Increasing Academic Rigor through Comprehensive, Ongoing Professional Development in Rural Special Education: A Description of the SPLASH Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Courtade, Ginevra R.; Shipman, Stacy D.; Williams, Rachel

2017-01-01

SPLASH is a 3-year professional development program designed to work with classroom teachers of students with moderate and severe disabilities. The program targets new teachers and employs methods aimed at supporting rural classrooms. The training content focuses on evidence-based practices in English language arts, mathematics, and science, as…

Expanding the Audience for the Performing Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreasen, Alan R.

Becoming involved in the arts is a process that involves movement through several stages, from disinterest to active attendance at and enthusiasm for performing arts events. Since target consumers at any time will differ in their placement on this continuum, marketing programs to expand arts audiences must first identify where each target segment…

Targeting critical sediment source areas using SWAT and WEPP roads

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several state and federal conservation programs provide financial assistance or benefits for landowners who remove cropland from production or implement soil and water conservation measures. Due to limited funding, only a small fraction of a watershed can be included in such programs. The goals of t...

Crafting a Successful Bully Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurrer-Shank, Marlene R.

2010-01-01

Bullying continues to be a serious problem in schools everywhere, and states are enacting laws that target bullying and harassment on campus. Several state legislatures have proposed laws that require schools to establish anti-bullying policies and programs. Therefore, education leaders and school business officials should ensure that the bully…

Engaging Undergraduates in an Interdisciplinary Program: Developing a Biomaterial Technology Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liang, Jia-chi; Kung, Shieh-shiuh; Sun, Yi-ming

2009-01-01

Yuan Ze University targeted Biomaterials Science and developed a curriculum related to Biotechnology, Biochemical Engineering, and Biomaterials for engineering students to cultivate talents for both engineering and biotechnology. After several years of operation, recruiting students has succeeded, and students are satisfied with the course design…

Assessing the Subsequent Effect of a Formative Evaluation on a Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, J. Lynne; Kiernan, Nancy Ellen

2001-01-01

Conducted a formative evaluation of an osteoporosis prevention health education program using several methods, including questionnaires completed by 256 women, and then compared formative evaluation results to those of a summative evaluation focusing on the same target group. Results show the usefulness of formative evaluation for strengthening…

The Time-domain Spectroscopic Survey: Target Selection for Repeat Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Chelsea L.; Green, Paul J.; Anderson, Scott F.; Eracleous, Michael; Ruan, John J.; Runnoe, Jessie; Nielsen Brandt, William; Badenes, Carles; Greene, Jenny; Morganson, Eric; Schmidt, Sarah J.; Schwope, Axel; Shen, Yue; Amaro, Rachael; Lebleu, Amy; Filiz Ak, Nurten; Grier, Catherine J.; Hoover, Daniel; McGraw, Sean M.; Dawson, Kyle; Hall, Patrick B.; Hawley, Suzanne L.; Mariappan, Vivek; Myers, Adam D.; Pâris, Isabelle; Schneider, Donald P.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Bershady, Matthew A.; Blanton, Michael R.; Seo, Hee-Jong; Tinker, Jeremy; Fernández-Trincado, J. G.; Chambers, Kenneth; Kaiser, Nick; Kudritzki, R.-P.; Magnier, Eugene; Metcalfe, Nigel; Waters, Chris Z.

2018-01-01

As astronomers increasingly exploit the information available in the time domain, spectroscopic variability in particular opens broad new channels of investigation. Here we describe the selection algorithms for all targets intended for repeat spectroscopy in the Time Domain Spectroscopic Survey (TDSS), part of the extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey within the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS)-IV. Also discussed are the scientific rationale and technical constraints leading to these target selections. The TDSS includes a large “repeat quasar spectroscopy” (RQS) program delivering ∼13,000 repeat spectra of confirmed SDSS quasars, and several smaller “few-epoch spectroscopy” (FES) programs targeting specific classes of quasars as well as stars. The RQS program aims to provide a large and diverse quasar data set for studying variations in quasar spectra on timescales of years, a comparison sample for the FES quasar programs, and an opportunity for discovering rare, serendipitous events. The FES programs cover a wide variety of phenomena in both quasars and stars. Quasar FES programs target broad absorption line quasars, high signal-to-noise ratio normal broad line quasars, quasars with double-peaked or very asymmetric broad emission line profiles, binary supermassive black hole candidates, and the most photometrically variable quasars. Strongly variable stars are also targeted for repeat spectroscopy, encompassing many types of eclipsing binary systems, and classical pulsators like RR Lyrae. Other stellar FES programs allow spectroscopic variability studies of active ultracool dwarf stars, dwarf carbon stars, and white dwarf/M dwarf spectroscopic binaries. We present example TDSS spectra and describe anticipated sample sizes and results.

Adolescent women as a key target population for community nutrition education programs in Indonesia.

PubMed

Savage, Amy; Februhartanty, Judhiastuty; Worsley, Anthony

2017-05-01

Adolescence is a critical life-stage that sets the foundation for health in adulthood. Adolescent women are a unique population and should be targeted as such for nutrition promotion activities. Using Indonesia as a case study, this qualitative study aimed to identify existing nutrition promotion programs aimed at adolescent girls, how best to target this population and effective recommendations to inform nutrition education program design for this important group. Semi-structured interviews and questionnaires were conducted with ten key informants working in public health in Indonesia. Interview transcripts were analysed and coded to identify key themes. No existing nutrition education programs targeting adolescent women in Indonesia were identified. Several strategies apply to nutrition programs for adolescent girls: 1) nutrition promotion messages that are relevant to the lifestyles and interests of adolescent women; 2) technology-based interventions show promise, however, they need to be appropriately targeted to sub-groups; 3) school remains an important setting; and 4) early marriage is an important issue affecting nutritional status and engagement of adolescent girls. The informants recommended that: 1) more research is needed about the underlying motivations for behaviour change among adolescent women and ways to effectively implement the identified engagement strategies; 2) adolescent girls should be included in program design to improve its suitability and uptake; and 3) government budget and policy support is crucial to success. Adolescent women are an important population group and more research is required to identify the optimal forms of engagement to improve nutrition programs for them.

Penalty Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Dim Targets Detection in Sensor Systems

PubMed Central

Huang, Dayu; Xue, Anke; Guo, Yunfei

2012-01-01

In order to detect and track multiple maneuvering dim targets in sensor systems, an improved dynamic programming track-before-detect algorithm (DP-TBD) called penalty DP-TBD (PDP-TBD) is proposed. The performances of tracking techniques are used as a feedback to the detection part. The feedback is constructed by a penalty term in the merit function, and the penalty term is a function of the possible target state estimation, which can be obtained by the tracking methods. With this feedback, the algorithm combines traditional tracking techniques with DP-TBD and it can be applied to simultaneously detect and track maneuvering dim targets. Meanwhile, a reasonable constraint that a sensor measurement can originate from one target or clutter is proposed to minimize track separation. Thus, the algorithm can be used in the multi-target situation with unknown target numbers. The efficiency and advantages of PDP-TBD compared with two existing methods are demonstrated by several simulations. PMID:22666074

Critical Care Statistics

MedlinePlus

... A, Huang SA, Murthy P, et.al. Quality improvement and cost savings after implementation of the Leapfrog ... Campaign: results of an international guideline-based performance improvement program targeting severe sepsis. Intensive Care Med . 2010 ...

A randomized controlled trial targeting alcohol use and sexual assault risk among college women at high risk for victimization.

PubMed

Gilmore, Amanda K; Lewis, Melissa A; George, William H

2015-11-01

Sexual assault risk reduction programs do not target alcohol use despite the widespread knowledge that alcohol use is a risk factor for being victimized. The current study assessed the effectiveness of a web-based combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction program using a randomized control trial. A total of 207 college women between the ages of 18 and 20 who engaged in heavy episodic drinking were randomized to one of five conditions: full assessment only control condition, sexual assault risk reduction condition, alcohol use reduction condition, combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction condition, and a minimal assessment only condition. Participants completed a 3-month follow-up survey on alcohol-related sexual assault outcomes, sexual assault outcomes, and alcohol use outcomes. Significant interactions revealed that women with higher severity of sexual assault at baseline experienced less incapacitated attempted or completed rapes, less severity of sexual assaults, and engaged in less heavy episodic drinking compared to the control condition at the 3-month follow-up. Web-based risk reduction programs targeting both sexual assault and alcohol use may be the most effective way to target the highest risk sample of college students for sexual assault: those with a sexual assault history and those who engage in heavy episodic drinking. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Targeting Alcohol Use and Sexual Assault Risk among College Women at High Risk for Victimization

PubMed Central

Gilmore, Amanda K.; Lewis, Melissa A.; George, William H.

2015-01-01

Current sexual assault risk reduction programs do not target alcohol use despite the widespread knowledge that alcohol use is a risk factor for being victimized. The current study assessed the effectiveness of a web-based combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction program using a randomized control trial. A total of 207 college women between the ages of 18 and 20 who engaged in heavy episodic drinking were randomized to one of five conditions: full assessment only control condition, sexual assault risk reduction condition, alcohol use reduction condition, combined sexual assault risk and alcohol use reduction condition, and a minimal assessment only condition. Participants completed a 3-month follow-up survey on alcohol-related sexual assault outcomes, sexual assault outcomes, and alcohol use outcomes. Significant interactions revealed that women with higher incidence and severity of sexual assault at baseline experienced less incapacitated attempted or completed rapes, less incidence/severity of sexual assaults, and engaged in less heavy episodic drinking compared to the control condition at the 3-month follow-up. Web-based risk reduction programs targeting both sexual assault and alcohol use may be the most effective way to target the highest risk sample of college students for sexual assault: those with a sexual assault history and those who engage in heavy episodic drinking. PMID:26408290

Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

PubMed Central

Ribic, Christine A.; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs. PMID:28081271

Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 - 2013.

PubMed

Ribic, Christine A; Donner, Deahn M; Beck, Albert J; Rugg, David J; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987-2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997-2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

Beaver colony density trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 – 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ribic, Christine; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Rugg, David J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony location data along Forest streams from 1987–2013 (Nicolet, northeast Wisconsin) and 1997–2013 (Chequamegon, northwest Wisconsin) to assess trends in beaver colony density on targeted trout streams compared to non-targeted streams. On the Chequamegon, colony density on non-targeted trout and non-trout streams did not change over time, while colony density on targeted trout streams declined and then stabilized. On the Nicolet, beaver colony density decreased on both non-targeted streams and targeted trout streams. However, colony density on targeted trout streams declined faster. The impact of targeted trapping was similar across the two sides of the Forest (60% reduction relative to non-targeted trout streams). Exploratory analyses of weather influences found that very dry conditions and severe winters were associated with transient reductions in beaver colony density on non-targeted streams on both sides of the Forest. Our findings may help land management agencies weigh more finely calibrated beaver control measures against continued large-scale removal programs.

Surface fuel loadings within mulching treatments in Colorado coniferous forests

Treesearch

Mike A. Battaglia; Monique E. Rocca; Charles C. Rhoades; Michael G. Ryan

2010-01-01

Recent large-scale, severe wildfires in the western United States have prompted extensive mechanical fuel treatment programs to reduce potential wildfire size and severity. Fuel reduction prescriptions typically target non-merchantable material so approaches to mechanically treat and distribute residue on site are becoming increasingly common. We examined how mulch...

Task-Based Assessment of Students' Computational Thinking Skills Developed through Visual Programming or Tangible Coding Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Djambong, Takam; Freiman, Viktor

2016-01-01

While today's schools in several countries, like Canada, are about to bring back programming to their curricula, a new conceptual angle, namely one of computational thinking, draws attention of researchers. In order to understand the articulation between computational thinking tasks in one side, student's targeted skills, and the types of problems…

Implementation and Evaluation of a Youth Violence Prevention Program for Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regan, Mary Elana

2009-01-01

Youth violence in the city of Philadelphia, PA, has reached epidemic proportions. The majority of homicides related to gun violence is most prevalent among African American males aged 19 to 24 years. Therefore, it is essential to implement youth violence prevention programs to a target population several years younger than this age group to…

Requirements Doc for Refurb of JASPER Facility in B131HB

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

Knittel, Kenn M.

The Joint Actinide Shock Physics Experimental Research (JASPER) Program target fabrication facility is currently located in building 131 (B131) of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). A portion of this current facility has been committed to another program as part of a larger effort to consolidate LLNL capabilities into newer facilities. This facility assembles precision targets for scientific studies at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). B131 is also going through a modernization project to upgrade the infrastructure and abate asbestos. These activities will interrupt the continuous target fabrication efforts for the JASPER Program. Several options are explored to meetmore » the above conflicting requirements, with the final recommendation to prepare a new facility for JASPER target fabrication operations before modernization efforts begin in the current facility assigned to JASPER. This recommendation fits within all schedule constraints and minimizes the disruption to the JASPER Program. This option is not without risk, as it requires moving an aged, precision coordinate measuring machine, which is essential to the JASPER Program’s success. The selected option balances the risk to the machine with continuity of operations.« less

Comparison of provider and plan-based targeting strategies for disease management.

PubMed

Annis, Ann M; Holtrop, Jodi Summers; Tao, Min; Chang, Hsiu-Ching; Luo, Zhehui

2015-05-01

We aimed to describe and contrast the targeting methods and engagement outcomes for health plan-delivered disease management with those of a provider-delivered care management program. Health plan epidemiologists partnered with university health services researchers to conduct a quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study of a 2-year pilot. We used semi-structured interviews to assess the characteristics of program-targeting strategies, and calculated target and engagement rates from clinical encounter data. Five physician organizations (POs) with 51 participating practices implemented care management. Health plan member lists were sent monthly to the practices to accept patients, and then the practices sent back data reports regarding targeting and engagement in care management. Among patients accepted by the POs, we compared those who were targeted and engaged by POs with those who met health plan targeting criteria. The health plan's targeting process combined claims algorithms and employer group preferences to identify candidates for disease management; on the other hand, several different factors influenced PO practices' targeting approaches, including clinical and personal knowledge of the patients, health assessment information, and availability of disease-relevant programs. Practices targeted a higher percentage of patients for care management than the health plan (38% vs 16%), where only 7% of these patients met the targeting criteria of both. Practices engaged a higher percentage of their targeted patients than the health plan (50% vs 13%). The health plan's claims-driven targeting approach and the clinically based strategies of practices both provide advantages; an optimal model may be to combine the strengths of each approach to maximize benefits in care management.

Population targeting amid complex mental health programming: Are California's Full Service Partnerships reaching underserved children?

PubMed

Cordell, Katharan D; Snowden, Lonnie R

2017-01-01

California's Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) created Full Service Partnership programs (FSPs) targeting socially and economically vulnerable children with mental illness who are underserved by counties' public mental health treatment system. To determine whether FSPs reach a distinctive group of children, this study compares indicators of FSP-targeted underservice for FSP entrants (n = 15,598) versus everyone treated in the counties' public mental health systems (n = 282,178) and for FSP entrants versus entrants in the most intensive Medicaid delivered program in California, Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS, n = 11,993). Results identify that, despite first encountering mental health services systems at earlier ages, FSP clients had fewer months of treatment and were less likely to have been treated in the prior 6 months, except for crisis care, as compared to all other children served, after considering clinical severity and indicators of service need. FSP entrants also had more substance abuse and trauma-related problems. Although less seriously ill than TBS served children, FSP served children were significantly underserved. The results indicate that, amid overlapping policies and programs, carving out and reaching a distinctly underserved population can be achieved in practice, and that specialized programs, such as the FSP program, which target underserved children, have the potential to augment a system's ability to reach the underserved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of a food supplementation program on the nutritional status of pregnant women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, M Mahmud; Ahmed, Shakil; Protik, Ali Ehsan; Dhar, Badal Chandra; Roy, S K

2005-12-01

The Government of Bangladesh implemented a comprehensive nutrition intervention in 1997 to reduce the rates of malnutrition among women and children. The pilot program, the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Program (BINP), adopted a multisectoral approach targeting women and children through food supplementation, home gardening, and health and nutrition education. This paper estimates the effectiveness of BINP's food supplementation and nutrition education on the nutritional status of pregnant women. Methods. Three effectiveness measures were considered: target efficiency, improvements in the nutritional status of beneficiaries, and the persistence of nutritional effects. To isolate the effects of the intervention, the nutritional status of participants and nonparticipants was compared after controlling for various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Data were collected in 2000 from a random sample of 3262 households in a BINP intervention area. Thirty-nine percent of pregnant women were correctly targeted by the program's food supplementation activities. The nutrition program reduced the prevalence of thinness among participant pregnant women by about 3 percentage points per month of enrollment. The prevalence of thinness among program graduates was 62%, which was much higher than that of the matched (nonparticipant) group (35%). This finding is perplexing but it may simply imply that those who enrolled at the initial phase of the project were severely underweight and they fell back to their original status within a short period of time. The nutrition program was intended to improve the nutritional status of women in the longer run through the provision of nutrition education during the food supplementation phase. The prevalence of thinness or severe underweight in women who exited the program after completion of the enrollment period was found to be much higher than in women of similar age and socioeconomic status in the community. This apparent lack of persistence of program benefits requires careful re-evaluation of alternative mechanisms for improving the long-term nutritional status of women.

Liquid Hydrogen Target Experience at SLAC

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

Weisend, J.G.; Boyce, R.; Candia, A.

2005-08-29

Liquid hydrogen targets have played a vital role in the physics program at SLAC for the past 40 years. These targets have ranged from small ''beer can'' targets to the 1.5 m long E158 target that was capable of absorbing up to 800 W without any significant density changes. Successful use of these targets has required the development of thin wall designs, liquid hydrogen pumps, remote positioning and alignment systems, safety systems, control and data acquisition systems, cryogenic cooling circuits and heat exchangers. Detailed operating procedures have been created to ensure safety and operational reliability. This paper surveys the evolutionmore » of liquid hydrogen targets at SLAC and discusses advances in several of the enabling technologies that made these targets possible.« less

Preventing the Onset of Child Sexual Abuse by Targeting Young Adolescents With Universal Prevention Programming

PubMed Central

Letourneau, Elizabeth J.; Schaeffer, Cindy M.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.; Feder, Kenneth A.

2017-01-01

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious public health problem that increases risk for physical and mental health problems across the life course. Young adolescents are responsible for a substantial portion of CSA offending, yet to our knowledge, no validated prevention programs that target CSA perpetration by youth exist. Most existing efforts to address CSA rely on reactive criminal justice policies or programs that teach children to protect themselves; neither approach is well validated. Given the high rates of desistance from sexual offending following a youth’s first CSA-related adjudication, it seems plausible that many youth could be prevented from engaging in their first offense. The goal of this article is to examine how school-based universal prevention programs might be used to prevent CSA perpetrated by adolescents. We review the literature on risk and protective factors for CSA perpetration and identify several promising factors to target in an intervention. We also summarize the literature on programs that have been effective at preventing adolescent dating violence and other serious problem behaviors. Finally, we describe a new CSA prevention program under development and early evaluation and make recommendations for program design characteristics, including unambiguous messaging, parental involvement, multisession dosage, skills practice, and bystander considerations. PMID:28413921

13 CFR 124.509 - What are non-8(a) business activity targets?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... firm for economic viability when program benefits are no longer available. (b) Required non-8(a... contract would cause severe economic hardship on the Participant so that the Participant's survival may be...

13 CFR 124.509 - What are non-8(a) business activity targets?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... firm for economic viability when program benefits are no longer available. (b) Required non-8(a... contract would cause severe economic hardship on the Participant so that the Participant's survival may be...

13 CFR 124.509 - What are non-8(a) business activity targets?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... firm for economic viability when program benefits are no longer available. (b) Required non-8(a... contract would cause severe economic hardship on the Participant so that the Participant's survival may be...

Prevention of adolescent depression in the Spanish-speaking world.

PubMed

Horn, Andrea B; Cañizares, Catalina; Gómez, Yvonne

2014-05-27

This paper aims at presenting programs targeted at the prevention of adolescent depression applied with Spanish-speaking populations that have been developed in Spanish-speaking countries and are mostly published in Spanish. These programs have been developed under different cultural contexts in Spain and Latin-America. The main goal of this paper is to make the studies and movements of the Spanish-speaking literature in this field accessible to the non-Spanish-speaking part of the research community. Therefore, after an introduction referring to possible cultural differences regarding depression in general and epidemiological basics, several programs are introduced. In total 11 programs will be shortly presented and discussed. After revising the programs it can be concluded that in the Spanish-speaking world many programs have been developed and conducted following current state of the art-approaches for adolescent depression prevention. Further research is needed especially targeting possible cultural and contextual aspects of prevention measures and their efficacy and efficiency.

Prevention of Adolescent Depression in the Spanish-Speaking World

PubMed Central

Horn, Andrea B.; Cañizares, Catalina; Gómez, Yvonne

2014-01-01

This paper aims at presenting programs targeted at the prevention of adolescent depression applied with Spanish-speaking populations that have been developed in Spanish-speaking countries and are mostly published in Spanish. These programs have been developed under different cultural contexts in Spain and Latin-America. The main goal of this paper is to make the studies and movements of the Spanish-speaking literature in this field accessible to the non-Spanish-speaking part of the research community. Therefore, after an introduction referring to possible cultural differences regarding depression in general and epidemiological basics, several programs are introduced. In total 11 programs will be shortly presented and discussed. After revising the programs it can be concluded that in the Spanish-speaking world many programs have been developed and conducted following current state of the art-approaches for adolescent depression prevention. Further research is needed especially targeting possible cultural and contextual aspects of prevention measures and their efficacy and efficiency. PMID:24871258

Automatic voxel-based morphometry of structural MRI by SPM8 plus diffeomorphic anatomic registration through exponentiated lie algebra improves the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer Disease.

PubMed

Matsuda, H; Mizumura, S; Nemoto, K; Yamashita, F; Imabayashi, E; Sato, N; Asada, T

2012-06-01

The necessity for structural MRI is greater than ever to both diagnose AD in its early stage and objectively evaluate its progression. We propose a new VBM-based software program for automatic detection of early specific atrophy in AD. A target VOI was determined by group comparison of 30 patients with very mild AD and 40 age-matched healthy controls by using SPM. Then this target VOI was incorporated into a newly developed automated software program independently running on a Windows PC for VBM by using SPM8 plus DARTEL. ROC analysis was performed for discrimination of 116 other patients with AD with very mild stage (n = 45), mild stage (n = 30) and moderate-to-advanced stages (n = 41) from 40 other age-matched healthy controls by using a z score map in the target VOI. Medial temporal structures involving the entire region of the entorhinal cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala showed significant atrophy in the patients with very mild AD and were determined as a target VOI. When we used the severity score of atrophy in this target VOI, 91.6%, 95.8%, and 98.2% accuracies were obtained in the very mild AD, mild AD, and moderate-to-severe AD groups, respectively. In the very mild AD group, a high specificity of 97.5% with a sensitivity of 86.4% was obtained, and age at onset of AD did not influence this accuracy. This software program with application of SPM8 plus DARTEL to VBM provides a high performance for AD diagnosis by using MRI.

Towards New Antifolates Targeting Eukaryotic Opportunistic Infections

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

Liu, J.; Bolstad, D; Bolstad, E

2009-01-01

Trimethoprim, an antifolate commonly prescribed in combination with sulfamethoxazole, potently inhibits several prokaryotic species of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). However, several eukaryotic pathogenic organisms are resistant to trimethoprim, preventing its effective use as a therapeutic for those infections. We have been building a program to reengineer trimethoprim to more potently and selectively inhibit eukaryotic species of DHFR as a viable strategy for new drug discovery targeting several opportunistic pathogens. We have developed a series of compounds that exhibit potent and selective inhibition of DHFR from the parasitic protozoa Cryptosporidium and Toxoplasma as well as the fungus Candida glabrata. A comparison ofmore » the structures of DHFR from the fungal species Candida glabrata and Pneumocystis suggests that the compounds may also potently inhibit Pneumocystis DHFR.« less

Benchmark of four popular virtual screening programs: construction of the active/decoy dataset remains a major determinant of measured performance.

PubMed

Chaput, Ludovic; Martinez-Sanz, Juan; Saettel, Nicolas; Mouawad, Liliane

2016-01-01

In a structure-based virtual screening, the choice of the docking program is essential for the success of a hit identification. Benchmarks are meant to help in guiding this choice, especially when undertaken on a large variety of protein targets. Here, the performance of four popular virtual screening programs, Gold, Glide, Surflex and FlexX, is compared using the Directory of Useful Decoys-Enhanced database (DUD-E), which includes 102 targets with an average of 224 ligands per target and 50 decoys per ligand, generated to avoid biases in the benchmarking. Then, a relationship between these program performances and the properties of the targets or the small molecules was investigated. The comparison was based on two metrics, with three different parameters each. The BEDROC scores with α = 80.5, indicated that, on the overall database, Glide succeeded (score > 0.5) for 30 targets, Gold for 27, FlexX for 14 and Surflex for 11. The performance did not depend on the hydrophobicity nor the openness of the protein cavities, neither on the families to which the proteins belong. However, despite the care in the construction of the DUD-E database, the small differences that remain between the actives and the decoys likely explain the successes of Gold, Surflex and FlexX. Moreover, the similarity between the actives of a target and its crystal structure ligand seems to be at the basis of the good performance of Glide. When all targets with significant biases are removed from the benchmarking, a subset of 47 targets remains, for which Glide succeeded for only 5 targets, Gold for 4 and FlexX and Surflex for 2. The performance dramatic drop of all four programs when the biases are removed shows that we should beware of virtual screening benchmarks, because good performances may be due to wrong reasons. Therefore, benchmarking would hardly provide guidelines for virtual screening experiments, despite the tendency that is maintained, i.e., Glide and Gold display better performance than FlexX and Surflex. We recommend to always use several programs and combine their results. Graphical AbstractSummary of the results obtained by virtual screening with the four programs, Glide, Gold, Surflex and FlexX, on the 102 targets of the DUD-E database. The percentage of targets with successful results, i.e., with BDEROC(α = 80.5) > 0.5, when the entire database is considered are in Blue, and when targets with biased chemical libraries are removed are in Red.

Medium Altitude Endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ernst, Larry L.

1994-10-01

The medium altitude endurance unmanned air vehicle (MAE UAV) program (formerly the tactical endurance TE UAV) is a new effort initiated by the Department of Defense to develop a ground launched UAV that can fly out 500 miles, remain on station for 24 hours, and return. It will transmit high resolution optical, infrared, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images of well-defended target areas through satellite links. It will provide near-real-time, releasable, low cost/low risk surveillance, targeting and damage assessment complementary to that of satellites and manned aircraft. The paper describes specific objectives of the MAE UAV program (deliverables and schedule) and the program's unique position as one of several programs to streamline the acquisition process under the cognizance of the newly established Airborne Reconnaissance Office. I discuss the system requirements and operational concept and describe the technical capabilities and characteristics of the major subsystems (airframe, propulsion, navigation, sensors, communication links, ground station, etc.) in some detail.

Local Gov`t assistance in commercial waste reduction & recycling

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

Hannah, C.W.

This paper outlines programs and strategies for reducing the waste stream by targeting the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors. The programs described are implemented by the Wake County Solid Waste Management Division, North Carolina. Findings and recommendations of a task force focusing on the role of the private sector in meeting state waste reduction mandates are summarized. Commercial initiatives, educational initiatives, and a grant program are described. Several case studies are provided which overview the variety of businesses and waste materials addressed.

How much does it cost to achieve coverage targets for primary healthcare services? A costing model from Aceh, Indonesia.

PubMed

Abdullah, Asnawi; Hort, Krishna; Abidin, Azwar Zaenal; Amin, Fadilah M

2012-01-01

Despite significant investment in improving service infrastructure and training of staff, public primary healthcare services in low-income and middle-income countries tend to perform poorly in reaching coverage targets. One of the factors identified in Aceh, Indonesia was the lack of operational funds for service provision. The objective of this study was to develop a simple and transparent costing tool that enables health planners to calculate the unit costs of providing basic health services to estimate additional budgets required to deliver services in accordance with national targets. The tool was developed using a standard economic approach that linked the input activities to achieving six national priority programs at primary healthcare level: health promotion, sanitation and environment health, maternal and child health and family planning, nutrition, immunization and communicable diseases control, and treatment of common illness. Costing was focused on costs of delivery of the programs that need to be funded by local government budgets. The costing tool consisting of 16 linked Microsoft Excel worksheets was developed and tested in several districts enabled the calculation of the unit costs of delivering of the six national priority programs per coverage target of each program (such as unit costs of delivering of maternal and child health program per pregnant mother). This costing tool can be used by health planners to estimate additional money required to achieve a certain level of coverage of programs, and it can be adjusted for different costs and program delivery parameters in different settings. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A School-Based Dental Program Evaluation: Comparison to the Massachusetts Statewide Survey.

PubMed

Culler, Corinna S; Kotelchuck, Milton; Declercq, Eugene; Kuhlthau, Karen; Jones, Kari; Yoder, Karen M

2017-10-01

School-based dental programs target high-risk communities and reduce barriers to obtaining dental services by delivering care to students in their schools. We describe the evaluation of a school-based dental program operating in Chelsea, a city north of Boston, with a low-income and largely minority population, by comparing participants' oral health to a Massachusetts oral health assessment. Standardized dental screenings were conducted for students in kindergarten, third, and sixth grades. Outcomes were compared in bivariate analysis, stratified by grade and income levels. A greater percentage of Chelsea students had untreated decay and severe treatment need than students statewide. Yet, fewer Chelsea third graders had severe treatment need, and more had dental sealants. There was no significant difference in the percentage of Chelsea students having severe treatment need or dental sealants by income level. Students participating in our program do not have lower decay levels than students statewide. However, they do have lower levels of severe treatment need, likely due to treatment referrals. Our results confirm that school-based prevention programs can lead to increased prevalence of dental sealants among high-risk populations. Results provide support for the establishment of full-service school-based programs in similar communities. © 2017, American School Health Association.

Effect of a rehabilitation-based chronic disease management program targeting severe COPD exacerbations on readmission patterns.

PubMed

Lalmolda, C; Coll-Fernández, R; Martínez, N; Baré, M; Teixidó Colet, M; Epelde, F; Monsó, E

2017-01-01

Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) is recommended after a severe COPD exacerbation, but its short- and long-term effects on health care utilization have not been fully established. The aims of this study were to evaluate patient compliance with a chronic disease management (CDM) program incorporating home-based exercise training as the main component after a severe COPD exacerbation and to determine its effects on health care utilization in the following year. COPD patients with a severe exacerbation were included in a case-cohort study at admission. An intervention group participated in a nurse-supervised CDM program during the 2 months after discharge, comprising of home-based PR with exercise components directly supervised by a physiotherapist, while the remaining patients followed usual care. Nineteen of the twenty-one participants (90.5%) were compliant with the CDM program and were compared with 29 usual-care patients. Compliance with the program was associated with statistically significant reductions in admissions due to respiratory disease in the following year (median [interquartile range]: 0 [0-1] vs 1 [0-2.5]; P =0.022) and in days of admission (0 [0-7] vs 7 [0-12]; P =0.034), and multiple linear regression analysis confirmed the protective effect of the CDM program (β coefficient -0.785, P =0.014, and R 2 =0.219). A CDM program incorporating exercise training for COPD patients without limiting comorbidities after a severe exacerbation achieves high compliance and reduces admissions in the year following after the intervention.

MicroRNAs as Potential Regulators of Glutathione Peroxidases Expression and Their Role in Obesity and Related Pathologies.

PubMed

Matoušková, Petra; Hanousková, Barbora; Skálová, Lenka

2018-04-14

Glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) belong to the eight-member family of phylogenetically related enzymes with different cellular localization, but distinct antioxidant function. Several GPxs are important selenoproteins. Dysregulated GPx expression is connected with severe pathologies, including obesity and diabetes. We performed a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis using the programs miRDB, miRanda, TargetScan, and Diana in the search for hypothetical microRNAs targeting 3'untranslated regions (3´UTR) of GPxs. We cross-referenced the literature for possible intersections between our results and available reports on identified microRNAs, with a special focus on the microRNAs related to oxidative stress, obesity, and related pathologies. We identified many microRNAs with an association with oxidative stress and obesity as putative regulators of GPxs. In particular, miR-185-5p was predicted by a larger number of programs to target six GPxs and thus could play the role as their master regulator. This microRNA was altered by selenium deficiency and can play a role as a feedback control of selenoproteins' expression. Through the bioinformatics analysis we revealed the potential connection of microRNAs, GPxs, obesity, and other redox imbalance related diseases.

Schemes for Oestrus Synchronization Protocols and Controlled Breeding Programs in Cattle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabo, Y. G.; Sandabe, U. K.; Maina, V. A.; Balla, H. G.

Today prostaglandin and progesterone has been found widely used in several schemes of oestrus synchronization and controlled breeding program. Several controlled breeding program, have been developed for synchronizing groups of all open or lactating cows within a breeding group with or without ovarian palpation. Such programs are reviewed in this article which involves extending the luteal phase by treatment with exogenous progesterone such as: progesterone treatment regimes using syncro-mate-B, progesterone releasing intravaginal device, melengesterol acetate-select and melegestrol acetate plus prostaglandin. Also reviewed in the program is the termination of the luteal phase by treatment with prostaglandin or its analogues. These includes, controlled breeding without ovarian palpation such as, the 7-days program; 11-days program, target breeding, ovsynch program, Heat synch, Cosynch and pre synch-ovsynch program. In our opinion full potential of progesterone and prostaglandin for the detection of oestrus and timed artificial insemination should be utilized. This reduces the much labour input employed in previous years. The practitioner of the livestock herd health must-develop strategies for the delivery of this technology to livestock farmers, its use and limitations.

Poxvirus-vectored vaccines for rabies--a review.

PubMed

Weyer, Jacqueline; Rupprecht, Charles E; Nel, Louis H

2009-11-27

Oral rabies vaccination of target reservoir species has proved to be one of the pillars of successful rabies elimination programs. The use of live attenuated rabies virus vaccines has been extensive but several limitations hamper its future use. A recombinant vaccinia-rabies vaccine has also been successfully used for the oral vaccination of several species. Nevertheless, its lack of efficacy in certain important rabies reservoirs and concerns on the use of this potent live virus as vaccine carrier (vector) impair the expansion of its use for new target species and new areas. Several attenuated and host-restricted poxvirus alternatives, which supposedly offer enhanced safety, have been investigated. Once again, efficacy in certain target species and innocuity through the oral route remain major limitations of these vaccines. Alternative recombinant vaccines using adenovirus as an antigen delivery vector have been extensively investigated and may provide an important addition to the currently available oral rabies vaccine repertoire, but are not the primary subject of this review.

Indigenous Child Health in Brazil: The Evaluation of Impacts as a Human Rights Issue.

PubMed

Coates, Anna R; Del Pino Marchito, Sandra; Vitoy, Bernardino

2016-06-01

Improving the health status of indigenous children is a long-standing challenge. Several United Nations committees have identified the health of indigenous peoples as a human rights concern. Addressing the health of indigenous children cannot be separated from their social, cultural, and historic contexts, and any related health program must offer culturally appropriate services and a community perspective broad enough to address the needs of children and the local worlds in which they live. Evaluations of programs must, therefore, address process as well as impacts. This paper assesses interventions addressing indigenous children's health in Brazil, ranging from those explicitly targeting indigenous children's health, such as the targeted immunization program for indigenous peoples, as well as more generalized programs, including a focus upon indigenous children, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. The paper discusses the tensions and complexities of ethnically targeted health interventions as well as the conceptual and methodological challenge of measuring the processes employed and their impact. The lessons learned, especially the need for countries to more systematically collect data and evaluate impacts using ethnicity as an analytical category, are drawn out with respect to ensuring human rights for all within health sector responses.

Indigenous Child Health in Brazil

PubMed Central

del Pino Marchito, Sandra; Vitoy, Bernardino

2016-01-01

Abstract Improving the health status of indigenous children is a long-standing challenge. Several United Nations committees have identified the health of indigenous peoples as a human rights concern. Addressing the health of indigenous children cannot be separated from their social, cultural, and historic contexts, and any related health program must offer culturally appropriate services and a community perspective broad enough to address the needs of children and the local worlds in which they live. Evaluations of programs must, therefore, address process as well as impacts. This paper assesses interventions addressing indigenous children’s health in Brazil, ranging from those explicitly targeting indigenous children’s health, such as the targeted immunization program for indigenous peoples, as well as more generalized programs, including a focus upon indigenous children, such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness. The paper discusses the tensions and complexities of ethnically targeted health interventions as well as the conceptual and methodological challenge of measuring the processes employed and their impact. The lessons learned, especially the need for countries to more systematically collect data and evaluate impacts using ethnicity as an analytical category, are drawn out with respect to ensuring human rights for all within health sector responses. PMID:27781012

Statistical Signal Processing for Remote Sensing of Targets: Proposal for Terrestrial Science Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-14

responses from any analyte under consideration. Figure 1 illustrates this behavior. Figure 1: LIBS spectra from OVA (ricin simulant) on...illustrates this behavior. Figure 1: LIBS spectra from OVA (ricin simulant) on several different substrates: steel, aluminum, and polycarbonate

GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES IN THE DEVELOPING RAT CEREBELLUM AND HIPPOCAMPUS

EPA Science Inventory

Development of the nervous system is a complex program, involving coordinated growth of axons and their targets. In rodents, rapid brain growth occurs during early postnatal development. At this time, several fundamental processes, such as dendritic and axonal outgrowth and the e...

Harm reduction in Cambodia: a disconnect between policy and practice

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

In 2003 the Government of Cambodia officially began to recognise that harm reduction was an essential approach to preventing HIV among people who use drugs and their sexual partners. Several programs aiming to control and prevent HIV among drug users have been implemented in Cambodia, mostly in the capital, Phnom Penh. However, there have been ongoing tensions between law enforcement and harm reduction actors, despite several advocacy efforts targeting law enforcement. This study attempts to better understand the implementation of harm reduction in Cambodia and how the policy environment and harm reduction program implementation has intersected with the role of law enforcement officials in Cambodia. PMID:22770124

Stop bugging me: an examination of adolescents' protection behavior against online harassment.

PubMed

Lwin, May O; Li, Benjamin; Ang, Rebecca P

2012-02-01

Online harassment is a widespread phenomenon with consequential implications, especially for adolescents, who tend to engage in high-risk behavior online. Through the use of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), we examine the predictors motivating the intention of youths to adopt protection behavior against online harassment. A survey was conducted with 537 youths from a stratified sample in Singapore. Regression analyses showed that perceived severity of online harassment, response efficacy and self efficacy of online protective behavior were significant predictors of behavioral intention with varying weights. The sole exception was perceived susceptibility to online harassment, which did not significantly predict behavioral intention. Gender and age were also found to moderate adolescents' uptake of protective behavior. The results suggest that public service programs targeted at educating youths should aim to increase coping appraisals and emphasize the severity of online harassment. Targeted educational programs could include those aimed at specific age or gender groups. Copyright © 2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

U.S. Assistance to Yemen: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Emergency Food Aid and Assess Security Assistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

annual targets between fiscal years 2008 and 2011 for the number of individuals in Yemen benefiting from food donations. However, reports to Congress...annual performance targets three times for the number of individuals in Yemen benefiting from food donations, reports to Congress about the program...security to several hundred locally employed staff. However, the embassy has deemed other steps proposed by locally employed staff, including telework and

Assisting New York Dairy Farms with Preparing for OSHA Safety Inspections.

PubMed

Tinc, Pamela J; Carrabba, Jim; Meyerhoff, Anna; Horsman, Melissa

2018-01-01

In 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a Local Emphasis Program targeted at New York farmers. This program involved random inspections of dairy farms across the state. This article provides an overview of the efforts made in New York to prepare farmers for these inspections. As a result of this program launch, several safety services offered by the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health were significantly impacted, and required expansion and modification in order to meet the needs of New York farmers.

Mother, Infant, and Household Factors Associated with the Type of Food Infants Receive in Developing Countries

PubMed Central

Yarnoff, Benjamin; Allaire, Benjamin; Detzel, Patrick

2014-01-01

Objectives: We explore the complex factors associated with infant feeding by analyzing what mother, infant, and household factors are associated with the types of food given to infants. We seek to quantify associations in order to inform public health policy about the importance of target populations for infant feeding programs. Methods: We used data from the Demographic Health Survey in 20 developing countries for multiple years to examine mother, infant, and household factors associated with six types of food given to infants (exclusive breastfeeding, non-exclusive breastfeeding, infant formula, milk liquids, non-milk liquids, and solid foods). We performed a seemingly unrelated regressions analysis with community-year fixed effects to account for correlation between food types and control for confounding factors associated with community resources, culture, time period, and geography in the pooled analysis. Results: We found that several mother, infant, and household characteristics were associated with each of the feeding types. Most notably, mother’s education, working status, and weight are significantly associated with the type of food given to infants. We provide quantified estimates of the association of each of these variables with six types of food given to infants. Conclusion: By identifying maternal characteristics associated with infant feeding and quantifying those associations, we help public health policymakers generate priorities for targeting infant feeding programs to specific populations that are at greatest risk. Higher educated, working mothers are best to target with exclusive breastfeeding programs for young infants. Mothers with lower education are best to target with complementary feeding programs in infants older than 1 year. Finally, while maternal weight is associated with higher levels of exclusive breastfeeding the association is too weak to merit targeting of breastfeeding programs to low-weight mothers. PMID:24616887

Oral Argument in Children's Television Proceeding.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choate, Robert B.

The author advocates the outright ban of commercials from Saturday and Sunday morning television and makes several other recommendations that he believes would improve programing and reduce the hard sell of child targeted advertising. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) could form a Children's Television Broadcast Center and establish a…

Developing and Evaluating a Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownson, Ross C.; Mayer, Jeffrey P.; Dusseault, Patricia; Dabney, Sue; Wright, Kathleen; Jackson-Thompson, Jeannette; Malone, Bernard; Goodman, Robert

1997-01-01

Describes the development and baseline evaluation data from the Ozark Heart Health Project, a community-based cardiovascular disease risk reduction program in rural Missouri that targeted smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet. Several Ozark counties participated in either intervention or control groups, and researchers conducted surveillance…

Deep brain stimulation for movement disorders. Considerations on 276 consecutive patients.

PubMed

Franzini, Angelo; Cordella, Roberto; Messina, Giuseppe; Marras, Carlo Efisio; Romito, Luigi Michele; Carella, Francesco; Albanese, Alberto; Rizzi, Michele; Nardocci, Nardo; Zorzi, Giovanna; Zekay, Edvin; Broggi, Giovanni

2011-10-01

The links between Stn DBS and advanced Parkinson disease, and between GPi DBS and dystonia are nearly universally accepted by the neurologists and neurosurgeons. Nevertheless, in some conditions, targets such as the ventral thalamus and the Zona Incerta may be considered to optimize the results and avoid the side effects. Positive and negative aspects of current DBS treatments justify the research of new targets, new stimulation programs and new hardware. Since 1993, at the Istituto Nazionale Neurologico "Carlo Besta" in Milan, 580 deep brain electrodes were implanted in 332 patients. 276 patients were affected by movement disorders. The DBS targets included Stn, GPi, Voa, Vop, Vim, CM-pf, cZi, IC. The long-term follow-up is reported and related to the chosen target. DBS gave a new therapeutic option to patients affected by severe movement disorders, and in some cases resolved life-threatening pathological conditions that would otherwise result in the death of the patient, such as in status dystonicus, and post-stroke hemiballismus. Nevertheless, the potential occurrence of severe complications still limit a wider use of DBS. At today, the use of DBS in severe movement disorders is strongly positive even if further investigations and studies are needed to unveil potential new applications, and to refine the selection criteria for the actual indications and targets. The experience of different targets may be useful to guide and tailor the target choice to the individual clinical condition.

Cost effectiveness analysis of a visual screening program for primary school children in Thailand.

PubMed

Tengtrisorn, Supaporn; Sangsupawanitch, Pasuree; Chansawang, Wannee

2009-08-01

To analyze the cost-effectiveness of a visual screening program for primary school children in southern Thailand. The visual acuity of 1900 primary school children from 11 schools in southern Thailand was assessed using the Snellen chart, Hirschberg test, an eye examination by penlight, and observation of the red reflex by direct ophthalmoscope, between April 2006 and March 2007. Children with visual acuity of < 20/40 or an abnormal observation in either eye were referred for further eye examination and refraction measurement, at which time they were categorized, according to the severity of the eye condition(s). A cost analysis was then performed for various severity-of-condition groupings. One hundred sixty eight children (8.8%) were found with referable problems, of which 122 parents signed a consent formforfurther testing. The mean age was 8.7 years (range 6-12 years). One hundred seven of the 122 subjects (87.7%) were considered to have a refractive error with or without one or more other eye conditions. The mean direct cost for visual screening by the assistant researcher, not including project management and traveling expenses, was 14.9 Baht per student (approximately 0.5 USD, 0.3 Euro). For nationwide implementation, the per head expenditure for children with treatable problems would be 1018.4 Baht if children with mild, moderate and severe abnormal eye conditions were targeted, and increased to 2270.1 Baht if only children with moderate and severe conditions were targeted The results of the present study indicate that this visual screening program is efficient and useful for preliminary school children in Thailand.

Survey of optimization techniques for nonlinear spacecraft trajectory searches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Tseng-Chan; Stanford, Richard H.; Sunseri, Richard F.; Breckheimer, Peter J.

1988-01-01

Mathematical analysis of the optimal search of a nonlinear spacecraft trajectory to arrive at a set of desired targets is presented. A high precision integrated trajectory program and several optimization software libraries are used to search for a converged nonlinear spacecraft trajectory. Several examples for the Galileo Jupiter Orbiter and the Ocean Topography Experiment (TOPEX) are presented that illustrate a variety of the optimization methods used in nonlinear spacecraft trajectory searches.

Targeted surveillance for postnatal hearing loss: a program evaluation.

PubMed

Beswick, Rachael; Driscoll, Carlie; Kei, Joseph; Glennon, Shirley

2012-07-01

The importance of monitoring hearing throughout early childhood cannot be understated. However, there is a lack of evidence available regarding the most effective method of monitoring hearing following the newborn screen. The goal of this study was to describe a targeted surveillance program using a risk factor registry to identify children with a postnatal hearing loss. All children who were born in Queensland, Australia between September 2004 and December 2009, received a bilateral 'pass' on newborn hearing screening, and had at least one risk factor, were referred for targeted surveillance and were included in this study. The cohort was assessed throughout early childhood in accordance with Queensland's diagnostic assessment protocols. During the study period, 7320 (2.8% of 261,328) children were referred for targeted surveillance, of which 56 were identified with a postnatal hearing loss (0.77%). Of these, half (50.0%) were identified with a mild hearing loss, and 64.3% were identified with a sensorineural hearing loss. In regards to risk factors, syndrome, craniofacial anomalies, and severe asphyxia had the highest yield of positive cases of postnatal hearing loss for children referred for targeted surveillance, whereas, low birth weight, bacterial meningitis, and professional concern had a particularly low yield. Limitations of the targeted surveillance program were noted and include: (1) a lost contact rate of 32.4%; (2) delays in first surveillance assessment; (3) a large number of children who required on-going monitoring; and (4) extensive diagnostic assessments were completed on children with normal hearing. Examination of the lost contact rate revealed indigenous children were more likely to be documented as lost contact. In addition, children with one risk factor only were significantly more likely to not attend a surveillance appointment. Positive cases of postnatal hearing loss were detected through the targeted surveillance program. However, the limitations of the program question the usefulness of this service delivery model. For targeted surveillance to continue, time frames for assessment, assessments performed, and discharge criteria need to be revisited. The contribution of individual and combined risk factors in detecting postnatal hearing loss should also be examined in more detail. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Processing TES Level-1B Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeBaca, Richard C.; Sarkissian, Edwin; Madatyan, Mariyetta; Shepard, Douglas; Gluck, Scott; Apolinski, Mark; McDuffie, James; Tremblay, Dennis

2006-01-01

TES L1B Subsystem is a computer program that performs several functions for the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES). The term "L1B" (an abbreviation of "level 1B"), refers to data, specific to the TES, on radiometric calibrated spectral radiances and their corresponding noise equivalent spectral radiances (NESRs), plus ancillary geolocation, quality, and engineering data. The functions performed by TES L1B Subsystem include shear analysis, monitoring of signal levels, detection of ice build-up, and phase correction and radiometric and spectral calibration of TES target data. Also, the program computes NESRs for target spectra, writes scientific TES level-1B data to hierarchical- data-format (HDF) files for public distribution, computes brightness temperatures, and quantifies interpixel signal variability for the purpose of first-order cloud and heterogeneous land screening by the level-2 software summarized in the immediately following article. This program uses an in-house-developed algorithm, called "NUSRT," to correct instrument line-shape factors.

Reverse screening methods to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hongbin; Zhang, Guigui; Zhou, Yuquan; Lin, Chenru; Chen, Suling; Lin, Yutong; Mai, Shangkang; Huang, Zunnan

2018-05-01

This article is a systematic review of reverse screening methods used to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds or drugs. Typical chemopreventive compounds include components of traditional Chinese medicine, natural compounds and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Such compounds are somewhat selective but are predisposed to bind multiple protein targets distributed throughout diverse signaling pathways in human cells. In contrast to conventional virtual screening, which identifies the ligands of a targeted protein from a compound database, reverse screening is used to identify the potential targets or unintended targets of a given compound from a large number of receptors by examining their known ligands or crystal structures. This method, also known as in silico or computational target fishing, is highly valuable for discovering the target receptors of query molecules from terrestrial or marine natural products, exploring the molecular mechanisms of chemopreventive compounds, finding alternative indications of existing drugs by drug repositioning, and detecting adverse drug reactions and drug toxicity. Reverse screening can be divided into three major groups: shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking. Several large software packages, such as Schrödinger and Discovery Studio; typical software/network services such as ChemMapper, PharmMapper, idTarget and INVDOCK; and practical databases of known target ligands and receptor crystal structures, such as ChEMBL, BindingDB and the Protein Data Bank (PDB), are available for use in these computational methods. Different programs, online services and databases have different applications and constraints. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis and multilevel classification of the computational programs, online services and compound libraries available for shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking to enable non-specialist users to quickly learn and grasp the types of calculations used in protein target fishing. In addition, we review the main features of these methods, programs and databases and provide a variety of examples illustrating the application of one or a combination of reverse screening methods for accurate target prediction.

Reverse Screening Methods to Search for the Protein Targets of Chemopreventive Compounds.

PubMed

Huang, Hongbin; Zhang, Guigui; Zhou, Yuquan; Lin, Chenru; Chen, Suling; Lin, Yutong; Mai, Shangkang; Huang, Zunnan

2018-01-01

This article is a systematic review of reverse screening methods used to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds or drugs. Typical chemopreventive compounds include components of traditional Chinese medicine, natural compounds and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Such compounds are somewhat selective but are predisposed to bind multiple protein targets distributed throughout diverse signaling pathways in human cells. In contrast to conventional virtual screening, which identifies the ligands of a targeted protein from a compound database, reverse screening is used to identify the potential targets or unintended targets of a given compound from a large number of receptors by examining their known ligands or crystal structures. This method, also known as in silico or computational target fishing, is highly valuable for discovering the target receptors of query molecules from terrestrial or marine natural products, exploring the molecular mechanisms of chemopreventive compounds, finding alternative indications of existing drugs by drug repositioning, and detecting adverse drug reactions and drug toxicity. Reverse screening can be divided into three major groups: shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking. Several large software packages, such as Schrödinger and Discovery Studio; typical software/network services such as ChemMapper, PharmMapper, idTarget, and INVDOCK; and practical databases of known target ligands and receptor crystal structures, such as ChEMBL, BindingDB, and the Protein Data Bank (PDB), are available for use in these computational methods. Different programs, online services and databases have different applications and constraints. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis and multilevel classification of the computational programs, online services and compound libraries available for shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking to enable non-specialist users to quickly learn and grasp the types of calculations used in protein target fishing. In addition, we review the main features of these methods, programs and databases and provide a variety of examples illustrating the application of one or a combination of reverse screening methods for accurate target prediction.

Reverse Screening Methods to Search for the Protein Targets of Chemopreventive Compounds

PubMed Central

Huang, Hongbin; Zhang, Guigui; Zhou, Yuquan; Lin, Chenru; Chen, Suling; Lin, Yutong; Mai, Shangkang; Huang, Zunnan

2018-01-01

This article is a systematic review of reverse screening methods used to search for the protein targets of chemopreventive compounds or drugs. Typical chemopreventive compounds include components of traditional Chinese medicine, natural compounds and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs. Such compounds are somewhat selective but are predisposed to bind multiple protein targets distributed throughout diverse signaling pathways in human cells. In contrast to conventional virtual screening, which identifies the ligands of a targeted protein from a compound database, reverse screening is used to identify the potential targets or unintended targets of a given compound from a large number of receptors by examining their known ligands or crystal structures. This method, also known as in silico or computational target fishing, is highly valuable for discovering the target receptors of query molecules from terrestrial or marine natural products, exploring the molecular mechanisms of chemopreventive compounds, finding alternative indications of existing drugs by drug repositioning, and detecting adverse drug reactions and drug toxicity. Reverse screening can be divided into three major groups: shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking. Several large software packages, such as Schrödinger and Discovery Studio; typical software/network services such as ChemMapper, PharmMapper, idTarget, and INVDOCK; and practical databases of known target ligands and receptor crystal structures, such as ChEMBL, BindingDB, and the Protein Data Bank (PDB), are available for use in these computational methods. Different programs, online services and databases have different applications and constraints. Here, we conducted a systematic analysis and multilevel classification of the computational programs, online services and compound libraries available for shape screening, pharmacophore screening and reverse docking to enable non-specialist users to quickly learn and grasp the types of calculations used in protein target fishing. In addition, we review the main features of these methods, programs and databases and provide a variety of examples illustrating the application of one or a combination of reverse screening methods for accurate target prediction. PMID:29868550

The Research Program at RIBRAS (Radioactive Ion Beams in Brasil)-III

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

Lichtenthaeler, R.; Lepine-Szily, A.; Guimaraes, V.

A part of the research program developed in the RIBRAS facility over the last four years is presented. Experiments using radioactive secondary beams of light exotic nuclei such as {sup 6}He, {sup 7}Be, {sup 8}Li on several targets have been performed. Elastic angular distributions have been analysed by the Optical Model and four body Continuous Discretized Coupled Channels Calculations (4b-CDCC) and the total reaction cross sections have been obtained. A comparison between the reaction cross sections of {sup 6}He and other stable projectiles with medium-heavy targets was performed. Measurements of the proton transfer reaction {sup 12}C({sup 8}Li,{sup 9}Be){sup 11}B aremore » also presented.« less

School Psychologists as Leaders in the Implementation of a Targeted Intervention: The Behavior Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawken, Leanne S.

2006-01-01

School psychologists are excellent candidates to support school administrations interested in implementing a continuum of effective behavior support. To prevent severe problem behavior, best practice suggests implementing a continuum of effective behavior support which includes primary level prevention procedures, secondary level targeted…

Key Competencies: Drug and Alcohol Education. Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Philadelphia School District, PA.

This guide, designed for use with secondary school students, attempts to prevent drug and alcohol abuse among students. The Key Competencies program targets several characteristics which have been identified in addicted children: poor self image, improper sense of values, and lack of identity. For grades seven through nine, strategies are…

Compatibility and efficacy of Isaria fumosorosea with horticultural oils for mitigation of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Horticultural oils are an important component of integrated management programs of several phytophagous arthropods, and pathogens affecting fruit, ornamental and vegetables in greenhouse and field production systems. Although effective against the target pest, their incompatibility with biological c...

School-based prevention of bullying and relational aggression in adolescence: the fairplayer.manual.

PubMed

Scheithauer, Herbert; Hess, Markus; Schultze-Krumbholz, Anja; Bull, Heike Dele

2012-01-01

The fairplayer.manual is a school-based program to prevent bullying. The program consists of fifteen to seventeen consecutive ninety-minute lessons using cognitive-behavioral methods, methods targeting group norms and group dynamics, and discussions on moral dilemmas. Following a two-day training session, teachers, together with skilled fairplayer.teamers, implement fairplayer.manual in the classroom during regular school lessons. This chapter offers a summary of the program's conception and underlying prevention theory and summarizes the results from two evaluation studies. Standardized questionnaires showed a positive impact of the intervention program on several outcome variables. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Selectivity on-target of bromodomain chemical probes by structure-guided medicinal chemistry and chemical biology

PubMed Central

Galdeano, Carles; Ciulli, Alessio

2017-01-01

Targeting epigenetic proteins is a rapidly growing area for medicinal chemistry and drug discovery. Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in developing small molecules binding to bromodomains, the readers of acetyl-lysine modifications. A plethora of co-crystal structures has motivated focused fragment-based design and optimization programs within both industry and academia. These efforts have yielded several compounds entering the clinic, and many more are increasingly being used as chemical probes to interrogate bromodomain biology. High selectivity of chemical probes is necessary to ensure biological activity is due to an on-target effect. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of bromodomain-targeting compounds, focusing on the structural basis for their on-target selectivity or lack thereof. We also highlight chemical biology approaches to enhance on-target selectivity. PMID:27193077

Inhibited Shaped Charge Launcher Testing of Spacecraft Shield Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosch, Donald J.

1996-01-01

This report describes a test program in which several orbital debris shield designs were impact tested using the inhibited shaped charge launcher facility at Southwest Research Institute. This facility enables researchers to study the impact of one-gram aluminum projectiles on various shielding designs at velocities above 11 km/s. A total of twenty tests were conducted on targets provided by NASA-MSFC. This report discusses in detail the shield design, the projectile parameters and the test configuration used for each test. A brief discussion of the target damage is provided, as the detailed analysis of the target response will be done by NASA-MSFC.

Emerging targets for addiction neuropharmacology: From mechanisms to therapeutics.

PubMed

Ubaldi, Massimo; Cannella, Nazzareno; Ciccocioppo, Roberto

2016-01-01

Drug abuse represents a considerable burden of disease and has enormous economic impacts on societies. Over the years, few medications have been developed for clinical use. Their utilization is endowed with several limitations, including partial efficacy or significant side effects. On the other hand, the successful advancement of these compounds provides an important proof of concept for the feasibility of drug development programs in addiction. In recent years, a wealth of information has been generated on the psychological mechanisms, genetic or epigenetic predisposing factors, and neurobiological adaptations induced by drug consumption that interact with each other to contribute to disease progression. It is now clear that addiction develops through phases, from initial recreational use to excessive consumption and compulsive drug seeking, with a shift from positive to negative reinforcement driving motivated behaviors. A greater understanding of these mechanisms has opened new vistas in drug development programs. Researchers' attention has been shifted from investigation of classical targets associated with reward to biological substrates responsible for negative reinforcement, impulse loss of control, and maladaptive mechanisms resulting from protracted drug use. From this research, several new biological targets for the development of innovative therapies have started to emerge. This chapter offers an overview of targets currently under scrutiny for the development of new medications for addiction. This work is not exhaustive but rather it provides a few examples of how this research has advanced in recent years by virtue of studies carried out in our laboratory. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

MPH program adaptability in a competitive marketplace: the case for continued assessment.

PubMed

Caron, Rosemary M; Tutko, Holly

2010-06-01

In the last several years, the number of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs has increased rapidly in the US. As such, MPH programs, particularly smaller-sized ones, need to critically examine how their programs are meeting the needs and preferences of local public health practitioners. To assist in this necessity, the University of New Hampshire conducted a comprehensive educational assessment of its effectiveness as a smaller-sized, accredited MPH program. The aim of the assessment was to review the MPH program from the perspective of all stakeholders and then to agree on changes that would contribute to the fulfillment of the program's mission, as well as improve program quality and reach. The program's stakeholders examined the following components: policy development and implementation; target audience; marketing strategies; marketplace position; delivery model; curriculum design; and continuing education. Though assessment activities explored a wide array of program attributes, target audience, curriculum design, and delivery strategy presented significant challenges and opportunities for our smaller MPH Program to remain competitive. The effort put forth into conducting an in-depth assessment of the core components of our program also allowed for a comparison to the increasing number of MPH programs developing regionally. Since public health practice is changing and the education of public health practitioners must be adaptable, we propose that a routine assessment of an institution's MPH program could not only meet this need but also assist with keeping smaller, unbranded MPH programs competitive in a burgeoning marketplace.

WE-G-BRA-09: Microsphere Brachytherapy Failure Mode and Effects Analysis in a Dual-Vendor Environment

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

Younge, K C; Lee, C I; Feng, M

2015-06-15

Purpose: To improve the safety and quality of a dual-vendor microsphere brachytherapy program with failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). Methods: A multidisciplinary team including physicists, dosimetrists, a radiation oncologist, an interventional radiologist, and radiation safety personnel performed an FMEA for our dual-vendor microsphere brachytherapy program employing SIR-Spheres (Sirtex Medical Limited, Australia) and Theraspheres (BTG, England). We developed a program process tree and step-by-step instructions which were used to generate a comprehensive list of failure modes. These modes were then ranked according to severity, occurrence rate, and detectability. Risk priority numbers (RPNs) were calculated by multiplying these three scores together.more » Three different severity scales were created: one each for harmful effects to the patient, staff, or the institution. Each failure mode was ranked on one or more of these scales. Results: The group identified 164 failure modes for the microsphere program. 113 of these were ranked using the patient severity scale, 52 using the staff severity scale, and 50 using the institution severity scale. The highest ranked items on the patient severity scale were an error in the automated dosimetry worksheet (RPN = 297.5), and the incorrect target specified on the planning study (RPN = 135). Some failure modes ranked differently between vendors, especially those corresponding to dose vial preparation because of the different methods used. Based on our findings, we made several improvements to our QA program, including documentation to easily identify which product is being used, an additional hand calculation during planning, and reorganization of QA steps before treatment delivery. We will continue to periodically review and revise the FMEA. Conclusion: We have applied FMEA to our dual-vendor microsphere brachytherapy program to identify potential key weaknesses in the treatment chain. Our FMEA results were used to improve the effectiveness of our overall microsphere program.« less

Investigating saccade programming in the praying mantis Tenodera aridifolia using distracter interference paradigms.

PubMed

Yamawaki, Yoshifumi

2006-10-01

To investigate the saccadic system in the mantis, I applied distracter interference paradigms. These involved presenting the mantis with a fixation target and one or several distracters supposed to affect saccades towards the target. When a single target was presented, a medium-sized target located in its lower visual field elicited higher rates of saccade response. This preference for target size and position was also observed when a target and a distracter were presented simultaneously. That is, the mantis chose and fixated the target rather than a distracter that was much smaller or larger than the target, or was located above the target. Furthermore, the mantis' preference was not affected by increasing the number of distracters. However, the presence of the distracter decreased the occurrence rate of saccade and increased the response time to saccade. I conclude that distracter interference paradigms are an effective way of investigating the visual processing underlying saccade generation in the mantis. Possible mechanisms of saccade generation in the mantis are discussed.

Strategies for target identification of antimicrobial natural products.

PubMed

Farha, Maya A; Brown, Eric D

2016-05-04

Covering: 2000 to 2015Despite a pervasive decline in natural product research at many pharmaceutical companies over the last two decades, natural products have undeniably been a prolific and unsurpassed source for new lead antibacterial compounds. Due to their inherent complexity, natural extracts face several hurdles in high-throughout discovery programs, including target identification. Target identification and validation is a crucial process for advancing hits through the discovery pipeline, but has remained a major bottleneck. In the case of natural products, extremely low yields and limited compound supply further impede the process. Here, we review the wealth of target identification strategies that have been proposed and implemented for the characterization of novel antibacterials. Traditionally, these have included genomic and biochemical-based approaches, which, in recent years, have been improved with modern-day technology and better honed for natural product discovery. Further, we discuss the more recent innovative approaches for uncovering the target of new antibacterial natural products, which have resulted from modern advances in chemical biology tools. Finally, we present unique screening platforms implemented to streamline the process of target identification. The different innovative methods to respond to the challenge of characterizing the mode of action for antibacterial natural products have cumulatively built useful frameworks that may advocate a renovated interest in natural product drug discovery programs.

Micronutrient Deficiency Control in Vietnam from Policy and Research to Implementation: Keys for Success, Challenges and Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Tran, Van Khanh; Spohrer, Rebecca; LE, Tuyen Danh; Poonawala, Alia; Monech-Pfanner, Regina

2015-01-01

Micronutrient deficiencies are still a public health problem in Vietnam. The Government of Vietnam has taken several steps to improve the situation through issuing supportive policy documents over the last several decades. Food fortification is an important complementary strategy to help bridge the nutrient gap in the population. Currently technical regulations are in place and food fortification is taking place on a voluntary basis, along with other complementary targeted programs including home fortification of complementary foods with micronutrient powders and a communications campaign to reach adolescent girls. These have been built on innotative partnerships with industries on a voluntary, market basis. Other innovative targeted nutrition programs are also being piloted, including a micronutrient supplement project in four provinces and a campain to reach adolescent girls through sports. High level political commitment and resources is a crucial element to scale up in Vietnam. A micronutrient survey planned in 2015 will help provide the evidence to support a possible mandatory decree on food fortification. Vietnam has built a solid foundation in order to scale up its national food fortification program in the future to reach the majority of the population with improved intakes of iron, vitamin A, zinc, and iodine.

Optimization and Modification of the SeaQuest Trigger Efficiency Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Nattapat

2017-09-01

The primary purpose E906/SeaQuest is to examine the quark and antiquark distributions within the nucleon. This experiment uses the proton beam from the 120 GeV Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Main Injector to collide with one of several fixed targets. From the collision, a pair of muons produced by the Drell-Yan process directly probes the nucleon sea antiquarks. The Seaquest spectrometer consists of two focusing magnets, several detectors, and multiple planes of scintillating hodoscopes that helped track and analyze the properties of particles. Hodoscope hits are compared to predetermined hit combinations that would result from a pair of muons that originated in the target. Understanding the trigger efficiency is part of the path to determine the probability of Drell Yan muon pair production in the experiment. Over the years of data taking, the trigger efficiency varied as individual scintillator detection efficiency changed. To accurately determine how the trigger efficiency varied over time, the trigger efficiency program needed to be upgraded to include the effects of inefficiencies in the 284 individual channels in the hodoscope systems. The optimization, modification, and results of the upgraded trigger efficiency program will be presented. Supported by U.S. D.O.E. Medium Energy Nuclear Physics under Grant DE-FG02-03ER41243.

Ethiopia: hard work for successful AIDS prevention.

PubMed

1992-01-01

An innovative AIDS control program targeting sex workers and clients in Ethiopia has shown that hard work and government support are essential for the success of a program. Serosurveys conducted in 1988 and 1989 had shown that certain groups were particularly vulnerable to HIV infection: women who engage in formal or informal prostitution and their clients -- often migrant workers or truck drivers. So in mid-1990, Ethiopia's Department of AIDS Control (DAC) launched an intervention effort targeting these high-risk groups, a program entitled the Multiple Partner Sexual Contact (MPSC) Female and Male Mobilization and Condom Promotion Project. The program had a 3-layer strategy: 1) establishing a "trickle down" training process, which would create a network of MPSC peer educators and organizers; 2) identifying MPSC men to serve as educators for other men; and 3) ensuring the widespread availability of condoms for both men and women. As site for its pilot project, DAC selected Nazareth, a trading city of more than 30% among MPSC females. After 6 months of operation, the program's effectiveness convinced DAC to expand the project to 9 additional sites. An evaluation of the project has revealed several important findings: 1) retraining and motivation sessions must be constantly maintained; 2) men's resistance to condom use may be diminished by targeting them with education at the same time as the women; 3) interventions that take into account the socioeconomic issues faced by MPSC women make the program more effective; 4) it is important to develop new educational materials periodically; and 5) involving the owners and managers of sex-related businesses makes the program more effective.

Testing the Efficacy of Theoretically Derived Improvements in the Treatment of Social Phobia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapee, Ronald M.; Gaston, Jonathan E.; Abbott, Maree J.

2009-01-01

Recent theoretical models of social phobia suggest that targeting several specific cognitive factors in treatment should enhance treatment efficacy over that of more traditional skills-based treatment programs. In the current study, 195 people with social phobia were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 treatments: standard cognitive restructuring plus in…

Aggression and Violence in the United States: Reflections on the Virginia Tech Shootings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jenson, Jeffrey M.

2007-01-01

Aggression and violence in the United States remain vexing problems that require several key responses. First, universal prevention programs and targeted treatment strategies for people at risk of aggressive behavior are needed to address the established link between mental illness and the potential for violence. Sadly, many perpetrators of gun…

Credentials versus Performance: Review of the Teacher Performance Pay Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Podgursky, Michael; Springer, Matthew G.

2007-01-01

In this article we examine the economic case for merit or performance-based pay for K-12 teachers. We review several areas of germane research. The direct evaluation literature on these incentive plans is slender; highly diverse in terms of methodology, targeted populations, and programs evaluated; and primarily focused on short-run motivational…

Worksite health promotion programs in college settings

PubMed Central

Hill-Mey, Patricia E.; Kumpfer, Karol L.; Merrill, Ray M.; Reel, Justine; Hyatt-Neville, Beverly; Richardson, Glenn E.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the multifaceted nature and benefits of worksite health promotion programs (WHPPs), with emphasis on the college setting. An assessment of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted of articles published since 2000. Several search engines were accessed and selected key words were used. Most studies examining WHPPs have focused on return on investment and productivity. Research that targets the softer side-benefits of health promotion programs in the workplace is less available. Although the college setting offers some advantages for implementing health promotion programs. They may also have unique challenges due to their large and diverse employee population. There is little research to show the effectiveness and unique challenges of college-based health promotion programs. PMID:25861657

Perceived coercion in inpatients with Anorexia nervosa: Associations with illness severity and hospital course.

PubMed

Schreyer, Colleen C; Coughlin, Janelle W; Makhzoumi, Saniha H; Redgrave, Graham W; Hansen, Jennifer L; Guarda, Angela S

2016-04-01

The use of coercion in the treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) is controversial and the limited studies to date have focused on involuntary treatment. However, coercive pressure for treatment that does not include legal measures is common in voluntarily admitted patients with AN. Empirical data examining the effect of non-legal forms of coerced care on hospital outcomes are needed. Participants (N = 202) with AN, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), or subthreshold AN admitted to a hospital-based behavioral specialty program completed questionnaires assessing illness severity and perceived coercion around the admissions process. Hospital course variables included inpatient length of stay, successful transition to a step-down partial hospitalization program, and achievement of target weight prior to program discharge. Higher perceived coercion at admission was associated with increased drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction, but not with admission BMI. Perceived coercion was not related to inpatient length of stay, rate of weight gain, or achievement of target weight although it was predictive of premature drop-out prior to transition to an integrated partial hospitalization program. These results, from an adequately powered sample, demonstrate that perceived coercion at admission to a hospital-based behavioral treatment program was not associated with rate of inpatient weight gain or achieving weight restoration, suggesting that coercive pressure to enter treatment does not necessarily undermine formation of a therapeutic alliance or clinical progress. Future studies should examine perceived coercion and long-term outcomes, patient views on coercive pressures, and the effect of different forms of leveraged treatment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

MRMPROBS: a data assessment and metabolite identification tool for large-scale multiple reaction monitoring based widely targeted metabolomics.

PubMed

Tsugawa, Hiroshi; Arita, Masanori; Kanazawa, Mitsuhiro; Ogiwara, Atsushi; Bamba, Takeshi; Fukusaki, Eiichiro

2013-05-21

We developed a new software program, MRMPROBS, for widely targeted metabolomics by using the large-scale multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. The strategy became increasingly popular for the simultaneous analysis of up to several hundred metabolites at high sensitivity, selectivity, and quantitative capability. However, the traditional method of assessing measured metabolomics data without probabilistic criteria is not only time-consuming but is often subjective and makeshift work. Our program overcomes these problems by detecting and identifying metabolites automatically, by separating isomeric metabolites, and by removing background noise using a probabilistic score defined as the odds ratio from an optimized multivariate logistic regression model. Our software program also provides a user-friendly graphical interface to curate and organize data matrices and to apply principal component analyses and statistical tests. For a demonstration, we conducted a widely targeted metabolome analysis (152 metabolites) of propagating Saccharomyces cerevisiae measured at 15 time points by gas and liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. MRMPROBS is a useful and practical tool for the assessment of large-scale MRM data available to any instrument or any experimental condition.

An Evaluation of FrancoForme: A CASE-MANAGED HOME-BASED PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR FRENCH-SPEAKING CANADIANS.

PubMed

Prince, Stephanie A; Laflamme, Marc; Harris, Jennifer; Tulloch, Heather E; de Margerie, Michele

2017-11-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality globally. Telephone-delivered interventions targeting cardiovascular risk factors are gaining popularity. This study is an evaluation of FrancoForme, a cardiovascular risk factor reduction program for the primary and secondary prevention of CVD among French-speaking patients of Eastern Ontario. This study reports on changes in cardiovascular risk factors, weekly exercise levels, and psychosocial characteristics including anxiety, depression, and quality of life upon program completion (3 months) and at 1 year after the start of the program. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare changes in outcomes between primary prevention risk groups (low, moderate, and high risk for CVD) and the secondary prevention group (ie, cardiac rehabilitation) at baseline, 3 months and 12 months. A total of 762 patients enrolled in FrancoForme between 2008 and 2015. At 3 months, all program completers (n = 507) experienced significant reductions for all cardiovascular risk factors except diastolic blood pressure. Minutes of self-reported exercise increased significantly by an average 90 minutes per week and all psychosocial variables improved. Significant group effects were observed across several risk factors. Among 12-month responders (n = 240), exercise, high-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, cholesterol, and all psychosocial variables were improved over baseline results. FrancoForme is unique in targeting both the primary and secondary prevention of CVD and removes several of the barriers to participating in a conventional CVD prevention program for French-speaking patients. FrancoForme is successful, receiving high satisfaction rates and resulting in significant improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, exercise, anxiety, and depression, as well as quality of life.

Execution models for mapping programs onto distributed memory parallel computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sussman, Alan

1992-01-01

The problem of exploiting the parallelism available in a program to efficiently employ the resources of the target machine is addressed. The problem is discussed in the context of building a mapping compiler for a distributed memory parallel machine. The paper describes using execution models to drive the process of mapping a program in the most efficient way onto a particular machine. Through analysis of the execution models for several mapping techniques for one class of programs, we show that the selection of the best technique for a particular program instance can make a significant difference in performance. On the other hand, the results of benchmarks from an implementation of a mapping compiler show that our execution models are accurate enough to select the best mapping technique for a given program.

Measurement of Fission Product Yields from Fast-Neutron Fission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, C. W.; Bond, E. M.; Bredeweg, T. A.; Fowler, M. M.; Moody, W. A.; Rusev, G.; Vieira, D. J.; Wilhelmy, J. B.; Becker, J. A.; Henderson, R.; Kenneally, J.; Macri, R.; McNabb, D.; Ryan, C.; Sheets, S.; Stoyer, M. A.; Tonchev, A. P.; Bhatia, C.; Bhike, M.; Fallin, B.; Gooden, M. E.; Howell, C. R.; Kelley, J. H.; Tornow, W.

2014-09-01

One of the aims of the Stockpile Stewardship Program is a reduction of the uncertainties on fission data used for analyzing nuclear test data [1,2]. Fission products such as 147Nd are convenient for determining fission yields because of their relatively high yield per fission (about 2%) and long half-life (10.98 days). A scientific program for measuring fission product yields from 235U,238U and 239Pu targets as a function of bombarding neutron energy (0.1 to 15 MeV) is currently underway using monoenergetic neutron beams produced at the 10 MV Tandem Accelerator at TUNL. Dual-fission chambers are used to determine the rate of fission in targets during activation. Activated targets are counted in highly shielded HPGe detectors over a period of several weeks to identify decaying fission products. To date, data have been collected at neutron bombarding energies 4.6, 9.0, 14.5 and 14.8 MeV. Experimental methods and data reduction techniques are discussed, and some preliminary results are presented.

A robust close-range photogrammetric target extraction algorithm for size and type variant targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nyarko, Kofi; Thomas, Clayton; Torres, Gilbert

2016-05-01

The Photo-G program conducted by Naval Air Systems Command at the Atlantic Test Range in Patuxent River, Maryland, uses photogrammetric analysis of large amounts of real-world imagery to characterize the motion of objects in a 3-D scene. Current approaches involve several independent processes including target acquisition, target identification, 2-D tracking of image features, and 3-D kinematic state estimation. Each process has its own inherent complications and corresponding degrees of both human intervention and computational complexity. One approach being explored for automated target acquisition relies on exploiting the pixel intensity distributions of photogrammetric targets, which tend to be patterns with bimodal intensity distributions. The bimodal distribution partitioning algorithm utilizes this distribution to automatically deconstruct a video frame into regions of interest (ROI) that are merged and expanded to target boundaries, from which ROI centroids are extracted to mark target acquisition points. This process has proved to be scale, position and orientation invariant, as well as fairly insensitive to global uniform intensity disparities.

Cost effectiveness of a targeted age-based West Nile virus vaccination program.

PubMed

Shankar, Manjunath B; Staples, J Erin; Meltzer, Martin I; Fischer, Marc

2017-05-25

West Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of domestically-acquired arboviral disease in the United States. Several WNV vaccines are in various stages of development. We estimate the cost-effectiveness of WNV vaccination programs targeting groups at increased risk for severe WNV disease. We used a mathematical model to estimate costs and health outcomes of vaccination with WNV vaccine compared to no vaccination among seven cohorts, spaced at 10year intervals from ages 10 to 70years, each followed until 90-years-old. U.S. surveillance data were used to estimate WNV neuroinvasive disease incidence. Data for WNV seroprevalence, acute and long-term care costs of WNV disease patients, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and vaccine characteristics were obtained from published reports. We assumed vaccine efficacy to either last lifelong or for 10years with booster doses given every 10years. There was a statistically significant difference in cost-effectiveness ratios across cohorts in both models and all outcomes assessed (Kruskal-Wallis test p<0.0001). The 60-year-cohort had a mean cost per neuroinvasive disease case prevented of $664,000 and disability averted of $1,421,000 in lifelong model and $882,000 and $1,887,000, respectively in 10-year immunity model; these costs were statistically significantly lower than costs for other cohorts (p<0.0001). Vaccinating 70-year-olds had the lowest cost per death averted in both models at around $4.7 million (95%CI $2-$8 million). Cost per disease case averted was lowest among 40- and 50-year-old cohorts and cost per QALY saved lowest among 60-year cohorts in lifelong immunity model. The models were most sensitive to disease incidence, vaccine cost, and proportion of persons developing disease among infected. Age-based WNV vaccination program targeting those at higher risk for severe disease is more cost-effective than universal vaccination. Annual variation in WNV disease incidence, QALY weights, and vaccine costs impact the cost effectiveness ratios. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Identification of gaps for implementation science in the HIV prevention, care and treatment cascade; a qualitative study in 19 districts in Uganda.

PubMed

Bajunirwe, Francis; Tumwebaze, Flora; Abongomera, George; Akakimpa, Denis; Kityo, Cissy; Mugyenyi, Peter N

2016-04-14

Over the last 20 years, countries in sub Saharan Africa have made significant strides in the implementation of programs for HIV prevention, care and treatment. Despite, the significant progress made, many targets set by the United Nations have not been met. There remains a large gap between the ideal and what has been achieved. There are several operational issues that may be responsible for this gap, and these need to be addressed in order to achieve the targets. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify gaps in the HIV prevention, care and treatment cascade, in a large district based HIV implementation program. We aimed to identify gaps that are amenable for evaluation using implementation science, in order to improve the delivery of HIV programs in rural Uganda. We conducted key informant (KI) interviews with 60 district health officers and managers of HIV/AIDS clinics and organizations and 32 focus group discussions with exit clients seeking care and treatment for HIV in the 19 districts. The data analysis process was guided using a framework approach. The recordings were transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were read back and forth and codes generated based on the framework. Nine emerging themes that comprise the gaps were identified and these were referral mechanisms indicating several loop holes, low levels of integration of HIV/TB services, low uptake of services for PMTCT services by pregnant women, low coverage of services for most at risk populations (MARPs), poor HIV coordination structures in the districts, poor continuity in the delivery of pediatric HIV/AIDS services, limited community support for orphans and vulnerable (OVC's), inadequate home based care services and HIV services and support for discordant couples. The themes indicate there are plenty of gaps that need to be covered and have been ignored by current programs. Our study has identified several gaps and suggested several interventions that should be tested before large scale implementation. The implementation of these programs should be adequately evaluated in order to provide field evidence of effectiveness and replicability in similar areas.

Using stated preference discrete choice modelling to evaluate the introduction of varicella vaccination.

PubMed

Hall, Jane; Kenny, Patricia; King, Madeleine; Louviere, Jordan; Viney, Rosalie; Yeoh, Angela

2002-07-01

Applications of stated preference discrete choice modelling (SPDCM) in health economics have been used to estimate consumer willingness to pay and to broaden the range of consequences considered in economic evaluation. This paper demonstrates how SPDCM can be used to predict participation rates, using the case of varicella (chickenpox) vaccination. Varicella vaccination may be cost effective compared to other public health programs, but this conclusion is sensitive to the proportion of the target population immunised. A choice experiment was conducted on a sample of Australian parents to predict uptake across a range of hypothetical programs. Immunisation rates would be increased by providing immunisation at no cost, by requiring it for school entry, by increasing immunisation rates in the community and decreasing the incidence of mild and severe side effects. There were two significant interactions; price modified the effect of both support from authorities and severe side effects. Country of birth was the only significant demographic characteristic. Depending on aspects of the immunisation program, the immunisation rates of children with Australian-born parents varied from 9% to 99% while for the children with parents born outside Australia they varied from 40% to 99%. This demonstrates how SPDCM can be used to understand the levels of attributes that will induce a change in the decision to immunise, the modification of the effect of one attribute by another, and subgroups in the population. Such insights can contribute to the optimal design and targeting of health programs. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inhibitors of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte Antigen 4 and Programmed Death 1/Programmed Death 1 Ligand for Metastatic Melanoma, Dual Versus Monotherapy-Summary of Advances and Future Directions for Studying These Drugs.

PubMed

Loo, Kimberly; Daud, Adil I

Immense progress in the field of cancer immunotherapy has garnered several novel and successful treatments for metastatic melanoma. Beginning with therapies targeting cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4), objective response rates, overall survival, and long-term survival were significantly increased when compared with glycoprotein 100 vaccine therapies. Expanding the breadth of therapies aimed to "release the breaks" on the active immune system, anti-programmed death 1 (PD-1) and anti-programmed death 1 ligand (PD-L1) therapies further improved overall survival, progression-free survival, and objective tumor response while exhibiting more favorable safety profiles compared with ipilimumab and to chemotherapy agents. Given the power of these agents as monotherapies, a combination approach sought to combine the anti-CTLA agent ipilimumab and anti-PD-1 agent, nivolumab, to form a double-pronged attack and target several mechanisms within the active immune system. Given the promise in elevated response rates and progression-free survival, the future appears promising along the immunotherapy front. Continuing the push for progress, biomarkers to uncover the profile of responders to the various therapies will become vital in the treatment of metastatic melanoma patients. Here, we highlight the advances of CTLA-4 and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the metastatic melanoma setting and discuss future directions for uncovering the full potential of these therapies.

Towards 90-90-90 Target: Factors Influencing Availability, Access, and Utilization of HIV Services—A Qualitative Study in 19 Ugandan Districts

PubMed Central

Tumwebaze, Flora; Akakimpa, Denis; Kityo, Cissy; Mugyenyi, Peter; Abongomera, George

2018-01-01

Background UNAIDS has set a new target 90-90-90 by 2020. To achieve this target, current programs need to address challenges that limit access, availability, and utilization of HIV testing and treatment services. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the barriers that influence access, availability, and utilization of HIV services in rural Uganda within the setting of a large donor funded program. Methods We conducted key informant interviews with stakeholders at the district level, staff of existing HIV/AIDS projects, and health facilities in 19 districts. Data were also collected from focus group discussions comprised of clients presenting for HIV care and treatment. Data were transcribed and analyzed using content analysis. Results. Barriers identified were as follows: (1) drug shortages including antiretroviral drugs at health facilities. Some patients were afraid to start ART because of worrying about shortages; (2) distance and (3) staffing shortages; (4) stigma persistence; (5) lack of social and economic support initiatives that enhance retention in treatment. Conclusions In conclusion, our study has identified several factors that influence access, availability, and utilization of HIV services. Programs need to address drug and staff shortages, HIV stigma, and long distances to health facilities to broaden access and utilization in order to realize the UNAIDS target. PMID:29750175

Orion Exploration Mission Entry Interface Target Line

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rea, Jeremy R.

2016-01-01

The Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle is required to return to the continental United States at any time during the month. In addition, it is required to provide a survivable entry from a wide range of trans-lunar abort trajectories. The Entry Interface (EI) state must be targeted to ensure that all requirements are met for all possible return scenarios, even in the event of no communication with the Mission Control Center to provide an updated EI target. The challenge then is to functionalize an EI state constraint manifold that can be used in the on-board targeting algorithm, as well as the ground-based trajectory optimization programs. This paper presents the techniques used to define the EI constraint manifold and to functionalize it as a set of polynomials in several dimensions.

Reaching the Students: A New Approach to Enhancing Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNamara, B. J.; Burnham, C. C.

2002-05-01

Most NSF supported programs directed at improving science literacy among university students who are not majoring in SMET normally target instruction in introductory science or math classes. Unfortunately these efforts seldom reach the vast majority of students at a university because students can fulfil their science requirement by taking several other classes or class sections that are not impacted by the NSF program. Ideally it would be desirable to address the issues of science literacy and science anxiety among non-science majors in a single class that is required of essentially all undergraduates. We describe such a program which is being tested at NMSU. The targeted class is the university's freshman level English class. The idea behind this effort is to provide students with the skills they will need to be successful in their science classes in a less threatening humanities environment. We describe the problems that this approach raises, suggest solutions to these problems, and then discuss the overall status of this effort.

In Brief: Forecasting meningitis threats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2008-12-01

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), in conjunction with a team of health and weather organizations, has launched a project to provide weather forecasts to medical officials in Africa to help reduce outbreaks of meningitis. The forecasts will enable local health care providers to target vaccination programs more effectively. In 2009, meteorologists with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, which is managed by UCAR, will begin issuing 14-day forecasts of atmospheric conditions in Ghana. Later, UCAR plans to work closely with health experts from several African countries to design and test a decision support system to provide health officials with useful meteorological information. ``By targeting forecasts in regions where meningitis is a threat, we may be able to help vulnerable populations. Ultimately, we hope to build on this project and provide information to public health programs battling weather-related diseases in other parts of the world,'' said Rajul Pandya, director of UCAR's Community Building Program. Funding for the project comes from a $900,000 grant from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the Internet search company.

Are alternative investments the right approach for your organization?

PubMed

French, Charles J; Dodd, Thomas H

2010-04-01

The decision by a healthcare provider to implement and monitor an alternative investment program requires careful consideration and planning. There are several things an organization should do when making this decision: Begin slowly. Consider access and liquidity. Don't force the investment to fill a target allocation. View an alternative investment as an opportunity investment."

Behavioral Activation Therapy for Depressed Cancer Patients: Factors Associated with Treatment Outcome and Attrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hopko, D. R.; Robertson, S. M. C.; Colman, L.

2008-01-01

In recent years there has been increased focus on evaluating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for cancer patients. Among the several limitations inherent to these programs of research, few studies have targeted patients with well-diagnosed clinical depression and little is known about factors that best predict treatment outcome and…

The Right Stuff: White Male Perspectives on Merit, Measurement, and Affirmative Action Admissions to Graduate Professional Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipson, Helen D.

This exploratory study examines several facets of everyday perspectives on merit and the meritocratic allocation of rewards and opportunities, focusing on race-targeted, affirmative action admissions of Blacks and Latinos to law schools, medical schools, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs. Subjects were 32 white, male college…

Gates Fund Creates Plan for College Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gose, Ben

2008-01-01

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to spend several hundred million dollars over the next five years to double the number of low-income young people who complete a college degree or certificate program by age 26. Foundation officials described the ambitious plan to an exclusive group of education leaders, citing 2025 as a target goal. If…

Accelerated measles control in the Western Pacific region.

PubMed

McFarland, Jeffrey W; Mansoor, Osman David; Yang, Baoping

2003-05-15

By the 1990s, an immunization program in the western Pacific had dramatically reduced measles morbidity and mortality. Building on the region's successful elimination of polio, several countries and areas achieved or are close to measles elimination, thus showing the potential for global eradication. The diverse challenges for measles control in different parts of the region have produced lessons that will help with future control, including the need for surveillance of sufficient standard to guide and monitor progress. A group of experts recognized both the potential and the challenges of the measles immunization program and proposed regional elimination as the appropriate disease control target for the region. No date was recommended for its achievement. If progress continues at the present rate, the western Pacific region should soon be able to set a target date for measles elimination.

Preparing health care organizations for successful case management programs.

PubMed

Bonvissuto, C A; Kastens, J M; Atwell, S R

1997-01-01

This article reports the results of a study of four hospital-based providers in varying stages of implementing case management programs. Three of the providers had most of the necessary elements in place to ensure success, such as a mix of reimbursement sources, an effective and integrated information management system, a full range of clinical services, and continuous quality improvement programs. The authors make several suggestions for key activities that must be pursued by any health care organization seeking to implement a case management program in an era of managed care, tightening reimbursement, and consumer demand for quality care. These include the need to (a) organize essential case management functions under a centralized structure; (b) set realistic, quantifiable targets, and (c) design a communications plan for the program.

The Scientific program with RIBRAS (Radioactive Ion Beams in Brasil)

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

Lichtenthaeler, R.; Lepine-Szily, A.; Guimaraes, V.

The Radioactive Ion Beams Facility (RIBRAS) is in operation since 2004 at the Pelletron Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Sao Paulo and consists of two superconducting solenoids capable of producing low energy secondary beams of light exotic nuclei. Measurements of the elastic scattering, breakup and transfer reactions with radioactive projectiles such as {sup 6}He,{sup 8}Li,{sup 7}Be on several targets have been performed. A review of the research program carried on along the last four years using the RIBRAS facility is presented.

vSDC: a method to improve early recognition in virtual screening when limited experimental resources are available.

PubMed

Chaput, Ludovic; Martinez-Sanz, Juan; Quiniou, Eric; Rigolet, Pascal; Saettel, Nicolas; Mouawad, Liliane

2016-01-01

In drug design, one may be confronted to the problem of finding hits for targets for which no small inhibiting molecules are known and only low-throughput experiments are available (like ITC or NMR studies), two common difficulties encountered in a typical academic setting. Using a virtual screening strategy like docking can alleviate some of the problems and save a considerable amount of time by selecting only top-ranking molecules, but only if the method is very efficient, i.e. when a good proportion of actives are found in the 1-10 % best ranked molecules. The use of several programs (in our study, Gold, Surflex, FlexX and Glide were considered) shows a divergence of the results, which presents a difficulty in guiding the experiments. To overcome this divergence and increase the yield of the virtual screening, we created the standard deviation consensus (SDC) and variable SDC (vSDC) methods, consisting of the intersection of molecule sets from several virtual screening programs, based on the standard deviations of their ranking distributions. SDC allowed us to find hits for two new protein targets by testing only 9 and 11 small molecules from a chemical library of circa 15,000 compounds. Furthermore, vSDC, when applied to the 102 proteins of the DUD-E benchmarking database, succeeded in finding more hits than any of the four isolated programs for 13-60 % of the targets. In addition, when only 10 molecules of each of the 102 chemical libraries were considered, vSDC performed better in the number of hits found, with an improvement of 6-24 % over the 10 best-ranked molecules given by the individual docking programs.Graphical abstractIn drug design, for a given target and a given chemical library, the results obtained with different virtual screening programs are divergent. So how to rationally guide the experimental tests, especially when only a few number of experiments can be made? The variable Standard Deviation Consensus (vSDC) method was developed to answer this issue. Left panel the vSDC principle consists of intersecting molecule sets, chosen on the basis of the standard deviations of their ranking distributions, obtained from various virtual screening programs. In this study Glide, Gold, FlexX and Surflex were used and tested on the 102 targets of the DUD-E database. Right panel Comparison of the average percentage of hits found with vSDC and each of the four programs, when only 10 molecules from each of the 102 chemical libraries of the DUD-E database were considered. On average, vSDC was capable of finding 38 % of the findable hits, against 34 % for Glide, 32 % for Gold, 16 % for FlexX and 14 % for Surflex, showing that with vSDC, it was possible to overcome the unpredictability of the virtual screening results and to improve them.

ACOUSTIC LINERS FOR TURBOFAN ENGINES

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minner, G. L.

1994-01-01

This program was developed to design acoustic liners for turbofan engines. This program combines results from theoretical models of wave alternation in acoustically treated passages with experimental data from full-scale fan noise suppressors. By including experimentally obtained information, the program accounts for real effects such as wall boundary layers, duct terminations, and sound modal structure. The program has its greatest use in generating a number of design specifications to be used for evaluation of trade-offs. The program combines theoretical and empirical data in designing annular acoustic liners. First an estimate of the noise output of the fan is made based on basic fan aerodynamic design variables. Then, using a target noise spectrum after alternation and the estimated fan noise spectrum, a design spectrum is calculated as their difference. Next, the design spectrum is combined with knowledge of acoustic liner performance and the liner design variables to specify the acoustic design. Details of the liner design are calculated by combining the required acoustic impedance with a mathematical model relating acoustic impedance to the physical structure of the liner. Input to the noise prediction part of the program consists of basic fan operating parameters, distance that the target spectrum is to be measured and the target spectrum. The liner design portion of the program requires the required alternation spectrum, desired values of length to height and several option selection parameters. Output from the noise prediction portion is a noise spectrum consisting of discrete tones and broadband noise. This may be used as input to the liner design portion of the program. The liner design portion of the program produces backing depths, open area ratios, and face plate thicknesses. This program is written in FORTRAN V and has been implemented in batch mode on a UNIVAC 1100 series computer with a central memory requirement of 12K (decimal) of 36 bit words.

Using Targeting Outcomes of Programs as a Framework to Target Photographic Events in Nonformal Educational Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rockwell, S. Kay; Albrecht, Julie A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Kunz, Gina M.

2012-01-01

Targeting Outcomes of Programs (TOP) is a seven-step hierarchical programming model in which the program development and performance sides are mirror images of each other. It served as a framework to identify a simple method for targeting photographic events in nonformal education programs, indicating why, when, and how photographs would be useful…

A qualitative study of governance of evolving response to non-communicable diseases in low-and middle- income countries: current status, risks and options.

PubMed

Rani, Manju; Nusrat, Sharmin; Hawken, Laura H

2012-10-16

Segmented service delivery with consequent inefficiencies in health systems was one of the main concerns raised during scaling up of disease-specific programs in the last two decades. The organized response to NCD is in infancy in most LMICs with little evidence on how the response is evolving in terms of institutional arrangements and policy development processes. Drawing on qualitative review of policy and program documents from five LMICs and data from global key-informant surveys conducted in 2004 and 2010, we examine current status of governance of response to NCDs at national level along three dimensions- institutional arrangements for stewardship and program management and implementation; policies/plans; and multisectoral coordination and partnerships. Several positive trends were noted in the organization and governance of response to NCDs: shift from specific NCD-based programs to integrated NCD programs, increasing inclusion of NCDs in sector-wide health plans, and establishment of high-level multisectoral coordination mechanisms.Several areas of concern were identified. The evolving NCD-specific institutional structures are being treated as 'program management and implementation' entities rather than as lead 'technical advisory' bodies, with unclear division of roles and responsibilities between NCD-specific and sector-wide structures. NCD-specific and sector-wide plans are poorly aligned and lack prioritization, costing, and appropriate targets. Finally, the effectiveness of existing multisectoral coordination mechanisms remains questionable. The 'technical functions' and 'implementation and management functions' should be clearly separated between NCD-specific units and sector-wide institutional structures to avoid duplicative segmented service delivery systems. Institutional capacity building efforts for NCDs should target both NCD-specific units (for building technical and analytical capacity) and sector-wide organizational units (for building program management and implementation capacity) in MOH.The sector-wide health plans should reflect NCDs in proportion to their public health importance. NCD specific plans should be developed in close consultation with sector-wide health- and non-health stakeholders. These plans should expand on the directions provided by sector-wide health plans specifying strategically prioritized, fully costed activities, and realistic quantifiable targets for NCD control linked with sector-wide expenditure framework. Multisectoral coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened with optimal decision-making powers and resource commitment and monitoring of their outputs.

A qualitative study of governance of evolving response to non-communicable diseases in low-and middle- income countries: current status, risks and options

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Segmented service delivery with consequent inefficiencies in health systems was one of the main concerns raised during scaling up of disease-specific programs in the last two decades. The organized response to NCD is in infancy in most LMICs with little evidence on how the response is evolving in terms of institutional arrangements and policy development processes. Methods Drawing on qualitative review of policy and program documents from five LMICs and data from global key-informant surveys conducted in 2004 and 2010, we examine current status of governance of response to NCDs at national level along three dimensions— institutional arrangements for stewardship and program management and implementation; policies/plans; and multisectoral coordination and partnerships. Results Several positive trends were noted in the organization and governance of response to NCDs: shift from specific NCD-based programs to integrated NCD programs, increasing inclusion of NCDs in sector-wide health plans, and establishment of high-level multisectoral coordination mechanisms. Several areas of concern were identified. The evolving NCD-specific institutional structures are being treated as ‘program management and implementation’ entities rather than as lead ‘technical advisory’ bodies, with unclear division of roles and responsibilities between NCD-specific and sector-wide structures. NCD-specific and sector-wide plans are poorly aligned and lack prioritization, costing, and appropriate targets. Finally, the effectiveness of existing multisectoral coordination mechanisms remains questionable. Conclusions The ‘technical functions’ and ‘implementation and management functions’ should be clearly separated between NCD-specific units and sector-wide institutional structures to avoid duplicative segmented service delivery systems. Institutional capacity building efforts for NCDs should target both NCD-specific units (for building technical and analytical capacity) and sector-wide organizational units (for building program management and implementation capacity) in MOH. The sector-wide health plans should reflect NCDs in proportion to their public health importance. NCD specific plans should be developed in close consultation with sector-wide health- and non-health stakeholders. These plans should expand on the directions provided by sector-wide health plans specifying strategically prioritized, fully costed activities, and realistic quantifiable targets for NCD control linked with sector-wide expenditure framework. Multisectoral coordination mechanisms need to be strengthened with optimal decision-making powers and resource commitment and monitoring of their outputs. PMID:23067232

Targeted resequencing of candidate genes reveals novel variants associated with severe Behçet's uveitis.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Jin; Lee, Seungbok; Park, Changho; Seo, Jeong-Sun; Kim, Jong-Il; Yu, Hyeong Gon

2013-10-18

Behçet's disease (BD) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by four major manifestations: recurrent uveitis, oral and genital ulcers and skin lesions. To identify some pathogenic variants associated with severe Behçet's uveitis, we used targeted and massively parallel sequencing methods to explore the genetic diversity of target regions. A solution-based target enrichment kit was designed to capture whole-exonic regions of 132 candidate genes. Using a multiplexing strategy, 32 samples from patients with a severe type of Behçet's uveitis were sequenced with a Genome Analyzer IIx. We compared the frequency of each variant with that of 59 normal Korean controls, and selected five rare and eight common single-nucleotide variants as the candidates for a replication study. The selected variants were genotyped in 61 cases and 320 controls and, as a result, two rare and seven common variants showed significant associations with severe Behçet's uveitis (P<0.05). Some of these, including rs199955684 in KIR3DL3, rs1801133 in MTHFR, rs1051790 in MICA and rs1051456 in KIR2DL4, were predicted to be damaging by either the PolyPhen-2 or SIFT prediction program. Variants on FCGR3A (rs396991) and ICAM1 (rs5498) have been previously reported as susceptibility loci of this disease, and those on IFNAR1, MTFHR and MICA also replicated the previous reports at the gene level. The KIR3DL3 and KIR2DL4 genes are novel susceptibility genes that have not been reported in association with BD. In conclusion, this study showed that target enrichment and next-generation sequencing technologies can provide valuable information on the genetic predisposition for Behçet's uveitis.

Space Research and Technology Program: Program and specific objectives, document approval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

A detailed view of the Space Research and Technology program work breakdown structure is provided down to the specific objective level. Goals or objectives at each of these levels are set forth. The specific objective narratives are structured into several parts. First, a short paragraph statement of the specific objective is given. This is followed by a list of subobjectives. A list of targets is then provided for those areas of the specific objective that are amenable to a quantitative description of technical accomplishment and schedule. Fluid and thermal physics, materials and structures, computer science and electronics, space energy conversion, multidisciplinary research, controls and human factors, chemical propulsion, spacecraft systems, transportation systems, platform systems, and spacecraft systems technology comprise the principal research programs.

Flight evaluation of advanced third-generation midwave infrared sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Chyau N.; Donn, Matthew

1998-08-01

In FY-97 the Counter Drug Optical Upgrade (CDOU) demonstration program was initiated by the Program Executive Office for Counter Drug to increase the detection and classification ranges of P-3 counter drug aircraft by using advanced staring infrared sensors. The demonstration hardware is a `pin-for-pin' replacement of the AAS-36 Infrared Detection Set (IRDS) located under the nose radome of a P-3 aircraft. The hardware consists of a 3rd generation mid-wave infrared (MWIR) sensor integrated into a three axis-stabilized turret. The sensor, when installed on the P- 3, has a hemispheric field of regard and analysis has shown it will be capable of detecting and classifying Suspected Drug Trafficking Aircraft and Vessels at ranges several factors over the current IRDS. This paper will discuss the CDOU system and it's lab, ground, and flight evaluation results. Test targets included target templates, range targets, dedicated target boats, and targets of opportunity at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and at operational test sites. The objectives of these tests were to: (1) Validate the integration concept of the CDOU package into the P-3 aircraft. (2) Validate the end-to-end functionality of the system, including sensor/turret controls and recording of imagery during flight. (3) Evaluate the system sensitivity and resolution on a set of verified resolution targets templates. (4) Validate the ability of the 3rd generation MWIR sensor to detect and classify targets at a significantly increased range.

Speech recognition-based and automaticity programs to help students with severe reading and spelling problems.

PubMed

Higgins, Eleanor L; Raskind, Marshall H

2004-12-01

This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of two programs developed by the Frostig Center Research Department to improve the reading and spelling of students with learning disabilities (LD): a computer Speech Recognition-based Program (SRBP) and a computer and text-based Automaticity Program (AP). Twenty-eight LD students with reading and spelling difficulties (aged 8 to 18) received each program for 17 weeks and were compared with 16 students in a contrast group who did not receive either program. After adjusting for age and IQ, both the SRBP and AP groups showed significant differences over the contrast group in improving word recognition and reading comprehension. Neither program showed significant differences over contrasts in spelling. The SRBP also improved the performance of the target group when compared with the contrast group on phonological elision and nonword reading efficiency tasks. The AP showed significant differences in all process and reading efficiency measures.

TIP: protein backtranslation aided by genetic algorithms.

PubMed

Moreira, Andrés; Maass, Alejandro

2004-09-01

Several applications require the backtranslation of a protein sequence into a nucleic acid sequence. The degeneracy of the genetic code makes this process ambiguous; moreover, not every translation is equally viable. The usual answer is to mimic the codon usage of the target species; however, this does not capture all the relevant features of the 'genomic styles' from different taxa. The program TIP ' Traducción Inversa de Proteínas') applies genetic algorithms to improve the backtranslation, by minimizing the difference of some coding statistics with respect to their average value in the target. http://www.cmm.uchile.cl/genoma/tip/

Antecedents, consequences and interventions for workplace bullying.

PubMed

Kemp, Vivien

2014-09-01

The issue of workplace bullying has become an area of research interest in the last 3 decades. Much of the extant literature is published in the business management journals. This is problematic as the targets of workplace bullying may need psychiatric treatment; as a discipline, therefore psychiatrists may benefit from a deeper understanding of the nature of workplace bullying and its sequelae. There is still no agreed upon definition, although most definitions include similar criteria. Managers and human resources personnel frequently have difficulty identifying and effectively managing workplace bullying. The consequences for the targets of bullying can be severe; they may need psychiatric treatment and it can have a lifelong impact. There is a paucity of research into effective prevention and intervention programs. Preventive measures that focus on the whole workplace culture or on targets alone have mixed results. Workplace policies and procedures may lessen the prevalence and incidence of bullying, but often competing interests of senior management, human resources personnel, supervisors and workers may mitigate any antibullying interventions. Although psychiatrists are likely to treat the targets of bullying, bullying has yet to attract much attention as a research topic in psychiatry. Although the consequences of bullying can be severe for both targets and workplaces, prevention strategies are hampered by competing interests.

Targeting an asteroid: The DSPSE encounter with asteroid 1620 Geographos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeomans, Donald K.

1993-01-01

Accurate targeting of the Deep Space Program Science Experiment (DSPSE) spacecraft to achieve a 100 km sunward flyby of asteroid 1620 Geographos will require that the ground-based ephemeris of Geographos be well known in advance of the encounter. Efforts are underway to ensure that precision optical and radar observations are available for the final asteroid orbit update that takes place several hours prior to the DSPSE flyby. Because the asteroid passes very close to the Earth six days prior to the DSPSE encounter, precision ground-based optical and radar observations should be available. These ground-based data could reduce the asteroid's position uncertainties (1-sigma) to about 10 km. This ground-based target ephemeris error estimate is far lower than for any previous comet or asteroid that has been under consideration as a mission target.

National direct-drive program on OMEGA and the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goncharov, V. N.; Regan, S. P.; Campbell, E. M.; Sangster, T. C.; Radha, P. B.; Myatt, J. F.; Froula, D. H.; Betti, R.; Boehly, T. R.; Delettrez, J. A.; Edgell, D. H.; Epstein, R.; Forrest, C. J.; Glebov, V. Yu; Harding, D. R.; Hu, S. X.; Igumenshchev, I. V.; Marshall, F. J.; McCrory, R. L.; Michel, D. T.; Seka, W.; Shvydky, A.; Stoeckl, C.; Theobald, W.; Gatu-Johnson, M.

2017-01-01

A major advantage of the laser direct-drive (DD) approach to ignition is the increased fraction of laser drive energy coupled to the hot spot and relaxed hot-spot requirements for the peak pressure and convergence ratios relative to the indirect-drive approach at equivalent laser energy. With the goal of a successful ignition demonstration using DD, the recently established national strategy has several elements and involves multiple national and international institutions. These elements include the experimental demonstration on OMEGA cryogenic implosions of hot-spot conditions relevant for ignition at MJ-scale energies available at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and developing an understanding of laser-plasma interactions and laser coupling using DD experiments on the NIF. DD designs require reaching central stagnation pressures in excess of 100 Gbar. The current experiments on OMEGA have achieved inferred peak pressures of 56 Gbar (Regan et al 2016 Phys. Rev. Lett. 117 025001). Extensive analysis of the cryogenic target experiments and two- and three-dimensional simulations suggest that power balance, target offset, and target quality are the main limiting factors in target performance. In addition, cross-beam energy transfer (CBET) has been identified as the main mechanism reducing laser coupling. Reaching the goal of demonstrating hydrodynamic equivalence on OMEGA includes improving laser power balance, target position, and target quality at shot time. CBET must also be significantly reduced and several strategies have been identified to address this issue.

Mapping educational opportunities for healthcare workers on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship around the world.

PubMed

Rogers Van Katwyk, Susan; Jones, Sara L; Hoffman, Steven J

2018-02-05

Antimicrobial resistance is an important global issue facing society. Healthcare workers need to be engaged in solving this problem, as advocates for rational antimicrobial use, stewards of sustainable effectiveness, and educators of their patients. To fulfill this role, healthcare workers need access to training and educational resources on antimicrobial resistance. To better understand the resources available to healthcare workers, we undertook a global environmental scan of educational programs and resources targeting healthcare workers on the topic of antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship. Programs were identified through contact with key experts, web searching, and academic literature searching. We summarized programs in tabular form, including participating organizations, region, and intended audience. We developed a coding system to classify programs by program type and participating organization type, assigning multiple codes as necessary and creating summary charts for program types, organization types, and intended audience to illustrate the breadth of available resources. We identified 94 educational initiatives related to antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship, which represent a diverse array of programs including courses, workshops, conferences, guidelines, public outreach materials, and online-resource websites. These resources were developed by a combination of government bodies, professional societies, universities, non-profit and community organizations, hospitals and healthcare centers, and insurance companies and industry. Most programs either targeted healthcare workers collectively or specifically targeted physicians. A smaller number of programs were aimed at other healthcare worker groups including pharmacists, nurses, midwives, and healthcare students. Our environmental scan shows that there are many organizations working to develop and share educational resources for healthcare workers on antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship. Governments, hospitals, and professional societies appear to be driving action on this front, sometimes working with other types of organizations. A broad range of resources have been made freely available; however, we have noted several opportunities for action, including increased engagement with students, improvements to pre-service education, recognition of antimicrobial resistance courses as continuing medical education, and better platforms for resource-sharing online.

KCa 3.1-a microglial target ready for drug repurposing?

PubMed

Dale, Elena; Staal, Roland G W; Eder, Claudia; Möller, Thomas

2016-10-01

Over the past decade, glial cells have attracted attention for harboring unexploited targets for drug discovery. Several glial targets have attracted de novo drug discovery programs, as highlighted in this GLIA Special Issue. Drug repurposing, which has the objective of utilizing existing drugs as well as abandoned, failed, or not yet pursued clinical development candidates for new indications, might provide a faster opportunity to bring drugs for glial targets to patients with unmet needs. Here, we review the potential of the intermediate-conductance calcium-activated potassium channels KCa 3.1 as the target for such a repurposing effort. We discuss the data on KCa 3.1 expression on microglia in vitro and in vivo and review the relevant literature on the two KCa 3.1 inhibitors TRAM-34 and Senicapoc. Finally, we provide an outlook of what it might take to harness the potential of KCa 3.1 as a bona fide microglial drug target. GLIA 2016;64:1733-1741. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Supporting the growth of peer-professional workforces in healthcare settings: an evaluation of a targeted training approach for volunteer leaders of the STEPS Program.

PubMed

Turner, Benjamin; Kennedy, Areti; Kendall, Melissa; Muenchberger, Heidi

2014-01-01

To examine the effectiveness of a targeted training approach to foster and support a peer-professional workforce in the delivery of a community rehabilitation program for adults with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families. A prospective longitudinal design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted two-day training forum for peer (n = 25) and professional (n = 15) leaders of the Skills to Enable People and Communities Program. Leaders completed a set of questionnaires (General Self-Efficacy Scale - GSES, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Volunteer Motivation Inventory - VMI and Community Involvement Scale - CIS) both prior to and immediately following the forum. Data analysis entailed paired sample t-test to explore changes in scores over time, and independent sample t-tests for comparisons between the two participant groups. The results indicated a significant increase in scores over time for the GSES (p = 0.047). Improvements in leaders' volunteer motivations and community involvement were also observed between the two time intervals. The between group comparisons highlighted that the peer leader group scored significantly higher than the professional leader group on the CIS and several domains of the VMI at both time intervals. The study provides an enhanced understanding of the utility of innovative workforce solutions for community rehabilitation after ABI; and further highlights the benefits of targeted training approaches to support the development of such workforce configurations.

Molecular mechanisms of programmed cell death-1 dependent T cell suppression: relevance for immunotherapy

PubMed Central

Zuazo, Miren; Gato-Cañas, Maria; Llorente, Noelia; Ibañez-Vea, María; Arasanz, Hugo

2017-01-01

Programmed cell death-1 (PD1) has become a significant target for cancer immunotherapy. PD1 and its receptor programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PDL1) are key regulatory physiological immune checkpoints that maintain self-tolerance in the organism by regulating the degree of activation of T and B cells amongst other immune cell types. However, cancer cells take advantage of these immunosuppressive regulatory mechanisms to escape T and B cell-mediated immunity. PD1 engagement on T cells by PDL1 on the surface of cancer cells dramatically interferes with T cell activation and the acquisition of effector capacities. Interestingly, PD1-targeted therapies have demonstrated to be highly effective in rescuing T cell anti-tumor effector functions. Amongst these the use of anti-PD1/PDL1 monoclonal antibodies are particularly efficacious in human therapies. Furthermore, clinical findings with PD1/PDL1 blockers over several cancer types demonstrate clinical benefit. Despite the successful results, the molecular mechanisms by which PD1-targeted therapies rescue T cell functions still remain elusive. Therefore, it is a key issue to uncover the molecular pathways by which these therapies exert its function in T cells. A profound knowledge of PDL1/PD1 mechanisms will surely uncover a new array of targets susceptible of therapeutic intervention. Here, we provide an overview of the molecular events underlying PD1-dependent T cell suppression in cancer. PMID:29114543

Control of octopus arm extension by a peripheral motor program.

PubMed

Sumbre, G; Gutfreund, Y; Fiorito, G; Flash, T; Hochner, B

2001-09-07

For goal-directed arm movements, the nervous system generates a sequence of motor commands that bring the arm toward the target. Control of the octopus arm is especially complex because the arm can be moved in any direction, with a virtually infinite number of degrees of freedom. Here we show that arm extensions can be evoked mechanically or electrically in arms whose connection with the brain has been severed. These extensions show kinematic features that are almost identical to normal behavior, suggesting that the basic motor program for voluntary movement is embedded within the neural circuitry of the arm itself. Such peripheral motor programs represent considerable simplification in the motor control of this highly redundant appendage.

HEADS UP! A nested intervention with freshmen male college students and the broader campus community to promote responsible drinking.

PubMed

LaBrie, Joseph W; Pedersen, Eric R; Lamb, Toby F; Bove, Lane

2006-01-01

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism developed several guidelines for effective interventions in dealing with problematic college student drinking, including targeted individual interventions paired with broader campus community involvement. The project Heads UP! combines these suggestions in an effort to intervene with high-risk first-year male college students. The objective of the program is to reduce campus alcohol-related negative events and prevent these high-risk students from developing dangerous drinking patterns throughout college. The project provides an environment that supports students in actively following the goals outlined by the intervention, and it actively impacts the overall campus by helping students make responsible drinking decisions. Promising results are forthcoming, and the authors encourage other universities to design and adopt similar campus-supported programs nested within the broader campus community that target high-risk populations on campus.

A review of barriers to effective asthma management in Puerto Ricans: cultural, healthcare system and pharmacogenomic issues.

PubMed

Alicea-Alvarez, Norma; Swanson-Biearman, Brenda; Kelsen, Steven G

2014-02-01

Among the Hispanic community, Puerto Ricans have the highest prevalence of asthma and manifest the worst outcomes. The expected growth of the Hispanic population in the USA in the next several decades make elimination of disparate care in Puerto Rican asthmatics a matter of national importance. The purpose of this review of the literature (ROL) is to examine a variety of health system, genetic and cultural barriers in the Puerto Rican community which have created disparities in asthma care and outcomes among adult and pediatric Hispanic populations. In addition, this ROL describes several culturally sensitive, community-based educational interventions which can be used as a framework for future projects to improved asthma outcomes. Databases searched included Medline, PubMED, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar and ERIC. Papers published in English from January 1990 to January 2012 were reviewed. Health system policies, insurer compensation patterns, clinician attitudes and cultural values/folk remedies in the Puerto Rican community represent barriers to effective asthma management, the use of controller medication and the implementation of educational interventions. In addition, genetic factors involving the beta-2 adrenergic receptor gene, which impair the response to albuterol, appear to contribute to poorer outcomes in Puerto Rican asthmatics. In contrast, several comprehensive, community-based, culturally sensitive educational interventions such as Controlling Asthma in American Cities Project (CAACP), the Racial and Ethnic Approach to Community Health in the US Program and Healthy Hoops programs (REACH) have been described. We believe that culturally sensitive community-based asthma education programs can serve as models for programs targeted toward Puerto Ricans to help decrease asthma morbidity. Moreover, greater sensitivity to Puerto Rican mores and folk remedies on the part of healthcare providers may improve the patient-clinician rapport and, hence, asthma outcomes. Finally, given ethnically based differences in pharmacogenomics, clinical trials targeting the Puerto Rican population may help to better define optimal asthma medication regimens in this ethnic group.

Devolution's policy impact on non-emergency medical transportation in State Children's Health Insurance Programs.

PubMed

Borders, Stephen; Blakely, Craig; Ponder, Linda; Raphael, David

2011-01-01

Proponents of devolution often maintain that the transfer of power and authority of programs enables local officials to craft policy solutions that better align with the needs of their constituents. This article provides one of the first empirical evaluations of this assumption as it relates to non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). NEMT programs meet a critical need in the areas in which they serve, directly targeting this single key access barrier to care. Yet states have great latitude in making such services available. The authors utilize data from 32 states to provide a preliminary assessment of devolution's consequences and policy impact on transportation-related access to care. Their findings provide mixed evidence on devolution's impact on policy outcomes. Proponents of devolution can find solace in the fact that several states have gone beyond federally mandated minimum requirements to offer innovative programs to remove transportation barriers to care. Detractors of devolution will find continued pause on several key issues, as a number of states do not offer NEMT to their SCHIP populations while cutting services and leaving over $7 billion in federal matching funding unspent.

OMB estimates indicate that 900,000 children will lose health insurance due to reductions in federal SCHIP funding.

PubMed

Park, Edwin; Ku, Leighton; Broaddus, Matthew

2003-01-01

Despite the success of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in reducing the ranks of uninsured children, the program now faces significant financing challenges. Analysis based on a model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicates that by 2007, 20 states will have insufficient federal funding to sustain their current programs, with the first states affected in 2004. As a result, the Office of Management and Budget projected last year that SCHIP enrollment will fall by 900,000 children between 2003 and 2007. The funding shortfalls are the result of several factors. Federal SCHIP funding fell by 26 percent--by more than dollar 1 billion-in each of fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004; dollar 1.2 billion in SCHIP funds has already expired and reverted to the Treasury at the end of fiscal year 2002, and another dollar 1.5 billion will expire at the end of 2003. The SCHIP program also has a redistribution system with targeting and timing problems. However, proposed Congressional legislation restoring federal funding, extending the dollar 2.7 billion in expiring funds, and targeting the funds to the states that most need them could avert most, if not all, of the projected enrollment decline. On the other hand, the Bush administration proposed to extend the expiring funds but does not target them to needy states; the proposal will do little to reduce the magnitude of the decline.

Neural Progenitors Adopt Specific Identities by Directly Repressing All Alternative Progenitor Transcriptional Programs.

PubMed

Kutejova, Eva; Sasai, Noriaki; Shah, Ankita; Gouti, Mina; Briscoe, James

2016-03-21

In the vertebrate neural tube, a morphogen-induced transcriptional network produces multiple molecularly distinct progenitor domains, each generating different neuronal subtypes. Using an in vitro differentiation system, we defined gene expression signatures of distinct progenitor populations and identified direct gene-regulatory inputs corresponding to locations of specific transcription factor binding. Combined with targeted perturbations of the network, this revealed a mechanism in which a progenitor identity is installed by active repression of the entire transcriptional programs of other neural progenitor fates. In the ventral neural tube, sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, together with broadly expressed transcriptional activators, concurrently activates the gene expression programs of several domains. The specific outcome is selected by repressive input provided by Shh-induced transcription factors that act as the key nodes in the network, enabling progenitors to adopt a single definitive identity from several initially permitted options. Together, the data suggest design principles relevant to many developing tissues. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

2013 Annual National Digital Rectal Exam Day: impact on prostate health awareness and disease detection.

PubMed

Chua, Michael E; Lapitan, Marie Carmela M; Morales, Marcelino L; Roque, Aristotle Bernard Maniego; Domingo, John Kenneth

2014-03-01

"Mag-paDRE" is a yearly prostate health public awareness program initiated by the Philippine Urological Association. This study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical data of the participants in the 2013 "Mag-paDRE" program and to identify factors that will further improve prostate health public awareness. A descriptive cross-sectional study undertaken to collect and assess the demographic data, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and digital rectal examination findings of the participants in the "Mag-paDRE" conducted in the 10 Philippine Board of Urology (PBU) different accredited training institutions. Descriptive statistics was used to report the proportion of Filipino men aged 40 or older who presented for their first prostate health evaluation. Clinical profile were reviewed and summarized. The study protocol was registered in the Clinicaltrial.gov under Identifier NCT01886547. A total of 925 participants from the 10 PBU accredited training institutions were assessed. Among the 10 training institutions the large tertiary government owned medical center had the highest number of participants and target participants recruited; while the private sectors owned tertiary hospitals have the highest proportion of target participants and cases. According to the predetermined definition of this study, 614 (66%) were considered the target population for the "Mag-paDRE" program. The mean age of the target participants was 58.9±9.9. Only 360 of 614 (59%) were new case, 118 (32.7%) had severe lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), 223 (62%) had moderate LUTS, 19 (5.3%) were asymptomatic but with hard prostates, palpable prostate nodules or prostate tenderness. The most bothersome symptoms were incomplete bladder emptying (30.2%), and frequency (22.9%). Overall, the 2013 "Mag-paDRE" among the 10 training institutions was effective in promoting prostate health awareness. A need to modify the preactivity information dissemination by these institutions can be done to further increase the attendance of targeted population of the prostate health awareness program.

The Influence of Treatment Attendance on Subsequent Aggression among Severely Mentally Ill Substance Abusers

PubMed Central

Zhuo, Yue; Bradizza, Clara M.; Maisto, Stephen A.

2014-01-01

The interrelationships between severe mental illness, substance use, and aggression are of longstanding importance with implications for community treatment programs, treatment research and public policy. Through the analysis of longitudinal data collected from 278 patients over a 6-month period following admission to an outpatient dual diagnosis treatment program, this study examined the association between dual diagnosis treatment attendance and subsequent aggression among individuals diagnosed with both a severe mental illness and a substance use disorder. We also tested substance use and psychiatric symptoms as mediators of this treatment-aggression relationship. The results of structural equation modeling analyses indicated that dual diagnosis treatment was associated with lower levels of subsequent aggression. Mediational analyses indicated that greater treatment involvement was associated with reduced substance use, which was associated with lower levels of aggression; thus, substance use was found to mediate the relationship between dual diagnosis treatment and aggression. Surprisingly, severity of psychiatric symptoms did not predict later aggression. These findings suggest that targeting substance use reduction in treatment may have the additional benefit of reducing the risk of later aggression among dual diagnosis patients. PMID:25124261

2D/3D Visual Tracker for Rover Mast

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bajracharya, Max; Madison, Richard W.; Nesnas, Issa A.; Bandari, Esfandiar; Kunz, Clayton; Deans, Matt; Bualat, Maria

2006-01-01

A visual-tracker computer program controls an articulated mast on a Mars rover to keep a designated feature (a target) in view while the rover drives toward the target, avoiding obstacles. Several prior visual-tracker programs have been tested on rover platforms; most require very small and well-estimated motion between consecutive image frames a requirement that is not realistic for a rover on rough terrain. The present visual-tracker program is designed to handle large image motions that lead to significant changes in feature geometry and photometry between frames. When a point is selected in one of the images acquired from stereoscopic cameras on the mast, a stereo triangulation algorithm computes a three-dimensional (3D) location for the target. As the rover moves, its body-mounted cameras feed images to a visual-odometry algorithm, which tracks two-dimensional (2D) corner features and computes their old and new 3D locations. The algorithm rejects points, the 3D motions of which are inconsistent with a rigid-world constraint, and then computes the apparent change in the rover pose (i.e., translation and rotation). The mast pan and tilt angles needed to keep the target centered in the field-of-view of the cameras (thereby minimizing the area over which the 2D-tracking algorithm must operate) are computed from the estimated change in the rover pose, the 3D position of the target feature, and a model of kinematics of the mast. If the motion between the consecutive frames is still large (i.e., 3D tracking was unsuccessful), an adaptive view-based matching technique is applied to the new image. This technique uses correlation-based template matching, in which a feature template is scaled by the ratio between the depth in the original template and the depth of pixels in the new image. This is repeated over the entire search window and the best correlation results indicate the appropriate match. The program could be a core for building application programs for systems that require coordination of vision and robotic motion.

Targeted Employment Subsidies: Issues of Structure and Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, John; Haveman, Robert

Effects of variations in the structure of targeted employment subsidy programs on the attainment of program objectives are explored in this paper. First, the objectives that underlie targeted subsidy programs are outlined in relation to individual program characteristics and the economics of such programs are discussed. Then the wide range of…

Using organization theory to understand the determinants of effective implementation of worksite health promotion programs.

PubMed

Weiner, Bryan J; Lewis, Megan A; Linnan, Laura A

2009-04-01

The field of worksite health promotion has moved toward the development and testing of comprehensive programs that target health behaviors with interventions operating at multiple levels of influence. Yet, observational and process evaluation studies indicate that such programs are challenging for worksites to implement effectively. Research has identified several organizational factors that promote or inhibit effective implementation of comprehensive worksite health promotion programs. However, no integrated theory of implementation has emerged from this research. This article describes a theory of the organizational determinants of effective implementation of comprehensive worksite health promotion programs. The model is adapted from theory and research on the implementation of complex innovations in manufacturing, education and health care settings. The article uses the Working Well Trial to illustrate the model's theoretical constructs. Although the article focuses on comprehensive worksite health promotion programs, the conceptual model may also apply to other types of complex health promotion programs. An organization-level theory of the determinants of effective implementation of worksite health promotion programs.

Necroptosis inhibitors as therapeutic targets in inflammation mediated disorders - a review of the current literature and patents.

PubMed

Kopalli, Spandana Rajendra; Kang, Tae-Bong; Koppula, Sushruta

2016-11-01

Recent studies have shown substantial interplay between the apoptosis and necroptosis pathways. Necroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, has been found to stimulate the immune system contributing to the pathophysiology of several inflammation-mediated disorders. Determining the contribution of necroptotic signaling pathways to inflammation may lead to the development of selective and specific molecular target implicated necroptosis inhibitors. Areas covered: This review summarizes the recently published and patented necroptosis inhibitors as therapeutic targets in inflammation-mediated disorders. The role of several necroptosis inhibitors, focusing on specific signaling molecules, was discussed with particular attention to inflammation-mediated disorders. Data was obtained from Espacenet®, WIPO®, USPTO® patent websites, and other relevant sources (2006-2016). Expert opinion: Necroptosis inhibitors hold promise for treatment of inflammation-mediated clinical conditions in which necroptotic cell death plays a major role. Although necroptosis inhibitors reviewed in this survey showed inhibitory effects against several inflammation-mediated disorders, only a few have passed to the stage of clinical testing and need extensive research for therapeutic practice. Revisiting the existing drugs and developing novel necroptosis inhibiting agents as well as understanding their mechanism are essential. A detailed study of necroptosis function in animal models of inflammation may provide us an alternative strategy for the development of drug-like necroptosis inhibitors.

Technical aids for the flexible use of the Leksell stereotactic system.

PubMed

Salcman, M; Bellis, E H; Sewchand, W; Amin, P

1989-06-01

As part of a multimodality therapy program for intracranial tumours, 105 stereotactic and implant procedures have been carried out utilizing the CT-compatible Leksell stereotactic system. In the iridium implant series, 86 catheters have been implanted for an average of 3.6 targets per patient. There have been no deaths or missed targets and only two incidential haemorrhages detected. In order to facilitate the reliability, safety and speed of multiple catheter insertion, several techniques have been developed including: (a) a standardized single-length catheter and flange system; (b) a ceramic catheter for microwave hyperthermia; (c) a mnemonic card for ease of calculation; (d) a radiation shield for nursing; (e) a stereotactic drill and surgical approaches to far lateral and posterior fossa targets. Principles for the use of these technical aids are discussed.

Using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy to Characterize Targets for MTW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Gunnar; Stockler, Barak; Ward, Ryan; Freeman, Charlie; Padalino, Stephen; Stillman, Collin; Ivancic, Steven; Reagan, S. P.; Sangster, T. C.

2017-10-01

A study is underway to determine the composition and thickness of targets used at the Multiterawatt (MTW) laser facility at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS). In RBS, an ion beam is incident on a sample and the scattered ions are detected with a surface barrier detector. The resulting energy spectra of the scattered ions can be analyzed to determine important parameters of the target including elemental composition and thickness. Proton, helium and deuterium beams from the 1.7 MV Pelletron accelerator at SUNY Geneseo have been used to characterize several different targets for MTW, including CH and aluminum foils of varying thickness. RBS spectra were also obtained for a cylindrical iron buried-layer target with aluminum dopant which was mounted on a silicon carbide stalk. The computer program SIMNRA is used to analyze the spectra. This work was funded in part by a Grant from the DOE through the Laboratory for Laser Energetics.

Sexual networks in contemporary Western societies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liljeros, Fredrik

2004-07-01

Sexually transmitted infections continue to be a severe health problem in contemporary Western societies, despite the considerable funds allocated for control programs. In this article, we present and discuss a variety of explanations that have been advanced on why this type of disease is so hard to eradicate, despite the fact that the contact by which it is spread is far less frequent than is the case with most other infectious diseases. We conclude that several processes and mechanisms facilitate the spread of sexually infected diseases, and that both broad and targeted intervention is therefore needed to eradicate such diseases.

Building Effective Pipelines to Increase Diversity in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snow, E.; Robinson, C. R.; Neal-Mujahid, R.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes and understands the importance of a diverse workforce in advancing our science. Valuing Differences is one of the guiding principles of the USGS, and is the critical basis of the collaboration among the Youth and Education in Science (YES) program in the USGS Office of Science, Quality, and Integrity (OSQI), the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity (ODEO), and USGS science centers to build pipeline programs targeting diverse young scientists. Pipeline programs are robust, sustained relationships between two entities that provide a pathway from one to the other, in this case, from minority serving institutions to the USGS. The USGS has benefited from pipeline programs for many years. Our longest running program, with University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez (UPR), is a targeted outreach and internship program that has been managed by USGS scientists in Florida since the mid-1980's Originally begun as the Minority Participation in the Earth Sciences (MPES ) Program, it has evolved over the years, and in its several forms has brought dozens of interns to the USGS. Based in part on that success, in 2006 USGS scientists in Woods Hole MA worked with their Florida counterparts to build a pipeline program with City College of New York (CCNY). In this program, USGS scientists visit CCNY monthly, giving a symposium and meeting with students and faculty. The talks are so successful that the college created a course around them. In 2017, the CCNY and UPR programs brought 12 students to the USGS for summer internships. The CCNY model has been so successful that USGS is exploring creating similar pipeline programs. The YES office is coordinating with ODEO and USGS science centers to identify partner universities and build relationships that will lead to robust partnership where USGS scientists will visit regularly to engage with faculty and students and recruit students for USGS internships. The ideal partner universities will have a high population of underserved students, strong support for minority and first-generation students, proximity to a USGS office, and faculty and/or majors in several of the fields most important to USGS science: geology, geochemistry, energy, biology, ecology, environmental health, hydrology, climate science, GIS, high-capacity computing, and remote sensing.

The State and Sustainability of Telepsychiatry Programs.

PubMed

Lauckner, Carolyn; Whitten, Pamela

2016-04-01

Telepsychiatry, or the provision of psychiatric care across a distance using communication technologies, has become widespread and has been used successfully for treating a variety of mental illnesses. Little is known, however, about the sustainability of telepsychiatry programs and their long-term success. The goal of this study was to determine current trends in telepsychiatry by completing an extensive literature review and to follow-up with the authors of telepsychiatry research to examine the current status of their programs and success factors or barriers associated with their experiences. Results indicated that modern telepsychiatry programs often target veteran/military or child populations and that many rely on either federal or internal funding. Interestingly, several researchers indicated that they wished to improve current funding mechanisms, while others wished for improvements in the technology used. Implications of these findings for behavioral health researchers are discussed, along with suggestions for improving future telepsychiatry programs.

Strategies to facilitate implementation and sustainability of large system transformations: a case study of a national program for improving quality of care for elderly people.

PubMed

Nyström, Monica Elisabeth; Strehlenert, Helena; Hansson, Johan; Hasson, Henna

2014-09-18

Large-scale change initiatives stimulating change in several organizational systems in the health and social care sector are challenging both to lead and evaluate. There is a lack of systematic research that can enrich our understanding of strategies to facilitate large system transformations in this sector. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of core activities and strategies to facilitate implementation and change of a national program aimed at improving life for the most ill elderly people in Sweden. The program outcomes were also addressed to assess the impact of these strategies. A longitudinal case study design with multiple data collection methods was applied. Archival data (n = 795), interviews with key stakeholders (n = 11) and non-participant observations (n = 23) were analysed using content analysis. Outcome data was obtained from national quality registries. This study presents an approach for implementing a large national change program that is characterized by initial flexibility and dynamism regarding content and facilitation strategies and a growing complexity over time requiring more structure and coordination. The description of activities and strategies show that the program management team engaged a variety of stakeholders and actor groups and accordingly used a palate of different strategies. The main strategies used to influence change in the target organisations were to use regional improvement coaches, regional strategic management teams, national quality registries, financial incentives and annually revised agreements. Interactive learning sessions, intense communication, monitor and measurements, and active involvement of different experts and stakeholders, including elderly people, complemented these strategies. Program outcomes showed steady progress in most of the five target areas, less so for the target of achieving coordinated care. There is no blue-print on how to approach the challenging task of leading large scale change programs in complex contexts, but our conclusion is that more attention has to be given to the multidimensional strategies that program management need to consider. This multidimensionality comprises different strategies depending on types of actors, system levels, contextual factors, program progress over time, program content, types of learning and change processes, and the conditions for sustainability.

Shaken baby syndrome and a triple-dose strategy for its prevention.

PubMed

Stewart, Tanya Charyk; Polgar, Denise; Gilliland, Jason; Tanner, David A; Girotti, Murray J; Parry, Neil; Fraser, Douglas D

2011-12-01

Inflicted traumatic brain injury associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) is a leading cause of injury mortality and morbidity in infants. A triple-dose SBS prevention program was implemented with the aim to reduce the incidence of SBS. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology of SBS, the triple-dose prevention program, and its evaluation. Descriptive and spatial epidemiologic profiles of SBS cases treated at Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, from 1991 to 2010 were created. Dose 1 (in-hospital education): pre-post impact evaluation of registered nurse training, with a questionnaire developed to assess parents' satisfaction with the program. Dose 2 (public health home visits): process evaluation of additional education given to new parents. Dose 3 (media campaign): a questionnaire developed to rate the importance of factors on a 7-point Likert scale. These factors were used to create weights for statistical modeling and mapping within a geographic information system to target prevention ads. Forty-three percent of severe infant injuries were intentional. A total of 54 SBS cases were identified. The mean age was 6.7 months (standard deviation, 10.9 months), with 61% of infant males. The mean Injury Severity Score was 26.3 (standard deviation, 5.5) with a 19% mortality rate. Registered nurses learned new information on crying patterns and SBS, with a 47% increase in knowledge posttraining (p < 0.001). Over 10,000 parents were educated in-hospital, a 93% education compliance rate. Nearly all parents (93%) rated the program as useful, citing "what to do when the crying becomes frustrating" as the most important message. Only 6% of families needed to be educated during home visits. Locations of families with a new baby, high population density, and percentage of lone parents were found to be the most important factors for selecting media sites. The spatial analysis revealed six areas needed to be targeted for ad locations. SBS is a devastating intentional injury that often results in poor outcomes for the child. Implementing a triple-dose prevention program that provides education on crying patterns, coping strategies, and the dangers of shaking is key to SBS prevention. The program increased knowledge. Parents rated the program as useful. The media campaign allowed us to extend the primary prevention beyond new parents to help create a cultural change in the way crying, the primary trigger for SBS, is viewed. Targeting our intervention increased the likelihood that our message was reaching the population in greatest need.

[E-learning : an effective and necessary complement to the postgraduate training].

PubMed

Galland-Decker, Coralie; Gachoud, David; Monti, Matteo

2016-11-23

The evolution of modern medicine largely influenced the development of new postgraduate training programs, which requirements are more engaging and constraining. Time dedicated to education more and more often comes into competition with the resident's clinical and administrative activities. In this context, E-learning could be an interesting solution, if used complementary to the classical training which does not further overload the clinical activity. By focusing on the recognition of clinical images, and interpretation of functional tests, we target some well known knowledge gaps of our trainees. Our program allows every participant to be exposed to some important, prototypical or rare situations, independent of the clinical exposure. The quality of our program is ensured by the collaboration with several specialty departments of our hospital.

A meta-analytic review of school-based prevention for cannabis use.

PubMed

Porath-Waller, Amy J; Beasley, Erin; Beirness, Douglas J

2010-10-01

This investigation used meta-analytic techniques to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based prevention programming in reducing cannabis use among youth aged 12 to 19. It summarized the results from 15 studies published in peer-reviewed journals since 1999 and identified features that influenced program effectiveness. The results from the set of 15 studies indicated that these school-based programs had a positive impact on reducing students' cannabis use (d = 0.58, CI: 0.55, 0.62) compared to control conditions. Findings revealed that programs incorporating elements of several prevention models were significantly more effective than were those based on only a social influence model. Programs that were longer in duration (≥15 sessions) and facilitated by individuals other than teachers in an interactive manner also yielded stronger effects. The results also suggested that programs targeting high school students were more effective than were those aimed at middle-school students. Implications for school-based prevention programming are discussed.

Analysis of Regolith Simulant Ejecta Distributions from Normal Incident Hypervelocity Impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, David L.; Cooke, William; Suggs, Rob; Moser, Danielle E.

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has established the Constellation Program. The Constellation Program has defined one of its many goals as long-term lunar habitation. Critical to the design of a lunar habitat is an understanding of the lunar surface environment; of specific importance is the primary meteoroid and subsequent ejecta environment. The document, NASA SP-8013 'Meteoroid Environment Model Near Earth to Lunar Surface', was developed for the Apollo program in 1969 and contains the latest definition of the lunar ejecta environment. There is concern that NASA SP-8013 may over-estimate the lunar ejecta environment. NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) has initiated several tasks to improve the accuracy of our understanding of the lunar surface ejecta environment. This paper reports the results of experiments on projectile impact into powdered pumice and unconsolidated JSC-1A Lunar Mare Regolith simulant targets. Projectiles were accelerated to velocities between 2.45 and 5.18 km/s at normal incidence using the Ames Vertical Gun Range (AVGR). The ejected particles were detected by thin aluminum foil targets strategically placed around the impact site and angular ejecta distributions were determined. Assumptions were made to support the analysis which include; assuming ejecta spherical symmetry resulting from normal impact and all ejecta particles were of mean target particle size. This analysis produces a hemispherical flux density distribution of ejecta with sufficient velocity to penetrate the aluminum foil detectors.

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

Milostan, Catharina; Levin, Todd; Muehleisen, Ralph T.

Many electric utilities operate energy efficiency incentive programs that encourage increased dissemination and use of energy-efficient (EE) products in their service territories. The programs can be segmented into three broad categories—downstream incentive programs target product end users, midstream programs target product distributors, and upstream programs target product manufacturers. Traditional downstream programs have had difficulty engaging Small Business/Small Portfolio (SBSP) audiences, and an opportunity exists to expand Commercial Midstream Incentive Programs (CMIPs) to reach this market segment instead.

76 FR 34953 - Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education in Targeted States (Targeted States Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-15

... Corporation Funding Opportunity Title: Risk Management Education in Targeted States (Targeted States Program... Corporation (FCIC), operating through the Risk Management Agency (RMA), announces its intent to award... same time as funding availability for similar but separate program, the Risk Management Education and...

Fortification of foods with vitamin D in India: strategies targeted at children.

PubMed

G, Ritu; Gupta, Ajay

2015-01-01

Vitamin D deficiency is endemic in India, despite abundant sunshine, due to several socioeconomic and cultural constraints. Fortification of staple foods with vitamin D is a viable population-based strategy for the general population in India. These strategies are discussed in the review article entitled, "Fortification of Foods With Vitamin D in India" [1]. The quantity of foods consumed by children is much smaller compared to adults. Therefore, children need energy-dense and micronutrient-dense foods to meet their daily nutritional requirements. Targeted food fortification programs are needed to meet the special needs of children. This review explores potential strategies that could be used for fortification of foods with vitamin D for children in India. Sattu has the potential to be a valuable vehicle for vitamin D fortification in India. The salient characteristics and merits of sattu as an ideal food to be fortified with micronutrients, especially vitamin D, are reviewed here. Key teaching points: • Fortification of foods with vitamin D, specifically targeted towards the nutritional requirements of infants and children, is a viable strategy in the Indian scenario. •Government programs targeting the nutritional needs of children in India, especially via midday meal programs in schools, should incorporate indigenous ready-to-eat foods fortified with micronutrients including vitamin D. These foods would need to have longer shelf life, require minimal preparation, and have economic and technological feasibility. • Sattu, a protein rich Indian fast food, comprised of roasted flour made from cereals and legumes, has immense potential to serve as an economically and technologically feasible fortification vehicle for vitamin D fortification strategies.

Effects of a Computerized Working Memory Training Program on Working Memory, Attention, and Academics in Adolescents with Severe LD and Comorbid ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, S. A.; Chaban, P.; Martinussen, R.; Goldberg, R.; Gotlieb, H.; Kronitz, R.; Hockenberry, M.; Tannock, R.

2012-01-01

Background: Youths with coexisting learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at risk for poor academic and social outcomes. The underlying cognitive deficits, such as poor working memory (WM), are not well targeted by current treatments for either LD or ADHD. Emerging evidence suggests that WM might be…

Design and optimization of a portable LQCD Monte Carlo code using OpenACC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonati, Claudio; Coscetti, Simone; D'Elia, Massimo; Mesiti, Michele; Negro, Francesco; Calore, Enrico; Schifano, Sebastiano Fabio; Silvi, Giorgio; Tripiccione, Raffaele

The present panorama of HPC architectures is extremely heterogeneous, ranging from traditional multi-core CPU processors, supporting a wide class of applications but delivering moderate computing performance, to many-core Graphics Processor Units (GPUs), exploiting aggressive data-parallelism and delivering higher performances for streaming computing applications. In this scenario, code portability (and performance portability) become necessary for easy maintainability of applications; this is very relevant in scientific computing where code changes are very frequent, making it tedious and prone to error to keep different code versions aligned. In this work, we present the design and optimization of a state-of-the-art production-level LQCD Monte Carlo application, using the directive-based OpenACC programming model. OpenACC abstracts parallel programming to a descriptive level, relieving programmers from specifying how codes should be mapped onto the target architecture. We describe the implementation of a code fully written in OpenAcc, and show that we are able to target several different architectures, including state-of-the-art traditional CPUs and GPUs, with the same code. We also measure performance, evaluating the computing efficiency of our OpenACC code on several architectures, comparing with GPU-specific implementations and showing that a good level of performance-portability can be reached.

Analysis on Dissemination Conditions of Photovoltaics in Japan by Using Energy System Model MARKAL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endo, Eiichi; Ichinohe, Masayuki

The national target for PV capacity in Japan is 4. 82, GW in 2010, and several PV Roadmaps until 2030 are also described. To achieve the target, several support programs, such as subsidization to capital cost, Green Credit by the Green Power Certification System, buy-back under the Renewable Portfolio Standard low, have been already introduced. Carbon tax is still under consideration, but there are several analyses about possible carbon tax. The purpose of this paper is to analyze PV system sales price and subsidy through buy-back which make photovoltaics cost-competitive with other energy technologies and make the target for PV capacity achievable by 2030 in Japan under an expected carbon tax. For the analysis energy system of Japan is modeled by using MARKAL. Based on the results of analysis, under 6000, JPY/t-C carbon tax, photovoltaics needs subsidy for a while even if we taking both fuel savings and Green Credit into account. For attaining the national target for PV capacity in 2010, photovoltaics needs more expensive buy-back than that in present, but after 2010 necessary buy-back decreases gradually. If 120, JPY/W PV system sales price is attained by 2030, photovoltaics becomes cost-competitive without any supports. Subsidy through buy-back becomes almost unnecessary in 2030, if we can reduce it less than 170, JPY/W. The total necessary buy-back meets peak in 2025. It is much more than ongoing subsidy to capital cost of PV systems, but annual revenue from the assumed carbon tax can finance the annual total necessary buy-back. This means if photovoltaics can attain the targeted PV system sales price, we should support it for a while by spending carbon tax revenue effectively and efficiently.

Evaluating a Targeted Social Program When Placement Is Decentralized. Policy Research Working Papers No. 1945.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravallion, Martin; Wodon, Quentin

Assessment of welfare gains from a targeted social program can be seriously biased unless the endogeneity of program participation is addressed. Bias comes from two sources of placement endogeneity: the purposive targeting of geographic areas, and the targeting of individual recipients within selected areas. Partial decentralization of program…

Trial watch: Immune checkpoint blockers for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Vanpouille-Box, Claire; Lhuillier, Claire; Bezu, Lucillia; Aranda, Fernando; Yamazaki, Takahiro; Kepp, Oliver; Fucikova, Jitka; Spisek, Radek; Demaria, Sandra; Formenti, Silvia C; Zitvogel, Laurence; Kroemer, Guido; Galluzzi, Lorenzo

2017-01-01

Immune checkpoint blockers (ICBs) are literally revolutionizing the clinical management of an ever more diversified panel of oncological indications. Although considerable attention persists around the inhibition of cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA4) and programmed cell death 1 (PDCD1, best known as PD-1) signaling, several other co-inhibitory T-cell receptors are being evaluated as potential targets for the development of novel ICBs. Moreover, substantial efforts are being devoted to the identification of biomarkers that reliably predict the likelihood of each patient to obtain clinical benefits from ICBs in the absence of severe toxicity. Tailoring the delivery of specific ICBs or combinations thereof to selected patient populations in the context of precision medicine programs constitutes indeed a major objective of the future of ICB-based immunotherapy. Here, we discuss recent preclinical and clinical advances on the development of ICBs for oncological indications.

Loss of maintenance DNA methylation results in abnormal DNA origin firing during DNA replication.

PubMed

Haruta, Mayumi; Shimada, Midori; Nishiyama, Atsuya; Johmura, Yoshikazu; Le Tallec, Benoît; Debatisse, Michelle; Nakanishi, Makoto

2016-01-22

The mammalian maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1 [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1] mediates the inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern during replication. Previous studies have shown that depletion of DNMT1 causes a severe growth defect and apoptosis in differentiated cells. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we show that conditional ablation of Dnmt1 in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in an aberrant DNA replication program showing an accumulation of late-S phase replication and causing severely defective growth. Furthermore, we found that the catalytic activity and replication focus targeting sequence of DNMT1 are required for a proper DNA replication program. Taken together, our findings suggest that the maintenance of DNA methylation by DNMT1 plays a critical role in proper regulation of DNA replication in mammalian cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A prospective evaluation of an interdisciplinary nutrition–rehabilitation program for patients with advanced cancer

PubMed Central

Gagnon, B.; Murphy, J.; Eades, M.; Lemoignan, J.; Jelowicki, M.; Carney, S.; Amdouni, S.; Di Dio, P.; Chasen, M.; MacDonald, N.

2013-01-01

Background Cancer can affect many dimensions of a patient’s life, and in turn, it should be targeted using a multimodal approach. We tested the extent to which an interdisciplinary nutrition–rehabilitation program can improve the well-being of patients with advanced cancer. Methods Between January 10, 2007, and September 29, 2010, 188 patients with advanced cancer enrolled in the 10–12-week program. Body weight, physical function, symptom severity, fatigue dimensions, distress level, coping ability, and overall quality of life were assessed at the start and end of the program. Results Of the enrolled patients, 70% completed the program. Patients experienced strong improvements in the physical and activity dimensions of fatigue (effect sizes: 0.8–1.1). They also experienced moderate reductions in the severity of weakness, depression, nervousness, shortness of breath, and distress (effect sizes: 0.5–0.7), and moderate improvements in Six Minute Walk Test distance, maximal gait speed, coping ability, and quality of life (effect sizes: 0.5–0.7) Furthermore, 77% of patients either maintained or increased their body weight. Conclusions Interdisciplinary nutrition–rehabilitation can be advantageous for patients with advanced cancer and should be considered an integrated part of standard palliative care. PMID:24311946

Theoretical studies on sRNA-mediated regulation in bacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Xiao-Xue; Xu, Liu-Fang; Shi, Hua-Lin

2015-12-01

Small RNA(sRNA)-mediated post-transcriptional regulation differs from protein-mediated regulation. Through base-pairing, sRNA can regulate the target mRNA in a catalytic or stoichiometric manner. Some theoretical models were built for comparison of the protein-mediated and sRNA-mediated modes in the steady-state behaviors and noise properties. Many experiments demonstrated that a single sRNA can regulate several mRNAs, which causes crosstalk between the targets. Here, we focus on some models in which two target mRNAs are silenced by the same sRNA to discuss their crosstalk features. Additionally, the sequence-function relationship of sRNA and its role in the kinetic process of base-pairing have been highlighted in model building. Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB834100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11121403 and 11274320), the Open Project Program of State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China (Grant No. Y4KF171CJ1), the National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scholar of China (Grant No. 11304115), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2013M541282).

Vulnerability of Rehabilitated Agricultural Production Systems to Invasion by Nontarget Plant Species

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baer, Sara G.; Engle, David M.; Knops, Johannes M. H.; Langeland, Kenneth A.; Maxwell, Bruce D.; Menalled, Fabian D.; Symstad, Amy J.

2009-02-01

Vast areas of arable land have been retired from crop production and “rehabilitated” to improved system states through landowner incentive programs in the United States (e.g., Conservation and Wetland Reserve Programs), as well as Europe (i.e., Agri-Environment Schemes). Our review of studies conducted on invasion of rehabilitated agricultural production systems by nontarget species elucidates several factors that may increase the vulnerability of these systems to invasion. These systems often exist in highly fragmented and agriculturally dominated landscapes, where propagule sources of target species for colonization may be limited, and are established under conditions where legacies of past disturbance persist and prevent target species from persisting. Furthermore, rehabilitation approaches often do not include or successfully attain all target species or historical ecological processes (e.g., hydrology, grazing, and/or fire cycles) key to resisting invasion. Uncertainty surrounds ways in which nontarget species may compromise long term goals of improving biodiversity and ecosystem services through rehabilitation efforts on former agricultural production lands. This review demonstrates that more studies are needed on the extent and ecological impacts of nontarget species as related to the goals of rehabilitation efforts to secure current and future environmental benefits arising from this widespread conservation practice.

Church-based health programs for mental disorders among African Americans: a review.

PubMed

Hankerson, Sidney H; Weissman, Myrna M

2012-03-01

African Americans underutilize traditional mental health services, compared with white Americans. The authors conducted a systematic review of studies involving church-based health promotion programs for mental disorders among African Americans to assess the feasibility of utilizing such programs to address racial disparities in mental health care. A literature review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ATLA Religion databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 1, 1980, and December 31, 2009. Inclusion criteria were as follows: studies were conducted in a church; the primary objective involved assessment, perceptions and attitudes, education, prevention, group support, or treatment for DSM-IV mental disorders or their correlates; number of participants was reported; qualitative or quantitative data were reported; and African Americans were the target population. Of 1,451 studies identified, only eight met inclusion criteria. Five studies focused on substance-related disorders, six were designed to assess the effects of a specific intervention, and six targeted adults. One study focused on depression and was limited by a small sample size of seven participants. Although church-based health promotion programs have been successful in addressing racial disparities for several chronic medical conditions, the literature on such programs for mental disorders is extremely limited. More intensive research is needed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing church-based health promotion programs as a possible resource for screening and treatment to improve disparities in mental health care for African Americans.

Computational Predictions Provide Insights into the Biology of TAL Effector Target Sites

PubMed Central

Grau, Jan; Wolf, Annett; Reschke, Maik; Bonas, Ulla; Posch, Stefan; Boch, Jens

2013-01-01

Transcription activator-like (TAL) effectors are injected into host plant cells by Xanthomonas bacteria to function as transcriptional activators for the benefit of the pathogen. The DNA binding domain of TAL effectors is composed of conserved amino acid repeat structures containing repeat-variable diresidues (RVDs) that determine DNA binding specificity. In this paper, we present TALgetter, a new approach for predicting TAL effector target sites based on a statistical model. In contrast to previous approaches, the parameters of TALgetter are estimated from training data computationally. We demonstrate that TALgetter successfully predicts known TAL effector target sites and often yields a greater number of predictions that are consistent with up-regulation in gene expression microarrays than an existing approach, Target Finder of the TALE-NT suite. We study the binding specificities estimated by TALgetter and approve that different RVDs are differently important for transcriptional activation. In subsequent studies, the predictions of TALgetter indicate a previously unreported positional preference of TAL effector target sites relative to the transcription start site. In addition, several TAL effectors are predicted to bind to the TATA-box, which might constitute one general mode of transcriptional activation by TAL effectors. Scrutinizing the predicted target sites of TALgetter, we propose several novel TAL effector virulence targets in rice and sweet orange. TAL-mediated induction of the candidates is supported by gene expression microarrays. Validity of these targets is also supported by functional analogy to known TAL effector targets, by an over-representation of TAL effector targets with similar function, or by a biological function related to pathogen infection. Hence, these predicted TAL effector virulence targets are promising candidates for studying the virulence function of TAL effectors. TALgetter is implemented as part of the open-source Java library Jstacs, and is freely available as a web-application and a command line program. PMID:23526890

Hubble Space Telescope Discovery of a Probable Caustic-Crossing Event in the MACS1149 Galaxy Cluster Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelly, Patrick L.; Rodney, Steven; Diego, Jose Maria; Zitrin, Adi; Broadhurst, Tom; Selsing, Jonatan; Balestra, Italo; Benito, Alberto Molino; Bradac, Marusa; Bradley, Larry; Brammer, Gabriel; Cenko, Brad; Christensen, Lise; Coe, Dan; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Foley, Ryan; Frye, Brenda; Graham, Melissa; Graur, Or; Grillo, Claudio; Hjorth, Jens; Howell, Andy; Jauzac, Mathilde; Jha, Saurabh; Kaiser, Nick; Kawamata, Ryota; Kneib, Jean-Paul; Lotz, Jennifer; Matheson, Thomas; McCully, Curtis; Merten, Julian; Nonino, Mario; Oguri, Masamune; Richard, Johan; Riess, Adam; Rosati, Piero; Schmidt, Kasper Borello; Sharon, Keren; Smith, Nathan; Strolger, Lou; Treu, Tommaso; Wang, Xin; Weiner, Ben; Williams, Liliya; Zheng, Weikang

2016-05-01

While monitoring the MACS1149 (z = 0.54) galaxy cluster as part of the RefsdalRedux program (PID 14199; PI Kelly) with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 IR camera, we have detected a rising transient that appears to be coincident ( Target-of-opportunity optical follow-up imaging in several ACS and WFC3 bands with the FrontierSN program (PID 14208; PI Rodney) has revealed that its rest-frame ultraviolet through optical spectrum may be reasonably well fit with that of a B star at z=1.49 exhibiting a strong Balmer break.

A catalog of putative adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) that ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A number of putative AOPs for several distinct MIEs of thyroid disruption have been formulated for amphibian metamorphosis and fish swim bladder inflation. These have been entered into the AOP knowledgebase on the OECD WIKI. The EDSP has been actively advancing high-throughput screening for chemical activity toward estrogen, androgen and thyroid targets. However, it has been recently identified that coverage for thyroid-related targets is lagging behind estrogen and androgen assay coverage. As thyroid-related medium-high throughput assays are actively being developed for inclusion in the ToxCast chemical screening program, a parallel effort is underway to characterize putative adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) specific to these thyroid-related targets. This effort is intended to provide biological and ecological context that will enhance the utility of ToxCast high throughput screening data for hazard identification.

SWOT analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Israeli Smallpox Revaccination Program.

PubMed

Huerta, Michael; Balicer, Ran D; Leventhal, Alex

2003-01-01

During September 2002, Israel began its current revaccination program against smallpox, targeting previously vaccinated "first responders" among medical and emergency workers. In order to identify the potential strengths and weaknesses of this program and the conditions under which critical decisions were reached, we conducted a SWOT analysis of the current Israeli revaccination program, designed to identify its intrinsic strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for its success and threats against it. SWOT analysis--a practical tool for the study of public health policy decisions and the social and political contexts in which they are reached--revealed clear and substantial strengths and weaknesses of the current smallpox revaccination program, intrinsic to the vaccine itself. A number of threats were identified that may jeopardize the success of the current program, chief among them the appearance of severe complications of vaccination. Our finding of a lack of a generation of knowledge on smallpox vaccination highlights the need for improved physician education and dissipation of misconceptions that are prevalent in the public today.

Computerized optimization of multiple isocentres in stereotactic convergent beam irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treuer, U.; Treuer, H.; Hoevels, M.; Müller, R. P.; Sturm, V.

1998-01-01

A method for the fully computerized determination and optimization of positions of target points and collimator sizes in convergent beam irradiation is presented. In conventional interactive trial and error methods, which are very time consuming, the treatment parameters are chosen according to the operator's experience and improved successively. This time is reduced significantly by the use of a computerized procedure. After the definition of target volume and organs at risk in the CT or MR scans, an initial configuration is created automatically. In the next step the target point positions and collimator diameters are optimized by the program. The aim of the optimization is to find a configuration for which a prescribed dose at the target surface is approximated as close as possible. At the same time dose peaks inside the target volume are minimized and organs at risk and tissue surrounding the target are spared. To enhance the speed of the optimization a fast method for approximate dose calculation in convergent beam irradiation is used. A possible application of the method for calculating the leaf positions when irradiating with a micromultileaf collimator is briefly discussed. The success of the procedure has been demonstrated for several clinical cases with up to six target points.

Drug Target Interference in Immunogenicity Assays: Recommendations and Mitigation Strategies.

PubMed

Zhong, Zhandong Don; Clements-Egan, Adrienne; Gorovits, Boris; Maia, Mauricio; Sumner, Giane; Theobald, Valerie; Wu, Yuling; Rajadhyaksha, Manoj

2017-11-01

Sensitive and specific methodology is required for the detection and characterization of anti-drug antibodies (ADAs). High-quality ADA data enables the evaluation of potential impact of ADAs on the drug pharmacokinetic profile, patient safety, and efficacious response to the drug. Immunogenicity assessments are typically initiated at early stages in preclinical studies and continue throughout the drug development program. One of the potential bioanalytical challenges encountered with ADA testing is the need to identify and mitigate the interference mediated by the presence of soluble drug target. A drug target, when present at sufficiently high circulating concentrations, can potentially interfere with the performance of ADA and neutralizing antibody (NAb) assays, leading to either false-positive or, in some cases, false-negative ADA and NAb assay results. This publication describes various mechanisms of assay interference by soluble drug target, as well as strategies to recognize and mitigate such target interference. Pertinent examples are presented to illustrate the impact of target interference on ADA and NAb assays as well as several mitigation strategies, including the use of anti-target antibodies, soluble versions of the receptors, target-binding proteins, lectins, and solid-phase removal of targets. Furthermore, recommendations for detection and mitigation of such interference in different formats of ADA and NAb assays are provided.

The theoretical model of the school-based prevention programme Unplugged.

PubMed

Vadrucci, Serena; Vigna-Taglianti, Federica D; van der Kreeft, Peer; Vassara, Maro; Scatigna, Maria; Faggiano, Fabrizio; Burkhart, Gregor

2016-12-01

Unplugged is a school-based prevention programme designed and tested in the EU-Dap trial. The programme consists of 12 units delivered by class teachers to adolescents 12-14 years old. It is a strongly interactive programme including a training of personal and social skills with a specific focus on normative beliefs. The aim of this work is to define the theoretical model of the program, the contribution of the theories to the units, and the targeted mediators. The programme integrates several theories: Social Learning, Social Norms, Health Belief, theory of Reasoned Action-Attitude, and Problem Behaviour theory. Every theory contributes to the development of the units' contents, with specific weights. Knowledge, risk perception, attitudes towards drugs, normative beliefs, critical and creative thinking, relationship skills, communication skills, assertiveness, refusal skills, ability to manage emotions and to cope with stress, empathy, problem solving and decision making skills are the targeted mediators of the program. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effects of Background Pressure on Relativistic Laser-Plasma Interaction Ion Acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Andrew; Orban, C.; Feister, S.; Ngirmang, G.; Smith, J. T.; Klim, A.; Frische, K.; Morrison, J.; Chowdhury, E.; Roquemore, W. M.

2016-10-01

Typically, ultra-intense laser-accelerated ion experiments are carried out under high-vacuum conditions and with a repetition rate up to several shots per day. Looking to the future there is a need to perform these experiments with a much larger repetition rate. A continuously flowing liquid target is more suitable than a solid target for this purpose. However liquids vaporize below their vapor pressure, and the experiment cannot be performed under high-vacuum conditions. The effects of this non-negligible high chamber pressure acceleration of charged particles is not yet well understood. We investigate this phenomena using Particle-in-Cell simulations, exploring the effect of the background pressure on the accelerated ion spectrum. Experiments in this regime are being performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This research was sponsored by the Quantum and Non-Equilibrium Processes Division of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, under the management of Dr. Enrique Parra, Program Manager and significant support from the DOD HPCMP Internship Program.

Illuminator, a desktop program for mutation detection using short-read clonal sequencing.

PubMed

Carr, Ian M; Morgan, Joanne E; Diggle, Christine P; Sheridan, Eamonn; Markham, Alexander F; Logan, Clare V; Inglehearn, Chris F; Taylor, Graham R; Bonthron, David T

2011-10-01

Current methods for sequencing clonal populations of DNA molecules yield several gigabases of data per day, typically comprising reads of < 100 nt. Such datasets permit widespread genome resequencing and transcriptome analysis or other quantitative tasks. However, this huge capacity can also be harnessed for the resequencing of smaller (gene-sized) target regions, through the simultaneous parallel analysis of multiple subjects, using sample "tagging" or "indexing". These methods promise to have a huge impact on diagnostic mutation analysis and candidate gene testing. Here we describe a software package developed for such studies, offering the ability to resolve pooled samples carrying barcode tags and to align reads to a reference sequence using a mutation-tolerant process. The program, Illuminator, can identify rare sequence variants, including insertions and deletions, and permits interactive data analysis on standard desktop computers. It facilitates the effective analysis of targeted clonal sequencer data without dedicated computational infrastructure or specialized training. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

UCSF Small Molecule Discovery Center: innovation, collaboration and chemical biology in the Bay Area.

PubMed

Arkin, Michelle R; Ang, Kenny K H; Chen, Steven; Davies, Julia; Merron, Connie; Tang, Yinyan; Wilson, Christopher G M; Renslo, Adam R

2014-05-01

The Small Molecule Discovery Center (SMDC) at the University of California, San Francisco, works collaboratively with the scientific community to solve challenging problems in chemical biology and drug discovery. The SMDC includes a high throughput screening facility, medicinal chemistry, and research labs focused on fundamental problems in biochemistry and targeted drug delivery. Here, we outline our HTS program and provide examples of chemical tools developed through SMDC collaborations. We have an active research program in developing quantitative cell-based screens for primary cells and whole organisms; here, we describe whole-organism screens to find drugs against parasites that cause neglected tropical diseases. We are also very interested in target-based approaches for so-called "undruggable", protein classes and fragment-based lead discovery. This expertise has led to several pharmaceutical collaborations; additionally, the SMDC works with start-up companies to enable their early-stage research. The SMDC, located in the biotech-focused Mission Bay neighborhood in San Francisco, is a hub for innovative small-molecule discovery research at UCSF.

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

Fulle, D.J.; Bilello, M.A.; Armstrong, J.A.

The US Trade and Development Agency is partially funding the initial phase of an ambient air quality monitoring program for the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul in Turkey. The objectives of the monitoring program are fourfold: (1) to ascertain existing levels of air pollution within the urban area; (2) to identify locations where there may be health concerns associated with existing levels of air pollution; (3) to determine the portion of air pollution arising from specific anthropogenic sources within the urban area; and (4) to target the major sources for an emission-reduction program. This program is being carried out in phases.more » A feasibility study has recently been completed. This initial activity will be followed by three main program phases. Phase 1 will involve the installation of several air quality monitoring stations to collect area-wide background data within and surrounding the Municipality. Phase 2 will consist of taking detailed pollutant measurements near specific sources and in specific areas of high pollutant concentrations identified in Phase 1. Phase 3 would target the major sources for emission reductions to improve local air quality and would institute revisions to the existing air quality permitting program. The feasibility study included determining the pollutants of concern, specifying the equipment that should be utilized in Phase 1 for the collection of the data, recommending the number and location of sites where data should be collected, determining site preparation and security needs, and defining the data reduction and analysis techniques which should be employed. This paper describes the results of the feasibility study and outlines plans for the remaining phases of the program.« less

Soluble polymer conjugates for drug delivery.

PubMed

Minko, Tamara

2005-01-01

The use of water-soluble polymeric conjugates as drug carriers offers several possible advantages. These advantages include: (1) improved drug pharmacokinetics; (2) decreased toxicity to healthy organs; (3) possible facilitation of accumulation and preferential uptake by targeted cells; (4) programmed profile of drug release. In this review, we will consider the main types of useful polymeric conjugates and their role and effectiveness as carriers in drug delivery systems.: © 2005 Elsevier Ltd . All rights reserved.

Mobbing and psychological terror at workplaces.

PubMed

Leymann, H

1990-01-01

In recent years, the existence of a significant problem in workplaces has been documented in Sweden and other countries. It involves employees "ganging up" on a target employee and subjecting him or her to psychological harassment. This "mobbing" behavior results in severe psychological and occupational consequences for the victim. This phenomenon is described, its stages and consequences analyzed. An ongoing program of research and intervention that is currently being supported by the Swedish government is then considered.

Scientifically Based Reading Research Strategies in the Preschool Classroom: An Investigation into Quality Early Childhood Reading Practices and Literacy Acquisition in One Northern Michigan Early Reading First Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCool, Yvonne Donohoe

2013-01-01

A growing body of research has emerged to support the concept of providing early childhood education as a quality investment for our children, unlocking early potential and creating lasting impacts related to school success and beyond. Several landmark studies indicated that a quality education targeted at our youngest learners has the ability to…

Food Insecurity, Dietary Diversity, and Body Mass Index of HIV-Infected Individuals on Antiretroviral Therapy in Rural Haiti.

PubMed

Rebick, Gabriel W; Franke, Molly F; Teng, Jessica E; Gregory Jerome, J; Ivers, Louise C

2016-05-01

Food rations are increasingly offered as part of HIV programs in resource-poor settings, often targeted solely to those with under-nutrition by low body mass index (BMI). This practice does not consider food insecurity, another important risk factor for poor outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). We analyzed factors associated with low BMI and severe food insecurity in 523 PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy in rural Haiti using logistic regression. Food insecurity was present in 89 % of individuals. Among those with severe food insecurity, 86 % had a BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m(2). Severe food insecurity was associated with illiteracy [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 1.79, p = 0.005], having no income (AOR 1.58, p = 0.04), and poverty (p < 0.001). Compared with those with little to no food insecurity, individuals with severe food insecurity had a less diverse diet. We found that food insecurity was highly prevalent in PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy in rural Haiti. Using BMI as a sole criterion for food supplementation in HIV programs can exclude highly vulnerable individuals who may benefit from such support.

New generation of docking programs: Supercomputer validation of force fields and quantum-chemical methods for docking.

PubMed

Sulimov, Alexey V; Kutov, Danil C; Katkova, Ekaterina V; Ilin, Ivan S; Sulimov, Vladimir B

2017-11-01

Discovery of new inhibitors of the protein associated with a given disease is the initial and most important stage of the whole process of the rational development of new pharmaceutical substances. New inhibitors block the active site of the target protein and the disease is cured. Computer-aided molecular modeling can considerably increase effectiveness of new inhibitors development. Reliable predictions of the target protein inhibition by a small molecule, ligand, is defined by the accuracy of docking programs. Such programs position a ligand in the target protein and estimate the protein-ligand binding energy. Positioning accuracy of modern docking programs is satisfactory. However, the accuracy of binding energy calculations is too low to predict good inhibitors. For effective application of docking programs to new inhibitors development the accuracy of binding energy calculations should be higher than 1kcal/mol. Reasons of limited accuracy of modern docking programs are discussed. One of the most important aspects limiting this accuracy is imperfection of protein-ligand energy calculations. Results of supercomputer validation of several force fields and quantum-chemical methods for docking are presented. The validation was performed by quasi-docking as follows. First, the low energy minima spectra of 16 protein-ligand complexes were found by exhaustive minima search in the MMFF94 force field. Second, energies of the lowest 8192 minima are recalculated with CHARMM force field and PM6-D3H4X and PM7 quantum-chemical methods for each complex. The analysis of minima energies reveals the docking positioning accuracies of the PM7 and PM6-D3H4X quantum-chemical methods and the CHARMM force field are close to one another and they are better than the positioning accuracy of the MMFF94 force field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The importance of socio-economic context for social marketing models for improving reproductive health: evidence from 555 years of program experience.

PubMed

Meekers, Dominique; Rahaim, Stephen

2005-01-27

Over the past two decades, social marketing programs have become an important element of the national family planning and HIV prevention strategy in several developing countries. As yet, there has not been any comprehensive empirical assessment to determine which of several social marketing models is most effective for a given socio-economic context. Such an assessment is urgently needed to inform the design of future social marketing programs, and to avoid that programs are designed using an ineffective model. This study addresses this issue using a database of annual statistics about reproductive health oriented social marketing programs in over 70 countries. In total, the database covers 555 years of program experience with social marketing programs that distribute and promote the use of oral contraceptives and condoms. Specifically, our analysis assesses to what extent the model used by different reproductive health social marketing programs has varied across different socio-economic contexts. We then use random effects regression to test in which socio-economic context each of the models is most successful at increasing use of socially marketed oral contraceptives and condoms. The results show that there has been a tendency to design reproductive health social marketing program with a management structure that matches the local context. However, the evidence also shows that this has not always been the case. While socio-economic context clearly influences the effectiveness of some of the social marketing models, program maturity and the size of the target population appear equally important. To maximize the effectiveness of future social marketing programs, it is essential that more effort is devoted to ensuring that such programs are designed using the model or approach that is most suitable for the local context.

The importance of socio-economic context for social marketing models for improving reproductive health: Evidence from 555 years of program experience

PubMed Central

Meekers, Dominique; Rahaim, Stephen

2005-01-01

Background Over the past two decades, social marketing programs have become an important element of the national family planning and HIV prevention strategy in several developing countries. As yet, there has not been any comprehensive empirical assessment to determine which of several social marketing models is most effective for a given socio-economic context. Such an assessment is urgently needed to inform the design of future social marketing programs, and to avoid that programs are designed using an ineffective model. Methods This study addresses this issue using a database of annual statistics about reproductive health oriented social marketing programs in over 70 countries. In total, the database covers 555 years of program experience with social marketing programs that distribute and promote the use of oral contraceptives and condoms. Specifically, our analysis assesses to what extent the model used by different reproductive health social marketing programs has varied across different socio-economic contexts. We then use random effects regression to test in which socio-economic context each of the models is most successful at increasing use of socially marketed oral contraceptives and condoms. Results The results show that there has been a tendency to design reproductive health social marketing program with a management structure that matches the local context. However, the evidence also shows that this has not always been the case. While socio-economic context clearly influences the effectiveness of some of the social marketing models, program maturity and the size of the target population appear equally important. Conclusions To maximize the effectiveness of future social marketing programs, it is essential that more effort is devoted to ensuring that such programs are designed using the model or approach that is most suitable for the local context. PMID:15676068

Unraveling the Tangled Skein: The Evolution of Transcriptional Regulatory Networks in Development.

PubMed

Rebeiz, Mark; Patel, Nipam H; Hinman, Veronica F

2015-01-01

The molecular and genetic basis for the evolution of anatomical diversity is a major question that has inspired evolutionary and developmental biologists for decades. Because morphology takes form during development, a true comprehension of how anatomical structures evolve requires an understanding of the evolutionary events that alter developmental genetic programs. Vast gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that connect transcription factors to their target regulatory sequences control gene expression in time and space and therefore determine the tissue-specific genetic programs that shape morphological structures. In recent years, many new examples have greatly advanced our understanding of the genetic alterations that modify GRNs to generate newly evolved morphologies. Here, we review several aspects of GRN evolution, including their deep preservation, their mechanisms of alteration, and how they originate to generate novel developmental programs.

Characteristics of School Districts That Participate in Rigorous National Educational Evaluations

PubMed Central

Stuart, Elizabeth A.; Bell, Stephen H.; Ebnesajjad, Cyrus; Olsen, Robert B.; Orr, Larry L.

2017-01-01

Given increasing interest in evidence-based policy, there is growing attention to how well the results from rigorous program evaluations may inform policy decisions. However, little attention has been paid to documenting the characteristics of schools or districts that participate in rigorous educational evaluations, and how they compare to potential target populations for the interventions that were evaluated. Utilizing a list of the actual districts that participated in 11 large-scale rigorous educational evaluations, we compare those districts to several different target populations of districts that could potentially be affected by policy decisions regarding the interventions under study. We find that school districts that participated in the 11 rigorous educational evaluations differ from the interventions’ target populations in several ways, including size, student performance on state assessments, and location (urban/rural). These findings raise questions about whether, as currently implemented, the results from rigorous impact studies in education are likely to generalize to the larger set of school districts—and thus schools and students—of potential interest to policymakers, and how we can improve our study designs to retain strong internal validity while also enhancing external validity. PMID:29276552

Apoptosis and Molecular Targeting Therapy in Cancer

PubMed Central

Hassan, Mohamed; Watari, Hidemichi; AbuAlmaaty, Ali; Ohba, Yusuke; Sakuragi, Noriaki

2014-01-01

Apoptosis is the programmed cell death which maintains the healthy survival/death balance in metazoan cells. Defect in apoptosis can cause cancer or autoimmunity, while enhanced apoptosis may cause degenerative diseases. The apoptotic signals contribute into safeguarding the genomic integrity while defective apoptosis may promote carcinogenesis. The apoptotic signals are complicated and they are regulated at several levels. The signals of carcinogenesis modulate the central control points of the apoptotic pathways, including inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins and FLICE-inhibitory protein (c-FLIP). The tumor cells may use some of several molecular mechanisms to suppress apoptosis and acquire resistance to apoptotic agents, for example, by the expression of antiapoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 or by the downregulation or mutation of proapoptotic proteins such as BAX. In this review, we provide the main regulatory molecules that govern the main basic mechanisms, extrinsic and intrinsic, of apoptosis in normal cells. We discuss how carcinogenesis could be developed via defective apoptotic pathways or their convergence. We listed some molecules which could be targeted to stimulate apoptosis in different cancers. Together, we briefly discuss the development of some promising cancer treatment strategies which target apoptotic inhibitors including Bcl-2 family proteins, IAPs, and c-FLIP for apoptosis induction. PMID:25013758

46th Annual Targets, UAVs and Range Operations Symposium and Exhibition

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-10

introduction  mr. Ken Hislop , QF-16 Program manager, eglin aFB, FL 1:40 Pm - 2:00 Pm U.s. navy  CaPt Pat Buckley, Usn, Program manager...Bruce Ringstad Subscale & TCS Flight Lead Mr. Jim Cornwell Program Manager Mr. Ken Hislop Program Manager Ms. Lee Neugin Program Manager & Lead...Missiles Fired / 18 Kills AAC/PA 09-26-08-429 18 QF-16 Air Superiority Target Program Manager: Mr. Ken Hislop Description Full Scale Target for Threat

Structural Insights into the Mechanisms of Antibody-Mediated Neutralization of Flavivirus Infection: Implications for Vaccine Development

PubMed Central

Pierson, Theodore C.; Fremont, Daved H.; Kuhn, Richard J.; Diamond, Michael S.

2009-01-01

Flaviviruses are a group of small RNA viruses that cause severe disease in humans worldwide and are the target of several vaccine development programs. A primary goal of these efforts is to elicit a protective humoral response directed against the envelope proteins arrayed on the surface of the flavivirus virion. Advances in the structural biology of these viruses has catalyzed rapid progress toward understanding the complexity of the flavivirus immunogen and the molecular basis of antibody-mediated neutralization. These insights have identified factors that govern the potency of neutralizing antibodies and will inform the design and evaluation of novel vaccines. PMID:18779049

A review of the Fermilab fixed-target program

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

Rameika, R.

1994-12-01

All eyes are now on the Fermilab collider program as the intense search for the top quark continues. Nevertheless, Fermilab`s long tradition of operating a strong, diverse physics program depends not only on collider physics but also on effective use of the facilities the Laboratory was founded on, the fixed-target beamlines. In this talk the author presents highlights of the Fermilab fixed-target program from its (not too distant) past, (soon to be) present, and (hopefully, not too distant) future program. The author concentrates on those experiments which are unique to the fixed-target program, in particular hadron structure measurements which usemore » the varied beams and targets available in this mode and the physics results from kaon, hyperon and high statistics charm experiments which are not easily accessible in high p{sub T} hadron collider detectors.« less

Identification of estrogen-responsive genes using a genome-wide analysis of promoter elements for transcription factor binding sites.

PubMed

Kamalakaran, Sitharthan; Radhakrishnan, Senthil K; Beck, William T

2005-06-03

We developed a pipeline to identify novel genes regulated by the steroid hormone-dependent transcription factor, estrogen receptor, through a systematic analysis of upstream regions of all human and mouse genes. We built a data base of putative promoter regions for 23,077 human and 19,984 mouse transcripts from National Center for Biotechnology Information annotation and 8793 human and 6785 mouse promoters from the Data Base of Transcriptional Start Sites. We used this data base of putative promoters to identify potential targets of estrogen receptor by identifying estrogen response elements (EREs) in their promoters. Our program correctly identified EREs in genes known to be regulated by estrogen in addition to several new genes whose putative promoters contained EREs. We validated six genes (KIAA1243, NRIP1, MADH9, NME3, TPD52L, and ABCG2) to be estrogen-responsive in MCF7 cells using reverse transcription PCR. To allow for extensibility of our program in identifying targets of other transcription factors, we have built a Web interface to access our data base and programs. Our Web-based program for Promoter Analysis of Genome, PAGen@UIC, allows a user to identify putative target genes for vertebrate transcription factors through the analysis of their upstream sequences. The interface allows the user to search the human and mouse promoter data bases for potential target genes containing one or more listed transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) in their upstream elements, using either regular expression-based consensus or position weight matrices. The data base can also be searched for promoters harboring user-defined TFBSs given as a consensus or a position weight matrix. Furthermore, the user can retrieve putative promoter sequences for any given gene together with identified TFBSs located on its promoter. Orthologous promoters are also analyzed to determine conserved elements.

Do training programs help AFDC recipients leave the welfare rolls? An evaluation of New York City's BEGIN (Begin Employment Gain Independence Now) program.

PubMed

Angelo, L; March, J A

1997-01-01

Guided by the Federal Family Support Act of 1988 and the Job Opportunity and Basic Skills Program (JOBS), welfare reform initiatives on state and local levels were designed to foster employability among the public assistance population. Reform has focused on enhancing the supply of labor rather than the demand for labor as a route to labor force participation for the public assistance population. Program reforms assume that, by providing job training, educational services, and training-related expenses, labor market entry of the participating clientele would be facilitated while caseloads and public expenditures would decline. To date, analysis of similar programs in many states indicates that the impact of such programs in reducing public assistance caseloads is marginal. In New York City, despite the large investment of public funds in such programs, prior to this study the outcome of program implementation remained largely unknown. This study evaluates New York City's BEGIN program outcome target defined as the ability of the program to move welfare clients off public assistance and into the labor market. While the results of the study indicate that New York City's BEGIN program does not improve client's odds of leaving welfare, when compared to the odds of a non-participation client, there are several significant findings. The impact of program participation can be distinguished among distinct age groups. While older clients responded positively to BEGIN participation, access to day care was the only factor that significantly improved the probability that clients younger than 36 years of age would leave the welfare rolls within a two-year period. In response to the findings, the researchers suggest that future welfare reform efforts should grant localities broader flexibility to determine their own target population so that resources can be allocated to those groups that are most likely to benefit from specific programs.

Adding a vocational focus to mental health rehabilitation.

PubMed

Blankertz, L; Robinson, S

1996-11-01

The study examined the effect of adding two employment specialists to the staff of a community mental health center; their sole responsibility was to develop the skills and positive work attitudes that clients with severe mental illness need to enter the state vocational rehabilitation system or to seek employment. A total of 122 clients were randomly assigned to a program with an employment specialist or to a control group with no specialized vocational services. Clients in the program were taught work skills and attitudes in group and individual sessions and through a trial work experience. A schedule of rewards reinforced positive changes. Outcomes measured were skill gains, changes in work attitudes, attainment of employment, and entry into the state vocational rehabilitation system. At nine months, 34 of the 61 clients in the program achieved positive changes in vocational status that included competitive employment, participation in training and evaluation programs operated by the state vocational system, and formal referral to the system. Only one client in the control group was linked to the state system. Skill gains and positive changes in work attitudes were found for all program clients. Logistical regression suggested that program participation, rather than client characteristics, was an important predictor of a positive outcome. Over a relatively short time period, targeted vocational programs can help clients with severe mental illness develop the skills and attitudes necessary to attain employment or entry into the vocational rehabilitation system. Vocational rehabilitation can be an integral part of the rehabilitation process for all mental health clients.

Role of premission testing in the National Missile Defense system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tillman, Janice V.; Atkinson, Beverly

2001-09-01

The purpose of the National Missile Defense (NMD) system is to provide detection, discrimination, engagement, interception, and negation of ballistic missile attacks targeted at the United States (U.S.), including Alaska and Hawaii. This capability is achieved through the integration of weapons, sensors, and a battle management, command, control and communications (BMC3) system. The NMD mission includes surveillance, warning, cueing, and engagement of threat objects prior to potential impact on U.S. targets. The NMD Acquisition Strategy encompasses an integrated test program using Integrated Ground Tests (IGTs), Integrated Flight Tests (IFTs), Risk Reduction Flights (RRFs), Pre Mission Tests (PMTs), Command and Control (C2) Simulations, and other Specialty Tests. The IGTs utilize software-in-the-loop/hardware-in-the-loop (SWIL / HWIL) and digital simulations. The IFTs are conducted with targets launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB) and interceptors launched from Kwajalein Missile Range (KMR). The RRFs evaluate NMD BMC3 and NMD sensor functional performance and integration by leveraging planned Peacekeeper and Minuteman III operational test flights and other opportunities without employing the NMD interceptor. The PMTs are nondestructive System-level tests representing the use of NMD Element Test Assets in their IFT configuration and are conducted to reduce risks in achieving the IFT objectives. Specifically, PMTs are used to reduce integration, interface, and performance risks associated with Flight Tests to ensure that as much as possible, the System is tested without expending a target or an interceptor. This paper examines several critical test planning and analysis functions as they relate to the NMD Integrated Flight Test program and, in particular, to Pre-Mission Testing. Topics to be discussed include: - Flight-test program planning; - Pre-Test Integration activities; and - Test Execution, Analysis, and Post-Flight Reconstruction.

Renaissance of the ~1 TeV Fixed-Target Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, T.; Appel, J. A.; Arms, K. E.; Balantekin, A. B.; Conrad, J. M.; Cooper, P. S.; Djurcic, Z.; Dunwoodie, W.; Engelfried, J.; Fisher, P. H.; Gottschalk, E.; de Gouvea, A.; Heller, K.; Ignarra, C. M.; Karagiorgi, G.; Kwan, S.; Loinaz, W. A.; Meadows, B.; Moore, R.; Morfín, J. G.; Naples, D.; Nienaber, P.; Pate, S. F.; Papavassiliou, V.; Petrov, A. A.; Purohit, M. V.; Ray, H.; Russ, J.; Schwartz, A. J.; Seligman, W. G.; Shaevitz, M. H.; Schellman, H.; Spitz, J.; Syphers, M. J.; Tait, T. M. P.; Vannucci, F.

This document describes the physics potential of a new fixed-target program based on a ~1 TeV proton source. Two proton sources are potentially available in the future: the existing Tevatron at Fermilab, which can provide 800 GeV protons for fixed-target physics, and a possible upgrade to the SPS at CERN, called SPS+, which would produce 1 TeV protons on target. In this paper we use an example Tevatron fixed-target program to illustrate the high discovery potential possible in the charm and neutrino sectors. We highlight examples which are either unique to the program or difficult to accomplish at other venues.

Renaissance of the ~ 1-TeV Fixed-Target Program

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

Adams, T.; /Florida State U.; Appel, J.A.

2011-12-02

This document describes the physics potential of a new fixed-target program based on a {approx}1 TeV proton source. Two proton sources are potentially available in the future: the existing Tevatron at Fermilab, which can provide 800 GeV protons for fixed-target physics, and a possible upgrade to the SPS at CERN, called SPS+, which would produce 1 TeV protons on target. In this paper we use an example Tevatron fixed-target program to illustrate the high discovery potential possible in the charm and neutrino sectors. We highlight examples which are either unique to the program or difficult to accomplish at other venues.

Sublgacial Antarctic Lake Environments (SALE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennicutt, M. C.; Bell, R. E.; Priscu, J. C.

2004-12-01

Subglacial Antarctic lake environments are emerging as one of the new frontiers targeted for exploration during the IPY 2007-2009. Several campaigns by various nations are in the early stages of planning and implementation with timelines that will coincide with the IPY. The ambitious interdisciplinary objectives will best be realized by multiple exploration programs investigating diverse subglacial environments continent-wide over the next decade or more. A concerted, multi-target approach wil be taken to advance our understanding of the range of possible lake evolutionary histories; the character of the physical, chemical, and biological niches; the interconnectivity of subglacial lake environments; the coupling of the ice sheet, climate and the evolution of life under the ice; the tectonic settings; and the interplay of biogeochemical cycles. Research and exploration programs spanning the continent will investigate subglacial lake environments of differing ages, evolutionary histories, and biogeochemical settings. The combined efforts will provide a holistic view of these environments over millions of years and under changing climatic conditions. The IPY will provide an opportunity for an intense period of initial exploration that will advance scientific discoveries in glaciology, biogeochemistry, paleoclimate, biology, geology and tectonics, and ecology. While early discoveries and exciting findings are expected during the IPY 2007-2009, a long term sustained program of research and exploration will continue far beyond the IPY. Within the five year period that spans the IPY, specific accomplishments will be targeted, accelerating the research agenda and setting a framework for follow-on studies. Four phases of exploration and discovery are envisioned.

Automated Discovery of Functional Generality of Human Gene Expression Programs

PubMed Central

Gerber, Georg K; Dowell, Robin D; Jaakkola, Tommi S; Gifford, David K

2007-01-01

An important research problem in computational biology is the identification of expression programs, sets of co-expressed genes orchestrating normal or pathological processes, and the characterization of the functional breadth of these programs. The use of human expression data compendia for discovery of such programs presents several challenges including cellular inhomogeneity within samples, genetic and environmental variation across samples, uncertainty in the numbers of programs and sample populations, and temporal behavior. We developed GeneProgram, a new unsupervised computational framework based on Hierarchical Dirichlet Processes that addresses each of the above challenges. GeneProgram uses expression data to simultaneously organize tissues into groups and genes into overlapping programs with consistent temporal behavior, to produce maps of expression programs, which are sorted by generality scores that exploit the automatically learned groupings. Using synthetic and real gene expression data, we showed that GeneProgram outperformed several popular expression analysis methods. We applied GeneProgram to a compendium of 62 short time-series gene expression datasets exploring the responses of human cells to infectious agents and immune-modulating molecules. GeneProgram produced a map of 104 expression programs, a substantial number of which were significantly enriched for genes involved in key signaling pathways and/or bound by NF-κB transcription factors in genome-wide experiments. Further, GeneProgram discovered expression programs that appear to implicate surprising signaling pathways or receptor types in the response to infection, including Wnt signaling and neurotransmitter receptors. We believe the discovered map of expression programs involved in the response to infection will be useful for guiding future biological experiments; genes from programs with low generality scores might serve as new drug targets that exhibit minimal “cross-talk,” and genes from high generality programs may maintain common physiological responses that go awry in disease states. Further, our method is multipurpose, and can be applied readily to novel compendia of biological data. PMID:17696603

Enhancing youth outcomes following parental divorce: a longitudinal study of the effects of the new beginnings program on educational and occupational goals.

PubMed

Sigal, Amanda B; Wolchik, Sharlene A; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Sandler, Irwin N

2012-01-01

This study examined whether the New Beginnings Program for divorced families led to improvements in youth's educational goals and job aspirations 6 years following participation and tested whether several parenting and youth variables mediated the program effects. Participants were 240 youth aged 9 to 12 years at the initial assessment, and data were part of a randomized, experimental trial of a parenting skills preventive intervention targeting children's postdivorce adjustment. The results revealed positive effects of the program on youth's educational goals and job aspirations 6 years after participation for those who were at high risk for developing later problems at program entry. Further, intervention-induced changes in mother-child relationship quality and youth externalizing problems, internalizing problems, self-esteem, and academic competence at the 6-year follow-up mediated the effects of the program on the educational expectations of high-risk youth. Intervention-induced changes in youth externalizing problems and academic competence at the 6-year follow-up mediated the effects of the program on the job aspirations of high-risk youth.

Targeting core groups for gonorrhoea control: feasibility and impact.

PubMed

Giguère, Katia; Alary, Michel

2015-06-01

We aimed to outline why core groups should be targeted in Neisseria gonorrhoeae control and suggest several important and timely interventions to target core groups while highly resistant strains are spreading. Core group definition, feasibility and impact of gonorrhoea core group interventions as well as gonorrhoea resistance development have been reviewed in the paper. Core group interventions have proven effective in gonorrhoea control in the past but are compromised by the spread of highly resistant strains. Worldwide functional Gonorrhoea Antimicrobial Surveillance Program, better screening and better treatment programmes are needed. Prevention through condom promotion aimed at core groups remains essential. More specific treatment guidance for low-income and middle-income countries without resistance data is required in the meantime to achieve a better use of antibiotics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The U.S. RERTR program status and progress.

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

Travelli, A.

1998-01-21

The progress of the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program since its inception in 1978 is described. A brief summary of the results which the RERTR Program had achieved by the end of 1996 in collaboration with its many international partners is followed by a detailed review of the major events, findings, and activities of 1997. Significant progress has been made during the past year. In the area of U.S. acceptance of spent fuel from foreign research reactors, several shipments have taken place and additional are being planned. Intense fuel development activities are in progress, including procurement ofmore » equipment, screening of candidate materials, and production of microplates. Irradiation of the first series of microplates began in August 1997 in the Advanced Test Reactor, in Idaho. Progress has been made in the Russian RERTR program, which aims to develop and demonstrate within five years the technical means needed to convert Russian-supplied research reactors to LEU fuels. The study of an alternative LEU core for the FRM-II design has been extended to address, with favorable results, controversial performance issues which were raised at last year's meeting. Progress was also made on several aspects of producing molybdenum-99 from fission targets utilizing LEU instead of HEU. Various types of targets and processes are being pursued, with FDA approval of an LEU process projected to occur within two years. The feasibility of LEU Fuel conversion for three important DOE research reactors (BMRR, HFBR, and HFIR) has been evaluated by the RERTR program. In spite of the many momentous events which have occurred during the intervening years, and the excellent progress achieved, the most important challenges that the RERTR program faces today are not very different in type from those that were faced during the first RERTR meeting. Now, as then, the most important task is to develop new LEU fuels satisfying requirements which cannot be satisfied by any existing fuel. These new advanced fuels will enable conversion of the reactors which cannot be converted today, ensure better efficiency and performance for all research reactors, and allow the design of more powerful new advanced LEU reactors. As in the past, the success of the RERTR program will depend on free exchange of ideas and information, and on the international friendship and cooperation that have been a trademark of the RERTR program since its inception.« less

Effectiveness of comprehensive care programs for patients with multiple chronic conditions or frailty: A systematic literature review.

PubMed

Hopman, Petra; de Bruin, Simone R; Forjaz, Maria João; Rodriguez-Blazquez, Carmen; Tonnara, Giuseppe; Lemmens, Lidwien C; Onder, Graziano; Baan, Caroline A; Rijken, Mieke

2016-07-01

To describe comprehensive care programs targeting multimorbid and/or frail patients and to estimate their effectiveness regarding improvement of patient and caregiver related outcomes, healthcare utilization and costs. Systematic search in six electronic databases for scientific papers published between January 2011 and March 2014, supplemented by reference tracking. Wagner's Chronic Care Model (CCM) was used to operationalize comprehensive care. The quality of the included studies was assessed, and a best-evidence synthesis was applied. Nineteen publications were included describing effects of eighteen comprehensive care programs for multimorbid or frail patients, of which only one was implemented in a European country. Programs varied in target groups, settings, interventions and number of CCM components addressed. Providing comprehensive care might result in more patient satisfaction, less depressive symptoms, a better health-related quality of life or functioning of multimorbid or frail patients, but the evidence is insufficient. There is no evidence that comprehensive care reduces the number of primary care or GP visits or healthcare costs. Regarding the use of inpatient care, the evidence was insufficient. No evidence was found for a beneficial effect of comprehensive care on caregiver-related outcomes. Despite the fact that over the years several (good-quality) studies have been performed to estimate the value of comprehensive care for multimorbid and/or frail patients, evidence for their effectiveness remains insufficient. More good-quality studies and/or studies allowing meta-analysis are needed to determine which specific target groups at what moment will benefit from comprehensive care. Moreover, evaluation studies could improve by using more appropriate outcome measures, e.g. measures that relate to patient-defined (personal) goals of care. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive rehabilitation for patients with schizophrenia in Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Won Hye; Lee, Woo Kyeong

2017-02-01

Psychosocial rehabilitation programs received mental health professional support in addition to traditional medication therapy. Many psychosocial programs were developed since the 1990s, including cognitive remediation therapy. In this review, we focus on cognitive remediation therapy in Korea since the 1990s. We review several cognitive rehabilitation programs developed in Korea and their outcome studies and suggest future research directions and prospects. We reviewed cognitive rehabilitation programs including social cognitive training as well as more recent forms of computerized cognitive rehabilitation. Although there are differences in cognitive domains by training targets, almost all neurocognitive remediation trainings in Korea have beneficial effects on early visual processing, various attention types, and executive function. Future studies need to investigate the mechanisms and various mediators underlying the relationships between cognitive functions and functional outcomes. With more comprehensive cognitive and social cognitive programs, we can enhance both cognition and functional outcomes of the patients with schizophrenia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building a global teledermatology collaboration.

PubMed

Bobbs, Melanie; Bayer, Michelle; Frazer, Tifany; Humphrey, Stephen; Wilson, Barbara; Olasz, Edit; Holland, Kristen; Kuzminski, Jacquelyn

2016-04-01

Skin disease is common in low-resource countries and is associated with significant morbidity. The disease burden is often heightened by lack of access to adequate diagnosis and treatment. Teledermatology is a growing healthcare delivery modality that allows access to subspecialty care at a distance. This article describes how a low-cost teledermatology program was launched through collaboration between the Medical College of Wisconsin and Hillside Healthcare International. Several factors are required for a teledermatology program to be successful, beginning with a partnership between two entities that targets a locally identified need and is mutually beneficial to invested partners. The program should utilize the expertise of each partner, be based on an agreed upon process with clearly defined objectives, and protect patient privacy. After a program is implemented, adaptation to address challenges and best meet the needs of all parties involved will allow for continued success and sustainability. This process can serve as a model for other programs desiring to establish similar teledermatology partnerships in an academic setting. © 2016 The International Society of Dermatology.

Child Health Partnerships: a review of program characteristics, outcomes and their relationship.

PubMed

Jayaratne, Kapila; Kelaher, Margaret; Dunt, David

2010-06-17

Novel approaches are increasingly employed to address the social determinants of health of children world-wide. Such approaches have included complex social programs involving multiple stakeholders from different sectors jointly working together (hereafter Child Health Partnerships). Previous reviews have questioned whether these programs have led to significant improvements in child health and related outcomes. We aim to provide definitive answers to this question as well as identifying the characteristics of successful partnerships. A comprehensive literature search identified 11 major Child Health Partnerships in four comparable developed countries. A critical review is focused on various aspects of these including their target groups, program mechanics and outcomes. There was evidence of success in several major areas from the formation of effective joint operations of partners in different partnership models to improvement in both child wellbeing and parenting. There is emerging evidence that Child Health Partnerships are cost-effective. Population characteristics and local contexts need to be taken into account in the introduction and implementation of these programs.

Development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy for treatment of small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Saito, Motonobu; Shiraishi, Kouya; Goto, Akiteru; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Kohno, Takashi; Kono, Koji

2018-05-14

Targeted therapy against druggable genetic aberrations has shown a significantly positive response rate and longer survival in various cancers, including lung cancer. In lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), specific thyroxin kinase inhibitors against EGFR mutations and ALK fusions are used as a standard treatment regimen and show significant positive efficacy. On the other hand, targeted therapy against driver gene aberrations has not been adapted yet in small cell lung cancer (SCLC). This is because driver genes and druggable aberrations are rarely identified by next generation sequencing in SCLC. Recent advances in the understanding of molecular biology have revealed several candidate therapeutic targets. To date, poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase (PARP), enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) or delta-like canonical Notch ligand 3 (DLL3) are considered to be druggable targets in SCLC. In addition, another candidate of personalized therapy for SCLC is immune blockade therapy of programmed death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand, PD-L1. PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy is not a standard therapy for SCLC, so many clinical trials have been performed to investigate its efficacy. Herein, we review gene aberrations exploring the utility of targeted therapy and discuss blockade of immune checkpoints therapy in SCLC.

An Evaluation of an Ada Implementation of the Rete Algorithm for Embedded Flight Processors

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-12-01

computers was desired. The VAX VMS operating system has many built-in methods for determining program performance (including VAX PCA), but these methods... overviev , of the target environment-- the MIL-STD-1750A VHSIC Avionic Modular Processor ( VA.IP, running under the Ada Avionics Real-Time Software (AARTS... computers . Mil-STD-1750A, the Air Force’s standard flight computer architecture, however, places severe constraints on applications software processing

Highly efficient Cas9-mediated transcriptional programming

DOE PAGES

Chavez, Alejandro; Scheiman, Jonathan; Vora, Suhani; ...

2015-03-02

The RNA-guided nuclease Cas9 can be reengineered as a programmable transcription factor. However, modest levels of gene activation have limited potential applications. Here we describe an improved transcriptional regulator through the rational design of a tripartite activator, VP64-p65-Rta (VPR), fused to nuclease-null Cas9. Here, we demonstrate its utility in activating endogenous coding and non-coding genes, targeting several genes simultaneously and stimulating neuronal differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).

Computer-Assisted, Programmed Text, and Lecture Modes of Instruction in Three Medical Training Courses: Comparative Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

I.indslev was peerless in leadership and management support of this project. The in anscriPt benefited from the reviews of several individuals. and...i4 7 Medical L.aboratorv achievement as a function of learner strategy preference for processing information and CAI vs. lecture...characteristics ’were used to assist CAI authors in the initial development of instructional materials and strategies appropriate to the target population in each

Health cooperation in an hospital of a rural area of Ivory Coast: analysis of the priorities and of the different levels at which cooperation can take place.

PubMed

Brusamolino, Ercole; Maffi, Guido

2004-01-01

This paper critically reviews an experience of health cooperation in an hospital of a rural area of Ivory Coast. This particular situation is analysed in the more general frame of health problems in low-income countries and may suggest priorities for international health cooperation. The analysis of the main causes of avoidable death in poor countries does indicate targets and tools of intervention. In this case, the target was the reduction of infant mortality from anaemia of different origin and from HIV-1 mother-to-infant transmission. The major tool for intervention was the partnership between an Italian teaching and research hospital and the African hospital, with the catalyst of a non-governmental organisation. This paper analyses the different levels at which cooperation developed in this project, from sheer economic support to the implementation of disease-oriented twinning programs that can improve health care and strengthen research capacity on both sides. Besides, medical, ethical and social implications of the ongoing cooperation program are discussed, with particular reference to the problems of preventing mortality from severe anaemia (diet fortification in children and pregnancy and transfusional guidelines in severe malaria) and of preventing mother-to-child neonatal transmission of HIV-1 infection (counselling and testing pregnant women for HIV-1, nevirapine administering to the mother and the baby and breast-feeding).

Munitions related feature extraction from LIDAR data.

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

Roberts, Barry L.

2010-06-01

The characterization of former military munitions ranges is critical in the identification of areas likely to contain residual unexploded ordnance (UXO). Although these ranges are large, often covering tens-of-thousands of acres, the actual target areas represent only a small fraction of the sites. The challenge is that many of these sites do not have records indicating locations of former target areas. The identification of target areas is critical in the characterization and remediation of these sites. The Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) of the DoD have been developing and implementing techniquesmore » for the efficient characterization of large munitions ranges. As part of this process, high-resolution LIDAR terrain data sets have been collected over several former ranges. These data sets have been shown to contain information relating to former munitions usage at these ranges, specifically terrain cratering due to high-explosives detonations. The location and relative intensity of crater features can provide information critical in reconstructing the usage history of a range, and indicate areas most likely to contain UXO. We have developed an automated procedure using an adaptation of the Circular Hough Transform for the identification of crater features in LIDAR terrain data. The Circular Hough Transform is highly adept at finding circular features (craters) in noisy terrain data sets. This technique has the ability to find features of a specific radius providing a means of filtering features based on expected scale and providing additional spatial characterization of the identified feature. This method of automated crater identification has been applied to several former munitions ranges with positive results.« less

Discovery of a novel and potent class of F. tularensis enoyl-reductase (FabI) inhibitors by molecular shape and electrostatic matching

PubMed Central

Hevener, Kirk E.; Mehboob, Shahila; Su, Pin-Chih; Truong, Kent; Boci, Teuta; Deng, Jiangping; Ghassemi, Mahmood; Cook, James L.; Johnson, Michael E.

2011-01-01

Enoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) reductase, FabI, is a key enzyme in the bacterial fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (FAS II). FabI is an NADH-dependent oxidoreductase that acts to reduce enoyl-ACP substrates in a final step of the pathway. The absence of this enzyme in humans makes it an attractive target for the development of new antibacterial agents. FabI is known to be unresponsive to structure-based design efforts due to a high degree of induced fit and a mobile flexible loop encompassing the active site. Here we discuss the development, validation, and careful application of a ligand-based virtual screen used for the identification of novel inhibitors of the Francisella tularensis FabI target. In this study, four known classes of FabI inhibitors were used as templates for virtual screens that involved molecular shape and electrostatic matching. The program ROCS was used to search a high-throughput screening library for compounds that matched any of the four molecular shape queries. Matching compounds were further refined using the program EON, which compares and scores compounds by matching electrostatic properties. Using these techniques, 50 compounds were selected, ordered, and tested. The tested compounds possessed novel chemical scaffolds when compared to the input query compounds. Several hits with low micromolar activity were identified and follow-up scaffold-based searches resulted in the identification of a lead series with sub-micromolar enzyme inhibition, high ligand efficiency, and a novel scaffold. Additionally, one of the most active compounds showed promising whole-cell antibacterial activity against several Gram-positive and Gram-negative species, including the target pathogen. The results of a preliminary structure-activity relationship analysis are presented. PMID:22098466

Pesticides in streams of the United States : initial results from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Larson, Steven J.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Capel, Paul D.

1999-01-01

Water samples from 58 rivers and streams across the United States were analyzed for pesticides as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. The sampling sites represent 37 diverse agricultural basins, 11 urban basins, and 10 basins with mixed land use. Forty-six pesticides and pesticide degradation products were analyzed in approximately 2,200 samples collected from 1992 to 1995. The target compounds account for approximately 70 percent of national agricultural use in terms of the mass of pesticides applied annually. All the target compounds were detected in one or more samples. Herbicides generally were detected more frequently and at higher concentrations than insecticides. Nationally, 11 herbicides, 1 herbicide degradation product, and 3 insecticides were detected in more than 10 percent of samples. The number of target compounds detected at each site ranged from 7 to 37. The herbicides atrazine, metolachlor, prometon, and simazine were detected most frequently; among the insecticides, carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, and diazinon were detected the most frequently. Distinct differences in pesticide occurrence were observed in streams draining the various agricultural settings. Relatively high levels of several herbicides occurred as seasonal pulses in corn-growing areas. Several insecticides were frequently detected in areas where the dominant crops consist of orchards and vegetables. The number of pesticides detected and their concentrations were lower in wheat-growing areas than in most other agricultural areas. In most urban areas, the herbicides prometon and simazine and the insecticides carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion were commonly detected. Concentrations of pesticides rarely exceeded standards and criteria established for drinking water, but some pesticides commonly exceeded criteria established for the protection of aquatic life.

Extermination of the Jewish mentally-ill during the Nazi era--the "doubly cursed".

PubMed

Strous, Rael

2008-01-01

In Nazi Germany, physicians initiated a program of sterilization and euthanasia directed at the mentally-ill and physically disabled. Relatively little is known regarding the fate of the Jewish mentally-ill. Jewish mentally-ill were definitely included and targeted and were among the first who fell victim. They were systematically murdered following transfer as a specialized group, as well as killed in the general euthanasia program along with non-Jewish mentally ill. Their murder constituted an important link between euthanasia and the Final Solution. The targeting of the Jewish mentally-ill was comprised of four processes including public assistance withdrawal, hospital treatment limitations, sterilization and murder. Jewish "patients" became indiscriminate victims not only on the basis of psychiatric diagnosis, but also on the basis of race. The killing was efficiently coordinated with assembly in collection centers prior to being transferred to their deaths. The process included deceiving Jewish patients' family members and caregivers in order to extract financial support long after patients had been killed. Jewish patients were targeted since they were helpless and considered the embodiment of evil. Since nobody stood up for the Jews, the Nazis could treat the Jewish patients as they saw fit. Several differences existed between euthanasia of Jews and non-Jews, among which the Jewish mentally-ill were killed regardless of work ability, hospitalization length or illness severity. Furthermore, there was discrimination in the process leading up to killing (overcrowding, less food). For the Nazis, Jewish mentally-ill patients were unique among victims in that they embodied both "hazardous genes" and "racial toxins." For many years there has been silence relating to the fate of the Jewish mentally-ill. This deserves to be corrected.

Prioritizing care during the acute phase: the prominent role of basic psychosocial life support.

PubMed

Rooze, Magda; Netten, Josee; de Ruyter, Ariëlle; de Vries, Maaike; Helsloot, Ira; de Soir, Erik; Selwood, Philip; Schenk, Henk; Hustinx, Paul; Olinder, Henrik

2008-01-01

The issue of basic psychosocial life support during and after disasters is important. People who are affected by disasters can experience severe distress and may need psychosocial support. However, there still are many questions about service design and effectiveness of psychosocial support. During the process of the Targeted Agenda Program, "Prioritizing Care during the Acute Phase: The Prominent Role of Basic Psychosocial Life Support", a team of experts reached consensus on some important issues concerning psychosocial first aid, civil participation, and risk communication. The experts come from many different backgrounds, which supports the notion that psychosocial care deserves special attention within disaster relief programs involving all disciplines and all responsibilities.

Oxidative Stress and Programmed Cell Death in Yeast

PubMed Central

Farrugia, Gianluca; Balzan, Rena

2012-01-01

Yeasts, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, have long served as useful models for the study of oxidative stress, an event associated with cell death and severe human pathologies. This review will discuss oxidative stress in yeast, in terms of sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS), their molecular targets, and the metabolic responses elicited by cellular ROS accumulation. Responses of yeast to accumulated ROS include upregulation of antioxidants mediated by complex transcriptional changes, activation of pro-survival pathways such as mitophagy, and programmed cell death (PCD) which, apart from apoptosis, includes pathways such as autophagy and necrosis, a form of cell death long considered accidental and uncoordinated. The role of ROS in yeast aging will also be discussed. PMID:22737670

NOX2 As a Target for Drug Development: Indications, Possible Complications, and Progress

PubMed Central

Diebold, Becky A.; Smith, Susan M.E.; Li, Yang

2015-01-01

Abstract Significance: NOX2 is important for host defense, and yet is implicated in a large number of diseases in which inflammation plays a role in pathogenesis. These include acute and chronic lung inflammatory diseases, stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases. Recent Advances: Recent drug development programs have targeted several NOX isoforms that are implicated in a variety of diseases. The focus has been primarily on NOX4 and NOX1 rather than on NOX2, due, in part, to concerns about possible immunosuppressive side effects. Nevertheless, NOX2 clearly contributes to the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, and its inhibition is predicted to provide a novel therapeutic approach. Critical Issues: Possible side effects that might arise from targeting NOX2 are discussed, including the possibility that such inhibition will contribute to increased infections and/or autoimmune disorders. The state of the field with regard to existing NOX2 inhibitors and targeted development of novel inhibitors is also summarized. Future Directions: NOX2 inhibitors show particular promise for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, both acute and chronic. Theoretical side effects include pro-inflammatory and autoimmune complications and should be considered in any therapeutic program, but in our opinion, available data do not indicate that they are sufficiently likely to eliminate NOX2 as a drug target, particularly when weighed against the seriousness of many NOX2-related indications. Model studies demonstrating efficacy with minimal side effects are needed to encourage future development of NOX2 inhibitors as therapeutic agents. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 23, 375–405. PMID:24512192

School-based mass distributions of mebendazole to control soil-transmitted helminthiasis in the Munshiganj and Lakshmipur districts of Bangladesh: an evaluation of the treatment monitoring process and knowledge, attitudes, and practices of the population.

PubMed

Hafiz, Israt; Berhan, Meklit; Keller, Angela; Haq, Rouseli; Chesnaye, Nicholas; Koporc, Kim; Rahman, Mujibur; Rahman, Shamsur; Mathieu, Els

2015-01-01

Bangladesh's national deworming program targets school-age children (SAC) through bi-annual school-based distributions of mebendazole. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to identify challenges related to treatment monitoring within the Munshiganj and Lakshmipur Districts of Bangladesh. Key stakeholder interviews identified several obstacles for successful treatment monitoring within these districts; ambiguity in defining the target population, variances in the methods used for compiling and reporting treatment data, and a general lack of financial and human resources. A treatment coverage cluster survey revealed that bi-annual primary school-based distributions proved to be an effective strategy in reaching school-attending SAC, with rates between 63.0% and 73.3%. However, the WHO target of regular treatment of at least 75% of SAC has yet to be reached. Particularly low coverage was seen amongst non-school attending children (11.4-14.3%), most likely due to the lack of national policy to effectively target this vulnerable group. Survey findings on water and sanitation coverage were impressive with the majority of households and schools having access to latrines (98.6-99.3%) and safe drinking water (98.2-100%). The challenge now for the Bangladesh control program is to achieve the WHO target of regular treatment of at least 75% of SAC at risk, irrespective of school-enrollment status. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A computer program to determine the possible daily release window for sky target experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Michaud, N. H.

1973-01-01

A computer program is presented which is designed to determine the daily release window for sky target experiments. Factors considered in the program include: (1) target illumination by the sun at release time and during the tracking period; (2) look angle elevation above local horizon from each tracking station to the target; (3) solar depression angle from the local horizon of each tracking station during the experimental period after target release; (4) lunar depression angle from the local horizon of each tracking station during the experimental period after target release; and (5) total sky background brightness as seen from each tracking station while viewing the target. Program output is produced in both graphic and data form. Output data can be plotted for a single calendar month or year. The numerical values used to generate the plots are furnished to permit a more detailed review of the computed daily release windows.

Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE): An Essential Educational Program for Operating Room Safety

PubMed Central

Jones, Stephanie B; Munro, Malcolm G; Feldman, Liane S; Robinson, Thomas N; Brunt, L Michael; Schwaitzberg, Steven D; Jones, Daniel B; Fuchshuber, Pascal R

2017-01-01

Operating room (OR) safety has become a major concern in patient safety since the 1990s. Improvement of team communication and behavior is a popular target for safety programming at the institutional level. Despite these efforts, essential safety gaps remain in the OR and procedure rooms. A prime example is the use of energy-based devices in ORs and procedural areas. The lack of fundamental understanding of energy device function, design, and application contributes to avoidable injury and harm at a rate of approximately 1 to 2 per 1000 patients in the US. Hundreds of OR fires occur each year in the US, some causing severe injury and even death. Most of these fires are associated with the use of energy-based surgical devices. In response to this safety issue, the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) developed the Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE) program. This program includes a standardized curriculum targeted to surgeons, other physicians, and allied health care professionals and a psychometrically designed and validated certification test. A successful FUSE certification documents acquisition of the basic knowledge needed to safely use energy-based devices in the OR. By design FUSE fills a void in the curriculum and competency assessment for surgeons and other procedural specialists in the use of energy-based devices in patients. PMID:28241913

Accessing Secondary Markets as a Capital Source for Energy Efficiency Finance Programs: Program Design Considerations for Policymakers and Administrators

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

Kramer, C.; Martin, E. Fadrhonc; Thompson, P.

Estimates of the total opportunity for investment in cost-effective energy efficiency in the United States are typically in the range of several hundred billion dollars (Choi Granade, et al., 2009 and Fulton & Brandenburg, 2012).1,2 To access this potential, many state policymakers and utility regulators have established aggressive energy efficiency savings targets. Current levels of taxpayer and utility bill-payer funding for energy efficiency is only a small fraction of the total investment needed to meet these targets (SEE Action Financing Solutions Working Group, 2013). Given this challenge, some energy efficiency program administrators are working to access private capital sources withmore » the aim of amplifying the funds available for investment. In this context, efficient access to secondary market capital has been advanced as one important enabler of the energy efficiency industry “at scale.”3 The question of what role secondary markets can play in bringing energy efficiency to scale is largely untested despite extensive attention from media, technical publications, advocates, and others. Only a handful of transactions of energy efficiency loan products have been executed to date, and it is too soon to draw robust conclusions from these deals. At the same time, energy efficiency program administrators and policymakers face very real decisions regarding whether and how to access secondary markets as part of their energy efficiency deployment strategy.« less

NEOSURVEY 1: INITIAL RESULTS FROM THE WARM SPITZER EXPLORATION SCIENCE SURVEY OF NEAR-EARTH OBJECT PROPERTIES

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

Trilling, David E.; Mommert, Michael; Hora, Joseph

Near-Earth objects (NEOs) are small solar system bodies whose orbits bring them close to the Earth’s orbit. We are carrying out a Warm Spitzer Cycle 11 Exploration Science program entitled NEOSurvey—a fast and efficient flux-limited survey of 597 known NEOs in which we derive a diameter and albedo for each target. The vast majority of our targets are too faint to be observed by NEOWISE, though a small sample has been or will be observed by both observatories, which allows for a cross-check of our mutual results. Our primary goal is to create a large and uniform catalog of NEO properties. Wemore » present here the first results from this new program: fluxes and derived diameters and albedos for 80 NEOs, together with a description of the overall program and approach, including several updates to our thermal model. The largest source of error in our diameter and albedo solutions, which derive from our single-band thermal emission measurements, is uncertainty in η , the beaming parameter used in our thermal modeling; for albedos, improvements in solar system absolute magnitudes would also help significantly. All data and derived diameters and albedos from this entire program are being posted on a publicly accessible Web page at nearearthobjects.nau.edu.« less

[Role of vaccination in chronic disease prevention and control].

PubMed

Wang, Zhuoqun; Huang, Shue; Zhao, Yanfang; Zhao, Wenhua; Liang, Xiaofeng

2015-08-01

Chronic non-communicable disease is a major public health problem affecting the health of residents in china. Evidence shows that, in addition to four major risk factors, i.e. unreasonable dietary, lack of physical activity, smoking and drinking, epidemic and severe outcome of chronic disease is associated with many infectious diseases. Increasingly cancers have been shown to have an infectious etiology. There is also a significantly increased risk of infectious disease such as influenza, pneumonia and other infectious disease in people with pre-existing chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and lung diseases. And more than that, there is a high risk of susceptibility to death and severe outcomes among them. Epidemiological studies has confirmed, that through targeted vaccine inoculation, liver cancer, cervical cancer can be effectively prevented, while influenza or pneumonia vaccine are related to reduced risk of hospitalization or death and hospitalization expenses regarding with a variety of chronic diseases. World Health Organization and several other professional organizations have put forward recommendations on vaccine inoculation of chronic disease patients. Programs targeting infectious factors are also an important aspect of chronic diseases prevention and control, therefore, related researches need to be strengthened in the future.

DIANA-microT web server: elucidating microRNA functions through target prediction.

PubMed

Maragkakis, M; Reczko, M; Simossis, V A; Alexiou, P; Papadopoulos, G L; Dalamagas, T; Giannopoulos, G; Goumas, G; Koukis, E; Kourtis, K; Vergoulis, T; Koziris, N; Sellis, T; Tsanakas, P; Hatzigeorgiou, A G

2009-07-01

Computational microRNA (miRNA) target prediction is one of the key means for deciphering the role of miRNAs in development and disease. Here, we present the DIANA-microT web server as the user interface to the DIANA-microT 3.0 miRNA target prediction algorithm. The web server provides extensive information for predicted miRNA:target gene interactions with a user-friendly interface, providing extensive connectivity to online biological resources. Target gene and miRNA functions may be elucidated through automated bibliographic searches and functional information is accessible through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. The web server offers links to nomenclature, sequence and protein databases, and users are facilitated by being able to search for targeted genes using different nomenclatures or functional features, such as the genes possible involvement in biological pathways. The target prediction algorithm supports parameters calculated individually for each miRNA:target gene interaction and provides a signal-to-noise ratio and a precision score that helps in the evaluation of the significance of the predicted results. Using a set of miRNA targets recently identified through the pSILAC method, the performance of several computational target prediction programs was assessed. DIANA-microT 3.0 achieved there with 66% the highest ratio of correctly predicted targets over all predicted targets. The DIANA-microT web server is freely available at www.microrna.gr/microT.

Fermilab proton accelerator complex status and improvement plans

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

Shiltsev, Vladimir

2017-05-30

Fermilab carries out an extensive program of accelerator-based high energy particle physics research at the Intensity Frontier that relies on the operation of 8 GeV and 120 GeV proton beamlines for a n umber of fixed target experiments. Routine operation with a world-record 700kW of average 120 GeV beam power on the neutrino target was achieved in 2017 as the result of the Proton Improvement Plan (PIP) upgrade. There are plans to further increase the power to 900 – 1000 kW. The next major upgrade of the FNAL accelerator complex, called PIP-II, is under development. It aims at 1.2MW beammore » power on target at the start of the LBNF/DUNE experiment in the middle of the next decade and assumes replacement of the existing 40-years old 400 MeV normal-conducting Linac with a modern 800 MeV superconducting RF linear accelerator. There are several concepts to further double the beam power to >2.4MW after replacement of the existing 8 GeV Booster synchrotron. In this article we discuss current performance of the Fermilab proton accelerator complex, the upgrade plans for the next two decades and the accelerator R&D program to address cost and performance risks for these upgrades.« less

Prediction methodologies for target scene generation in the aerothermal targets analysis program (ATAP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudson, Douglas J.; Torres, Manuel; Dougherty, Catherine; Rajendran, Natesan; Thompson, Rhoe A.

2003-09-01

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Aerothermal Targets Analysis Program (ATAP) is a user-friendly, engineering-level computational tool that features integrated aerodynamics, six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) trajectory/motion, convective and radiative heat transfer, and thermal/material response to provide an optimal blend of accuracy and speed for design and analysis applications. ATAP is sponsored by the Kinetic Kill Vehicle Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulator (KHILS) facility at Eglin AFB, where it is used with the CHAMP (Composite Hardbody and Missile Plume) technique for rapid infrared (IR) signature and imagery predictions. ATAP capabilities include an integrated 1-D conduction model for up to 5 in-depth material layers (with options for gaps/voids with radiative heat transfer), fin modeling, several surface ablation modeling options, a materials library with over 250 materials, options for user-defined materials, selectable/definable atmosphere and earth models, multiple trajectory options, and an array of aerodynamic prediction methods. All major code modeling features have been validated with ground-test data from wind tunnels, shock tubes, and ballistics ranges, and flight-test data for both U.S. and foreign strategic and theater systems. Numerous applications include the design and analysis of interceptors, booster and shroud configurations, window environments, tactical missiles, and reentry vehicles.

Gemini Model in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

NASA Image and Video Library

1962-09-21

A researcher at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center examines a small-scale model of the Gemini capsule in the 10- by 10-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel test section. Gemini was added to NASA’s manned space program after its predecessor, Mercury, and its antecedent, Apollo, were already established. Gemini was a transitional mission designed provide the astronauts with practice docking with other spacecraft and withstanding durations in space up to two weeks. The program was officially announced on December 7, 1961, but planning began in mid-1959. It was named Gemini after the zodiac twins because of the spacecraft’s two passenger capacity. The Gemini Program was the first program to start at the new Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, now the Johnson Space Center. Unlike Mercury and Apollo, Lewis had very little involvement with the Gemini Program. This model was tested in the 10- by 10 tunnel for several weeks in September 1962. Lewis began managing the Agena second-stage rocket program shortly after this photograph was taken. Agenas were used to launch a variety of spacecraft and satellites in the 1960s. They were also used on several Gemini missions to provide targets for the astronauts to practice their rendezvous maneuvers. Gemini had two unmanned and ten manned flights in 1965 and 1966. These yielded the first spacewalks, long-duration space missions, first onboard computer, docking with a second spacecraft, and rendezvous maneuvers.

Finding Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) Destinations for Human Exploration: Implications for Astrobiology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Rob; Abell, Paul; Barbee, Brent; Johnson, Lindley

2012-01-01

The current number of known potential NEA targets for HSF is limited to those objects whose orbital characteristics are similar to that of the Earth. This is due to the projected capabilities of the exploration systems currently under consideration and development at NASA. However, NEAs with such orbital characteristics often have viewing geometries that place them at low solar elongations and thus are difficult to detect from the vicinity of Earth. While ongoing ground-based surveys and data archives maintained by the NEO Program Observation Program Office and the Minor Planet Center (MPC) have provided a solid basis upon which to build, a more complete catalog of the NEO population is required to inform a robust and sustainable HSF exploration program. Since all the present NEO observing assets are currently confined to the vicinity of the Earth, additional effort must be made to provide capabilities for detection of additional HSF targets via assets beyond Earth orbit. A space-based NEO survey telescope located beyond the vicinity of the Earth, has considerable implications for planetary science and astrobiology. Such a telescope will provide foundational knowledge of our Solar System small body population and detect targets of interest for both the HSF and scientific communities. Data from this asset will yield basic characterization data on the NEOs observed (i.e., albedo, size determination, potential for volatiles and organics, etc.) and help down select targets for future HSF missions. Ideally, the most attractive targets from both HSF and astrobiology perspectives are those NEAs that may contain organic and volatile materials, and which could be effectively sampled at a variety of locations and depths. Presented here is an overview of four space-based survey concepts; any one of which after just a few years of operation will discover many highly accessible NEO targets suitable for robotic and human exploration. Such a space-based survey mission will reveal incredible returns for several disciplines including: exploration, in situ resource utilization, planetary defense, and science. Of particular, interest to the scientific

Scaling up towards international targets for AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria: contribution of global fund-supported programs in 2011-2015.

PubMed

Katz, Itamar; Komatsu, Ryuichi; Low-Beer, Daniel; Atun, Rifat

2011-02-23

The paper projects the contribution to 2011-2015 international targets of three major pandemics by programs in 140 countries funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the largest external financier of tuberculosis and malaria programs and a major external funder of HIV programs in low and middle income countries. Estimates, using past trends, for the period 2011-2015 of the number of persons receiving antiretroviral (ARV) treatment, tuberculosis case detection using the internationally approved DOTS strategy, and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) to be delivered by programs in low and middle income countries supported by the Global Fund compared to international targets established by UNAIDS, Stop TB Partnership, Roll Back Malaria Partnership and the World Health Organisation. Global Fund-supported programs are projected to provide ARV treatment to 5.5-5.8 million people, providing 30%-31% of the 2015 international target. Investments in tuberculosis and malaria control will enable reaching in 2015 60%-63% of the international target for tuberculosis case detection and 30%-35% of the ITN distribution target in sub-Saharan Africa. Global Fund investments will substantially contribute to the achievement by 2015 of international targets for HIV, TB and malaria. However, additional large scale international and domestic financing is needed if these targets are to be reached by 2015.

[Thinking about several problems of the research of our family planning strategy].

PubMed

Shi, H

1989-03-01

On the basis of 1982 census data, it is estimated that from 1987-1997 13 million women will enter the age of marriage and child-bearing each year. The tasks of keeping the population size around 1.2 billion by the year 2000 is arduous. Great efforts have to be made to continue encouraging one child/couple, and to pursue the current plans and policies and maintain strict control over fertility. Keeping population growth in pace with economic growth, environment, ecological balance, availability of per capita resources, education programs, employment capability, health services, maternal and child care, social welfare and social security should be a component of the long term development strategy of the country. Family planning is a comprehensive program which involves long cycles and complicated factors, viewpoints of expediency in guiding policy and program formulation for short term benefits are inappropriate. The emphasis of family planning program strategy should be placed on the rural areas where the majority of population reside. Specifically, the major aspects of strategic thrusts should be the linkage between policy implementation and reception, between family planning publicity and changes of ideation on fertility; the integrated urban and rural program management relating to migration and differentiation of policy towards minority population and areas in different economic development stages. In order to achieve the above strategies, several measures are proposed. (1) strengthening family planning program and organization structure; (2) providing information on population and contraception; (3) establishing family planning program network for infiltration effects; (4) using government financing, taxation, loan, social welfare and penalty to regulate fertility motivations; (5) improving the system of target allocation and data reporting to facilitate program implementation; (6) strengthening population projection and policy research; (7) and strengthening training of family planning personnel to improve program efficiency.

Increasing Diversity in the Earth Sciences - Impact of the IDES Program in Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Silva, S. L.; Guerrero, E. F.; Duncan, R. A.; de Silva, L. L.; Eriksson, S. C.

2014-12-01

The NSF-OEDG funded Increasing Diversity in the Earth Sciences (IDES) program hosted at Oregon State University targets undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds and diverse ethnicity to engage in research. Partnering with local community colleges, non-traditional students are the hallmark of this program. The IDES program has several components to support the students in the transition from community college to the four-year universities of Oregon State University and Portland State University. Over the four years, the program has adapted while adhering to its primary goals: (1) to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who prepare for and pursue careers in Earth Science research and education, and (2) to strengthen the understanding of Earth Sciences and their relevance to society among broad and diverse segments of the population. Now in its final year under an extension, 53 participants have participated in the program. An ongoing external evaluation of the program reveals that the various stakeholders consider IDES very successful. Participant surveys and interviews document several impacts: expanded opportunities, making professional contacts, building self-confidence, enhanced ability to be employable, and personal acknowledgement. Research mentors and administrators from partner institutions see positive impacts on the students and on their organizations. Challenges include better communication between the IDES program, mentors, and students. IDES is poised to move forward with its current experiences and successes as a foundation for further funding. IDES-like activities can be funded from private sources and it is a good fit for funding from Research Experiences for Undergraduates at NSF. The new emphasis on education and research at community colleges is an exciting opportunity and Oregon State University has already used aspects of the IDES program in current grant proposals to obtain funds for more undergraduate research.

Communicating with nonindustrial private forest-land owners: Getting programs on target

Treesearch

Thomas W. Birch; Nancy A. Pywell; Nancy A. Pywell

1986-01-01

Nonindustrial private forest-land owners can be motivated 1, by programs directed to their needs and objectives. Seven target audiences in Pennsylvania were defined and outlets for information programs identified for each target I audience. The primary objectives of each group and the benefits they expect from owning forest land were considered in the preparation of...

Emerging topics in cutaneous wound repair.

PubMed

Valacchi, Giuseppe; Zanardi, Iacopo; Sticozzi, Claudia; Bocci, Velio; Travagli, Valter

2012-07-01

The intervention strategies in various types of skin wounds include several treatment programs that depend on the identified disease. Several factors such as aging, defective nutrition, traumatism, atherosclerosis, and diabetes may contribute to the formation of a wound that has no tendency to heal due to a defective and complicated repair process. The numerous advances in the understanding of the wound-healing process in both acute and chronic lesions have been recently described. The purpose of this paper is to describe relatively new approaches as viable alternatives to current wound-healing therapies. The future challenges for both the best targeting and optimization of these potential treatments are also described. © 2012 New York Academy of Sciences.

Multi-junction Thin-film Solar Cells on Flexible Substrates for Space Power

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hepp, Aloysius F.; Smith, Mark; Scofield, John H.; Dickman, John E.; Lush, Gregory B.; Morel, Donald L.; Ferekides, Christos; Dhere, Neelkanth G.

2002-01-01

The ultimate objective of the thin-film program at NASA GRC is development of a 20 percent AM0 thin-film device technology with high power/weight ratio. Several approaches are outlined to improve overall device efficiency and power/weight ratio. One approach involves the use of very lightweight flexible substrates such as polyimides (i.e., Kapton(Trademark)) or metal foil. Also, a compound semiconductor tandem device structure that can meet this objective is proposed and simulated using Analysis of Microelectronic and Photonic Structures (AMPS). AMPS modeling of current devices in tandem format indicate that AM0 efficiencies near 20 percent can be achieved. And with improvements in materials, efficiencies approaching 25 percent are achievable. Several important technical issues need to be resolved to realize these complex devices: development of a wide bandgap material with good electronic properties, development of transparent contacts, and targeting a 2-terminal device structure (with more complicated processing and tunnel junction) or 4-terminal device. Recent progress in the NASA GRC program is outlined.

A case of fulminant Type 1 diabetes following anti-PD1 immunotherapy in a genetically susceptible patient.

PubMed

Araújo, Manuel; Ligeiro, Dário; Costa, Luís; Marques, Filipa; Trindade, Helder; Correia, José Manuel; Fonseca, Candida

2017-06-01

Programmed cell death-1 protein (PD-1) is an immune checkpoint that has gained popularity in the treatment of several advanced cancers. Inhibiting this checkpoint is known to enhance immune response, but is also known to diminish immune tolerance and to increase autoimmune toxicity. We discuss a case of rapid onset fulminant Type 1 diabetes induced by treatment with anti-programmed cell death-1 monoclonal antibody, nivolumab, in a patient with late-stage non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma. The patient had no history of previous diabetes but did reveal a high-risk genotype for Type 1 diabetes development (DR3-DQ2; DR4-DQ8). This finding supports that acute Type 1 diabetes can be an important adverse effect of immunotherapies targeting T-cell activation regulation. Because of the severity of this adverse effect, physicians should be aware of it, and studies directed to the detection of new biomarkers for early risk stratification (e.g., HLA) should be sought.

Predicting Treatment Success in Child and Parent Therapy Among Families in Poverty.

PubMed

Mattek, Ryan J; Harris, Sara E; Fox, Robert A

2016-01-01

Behavior problems are prevalent in young children and those living in poverty are at increased risk for stable, high-intensity behavioral problems. Research has demonstrated that participation in child and parent therapy (CPT) programs significantly reduces problematic child behaviors while increasing positive behaviors. However, CPT programs, particularly those implemented with low-income populations, frequently report high rates of attrition (over 50%). Parental attributional style has shown some promise as a contributing factor to treatment attendance and termination in previous research. The authors examined if parental attributional style could predict treatment success in a CPT program, specifically targeting low-income urban children with behavior problems. A hierarchical logistic regression was used with a sample of 425 families to assess if parent- and child-referent attributions variables predicted treatment success over and above demographic variables and symptom severity. Parent-referent attributions, child-referent attributions, and child symptom severity were found to be significant predictors of treatment success. Results indicated that caregivers who viewed themselves as a contributing factor for their child's behavior problems were significantly more likely to demonstrate treatment success. Alternatively, caregivers who viewed their child as more responsible for their own behavior problems were less likely to demonstrate treatment success. Additionally, more severe behavior problems were also predictive of treatment success. Clinical and research implications of these results are discussed.

Targets of opportunity : community based alcohol programs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-04-01

Targets of Opportunity (TOP), were comprehensive community based programs addressing the drinking and driving concerns within a particular community. The program incorporated six elements: 1) General deterrence - public information,leducation and enf...

Targeted human papillomavirus vaccination for young men who have sex with men in Australia yields significant population benefits and is cost-effective.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Regan, David G; Ong, Jason J; Gambhir, Manoj; Chow, Eric P F; Zou, Huachun; Law, Matthew; Hocking, Jane; Fairley, Christopher K

2017-09-05

We investigated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a targeted human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program for young (15-26) men who have sex with men (MSM). We developed a compartmental model to project HPV epidemic trajectories in MSM for three vaccination scenarios: a boys program, a targeted program for young MSM only and the combination of the two over 2017-2036. We assessed the gain in quality-adjusted-life-years (QALY) in 190,000 Australian MSM. A targeted program for young MSM only that achieved 20% coverage per year, without a boys program, will prevent 49,283 (31,253-71,500) cases of anogenital warts, 191 (88-319) person-years living with anal cancer through 2017-2036 but will only stablise anal cancer incidence. In contrast, a boys program will prevent 82,056 (52,100-117,164) cases of anogenital warts, 447 (204-725) person-years living with anal cancers through 2017-2036 and see major declines in anal cancer. This can reduce 90% low- and high-risk HPV in young MSM by 2024 and 2032, respectively, but will require vaccinating ≥84% of boys. Adding a targeted program for young MSM to an existing boys program would prevent an additional 14,912 (8479-21,803) anogenital wart and 91 (42-152) person-years living with anal cancer. In combination with a boys' program, a catch-up program for young MSM will cost an additional $AUD 6788 ($4628-11,989) per QALY gained, but delaying its implementation reduced its cost-effectiveness. A boys program that achieved coverage of about 84% will result in a 90% reduction in HPV. A targeted program for young MSM is cost-effective if timely implemented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT): A Weapon Missing From the U.S. Department of Defense’s Vector Control Arsenal

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

mosquitoes . As COL Christian F. Ockenhouse of the U.S. Army’s Medical Corps stated: “More so than any other infectious disease, malaria has all too often... mosquito abatement programs throughout the world would include DDT. By 1959, the United States, Europe, portions of the Soviet Union, Chile, and several...concerns raised over the primary insect repellant currently used by the U.S. military, N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, also known as DEET. DEET targets

45 CFR 400.75 - Registration for employment services, participation in employability service programs and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., participation in employability service programs and targeted assistance programs, going to job interviews, and... service programs and targeted assistance programs, going to job interviews, and acceptance of appropriate... part. (2) Go to a job interview which is arranged by the State agency or its designee. (3) Accept at...

Predictors of HIV/AIDS Programming in African American Churches: Implications for Prevention, Testing and Care

PubMed Central

Stewart, Jennifer M.; Hanlon, Alexandra; Brawner, Bridgette M.

2017-01-01

Using data from the National Congregational Study, we examined predictors of having a HIV/AIDS program in predominately African American churches across the United States. We conducted regression analyses of Wave II data (N = 1,506) isolating the sample to churches with a predominately African American membership. The dependent variable asked whether or not the congregation currently had any program focused on HIV or AIDS. Independent variables included several variables from the individual, organizational, and social levels. Our study revealed that region, clergy age, congregant disclosure of HIV-positive status, permitting cohabiting couples to be members, sponsorship or participation in programs targeted to physical health issues and having a designated person or committee to address health-focused programs significantly increased the likelihood of African American churches having a HIV/AIDS program. A paucity of nationally representative research focuses on the social, organizational and individual level predictors of having HIV/AIDS programs in African American churches. Determining the characteristics of churches with HIV/AIDS programming at multiple levels is a critical and necessary approach with significant implications for partnering with African American churches in HIV initiatives. PMID:27540035

77 FR 37428 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

...); Category #2: Enforcement and educational programs to promote compliance with these laws/regulations... justice and child welfare systems; and (e) Any other State efforts or programs that target underage... and educational programs; programs targeting youth, parents, and caregivers; and State expenditures...

A review of programs that targeted environmental determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

PubMed

Johnston, Leah; Doyle, Joyce; Morgan, Bec; Atkinson-Briggs, Sharon; Firebrace, Bradley; Marika, Mayatili; Reilly, Rachel; Cargo, Margaret; Riley, Therese; Rowley, Kevin

2013-08-09

Effective interventions to improve population and individual health require environmental change as well as strategies that target individual behaviours and clinical factors. This is the basis of implementing an ecological approach to health programs and health promotion. For Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders, colonisation has made the physical and social environment particularly detrimental for health. We conducted a literature review to identify Aboriginal health interventions that targeted environmental determinants of health, identifying 21 different health programs. Program activities that targeted environmental determinants of health included: Caring for Country; changes to food supply and/or policy; infrastructure for physical activity; housing construction and maintenance; anti-smoking policies; increased workforce capacity; continuous quality improvement of clinical systems; petrol substitution; and income management. Targets were categorised according to Miller's Living Systems Theory. Researchers using an Indigenous community based perspective more often identified interpersonal and community-level targets than were identified using a Western academic perspective. Although there are relatively few papers describing interventions that target environmental determinants of health, many of these addressed such determinants at multiple levels, consistent to some degree with an ecological approach. Interpretation of program targets sometimes differed between academic and community-based perspectives, and was limited by the type of data reported in the journal articles, highlighting the need for local Indigenous knowledge for accurate program evaluation. While an ecological approach to Indigenous health is increasingly evident in the health research literature, the design and evaluation of such programs requires a wide breadth of expertise, including local Indigenous knowledge.

A Review of Programs That Targeted Environmental Determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health

PubMed Central

Johnston, Leah; Doyle, Joyce; Morgan, Bec; Atkinson-Briggs, Sharon; Firebrace, Bradley; Marika, Mayatili; Reilly, Rachel; Cargo, Margaret; Riley, Therese; Rowley, Kevin

2013-01-01

Objective: Effective interventions to improve population and individual health require environmental change as well as strategies that target individual behaviours and clinical factors. This is the basis of implementing an ecological approach to health programs and health promotion. For Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders, colonisation has made the physical and social environment particularly detrimental for health. Methods and Results: We conducted a literature review to identify Aboriginal health interventions that targeted environmental determinants of health, identifying 21 different health programs. Program activities that targeted environmental determinants of health included: Caring for Country; changes to food supply and/or policy; infrastructure for physical activity; housing construction and maintenance; anti-smoking policies; increased workforce capacity; continuous quality improvement of clinical systems; petrol substitution; and income management. Targets were categorised according to Miller’s Living Systems Theory. Researchers using an Indigenous community based perspective more often identified interpersonal and community-level targets than were identified using a Western academic perspective. Conclusions: Although there are relatively few papers describing interventions that target environmental determinants of health, many of these addressed such determinants at multiple levels, consistent to some degree with an ecological approach. Interpretation of program targets sometimes differed between academic and community-based perspectives, and was limited by the type of data reported in the journal articles, highlighting the need for local Indigenous knowledge for accurate program evaluation. Implications: While an ecological approach to Indigenous health is increasingly evident in the health research literature, the design and evaluation of such programs requires a wide breadth of expertise, including local Indigenous knowledge. PMID:23939388

Loss of maintenance DNA methylation results in abnormal DNA origin firing during DNA replication

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

Haruta, Mayumi; Shimada, Midori, E-mail: midorism@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp; Nishiyama, Atsuya

The mammalian maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1 [DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase 1] mediates the inheritance of the DNA methylation pattern during replication. Previous studies have shown that depletion of DNMT1 causes a severe growth defect and apoptosis in differentiated cells. However, the detailed mechanisms behind this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we show that conditional ablation of Dnmt1 in murine embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) resulted in an aberrant DNA replication program showing an accumulation of late-S phase replication and causing severely defective growth. Furthermore, we found that the catalytic activity and replication focus targeting sequence of DNMT1 are required for a proper DNA replication program.more » Taken together, our findings suggest that the maintenance of DNA methylation by DNMT1 plays a critical role in proper regulation of DNA replication in mammalian cells. - Highlights: • DNMT1 depletion results in an abnormal DNA replication program. • Aberrant DNA replication is independent of the DNA damage checkpoint in DNMT1cKO. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for proper DNA replication. • DNMT1 catalytic activity and RFT domain are required for cell proliferation.« less

An Efficacious Multi-Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach for Optimal Power Flow Considering Distributed Generation.

PubMed

Warid, Warid; Hizam, Hashim; Mariun, Norman; Abdul-Wahab, Noor Izzri

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new formulation for the multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem for meshed power networks considering distributed generation. An efficacious multi-objective fuzzy linear programming optimization (MFLP) algorithm is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem with and without considering the distributed generation (DG) effect. A variant combination of objectives is considered for simultaneous optimization, including power loss, voltage stability, and shunt capacitors MVAR reserve. Fuzzy membership functions for these objectives are designed with extreme targets, whereas the inequality constraints are treated as hard constraints. The multi-objective fuzzy optimal power flow (OPF) formulation was converted into a crisp OPF in a successive linear programming (SLP) framework and solved using an efficient interior point method (IPM). To test the efficacy of the proposed approach, simulations are performed on the IEEE 30-busand IEEE 118-bus test systems. The MFLP optimization is solved for several optimization cases. The obtained results are compared with those presented in the literature. A unique solution with a high satisfaction for the assigned targets is gained. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MFLP technique in terms of solution optimality and rapid convergence. Moreover, the results indicate that using the optimal DG location with the MFLP algorithm provides the solution with the highest quality.

An Efficacious Multi-Objective Fuzzy Linear Programming Approach for Optimal Power Flow Considering Distributed Generation

PubMed Central

Warid, Warid; Hizam, Hashim; Mariun, Norman; Abdul-Wahab, Noor Izzri

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a new formulation for the multi-objective optimal power flow (MOOPF) problem for meshed power networks considering distributed generation. An efficacious multi-objective fuzzy linear programming optimization (MFLP) algorithm is proposed to solve the aforementioned problem with and without considering the distributed generation (DG) effect. A variant combination of objectives is considered for simultaneous optimization, including power loss, voltage stability, and shunt capacitors MVAR reserve. Fuzzy membership functions for these objectives are designed with extreme targets, whereas the inequality constraints are treated as hard constraints. The multi-objective fuzzy optimal power flow (OPF) formulation was converted into a crisp OPF in a successive linear programming (SLP) framework and solved using an efficient interior point method (IPM). To test the efficacy of the proposed approach, simulations are performed on the IEEE 30-busand IEEE 118-bus test systems. The MFLP optimization is solved for several optimization cases. The obtained results are compared with those presented in the literature. A unique solution with a high satisfaction for the assigned targets is gained. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MFLP technique in terms of solution optimality and rapid convergence. Moreover, the results indicate that using the optimal DG location with the MFLP algorithm provides the solution with the highest quality. PMID:26954783

Genomic Tools in Groundnut Breeding Program: Status and Perspectives

PubMed Central

Janila, P.; Variath, Murali T.; Pandey, Manish K.; Desmae, Haile; Motagi, Babu N.; Okori, Patrick; Manohar, Surendra S.; Rathnakumar, A. L.; Radhakrishnan, T.; Liao, Boshou; Varshney, Rajeev K.

2016-01-01

Groundnut, a nutrient-rich food legume, is cultivated world over. It is valued for its good quality cooking oil, energy and protein rich food, and nutrient-rich fodder. Globally, groundnut improvement programs have developed varieties to meet the preferences of farmers, traders, processors, and consumers. Enhanced yield, tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses and quality parameters have been the target traits. Spurt in genetic information of groundnut was facilitated by development of molecular markers, genetic, and physical maps, generation of expressed sequence tags (EST), discovery of genes, and identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) for some important biotic and abiotic stresses and quality traits. The first groundnut variety developed using marker assisted breeding (MAB) was registered in 2003. Since then, USA, China, Japan, and India have begun to use genomic tools in routine groundnut improvement programs. Introgression lines that combine foliar fungal disease resistance and early maturity were developed using MAB. Establishment of marker-trait associations (MTA) paved way to integrate genomic tools in groundnut breeding for accelerated genetic gain. Genomic Selection (GS) tools are employed to improve drought tolerance and pod yield, governed by several minor effect QTLs. Draft genome sequence and low cost genotyping tools such as genotyping by sequencing (GBS) are expected to accelerate use of genomic tools to enhance genetic gains for target traits in groundnut. PMID:27014312

FY16 LLNL Omega Experimental Programs

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

Heeter, R. F.; Ali, S. J.; Benstead, J.

In FY16, LLNL’s High-Energy-Density Physics (HED) and Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF-ID) programs conducted several campaigns on the OMEGA laser system and on the EP laser system, as well as campaigns that used the OMEGA and EP beams jointly. Overall, these LLNL programs led 430 target shots in FY16, with 304 shots using just the OMEGA laser system, and 126 shots using just the EP laser system. Approximately 21% of the total number of shots (77 OMEGA shots and 14 EP shots) supported the Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Campaign (ICF-ID). The remaining 79% (227 OMEGA shots and 112more » EP shots) were dedicated to experiments for High-Energy-Density Physics (HED). Highlights of the various HED and ICF campaigns are summarized in the following reports. In addition to these experiments, LLNL Principal Investigators led a variety of Laboratory Basic Science campaigns using OMEGA and EP, including 81 target shots using just OMEGA and 42 shots using just EP. The highlights of these are also summarized, following the ICF and HED campaigns. Overall, LLNL PIs led a total of 553 shots at LLE in FY 2016. In addition, LLNL PIs also supported 57 NLUF shots on Omega and 31 NLUF shots on EP, in collaboration with the academic community.« less

Use of mutation spectra analysis software.

PubMed

Rogozin, I; Kondrashov, F; Glazko, G

2001-02-01

The study and comparison of mutation(al) spectra is an important problem in molecular biology, because these spectra often reflect on important features of mutations and their fixation. Such features include the interaction of DNA with various mutagens, the function of repair/replication enzymes, and properties of target proteins. It is known that mutability varies significantly along nucleotide sequences, such that mutations often concentrate at certain positions, called "hotspots," in a sequence. In this paper, we discuss in detail two approaches for mutation spectra analysis: the comparison of mutation spectra with a HG-PUBL program, (FTP: sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/biology/dna-mutations/hyperg) and hotspot prediction with the CLUSTERM program (www.itba.mi.cnr.it/webmutation; ftp.bionet.nsc.ru/pub/biology/dbms/clusterm.zip). Several other approaches for mutational spectra analysis, such as the analysis of a target protein structure, hotspot context revealing, multiple spectra comparisons, as well as a number of mutation databases are briefly described. Mutation spectra in the lacI gene of E. coli and the human p53 gene are used for illustration of various difficulties of such analysis. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Neutronics performance and activation calculation of dense tungsten granular target for China-ADS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yaling; Li, Jianyang; Zhang, Xunchao; Cai, Hanjie; Yan, Xuesong; Yu, Lin; Fu, Fen; Lin, Ping; Gao, Xiaofei; Zhang, Zhilei; Zhang, Yanshi; Yang, Lei

2017-11-01

Spallation target, which constitutes the physical and functional interface between the high power accelerator and the subcritical core, is one of the most important components in Accelerator Driven Subcritical System (ADS). In this paper, we investigated the neutronics performance, the radiation damage and the activation of dense tungsten granular flow spallation target by using the Monte Carlo programs GMT and FLUKA at the proton energy of 250 MeV with a beam current of 10 mA . First, the leaking neutron yield, leaking neutron energy spectrum and laterally leaking neutron distribution at several time nodes and with different target parameters are explored. After that, the displacement per atom (DPA) and the helium/hydrogen production for tungsten grains and structural materials with stainless steel 316L are estimated. Finally, the radioactivity, residual dose rate and afterheat of granular target are presented. Results indicate that granule diameter below 1 cm and the beam profile diameter have negligible impact on neutronics performance, while the target diameter and volume fraction of grain have notable influence. The maximum DPA for target vessel (beam tube) is about 1.0 (1.6) DPA/year in bare target, and increased to 2.6 (2.8) DPA/year in fission environment. Average DPA for tungsten grains is relatively low. The decline rate of radioactivity and afterheat with cooling time grows with the decrease of the irradiation time.

Development of a machine vision system for automated structural assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sydow, P. Daniel; Cooper, Eric G.

1992-01-01

Research is being conducted at the LaRC to develop a telerobotic assembly system designed to construct large space truss structures. This research program was initiated within the past several years, and a ground-based test-bed was developed to evaluate and expand the state of the art. Test-bed operations currently use predetermined ('taught') points for truss structural assembly. Total dependence on the use of taught points for joint receptacle capture and strut installation is neither robust nor reliable enough for space operations. Therefore, a machine vision sensor guidance system is being developed to locate and guide the robot to a passive target mounted on the truss joint receptacle. The vision system hardware includes a miniature video camera, passive targets mounted on the joint receptacles, target illumination hardware, and an image processing system. Discrimination of the target from background clutter is accomplished through standard digital processing techniques. Once the target is identified, a pose estimation algorithm is invoked to determine the location, in three-dimensional space, of the target relative to the robots end-effector. Preliminary test results of the vision system in the Automated Structural Assembly Laboratory with a range of lighting and background conditions indicate that it is fully capable of successfully identifying joint receptacle targets throughout the required operational range. Controlled optical bench test results indicate that the system can also provide the pose estimation accuracy to define the target position.

Voluntary saccadic eye movements in humans studied with a double-cue paradigm.

PubMed

Sheliga, B M; Brown, V J; Miles, F A

2002-07-01

In the classic double-step paradigm, subjects are required to make a saccade to a visual target that is briefly presented at one location and then shifted to a new location before the subject has responded. The saccades in this situation are "reflexive" in that they are made in response to the appearance of the target itself. In the present experiments we adapted the double-step paradigm to study "voluntary" saccades. For this, several identical targets were always visible and subjects were given a cue to indicate that they should make a saccade to one of them. This cue was then changed to indicate another of the targets before the subject had responded: double-cue (DC) paradigm. The saccadic eye movements in our DC paradigm had many features in common with those in the double-step paradigm and we show that apparent differences can be attributed to the spatio-temporal arrangements of the cues/targets rather than to any intrinsic differences in the programming of these two kinds of eye movements. For example, a feature of our DC paradigm that is not seen in the usual double-step paradigm is that the second cue could cause transient delays of the initial saccade, and these delays still occurred when the second cue was reflexive--provided that it was at the fovea (as in our DC paradigm) and not in the periphery (as in the usual double-step paradigm). Thus, the critical factor for the delay was the retinal (foveal) location of the second cue/target--not whether it was cognitive or reflexive--and we argue that the second cue/target is here acting as a distractor. We conclude that the DC paradigm can be used to study the programming of voluntary saccades in the same way that the double-step paradigm can be used to study reflexive saccades.

Graduate studies on optoelectronics in Argentina: an experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández, Juan C.; Garea, María. T.; Isaurralde, Silvia; Perez, Liliana I.; Raffo, Carlos A.

2014-07-01

The number of graduate programs in Optoelectronics in Argentina is scarce. The current Optics and Photonics Education Directory lists only three programs. One of them was launched in 2001 in the Facultad de Ingeniería (College of Engineering), Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). This was the first graduate program in the field, leading to a Master Degree in Optoelectronics. This decision arose from the demand of telecommunications industries and several estate- or private-funded research institutions working with us in the fields of lasers, optics, remote sensing, etc. A great bonus was the steady work, during several decades, of research groups in the College on the development of different type of lasers and optical non destructive tests and their engineering applications. As happened in many engineering graduate programs in Argentina at that time, few non full-time students could finish their studies, which called for 800 hours of traditional lecture-recitation classes, and the Master Thesis. In recent years Argentine Education authorities downsized the Master programs to 700 hours of blended learning and we redesigned the Graduate Optoelectronic Engineering Program to meet the challenge, dividing it in two successive one year programs, the first aimed at a professional training for almost immediate insertion in the labor market (called Especialización en Ingeniería Optoelectrónica), and the second (called Maestría en Ingeniería Optoelectrónica y Fotónica) aimed at a more academic and research target to comply with the UBA standards for Master degrees. The present work is a presentation of the new program design, which has begun in the current year.

Targeting anxiety to improve quality of life in patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Buonocore, M; Bosia, M; Bechi, M; Spangaro, M; Cavedoni, S; Cocchi, F; Bianchi, L; Guglielmino, C; Mastromatteo, A R; Cavallaro, R

2017-09-01

Several studies suggested that anxiety can significantly affect the outcome of schizophrenia. Despite this evidence, non-pharmacological interventions targeting anxiety are still heterogenous. This study aims to test the efficacy of a novel training specifically designed to target anxiety in patients with schizophrenia. Innovatively, this training, beyond psychoeducation and problem solving, also targets Theory of Mind, as it provides coping strategies. Twenty-seven outpatients with schizophrenia received a novel rehabilitative training targeting anxiety (Anxiety Management Group [AMG]) combined with a Computer-Assisted Cognitive Remediation (CACR), and twenty received CACR plus a control intervention (Control Newspaper discussion Group [CNG]). All patients were assessed at baseline and after treatment for quality of life, neurocognition and anxiety. After training, patients treated with AMG+CACR showed significantly greater improvements on anxiety. A significant increase in quality of life was observed only for AMG+CACR group. Moreover, the participants' appraisal showed a significant difference between treatment groups with higher ratings among patients who received the AMG+CACR. This study thus suggests feasibility and efficacy of the proposed intervention, that could be implemented in rehabilitative programs for patients with schizophrenia with potential benefits also on disease course and outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Algorithms for Heterogeneous, Multiple Depot, Multiple Unmanned Vehicle Path Planning Problems

DOE PAGES

Sundar, Kaarthik; Rathinam, Sivakumar

2016-12-26

Unmanned vehicles, both aerial and ground, are being used in several monitoring applications to collect data from a set of targets. This article addresses a problem where a group of heterogeneous aerial or ground vehicles with different motion constraints located at distinct depots visit a set of targets. The vehicles also may be equipped with different sensors, and therefore, a target may not be visited by any vehicle. The objective is to find an optimal path for each vehicle starting and ending at its respective depot such that each target is visited at least once by some vehicle, the vehicle–targetmore » constraints are satisfied, and the sum of the length of the paths for all the vehicles is minimized. Two variants of this problem are formulated (one for ground vehicles and another for aerial vehicles) as mixed-integer linear programs and a branchand- cut algorithm is developed to compute an optimal solution to each of the variants. Computational results show that optimal solutions for problems involving 100 targets and 5 vehicles can be obtained within 300 seconds on average, further corroborating the effectiveness of the proposed approach.« less

The NASA Goddard Group's Source Monitoring Database and Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gipson, John; Le Bail, Karine; Ma, Chopo

2014-12-01

Beginning in 2003, the Goddard VLBI group developed a program to purposefully monitor when sources were observed and to increase the observations of ``under-observed'' sources. The heart of the program consists of a MySQL database that keeps track of, on a session-by-session basis: the number of observations that are scheduled for a source, the number of observations that are successfully correlated, and the number of observations that are used in a session. In addition, there is a table that contains the target number of successful sessions over the last twelve months. Initially this table just contained two categories. Sources in the geodetic catalog had a target of 12 sessions/year; the remaining ICRF-1 defining sources had a target of two sessions/year. All other sources did not have a specific target. As the program evolved, different kinds of sources with different observing targets were added. During the scheduling process, the scheduler has the option of automatically selecting N sources which have not met their target. We discuss the history and present some results of this successful program.

Prevention-Related Research Targeting African American Alternative Education Program Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carswell, Steven B.; Hanlon, Thomas E.; Watts, Amy M.; O'Grady, Kevin E.

2014-01-01

This article reports on a program of research that examined the background, planning, implementation, and evaluation of an after-school preventive intervention program within an ongoing urban alternative education program targeting African American students referred to the school because of their problematic behavior in regular schools. The…

Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program with Troubled Adolescents: A Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edelman, Sarah; Clin, Louise Remond M.

2005-01-01

Group CBT programs are widely used for assisting teenagers with anxiety, depression and other psychological problems. The majority of reported programs have targeted school or clinical populations however few have specifically targeted adolescents from highly troubled and disadvantaged backgrounds. This paper describes a group CBT program that was…

Recent Developments in the Code RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plante, Ianik; Ponomarev, Artem L.; Blattnig, Steve R.

2018-01-01

The code RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) was developed to simulate detailed stochastic radiation track structures of ions of different types and energies. Many new capabilities were added to the code during the recent years. Several options were added to specify the times at which the tracks appear in the irradiated volume, allowing the simulation of dose-rate effects. The code has been used to simulate energy deposition in several targets: spherical, ellipsoidal and cylindrical. More recently, density changes as well as a spherical shell were implemented for spherical targets, in order to simulate energy deposition in walled tissue equivalent proportional counters. RITRACKS is used as a part of the new program BDSTracks (Biological Damage by Stochastic Tracks) to simulate several types of chromosome aberrations in various irradiation conditions. The simulation of damage to various DNA structures (linear and chromatin fiber) by direct and indirect effects has been improved and is ongoing. Many improvements were also made to the graphic user interface (GUI), including the addition of several labels allowing changes of units. A new GUI has been added to display the electron ejection vectors. The parallel calculation capabilities, notably the pre- and post-simulation processing on Windows and Linux machines have been reviewed to make them more portable between different systems. The calculation part is currently maintained in an Atlassian Stash® repository for code tracking and possibly future collaboration.

A multilevel health promotion intervention in minority-owned workplaces

PubMed Central

Bowen, Deborah J.; Briant, Katherine J.; Harris, Jeffrey; Hannon, Peggy; Buchwald, Dedra

2015-01-01

Introduction Changing health behaviors and health-related environments is important in reducing chronic disease. Minority workplaces are potential venues to provide regular, effective health promotion opportunities to underserved individuals. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of changing workplace policy, programs, and practices in minority-owned workplaces. Methods Four minority Native American-owned businesses were recruited to participate in this study. The intervention was a set of recommended standards and guidelines gleaned from the US Preventive Task Force and The Community Guide relevant to workplaces. Each workplace selected between 4 and 6 target areas to improve over the year-long intervention period. The evaluation tool was a semi-structured survey conducted at baseline and at one-year follow-up, with workplace staff responsible for benefits and services to employees. Feasibility was evaluated by assessing the likelihood that the workplaces implemented health promotion activities in the year-long intervention. Results Several practices and policies changed significantly during the intervention in the four workplaces, including coverage for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), elimination of out of pocket costs for screening and tobacco cessation, accountability systems for providers, posted stair use, cessation line availability that included NRT, offering weight loss programs, offering physical activity programs, and conducting targeted communication programs about health promotion. Other practices and polices changed in the expected direction, but were not significant. Conclusion Changing workplace programs, practices, and policies is feasible in minority workplaces, with support and tools provided by outside organizations. These findings could drive a full-scale test of the intervention in minority businesses in order to improve the health of disadvantaged workers. PMID:26693135

Focus group responses of potential participants in a nutrition education program for individuals with limited literacy skills.

PubMed

Hartman, T J; McCarthy, P R; Park, R J; Schuster, E; Kushi, L H

1994-07-01

To obtain information to direct the design and development of a nutrition intervention program targeted at a low-literacy audience. Thirty-nine female and two male clients of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) participated in five focus-group discussions. The focus groups included 23 African American, 9 white, 4 Southeast Asian, 1 American Indian, 2 Hispanic American, and 2 Middle Eastern EFNEP participants. All focus groups were moderated and co-moderated by University of Minnesota staff members. The focus groups were tape-recorded and transcribed. A written report was generated based on the independent evaluation of two staff members. We learned that EFNEP participants thought they would be motivated to change their eating habits for health concerns, including weight loss, and to help their families develop healthful eating habits. They mentioned several barriers to making changes, including extra time and money needed to purchase and prepare healthful foods, food preferences of family members, lack of interest and skills in cooking, and insufficient knowledge about which foods are healthful. Participants shared ideas for program content and delivery. Clients with limited literacy skills have valuable opinions and insights that program developers targeting this hard-to-reach group should hear. The EFNEP participants wanted simple, practical, and relevant information about what foods to eat and how to prepare them. They considered lectures an ineffective way to receive nutrition information, and they expressed a preference for hands-on activities that were enjoyable and allowed participants to share ideas and experiences.

Web-based tailored lifestyle programs: exploration of the target group's interests and implications for practice.

PubMed

Verheijden, Marieke W; Jans, Marielle P; Hildebrandt, Vincent H

2008-01-01

An important challenge in Web-based health promotion is to increase the reach of the target audience by taking the target groups' desires into consideration. Data from 505 members of a Dutch Internet panel (representative for Dutch Internet users) were used to asses the target group's interests and needs. 28% participated in Web-based tailored lifestyle programs, 57% expressed an interest in such programs, and 15% expressed no interest. Interest in Web-based programs was predominantly caused by a general interest in lifestyle and online tests. Participation in Web-based tailored lifestyle programs should not take more than 17 minutes per occasion. 84% were interested in follow-up testing after the initial participation. Responders were particularly interested in physical activity and nutrition. Hardly anyone was willing to pay for participation. The results from this study support the use of Web-based tailored lifestyle programs in behavior change efforts.

LINE-1 couples EMT programming with acquisition of oncogenic phenotypes in human bronchial epithelial cells.

PubMed

Reyes-Reyes, Elsa M; Aispuro, Ivan; Tavera-Garcia, Marco A; Field, Matthew; Moore, Sara; Ramos, Irma; Ramos, Kenneth S

2017-11-28

Although several lines of evidence have established the central role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) in malignant progression of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), the molecular events connecting EMT to malignancy remain poorly understood. This study presents evidence that Long Interspersed Nuclear Element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposon couples EMT programming with malignancy in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). This conclusion is supported by studies showing that: 1) activation of EMT programming by TGF-β1 increases LINE-1 mRNAs and protein; 2) the lung carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene coregulates TGF-β1 and LINE-1 mRNAs, with LINE-1 positioned downstream of TGF-β1 signaling; and, 3) forced expression of LINE-1 in BEAS-2B cells recapitulates EMT programming and induces malignant phenotypes and tumorigenesis in vivo . These findings identify a TGFβ1-LINE-1 axis as a critical effector pathway that can be targeted for the development of precision therapies during malignant progression of intractable NSCLCs.

Identifying and overcoming implementation challenges: Experience of 59 noninstitutional long-term services and support pilot programs in the Veterans Health Administration

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Jennifer L.; Adjognon, Omonyêlé L.; Engle, Ryann L.; Shin, Marlena H.; Afable, Melissa K.; Rudin, Whitney; White, Bert; Shay, Kenneth; Lukas, Carol VanDeusen

2018-01-01

Background: From 2010 to 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funded a large pilot initiative to implement noninstitutional long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs to support aging Veterans. Our team evaluated implementation of 59 VA noninstitutional LTSS programs. Purpose: The specific objectives of this study are to (a) examine the challenges influencing program implementation comparing active sites that remained open and inactive sites that closed during the funding period and (b) identify ways that active sites overcame the challenges they experienced. Methodology: Key informant semistructured interviews occurred between 2011 and 2013. We conducted 217 telephone interviews over four time points. Content analysis was used to identify emergent themes. The study team met regularly to define each challenge, review all codes, and discuss discrepancies. For each follow-up interview with the sites, the list of established challenges was used as a priori themes. Emergent data were also coded. Results: The challenges affecting implementation included human resources and staffing issues, infrastructure, resources allocation and geography, referrals and marketing, leadership support, and team dynamics and processes. Programs were able to overcome challenges by communicating with team members and other areas in the organization, utilizing information technology solutions, creative use of staff and flexible schedules, and obtaining additional resources. Discussion: This study highlights several common challenges programs can address during the program implementation. The most often mentioned strategy was effective communication. Strategies also targeted several components of the organization including organizational functions and processes (e.g., importance of coordination within a team and across disciplines to provide good care), infrastructure (e.g., information technology and human resources), and program fit with priorities in the organization (e.g., leadership support). Implications: Anticipating potential pitfalls of program implementation for future noninstitutional LTSS programs can improve implementation efficiency and program sustainability. Staff at multiple levels in the organization must fully support noninstitutional LTSS programs to address these challenges. PMID:28125459

Identifying and overcoming implementation challenges: Experience of 59 noninstitutional long-term services and support pilot programs in the Veterans Health Administration.

PubMed

Sullivan, Jennifer L; Adjognon, Omonyêlé L; Engle, Ryann L; Shin, Marlena H; Afable, Melissa K; Rudin, Whitney; White, Bert; Shay, Kenneth; Lukas, Carol VanDeusen

From 2010 to 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) funded a large pilot initiative to implement noninstitutional long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs to support aging Veterans. Our team evaluated implementation of 59 VA noninstitutional LTSS programs. The specific objectives of this study are to (a) examine the challenges influencing program implementation comparing active sites that remained open and inactive sites that closed during the funding period and (b) identify ways that active sites overcame the challenges they experienced. Key informant semistructured interviews occurred between 2011 and 2013. We conducted 217 telephone interviews over four time points. Content analysis was used to identify emergent themes. The study team met regularly to define each challenge, review all codes, and discuss discrepancies. For each follow-up interview with the sites, the list of established challenges was used as a priori themes. Emergent data were also coded. The challenges affecting implementation included human resources and staffing issues, infrastructure, resources allocation and geography, referrals and marketing, leadership support, and team dynamics and processes. Programs were able to overcome challenges by communicating with team members and other areas in the organization, utilizing information technology solutions, creative use of staff and flexible schedules, and obtaining additional resources. This study highlights several common challenges programs can address during the program implementation. The most often mentioned strategy was effective communication. Strategies also targeted several components of the organization including organizational functions and processes (e.g., importance of coordination within a team and across disciplines to provide good care), infrastructure (e.g., information technology and human resources), and program fit with priorities in the organization (e.g., leadership support). Anticipating potential pitfalls of program implementation for future noninstitutional LTSS programs can improve implementation efficiency and program sustainability. Staff at multiple levels in the organization must fully support noninstitutional LTSS programs to address these challenges.

Analysis of Material Handling Safety in Construction Sites and Countermeasures for Effective Enhancement

PubMed Central

Anil Kumar, C. N.; Sakthivel, M.; Elangovan, R. K.; Arularasu, M.

2015-01-01

One of many hazardous workplaces includes the construction sites as they involve several dangerous tasks. Many studies have revealed that material handling equipment is a major cause of accidents at these sites. Though safety measures are being followed and monitored continuously, accident rates are still high as either workers are unaware of hazards or the safety regulations are not being strictly followed. This paper analyses the safety management systems at construction sites through means of questionnaire surveys with employees, specifically referring to safety of material handling equipment. Based on results of the questionnaire surveys, two construction sites were selected for a safety education program targeting worker safety related to material handling equipment. Knowledge levels of the workers were gathered before and after the program and results obtained were subjected to a t-test analysis to mark significance level of the conducted safety education program. PMID:26446572

FY14 LLNL OMEGA Experimental Programs

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

Heeter, R. F.; Fournier, K. B.; Baker, K.

In FY14, LLNL’s High-Energy-Density Physics (HED) and Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF-ID) programs conducted several campaigns on the OMEGA laser system and on the EP laser system, as well as campaigns that used the OMEGA and EP beams jointly. Overall these LLNL programs led 324 target shots in FY14, with 246 shots using just the OMEGA laser system, 62 shots using just the EP laser system, and 16 Joint shots using Omega and EP together. Approximately 31% of the total number of shots (62 OMEGA shots, 42 EP shots) shots supported the Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Campaign (ICF-ID).more » The remaining 69% (200 OMEGA shots and 36 EP shots, including the 16 Joint shots) were dedicated to experiments for High- Energy-Density Physics (HED). Highlights of the various HED and ICF campaigns are summarized in the following reports.« less

Adolescent human papillomavirus vaccination in the United States: Opportunities for integrating pharmacies into the immunization neighborhood.

PubMed

Fava, Joseph P; Colleran, Jacob; Bignasci, Francesca; Cha, Raymond; Kilgore, Paul E

2017-08-03

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination faces several barriers, including a social stigma which carries religious and philosophical implications among parents of adolescents as well as young adults. Hundreds of immunization interventions and programs have been developed to address these factors and boost HPV vaccination rates in the United States. We sought to review the existing literature highlighting barriers to HPV immunization, as well as programs targeting increased HPV vaccine uptake in effort to develop novel vaccination initiatives. The most impactful barriers identified were parental stigma and low quality of provider recommendations for the vaccine. Despite the implementation of many HPV initiatives, outcomes of these programs are largely limited to modest improvements in vaccine uptake in small, homogeneous populations. We describe pharmacies as distinctly advantageous but underutilized resources within the immunization neighborhood and propose a novel concept to improve vaccination rates as well as reduce HPV-related disease burden in all demographics.

A preliminary investigation of a school-based musical theater intervention program for children with intellectual disabilities.

PubMed

Zyga, Olena; Russ, Sandra W; Meeker, Heather; Kirk, Jodi

2017-01-01

The presence of an intellectual disability may cause a child to have significant deficits in social skills and emotion regulation abilities across development. A vital next step is to find interventions that can be delivered in the school environment and across disability categories that target socioemotional factors. The current study investigated the feasibility of delivering a school-based musical theater program to students with intellectual disability across a range of school settings. A within-group repeated-measures design was used to analyze pre- and post-video recordings of the intervention program, which were coded for six domains of socioemotional ability across all participants ( n = 47). Results showed that significant gains across all domains were observed. However, these gains related to school- and individual-level student factors, such as grade level, severity of disability, and baseline social skill ability.

FY15 LLNL OMEGA Experimental Programs

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

Heeter, R. F.; Baker, K. L.; Barrios, M. A.

In FY15, LLNL’s High-Energy-Density Physics (HED) and Indirect Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF-ID) programs conducted several campaigns on the OMEGA laser system and on the EP laser system, as well as campaigns that used the OMEGA and EP beams jointly. Overall these LLNL programs led 468 target shots in FY15, with 315 shots using just the OMEGA laser system, 145 shots using just the EP laser system, and 8 Joint shots using Omega and EP together. Approximately 25% of the total number of shots (56 OMEGA shots and 67 EP shots, including the 8 Joint shots) supported the Indirect Drivemore » Inertial Confinement Fusion Campaign (ICF-ID). The remaining 75% (267 OMEGA shots and 86 EP shots) were dedicated to experiments for High-Energy-Density Physics (HED). Highlights of the various HED and ICF campaigns are summarized in the following reports.« less

Virtual Screening with AutoDock: Theory and Practice

PubMed Central

Cosconati, Sandro; Forli, Stefano; Perryman, Alex L.; Harris, Rodney; Goodsell, David S.; Olson, Arthur J.

2011-01-01

Importance to the field Virtual screening is a computer-based technique for identifying promising compounds to bind to a target molecule of known structure. Given the rapidly increasing number of protein and nucleic acid structures, virtual screening continues to grow as an effective method for the discovery of new inhibitors and drug molecules. Areas covered in this review We describe virtual screening methods that are available in the AutoDock suite of programs, and several of our successes in using AutoDock virtual screening in pharmaceutical lead discovery. What the reader will gain A general overview of the challenges of virtual screening is presented, along with the tools available in the AutoDock suite of programs for addressing these challenges. Take home message Virtual screening is an effective tool for the discovery of compounds for use as leads in drug discovery, and the free, open source program AutoDock is an effective tool for virtual screening. PMID:21532931

Satisfying STEM Education Using the Arduino Microprocessor in C Programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoffer, Brandyn M.

There exists a need to promote better Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) education at the high school level. To satisfy this need a series of hands-on laboratory assignments were created to be accompanied by 2 educational trainers that contain various electronic components. This project provides an interdisciplinary, hands-on approach to teaching C programming that meets several standards defined by the Tennessee Board of Education. Together the trainers and lab assignments also introduce key concepts in math and science while allowing students hands-on experience with various electronic components. This will allow students to mimic real world applications of using the C programming language while exposing them to technology not currently introduced in many high school classrooms. The developed project is targeted at high school students performing at or above the junior level and uses the Arduino Mega open-source Microprocessor and software as the primary control unit.

Youth leadership at PPNC.

PubMed

Ecker, N; Smith, J

2000-04-01

Planned Parenthood of Nassau County (PPNC) employs a wide range of local programs to assist young people in developing the skills necessary to make responsible decisions and help them become good leaders in the future. The mission that underpins their work with the youth is to help them recognize the powerful positive impact they can have on their peers, friends, loved ones, and families. For the last 16 years, peer education has played an essential role in the programs and services of PPNC for teens. The Teen Advocate Project (TAP) has trained and supported dozens of local youth who have in turn participated in several outreach and education activities. The PPNC also created the Teen Info Line, a telephone peer support service operated by and for teens. Along with the TAP, PPNC operates three other successful components of its education programs targeting the youth and their families: 1) male involvement program, 2) multicultural education program, and 3) substance awareness/sexual health education program. In recognizing that its mission to help the youth must not stop at the county border, PPNC established the Global Institute for Training in 1992 to develop youth leadership programs throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.

Efficient targeted DNA methylation with chimeric dCas9–Dnmt3a–Dnmt3L methyltransferase

PubMed Central

Stepper, Peter; Kungulovski, Goran; Jurkowska, Renata Z.; Chandra, Tamir; Krueger, Felix; Reinhardt, Richard

2017-01-01

Abstract DNA methylation plays a critical role in the regulation and maintenance of cell-type specific transcriptional programs. Targeted epigenome editing is an emerging technology to specifically regulate cellular gene expression in order to modulate cell phenotypes or dissect the epigenetic mechanisms involved in their control. In this work, we employed a DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a–Dnmt3L construct fused to the nuclease-inactivated dCas9 programmable targeting domain to introduce DNA methylation into the human genome specifically at the EpCAM, CXCR4 and TFRC gene promoters. We show that targeting of these loci with single gRNAs leads to efficient and widespread methylation of the promoters. Multiplexing of several guide RNAs does not increase the efficiency of methylation. Peaks of targeted methylation were observed around 25 bp upstream and 40 bp downstream of the PAM site, while 20–30 bp of the binding site itself are protected against methylation. Potent methylation is dependent on the multimerization of Dnmt3a/Dnmt3L complexes on the DNA. Furthermore, the introduced methylation causes transcriptional repression of the targeted genes. These new programmable epigenetic editors allow unprecedented control of the DNA methylation status in cells and will lead to further advances in the understanding of epigenetic signaling. PMID:27899645

Benefit adequacy among elderly Social Security retired-worker beneficiaries and the SSI federal benefit rate.

PubMed

Rupp, Kalman; Strand, Alexander; Davies, Paul; Sears, Jim

2007-01-01

Both target effectiveness and administrative simplicity are desirable properties in the design of minimum benefit packages for public retirement programs. The federal benefit rate (FBR) of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program has been proposed by some analysts as a potentially attractive basis of establishing a new minimum benefit for Social Security on both of these grounds. This type of proposal is related to a broader array of minimum benefit proposals that would establish a Social Security benefit floor based on the poverty rate. In contrast to Social Security, the SSI program is means tested, including both an income and asset screen and also a categorical eligibility screen (the requirement to qualify as aged or disabled). The SSI FBR provides an inflation-adjusted, guaranteed income floor for aged and disabled people with low assets. The FBR has been perceived by proponents as a minimal measure of Social Security benefit adequacy because it represents a subpoverty income level for a family of one or two depending on marital status. For this same reason it has been seen as a target-effective tool of designing a minimum Social Security benefit. An FBR-based minimum benefit has also been viewed as administratively simple to implement; the benefit can be calculated from Social Security administrative records using a completely automated electronic process. Therefore-in contrast to the SSI program itself-an FBR-based minimum benefit would incur virtually no ongoing administrative costs, would not require a separate application for a means-tested program, and would avoid the perception of welfare stigma. While these ideas have been discussed in the literature and among policymakers in the United States over the years, and similar proposals have been considered or implemented in several foreign countries, there have been no previous analyses measuring the size of the potentially affected beneficiary population. Nor has there been any systematic assessment of the FBR as a measure of benefit adequacy or the tradeoffs between potential target effectiveness and administrative simplicity. Based on a series of simulations, we assess the FBR as a potential foundation for minimum Social Security benefits and we examine the tradeoffs between administrative simplicity and target effectiveness using microdata from the 1996 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Our empirical analysis is limited to Social Security retired-worker beneficiaries aged 65 or older. We start with the assessment of the FBR as a measure of benefit adequacy. We are particularly concerned about two types of error: (1) incorrectly identifying some Social Security beneficiaries as "economically vulnerable," and (2) incorrectly identifying others as "not economically vulnerable." Operationally we measure economic vulnerability by two alternative standards. One of our measures considers beneficiaries with family income below the official poverty threshold as vulnerable. Our second measure is more restrictive; it uses a family income threshold equal to 75 percent of the official poverty threshold. We find that a substantial minority of retired workers have Social Security benefits below the FBR. The results also show that the FBR-based measure of Social Security benefit adequacy is very imprecise in terms of identifying economically vulnerable people. We estimate that the vast majority of beneficiaries with Social Security benefits below the FBR are not economically vulnerable. Conversely, an FBR-level Social Security benefit threshold fails to identify some beneficiaries who are economically vulnerable. Thus an FBR-level minimum benefit would be poorly targeted in terms of both types of errors we are concerned about. An FBR-level minimum benefit would provide minimum Social Security benefits to many people who are clearly not poor. Conversely, an FBR-level minimum benefit would not provide any income relief to some who are poor. The administrative simplicity behind these screening errors also results in additional program cost that may be perceived as substantial. We estimate that an FBR-level minimum benefit would increase aggregate program cost for retired workers aged 65 or older by roughly 2 percent. There are two fundamental reasons for these findings. First, the concept of an FBR-level minimum benefit looks at the individual or married couple in artificial isolation; however, the family is the main consumption unit in our society. The income of an unmarried partner or family members other than a married spouse is ignored. Second, individuals and couples may also have income from sources other than Social Security or SSI, which is also ignored by a simple FBR-based minimum benefit concept. The substantial empirical magnitude of measurement error arising from these conceptual simplifications naturally leads to the assessment of the tradeoff between target effectiveness and administrative simplicity. To facilitate this analysis, we simulate the potential effect of alternative screening methods designed to increase target effectiveness; while reducing program cost, such alternatives also may increase administrative complexity. For example, considering the combined Social Security benefit of a married couple (rather than looking at the husband and wife in isolation) might substantially increase target effectiveness with a relatively small increase in administrative complexity. Adding a family income screen might increase administrative complexity to a greater degree, but also would increase target effectiveness dramatically. The results also suggest that at some point adding new screens-such as a comprehensive asset test-may drastically increase administrative complexity with diminishing returns in terms of increased target effectiveness and reduced program cost. Whether a broad-based minimum benefit concept that is not tied to previous work experience is perceived by policymakers as desirable or not may depend on several factors not addressed in this article. However, to the extent that this type of minimum benefit design is regarded as potentially desirable, the tradeoffs between administrative simplicity and target effectiveness need to be considered.

Moving target, distributed, real-time simulation using Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, W. R.; Feyock, S.; King, L. A.; Morell, L. J.

1985-01-01

Research on a precompiler solution is described for the moving target compiler problem encountered when trying to run parallel simulation algorithms on several microcomputers. The precompiler is under development at NASA-Lewis for simulating jet engines. Since the behavior of any component of a jet engine, e.g., the fan inlet, rear duct, forward sensor, etc., depends on the previous behaviors and not the current behaviors of other components, the behaviors can be modeled on different processors provided the outputs of the processors reach other processors in appropriate time intervals. The simulator works in compute and transfer modes. The Ada procedure sets for the behaviors of different components are divided up and routed by the precompiler, which essentially receives a multitasking program. The subroutines are synchronized after each computation cycle.

Therapeutic Targeting of IL-17 and IL-23 Cytokines in Immune-Mediated Diseases.

PubMed

Fragoulis, George E; Siebert, Stefan; McInnes, Iain B

2016-01-01

The discovery of the biological functions of the interleukin-23/-17 axis led to the identification of IL-23 and IL-17 as important participants in the pathogenesis of several immune-mediated diseases. Therapeutic agents targeting these cytokines and/or their receptors have now been developed as potential treatment strategies for common immune-mediated diseases. Anti-IL-17 and anti-IL-12/-23 regimens appear particularly effective in psoriasis, with promising results in spondyloarthropathies also emerging. Overall, these agents appear well tolerated, with adverse-event rates that are commensurate with those in other biologic treatment programs. The strategic utility of these new agents, however, remains uncertain, and further studies will be required to determine their place in the context of existing conventional and biologic immune-modifying agents.

Using a pattern-centered approach to assess sexual risk-taking in study abroad students.

PubMed

Marcantonio, Tiffany; Angelone, D J; Sledjeski, Eve

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of several potential factors related to sexually risky behaviors in study abroad students. The authors utilized a pattern-centered analysis to identify specific groups that can be targeted for intervention. The sample consisted of 173 students who studied abroad in a variety of international locations for an average of 4 months. Participants completed questionnaires informed by the Triandis Theory of Interpersonal Behavior that have been predictive of risky sex in traditional traveling environments. The analyses revealed 3 different pathways for risky sexual behavior: Environmental involvement, historical condom use, and intentions to engage in risky sex. These findings can be used for identification of specific high-risk groups of students who can be targeted for predeparture prevention programs.

Effectiveness of Expanded Implementation of STAR-VA for Managing Dementia-Related Behaviors Among Veterans.

PubMed

Karel, Michele J; Teri, Linda; McConnell, Eleanor; Visnic, Stephanie; Karlin, Bradley E

2016-02-01

Nonpharmacological, psychosocial approaches are first-line treatments for managing behavioral symptoms in dementia, but they can be challenging to implement in long-term care settings. The Veterans Health Administration implemented STAR-VA, an interdisciplinary behavioral approach for managing challenging dementia-related behaviors in its Community Living Center (CLCs, nursing home care) settings. This study describes how the program was implemented and provides an evaluation of Veteran clinical outcomes and staff feedback on the intervention. One mental health professional and registered nurse team from 17 CLCs completed STAR-VA training, which entailed an experiential workshop followed by 6 months of expert consultation as they worked with their teams to implement STAR-VA with Veterans identified to have challenging dementia-related behaviors. The frequency and severity of target behaviors and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and agitation were evaluated at baseline and at intervention completion. Staff provided feedback regarding STAR-VA feasibility and impact. Seventy-one Veterans completed the intervention. Behaviors clustered into 6 types: care refusal or resistance, agitation, aggression, vocalization, wandering, and other. Frequency and severity of target behaviors and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and agitation all significantly decreased, with overall effect sizes of 1 or greater. Staff rated both benefits for Veterans and program feasibility favorably. This evaluation supports the feasibility and effectiveness of STAR-VA, an interdisciplinary, behavioral intervention for managing challenging behaviors among residents with dementia in CLCs. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2015.

What the patient wants: Addressing patients' treatment targets in an integrative group psychotherapy programme.

PubMed

Kealy, David; Joyce, Anthony S; Weber, Rainer; Ehrenthal, Johannes C; Ogrodniczuk, John S

2018-02-13

Limited empirical attention has been devoted to individualized treatment objectives in intensive group therapy for personality dysfunction. This study investigated patients' ratings of distress associated with individual therapy goals - referred to as target object severity - in an intensive Evening Treatment Programme for patients with personality dysfunction. Change in target objective severity was examined in a sample of 81 patients who completed treatment in an intensive, integrative group therapy programme. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine associations between change in target object severity and patients' pre-treatment diagnosis, symptom distress, and treatment outcome expectancy, and between change in target objective severity and patients' ratings of group therapy process (group climate, therapeutic alliance, group cohesion). The relationship between change in target objective severity and longer-range life satisfaction was also examined in a subsample of patients who rated life satisfaction at follow-up. While change in target objective severity was not significantly related to pre-treatment variables, significant associations were found with several aspects of group therapy process. Patients' experience of a highly engaged group climate was uniquely associated with improvement in target object severity. Such improvement was significantly related to longer-term life satisfaction after controlling for general symptom change. The working atmosphere in group therapy contributes to patients' progress regarding individual treatment targets, and such progress is an important factor in later satisfaction. Attention to individualized treatment targets deserves further clinical and research attention in the context of integrative group therapy for personality dysfunction. This study found that patients attending an integrative group treatment programme for personality dysfunction experienced significant improvement in severity of distress related to individual treatment objectives. Improvement in severity of distress related to individual treatment objectives was uniquely associated with patients' experience of an engaged, collaborative working atmosphere. Improvement in individual target objective severity was associated with patients' ratings of overall life satisfaction, rated an average of 9 months following termination, after controlling for change in general symptom severity. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Need for hyperlipidemia management policy reform in China: learning from the global experience.

PubMed

Yu, Wei; Shi, Ruizhi; Li, Jim; Lan, Yong; Li, Qian; Hu, Shanlian

2018-02-01

To evaluate the hyperlipidemia prevention programs and policies in different countries and highlight the need of reforming the hyperlipidemia prevention policies in China to lower the growing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane were searched for global hyperlipidemia prevention policies. Government-funded policies pertaining to lipid management were considered for this review. Only those studies that evaluated the success of prevention policies on the basis of: (i) achievement of hyperlipidemia targets; (ii) improvement in Cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction; and (iii) outcomes with reduction in hyperlipidemia after implementation of the policy, were included. Several global policies and programs aimed to improve CV health by highlighting lipid profile management. Implementation of the global and national policies led to improvement in cholesterol related outcomes such as availability of diagnostic measures, awareness of the risk factors, decrease in cholesterol levels, achieving healthy lifestyle to prevent CVD and improvement in availability of hypolipidemic medications, etc. Statins have been covered under reimbursement policies in many countries to improve usage and thereby preventing incidence of stroke and CVD. We observed a need for introducing new programs in China as the ongoing hyperlipidemia management policies are inadequate. The World Bank Report 2016 recommended that prevention policies in China be modeled on the US Million Hearts program. New hyperlipidemia prevention policies must set a time-bound target, and need to be patient and clinician centric in terms of applications, and revised periodically for long-term benefits.

Long-term cost-effectiveness of disease management in systolic heart failure.

PubMed

Miller, George; Randolph, Stephen; Forkner, Emma; Smith, Brad; Galbreath, Autumn Dawn

2009-01-01

Although congestive heart failure (CHF) is a primary target for disease management programs, previous studies have generated mixed results regarding the effectiveness and cost savings of disease management when applied to CHF. We estimated the long-term impact of systolic heart failure disease management from the results of an 18-month clinical trial. We used data generated from the trial (starting population distributions, resource utilization, mortality rates, and transition probabilities) in a Markov model to project results of continuing the disease management program for the patients' lifetimes. Outputs included distribution of illness severity, mortality, resource consumption, and the cost of resources consumed. Both cost and effectiveness were discounted at a rate of 3% per year. Cost-effectiveness was computed as cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Model results were validated against trial data and indicated that, over their lifetimes, patients experienced a lifespan extension of 51 days. Combined discounted lifetime program and medical costs were $4850 higher in the disease management group than the control group, but the program had a favorable long-term discounted cost-effectiveness of $43,650/QALY. These results are robust to assumptions regarding mortality rates, the impact of aging on the cost of care, the discount rate, utility values, and the targeted population. Estimation of the clinical benefits and financial burden of disease management can be enhanced by model-based analyses to project costs and effectiveness. Our results suggest that disease management of heart failure patients can be cost-effective over the long term.

Research on an optoelectronic measurement system of dynamic envelope measurement for China Railway high-speed train

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ziyue; Gan, Xiaochuan; Zou, Zhi; Ma, Liqun

2018-01-01

The dynamic envelope measurement plays very important role in the external dimension design for high-speed train. Recently there is no digital measurement system to solve this problem. This paper develops an optoelectronic measurement system by using monocular digital camera, and presents the research of measurement theory, visual target design, calibration algorithm design, software programming and so on. This system consists of several CMOS digital cameras, several luminous targets for measuring, a scale bar, data processing software and a terminal computer. The system has such advantages as large measurement scale, high degree of automation, strong anti-interference ability, noise rejection and real-time measurement. In this paper, we resolve the key technology such as the transformation, storage and calculation of multiple cameras' high resolution digital image. The experimental data show that the repeatability of the system is within 0.02mm and the distance error of the system is within 0.12mm in the whole workspace. This experiment has verified the rationality of the system scheme, the correctness, the precision and effectiveness of the relevant methods.

Integrated Phase Array Antenna/Solar Cell System for Flexible Access Communication (IA/SAC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, E. B.; Lee, R. Q.; Pal, A. T.; Wilt, D. M.; McElroy, B. D.; Mueller, C. H.

2005-01-01

This paper describes recent efforts to integrate advanced solar cells with printed planar antennas. Several previous attempts have been reported in the literature, but this effort is unique in several ways. It uses Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) multi-junction solar cell technology. The solar cells and antennas will be integrated onto a common GaAs substrate. When fully implemented, IA/SAC will be capable of dynamic beam steering. In addition, this program targets the X-band (8 - 12 GHz) and higher frequencies, as compared to the 2.2 - 2.9 GHz arrays targeted by other organizations. These higher operating frequencies enable a greater bandwidth and thus higher data transfer rates. The first phase of the effort involves the development of 2 x 2 cm GaAs Monolithically Integrated Modules (MIM) with integrated patch antennas on the opposite side of the substrate. Subsequent work will involve the design and development of devices having the GaAs MIMs and the antennas on the same side of the substrate. Results from the phase one efforts will be presented.

Target selection and comparison of mission design for space debris removal by DLR's advanced study group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Pas, Niels; Lousada, Joao; Terhes, Claudia; Bernabeu, Marc; Bauer, Waldemar

2014-09-01

Space debris is a growing problem. Models show that the Kessler syndrome, the exponential growth of debris due to collisions, has become unavoidable unless an active debris removal program is initiated. The debris population in LEO with inclination between 60° and 95° is considered as the most critical zone. In order to stabilize the debris population in orbit, especially in LEO, 5 to 10 objects will need to be removed every year. The unique circumstances of such a mission could require that several objects are removed with a single launch. This will require a mission to rendezvous with a multitude of objects orbiting on different altitudes, inclinations and planes. Removal models have assumed that the top priority targets will be removed first. However this will lead to a suboptimal mission design and increase the ΔV-budget. Since there is a multitude of targets to choose from, the targets can be selected for an optimal mission design. In order to select a group of targets for a removal mission the orbital parameters and political constraints should also be taken into account. Within this paper a number of the target selection criteria are presented. The possible mission targets and their order of retrieval is dependent on the mission architecture. A comparison between several global mission architectures is given. Under consideration are 3 global missions of which a number of parameters are varied. The first mission launches multiple separate deorbit kits. The second launches a mother craft with deorbit kits. The third launches an orbital tug which pulls the debris in a lower orbit, after which a deorbit kit performs the final deorbit burn. A RoM mass and cost comparison is presented. The research described in this paper has been conducted as part of an active debris removal study by the Advanced Study Group (ASG). The ASG is an interdisciplinary student group working at the DLR, analyzing existing technologies and developing new ideas into preliminary concepts.

A novel approach based on preference-based index for interval bilevel linear programming problem.

PubMed

Ren, Aihong; Wang, Yuping; Xue, Xingsi

2017-01-01

This paper proposes a new methodology for solving the interval bilevel linear programming problem in which all coefficients of both objective functions and constraints are considered as interval numbers. In order to keep as much uncertainty of the original constraint region as possible, the original problem is first converted into an interval bilevel programming problem with interval coefficients in both objective functions only through normal variation of interval number and chance-constrained programming. With the consideration of different preferences of different decision makers, the concept of the preference level that the interval objective function is preferred to a target interval is defined based on the preference-based index. Then a preference-based deterministic bilevel programming problem is constructed in terms of the preference level and the order relation [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, the concept of a preference δ -optimal solution is given. Subsequently, the constructed deterministic nonlinear bilevel problem is solved with the help of estimation of distribution algorithm. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Impact of Implementation of Direct Cash Transfer Program 2008/2009 on Household Consumption in Central Java Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subanti, S.; Hakim, A. R.; Hakim, I. M.

2017-04-01

This study aims to see the impact of direct cash transfer program for 2008/2009 on household consumption of food, nonfood, education, and health in Central Java Province. The study is expected to provide important findings for the improvement of a similar program in the future. This study findings that (1) the increasing in food and non-food consumption for direct cash transfer recipients than non direct cash transfer recipients; (2) the impact of households expenditure on education for direct cash transfer recipients is higher than non direct cash transfer recipients; (3) the impact of households expenditure on health for direct cash transfer recipients is lower than non direct cash transfer recipients. This study recommended that (1) implementation of direct cash transfer program 2008/2009 must be managed to be better because this program can defend household welfare. It shows from several indicators of well-being such as consumption spending, education, and health; (2) data targets for poor households (very poor, poor, nearly poor) must be updated.

3D flexible alignment using 2D maximum common substructure: dependence of prediction accuracy on target-reference chemical similarity.

PubMed

Kawabata, Takeshi; Nakamura, Haruki

2014-07-28

A protein-bound conformation of a target molecule can be predicted by aligning the target molecule on the reference molecule obtained from the 3D structure of the compound-protein complex. This strategy is called "similarity-based docking". For this purpose, we develop the flexible alignment program fkcombu, which aligns the target molecule based on atomic correspondences with the reference molecule. The correspondences are obtained by the maximum common substructure (MCS) of 2D chemical structures, using our program kcombu. The prediction performance was evaluated using many target-reference pairs of superimposed ligand 3D structures on the same protein in the PDB, with different ranges of chemical similarity. The details of atomic correspondence largely affected the prediction success. We found that topologically constrained disconnected MCS (TD-MCS) with the simple element-based atomic classification provides the best prediction. The crashing potential energy with the receptor protein improved the performance. We also found that the RMSD between the predicted and correct target conformations significantly correlates with the chemical similarities between target-reference molecules. Generally speaking, if the reference and target compounds have more than 70% chemical similarity, then the average RMSD of 3D conformations is <2.0 Å. We compared the performance with a rigid-body molecular alignment program based on volume-overlap scores (ShaEP). Our MCS-based flexible alignment program performed better than the rigid-body alignment program, especially when the target and reference molecules were sufficiently similar.

2016 Targeted AirShed Grant Program - Closed Announcement FY 2016

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Targeted Air Shed Grant Program proposal for FY 2016. The overall goal of the program is to reduce air pollution in the Nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

2015 Targeted AirShed Grant Program Grant - Closed Announcement FY 2015

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Targeted Air Shed Grant Program proposal for FY 2015. The overall goal of the program is to reduce air pollution in the Nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations.

Recent advances in deep brain stimulation in psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Clair, Anne-Hélène; Haynes, William; Mallet, Luc

2018-01-01

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been offered to patients suffering of severe and resistant neuropsychiatric disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (TS) and Major Depression (MDD). Modulation of several targets within the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits can lead to a decrease of symptom severity in those patients. This review focuses on the recent clinical outcomes in DBS in psychiatric disorders. Studies on OCD and TS are now focusing on the long-term effects of DBS, with encouraging results regarding not only the decrease of symptoms, but also quality of life. They also highlighted efficient adjuvant techniques, like cognitive and behavioural therapy and support programs, to enhance an often-partial response to DBS. The application of DBS for MDD is more recent and, despite encouraging initial open-label studies, two large randomised studies have failed to demonstrate an efficacy of DBS in MDD according to evidence-based medicine criteria. Last years, DBS was also tested in other resistant psychiatric disorders, as anorexia nervosa and addiction, with encouraging preliminary results. However, today, no target - whatever the disease - can meet the criteria for clinical efficacy as recently defined by an international committee for neurosurgery for psychiatric disorders. Consequently, DBS in psychiatric disorders still needs to proceed within the frame of clinical trials.

Role of Nicotinic and Muscarinic Receptors on Synaptic Plasticity and Neurological Diseases.

PubMed

Fuenzalida, Marco; Pérez, Miguel Ángel; Arias, Hugo R

2016-01-01

The cholinergic activity in the brain is fundamental for cognitive functions. The modulatory activity of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) is mediated by activating a variety of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChR). Accumulating evidence indicates that both nAChR and mAChRs can modulate the release of several other neurotransmitters, modify the threshold of long-term plasticity, finally improving learning and memory processes. Importantly, the expression, distribution, and/or function of these systems are altered in several neurological diseases. The aim of this review is to discuss our current knowledge on cholinergic receptors and their regulating synaptic functions and neuronal network activities as well as their use as targets for the development of new and clinically useful cholinergic ligands. These new therapies involve the development of novel and more selective cholinergic agonists and allosteric modulators as well as selective cholinesterase inhibitors, which may improve cognitive and behavioral symptoms, and also provide neuroprotection in several brain diseases. The review will focus on two nAChR receptor subtypes found in the mammalian brain and the most commonly targeted in drug discovery programs for neuropsychiatric disorder, the ligands of α4β2 nAChR and α7 nAChRs.

Advanced Video Guidance Sensor and next-generation autonomous docking sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granade, Stephen R.

2004-09-01

In recent decades, NASA's interest in spacecraft rendezvous and proximity operations has grown. Additional instrumentation is needed to improve manned docking operations' safety, as well as to enable telerobotic operation of spacecraft or completely autonomous rendezvous and docking. To address this need, Advanced Optical Systems, Inc., Orbital Sciences Corporation, and Marshall Space Flight Center have developed the Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS) under the auspices of the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) program. Given a cooperative target comprising several retro-reflectors, AVGS provides six-degree-of-freedom information at ranges of up to 300 meters for the DART target. It does so by imaging the target, then performing pattern recognition on the resulting image. Longer range operation is possible through different target geometries. Now that AVGS is being readied for its test flight in 2004, the question is: what next? Modifications can be made to AVGS, including different pattern recognition algorithms and changes to the retro-reflector targets, to make it more robust and accurate. AVGS could be coupled with other space-qualified sensors, such as a laser range-and-bearing finder, that would operate at longer ranges. Different target configurations, including the use of active targets, could result in significant miniaturization over the current AVGS package. We will discuss these and other possibilities for a next-generation docking sensor or sensor suite that involve AVGS.

Advanced Video Guidance Sensor and Next Generation Autonomous Docking Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Granade, Stephen R.

2004-01-01

In recent decades, NASA's interest in spacecraft rendezvous and proximity operations has grown. Additional instrumentation is needed to improve manned docking operations' safety, as well as to enable telerobotic operation of spacecraft or completely autonomous rendezvous and docking. To address this need, Advanced Optical Systems, Inc., Orbital Sciences Corporation, and Marshall Space Flight Center have developed the Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS) under the auspices of the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) program. Given a cooperative target comprising several retro-reflectors, AVGS provides six-degree-of-freedom information at ranges of up to 300 meters for the DART target. It does so by imaging the target, then performing pattern recognition on the resulting image. Longer range operation is possible through different target geometries. Now that AVGS is being readied for its test flight in 2004, the question is: what next? Modifications can be made to AVGS, including different pattern recognition algorithms and changes to the retro-reflector targets, to make it more robust and accurate. AVGS could be coupled with other space-qualified sensors, such as a laser range-and-bearing finder, that would operate at longer ranges. Different target configurations, including the use of active targets, could result in significant miniaturization over the current AVGS package. We will discuss these and other possibilities for a next-generation docking sensor or sensor suite that involve AVGS.

LEO cooperative multi-spacecraft refueling mission optimization considering J2 perturbation and target's surplus propellant constraint

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhao; Zhang, Jin; Li, Hai-yang; Zhou, Jian-yong

2017-01-01

The optimization of an LEO cooperative multi-spacecraft refueling mission considering the J2 perturbation and target's surplus propellant constraint is studied in the paper. First, a mission scenario is introduced. One service spacecraft and several target spacecraft run on an LEO near-circular orbit, the service spacecraft rendezvouses with some service positions one by one, and target spacecraft transfer to corresponding service positions respectively. Each target spacecraft returns to its original position after obtaining required propellant and the service spacecraft returns to its original position after refueling all target spacecraft. Next, an optimization model of this mission is built. The service sequence, orbital transfer time, and service position are used as deign variables, whereas the propellant cost is used as the design objective. The J2 perturbation, time constraint and the target spacecraft's surplus propellant capability constraint are taken into account. Then, a hybrid two-level optimization approach is presented to solve the formulated mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem. A hybrid-encoding genetic algorithm is adopted to seek the near optimal solution in the up-level optimization, while a linear relative dynamic equation considering the J2 perturbation is used to obtain the impulses of orbital transfer in the low-level optimization. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model and method is validated by numerical examples.

Manpower Targets and Educational Investments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritzen, Jo M.

1976-01-01

Discusses the use of quadratic programming to calculate the optimal distribution of educational investments required to closely approach manpower targets when financial resources are insufficient to meet manpower targets completely. Demonstrates use of the quadratic programming approach by applying it to the training of supervisory technicians in…

Enhancing vaccine safety capacity globally: a lifecycle perspective

PubMed Central

Chen, Robert T.; Shimabukuro, Tom T.; Martin, David B.; Zuber, Patrick L.F.; Weibel, Daniel M.; Sturkenboom, Miriam

2015-01-01

Major vaccine safety controversies have arisen in several countries beginning in the last decades of 20th Century. Such periodic vaccine safety controversies are unlikely to go away in the near future as more national immunization programs mature with near elimination of target vaccine-preventable diseases that result in relative greater prominence of adverse events following immunizations, both true reactions and temporally coincidental events. There are several ways in which vaccine safety capacity can be improved in the future to potentially mitigate the impact of future vaccine safety controversies. This paper aims to take a “lifecycle” approach, examining some potential pre- and post-licensure opportunities to improve vaccine safety, in both developed (specifically U.S. and Europe) and low- and middle- income countries. PMID:26433922

Atlas IIAS ascent trajectory design for the SOHO mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willen, Robert E.; Rude, Bradley J.

1993-01-01

In 1995, an Atlas IIAS launch vehicle will loft the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) as part of the International Solar and Terrestrial Physics program. The operational phase of the SOHO mission will be conducted from a `halo orbit' about the Sun-Earth interior libration point. Depending on the time of the year of launch, the optimal transfer requires a parking orbit of variable duration to satisfy widely varying inertial targets. A simulation capability has been developed that optimizes the launch vehicle ascent and spacecraft transfer phases of flight together, subject to both launch vehicle and spacecraft constraints. It will be shown that this `ground-up' simulation removes the need for an intermediate target vector at Centaur upper stage/spacecraft separation. Although providing only a modest gain in deliverable satellite mass, this capability substantially improves the mission integration process by removing the strict reliance on near-Earth target vectors. Trajectory data from several cases are presented and future applications of this capability are also discussed.

Jump start: a targeted substance abuse prevention program.

PubMed

Harrington, N G; Donohew, L

1997-10-01

A substance abuse prevention and life skills program for economically disadvantaged, high sensation seeking African American teens was developed and tested in Cincinnati, Ohio. Formative research was conducted to determine program content and format. Over two implementations, 289 individuals in the target population were recruited as participants for the field test of the program. For the first implementation, participants were randomly selected from the city's summer youth employment program. For the second, a media campaign was designed to recruit participants. Process evaluation indicated that participants evaluated the program extremely positively. Outcome evaluation indicated that significant pretest differences between high and low sensation seekers were neutralized for liquor and marijuana in both years of the program and for attitude toward drugs in the first year of the program. These results suggest that sensation seeking is a useful message design and audience-targeting variable for substance abuse prevention program design. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Nonhomogeneous results in place learning among panic disorder patients with agoraphobia.

PubMed

Gorini, Alessandra; Schruers, Koen; Riva, Giuseppe; Griez, Eric

2010-10-30

Patients affected by panic disorder with agoraphobia (PDA) often suffer from visuo-spatial disturbances. In the present study, we tested the place-learning abilities in a sample of 31 PDA patients compared to 31 healthy controls (CTR) using the computer-generated arena (C-G Arena), a desktop-based computer program developed at the University of Arizona (Jacobs et al 1997, for further detail about the program, see http://web.arizona.edu/~arg/data.html). Subjects were asked to search the computer-generated space, over several trials, for the location of a hidden target. Results showed that control subjects rapidly learned to locate the invisible target and consistently returned to it, while PDA patients were divided in two subgroups: some of them (PDA-A) were as good as controls in place learning, while some others (PDA-B) were unable to learn the correct strategies to find the target. Further analyses revealed that PDA-A patients were significantly younger and affected by panic disorder from less time than PDA-B, indicating that age and duration of illness can be critical factors that influence the place-learning abilities. The existence of two different subgroups of PDA patients who differ in their spatial orientation abilities could provide new insight into the mechanisms of panic and open new perspectives in the cognitive-behavioral treatment of this diffuse and disabling disorder. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outcomes of an International Workshop on Preconception Expanded Carrier Screening: Some Considerations for Governments.

PubMed

Molster, Caron M; Lister, Karla; Metternick-Jones, Selina; Baynam, Gareth; Clarke, Angus John; Straub, Volker; Dawkins, Hugh J S; Laing, Nigel

2017-01-01

Consideration of expanded carrier screening has become an emerging issue for governments. However, traditional criteria for decision-making regarding screening programs do not incorporate all the issues relevant to expanded carrier screening. Further, there is a lack of consistent guidance in the literature regarding the development of appropriate criteria for government assessment of expanded carrier screening. Given this, a workshop was held to identify key public policy issues related to preconception expanded carrier screening, which governments should consider when deciding whether to publicly fund such programs. In June 2015, a satellite workshop was held at the European Society of Human Genetics Conference. It was structured around two design features: (1) the provision of information from a range of perspectives and (2) small group deliberations on the key issues that governments need to consider and the benefits, risks, and challenges of implementing publicly funded whole-population preconception carrier screening. Forty-one international experts attended the workshop. The deliberations centered primarily on the conditions to be tested and the elements of the screening program itself. Participants expected only severe conditions to be screened but were concerned about the lack of a consensus definition of "severe." Issues raised regarding the screening program included the purpose, benefits, harms, target population, program acceptability, components of a program, and economic evaluation. Participants also made arguments for consideration of the accuracy of screening tests. A wide range of issues require careful consideration by governments that want to assess expanded carrier screening. Traditional criteria for government decision-making regarding screening programs are not a "best fit" for expanded carrier screening and new models of decision-making with appropriate criteria are required. There is a need to define what a "severe" condition is, to build evidence regarding the reliability and accuracy of screening tests, to consider the equitable availability and downstream effects on and costs of follow-up interventions for those identified as carriers, and to explore the ways in which the components of a screening program would be impacted by unique features of expanded carrier screening.

Preschool-Based Programs for Externalizing Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, David H.; Brown, Sharice A.; Meagher, Susan; Baker, Courtney N.; Dobbs, Jennifer; Doctoroff, Greta L.

2006-01-01

Few mental health initiatives for young children have used classroom programs. Preschool-based efforts targeting externalizing behavior could help prevent conduct disorders. Additional benefits may include improved academic achievement and reduced risk for other mental health difficulties. Pro-grams that target multiple developmental domains are…

Baptist Hospital East conducts successful target marketing.

PubMed

Rees, Tom

2003-01-01

A targeted marketing program at Baptist Hospital East, Louisville, Ky., has worked successfully to strengthen the hospital's relationships with the employers and employees in the hospital's marketing area. Also, the program strengthens Baptist East's BaptistWorx occupational medicine program and complements the hospital's traditional advertising.

Exercise program adherence using a 5-kilometer (5K) event as an achievable goal in people with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Warren, Kimberly R; Ball, M Patricia; Feldman, Stephanie; Liu, Fang; McMahon, Robert P; Kelly, Deanna L

2011-10-01

People with schizophrenia have a higher prevalence of obesity than the general population. Many people with this illness struggle with weight gain, due, in part, to medications and other factors that act as obstacles to exercise and healthy eating. Several studies have shown the benefits of behavioral weight loss programs targeting eating and/or exercise in people with schizophrenia. Fewer studies have used competitive events as a goal for an exercise program. The current study tested the feasibility of preparing, using an exercise program, for a 5-kilometer (5K) event in people with schizophrenia. The exercise program was a 10-week training program consisting of three supervised walking/jogging sessions per week and a weekly educational meeting on healthy behaviors. Almost 65% (11/17) of the subjects participated in all of the training sessions, and 82% (14/17) participated in the 5K event. Participants did not gain a significant amount of weight during the exercise program (median weight change = 0.7 kg; 25th percentile 0.5, 75th percentile 3.9, p = .10). This study suggests that using an achievable goal, such as a 5K event, promotes adherence to an exercise program and is feasible in a population of people with chronic schizophrenia.

Did we get our money's worth? Bridging economic and behavioral measures of program success in adolescent drug prevention.

PubMed

Griffith, Kevin N; Scheier, Lawrence M

2013-11-08

The recent U.S. Congressional mandate for creating drug-free learning environments in elementary and secondary schools stipulates that education reform rely on accountability, parental and community involvement, local decision making, and use of evidence-based drug prevention programs. By necessity, this charge has been paralleled by increased interest in demonstrating that drug prevention programs net tangible benefits to society. One pressing concern is precisely how to integrate traditional scientific methods of program evaluation with economic measures of "cost efficiency". The languages and methods of each respective discipline don't necessarily converge on how to establish the true benefits of drug prevention. This article serves as a primer for conducting economic analyses of school-based drug prevention programs. The article provides the reader with a foundation in the relevant principles, methodologies, and benefits related to conducting economic analysis. Discussion revolves around how economists value the potential costs and benefits, both financial and personal, from implementing school-based drug prevention programs targeting youth. Application of heterogeneous costing methods coupled with widely divergent program evaluation findings influences the feasibility of these techniques and may hinder utilization of these practices. Determination of cost-efficiency should undoubtedly become one of several markers of program success and contribute to the ongoing debate over health policy.

Schools, Families, and the Prevention of Child Maltreatment: Lessons That Can Be Learned From a Literature Review.

PubMed

Admon Livny, Karen; Katz, Carmit

2018-04-01

Child maltreatment is a worldwide social problem that receives considerable attention. However, prevention efforts remain rare, allowing the phenomenon to continue and spread. The aim of the current article is to systematically review evidence-based prevention efforts that address schools and families as key stakeholders for preventing child maltreatment. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a thorough literature review revealed that only five programs matched the inclusion criteria for the current article. These programs were analyzed for several domains, including level of prevention, target population, participants, and the programs' outcomes. The current review highlights the urgent needs to develop, modify, and further evaluate prevention programs for child maltreatment in the context of the ecological model. More specifically, it illuminates the need to create and champion programs that enhance the collaboration between families and schools, both of which are key stakeholders within the phenomenon of child maltreatment. Collaboration between policymakers, researchers, and practitioners should guide future efforts by promoting cultural adaptation to such programs and by integrating children's perceptions to improve these efforts and to benefit everyone involved.

Developing, implementing, and evaluating a condom promotion program targeting sexually active adolescents.

PubMed

Alstead, M; Campsmith, M; Halley, C S; Hartfield, K; Goldbaum, G; Wood, R W

1999-12-01

This article describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Condom Campaign, a 1995 HIV prevention program promoting condom use among sexually active adolescents in three King County, Washington, urban communities. This program employed three main strategies: (a) mobilizing all levels of the target communities to support and guide program development and implementation; (b) creating and implementing a mass media campaign targeting sexually active teenagers that promoted correct condom use and favorable attitudes toward condoms; and (c) recruiting public agencies, community organizations, and businesses to distribute condoms from bins and vending machines. We evaluated the program through a series of cross-sectional interviews conducted in the three communities chosen for their elevated levels of adolescent sexual risk behavior. Overall, 73% of target youth reported exposure to the Condom Campaign; exposure did not differ by age, gender, race, or level of sexual experience. Levels of sexual activity remained stable throughout the media campaign.

Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder complicated by comorbid eating disorders.

PubMed

Simpson, H Blair; Wetterneck, Chad T; Cahill, Shawn P; Steinglass, Joanna E; Franklin, Martin E; Leonard, Rachel C; Weltzin, Theodore E; Riemann, Bradley C

2013-01-01

Eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) commonly co-occur, but there is little data for how to treat these complex cases. To address this gap, we examined the naturalistic outcome of 56 patients with both disorders, who received a multimodal treatment program designed to address both problems simultaneously. A residential treatment program developed a cognitive-behavioral approach for patients with both OCD and an eating disorder by integrating exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment for OCD with ERP strategies targeting eating pathology. Patients also received a supervised eating plan, medication management, and social support. At admission and discharge, patients completed validated measures of OCD severity (the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale--Self Report [Y-BOCS-SR]), eating disorder severity (the Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire), and depressive severity (the Beck Depression Inventory II [BDI-II]). Body mass index (BMI) was also measured. Paired-sample t-tests examined change on these measures. Between 2006 and 2011, 56 individuals completed all study measures at admission and discharge. Mean length of stay was 57 days (SD = 27). Most (89%) were on psychiatric medications. Significant decreases were observed in OCD severity, eating disorder severity, and depression. Those with bulimia nervosa showed more improvement than those with anorexia nervosa. BMI significantly increased, primarily among those underweight at admission. Simultaneous treatment of OCD and eating disorders using a multimodal approach that emphasizes ERP techniques for both OCD and eating disorders can be an effective treatment strategy for these complex cases.

Rendezvous terminal phase automatic braking sequencing and targeting. [for space shuttle orbiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kachmar, P. M.

1973-01-01

The purpose of the rendezvous terminal phase braking program is to provide the means of automatically bringing the primary orbiter within desired station keeping boundaries relative to the target satellite. A detailed discussion is presented on the braking program and its navigation, targeting, and guidance functions.

The double polarization program of CBELSA/TAPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiel, Annika

2014-06-01

The excitation spectrum of the proton consists of resonances with substancial width which are often strongly overlapping and are therefore difficult to disentangle. To determine the exact contributions and identify these resonances, a partial wave analysis solution has to be found. For a complete experiment, which leads to an unambiguous solution, several single and double polarization observables are needed. With the Crystal Barrel/TAPS experiment at ELSA, the measurement of double polarization observables in different reactions is possible by using a circularly or linearly polarized photon beam on a transversely or longitudinally polarized butanol target.

Nearby Type Ia Supernova Follow-up at the Thacher Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swift, Jonathan; O'Neill, Katie; Kilpatrick, Charles; Foley, Ryan

2018-06-01

Type Ia supernovae (SN Ia) provide an effective way to study the expansion of the universe through analyses of their photometry and spectroscopy. The interpretation of high-redshift SN Ia is dependent on accurate characterization of nearby, low-redshift targets. To help build up samples of nearby SN Ia, the Thacher Observatory has begun a photometric follow-up program in 4 photometric bands. Here we present the observations and analysis of multi-band photometry for several recent supernovae as well as FLOYDS spectra from the Las Cumbres Observatory.

Scientific Exploration of Near-Earth Objects via the Crew Exploration Vehicle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, P. A.; Korsmeyer, D. J.; Landis, R. R.; Lu, E.; Adamo, D.; Jones, T.; Lemke, L.; Gonzales, A.; Gershman, B.; Morrison, D.;

Demonstration of the Military Ecological Risk Assessment Framework (MERAF): Apache Longbow - Hellfire Missile Test at Yuma Proving Ground

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-11-01

that there were· no· target misses. The Hellfire missile does not have a depleted uranium head . . -,, 2.2.2.3 Tank movement During the test, the...guide otber users through the use of this. complicated program. The_input data files for NOISEMAP consist of a root file name with several extensions...SOURCES subdirectory. This file will have the root file name followed by an accession number, then the .bps extension. The user must check the *.log

Proceedings 16th Annual Meeting, Aquatic Plant Control Research Planning and Operations Review Held at St. Paul, Minnesota on 17-19 November 1981.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

of hydrilla treated statewide was 12,570. MINOR PLANTS The District’s Minor Plant Program is directed to those plant species, introduced and native...use of several different EPA-registered herbicides selected for their activity against the target species. Total acreage of minor plants treated...Hence, the releases at Lake Alice probably played a minor role as a source of insects for the colonization of other sites. This was probably due to the

Adolescent values for immunisation programs in Australia: A discrete choice experiment.

PubMed

Wang, Bing; Chen, Gang; Ratcliffe, Julie; Afzali, Hossein Haji Ali; Giles, Lynne; Marshall, Helen

2017-01-01

The importance of adolescent engagement in health decisions and public health programs such as immunisation is becoming increasingly recognised. Understanding adolescent preferences and further identifying barriers and facilitators for immunisation acceptance is critical to the success of adolescent immunisation programs. This study applied a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to assess vaccination preferences in adolescents. This study was conducted as a cross-sectional, national online survey in Australian adolescents. The DCE survey evaluated adolescent vaccination preferences. Six attributes were assessed including disease severity, target for protection, price, location of vaccination provision, potential side effects and vaccine delivery method. A mixed logit model was used to analyse DCE data. This survey was conducted between December 2014 and January 2015. Of 800 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, stronger preferences were observed overall for: vaccination in the case of a life threatening illness (p<0.001), lower price vaccinations (p<0.001), mild but common side effects (p = 0.004), delivery via a skin patch (p<0.001) and being administered by a family practitioner (p<0.001). Participants suggested that they and their families would be willing to pay AU$394.28 (95%CI: AU$348.40 to AU$446.92) more for a vaccine targeting a life threatening illness than a mild-moderate illness, AU$37.94 (95%CI: AU$19.22 to AU$57.39) more for being vaccinated at a family practitioner clinic than a council immunisation clinic, AU$23.01 (95%CI: AU$7.12 to AU$39.24) more for common but mild and resolving side effects compared to rare but serious side effects, and AU$51.80 (95%CI: AU$30.42 to AU$73.70) more for delivery via a skin patch than injection. Consideration of adolescent preferences may result in improved acceptance of, engagement in and uptake of immunisation programs targeted for this age group.

Development of raphe serotonin neurons from specification to guidance.

PubMed

Kiyasova, Vera; Gaspar, Patricia

2011-11-01

The main features of the development of the serotonin (5-HT) raphe neurons have been known for many years but more recent molecular studies, using mouse genetics, have since unveiled several intriguing aspects of the specification of the raphe serotonergic system. These studies indicated that, although all 5-HT neurons in the raphe follow the same general program for their specification, there are also clear regional differences in the way that these neurons are specified and are guided towards different brain targets. Here we overview recent progress made in the understanding of the developmental programming of serotonergic neurons in the mouse raphe, emphasizing data showing how heterogeneous subsets of 5-HT neurons may be generated. Serotonergic progenitors are produced in the brainstem in different rhombomeres under the influence of a set of secreted factors, sonic hedgehog and fibroblast growth factors, which determine their position in the neural tube. Two main transcriptional gene networks are involved in the specification of 5-HT identity, with Lmx1b and Pet1 transcription factors as main players. A differential requirement for Pet1 was, however, revealed, which underlies an anatomical and functional diversity. Transcriptional programs controlling 5-HT identity could also impact axon guidance mechanisms directing 5-HT neurons to their targets. Although no direct links have yet been established, a large set of molecular determinants have already been shown to be involved in the growth, axon guidance and targeting of 5-HT raphe neurons, particularly within the forebrain. Alterations in the molecular mechanisms involved in 5-HT development are likely to have significant roles in mood disease predisposition. © 2011 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2011 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Wellness at work. Boost wellness center participation with target marketing strategies.

PubMed

DeMoranville, C W; Schoenbachler, D D; Przytulski, J

1998-01-01

By using target marketing strategies, corporate wellness programs can increase employee participation rates and tailor activities to meet employee needs. The authors examined this issue through a research survey that segmented a university's staff and employee population into three wellness program groups: High Participators, Moderate Participators, and Low Participators. Participators' views on the following issues were analyzed: health management programs, exercise programs, wellness center use inhibitors, wellness center use incentives, wellness center communications, and willingness to pay for the wellness center. The results identified unique lifestyle characteristics for each group that can help make target marketing strategies effective.

Targetting and guidance program documentation. [a user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harrold, E. F.; Neyhard, J. F.

1974-01-01

A FORTRAN computer program was developed which automatically targets two and three burn rendezvous missions and performs feedback guidance using the GUIDE algorithm. The program was designed to accept a large class of orbit specifications and to automatically choose a two or three burn mission depending upon the time alignment of the vehicle and target. The orbits may be specified as any combination of circular and elliptical orbits and may be coplanar or inclined, but must be aligned coaxially with their perigees in the same direction. The program accomplishes the required targeting by repeatedly converging successively more complex missions. It solves the coplanar impulsive version of the mission, then the finite burn coplanar mission, and finally, the full plane change mission. The GUIDE algorithm is exercised in a feedback guidance mode by taking the targeted solution and moving the vehicle state step by step ahead in time, adding acceleration and navigational errors, and reconverging from the perturbed states at fixed guidance update intervals. A program overview is presented, along with a user's guide which details input, output, and the various subroutines.

A Preliminary Controlled Comparison of Programs Designed to Reduce Risk of Eating Disorders Targeting Perfectionism and Media Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilksch, Simon M.; Durbridge, Mitchell R.; Wade, Tracey D.

2008-01-01

The study aims to find out whether programs targeting perfectionism and media literacy are more effective than control classes in reducing eating disorder risk factors. Finding reveals that perfectionism programs are well suited to individuals of mid- to late adolescent age and shows the importune of making prevention programs developmentally…

Alzheimer Disease: Pharmacologic and Nonpharmacologic Therapies for Cognitive and Functional Symptoms.

PubMed

Epperly, Ted; Dunay, Megan A; Boice, Jack L

2017-06-15

Alzheimer disease comprises a syndrome of progressive cognitive and functional decline. Treatments should target cognitive and functional symptoms. Cholinesterase inhibitors, memantine, and a combination of a cholinesterase inhibitor and memantine have produced statistically significant but clinically small delays in various domains of cognitive and functional decline in select patients with Alzheimer disease. Vitamin E has been shown to delay functional decline in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease, especially when taken in combination with a cholinesterase inhibitor. Structured programs of physical exercise improve physical function and reduce rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with mild to severe Alzheimer disease. Cognitive stimulation programs show benefit in maintenance of cognitive function and improved self-reported quality of life in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease.

Statins and Voriconazole Induce Programmed Cell Death in Acanthamoeba castellanii

PubMed Central

López-Arencibia, Atteneri; Sifaoui, Ines; Reyes-Batlle, María; Valladares, Basilio; Martínez-Carretero, Enrique; Piñero, José E.; Maciver, Sutherland K.; Lorenzo-Morales, Jacob

2015-01-01

Members of the genus Acanthamoeba are facultative pathogens of humans, causing a sight-threatening keratitis and a life-threatening encephalitis. In order to treat those infections properly, it is necessary to target the treatment not only to the trophozoite but also to the cyst. Furthermore, it may be advantageous to avoid parasite killing by necrosis, which may induce local inflammation. We must also avoid toxicity of host tissue. Many drugs which target eukaryotes are known to induce programmed cell death (PCD), but this process is poorly characterized in Acanthamoeba. Here, we study the processes of programmed cell death in Acanthamoeba, induced by several drugs, such as statins and voriconazole. We tested atorvastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin, and voriconazole at the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) and IC90s that we have previously established. In order to evaluate this phenomenon, we investigated the DNA fragmentation, one of the main characteristics of PCD, with quantitative and qualitative techniques. Also, the changes related to phosphatidylserine exposure on the external cell membrane and cell permeability were studied. Finally, because caspases are key to PCD pathways, caspase activity was evaluated in Acanthamoeba. All the drugs assayed in this study induced PCD in Acanthamoeba. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study where PCD induced by drugs is described quantitatively and qualitatively in Acanthamoeba. PMID:25733513

Concurrent micro-RNA mediated silencing of tick-borne flavivirus replication in tick vector and in the brain of vertebrate host.

PubMed

Tsetsarkin, Konstantin A; Liu, Guangping; Kenney, Heather; Hermance, Meghan; Thangamani, Saravanan; Pletnev, Alexander G

2016-09-13

Tick-borne viruses include medically important zoonotic pathogens that can cause life-threatening diseases. Unlike mosquito-borne viruses, whose impact can be restrained via mosquito population control programs, for tick-borne viruses only vaccination remains the reliable means of disease prevention. For live vaccine viruses a concern exists, that spillovers from viremic vaccinees could result in introduction of genetically modified viruses into sustainable tick-vertebrate host transmission cycle in nature. To restrict tick-borne flavivirus (Langat virus, LGTV) vector tropism, we inserted target sequences for tick-specific microRNAs (mir-1, mir-275 and mir-279) individually or in combination into several distant regions of LGTV genome. This caused selective attenuation of viral replication in tick-derived cells. LGTV expressing combinations of target sequences for tick- and vertebrate CNS-specific miRNAs were developed. The resulting viruses replicated efficiently and remained stable in simian Vero cells, which do not express these miRNAs, however were severely restricted to replicate in tick-derived cells. In addition, simultaneous dual miRNA targeting led to silencing of virus replication in live Ixodes ricinus ticks and abolished virus neurotropism in highly permissive newborn mice. The concurrent restriction of adverse replication events in vertebrate and invertebrate hosts will, therefore, ensure the environmental safety of live tick-borne virus vaccine candidates.

The importance of employing computational resources for the automation of drug discovery.

PubMed

Rosales-Hernández, Martha Cecilia; Correa-Basurto, José

2015-03-01

The application of computational tools to drug discovery helps researchers to design and evaluate new drugs swiftly with a reduce economic resources. To discover new potential drugs, computational chemistry incorporates automatization for obtaining biological data such as adsorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity (ADMET), as well as drug mechanisms of action. This editorial looks at examples of these computational tools, including docking, molecular dynamics simulation, virtual screening, quantum chemistry, quantitative structural activity relationship, principal component analysis and drug screening workflow systems. The authors then provide their perspectives on the importance of these techniques for drug discovery. Computational tools help researchers to design and discover new drugs for the treatment of several human diseases without side effects, thus allowing for the evaluation of millions of compounds with a reduced cost in both time and economic resources. The problem is that operating each program is difficult; one is required to use several programs and understand each of the properties being tested. In the future, it is possible that a single computer and software program will be capable of evaluating the complete properties (mechanisms of action and ADMET properties) of ligands. It is also possible that after submitting one target, this computer-software will be capable of suggesting potential compounds along with ways to synthesize them, and presenting biological models for testing.

Aerobic Exercise Training in Post-Polio Syndrome: Process Evaluation of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Voorn, Eric L; Koopman, Fieke S; Brehm, Merel A; Beelen, Anita; de Haan, Arnold; Gerrits, Karin H L; Nollet, Frans

2016-01-01

To explore reasons for the lack of efficacy of a high intensity aerobic exercise program in post-polio syndrome (PPS) on cardiorespiratory fitness by evaluating adherence to the training program and effects on muscle function. A process evaluation using data from an RCT. Forty-four severely fatigued individuals with PPS were randomized to exercise therapy (n = 22) or usual care (n = 22). Participants in the exercise group were instructed to exercise 3 times weekly for 4 months on a bicycle ergometer (60-70% heart rate reserve). The attendance rate was high (median 89%). None of the participants trained within the target heart rate range during >75% of the designated time. Instead, participants exercised at lower intensities, though still around the anaerobic threshold (AT) most of the time. Muscle function did not improve in the exercise group. Our results suggest that severely fatigued individuals with PPS cannot adhere to a high intensity aerobic exercise program on a cycle ergometer. Despite exercise intensities around the AT, lower extremity muscle function nor cardiorespiratory fitness improved. Improving the aerobic capacity in PPS is difficult through exercise primarily focusing on the lower extremities, and may require a more individualized approach, including the use of other large muscle groups instead. Netherlands National Trial Register NTR1371.

Communication strategies to optimize commitments and investments in iron programming.

PubMed

Griffiths, Marcia

2002-04-01

There is consensus that a communications component is crucial to the success of iron supplementation and fortification programs. However, in many instances, we have not applied what we know about successful advocacy and program communications to iron programs. Communication must play a larger and more central role in iron programs to overcome several common shortcomings and allow the use of new commitments and investments in iron programming to optimum advantage. One shortcoming is that iron program communication has been driven primarily by the supply side of the supply-demand continuum. That is, technical information has been given without thought for what people want to know or do. To overcome this, the communication component, which should be responsive to the consumer perspective, must be considered at program inception, not enlisted late in the program cycle as a remedy when interventions fail to reach their targets. Another shortcoming is the lack of program focus on behavior. Because the "technology" of iron, a supplement, or fortified or specific local food must be combined with appropriate consumer behavior, it is not enough to promote the technology. The appropriate use of technology must be ensured, and this requires precise and strategically crafted communications. A small number of projects from countries as diverse as Indonesia, Egypt, Nicaragua and Peru offer examples of successful communications efforts and strategies for adaptation by other countries.

Performance evaluation of the use of photovoltaics to power a street light in Lowell

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crowell, Adam B.

Commercial, off-grid photovoltaic (PV) lighting systems present an attractive alternative to traditional outdoor lighting at sites where grid power is unavailable or unreliable. This study presents a comprehensive theoretical site analysis for the installation of standalone PV lighting systems at the Lowell National Historic Park in Lowell, MA. Detailed insolation studies are performed at the target site, resulting in expected daily Watt-hour totals available for battery charging for each month of the year. Illumination simulations are presented, detailing the expected lighting performance of the systems at night. Light levels are compared to those dictated by accepted standards. While it is acknowledged that the target site presents significant challenges to photovoltaics, such as severe shading, final system component specifications are provided, along with programming and positioning recommendations that will yield the best achievable performance.

Path Planning Algorithms for Autonomous Border Patrol Vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, George Tin Lam

This thesis presents an online path planning algorithm developed for unmanned vehicles in charge of autonomous border patrol. In this Pursuit-Evasion game, the unmanned vehicle is required to capture multiple trespassers on its own before any of them reach a target safe house where they are safe from capture. The problem formulation is based on Isaacs' Target Guarding problem, but extended to the case of multiple evaders. The proposed path planning method is based on Rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) and is capable of producing trajectories within several seconds to capture 2 or 3 evaders. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate that the resulting trajectories approach the optimal solution produced by a nonlinear programming-based numerical optimal control solver. Experiments are also conducted on unmanned ground vehicles to show the feasibility of implementing the proposed online path planning algorithm on physical applications.

The effect of tailoring a model HIV prevention program for local adolescent target audiences.

PubMed

Kennedy, M G; Mizuno, Y; Hoffman, R; Baume, C; Strand, J

2000-06-01

In five U.S. sites (Nashville, Tennessee; Newark, New Jersey; northern Virginia; Phoenix, Arizona; and Sacramento, California), HIV risk-reduction workshops were mounted as a part of the Prevention Marketing Initiative (PMI). In four of the five sites, the workshop curriculum was a version of Be Proud! Be Responsible! (Jemmott, Jemmott, & McCaffree, 1996) that had been tailored to fit the needs of local target audiences. This article describes the evaluation of the PMI workshops. Protective effects on several behavioral determinants and behavioral outcome measures were observed 1 month after the workshops. Based on the overall pattern of results, it was concluded that the PMI workshops reduced the likelihood of unprotected sex among participants. The intervention developed by Jemmott and colleagues appears to have retained its effectiveness after it was tailored to meet perceived local needs.

Application of environmental sensitivity theories in personalized prevention for youth substance abuse: a transdisciplinary translational perspective.

PubMed

Thibodeau, Eric L; August, Gerald J; Cicchetti, Dante; Symons, Frank J

2016-03-01

Preventive interventions that target high-risk youth, via one-size-fits-all approaches, have demonstrated modest effects in reducing rates of substance use. Recently, substance use researchers have recommended personalized intervention strategies. Central to these approaches is matching preventatives to characteristics of an individual that have been shown to predict outcomes. One compelling body of literature on person × environment interactions is that of environmental sensitivity theories, including differential susceptibility theory and vantage sensitivity. Recent experimental evidence has demonstrated that environmental sensitivity (ES) factors moderate substance abuse outcomes. We propose that ES factors may augment current personalization strategies such as matching based on risk factors/severity of problem behaviors (risk severity (RS)). Specifically, individuals most sensitive to environmental influence may be those most responsive to intervention in general and thus need only a brief-type or lower-intensity program to show gains, while those least sensitive may require more comprehensive or intensive programming for optimal responsiveness. We provide an example from ongoing research to illustrate how ES factors can be incorporated into prevention trials aimed at high-risk adolescents.

Probing Needs Assessment Data in Depth to Target Programs More Effectively

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skelly, JoAnne; Hill, George; Singletary, Loretta

2014-01-01

Extension professionals often assess community needs to determine programs and target audiences. Data can be collected through surveys, focus group and individual interviews, meta-analysis, systematic observation, and other methods. Knowledge gaps are identified, and programs are designed to resolve the deficiencies. However, do Extension…

7 CFR 1486.103 - Are regional projects possible under the program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... consideration provided such projects target qualifying emerging markets in the specified region. CCC may consider activities which target qualified emerging markets in a specific region, but are conducted in a... MARKETS PROGRAM General Information § 1486.103 Are regional projects possible under the program? Projects...

Incorporating shared savings programs into primary care: from theory to practice.

PubMed

Hayen, Arthur P; van den Berg, Michael J; Meijboom, Bert R; Struijs, Jeroen N; Westert, Gert P

2015-12-30

In several countries, health care policies gear toward strengthening the position of primary care physicians. Primary care physicians are increasingly expected to take accountability for overall spending and quality. Yet traditional models of paying physicians do not provide adequate incentives for taking on this new role. Under a so-called shared savings program physicians are instead incentivized to take accountability for spending and quality, as the program lets them share in cost savings when quality targets are met. We provide a structured approach to designing a shared savings program for primary care, and apply this approach to the design of a shared savings program for a Dutch chain of primary care providers, which is currently being piloted. Based on the literature, we defined five building blocks of shared savings models that encompass the definition of the scope of the program, the calculation of health care expenditures, the construction of a savings benchmark, the assessment of savings and the rules and conditions under which savings are shared. We apply insights from a variety of literatures to assess the relative merits of alternative design choices within these building blocks. The shared savings program uses an econometric model of provider expenditures as an input to calculating a casemix-corrected benchmark. The minimization of risk and uncertainty for both payer and provider is pertinent to the design of a shared savings program. In that respect, the primary care setting provides a number of unique opportunities for achieving cost and quality targets. Accountability can more readily be assumed due to the relatively long-lasting relationships between primary care physicians and patients. A stable population furthermore improves the confidence with which savings can be attributed to changes in population management. Challenges arise from the institutional context. The Dutch health care system has a fragmented structure and providers are typically small in size. Shared savings programs fit the concept of enhanced primary care. Incorporating a shared savings program into existing payment models could therefore contribute to the financial sustainability of this organizational form.

Implementing Preventive Chemotherapy through an Integrated National Neglected Tropical Disease Control Program in Mali

PubMed Central

Dembélé, Massitan; Bamani, Sanoussi; Dembélé, Robert; Traoré, Mamadou O.; Goita, Seydou; Traoré, Mamadou Namory; Sidibe, Abdoul Karim; Sam, Letitia; Tuinsma, Marjon; Toubali, Emily; MacArthur, Chad; Baker, Shawn K.; Zhang, Yaobi

2012-01-01

Background Mali is endemic for all five targeted major neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). As one of the five ‘fast-track’ countries supported with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds, Mali started to integrate the activities of existing disease-specific national control programs on these diseases in 2007. The ultimate objectives are to eliminate lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis and trachoma as public health problems and to reduce morbidity caused by schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis through regular treatment to eligible populations, and the specific objectives were to achieve 80% program coverage and 100% geographical coverage yearly. The paper reports on the implementation of the integrated mass drug administration and the lessons learned. Methodology/Principal Findings The integrated control program was led by the Ministry of Health and coordinated by the national NTD Control Program. The drug packages were designed according to the disease endemicity in each district and delivered through various platforms to eligible populations involving the primary health care system. Treatment data were recorded and reported by the community drug distributors. After a pilot implementation of integrated drug delivery in three regions in 2007, the treatment for all five targeted NTDs was steadily scaled up to 100% geographical coverage by 2009, and program coverage has since been maintained at a high level: over 85% for lymphatic filariasis, over 90% for onchocerciasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis, around 90% in school-age children for schistosomiasis, and 76–97% for trachoma. Around 10 million people have received one or more drug packages each year since 2009. No severe cases of adverse effects were reported. Conclusions/Significance Mali has scaled up the drug treatment to national coverage through integrated drug delivery involving the primary health care system. The successes and lessons learned in Mali can be valuable assets to other countries starting up their own integrated national NTD control programs. PMID:22448294

24 CFR 92.217 - Income targeting: Homeownership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Urban Development HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM Program Requirements Income Targeting § 92.217... invested in dwelling units that are occupied by households that qualify as low-income families. [67 FR...

24 CFR 92.217 - Income targeting: Homeownership.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Urban Development HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM Program Requirements Income Targeting § 92.217... invested in dwelling units that are occupied by households that qualify as low-income families. [67 FR...

Economic Development Projects and Jobs: Lessons from the Targeted Jobs Demonstration Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Horn, Carl; And Others

This guide, based on approaches for targeting jobs and business opportunities that were developed during the Targeted Jobs Demonstration Program (TJDP), contains strategies and techniques for ensuring that some of the benefits of economic development investments are directed to low-income individuals and small and minority businesses. Addressed in…

7 CFR 3402.4 - Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and...

7 CFR 3402.4 - Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and...

7 CFR 3402.4 - Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and...

7 CFR 3402.4 - Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and Postdoctoral...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for... AGRICULTURE FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES NATIONAL NEEDS GRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description § 3402.4 Food and agricultural sciences areas targeted for National Needs Graduate and...

COS FUV Target Acquisition Monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penton, Steven V.

2017-08-01

Starting in Cycle 25, the COS Target Acquisition (TA) monitor has been divided into two pieces, NUV (15389) and FUV (15386). This program is the FUV portion and is designed specifically for FUV LP4. FUV LP4 uses NUM_POS > 1 PEAKXDs for cross-dispersion TA. All previous LPs used NUM_POS=1 PEAKXDs. The NUM_POS=1 PEAKXDs required the routine monitoring of the grating-dependent WCA-to-PSA offsets. The NUM_POS >1 PEAKXDs do not use these flight software (FSW) patchable constants as they use the LTAPKD FSW macro used in ACQ/PEAKD, but re-purposed for use in the cross-dispersion (XD).This program uses the HST standard star WD1657+343. This target was used previously in the COS TA Monitor programs, 13124 (C20), 13526 (C21), 13972 (C22), 14440 (C23) & 14857 (C24). In these programs, this target was used to co-align the PSA/MIRRORB and BOA/MIRRORA ACQ/IMAGE modes. We re-use this target here as it is safe with PSA/MIRRORA and visible almost year-round.Note that when presented to the mission office, the target 206W3 was listed as the target for this program. This target was a backup target in previous TA monitor programs and was the faintest of the 3 targets in the program. Switching to the next brighter target (WD1657+343) allows all the goals of this program to be accomplished in just 2 orbits. Also, as this target has been used for every generation of this program, the FUV monitoring can be bootstrapped to previous programs, if needed. See the observing description for more details.The LTAIMAGE that started the second orbit of Visit 26 had the TDF down and the shutter closed. This caused the ACQ/IMAGE to miscenter the target by about 1.3". Visit 90 was added as a partial repeat from HOPR 89665. This visit is as close to a repeat of the 2nd orbit of Visi t 25 as possible. Due to time lost doing a full acq instead of a RE-ACQ, the following changes were made:1) Changed Visit number to 902) Schedulability set to 90%3) Before date set to Feb-19-2018, but the earlier the better (this is negotiable)4) Increased Buffer Time for Exposures 90.010 and 90.014 to 976s (2/3 * ETC time)5) Increased Buffer Time for Exposes 90.011 and 90.012 to 2000s (976/0.45 = 2168s)6) Changed exposures times for 90.011 and 90.012 from 182 to 180s.Visit 90 had a GS problem (RGA hold failure) and the entire visit had the shutter closed. HSTAR 14932 was filed along with the approved HOPR 89896. Visit 90 was copied to Visit 91 with the following changes:1) Changed Visit number to 912) Before changed from 19-FEB-2018 to 19-MAR-2018Note that there are 4 exposures with "Y" POS_TARGs in Visit 91 to intentionally offset the target in XD by +/- 1.3"; 2 are G140L and 2 are G160M.We request that previously used, known good, Guide Stars be used, if possible.

Negative posttraumatic cognitions among military sexual trauma survivors.

PubMed

Carroll, Kathryn K; Lofgreen, Ashton M; Weaver, Darian C; Held, Philip; Klassen, Brian J; Smith, Dale L; Karnik, Niranjan S; Pollack, Mark H; Zalta, Alyson K

2018-05-19

Unique aspects of military sexual trauma (MST) may result in specific maladaptive cognitions among survivors. Understanding which posttraumatic cognitions are particularly strong among MST survivors could help clinicians target and improve treatment for these individuals. This study explored the impact of experiencing MST on posttraumatic cognitions among veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Veterans enrolled in an Intensive Outpatient Program for PTSD (N = 226) were assessed for MST, PTSD severity, depression severity, and posttraumatic cognitions as part of a standard clinical intake. Multivariate analyses examined differences in posttraumatic cognitions between veterans who did and did not experience MST. MST survivors (n = 88) endorsed significantly stronger posttraumatic cognitions related to self-blame compared to non-MST counterparts (n = 138), even when accounting for current symptom severity. Specifically, MST predicted the following cognitions: "The event happened to me because of the sort of person I am," "Somebody else would have stopped the event from happening," "Somebody else would not have gotten into this situation," and "There is something about me that made the event happen," after controlling for severity of PTSD and depression. Study population was a treatment-seeking sample of veterans diagnosed with PTSD from a non-VA clinic. Veterans in MST group endorsed either sexual harassment, sexual assault, or both. Sample size of males who endorsed MST (n = 21) may be too small to generalize to all males. Beliefs related to self-blame may be important treatment targets for MST survivors. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Experimental design and data analysis of Ago-RIP-Seq experiments for the identification of microRNA targets.

PubMed

Tichy, Diana; Pickl, Julia Maria Anna; Benner, Axel; Sültmann, Holger

2017-03-31

The identification of microRNA (miRNA) target genes is crucial for understanding miRNA function. Many methods for the genome-wide miRNA target identification have been developed in recent years; however, they have several limitations including the dependence on low-confident prediction programs and artificial miRNA manipulations. Ago-RNA immunoprecipitation combined with high-throughput sequencing (Ago-RIP-Seq) is a promising alternative. However, appropriate statistical data analysis algorithms taking into account the experimental design and the inherent noise of such experiments are largely lacking.Here, we investigate the experimental design for Ago-RIP-Seq and examine biostatistical methods to identify de novo miRNA target genes. Statistical approaches considered are either based on a negative binomial model fit to the read count data or applied to transformed data using a normal distribution-based generalized linear model. We compare them by a real data simulation study using plasmode data sets and evaluate the suitability of the approaches to detect true miRNA targets by sensitivity and false discovery rates. Our results suggest that simple approaches like linear regression models on (appropriately) transformed read count data are preferable. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Potential biological targets for bioassay development in drug discovery of Sturge-Weber syndrome.

PubMed

Mohammadipanah, Fatemeh; Salimi, Fatemeh

2017-04-29

Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) is among the neurocutaneous diseases, which has several clinical manifestations of ocular (glaucoma), cutaneous (port-wine stain), neurological (seizures) and vascular problems. Molecular mechanisms of SWS pathogenesis are initiated by the somatic mutation in GNAQ. Therefore, no definite treatments exist for the SWS and treatment options only mitigate the intensity of its clinical manifestations. Biological assay design for drug discovery against this syndrome demands comprehensive knowledge on mechanisms which are involved in its pathogenesis. By analysis of the interrelated molecular targets of SWS, some in vitro bioassay systems can be allotted for drug screening against this syndrome. Development of such platforms of bioassay can bring along the implementation of high throughput screening of natural or synthetic compounds in drug discovery programs. Regarding the fact that study of biological targets and their integration in biological assay design can facilitate the process of effective drug discovery; some potential biological targets and their respective biological assay for SWS drug discovery are propounded in this review. For this purpose, some biological targets for SWS drug discovery such as acetylcholine esterase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-aminobutyricacidergic, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF) -1α and 2α are suggested. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Optimized ion acceleration using high repetition rate, variable thickness liquid crystal targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poole, Patrick; Willis, Christopher; Cochran, Ginevra; Andereck, C. David; Schumacher, Douglass

2015-11-01

Laser-based ion acceleration is a widely studied plasma physics topic for its applications to secondary radiation sources, advanced imaging, and cancer therapy. Recent work has centered on investigating new acceleration mechanisms that promise improved ion energy and spectrum. While the physics of these mechanisms is not yet fully understood, it has been observed to dominate for certain ranges of target thickness, where the optimum thickness depends on laser conditions including energy, pulse width, and contrast. The study of these phenomena is uniquely facilitated by the use of variable-thickness liquid crystal films, first introduced in P. L. Poole et al. PoP21, 063109 (2014). Control of the formation parameters of these freely suspended films such as volume, temperature, and draw speed allows on-demand thickness variability between 10 nanometers and several 10s of microns, fully encompassing the currently studied thickness regimes with a single target material. The low vapor pressure of liquid crystal enables in-situ film formation and unlimited vacuum use of these targets. Details on the selection and optimization of ion acceleration mechanism with target thickness will be presented, including recent experiments on the Scarlet laser facility and others. This work was performed with support from the DARPA PULSE program through a grant from AMRDEC and by the NNSA under contract DE-NA0001976.

Non-contact passive temperature measuring system and method of operation using micro-mechanical sensors

DOEpatents

Thundat, Thomas G.; Oden, Patrick I.; Datskos, Panagiotis G.

2000-01-01

A non-contact infrared thermometer measures target temperatures remotely without requiring the ratio of the target size to the target distance to the thermometer. A collection means collects and focusses target IR radiation on an IR detector. The detector measures thermal energy of the target over a spectrum using micromechanical sensors. A processor means calculates the collected thermal energy in at least two different spectral regions using a first algorithm in program form and further calculates the ratio of the thermal energy in the at least two different spectral regions to obtain the target temperature independent of the target size, distance to the target and emissivity using a second algorithm in program form.

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

Zhu, Charles

In the 2nd quarter of 2012, a program was formally initiated at Delta Products to develop smart-grid-enabled Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) product for residential use. The project was funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), under award DE-OE0000590. Delta products was the prime contractor to DOE during the three year duration of the project. In addition to Delta Products, several additional supplier-partners were engaged in this research and development (R&D) program, including Detroit Edison DTE, Mercedes Benz Research and Development North America, and kVA. This report summarizes the program and describes the key research outcomes ofmore » the program. A technical history of the project activities is provided, which describes the key steps taken in the research and the findings made at successive stages in the multi-stage work. The evolution of an EVSE prototype system is described in detail, culminating in prototypes shipped to Department of Energy Laboratories for final qualification. After the program history is reviewed, the key attributes of the resulting EVSE are described in terms of functionality, performance, and cost. The results clearly demonstrate the ability of this EVSE to meet or exceed DOE's targets for this program, including: construction of a working product-intent prototype of a smart-grid-enabled EVSE, with suitable connectivity to grid management and home-energy management systems, revenue-grade metering, and related technical functions; and cost reduction of 50% or more compared to typical market priced EVSEs at the time of DOE's funding opportunity announcement (FOA), which was released in mid 2011. In addition to meeting all the program goals, the program was completed within the original budget and timeline established at the time of the award. The summary program budget and timeline, comparing plan versus actual values, is provided for reference, along with several supporting explanatory notes. Technical information relating to the product design and test results are contained in the appendices to this report.« less

Virtual Screening for the Development of Dual-Inhibitors Targeting Topoisomerase IB and Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase 1.

PubMed

Cardamone, Francesca; Pizzi, Simone; Iacovelli, Federico; Falconi, Mattia; Desideri, Alessandro

2017-01-01

Human topoisomerase IB is an important target in cancer therapy and drugs selectively stabilizing the topoisomerase IB-DNA covalent complex are in clinical use for several cancer types. Tyrosyl- DNA phosphodiesterase 1 is involved in the DNA repair resolving the topoisomerase IB-DNA covalent complex that is extremely dangerous for the survival of the cells since it produces an irreversible DNA damage. Given the close biological relationship between these two enzymes, the development of synergistic inhibitors, called dual-inhibitors, is an important challenge in cancer therapy and computer-aided drug design may help in the identification of the best compounds. In this review, an overview of the compounds inhibiting one of the two enzymes or acting as dual inhibitors is provided. Moreover, the general procedures of the virtual screening approach, providing a description of two widely used opensource programs, namely AutoDock4 and AutoDock Vina, are described. Finally, an application of the two programs on a selected number of dual inhibitors for tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 and topoisomerase IB and their performance is briefly discussed. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

An Improved Method for TAL Effectors DNA-Binding Sites Prediction Reveals Functional Convergence in TAL Repertoires of Xanthomonas oryzae Strains

PubMed Central

Pérez-Quintero, Alvaro L.; Rodriguez-R, Luis M.; Dereeper, Alexis; López, Camilo; Koebnik, Ralf; Szurek, Boris; Cunnac, Sebastien

2013-01-01

Transcription Activators-Like Effectors (TALEs) belong to a family of virulence proteins from the Xanthomonas genus of bacterial plant pathogens that are translocated into the plant cell. In the nucleus, TALEs act as transcription factors inducing the expression of susceptibility genes. A code for TALE-DNA binding specificity and high-resolution three-dimensional structures of TALE-DNA complexes were recently reported. Accurate prediction of TAL Effector Binding Elements (EBEs) is essential to elucidate the biological functions of the many sequenced TALEs as well as for robust design of artificial TALE DNA-binding domains in biotechnological applications. In this work a program with improved EBE prediction performances was developed using an updated specificity matrix and a position weight correction function to account for the matching pattern observed in a validation set of TALE-DNA interactions. To gain a systems perspective on the large TALE repertoires from X. oryzae strains, this program was used to predict rice gene targets for 99 sequenced family members. Integrating predictions and available expression data in a TALE-gene network revealed multiple candidate transcriptional targets for many TALEs as well as several possible instances of functional convergence among TALEs. PMID:23869221

ATR evaluation through the synthesis of multiple performance measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bassham, Christopher B.; Klimack, William K.; Bauer, Kenneth W., Jr.

2002-07-01

This research demonstrates the application of decision analysis (DA) techniques to decisions made within Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) technology development. This work is accomplished to improve the means by which ATR technologies are evaluated. The first step in this research was to create a flexible decision analysis framework that could be applied to several decisions across different ATR programs evaluated by the Comprehensive ATR Scientific Evaluation (COMPASE) Center of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). For the purposes of this research, a single COMPASE Center representative provided the value, utility, and preference functions for the DA framework. The DA framework employs performance measures collected during ATR classification system (CS) testing to calculate value and utility scores. The authors gathered data from the Moving and Stationary Target Acquisition and Recognition (MSTAR) program to demonstrate how the decision framework could be used to evaluate three different ATR CSs. A decision-maker may use the resultant scores to gain insight into any of the decisions that occur throughout the lifecycle of ATR technologies. Additionally, a means of evaluating ATR CS self-assessment ability is presented. This represents a new criterion that emerged from this study, and no present evaluation metric is known.

Program Synthesizes UML Sequence Diagrams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barry, Matthew R.; Osborne, Richard N.

2006-01-01

A computer program called "Rational Sequence" generates Universal Modeling Language (UML) sequence diagrams of a target Java program running on a Java virtual machine (JVM). Rational Sequence thereby performs a reverse engineering function that aids in the design documentation of the target Java program. Whereas previously, the construction of sequence diagrams was a tedious manual process, Rational Sequence generates UML sequence diagrams automatically from the running Java code.

Diagnosing the Causes and Severity of One-sided Message Contention

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

Tallent, Nathan R.; Vishnu, Abhinav; van Dam, Hubertus

Two trends suggest network contention for one-sided messages is poised to become a performance problem that concerns application developers: an increased interest in one-sided programming models and a rising ratio of hardware threads to network injection bandwidth. Unfortunately, it is difficult to reason about network contention and one-sided messages because one-sided tasks can either decrease or increase contention. We present effective and portable techniques for diagnosing the causes and severity of one-sided message contention. To detect that a message is affected by contention, we maintain statistics representing instantaneous (non-local) network resource demand. Using lightweight measurement and modeling, we identify themore » portion of a message's latency that is due to contention and whether contention occurs at the initiator or target. We attribute these metrics to program statements in their full static and dynamic context. We characterize contention for an important computational chemistry benchmark on InfiniBand, Cray Aries, and IBM Blue Gene/Q interconnects. We pinpoint the sources of contention, estimate their severity, and show that when message delivery time deviates from an ideal model, there are other messages contending for the same network links. With a small change to the benchmark, we reduce contention up to 50% and improve total runtime as much as 20%.« less

Dramatic Enhancement of Genome Editing by CRISPR/Cas9 Through Improved Guide RNA Design

PubMed Central

Farboud, Behnom; Meyer, Barbara J.

2015-01-01

Success with genome editing by the RNA-programmed nuclease Cas9 has been limited by the inability to predict effective guide RNAs and DNA target sites. Not all guide RNAs have been successful, and even those that were, varied widely in their efficacy. Here we describe and validate a strategy for Caenorhabditis elegans that reliably achieved a high frequency of genome editing for all targets tested in vivo. The key innovation was to design guide RNAs with a GG motif at the 3′ end of their target-specific sequences. All guides designed using this simple principle induced a high frequency of targeted mutagenesis via nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) and a high frequency of precise DNA integration from exogenous DNA templates via homology-directed repair (HDR). Related guide RNAs having the GG motif shifted by only three nucleotides showed severely reduced or no genome editing. We also combined the 3′ GG guide improvement with a co-CRISPR/co-conversion approach. For this co-conversion scheme, animals were only screened for genome editing at designated targets if they exhibited a dominant phenotype caused by Cas9-dependent editing of an unrelated target. Combining the two strategies further enhanced the ease of mutant recovery, thereby providing a powerful means to obtain desired genetic changes in an otherwise unaltered genome. PMID:25695951

Designing Ligands for Leishmania, Plasmodium, and Aspergillus N-Myristoyl Transferase with Specificity and Anti-Target-Safe Virtual Libraries.

PubMed

Garcia-Sosa, Alfonso T

2018-01-01

Leishmaniasis, malaria, and fungal diseases are burdens on individuals and populations and can present severe complications. Easily accessible chemical treatments for these diseases are increasingly sought-after. Targeting the parasite N-myristoyl transferase while avoiding the human enzyme and other anti-targets may allow the prospect of compounds with pan-activity against these diseases, which would simplify treatments and costs. Developing chemical libraries, both virtual and physical, that have been filtered and flagged early on in the drug discovery process (before virtual screening) could reduce attrition rates of compounds being developed and failing late in development stages due to problems of side-effects or toxicity. Chemical libraries have been screened against the anti-targets pregnane-X-receptor, sulfotransferase, cytochrome P450 2a6, 2c9, and 3a4 with three different docking programs. Statistically significant differences are observed in their interactions with these enzymes as compared to small molecule drugs and bioactive non-drug datasets. A series of compounds are proposed with the best predicted profiles for inhibition of all parasite targets while sparing the human form and anti-targets. Some of the topranked compounds have confirmed experimental activity against Leishmania, and highlighted are those compounds with best properties for further development. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Fabrication High Resolution Metrology Target By Step And Repeat Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dusa, Mircea

1983-10-01

Based on the photolithography process generally used to generate high resolution masks for semiconductor I.C.S, we found a very useful industrial application of laser technology.First, we have generated high resolution metrology targets which are used in industrial measurement laser interferometers as difra.ction gratings. Secondi we have generated these targets using step and repeat machine, with He-Ne laser interferometer controlled state, as a pattern generator, due to suitable computer programming.Actually, high resolution metrology target, means two chromium plates, one of which is called the" rule" the other one the "vernier". In Fig.1 we have the configuration of the rule and the vernier. The rule has a succesion of 3 μM lines generated as a difraction grating on a 4 x 4 inch chromium blank. The vernier has several exposed fields( areas) having 3 - 15 μm lines, fields placed on very precise position on the chromium blank surface. High degree of uniformity, tight CD tolerances, low defect density required by the targets, creates specialised problems during processing. Details of the processing, together with experimental results will be presented. Before we start to enter into process details, we have to point out that the dimensional requirements of the reticle target, are quite similar or perhaps more strict than LSI master casks. These requirements presented in Fig.2.

Efficient targeted DNA methylation with chimeric dCas9-Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L methyltransferase.

PubMed

Stepper, Peter; Kungulovski, Goran; Jurkowska, Renata Z; Chandra, Tamir; Krueger, Felix; Reinhardt, Richard; Reik, Wolf; Jeltsch, Albert; Jurkowski, Tomasz P

2017-02-28

DNA methylation plays a critical role in the regulation and maintenance of cell-type specific transcriptional programs. Targeted epigenome editing is an emerging technology to specifically regulate cellular gene expression in order to modulate cell phenotypes or dissect the epigenetic mechanisms involved in their control. In this work, we employed a DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a-Dnmt3L construct fused to the nuclease-inactivated dCas9 programmable targeting domain to introduce DNA methylation into the human genome specifically at the EpCAM, CXCR4 and TFRC gene promoters. We show that targeting of these loci with single gRNAs leads to efficient and widespread methylation of the promoters. Multiplexing of several guide RNAs does not increase the efficiency of methylation. Peaks of targeted methylation were observed around 25 bp upstream and 40 bp downstream of the PAM site, while 20-30 bp of the binding site itself are protected against methylation. Potent methylation is dependent on the multimerization of Dnmt3a/Dnmt3L complexes on the DNA. Furthermore, the introduced methylation causes transcriptional repression of the targeted genes. These new programmable epigenetic editors allow unprecedented control of the DNA methylation status in cells and will lead to further advances in the understanding of epigenetic signaling. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Preventing mental health problems in children: the Families in Mind population-based cluster randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Externalising and internalising problems affect one in seven school-aged children and are the single strongest predictor of mental health problems into early adolescence. As the burden of mental health problems persists globally, childhood prevention of mental health problems is paramount. Prevention can be offered to all children (universal) or to children at risk of developing mental health problems (targeted). The relative effectiveness and costs of a targeted only versus combined universal and targeted approach are unknown. This study aims to determine the effectiveness, costs and uptake of two approaches to early childhood prevention of mental health problems ie: a Combined universal-targeted approach, versus a Targeted only approach, in comparison to current primary care services (Usual care). Methods/design Three armed, population-level cluster randomised trial (2010–2014) within the universal, well child Maternal Child Health system, attended by more than 80% of families in Victoria, Australia at infant age eight months. Participants were families of eight month old children from nine participating local government areas. Randomised to one of three groups: Combined, Targeted or Usual care. The interventions comprises (a) the Combined universal and targeted program where all families are offered the universal Toddlers Without Tears group parenting program followed by the targeted Family Check-Up one-on-one program or (b) the Targeted Family Check-Up program. The Family Check-Up program is only offered to children at risk of behavioural problems. Participants will be analysed according to the trial arm to which they were randomised, using logistic and linear regression models to compare primary and secondary outcomes. An economic evaluation (cost consequences analysis) will compare incremental costs to all incremental outcomes from a societal perspective. Discussion This trial will inform public health policy by making recommendations about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these early prevention programs. If effective prevention programs can be implemented at the population level, the growing burden of mental health problems could be curbed. Trial registration ISRCTN61137690 PMID:22682229

Enhancing youth outcomes following parental divorce: A longitudinal study of the effects of the New Beginnings Program on educational and occupational goals

PubMed Central

Sigal, Amanda B.; Wolchik, Sharlene A.; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Sandler, Irwin N.

2011-01-01

This study examined whether the New Beginnings Program for divorced families led to improvements in youth’s educational goals and job aspirations six years following participation and tested whether several parenting and youth variables mediated the program effects. Participants were 240 youth aged 9–12 years at the initial assessment, and data were part of a randomized, experimental trial of a parenting skills preventive intervention targeting children’s post-divorce adjustment. The results revealed positive effects of the program on youth’s educational goals and job aspirations six years after participation for those who were at high risk for developing later problems at program entry. Further, intervention-induced changes in mother-child relationship quality and youth externalizing problems, internalizing problems, self-esteem, and academic competence at the six-year follow-up mediated the effects of the program on the educational expectations of high-risk youth. Intervention-induced changes in youth externalizing problems and academic competence at the six-year follow-up mediated the effects of the program on the job aspirations of high-risk youth. Implications of the present findings for research with youth from divorced families and for the public health burden of divorce are discussed. PMID:22417189

The effectiveness of the Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) program for boys at risk for violence and delinquency.

PubMed

Burke, Jeffrey D; Loeber, Rolf

2015-02-01

Among the available treatments for disruptive behavior problems, a need remains for additional service options to reduce antisocial behavior and prevent further development along delinquent and violent pathways. The Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Program is an intervention for antisocial behavior among boys between 6 and 11. This paper describes a randomized controlled treatment effectiveness study of SNAP versus standard behavioral health services. The treatment program was delivered to youth with aggressive, rule-breaking, or antisocial behavior in excess of clinical criterion levels. Outcomes were measured at 3, 9, and 15 months from baseline. Youth in the SNAP condition showed significantly greater reduction in aggression, conduct problems, and overall externalizing behavior, as well as counts of oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Additional benefits for SNAP were observed on measures of depression and anxiety. Further analyses indicated that the SNAP program was more effective among those with a higher severity of initial behavioral problems. At 1 year follow-up, treatment benefits for SNAP were maintained on some outcome measures (aggression, ADHD and ODD, depression and anxiety) but not others. Although overall juvenile justice system contact was not significantly different, youth in SNAP had significantly fewer charges against them relative to those standard services. The SNAP Program, when contrasted with standard services alone, was associated with greater, clinically meaningful, reductions in targeted behaviors. It may be particularly effective for youth with more severe behavioral problems and may result in improvements in internalizing problems as well.

The Effects of the Moms and Teens for Safe Dates Program on Dating Abuse: a Conditional Process Analysis.

PubMed

Foshee, Vangie A; Benefield, Thad; Chen, May S; Reyes, Luz McNaughton; Dixon, Kimberly S; Ennett, Susan T; Moracco, Kathryn E; Bowling, J Michael

2016-04-01

Moms and Teens for Safe Dates (MTSD) is a dating abuse (DA) prevention program for teens exposed to domestic violence. In a randomized controlled trial (RCT), MTSD prevented certain types of DA victimization (psychological and physical) and perpetration (psychological and cyber) among teens with higher, but not lower, exposure to domestic violence. We built on these findings by using moderated mediation analysis to examine whether level of teen exposure to domestic violence conditioned the indirect effects of MTSD on these types of DA through targeted mediators. MTSD consisted of six mailed activity booklets. Mothers who had been former victims of domestic violence delivered the program to their teens. Mother and teen pairs were recruited into the RCT through community advertising and completed baseline and 6-month follow-up interviews (N = 277 pairs). As expected, MTSD had significant favorable effects for teens with higher but not lower exposure to domestic violence on several mediators that guided program content, including teen conflict management skills and mother-perceived severity of DA, self-efficacy for enacting DA prevention efforts, and comfort in communicating with her teen. MTSD had significant main effects on other mediators including teen feeling of family closeness and cohesion and mother-perceived susceptibility of her teen to DA. As expected, all significant indirect effects of MTSD on DA outcomes through mediators were for teens with higher exposure to domestic violence. Findings have implications for developing DA victimization and perpetration prevention programs for teens with high exposure to domestic violence.

Evolving Concepts in Posterior Subthalamic Area Deep Brain Stimulation for Treatment of Tremor: Surgical Neuroanatomy and Practical Considerations.

PubMed

Ramirez-Zamora, Adolfo; Smith, Heather; Kumar, Vignessh; Prusik, Julia; Phookan, Sujoy; Pilitsis, Julie G

2016-01-01

Although thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been established as an effective therapy for refractory tremor in Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, reports investigating the efficacy of posterior subthalamic area (PSA) DBS for severe, debilitating tremors continue to emerge. However, questions regarding the optimal anatomical target, surgical approach, programming paradigms and effectiveness compared to other targets remain. In this report, we aimed to review the current literature to assess different stereotactic techniques, anatomical considerations, adverse effects and stimulation settings in PSA DBS. A comprehensive literature review was performed searching for articles discussing tremors and PSA stimulation. We performed a quantitative analysis comparing different DBS tremor targets. Tremor improvement is consistently documented in most reports with an average reduction in tremor of 79% depending on the specific tremor syndrome. Tremor benefit in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) tremor was significantly higher than for other stimulation targets. Transient paresthesias, imbalance, dizziness and dysarthria are the most common side effects with PSA DBS. PSA DBS is an effective and safe treatment for tremor control and should be considered in patients with refractory tremors with associated cerebellar or dystonic features, proximal tremors and MS tremor. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Distribution of Fe atom density in a dc magnetron sputtering plasma source measured by laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibagaki, K.; Nafarizal, N.; Sasaki, K.; Toyoda, H.; Iwata, S.; Kato, T.; Tsunashima, S.; Sugai, H.

2003-10-01

Magnetron sputtering discharge is widely used as an efficient method for thin film fabrication. In order to achieve the optimized fabrication, understanding of the kinetics in plasmas is essential. In the present work, we measured the density distribution of sputtered Fe atoms using laser-induced fluorescence imaging spectroscopy. A dc magnetron plasma source with a Fe target was used. An area of 20 × 2 mm in front of the target was irradiated by a tunable laser beam having a planar shape. The picture of laser-induced fluorescence on the laser beam was taken using an ICCD camera. In this way, we obtained the two-dimensional image of the Fe atom density. As a result, it has been found that the Fe atom density observed at a distance of several centimeters from the target is higher than that adjacent to the target, when the Ar gas pressure was relatively high. It is suggested from this result that some gas-phase production processes of Fe atoms are available in the plasma. This work has been performed under the 21st Century COE Program by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in Japan.

Spatiospectral Analysis of Accelerated Protons from Sub-Micron Liquid Crystal Films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willis, Christopher; Poole, Patrick; Cochran, Ginevra; van Woerkom, Linn; Schumacher, Douglass

2017-10-01

Recent studies on ion acceleration have trended towards ultra-thin (<1 μm) targets due to improved ion energies and yields from these targets. As discussed here, ultra-thin targets may exhibit unusual spatial distributions in the accelerated ions, such that ion spectrometer data may not be representative of the overall distribution. More complete characterization of the ions requires spectral unfolding of radiochromic film (RCF) data, yielding spatially dependent spectra. Spatiospectral data will be presented from several experiments using sub-micron liquid crystal film targets at the Scarlet (OSU), Texas Petawatt (UT, Austin) and PHELIX (GSI, Darmstadt) laser facilities, including evidence of >75 MeV protons from 300 nm films at PHELIX. Analysis of RCF data is supported by Monte-Carlo modeling of RCF response to ions and electrons using FLUKA. Trends in the resulting ion distributions will be discussed including spatially varying slope temperature and observation of annular ring features at moderate ion energies on many shots. This material is based upon work supported by the AFOSR under award FA9550-14-1-0085, by the DARPA PULSE program through a Grant from AMRDEC, and by the NNSA under contract DE-NA0003107.

BRONX HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECT FOR WEST AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS.

PubMed

Wilson, Rebecca Dover; Elgoghail, Nadia

2016-01-01

The transition from a traditional West African diet and lifestyle to a modern diet has a significant impact on health and the risk of chronic disease. To implement a health education program for West African immigrants in the U.S. to address health risks associated with the modern diet. A health education program model targeted at West African immigrants in the Bronx was determined based on existing health education programs with educational materials, group education sessions, and targeted individual counseling. A health education program was successfully implemented at a clinic comprised of West African immigrant patients in the Bronx. This project demonstrates an example of a targeted health education program for West African immigrants to address health risks related to diet.

FIELD NOTES: PEOPLE, PROGRAMS, & POLICIES Farmers' Market Produce Delivery Program for Mitigating Nutritional Risk in Older Adults.

PubMed

Dover, Sally E; Buys, David R; Allocca, Sally; Locher, Julie L

2013-01-01

Community-dwelling older adults in disadvantaged neighborhoods may face nutritional risks not mitigated by existing programs. The Senior Market Basket Program, administered by nonprofit organization P.E.E.R., Inc., is a unique approach to serving community-dwelling senior adults and a valuable model for integrating targeted social services into local food systems. The program ensures access to fresh produce during the growing season for a defined target population.

Shuttle on-orbit rendezvous targeting: Circular orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bentley, E. L.

1972-01-01

The strategy and logic used in a space shuttle on-orbit rendezvous targeting program are described. The program generates ascent targeting conditions for boost to insertion into an intermediate parking orbit, and generates on-orbit targeting and timeline bases for each maneuver to effect rendezvous with a space station. Time of launch is determined so as to eliminate any plane change, and all work was performed for a near-circular space station orbit.

Tumor suppressor roles of CENP-E and Nsl1 in Drosophila epithelial tissues.

PubMed

Clemente-Ruiz, Marta; Muzzopappa, Mariana; Milán, Marco

2014-01-01

Depletion of spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) genes in Drosophila epithelial tissues leads to JNK-dependent programmed cell death and additional blockade of the apoptotic program drives tumorigenesis. A recent report proposes that chromosomal instability (CIN) is not the driving force in the tumorigenic response of the SAC-deficient tissue, and that checkpoint proteins exert a SAC-independent tumor suppressor role. This notion is based on observations that the depletion of CENP-E levels or prevention of Bub3 from binding to the kinetochore in Drosophila tissues unable to activate the apoptotic program induces CIN but does not cause hyperproliferation. Here we re-examined this proposal. In contrast to the previous report, we observed that depletion of CENP-E or Nsl1-the latter mediating kinetochore targeting of Bub3-in epithelial tissues unable to activate the apoptotic program induces significant levels of aneuploidy and drives tumor-like growth. The induction of the JNK transcriptional targets Wingless, a mitogenic molecule, and MMP1, a matrix metaloproteinase 1 involved in basement membrane degradation was also observed in these tumors. An identical response of the tissue was previously detected upon depletion of several SAC genes or genes involved in spindle assembly, chromatin condensation, and cytokinesis, all of which have been described to cause CIN. All together, these results reinforce the role of CIN in driving tumorigenesis in Drosophila epithelial tissues and question the proposed SAC-independent roles of checkpoint proteins in suppressing tumorigenesis. Differences in aneuploidy rates might explain the discrepancy between the previous report and our results.

Are Alternative Strategies Required to Accelerate the Global Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis? Insights From Mathematical Models

PubMed Central

Stolk, Wilma A; Prada, Joaquin M; Smith, Morgan E; Kontoroupis, Periklis; de Vos, Anneke S; Touloupou, Panayiota; Irvine, Michael A; Brown, Paul; Subramanian, Swaminathan; Kloek, Marielle; Michael, E; Hollingsworth, T Deirdre; de Vlas, Sake J

2018-01-01

Abstract Background With the 2020 target year for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) approaching, there is an urgent need to assess how long mass drug administration (MDA) programs with annual ivermectin + albendazole (IA) or diethylcarbamazine + albendazole (DA) would still have to be continued, and how elimination can be accelerated. We addressed this using mathematical modeling. Methods We used 3 structurally different mathematical models for LF transmission (EPIFIL, LYMFASIM, TRANSFIL) to simulate trends in microfilariae (mf) prevalence for a range of endemic settings, both for the current annual MDA strategy and alternative strategies, assessing the required duration to bring mf prevalence below the critical threshold of 1%. Results Three annual MDA rounds with IA or DA and good coverage (≥65%) are sufficient to reach the threshold in settings that are currently at mf prevalence <4%, but the required duration increases with increasing mf prevalence. Switching to biannual MDA or employing triple-drug therapy (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole [IDA]) could reduce program duration by about one-third. Optimization of coverage reduces the time to elimination and is particularly important for settings with a history of poorly implemented MDA (low coverage, high systematic noncompliance). Conclusions Modeling suggests that, in several settings, current annual MDA strategies will be insufficient to achieve the 2020 LF elimination targets, and programs could consider policy adjustment to accelerate, guided by recent monitoring and evaluation data. Biannual treatment and IDA hold promise in reducing program duration, provided that coverage is good, but their efficacy remains to be confirmed by more extensive field studies. PMID:29860286

Are Alternative Strategies Required to Accelerate the Global Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis? Insights From Mathematical Models.

PubMed

Stolk, Wilma A; Prada, Joaquin M; Smith, Morgan E; Kontoroupis, Periklis; de Vos, Anneke S; Touloupou, Panayiota; Irvine, Michael A; Brown, Paul; Subramanian, Swaminathan; Kloek, Marielle; Michael, E; Hollingsworth, T Deirdre; de Vlas, Sake J

2018-06-01

With the 2020 target year for elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF) approaching, there is an urgent need to assess how long mass drug administration (MDA) programs with annual ivermectin + albendazole (IA) or diethylcarbamazine + albendazole (DA) would still have to be continued, and how elimination can be accelerated. We addressed this using mathematical modeling. We used 3 structurally different mathematical models for LF transmission (EPIFIL, LYMFASIM, TRANSFIL) to simulate trends in microfilariae (mf) prevalence for a range of endemic settings, both for the current annual MDA strategy and alternative strategies, assessing the required duration to bring mf prevalence below the critical threshold of 1%. Three annual MDA rounds with IA or DA and good coverage (≥65%) are sufficient to reach the threshold in settings that are currently at mf prevalence <4%, but the required duration increases with increasing mf prevalence. Switching to biannual MDA or employing triple-drug therapy (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole [IDA]) could reduce program duration by about one-third. Optimization of coverage reduces the time to elimination and is particularly important for settings with a history of poorly implemented MDA (low coverage, high systematic noncompliance). Modeling suggests that, in several settings, current annual MDA strategies will be insufficient to achieve the 2020 LF elimination targets, and programs could consider policy adjustment to accelerate, guided by recent monitoring and evaluation data. Biannual treatment and IDA hold promise in reducing program duration, provided that coverage is good, but their efficacy remains to be confirmed by more extensive field studies.

“Church-Based Health Programs for Mental Disorders among African Americans: A Review

PubMed Central

Hankerson, Sidney H.; Weissman, Myrna M.

2014-01-01

Objective African Americans, compared to White Americans, underutilize traditional mental health services. A systematic review is presented of studies involving church-based health promotion programs (CBHPP) for mental disorders among African Americans to assess the feasibility of utilizing such programs to address racial disparities in mental health care. Methods A literature review of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ATLA Religion databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 2009. Inclusion criteria included the following: studies were conducted in a church; primary objective(s) involved assessment, perceptions/attitudes, education, prevention, group support, or treatment for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV mental disorders or their correlates; number of participants was reported; qualitative and/or quantitative data were reported; and African Americans were the target population. Results Of 1,451 studies identified, 191 studies were eligible for formal review. Only eight studies met inclusion criteria for this review. The majority of studies focused on substance related disorders (n=5), were designed to assess the effects of a specific intervention (n=6), and targeted adults (n=6). One study focused on depression and was limited by a small sample size of seven participants. Conclusion Although CBHPP have been successful in addressing racial disparities for several chronic medical conditions, the published literature on CBHPP for mental disorders is extremely limited. More intensive research is needed to establish the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing church-based health programs as a possible resource for screening and treatment to improve disparities in mental health care for African Americans. PMID:22388529

Improving workplace productivity--it isn't just about reducing absence.

PubMed

Harte, Kathy; Mahieu, Kathleen; Mallett, David; Norville, Julie; VanderWerf, Sander

2011-01-01

Employers must get more aggressive in their health and productivity strategies. A comprehensive strategy includes data analytics across health and lost-time programs, absence policies that meet today's needs for both employer and employee, health and wellness programs targeting modifiable health behaviors, and absence program administration that is aligned to operational goals. This article targets key aspects of a comprehensive long-term health and productivity strategic vision. An organization can use these aspects independently to address immediate tactical issues while it develops its broader strategy. The target areas include a view from the perspective of data management, absence program design and management, employee health and wellness, and behavioral health.

Statewide water-quality network for Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desimone, Leslie A.; Steeves, Peter A.; Zimmerman, Marc James

2001-01-01

A water-quality monitoring program is proposed that would provide data to meet multiple information needs of Massachusetts agencies and other users concerned with the condition of the State's water resources. The program was designed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Watershed Management, with input from many organizations involved in water-quality monitoring in the State, and focuses on inland surface waters (streams and lakes). The proposed monitoring program consists of several components, or tiers, which are defined in terms of specific monitoring objectives, and is intended to complement the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative (MWI) basin assessments. Several components were developed using the Neponset River Basin in eastern Massachusetts as a pilot area, or otherwise make use of data from and sampling approaches used in that basin as part of a MWI pilot assessment in 1994. To guide development of the monitoring program, reviews were conducted of general principles of network design, including monitoring objectives and approaches, and of ongoing monitoring activities of Massachusetts State agencies.Network tiers described in this report are primarily (1) a statewide, basin-based assessment of existing surface-water-quality conditions, and (2) a fixed-station network for determining contaminant loads carried by major rivers. Other components, including (3) targeted programs for hot-spot monitoring and other objectives, and (4) compliance monitoring, also are discussed. Monitoring programs for the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads for specific water bodies, which would constitute another tier of the network, are being developed separately and are not described in this report. The basin-based assessment of existing conditions is designed to provide information on the status of surface waters with respect to State water-quality standards and designated uses in accordance with the reporting requirements [Section 305(b)] of the Clean Water Act (CWA). Geographic Information System (GIS)-based procedures were developed to inventory streams and lakes in a basin for these purposes. Several monitoring approaches for this tier and their associated resource requirements were investigated. Analysis of the Neponset Basin for this purpose demonstrated that the large number of sites needed in order for all the small streams in a basin to be sampled (about half of stream miles in the basin were headwater or first-order streams) pose substantial resource-based problems for a comprehensive assessment of existing conditions. The many lakes pose similar problems. Thus, a design is presented in which probabilistic monitoring of small streams is combined with deterministic or targeted monitoring of large streams and lakes to meet CWA requirements and to provide data for other information needs of Massachusetts regulatory agencies and MWI teams.The fixed-station network is designed to permit the determination of contaminant loads carried by the State's major rivers to sensitive inland and coastal receiving waters and across State boundaries. Sampling at 19 proposed sites in 17 of the 27 major basins in Massachusetts would provide information on contaminant loads from 67 percent of the total land area of the State; unsampled areas are primarily coastal areas drained by many small streams that would be impossible to sample within realistic resource limitations. Strategies for hot-spot monitoring, a targeted monitoring program focused on identifying contaminant sources, are described with reference to an analysis of the bacteria sampling program of the 1994 Neponset Basin assessment. Finally, major discharge sites permitted under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) were evaluated as a basis for ambient water-quality monitoring. The discharge sites are well distributed geographically among basins, but are primarily on large rivers (two-thirds or more

Genome characterization of Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus with special reference to RNAi based molecular breeding.

PubMed

Khalil, Farghama; Yueyu, Xu; Naiyan, Xiao; Di, Liu; Tayyab, Muhammad; Hengbo, Wang; Islam, Waqar; Rauf, Saeed; Pinghua, Chen

2018-05-04

Sugarcane is an essential crop for sugar and biofuel. Globally, its production is severely affected by sugarcane yellow leaf disease (SCYLD) caused by Sugarcane Yellow Leaf Virus (SCYLV). Many aphid vectors are involved in the spread of the disease which reduced the effectiveness of cultural and chemical management. Empirical methods of plant breeding such as introgression from wild and cultivated germplasm were not possible or at least challenging due to the absence of resistance in cultivated and wild germplasm of sugarcane. RNA interference (RNAi) transformation is an effective method to create virus-resistant varieties. Nevertheless, limited progress has been made due to lack of comprehensive research program on SCYLV based on RNAi technique. In order to show improvement and to propose future strategies for the feasibility of the RNAi technique to cope SCYLV, genome-wide consensus sequences of SCYLV were analyzed through GenBank. The coverage rates of every consensus sequence in SCYLV isolates were calculated to evaluate their practicability. Our analysis showed that single consensus sequence from SCYLV could not work well for RNAi based sugarcane breeding programs. This may be due to high mutation rate and continuous recombination within and between various viral strains. Alternative multi-target RNAi strategy is suggested to combat several strains of the viruses and to reduce the silencing escape. The multi-target small interfering RNA (siRNA) can be used together to construct RNAi plant expression plasmid, and to transform sugarcane tissues to develop new sugarcane varieties resistant to SCYLV. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-governmental organizations in international health: past successes, future challenges.

PubMed

Gellert, G A

1996-01-01

Non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, are increasingly instrumental to the implementation of international health programs. Following an overview of current conditions in global health and the problems that could be targeted by NGOs, this article describes the activities and philosophies of several representative approaches in this sector. The attributes of NGOs that increase their potential effectiveness are discussed, including ability to reach areas of severe need, promotion of local involvement, low cost of operations, adaptiveness and innovation, independence, and sustainability. A summary is provided of major future challenges in international health that may be addressed by NGOs, with particular emphasis on tobacco-related disease, communicable diseases and the AIDS epidemic, maternal mortality and women's health, injury prevention and control, and the need to secure durable financial support.

Teachers' Perspectives about an Anti-Bullying Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Robin Rawlings; Maldonado, Nancy

2013-01-01

Bullying has become a nationwide concern at the K-12 level. Guided by the theoretical framework of social learning theory, this study explored the perceptions of secondary education teachers about the bully-proofing program in place at one target middle school. Despite the target middle school's anti-bullying program, the incidence of bullying had…

77 FR 16796 - Lead Requirements for Lead-Based Paint Activities in Target Housing and Child-Occupied Facilities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-22

... document announces the receipt of Arkansas's rules established pursuant to its new 2011 statutory authority... program accreditation requirements, and work practice standards for lead-based paint activities in target...-based paint program and passed a new statute establishing a State lead-based paint program and changing...

Evaluation of the Refugee Targeted Assistance Grants Program: Phase I, Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cichon, Donald; And Others

This report presents findings of the first phase of an evaluation of the Targeted Assistance Program (TAP), A Federal program which funds services and projects that assist refugees in attaining economic self-sufficiency and reduced dependency upon public assistance. Following an executive summary and other materials, the report is divided into…

Comparing Universal and Targeted Pre-Kindergarten Programs. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dotterer, Aryn M.; Burchinal, Margaret; Bryant, Donna; Early, Diane; Pianta, Robert C.

2012-01-01

This study compared universal (available to all children) and targeted (offered only to children with specific risk factors) Pre-Kindergarten programs. Results showed that two aspects of structural quality (e.g., hours per day and teacher education) were higher in universal programs, but process quality (e.g., child interactions and feedback) was…

Promoting Behavior Change Using Social Norms: Applying a Community Based Social Marketing Tool to Extension Programming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaudhary, Anil Kumar; Warner, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Most educational programs are designed to produce lower level outcomes, and Extension educators are challenged to produce behavior change in target audiences. Social norms are a very powerful proven tool for encouraging sustainable behavior change among Extension's target audiences. Minor modifications to program content to demonstrate the…

Targeted Research and Technology Within NASA's Living With a Star Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Antiochos, Spiro; Baker, Kile; Bellaire, Paul; Blake, Bern; Crowley, Geoff; Eddy, Jack; Goodrich, Charles; Gopalswamy, Nat; Gosling, Jack; Hesse, Michael

2004-01-01

Targeted Research & Technology (TR&T) NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) initiative is a systematic, goal-oriented research program targeting those aspects of the Sun-Earth system that affect society. The Targeted Research and Technology (TR&T) component of LWS provides the theory, modeling, and data analysis necessary to enable an integrated, system-wide picture of Sun-Earth connection science with societal relevance. Recognizing the central and essential role that TR&T would have for the success of the LWS initiative, the LWS Science Architecture Team (SAT) recommended that a Science Definition Team (SDT), with the same status as a flight mission definition team, be formed to design and coordinate a TR&T program having prioritized goals and objectives that focused on practical societal benefits. This report details the SDT recommendations for the TR&T program.

Bridging evidence-practice gaps: improving use of medicines in elderly Australian veterans.

PubMed

Roughead, Elizabeth E; Kalisch Ellett, Lisa M; Ramsay, Emmae N; Pratt, Nicole L; Barratt, John D; LeBlanc, Vanessa T; Ryan, Philip; Peck, Robert; Killer, Graeme; Gilbert, Andrew L

2013-12-12

The Australian Government Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) funds an ongoing health promotion based program to improve use of medicines and related health services, which implements interventions that include audit and feedback in the form of patient-specific feedback generated from administrative claims records. We aimed to determine changes in medicine use as a result of the program. The program provides targeted patient-specific feedback to medical practitioners. The feedback is supported with educational material developed by a clinical panel, subject to peer review and overseen by a national editorial committee. Veterans who meet target criteria also receive educational brochures. The program is supported by a national call centre and ongoing national consultation. Segmented regression analyses (interrupted time series) were undertaken to assess changes in medication use in targeted veterans pre and post each intervention. 12 interventions were included; three to increase medicine use, seven which aimed to reduce use, and two which had combination of messages to change use. All programs that aimed to increase medicine use were effective, with relative effect sizes at the time of the intervention ranging from 1% to 8%. Mixed results were seen with programs aiming to reduce inappropriate medicine use. Highly specific programs were effective, with relative effect sizes at the time of the intervention of 10% decline in use of NSAIDs in high risk groups and 14% decline in use of antipsychotics in dementia. Interventions targeting combinations of medicines, including medicine interactions and potentially inappropriate medicines in the elderly did not change practice significantly. Interventions with combinations of messages targeting multiple components of practice had an impact on one component, but not all components targeted. The Veterans' MATES program showed positive practice change over time, with interventions increasing use of appropriate medicines where under-use was evident and reduced use of inappropriate medicines when single medicines were targeted. Combinations of messages were less effective, suggesting specific messages focusing on single medicines are required to maximise effect. The program provides a model that could be replicated in other settings.

PC_Eyewitness: a computerized framework for the administration and practical application of research in eyewitness psychology.

PubMed

MacLin, Otto H; Meissner, Christian A; Zimmerman, Laura A

2005-05-01

Eyewitness identification evidence is an important aspect of our legal system. Society relies on witnesses to identify suspects whom they have observed during the commission of a crime. Because a witness has only a mental representation of the individual he or she observed, law enforcement must rely on verbal descriptions and identification procedures to document eyewitness evidence. The present article introduces and details a computer program, referred to as PC_Eyewitness (PCE), which can be used in laboratories to conduct research on eyewitness memory. PCE is a modular program written in Visual Basic 6.0 that allows a researcher to present stimuli to a participant, to conduct distractor tasks, to elicit verbal descriptors regarding a target individual, and to present a lineup for the participant to provide an identification response. To illustrate the versatility of the program, several classic studies in the eyewitness literature are recreated in the context of PCE. The program is also shown to have applications in the conduct of field research and for use by law enforcement to administer lineups in everyday practice. PCE is distributed at no cost.

Automating an integrated spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abujayyab, Sohaib K. M.; Ahamad, Mohd Sanusi S.; Yahya, Ahmad Shukri; Ahmad, Siti Zubaidah; Aziz, Hamidi Abdul

2017-10-01

An integrated programming environment represents a robust approach to building a valid model for landfill site selection. One of the main challenges in the integrated model is the complicated processing and modelling due to the programming stages and several limitations. An automation process helps avoid the limitations and improve the interoperability between integrated programming environments. This work targets the automation of a spatial data-mining model for landfill site selection by integrating between spatial programming environment (Python-ArcGIS) and non-spatial environment (MATLAB). The model was constructed using neural networks and is divided into nine stages distributed between Matlab and Python-ArcGIS. A case study was taken from the north part of Peninsular Malaysia. 22 criteria were selected to utilise as input data and to build the training and testing datasets. The outcomes show a high-performance accuracy percentage of 98.2% in the testing dataset using 10-fold cross validation. The automated spatial data mining model provides a solid platform for decision makers to performing landfill site selection and planning operations on a regional scale.

A Review of Biologic Therapies Targeting IL-23 and IL-17 for Use in Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis.

PubMed

Campa, Molly; Mansouri, Bobbak; Warren, Richard; Menter, Alan

2016-03-01

The development of several highly effective biologic drugs in the past decade has revolutionized the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. With increased understanding of the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis, the emphasis has turned toward more specific targets for psoriasis drugs. Although the complex immunological pathway of psoriasis is not yet completely understood, current models emphasize the significant importance of interleukin (IL)-23 and IL-17. Several biologic drugs targeting these cytokines are now in various stages of drug development. Drugs targeting IL-23 include BI-655066, briakinumab, guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and ustekinumab. Drugs targeting IL-17 include brodalumab, ixekizumab, and secukinumab. While many of these have shown safety and good efficacy in clinical trials of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, long-term safety is still to be established.

A proficiency testing program of hemoglobin analysis in prevention and control of severe hemoglobinopathies in Thailand.

PubMed

Karnpean, Rossarin; Fucharoen, Goonnapa; Pansuwan, Anupong; Changtrakul, Duangrudee; Fucharoen, Supan

2013-06-01

No external quality assessment program for hemoglobin (Hb) analysis in the prevention and control of thalassemia has been established in Thailand. To improve the first line provisional diagnostics, the first proficiency testing (PT) program has been established. External Hb controls prepared at our center were sent to Hb analysis laboratories all over the country. Three cycles per year were performed in 2010 and 2011. In each cycle, two control samples with corresponding hematological parameters, designated as husband and his pregnant wife were supplied for Hb analysis. Each member analyzed the control samples in their routine practices. The results of Hb analysis, laboratory interpretation and risk assessment of the expected fetus for severe thalassemia diseases targeted for prevention and control were entered into the report form and sent back to our center. Participants reports were analyzed and classified into four different quality groups; Excellent (when all the three parameters are correct), Good (correct Hb analysis and interpretation but incorrect risk assessment), Fair (correct Hb analysis but incorrect interpretation and risk assessment) and Needs improvement (incorrect Hb analysis). It was found that most participants could report correct Hb types and quantifications but some misinterpretations and risk assessments were noted. These were clearly seen when control samples with more complexity were supplied. These results indicate a further improvement is required in the laboratory interpretation and knowledge of the laboratory diagnosis of thalassemia. The established system should facilitate the prevention and control program of thalassemia in the region.

Small-scale fixed wing airplane software verification flight test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Natasha R.

The increased demand for micro Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) driven by military requirements, commercial use, and academia is creating a need for the ability to quickly and accurately conduct low Reynolds Number aircraft design. There exist several open source software programs that are free or inexpensive that can be used for large scale aircraft design, but few software programs target the realm of low Reynolds Number flight. XFLR5 is an open source, free to download, software program that attempts to take into consideration viscous effects that occur at low Reynolds Number in airfoil design, 3D wing design, and 3D airplane design. An off the shelf, remote control airplane was used as a test bed to model in XFLR5 and then compared to flight test collected data. Flight test focused on the stability modes of the 3D plane, specifically the phugoid mode. Design and execution of the flight tests were accomplished for the RC airplane using methodology from full scale military airplane test procedures. Results from flight test were not conclusive in determining the accuracy of the XFLR5 software program. There were several sources of uncertainty that did not allow for a full analysis of the flight test results. An off the shelf drone autopilot was used as a data collection device for flight testing. The precision and accuracy of the autopilot is unknown. Potential future work should investigate flight test methods for small scale UAV flight.

Characteristics of participants in community health promotion programs: four-year results.

PubMed Central

Lefebvre, R C; Harden, E A; Rakowski, W; Lasater, T M; Carleton, R A

1987-01-01

Four years of participant tracking data (N = 24,995) for community-based programs targeting cardiovascular disease risk factors are presented. Over two-thirds of contacts were female; age segment representation in these programs was comparable to the city's demography. However, the data show that programs of varying formats which target specific risk factors attract different types of participants. Implications for marketing strategy are discussed. PMID:3631372

Maximum margin semi-supervised learning with irrelevant data.

PubMed

Yang, Haiqin; Huang, Kaizhu; King, Irwin; Lyu, Michael R

2015-10-01

Semi-supervised learning (SSL) is a typical learning paradigms training a model from both labeled and unlabeled data. The traditional SSL models usually assume unlabeled data are relevant to the labeled data, i.e., following the same distributions of the targeted labeled data. In this paper, we address a different, yet formidable scenario in semi-supervised classification, where the unlabeled data may contain irrelevant data to the labeled data. To tackle this problem, we develop a maximum margin model, named tri-class support vector machine (3C-SVM), to utilize the available training data, while seeking a hyperplane for separating the targeted data well. Our 3C-SVM exhibits several characteristics and advantages. First, it does not need any prior knowledge and explicit assumption on the data relatedness. On the contrary, it can relieve the effect of irrelevant unlabeled data based on the logistic principle and maximum entropy principle. That is, 3C-SVM approaches an ideal classifier. This classifier relies heavily on labeled data and is confident on the relevant data lying far away from the decision hyperplane, while maximally ignoring the irrelevant data, which are hardly distinguished. Second, theoretical analysis is provided to prove that in what condition, the irrelevant data can help to seek the hyperplane. Third, 3C-SVM is a generalized model that unifies several popular maximum margin models, including standard SVMs, Semi-supervised SVMs (S(3)VMs), and SVMs learned from the universum (U-SVMs) as its special cases. More importantly, we deploy a concave-convex produce to solve the proposed 3C-SVM, transforming the original mixed integer programming, to a semi-definite programming relaxation, and finally to a sequence of quadratic programming subproblems, which yields the same worst case time complexity as that of S(3)VMs. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed 3C-SVM through systematical experimental comparisons. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ToxCast Chemical Landscape: Paving the Road to 21st Century Toxicology.

PubMed

Richard, Ann M; Judson, Richard S; Houck, Keith A; Grulke, Christopher M; Volarath, Patra; Thillainadarajah, Inthirany; Yang, Chihae; Rathman, James; Martin, Matthew T; Wambaugh, John F; Knudsen, Thomas B; Kancherla, Jayaram; Mansouri, Kamel; Patlewicz, Grace; Williams, Antony J; Little, Stephen B; Crofton, Kevin M; Thomas, Russell S

2016-08-15

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ToxCast program is testing a large library of Agency-relevant chemicals using in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) approaches to support the development of improved toxicity prediction models. Launched in 2007, Phase I of the program screened 310 chemicals, mostly pesticides, across hundreds of ToxCast assay end points. In Phase II, the ToxCast library was expanded to 1878 chemicals, culminating in the public release of screening data at the end of 2013. Subsequent expansion in Phase III has resulted in more than 3800 chemicals actively undergoing ToxCast screening, 96% of which are also being screened in the multi-Agency Tox21 project. The chemical library unpinning these efforts plays a central role in defining the scope and potential application of ToxCast HTS results. The history of the phased construction of EPA's ToxCast library is reviewed, followed by a survey of the library contents from several different vantage points. CAS Registry Numbers are used to assess ToxCast library coverage of important toxicity, regulatory, and exposure inventories. Structure-based representations of ToxCast chemicals are then used to compute physicochemical properties, substructural features, and structural alerts for toxicity and biotransformation. Cheminformatics approaches using these varied representations are applied to defining the boundaries of HTS testability, evaluating chemical diversity, and comparing the ToxCast library to potential target application inventories, such as used in EPA's Endocrine Disruption Screening Program (EDSP). Through several examples, the ToxCast chemical library is demonstrated to provide comprehensive coverage of the knowledge domains and target inventories of potential interest to EPA. Furthermore, the varied representations and approaches presented here define local chemistry domains potentially worthy of further investigation (e.g., not currently covered in the testing library or defined by toxicity "alerts") to strategically support data mining and predictive toxicology modeling moving forward.

The Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF): Overview, research programs and future plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mardor, Israel; Aviv, Ofer; Avrigeanu, Marilena; Berkovits, Dan; Dahan, Adi; Dickel, Timo; Eliyahu, Ilan; Gai, Moshe; Gavish-Segev, Inbal; Halfon, Shlomi; Hass, Michael; Hirsh, Tsviki; Kaiser, Boaz; Kijel, Daniel; Kreisel, Arik; Mishnayot, Yonatan; Mukul, Ish; Ohayon, Ben; Paul, Michael; Perry, Amichay; Rahangdale, Hitesh; Rodnizki, Jacob; Ron, Guy; Sasson-Zukran, Revital; Shor, Asher; Silverman, Ido; Tessler, Moshe; Vaintraub, Sergey; Weissman, Leo

2018-05-01

The Soreq Applied Research Accelerator Facility (SARAF) is under construction in the Soreq Nuclear Research Center at Yavne, Israel. When completed at the beginning of the next decade, SARAF will be a user facility for basic and applied nuclear physics, based on a 40 MeV, 5 mA CW proton/deuteron superconducting linear accelerator. Phase I of SARAF (SARAF-I, 4 MeV, 2 mA CW protons, 5 MeV 1 mA CW deuterons) is already in operation, generating scientific results in several fields of interest. The main ongoing program at SARAF-I is the production of 30 keV neutrons and measurement of Maxwellian Averaged Cross Sections (MACS), important for the astrophysical s-process. The world leading Maxwellian epithermal neutron yield at SARAF-I (5 × 10^{10} epithermal neutrons/s), generated by a novel Liquid-Lithium Target (LiLiT), enables improved precision of known MACSs, and new measurements of low-abundance and radioactive isotopes. Research plans for SARAF-II span several disciplines: precision studies of beyond-Standard-Model effects by trapping light exotic radioisotopes, such as 6He, 8Li and 18, 19, 23Ne, in unprecedented amounts (including meaningful studies already at SARAF-I); extended nuclear astrophysics research with higher energy neutrons, including generation and studies of exotic neutron-rich isotopes relevant to the rapid (r-) process; nuclear structure of exotic isotopes; high energy neutron cross sections for basic nuclear physics and material science research, including neutron induced radiation damage; neutron based imaging and therapy; and novel radiopharmaceuticals development and production. In this paper we present a technical overview of SARAF-I and II, including a description of the accelerator and its irradiation targets; a survey of existing research programs at SARAF-I; and the research potential at the completed facility (SARAF-II).

Reaching High-Need Youth Populations With Evidence-Based Sexual Health Education in California.

PubMed

Campa, Mary I; Leff, Sarah Z; Tufts, Margaret

2018-02-01

To explore the programmatic reach and experience of high-need adolescents who received sexual health education in 3 distinct implementation settings (targeted-prevention settings, traditional schools, and alternative schools) through a statewide sexual health education program. Data are from youth surveys collected between September 2013 and December 2014 in the California Personal Responsibility Education Program. A sample of high-need participants (n = 747) provided data to examine the impact of implementation setting on reach and program experience. Implementation in targeted-prevention settings was equal to or more effective at providing a positive program experience for high-need participants. More than 5 times as many high-need participants were served in targeted-prevention settings compared with traditional schools. Reaching the same number of high-need participants served in targeted-prevention settings over 15 months would take nearly 7 years of programming in traditional schools. To maximize the reach and experience of high-need youth populations receiving sexual health education, state and local agencies should consider the importance of implementation setting. Targeted resources and efforts should be directed toward high-need young people by expanding beyond traditional school settings.

An innovative pre-targeting strategy for tumor cell specific imaging and therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Si-Yong; Peng, Meng-Yun; Rong, Lei; Jia, Hui-Zhen; Chen, Si; Cheng, Si-Xue; Feng, Jun; Zhang, Xian-Zheng

2015-08-01

A programmed pre-targeting system for tumor cell imaging and targeting therapy was established based on the ``biotin-avidin'' interaction. In this programmed functional system, transferrin-biotin can be actively captured by tumor cells with the overexpression of transferrin receptors, thus achieving the pre-targeting modality. Depending upon avidin-biotin recognition, the attachment of multivalent FITC-avidin to biotinylated tumor cells not only offered the rapid fluorescence labelling, but also endowed the pre-targeted cells with targeting sites for the specifically designed biotinylated peptide nano-drug. Owing to the successful pre-targeting, tumorous HepG2 and HeLa cells were effectively distinguished from the normal 3T3 cells via fluorescence imaging. In addition, the self-assembled peptide nano-drug resulted in enhanced cell apoptosis in the observed HepG2 cells. The tumor cell specific pre-targeting strategy is applicable for a variety of different imaging and therapeutic agents for tumor treatments.A programmed pre-targeting system for tumor cell imaging and targeting therapy was established based on the ``biotin-avidin'' interaction. In this programmed functional system, transferrin-biotin can be actively captured by tumor cells with the overexpression of transferrin receptors, thus achieving the pre-targeting modality. Depending upon avidin-biotin recognition, the attachment of multivalent FITC-avidin to biotinylated tumor cells not only offered the rapid fluorescence labelling, but also endowed the pre-targeted cells with targeting sites for the specifically designed biotinylated peptide nano-drug. Owing to the successful pre-targeting, tumorous HepG2 and HeLa cells were effectively distinguished from the normal 3T3 cells via fluorescence imaging. In addition, the self-assembled peptide nano-drug resulted in enhanced cell apoptosis in the observed HepG2 cells. The tumor cell specific pre-targeting strategy is applicable for a variety of different imaging and therapeutic agents for tumor treatments. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, peptide structures, molecular weights, and additional data. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03862f

Perceptions of plagiarisers: The influence of target physical attractiveness, transgression severity, and sex on attributions of guilt and punishment.

PubMed

Swami, Viren; Arthey, Elizabeth; Furnham, Adrian

2017-09-01

The attractiveness-leniency effect (ALE) suggests that physically attractive targets are less likely to be perceived as guilty compared to less attractive targets. Here, we tested the ALE in relation to attributions of students who have committed plagiarism. British adults (N=165) were shown one of eight vignette-photograph pairings varying in target sex (female/male), physical attractiveness (high/low), and transgression severity (serious/minor), and provided attributions of guilt and severity of punishment. Analyses of variance revealed significant interactions between attractiveness and transgression severity for both dependent measures. Attractive targets were perceived as guiltier and deserving of more severe punishments in the serious transgression condition, but there was no significant difference between attractive and less attractive targets in the minor transgression condition. These results are discussed in terms of a reverse attribution bias, in which attractive individuals are judged more negatively when they fail to live up to higher standards of conduct. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting oligonucleotide affinity to nucleic acid targets.

PubMed Central

Mathews, D H; Burkard, M E; Freier, S M; Wyatt, J R; Turner, D H

1999-01-01

A computer program, OligoWalk, is reported that predicts the equilibrium affinity of complementary DNA or RNA oligonucleotides to an RNA target. This program considers the predicted stability of the oligonucleotide-target helix and the competition with predicted secondary structure of both the target and the oligonucleotide. Both unimolecular and bimolecular oligonucleotide self structure are considered with a user-defined concentration. The application of OligoWalk is illustrated with three comparisons to experimental results drawn from the literature. PMID:10580474

Bootstrapping a Sustainable North American PEM Fuel Cell Industry: Could a Federal Acquisition Program Make a Difference?

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

Greene, David L; Duleep, Dr. K. G.

2008-10-01

The North American Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell industry may be at a critical juncture. A large-scale market for automotive fuel cells appears to be several years away and in any case will require a long-term, coordinated commitment by government and industry to insure the co-evolution of hydrogen infrastructure and fuel cell vehicles (Greene et al., 2008). The market for non-automotive PEM fuel cells, on the other hand, may be much closer to commercial viability (Stone, 2006). Cost targets are less demanding and manufacturers appear to be close, perhaps within a factor of two, of meeting them. Hydrogen supplymore » is a significant obstacle to market acceptance but may not be as great a barrier as it is for hydrogen-powered vehicles due to the smaller quantities of hydrogen required. PEM fuel cells appear to be potentially competitive in two markets: (1) Backup power (BuP) supply, and (2) electrically-powered MHE (Mahadevan et al., 2007a, 2007b). There are several Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of PEM fuel cell systems for these applications but production levels have been quite low (on the order of 100-200 per year) and cumulative production experience is also limited (on the order of 1,000 units to date). As a consequence, costs remain above target levels and PEM fuel cell OEMs are not yet competitive in these markets. If cost targets can be reached and acceptable solutions to hydrogen supply found, a sustainable North American PEM fuel cell industry could be established. If not, the industry and its North American supply chain could disappear within a year or two. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell and Infrastructure Technologies (HFCIT) program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requested a rapid assessment of the potential for a government acquisition program to bootstrap the market for non-automotive PEM fuel cells by driving down costs via economies of scale and learning-by-doing. The six week study included in-depth interviews of three manufacturers, visits to two production facilities, review of the literature on potential markets in North America and potential federal government procurements, development of a cost model reflecting economies of scale and learning-by-doing, and estimation of the impact of federal PEM fuel cell procurements on fuel cell system costs and the evolution of private market demand. This report presents the findings of that study. Section 2 outlines the status of the industry and describes potential markets based on interviews of manufacturers and the existing literature. Section 3 describes the modeling methodology including key premises and assumptions, and presents estimates of market evolution under four scenarios: (1) Base Case with no federal government procurement program, (2) Scenario 1, an aggressive program beginning with less than 200 units procured in 2008 ramping up to more than 2,000 units in 2012, (3) Scenario 2 which is identical to Scenario 1 except that the private market is assumed to be twice as sensitive to price, and (4) Scenario 3, a delayed, smaller federal procurement program beginning in 2011 increasing to a maximum of just over 1,000 units per year in 2012. The analysis suggests that the aggressive program of Scenario 1 would likely stimulate a sustainable, competitive North American non-automotive PEM fuel cell industry. Given plausible assumptions about learning rates and scale economies, the procurements assumed in Scenario 1 appear to be sufficient to drive down costs to target levels. These findings are conditional on the evolution of acceptable hydrogen supply strategies, which were not explicitly analyzed in this study. Success is less certain under Scenarios 2 and 3, and there appears to be a strong probability that existing OEMs would not survive until 2011. In the Base Case, no program, a viable North American industry does not emerge before 2020.« less

Preventing adolescent drug use: long-term results of a junior high program.

PubMed Central

Ellickson, P L; Bell, R M; McGuigan, K

1993-01-01

OBJECTIVES. Although several studies have reported short-term gains for drug-use prevention programs targeted at young adolescents, few have assessed the long-term effects of such programs. Such information is essential for judging how long prevention benefits last. This paper reports results over a 6-year period for a multisite randomized trial that achieved reductions in drug use during the junior high school years. METHODS. The 11-lesson curriculum, which was tested in 30 schools in eight highly diverse West Coast communities, focused on helping 7th and 8th grade students develop the motivation and skills to resist drugs. Schools were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. About 4000 students were assessed in grade 7 and six times thereafter through grade 12. Program effects were adjusted for pretest covariates and school effects. RESULTS. Once the lessons stopped, the program's effects on drug use stopped. Effects on cognitive risk factors persisted for a longer time (many through grade 10), but were not sufficient to produce corresponding reductions in use. CONCLUSIONS. It is unlikely that early prevention gains can be maintained without additional prevention efforts during high school. Future research is needed to develop and test such efforts. PMID:8498624

Basic Program Elements for Federal employee Occupational Safety and Health Programs and related matters; Subpart I for Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements. Final rule.

PubMed

2013-08-05

OSHA is issuing a final rule amending the Basic Program Elements to require Federal agencies to submit their occupational injury and illness recordkeeping information to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and OSHA on an annual basis. The information, which is already required to be created and maintained by Federal agencies, will be used by BLS to aggregate injury and illness information throughout the Federal government. OSHA will use the information to identify Federal establishments with high incidence rates for targeted inspection, and assist in determining the most effective safety and health training for Federal employees. The final rule also interprets several existing basic program elements in our regulations to clarify requirements applicable to Federal agencies, amends the date when Federal agencies must submit to the Secretary of Labor their annual report on occupational safety and health programs, amends the date when the Secretary of Labor must submit to the President the annual report on Federal agency safety and health, and clarifies that Federal agencies must include uncompensated volunteers when reporting and recording occupational injuries and illnesses.

Narrative review of current context of malaria and management strategies in Uganda (Part I).

PubMed

Kassam, Rosemin; Collins, John B; Liow, Eric; Rasool, Nabeela

2015-12-01

In accordance with international targets, the Uganda National Malaria Control Strategic Plan established specific targets to be achieved by 2010. For children under five, this included increasing the number of children sleeping under mosquito nets and those receiving a first-line antimalarial to 85%, and decreasing case fatality to 2%. This narrative review offers contextual information relevant to malaria management in Uganda since the advent of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) as first-line antimalarial treatment in 2004. A comprehensive search using key words and phrases was conducted using the web search engines Google and Google Scholar, as well as the databases of PubMed, ERIC, EMBASE, CINAHL, OvidSP (MEDLINE), PSYC Info, Springer Link, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched. A total of 147 relevant international and Ugandan literature sources meeting the inclusion criteria were included. This review provides an insightful understanding on six topic areas: global and local priorities, malarial pathology, disease burden, malaria control, treatment guidelines for uncomplicated malaria, and role of the health system in accessing antimalarial medicines. Plasmodium falciparum remains the most common cause of malaria in Uganda, with children under five being most vulnerable due to their underdeveloped immunity. While international efforts to scale up malaria control measures have resulted in considerable decline in malaria incidence and mortality in several regions of sub-Saharan Africa, this benefit has yet to be substantiated for Uganda. At the local level, key initiatives have included implementation of a new antimalarial drug policy in 2004 and strengthening of government health systems and programs. Examples of such programs include removal of user fees, training of frontline health workers, providing free ACT from government systems and subsidized ACT from licensed private outlets, and introduction of the integrated community case management program to bring diagnostics and treatment for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea closer to the community. However despite notable efforts, Uganda is far from achieving its 2010 targets. Several challenges in the delivery of care and treatment remain, with those most vulnerable and living in rural settings remaining at greatest risk from malaria morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the novel algorithm of flexible ligand docking with moveable target-protein atoms.

PubMed

Sulimov, Alexey V; Zheltkov, Dmitry A; Oferkin, Igor V; Kutov, Danil C; Katkova, Ekaterina V; Tyrtyshnikov, Eugene E; Sulimov, Vladimir B

2017-01-01

We present the novel docking algorithm based on the Tensor Train decomposition and the TT-Cross global optimization. The algorithm is applied to the docking problem with flexible ligand and moveable protein atoms. The energy of the protein-ligand complex is calculated in the frame of the MMFF94 force field in vacuum. The grid of precalculated energy potentials of probe ligand atoms in the field of the target protein atoms is not used. The energy of the protein-ligand complex for any given configuration is computed directly with the MMFF94 force field without any fitting parameters. The conformation space of the system coordinates is formed by translations and rotations of the ligand as a whole, by the ligand torsions and also by Cartesian coordinates of the selected target protein atoms. Mobility of protein and ligand atoms is taken into account in the docking process simultaneously and equally. The algorithm is realized in the novel parallel docking SOL-P program and results of its performance for a set of 30 protein-ligand complexes are presented. Dependence of the docking positioning accuracy is investigated as a function of parameters of the docking algorithm and the number of protein moveable atoms. It is shown that mobility of the protein atoms improves docking positioning accuracy. The SOL-P program is able to perform docking of a flexible ligand into the active site of the target protein with several dozens of protein moveable atoms: the native crystallized ligand pose is correctly found as the global energy minimum in the search space with 157 dimensions using 4700 CPU ∗ h at the Lomonosov supercomputer.

Adolescent human papillomavirus vaccination in the United States: Opportunities for integrating pharmacies into the immunization neighborhood

PubMed Central

Fava, Joseph P.; Colleran, Jacob; Bignasci, Francesca; Cha, Raymond; Kilgore, Paul E.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination faces several barriers, including a social stigma which carries religious and philosophical implications among parents of adolescents as well as young adults. Hundreds of immunization interventions and programs have been developed to address these factors and boost HPV vaccination rates in the United States. We sought to review the existing literature highlighting barriers to HPV immunization, as well as programs targeting increased HPV vaccine uptake in effort to develop novel vaccination initiatives. The most impactful barriers identified were parental stigma and low quality of provider recommendations for the vaccine. Despite the implementation of many HPV initiatives, outcomes of these programs are largely limited to modest improvements in vaccine uptake in small, homogeneous populations. We describe pharmacies as distinctly advantageous but underutilized resources within the immunization neighborhood and propose a novel concept to improve vaccination rates as well as reduce HPV-related disease burden in all demographics. PMID:28605256

An Ada programming support environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyrrill, AL; Chan, A. David

1986-01-01

The toolset of an Ada Programming Support Environment (APSE) being developed at North American Aircraft Operations (NAAO) of Rockwell International, is described. The APSE is resident on three different hosts and must support developments for the hosts and for embedded targets. Tools and developed software must be freely portable between the hosts. The toolset includes the usual editors, compilers, linkers, debuggers, configuration magnagers, and documentation tools. Generally, these are being supplied by the host computer vendors. Other tools, for example, pretty printer, cross referencer, compilation order tool, and management tools were obtained from public-domain sources, are implemented in Ada and are being ported to the hosts. Several tools being implemented in-house are of interest, these include an Ada Design Language processor based on compilable Ada. A Standalone Test Environment Generator facilitates test tool construction and partially automates unit level testing. A Code Auditor/Static Analyzer permits the Ada programs to be evaluated against measures of quality. An Ada Comment Box Generator partially automates generation of header comment boxes.

Baseline evaluation of nutritional status and government feeding programs in Chiclayo, Peru.

PubMed

Gross, Rainer; Lechtig, Aarón; López de Romaña, Daniel

2006-01-01

Because of the rapid growth of the urban population in Peru, food and nutrition insecurity will occur increasingly in this population. For appropriate policy setting and programming, the food and nutrition situation of the urban poor requires better understanding. To gain information about the nature, magnitude, severity, and causes of the nutritional problems of the population in low-income areas of the city of Chiclayo, Peru. A cross-sectional nutrition survey was conducted in 1,604 households, covering children under 5 years of age and their parents. The prevalence rates of stunting, wasting, overweight. and anemia in children were 15.4%, 1.3%, 4.6%, and 65.7%, respectively; one third of adults were overweight, and one tenth were obese; 2.1% of the mothers were underweight; and 34.3% of mothers and 12.2% of fathers had anemia. Governmental feeding programs did not address these problems adequately. Interventions must have adequate targeting; address appropriate responses at the household, community, and national levels; and reduce stunting, obesity, and iron-deficiency anemia.

School-based smoking prevention programmes: ethical aspects.

PubMed

Lotrean, Lucia Maria; Trofor, Antigona; Mihălţan, Florin; Santillan, Edna Arillo

2011-01-01

School-based health education has the potential to inform and educate young people, in order to promote healthy behaviours among them, which will help to prevent diseases and social problems. The present study gives an overview of several ethical issues which must be considered in different phases of school-based smoking prevention programs. This will help health educators, public health professionals and researchers in their activity of health education in schools. The ethical issues must be taken into consideration during all the activities and refer to the involvement of officials, schools, parents, young people who participate into the program, authors and persons/institutions responsible with the implementation, evaluation or funding of the programs. The application into practice of these ethical principles, influence the quality of the health education, its acceptability BY the target group and the correctness of results. Also, it prevents possible problems and misunderstandings between persons and institutions involved in the health education and smoking prevention process, which could seriously affect and even destroy implementation of such health education activities.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: HST FGS-1r parallaxes for 8 metal-poor stars (Chaboyer+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaboyer, B.; McArthur, B. E.; O'Malley, E.; Benedict, G. F.; Feiden, G. A.; Harrison, T. E.; McWilliam, A.; Nelan, E. P.; Patterson, R. J.; Sarajedini, A.

2017-08-01

Each program star was observed with the HST Advanced Camera for Surveys-Wide Field Camera (ACS/WFC) in the F606W and F814W filters. The CTE-corrected ACS/WFC images for the program stars were retrieved from MAST. These instrumental magnitudes were corrected for exposure time, matched to form colors, and calibrated to the VEGAMag and ground-based VI systems using the Sirianni+ (2005PASP..117.1049S) photometric transformations. Ground based photometry for all of our program stars were obtained using the New Mexico State University (NMSU) 1m telescope, the MDM 1.3m telescope, and the SMARTS 0.9m telescope. See appendix A1 for further details. We used HST FGS-1r, a two-axis interferometer, to make the astrometric observations. Eighty-nine orbits of HST astrometric observations were made between 2008 December and 2013 June. Every orbit contained several observations of the target and surrounding reference stars. (4 data files).

Professional development and leadership training opportunities for healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Sonnino, Roberta E

2013-11-01

Formal leadership training is a relatively recent addition to the educational armamentarium of the health care executive. Leadership training opportunities for physicians, surgeons, and scientists have gradually appeared over the past 15 to 20 years, but information about them has been scant, with few comprehensive reviews made available to the community at large. This article describes the major opportunities available to obtain formal and informal leadership training for careers in medical school administration. Programs that are specifically targeted to women are described in detail. Information was obtained from the author's direct knowledge, direct communication with the leadership of each program, and the Web site of each sponsoring organization, when available. Many opportunities for leadership training are now available to surgeons, with several specifically designed for women. The author strongly encourages surgeons to avail themselves of these opportunities, as both anecdotal information and published data suggest that these programs are highly effective in enhancing leadership careers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Combined blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor and programmed death 1 pathways in advanced kidney cancer.

PubMed

Einstein, David J; McDermott, David F

2017-06-01

Targeted and immune-based therapies have improved outcomes in advanced kidney cancer, yet novel strategies are needed to extend the duration of these benefits and expand them to more patients. Combined inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathways with therapeutic agents already in clinical use may offer such a strategy. Here, we describe the development and clinical evaluation of VEGF inhibitors and, separately, PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. We present preclinical evidence of interaction between these pathways and the rationale for combined blockade. Beyond well-known effects on pathologic angiogenesis, VEGF blockade also may decrease immune tolerance and enhance PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. We conclude with the results of several early trials of combined VEGF and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade, which demonstrate encouraging antitumor activity, and we pose questions for future study.

A program evaluation of the Patient CaringTouch System: A pre- and postimplementation assessment.

PubMed

Breckenridge-Sproat, Sara T; Swiger, Pauline A; Belew, Donna L; Raju, Dheeraj; Patrician, Patricia A; Loan, Lori A

The Patient CaringTouch System (PCTS) is an innovative, strategic and patient-centric framework developed by the Army Nurse Corps for nursing care delivery that is designed to reduce nursing care variation and improve patient and nurse outcomes. This manuscript describes a program evaluation of the PCTS. A pre and post design was used to describe changes in patient and nursing measures following PCTS implementation. Overall there was a good uptake of the PCTS; however, concurrent with initiation of the PCTS, declines in staffing levels and increases in patient acuity were noted. Medication administration error rates declined, but fall with injury rates increased. Pain reassessment following pain medication administration improved, as did several aspects of the nursing practice environment. Nurses' job dissatisfaction and intent to leave increased; however, potentially preventable losses decreased. The program evaluation results will be used to target areas for improvement so that the PCTS may be sustained. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Neuronal Dysfunction Associated with Cholesterol Deregulation

PubMed Central

Loganes, Claudia; Bilel, Sabrine; Celeghini, Claudio; Tommasini, Alberto

2018-01-01

Cholesterol metabolism is crucial for cells and, in particular, its biosynthesis in the central nervous system occurs in situ, and its deregulation involves morphological changes that cause functional variations and trigger programmed cell death. The pathogenesis of rare diseases, such as Mevalonate Kinase Deficiency or Smith–Lemli–Opitz Syndrome, arises due to enzymatic defects in the cholesterol metabolic pathways, resulting in a shortage of downstream products. The most severe clinical manifestations of these diseases appear as neurological defects. Expanding the knowledge of this biological mechanism will be useful for identifying potential targets and preventing neuronal damage. Several studies have demonstrated that deregulation of the cholesterol pathway induces mitochondrial dysfunction as the result of respiratory chain damage. We set out to determine whether mitochondrial damage may be prevented by using protective mitochondria-targeted compounds, such as MitoQ, in a neuronal cell line treated with a statin to induce a biochemical block of the cholesterol pathway. Evidence from the literature suggests that mitochondria play a crucial role in the apoptotic mechanism secondary to blocking the cholesterol pathway. Our study shows that MitoQ, administered as a preventive agent, could counteract the cell damage induced by statins in the early stages, but its protective role fades over time. PMID:29783748

Drell-Yan measurement at COMPASS: a place to test the TMD PDFs universality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrieux, Vincent

2017-01-01

For the first time ever, the COMPASS experiment (CERN, SPS) collected in 2015 Drell-Yan (DY) data using a 190 GeV/ c pion beam on a transversely polarized NH3 target. The azimuthal modulations of the DY cross-section give access to the set of transverse momentum dependent (TMD) parton distribution functions (PDFs), which describe the spin structure of the nucleon. Those PDFs were already measured in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) by several experiments and especially COMPASS, which dedicated several campaigns between 2002 and 2010 to measure spin (in)dependent azimuthal asymmetries using a 160 GeV/ c polarized muon beam on a transversely polarized 6LiD or NH3 target. A key interest of extracting those TMD PDFs from different processes is to check the universality and the process-dependent features of TMD PDFs. In this aim, COMPASS is a unique place to test the predicted sign-change of the TMD PDFs using a similar experimental setup and comparable kinematic domain. The main focus of this talk will be set on the physics aspects of the COMPASS polarized Drell-Yan program and related SIDIS results. on behalf of the COMPASS collaboration.

Targeting nursing homes under the Quality Improvement Organization program's 9th statement of work.

PubMed

Stevenson, David G; Mor, Vincent

2009-09-01

In the Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) program's latest Statement of Work, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is targeting its nursing home activities toward facilities that perform poorly on two quality measures-pressure ulcers and restraint use. The designation of target facilities is a shift in strategy for CMS and a direct response to criticism that QIO program resources were not being targeted effectively to facilities or clinical areas that most needed improvement. Using administrative data, this article analyzes implications of using narrowly defined criteria to identify facilities that need improvement, particularly in light of considerable evidence showing that nursing home quality is multidimensional and may change over time. The analyses show that one in four facilities is targeted for improvement nationally but that approximately half of some states' facilities are targeted while other states have almost none targeted. The analyses also convey deeper limitations to using threshold values on individual measures to identify poorly performing homes. Target facilities can be among the top performers on a range of other quality measures, and their performance on targeted measures themselves may change over time. The implication of these features is that a very different group of facilities would have been chosen had the QIO program targeted other measures or examined performance at a different point in time. Ultimately, CMS has chosen a blunt instrument to identify poorly performing nursing homes, and supplemental strategies-such as soliciting input from state survey agencies and more closely aligning quality improvement and quality assurance efforts-should be considered to address potential limitations.

The physics basis for ignition using indirect-drive targets on the National Ignition Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindl, John D.; Amendt, Peter; Berger, Richard L.; Glendinning, S. Gail; Glenzer, Siegfried H.; Haan, Steven W.; Kauffman, Robert L.; Landen, Otto L.; Suter, Laurence J.

2004-02-01

The 1990 National Academy of Science final report of its review of the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program recommended completion of a series of target physics objectives on the 10-beam Nova laser at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as the highest-priority prerequisite for proceeding with construction of an ignition-scale laser facility, now called the National Ignition Facility (NIF). These objectives were chosen to demonstrate that there was sufficient understanding of the physics of ignition targets that the laser requirements for laboratory ignition could be accurately specified. This research on Nova, as well as additional research on the Omega laser at the University of Rochester, is the subject of this review. The objectives of the U.S. indirect-drive target physics program have been to experimentally demonstrate and predictively model hohlraum characteristics, as well as capsule performance in targets that have been scaled in key physics variables from NIF targets. To address the hohlraum and hydrodynamic constraints on indirect-drive ignition, the target physics program was divided into the Hohlraum and Laser-Plasma Physics (HLP) program and the Hydrodynamically Equivalent Physics (HEP) program. The HLP program addresses laser-plasma coupling, x-ray generation and transport, and the development of energy-efficient hohlraums that provide the appropriate spectral, temporal, and spatial x-ray drive. The HEP experiments address the issues of hydrodynamic instability and mix, as well as the effects of flux asymmetry on capsules that are scaled as closely as possible to ignition capsules (hydrodynamic equivalence). The HEP program also addresses other capsule physics issues associated with ignition, such as energy gain and energy loss to the fuel during implosion in the absence of alpha-particle deposition. The results from the Nova and Omega experiments approach the NIF requirements for most of the important ignition capsule parameters, including drive temperature, drive symmetry, and hydrodynamic instability. This paper starts with a review of the NIF target designs that have formed the motivation for the goals of the target physics program. Following that are theoretical and experimental results from Nova and Omega relevant to the requirements of those targets. Some elements of this work were covered in a 1995 review of indirect-drive [J. D. Lindl, ``Development of the indirect-drive approach to inertial confinement fusion and the target physics basis for ignition and gain,'' Phys. Plasmas 2, 3933 (1995)]. In order to present as complete a picture as possible of the research that has been carried out on indirect drive, key elements of that earlier review are also covered here, along with a review of work carried out since 1995.

Examining Preservice Science Teacher Understanding of Nature of Science: Discriminating Variables on the Aspects of Nature of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, William I.

This study examined the understanding of nature of science among participants in their final year of a 4-year undergraduate teacher education program at a Midwest liberal arts university. The Logic Model Process was used as an integrative framework to focus the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of the data for the purpose of (1) describing participant understanding of NOS and (2) to identify participant characteristics and teacher education program features related to those understandings. The Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire form C (VNOS-C) was used to survey participant understanding of 7 target aspects of Nature of Science (NOS). A rubric was developed from a review of the literature to categorize and score participant understanding of the target aspects of NOS. Participants' high school and college transcripts, planning guides for their respective teacher education program majors, and science content and science teaching methods course syllabi were examined to identify and categorize participant characteristics and teacher education program features. The R software (R Project for Statistical Computing, 2010) was used to conduct an exploratory analysis to determine correlations of the antecedent and transaction predictor variables with participants' scores on the 7 target aspects of NOS. Fourteen participant characteristics and teacher education program features were moderately and significantly ( p < .01) correlated with participant scores on the target aspects of NOS. The 6 antecedent predictor variables were entered into multiple regression analyses to determine the best-fit model of antecedent predictor variables for each target NOS aspect. The transaction predictor variables were entered into separate multiple regression analyses to determine the best-fit model of transaction predictor variables for each target NOS aspect. Variables from the best-fit antecedent and best-fit transaction models for each target aspect of NOS were then combined. A regression analysis for each of the combined models was conducted to determine the relative effect of these variables on the target aspects of NOS. Findings from the multiple regression analyses revealed that each of the fourteen predictor variables was present in the best-fit model for at least 1 of the 7 target aspects of NOS. However, not all of the predictor variables were statistically significant (p < .007) in the models and their effect (beta) varied. Participants in the teacher education program who had higher ACT Math scores, completed more high school science credits, and were enrolled either in the Middle Childhood with a science concentration program major or in the Adolescent/Young Adult Science Education program major were more likely to have an informed understanding on each of the 7 target aspects of NOS. Analyses of the planning guides and the course syllabi in each teacher education program major revealed differences between the program majors that may account for the results.

Children's Reactions to a Children's News Program: Reception, Recognition and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Sara Ann

The major objectives of this study were to determine the reception of "In the News" by children within the target audience's ages, to determine if children within the target audience recognize the news program as a program, to determine if children learn from "In the News," and to compare children's learning from hard news…

Does Information Improve the Health Behavior of Adults Targeted by a Conditional Transfer Program?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avitabile, Ciro

2012-01-01

We use data from the evaluation sample of Mexico's Food Assistance Program (PAL) to study whether including the attendance at health and nutrition classes among the requirements for receiving a transfer affects the health behavior of adults living in localities targeted by the program. The experimental trial has four different treatment types,…

Risk maps for targeting exotic plant pest detection programs in the United States

Treesearch

R.D. Magarey; D.M. Borchert; J.S. Engle; M Garcia-Colunga; Frank H. Koch; et al

2011-01-01

In the United States, pest risk maps are used by the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey for spatial and temporal targeting of exotic plant pest detection programs. Methods are described to create standardized host distribution, climate and pathway risk maps for the top nationally ranked exotic pest targets. Two examples are provided to illustrate the risk mapping...

Targeted Mentoring: Evaluation of a Program

PubMed Central

McAllister, Carolyn A.; Harold, Rena D.; Ahmedani, Brian K.; Cramer, Elizabeth P.

2009-01-01

Targeted mentoring refers to mentoring aimed at a particular population. This article presents the evaluation of a mentoring program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in social work education. Forty-three mentors and protégés responded to a survey regarding their program experiences. The results highlight the need for targeted mentoring, although some disparities of experience for mentors and protégés in this program are apparent. In general, mentors felt positive about participating, giving back to the LGBT community, and were more satisfied with their experiences than were the protégés, who were looking for more specific types of instrumental and psychosocial support. PMID:20046917

Adoption and Design of Emerging Dietary Policies to Improve Cardiometabolic Health in the US.

PubMed

Huang, Yue; Pomeranz, Jennifer; Wilde, Parke; Capewell, Simon; Gaziano, Tom; O'Flaherty, Martin; Kersh, Rogan; Whitsel, Laurie; Mozaffarian, Dariush; Micha, Renata

2018-04-14

Suboptimal diet is a leading cause of cardiometabolic disease and economic burdens. Evidence-based dietary policies within 5 domains-food prices, reformulation, marketing, labeling, and government food assistance programs-appear promising at improving cardiometabolic health. Yet, the extent of new dietary policy adoption in the US and key elements crucial to define in designing such policies are not well established. We created an inventory of recent US dietary policy cases aiming to improve cardiometabolic health and assessed the extent of their proposal and adoption at federal, state, local, and tribal levels; and categorized and characterized the key elements in their policy design. Recent federal dietary policies adopted to improve cardiometabolic health include reformulation (trans-fat elimination), marketing (mass-media campaigns to increase fruits and vegetables), labeling (Nutrition Facts Panel updates, menu calorie labeling), and food assistance programs (financial incentives for fruits and vegetables in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program). Federal voluntary guidelines have been proposed for sodium reformulation and food marketing to children. Recent state proposals included sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes, marketing restrictions, and SNAP restrictions, but few were enacted. Local efforts varied significantly, with certain localities consistently leading in the proposal or adoption of relevant policies. Across all jurisdictions, most commonly selected dietary targets included fruits and vegetables, SSBs, trans-fat, added sugar, sodium, and calories; other healthy (e.g., nuts) or unhealthy (e.g., processed meats) factors were largely not addressed. Key policy elements to define in designing these policies included those common across domains (e.g., level of government, target population, dietary target, dietary definition, implementation mechanism), and domain-specific (e.g., media channels for food marketing domain) or policy-specific (e.g., earmarking for taxes) elements. Characteristics of certain elements were similarly defined (e.g., fruit and vegetable definition, warning language used in SSB warning labels), while others varied across cases within a policy (e.g., tax base for SSB taxes). Several key elements were not always sufficiently characterized in government documents, and dietary target selections and definitions did not consistently align with the evidence-base. These findings highlight recent action on dietary policies to improve cardiometabolic health in the US; and key elements necessary to design such policies.

Astrometric Results of NEOs from the Characterization and Astrometric Follow-up Program at Adler Planetarium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nault, Kristie A.; Brucker, Melissa J.; Hammergren, Mark; Gyuk, Geza; Solontoi, Mike R.

2015-11-01

We present astrometric results of near-Earth objects (NEOs) targeted in fourth quarter 2014 and in 2015. This is part of Adler Planetarium’s NEO characterization and astrometric follow-up program, which uses the Astrophysical Research Consortium (ARC) 3.5-m telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO). The program utilizes a 17% share of telescope time, amounting to a total of 500 hours per year. This time is divided up into two hour observing runs approximately every other night for astrometry and frequent half-night runs approximately several times a month for spectroscopy (see poster by M. Hammergren et. al.) and light curve studies (see poster by M. J. Brucker et. al.).Observations were made using Seaver Prototype Imaging Camera (SPIcam), a visible-wavelength, direct imaging CCD camera with 2048 x 2048 pixels and a field of view of 4.78’ x 4.78’. Observations were made using 2 x 2 binning.Special emphasis has been made to focus on the smallest NEOs, particularly around 140m in diameter. Targets were selected based on absolute magnitude (prioritizing for those with H > 25 mag to select small objects) and a 3σ uncertainty less than 400” to ensure that the target is in the FOV. Targets were drawn from the Minor Planet Center (MPC) NEA Observing Planning Aid, the JPL What’s Observable tool, and the Spaceguard priority list and faint NEO list.As of August 2015, we have detected 670 NEOs for astrometric follow-up, on point with our goal of providing astrometry on a thousand NEOs per year. Astrometric calculations were done using the interactive software tool Astrometrica, which is used for data reduction focusing on the minor bodies of the solar system. The program includes automatic reference star identification from new-generation star catalogs, access to the complete MPC database of orbital elements, and automatic moving object detection and identification.This work is based on observations done using the 3.5-m telescope at Apache Point Observatory, owned and operated by the Astrophysical Research Consortium. We acknowledge the support from the NASA NEOO award NNX14AL17G and thank the University of Chicago Astronomy and Astrophysics Department for observing time in 2014.

Enhancing the effectiveness of HIV/AIDS prevention programs targeted to unique population groups in Thailand: lessons learned from applying concepts of diffusion of innovation and social marketing.

PubMed

Svenkerud, P J; Singhal, A

1998-01-01

Diffusion of innovations theory and social marketing theory have been criticized for their limited applicability in influencing unique population groups (e.g., female commercial sex workers (CSWs) working in low-class brothels). This study investigated the applicability of these two theoretical frameworks in outreach efforts directed to unique populations at high risk for HIV/AIDS in Bangkok, Thailand. Further, this study examined Thai cultural characteristics that influence communication about HIV/AIDS prevention. The results suggest that certain concepts and strategies drawn from the two frameworks were used more or less by effective outreach programs, providing several policy-relevant lessons. Cultural constraints, such as the lack of visibility of the disease and traditional sexual practices, influenced communication about HIV/AIDS prevention.

SP-Designer: a user-friendly program for designing species-specific primer pairs from DNA sequence alignments.

PubMed

Villard, Pierre; Malausa, Thibaut

2013-07-01

SP-Designer is an open-source program providing a user-friendly tool for the design of specific PCR primer pairs from a DNA sequence alignment containing sequences from various taxa. SP-Designer selects PCR primer pairs for the amplification of DNA from a target species on the basis of several criteria: (i) primer specificity, as assessed by interspecific sequence polymorphism in the annealing regions, (ii) the biochemical characteristics of the primers and (iii) the intended PCR conditions. SP-Designer generates tables, detailing the primer pair and PCR characteristics, and a FASTA file locating the primer sequences in the original sequence alignment. SP-Designer is Windows-compatible and freely available from http://www2.sophia.inra.fr/urih/sophia_mart/sp_designer/info_sp_designer.php. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strategies to reduce driving under the influence of alcohol.

PubMed

DeJong, W; Hingson, R

1998-01-01

The purpose of this review is to update research on the prevention of alcohol-related traffic deaths since the 1988 Surgeon General's Workshop on Drunk Driving. Four primary areas of research are reviewed here: (a) general deterrence policies, (b) alcohol control policies, (c) mass communications campaigns, including advertising restrictions, and (d) community traffic safety programs. Modern efforts to combat drunk driving in the United States began with specific deterrence strategies to punish convicted drunk drivers, and then evolved to include general deterrence strategies that were targeted to the population as a whole. Efforts next expanded to include the alcohol side of the problem, with measures installed to decrease underage drinking and excessive alcohol consumption. In the next several years, greater efforts are needed on all these fronts. Also needed, however, are programs that integrate drunk driving prevention with other traffic safety initiatives.

Weight Measurements and Standards for Soldiers, Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

H.E.A.L.T.H.) (1). This program was designed to address weight management needs and non -compliance with the Army Weight Control Program (AWCP) (2) and...basis (minority of users), versus registering on the program and never returning (majority of users). This is similar to other trials of this nature...in civilian technology programs for weight management. Also, enrollment and use in target groups (overweight) are more likely than non -target groups

Exercise for falls prevention in Parkinson disease

PubMed Central

Sherrington, Catherine; Lord, Stephen R.; Close, Jacqueline C.T.; Heritier, Stephane; Heller, Gillian Z.; Howard, Kirsten; Allen, Natalie E.; Latt, Mark D.; Murray, Susan M.; O'Rourke, Sandra D.; Paul, Serene S.; Song, Jooeun; Fung, Victor S.C.

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine whether falls can be prevented with minimally supervised exercise targeting potentially remediable fall risk factors, i.e., poor balance, reduced leg muscle strength, and freezing of gait, in people with Parkinson disease. Methods: Two hundred thirty-one people with Parkinson disease were randomized into exercise or usual-care control groups. Exercises were practiced for 40 to 60 minutes, 3 times weekly for 6 months. Primary outcomes were fall rates and proportion of fallers during the intervention period. Secondary outcomes were physical (balance, mobility, freezing of gait, habitual physical activity), psychological (fear of falling, affect), and quality-of-life measures. Results: There was no significant difference between groups in the rate of falls (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45–1.17, p = 0.18) or proportion of fallers (p = 0.45). Preplanned subgroup analysis revealed a significant interaction for disease severity (p < 0.001). In the lower disease severity subgroup, there were fewer falls in the exercise group compared with controls (IRR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.62, p < 0.001), while in the higher disease severity subgroup, there was a trend toward more falls in the exercise group (IRR = 1.61, 95% CI 0.86–3.03, p = 0.13). Postintervention, the exercise group scored significantly (p < 0.05) better than controls on the Short Physical Performance Battery, sit-to-stand, fear of falling, affect, and quality of life, after adjusting for baseline performance. Conclusions: An exercise program targeting balance, leg strength, and freezing of gait did not reduce falls but improved physical and psychological health. Falls were reduced in people with milder disease but not in those with more severe Parkinson disease. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that for patients with Parkinson disease, a minimally supervised exercise program does not reduce fall risk. This study lacked the precision to exclude a moderate reduction or modest increase in fall risk from exercise. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000303347). PMID:25552576

Exercise for falls prevention in Parkinson disease: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Canning, Colleen G; Sherrington, Catherine; Lord, Stephen R; Close, Jacqueline C T; Heritier, Stephane; Heller, Gillian Z; Howard, Kirsten; Allen, Natalie E; Latt, Mark D; Murray, Susan M; O'Rourke, Sandra D; Paul, Serene S; Song, Jooeun; Fung, Victor S C

2015-01-20

To determine whether falls can be prevented with minimally supervised exercise targeting potentially remediable fall risk factors, i.e., poor balance, reduced leg muscle strength, and freezing of gait, in people with Parkinson disease. Two hundred thirty-one people with Parkinson disease were randomized into exercise or usual-care control groups. Exercises were practiced for 40 to 60 minutes, 3 times weekly for 6 months. Primary outcomes were fall rates and proportion of fallers during the intervention period. Secondary outcomes were physical (balance, mobility, freezing of gait, habitual physical activity), psychological (fear of falling, affect), and quality-of-life measures. There was no significant difference between groups in the rate of falls (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.73, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45-1.17, p = 0.18) or proportion of fallers (p = 0.45). Preplanned subgroup analysis revealed a significant interaction for disease severity (p < 0.001). In the lower disease severity subgroup, there were fewer falls in the exercise group compared with controls (IRR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.15-0.62, p < 0.001), while in the higher disease severity subgroup, there was a trend toward more falls in the exercise group (IRR = 1.61, 95% CI 0.86-3.03, p = 0.13). Postintervention, the exercise group scored significantly (p < 0.05) better than controls on the Short Physical Performance Battery, sit-to-stand, fear of falling, affect, and quality of life, after adjusting for baseline performance. An exercise program targeting balance, leg strength, and freezing of gait did not reduce falls but improved physical and psychological health. Falls were reduced in people with milder disease but not in those with more severe Parkinson disease. This study provides Class III evidence that for patients with Parkinson disease, a minimally supervised exercise program does not reduce fall risk. This study lacked the precision to exclude a moderate reduction or modest increase in fall risk from exercise. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12608000303347). © 2014 American Academy of Neurology.

Did We Get Our Money’s Worth? Bridging Economic and Behavioral Measures of Program Success in Adolescent Drug Prevention

PubMed Central

Griffith, Kevin N.; Scheier, Lawrence M.

2013-01-01

The recent U.S. Congressional mandate for creating drug-free learning environments in elementary and secondary schools stipulates that education reform rely on accountability, parental and community involvement, local decision making, and use of evidence-based drug prevention programs. By necessity, this charge has been paralleled by increased interest in demonstrating that drug prevention programs net tangible benefits to society. One pressing concern is precisely how to integrate traditional scientific methods of program evaluation with economic measures of “cost efficiency”. The languages and methods of each respective discipline don’t necessarily converge on how to establish the true benefits of drug prevention. This article serves as a primer for conducting economic analyses of school-based drug prevention programs. The article provides the reader with a foundation in the relevant principles, methodologies, and benefits related to conducting economic analysis. Discussion revolves around how economists value the potential costs and benefits, both financial and personal, from implementing school-based drug prevention programs targeting youth. Application of heterogeneous costing methods coupled with widely divergent program evaluation findings influences the feasibility of these techniques and may hinder utilization of these practices. Determination of cost-efficiency should undoubtedly become one of several markers of program success and contribute to the ongoing debate over health policy. PMID:24217178

The ASP: Programs to Inspire Educators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hurst, Anna; Gurton, S.; Bennett, M.; Berendson, M.; Gibbs, M.

2006-12-01

The Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) provides educators with new approaches to hands-on astronomy and space science. Through interactive educational programs, our goal is to help more people understand, appreciate, and enjoy astronomy and science. Over the past several years, the ASP has re-dedicated itself to achieving this mission through an ever-expanding portfolio of programs. Our astronomy and education programs target educators of all descriptions classroom teachers, informal science educators (in science museums, planetariums, nature centers, etc.), college astronomy teachers, and amateur astronomers providing them with materials and training to capture the attention of their students and audiences and to introduce them to science via an initial engagement in astronomy. In this poster we provide an overview of current programs that include partnerships with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, TERC, the Astronomical League, NASA, and the SETI Institute to address this broad range of formal and informal educators. Additionally, the poster will provide a summary of recently conducted research by the ASP regarding the Project ASTRO program, done in cooperation with our national partners, to gauge whether the program, as perceived by the teachers participating in Project ASTRO, a) assists in correcting common misconceptions in astronomy or science and b) improve students' attitudes towards science. Additional information regarding the ASP's educational programs can be found at: www.astrosociety.org/education.html

MPIRUN: A Portable Loader for Multidisciplinary and Multi-Zonal Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fineberg, Samuel A.; Woodrow, Thomas S. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

Multidisciplinary and multi-zonal applications are an important class of applications in the area of Computational Aerosciences. In these codes, two or more distinct parallel programs or copies of a single program are utilized to model a single problem. To support such applications, it is common to use a programming model where a program is divided into several single program multiple data stream (SPMD) applications, each of which solves the equations for a single physical discipline or grid zone. These SPMD applications are then bound together to form a single multidisciplinary or multi-zonal program in which the constituent parts communicate via point-to-point message passing routines. One method for implementing the message passing portion of these codes is with the new Message Passing Interface (MPI) standard. Unfortunately, this standard only specifies the message passing portion of an application, but does not specify any portable mechanisms for loading an application. MPIRUN was developed to provide a portable means for loading MPI programs, and was specifically targeted at multidisciplinary and multi-zonal applications. Programs using MPIRUN for loading and MPI for message passing are then portable between all machines supported by MPIRUN. MPIRUN is currently implemented for the Intel iPSC/860, TMC CM5, IBM SP-1 and SP-2, Intel Paragon, and workstation clusters. Further, MPIRUN is designed to be simple enough to port easily to any system supporting MPI.

China's Primary Programs of Terrestrial Ecosystem Restoration: Initiation, Implementation, and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yin, Runsheng; Yin, Guiping

2010-03-01

China has undertaken several major programs of terrestrial ecosystem restoration (ERPs) in recent years, including the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) and the Sloping Land Conversion Program (SLCP). There have been reports on the implementation of these programs, their preliminary impacts, and the problems encountered in carrying them out; a great deal has been learned from these studies. Nonetheless, China’s ERPs are not limited to the NFPP and the SLCP. Because a complete documentation and a timely update of these major efforts are still missing from the literature, it is difficult to gauge the scope of these programs and the scale of their impacts. In addition, a more thorough and critical analysis of both the general ERP policy and the specific technical measures used in implementing the ERPs remains urgently needed. The purpose of this article is to tackle these tasks. Overall, with the huge government investments in the ERPs, tremendous progress has been made in implementing them. To complete them successfully and to fundamentally improve the targeted ecosystems, however, it is essential for China to have a more balanced and comprehensive approach to ecological restoration. This approach must include: adopting better planning and management practices; strengthening the governance of program implementation; emphasizing the active engagement of local people; establishing an independent, competent monitoring network; and conducting adequate assessments of program effectiveness and impact.

The welfare effects of raising household energy prices in Poland

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

Freund, C.L.; Wallich, C.I.

1996-06-01

We examine the welfare effects from increasing household energy prices in Poland. Subsidizing household energy prices, common in the transition economies, is shown to be highly regressive. The wealthy spend a larger portion of their income on energy and consume more energy in absolute terms. We therefore rule out the oft-used social welfare argument for delaying household energy price increases. Raising prices, while targeting relief to the poor through a social assistance program is the first-best response. However, if governments want to ease the adjustment, several options are open, including: in-kind transfers to the poor, vouchers, in-cash transfers, and lifelinemore » pricing for electricity. Our simulations show that if raising prices to efficient levels is not politically feasible at present and social assistance targeting is sufficiently weak, it may be socially better to use lifeline pricing and a large price increase than an overall, but smaller, price increase.« less

Cryogenic Photogrammetry and Radiometry for the James Webb Space Telescope Microshutters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chambers, Victor J.; Morey, Peter A.; Zukowski, Barbara J.; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Collins, Nicholas R.

2012-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) relies on several innovations to complete its five year mission. One vital technology is microshutters, the programmable field selectors that enable the Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) to perform multi-object spectroscopy. Mission success depends on acquiring spectra from large numbers of galaxies by positioning shutter slits over faint targets. Precise selection of faint targets requires field selectors that are both high in contrast and stable in position. We have developed test facilities to evaluate microshutter contrast and alignment stability at their 35K operating temperature. These facilities used a novel application of image registration algorithms to obtain non-contact, sub-micron measurements in cryogenic conditions. The cryogenic motion of the shutters was successfully characterized. Optical results also demonstrated that shutter contrast far exceeds the NIRSpec requirements. Our test program has concluded with the delivery of a flight-qualified field selection subsystem to the NIRSpec bench.

A study of unmanned mission opportunities to comets and asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mann, F. I.; Horsewood, J. L.; Bjorkman, W.

1974-01-01

Several unmanned multiple-target mission opportunities to comets and asteroids were studied. The targets investigated include Grigg-Skjellerup, Giacobini-Zinner, Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak, Borrelly, Halley, Schaumasse, Geographos, Eros, Icarus, and Toro, and the trajectories consist of purely ballistic flight, except that powered swingbys and deep space burns are employed when necessary. Optimum solar electric rendezvous trajectories to the comets Giacobini-Zinner/85, Borrelly/87, and Temple (2)/83 and /88 employing the 8.67 kw Sert III spacecraft modified for interplanetary flight were also investigated. The problem of optimizing electric propulsion heliocentric trajectories, including the effects of geocentric launch asymptote declination on launch vehicle performance capability, was formulated, and a solution developed using variational calculus techniques. Improvements were made to the HILTOP trajectory optimization computer program. An error analysis of high-thrust maneuvers involving spin-stabilized spacecraft was developed and applied to a synchronous meteorological satellite mission.

Targeting the unmet medical need: the Abbott Laboratories oncology approach.

PubMed

Carlson, Dawn M; Steinberg, Joyce L; Gordon, Gary

2005-09-01

While significant advances in the treatment of cancer occured during the last half of the twentieth century, parallel decreases in overall cancer death rates were not observed. Cancer therapy remains an area of significant unmet medical need. Abbott's oncology research programs are focused on pioneering trageted, less toxic therapies, aimed at different aspects of tumor growth and development. Oncology drugs in development at Abbott target several mechanisms of cancer progression by interfering with multiple processes necessary for tumor growth: recruitment of a blood supply, cell proliferation, and the development of metastases. They include a selective endothelin A-receptor antagonist (atrasentan/Xinlay), 3 angiogenesis inhibitors (ABT 510, a thrombospondin mimetic: ABT-869, a multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor; and ABT 828, recombinant human plasminogen kringle 5), a cell proliferation inhibitor (ABT-751, an antimitotic agent), an apoptosis inducer (ABT 737, a Bcl-2 family inhibitor), and a poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase inhibitor.

Image-based numerical modeling of HIFU-induced lesions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almekkaway, Mohamed K.; Shehata, Islam A.; Haritonova, Alyona; Ballard, John; Casper, Andrew; Ebbini, Emad

2017-03-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic vascular disease affecting large and medium sized arteries. Several treatment options are already available for treatment of this disease. Targeting atherosclerotic plaques by high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) using dual mode ultrasound arrays (DMUA) was recently introduced in literature. We present a finite difference time domain (FDTD) simulation modeling of the wave propagation in heterogeneous medium from the surface of a 3.5 MHz array prototype with 32-elements. After segmentation of the ultrasound image obtained for the treatment region in-vivo, we integrated this anatomical information into our simulation to account for different parameters that may be caused by these multi-region anatomical complexities. The simulation program showed that HIFU was able to induce damage in the prefocal region instead of the target area. The HIFU lesions, as predicted by our simulation, were well correlated with the actual damage detected in histology.

Endocrine toxicity of immune checkpoint inhibitors: essential crosstalk between endocrinologists and oncologists.

PubMed

Illouz, Frédéric; Briet, Claire; Cloix, Lucie; Le Corre, Yannick; Baize, Nathalie; Urban, Thierry; Martin, Ludovic; Rodien, Patrice

2017-08-01

Two types of immune checkpoint inhibitors, both antibodies that target cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 and those that target programmed cell death-protein 1, have been approved for use in melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, and renal cell carcinoma as first-line or second-line therapy. Their adverse events are primarily regarded as immune-related adverse events. We felt it was important to pinpoint and discuss certain preconceptions or misconceptions regarding thyroid dysfunction, hypophysitis, and diabetes induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors. We have identified areas of uncertainty and unmet requirements, including essential interaction between endocrinologists and oncologists. Five issues have been identified for discussion: (1) diagnosis of endocrine toxicity, (2) assessment of toxicity severity, (3) treatment of toxicity, (4) withdrawal or continuation of immunotherapy, (5) preventive action. © 2017 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Niclosamide, an old antihelminthic agent, demonstrates antitumor activity by blocking multiple signaling pathways of cancer stem cells

PubMed Central

Pan, Jing-Xuan; Ding, Ke; Wang, Cheng-Yan

2012-01-01

Niclosamide, an oral antihelminthic drug, has been used to treat tapeworm infection for about 50 years. Niclosamide is also used as a molluscicide for water treatment in schistosomiasis control programs. Recently, several groups have independently discovered that niclosamide is also active against cancer cells, but its precise mechanism of antitumor action is not fully understood. Evidence supports that niclosamide targets multiple signaling pathways (NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, ROS, mTORC1, and Stat3), most of which are closely involved with cancer stem cells. The exciting advances in elucidating the antitumor activity and the molecular targets of this drug will be discussed. A method for synthesizing a phosphate pro-drug of niclosamide is provided. Given its potential antitumor activity, clinical trials for niclosamide and its derivatives are warranted for cancer treatment. PMID:22237038

Assertive outreach in Slovenia; identification of target group and goals of treatment in a new program.

PubMed

Furlan, Mirjana

2009-09-01

A team from the Rehabilitation unit of Ljubljana psychiatric clinic attended a course on community care in London in October and November 2005. Because we decided that the methods presented to us could be of great use in Slovenia where the Health system is lacking such services we decided to implement them after our return. Immediately after we returned we started to carry out our plan. We designated our target group which were patients who poorly participated in treatment or had multiple and severe difficulties functioning and retaining their progress after discharge. Our goals were to improve patient participation in treatment before and after discharge, less and shorter hospitalizations and better integration of patients into society. Initial results are very positive, which leaves me much hope for further implementation of assertive outreach and community care in Slovenia.

An in-silico investigation of anti-Chagas phytochemicals.

PubMed

McCulley, Stephanie F; Setzer, William N

2014-01-01

Over 18 million people in tropical and subtropical America are afflicted by American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease. In humans, symptoms of the disease include fever, swelling, and heart and brain damage, usually leading to death. There is currently no effective treatment for this disease. Plant products continue to be rich sources of clinically useful drugs, and the biodiversity of the Neotropics suggests great phytomedicinal potential. Screening programs have revealed numerous plant species and phytochemical agents that have shown in-vitro or in-vivo antitrypanosomal activity, but the biochemical targets of these phytochemicals are not known. In this work, we present a molecular docking analysis of Neotropical phytochemicals, which have already demonstrated antiparasitic activity against Trypanosoma cruzi, with potential druggable protein targets of the parasite. Several protein targets showed in-silico selectivity for trypanocidal phytochemicals, including trypanothione reductase, pteridine reductase 2, lipoamide dehydrogenase, glucokinase, dihydroorotate dehydrogenase, cruzain, dihydrofolate-reductase/thymidylate-synthase, and farnesyl diphosphate synthase. Some of the phytochemical ligands showed notable docking preference for trypanothione reductase, including flavonoids, fatty-acid-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons, geranylgeraniol and the lignans ganschisandrine and eupomatenoid-6.

Repurposing anticancer drugs for targeting necroptosis.

PubMed

Fulda, Simone

2018-04-25

Necroptosis represents a form of programmed cell death that can be engaged by various upstream signals, for example by ligation of death receptors, by viral sensors or by pattern recognition receptors. It depends on several key signaling proteins, including the kinases Receptor-Interacting Protein (RIP)1 and RIP3 and the pseudokinase mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL). Necroptosis has been implicated in a number of physiological and pathophysiological conditions and is disturbed in many human diseases. Thus, targeted interference with necroptosis signaling may offer new opportunities for the treatment of human diseases. Besides structure-based drug design, in recent years drug repositioning has emerged as a promising alternative to develop drug-like compounds. There is accumulating evidence showing that multi-targeting kinase inhibitors, for example Dabrafenib, Vemurafenib, Sorafenib, Pazopanib and Ponatinib, used for the treatment of cancer also display anti-necroptotic activity. This review summarizes recent evidence indicating that some anticancer kinase inhibitors also negatively affect necroptosis signaling. This implies that some cancer therapeutics may be repurposed for other pathologies, e.g. ischemic or inflammatory diseases.

Software engineering with application-specific languages

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, David J.; Barker, Linda; Mitchell, Deborah; Pollack, Robert H.

1993-01-01

Application-Specific Languages (ASL's) are small, special-purpose languages that are targeted to solve a specific class of problems. Using ASL's on software development projects can provide considerable cost savings, reduce risk, and enhance quality and reliability. ASL's provide a platform for reuse within a project or across many projects and enable less-experienced programmers to tap into the expertise of application-area experts. ASL's have been used on several software development projects for the Space Shuttle Program. On these projects, the use of ASL's resulted in considerable cost savings over conventional development techniques. Two of these projects are described.

Management case study: Tampa Bay, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrison, G.; Greening, H.S.; Yates, K.K.

2012-01-01

Tampa Bay, Florida,USA, is a shallow,subtropical estuary that experienced severe cultural eutrophication between the 1940s and 1980s, a period when the human population of its watershed quadrupled. In response, citizen action led to the formation of a public- and private-sector partnership (the Tampa Bay Estuary Program), which adopted a number of management objectives to support the restoration and protection of the bay’s living resources. These included numeric chlorophyll a and water-clarity targets, as well as long-term goals addressing the spatial extent of sea grasses and other selected habitat types, to support estuarine-dependent faunal guilds.

The role of marketing in transplantation.

PubMed

Thomson, Art

2007-06-01

Although marketing has a well-established role in healthcare, few publications on the role of marketing in transplantation exist. In addition, the field of organ transplantation presents some unique marketing challenges because of the limited availability of organs. Marketing is essential to the success of transplantation services. An effective market planning process includes several steps: an assessment of the current program; analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats; a competitive analysis; the identification of target audiences; setting of marketing goals, strategies, and tactics; and developing methods for tracking and evaluation. Two often overlooked needs are to assess readiness for marketing and internal marketing.

Paying physician group practices for quality: A statewide quasi-experiment.

PubMed

Conrad, Douglas A; Grembowski, David; Perry, Lisa; Maynard, Charles; Rodriguez, Hector; Martin, Diane

2013-12-01

This article presents the results of a unique quasi-experiment of the effects of a large-scale pay-for-performance (P4P) program implemented by a leading health insurer in Washington state during 2001-2007. The authors received external funding to provide an objective impact evaluation of the program. The program was unique in several respects: (1) It was designed dynamically, with two discrete intervention periods-one in which payment incentives were based on relative performance (the "contest" period) and a second in which payment incentives were based on absolute performance compared to achievable benchmarks. (2) The program was designed in collaboration with large multispecialty group practices, with an explicit run-in period to test the quality metrics. Public reporting of the quality scorecard for all participating medical groups was introduced 1 year before the quality incentive payment program's inception, and continued throughout 2002-2007. (3) The program was implemented in stages with distinct medical groups. A control group of comparable group practices also was assembled, and difference-in-differences methodology was applied to estimate program effects. Case mix measures were included in all multivariate analyses. The regression design permitted a contrast of intervention effects between the "contest" approach in the sub-period of 2003-2004 and the absolute standard, "achievable benchmarks of care" approach in sub-period 2005-2007. Most of the statistically significant quality incentive program coefficients were small and negative (opposite to program intent). A consistent pattern of differential intervention impact in the sub-periods did not emerge. Cumulatively, the probit regression estimates indicate that neither the quality scorecard nor the quality incentive payment program had a significant positive effect on general clinical quality. Based on key informant interviews with medical leaders, practicing physicians, and administrators of the participating groups, the authors conclude that several factors likely combined to dampen program effects: (1) modest size of the incentive; (2) use of rewards only, rather than a balance of rewards and penalties; (3) targeting incentive payments to the group, thus potentially weakening incentive effects at the individual level. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ERCS08: A FORTRAN program equipped with a Windows graphics user interface that calculates ECPSSR cross sections for the removal of atomic electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horvat, Vladimir

2009-06-01

ERCS08 is a program for computing the atomic electron removal cross sections. It is written in FORTRAN in order to make it more portable and easier to customize by a large community of physicists, but it also comes with a separate windows graphics user interface control application ERCS08w that makes it easy to quickly prepare the input file, run the program, as well as view and analyze the output. The calculations are based on the ECPSSR theory for direct (Coulomb) ionization and non-radiative electron capture. With versatility in mind, the program allows for selective inclusion or exclusion of individual contributions to the cross sections from effects such as projectile energy loss, Coulomb deflection of the projectile, perturbation of electron's stationary state (polarization and binding), as well as relativity. This makes it straightforward to assess the importance of each effect in a given collision regime. The control application also makes it easy to setup for calculations in inverse kinematics (i.e. ionization of projectile ions by target atoms or ions). Program summaryProgram title: ERCS08 Catalogue identifier: AECU_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AECU_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 12 832 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 318 420 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Once the input file is prepared (using a text editor or ERCS08w), all the calculations are done in FORTRAN using double precision. Computer: see "Operating system" below Operating system: The main program (ERCS08) can run on any computer equipped with a FORTRAN compiler. Its pre-compiled executable file (supplied) runs under DOS or Windows. The supplied graphics user interface control application (ERCS08w) requires a Windows operating system. ERCS08w is designed to be used along with a text editor. Any editor can be used, including the one that comes with the operating system (for example, Edit for DOS or Notepad for Windows). Classification: 16.7, 16.8 Nature of problem: ECPSSR has become a typical tag word for a theory that goes beyond the standard plane wave Born approximation (PWBA) in order to predict the cross sections for direct (Coulomb) ionization of atomic electrons by projectile ions, taking into account the energy loss (E) and Coulomb deflection (C) of the projectile, as well as the perturbed stationary state (PSS) and relativistic nature (R) of the target electron. Its treatment of non-radiative electron capture to the projectile goes beyond the Oppenheimer-Brinkman-Kramers approximation (OBK) to include the effects of C, PSS, and R. PSS is described in terms of increased target electron binding (B) due to the presence of the projectile in the vicinity of the target nucleus, and (for direct ionization only) polarization of the target electron cloud (P) while projectile is outside the electron's shell radius. Several modifications of the theory have been recently suggested or endorsed by one of its authors (Lapicki). These modifications are sometimes explicit in the tag word (for example, eCPSSR, eCUSR, ReCPSShsR, etc.) A cross section for the ionization of a target electron is assumed to equal the sum of the cross sections for direct ionization (DI) and electron capture (EC). Solution method: The calculations are based on the ECPSSR theory for direct (Coulomb) ionization and non-radiative electron capture. With versatility in mind, the program allows for selective inclusion or exclusion of individual contributions to the cross sections from effects such as projectile energy loss, Coulomb deflection of the projectile, perturbation of electron's stationary state (polarization and binding), as well as relativity. This makes it straightforward to assess the importance of each effect in a given collision regime. The control application also makes it easy to setup for calculations in inverse kinematics (i.e. ionization of projectile ions by target atoms or ions). Restrictions: The program is restricted to the ionization of K, L, and M electrons. The theory is non-relativistic, which effectively limits its applicability to projectile energies up to about 50 MeV/amu. However, the theory is extended to apply to relativistic light projectiles. Radiative electron capture is not taken into account, since its contribution is found to be negligible in the collision regimes covered by the ECPSSR theory. Unusual features: Windows graphics user interface along with a FORTRAN code for calculations, selective inclusion or exclusion of specific corrections, inclusion of the extension to relativistic light projectiles, inclusion of non-radiative electron capture. Running time: Running the program using the input data provided with the distribution only takes a few seconds.

Obesity Severity, Dietary Behaviors, and Lifestyle Risks Vary by Race/Ethnicity and Age in a Northern California Cohort of Children with Obesity.

PubMed

Ford, Margaret C; Gordon, Nancy P; Howell, Amanda; Green, Cheryl E; Greenspan, Louise C; Chandra, Malini; Mellor, R Grant; Lo, Joan C

2016-01-01

Identification of modifiable behaviors is important for pediatric weight management and obesity prevention programs. This study examined obesogenic behaviors in children with obesity in a Northern California obesity intervention program using data from a parent/teen-completed intake questionnaire covering dietary and lifestyle behaviors (frequency of breakfast, family meals, unhealthy snacking and beverages, fruit/vegetable intake, sleep, screen time, and exercise). Among 7956 children with BMI ≥ 95th percentile, 45.5% were females and 14.2% were 3-5, 44.2% were 6-11, and 41.6% were 12-17 years old. One-quarter (24.9%) were non-Hispanic white, 11.3% were black, 43.5% were Hispanic, and 12.0% were Asian/Pacific Islander. Severe obesity was prevalent (37.4%), especially among blacks, Hispanics, and older children, and was associated with less frequent breakfast and exercise and excess screen time, and in young children it was associated with consumption of sweetened beverages or juice. Unhealthy dietary behaviors, screen time, limited exercise, and sleep were more prevalent in older children and in selected black, Hispanic, and Asian subgroups, where consumption of sweetened beverages or juice was especially high. Overall, obesity severity and obesogenic behaviors increased with age and varied by gender and race/ethnicity. We identified several key prevalent modifiable behaviors that can be targeted by healthcare professionals to reduce obesity when counseling children with obesity and their parents.

Building the pipeline: programs to introduce middle school, high school, medical, and veterinary students to careers in epidemiology and public health.

PubMed

Cordell, Ralph L; Cordeira, Kelly L; Cohen, Laurence P; Bensyl, Diana M

2017-11-01

This report describes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention programs that expose students to epidemiology and public health sciences (EPHS). The Science Ambassador workshop targets middle and high school teachers and promotes teaching EPHS in the classroom. The National Science Olympiad Disease Detectives event is an extracurricular science competition for middle and high school students based on investigations of outbreaks and other public health problems. The Epidemiology Elective Program provides experiential learning activities for veterinary and medical students. As of 2016, 234 teachers from 37 states and territories and three other countries participated in SA workshops. Several are teaching units or entire courses in EPHS. The National Science Olympiad Disease Detectives event exposed approximately 15,000 middle and high school students to EPHS during the 2015-2016 school year. The Epidemiology Elective Program has exposed 1,795 veterinary and medical students to EPHS. Students can master fundamental concepts of EPHS as early as middle school and educators are finding ways to introduce this material into their classrooms. Programs to introduce veterinary and medical students to EPHS can help fill the gap in exposing older students to the field. Professional organizations can assist by making their members aware of these programs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

45 CFR 1388.7 - Program criteria-dissemination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... contributes to the development of new knowledge. Dissemination activities promote the independence... best practices. (c) Specific target audiences must be identified for dissemination activities and... Affiliated Programs, and State service systems to disseminate information to target audiences. (e) The...

45 CFR 1388.7 - Program criteria-dissemination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... contributes to the development of new knowledge. Dissemination activities promote the independence... best practices. (c) Specific target audiences must be identified for dissemination activities and... Affiliated Programs, and State service systems to disseminate information to target audiences. (e) The...

45 CFR 1388.7 - Program criteria-dissemination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... contributes to the development of new knowledge. Dissemination activities promote the independence... best practices. (c) Specific target audiences must be identified for dissemination activities and... Affiliated Programs, and State service systems to disseminate information to target audiences. (e) The...

45 CFR 1388.7 - Program criteria-dissemination.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... contributes to the development of new knowledge. Dissemination activities promote the independence... best practices. (c) Specific target audiences must be identified for dissemination activities and... Affiliated Programs, and State service systems to disseminate information to target audiences. (e) The...

76 FR 24031 - Disease, Disability, and Injury Prevention and Control Special Emphasis Panel (SEP): Initial Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-29

... Intervention to Promote a Targeted Vaccination program in the Obstetrician- Gynecologist Setting, FOA IP11-009... a Targeted Vaccination Program in the Obstetrician-Gynecologist Setting; FOA IP11-009, initial...

Assessing Coverage of Population-Based and Targeted Fortification Programs with the Use of the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT): Background, Toolkit Development, and Supplement Overview.

PubMed

Friesen, Valerie M; Aaron, Grant J; Myatt, Mark; Neufeld, Lynnette M

2017-05-01

Food fortification is a widely used approach to increase micronutrient intake in the diet. High coverage is essential for achieving impact. Data on coverage is limited in many countries, and tools to assess coverage of fortification programs have not been standardized. In 2013, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition developed the Fortification Assessment Coverage Toolkit (FACT) to carry out coverage assessments in both population-based (i.e., staple foods and/or condiments) and targeted (e.g., infant and young child) fortification programs. The toolkit was designed to generate evidence on program coverage and the use of fortified foods to provide timely and programmatically relevant information for decision making. This supplement presents results from FACT surveys that assessed the coverage of population-based and targeted food fortification programs across 14 countries. It then discusses the policy and program implications of the findings for the potential for impact and program improvement.

Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes That Matter in Dutch Community-Based Physical Activity Programs Targeting Socially Vulnerable Groups.

PubMed

Herens, Marion; Wagemakers, Annemarie; Vaandrager, Lenneke; van Ophem, Johan; Koelen, Maria

2017-09-01

This article presents a practitioner-based approach to identify key combinations of contextual factors (C) and mechanisms (M) that trigger outcomes (O) in Dutch community-based health-enhancing physical activity (CBHEPA) programs targeting socially vulnerable groups. Data were collected in six programs using semi-structured interviews and focus groups using a timeline technique. Sessions were recorded, anonymized, and transcribed. A realist synthesis protocol was used for data-driven and thematic analysis of CMO configurations. CMO configurations related to community outreach, program sustainability, intersectoral collaboration, and enhancing participants' active lifestyles. We have refined the CBHEPA program theory by showing that actors' passion for, and past experiences with, physical activity programs trigger outcomes, alongside their commitment to socially vulnerable target groups. Project discontinuity, limited access to resources, and a trainer's stand-alone position were negative configurations. The authors conclude that local governance structures appear often to lack adaptive capacity to accommodate multilevel processes to sustain programs.

Toward high-efficiency and detailed Monte Carlo simulation study of the granular flow spallation target

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Han-Jie; Zhang, Zhi-Lei; Fu, Fen; Li, Jian-Yang; Zhang, Xun-Chao; Zhang, Ya-Ling; Yan, Xue-Song; Lin, Ping; Xv, Jian-Ya; Yang, Lei

2018-02-01

The dense granular flow spallation target is a new target concept chosen for the Accelerator-Driven Subcritical (ADS) project in China. For the R&D of this kind of target concept, a dedicated Monte Carlo (MC) program named GMT was developed to perform the simulation study of the beam-target interaction. Owing to the complexities of the target geometry, the computational cost of the MC simulation of particle tracks is highly expensive. Thus, improvement of computational efficiency will be essential for the detailed MC simulation studies of the dense granular target. Here we present the special design of the GMT program and its high efficiency performance. In addition, the speedup potential of the GPU-accelerated spallation models is discussed.

The self-calibration method for multiple systems at the CHARA Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, David

The self-calibration method, a new interferometric technique at the CHARA Array, has been used to derive orbits for several spectroscopic binaries. This method uses the wide component of a hierarchical triple system to calibrate visibility measurements of the triple's close binary system. At certain baselines and separations, the calibrator in one of these systems can be observed quasi-simultaneously with the target. Depending on the orientation of the CHARA observation baseline relative to the orientation of the wide orbit of the triple system, separated fringe packets may be observed. A sophisticated observing scheme must be put in place to ensure the existence of separated fringe packets on nights of observation. Prior to the onset of this project, the reduction of separated fringe packet data had never included the goal of deriving visibilities for both fringe packets, so new data reduction software has been written. Visibilities obtained with separated fringe packet data for the target close binary are run through both Monte Carlo simulations and grid search programs in order to determine the best-fit orbital elements of the close binary. Several targets have been observed in this fashion, and orbits have been derived for seven targets, including three new orbits. Derivation of the orbit of the close pair in a triple system allows for the calculation of the mutual inclination, which is the angle between the planes of the wide and close orbit. Knowledge of this quantity may give insight into the formation processes that create multiple star systems. INDEX WORDS: Long-baseline interferometry, Self calibration, Separated fringe packets, Triple systems, Close binaries, Multiple systems, Orbital parameters, Near-infrared interferometry

From Pixels to Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brownston, Lee; Jenkins, Jon M.

2015-01-01

The Kepler Mission was launched in 2009 as NASAs first mission capable of finding Earth-size planets in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. Its telescope consists of a 1.5-m primary mirror and a 0.95-m aperture. The 42 charge-coupled devices in its focal plane are read out every half hour, compressed, and then downlinked monthly. After four years, the second of four reaction wheels failed, ending the original mission. Back on earth, the Science Operations Center developed the Science Pipeline to analyze about 200,000 target stars in Keplers field of view, looking for evidence of periodic dimming suggesting that one or more planets had crossed the face of its host star. The Pipeline comprises several steps, from pixel-level calibration, through noise and artifact removal, to detection of transit-like signals and the construction of a suite of diagnostic tests to guard against false positives. The Kepler Science Pipeline consists of a pipeline infrastructure written in the Java programming language, which marshals data input to and output from MATLAB applications that are executed as external processes. The pipeline modules, which underwent continuous development and refinement even after data started arriving, employ several analytic techniques, many developed for the Kepler Project. Because of the large number of targets, the large amount of data per target and the complexity of the pipeline algorithms, the processing demands are daunting. Some pipeline modules require days to weeks to process all of their targets, even when run on NASA's 128-node Pleiades supercomputer. The software developers are still seeking ways to increase the throughput. To date, the Kepler project has discovered more than 4000 planetary candidates, of which more than 1000 have been independently confirmed or validated to be exoplanets. Funding for this mission is provided by NASAs Science Mission Directorate.

Rationale, design, and protocol for the prevention of low back pain in the military (POLM) trial (NCT00373009)

PubMed Central

George, Steven Z; Childs, John D; Teyhen, Deydre S; Wu, Samuel S; Wright, Alison C; Dugan, Jessica L; Robinson, Michael E

2007-01-01

Background There are few effective strategies reported for the primary prevention of low back pain (LBP). Core stabilization exercises targeting the deep abdominal and trunk musculature and psychosocial education programs addressing patient beliefs and coping styles represent the current best evidence for secondary prevention of low back pain. However, these programs have not been widely tested to determine if they are effective at preventing the primary onset and/or severity of LBP. The purpose of this cluster randomized clinical trial is to determine if a combined core stabilization exercise and education program is effective in preventing the onset and/or severity of LBP. The effect of the combined program will be compared to three other standard programs. Methods/Design Consecutive Soldiers participating in advanced individual training (AIT) will be screened for eligibility requirements and consented to study participation, as appropriate. Companies of Soldiers will be randomly assigned to receive the following standard prevention programs; a core stabilization exercise program (CSEP) alone, a CSEP with a psychosocial education (PSEP), a traditional exercise (TEP), or a TEP with a PSEP. Proximal outcome measures will be assessed at the conclusion of AIT (a 12 week training period) and include imaging of deep lumbar musculature using real-time ultrasound imaging and beliefs about LBP by self-report questionnaire. We are hypothesizing that Soldiers receiving the CSEP will have improved thickness of selected deep lumbar musculature (transversus abdominus, multifidi, and erector spinae muscles). We are also hypothesizing that Soldiers receiving the PSEP will have improved beliefs about the management of LBP. After AIT, Soldiers will be followed monthly to measure the distal outcomes of LBP occurrence and severity. This information will be collected during the subsequent 2 years following completion of AIT using a web-based data entry system. Soldiers will receive a monthly email that queries whether any LBP was experienced in the previous calendar month. Soldiers reporting LBP will enter episode-specific data related to pain intensity, pain-related disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, and pain catastrophizing. We are hypothesizing that Soldiers receiving the CSEP and PSEP will report the longest duration to first episode of LBP, the lowest frequency of LBP, and the lowest severity of LBP episodes. Statistical comparisons will be made between each of the randomly assigned prevention programs to test our hypotheses related to determining which of the 4 programs is most effective. Discussion We have presented the design and protocol for the POLM trial. Completion of this trial will provide important information on how to effectively train Soldiers for the prevention of LBP. Trial registration NCT00373009 PMID:17868436

Choreatic Side Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Anteromedial Subthalamic Nucleus for Treatment-Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Mulders, Anne E P; Leentjens, Albert F G; Schruers, Koen; Duits, Annelien; Ackermans, Linda; Temel, Yasin

2017-08-01

Patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are potential candidates for deep brain stimulation (DBS). The anteromedial subthalamic nucleus (STN) is among the most commonly used targets for DBS in OCD. We present a patient with a 30-year history of treatment-resistant OCD who underwent anteromedial STN-DBS. Despite a clear mood-enhancing effect, stimulation caused motor side effects, including bilateral hyperkinesia, dyskinesias, and sudden large amplitude choreatic movements of arms and legs when stimulating at voltages greater than approximately 1.5 V. DBS at lower amplitudes and at other contact points failed to result in a significant reduction of obsessions and compulsions without inducing motor side effects. Because of this limitation in programming options, we decided to reoperate and target the ventral capsule/ventral striatum (VC/VS), which resulted in a substantial reduction in key obsessive and compulsive symptoms without serious side effects. Choreatic movements and hemiballismus have previously been linked to STN dysfunction and have been incidentally reported as side effects of DBS of the dorsolateral STN in Parkinson disease (PD). However, in PD, these side effects were usually transient, and they rarely interfered with DBS programming. In our patient, the motor side effects were persistent, and they made optimal DBS programming impossible. To our knowledge, such severe and persistent motor side effects have not been described previously for anteromedial STN-DBS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation and inspiratory muscle training as potential adjunctive rehabilitation options for patients with heart failure.

PubMed

Arena, Ross; Pinkstaff, Sherry; Wheeler, Emma; Peberdy, Mary Ann; Guazzi, Marco; Myers, Jonathan

2010-01-01

Aerobic and resistance exercise training programs produce an abundance of physiologic and clinical benefits in patients with heart failure (HF). Improved maximal aerobic capacity, submaximal aerobic endurance, muscle force production, perceived quality of life, and skeletal muscle characteristics are among the more established outcomes resulting from these rehabilitation techniques. Moreover, both aerobic and resistance exercise training appear to portend a low risk to patients with HF when appropriate exercise prescription methods are followed. While the aforementioned training techniques will undoubtedly continue to be at the center of a well-formulated rehabilitation program, other adjunctive interventions, which are presently underutilized in clinical practice, may prove beneficial in patients with HF. Specifically, both neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT) appear to significantly improve several physiologic, exercise, symptomatologic, and quality-of-life parameters. NMES targets skeletal muscle abnormalities, whereas IMT primarily targets the weakened respiratory musculature, both often encountered in patients with HF. A PubMed search using relevant key words identified 19 original investigations examining the impact of NMES (13 studies) and IMT (6 studies) training programs in patients with HF. The resultant review (1) provides a summary of the original research outcomes of both NMES and IMT in patients with HF; (2) addresses current research gaps, providing a direction for future investigations; and (3) provides clinical scenarios where NMES and IMT may prove to be beneficial during the rehabilitation of patients with HF.

Targeted isometric force impulses in patients with traumatic brain injury reveal delayed motor programming and change of strategy.

PubMed

Cantagallo, Anna; Di Russo, Francesco; Favilla, Marco; Zoccolotti, Pierluigi

2015-04-15

The capability of quickly (as soon as possible) producing fast uncorrected and accurate isometric force impulses was examined to assess the motor efficiency of patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and good motor recovery at a clinical evaluation. Twenty male right-handed patients with moderate to severe TBI and 24 age-matched healthy male right-handed controls participated in the study. The experimental task required subjects to aim brief and uncorrected isometric force impulses to targets visually presented along with subjects' force displays. Both TBI patients and controls were able to produce force impulses whose mean peak amplitudes varied proportionally to the target load with no detectable group difference. Patients with TBI, however, were slower than controls in initiating their responses (reaction times [RTs] were longer by 125 msec) and were also slower during the execution of their motor responses, reaching the peak forces requested 23 msec later than controls (time to peak force: 35% delay). Further, their mean dF/dt (35 kg/sec) was slower than that of controls (53 kg/sec), again indicating a 34% impairment with respect to controls. Overall, patients with TBI showed accurate but delayed and slower isometric force impulses. Thus, an evaluation taking into account also response time features is more effective in picking up motor impairments than the standard clinical scales focusing on accuracy of movement only.

RRR for NNN-a rapid research response for the Neglected Tropical Disease NGDO Network: a novel framework to challenges faced by the global programs targeting neglected tropical diseases.

PubMed

Toledo, Chelsea E; Jacobson, Julie; Wainwright, Emily C; Ottesen, Eric A; Lammie, Patrick J

2016-03-01

While global programs targeting the control or elimination of five of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)-lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, soil-transmitted helminthiasis, schistosomiasis and trachoma-are well underway, they still face many operational challenges. Because of the urgency of 2020 program targets, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development devised a novel rapid research response (RRR) framework to engage national programs, researchers, implementers and WHO in a Coalition for Operational Research on NTDs. After 2 years, this effort has succeeded as an important basis for the research response to programmatic challenges facing NTD programs. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Evaluating Intervention Programs Targeting Parents to Manage Childhood Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review Using the RE-AIM Framework.

PubMed

Jang, Myoungock; Chao, Ariana; Whittemore, Robin

2015-01-01

Intervention programs targeting parents to manage childhood overweight and obesity have emerged based on parents influence on the health behaviors of their children. The purpose of this review was to systematically evaluate intervention programs targeting parents to manage childhood overweight and obesity using the Reach, Efficacy, Adopt, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. There was a moderate risk of bias across all studies. The overall proportion of studies (n=7) reporting on each dimension of the RE-AIM framework ranged from 78.6% (reach) to 23.8% (maintenance). The majority of intervention programs demonstrated improvement in child BMI. However intervention programs did not reach families of diverse race/ethnicity, were provided by highly trained professionals, and demonstrated high attrition, thus limiting generalizability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term effectiveness of a comprehensive pain management program: strengthening the case for interdisciplinary care

PubMed Central

Oslund, Sarah; Clark, Timothy C.; Garofalo, John P.; Behnk, Pamela; Walker, Becky; Walker, Katherine E.; Gatchel, Robert J.; Mahaney, Micah; Noe, Carl E.

2009-01-01

Chronic pain, a debilitating medical condition affecting approximately 15% of the US population, leads to individual suffering and costs to society in terms of health care dollars and lost productivity. To examine the effectiveness of a comprehensive pain management program, data from 108 program participants were evaluated. Preprogram, postprogram, and 6-month follow-up data were collected from 80 participants, and preprogram, postprogram, and 1-year data were collected from 46 participants. Outcomes data from several domains were assessed: pain severity, emotional distress, interference of pain on function, perceived control of pain, treatment helpfulness, and number of hours resting. Within-subject repeated-measure analyses of variance found statistically significant findings on the six outcome measures utilized in this study for both the 6-month and 1-year samples. Examination of 95% confidence intervals revealed no overlap in pretreatment scores with 6-month and 1-year outcomes in five of the six domains studied. Mean scores on emotional distress did not maintain statistical significance in the 6-month or 1-year review. Overall, this study strengthens the case for interdisciplinary care for chronic pain management and provides evidence for the long-term effectiveness of this therapy. Furthermore, this study lends support to the notion that interdisciplinary treatments are effective in targeting multiple domains affected by the pain condition. PMID:19633738

Behaviors and Knowledge of HealthCorps New York City High School Students: Nutrition, Mental Health and Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Moonseong, Heo; Erica, Irvin; Natania, Ostrovsky; Carmen, Isasi; Shawn, Hayes; Judith, Wylie-Rosett

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND HealthCorps provides school wellness programming using curricula to promote changes in nutrition, mental health and physical activity behaviors. The research objective was to evaluate effects of implementing its curricula on nutrition, mental health and physical activity knowledge and behavior. METHODS Pre- and post-survey data were collected (N = 2255) during the 2012-13 academic year from 14 New York City public high schools. An 18-item knowledge questionnaire addressed 3 domains; 26 behavioral items were analyzed by factor analysis to identify 6 behavior domains, breakfast being a seventh one-item domain. We examined the effects stratified by sex, applying mixed-effects models to take into account clustering effects of schools and participants adjusted for age. RESULTS The HealthCorps program significantly increased all 3 knowledge domains (p < .05), and significantly changed several key behavioral domains. Boys significantly increased fruits/vegetables intake (p = .03). Girls increased acceptance of new fruits/vegetables (p = .03) and breakfast consumption (p = .04), and decreased sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food intake (p = .03). The associations between knowledge and behavior were stronger in boys than girls. CONCLUSION The HealthCorps program significantly increased participants’ knowledge on nutrition, mental health and physical activity. It also improved several key behavioral domains, which are targets of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to address obesity in youth. PMID:26762819

Behaviors and Knowledge of HealthCorps New York City High School Students: Nutrition, Mental Health, and Physical Activity.

PubMed

Heo, Moonseong; Irvin, Erica; Ostrovsky, Natania; Isasi, Carmen; Blank, Arthur E; Lounsbury, David W; Fredericks, Lynn; Yom, Tiana; Ginsberg, Mindy; Hayes, Shawn; Wylie-Rosett, Judith

2016-02-01

HealthCorps provides school wellness programming using curricula to promote changes in nutrition, mental health, and physical activity behaviors. The research objective was to evaluate effects of implementing its curricula on nutrition, mental health, and physical activity knowledge and behavior. Pre- and postsurvey data were collected (N = 2255) during the 2012-2013 academic year from 14 New York City public high schools. An 18-item knowledge questionnaire addressed 3 domains; 26 behavioral items were analyzed by factor analysis to identify 6 behavior domains, breakfast being a seventh 1-item domain. We examined the effects stratified by sex, applying mixed-effects models to take into account clustering effects of schools and participants adjusted for age. The HealthCorps program significantly increased all 3 knowledge domains (p < .05), and significantly changed several key behavioral domains. Boys significantly increased fruits/vegetables intake (p = .03). Girls increased acceptance of new fruits/vegetables (p = .03) and breakfast consumption (p = .04), and decreased sugar-sweetened beverages and energy dense food intake (p = .03). The associations between knowledge and behavior were stronger in boys than girls. The HealthCorps program significantly increased participants' knowledge on nutrition, mental health, and physical activity. It also improved several key behavioral domains, which are targets of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines to address obesity in youth. © 2016, American School Health Association.

Understanding adolescent response to a technology-based depression prevention program.

PubMed

Gladstone, Tracy; Marko-Holguin, Monika; Henry, Jordan; Fogel, Joshua; Diehl, Anne; Van Voorhees, Benjamin W

2014-01-01

Guided by the Behavioral Vaccine Theory of prevention, this study uses a no-control group design to examine intervention variables that predict favorable changes in depressive symptoms at 6- to 8-week follow-up in at-risk adolescents who participated in a primary care, Internet-based prevention program. Participants included 83 adolescents from primary care settings ages 14 to 21 (M = 17.5, SD = 2.04), 56.2% female, with 41% non-White. Participants completed self-report measures, met with a physician, and then completed a 14-module Internet intervention targeting the prevention of depression. Linear regression models indicated that several intervention factors (duration on website in days, the strength of the relationship with the physician, perceptions of ease of use, and the perceived relevance of the material presented) were significantly associated with greater reductions in depressive symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Automatic negative thoughts significantly mediated the relation between change in depressive symptoms scores and both duration of use and physician relationship. Several intervention variables predicted favorable changes in depressive symptom scores among adolescents who participated in an Internet-based prevention program, and the strength of two of these variables was mediated by automatic negative thoughts. These findings support the importance of cognitive factors in preventing adolescent depression and suggest that modifiable aspects of technology-based intervention experience and relationships should be considered in optimizing intervention design.

Aerobic Exercise Training in Post-Polio Syndrome: Process Evaluation of a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Voorn, Eric L.; Koopman, Fieke S.; Brehm, Merel A.; Beelen, Anita; de Haan, Arnold; Gerrits, Karin H. L.; Nollet, Frans

2016-01-01

Objective To explore reasons for the lack of efficacy of a high intensity aerobic exercise program in post-polio syndrome (PPS) on cardiorespiratory fitness by evaluating adherence to the training program and effects on muscle function. Design A process evaluation using data from an RCT. Patients Forty-four severely fatigued individuals with PPS were randomized to exercise therapy (n = 22) or usual care (n = 22). Methods Participants in the exercise group were instructed to exercise 3 times weekly for 4 months on a bicycle ergometer (60–70% heart rate reserve). Results The attendance rate was high (median 89%). None of the participants trained within the target heart rate range during >75% of the designated time. Instead, participants exercised at lower intensities, though still around the anaerobic threshold (AT) most of the time. Muscle function did not improve in the exercise group. Conclusion Our results suggest that severely fatigued individuals with PPS cannot adhere to a high intensity aerobic exercise program on a cycle ergometer. Despite exercise intensities around the AT, lower extremity muscle function nor cardiorespiratory fitness improved. Improving the aerobic capacity in PPS is difficult through exercise primarily focusing on the lower extremities, and may require a more individualized approach, including the use of other large muscle groups instead. Trial Registration Netherlands National Trial Register NTR1371 PMID:27419388

Independent, Community-Based Aerobic Exercise Training for People With Moderate-to-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

PubMed

Devine, Jennifer M; Wong, Bonnie; Gervino, Ernest; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Alexander, Michael P

2016-08-01

To determine whether people with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) can adhere to a minimally supervised, community-based, vigorous aerobic exercise program. Prospective trial. Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) facilities. Community-dwelling volunteers (N=10; 8 men, 2 women; age range, 22-49y) 6 to 15 months after moderate-to-severe TBI. Participants received memberships to local YMCAs and brief orientations to exercise. They were then asked to independently complete ≥12 weeks of ≥3 training sessions per week, performed at 65% to 85% of maximum heart rate for ≥30 minutes per session. Participants could self-select exercise modality, provided they met intensity and duration targets. Programmable heart rate monitors captured session intensity and duration. Independence with equipment and facility use and compliance with training goals (session frequency, duration, intensity, total weeks of training). All participants achieved independence with equipment and facility use. All met at least 2 of 4 training goals; half met all 4 goals. Participants averaged (±SD) 3.3±0.7 sessions per week for 13 weeks (range, 6-24). Average ± SD session duration was 62±23 minutes, of which 51±22 minutes occurred at or above individuals' heart rate training targets. People in recovery from moderate-to-severe TBI can, with minimal guidance, perform vigorous, community-based exercise. This suggests that decentralized exercise may be logistically and economically sustainable after TBI, expanding its potential therapeutic utility and rendering longer-duration exercise studies more feasible. Copyright © 2016 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrating Hydrology, Ecology, and Biogeochemistry in Stormwater Management: the Vermont Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowden, W. B.

2005-12-01

Although Vermont has had a stormwater management program since the 1970's, support for the program languished during a period intense suburban development in several counties in the state, most notably Chittenden County next to Lake Champlain. Beginning in 2000, the state renewed efforts to address concerns that stormwater runoff from suburban developments had significantly degraded streams in the area and threatened the health of the Lake. The state employs an extensive, EPA-approved biomonitoring program (based on macroinvertebrates and fish) to assess the health of streams. However, it is difficult to translate these data into targets for stormwater management or to predict how and especially when they will change as a result of future management practices. The challenge of managing stormwater in this area is further compounded by a complete lack of historical hydrologic monitoring data. Ultimately a stakeholder-driven process developed that has lead to an innovative partnership among state agencies, resource managers, NGO's, the US-EPA and scientists. Through this partnership a unique consensus evolved that management for hydrologic targets by themselves would address most of the stakeholders' concerns. The new regulations that are emerging are based on two components. The first component relies on flow-duration curves (FDC's) derived from a simple, widely-used stormwater model (P-8) for which adequate input data are available. The model was calibrated for streams in other areas for which long-term hydrologic data were available and then used to generate `synthetic' FDC's for the stormwater impaired and a suite of `attainment' (developing, but currently un-impaired) watersheds in Vermont. Statistical (cluster) analyses of synthetic FDC's provide watershed-wide targets for hydrologic reduction. Sub-watershed mapping linked to further multivariate analysis of the flow data identify specific locations to implement best management practices (BMP's) that will achieve these targets. This approach is firmly grounded in first principles of stormwater hydrology and recognition of the impacts of altered hydrology on stream ecology and biogeochemistry. Stakeholders have accepted the approach because it is objective, defensible, and subject to future, quantitative analysis and adjustment (adaptive management). This approach is not specific to Vermont and could be employed in any region.

The volitional inhibition of anticipatory ocular pursuit using a stop signal.

PubMed

Jarrett, Christian Beresford; Barnes, Graham R

2003-10-01

Unlike limb movements, smooth pursuit eye movements cannot normally be performed in the absence of a target. However, when subjects have a high expectancy of an imminent target appearance, the situation changes, and anticipatory smooth pursuit (ASP) tends to precede target onset by several hundred milliseconds. The velocity of this ASP is scaled predictively according to expected target velocity. And when an upcoming target is unexpectedly altered, or fails to appear, ASP continues regardless for approximately 150-200 ms before modification by visual feedback begins [J. Neurophysiol., 84 (2000) 2340]. These and other observations led to the earlier suggestion that ASP might be ballistic, being pre-programmed from start to finish. Two experiments with different timing parameters were therefore performed to test this hypothesis using a version of Logan's [Psychol. Rev., 91 (1984) 295] stop signal task. The aim was to test whether ASP could be stopped at will, and if so, whether the time taken to stop varied as a function of the time since ASP onset. Results showed that in response to a stop signal, ASP can be inhibited at any point in its trajectory, and for the majority of subjects in experiment 1, and all the subjects in experiment 2, with a latency that does not change significantly with target speed or time since ASP onset. These results provide the first demonstration that anticipatory movements can be stopped volitionally in response to a stop signal. Possible cognitive and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this process are discussed.

Efforts Aimed To Reduce Attrition in Antimalarial Drug Discovery: A Systematic Evaluation of the Current Antimalarial Targets Portfolio.

PubMed

Chaparro, María Jesús; Calderón, Félix; Castañeda, Pablo; Fernández-Alvaro, Elena; Gabarró, Raquel; Gamo, Francisco Javier; Gómez-Lorenzo, María G; Martín, Julio; Fernández, Esther

2018-04-13

Malaria remains a major global health problem. In 2015 alone, more than 200 million cases of malaria were reported, and more than 400,000 deaths occurred. Since 2010, emerging resistance to current front-line ACTs (artemisinin combination therapies) has been detected in endemic countries. Therefore, there is an urgency for new therapies based on novel modes of action, able to relieve symptoms as fast as the artemisinins and/or block malaria transmission. During the past few years, the antimalarial community has focused their efforts on phenotypic screening as a pragmatic approach to identify new hits. Optimization efforts on several chemical series have been successful, and clinical candidates have been identified. In addition, recent advances in genetics and proteomics have led to the target deconvolution of phenotypic clinical candidates. New mechanisms of action will also be critical to overcome resistance and reduce attrition. Therefore, a complementary strategy focused on identifying well-validated targets to start hit identification programs is essential to reinforce the clinical pipeline. Leveraging published data, we have assessed the status quo of the current antimalarial target portfolio with a focus on the blood stage clinical disease. From an extensive list of reported Plasmodium targets, we have defined triage criteria. These criteria consider genetic, pharmacological, and chemical validation, as well as tractability/doability, and safety implications. These criteria have provided a quantitative score that has led us to prioritize those targets with the highest probability to deliver successful and differentiated new drugs.

Reliable motion detection of small targets in video with low signal-to-clutter ratios

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

Nichols, S.A.; Naylor, R.B.

1995-07-01

Studies show that vigilance decreases rapidly after several minutes when human operators are required to search live video for infrequent intrusion detections. Therefore, there is a need for systems which can automatically detect targets in live video and reserve the operator`s attention for assessment only. Thus far, automated systems have not simultaneously provided adequate detection sensitivity, false alarm suppression, and ease of setup when used in external, unconstrained environments. This unsatisfactory performance can be exacerbated by poor video imagery with low contrast, high noise, dynamic clutter, image misregistration, and/or the presence of small, slow, or erratically moving targets. This papermore » describes a highly adaptive video motion detection and tracking algorithm which has been developed as part of Sandia`s Advanced Exterior Sensor (AES) program. The AES is a wide-area detection and assessment system for use in unconstrained exterior security applications. The AES detection and tracking algorithm provides good performance under stressing data and environmental conditions. Features of the algorithm include: reliable detection with negligible false alarm rate of variable velocity targets having low signal-to-clutter ratios; reliable tracking of targets that exhibit motion that is non-inertial, i.e., varies in direction and velocity; automatic adaptation to both infrared and visible imagery with variable quality; and suppression of false alarms caused by sensor flaws and/or cutouts.« less

MIRNA-DISTILLER: A Stand-Alone Application to Compile microRNA Data from Databases.

PubMed

Rieger, Jessica K; Bodan, Denis A; Zanger, Ulrich M

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNA molecules of ∼22 nucleotides which regulate large numbers of genes by binding to seed sequences at the 3'-untranslated region of target gene transcripts. The target mRNA is then usually degraded or translation is inhibited, although thus resulting in posttranscriptional down regulation of gene expression at the mRNA and/or protein level. Due to the bioinformatic difficulties in predicting functional miRNA binding sites, several publically available databases have been developed that predict miRNA binding sites based on different algorithms. The parallel use of different databases is currently indispensable, but highly uncomfortable and time consuming, especially when working with numerous genes of interest. We have therefore developed a new stand-alone program, termed MIRNA-DISTILLER, which allows to compile miRNA data for given target genes from public databases. Currently implemented are TargetScan, microCosm, and miRDB, which may be queried independently, pairwise, or together to calculate the respective intersections. Data are stored locally for application of further analysis tools including freely definable biological parameter filters, customized output-lists for both miRNAs and target genes, and various graphical facilities. The software, a data example file and a tutorial are freely available at http://www.ikp-stuttgart.de/content/language1/html/10415.asp.

MIRNA-DISTILLER: A Stand-Alone Application to Compile microRNA Data from Databases

PubMed Central

Rieger, Jessica K.; Bodan, Denis A.; Zanger, Ulrich M.

2011-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNA molecules of ∼22 nucleotides which regulate large numbers of genes by binding to seed sequences at the 3′-untranslated region of target gene transcripts. The target mRNA is then usually degraded or translation is inhibited, although thus resulting in posttranscriptional down regulation of gene expression at the mRNA and/or protein level. Due to the bioinformatic difficulties in predicting functional miRNA binding sites, several publically available databases have been developed that predict miRNA binding sites based on different algorithms. The parallel use of different databases is currently indispensable, but highly uncomfortable and time consuming, especially when working with numerous genes of interest. We have therefore developed a new stand-alone program, termed MIRNA-DISTILLER, which allows to compile miRNA data for given target genes from public databases. Currently implemented are TargetScan, microCosm, and miRDB, which may be queried independently, pairwise, or together to calculate the respective intersections. Data are stored locally for application of further analysis tools including freely definable biological parameter filters, customized output-lists for both miRNAs and target genes, and various graphical facilities. The software, a data example file and a tutorial are freely available at http://www.ikp-stuttgart.de/content/language1/html/10415.asp PMID:22303335

Efficacy and safety of osimertinib in a Japanese compassionate use program.

PubMed

Fujiwara, Yutaka; Goto, Yasushi; Kanda, Shintaro; Horinouchi, Hidehito; Yamamoto, Noboru; Sakiyama, Naomi; Ando Makihara, Reiko; Ohe, Yuichiro

2017-07-01

Osimertinib is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that targets the T790M mutation of EGFR. In 2016, AstraZeneca conducted a compassionate use program for osimertinib in Japan. Eighteen consecutive patients with histologically proven non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and harboring the T790M EGFR mutation participated in the compassionate use program between 1 April and 25 May 2016, at the National Cancer Center Hospital. We examined the efficacy and safety of osimertinib in a compassionate use program. All patients had been previously treated with both cytotoxic chemotherapy and EGFR TKIs. Overall response rate was 62.5% (95% confidence interval (CI): 35.9-89.1%). Among the six patients pretreated with a third-generation EGFR TKI, two (33%) responded to osimertinib. On administration with osimertinib, median progression-free and overall survival rates at six months were 66.7% (95% CI: 44.9-88.5) and 88.9% (95% CI: 74.4-100), respectively. Although the toxicity of osimertinib was mild in most patients, three patients had severe adverse events: two developed interstitial lung disease (ILD) and one developed Grade 3 hepatotoxicity. Among these, two (33%) of the six patients who received osimertinib following nivolumab treatment developed severe adverse events, with one each developing Grade 3 hepatotoxicity and Grade 3 ILD. Only one patient visited our hospital seeking to participate in the compassionate program from another hospital. Osimertinib demonstrated efficacy even in patients with heavily pretreated NSCLC harboring the T790M mutation. Some patients pretreated with another third-generation EGFR TKI also responded to osimertinib. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma: a specialized care program for children with wheezing or asthma in Brazil.

PubMed

Urrutia-Pereira, Marilyn; Avila, Jennifer; Solé, Dirceu

2016-01-01

To present the Programa Infantil de Prevenção de Asma (PIPA, Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma) and the characteristics of the patients followed in this program. Implemented in the city of Uruguaiana, Brazil, PIPA has as its target population children and adolescents (< 18 years of age) with asthma or suspected asthma. Patients either enroll in PIPA spontaneously or are referred by pediatricians or primary care physicians. In this retrospective study, we use a standardized protocol to assess PIPA patients. By the end of the study period, 646 patients were being followed. Of those, 298 (46.1%) were ≤ 3 years of age. In this group of patients, recurrent wheezing was identified in 60.7%, and the first episode of wheezing occurred in the first six months of life in 86.0%. Severe wheezing was identified in 29.5% and 45.4% in the children ≤ 3 and > 3 years of age, respectively. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported in 26.5% and 82.2%, respectively. In the sample as a whole, the prevalence of passive smoking was high (> 36%), occurring during pregnancy in > 15%; > 40% of the patients had been born by cesarean section; and 30% had a mother who had had < 8 years of schooling. A prevention program for children with asthma is an effective strategy for controlling the disease. Knowledge of local epidemiological and environmental characteristics is essential to reducing the prevalence of the severe forms of asthma, to improving the use of health resources, and to preventing pulmonary changes that could lead to COPD in adulthood.

The Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma: a specialized care program for children with wheezing or asthma in Brazil

PubMed Central

Urrutia-Pereira, Marilyn; Avila, Jennifer; Solé, Dirceu

2016-01-01

Objective : To present the Programa Infantil de Prevenção de Asma (PIPA, Program for the Prevention of Childhood Asthma) and the characteristics of the patients followed in this program. Methods : Implemented in the city of Uruguaiana, Brazil, PIPA has as its target population children and adolescents (< 18 years of age) with asthma or suspected asthma. Patients either enroll in PIPA spontaneously or are referred by pediatricians or primary care physicians. In this retrospective study, we use a standardized protocol to assess PIPA patients. Results : By the end of the study period, 646 patients were being followed. Of those, 298 (46.1%) were ≤ 3 years of age. In this group of patients, recurrent wheezing was identified in 60.7%, and the first episode of wheezing occurred in the first six months of life in 86.0%. Severe wheezing was identified in 29.5% and 45.4% in the children ≤ 3 and > 3 years of age, respectively. Physician-diagnosed asthma was reported in 26.5% and 82.2%, respectively. In the sample as a whole, the prevalence of passive smoking was high (> 36%), occurring during pregnancy in > 15%; > 40% of the patients had been born by cesarean section; and 30% had a mother who had had < 8 years of schooling. Conclusions : A prevention program for children with asthma is an effective strategy for controlling the disease. Knowledge of local epidemiological and environmental characteristics is essential to reducing the prevalence of the severe forms of asthma, to improving the use of health resources, and to preventing pulmonary changes that could lead to COPD in adulthood. PMID:26982040

Increasing diversity in the geosciences through the AfricaArray geophysics field course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vallejo, G.; Emry, E.; Galindo, B. L.; Carranza, V.; Gomez, C. D.; Ortiz, K.; Castro, J. G.; Guandique, J.; Falzone, C.; Webb, S. J.; Manzi, M.; Mngadi, S. B.; Stephens, K.; Chinamora, B.; Whitehead, R.; de Villiers, D. P.; Tshitlho, K.; Delhaye, R. P.; Smith, J. A.; Nyblade, A.

2014-12-01

For the past nine years, the AfricaArray diversity program, sponsored by industry, the National Science Foundation, and several partnering universities have supported outstanding U.S. STEM underrepresented minority undergraduates to gain field experience in near-surface geophysical techniques during an 8-week summer program at Penn State University and the University of Witwatersrand (Wits). The AfricaArray geophysics field school, which is run by Wits, has been teaching field-based geophysics to African students for over a decade. In the first 2-3 weeks of the program, the U.S. students are given basic instruction in near-surface geophysics, South African geology, and South African history and culture. The students then join the Wits AfricaArray geophysics field school - working alongside Wits students and students from several other African universities to map the shallow subsurface in prospective areas of South Africa for platinum mining. In addition to the primary goals of collecting and interpreting gravity, magnetic, resistivity, seismic refraction, seismic reflection, and EM data, students spend time mapping geologic units and gathering information on the physical properties of the rocks in the region (i.e. seismic velocity, density, and magnetic susceptibility). Subsurface targets include mafic dikes, faults, the water table, and overburden thickness. Upon returning to the U.S., students spend 2-3 weeks finalizing their project reports and presentations. The program has been effective at not only providing students with fundamental skills in applied geophysics, but also in fostering multicultural relationships, preparing students for graduate work in the geosciences, and attracting STEM students into the geosciences. Student presenters will discuss their experiences gained through the field school and give their impressions about how the program works towards the goal of increasing diversity in the geosciences in the U.S.

The Effects of a Home-Based Connective Tissue Targeting Therapy on Hip Development in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Six Case Reports.

PubMed

Drewes, Erika; Driscoll, Mark; Blyum, Leonid; Vincentz, Diane

2016-01-01

Hip subluxation in children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) has an incidence of 10-30 %, and children with severe CP having the highest incidence. The condition deteriorates if left untreated. Surgery is the most common method used in managing hip subluxation because standard conservative therapies do not improve it. Surgery may have to be repeated and comes at a biological cost to the child. A new home-based CAM, Advanced Biomechanical Rehabilitation (ABR), has shown encouraging results leading to improved spinal stability and stability in sitting in children with severe CP. This case report examines hip development over time in six children with severe CP in the ABR Program. Changes in their clinical picture and pelvic X-Rays are reported. ABR appeared to help stabilize and improve hip subluxation, resulting in these children not requiring further surgical intervention. These findings warrant further investigation of ABR as a noninvasive therapy for hip subluxation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Novel drugs in clinical development for hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Waidmann, Oliver; Trojan, Jörg

2015-01-01

Sorafenib is the only systemic drug approved for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Within recent years, several investigational agents mainly targeting angiogenesis failed in late-phase clinical development either due to toxicity or lack of benefit. This review covers recent clinical data on systemic agents and ongoing trials in patients with advanced HCC. In unselected patients with advanced HCC, disappointing results have been reported from several large trials. However, in two subgroups encouraging results have been achieved. Treatment with the MET inhibitor tivantinib resulted in a substantial survival benefit in the subgroup of MET overexpressing tumors in a randomized Phase II trial. Furthermore, the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 antibody ramucirumab resulted in improved overall survival in patients with baseline α-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥ 400 ng/ml in a Phase III trial. These two agents, and several others, will be further developed in HCC. Moreover, immunotherapeutics such as checkpoint inhibitors, programmed death receptor-1 blocking antibodies and oncolytic viruses are under investigation in advanced HCC.

Community Targets for JWST's Early Release Science Program: Evaluation of Transiting Exoplanet WASP-63b.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilpatrick, Brian; Cubillos, Patricio; Bruno, Giovanni; Lewis, Nikole K.; Stevenson, Kevin B.; Wakeford, Hannah; Blecic, Jasmina; Burrows, Adam Seth; Deming, Drake; Heng, Kevin; Line, Michael R.; Madhusudhan, Nikku; Morley, Caroline; Waldmann, Ingo P.; Transiting Exoplanet Early Release Science Community

2017-06-01

We present observations of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ``A Preparatory Program to Identify the Single Best Transiting Exoplanet for JWST Early Release Science" for WASP-63b, one of the community targets proposed for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Science (ERS) program. A large collaboration of transiting exoplanet scientists identified a set of ``community targets" which meet a certain set of criteria for ecliptic latitude, period, host star brightness, well constrained orbital parameters, and strength of spectroscopic features. WASP-63b was one of the targets identified as a potential candidate for the ERS program. It is presented as an inflated planet with a large signal. It will be accessible to JWST approximately six months after the planned start of Cycle 1/ERS in April 2019 making it an ideal candidate should there be any delays in the JWST timetable. Here, we observe WASP-63b to evaluate its suitability as the best target to test the capabilities of JWST. Ideally, a clear atmosphere will be best suited for bench marking the instruments ability to detect spectroscopic features. We can use the strength of the water absorption feature at 1.4 μm as a way to determine the presence of obscuring clouds/hazes. The results of atmospheric retrieval are presented along with a discussion on the suitability of WASP-63b as the best target to be observed during the ERS Program.

Screening and treatment of psychological distress in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: study protocol of the TES trial.

PubMed

Schuurhuizen, Claudia S E W; Braamse, Annemarie M J; Beekman, Aartjan T F; Bomhof-Roordink, Hanna; Bosmans, Judith E; Cuijpers, Pim; Hoogendoorn, Adriaan W; Konings, Inge R H M; van der Linden, Mecheline H M; Neefjes, Elisabeth C W; Verheul, Henk M W; Dekker, Joost

2015-04-17

Psychological distress occurs frequently in patients with cancer. Psychological distress includes mild and severe forms of both anxious and depressive mood states. Literature indicates that effective management of psychological distress seems to require targeted selection of patients (T), followed by enhanced care (E), and the application of evidence based interventions. Besides, it is hypothesized that delivering care according to the stepped care (S) approach results in an affordable program. The aim of the current study is to evaluate the (cost)-effectiveness of the TES program compared to usual care in reducing psychological distress in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This study is designed as a cluster randomized trial with 2 treatment arms: TES program for screening and treatment of psychological distress versus usual care. Sixteen hospitals participate in this study, recruiting patients with mCRC. Outcomes are evaluated at the beginning of chemotherapy and after 3, 10, 24, and 48 weeks. Primary outcome is the difference in treatment effect over time in psychological distress, assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Secondary outcomes include quality of life, patient evaluation of care, recognition and management of psychological distress, and societal costs. We created optimal conditions for an effective screening and treatment program for psychological distress in patients with mCRC. This involves targeted selection of patients, followed by enhanced and stepped care. Our approach will be thoroughly evaluated in this study. We expect that our results will contribute to the continuing debate on the (cost-) effectiveness of screening for and treatment of psychological distress in patients with cancer. This trial is registered in the Netherlands Trial Register NTR4034.

Big Explosions, Strong Gravity: Making Girl Scouts ACEs of Space through Chandra Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hornschemeier, A. E.; Lochner, J. C.; Ganguly, R.; Feaga, L. M.; Ford, K. E. S.

2005-12-01

Thanks to two years of Chandra E/PO funding we have carried out a number of successful activities with the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, focusing on girls in the 11-17 year age range. Our reasons for targeting this age range include the general decline in interest in math and science that occurs at or after children reach this critical age (meaning that we reach them early enough to have a positive effect). We initially target girls due to their underrepresentation in science, but the actitivities are all gender-neutral and highly adaptable to other groups. The program includes two components, in collaboration with Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. The first component is a well-established one-day Girl Scout patch activity entitled Big Explosions and Strong Gravity (BESG) where the girls earn a patch for their badge sash. The four BESG activities, mostly adapted from existing E/PO material, are available on the World Wide Web for use by others. The activities cover the electromagnetic spectrum as a tool for astronomy, the cosmic abundance of the elements and the supernova origin of many of the elements, black holes and their detection, and supernova explosions/stellar evolution. Thus far approximately 200 girls and their parents have participated in BESG and it has now become part of the council culture. The second activity is new and is part of the relatively new Girl Scout Studio 2B program, which is a girl-led program for the 11-17 year age range. Based on several meetings with small groups of girls and adults, we have formed a Studio 2B "club" called the ACE of Space Club (Astronomical Cosmic Exploration). We'll describe our experiences interacting with the Girl Scouts in this girl-led program.

Factors influencing food choices, dietary intake, and nutrition-related attitudes among African Americans: application of a culturally sensitive model.

PubMed

James, Delores C S

2004-11-01

The goals of the project were: (1) to explore how culture and community impact on the nutrition attitudes, food choices, and dietary intake of a selected group of African Americans in north central Florida; and (2) to identify segments of the population and community that should be targeted for education programs, desirable components of nutrition education programs, topics of interest, and health promotion channels to reach the target group. Six focus groups were conducted with African American males and females. The data were analyzed using the PEN-3 model, a theoretical model that centralizes culture as the primary reason for health behavior and the primary consideration for health promotion and diseases prevention programs. There was a general perception that 'eating healthfully' meant giving up part of their cultural heritage and trying to conform to the dominant culture. Friends and relatives usually are not supportive of dietary changes. Barriers to eating a healthful diet also included no sense of urgency, the social and cultural symbolism of certain foods, the poor taste of 'healthy' foods, the expense of 'healthy' foods, and lack of information. Segments of the population that potentially could be motivated to make dietary changes included women, men with health problems, young adults, the elderly, and those diagnosed with a severe, life-threatening disease. The findings suggest that the PEN-3 model is an appropriate framework for assessing how community and culture impact dietary habits of African Americans. African Americans will need information on basic nutrition topics such as serving sizes and reading food labels. The findings also suggest that programs and materials should be specifically developed for churches, neighborhood grocery stores, and local restaurants.

PROPOSAL FOR A SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT MONTHLY QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM ASSESSING THE CONSISTENCY OF ROBOTIC IMAGE-GUIDED SMALL ANIMAL RADIATION SYSTEMS

PubMed Central

Brodin, N. Patrik; Guha, Chandan; Tomé, Wolfgang A.

2015-01-01

Modern pre-clinical radiation therapy (RT) research requires high precision and accurate dosimetry to facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice. Several systems are available that provide precise delivery and on-board imaging capabilities, highlighting the need for a quality management program (QMP) to ensure consistent and accurate radiation dose delivery. An ongoing, simple, and efficient QMP for image-guided robotic small animal irradiators used in pre-clinical RT research is described. Protocols were developed and implemented to assess the dose output constancy (based on the AAPM TG-61 protocol), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image quality and object representation accuracy (using a custom-designed imaging phantom), CBCT-guided target localization accuracy and consistency of the CBCT-based dose calculation. To facilitate an efficient read-out and limit the user dependence of the QMP data analysis, a semi-automatic image analysis and data representation program was developed using the technical computing software MATLAB. The results of the first six months experience using the suggested QMP for a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) are presented, with data collected on a bi-monthly basis. The dosimetric output constancy was established to be within ±1 %, the consistency of the image resolution was within ±0.2 mm, the accuracy of CBCT-guided target localization was within ±0.5 mm, and dose calculation consistency was within ±2 s (± 3 %) per treatment beam. Based on these results, this simple quality assurance program allows for the detection of inconsistencies in dosimetric or imaging parameters that are beyond the acceptable variability for a reliable and accurate pre-clinical RT system, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. PMID:26425981

Proposal for a Simple and Efficient Monthly Quality Management Program Assessing the Consistency of Robotic Image-Guided Small Animal Radiation Systems.

PubMed

Brodin, N Patrik; Guha, Chandan; Tomé, Wolfgang A

2015-11-01

Modern pre-clinical radiation therapy (RT) research requires high precision and accurate dosimetry to facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice. Several systems are available that provide precise delivery and on-board imaging capabilities, highlighting the need for a quality management program (QMP) to ensure consistent and accurate radiation dose delivery. An ongoing, simple, and efficient QMP for image-guided robotic small animal irradiators used in pre-clinical RT research is described. Protocols were developed and implemented to assess the dose output constancy (based on the AAPM TG-61 protocol), cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image quality and object representation accuracy (using a custom-designed imaging phantom), CBCT-guided target localization accuracy and consistency of the CBCT-based dose calculation. To facilitate an efficient read-out and limit the user dependence of the QMP data analysis, a semi-automatic image analysis and data representation program was developed using the technical computing software MATLAB. The results of the first 6-mo experience using the suggested QMP for a Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) are presented, with data collected on a bi-monthly basis. The dosimetric output constancy was established to be within ±1 %, the consistency of the image resolution was within ±0.2 mm, the accuracy of CBCT-guided target localization was within ±0.5 mm, and dose calculation consistency was within ±2 s (±3%) per treatment beam. Based on these results, this simple quality assurance program allows for the detection of inconsistencies in dosimetric or imaging parameters that are beyond the acceptable variability for a reliable and accurate pre-clinical RT system, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis.

Individualized home-based exercise programs for older people to reduce falls and improve physical performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Hill, Keith D; Hunter, Susan W; Batchelor, Frances A; Cavalheri, Vinicius; Burton, Elissa

2015-09-01

There is considerable diversity in the types of exercise programs investigated to reduce falls in older people. The purpose of this paper was to review the effectiveness of individualized (tailored) home-based exercise programs in reducing falls and improving physical performance among older people living in the community. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of randomized or quasi-randomized trials that utilized an individualized home-based exercise program with at least one falls outcome measure reported. Single intervention exercise studies, and multifactorial interventions where results for an exercise intervention were reported independently were included. Two researchers independently rated the quality of each included study. Of 16,871 papers identified from six databases, 12 met all inclusion criteria (11 randomized trials and a pragmatic trial). Study quality overall was high. Sample sizes ranged from 40 to 981, participants had an average age 80.1 years, and although the majority of studies targeted the general older population, several studies included clinical groups as their target (Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and hip fracture). The meta-analysis results for the five studies reporting number of fallers found no significant effect of the intervention (RR [95% CI]=0.93 [0.72-1.21]), although when a sensitivity analysis was performed with one study of participants recently discharged from hospital removed, this result was significant (RR [95% CI] = 0.84 [0.72-0.99]). The meta-analysis also found that intervention led to significant improvements in physical activity, balance, mobility and muscle strength. There were no significant differences for measures of injurious falls or fractures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space Ultrareliable Modular Computer (SUMC) instruction simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curran, R. T.

1972-01-01

The design principles, description, functional operation, and recommended expansion and enhancements are presented for the Space Ultrareliable Modular Computer interpretive simulator. Included as appendices are the user's manual, program module descriptions, target instruction descriptions, simulator source program listing, and a sample program printout. In discussing the design and operation of the simulator, the key problems involving host computer independence and target computer architectural scope are brought into focus.

A Voice Stimulation Program for Preschoolers: Theory and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Moya L.; Summers, Anne C.

1993-01-01

Voice programing for preschool children with communication disabilities is discussed, including suggestions for enriching the child's auditory environment, selecting target goals, and providing consistency of target presentations by caregivers. Sample vocal awareness and production goals and strategies are offered. (Author/DB)

The development of a culturally appropriate school based intervention for Australian Aboriginal children living in remote communities: A formative evaluation of the Alert Program® intervention.

PubMed

Wagner, Bree; Fitzpatrick, James; Symons, Martyn; Jirikowic, Tracy; Cross, Donna; Latimer, Jane

2017-06-01

Although previous research has demonstrated the benefits of targeting self-regulation in non-Aboriginal children, it is unclear whether such programs would be effective for Aboriginal children attending school in remote communities. Some of these children have been diagnosed with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) impairing their ability to self-regulate. The aim of this article is to describe a three phase formative process to develop and pilot a curriculum version of the Alert Program ® , a promising intervention for improving self-regulation that could be used in remote community schools. This modified version of the program will be subsequently tested in a cluster randomised controlled trial. A mixed methods approach was used. Modifications to the Alert Program ® , its delivery and evaluation were made after community and stakeholder consultation facilitated by a senior Aboriginal community researcher. Changes to lesson plans and program resources were made to reflect the remote community context, classroom environment and the challenging behaviours of children. Standardised study outcome measures were modified by removing several questions that had little relevance to the lives of children in remote communities. Program training for school staff was reduced in length to reduce staff burden. This study identified aspects of the Alert Program ® training, delivery and measures for evaluation that need modification before their use in assessing the efficacy of the Alert Program ® in remote Aboriginal community primary schools. © 2016 Occupational Therapy Australia.

The effects of fixed-time reinforcement schedules on functional response classes: a translational study.

PubMed

Heinicke, Megan R; Carr, James E; LeBlanc, Linda A

2012-01-01

Research on functional response classes has applied significance because less severe forms of problem behavior have been found to co-occur with more severe forms. In addition, the most severe forms of problem behavior are sometimes targeted for intervention without monitoring other less severe forms. In such cases, it is unknown whether and how untreated forms of problem behavior covary with the targeted behaviors. The present study employed a translational procedure (with button presses as the target behavior) to investigate response covariation under noncontingent reinforcement with typically developing preschoolers. The results indicated that noncontingent reinforcement was generally effective in decreasing all response class members when only one member was targeted.

Risk and protective factors as predictors of outcome in adolescents with psychiatric disorder and aggression.

PubMed

Vance, J Eric; Bowen, Natasha K; Fernandez, Gustavo; Thompson, Shealy

2002-01-01

To identify predictors of behavioral outcomes in high-risk adolescents with aggression and serious emotional disturbance (SED). Three hundred thirty-seven adolescents from a statewide North Carolina treatment program for aggressive youths with SED were followed between July 1995 and June 1999 from program entry (T1) to approximately 1 year later (T2). Historical and current psychosocial risk and protective factors as well as psychiatric symptom severity at T1 were tested as predictors of high and low behavioral functioning at T2. Behavioral functioning was a composite based on the frequency of risk-taking, self-injurious, threatening, and assaultive behavior. Eleven risk and protective factors were predictive of T2 behavioral functioning, while none of the measured T1 psychiatric symptoms was predictive. A history of aggression and negative parent-child relationships in childhood was predictive of worse T2 behavior, as was lower IQ. Better T2 behavioral outcomes were predicted by a history of consistent parental employment and positive parent-child relations, higher levels of current family support, contact with prosocial peers, higher reading level, good problem-solving abilities, and superior interpersonal skills. Among high-risk adolescents with aggression and SED, psychiatric symptom severity may be a less important predictor of behavioral outcomes than certain risk and protective factors. Several factors predictive of good behavioral functioning represent feasible intervention targets.

[PD-L1 expression: An emerging biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer].

PubMed

Adam, Julien; Planchard, David; Marabelle, Aurélien; Soria, Jean-Charles; Scoazec, Jean-Yves; Lantuéjoul, Sylvie

2016-01-01

Therapies targeting immune checkpoints, in particular programmed death 1 (PD-1) and its ligand programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), are major new strategies for the treatment of several malignancies including mestatatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The identification of predictive biomarkers of response is required, considering efficacy, cost and potential adverse events. Expression of PD-L1 by immunohistochemistry has been associated with higher response rate and overall survival in several clinical trials evaluating anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies. Thus, PD-L1 immunohistochemical companion assays could be required for treatment with some of these therapies in NSCLC. However, heterogeneity in methodologies of PD-L1 assays in terms of primary antibodies and scoring algorithms, and tumor heterogenity for PD-L1 expression are important issues to be considered. More studies are required to compare the different assays, ensure their harmonization and standardization and identify the optimal conditions for testing. PD-L1 expression is likely an imperfect predictive biomarker for patient selection and association with other markers of the tumor immune microenvironment will be probably necessary in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Formative process evaluation for implementing a social marketing intervention to increase walking among African Americans in the Positive Action for Today's Health trial.

PubMed

Coulon, Sandra M; Wilson, Dawn K; Griffin, Sarah; St George, Sara M; Alia, Kassandra A; Trumpeter, Nevelyn N; Wandersman, Abraham K; Forthofer, Melinda; Robinson, Shamika; Gadson, Barney

2012-12-01

Evaluating programs targeting physical activity may help to reduce disparate rates of obesity among African Americans. We report formative process evaluation methods and implementation dose, fidelity, and reach in the Positive Action for Today's Health trial. We applied evaluation methods based on an ecological framework in 2 community-based police-patrolled walking programs targeting access and safety in underserved African American communities. One program also targeted social connectedness and motivation to walk using a social marketing approach. Process data were systematically collected from baseline to 12 months. Adequate implementation dose was achieved, with fidelity achieved but less stable in both programs. Monthly walkers increased to 424 in the walking-plus-social marketing program, indicating expanding program reach, in contrast to no increase in the walking-only program. Increased reach was correlated with peer-led Pride Strides (r = .92; P < .001), a key social marketing component, and program social interaction was the primary reason for which walkers reported participating. Formative process evaluation demonstrated that the walking programs were effectively implemented and that social marketing increased walking and perceived social connectedness in African American communities.

Poverty and severe psychiatric disorder in the U.S.: evidence from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.

PubMed

Vick, Brandon; Jones, Kristine; Mitra, Sophie

2012-06-01

Previous studies have shown that persons with severe psychiatric disorders are more likely to be poor and face disparities in education and employment outcomes. Poverty rates, the standard measure of poverty, give no information on how far below the poverty line this group falls. This paper compares the poverty rate, poverty depth (distance from the poverty line) and poverty severity (inequality of incomes below the poverty line) of households with and without a working-age member with severe psychiatric disorder in the United States using data from the 2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). First, we perform multivariate analysis of the association between severe disorder and poverty depth using MEPS data. Second, we calculate poverty rates, depth, and severity for the subgroup of households having a member with disorder and compare to the subgroup of households without such a member. In multivariate regressions, the presence of a household member with severe psychiatric disorder predicts a 52-percentage point increase in poverty depth and 3.10 times the odds of being poor. Poverty rate, depth, and severity are significantly greater for households of persons with disorder. Mean total incomes are lower for households of persons with severe disorder compared to other households while mean health expenditures are similar. Severe psychiatric disorder is associated with greater depth of poverty and likelihood of being poor. We identify groups who are the most disadvantaged according to severity of income poverty among households with severe psychiatric disorder. These include households whose head has no high school education, who has been without work for the entire year, and who is black or Hispanic. While these characteristics are related to poverty for the overall sample, they correlate to heightened poverty severity when combined with severe disorder. Families face less severity than single persons but poverty rate, depth, and severity increase for both groups when combined with severe psychiatric disorder. Our study does not attempt to investigate the causes of poverty, focusing rather on improved poverty measurement. We find that households of persons with disorder have a lower standard of living and face more severe forms of poverty. This may affect the health of their members through reduced access to health inputs, including access to health care. This paper shows that there is a strong association between severe psychiatric disorder and poverty, and points to a need to break this association. Both mental health policy and income assistance programs should consider using poverty rate, depth and severity measures to evaluate the economic benefits of current programs and target future programs to those facing the most severe poverty. The results point to the need for additional research in a number of areas: trends in poverty for households with severe psychiatric disorders over time; mobility and persistence of poverty for this group; and the association of severe disorder to other, non-monetary dimensions of poverty, such as a lack of social integration.