related factors arise in the context of ART adherence optimization. While emphasis is laid on adherence, retention of patients under the care umbrella emerges as a major challenge. An in-depth understanding of patients’ health seeking behaviour and health care delivery system may be useful in improving adherence and retention of patients in care continuum and programme. A theoretical framework to address the barriers and facilitators has been articulated to identify problematic areas in order to intervene with specific strategies. Empirically tested objective adherence measurement tools and approaches to assess adherence in clinical/ programme settings are required. Strengthening of ART programmes would include appropriate policies for manpower and task sharing, integrating traditional health sector, innovations in counselling and community support. Implications for the use of theoretical model to guide research, clinical practice, community involvement and policy as part of a human rights approach to HIV disease is suggested. PMID:22310817

Developing a music programme for preschool children with cochlear implants.

PubMed

Koşaner, Julie; Kilinc, Aynur; Deniz, Murat

2012-11-01

Although music perception is especially challenging for cochlear implant (CI) users, young CI users' musical perception abilities are improved by participation in structured musical activities. To design, implement, evaluate, and publish a music training programme with a monitoring tool for preschool CI users, for use in family-centred habilitation programmes. We devised a programme of musical activities, Musical EARS®, and a curriculum-related hierarchical Evaluation Form to represent performance. The programme included sections on singing; recognizing songs, tunes, and timbre; and responding appropriately to music and rhythm. It was implemented over 18 months at Ilkses Rehabilitation Centre, with 25 paediatric MED-EL CI users split into three groups of varying age, duration of CI use, and ability. Mean total scores increased significantly for all groups. Scores increased unevenly across subscales. Participation in and enjoyment of musical activities increased for both children and parents. Significant correlations were found between scores and length of CI use. The training programme effectively enriches child CI users' musical experience. To varying degrees, children learned to perform the Musical EARS® activities. The study allowed us to validate the lesson content and the hierarchical nature of the Evaluation Form. We conclude that prelingually deafened CI users should be systematically involved in musical activities to help them acquire skills acquired more easily by hearing peers.

Quality of care in reproductive health programmes: monitoring and evaluation of quality improvement.

PubMed

Kwast, B E

1998-12-01

As 200 million women become pregnant every year, at least 30 million will develop life-threatening complications requiring emergency treatment at any level of society where they live. But it is a basic human right that pregnancy be made safe for all women as complications are mostly unpredictable. This requires reproductive health programmes which are responsive to women's and their families' needs and expectations on the one hand and enhancement of community participation, high quality obstetric services, and both provider collaboration and satisfaction on the other. Monitoring and evaluation of these facets need to be an integral part of any safe motherhood programme, not only to assess progress, but also to use this information for subsequent planning and implementation cycles of national programmes. Lessons learned from ten years' implementation of Safe Motherhood programmes indicate that process and outcome indicators are more feasible for short-term evaluation purposes than impact indicators, such as maternal mortality reduction. The former are described in this paper with relevant country examples. This is the third, and last, article in a series on quality of care in reproductive health programmes. The first (Kwast 1998a) contains an overview of concepts, assessments, barriers and improvements of quality of care. The second (Kwast 1998b) addresses education issues for quality improvement.

The emergence of community health worker programmes in the late apartheid era in South Africa: An historical analysis

PubMed Central

van Ginneken, Nadja; Lewin, Simon; Berridge, Virginia

2010-01-01

There is re-emerging interest in community health workers (CHWs) as part of wider policies regarding task-shifting within human resources for health. This paper examines the history of CHW programmes established in South Africa in the later apartheid years (1970s–1994) – a time of innovative initiatives. After 1994, the new democratic government embraced primary healthcare (PHC), however CHW initiatives were not included in their health plan and most of these programmes subsequently collapsed. Since then a wide array of disease-focused CHW projects have emerged, particularly within HIV care. Thirteen oral history interviews and eight witness seminars were conducted in South Africa in April 2008 with founders and CHWs from these earlier programmes. These data were triangulated with written primary sources and analysed using thematic content analysis. The study suggests that 1970s–1990s CHW programmes were seen as innovative, responsive, comprehensive and empowering for staff and communities, a focus which respondents felt was lost within current programmes. The growth of these earlier projects was underpinned by the struggle against apartheid. Respondents felt that the more technical focus of current CHW programmes under-utilise a valuable human resource which previously had a much wider social and health impact. These prior experiences and lessons learned could usefully inform policy-making frameworks for CHWs in South Africa today. PMID:20638169

The emergence of community health worker programmes in the late apartheid era in South Africa: An historical analysis.

PubMed

van Ginneken, Nadja; Lewin, Simon; Berridge, Virginia

2010-09-01

There is re-emerging interest in community health workers (CHWs) as part of wider policies regarding task-shifting within human resources for health. This paper examines the history of CHW programmes established in South Africa in the later apartheid years (1970s-1994) - a time of innovative initiatives. After 1994, the new democratic government embraced primary healthcare (PHC), however CHW initiatives were not included in their health plan and most of these programmes subsequently collapsed. Since then a wide array of disease-focused CHW projects have emerged, particularly within HIV care. Thirteen oral history interviews and eight witness seminars were conducted in South Africa in April 2008 with founders and CHWs from these earlier programmes. These data were triangulated with written primary sources and analysed using thematic content analysis. The study suggests that 1970s-1990s CHW programmes were seen as innovative, responsive, comprehensive and empowering for staff and communities, a focus which respondents felt was lost within current programmes. The growth of these earlier projects was underpinned by the struggle against apartheid. Respondents felt that the more technical focus of current CHW programmes under-utilise a valuable human resource which previously had a much wider social and health impact. These prior experiences and lessons learned could usefully inform policy-making frameworks for CHWs in South Africa today. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research Progress on F-P Interference—Based Fiber-Optic Sensors

PubMed Central

Huang, Yi Wen; Tao, Jin; Huang, Xu Guang

2016-01-01

We review our works on Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometric fiber-optic sensors with various applications. We give a general model of F-P interferometric optical fiber sensors including diffraction loss caused by the beam divergence and the Gouy phase shift. Based on different structures of an F-P cavity formed on the end of a single-mode fiber, the F-P interferometric optical sensor has been extended to measurements of the refractive index (RI) of liquids and solids, temperature as well as small displacement. The RI of liquids and solids can be obtained by monitoring the fringe contrast related to Fresnel reflections, while the ambient temperature and small displacement can be obtained by monitoring the wavelength shift of the interference fringes. The F-P interferometric fiber-optic sensors can be used for many scientific and technological applications. PMID:27598173

ESMN in Memoriam (1998 -- 2006)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutten, R. J.

2007-05-01

The EC-FP5 European Solar Magnetism Network (ESMN) was terminated during this conference. Together with its FP4 predecessor, the European Solar Magnetometry Network (ESMN), it funded 22 postdoc and 9 graduate-student appointments at nine solar physics groups in Western Europe, it enhanced Europe-wide collaboration in solar physics, and it contributed to the integration of East-European groups in West-European enterprises. Its unfortunate demise results from lack of further fortune in the FP6 lottery. The FP6-funded Utrecht-Stockholm-Oslo graduate school in solar physics represents offspring, the FP6 Solaire network is a partial replacement, and the EAST undertaking and pledge to build an EST is a most worthy FP7 stake. The EC's policy shifts from postdoc to predoc funding and from requiring (too) small to requiring (too) large consortia are criticized.

On the road to eliminate malaria in Sri Lanka: lessons from history, challenges, gaps in knowledge and research needs.

PubMed

Karunaweera, Nadira D; Galappaththy, Gawrie Nl; Wirth, Dyann F

2014-02-18

Malaria is one of the most important tropical diseases that has caused devastation throughout the history of mankind. Malaria eradication programmes in the past have had many positive effects but failed to wipe out malaria from most tropical countries, including Sri Lanka. Encouraged by the impressive levels of reduction in malaria case numbers during the past decade, Sri Lanka has launched a programme to eliminate malaria by year 2014. This article reviews the historical milestones associated with the malaria eradication programme that failed subsequently and the events that led to the launch of the ongoing malaria elimination plans at national-level and its strategies that are operational across the entire country. The existing gaps in knowledge are also discussed together with the priority areas for research to fill in these gaps that are posing as challenges to the envisaged goal of wiping out malaria from this island nation.

Chromatin programming by developmentally regulated transcription factors: lessons from the study of haematopoietic stem cell specification and differentiation.

PubMed

Obier, Nadine; Bonifer, Constanze

2016-11-01

Although the body plan of individuals is encoded in their genomes, each cell type expresses a different gene expression programme and therefore has access to only a subset of this information. Alterations to gene expression programmes are the underlying basis for the differentiation of multiple cell types and are driven by tissue-specific transcription factors (TFs) that interact with the epigenetic regulatory machinery to programme the chromatin landscape into transcriptionally active and inactive states. The haematopoietic system has long served as a paradigm for studying the molecular principles that regulate gene expression in development. In this review article, we summarize the current knowledge on the mechanism of action of TFs regulating haematopoietic stem cell specification and differentiation, and place this information into the context of general principles governing development. © 2016 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Innovation in learning and development in multilingual and multicultural contexts: Principles learned from a higher educational study programme in Luxembourg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziegler, Gudrun

2011-12-01

Multilingualism in education is a conceptual as well as a pedagogical challenge of the 21st century. Luxembourg, with its three statutory official languages (Luxembourgish, French and German), is an especially complex setting. The gap between traditional principles of language education on the one hand and the challenging impacts of today's multilingualisms on the other led the University of Luxembourg (founded in 2003) to set up a developmentally-driven Master's programme in 2007, entitled "Learning and Development in Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts". After a presentation of the general multilingual settings in Luxembourg, this paper discusses the constellation of the multilingual University's staff and students and provides an analysis of the concept of the course by outlining its innovative approach, its principles and lessons learned with regard to running a trilingual higher education programme.

Interprofessional Education and Practice Guide No. 8: Team-based interprofessional practice placements.

PubMed

Brewer, Margo L; Barr, Hugh

2016-11-01

Whilst interest in interprofessional learning (IPL) in practice contexts has grown in recent years, the complexities involved have led many universities to rely on IPL in the classroom, online, and/or simulated contexts. Curtin University's Faculty of Health Sciences has successfully implemented a multi-award winning, large-scale Interprofessional Practice Programme. This programme, which began with five small pilots in 2009, provides team-based interprofessional practice placements for over 550 students from nine professions per annum. Drawing on both the literature and Curtin University's experience, this Interprofessional Education and Practice Guide aims to assist university and practice-based educators to "weigh the case" for introducing team-based interprofessional placements. The key lessons learned at Curtin University are identified to offer guidance to others towards establishing a similar programme for students during their prequalifying courses in health, social care, and related fields.

Drug-in-cyclodextrin-in-liposomes: A novel drug delivery system for flurbiprofen.

PubMed

Zhang, Lina; Zhang, Qi; Wang, Xin; Zhang, Wenji; Lin, Congcong; Chen, Fen; Yang, Xinggang; Pan, Weisan

2015-08-15

A novel delivery system based on drug-cyclodextrin (CD) complexation and liposomes has been developed to improve therapeutic effect. Three different means, i.e., co-evaporation (COE), co-ground (GR) and co-lyophilization (COL) and three different CDs (β-CD, HP-β-CD and SBE-β-CD) were contrasted to investigate the characteristics of the end products. FP/FP-CD loaded liposomes were obtained by thin layer evaporation technique. Size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency were investigated by light scattering analysis and minicolumn centrifugation. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed the amorphous form of complexes and spherical morphology of FP-HP-β-CD COE loaded liposomes. The pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution (PBS) was selected as the medium for the in vitro release. Wistar rats were put into use to study the pharmacokinetic behavior in vivo. FP-HP-β-CD COE loaded liposomes showed the better physicochemical characters that followed the average particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential and mean encapsulation efficiency 158±10 nm, 0.19±0.1, -12.4±0.1 mW and 56.1±0.5%, separately. The relative bioavailability of FP-HP-β-CD COE loaded liposomes was 420%, 201% and 402% compared with FP solution, FP-HP-β-CD and FP-liposomes, respectively. In conclusion, the novel delivery system improved the relative bioavailability of FP significantly and provided a perspective way for delivery of insoluble drugs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lessons learnt from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in 45 low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Howard, Natasha; Kabakama, Severin; Mounier-Jack, Sandra; Griffiths, Ulla K.; Feletto, Marta; Burchett, Helen E. D.; LaMontagne, D. Scott; Watson-Jones, Deborah

2017-01-01

Objective To synthesise lessons learnt and determinants of success from human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine demonstration projects and national programmes in low- and middle-income countries (LAMICs). Methods Interviews were conducted with 56 key informants. A systematic literature review identified 2936 abstracts from five databases; after screening 61 full texts were included. Unpublished literature, including evaluation reports, was solicited from country representatives; 188 documents were received. A data extraction tool and interview topic guide outlining key areas of inquiry were informed by World Health Organization guidelines for new vaccine introduction. Results were synthesised thematically. Results Data were analysed from 12 national programmes and 66 demonstration projects in 46 countries. Among demonstration projects, 30 were supported by the GARDASIL® Access Program, 20 by Gavi, four by PATH and 12 by other means. School-based vaccine delivery supplemented with health facility-based delivery for out-of-school girls attained high coverage. There were limited data on facility-only strategies and little evaluation of strategies to reach out-of-school girls. Early engagement of teachers as partners in social mobilisation, consent, vaccination day coordination, follow-up of non-completers and adverse events was considered invaluable. Micro-planning using school/ facility registers most effectively enumerated target populations; other estimates proved inaccurate, leading to vaccine under- or over-estimation. Refresher training on adverse events and safe injection procedures was usually necessary. Conclusion Considerable experience in HPV vaccine delivery in LAMICs is available. Lessons are generally consistent across countries and dissemination of these could improve HPV vaccine introduction. PMID:28575074

Experiences and lessons learned for planning and supply of micronutrient powders interventions.

PubMed

Schauer, Claudia; Sunley, Nigel; Hubbell Melgarejo, Carrie; Nyhus Dhillon, Christina; Roca, Claudia; Tapia, Gustavo; Mathema, Pragya; Walton, Shelley; Situma, Ruth; Zlotkin, Stanley; Dw Klemm, Rolf

2017-09-01

Realistic planning for a nutrition intervention is a critical component of implementation, yet effective approaches have been poorly documented. Under the auspices of "The Micronutrient Powders Consultation: Lessons Learned for Operational Guidance," 3 working groups were formed to summarize experiences and lessons across countries regarding micronutrient powders (MNP) interventions for young children. This paper focuses on programmatic experiences in the planning stages of an MNP intervention, encompassing assessment, enabling environment and adaptation, as well as considerations for supply. Methods included a review of published and grey literature, key informant interviews, and deliberations throughout the consultation process. We found that assessments helped justify adopting an MNP intervention, but these assessments were often limited by their narrow scope and inadequate data. Establishing coordinating bodies and integrating MNP into existing policies and programmes have helped foster an enabling environment and support programme stability. Formative research and pilots have been used to adapt MNP interventions to specific contexts, but they have been insufficient to inform scale-up. In terms of supply, most countries have opted to procure MNP through international suppliers, but this still requires understanding and navigating the local regulatory environment at the earliest stages of an intervention. Overall, these findings indicate that although some key planning and supply activities are generally undertaken, improvements are needed to plan for effective scale-up. Much still needs to be learned on MNP planning, and we propose a set of research questions that require further investigation. © 2017 The Authors. Maternal and Child Nutrition Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

COSS Lesson Creation Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harper, R. Stephen

1999-01-01

COSS (Crew On-Orbit System Support) is changing. Designed as computer based in-flight refresher training, it is getting good reviews and the demands on the product can be expected to increase. Last year, the lessons were written using Authorware, which had a number of limitations. The most important one was that the navigation and the layout functions were both in one package that was not easy to learn. The lesson creator had to be good at both programming and design. There were also a number of other problems, as detailed in my report last year. This year the COSS unit made the switch to embrace modularity. The navigation function is handled by a player that was custom-written using Delphi. The layout pages are now standard HTML files that can be created using any number of products. This new system gives new flexibility and unties the process from one product (and one company). The player can be re-written by a programmer without affecting the lesson pages. It is also now possible for anybody with a word-processor to make part of the HTML lesson pages and to use many of the new commercially available tools that are being designed for web pages. This summer I created a computer-based training (CBT) lesson on the IBM ThinkPad 760 ED and 760XD laptop computers that should fly on the International Space Station. I also examined the COSS system, the new player and the other new software products.

Association between the number of fungiform papillae on the tip of the tongue and sensory taste perception in children.

PubMed

Jilani, Hannah; Ahrens, Wohlfgang; Buchecker, Kirsten; Russo, Paola; Hebestreit, Antje

2017-01-01

Background : To measure sensory taste perception in children with an accurate and reproducible method is challenging and objective measurement methods are scarce. Objective : Aim was to characterize sensory taste perception, by measuring the number of fungiform papillae (FP) and to investigate whether the number of FP is associated with sensitivity for bitter taste and with taste preferences for sweet, salty, fatty or umami in children between 8 and 11 years of age. Design : Number of FP was measured with a digital camera in 83 children in a German subsample of the IDEFICS study. Among those 56 children performed a taste threshold test for bitter and taste preference tests for sweet, salty, fatty and umami. The association between the number of FP and sensory taste perception was analysed. Results : There is a tendency towards a lower number of FP in children with a higher fat preference (30 vs. 25 papillae, p=0.06). Results show no association between the number of FP and neither the bitter taste thresholds nor taste preferences for sweet, salty and umami. Conclusion : Bitter taste threshold might be independent of the number of FP, while the perception of fat was associated with the number of FP.

Fractional Programming for Communication Systems—Part I: Power Control and Beamforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Kaiming; Yu, Wei

2018-05-01

This two-part paper explores the use of FP in the design and optimization of communication systems. Part I of this paper focuses on FP theory and on solving continuous problems. The main theoretical contribution is a novel quadratic transform technique for tackling the multiple-ratio concave-convex FP problem--in contrast to conventional FP techniques that mostly can only deal with the single-ratio or the max-min-ratio case. Multiple-ratio FP problems are important for the optimization of communication networks, because system-level design often involves multiple signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio terms. This paper considers the applications of FP to solving continuous problems in communication system design, particularly for power control, beamforming, and energy efficiency maximization. These application cases illustrate that the proposed quadratic transform can greatly facilitate the optimization involving ratios by recasting the original nonconvex problem as a sequence of convex problems. This FP-based problem reformulation gives rise to an efficient iterative optimization algorithm with provable convergence to a stationary point. The paper further demonstrates close connections between the proposed FP approach and other well-known algorithms in the literature, such as the fixed-point iteration and the weighted minimum mean-square-error beamforming. The optimization of discrete problems is discussed in Part II of this paper.

Aging Alters Functionally Human Dermal Papillary Fibroblasts but Not Reticular Fibroblasts: A New View of Skin Morphogenesis and Aging

PubMed Central

Mine, Solène; Fortunel, Nicolas O.; Pageon, Hervé; Asselineau, Daniel

2008-01-01

Understanding the contribution of the dermis in skin aging is a key question, since this tissue is particularly important for skin integrity, and because its properties can affect the epidermis. Characteristics of matched pairs of dermal papillary and reticular fibroblasts (Fp and Fr) were investigated throughout aging, comparing morphology, secretion of cytokines, MMPs/TIMPs, growth potential, and interaction with epidermal keratinocytes. We observed that Fp populations were characterized by a higher proportion of small cells with low granularity and a higher growth potential than Fr populations. However, these differences became less marked with increasing age of donors. Aging was also associated with changes in the secretion activity of both Fp and Fr. Using a reconstructed skin model, we evidenced that Fp and Fr cells do not possess equivalent capacities to sustain keratinopoiesis. Comparing Fp and Fr from young donors, we noticed that dermal equivalents containing Fp were more potent to promote epidermal morphogenesis than those containing Fr. These data emphasize the complexity of dermal fibroblast biology and document the specific functional properties of Fp and Fr. Our results suggest a new model of skin aging in which marked alterations of Fp may affect the histological characteristics of skin. PMID:19115004

Sustainability of recurrent expenditure on public social welfare programmes: expenditure analysis of the free maternal care programme of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme.

PubMed

Ankrah Odame, Emmanuel; Akweongo, Patricia; Yankah, Ben; Asenso-Boadi, Francis; Agyepong, Irene

2014-05-01

Sustainability of public social welfare programmes has long been of concern in development circles. An important aspect of sustainability is the ability to sustain the recurrent financial costs of programmes. A free maternal care programme (FMCP) was launched under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 with a start-up grant from the British Government. This article examines claims expenditure under the programme and the implications for the financial sustainability of the programme, and the lessons for donor and public financing of social welfare programmes. Records of reimbursement claims for services and medicines by women benefitting from the policy in participating facilities in one sub-metropolis in Ghana were analysed to gain an understanding of the expenditure on this programme at facility level. National level financial inflow and outflow (expenditure) data of the NHIS, related to implementation of this policy for 2008 and 2009, were reviewed to put the facility-based data in the national perspective. A total of US$936 450.94 was spent in 2009 by the scheme on FMCP in the sub-metropolis. The NHIS expenditure on the programme for the entire country in 2009 was US$49.25 million, exceeding the British grant of US$10.00 million given for that year. Subsequently, the programme has been entirely financed by the National Health Insurance Fund. The rapidly increasing, recurrent demands on this fund from the maternal delivery exemption programme-without a commensurate growth on the amounts generated annually-is an increasing threat to the sustainability of the fund. Provision of donor start-up funding for programmes with high recurrent expenditures, under the expectation that government will take over and sustain the programme, must be accompanied by clear long-term analysis and planning as to how government will sustain the programme.

The sunspot databases of the Debrecen Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranyi, Tünde; Gyori, Lajos; Ludmány, András

2015-08-01

We present the sunspot data bases and online tools available in the Debrecen Heliophysical Observatory: the DPD (Debrecen Photoheliographic Data, 1974 -), the SDD (SOHO/MDI-Debrecen Data, 1996-2010), the HMIDD (SDO/HMI-Debrecen Data, HMIDD, 2010-), the revised version of Greenwich Photoheliographic Data (GPR, 1874-1976) presented together with the Hungarian Historical Solar Drawings (HHSD, 1872-1919). These are the most detailed and reliable documentations of the sunspot activity in the relevant time intervals. They are very useful for studying sunspot group evolution on various time scales from hours to weeks. Time-dependent differences between the available long-term sunspot databases are investigated and cross-calibration factors are determined between them. This work has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2012-2015) under grant agreement No. 284461 (eHEROES).

F-CHROMA.Flare Chromospheres: Observations, Models and Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cauzzi, Gianna; Fletcher, Lyndsay; Mathioudakis, Mihalis; Carlsson, Mats; Heinzel, Petr; Berlicki, Arek; Zuccarello, Francesca

2014-06-01

F-CHROMA is a collaborative project newly funded under the EU-Framework Programme 7 "FP7-SPACE-2013-1", involving seven different European research Institutes and Universities. The goal of F-CHROMA is to substantially advance our understanding of the physics of energy dissipation and radiation in the flaring solar atmosphere, with a particular focus on the flares' chromosphere. A major outcome of the F-CHROMA project will be the creation of an archive of chromospheric flare observations and models to be made available to the community for further research.In this poster we describe the structure and milestones of the project, the different activities planned, as well as early results. Emphasis will be given to the dissemination efforts of the project to make results of these activities available to and usable by the community.

Are family physicians good for you? Endogenous doctor supply and individual health.

PubMed

Gravelle, Hugh; Morris, Stephen; Sutton, Matt

2008-08-01

To investigate the impact of family physician (FP) supply on individual health, adjusting for factors that affect both health and FPs' choice of location. A total of 49,541 individuals in 351 English local authorities (LAs). Data on individual health and personal characteristics from three rounds (1998, 1999, and 2000) of the Health Survey for England were linked to LA data on FP supply. Three methods for analyzing self-reported health were used. FP supply, instrumented by house prices and by age-weighted capitation payments for patients on FP lists, was included in individual-level health regressions along with individual and LA covariates. When no instruments are used FPs have a positive but statistically insignificant effect on health. When FP supply is instrumented by age-related capitation it has markedly larger and statistically significant effects. A 10 percent increase in FP supply increases the probability of reporting very good health by 6 percent. After allowing for endogeneity, an increase in FP supply has a significant positive effect on self-reported individual health.

Nanostructured lipid carriers-based flurbiprofen gel after topical administration: acute skin irritation, pharmacodynamics, and percutaneous absorption mechanism.

PubMed

Song, Aihua; Su, Zhen; Li, Sanming; Han, Fei

2015-01-01

In order to assess the preliminary safety and effectiveness of nanostructured lipid carriers-based flurbiprofen gel (FP NLC-gel), the acute irritation test, in vivo pharmacodynamics evaluation and pharmacokinetic study were investigated after topical application. No dropsy and erythema were observed after continuous dosing 7 d of FP NLC-gel on the rabbit skin, and the xylene-induced ear drossy could be inhibited by FP NLC-gel at different dosages. The maximum concentration of FP in rats muscle was 2.03 μg/g and 1.55 μg/g after oral and topical administration, respectively. While the peak concentration in untreated muscle after topical administration was only 0.37 μg/mL. And at any time, following topical administration the mean muscle-plasma concentration ratio Cmuscle/CPlasma was obviously higher than that following oral administration. Results indicated that FP could directly penetrate into the subcutaneous muscle tissue from the administration site. Thus, the developed FP NLC-gel could be a safe and effective vehicle for topical delivery of FP.

Ninety-day oral toxicity studies on two genetically modified maize MON810 varieties in Wistar Han RCC rats (EU 7th Framework Programme project GRACE).

PubMed

Zeljenková, Dagmar; Ambrušová, Katarína; Bartušová, Mária; Kebis, Anton; Kovrižnych, Jevgenij; Krivošíková, Zora; Kuricová, Miroslava; Líšková, Aurélia; Rollerová, Eva; Spustová, Viera; Szabová, Elena; Tulinská, Jana; Wimmerová, Soňa; Levkut, Mikuláš; Révajová, Viera; Ševčíková, Zuzana; Schmidt, Kerstin; Schmidtke, Jörg; La Paz, Jose Luis; Corujo, Maria; Pla, Maria; Kleter, Gijs A; Kok, Esther J; Sharbati, Jutta; Hanisch, Carlos; Einspanier, Ralf; Adel-Patient, Karine; Wal, Jean-Michel; Spök, Armin; Pöting, Annette; Kohl, Christian; Wilhelm, Ralf; Schiemann, Joachim; Steinberg, Pablo

2014-12-01

The GMO Risk Assessment and Communication of Evidence (GRACE; www.grace-fp7.eu ) project is funded by the European Commission within the 7th Framework Programme. A key objective of GRACE is to conduct 90-day animal feeding trials, animal studies with an extended time frame as well as analytical, in vitro and in silico studies on genetically modified (GM) maize in order to comparatively evaluate their use in GM plant risk assessment. In the present study, the results of two 90-day feeding trials with two different GM maize MON810 varieties, their near-isogenic non-GM varieties and four additional conventional maize varieties are presented. The feeding trials were performed by taking into account the guidance for such studies published by the EFSA Scientific Committee in 2011 and the OECD Test Guideline 408. The results obtained show that the MON810 maize at a level of up to 33 % in the diet did not induce adverse effects in male and female Wistar Han RCC rats after subchronic exposure, independently of the two different genetic backgrounds of the event.

A Hybrid Monte Carlo importance sampling of rare events in Turbulence and in Turbulent Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margazoglou, Georgios; Biferale, Luca; Grauer, Rainer; Jansen, Karl; Mesterhazy, David; Rosenow, Tillmann; Tripiccione, Raffaele

2017-11-01

Extreme and rare events is a challenging topic in the field of turbulence. Trying to investigate those instances through the use of traditional numerical tools turns to be a notorious task, as they fail to systematically sample the fluctuations around them. On the other hand, we propose that an importance sampling Monte Carlo method can selectively highlight extreme events in remote areas of the phase space and induce their occurrence. We present a brand new computational approach, based on the path integral formulation of stochastic dynamics, and employ an accelerated Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm for this purpose. Through the paradigm of stochastic one-dimensional Burgers' equation, subjected to a random noise that is white-in-time and power-law correlated in Fourier space, we will prove our concept and benchmark our results with standard CFD methods. Furthermore, we will present our first results of constrained sampling around saddle-point instanton configurations (optimal fluctuations). The research leading to these results has received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 642069, and from the EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under ERC Grant Agreement No. 339032.

The MyOcean Thematic Assembly Centres: Satellite and In-situ Observation Services in Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hackett, Bruce; Breivik, Lars-Anders; Larnicol, Gilles; Pouliquen, Sylvie; Santoleri, Rosalia; Roquet, Hervé; Stoffelen, Ad

2015-04-01

The MyOcean (2009-2012), MyOcean2 (2012-2014) and MyOcean Follow-On (October 2014 - March 2015) projects, respectively funded by the EU's 7th Framework Programme for Research (FP7 2007-2013) and HORIZON 2020 (EU Research and Innovation programme 2014-2020), have been designed to prepare and to lead the demonstration phases of the nascent European Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMS). The observational component of the MyOcean services is embodied in four Thematic Assembly Centres (TACs): Three provide satellite-based products for sea level (SL-TAC), for ocean colour (OC-TAC) and for surface temperature, winds and sea ice (OSI-TAC), while the fourth provides in-situ observations (INS-TAC). All the TAC production is developed from existing capabilities and there is close collaboration with related national and European data providers. Data products include near-real-time data and multi-year reprocessed datasets. Data formatting, dissemination methods and documentation follow uniform MyOcean standards for ease of use. The presentation will track the evolution of the TAC services through the MyOcean projects up to the opening of the CMS.

Matryoshka Project: lessons learned about early intervention in psychosis programme development.

PubMed

Cheng, Chiachen; Dewa, Carolyn S; Goering, Paula

2011-02-01

This part of the Matryoshka project sought to understand the processes with which early intervention in psychosis (EIP) programmes were implemented and developed. The goals were to understand the key influences of programme implementation in the context of rapid EIP service growth and lack of specific provincial guidelines. Sampling was purposive and data were collected with semi-structured interviews. Five Matryoshka Project programmes were successfully contacted. All interviews were conducted by phone, recorded and transcribed verbatim. Emerging themes were analysed iteratively and discussed among authors. Key themes were validated with participants. The new EIP services were significantly influenced by the provincial EIP network, advocacy groups and clinical mentors. EIP programme decision makers often relied on each other for guidance. Although the research evidence assisted programme decision makers to develop an effective EIP model for their region, implementation was often shaped by funding constraints. Programmes adapted their EIP models according to funding and local service characteristics. The lack of specific guidelines may have allowed innovation; programme creativity and diversity is consistent with EIP values. Despite the challenges related to geography and staffing, programmes experienced important successes such as partnerships across sectors, quality clinical service and the ability to engage hard-to-serve clientele. Although important, research evidence played only a secondary role. Relationships among providers and services, coupled with the dedication of front-line staff, were more critical to knowledge exchange than written documents alone. These findings stress the importance of researcher-front-line relationships to the adoption of evidence-informed practice. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Operational research in malawi: making a difference with cotrimoxazole preventive therapy in patients with tuberculosis and HIV

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In Malawi, high case fatality rates in patients with tuberculosis, who were also co-infected with HIV, and high early death rates in people living with HIV during the initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) adversely impacted on treatment outcomes for the national tuberculosis and ART programmes respectively. This article i) discusses the operational research that was conducted in the country on cotrimoxazole preventive therapy, ii) outlines the steps that were taken to translate these findings into national policy and practice, iii) shows how the implementation of cotrimoxazole preventive therapy for both TB patients and HIV-infected patients starting ART was associated with reduced death rates, and iv) highlights lessons that can be learnt for other settings and interventions. Discussion District and facility-based operational research was undertaken between 1999 and 2005 to assess the effectiveness of cotrimoxazole preventive therapy in reducing death rates in TB patients and subsequently in patients starting ART under routine programme conditions. Studies demonstrated significant reductions in case fatality in HIV-infected TB patients receiving cotrimoxazole and in HIV-infected patients about to start ART. Following the completion of research, the findings were rapidly disseminated nationally at stakeholder meetings convened by the Ministry of Health and internationally through conferences and peer-reviewed scientific publications. The Ministry of Health made policy changes based on the available evidence, following which there was countrywide distribution of the updated policy and guidelines. Policy was rapidly moved to practice with the development of monitoring tools, drug procurement and training packages. National programme performance improved which showed a significant decrease in case fatality rates in TB patients as well as a reduction in early death in people with HIV starting ART. Summary Key lessons for moving this research endeavour through to policy and practice were the importance of placing operational research within the programme, defining relevant questions, obtaining "buy-in" from national programme staff at the beginning of projects and having key actors or "policy entrepreneurs" to push forward the policy-making process. Ultimately, any change in policy and practice has to benefit patients, and the ultimate judge of success is whether treatment outcomes improve or not. PMID:21794154

[Pedagogical Professional Development of Medical Teachers: The Experience of NOVA Medical School / Universidade Nova de Lisboa].

PubMed

Marques, Joana; Rosado-Pinto, Patrícia

2017-03-31

To be a college teacher requires a permanent effort in developing specific competencies, namely in the pedagogical domain. This paper aims both to describe the pedagogical professional development program offered by the Medical Education Office of NOVA Medical School of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and to analyse its role in the enhancement of reflection around curriculum and teaching practice. Description of the pedagogical programme offered between 2010 and 2016. We focused the analysis on different kinds of data - opinions of the participants in the training programme (questionnaire before and after the training); pedagogical products elaborated by the participants in the programme - design of lessons, modules or curricular units; questionnaire sent in 2016 to NOVA Medical School teachers responsible for the curricular units, about the contribution of their disciplines to the accomplishment of the core learning outcomes of the NOVA Medical School medical graduates. The pedagogical training needs identified by the teachers focused mainly on improving practice, critically analysing the curriculum and sharing experiences. Globally the training programme was deeply appreciated and considered very good by 97% of the participants. The lesson plans delivered showed that the teachers were able to integrate and apply the concepts developed during the training. The answers from the 46 faculty responsible for the curricular units (the majority of them had attended the Medical Education Office training programme) highlighted their capacity to critically approach content and pedagogical strategies within their disciplines as well as their contribution to the main goals of the medical curriculum. The results underlined the importance of a pedagogical training focused on the critical analysis of curriculum and pedagogical practice. On the other hand, the pedagogical products analyzed revealed great mastery by teachers of the content and pedagogical strategies present in the curricula of their respective curricular units, as well as their alignment with the general objectives of the Mestrado Integrado em Medicina. In line with the literature of the specialty, pedagogical training in Higher Education, rather than aiming at the mere acquisition of techniques, should, above all, give priority to spaces for joint reflection on the curriculum and on the pedagogical options of teachers.

Identification of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) in endangered green turtles (Chelonia mydas) with fibropapillomatosis in Asia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Li, Tsung-Hsien; Hsu, Wei-Li; Lan, Yu-Ching; Balazs, George H.; Work, Thierry M.; Tseng, Cheng-Tsung; Chang, Chao-Chin

2017-01-01

Fibropapillomatosis (FP), a debilitating tumor disease of sea turtles, was first identified in green turtles [Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758)] in Florida in 1938. In recent decades, FP has been observed globally and is an emerging panzootic disease in sea turtles. However, few reports of FP in Asia exist. Here, we provide the first evidence of Chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) DNA associated with FP in endangered green turtles from Taiwan, through molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis, and histopathological examination. In our study, ChHV5 was successfully detected by PCR in the FP tumor lesions of green turtles. The sequences were found to be consistent with those of tumor-inducing viruses shown to affect sea turtles in the other parts of the world. ChHV5 RNA from the FP tissues was further detected by RT-PCR, indicating active replication of the viruses inside FP tumors. In addition to the molecular evidence of ChHV5 in FP, epidermal intranuclear inclusions were identified in tumor lesions upon histopathological examination. This further suggests that ChHV5 should be in a transcriptionally active (i.e., non-latent) state in FP tumors of affected green turtles. The phylogenetic tree revealed that ChHV5 from the green turtles in Taiwan were closest to the ChHV5 from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Sao Tome. For conservation of endangered sea turtles, ChHV5 should be considered an emerging virus, which threatens sea turtles in marine waters in Asia.

Synergistic anticancer effect of curcumin and chemotherapy regimen FP in human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells.

PubMed

He, Bin; Wei, Wen; Liu, Ji; Xu, Yundan; Zhao, Gang

2017-09-01

Curcumin is an anticancer compound that exerts anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects via multiple molecular targets. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the anticancer effects of curcumin in combination with 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin (FP) on the MGC-803 human gastric cancer cell line. Following treatment with curcumin and/or FP for 24, 48 and 72 h, cell viability, cell cycle progression and the apoptosis rate were evaluated using an MTT assay, flow cytometry and dual acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining, respectively. In addition, colony formation, Transwell migration and caspase-3/caspase-8 activity assays were performed. The expression of the apoptosis regulator B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) were detected by western blotting analysis. Following treatment with curcumin and/or FP, cell viability, colony formation and cell migration were significantly reduced compared with the untreated control group. The rate of apoptosis, caspase-3/caspase-8 activity and the expression of Bax were significantly increased, whereas Bcl-2 expression was significantly reduced following treatment with curcumin and/or FP, compared with the untreated control group. The efficacy of curcumin combined with low-dose FP was significantly increased, compared with that of curcumin combined with high-dose FP (P<0.05). Therefore, curcumin may enhance the anticancer effects of FP chemotherapy in MGC-803 cells through the promotion of apoptosis via the caspase-3/caspase-8, Bcl-2 and Bax signaling pathways. These results suggest that curcumin may serve as a synergistic drug with chemotherapy regimen FP for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Fertility desires and unmet need for family planning among HIV infected individuals in two HIV clinics with differing models of family planning service delivery.

PubMed

Wanyenze, Rhoda K; Matovu, Joseph K B; Kamya, Moses R; Tumwesigye, Nazarius M; Nannyonga, Maria; Wagner, Glenn J

2015-01-28

Eliminating family planning (FP) unmet need among HIV-infected individuals (PLHIV) is critical to elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission. We assessed FP unmet need among PLHIV attending two clinics with differing models of FP services. Nsambya Home Care provided only FP information while Mulago HIV clinic provided information and contraceptives onsite. In a cross-sectional study conducted between February-June 2011, we documented pregnancies, fertility desires, and contraceptive use among 797 HIV-infected men and women (408 in Mulago and 389 in Nsambya). FP unmet need was calculated among women who were married, unmarried but had sex within the past month, did not desire the last or future pregnancy at all or wished to postpone for ≥ two years and were not using contraceptives. Multivariable analyses for correlates of FP unmet need were computed for each clinic. Overall, 40% (315) had been pregnant since HIV diagnosis; 58% desired the pregnancies. Of those who were not pregnant, 49% (366) did not desire more children at all; 15.7% wanted children then and 35.3% later. The unmet need for FP in Nsambya (45.1%) was significantly higher than that in Mulago at 30.9% (p = 0.008). Age 40+ compared to 18-29 years (OR = 6.05; 95% CI: 1.69, 21.62 in Mulago and OR = 0.21; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.90 in Nsambya), other Christian denominations (Pentecostal and Seventh Day Adventists) compared to Catholics (OR = 7.18; 95% CI: 2.14, 24.13 in Mulago and OR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.80 in Nsambya), and monthly expenditure > USD 200 compared to < USD40 in Nsambya (OR = 0.17; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.90) were associated with FP unmet need. More than half of the pregnancies in this population were desired. Unmet need for FP was very high at both clinics and especially at the clinic which did not have contraceptives onsite. Lower income and younger women were most affected by the lack of contraceptives onsite. Comprehensive and aggressive FP programs are required for fertility support and elimination of FP unmet need among PLHIV, even with integration of FP information and supplies into HIV clinics.

"Reflective Co-Education" or Male-Oriented Physical Education? Teachers' Views about Activities in Co-Educational PE Classes at German Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kastrup, Valerie; Kleindienst-Cachay, Christa

2016-01-01

As much as the principle of co-education may appear to make sense in physical education (PE) lessons, trends in its development have emerged over the past years, especially in secondary schools, which were certainly not intended by the pedagogical programme of "reflective co-education", which stands for respect for equality…

Is Student-Centred Learning a Western Concept? Lessons from an Academic Development Programme to Support Student-Centred Learning in Iraq

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, L.; Bovill, C.; Othman, S. M.; Saleh, A. M.; Shabila, N. P.; Watters, N.

2014-01-01

This paper explores the idea that student-centred learning (SCL) is a concept and an approach that is internationally useful and transferable to a range of higher education settings. We present details of a British Council funded collaborative project between Hawler Medical University (HMU), in Erbil in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq and…

Examinations as an Instrument for Strengthening Pedagogy: Lessons from Three Decades of Experience in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasanga, Paul; Somerset, Anthony

2013-01-01

This paper starts with an analysis of the twin purposes of an examination reform programme originally launched in Kenya during the 1970s: first, to broaden the spectrum of cognitive skills being tested; and second, to set up a feedback system based on the performance profiles, providing schools and teachers with guidance as to how pedagogy and…

Optimizing School-Based Health-Promotion Programmes: Lessons from a Qualitative Study of Fluoridated Milk Schemes in the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Geraldine R. K.; Tickle, Martin

2013-01-01

Background and objective: Some districts in the United Kingdom (UK), where the level of child dental caries is high and water fluoridation has not been possible, implement school-based fluoridated milk (FM) schemes. However, process variables, such as consent to drink FM and loss of children as they mature, impede the effectiveness of these…

Accreditation of Prior Learning as a Lever for Lifelong Learning: Lessons Learnt from the New Opportunities Initiative, Portugal

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carneiro, Roberto, Ed.

2011-01-01

The New Opportunities Initiative (NOI) is a Portuguese flagship programme to recognise and accredit prior learning (RPL, APL) and to endow low-skilled adults with upper secondary qualifications, which is defined as the minimum entry threshold to the exercise of a full citizenship in a knowledge-rich society. NOI's major achievement has been its…

Future challenges in communication for promoting ORT--an overview.

PubMed

Dobe, M

2003-06-01

Oral rehydration therapy (ORT) is a cheap and simple intervention aimed to prevent mortality and morbidity associated with dehydration due to diarrhoea. ORT promotion strategies through programme communication, social mobilisation and social marketing, and advocacy efforts have yielded substantial improvement in the scenario. However, it has also taught us lessons and suggested changes in communication strategies to make the promotion efforts more effective in future.

Mutual Comparison Reception Model (MCRM) of Concept Development in Secondary Science Learning: A Variation to Brunarian Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benedict, K. Y.

2010-01-01

The paper is the outcome of an experiential learning episode encountered by a teacher educator (the author) with a group of student-teachers under his mentorship during a session of the practice teaching programme (2006-07) at the secondary school level. The crisis faced by a student teacher in connection with the development of a lesson template…

A novel fiber Bragg grating wavelength demodulation system based on F-P etalon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Gang; Guo, Jinghong; Xu, Guoliang; Lv, Lidong; Tu, Guojie; Xia, Lan

2014-10-01

This paper designs and implies a high precision FBG demodulation system which based on F-P etalon. In order to reduce the influence of the temperature drift effect, the peristaltic effect, and the nonlinear effect of F-P filter in traditional tunable filter method, F-P etalon is added as dynamical calibration and wavelength reference. Meanwhile segmentation demodulation which uses ASE spectral characteristics is applied to achieve high accuracy of the center wavelength of FBG. The experiment shows that the stability, resolution are 0.65pm, 0.23pm, respectively. Key words: fiber optics; fiber Bragg grating sensor system; tunable Fabry-Perot filter; F-P etalon; spectrum segmentation demodulation

Integrating mental health into primary care in Sverdlovsk

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Introduction Mental disorders occur as frequently in Russia as elsewhere, but the common mental disorders, especially depression, have gone largely unrecognised and undiagnosed by policlinic staff and area doctors. Methods This paper describes the impact and sustainability of a multi-component programme to facilitate the integration of mental health into primary care, by situation appraisal, policy dialogue, development of educational materials, provision of a training programme and the publication of standards and good practice guidelines to improve the primary care of mental disorders in the Sverdlovsk region of the Russian Federation. Results The multi-component programme has resulted in sustainable training about common mental disorders, not only of family doctors but also of other cadres and levels of professionals, and it has been well integrated with Sverdlovsk's overall programme of health sector reforms. Conclusion It is possible to facilitate the sustainable integration of mental health into primary care within the Russian context. While careful adaptation will be needed, the approach adopted here may also hold useful lessons for policy makers seeking to integrate mental health within primary care in other contexts and settings. PMID:22477885

Decision-making in female fertility preservation is balancing the expected burden of fertility preservation treatment and the wish to conceive.

PubMed

Baysal, Ö; Bastings, L; Beerendonk, C C M; Postma, S A E; IntHout, J; Verhaak, C M; Braat, D D M; Nelen, W L D M

2015-07-01

What are the decisive factors in fertility preservation (FP) decision-making in young women scheduled for gonadotoxic therapy? FP decision-making in young women scheduled for gonadotoxic therapy is mainly based on weighing two issues: the intensity of the wish to conceive a child in the future and the expected burden of undergoing FP treatment. Future fertility is of importance for young cancer patients whose reproductive function is being threatened by oncological therapy. To prevent or reduce severe psychological effects of infertility as well as feelings of regret about their FP decision after cancer treatment, the quality of fertility preservation counselling (FPC) should be improved. To improve care, those issues forming a decisive factor in FP decision-making for patients should be clarified, as these issues deserve extensive discussion during FPC. Until now, decisive factors have not been isolated from the complex interplay of all aspects of FP that women contemplate during FP decision-making. By using a mixed methods methodology, a questionnaire developed after qualitative research involving a selected group of five women who previously received FPC was retrospectively sent to eligible patients (n = 143) who had received FPC (1999 - July 2013) and to whom at least one FP option was offered. Patients had received FPC at a university hospital in the Netherlands, in a setting where financial factors do not play a role in FP. They were aged ≥16 years and were scheduled for gonadotoxic treatment. The relationship between patients' baseline characteristics, their attributed importance to 28 relevant importance items and their FP choices was investigated. After five interviews, 28 importance items for FP decision-making were identified and included in our questionnaire. Of these 28 importance items, 24 items could be clustered into seven importance themes. A total of 87 patients (61%) responded to our questionnaire. After performing a multivariable logistic regression analysis, proceeding with FP was related to higher attributed importance during FP decision-making to the theme 'Wish to conceive (in the future)' (odds ratio (OR) 10.8, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.5-34.4) and the item 'Having a stable partner relationship' (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.0-4.1), while higher attributed importance to the theme 'Expected burden of FP' during FP decision-making (OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02-0.3) more often resulted in refraining from treatment. Besides possible recall and selection bias, the fact that this study was performed in Dutch patients aged ≥16 years counselled in a single centre, where finance was not an additional consideration, possibly limits the generalizability of our results to a broader European population of cancer patients. Furthermore, we are not able to draw conclusions about the causality of the associations observed in our study. The wish to conceive and the expected burden of FP treatment should be discussed carefully with patients during FP decision-making, either by the referring healthcare provider or by reproductive medicine specialist. Prospective research is needed to explore the causality of the associations found in this study. Furthermore, in order to deliver high quality patient-centred care, the development of tools to explore patients' wish to conceive (for example in different age categories) and tools to provide clear information about the burden of FP treatments (using the preferred information channels suggested by patients) is needed. This work was supported by the Radboud Institute for Health Sciences (research school affiliated to the Radboud university medical center). The authors have declared no conflicts of interest with respect to this work. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

mfpa: Extension of mfp using the ACD covariate transformation for enhanced parametric multivariable modeling.

PubMed

Royston, Patrick; Sauerbrei, Willi

2016-01-01

In a recent article, Royston (2015, Stata Journal 15: 275-291) introduced the approximate cumulative distribution (acd) transformation of a continuous covariate x as a route toward modeling a sigmoid relationship between x and an outcome variable. In this article, we extend the approach to multivariable modeling by modifying the standard Stata program mfp. The result is a new program, mfpa, that has all the features of mfp plus the ability to fit a new model for user-selected covariates that we call fp1( p 1 , p 2 ). The fp1( p 1 , p 2 ) model comprises the best-fitting combination of a dimension-one fractional polynomial (fp1) function of x and an fp1 function of acd ( x ). We describe a new model-selection algorithm called function-selection procedure with acd transformation, which uses significance testing to attempt to simplify an fp1( p 1 , p 2 ) model to a submodel, an fp1 or linear model in x or in acd ( x ). The function-selection procedure with acd transformation is related in concept to the fsp (fp function-selection procedure), which is an integral part of mfp and which is used to simplify a dimension-two (fp2) function. We describe the mfpa command and give univariable and multivariable examples with real data to demonstrate its use.

Evaluation of hemoglobin A1c measurement from filter paper using high-performance liquid chromatography and immunoturbidimetric assay.

PubMed

Wu, Yonghua; Yang, Xu; Wang, Haining; Li, Zhenrong; Wang, Tiancheng

2017-04-01

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) measurement from whole blood (WB) samples is inconvenient for epidemic surveillance and self-monitoring of glycemic level. We evaluated HbA 1c measurement from WB blotted on filter paper (FP), which can be easily transported to central laboratories, with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and immunoturbidimetric assay (ITA). WB was applied to Whatman filter paper. By using HPLC and WB samples as reference methods, these FP samples were evaluated on HPLC and ITA. Inter- and intra-assay variation, WB vs. FP agreement and sample stability at 20-25 °C and -70 °C were assessed by statistical analysis. Results showed that the coefficient of variation (CV, %) of FP samples for HPLC and ITA were 0.44-1.02% and 1.47-2.72%, respectively (intra-assay); 2.13-3.56% and 3.21-4.82%, respectively (inter-assay). The correlation of WB HPLC with FP analyzed using HPLC and ITA are both significant (p < 0.001). Sample stability showed that FP method up to 5 days at 20-25 °C and 5 weeks at -70 °C is accurate and reproducible. In conclusion, FP samples analyzed by HPLC and ITA can both provide an alternative to WB for HbA 1c measurement, supporting the use of FP method in epidemic surveillance and healthcare units.

The Effect of Low Ambient Relative Humidity on Physical Performance and Perceptual Responses during Load Carriage.

PubMed

Mekjavic, Igor B; Ciuha, Ursa; Grönkvist, Mikael; Eiken, Ola

2017-01-01

Introduction: The study evaluated the effect of low ambient relative humidity on physical performance and perceptual responses during load carriage in a hot environment. Methods: Ten heat-unacclimatized male subjects participated in three 130-min trials, during which they walked on a treadmill, carrying a load of ~35 kg, at a speed of 3.2 km.h -1 , with an incident wind at the same velocity and ambient temperature at 45°C. Each trial commenced with a 10-min baseline at 20°C and 50% relative humidity (RH), the subjects transferred to a climatic chamber and commenced their simulated hike, comprising two 50-min walks separated by a 20-min rest period. In two, full protective equipment (FP) trials, RH was 10% (partial pressure of water vapor, p H 2 O = 7.2 mmHg) in one (FP10), and 20% (p H 2 O = 14.4 mmHg; FP20) in the other. In the control trial, subjects were semi-nude (SN) and carried the equipment in their backpacks; RH was 20%. Measurements included oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, rectal and skin temperatures, heat flux, temperature perception, and thermal comfort. Results: In FP20, four subjects terminated the trial prematurely due to signs of heat exhaustion; there were no such signs in FP10 or SN. Upon completion of the trials, pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, and rectal temperature were lower in FP10 (33 ± 5 l/min; 128 ± 21 bpm; 38.2 ± 0.4°C) and SN (34 ± 4 l/min; 113 ± 18 bpm; 38.1 ± 0.4°C than in FP20 (39 ± 8 l/min; 145 ± 12 bpm; 38.6 ± 0.4°C). Evaporation was significantly greater in the SN compared to FP10 and FP20 trials. FP10 was rated thermally more comfortable than FP20. Conclusion: A lower ambient partial pressure of water vapor, reflected in a lower ambient relative humidity, improved cardiorespiratory, thermoregulatory, and perceptual responses during load carriage.

Women's perceptions and reflections of male partners and couple dynamics in family planning adoption in selected urban slums in Nigeria: a qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Aransiola, Joshua Oyeniyi; Akinyemi, Akanni Ibukun; Fatusi, Adesegun Olayiwola

2014-08-23

Nigeria is one of the countries where significant progress has not been recorded in contraceptive uptake despite decades of family planning programs while there are indications that slum dwellers may differ significantly from other urban dwellers in their sexual and reproductive behavior, including family planning uptake. This study therefore examined local notions regarding male partners' involvement in family planning (FP) adoption by women in two selected urban slums areas in Nigeria - Ibadan (Southwest region) and Kaduna (Northwest region). Specifically, the study investigated women's narratives about FP, perceived barriers from male partners regarding FP adoption by the women and how women negotiate male partners' cooperation for FP use. Sixteen FGD sessions were conducted with selected groups of men and women, stratified by sex, age group, and FP experience using a vignette to generate discussions. Sessions were facilitated by experienced social scientists and audio-taped, with note-taker also present. The transcribed data were analyzed with Atlas.ti software version 7. Inductive approach was employed to analyze the data. Reasons given for FP attitudes and use are presented in a network format while critical discourse analysis was also used in generating relevant tables. The finding shows that women in the selected communities expressed desire for FP adoption. Three main reasons largely accounted for the desire to use FP: perceived need to space childbirth, family's financial condition and the potential adverse effect of high fertility on the woman's health. Male partners' support for the use of FP by women was perceived to be low, which is due to misconceptions about FP and traditional pro-natalistic beliefs and tendencies. Mechanisms by which women negotiate their male-partner's cooperation for FP adoption include seeking the support of the partner's significant others and advice from older women. To significantly improve family planning adoption rates among urban slum dwellers in Nigeria, there is the need to specifically and specially target men alongside their female partners as well as other stakeholders who have significant influences at family and community level.

The Effect of Low Ambient Relative Humidity on Physical Performance and Perceptual Responses during Load Carriage

PubMed Central

Mekjavic, Igor B.; Ciuha, Ursa; Grönkvist, Mikael; Eiken, Ola

2017-01-01

Introduction: The study evaluated the effect of low ambient relative humidity on physical performance and perceptual responses during load carriage in a hot environment. Methods: Ten heat-unacclimatized male subjects participated in three 130-min trials, during which they walked on a treadmill, carrying a load of ~35 kg, at a speed of 3.2 km.h−1, with an incident wind at the same velocity and ambient temperature at 45°C. Each trial commenced with a 10-min baseline at 20°C and 50% relative humidity (RH), the subjects transferred to a climatic chamber and commenced their simulated hike, comprising two 50-min walks separated by a 20-min rest period. In two, full protective equipment (FP) trials, RH was 10% (partial pressure of water vapor, pH2O = 7.2 mmHg) in one (FP10), and 20% (pH2O = 14.4 mmHg; FP20) in the other. In the control trial, subjects were semi-nude (SN) and carried the equipment in their backpacks; RH was 20%. Measurements included oxygen uptake, ventilation, heart rate, rectal and skin temperatures, heat flux, temperature perception, and thermal comfort. Results: In FP20, four subjects terminated the trial prematurely due to signs of heat exhaustion; there were no such signs in FP10 or SN. Upon completion of the trials, pulmonary ventilation, heart rate, and rectal temperature were lower in FP10 (33 ± 5 l/min; 128 ± 21 bpm; 38.2 ± 0.4°C) and SN (34 ± 4 l/min; 113 ± 18 bpm; 38.1 ± 0.4°C than in FP20 (39 ± 8 l/min; 145 ± 12 bpm; 38.6 ± 0.4°C). Evaporation was significantly greater in the SN compared to FP10 and FP20 trials. FP10 was rated thermally more comfortable than FP20. Conclusion: A lower ambient partial pressure of water vapor, reflected in a lower ambient relative humidity, improved cardiorespiratory, thermoregulatory, and perceptual responses during load carriage. PMID:28729839

Spectrum and prevalence of FP/TMEM127 gene mutations in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas.

PubMed

Yao, Li; Schiavi, Francesca; Cascon, Alberto; Qin, Yuejuan; Inglada-Pérez, Lucia; King, Elizabeth E; Toledo, Rodrigo A; Ercolino, Tonino; Rapizzi, Elena; Ricketts, Christopher J; Mori, Luigi; Giacchè, Mara; Mendola, Antonella; Taschin, Elisa; Boaretto, Francesca; Loli, Paola; Iacobone, Maurizio; Rossi, Gian-Paolo; Biondi, Bernadette; Lima-Junior, José Viana; Kater, Claudio E; Bex, Marie; Vikkula, Miikka; Grossman, Ashley B; Gruber, Stephen B; Barontini, Marta; Persu, Alexandre; Castellano, Maurizio; Toledo, Sergio P A; Maher, Eamonn R; Mannelli, Massimo; Opocher, Giuseppe; Robledo, Mercedes; Dahia, Patricia L M

2010-12-15

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas are genetically heterogeneous neural crest-derived neoplasms. We recently identified germline mutations of the novel transmembrane-encoding gene FP/TMEM127 in familial and sporadic pheochromocytomas consistent with a tumor suppressor effect. To examine the prevalence and spectrum of FP/TMEM127 mutations in pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas and to test the effect of mutations in vitro. We sequenced the FP/TMEM127 gene in 990 individuals with pheochromocytomas and/or paragangliomas, including 898 previously unreported cases without mutations in other susceptibility genes from 8 independent worldwide referral centers between January 2009 and June 2010. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based method was developed to screen for large gene deletions in 545 of these samples. Confocal microscopy of 5 transfected mutant proteins was used to determine their subcellular localization. The frequency and type of FP/TMEM127 mutation or deletion was assessed and correlated with clinical variables; the subcellular localization of 5 overexpressed mutants was compared with wild-type FP/TMEM127 protein. We identified 19 potentially pathogenic FP/TMEM127 germline mutations in 20 independent families, but no large deletions were detected. All mutation carriers had adrenal tumors, including 7 bilateral (P = 2.7 × 10(-4)) and/or with familial disease (5 of 20 samples; P = .005). The median age at disease onset in the FP/TMEM127 mutation group was similar to that of patients without a mutation (41.5 vs 45 years, respectively; P = .54). The most common presentation was that of a single benign adrenal tumor in patients older than 40 years. Malignancy was seen in 1 mutation carrier (5%). Expression of 5 novel FP/TMEM127 mutations in cell lines revealed diffuse localization of the mutant proteins in contrast with the discrete multiorganelle distribution of wild-type TMEM127. Germline mutations of FP/TMEM127 were associated with pheochromocytoma but not paraganglioma and occurred in an age group frequently excluded from genetic screening algorithms. Disease-associated mutations disrupt intracellular distribution of the FP/TMEM127 protein.

A pilot study of S-1 plus cisplatin versus 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin for postoperative chemotherapy in histological stage IIIB-IV (M0) gastric cancer.

PubMed

Lee, Sung Sook; Jeung, Hei-Cheul; Chung, Hyun Cheol; Noh, Sung Hoon; Hyung, Woo Jin; Ahn, Ji Yeong; Rha, Sun Young

2012-02-01

Although its efficacy is unproven, 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin (FP) is used to prevent postoperative relapse in gastric cancer. We investigated the safety and feasibility of S-1 plus cisplatin (SP) vs. FP for stage IIIB-IV (M0) gastric cancer. Following curative resection, 41 stage IIIB-IV (M0) gastric cancer patients were assigned to SP (eight 14-day cycles of S-1 [40 mg/m(2) twice daily] plus cisplatin [60 mg/m(2) day 1] administered every 3 weeks) or FP (six 3-day cycles of FU [1 g/m(2) per day] plus cisplatin [80 mg/m(2) day 1] every 4 weeks). Doses were reduced based on predefined criteria. Patient characteristics were balanced between the two arms. In total, 124 cycles of SP (N = 20, median = 7, range 1-8) and 113 cycles of FP (N = 21, median 6, range 1-6) were administered. The median relative dose intensity per patient was 75% (49.99-100%) for S-1, 100% (75-100%) for cisplatin in SP, and 100% (64-100%) for 5-FU, 100% (60-100%) for cisplatin in FP. The relative dose intensity of FP was stable, while that of SP decreased during treatment. After median follow-up of 7.9 months (3.8-14.55), the median RFS was not reached. Relapse occurred in two (10%) patients on SP and five (23.8%) in the FP arm (P = 0.24). The incidence of grade 3-4 granulocytopenia was 36.8% with SP and 14.3% with FP. Grade 3-4 non-hematologic toxicities included fatigue (5.2% with SP vs. 4.8% with FP), vomiting (10.5% with SP vs. 0% with FP), and infection (5.2% with SP vs. 0% FP). S-1 plus cisplatin was feasible and tolerable as adjuvant treatment for stage IIIB-IV (M0) gastric cancer. However, because of decreased relative dose intensity during treatment, further study is warranted to determine optimal dosage and combination.

The Yucatan Minipig Temporomandibular Joint Disc Structure-Function Relationships Support Its Suitability for Human Comparative Studies.

PubMed

Vapniarsky, Natalia; Aryaei, Ashkan; Arzi, Boaz; Hatcher, David C; Hu, Jerry C; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A

2017-11-01

Frequent involvement of the disc in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders warrants attempts to tissue engineer TMJ disc replacements. Physiologically, a great degree of similarity is seen between humans and farm pigs (FPs), but the pig's rapid growth confers a significant challenge for in vivo experiments. Minipigs have a slower growth rate and are smaller than FPs, but minipig TMJ discs have yet to be fully characterized. The objective of this study was to determine the suitability of the minipig for TMJ studies by extensive structural and functional characterization. The properties of minipig TMJ discs closely reproduced previously reported morphological, biochemical, and biomechanical values of human and FP discs. The width/length dimension ratio of the minipig TMJ disc was 1.95 (1.69 for human and 1.94 for FP). The biochemical evaluation revealed, on average per wet weight, 24.3% collagen (22.8% for human and 24.9% for FP); 0.8% glycosaminoglycan (GAG; 0.5% for human and 0.4% for FP); and 0.03% DNA (0.008% for human and 0.02% for FP). Biomechanical testing revealed, on average, compressive relaxation modulus of 50 kPa (37 kPa for human and 32 kPa for FP), compressive instantaneous modulus of 1121 kPa (1315 kPa for human and 1134 kPa for FP), and coefficient of viscosity of 13 MPa·s (9 MPa·s for human and 3 MPa·s for FP) at 20% strain. These properties also varied topographically in accordance to those of human and FP TMJ discs. Anisotropy, quantified by bidirectional tensile testing and histology, again was analogous among minipig, human, and FP TMJ discs. The minipig TMJ's ginglymoarthrodial nature was verified through cone beam computer tomography. Collectively, the similarities between minipig and human TMJ discs support the use of minipig as a relevant model for TMJ research; considering the practical advantages conferred by its growth rate and size, the minipig may be a preferred model over FP.

Measles prevention in adolescents: lessons learnt from implementing a high school catch-up vaccination programme in New South Wales, Australia, 2014–2015

PubMed Central

Seale, Holly; Sheppeard, Vicky; Campbell-Lloyd, Sue

2016-01-01

Introduction In response to a significant increase of measles cases and a high percentage of unvaccinated adolescents in New South Wales, Australia, a measles high school catch-up vaccination programme was implemented between August and December 2014. This study aimed to explore the factors affecting school-based supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) and to inform future SIA and routine school-based vaccination programme implementation and service provision. Methods Focus group analysis was conducted among public health unit (PHU) staff responsible for implementing the SIA catch-up programme. Key areas discussed were pre-programme planning, implementation, resources, consent materials, media activity and future directions for school vaccination programme delivery. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and reviewed. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify the major themes. Results Two independent focus groups with 32 participants were conducted in January 2015. Barriers to the SIA implementation included lead time, consent processes, interagency collaboration, access to the targeted cohort and the impact of introducing a SIA to an already demanding curriculum and school programme immunization schedule. A positive PHU school coordinator rapport and experience of PHU staff facilitated the implementation. Consideration of different approaches for pre-clinic vaccination status checks, student involvement in the vaccination decision, online consent, workforce sharing between health districts and effective programme planning time were identified for improving future SIA implementation. Conclusion Although many barriers to school programme implementation have been identified in this study, with adequate resourcing and lead time, SIAs implemented via a routine school vaccination programme are an appropriate model to target adolescents. PMID:27757258

Effectiveness of a universal school-based programme for preventing depression in Chinese adolescents: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

PubMed

Wong, Paul W C; Fu, King-Wa; Chan, Kim Y K; Chan, Wincy S C; Liu, Patricia M Y; Law, Yik-Wa; Yip, Paul S F

2012-12-15

Evidence of the effectiveness, rather than efficacy, of universal school-based programmes for preventing depression among adolescents is limited. This study examined the effectiveness of a universal depression prevention programme, "The Little Prince is Depressed" (LPD), which adopted the cognitive-behavioural model and aimed to reduce depressive symptoms and enhance protective factors of depression among secondary school students in Hong Kong. A quasi-experimental design was adopted for this pilot study. Thirteen classes were assigned to the intervention or control conditions according to the deliberation of the programme administrator of the four participating schools. Implementation was carried out in two phases, with a professional-led first phase and teacher-led programme second phase. LPD consisted of a 12-week school-based face-to-face programme with psycho-educational lessons and homework assignments. Students completed the programme generally showed positive development in help-seeking attitudes and self-esteem. For students who had more depressive symptoms at pre-assessment, the programme was found to be significant in enhancing cognitive-restructuring skills and support-seeking behaviours. The programme was not, however, found to be statistically significant in reducing depressive symptoms of the participants over the study period. A small sample size, a high attrition rate, and a short follow-up time frame. The LPD programme was successful in building resilience of the students in general and enhancing the cognitive-behavioural skills of students with depressive symptoms. While we did not find sufficient evidence for concluding that the LPD was effective in reducing depressive symptoms, we believe that these results highlight the challenges of implementing evidence-based practices generated from highly controlled environments in real-life settings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Replacing Concrete with Natural and Social Engineering: Learning the Lessons of Stakeholder Engagement from South West Water's Upland Catchment Management Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, David; Grand-Clement, Emile; Brazier, Richard

2014-05-01

Replacing Concrete with Natural and Social Engineering: Learning the Lessons of Stakeholder Engagement from South West Water's Upland Catchment Management Programme Smith, D., Grand-Clement, E., Anderson, K., Luscombe, D., G, N., Bratis, Brazier, R.E Peatlands in the South West of the British Isles have been extensively drained for agricultural reclamation and peat cutting. The improvement in food production resulting from this management practice has never clearly been observed. Instead, we are now faced with several detrimental consequences on a whole suite of ecosystem services, such as the delivery of water, water quality, biodiversity and carbon storage. Alongside the direct environmental implications, poor water quality is increasing water treatment costs and will drive significant future investment. As a result, water companies now need to find appropriate solutions to varying water levels and decreasing water quality through catchment management. The Mires Project, the catchment management programme used by South West Water (SWW) is working with a wide range of stakeholders to restore the hydrological functioning of peatlands, and the ecosystem services they provide. This programme is driven by overarching legal requirements (i.e. the water framework directive, Natura 2000), future climate change predictions, corporate responsibility and commercial needs. Post-restoration scientific monitoring is at the heart of the project improving of our understanding of the eco-hydrological and chemical process driving changes in management practice. The challenges faced from the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders will be explored, focusing on the benefits from stakeholder involvement in catchment management and hydrological research, but also considering the difficulties to be overcome. SWW is working with private land-owners, government agencies, local and national park Authorities, community and single interest groups and research institutions to achieve its catchment management objectives. To achieve this it has replaced the traditional water company approach of hard engineering solutions with a mixture of softer natural and social engineering.

Reproductive health service use and social determinants among the floating population: a quantitative comparative study in Guangzhou City.

PubMed

Liu, Huan; Wang, Qi; Lu, Zuxun; Liu, Junan

2014-10-30

The World Health Assembly has pledged to achieve universal reproductive health (RH) coverage by 2015. Therefore, China has been vigorously promoting the equalisation of basic public health services (i.e. RH services). The floating population (FP) is the largest special group of internal migrants in China and constitutes the current national focus. However, gaps exist in the access of this group to RH services in China. A total of 453 members of the FP and 794 members of the residential population (RP) aged 18 to 50 years from five urban districts in Guangzhou City were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional survey in 2009. Information on demographics and socioeconomic status (SES) were collected from these two groups to evaluate the utilisation of RH knowledge and skills and family planning services (FPS), and to identify social determinants. The proportion of individuals with low SES in the FP (19.2%) was higher than that in the RP (6.3%) (P <0.001). Of the FP, 9.7% to 35.8% had no knowledge of at least one skill, a proportion higher than the counterpart values (6.2% to 27.5%) for the RP (P <0.05). The frequency of FPS use among the FP and RP was low. However, FPS use was higher among the FP than among the RP (3.51 vs. 2.99) (P =0.050). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the social determinants that influence FPS use in the FP and RP. The factors that affect FPS utilisation of the RP included SES (OR =4.652, 95% CI =1.751, 12.362), whereas those of the FP excluded SES. The FPS use of the FP in Guangzhou City was higher under equalised public health services. However, a need still exists to help the FP with low SES to improve their RH knowledge and skills through access to public RH services.

Bias estimates used in lieu of validation of fission products and minor actinides in MCNP K eff calculations for PWR burnup credit casks

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

Mueller, Don E.; Marshall, William J.; Wagner, John C.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation recently issued Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) 8, Revision 3. This ISG provides guidance for burnup credit (BUC) analyses supporting transport and storage of PWR pressurized water reactor (PWR) fuel in casks. Revision 3 includes guidance for addressing validation of criticality (k eff) calculations crediting the presence of a limited set of fission products and minor actinides (FP&MA). Based on previous work documented in NUREG/CR-7109, recommendation 4 of ISG-8, Rev. 3, includes a recommendation to use 1.5 or 3% of the FP&MA worth to conservatively cover the biasmore » due to the specified FP&MAs. This bias is supplementary to the bias and bias uncertainty resulting from validation of k eff calculations for the major actinides in SNF and does not address extension to actinides and fission products beyond those identified herein. The work described in this report involves comparison of FP&MA worths calculated using SCALE and MCNP with ENDF/B-V, -VI, and -VII based nuclear data and supports use of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias when either SCALE or MCNP codes are used for criticality calculations, provided the other conditions of the recommendation 4 are met. The method used in this report may also be applied to demonstrate the applicability of the 1.5% FP&MA worth bias to other codes using ENDF/B V, VI or VII based nuclear data. The method involves use of the applicant s computational method to generate FP&MA worths for a reference SNF cask model using specified spent fuel compositions. The applicant s FP&MA worths are then compared to reference values provided in this report. The applicants FP&MA worths should not exceed the reference results by more than 1.5% of the reference FP&MA worths.« less

The SARS-CoV Fusion Peptide Forms an Extended Bipartite Fusion Platform that Perturbs Membrane Order in a Calcium-Dependent Manner.

PubMed

Lai, Alex L; Millet, Jean K; Daniel, Susan; Freed, Jack H; Whittaker, Gary R

2017-12-08

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a major infectious disease threat and include the pathogenic human pathogens of zoonotic origin: severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome CoV (MERS-CoV). Entry of CoVs into host cells is mediated by the viral spike (S) protein, which is structurally categorized as a class I viral fusion protein, within the same group as influenza virus and HIV. However, S proteins have two distinct cleavage sites that can be activated by a much wider range of proteases. The exact location of the CoV fusion peptide (FP) has been disputed. However, most evidence suggests that the domain immediately downstream of the S2' cleavage site is the FP (amino acids 798-818 SFIEDLLFNKVTLADAGFMKQY for SARS-CoV, FP1). In our previous electron spin resonance spectroscopic studies, the membrane-ordering effect of influenza virus, HIV, and Dengue virus FPs has been consistently observed. In this study, we used this effect as a criterion to identify and characterize the bona fide SARS-CoV FP. Our results indicate that both FP1 and the region immediately downstream (amino acids 816-835 KQYGECLGDINARDLICAQKF, FP2) induce significant membrane ordering. Furthermore, their effects are calcium dependent, which is consistent with in vivo data showing that calcium is required for SARS-CoV S-mediated fusion. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed a direct interaction between calcium cations and both FPs. This Ca 2+ -dependency membrane ordering was not observed with influenza FP, indicating that the CoV FP exhibits a mechanistically different behavior. Membrane-ordering effects are greater and penetrate deeper into membranes when FP1 and FP2 act in a concerted manner, suggesting that they form an extended fusion "platform." Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Blood collected on filter paper for wildlife serology: detecting antibodies to Neospora caninum, West Nile virus, and five bovine viruses in reindeer.

PubMed

Curry, Patricia S; Ribble, Carl; Sears, William C; Hutchins, Wendy; Orsel, Karin; Godson, Dale; Lindsay, Robbin; Dibernardo, Antonia; Kutz, Susan J

2014-04-01

We compared Nobuto filter paper (FP) whole-blood samples to serum for detecting antibodies to seven pathogens in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Serum and FP samples were collected from captive reindeer in 2008-2009. Sample pairs (serum and FP eluates) were assayed in duplicate at diagnostic laboratories with the use of competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (cELISAs) for Neospora caninum and West Nile virus (WNV); indirect ELISA (iELISAs) for bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV-1), parainfluenza virus type 3 (PI-3), and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV); and virus neutralization (VN) for bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) types I and II. Assay thresholds were evidence-based values employed by each laboratory. Comparable performance to serum was defined as FP sensitivity and specificity ≥ 80%. Filter-paper specificity estimates ranged from 92% in the cELISAs for N. caninum and WNV to 98% in the iELISAs for PI-3 and BRSV. Sensitivity was >85% for five tests (most ≥ 95%) but was insufficient (71-82%) for the PI-3 and BRSV iELISAs. Lowering the threshold for FP samples in these two ELISAs raised sensitivity to ≥ 87% and reduced specificity slightly (≥ 90% in three of the four test runs). Sample size limited the precision of some performance estimates. Based on the criteria of sensitivity and specificity ≥ 80%, and using adjusted FP thresholds for PI-3 and BRSV, FP sensitivity and specificity were comparable to serum in all seven assays. A potential limitation of FP is reduced sensitivity in tests that require undiluted serum (i.e., N. caninum cELISA and BVDV VNs). Possible toxicity to the assay cell layer in VN requires investigation. Results suggested that cELISA is superior to iELISA for detecting antibodies in FP samples from reindeer and other Rangifer tarandus subspecies. Our findings expand the potential utility of FP sampling from wildlife.

Demand for Modern Family Planning among Married Women Living with HIV in Western Ethiopia

PubMed Central

Feyissa, Tesfaye Regassa; Melka, Alemu Sufa

2014-01-01

Introduction People living with HIV (PLHIV) have diverse family planning (FP) needs. Little is reported on FP needs among women living with HIV in Ethiopia. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess the demand for modern FP among married women living with HIV in western Ethiopia. Methods A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 401 married women living with HIV selected from Nekemte Referral Hospital and Health Center, Nekemte, Oromia, Ethiopia. Convenience sampling of every other eligible patient was used to recruit respondents. Data were collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire. We first calculated frequency and percentage of unmet need, met need and total demand by each explanatory variable, and performed chi-squared testing to assess for differences in groups. We then fitted logistic regression models to identify correlates of unmet need for modern FP at 95% CL. Results The proportion of respondents with met need for modern FP among married women living with HIV was 61.6% (30.7% for spacing and 30.9% for limiting). Demand for family planning was reported in 77.0% (38.2% for spacing and 38.8% for limiting), making unmet need for modern FP prevalent in 15.4% (7.5% for spacing and 7.9% for limiting). Whereas age 25–34 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval (CI))  = .397 (.204–.771)] was protective against unmet need for modern FP, not having knowledge of MTCT [AOR (95% CI)  = 2.531 (1.689–9.290)] and not discussing FP with a partner [AOR (95% CI)  = 3.616(1.869–6.996)] were associated with increased odds of unmet need for modern FP. Conclusions There is high unmet need for modern FP in HIV-positive married women in western Ethiopia. Health care providers and program managers at a local and international level should work to satisfy the unmet need for modern family planning. PMID:25390620

Demand for modern family planning among married women living with HIV in western Ethiopia.

PubMed

Feyissa, Tesfaye Regassa; Melka, Alemu Sufa

2014-01-01

People living with HIV (PLHIV) have diverse family planning (FP) needs. Little is reported on FP needs among women living with HIV in Ethiopia. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess the demand for modern FP among married women living with HIV in western Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 401 married women living with HIV selected from Nekemte Referral Hospital and Health Center, Nekemte, Oromia, Ethiopia. Convenience sampling of every other eligible patient was used to recruit respondents. Data were collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire. We first calculated frequency and percentage of unmet need, met need and total demand by each explanatory variable, and performed chi-squared testing to assess for differences in groups. We then fitted logistic regression models to identify correlates of unmet need for modern FP at 95% CL. The proportion of respondents with met need for modern FP among married women living with HIV was 61.6% (30.7% for spacing and 30.9% for limiting). Demand for family planning was reported in 77.0% (38.2% for spacing and 38.8% for limiting), making unmet need for modern FP prevalent in 15.4% (7.5% for spacing and 7.9% for limiting). Whereas age 25-34 years [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = .397 (.204-.771)] was protective against unmet need for modern FP, not having knowledge of MTCT [AOR (95% CI) = 2.531 (1.689-9.290)] and not discussing FP with a partner [AOR (95% CI) = 3.616(1.869-6.996)] were associated with increased odds of unmet need for modern FP. There is high unmet need for modern FP in HIV-positive married women in western Ethiopia. Health care providers and program managers at a local and international level should work to satisfy the unmet need for modern family planning.

Falcipain inhibitors as potential therapeutics for resistant strains of malaria: a patent review.

PubMed

Mane, Uttam Rajaram; Gupta, Ramesh C; Nadkarni, Sunil Sadanand; Giridhar, Rajani R; Naik, Prashant Prakash; Yadav, Mange R

2013-02-01

There is an urgent need to discover new antimalarial drugs due to emergence of resistance in the parasite to the existing drugs. Malarial cysteine proteases falcipin-2 (FP-2) and falcipain-3 (FP-3) are attractive targets for antimalarial chemotherapy. The structures and functions of FP-2/3, their binding domains and their interactions with small- and macro-molecules are well studied. These studies could provide important insight into rational designing of FP inhibitors as potential antimalarial drugs. This review is focused on a selection of interesting patents published during 1999 - 2011 on peptidic and nonpeptidic chemotypes of the FP-2/FP-3 inhibitors. It is a known fact that malaria is a serious health problem worldwide due to the emergence of resistant strains. Hence, development of novel, potent and affordable antimalarial drugs devoid of side effects is of great significance and in great demand. FPs, the malarial cysteine proteases are potential targets for development of new antimalarial drugs. Assessing the available literature on FP-2/3 and their inhibitors it could be speculated that these inhibitors have the potential to enter the clinical stages of development for the treatment of malaria in the years to come.

A Reconciliation for the Future of Psychiatry: Both Folk Psychology and Cognitive Science.

PubMed

Hutto, Daniel D

2016-01-01

Philosophy of psychiatry faces a tough choice between two competing ways of understanding mental disorders. The folk psychology (FP) view puts our everyday normative conceptual scheme in the driver's seat - on the assumption that it, and it only, tells us what mental disorders are (1). Opposing this, the scientific image (SI) view (2, 3) holds that our understanding of mental disorders must come, wholly and solely, from the sciences of the mind, unfettered by FP. This paper argues that the FP view is problematic because it is too limited: there is more to the mind than FP allows; hence, we must look beyond FP for properly deep and illuminating explanations of mental disorders. SI promises just this. But when cast in its standard cognitivist formulations, SI is unnecessarily and unjustifiably neurocentric. After rejecting both the FP view, in its pure form, and SI view, in its popular cognitivist renderings, this paper concludes that a more liberal version of SI can accommodate what is best in both views - once SI is so formulated and the FP view properly edited and significantly revised, the two views can be reconciled and combined to provide a sound philosophical basis for a future psychiatry.

Does addressing gender inequalities and empowering women and girls improve health and development programme outcomes?

PubMed

Taukobong, Hannah F G; Kincaid, Mary M; Levy, Jessica K; Bloom, Shelah S; Platt, Jennifer L; Henry, Sarah K; Darmstadt, Gary L

2016-12-01

This article presents evidence supporting the hypothesis that promoting gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment (GEWE) leads to better health and development outcomes. We reviewed the literature across six sectors-family planning (FP); maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH); nutrition; agriculture; water, sanitation and hygiene; and financial services for the poor-and found 76 studies from low and middle-income countries that met our inclusion criteria. Across these studies, we identified common GEWE variables that emerged repeatedly as significant predictors of sector outcomes. We grouped these variables into 10 thematic categories, which we termed 'gender-related levers'. These levers were then classified by the strength of evidence into Wedges, Foundations and Facilitators. Wedges are gender-related levers that had strong associations with improved outcomes across multiple sectors. They include: 'control over income/assets/resources', 'decision-making power' and 'education'. Elements of these levers overlap, but combined, they encapsulate agency. Increasing female agency promotes equality and broadly improves health and development for women, their families and their communities. The second classification, Foundations, displayed strong, positive associations across FP, MNCH and nutrition. Foundations have a more proximal relationship with sector outcomes and include: 'equitable interpersonal relationships', 'mobility' and 'personal safety'. Finally, the third group of levers, Facilitators, was associated with improved outcomes in two to three sectors and include: 'access to information', 'community groups', 'paid labour' and 'rights'. These levers make it easier for women and girls to achieve their goals and are more traditional elements of development programmes. Overall, gender-related levers were associated with improvements in a variety of health and development outcomes. Furthermore, these associations were cross-sectoral, suggesting that to fully realize the benefits of promoting GEWE, the development community must collaborate in co-ordinated and integrated ways across multiple sectors. More research is needed to identify the mechanisms by which gendered interventions work and under what circumstances. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Astrobiology Road Mapping (AstRoMap) - A project within FP7 of the European Commission: First results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomez-Gomez, Felipe; Capria, Maria Teresa; Palomba, Ernesto; Walter, Nicolas; Rettberg, Petra; Muller, Christian; Horneck, Gerda

AstRoMap (Astrobiology and Planetary Exploration Road Mapping) is a funded project formulated in the 5th Call of the European Commission FP7 framework. The main objectives of the AstRoMap are: 1. Identify the main astrobiology issues to be addressed by Europe in the next decades in relation with space exploration 2. Identify potential mission concepts that would allow addressing these issues 3. Identify the technology developments required to enable these missions 4. Provide a prioritized roadmap integrating science and technology activities as well as ground-based approach 5. Map scientific knowledge related to astrobiology in Europe To reach those objectives, AstRoMap is executed within the following steps: 1. Community consultation. In order to map the European astrobiology landscape and to provide a collaborative networking platform for this community, the AstRoMap project hosts a database of scientists (European and beyond) interested in astrobiology and planetary exploration (see: http://www.astromap.eu/database.html). It reflects the demography and the research and teaching activities of the astrobiology community, as well as their professional profiles and involvement in astrobiology projects. Considering future aspects of astrobiology in Europe, the need for more astrobiology-dedicated funding programmes at the EU level, especially for cross-disciplinary groups, was stressed. This might eventually lead to the creation of a European laboratory of Astrobiology, or even of a European Astrobiology Institute. 2. Workshops organisation. On the basis of the feedbacks from the community consultation, the potential participants and interesting topics are being identified to take part in the following workshops: 1-. Origin of organic compounds, steps to life; 2. Physico-chemical boundary conditions for habitability 3. Biosignatures as facilitating life detection 4. Origin of the Solar system 3. Astrobiology road-mapping. Based on the results and major conclusions elaborated during the workshops, an astrobiology roadmap will be constructed tailored to the European needs and competences. 4. Education and public outreach. Parallel to the workshop and consultation activities, AstRoMap will provide a comprehensive education and outreach programme and disseminate the progress of AstRoMap through its web site (http://www.astromap.eu).

The low-dose (1 microg) cosyntropin test (LDT) for primary adrenocortical insufficiency: Defining the normal cortisol response and report on first patients with Addison disease confirmed with LDT.

PubMed

Pura, M; Kreze, A; Kentos, P; Vanuga, P

2010-03-01

The validity of low-dose 1 microg cosyntropin test (LDT) is reported mainly for the assessment of secondary adrenocortical insufficiency (AI). Likewise the hypothalamic-pituitary disorders, early diagnosis of the initial or partial stages of primary AI has an important role. The aim of study was to: 1) establish the normal cut-off level at which the stimulated plasma cortisol (FP) in LDT excludes primary AI; 2) compare the results in elderly subjects to those in younger ones; 3) compare the results between normal and obese subjects; and 4) verify the established cut-off values on the sample of patients suspected to have primary AI. 110 subjects (99 women and 11 men, aged 19-80 years, mean 46.2+/-16.1 years, without suspicion for impairment of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis were recruited to undergo the LDT in standard conditions. Control group consists of 30 patients (22 women and 8 men, aged 7-58 years, mean 38.4+/-10.6 years) evaluated in whom for suspicion of primary AI as suggested by LDT was confirmed by supplemental investigations (elevated ACTH levels, positive autoantibodies against 21-hydroxylase, mutational analysis of corresponding genes). The mean peak FP level at 30 min (FP (30)) of the subjects was 675+/-85 nmol/L (95% CI=659 to 691 nmol/L), thus reference values expressed as mean+/-2 SD were 505-845 nmol/L. There was a significant negative correlation between basal FP values (FP (0)) (434+/-105 nmol/L) and the absolute FP incremental (FP (Delta)) response varying from 52 to 553 nmol/L (median 230 nmol/L) (r=-0.71; P<0.001). FP (30) was higher in elderly subjects (n=27) in comparison to younger subjects (n=25) (689+/-88 nmol/L vs. 642+/-63 nmol/L, u=2.11, P<0.05) due to higher FP (Delta) (274+/-116 nmol/L vs. 175+/-112 nmol/L; u=4.02, P<0.01) ; FP (30) levels in obese subjects (n=27) did not differ from those with normal BMI (n=33) (694+/-100 nmol/L vs. 667+/-65 nmol/L, u=1.31, P>0.05). We did not find any correlation between body weight or body surface area and FP (0), FP (30) or FP (Delta). Post-stimulation FP (30) levels in the control group varied from 0 to 354 nmol/L with median 64 nmol/L (25 (th) percentile 10 nmol/L; 75 (th) percentile 165 nmol/L) and were entirely distinctive from those of the subjects without adrenal impairment ( P<0.001). Taking the mean -2 SD result as a threshold, FP value of 500 nmol/L can be consider as cut-off at 30 min in the LDT for defining the intact adrenocortical function, independently of age and body weight, body surface area. J. A. Barth Verlag in Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart * New York.

zFP538, a yellow fluorescent protein from coral, belongs to the DsRed subfamily of GFP-like proteins but possesses the unexpected site of fragmentation.

PubMed

Zagranichny, Vasily E; Rudenko, Natalia V; Gorokhovatsky, Andrey Yu; Zakharov, Mikhail V; Shenkarev, Zakhar O; Balashova, Tamara A; Arseniev, Alexander S

2004-04-27

The yellow fluorescent protein (zFP538) from coral Zoanthus sp. belongs to a family of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Absorption and emission spectra of zFP538 show an intermediate bathochromic shift as compared with a number of recently cloned GFP-like red fluorescent and nonfluorescent chromoproteins of the DsRed subfamily. Here we report that the zFP538 chromophore is very close, if not identical, in chemical structure to that of DsRed. To gain insight into the mechanism of zFP538 fluorescence and chromophore structure and chemistry, we studied three chromophore-containing peptides isolated from enzymatic digests of zFP538. Like GFP and DsRed chromophores, these contain a p-hydroxybenzylideneimidazolinone moiety formed by Lys-66, Tyr-67, and Gly-68 of zFP538. One of the peptides studied, the hexapeptide FKYGDR derivative, is a proteolysis product of the zFP538 full-length polypeptide containing a GFP-type chromophore already formed and arrested at an earlier stage of maturation. The two other peptides are the derivatives of the pentapeptide KYGDR resulted from the protein in which the chromophore maturation process had been completed. One of these has an oxogroup at Lys-66 C(alpha) and is a hydrolysis product of another one, with the imino group at Lys-66 C(alpha). The N-unsubstituted imino moiety of the latter is generated by spontaneous polypeptide chain fragmentation at a very unexpected site, the former peptide bond between Phe-65 C' and Lys-66 N(alpha). Also observed in the entire protein under mild denaturing conditions, this fragmentation is likely the feature of native zFP538 chromophore that distinguishes it chemically from the DsRed chromophore.

Fetal/Placental weight ratio in term Japanese pregnancy: its difference among gender, parity, and infant growth.

PubMed

Matsuda, Yoshio; Ogawa, Masaki; Nakai, Akihito; Hayashi, Masako; Satoh, Shoji; Matsubara, Shigeki

2015-01-01

The "inappropriately heavy placenta" has been considered to be associated with various pregnancy disorders; however, data is scarce what factors affect it. To determine whether the following three affect it; (1) infant gender and mother's parity, (2) growth restriction, and (3) preeclampsia. We employed fetal/placental weight ratio (F/P). Subjects consisted of 53,650 infants and their placentas from women who vaginally delivered singleton live term infants. First, we examined whether F/P differs among the infant's gender or mother's parity. We classified the population into 4 categories according to gender and parity: male, nulliparous (n=7,431), male, multiparous (n=7,859), female, nulliparous (n=7,559), female, multiparous (n=7,800), and, compared F/P among the four groups. Next, we determined whether F/P differs in "small" or "large" for gestational age (SGA or LGA) infants, compared with appropriate for gestational age infants. Last, we determined whether preeclampsia (representative disorder of SGA) affects F/P. (1) F/P significantly differed according to infant gender and parity: female and nulliparity had significantly smaller F/P. F/P was significantly smaller in (2) SGA infants, and (3) infants from preeclamptic mothers. We for the first time showed that in Japanese term vaginally-delivered singleton population, the following three had significantly smaller F/P than controls thus had "inappropriately heavy placenta": (1) female gender and nulliparity, (2) SGA infants, and (3) infants from preeclamptic mothers. We recommend that these factors should be taken into account in evaluating placental weight. These data may also be useful for further clarifying the fetal-placental pathophysiology in these conditions.

Family planning and development helping women world-wide.

PubMed

Mahler, H

1989-04-01

This article discusses the need for family planning (FP) as part of the development process, applauds its successes and rallies continued momentum of the FP movement. 500,000 women die each year from pregnancy- or labor-related conditions, and 10s of millions of women suffer pregnancy-related illnesses and impairments that undermine their social and economic productivity. Moreover, the 4 major factors that lead to high-risk pregnancies, namely, becoming pregnant before the age of 20, after the age of 35, after 4 or more pregnancies, and 2 years after an earlier pregnancy, all reveal the need for FP. These tragedies could be avoided by assuring better nutrition, primary health care for all, good antenatal attention and proper facilities and help in childbirth, access to good obstetric care in emergency situations, and universally available FP services. FP organizations must empower women with the knowledge of FP and the means to put it into practice. Developing countries, such as China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Mexico, in addition to affluent industrialized countries have made strides in FP with the help of such organizations as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). IPPF has helped to motivate large numbers of men and women to determine their ideal family size. It has provided the means for them to reach such goals and has ensured that acceptance of FP has been on a voluntary basis. IPPF has also advised and cajoled governments into becoming involved in FP. In the future, national strategies must produce the building blocks for better policies to help women become more responsible for their lives. The education of women will be vital to achieving this objective as well as other aspects of development.

Methodological concerns for determining power output in the jump squat.

PubMed

Cormie, Prue; Deane, Russell; McBride, Jeffrey M

2007-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of power measurement techniques during the jump squat (JS) utilizing various combinations of a force plate and linear position transducer (LPT) devices. Nine men with at least 6 months of prior resistance training experience participated in this acute investigation. One repetition maximums (1RM) in the squat were determined, followed by JS testing under 2 loading conditions (30% of 1RM [JS30] and 90% of 1RM [JS90]). Three different techniques were used simultaneously in data collection: (a) 1 linear position transducer (1-LPT); (b) 1 linear position transducer and a force plate (1-LPT + FP); and (c) 2 linear position transducers and a force place (2-LPT + FP). Vertical velocity-, force-, and power-time curves were calculated for each lift using these methodologies and were compared. Peak force and peak power were overestimated by 1-LPT in both JS30 and JS90 compared with 2-LPT + FP and 1-LPT + FP (p

Genetics, structure, and prevalence of FP967 (CDC Triffid) T-DNA in flax.

PubMed

Young, Lester; Hammerlindl, Joseph; Babic, Vivijan; McLeod, Jamille; Sharpe, Andrew; Matsalla, Chad; Bekkaoui, Faouzi; Marquess, Leigh; Booker, Helen M

2015-01-01

The detection of T-DNA from a genetically modified flaxseed line (FP967, formally CDC Triffid) in a shipment of Canadian flaxseed exported to Europe resulted in a large decrease in the amount of flax planted in Canada. The Canadian flaxseed industry undertook major changes to ensure the removal of FP967 from the supply chain. This study aimed to resolve the genetics and structure of the FP967 transfer DNA (T-DNA). The FP967 T-DNA is thought to be inserted in at single genomic locus. The junction between the T-DNA and genomic DNA consisted of two inverted Right Borders with no Left Border (LB) flanking genomic DNA sequences recovered. This information was used to develop an event-specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. This assay and an existing assay specific to the T-DNA construct were used to determine the genetics and prevalence of the FP967 T-DNA. These data supported the hypothesis that the T-DNA is present at a single location in the genome. The FP967 T-DNA is present at a low level (between 0.01 and 0.1%) in breeder seed lots from 2009 and 2010. None of the 11,000 and 16,000 lines selected for advancement through the Flax Breeding Program in 2010 and 2011, respectively, tested positive for the FP967 T-DNA, however. Most of the FP967 T-DNA sequence was resolved via PCR cloning and next generation sequencing. A 3,720 bp duplication of an internal portion of the T-DNA (including a Right Border) was discovered between the flanking genomic DNA and the LB. An event-specific assay, SAT2-LB, was developed for the junction between this repeat and the LB.

Provider imposed restrictions to clients’ access to family planning in urban Uttar Pradesh, India: a mixed methods study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Medical barriers refer to unnecessary policies or procedures imposed by health care providers that are not necessarily medically advised; these restrictions impede clients’ access to family planning (FP). This mixed methods study investigates provider imposed barriers to provision of FP using recent quantitative and qualitative data from urban Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Baseline quantitative data were collected in six cities in Uttar Pradesh, India from service delivery points (SDP), using facility audits, exit interviews, and provider surveys; for this study, the focus is on the provider surveys. More than 250 providers were surveyed in each city. Providers were asked about the FP methods they provide, and if they restrict clients’ access to each method based on age, parity, partner consent, or marital status. For the qualitative research, we conducted one-on-one interviews with 21 service providers in four of the six cities in Uttar Pradesh. Each interview lasted approximately 45 minutes. Results The quantitative findings show that providers restrict clients’ access to spacing and long-acting and permanent methods of FP based on age, parity, partner consent and marital status. Qualitative findings reinforce that providers, at times, make judgments about their clients’ education, FP needs and ability to understand FP options thereby imposing unnecessary barriers to FP methods. Conclusions Provider restrictions on FP methods are common in these urban Uttar Pradesh sites. This means that women who are young, unmarried, have few or no children, do not have the support of their partner, or are less educated may not be able to access or use FP or their preferred method. These findings highlight the need for in-service training for staff, with a focus on reviewing current guidelines and eligibility criteria for provision of methods. PMID:24365015

Analysis of the tunable asymmetric fiber F-P cavity for fiber strain sensor edge-filter demodulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Haotao; Liang, Youcheng

2014-12-01

An asymmetric fiber (Fabry-Pérot, F-P) interferometric cavity with the good linearity and wide dynamic range was successfully designed based on the optical thin film characteristic matrix theory; by adjusting the material of two different thin metallic layers, the asymmetric fiber F-P interferometric cavity was fabricated by depositing the multi-layer thin films on the optical fiber's end face. The asymmetric F-P cavity has the extensive potential application. In this paper, the demodulation method for the wavelength shift of the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor based on the F-P cavity is demonstrated, and a theoretical formula is obtained. And the experimental results coincide well with the computational results obtained from the theoretical model.

Growth of electron plasma waves above and below f(p) in the electron foreshock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cairns, Iver H.; Fung, Shing F.

1988-01-01

This paper investigates the conditions required for electron beams to drive wave growth significantly above and below the electron plasma frequency, f(p), by numerically solving the linear dispersion equation. It is shown that kinetic growth well below f(p) may occur over a broad range of frequencies due to the beam instability, when the electron beam is slow, dilute, and relatively cold. Alternatively, a cold or sharp feature at low parallel velocities in the distribution function may drive kinetic growth significantly below f(p). Kinetic broadband growth significantly above f(p) is explained in terms of faster warmer beams. A unified qualitative theory for the narrow-band and broad-band waves is proposed.

A Fiber Bragg Grating Interrogation System with Self-Adaption Threshold Peak Detection Algorithm.

PubMed

Zhang, Weifang; Li, Yingwu; Jin, Bo; Ren, Feifei; Wang, Hongxun; Dai, Wei

2018-04-08

A Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) interrogation system with a self-adaption threshold peak detection algorithm is proposed and experimentally demonstrated in this study. This system is composed of a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and advanced RISC machine (ARM) platform, tunable Fabry-Perot (F-P) filter and optical switch. To improve system resolution, the F-P filter was employed. As this filter is non-linear, this causes the shifting of central wavelengths with the deviation compensated by the parts of the circuit. Time-division multiplexing (TDM) of FBG sensors is achieved by an optical switch, with the system able to realize the combination of 256 FBG sensors. The wavelength scanning speed of 800 Hz can be achieved by a FPGA+ARM platform. In addition, a peak detection algorithm based on a self-adaption threshold is designed and the peak recognition rate is 100%. Experiments with different temperatures were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system. Four FBG sensors were examined in the thermal chamber without stress. When the temperature changed from 0 °C to 100 °C, the degree of linearity between central wavelengths and temperature was about 0.999 with the temperature sensitivity being 10 pm/°C. The static interrogation precision was able to reach 0.5 pm. Through the comparison of different peak detection algorithms and interrogation approaches, the system was verified to have an optimum comprehensive performance in terms of precision, capacity and speed.

Recombinant adenovirus expressing the haemagglutinin of Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) protects goats against challenge with pathogenic virus; a DIVA vaccine for PPR.

PubMed

Herbert, Rebecca; Baron, Jana; Batten, Carrie; Baron, Michael; Taylor, Geraldine

2014-02-26

Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) is a morbillivirus that can cause severe disease in sheep and goats, characterised by pyrexia, pneumo-enteritis, and gastritis. The socio-economic burden of the disease is increasing in underdeveloped countries, with poor livestock keepers being affected the most. Current vaccines consist of cell-culture attenuated strains of PPRV, which induce a similar antibody profile to that induced by natural infection. Generation of a vaccine that enables differentiation of infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) would benefit PPR control and eradication programmes, particularly in the later stages of an eradication campaign and for countries where the disease is not endemic. In order to create a vaccine that would enable infected animals to be distinguished from vaccinated ones (DIVA vaccine), we have evaluated the immunogenicity of recombinant fowlpox (FP) and replication-defective recombinant human adenovirus 5 (Ad), expressing PPRV F and H proteins, in goats. The Ad constructs induced higher levels of virus-specific and neutralising antibodies, and primed greater numbers of CD8+ T cells than the FP-vectored vaccines. Importantly, a single dose of Ad-H, with or without the addition of Ad expressing ovine granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor and/or ovine interleukin-2, not only induced strong antibody and cell-mediated immunity but also completely protected goats against challenge with virulent PPRV, 4 months after vaccination. Replication-defective Ad-H therefore offers the possibility of an effective DIVA vaccine.

Active Aging and Elderly's Quality of Life: Comparing the Impact on Literature of Projects Funded by the European Union and USA.

PubMed

Kirilov, I; Atzeni, M; Perra, A; Moro, D; Carta, M G

2018-01-01

The objective of this research is to verify whether European projects on Active Aging (AA) and Elderly Quality of Life (Qol) funded by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) produce an impact on literature similar to projects funded by the National Health Institute (NHI) of the United States on international literature using well-known bibliometric indicators. This effort may be useful in developing standardized and replicable procedures. Fifteen randomly selected projects on AA and Elderly Qol concluded in August 2017 and funded by FP7 were compared to similar projects funded by the US NHI with reference to papers published (Scopus and Scholar), papers published in Q1 journals, and the number of citations of the papers linked to the projects. In all the indicators considered, the European projects showed no difference with the US NHI projects. The EU-funded AA and Qol Elderly projects have an impact on scientific literature comparable to projects funded in the United States by the NHI Agency.Our results are consistent with the data on general medical research, which indicates that, European research remains at a high level of competitiveness.In this experimental study, our methodology appeared to be convincing and reliable and it could be applied to the extent of the impact of more extensive research areas.Our research did not evaluate the relationship between funding required by research and scientific productivity.

'False-positive' self-reported psychotic experiences in the general population: an investigation of outcome, predictive factors and clinical relevance.

PubMed

van der Steen, Y; Myin-Germeys, I; van Nierop, M; Ten Have, M; de Graaf, R; van Dorsselaer, S; van Os, J; van Winkel, R

2018-04-16

Self-reported psychotic experiences (SRPE) by individuals from the general population are often unconfirmed by clinical interview and referred to as 'false-positive' (FP) SRPE. FP SRPE have been suggested to represent the mildest form of risk along the extended psychosis continuum. However, little is known about their (clinical) outcome and evolution over time. Aims of this study were to prospectively examine, in individuals with FP SRPE, (1) the prevalence of remission, persistence and transition to validated PE at 3-year follow-up; (2) potential baseline psychopathological and psychosocial predictors of persistence of FP SRPE and transition to validated PE; and (3) whether those with persistent FP SRPE and validated PE already differed on psychopathology and psychosocial factors at baseline. We tested the hypotheses that (i) individuals with FP SRPE would be more likely to have SRPE and validated PE at follow-up; and (ii) that FP SRPE would be predictive of lower functioning and more psychopathology and help-seeking behaviour at follow-up. Baseline (n = 6646) and 3-year follow-up (n = 5303) data of the second the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS-2), a general population research project on prevalence, incidence, course and consequences of psychiatric disorders was used. Self-report of PE was followed by clinical interview to determine clinical validity. The presence of mood, anxiety and substance use disorders, childhood adversity, help-seeking and functioning as well as PE characteristics (number, frequency, distress and impact) were used in the analyses which included only individuals with complete data for both assessments waves (n = 4683). At baseline, 454 participants had any FP SRPE; of these 372 participants had complete follow-up data available. Those with baseline FP SRPE were significantly more likely to report SRPE (OR = 3.58; 95% CI 2.38-5.40, p < 0.001) and validated PE (OR = 6.26; 95% CI 3.91-10.02, p < 0.001) at follow-up. Baseline FP SRPE also predicted the presence of mood and anxiety disorders, reduced functioning and help-seeking at follow-up. Several baseline psychopathological, psychosocial and PE characteristics were predictive for the persistence of SRPE. These factors also differentiated groups with FP SRPE or validated PE from those with remitted FP SRPE at follow-up.Conclusions.'FP SRPE' are not truly 'false' as they index risk for the development of clinically relevant psychotic symptoms, development of mood and anxiety disorders and reduced functioning. Self-reported PE, even unconfirmed, warrant 'watchful waiting' and follow-up over time, especially when they are reported by individuals with reduced psychosocial functioning and general psychiatric problems.

The Gates Malaria Partnership: a consortium approach to malaria research and capacity development.

PubMed

Greenwood, Brian; Bhasin, Amit; Targett, Geoffrey

2012-05-01

Recently, there has been a major increase in financial support for malaria control. Most of these funds have, appropriately, been spent on the tools needed for effective prevention and treatment of malaria such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying and artemisinin combination therapy. There has been less investment in the training of the scientists from malaria-endemic countries needed to support these large and increasingly complex malaria control programmes, especially in Africa. In 2000, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Malaria Partnership was established to support postgraduate training of African scientists wishing to pursue a career in malaria research. The programme had three research capacity development components: a PhD fellowship programme, a postdoctoral fellowship programme and a laboratory infrastructure programme. During an 8-year period, 36 African PhD students and six postdoctoral fellows were supported, and two research laboratories were built in Tanzania. Some of the lessons learnt during this project--such as the need to improve PhD supervision in African universities and to provide better support for postdoctoral fellows--are now being applied to a successor malaria research capacity development programme, the Malaria Capacity Development Consortium, and may be of interest to other groups involved in improving postgraduate training in health sciences in African universities. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Communication at pediatric rapid response events: a survey of health care providers.

PubMed

McCrory, Michael C; Aboumatar, Hanan A; Hunt, Elizabeth A

2015-06-01

The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of communication quality at pediatric rapid response events and to determine whether these perceptions differed between rapid response team (RRT) members (RRTm) and floor providers (FP). This survey study was conducted of clinical providers involved in RRT events at a tertiary care children's hospital. Perceptions of RRT communication were assessed by using a 5-point Likert scale, and qualitative comments were collected. Responses were compared between RRTm (responder nurses and intensive care fellows) and FP (floor nurses and resident physicians). Survey response was 64% (18 of 28) for RRTm and 70% (194 of 278) for FP. RRTm gave lower ratings than FP for communication of: (1) the purpose of the call; (2) airway and breathing; (3) circulation; (4) background information; and (5) possible diagnosis and treatment. RRTm were more likely than FP to indicate that description of background information delayed communication of critical management problems ("often": RRTm, 7 of 17 [41%]; FP, 23 of 175 [13%]; "always": RRTm, 2 of 18 [12%]; FP, 19 of 175 [11%]; P=.001 for overall comparison). A structured approach for communication was generally supported, although less strongly among floor nurses. Themes from qualitative responses included role confusion, fractured room entry, and a dismissive attitude by RRTm. A disconnect in perceived quality of communication was observed between RRTm and FP at pediatric rapid response events. A structured approach with well-defined roles may improve communication quality. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Structural and Functional Properties of Peptides Based on the N-terminus of HIV-1 gp41 and the C-terminus of the Amyloid-Beta Protein

PubMed Central

Gordon, Larry M.; Nisthal, Alex; Lee, Andy B.; Eskandari, Sepehr; Ruchala, Piotr; Jung, Chun-Ling; Waring, Alan J.; Mobley, Patrick W.

2008-01-01

Given their high alanine and glycine levels, plaque formation, α-helix to β-sheet interconversion and fusogenicity, FP (i.e., the N-terminal fusion peptide of HIV-1 gp41; 23 residues) and amyloids were proposed as belonging to the same protein superfamily. Here, we further test whether FP may exhibit ‘amyloid-like’ characteristics, by contrasting its structural and functional properties with those of Aβ(26–42), a 17-residue peptide from the C-terminus of the amyloid-beta protein responsible for Alzheimer’s. FTIR spectroscopy, electron microscopy, light scattering and predicted amyloid structure aggregation (PASTA) indicated that aqueous FP and Aβ(26–42) formed similar networked β-sheet fibrils, although the FP fibril interactions were weaker. FP and Aβ(26–42) both lysed and aggregated human erythrocytes, with the hemolysis-onsets correlated with the conversion of α-helix to β-sheet for each peptide in liposomes. Congo red (CR), a marker of amyloid plaques in situ, similarly inhibited either FP- or Aβ(26–42)-induced hemolysis, and surface plasmon resonance indicated that this may be due to direct CR-peptide binding. These findings suggest that membrane-bound β-sheets of FP may contribute to the cytopathicity of HIV in vivo through an amyloid-type mechanism, and support the classification of HIV-1 FP as an ‘amyloid homolog’ (or ‘amylog’). PMID:18515070

Nickel nanoparticles-chitosan composite coated cellulose filter paper: An efficient and easily recoverable dip-catalyst for pollutants degradation.

PubMed

Kamal, Tahseen; Khan, Sher Bahadar; Asiri, Abdullah M

2016-11-01

In this report, we used cellulose filter paper (FP) as high surface area catalyst supporting green substrate for the synthesis of nickel (Ni) nanoparticles in thin chitosan (CS) coating layer and their easy separation was demonstrated for next use. In this work, FP was coated with a 1 wt% CS solution onto cellulose FP to prepare CS-FP as an economical and environment friendly host material. CS-FP was put into 0.2 M NiCl 2 aqueous solution for the adsorption of Ni 2+ ions by CS coating layer. The Ni 2+ adsorbed CS-FP was treated with 0.1 M NaBH 4 aqueous solution to convert the ions into nanoparticles. Thus, we achieved Ni nanoparticles-CS composite through water based in-situ preparation process. Successful Ni nanoparticles formations was assessed by FESEM and EDX analyses. FTIR used to track the interactions between nanoparticles and host material. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the nanocomposite displays an excellent catalytic activity and reusability in three reduction reactions of toxic compounds i.e. conversion of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, 2-nitrophenol to 2-aminophenol, and methyl orange dye reduction by NaBH 4 . Such a fabrication process of Ni/CS-FP may be applicable for the immobilization of other metal nanoparticles onto FP for various applications in catalysis, sensing, and environmental sciences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Measuring FLOPS Using Hardware Performance Counter Technologies on LC systems

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

Ahn, D H

2008-09-05

FLOPS (FLoating-point Operations Per Second) is a commonly used performance metric for scientific programs that rely heavily on floating-point (FP) calculations. The metric is based on the number of FP operations rather than instructions, thereby facilitating a fair comparison between different machines. A well-known use of this metric is the LINPACK benchmark that is used to generate the Top500 list. It measures how fast a computer solves a dense N by N system of linear equations Ax=b, which requires a known number of FP operations, and reports the result in millions of FP operations per second (MFLOPS). While running amore » benchmark with known FP workloads can provide insightful information about the efficiency of a machine's FP pipelines in relation to other machines, measuring FLOPS of an arbitrary scientific application in a platform-independent manner is nontrivial. The goal of this paper is twofold. First, we explore the FP microarchitectures of key processors that are underpinning the LC machines. Second, we present the hardware performance monitoring counter-based measurement techniques that a user can use to get the native FLOPS of his or her program, which are practical solutions readily available on LC platforms. By nature, however, these native FLOPS metrics are not directly comparable across different machines mainly because FP operations are not consistent across microarchitectures. Thus, the first goal of this paper represents the base reference by which a user can interpret the measured FLOPS more judiciously.« less

Anaemia control: lessons from the flour fortification programme.

PubMed

Sadighi, J; Mohammad, K; Sheikholeslam, R; Amirkhani, M A; Torabi, P; Salehi, F; Abdolahi, Z

2009-12-01

Anaemia is an important public health problem in Iran; therefore, a programme of flour fortification with iron was launched in two pilot provinces. The present study was conducted in January 2009 to evaluate the effectiveness and process of this programme. A 'before-and-after study' was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the flour fortification programme, and the process of the programme was evaluated using a cross-sectional study. To evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, blood haemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured in sample populations from Bushehr and Golestan provinces. The target population was women aged 15-49 years. Iron content was measured in samples of flour and bread to evaluate the flour fortification process in these two national pilot provinces. The total study population was 600 women from Bushehr province and 652 women from Golestan province. Similar trends were found in the indicators of anaemia/iron deficiency among the women studied in both provinces. The flour fortification programme only appears to have had a beneficial effect on ferritin levels (iron deficiency) in the two provinces. The prevalence of iron-deficiency anaemia before and after the intervention did not differ significantly in either province. Interestingly, the prevalence of anaemia (low haemoglobin) was significantly higher after the intervention in women from both provinces. The coverage of fortified flour and bread was 90% and 98.7% in Bushehr province, and 94.1% and 95% in Golestan province, respectively. In areas where anaemia is not mainly due to iron deficiency, an iron fortification programme might decrease the prevalence of iron deficiency without affecting the prevalence of anaemia.

Healthier food choices as a result of the revised healthy diet programme Krachtvoer for students of prevocational schools.

PubMed

Bessems, Kathelijne M H H; van Assema, Patricia; Martens, Marloes K; Paulussen, Theo G W M; Raaijmakers, Lieke G M; de Rooij, Mark; de Vries, Nanne K

2012-05-24

Krachtvoer is a Dutch healthy diet programme for prevocational schools, developed in 2001 and revised for a broader target group in 2007, based on the findings of an evaluation of the first version. The goal of this study was to report on the short- and longer-term total and subgroup effects of the revised programme on students' fruit, fruit juice, breakfast, and snack consumption. Schools were randomized to the experimental condition, teaching the Krachtvoer programme, or to the control condition teaching the regular nutrition lessons. Self-reported consumption of fruit, fruit juice, breakfast and snacks was measured at baseline directly before programme implementation, one to four weeks after finishing programme implementation, and after six months. Mixed linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted. In total 1117 students of 13 experimental schools and 758 students of 11 control schools participated in the study. Short- and longer-term favourable intervention effects were found on fruit consumption (mean difference between experimental and control group 0.15 servings at both posttests). Regarding fruit juice consumption, only short-term favourable effects were revealed (mean difference between experimental and control group 0.05 glasses). Intervention effects on breakfast intakes were limited. No changes in snack frequency were reported, but students made healthier snack choices as a result of the programme. Some favourable as well as unfavourable effects occurred in subgroups of students. The effects on fruit consumption and snack choices justify the current nationwide dissemination of the programme. Achieving changes in breakfast consumption may, however, require other strategies.

Stakeholders' perceptions of programme sustainability: findings from a community-based fall prevention programme.

PubMed

Hanson, H M; Salmoni, A W

2011-08-01

Sustainability of health promotion and injury prevention programmes is a goal of practitioners and an increasingly common requirement of funding bodies. However, less is known about the views held by individual stakeholders involved in such programmes regarding their perceptions of facilitators and barriers to achieving sustainability. This paper aims to share the perceptions of programme sustainability held by key stakeholders involved in a community-based fall prevention programme in three Ontario demonstration communities in Canada. A qualitative case study research design. A holistic multiple case study method was employed. In total, 45 stakeholders involved in various aspects of the project participated from three demonstration sites. Stakeholders' perceptions were gathered on the individual actions they took in an effort to promote sustainability, and the barriers they perceived as preventing or limiting sustainability. Stakeholders reported taking a number of actions to aid programme sustainability, with some actions deemed to be more functional in aiding sustainability than others. Common actions reported by stakeholders included partnership formation, networking and increasing community capacity. Stakeholders also perceived a number of barriers to achieving sustainability, including insufficient human and financial resources, lack of co-ordination and buy-in, heavy reliance on volunteers and an inability to mobilize physicians. Stakeholders' perceptions of sustainability were used to develop recommendations for sustainability for both communities and funding bodies. The views and experiences shared by the stakeholders in this project can serve as lessons learnt to aid in the sustainability of other health promotion and injury prevention programmes in the future. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The ELIXIR-EXCELERATE Train-the-Trainer pilot programme: empower researchers to deliver high-quality training.

PubMed

Morgan, Sarah L; Palagi, Patricia M; Fernandes, Pedro L; Koperlainen, Eija; Dimec, Jure; Marek, Diana; Larcombe, Lee; Rustici, Gabriella; Attwood, Teresa K; Via, Allegra

2017-01-01

One of the main goals of the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE project from the European Union's Horizon 2020 programme is to support a pan-European training programme to increase bioinformatics capacity and competency across ELIXIR Nodes. To this end, a Train-the-Trainer (TtT) programme has been developed by the TtT subtask of EXCELERATE's Training Platform, to try to expose bioinformatics instructors to aspects of pedagogy and evidence-based learning principles, to help them better design, develop and deliver high-quality training in future. As a first step towards such a programme, an ELIXIR-EXCELERATE TtT (EE-TtT) pilot was developed, drawing on existing 'instructor training' models, using input both from experienced instructors and from experts in bioinformatics, the cognitive sciences and educational psychology. This manuscript describes the process of defining the pilot programme, illustrates its goals, structure and contents, and discusses its outcomes. From Jan 2016 to Jan 2017, we carried out seven pilot EE-TtT courses (training more than sixty new instructors), collaboratively drafted the training materials, and started establishing a network of trainers and instructors within the ELIXIR community. The EE-TtT pilot represents an essential step towards the development of a sustainable and scalable ELIXIR TtT programme. Indeed, the lessons learned from the pilot, the experience gained, the materials developed, and the analysis of the feedback collected throughout the seven pilot courses have both positioned us to consolidate the programme in the coming years, and contributed to the development of an enthusiastic and expanding ELIXIR community of instructors and trainers.

The ELIXIR-EXCELERATE Train-the-Trainer pilot programme: empower researchers to deliver high-quality training

PubMed Central

Morgan, Sarah L; Koperlainen, Eija; Dimec, Jure; Marek, Diana; Larcombe, Lee; Rustici, Gabriella; Attwood, Teresa K; Via, Allegra

2017-01-01

One of the main goals of the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE project from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme is to support a pan-European training programme to increase bioinformatics capacity and competency across ELIXIR Nodes. To this end, a Train-the-Trainer (TtT) programme has been developed by the TtT subtask of EXCELERATE’s Training Platform, to try to expose bioinformatics instructors to aspects of pedagogy and evidence-based learning principles, to help them better design, develop and deliver high-quality training in future. As a first step towards such a programme, an ELIXIR-EXCELERATE TtT (EE-TtT) pilot was developed, drawing on existing ‘instructor training’ models, using input both from experienced instructors and from experts in bioinformatics, the cognitive sciences and educational psychology. This manuscript describes the process of defining the pilot programme, illustrates its goals, structure and contents, and discusses its outcomes. From Jan 2016 to Jan 2017, we carried out seven pilot EE-TtT courses (training more than sixty new instructors), collaboratively drafted the training materials, and started establishing a network of trainers and instructors within the ELIXIR community. The EE-TtT pilot represents an essential step towards the development of a sustainable and scalable ELIXIR TtT programme. Indeed, the lessons learned from the pilot, the experience gained, the materials developed, and the analysis of the feedback collected throughout the seven pilot courses have both positioned us to consolidate the programme in the coming years, and contributed to the development of an enthusiastic and expanding ELIXIR community of instructors and trainers. PMID:28928938

Cheating as Subversive and Strategic Resistance: Vocational Students' Resistance and Conformity towards Academic Subjects in a Swedish Upper Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogberg, Ronny

2011-01-01

This article is based on a field study in two boy-dominated classes in a vocational programme in a Swedish upper secondary school. The focus of the article is the boys' perspective on their cheating activities during lessons and tests within academic subjects. Since the boys often regarded these subjects as boring and useless in relation to their…

When to Randomize: Lessons from Independent Impact Evaluation of Reading to Learn (RtL) Programme to Improve Literacy and Numeracy in Kenya and Uganda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oketch, Moses; Ngware, Moses; Mutisya, Maurice; Kassahun, Admassu; Abuya, Benta; Musyoka, Peter

2014-01-01

In East Africa, there is great effort directed toward ensuring that there is learning and value for money invested in universal education policies initiated over the past decade. Kenya and Uganda are two countries that typify this effort. The effort includes the work of research organisations such as Uwezo, which assess learning levels; RTI, which…

Boosting innovation in the water sector--the role and lessons learned from collaborative projects.

PubMed

Alegre, H; Coelho, S T; Feliciano, J F; Matos, R

2015-01-01

A key worldwide challenge in most sectors is to boost the effective adoption of innovation, as underpinned by the new European Union research programme Horizon 2020, which focuses on increasing innovation in Europe from 2014 to 2020. This is particularly relevant in the water sector, often perceived as conservative and averse to change. This paper discusses the role that collaborative knowledge-transfer projects can play in effectively rolling out R&D in the water industry. LNEC (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil) has designed a structured model based on a phased programme and a network of utilities and researchers. The paper presents the core principles, the rationale, the model and methods used, and the theoretical background, as well as the project's impact, outcomes and products. The discussion highlights the lessons learnt and provides a formal analysis of the advantages of focusing on middle management as an effective entry point, even if innovation is needed across the organization. Making training materials, guidelines, use cases, data and software publicly available after the project's end has proven to have a decisive multiplying effect. The paper also argues in favour of the collaborative model as a basis for R&D sustainability, and details on-going and planned developments.

From psycho-social theory to sustainable classroom practice: developing a research-based teacher-delivered sex education programme.

PubMed

Wight, D; Abraham, C

2000-02-01

This paper describes the development of a theoretically based sex education programme currently undergoing a randomized controlled trial in the UK. It considers some of the practical difficulties involved in translating research-based conclusions into acceptable, replicable and potentially effective classroom lessons. The discussion acknowledges that the implications of social psychological research and the requirements of rigorous evaluation may conflict with accepted principles inherent in current sex education practice. It also emphasizes that theoretical ideas must be carefully embedded in lessons which are informed by an awareness of classroom culture, and the needs and skills of teachers. For example, the use of same-sex student groups to reflect on the gendered construction of sexuality may be problematic. Materials must be tailored to recipients' circumstances, which may require substituting for limited experience with the use of detailed scripts and scenarios. Furthermore, role-play techniques for sexual negotiation that work elsewhere may not be effective in the UK. The use of trigger video sessions and other techniques are recommended. Finally, the problems involved in promoting condom-related skills are discussed. The paper concludes that, if an intervention is to be sustainable beyond the research stage, it must be designed to overcome such problems while remaining theoretically informed.

Large-scale road safety programmes in low- and middle-income countries: an opportunity to generate evidence.

PubMed

Hyder, Adnan A; Allen, Katharine A; Peters, David H; Chandran, Aruna; Bishai, David

2013-01-01

The growing burden of road traffic injuries, which kill over 1.2 million people yearly, falls mostly on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite this, evidence generation on the effectiveness of road safety interventions in LMIC settings remains scarce. This paper explores a scientific approach for evaluating road safety programmes in LMICs and introduces such a road safety multi-country initiative, the Road Safety in 10 Countries Project (RS-10). By building on existing evaluation frameworks, we develop a scientific approach for evaluating large-scale road safety programmes in LMIC settings. This also draws on '13 lessons' of large-scale programme evaluation: defining the evaluation scope; selecting study sites; maintaining objectivity; developing an impact model; utilising multiple data sources; using multiple analytic techniques; maximising external validity; ensuring an appropriate time frame; the importance of flexibility and a stepwise approach; continuous monitoring; providing feedback to implementers, policy-makers; promoting the uptake of evaluation results; and understanding evaluation costs. The use of relatively new approaches for evaluation of real-world programmes allows for the production of relevant knowledge. The RS-10 project affords an important opportunity to scientifically test these approaches for a real-world, large-scale road safety evaluation and generate new knowledge for the field of road safety.

Monitoring and evaluation of strategic change programme implementation-Lessons from a case analysis.

PubMed

Neumann, Jan; Robson, Andrew; Sloan, Diane

2018-02-01

This study considered the monitoring and evaluation of a large-scale and domestic and global strategic change programme implementation. It considers the necessary prerequisites to overcome challenges and barriers that prevent systematic and effective monitoring and evaluation to take place alongside its operationalisation. The work involves a case study based on a major industrial company from the energy sector. The change programme makes particular reference to changes in business models, business processes, organisation structures as well as Enterprise Resource Planning infrastructure. The case study focussed on the summative evaluation of the programme post-implementation. This assessment involved 25 semi-structured interviews with employees across a range of managerial strata capturing more than 65 roles within the change programme at both local and global levels. Data relating to their perception of evaluation effectiveness and shortcomings were analysed by means of template analysis. The study identifies responsibilities for executing an evaluation alongside various methods and tools that are appropriate, thereby focussing on the "Who" (roles, responsibility for particular activities) and "How" (methods and tools) rather than "What" to monitor and evaluate. The findings are presented generically so they offer new insights and transferability for practitioners involved in managing strategic change and its associated evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Competency-based education: programme design and challenges to implementation.

PubMed

Gruppen, Larry D; Burkhardt, John C; Fitzgerald, James T; Funnell, Martha; Haftel, Hilary M; Lypson, Monica L; Mullan, Patricia B; Santen, Sally A; Sheets, Kent J; Stalburg, Caren M; Vasquez, John A

2016-05-01

Competency-based education (CBE) has been widely cited as an educational framework for medical students and residents, and provides a framework for designing educational programmes that reflect four critical features: a focus on outcomes, an emphasis on abilities, a reduction of emphasis on time-based training, and promotion of learner centredness. Each of these features has implications and potential challenges for implementing CBE. As an experiment in CBE programme design and implementation, the University of Michigan Master of Health Professions Education (UM-MHPE) degree programme was examined for lessons to be learned when putting CBE into practice. The UM-MHPE identifies 12 educational competencies and 20 educational entrustable professional activities (EPAs) that serve as the vehicle for both learning and assessment. The programme also defines distinct roles of faculty members as assessors, mentors and subject-matter experts focused on highly individualised learning plans adapted to each learner. Early experience with implementing the UM-MHPE indicates that EPAs and competencies can provide a viable alternative to traditional courses and a vehicle for rigorous assessment. A high level of individualisation is feasible but carries with it significant costs and makes intentional community building essential. Most significantly, abandoning a time-based framework is a difficult innovation to implement in a university structure that is predicated on time-based education. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

77 FR 37687 - Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... importance of mitigation activities, the FY 2012 FP&S will be allocated $35 million for grants. The FP&S... grants supporting eligible fire prevention activities and research and development activities that...,250) of AFG Program funds for the FP&S Grant Program. However, due to the importance of mitigation...

Modulus, Strength and Thermal Exposure Studies of FP-Al2O3/Aluminum and FP-Al2O3/Magnesium Composites.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

for the ~AUG18IS~ 1W Symposium on Comites and Advanced Materials*M sponsored by the American Ceramic Society Coco Beach, Florida, January 18424, 1981E...properties of cFP-A203 fiber reinforced composites prepared by liquid metal infiltration f a techniques. The first approach was the incorporation of a...coated FP-A1203 fibers in the composites. This coating is readily wet by molten aluminum and permitted the use of more conventional aluminum alloys

Free electron laser and fundamental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dattoli, Giuseppe; Nguyen, Federico

2018-03-01

This review paper is devoted to the understanding of free-electron lasers (FEL) as devices for fundamental physics (FP) studies. After clarifying what FP stands for, we select some aspects of the FEL physics which can be viewed as fundamental. Furthermore, we discuss the perspective uses of the FEL in FP experiments. Regarding the FP aspects of the FEL, we analyze the quantum electrodynamics (QED) nature of the underlying laser mechanism. We look for the truly quantum signature in a process whose phenomenology is dominated by classical effects. As to the use of FEL as a tool for FP experiments we discuss the realization of a device dedicated to the study of non-linear effects in QED such as photon-photon scattering and shining-through-the-wall experiments planned to search for dark matter candidates like axions.

Floor plate chemoattracts crossed axons and chemorepels uncrossed axons in the vertebrate brain.

PubMed

Tamada, A; Shirasaki, R; Murakami, F

1995-05-01

In the bilaterally symmetrical vertebrate CNS, all developing axons must choose between remaining on the same side of the midline or growing across it. The mechanism underlying this axonal pathfinding is, however, poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the ventral midline floor plate (FP) chemorepels two types of ipsilaterally projecting axons, one from the alar plate and another from the basal plate in the mesencephalon. We further demonstrate that the FP chemoattracts contralaterally projecting myelencephalic as well as metencephalic axons. The FP at all axial levels displayed both chemoattractive and chemorepellent activities, suggesting that FP chemoattraction and chemorepulsion may be at work throughout the neuraxis. Chemotropic guidance by the FP may therefore play a key role in the establishment of neuronal projection laterality.

Anti-mitochondrial flavoprotein autoantibodies of patients with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy (anti-M7): interaction with flavin-carrying proteins, effect of vitamin B2 and epitope mapping

PubMed Central

Stähle, I; Brizzio, C; Barile, M; Brandsch, R

1999-01-01

Vitamin B2 and flavin cofactors are transported tightly bound to immunoglobulin in human serum. We reasoned that anti-mitochondrial flavoprotein autoantibodies (αFp-AB) present in the serum of patients with myocarditis and cardiomyopathy of unknown aetiology may form immunoglobulin aggregates with these serum proteins. However, immunodiffusion and Western blot assays demonstrated that the flavin-carrying proteins were not recognized by αFp-AB. Apparently the flavin moiety in the native protein conformation was inaccessible to αFp-AB. This conclusion was supported by the absence of an immunoreaction between the riboflavin-binding protein from egg white and αFP-AB. Intravenous application of vitamin B2 to rabbits immunized with 6-hydroxy-d-nicotine oxidase, a bacterial protein carrying covalently attached FAD, did not neutralize αFp-AB which had been raised in the serum of the animals. FAD-carrying peptides generated from 6-hydroxy-d-nicotine oxidase by trypsin and chymotrypsin treatment were not recognized by the αFp-AB, but those generated by endopeptidase Lys were. This demonstrates that the epitope recognized by αFp-AB comprises, besides the flavin moiety, protein secondary structure elements. PMID:10193410

Investigating FP Tau’s protoplanetary disk structure through modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinjikji, Marah; Espaillat, Catherine

2017-01-01

This project presents a study aiming to understand the structure of the protoplanetary disk around FP Tau, a very young, very low mass star in the Taurus star-forming region. We have gathered existing optical, Spitzer, Herschel and submillimeter observations to construct the spectral energy distribution (SED) of FP Tau. We have used the D’Alessio et al (2006) physically self-consistent irradiated accretion disk model including dust settling to model the disk of FP Tau. Using this method, the best fit for the SED of FP Tau is a model that includes a gap located 10-20 AU away from the star. This gap is filled with optically thin dust that separates the optically thick dust in the outer disk from the optically thick dust in the inner disk. These characteristics indicate that FP Tau’s protostellar system is best classified as a pre-transitional disk. Near-infrared interferometry in the K-Band from Willson et al 2016 indicates that FP Tau has a small gap located 10-20 AU from the star, which is consistent with the model we produced, lending further support to the pre-transitional disk interpretation. The most likely explanation for the existence of a gap in the disk is a forming planet.

Assessing trihalomethanes (THMs) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) formation potentials in drinking water treatment plants using fluorescence spectroscopy and parallel factor analysis.

PubMed

Yang, Liyang; Kim, Daekyun; Uzun, Habibullah; Karanfil, Tanju; Hur, Jin

2015-02-01

The formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) is a major challenge in drinking water treatments. This study explored the applicability of fluorescence excitation-emission matrices and parallel factor analysis (EEM-PARAFAC) for assessing the formation potentials (FPs) of trihalomethanes (THMs) and N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and the treatability of THM and NDMA precursors in nine drinking water treatment plants. Two humic-like and one tryptophan-like components were identified for the samples using PARAFAC. The total THM FP (TTHM FP) correlated strongly with humic-like component C2 (r=0.874), while NDMA FP showed a moderate and significant correlation with the tryptophan-like component C3 (r=0.628). The reduction by conventional treatment was more effective for C2 than C3, and for TTHM FP than NDMA FP. The treatability of DOM and TTHM FP correlated negatively with the absorption spectral slope (S275-295) and biological index (BIX) of the raw water, but it correlated positively with humification index (HIX). Our results demonstrated that PARAFAC components were valuable for assessing DBPs FP in drinking water treatments, and also that the raw water quality could affect the treatment efficiency. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The principle of finiteness - a guideline for physical laws

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sternlieb, Abraham

2013-04-01

I propose a new principle in physics-the principle of finiteness (FP). It stems from the definition of physics as a science that deals with measurable dimensional physical quantities. Since measurement results including their errors, are always finite, FP postulates that the mathematical formulation of legitimate laws in physics should prevent exactly zero or infinite solutions. I propose finiteness as a postulate, as opposed to a statement whose validity has to be corroborated by, or derived theoretically or experimentally from other facts, theories or principles. Some consequences of FP are discussed, first in general, and then more specifically in the fields of special relativity, quantum mechanics, and quantum gravity. The corrected Lorentz transformations include an additional translation term depending on the minimum length epsilon. The relativistic gamma is replaced by a corrected gamma, that is finite for v=c. To comply with FP, physical laws should include the relevant extremum finite values in their mathematical formulation. An important prediction of FP is that there is a maximum attainable relativistic mass/energy which is the same for all subatomic particles, meaning that there is a maximum theoretical value for cosmic rays energy. The Generalized Uncertainty Principle required by Quantum Gravity is actually a necessary consequence of FP at Planck's scale. Therefore, FP may possibly contribute to the axiomatic foundation of Quantum Gravity.

Changing Face of Family Planning Funding in Kenya: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Two Urban Counties.

PubMed

Keyonzo, Nelson; Korir, Julius; Abilla, Faith; Sirera, Morine; Nyakwara, Peter; Bazant, Eva; Waka, Charles; Koskei, Nancy; Kabue, Mark

2017-12-01

As international development partners reduce funding for family planning (FP) programs, the need to estimate the financial resources devoted to FP is becoming increasingly important both at all levels. This cross-sectional assessment examined the FP financing sources, agents, and expenditures in two counties of Kenya for fiscal years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012 to guide local decision-making on financial allocations. Data were collected through a participatory process. This involved stakeholder interviews, review of financial records and service statistics, and a survey of facilities offering FP services. Financing sources and agents were identified, and source amounts calculated. Types of FP provider organizations and the amounts spent by expenditure categories were identified. Overall, five financing sources and seven agents for FP were identified. Total two-year expenditures were KSh 307.8 M (US$ 3.62 M). The government's share of funding rose from 12% to 21% over the two years (p=0.029). In 2010/2011, the largest expense categories were administration, commodities, and labor; however, spending on commodities increased by 47% (p=0.042). This study provides local managers with FP financing and expenditure information for use in budget allocation decision-making. These analyses can be done routinely and replicated in other local counties or countries in a context of devolution.

A Moisture Function of Soil Heterotrophic Respiration Derived from Pore-scale Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Z.; Todd-Brown, K. E.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.; Bailey, V.; Liu, C.

2017-12-01

Soil heterotrophic respiration (HR) is an important process controlling carbon (C) flux, but its response to changes in soil water content (θ) is poorly understood. Earth system models (ESMs) use empirical moisture functions developed from specific sites to describe the HR-θ relationship in soils, introducing significant uncertainty. Generalized models derived from mechanisms that control substrate availability and microbial respiration are thus urgently needed. Here we derive, present, and test a novel moisture function fp developed from pore-scale mechanisms. This fp encapsulates primary physicochemical and biological processes controlling HR response to moisture variation in soils. We tested fp against a wide range of published data for different soil types, and found that fp reliably predicted diverse HR- relationships. The mathematical relationship between the parameters in fp and macroscopic soil properties such as porosity and organic C content was also established, enabling to estimate fp using soil properties. Compared with empirical moisture functions used in ESMs, this derived fp could reduce uncertainty in predicting the response of soil organic C stock to climate changes. In addition, this work is one of the first studies to upscale a mechanistic soil HR model based on pore-scale processes, thus linking the pore-scale mechanisms with macroscale observations.

Knowledge, attitudes and awareness regarding fertility preservation among oncologists and clinical practitioners in Lebanon.

PubMed

Ghazeeri, Ghina; Zebian, Dina; Nassar, Anwar H; Harajly, Sally; Abdallah, Alain; Hakimian, Stephanie; Skaiff, Bassem; Abbas, Hussein A; Awwad, Johnny

2016-06-01

Fertility preservation (FP) aims to help individuals overcome the infertility associated with cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation. The objective of this study was to assess the awareness, attitudes and knowledge of oncologists' and clinical practitioners' (CPs) about fertility preservation and its options in Lebanon. This was a cross-sectional study with surveys carried out between March 2012 and February 2013 on CPs at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre and Saint Jude's Children Cancer Centre as well as all registered oncologists in Lebanon. Ninety percent of CPs (n = 88) and 94% of oncologists (n = 53) agreed that fertility preservation should be discussed with patient before their cancer treatment. Our data showed a gender bias in relation to patients being informed of their FP options, as well as conflicting knowledge of FP options available in Lebanon among oncologists. The CPs were more likely to have accurate knowledge of FP options and treatment than oncologists. A proactive approach is required to: (1) increase the awareness and knowledge of FP; (2) improve attitudes towards FP; and (3) encourage its communication between CPs, oncologists and patients in Lebanon. Increased education programs, awareness campaigns and development of dedicated FP centres are needed.

Identification of JAK2 as a Mediator of FIP1L1-PDGFRA-Induced Eosinophil Growth and Function in CEL

PubMed Central

Li, Bin; Zhang, Guangsen; Li, Cui; He, Dan; Li, Xinying; Zhang, Chunfang; Tang, Faqing; Deng, Xiyun; Lu, Jingchen; Tang, Youhong; Li, Ruijuan; Chen, Zhuchu; Duan, Chaojun

2012-01-01

The Fip1-like1 (FIP1L1)-platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha fusion gene (F/P) arising in the pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell (HSC),causes 14% to 60% of patients with hypereosinophilia syndrome (HES). These patients, classified as having F/P (+) chronic eosinophilic leukemia (CEL), present with clonal eosinophilia and display a more aggressive disease phenotype than patients with F/P (–) HES patients. The mechanisms underlying predominant eosinophil lineage targeting and the cytotoxicity of eosinophils in this leukemia remain unclear. Given that the Janus tyrosine kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (Stat) signaling pathway is key to cytokine receptor-mediated eosinophil development and activated Stat3 and Stat5 regulate the expression of genes involved in F/P malignant transformation, we investigated whether and how JAK proteins were involved in the pathogenesis of F/P-induced CEL. F/P activation of JAK2, Stat3 and Stat5, were confirmed in all the 11 F/P (+) CEL patients examined. In vitro inhibition of JAK2 in EOL-1, primary F/P(+) CEL cells (PC) and T674I F/P Imatinib resistant cells(IR) by either JAK2-specific short interfering RNA (siRNA) or the tryphostin derivative AG490(AG490), significantly reduced cellular proliferation and induced cellular apoptosis. The F/P can enhance the IL-5-induced JAK2 activation, and further results indicated that JAK2 inhibition blocked IL-5-induced cellular migration and activation of the EOL-1 and PC cells in vitro. F/P-stimulation of the JAK2 suppressed cells led to a significantly reduction in Stat3 activation, but relatively normal induction of Stat5 activation. Interestingly, JAK2 inhibition also reduced PI3K, Akt and NF-κB activity in a dose-dependent manner, and suppressed expression levels of c-Myc and Survivin. These results strongly suggest that JAK2 is activated by F/P and is required for F/P stimulation of cellular proliferation and infiltration, possibly through induction of c-Myc and Survivin expression via activation of multiple signaling pathways, including NF-κB, Stat3, and PI3K/Akt. PMID:22523564

Transgender men's experiences of fertility preservation: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Armuand, G; Dhejne, C; Olofsson, J I; Rodriguez-Wallberg, K A

2017-02-01

How do transgender men experience fertility preservation (FP) by cryopreservation of oocytes? The procedures required prior to oocyte cryopreservation, such as hormonal ovarian stimulation and transvaginal ultrasound (TVS), have a negative impact on gender dysphoria as they are closely linked to the men's female assigned sex at birth, which is incompatible with their current status. Transgender persons often have high dissatisfaction with assigned sex-specific body features, such as the genital organs and androgen/oestrogen-responsive features. Thus, undergoing FP that requires genital-specific examinations, aimed at obtaining oocytes to cryopreserve, could be distressing. As no previous studies have investigated transgender men's experiences of FP involving cryopreservation of oocytes, little is known about their experience of the procedures. This is a prospective study among adult transgender men referred for FP between March 2014 and December 2015. Individual in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted shortly after FP treatment. The interviews lasted between 62 and 111 min (mean 81 min) and were digitally recorded and transcribed verbatim. Participants were recruited on their first visit to the assisted reproduction clinic for reproductive counseling. There were 15 men, scheduled for FP, who chose to participate in the study (age 19-35); none had given birth and eight had a partner. Data were analyzed by thematic content analysis. The analysis resulted in three main categories: the journey to FP, reactions to the FP proceedings and strategies for coping. The referral for FP was an important part of the assessment and diagnosis and sometimes lined with frustrating waits and doubts. The reaction to the FP proceedings revealed that the genital examinations and the physical changes associated with discontinuation of testosterone or hormonal stimulation treatment triggered gender incongruence and dysphoria. However, for some, the negative expectations were not met. The participants used several coping strategies in order to manage the procedure, such as focusing on their reasons for undergoing FP, reaching out to friends and family for support and the cognitive approaches of not hating their body or using non-gendered names for their body parts. The results demonstrate the importance of contextual sensitivity during FP procedures. The authors have strived to be reflective about their pre-understanding of the phenomenon. The majority of the participants resided in large urban areas; it is possible that transgender men living in rural areas have different experiences. As the results are based on qualitative data from 15 transgender men, the results cannot readily be generalized to larger populations. However, the results are suggested to be applicable to other transgender men who want to undergo FP by cryopreservation of oocytes. The results show that transgender men's experience of FP places may elicit gender incongruence and gender dysphoria. However, health care personnel can alleviate distress by using a gender-neutral language and the preferred pronoun. Also, reassuringly, the men also have coping strategies of how to handle the situation. This knowledge is important to ensure adequate professional support for patients with gender dysphoria during FP. Swedish Society of Medicine, Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institutet (to K.A.R.-W.). N/A. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

DebugIT for patient safety - improving the treatment with antibiotics through multimedia data mining of heterogeneous clinical data.

PubMed

Lovis, Christian; Colaert, Dirk; Stroetmann, Veli N

2008-01-01

The concepts and architecture underlying a large-scale integrating project funded within the 7th EU Framework Programme (FP7) are discussed. The main objective of the project is to build a tool that will have a significant impact for the monitoring and the control of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistances in Europe; This will be realized by building a technical and semantic infrastructure able to share heterogeneous clinical data sets from different hospitals in different countries, with different languages and legislations; to analyze large amounts of this clinical data with advanced multimedia data mining and finally apply the obtained knowledge for clinical decisions and outcome monitoring. There are numerous challenges in this project at all levels, technical, semantical, legal and ethical that will have to be addressed.

Early type galaxies: Mapping out the two-dimensional space of galaxy star formation histories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, Genevieve J.

Early type galaxies form a multi-parameter family, as evidenced by the two- dimensional (2-D) Fundamental Plane relationship. However, their star formation histories are often treated as a one-dimensional mass sequence. This dissertation presents a systematic study of the relationship between the multi- parameter structural properties of early type galaxies and their star formation histoires. We demonstrate that the stellar populations of early type galaxies span a 2-D space, which means that their star formation histories form a two- parameter family. This 2-D family is then mapped onto several familiar early type galaxy scaling relations, including the color-magnitude relation, the Fundamental Plane, and a cross-section through the Fundamental Plane. We find that the stellar population properties, and therefore the star formation histories of early type galaxies depend most strongly on galaxy velocity dispersion (s), rather than on luminosity ( L ), stellar mass ( M [low *] ), or dynamical mass ( M dyn ). Interestingly, stellar populations are independent of the radius ( R e ) of the galaxies. At fixed s, they show correlated residuals through the thickness of the Fundamental Plane (FP) in the surface-brightness ( I e ) dimension, such that low-surface-brightness galaxies are older, less metal-enriched, and more enhanced in Mg relative to Fe than their counterparts at the same s and R e on the FP midplane. Similarly, high- surface-brightness galaxies are younger, more metal-rich, and less Mg-enhanced than their counterparts on the FP midplane. These differences suggest that the duration of star formation varies through the thickness of the FP. If the dynamical mass-to-light ratios of early type galaxies ( M dyn /L ) were constant for all such galaxies, the FP would be equivalent to the plane predicted by the virial relation. However, the observed FP does not exactly match the virial plane. The FP is tilted from the virial plane, indicating that M dyn /L varies systematically across it. Furthermore the FP relation, although relatively tight, shows more scatter in surface brightness (at fixed s and R e ) than is predicted by observational errors. This finite thickness indicates that M dyn /L also varies at a fixed point on the FP. We observe that the stellar populations of early type galaxies vary through the thickness of the FP. These differences translate into variations in the stellar mass-to-light ratio ( M [low *] /L ) that contribute to both the tilt and the thickness of the FP. However, the mass-to-light variations due to stellar population differences are too small to explain either the tilt of the FP or its thickness. This implies that the tilt and thickness of the FP are driven by systematic variations in either the central dark matter fraction in galaxies or in the IMF with which they form stars. Furthermore, because star formation histories can be mapped onto locations in FP-space, the variations in central dark matter fraction or IMF differences must be correlated with differences in the galaxies' star formation histories.

Developing biology teachers' pedagogical content knowledge through learning study: the case of teaching human evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravo, Paulina; Cofré, Hernán

2016-11-01

This work explores how pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) on evolution was modified by two biology teachers who participated in a professional development programme (PDP) that included a subsequent follow-up in the classroom. The PDP spanned a semester and included activities such as content updates, collaborative lesson planning, and the presentation of planned lessons. In the follow-up part, the lessons were videotaped and analysed, identifying strategies, activities, and conditions based on student learning about the theory of evolution. Data were collected in the first round with an interview before the training process, identifying these teachers' initial content representation (CoRe) for evolution. Then, a group interview was conducted after the lessons, and, finally, an interview of stimulated recall with each teacher was conducted regarding the subject taught to allow teachers to reflect on their practice (final CoRe). This information was analysed by the teachers and the researchers, reflecting on the components of the PCK, possible changes, and the rationale behind their actions. The results show that teachers changed their beliefs and knowledge about the best methods and strategies to teach evolution, and about students' learning obstacles and misconceptions on evolution. They realised how a review of their own practices promotes this transformation.