Sample records for rapidly developing research

  1. Rapid prototyping facility for flight research in artificial-intelligence-based flight systems concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duke, E. L.; Regenie, V. A.; Deets, D. A.

    1986-01-01

    The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center is developing a rapid prototyping facility for flight research in flight systems concepts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI). The facility will include real-time high-fidelity aircraft simulators, conventional and symbolic processors, and a high-performance research aircraft specially modified to accept commands from the ground-based AI computers. This facility is being developed as part of the NASA-DARPA automated wingman program. This document discusses the need for flight research and for a national flight research facility for the rapid prototyping of AI-based avionics systems and the NASA response to those needs.

  2. A rapid prototyping facility for flight research in advanced systems concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duke, Eugene L.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Disbrow, James D.

    1989-01-01

    The Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center is developing a rapid prototyping facility for flight research in flight systems concepts that are based on artificial intelligence (AI). The facility will include real-time high-fidelity aircraft simulators, conventional and symbolic processors, and a high-performance research aircraft specially modified to accept commands from the ground-based AI computers. This facility is being developed as part of the NASA-DARPA automated wingman program. This document discusses the need for flight research and for a national flight research facility for the rapid prototyping of AI-based avionics systems and the NASA response to those needs.

  3. Rapid E-Learning Simulation Training and User Response

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rackler, Angeline

    2011-01-01

    A new trend in e-learning development is to have subject matter experts use rapid development tools to create training simulations. This type of training is called rapid e-learning simulation training. Though companies are using rapid development tools to create training quickly and cost effectively, there is little empirical research to indicate…

  4. The use of an automated flight test management system in the development of a rapid-prototyping flight research facility

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duke, Eugene L.; Hewett, Marle D.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.; Tartt, David M.; Antoniewicz, Robert F.; Agarwal, Arvind K.

    1988-01-01

    An automated flight test management system (ATMS) and its use to develop a rapid-prototyping flight research facility for artificial intelligence (AI) based flight systems concepts are described. The ATMS provides a flight test engineer with a set of tools that assist in flight planning and simulation. This system will be capable of controlling an aircraft during the flight test by performing closed-loop guidance functions, range management, and maneuver-quality monitoring. The rapid-prototyping flight research facility is being developed at the Dryden Flight Research Facility of the NASA Ames Research Center (Ames-Dryden) to provide early flight assessment of emerging AI technology. The facility is being developed as one element of the aircraft automation program which focuses on the qualification and validation of embedded real-time AI-based systems.

  5. Bus rapid transit developments in China : perspectives from research, meetings, and site visits in April 2006.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-07-01

    This report briefly summarizes the information related to Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) developments in China collected through : independent research and a visit to China from April 17-26, 2006 as part of FTA Public Transportation Trade Mission. The purpo...

  6. Evaluation of the Structural Performance of CTS Rapid Set Concrete Mix

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-08-01

    June 2015, research was conducted at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, MS, to develop pavement design curves...using the Department of Defense’s (DoD) rigid pavement design method. Results indicate that the DoD’s rigid pavement design criteria are conservative...1.2 Objective and scope The objective of the research presented in this report was to develop pavement design curves relating CTS Rapid Set

  7. A COMPARISON OF TWO RAPID BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT SAMPLING METHODS FOR MACROINVERTEBRATES

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2003, the Office of Research and Developments (ORD's) National Exposure Research Laboratory initiated a collaborative research effort with U.S. EPA Region 3 to conduct a study comparing two rapid biological assessment methods for collecting stream macroinvertebrates. One metho...

  8. Faster Growth of Road Transportation CO2 Emissions in Asia Pacific Economies: Exploring Differences in Trends of the Rapidly Developing and Developed Worlds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marcotullio, Peter J.

    2006-01-01

    Researchers have identified how in some rapidly developing countries, road and aviation transportation CO2 emissions are rising faster (over time) when compared to the experiences of the USA at similar levels of economic development. While suggestive of how experiences of the rapidly developing Asia are different from those of the developed world…

  9. DOTD support for UTC project : development of rapid PCC pavement repair materials and construction techniques : research project capsule.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this project is to provide DOTD match funding for the proposed research. : This project is associated with the LTRC/Southern partnership with Research on Concrete : Applications for Sustainable Transportation (RE-CAST) Rapid Pavement C...

  10. Realizing the potential of rapid-cycling Brassica as a model system for use in plant biology research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Musgrave, M. E.

    2000-01-01

    Rapid-cycling Brassica populations were initially developed as a model for probing the genetic basis of plant disease. Paul Williams and co-workers selected accessions of the six main species for short time to flower and rapid seed maturation. Over multiple generations of breeding and selection, rapid-cycling populations of each of the six species were developed. Because of their close relationship with economically important Brassica species, rapid-cycling Brassica populations, especially those of B. rapa (RCBr) and B. oleracea, have seen wide application in plant and crop physiology investigations. Adding to the popularity of these small, short-lived plants for research applications is their extensive use in K-12 education and outreach.

  11. Development of flexural vibration inspection techniques to rapidly assess the structural health of rural bridge systems

    Treesearch

    Brian K. Brashaw; Robert Vatalaro; Xiping Wang; Kevin Sarvela; James P. Wacker

    2008-01-01

    Approximately 4,000 vehicle bridges in the State of Minnesota contain structural timber members. Recent research at the University of Minnesota Duluth Natural Resources Research Institute (UMD NRRI) has been conducted on vibration testing of timber bridges as a means of developing rapid in-place testing techniques for assessing the structural health of bridges. The...

  12. Research and Development of Rapid Design Systems for Aerospace Structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schaeffer, Harry G.

    1999-01-01

    This report describes the results of research activities associated with the development of rapid design systems for aerospace structures in support of the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE). The specific subsystems investigated were the interface between model assembly and analysis; and, the high performance NASA GPS equation solver software system in the Windows NT environment on low cost high-performance PCs.

  13. 20170915 - EPA’s Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry Project (Alberta Health)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Program includes the Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry (RED) project. RED advances high throughput research in exposure modeling and toxicokinetics. This presentation is an overview of publicly available tools developed by the RED projec...

  14. Evolution of Research Universities as a National Research System in Korea: Accomplishments and Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shin, Jung Cheol; Lee, Soo Jeung

    2015-01-01

    This article focuses on South Korea, where the basis of the economy rapidly transformed from labor-intensive industries to heavy/chemical industries and then to technology-based industries within a short time period. The Korean case shows how national research systems evolve along with economic development. On the other hand, such rapid research…

  15. NASA Space Biology Research Associate Program for the 21st Century

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sonnenfeld, Gerald

    2000-01-01

    The Space Biology Research Associate Program for the 21st Century provided a unique opportunity to train individuals to conduct biological research in hypo- and hyper-gravity, and to conduct ground-based research. This grant was developed to maximize the potential for Space Biology as an emerging discipline and to train a cadre of space biologists. The field of gravitational and space biology is rapidly growing at the future of the field is reflected in the quality and education of its personnel. Our chief objective was to train and develop these scientists rapidly and in a cost effective model.

  16. App Factory: A flexible approach to rehabilitation engineering in an era of rapid technology advancement.

    PubMed

    Jones, Michael; Mueller, James; Morris, John

    2017-01-01

    This article describes a flexible and effective approach to research and development in an era of rapid technological advancement. The approach relies on secondary dispersal of grant funds to commercial developers through a competitive selection process. This "App Factory" model balances the practical reliance on multi-year funding needed to sustain a rehabilitation engineering research center (RERC), with the need for agility and adaptability of development efforts undertaken in a rapidly changing technology environment. This approach also allows us to take advantage of technical expertise needed to accomplish a particular development task, and provides incentives to deliver successful products in a cost-effective manner. In this article, we describe the App Factory structure, process, and results achieved to date; and we discuss the lessons learned and the potential relevance of this approach for other grant-funded research and development efforts. Data presented on the direct costs and number of downloads of the 16 app development projects funded in the App Factory's first 3 years show that it can be an effective means for supporting focused, short-term assistive technology development projects.

  17. Rapid prototyping for biomedical engineering: current capabilities and challenges.

    PubMed

    Lantada, Andrés Díaz; Morgado, Pilar Lafont

    2012-01-01

    A new set of manufacturing technologies has emerged in the past decades to address market requirements in a customized way and to provide support for research tasks that require prototypes. These new techniques and technologies are usually referred to as rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies, and they allow prototypes to be produced in a wide range of materials with remarkable precision in a couple of hours. Although they have been rapidly incorporated into product development methodologies, they are still under development, and their applications in bioengineering are continuously evolving. Rapid prototyping and manufacturing technologies can be of assistance in every stage of the development process of novel biodevices, to address various problems that can arise in the devices' interactions with biological systems and the fact that the design decisions must be tested carefully. This review focuses on the main fields of application for rapid prototyping in biomedical engineering and health sciences, as well as on the most remarkable challenges and research trends.

  18. Rapid Technology Assessment via Unified Deployment of Global Optical and Virtual Diagnostics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jordan, Jeffrey D.; Watkins, A. Neal; Fleming, Gary A.; Leighty, Bradley D.; Schwartz, Richard J.; Ingram, JoAnne L.; Grinstead, Keith D., Jr.; Oglesby, Donald M.; Tyler, Charles

    2003-01-01

    This paper discusses recent developments in rapid technology assessment resulting from an active collaboration between researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) and the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). This program targets the unified development and deployment of global measurement technologies coupled with a virtual diagnostic interface to enable the comparative evaluation of experimental and computational results. Continuing efforts focus on the development of seamless data translation methods to enable integration of data sets of disparate file format in a common platform. Results from a successful low-speed wind tunnel test at WPAFB in which global surface pressure distributions were acquired simultaneously with model deformation and geometry measurements are discussed and comparatively evaluated with numerical simulations. Intensity- and lifetime-based pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) and projection moire interferometry (PMI) results are presented within the context of rapid technology assessment to enable simulation-based R&D.

  19. The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry. Supplement to the President’s 2011 Budget

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-01

    commercial “ pull ” to enable rapid establishment of domestic 21st century manufacturing and to rapidly reduce product cost. CNT electronics...Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry ( GOALI ), Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) , and Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC

  20. Development of a remote sensing network for time-sensitive detection of fine scale damage to transportation infrastructure : [final report].

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-09-23

    This research project aimed to develop a remote sensing system capable of rapidly identifying fine-scale damage to critical transportation infrastructure following hazard events. Such a system must be pre-planned for rapid deployment, automate proces...

  1. Education in Management of Data Created by New Technologies for Rapid Product Development in SMEs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaw, A.; Aitchison, D.

    2003-01-01

    This paper presents outcomes from a research programme aimed at developing new tools and methodologies to assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in rapid product development (RPD). The authors suggest that current education strategies for the teaching of RPD tools and methodologies may be of limited value unless those strategies also…

  2. Rapid Profile: A Second Language Screening Procedure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackey, Alison; And Others

    1991-01-01

    Rapid Profile, developed by Manfred Pienemann of National Languages Institute of Australia/Language Acquisition Research Centre, is a computer-based procedure for screening speech samples collected from language learners to assess their level of language development as compared to standard patterns in the acquisition of the target language. Rapid…

  3. The science, technology and research network (STARNET) a searchable thematic compilation of web resources

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blados, W.R.; Cotter, G.A.; Hermann, T.

    2007-01-01

    International alliances in space efforts have resulted in a more rapid diffusion of space technology. This, in turn, increases pressure on organizations to push forward with technological developments and to take steps to maximize their inclusion into the research and development (R&D) process and the overall advancement and enhancement of space technology. To cope with this vast and rapidly growing amount of data and information that is vital to the success of the innovation, the Information Management Committee (IMC) of the Research Technology Agency (RTA) developed the science, technology and research network (STARNET). The purpose of this network is to facilitate access to worldwide information elements in terms of science, technology and overall research. It provides a virtual library with special emphasis on international security; a "one stop" information resource for policy makers, program managers, scientists, engineers, researchers and others. ?? 2007 IEEE.

  4. Rapid Automated Aircraft Simulation Model Updating from Flight Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brian, Geoff; Morelli, Eugene A.

    2011-01-01

    Techniques to identify aircraft aerodynamic characteristics from flight measurements and compute corrections to an existing simulation model of a research aircraft were investigated. The purpose of the research was to develop a process enabling rapid automated updating of aircraft simulation models using flight data and apply this capability to all flight regimes, including flight envelope extremes. The process presented has the potential to improve the efficiency of envelope expansion flight testing, revision of control system properties, and the development of high-fidelity simulators for pilot training.

  5. The development of an automated flight test management system for flight test planning and monitoring

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hewett, Marle D.; Tartt, David M.; Duke, Eugene L.; Antoniewicz, Robert F.; Brumbaugh, Randal W.

    1988-01-01

    The development of an automated flight test management system (ATMS) as a component of a rapid-prototyping flight research facility for AI-based flight systems concepts is described. The rapid-prototyping facility includes real-time high-fidelity simulators, numeric and symbolic processors, and high-performance research aircraft modified to accept commands for a ground-based remotely augmented vehicle facility. The flight system configuration of the ATMS includes three computers: the TI explorer LX and two GOULD SEL 32/27s.

  6. A Cross Cultural Validation of Perceptions and Use of Social Network Service: An Exploratory Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Guo, Chengqi

    2009-01-01

    The rapid developments Social Network Service (SNS) have offered opportunities to re-visit many seminal theoretical assumptions of technology usage within socio-technical environment. Online social network is a rapidly growing field that imposes new questions to the existing IS research paradigm. It is argued that information systems research must…

  7. Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications.

    PubMed

    Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

    2014-01-01

    Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu.

  8. Harvest: an open platform for developing web-based biomedical data discovery and reporting applications

    PubMed Central

    Pennington, Jeffrey W; Ruth, Byron; Italia, Michael J; Miller, Jeffrey; Wrazien, Stacey; Loutrel, Jennifer G; Crenshaw, E Bryan; White, Peter S

    2014-01-01

    Biomedical researchers share a common challenge of making complex data understandable and accessible as they seek inherent relationships between attributes in disparate data types. Data discovery in this context is limited by a lack of query systems that efficiently show relationships between individual variables, but without the need to navigate underlying data models. We have addressed this need by developing Harvest, an open-source framework of modular components, and using it for the rapid development and deployment of custom data discovery software applications. Harvest incorporates visualizations of highly dimensional data in a web-based interface that promotes rapid exploration and export of any type of biomedical information, without exposing researchers to underlying data models. We evaluated Harvest with two cases: clinical data from pediatric cardiology and demonstration data from the OpenMRS project. Harvest's architecture and public open-source code offer a set of rapid application development tools to build data discovery applications for domain-specific biomedical data repositories. All resources, including the OpenMRS demonstration, can be found at http://harvest.research.chop.edu PMID:24131510

  9. Toward Clarity on Understanding Tropical Cyclone Intensification

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-08-01

    forefront of tropical cyclone research for a number of years , espe- cially in the context of the rapid intensification or decay of storms. Rapid...67, 1817 – 1830, doi:10.1175/2010JAS3318.1. Vigh, J. L., and W. H. Schubert, 2009: Rapid development of the tropical cyclone warm core. J. Atmos

  10. Rapid Model Fabrication and Testing for Aerospace Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buck, Gregory M.

    2000-01-01

    Advanced methods for rapid fabrication and instrumentation of hypersonic wind tunnel models are being developed and evaluated at NASA Langley Research Center. Rapid aeroheating model fabrication and measurement techniques using investment casting of ceramic test models and thermographic phosphors are reviewed. More accurate model casting techniques for fabrication of benchmark metal and ceramic test models are being developed using a combination of rapid prototype patterns and investment casting. White light optical scanning is used for coordinate measurements to evaluate the fabrication process and verify model accuracy to +/- 0.002 inches. Higher-temperature (<210C) luminescent coatings are also being developed for simultaneous pressure and temperature mapping, providing global pressure as well as global aeroheating measurements. Together these techniques will provide a more rapid and complete experimental aerodynamic and aerothermodynamic database for future aerospace vehicles.

  11. Rapid Chemical Exposure and Dose Research

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA evaluates the potential risks of the manufacture and use of thousands of chemicals. To assist with this evaluation, EPA scientists developed a rapid, automated model using off the shelf technology that predicts exposures for thousands of chemicals.

  12. Development of vibrational spectroscopic methods to rapidly and non-destructively assess quality of chicken breast meat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Development of Vibrational Spectroscopic Methods to Rapidly and Non-Destructively Assess Quality of Chicken Breast Meat H. Zhuang1, M. Sohn2, S. Trabelsi1 and K. Lawrence1 1Quality and Safety Assessment Research Unit, ARS-USDA, 950 College Station Road, Athens, GA 30605 2University of Georgia, De...

  13. New technologies to detect and monitor Phytophthora ramorum in plant, soil, and water samples

    Treesearch

    Paul Russell; Nathan McOwen; Robert Bohannon

    2013-01-01

    The focus of our research efforts has been to develop methods to quickly identify plants, soil, and water samples infested with Phytophthora spp., and to rapidly confirm the findings using novel isothermal DNA technologies suitable for field use. These efforts have led to the development of a rapid Immunostrip® that reliably detects...

  14. The NHERI RAPID Facility: Enabling the Next-Generation of Natural Hazards Reconnaissance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wartman, J.; Berman, J.; Olsen, M. J.; Irish, J. L.; Miles, S.; Gurley, K.; Lowes, L.; Bostrom, A.

    2017-12-01

    The NHERI post-disaster, rapid response research (or "RAPID") facility, headquartered at the University of Washington (UW), is a collaboration between UW, Oregon State University, Virginia Tech, and the University of Florida. The RAPID facility will enable natural hazard researchers to conduct next-generation quick response research through reliable acquisition and community sharing of high-quality, post-disaster data sets that will enable characterization of civil infrastructure performance under natural hazard loads, evaluation of the effectiveness of current and previous design methodologies, understanding of socio-economic dynamics, calibration of computational models used to predict civil infrastructure component and system response, and development of solutions for resilient communities. The facility will provide investigators with the hardware, software and support services needed to collect, process and assess perishable interdisciplinary data following extreme natural hazard events. Support to the natural hazards research community will be provided through training and educational activities, field deployment services, and by promoting public engagement with science and engineering. Specifically, the RAPID facility is undertaking the following strategic activities: (1) acquiring, maintaining, and operating state-of-the-art data collection equipment; (2) developing and supporting mobile applications to support interdisciplinary field reconnaissance; (3) providing advisory services and basic logistics support for research missions; (4) facilitating the systematic archiving, processing and visualization of acquired data in DesignSafe-CI; (5) training a broad user base through workshops and other activities; and (6) engaging the public through citizen science, as well as through community outreach and education. The facility commenced operations in September 2016 and will begin field deployments beginning in September 2018. This poster will provide an overview of the vision for the RAPID facility, the equipment that will be available for use, the facility's operations, and opportunities for user training and facility use.

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

    PubMed

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

    2015-09-26

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

  16. The Development of Basic Reading Skills in Children: A Cross-Language Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geva, Esther; Wang, Min

    2001-01-01

    Reviews recent research evidence for universal and orthography- or language-specific processes in the development of basic reading skills in school-age children. The review focuses on three different aspects of reading--phonological processing, rapid naming, and morphosyntactic complexity--targeted in recent research on development of word…

  17. Partnership in Knowledge Creation: Lessons Learned from a Researcher-Policy Actor Partnership to Co-Produce a Rapid Appraisal Case Study of South Australia's Social Inclusion Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Newman, Lareen; Biedrzycki, Kate; Patterson, Jan; Baum, Fran

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes a partnership between researchers and policy actors that was developed within a short timeframe to produce a rapid appraisal case study of a government policy initiative--South Australia's "Social Inclusion Initiative"--for the Social Exclusion Knowledge Network of the international Commission on Social Determinants…

  18. Examining the Neurocognitive Profile of Dysnomia: A Comparison of School-Aged Children with and without Dyslexia across the Domains of Expressive Language, Attention/Memory, and Academic Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howarth, Robyn Ann

    2010-01-01

    Word-retrieval and rapid naming abilities play an important role in language processing and cognitive development. Researchers have demonstrated that early language difficulties may lead to later reading impairments and several decades of research has convincingly demonstrated that rapid automatized naming is a powerful predictor of concurrent and…

  19. Research on Adolescent Sexual Orientation: Development, Health Disparities, Stigma, and Resilience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saewyc, Elizabeth M.

    2011-01-01

    The decade between 1998 and 2008 saw rapid increases in research on adolescent sexual orientation development and related health issues, both in the quantity and in the quality of studies. While much of the research originated in North America, studies from other countries also contributed to emerging understanding of developmental trajectories…

  20. Review on CNC-Rapid Prototyping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Z, M. Nafis O.; Y, Nafrizuan M.; A, Munira M.; J, Kartina

    2012-09-01

    This article reviewed developments of Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) technology in rapid prototyping process. Rapid prototyping (RP) can be classified into three major groups; subtractive, additive and virtual. CNC rapid prototyping is grouped under the subtractive category which involves material removal from the workpiece that is larger than the final part. Richard Wysk established the use of CNC machines for rapid prototyping using sets of 2½-D tool paths from various orientations about a rotary axis to machine parts without refixturing. Since then, there are few developments on this process mainly aimed to optimized the operation and increase the process capabilities to stand equal with common additive type of RP. These developments include the integration between machining and deposition process (hybrid RP), adoption of RP to the conventional machine and optimization of the CNC rapid prototyping process based on controlled parameters. The article ended by concluding that the CNC rapid prototyping research area has a vast space for improvement as in the conventional machining processes. Further developments and findings will enhance the usage of this method and minimize the limitation of current approach in building a prototype.

  1. Disease management in the genomics era - Summaries of focus issue papers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The genomics revolution has contributed enormously to research and disease management applications in plant pathology. This development has rapidly increased our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning pathogenesis and resistance, contributed novel markers for rapid pathogen detectio...

  2. MACBETH: Development of a Training Game for the Mitigation of Cognitive Bias

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunbar, Norah E.; Wilson, Scott N.; Adame, Bradley J.; Elizondo, Javier; Jensen, Matthew L.; Miller, Claude H.; Kauffman, Abigail Allums; Seltsam, Toby; Bessarabova, Elena; Vincent, Cindy; Straub, Sara K.; Ralston, Ryan; Dulawan, Christopher L.; Ramirez, Dennis; Squire, Kurt; Valacich, Joseph S.; Burgoon, Judee K.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the process of rapid iterative prototyping used by a research team developing a training video game for the Sirius program funded by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). Described are three stages of development, including a paper prototype, and builds for alpha and beta testing. Game development is…

  3. Implementation science approaches for integrating eHealth research into practice and policy.

    PubMed

    Glasgow, Russell E; Phillips, Siobhan M; Sanchez, Michael A

    2014-07-01

    To summarize key issues in the eHealth field from an implementation science perspective and to highlight illustrative processes, examples and key directions to help more rapidly integrate research, policy and practice. We present background on implementation science models and emerging principles; discuss implications for eHealth research; provide examples of practical designs, measures and exemplar studies that address key implementation science issues; and make recommendations for ways to more rapidly develop and test eHealth interventions as well as future research, policy and practice. The pace of eHealth research has generally not kept up with technological advances, and many of our designs, methods and funding mechanisms are incapable of providing the types of rapid and relevant information needed. Although there has been substantial eHealth research conducted with positive short-term results, several key implementation and dissemination issues such as representativeness, cost, unintended consequences, impact on health inequities, and sustainability have not been addressed or reported. Examples of studies in several of these areas are summarized to demonstrate this is possible. eHealth research that is intended to translate into policy and practice should be more contextual, report more on setting factors, employ more responsive and pragmatic designs and report results more transparently on issues important to potential adopting patients, clinicians and organizational decision makers. We outline an alternative development and assessment model, summarize implementation science findings that can help focus attention, and call for different types of more rapid and relevant research and funding mechanisms. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  4. Research on Chinese Intelligent Guanglianda in High-rise Construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanovich, Marina; Shi, Peiyu; Wang, Ziyue; Zhao, Liang; Gerasimova, Vera

    2018-03-01

    Since the reform and opening up in China, the rapid development of China's construction industry, especially after 2011, BIM technology in China has a rapid development and depth of application. This article mainly discusses the process of development of China's construction industry management and the process of development of BIM technology in China and, the use of software in China, the main use of revit in 3D modeling (design stage), the use of Guanglianda in the whole process of construction management. This article researches on Guanglianda and the applications were described, for example, in the integrated project of management information, labor management information, construction video surveillance, material management, material site acceptance. This paper also elaborates on the cooperation of Revit and Guanglianda in different stages. This paper also elaborates on a construction case in China, and makes a description of the problems of crane, facts and time, and then explores the reasons behind the rapid construction of China. And the feasibility of China's construction management approach to the introduction of Russia.

  5. Rapid development of medical imaging tools with open-source libraries.

    PubMed

    Caban, Jesus J; Joshi, Alark; Nagy, Paul

    2007-11-01

    Rapid prototyping is an important element in researching new imaging analysis techniques and developing custom medical applications. In the last ten years, the open source community and the number of open source libraries and freely available frameworks for biomedical research have grown significantly. What they offer are now considered standards in medical image analysis, computer-aided diagnosis, and medical visualization. A cursory review of the peer-reviewed literature in imaging informatics (indeed, in almost any information technology-dependent scientific discipline) indicates the current reliance on open source libraries to accelerate development and validation of processes and techniques. In this survey paper, we review and compare a few of the most successful open source libraries and frameworks for medical application development. Our dual intentions are to provide evidence that these approaches already constitute a vital and essential part of medical image analysis, diagnosis, and visualization and to motivate the reader to use open source libraries and software for rapid prototyping of medical applications and tools.

  6. Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group to play a leading role in guiding the production of informed high-quality, timely research evidence syntheses.

    PubMed

    Garritty, Chantelle; Stevens, Adrienne; Gartlehner, Gerald; King, Valerie; Kamel, Chris

    2016-10-28

    Policymakers and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly seeking evidence to inform the policymaking process, and often use existing or commissioned systematic reviews to inform decisions. However, the methodologies that make systematic reviews authoritative take time, typically 1 to 2 years to complete. Outside the traditional SR timeline, "rapid reviews" have emerged as an efficient tool to get evidence to decision-makers more quickly. However, the use of rapid reviews does present challenges. To date, there has been limited published empirical information about this approach to compiling evidence. Thus, it remains a poorly understood and ill-defined set of diverse methodologies with various labels. In recent years, the need to further explore rapid review methods, characteristics, and their use has been recognized by a growing network of healthcare researchers, policymakers, and organizations, several with ties to Cochrane, which is recognized as representing an international gold standard for high-quality, systematic reviews. In this commentary, we introduce the newly established Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group developed to play a leading role in guiding the production of rapid reviews given they are increasingly employed as a research synthesis tool to support timely evidence-informed decision-making. We discuss how the group was formed and outline the group's structure and remit. We also discuss the need to establish a more robust evidence base for rapid reviews in the published literature, and the importance of promoting registration of rapid review protocols in an effort to promote efficiency and transparency in research. As with standard systematic reviews, the core principles of evidence-based synthesis should apply to rapid reviews in order to minimize bias to the extent possible. The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group will serve to establish a network of rapid review stakeholders and provide a forum for discussion and training. By facilitating exchange, the group will strive to conduct research to advance the methods of rapid reviews.

  7. A Brief Analysis of Development Situations and Trend of Cloud Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Wenyan

    2017-12-01

    in recent years, the rapid development of Internet technology has radically changed people's work, learning and lifestyles. More and more activities are completed by virtue of computers and networks. The amount of information and data generated is bigger day by day, and people rely more on computer, which makes computing power of computer fail to meet demands of accuracy and rapidity from people. The cloud computing technology has experienced fast development, which is widely applied in the computer industry as a result of advantages of high precision, fast computing and easy usage. Moreover, it has become a focus in information research at present. In this paper, the development situations and trend of cloud computing shall be analyzed and researched.

  8. Product Development and its Comparative Analysis by SLA, SLS and FDM Rapid Prototyping Processes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choudhari, C. M.; Patil, V. D.

    2016-09-01

    To grab market and meeting deadlines has increased the scope of new methods in product design and development. Industries continuously strive to optimize the development cycles with high quality and cost efficient products to maintain market competitiveness. Thus the need of Rapid Prototyping Techniques (RPT) has started to play pivotal role in rapid product development cycle for complex product. Dimensional accuracy and surface finish are the corner stone of Rapid Prototyping (RP) especially if they are used for mould development. The paper deals with the development of part made with the help of Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Stereo-lithography (SLA) and Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) processes to benchmark and investigate on various parameters like material shrinkage rate, dimensional accuracy, time, cost and surface finish. This helps to conclude which processes can be proved to be effective and efficient in mould development. In this research work the emphasis was also given to the design stage of a product development to obtain an optimum design solution for an existing product.

  9. Hot topics, urgent priorities, and ensuring success for racial/ethnic minority young investigators in academic pediatrics.

    PubMed

    Flores, Glenn; Mendoza, Fernando S; Fuentes-Afflick, Elena; Mendoza, Jason A; Pachter, Lee; Espinoza, Juan; Fernandez, Cristina R; Arnold, Danielle D P; Brown, Nicole M; Gonzalez, Kymberly M; Lopez, Cynthia; Owen, Mikah C; Parks, Kenya M; Reynolds, Kimberly L; Russell, Christopher J

    2016-12-09

    The number of racial/ethnic minority children will exceed the number of white children in the USA by 2018. Although 38% of Americans are minorities, only 12% of pediatricians, 5% of medical-school faculty, and 3% of medical-school professors are minorities. Furthermore, only 5% of all R01 applications for National Institutes of Health grants are from African-American, Latino, and American Indian investigators. Prompted by the persistent lack of diversity in the pediatric and biomedical research workforces, the Academic Pediatric Association Research in Academic Pediatrics Initiative on Diversity (RAPID) was initiated in 2012. RAPID targets applicants who are members of an underrepresented minority group (URM), disabled, or from a socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged background. The program, which consists of both a research project and career and leadership development activities, includes an annual career-development and leadership conference which is open to any resident, fellow, or junior faculty member from an URM, disabled, or disadvantaged background who is interested in a career in academic general pediatrics. As part of the annual RAPID conference, a Hot Topic Session is held in which the young investigators spend several hours developing a list of hot topics on the most useful faculty and career-development issues. These hot topics are then posed in the form of six "burning questions" to the RAPID National Advisory Committee (comprised of accomplished, nationally recognized senior investigators who are seasoned mentors), the RAPID Director and Co-Director, and the keynote speaker. The six compelling questions posed by the 10 young investigators-along with the responses of the senior conference leadership-provide a unique resource and "survival guide" for ensuring the academic success and optimal career development of young investigators in academic pediatrics from diverse backgrounds. A rich conversation ensued on the topics addressed, consisting of negotiating for protected research time, career trajectories as academic institutions move away from an emphasis on tenure-track positions, how "non-academic" products fit into career development, racism and discrimination in academic medicine and how to address them, coping with isolation as a minority faculty member, and how best to mentor the next generation of academic physicians.

  10. The Multidisciplinary Translational Team (MTT) Model for Training and Development of Translational Research Investigators

    PubMed Central

    Hellmich, Mark R.; Cestone, Christina M.; Wooten, Kevin C.; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J.; Chonmaitree, Tasnee; Anderson, Karl E.; Brasier, Allan R.

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Multiinstitutional research collaborations now form the most rapid and productive project execution structures in the health sciences. Effective adoption of a multidisciplinary team research approach is widely accepted as one mechanism enabling rapid translation of new discoveries into interventions in human health. Although the impact of successful team‐based approaches facilitating innovation has been well‐documented, its utility for training a new generation of scientists has not been thoroughly investigated. We describe the characteristics of how multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs) promote career development of translational research scholars through competency building, interprofessional integration, and team‐based mentoring approaches. Exploratory longitudinal and outcome assessments from our experience show that MTT membership had a positive effect on the development of translational research competencies, as determined by a self‐report survey of 32 scholars. We also observed that all trainees produced a large number of collaborative publications that appeared to be associated with their CTSA association and participation with MTTs. We conclude that the MTT model provides a unique training environment for translational and team‐based learning activities, for investigators at early stages of career development. PMID:26010046

  11. Developing Rapid and Cost-Effective Tools for Assessing Groundwater Impacts on Contaminated Sediments

    EPA Science Inventory

    This research developed quick and inexpensive methods that can be useful in characterizing the interaction of water and solids within the GW/SW transition zone to explain processes that occur during physical contact between groundwater and sediments. The research used self-conta...

  12. Fundamentals of rapid injection molding for microfluidic cell-based assays.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ulri N; Su, Xiaojing; Guckenberger, David J; Dostie, Ashley M; Zhang, Tianzi; Berthier, Erwin; Theberge, Ashleigh B

    2018-01-30

    Microscale cell-based assays have demonstrated unique capabilities in reproducing important cellular behaviors for diagnostics and basic biological research. As these assays move beyond the prototyping stage and into biological and clinical research environments, there is a need to produce microscale culture platforms more rapidly, cost-effectively, and reproducibly. 'Rapid' injection molding is poised to meet this need as it enables some of the benefits of traditional high volume injection molding at a fraction of the cost. However, rapid injection molding has limitations due to the material and methods used for mold fabrication. Here, we characterize advantages and limitations of rapid injection molding for microfluidic device fabrication through measurement of key features for cell culture applications including channel geometry, feature consistency, floor thickness, and surface polishing. We demonstrate phase contrast and fluorescence imaging of cells grown in rapid injection molded devices and provide design recommendations to successfully utilize rapid injection molding methods for microscale cell-based assay development in academic laboratory settings.

  13. Extramural Training and Career Opportunities in Aging Research.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Inst. on Aging (DHHS/NIH), Bethesda, MD.

    The rapid growth of the older population heightens the urgency for training in aging research. This publication outlines the opportunities for extramural research training and career development that exist within the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The NIA supports research and research training primarily through the award of grants and…

  14. Research on seamless development of surgical instruments based on biological mechanisms using CAD and 3D printer.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Ikuo; Ota, Ren; Zhu, Rui; Lawn, Murray; Ishimatsu, Takakazu; Nagayasu, Takeshi; Yamasaki, Naoya; Takagi, Katsunori; Koji, Takehiko

    2015-01-01

    In the area of manufacturing surgical instruments, the ability to rapidly design, prototype and test surgical instruments is critical. This paper provides a simple case study of the rapid development of two bio-mechanism based surgical instruments which are ergonomic, aesthetic and were successfully designed, prototyped and conceptually tested in a very short period of time.

  15. Antimicrobial Resistance Gene Transfer in Drug Resistant Acinetobacter Species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Abstract: Antibiotic resistance is rapidly developing into one of the most formidable challenges for healthcare providers and researchers alike. To combat the rapid evolution of resistance, it will be important to uncover different mechanisms that bacteria use to acquire drug resistance genes. Acine...

  16. Reconsidering Tree Fruit as Candidate Crops Through the Use of Rapid Cycle Crop Breeding Technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Graham, Gary Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Tree fruit, although desirable from a crew nutrition and menu diversity perspective, have long been dismissed as candidate crops based on their long juvenile phase, large architecture, low short-term harvest index, and dormancy requirements. Recent developments in Rapid Cycle Crop Breeding (RCCB) have overcome these historical limitations, opening the door to a new era in candidate crop research. Researchers at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed FT-construct (Flowering Locus T) dwarf plum lines that have a very short juvenile phase, vine-like architecture, and no obligate dormancy period. In a collaborative research effort, NASA and the USDA are evaluating the performance of these FT-lines under controlled environment conditions relevant to spaceflight.

  17. Military Infectious Diseases Update on Vaccine Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-24

    Research Program (MIDRP) Insect Vector ControlDiagnostics Prevention Treatment Infectious diseases adversely impact military operations. Vaccines...appropriate treatment and aids commanders in the field. Most militarily relevant infectious diseases are transmitted by biting insects and other...based Insect Repellent (1946) Vaccines Protectants Antiparasitic Drugs Research Effort Advanced Development Fielded Products Malaria Rapid

  18. Development of a research method to measure insoluble and soluble starch in sugarcane factory and refinery products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A rapid, quantitative research method using microwave-assisted probe ultrasonication was developed to facilitate the determination of total insoluble, and soluble starch in various sugar factory and refinery products. Several variables that affect starch solubilization were evaluated: 1) conductiv...

  19. Ethics in research.

    PubMed

    Bevan, Joan C

    2007-04-01

    This review will examine research ethics in the context of globalization of clinical trials and recent rapid developments in bioscience. It will focus on international ethical guidelines and the functions of research ethics review boards in research governance. Consent issues in genetic research, which must comply with privacy laws by protecting confidentiality and privacy of personal health data, will be discussed. There has been a rapid expansion of genomic and proteonomic research and biotechnology in the last decade. International ethical guidelines have been updated and the bioscience industry has developed ethics policies. At the same time, problems in academic anesthesia in the US and UK have been identified, leading to recommendations to train physician-scientists in anesthesia to stimulate research activity in the future. Anesthesiologists are joining interdisciplinary research teams and the concept of evidence-based translational research is emerging. Anesthesiologists are moving towards participation in interdisciplinary research teams. They are well placed to speed the translation of research discovery into clinical practice and provide evidence-based perioperative care. This review provides the ethical framework that anesthesiologists will need to meet the challenges of this changing pattern of practice.

  20. Remote sensing of multimodal transportation systems : research brief.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-09-01

    Remote Sensing of Multimodal Transportation Systems : Rapid condition monitoring and performance evaluations of the vast and vulnerable transportation infrastructure has been elusive. The framework and models developed in this research will enable th...

  1. Feedstock powder processing research needs for additive manufacturing development

    DOE PAGES

    Anderson, Iver E.; White, Emma M. H.; Dehoff, Ryan

    2018-02-01

    Additive manufacturing (AM) promises to redesign traditional manufacturing by enabling the ultimate in agility for rapid component design changes in commercial products and for fabricating complex integrated parts. Here, by significantly increasing quality and yield of metallic alloy powders, the pace for design, development, and deployment of the most promising AM approaches can be greatly accelerated, resulting in rapid commercialization of these advanced manufacturing methods. By successful completion of a critical suite of processing research tasks that are intended to greatly enhance gas atomized powder quality and the precision and efficiency of powder production, researchers can help promote continued rapidmore » growth of AM. Finally, other powder-based or spray-based advanced manufacturing methods could also benefit from these research outcomes, promoting the next wave of sustainable manufacturing technologies for conventional and advanced materials.« less

  2. Feedstock powder processing research needs for additive manufacturing development

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

    Anderson, Iver E.; White, Emma M. H.; Dehoff, Ryan

    Additive manufacturing (AM) promises to redesign traditional manufacturing by enabling the ultimate in agility for rapid component design changes in commercial products and for fabricating complex integrated parts. Here, by significantly increasing quality and yield of metallic alloy powders, the pace for design, development, and deployment of the most promising AM approaches can be greatly accelerated, resulting in rapid commercialization of these advanced manufacturing methods. By successful completion of a critical suite of processing research tasks that are intended to greatly enhance gas atomized powder quality and the precision and efficiency of powder production, researchers can help promote continued rapidmore » growth of AM. Finally, other powder-based or spray-based advanced manufacturing methods could also benefit from these research outcomes, promoting the next wave of sustainable manufacturing technologies for conventional and advanced materials.« less

  3. Factors Influencing Rapid Prototyping Innovation Implementation: A Descriptive Model

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-03-01

    strategy. NDI can be considered as a balance of risk and technological advancement allowing the services to have a system in the field into the...The U.S. military no longer must go through the long, tedious series of events required by the peacetime research and development and service approval...developed, fielded, and evaluated by the fleet in conjunction with fleet introduction (Interim Service Approval). Rapid prototyping conceptually represents

  4. The Age of Enlightenment: Evolving Opportunities in Brain Research Through Optical Manipulation of Neuronal Activity

    PubMed Central

    Jerome, Jason; Heck, Detlef H.

    2011-01-01

    Optical manipulation of neuronal activity has rapidly developed into the most powerful and widely used approach to study mechanisms related to neuronal connectivity over a range of scales. Since the early use of single site uncaging to map network connectivity, rapid technological development of light modulation techniques has added important new options, such as fast scanning photostimulation, massively parallel control of light stimuli, holographic uncaging, and two-photon stimulation techniques. Exciting new developments in optogenetics complement neurotransmitter uncaging techniques by providing cell-type specificity and in vivo usability, providing optical access to the neural substrates of behavior. Here we review the rapid evolution of methods for the optical manipulation of neuronal activity, emphasizing crucial recent developments. PMID:22275886

  5. The age of enlightenment: evolving opportunities in brain research through optical manipulation of neuronal activity.

    PubMed

    Jerome, Jason; Heck, Detlef H

    2011-01-01

    Optical manipulation of neuronal activity has rapidly developed into the most powerful and widely used approach to study mechanisms related to neuronal connectivity over a range of scales. Since the early use of single site uncaging to map network connectivity, rapid technological development of light modulation techniques has added important new options, such as fast scanning photostimulation, massively parallel control of light stimuli, holographic uncaging, and two-photon stimulation techniques. Exciting new developments in optogenetics complement neurotransmitter uncaging techniques by providing cell-type specificity and in vivo usability, providing optical access to the neural substrates of behavior. Here we review the rapid evolution of methods for the optical manipulation of neuronal activity, emphasizing crucial recent developments.

  6. Adaptable data management for systems biology investigations.

    PubMed

    Boyle, John; Rovira, Hector; Cavnor, Chris; Burdick, David; Killcoyne, Sarah; Shmulevich, Ilya

    2009-03-06

    Within research each experiment is different, the focus changes and the data is generated from a continually evolving barrage of technologies. There is a continual introduction of new techniques whose usage ranges from in-house protocols through to high-throughput instrumentation. To support these requirements data management systems are needed that can be rapidly built and readily adapted for new usage. The adaptable data management system discussed is designed to support the seamless mining and analysis of biological experiment data that is commonly used in systems biology (e.g. ChIP-chip, gene expression, proteomics, imaging, flow cytometry). We use different content graphs to represent different views upon the data. These views are designed for different roles: equipment specific views are used to gather instrumentation information; data processing oriented views are provided to enable the rapid development of analysis applications; and research project specific views are used to organize information for individual research experiments. This management system allows for both the rapid introduction of new types of information and the evolution of the knowledge it represents. Data management is an important aspect of any research enterprise. It is the foundation on which most applications are built, and must be easily extended to serve new functionality for new scientific areas. We have found that adopting a three-tier architecture for data management, built around distributed standardized content repositories, allows us to rapidly develop new applications to support a diverse user community.

  7. Line-scan hyperspectral imaging platform for agro-food safety and quality evaluation: System enhancement and characterization

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Line-scan-based hyperspectral imaging techniques have often served as a research tool to develop rapid multispectral methods based on only a few spectral bands for rapid online applications. With continuing technological advances and greater accessibility to and availability of optoelectronic imagin...

  8. Boronic acids for fluorescence imaging of carbohydrates.

    PubMed

    Sun, Xiaolong; Zhai, Wenlei; Fossey, John S; James, Tony D

    2016-02-28

    "Fluorescence imaging" is a particularly exciting and rapidly developing area of research; the annual number of publications in the area has increased ten-fold over the last decade. The rapid increase of interest in fluorescence imaging will necessitate the development of an increasing number of molecular receptors and binding agents in order to meet the demand in this rapidly expanding area. Carbohydrate biomarkers are particularly important targets for fluorescence imaging given their pivotal role in numerous important biological events, including the development and progression of many diseases. Therefore, the development of new fluorescent receptors and binding agents for carbohydrates is and will be increasing in demand. This review highlights the development of fluorescence imaging agents based on boronic acids a particularly promising class of receptors given their strong and selective binding with carbohydrates in aqueous media.

  9. Trends and Developments of Higher Education Research in Hong Kong: In Pursuit of a Cosmopolitan Vision

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lo, William Yat Wai; Ng, Felix Sai Kit

    2015-01-01

    With the processes of inter- and intranationalization, higher education in Hong Kong has been rapidly expanding in an effort to develop the city into a regional education hub. This article explores the trends and developments of higher education research (HER) in Hong Kong in the context of inter- and intranationalization. By drawing on the data…

  10. Potential of ordered mesoporous silica for oral delivery of poorly soluble drugs.

    PubMed

    Vialpando, Monica; Martens, Johan A; Van den Mooter, Guy

    2011-08-01

    The use of ordered mesoporous silica is one of the more recent and rapidly developing formulation techniques for enhancing the solubility of poorly water-soluble drugs. Their large surface area and pore volume make ordered mesoporous silica materials excellent candidates for efficient drug loading and rapid release. While this new approach offers many promising advantages, further research is still necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and to improve our scientific insight into the behavior of this system. In this review, the significant developments to date are presented and research challenges highlighted. Aspects of downstream processability are discussed in view of their special bulk powder properties and unique pore architecture. Lastly, perspectives for successful oral dosage form development are presented.

  11. Extending NASA Research Results to Benefit Society: Rapid Prototyping for Coastal Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Glorioso, Mark V.; Miller, Richard L.; Hall, Callie M.; McPherson, Terry R.

    2006-01-01

    The mission of the NASA Applied Sciences Program is to expand and accelerate the use of NASA research results to benefit society in 12 application areas of national priority. ONe of the program's major challenges is to perform a quick, efficient, and detailed review (i.e., prototyping) of the large number of combinations of NASA observations and results from Earth system models that may be used by a wide range of decision support tools. A Rapid Prototyping Capacity (RPC) is being developed to accelerate the use of NASA research results. Here, we present the conceptual framework of the Rapid Prototyping Capacity within the context of quickly assessing the efficacy of NASA research results and technologies to support the Coastal Management application. An initial RPC project designed to quickly evaluate the utility of moderate-resolution MODIS products for calibrating/validating coastal sediment transport models is also presented.

  12. Teachers' Use of PowerPoint in Kindergarten: An Empirical Investigation in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Xia; Xu, Yunrong; Pange, Jenny

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays, with the rapid progress of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), the integration of ICTs in education has attracted more and more attention of educators and researchers. However, there are different situations between developed and less-developed nations both in ICT application and in ICT research. PowerPoint is a readily…

  13. Mindfulness and Compassion in Human Development: Introduction to the Special Section

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roeser, Robert W.; Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

    2015-01-01

    Research on contemplative practices (e.g., mindfulness or compassion training) is growing rapidly in the clinical, health and neuro-sciences, but almost none of this research takes an explicitly developmental life span perspective. At present, we know rather little about the naturalistic development of mindfulness or compassion in children and…

  14. Getting to the guts of enteric nervous system development.

    PubMed

    Heuckeroth, Robert O; Pachnis, Vassilis

    2006-06-01

    Scientists from around the world gathered in New York City recently to discuss the latest research on enteric nervous system development at a meeting organised by Alan Burns and Heather Young. The participants enjoyed 3 days of presentations that spurred active conversations and highlighted the rapidly advancing research in this field.

  15. Next-generation air monitoring – an overview of EPA research to develop real-time instrumentation packages for stationary and mobile monitoring

    EPA Science Inventory

    Abstract. Air pollution measurement technology is advancing rapidly towards small-scale, real-time, wireless detectors, with a potential to significantly change the landscape of air pollution monitoring. The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development is evaluating and developi...

  16. C-C1-04: Building a Health Services Information Technology Research Environment

    PubMed Central

    Gehrum, David W; Jones, JB; Romania, Gregory J; Young, David L; Lerch, Virginia R; Bruce, Christa A; Donkochik, Diane; Stewart, Walter F

    2010-01-01

    Background: The electronic health record (EHR) has opened a new era for health services research (HSR) where information technology (IT) is used to re-engineer care processes. While the EHR provides one means of advancing novel solutions, a promising strategy is to develop tools (e.g., online questionnaires, visual display tools, decision support) distinct from, but which interact with, the EHR. Development of such software tools outside the EHR offers an advantage in flexibility, sophistication, and ultimately in portability to other settings. However, institutional IT departments have an imperative to protect patient data and to standardize IT processes to ensure system-level security and support traditional business needs. Such imperatives usually present formidable process barriers to testing novel software solutions. We describe how, in collaboration with our IT department, we are creating an environment and a process that allows for routine and rapid testing of novel software solutions. Methods: We convened a working group consisting of IT and research personnel with expertise in information security, database design/management, web design, EHR programming, and health services research. The working group was tasked with developing a research IT environment to accomplish two objectives: maintain network/ data security and regulatory compliance; allow researchers working with external vendors to rapidly prototype and, in a clinical setting, test web-based tools. Results: Two parallel solutions, one focused on hardware, the second on oversight and management, were developed. First, we concluded that three separate, staged development environments were required to allow external vendor access for testing software and for transitioning software to be used in a clinic. In parallel, the extant oversight process for approving/managing access to internal/external personnel had to be altered to reflect the scope and scale of discrete research projects, as opposed to an enterpriselevel approach to IT management. Conclusions: Innovation in health services software development requires a flexible, scalable IT environment adapted to the unique objectives of a HSR software development model. In our experience, implementing the hardware solution is less challenging than the cultural change required to implement such a model and the modifications to administrative and oversight processes to sustain an environment for rapid product development and testing.

  17. Rapid learning: a breakthrough agenda.

    PubMed

    Etheredge, Lynn M

    2014-07-01

    A "rapid-learning health system" was proposed in a 2007 thematic issue of Health Affairs. The system was envisioned as one that uses evidence-based medicine to quickly determine the best possible treatments for patients. It does so by drawing on electronic health records and the power of big data to access large volumes of information from a variety of sources at high speed. The foundation for a rapid-learning health system was laid during 2007-13 by workshops, policy papers, large public investments in databases and research programs, and developing learning systems. Challenges now include implementing a new clinical research system with several hundred million patients, modernizing clinical trials and registries, devising and funding research on national priorities, and analyzing genetic and other factors that influence diseases and responses to treatment. Next steps also should aim to improve comparative effectiveness research; build on investments in health information technology to standardize handling of genetic information and support information exchange through apps and software modules; and develop new tools, data, and information for clinical decision support. Further advances will require commitment, leadership, and public-private and global collaboration. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  18. The Multidisciplinary Translational Team (MTT) Model for Training and Development of Translational Research Investigators.

    PubMed

    Ameredes, Bill T; Hellmich, Mark R; Cestone, Christina M; Wooten, Kevin C; Ottenbacher, Kenneth J; Chonmaitree, Tasnee; Anderson, Karl E; Brasier, Allan R

    2015-10-01

    Multiinstitutional research collaborations now form the most rapid and productive project execution structures in the health sciences. Effective adoption of a multidisciplinary team research approach is widely accepted as one mechanism enabling rapid translation of new discoveries into interventions in human health. Although the impact of successful team-based approaches facilitating innovation has been well-documented, its utility for training a new generation of scientists has not been thoroughly investigated. We describe the characteristics of how multidisciplinary translational teams (MTTs) promote career development of translational research scholars through competency building, interprofessional integration, and team-based mentoring approaches. Exploratory longitudinal and outcome assessments from our experience show that MTT membership had a positive effect on the development of translational research competencies, as determined by a self-report survey of 32 scholars. We also observed that all trainees produced a large number of collaborative publications that appeared to be associated with their CTSA association and participation with MTTs. We conclude that the MTT model provides a unique training environment for translational and team-based learning activities, for investigators at early stages of career development. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. RESULTS FROM THE 2005 NATIONAL BEACHES STUDY: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN RAPIDLY MEASURED INDICATORS OF FECAL CONTAMINATION AND SWIMMING ASSOCIATED GASTROENTERITIS

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2003, the US EPA Office of Research and Development conducted studies at two Great Lakes beaches to evaluate the association between novel, rapid methods of measuring fecal contamination and swimming associated health effects. These results were presented at the 2004 Science F...

  20. An Active Reading Intervention for the Electronic Career Development Course (eCDC) Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isreal, Kenith R.

    2013-01-01

    Electronic books have rapidly moved through the entertainment community and are rapidly making their way into the academic environment. Public and private schools, libraries and training organizations use eBooks for research and instruction. This study sought to enhance the learning habits of students taking self-paced correspondence courses…

  1. Developing a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada: findings from an issue brief and stakeholder dialogue.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Michael G; Lavis, John N; Gauvin, Francois-Pierre

    2015-03-11

    There is currently no mechanism in place outside of government to provide rapid syntheses of the best available research evidence about problems, options and/or implementation considerations related to a specific health system challenge that Canadian health system decision-makers need to address in a timely manner. A 'rapid-response' program could address this gap by providing access to optimally packaged, relevant and high-quality research evidence over short periods of time (i.e. days or weeks). We prepared an issue brief that describes the best available research evidence related to the problem, three broad features of a program that addresses the problem and implementation considerations. We identified systematic reviews by searching for organization-targeted implementation strategies in Health Systems Evidence ( www.healthsystemsevidence.org ) and drew on an existing analytical framework for how knowledge-brokering organizations can organize themselves to operationalize the program features. The issue brief was then used to inform a half-day stakeholder dialogue about whether and how to develop a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada. We thematically synthesized the deliberations. We found very few relevant systematic reviews but used frameworks and examples from existing programs to 1) outline key considerations for organizing a rapid-response program,, 2) determine what can be done in timelines ranging from 3 to 10 and 30 business days, and 3) define success and measure it. The 11 dialogue participants from across Canada largely agreed with the content presented in the brief, but noted two key challenges to consider: securing stable, long-term funding and finding a way to effectively and equitably manage the expected demand. Recommendations and suggestions for next steps from dialogue participants included taking an 'organic' approach to developing a pan-Canadian network and including jurisdictional scans as a type of product to deliver through the program (rather than only syntheses of research evidence). Dialogue participants clearly signalled that there is an appetite for a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada. To 'organically' build such a program, we are currently engaging in efforts to build partnerships and secure funding to support the creation of a pan-Canadian network for conducting rapid syntheses for health system decision-makers in Canada.

  2. Development of a Diagnostic and Remedial Learning System Based on an Enhanced Concept--Effect Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Panjaburees, Patcharin; Triampo, Wannapong; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chuedoung, Meechoke; Triampo, Darapond

    2013-01-01

    With the rapid advances in computer technology during recent years, researchers have demonstrated the pivotal influences of computer-assisted diagnostic systems on student learning performance improvement. This research aims to develop a Diagnostic and Remedial Learning System (DRLS) for an algebra course in a Thai lower secondary school context…

  3. The Internet as a research site: establishment of a web-based longitudinal study of the nursing and midwifery workforce in three countries.

    PubMed

    Huntington, Annette; Gilmour, Jean; Schluter, Philip; Tuckett, Anthony; Bogossian, Fiona; Turner, Catherine

    2009-06-01

    The aim of this paper is to describe the development of a web-based longitudinal research project, The Nurses and Midwives e-cohort Study. The Internet has only recently been used for health research. However, web-based methodologies are increasingly discussed as significant and inevitable developments in research as Internet access and use rapidly increases worldwide. In 2006, a longitudinal web-based study of nurses and midwives workforce participation patterns, health and wellbeing, and lifestyle choices was established. Participating countries are Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Data collection is handled through a dedicated website using a range of standardized tools combined into one comprehensive questionnaire. Internet-specific data collection and a range of recruitment and retention strategies have been developed for this study. Internet-based technology can support the maintenance of cohorts across multiple countries and jurisdictions to explore factors influencing workforce participation. However, barriers to widespread adoption of web-based approaches include website development costs, the need for fast broadband connection for large data collection instruments, and varying degrees of Internet and computer literacy in the nursing and midwifery workforce. Many of the issues reported in this paper are transitional in nature at a time of rapid technological development. The development of on-line methods and tools is a major and exciting development in the world of research. Research via the world-wide web can support international collaborations across borders and cultures.

  4. Characterizing hydrologic permanence in headwater streams

    EPA Science Inventory

    The presentation will be an overview of research to inform jurisdictional determinations for the Clean Water Act, in particular research that hydrographic comparisons of the extent and hydrologic permanence of headwater streams, indicator development, and an evaluation of a rapid...

  5. Ethics in Nanotechnology: Starting from Scratch?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ebbesen, Mette; Andersen, Svend; Besenbacher, Flemming

    2006-01-01

    Research in nanotechnology has advanced rapidly in recent years. Several researchers, however, warn that there is a paucity of research on the ethical, legal, and social implications of nanotechnology, and they caution that ethical reflections on nanotechnology lag behind this fast developing science. In this article, the authors question this…

  6. Reprint 1987: Research Administration in a Time of Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brandt, Edward N.

    2017-01-01

    The field of biomedical research has undergone several changes in recent years. These include increased funding, the rapid development in scientific knowledge which speeds up the obsolescence of equipment, facilities and knowledge and the growing complexity of scientific problems. Research administrators can take steps to address these changes…

  7. Research Management in Portugal: A Quest for Professional Identity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trindade, Margarida; Agostinho, Marta

    2014-01-01

    Research managers at science-intensive institutions appear as a continuously evolving group of professionals whose identity is somewhat fragmented, even to themselves. In Portugal, specialized research manager roles have rapidly emerged over the last years alongside the development of a small but consolidated scientific system. In order to get an…

  8. Aging in Canada: state of the art and science.

    PubMed

    Sheets, Debra J; Gallagher, Elaine M

    2013-02-01

    Canada shares many similarities with other industrialized countries around the world, including a rapidly aging population. What sets Canada uniquely apart is the collaborative approach that has been enacted in the health care system and the aging research initiatives. Canada has tremendous pride in its publicly funded health care system that guarantees universal coverage for health care services on the basis of need, rather than ability to pay. It is also distinguished as a multicultural society that is officially bilingual. Aging research has developed rapidly over the past decade. In particular, the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging is one of the most comprehensive research platforms of its kind and is expected to change the landscape of aging research.

  9. Animation of Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS)

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2016-04-20

    Animation of Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System (HERTS) concept. NASA engineers are conducting tests to develop models for the Heliopause Electrostatic Rapid Transport System. HERTS builds upon the electric sail invention of Dr. Pekka Janhunen of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. An electric sail could potentially send scientific payloads to the edge of our solar system, the heliopause, in less than 10 years. The research is led by Bruce M. Wiegmann, an engineer in the Advanced Concepts Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. The HERTS E-Sail development and testing is funded by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate through the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program.

  10. Rapid Delivery of Cyber Capabilities: Evaluation of the Requirement for a Rapid Cyber Acquisition Process

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    record (PoR) to give both a quantitative and qualitative perspective on the rapid cyber acquisitions framework . It also investigates if cyber operations...acquisition is a complex topic that does not yet have a solidified framework . To scope this research, a comprehensive review of past, present and...for AT&L is working with the DoD cyberspace community to develop a common framework for Services and Agencies to acquire capabilities for cyberspace

  11. Adaptable data management for systems biology investigations

    PubMed Central

    Boyle, John; Rovira, Hector; Cavnor, Chris; Burdick, David; Killcoyne, Sarah; Shmulevich, Ilya

    2009-01-01

    Background Within research each experiment is different, the focus changes and the data is generated from a continually evolving barrage of technologies. There is a continual introduction of new techniques whose usage ranges from in-house protocols through to high-throughput instrumentation. To support these requirements data management systems are needed that can be rapidly built and readily adapted for new usage. Results The adaptable data management system discussed is designed to support the seamless mining and analysis of biological experiment data that is commonly used in systems biology (e.g. ChIP-chip, gene expression, proteomics, imaging, flow cytometry). We use different content graphs to represent different views upon the data. These views are designed for different roles: equipment specific views are used to gather instrumentation information; data processing oriented views are provided to enable the rapid development of analysis applications; and research project specific views are used to organize information for individual research experiments. This management system allows for both the rapid introduction of new types of information and the evolution of the knowledge it represents. Conclusion Data management is an important aspect of any research enterprise. It is the foundation on which most applications are built, and must be easily extended to serve new functionality for new scientific areas. We have found that adopting a three-tier architecture for data management, built around distributed standardized content repositories, allows us to rapidly develop new applications to support a diverse user community. PMID:19265554

  12. Environmental health impacts associated with rapid urbanisation in South Africa.

    PubMed

    von Schirnding, Y; Yach, D

    There is an urgent need for epidemiological assessments of environmental factors associated with rapid urbanisation in developing countries. Unlike the process in developed countries, urbanisation in the developing world is often associated with urban poverty, particularly on the periphery of the city where informal settlement areas develop. Population growth rates in these areas are frequently higher than in the city itself, and access to basic environmental amenities is frequently lacking. In Africa, ill-health conditions associated with rapid urbanisation, such as diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections, continue to be major causes of childhood deaths. An account is given of research being conducted in South Africa to address such problems, as well as problems related to inner-city decay, such as childhood lead exposure. There is a critical need for better inter-sectoral co-ordination between the health sector and other sectors such as housing and planning, in preventing negative health impacts associated with rapid urbanisation in the future.

  13. Towards seamless workflows in agile data science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klump, J. F.; Robertson, J.

    2017-12-01

    Agile workflows are a response to projects with requirements that may change over time. They prioritise rapid and flexible responses to change, preferring to adapt to changes in requirements rather than predict them before a project starts. This suits the needs of research very well because research is inherently agile in its methodology. The adoption of agile methods has made collaborative data analysis much easier in a research environment fragmented across institutional data stores, HPC, personal and lab computers and more recently cloud environments. Agile workflows use tools that share a common worldview: in an agile environment, there may be more that one valid version of data, code or environment in play at any given time. All of these versions need references and identifiers. For example, a team of developers following the git-flow conventions (github.com/nvie/gitflow) may have several active branches, one for each strand of development. These workflows allow rapid and parallel iteration while maintaining identifiers pointing to individual snapshots of data and code and allowing rapid switching between strands. In contrast, the current focus of versioning in research data management is geared towards managing data for reproducibility and long-term preservation of the record of science. While both are important goals in the persistent curation domain of the institutional research data infrastructure, current tools emphasise planning over adaptation and can introduce unwanted rigidity by insisting on a single valid version or point of truth. In the collaborative curation domain of a research project, things are more fluid. However, there is no equivalent to the "versioning iso-surface" of the git protocol for the management and versioning of research data. At CSIRO we are developing concepts and tools for the agile management of software code and research data for virtual research environments, based on our experiences of actual data analytics projects in the geosciences. We use code management that allows researchers to interact with the code through tools like Jupyter Notebooks while data are held in an object store. Our aim is an architecture allowing seamless integration of code development, data management, and data processing in virtual research environments.

  14. Present and future of astronomy in Thailand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soonthornthum, Boonrucksar

    2018-05-01

    Investments in national astronomical facilities and human resources through the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand have led to the rapid growth of astronomy in Thailand. Ongoing activities in key research areas, education and outreach will lead to further sustainable development.

  15. Multicomponent Treatment of Rapid Naming, Reading Rate, and Visual Attention in Single and Double Deficit Dyslexics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Kary A.

    2013-01-01

    While the relationship between rapid automatic naming (RAN) deficiencies and dyslexia (reading disability) is well developed and supported in the behavioral and medical research literature to date, direct treatment of the specific RAN deficiency in addition to subsequently poor reading outcomes in the lexical skill of reading rate and the…

  16. Engaging Chicago residents in climate change action: Results from Rapid Ethnographic Inquiry

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal; Jennifer Hirsch

    2010-01-01

    Addressing climate change requires action at all levels of society, from neighborhood to international levels. Using Rapid Ethnography rooted in Asset Based Community Development theory, we investigated climate-friendly attitudes and behaviors in two Chicago neighborhoods in order to assist the City with implementation of its Climate Action Plan. Our research suggests...

  17. Next Generation Air Monitoring

    EPA Science Inventory

    Abstract. Air pollution measurement technology is advancing rapidly towards smaller-scale and wireless devices, with a potential to significantly change the landscape of air pollution monitoring. The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development is evaluating and developing a rang...

  18. NASA Space Biology Research Associate Program for the 21st Century

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sonnenfeld, Gerald

    1999-01-01

    The Space Biology Research Associate Program for the 21st Century provided a unique opportunity to train individuals to conduct biological research in hypo- and hyper-gravity, and to conduct ground-based research. This grant was developed to maximize the potential for Space Biology as an emerging discipline and to train a cadre of space biologists. The field of gravitational and space biology is rapidly growing at the future of the field is reflected in the quality and education of its personnel. Our chief objective was to train and develop these scientists rapidly and in a cost effective manner. The program began on June 1, 1980 with funding to support several Research Associates each year. 113 awards, plus 1 from an independently supported minority component were made for the Research Associates program. The program was changed from a one year award with a possibility for renewal to a two year award. In 1999, the decision was made by NASA to discontinue the program due to development of new priorities for funding. This grant was discontinued because of the move of the Program Director to a new institution; a new grant was provided to that new institution to allow completion of the training of the remaining 2 research associates in 1999. After 1999, the program will be discontinued.

  19. [Rapid prototyping: a very promising method].

    PubMed

    Haverman, T M; Karagozoglu, K H; Prins, H-J; Schulten, E A J M; Forouzanfar, T

    2013-03-01

    Rapid prototyping is a method which makes it possible to produce a three-dimensional model based on two-dimensional imaging. Various rapid prototyping methods are available for modelling, such as stereolithography, selective laser sintering, direct laser metal sintering, two-photon polymerization, laminated object manufacturing, three-dimensional printing, three-dimensional plotting, polyjet inkjet technology,fused deposition modelling, vacuum casting and milling. The various methods currently being used in the biomedical sector differ in production, materials and properties of the three-dimensional model which is produced. Rapid prototyping is mainly usedforpreoperative planning, simulation, education, and research into and development of bioengineering possibilities.

  20. Professional Learning with Action Research in Innovative Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Netcoh, Steven; Olofson, Mark W.; Downes, John M.; Bishop, Penny A.

    2017-01-01

    This article illustrates how action research can be used as a model for professional development with middle grades educators in rapidly changing and technology-intensive schools. Drawing upon ten years of using this model, the authors present three examples of educator action research to highlight five characteristics of effective projects: (1)…

  1. How Exposure Science can be Integrated into the Assessment of Ingredient Safety (American College of Toxicology Annual Meeting)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The presentation describes ongoing research in the Rapid Exposure and Dosimetry project funded under the Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Program of the Office of Research and Development. There is a well known need for information on human exposure to thousands of che...

  2. Induced Innovation and Social Inequality: Evidence from Infant Medical Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutler, David M.; Meara, Ellen; Richards-Shubik, Seth

    2012-01-01

    We develop a model of induced innovation that applies to medical research. Our model yields three empirical predictions. First, initial death rates and subsequent research effort should be positively correlated. Second, research effort should be associated with more rapid mortality declines. Third, as a byproduct of targeting the most common…

  3. Higher Education Research Institutes in Chinese Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wang, Qi; Liu, Nian Cai

    2014-01-01

    Initially emerged in 1978, higher education research institutes (HERIs) in Mainland China have experienced rapid expansion and have become a major force in higher education reform in the last three decades. The development of these research institutes is closely related to the substantive growth of the higher education system itself as well as…

  4. History, research and practice of forensic anthropology in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Traithepchanapai, Pongpon; Mahakkanukrauh, Pasuk; Kranioti, Elena F

    2016-04-01

    Forensic anthropology is an increasingly developing discipline born about a century ago in the United States with the objective to contribute the knowledge of bone biology and physical anthropology to the emerging needs of the court of law. The development of research in biological and forensic anthropology has made rapid progress worldwide in the past few years, however, in most countries--with the exception of the United States--forensic anthropology work is still considered within the duties of the forensic pathologist. This paper attempts to summarise the history and development of forensic anthropology in Thailand by providing information on past and current research and practice that can help forensic practitioners to apply existing methods in forensic cases and mass disasters. It is hoped that the lessons learned from the tsunami catastrophe and the emerging need for positive identification in medicolegal settings will lead to rapid advances in education, training and professional engagement of anthropologists from the forensic departments and the law enforcement agencies in Thailand. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Supporting the Development of a New Health R&D Strategy

    PubMed Central

    Grant, Jonathan; Pollitt, Alexandra; Castle-Clarke, Sophie; Cochrane, Gavin; Sondergaard, Susanne; Horvath, Veronika

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The HelseOmsorg21 initiative was set up by the Ministry of Health and Care Services to develop a new research and innovation strategy for health and care services in Norway. The HelseOmsorg21 Strategy Group, through the Research Council of Norway which is providing the secretariat for the strategy development, asked RAND Europe to support the strategic review process. RAND Europe's role was to conduct a series of rapid evidence reviews around the recommendations arising from the five working groups that comprise the initiative. The reviews were conducted around networks and collaboration, data linkage and exchange, culture, values and leadership, and incentives for innovation, while capacity building was a recurrent theme throughout. This study presents the rapid evidence reviews, summarising relevant literature and highlighting international examples of particularly relevant or innovative approaches. The issues and ideas identified around each theme are then pulled together in a suggested conceptual representation of the Norwegian health and care research system. PMID:28083346

  6. Knowledge Domain and Emerging Trends in Organic Photovoltaic Technology: A Scientometric Review Based on CiteSpace Analysis.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Fengjun; Li, Chengzhi; Sun, Jiangman; Zhang, Lianjie

    2017-01-01

    To study the rapid growth of research on organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, development trends in the relevant research are analyzed based on CiteSpace software of text mining and visualization in scientific literature. By this analytical method, the outputs and cooperation of authors, the hot research topics, the vital references and the development trend of OPV are identified and visualized. Different from the traditional review articles by the experts on OPV, this work provides a new method of visualizing information about the development of the OPV technology research over the past decade quantitatively.

  7. Knowledge Domain and Emerging trends in Organic Photovoltaic Technology: A Scientometric Review Based on CiteSpace Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Fengjun; Li, Chengzhi; Sun, Jiangman; Zhang, Lianjie

    2017-09-01

    To study the rapid growth of research on organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, development trends in the relevant research are analyzed based on CiteSpace software of text mining and visualization in scientific literature. By this analytical method, the outputs and cooperation of authors, the hot research topics, the vital references and the development trend of OPV are identified and visualized. Different from the traditional review articles by the experts on OPV, this work provides a new method of visualizing information about the development of the OPV technology research over the past decade quantitatively.

  8. A Rapid Method of Isolating Neoantigen-specific T Cell Receptor Sequences | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

    Cancer.gov

    Recent research has demonstrated that neoantigen-specific T-cell receptors (TCRs) can be isolated from a cancer patient’s lymphocytes. These TCRs may be used to engineer populations of tumor-reactive T cells for cancer immunotherapies. Obtaining sequences of these functional TCRs is a critical initial step in preparing this type of personalized cancer treatment; however, current methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have developed a rapid and robust method of isolating the sequences of mutation-specific TCRs to alleviate these issues; they seek licensing and/or co-development research collaborations for the development of a method for isolating the sequences of tumor-reactive TCRs. For collaboration opportunities, please contact Steven A. Rosenberg, M.D., Ph.D. at sar@nih.gov.

  9. Measurement of Turbulent Pressure and Temperature Fluctuations in a Gas Turbine Combustor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Povinelli, Louis (Technical Monitor); LaGraff, John E.; Bramanti, Cristina; Pldfield, Martin; Passaro, Andrea; Biagioni, Leonardo

    2004-01-01

    The report summarizes the results of the redesign efforts directed towards the gas-turbine combustor rapid-injector flow diagnostic probe developed under sponsorship of NASA-GRC and earlier reported in NASA-CR-2003-212540. Lessons learned during the theoretical development, developmental testing and field-testing in the previous phase of this research were applied to redesign of both the probe sensing elements and of the rapid injection device. This redesigned probe (referred to herein as Turboprobe) has been fabricated and is ready, along with the new rapid injector, for field-testing. The probe is now designed to capture both time-resolved and mean total temperatures, total pressures and, indirectly, one component of turbulent fluctuations.

  10. Third International Workshop on Ion Mobility Spectrometry

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cross, John H. (Editor)

    1995-01-01

    Basic research in ion mobility spectrometry has given rise to rapid advancement in hardware development and applications. The Third International Workshop on Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) was held October 16-19, 1994, at Johnson Space Center to provide a forum for investigators to present the most recent results of both basic and applied IMS research. Presenters included manufacturers and various users, including military research organizations and drug enforcement agencies. Thirty papers were given in the following five sessions: Fundamental IMS Studies, Instrument Development, Hyphenated IMS Techniques, Applications, and Data Reduction and Signal Processing. Advances in hardware development, software development, and user applications are described.

  11. Rapid classification of landsat TM imagery for phase 1 stratification using the automated NDVI threshold supervised classification (ANTSC) methodology

    Treesearch

    William H. Cooke; Dennis M. Jacobs

    2002-01-01

    FIA annual inventories require rapid updating of pixel-based Phase 1 estimates. Scientists at the Southern Research Station are developing an automated methodology that uses a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for identifying and eliminating problem FIA plots from the analysis. Problem plots are those that have questionable land useiland cover information....

  12. The Impact of Latino Immigrants in Grand Rapids' Urban Development: A Social Capital Approach. JSRI Research Report No. 37

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Siles, Marcelo; Robison, Lindon J.; Cuellar, Israel; Garcia, Carlos; LaHousse, Sheila F.

    2006-01-01

    Social capital is a person or group's sympathy for others. The social capital paradigm includes social capital, networks, socio-emotional goods, attachment values, institutions, and power. This paper describes how social capital is used within Latino communities in the Grand Rapids Metropolitan Area of Michigan. It describes migration, housing,…

  13. Fit for purpose: perspectives on rapid reviews from end-user interviews.

    PubMed

    Hartling, Lisa; Guise, Jeanne-Marie; Hempel, Susanne; Featherstone, Robin; Mitchell, Matthew D; Motu'apuaka, Makalapua L; Robinson, Karen A; Schoelles, Karen; Totten, Annette; Whitlock, Evelyn; Wilt, Timothy J; Anderson, Johanna; Berliner, Elise; Gozu, Aysegul; Kato, Elisabeth; Paynter, Robin; Umscheid, Craig A

    2017-02-17

    There is increasing demand for rapid reviews and timely evidence synthesis. The goal of this project was to understand end-user perspectives on the utility and limitations of rapid products including evidence inventories, rapid responses, and rapid reviews. Interviews were conducted with key informants representing: guideline developers (n = 3), health care providers/health system organizations (n = 3), research funders (n = 1), and payers/health insurers (n = 1). We elicited perspectives on important characteristics of systematic reviews, acceptable methods to streamline reviews, and uses of rapid products. We analyzed content of the interview transcripts and identified themes and subthemes. Key informants identified the following as critical features of evidence reviews: (1) originating from a reliable source (i.e., conducted by experienced reviewers from an established research organization), (2) addressing clinically relevant questions, and (3) trusted relationship between the user and producer. Key informants expressed strong preference for the following review methods and characteristics: use of evidence tables, quality rating of studies, assessments of total evidence quality/strength, and use of summary tables for results and conclusions. Most acceptable trade-offs to increase efficiencies were limiting the literature search (e.g., limiting search dates or language) and performing single screening of citations and full texts for relevance. Key informants perceived rapid products (particularly evidence inventories and rapid responses) as useful interim products to inform downstream investigation (e.g., whether to proceed with a full review or guideline, direction for future research). Most key informants indicated that evidence analysis/synthesis and quality/strength of evidence assessments were important for decision-making. They reported that rapid reviews in particular were useful for guideline development on narrow topics, policy decisions when a quick turn-around is needed, decision-making for practicing clinicians in nuanced clinical settings, and decisions about coverage by payers/health insurers. Rapid reviews may be more relevant within specific clinical settings or health systems; whereas, broad/national guidelines often need a traditional systematic review. Key informants interviewed in our study indicated that evidence inventories, rapid responses, and rapid reviews have utility in specific decisions and contexts. They indicated that the credibility of the review producer, relevance of key questions, and close working relationship between the end-user and producer are critical for any rapid product. Our findings are limited by the sample size which may have been too small to reach saturation for the themes described.

  14. Using Science Data and Models for Space Weather Forecasting - Challenges and Opportunities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hesse, Michael; Pulkkinen, Antti; Zheng, Yihua; Maddox, Marlo; Berrios, David; Taktakishvili, Sandro; Kuznetsova, Masha; Chulaki, Anna; Lee, Hyesook; Mullinix, Rick; hide

    2012-01-01

    Space research, and, consequently, space weather forecasting are immature disciplines. Scientific knowledge is accumulated frequently, which changes our understanding or how solar eruptions occur, and of how they impact targets near or on the Earth, or targets throughout the heliosphere. Along with continuous progress in understanding, space research and forecasting models are advancing rapidly in capability, often providing substantially increases in space weather value over time scales of less than a year. Furthermore, the majority of space environment information available today is, particularly in the solar and heliospheric domains, derived from research missions. An optimal forecasting environment needs to be flexible enough to benefit from this rapid development, and flexible enough to adapt to evolving data sources, many of which may also stem from non-US entities. This presentation will analyze the experiences obtained by developing and operating both a forecasting service for NASA, and an experimental forecasting system for Geomagnetically Induced Currents.

  15. National Centers for Environmental Prediction

    Science.gov Websites

    Statistics Observational Data Processing Data Assimilation Monsoon Desk Model Transition Seminars Seminar Cycle) and the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) was developed at NOAA's Earth System Research Prediction (NCWCP) 5830 University Research Court College Park, MD 20740 Page Author: EMC Webmaster Page

  16. COLLABORATIVE HYDROLOGIC RESEARCH IN THE CLARKSBURG SPECIAL PROTECTION AREA

    EPA Science Inventory

    This research project is focused on the Clarksburg Special Protection Area (CSPA) in Montgomery County, Maryland. The CSPA subwatersheds are on the outer edge of the urban development shockwave expanding outward from the Washington DC metropolitan area. This is an area of rapid d...

  17. Rapid Detection of Pathogens

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

    David Perlin

    2005-08-14

    Pathogen identification is a crucial first defense against bioterrorism. A major emphasis of our national biodefense strategy is to establish fast, accurate and sensitive assays for diagnosis of infectious diseases agents. Such assays will ensure early and appropriate treatment of infected patients. Rapid diagnostics can also support infection control measures, which monitor and limit the spread of infectious diseases agents. Many select agents are highly transmissible in the early stages of disease, and it is critical to identify infected patients and limit the risk to the remainder of the population and to stem potential panic in the general population. Nucleicmore » acid-based molecular approaches for identification overcome many of the deficiencies associated with conventional culture methods by exploiting both large- and small-scale genomic differences between organisms. PCR-based amplification of highly conserved ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, intergenic sequences, and specific toxin genes is currently the most reliable approach for bacterial, fungal and many viral pathogenic agents. When combined with fluorescence-based oligonucleotide detection systems, this approach provides real-time, quantitative, high fidelity analysis capable of single nucleotide allelic discrimination (4). These probe systems offer rapid turn around time (<2 h) and are suitable for high throughput, automated multiplex operations that are critical for clinical diagnostic laboratories. In this pilot program, we have used molecular beacon technology invented at the Public health Research Institute to develop a new generation of molecular probes to rapidly detect important agents of infectious diseases. We have also developed protocols to rapidly extract nucleic acids from a variety of clinical specimen including and blood and tissue to for detection in the molecular assays. This work represented a cooperative research development program between the Kramer-Tyagi/Perlin labs on probe development and the Perlin lab in sample preparation and testing in animal models.« less

  18. The paradox of scientific excellence and the search for productivity in pharmaceutical research and development.

    PubMed

    Grasela, T H; Slusser, R

    2014-05-01

    Scientific advances in specialty areas are proceeding at a rapid rate, but the research and development enterprise seems unable to take full advantage. Harnessing the steady stream of knowledge and inventions from different disciplines is the critical management issue of our time. This article suggests a framework for a management-directed effort to improve productivity by enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration.

  19. Air Force Research Laboratory Success Stories. A Review of 2003

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    Metal -Polymer Hybrid Signal Wiring for Aircraft and Spacecraft 27 Engineers Develop First Response Expeditionary Fire Vehicle 28 Engineers Rapidly...operational committees. Mr. Bruce Rasmussen and Mr. Juan Calzada, of the directorate’s Metals , Ceramics, and Nondestructive Evaluation Division; Mr...be the solution, since they provided a more efficient method of running the depot operation. Researchers Develop High-Performance, Metal -Polymer

  20. Development and application of wood adhesives in China

    Treesearch

    Jiyou Gu; Zhiyong Cai

    2010-01-01

    Rapid economic development and growth in China has resulted in a substantial increase in the demand for utilization of bio-based composites. This provides a unique opportunity for developing wood adhesives. This study reviews research development and major accomplishments in wood adhesives and technology in China over the last 50 years. It also discusses the...

  1. Identifying and Quantifying Emergent Behavior Through System of Systems Modeling and Simulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-01

    42 J . SUMMARY ..............................................................................................43 III. METHODOLOGY...our research. e. Ptolemy Ptolemy is a simulation and rapid prototype environment developed at the University of California Berkely in the...simulation. J . SUMMARY This chapter describes the many works used as a basis for this research. This research used the principles of Selberg’s 2008

  2. Southern forest resource conditions and management practices from 1950-2000: Benefits of research

    Treesearch

    Jacek P. Siry

    2004-01-01

    Over the past five decades, research progress and implementation have been the leading factors supporting the rapid development of southern forestry. The South has become the leading timber-supplying region in the United States, taking advantage of a large accumulation of growing stock and a substantial investment in intensive, research-based management treatments....

  3. A Synthesis of Reviews of Research on Principal Leadership in East Asia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Allan; Hallinger, Philip

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize findings from five systematic reviews of research on principal leadership in East Asia contained in this special issue. The goal is to identify commonalities as well as differences concerning both approaches to research and the enactment of school leadership within this rapidly developing and…

  4. Microcontroller-Based Experimental Setup and Experiments for SCADA Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sahin, S.; Olmez, M.; Isler, Y.

    2010-01-01

    In the field of automation technology, research and development for industrial applications has increased rapidly in recent years. Therefore, industrial automation and control education is a very important element of the industrialization process in developing countries, such as Turkey, which needs to keep abreast for the latest developments in…

  5. Development of a factory/refinery method to measure total, soluble, and insoluble starch in sugar products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An easy, rapid, and inexpensive method was developed to measure total, soluble, and insoluble starch in products at the factory and refinery, using microwave-assisted neutralization chemistry. The method was optimized using the previously developed USDA Starch Research method as a reference. Optimal...

  6. Acute adverse reactions of rapid Rituximab infusion among adult patients with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

    PubMed

    Lang, Dora; George, Cobie

    Rapid Rituximab infusion has become increasingly popular globally. Although pharmaceutical manufacturers recommend second and subsequent infusions to run over 2-3 hours, many cancer centres have changed their clinical practice based on their own research and the results from other primary studies. Such research studies claim that it is safe to administer Rituximab rapidly among cancer patients especially in Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). In addition, the studies suggest that the rapid infusion of Rituximab also results in benefits of cost saving and better resource utilisation. However, these studies have not been critically appraised for their validity and application to the global population. No previous systematic reviews on this topic have been identified.Objective The objective of this review was to critically appraise, synthesise and present the best available evidence related to the safety of rapid Rituximab infusion among adult patients with NHL and CLL. The participants of interest were adults aged 18 years old and above who had a diagnosis of NHL or CLL at any stage, have had prior exposure to Rituximab and received Rituximab with or without combination of any chemotherapy.The intervention of interest was rapid Rituximab infusion to be completed in 120 minutes or less.The studies of interest were both experimental and non-experimental studies.The primary outcomes of interest were the presence of acute adverse reactions and their severity. The secondary outcomes of interest were the management of the acute adverse reactions and patient mortality rate resulting from adverse reactions.Search strategy The search sought to identify published and unpublished studies from 1997 till 2010. A three-step search strategy was used for electronic databases, grey literature and reference lists.Methodological quality Two independent reviewers used the standard critical appraisal tool from JBI-MAStARI to assess the methodological qualities of the studies that matched with inclusion criteria.Data collection A standard data form from JBI-MAStARI was used to extract the data across all included studies.Data synthesis Proportional Meta-analysis based on DerSimonian-Laird weights for the random effects model was used for statistical pooling through Stats Direct. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran Q. When statistical pooling is not possible, the findings are presented in narrative summary. A total of 753 patients were included in this review. All except one patient completed a total of 2298 cycles of rapid Rituximab infusions. Seventeen and one acute adverse reactions were reported among NHL and CLL patients respectively. There were five reactions which were not clearly stated if they were occurring in NHL or CLL patients. All were mild to moderate reactions except one patient developed severe reaction and withdrew from the study. Rapid Rituximab infusion is safe for NHL patients especially in a 90-minute regimen. However, rapid rituximab infusion is not recommended for CLL patients due to lack of evidence. 90-minute rapid Rituximab infusion with or without steroid premedication is recommended for NHL patient at second and subsequently infusions. No recommendations can be made in relation to stage of disease or the presence of bulky disease or leucocytosis. It is not recommended, based on the current evidence, to use rapid Rituximab for CLL patients. Further research is needed on the role of monoclonal antibodies development in rapid infusion, especially in the second and subsequent cycles. Currently, this review broadly establishes that rapid Rituximab infusion over 90 minutes is safe for NHL patients. However, more research and detailed analysis is needed to develop more specific guidelines.

  7. Digital Divide as It Affects the Development of E-Commerce in Nigeria: A Qualitative Research Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Omorogbe, Cyril Amadin Matthew

    2012-01-01

    Several studies have shown that information and communications technology (ICT) is important in economic and business development. The advent and rapid development of ICT have not helped in bridging the technological gap between developing countries and advanced countries. In fact, there is an Internet access gap between developed and developing…

  8. Identifying Comprehensive Public Institutions that Develop Minority Scientists

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hubbard, Steven M.; Stage, Frances K.

    2010-01-01

    The ratio of minority students earning baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) continues to decline. In the past three decades, research on students of color in the mathematics/science pipeline has rapidly expanded. Many government agencies and nonprofit organizations have supported research and…

  9. Distribution and licensing of drug discovery tools – NIH perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Kim, J. P.

    2009-01-01

    Now, more than ever, drug discovery conducted at industrial or academic facilities requires rapid access to state-of-the-art research tools. Unreasonable restrictions or delays in the distribution or use of such tools can stifle new discoveries, thus limiting the development of future biomedical products. In grants and its own research programs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is implementing its new policy to facilitate the exchanges of these tools for research discoveries and product development. PMID:12546842

  10. 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.

  11. Mega-prizes in medicine: big cash awards may stimulate useful and rapid therapeutic innovation.

    PubMed

    Charlton, Bruce G

    2007-01-01

    Following Horrobin's suggestion of 1986, I argue that offering very large prizes (tens of millions of US dollars, or more) for solving specific therapeutic problems, would be an excellent strategy for promoting the rapid development of effective new treatments. The two mainstream ways of paying for medical research are funding the process with grants or funding the outcome via patent protection. When grants are used to fund the process of research the result tends to be 'pure' science, guided by intrinsic scientific objectives. Practical results, such as useful therapeutic advances, are a by-product. Patent-seeking research, by contrast, is more focused on technology than science. It seeks practical results; and aims to pay for itself (and make a profit) in the long term by generating a patentable product or procedure. Prize-seeking research is subject to different incentives and applicable to different situations than either process-funded or patent-seeking research. Prize seeking researchers have a strong incentive to solve the specified problem as rapidly as possible, but the problem may be solved using old ideas that are scientifically mundane or unpatentable technologies and methods. Prizes therefore seem to generate solutions which are incremental extensions, new applications or novel combinations of already-existing technologies. The main use of mega-prizes in medicine would be to accelerate therapeutic progress in stagnant fields of research and to address urgent problems. For example, medical charities focused on specific diseases should consider accumulating their resources until they can offer a mega-prize for solving a clinical problem of special concern to their patients. Prize money should be big enough to pay for the research and development, the evaluation of the new treatment in a clinical trial, and with a large profit left-over to compensate for the intrinsic risk of competing. Sufficiently large amounts of money, and the prestige and publicity derived from winning a mega-prize, could rapidly mobilize research efforts to discover a whole range of scientifically un-glamorous but clinically-useful therapeutic breakthroughs.

  12. Flow chemistry syntheses of natural products.

    PubMed

    Pastre, Julio C; Browne, Duncan L; Ley, Steven V

    2013-12-07

    The development and application of continuous flow chemistry methods for synthesis is a rapidly growing area of research. In particular, natural products provide demanding challenges to this developing technology. This review highlights successes in the area with an emphasis on new opportunities and technological advances.

  13. Development of an on-site rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction system and the characterization of suitable DNA polymerases for TaqMan probe technology.

    PubMed

    Furutani, Shunsuke; Naruishi, Nahoko; Hagihara, Yoshihisa; Nagai, Hidenori

    2016-08-01

    On-site quantitative analyses of microorganisms (including viruses) by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system are significantly influencing medical and biological research. We have developed a remarkably rapid and portable real-time PCR system that is based on microfluidic approaches. Real-time PCR using TaqMan probes consists of a complex reaction. Therefore, in a rapid real-time PCR, the optimum DNA polymerase must be estimated by using actual real-time PCR conditions. In this study, we compared the performance of three DNA polymerases in actual PCR conditions using our rapid real-time PCR system. Although KAPA2G Fast HS DNA Polymerase has the highest enzymatic activity among them, SpeedSTAR HS DNA Polymerase exhibited better performance to rapidly increase the fluorescence signal in an actual real-time PCR using TaqMan probes. Furthermore, we achieved rapid detection of Escherichia coli in 7 min by using SpeedSTAR HS DNA Polymerase with the same sensitivity as that of a conventional thermal cycler.

  14. Rapid Classification of Landsat TM Imagery for Phase 1 Stratification Using the Automated NDVI Threshold Supervised Classification (ANTSC) Methodology

    Treesearch

    William H. Cooke; Dennis M. Jacobs

    2005-01-01

    FIA annual inventories require rapid updating of pixel-based Phase 1 estimates. Scientists at the Southern Research Station are developing an automated methodology that uses a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for identifying and eliminating problem FIA plots from the analysis. Problem plots are those that have questionable land use/land cover information....

  15. An Early Look at Building a Social Learning for Sustainability Community of Practice: RCE Grand Rapids' Flagship Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glasser, Harold

    2010-01-01

    Grand Rapids is the first United Nations University (UNU) Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on education for sustainable development (ESD) in the United States. It builds on the region's long history and deep foundation in research, planning and problem solving to build a sustainable future. This article explores the concept of RCEs as social…

  16. Policy-Research Linkage: What We Have Learned from Providing a Rapid Response Facility for International Healthcare Comparisons to the Department of Health in England

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ettelt, Stefanie; Mays, Nicholas; Nolte, Ellen

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we reflect on our experience of providing a rapid response facility for international healthcare policy comparisons to the English Department of Health. We examine the challenges of developing sustained relationships with policy officials while providing an "on-demand" service in an environment with high turnover of…

  17. Applying Rapid Acquisition Policy Lessons for Defense Innovation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-12-21

    51 Applying Rapid Acquisition Policy Lessons for Defense Innovation Jonathan Wong Abstract: With the Department of Defense’s (DOD) recent focus on ...finds that DOD can incorporate innovation practices by dispersing organizations focused on new capabilities development across the agency to avoid...adjunct political scientist at the Rand Corporation. His research focuses on the intersection of new technology and defense acquisition. Prior to Rand

  18. A Data System for a Rapid Evaluation Class of Subscale Aerial Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hogge, Edward F.; Quach, Cuong C.; Vazquez, Sixto L.; Hill, Boyd L.

    2011-01-01

    A low cost, rapid evaluation, test aircraft is used to develop and test airframe damage diagnosis algorithms at Langley Research Center as part of NASA's Aviation Safety Program. The remotely operated subscale aircraft is instrumented with sensors to monitor structural response during flight. Data is collected for good and compromised airframe configurations to develop data driven models for diagnosing airframe state. This paper describes the data acquisition system (DAS) of the rapid evaluation test aircraft. A PC/104 form factor DAS was developed to allow use of Matlab, Simulink simulation code in Langley's existing subscale aircraft flight test infrastructure. The small scale of the test aircraft permitted laboratory testing of the actual flight article under controlled conditions. The low cost and modularity of the DAS permitted adaptation to various flight experiment requirements.

  19. Research on keyword retrieval method of HBase database based on index structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Pijin; Lv, Congmin; Gong, Yongsheng; Ma, Haozhi; Sun, Yang; Wang, Lu

    2017-10-01

    With the rapid development of manned spaceflight engineering, the scientific experimental data in space application system is increasing rapidly. How to efficiently query the specific data in the mass data volume has become a problem. In this paper, a method of retrieving the object data based on the object attribute as the keyword is proposed. The HBase database is used to store the object data and object attributes, and the secondary index is constructed. The research shows that this method is a good way to retrieve specified data based on object attributes.

  20. NIAAA's rapid response to college drinking problems initiative: reinforcing the use of evidence-based approaches in college alcohol prevention.

    PubMed

    Dejong, William; Larimer, Mary E; Wood, Mark D; Hartman, Roger

    2009-07-01

    The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) created the Rapid Response to College Drinking Problems initiative so that senior college administrators facing an alcohol-related crisis could get assistance from well-established alcohol researchers and NIAAA staff. Based on a competitive grant process, NIAAA selected five teams of research scientists with expertise in college drinking research. NIAAA then invited college administrators to propose interventions to address a recently experienced alcohol-related problem. Between September 2004 and September 2005, NIAAA selected 15 sites and paired each recipient college with a scientific team. Together, each program development/evaluation team, working closely with NIAAA scientific staff, jointly designed, implemented, and evaluated a Rapid Response project. This supplement reports the results of several Rapid Response projects, plus other findings of interest that emerged from that research. Eight articles present evaluation findings for prevention and treatment interventions, which can be grouped by the individual, group/interpersonal, institutional, and community levels of the social ecological framework. Additional studies provide further insights that can inform prevention and treatment programs designed to reduce alcohol-related problems among college students. This article provides an overview of these findings, placing them in the context of the college drinking intervention literature. College drinking remains a daunting problem on many campuses, but evidence-based strategies-such as those described in this supplement-provide hope that more effective solutions can be found. The Rapid Response initiative has helped solidify the necessary link between research and practice in college alcohol prevention and treatment.

  1. Development of a Novel and Rapid Fully Automated Genetic Testing System.

    PubMed

    Uehara, Masayuki

    2016-01-01

    We have developed a rapid genetic testing system integrating nucleic acid extraction, purification, amplification, and detection in a single cartridge. The system performs real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) after nucleic acid purification in a fully automated manner. RNase P, a housekeeping gene, was purified from human nasal epithelial cells using silica-coated magnetic beads and subjected to real-time PCR using a novel droplet-real-time-PCR machine. The process was completed within 13 min. This system will be widely applicable for research and diagnostic uses.

  2. The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-01

    dual-use deliveries to entice commercial interest at the earliest stages. NRO transition goals aim to create commercial “ pull ” to enable rapid... GOALI ), Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) , and Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers (IUCRC) • Partnership with small businesses and large

  3. Science for All. Research Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walker, Karen

    2008-01-01

    Students need to be competent in science because of its impact on everyday decision-making, the rapid pace of change and the increasing interdependent global economy (Lawton, 2007; U.S. Department of Education, 2000; Lederman, 1998). According to the National Research Council, "Teachers of science should develop communities of science learners…

  4. A Research Review of Nurse Teachers' Competencies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zlatanovic, Tatjana; Havnes, Anton; Mausethagen, Sølvi

    2017-01-01

    The conceptions of what constitutes nursing competence and how such competence is taught and learned are changing, due to rapid changes in in the health sector. Nurse teachers' competencies for providing high-quality, up-to-date nursing education, are developing accordingly. This paper reviews the existing research on nurse teachers' competencies…

  5. Research Agenda: Language Learning beyond the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reinders, Hayo; Benson, Phil

    2017-01-01

    Most language learning research is carried out either in classrooms or among classroom learners. As Richards (2015) points out, however, there are two dimensions to successful learning: what happens inside classrooms and what happens outside them. Rapid development of online media, communications technologies and opportunities for travel has also…

  6. The Design, Development, Demonstration and Transfer of Advanced Command and Control (C2) Computer-Based Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-30

    typography is voluminous and directly applicable. Research dealing directly with the line printer used in computer output is scanty, but consistent with...available to the researcher. While this may stimulate rapid software production, it often creates sets of chain- reaction problems. Accordingly

  7. Getting Down and Dirty: Values in Education for Sustainability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Elaine; Mansfield, Caroline; Baudains, Catherine

    2008-01-01

    Values education and environmental education for sustainability are both spheres of education research that have manifested rapid and overlapping development in recent years. An independent primary school located in the Perth metropolitan area of Western Australia participated in research on both values education and environmental education for…

  8. The Dark Side of School Leadership: Implications for Administrator Preparation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blase, Joseph; Blase, Jo

    2004-01-01

    In this article, we briefly review conceptual, theoretical, and empirical knowledge about a rapidly developing topic of organizational research, workplace mistreatment (e.g., bullying, mobbing, abuse, aggression) as well as our research about principal mistreatment of teachers. Following this, we discuss the importance of preparing prospective and…

  9. Virtualising the Quantitative Research Methods Course: An Island-Based Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baglin, James; Reece, John; Baker, Jenalle

    2015-01-01

    Many recent improvements in pedagogical practice have been enabled by the rapid development of innovative technologies, particularly for teaching quantitative research methods and statistics. This study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a series of specialised computer laboratory sessions. The sessions combined the use of an…

  10. 20171003 - Exposure Research in EPA’s Chemical Safety for Sustainability Research Program (ACC LRI SST Science Discussion)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Estimates of human and ecological exposures are required as critical input to risk-based prioritization and screening of chemicals. This project seeks to develop the data, tools, and evaluation approaches required to generate rapid and scientifically-defensible exposure predictio...

  11. Preventing Rapid Repeat Births Among Latina Adolescents: The Role of Parents

    PubMed Central

    Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; Cherry, Kevin; Dittus, Patricia; Michael, Shannon; Gloppen, Kari

    2012-01-01

    Latina adolescent parents are at increased risk for rapid repeat births (second birth ≤ 24 months after the first), sexually transmitted infections, and negative educational and social outcomes. Although several effective parent-based interventions have been developed to prevent Latino youths’ sexual risk taking, little research has explored the development of interventions to prevent repeat births that involve the parents of these adolescents. Existing preventative interventions involving parents suffer from important methodological limitations. Additional research is needed to advance theories of behavior, identify the causal pathways of parental influence, and specify appropriate behavioral targets. Future parent-based interventions to prevent repeat births should target pregnancy intentions, age of partners, contraceptive use, integrated prevention of pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, educational attainment, and future orientations. PMID:22897524

  12. Inaugural editorial: Military Medical Research.

    PubMed

    Ren, Guo-Quan

    2014-01-01

    Military medicine is one of the most innovative part of human civilization. Along with the rapid development of medicine and advances in military techniques, military medicine has become the focus and intersection of new knowledge and new technologies. Innovation and development within military medicine are always ongoing, with a long and challenging path ahead. The establishment of "Military Medical Research" is expected to be a bounden responsibility in the frontline of Chinese military medicine.

  13. Federal Plan for Cyber Security and Information Assurance Research and Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-04-01

    Security Systems 103 varieties of the BB84 scheme have been developed, and other forms of quantum key distribution have been proposed. Rapid progress has led... key . Capability Gaps Existing quantum cryptographic protocols may also have weaknesses. Although BB84 is generally regarded as secure , researchers...complement agency-specific prioritization and R&D planning efforts in cyber security and information assurance. The Plan also describes the key Federal

  14. NASA MSFC Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) Rapid Quench System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    SanSoucie, Michael P.; Craven, Paul D.

    2014-01-01

    Electrostatic levitation, a form of containerless processing, is an important tool in materials research. Levitated specimens are free from contact with a container; therefore, heterogeneous nucleation on container walls is not possible. This allows studies of deeply undercooled melts. Furthermore, studies of high-temperature, highly reactive materials are also possible. Studies of the solidification and crystallization of undercooled melts is vital to the understanding of microstructure development, particularly the formation of alloys with unique properties by rapid solidification. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Electrostatic Levitator (ESL) lab has recently been upgraded to allow for rapid quenching of levitated materials. The ESL Rapid Quench System uses a small crucible-like vessel that can be partially filled with a low melting point material, such as a Gallium alloy, as a quench medium. An undercooled sample can be dropped into the vessel to rapidly quench the sample. A carousel with nine vessels sits below the bottom electrode assembly. This system allows up to nine rapid quenches before having to break vacuum and remove the vessels. This new Rapid Quench System will allow materials science studies of undercooled materials and new materials development. In this presentation, the system is described and initial results are presented.

  15. Rapid Conditioning for the Next Generation Melting System

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

    Rue, David M.

    This report describes work on Rapid Conditioning for the Next Generation Melting System under US Department of Energy Contract DE-FC36-06GO16010. The project lead was the Gas Technology Institute (GTI). Partners included Owens Corning and Johns Manville. Cost share for this project was provided by NYSERDA (the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), Owens Corning, Johns Manville, Owens Illinois, and the US natural gas industry through GTI’s SMP and UTD programs. The overreaching focus of this project was to study and develop rapid refining approaches for segmented glass manufacturing processes using high-intensity melters such as the submerged combustion melter.more » The objectives of this project were to 1) test and evaluate the most promising approaches to rapidly condition the homogeneous glass produced from the submerged combustion melter, and 2) to design a pilot-scale NGMS system for fiberglass recycle.« less

  16. Health policy and systems research: towards a better understanding and review of ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Luyckx, Valerie Ann; Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Saxena, Abha; Tran, Nhan T

    2017-01-01

    Given the focus on health systems in the post-millennium development goal era and moving towards the sustainable development goals, there is a compelling need for a common framework for health policy and systems research ethics to guide researchers and facilitate review by research ethics committees. A consultation of global health policy and systems research and ethics experts was convened to identify ethical considerations relevant to health policy and systems research based on existing knowledge and to identify knowledge gaps through a scoping review and further expert deliberation. Health policy and systems research is highly complex and, in the absence of guidance documents, there is significant variability in ethics review. Although fundamental ethical principles pertain to both traditional clinical research and health policy and systems research, the application of these principles requires a comprehensive understanding of the nature of health policy and systems research with its distinct challenges. Such awareness must be raised among researchers and research ethics committees. Current research ethics committees lack familiarity with health policy and systems research and because health policy and systems research is conducted in real-world contexts, committees often have difficulties in determining whether a project is indeed research and/or requires ethical review. Given the strong current focus on health policy and systems research to rapidly improve health and health systems functioning globally, greater engagement and dialogue around the ethical concerns is required to optimise research review and research conduct in this rapidly evolving field.

  17. Health policy and systems research: towards a better understanding and review of ethical issues

    PubMed Central

    Biller-Andorno, Nikola; Saxena, Abha; Tran, Nhan T

    2017-01-01

    Given the focus on health systems in the post-millennium development goal era and moving towards the sustainable development goals, there is a compelling need for a common framework for health policy and systems research ethics to guide researchers and facilitate review by research ethics committees. A consultation of global health policy and systems research and ethics experts was convened to identify ethical considerations relevant to health policy and systems research based on existing knowledge and to identify knowledge gaps through a scoping review and further expert deliberation. Health policy and systems research is highly complex and, in the absence of guidance documents, there is significant variability in ethics review. Although fundamental ethical principles pertain to both traditional clinical research and health policy and systems research, the application of these principles requires a comprehensive understanding of the nature of health policy and systems research with its distinct challenges. Such awareness must be raised among researchers and research ethics committees. Current research ethics committees lack familiarity with health policy and systems research and because health policy and systems research is conducted in real-world contexts, committees often have difficulties in determining whether a project is indeed research and/or requires ethical review. Given the strong current focus on health policy and systems research to rapidly improve health and health systems functioning globally, greater engagement and dialogue around the ethical concerns is required to optimise research review and research conduct in this rapidly evolving field. PMID:29225934

  18. Applications of high throughput (combinatorial) methodologies to electronic, magnetic, optical, and energy-related materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, Martin L.; Takeuchi, Ichiro; Hattrick-Simpers, Jason R.

    2013-06-01

    High throughput (combinatorial) materials science methodology is a relatively new research paradigm that offers the promise of rapid and efficient materials screening, optimization, and discovery. The paradigm started in the pharmaceutical industry but was rapidly adopted to accelerate materials research in a wide variety of areas. High throughput experiments are characterized by synthesis of a "library" sample that contains the materials variation of interest (typically composition), and rapid and localized measurement schemes that result in massive data sets. Because the data are collected at the same time on the same "library" sample, they can be highly uniform with respect to fixed processing parameters. This article critically reviews the literature pertaining to applications of combinatorial materials science for electronic, magnetic, optical, and energy-related materials. It is expected that high throughput methodologies will facilitate commercialization of novel materials for these critically important applications. Despite the overwhelming evidence presented in this paper that high throughput studies can effectively inform commercial practice, in our perception, it remains an underutilized research and development tool. Part of this perception may be due to the inaccessibility of proprietary industrial research and development practices, but clearly the initial cost and availability of high throughput laboratory equipment plays a role. Combinatorial materials science has traditionally been focused on materials discovery, screening, and optimization to combat the extremely high cost and long development times for new materials and their introduction into commerce. Going forward, combinatorial materials science will also be driven by other needs such as materials substitution and experimental verification of materials properties predicted by modeling and simulation, which have recently received much attention with the advent of the Materials Genome Initiative. Thus, the challenge for combinatorial methodology will be the effective coupling of synthesis, characterization and theory, and the ability to rapidly manage large amounts of data in a variety of formats.

  19. Incorporation of Cross-Disciplinary Teaching and a Wiki Research Project to Engage Undergraduate Students' to Develop Information Literacy, Critical Thinking, and Communication Skills

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crist, Courtney A.; Duncan, Susan E.; Bianchi, Laurie M.

    2017-01-01

    A Wiki research project was created in the Functional Foods for Health (FST/HNFE 2544) as an instructional tool and assignment for improving undergraduate students' proficiency in evaluating appropriate information sources for rapidly evolving science and research. The project design targeted improving students' information literacy skills…

  20. Thin, Light, Flexible Heaters Save Time and Energy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    The Icing Branch at NASA's Glenn Research Center uses the Center's Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) and Icing Research Aircraft to research methods for evaluating and simulating the growth of ice on aircraft, the effects that ice may have on aircraft in flight, and the development and effectiveness of various ice protection and detection systems. EGC Enterprises Inc. (EGC), of Chardon, Ohio, used the IRT to develop thermoelectric thin-film heater technology to address in-flight icing on aircraft wings. Working with researchers at Glenn and the original equipment manufacturers of aircraft parts, the company tested various thin, flexible, durable, lightweight, and efficient heaters. Development yielded a thin-film heater technology that can be used in many applications in addition to being an effective deicer for aircraft. This new thermoelectric heater was dubbed the QoFoil Rapid Response Thin-Film Heater, or QoFoil, for short. The product meets all criteria for in-flight use and promises great advances in thin-film, rapid response heater technology for a broad range of industrial applications. Primary advantages include time savings, increased efficiency, and improved temperature uniformity. In addition to wing deicing, EGC has begun looking at the material's usefulness for applications including cooking griddles, small cabinet heaters, and several laboratory uses.

  1. Orchestrating Inquiry Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Littleton, Karen, Ed.; Scanlon, Eileen, Ed.; Sharples, Mike, Ed.

    2011-01-01

    There is currently a rapidly growing interest in inquiry learning and an emerging consensus among researchers that, particularly when supported by technology, it can be a significant vehicle for developing higher order thinking skills. Inquiry learning methods also offer learners meaningful and productive approaches to the development of their…

  2. FIREFLY LUCIFERASE ATP ASSAY DEVELOPMENT FOR MONITORING BACTERIAL CONCENTRATIONS IN WATER SUPPLIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    This research program was initiated to develop a rapid, automatable system for measuring total viable microorganisms in potable drinking water supplies using the firefly luciferase ATP assay. The assay was adapted to an automatable flow system that provided comparable sensitivity...

  3. Research status and development of application fields in enzyme technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Y. B.; Wang, S. W.; Yu, M.; Ru, X.; Wei, C.; Zhu, H. J.; Li, Z. Y.; Zhao, H.; Qiao, A. N.; Guo, S. Z.; Lu, L.

    2018-01-01

    Biological enzymes are catalyzed by living cells, most of which are proteins, and very few are RNA. Biological engineering as a new high-tech has been rapid development, Enzyme manufacturing and application areas are gradually expanding, In this paper, the status and progress of the application of enzyme technology are reviewed by reviewing the literature. and aims to provide reference for the application of enzyme technology and provide scientific basis for its future research and development in new field.

  4. Advances in health promotion in Asia-Pacific: promoting health through hospitals.

    PubMed

    Huang, Nicole; Chien, Li-Yin; Chiou, Shu-Ti

    2016-03-01

    Since 1990, the WHO Health Promoting Hospital (HPH) movement has tried to facilitate and support hospitals to assume a core responsibility in health promotion. The Taiwan HPH Network was established in December 2006, and became the largest HPH network in the world in 2013. Compared to Europe where the HPH has been more established, the pace of HPH development has been much more rapid. This rapid development provides an inspiring example for research and health promotion practice. Systematic data and empirical information have been collected about HPH in Taiwan, allowing for research to be published about the achievements of the HPH movement. This paper provides an overview of the existing literature on current progress of the HPH project according to the four main perspectives of the WHO-HPH movement: promoting the health of patients, promoting the health of staff, changing the organization to a health-promoting setting, and promoting the health of the community in the catchment area of the hospital. The assessment can serve as a stepping stone in understanding current HPH development in Taiwan and as a reference for future research. © The Author(s) 2016.

  5. Risks and Benefits of Rapid Clozapine Titration.

    PubMed

    Lochhead, Jeannie D; Nelson, Michele A; Schneider, Alan L

    2016-05-18

    Clozapine is often considered the gold standard for the treatment of schizophrenia. Clinical guidelines suggest a gradual titration over 2 weeks to reduce the risks of adverse events such as seizures, hypotension, agranulocytosis, and myocarditis. The slow titration often delays time to therapeutic response. This raises the question of whether, in some patients, it may be safe to use a more rapid clozapine titration. The following case illustrates the potential risks associated with the use of multiple antipsychotics and rapid clozapine titration. We present the case of a young man with schizophrenia who developed life threatening neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) during rapid clozapine titration and treatment with multiple antipsychotics. We were unable to find another case in the literature of NMS associated with rapid clozapine titration. This case is meant to urge clinicians to carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of rapid clozapine titration, and to encourage researchers to further evaluate the safety of rapid clozapine titration. Rapid clozapine titration has implications for decreasing health care costs associated with prolonged hospitalizations, and decreasing the emotional suffering associated with uncontrolled symptoms of psychosis. Clozapine is considered the most effective antipsychotic available thus efforts should focus on developing strategies that would allow for safest and most efficient use of clozapine to encourage its utilization for treatment resistance schizophrenia.

  6. Strengthening research governance for sustainable research: experiences from three Zimbabwean universities.

    PubMed

    Mashaah, Thokozile; Hakim, James; Chidzonga, Midion; Kangwende, Rugare A; Naik, Yogeshkumar; Federspiel, Nancy; Fiorillo, Suzanne; Scott, Jim; Gomo, Exnevia

    2014-08-01

    A robust research system requires a robust governance framework. As part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, three Zimbabwean universities partnered with two U.S. universities in a project to strengthen research governance in the Zimbabwean universities. The project aimed at (1) developing research policies, (2) strengthening central research management offices, (3) developing a research administration curriculum, and (4) enhancing awareness about the role and relevance of research administration in other universities and research institutions in Zimbabwe. Through the efforts of the partners, a generic research policy was developed and successfully adapted by the institutions. A curriculum was drafted, and module development experts are helping to finalize the curriculum to meet university requirements for accreditation of training research administrators. The Association of Research Managers of Zimbabwe was established to promote information sharing and professionalize research administration. The consortium approach enabled rapid and smooth development and adoption of research policies in the institutions. It also helped researchers and managers accept research administration as an essential structure and function. The experiences and lessons learned are reported here to benefit other institutions and consortia.

  7. Strengthening Research Governance for Sustainable Research: Experiences from Three Zimbabwean Universities

    PubMed Central

    Mashaah, Thokozile; Hakim, James; Chidzonga, Midion; Kangwende, Rugare A.; Naik, Yogeshkumar; Federspiel, Nancy; Fiorillo, Suzanne; Scott, Jim; Gomo, Exnevia

    2014-01-01

    A robust research system requires a robust governance framework. As part of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative, three Zimbabwean universities partnered with two US universities in a project to strengthen research governance in the Zimbabwean universities. The project aimed at (1) developing research policies; (2) strengthening central research management offices; (3) developing a research administration curriculum; and (4) enhancing awareness about the role and relevance of research administration in other universities and research institutions in Zimbabwe. Through the efforts of the partners, a generic research policy was developed and successfully adapted by the institutions. A curriculum was drafted, and module development experts are helping to finalize the curriculum to meet university requirements for accreditation of training research administrators. The Association of Research Managers of Zimbabwe was established to promote information sharing and professionalize research administration. The consortium approach enabled rapid and smooth development and adoption of research policies in the institutions. It also helped researchers and managers accept research administration as an essential structure and function. The experiences and lessons learned are reported here to benefit other institutions and consortia. PMID:25072583

  8. Accelerators: Sparking Innovation and Transdisciplinary Team Science in Disparities Research

    PubMed Central

    Horowitz, Carol R.; Shameer, Khader; Gabrilove, Janice; Atreja, Ashish; Shepard, Peggy; Goytia, Crispin N.; Smith, Geoffrey W.; Dudley, Joel; Manning, Rachel; Bickell, Nina A.; Galvez, Maida P.

    2017-01-01

    Development and implementation of effective, sustainable, and scalable interventions that advance equity could be propelled by innovative and inclusive partnerships. Readied catalytic frameworks that foster communication, collaboration, a shared vision, and transformative translational research across scientific and non-scientific divides are needed to foster rapid generation of novel solutions to address and ultimately eliminate disparities. To achieve this, we transformed and expanded a community-academic board into a translational science board with members from public, academic and private sectors. Rooted in team science, diverse board experts formed topic-specific “accelerators”, tasked with collaborating to rapidly generate new ideas, questions, approaches, and projects comprising patients, advocates, clinicians, researchers, funders, public health and industry leaders. We began with four accelerators—digital health, big data, genomics and environmental health—and were rapidly able to respond to funding opportunities, transform new ideas into clinical and community programs, generate new, accessible, actionable data, and more efficiently and effectively conduct research. This innovative model has the power to maximize research quality and efficiency, improve patient care and engagement, optimize data democratization and dissemination among target populations, contribute to policy, and lead to systems changes needed to address the root causes of disparities. PMID:28241508

  9. Accelerators: Sparking Innovation and Transdisciplinary Team Science in Disparities Research.

    PubMed

    Horowitz, Carol R; Shameer, Khader; Gabrilove, Janice; Atreja, Ashish; Shepard, Peggy; Goytia, Crispin N; Smith, Geoffrey W; Dudley, Joel; Manning, Rachel; Bickell, Nina A; Galvez, Maida P

    2017-02-23

    Development and implementation of effective, sustainable, and scalable interventions that advance equity could be propelled by innovative and inclusive partnerships. Readied catalytic frameworks that foster communication, collaboration, a shared vision, and transformative translational research across scientific and non-scientific divides are needed to foster rapid generation of novel solutions to address and ultimately eliminate disparities. To achieve this, we transformed and expanded a community-academic board into a translational science board with members from public, academic and private sectors. Rooted in team science, diverse board experts formed topic-specific "accelerators", tasked with collaborating to rapidly generate new ideas, questions, approaches, and projects comprising patients, advocates, clinicians, researchers, funders, public health and industry leaders. We began with four accelerators-digital health, big data, genomics and environmental health-and were rapidly able to respond to funding opportunities, transform new ideas into clinical and community programs, generate new, accessible, actionable data, and more efficiently and effectively conduct research. This innovative model has the power to maximize research quality and efficiency, improve patient care and engagement, optimize data democratization and dissemination among target populations, contribute to policy, and lead to systems changes needed to address the root causes of disparities.

  10. Isolation, amplification and characterization of foodborne pathogen disease bacteria gene for rapid kit test development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurjayadi, M.; Santoso, I.; Kartika, I. R.; Kurniadewi, F.; Saamia, V.; Sofihan, W.; Nurkhasanah, D.

    2017-07-01

    There is a lot of public concern over food safety. Food-safety cases recently, including many food poisoning cases in both the developed and developing countries, considered to be the national security threats which involved police investigation. Quick and accurate detection methods are needed to handle the food poisoning cases with a big number of sufferers at the same time. Therefore, the research is aimed to develop a specific, sensitive, and rapid result molecular detection tool for foodborne pathogen bacteria. We, thus, propose genomic level approach with Polymerase Chain Reaction. The research has successfully produced a specific primer to perform amplification to fim-C S. typhi, E. coli, and pef Salmonella typhimurium genes. The electrophoresis result shows that amplification products are 95 base pairs, 121 base pairs, and 139 base pairs; and all three genes are in accordance with the size of the in silico to third genes bacteria. In conclusion, the research has been successfully designed a specific detection tool to three foodborne pathogen bacteria genes. Further stages test and the uses of Real-time PCR in the detection are still in the trial process for better detection method.

  11. Commercial biotechnology processing thermal control for transfer payloads to/from the International Space Station

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jennings, William M.; Vellinger, John C.; Deuser, Mark S.

    2000-01-01

    Biotechnology is undergoing a period of rapid and sustained growth, a trend which is expected to continue as the general population ages and as new medical treatments and products are conceived. As pharmaceutical and biomedical companies continue to search for improved methods of production and, for answers to basic research questions, they will seek out new avenues of research. Space processing on the International Space Station (ISS) offers such an opportunity! Space is rapidly becoming an industrial laboratory for biotechnology research and processing. Space bioprocessing offers exciting possibilities for developing new pharmaceuticals and medical treatments which can be used to benefit mankind on Earth. It also represents a new economic frontier for the private sector. .

  12. Emergency medicine in Dubai, UAE.

    PubMed

    Partridge, Robert; Abbo, Michael; Virk, Alamjit

    2009-08-18

    Dubai has rapidly risen to prominence in the Persian Gulf region as a center of global commerce and tourism and as a cultural crossroad between East and West. The health-care infrastructure has undergone rapid development. Collaborations with academic medical centers now exist to advance clinical care, teaching and research. Emergency medicine has also advanced and is undergoing dynamic change. Dubai may soon emerge as a regional leader in emergency medicine training and practice.

  13. Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) Year 2 Report and Year 3 Proposal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bowen, Brent D.; Box, Richard C.; Fink, Mary M.; Gogos, Geroge; Lehrer, Henry R.; Narayanan, Ram M.; Nickerson, Jocelyn S.; Tarry, Scott E.; Vlasek, Karisa D.

    2003-01-01

    The Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL): a comprehensive, multi-faceted NASA EPSCoR 2000 initiative, contributes to the strategic research and technology priorities of NASA while intensifying Nebraska s rapidly growing aeronautics research and development endeavors. AERIAL enables Nebraska researchers to: (a) continue strengthening their collaborative relationships with NASA Field Centers, Codes, and Enterprises; (b) increase the capacity of higher education throughout Nebraska to invigorate and expand aeronautics research; and (c) expedite the development of aeronautics-related research infrastructure and industry in the state. This report contains a summary of AERIAL's activities and accomplishments during the second year of implementation. The AERIAL Year 3 proposal is also included.

  14. Molecular tools for bathing water assessment in Europe: Balancing social science research with a rapidly developing environmental science evidence-base.

    PubMed

    Oliver, David M; Hanley, Nick D; van Niekerk, Melanie; Kay, David; Heathwaite, A Louise; Rabinovici, Sharyl J M; Kinzelman, Julie L; Fleming, Lora E; Porter, Jonathan; Shaikh, Sabina; Fish, Rob; Chilton, Sue; Hewitt, Julie; Connolly, Elaine; Cummins, Andy; Glenk, Klaus; McPhail, Calum; McRory, Eric; McVittie, Alistair; Giles, Amanna; Roberts, Suzanne; Simpson, Katherine; Tinch, Dugald; Thairs, Ted; Avery, Lisa M; Vinten, Andy J A; Watts, Bill D; Quilliam, Richard S

    2016-02-01

    The use of molecular tools, principally qPCR, versus traditional culture-based methods for quantifying microbial parameters (e.g., Fecal Indicator Organisms) in bathing waters generates considerable ongoing debate at the science-policy interface. Advances in science have allowed the development and application of molecular biological methods for rapid (~2 h) quantification of microbial pollution in bathing and recreational waters. In contrast, culture-based methods can take between 18 and 96 h for sample processing. Thus, molecular tools offer an opportunity to provide a more meaningful statement of microbial risk to water-users by providing near-real-time information enabling potentially more informed decision-making with regard to water-based activities. However, complementary studies concerning the potential costs and benefits of adopting rapid methods as a regulatory tool are in short supply. We report on findings from an international Working Group that examined the breadth of social impacts, challenges, and research opportunities associated with the application of molecular tools to bathing water regulations.

  15. Sustained Attention and Age Predict Inhibitory Control during Early Childhood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reck, Sarah G.; Hund, Alycia M.

    2011-01-01

    Executive functioning skills develop rapidly during early childhood. Recent research has focused on specifying this development, particularly predictors of executive functioning skills. Here we focus on sustained attention as a predictor of inhibitory control, one key executive functioning component. Although sustained attention and inhibitory…

  16. Generation and characterization of biological aerosols for laser measurements

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

    Cheng, Yung-Sung; Barr, E.B.

    1995-12-01

    Concerns for proliferation of biological weapons including bacteria, fungi, and viruses have prompted research and development on methods for the rapid detection of biological aerosols in the field. Real-time instruments that can distinguish biological aerosols from background dust would be especially useful. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is developing a laser-based, real-time instrument for rapid detection of biological aerosols, and ITRI is working with SNL scientists and engineers to evaluate this technology for a wide range of biological aerosols. This paper describes methods being used to generate the characterize the biological aerosols for these tests. In summary, a biosafe system hasmore » been developed for generating and characterizing biological aerosols and using those aerosols to test the SNL laser-based real-time instrument. Such tests are essential in studying methods for rapid detection of airborne biological materials.« less

  17. An efficient and rapid influenza gene cloning strategy for reverse genetics system.

    PubMed

    Shao, Hongxia; Fan, Zhonglei; Wan, Zhimin; Tian, Xiaoyan; Chen, Hongjun; Perez, Daniel R; Qin, Aijian; Ye, Jianqiang

    2015-09-15

    Influenza reverse genetics plays vital roles in understanding influenza molecular characteristics and vaccine development. However, current influenza reverse genetics heavily depends on restriction enzyme and ligation for gene cloning. The traditional cloning process of influenza eight fragments for virus rescuing generally requires considerable work. To simplify and increase the pace of gene cloning for influenza reverse genetics system, we developed a rapid restriction enzyme-free ExnaseTM II-based in vitro recombination approach for influenza gene cloning. We used this strategy rapidly and successfully to clone influenza eight genes both from viruses PR8 and H9N2 for virus rescuing. Our data demonstrate that the strategy developed here can accelerate the process of influenza gene cloning into reverse genetics system, and shows high potential for applications in both influenza basic and applied research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Sponsors meet scientists to speed pediatric medicines development.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jonathan M; Smoyer, William E; Connor, Edward M; Huskins, W Charles; Pastern, Cindy; Purucker, Mary; Schrader, Elisabeth C; Jackson, Cynthia R; Kaskel, Frederick J; Hirschfeld, Steven

    2015-03-18

    The Point-Person Project, a child-health research initiative, enables rapid response to opportunities for participation in multicenter pediatric clinical trials. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  19. Introduction: international research ethics education.

    PubMed

    Millum, Joseph; Sina, Barbara

    2014-04-01

    NIH's Fogarty International Center has provided grants for the development of training programs in international research ethics for low- and middle-income (LMIC) professionals since 2000. Drawing on 12 years of research ethics training experience, a group of Fogarty grantees, trainees, and other ethics experts sought to map the current capacity and need for research ethics in LMICs, analyze the lessons learned about teaching bioethics, and chart a way forward for research ethics training in a rapidly changing health research landscape. This collection of papers is the result.

  20. Introduction: International Research Ethics Education

    PubMed Central

    Millum, Joseph; Sina, Barbara

    2016-01-01

    NIH's fogarty international Center has provided grants for the development of training programs in international research ethics for low- and middle-income (LMIC) professionals since 2000. Drawing on 12 years of research ethics training experience, a group of Fogarty grantees, trainees, and other ethics experts sought to map the current capacity and need for research ethics in LMICs, analyze the lessons learned about teaching bioethics, and chart a way forward for research ethics training in a rapidly changing health research landscape. This collection of papers is the result. PMID:24782067

  1. Design-Based Research as an Informal Learning Model for Choral Conductors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Naomi

    2017-01-01

    The number of community choirs continues to grow, and literature endorsing the benefits of choral singing for physical, mental and emotional health and well-being is rapidly expanding, meaning that the professional development of community choral conductors is in the public interest. However, research on choral conductor education remains limited.…

  2. Are we meeting the challenges of landscape-scale riverine research? A review

    Treesearch

    E. Ashley Steel; Robert M. Hughes; Aimee H. Fullerton; Stefan Schmutz; John A. Young; Michio Fukushima; Susanne Muhar; Michaela Poppe; Blake E. Feist; Clemens Trautwein

    2010-01-01

    Identifying and quantifying relationships among landscape patterns, anthropogenic disturbances, and aquatic ecosystems is a new and rapidly developing approach to riverine ecology. In this review, we begin by describing the policy and management drivers for landscape-scale riverine research and we synthesize the technological advances that have enabled dramatic...

  3. Empirical research in service engineering based on AHP and fuzzy methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yanrui; Cao, Wenfu; Zhang, Lina

    2015-12-01

    Recent years, management consulting industry has been rapidly developing worldwide. Taking a big management consulting company as research object, this paper established an index system of service quality of consulting, based on customer satisfaction survey, evaluated service quality of the consulting company by AHP and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation methods.

  4. Reflecting on Quality Learning in a Student Writing Experience Supported by Technology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellis, Robert

    With rapid developments in information technology in society being mirrored in the use of new learning technologies in universities, research into the quality of technologically-supported learning is essential. To date, research into new learning technologies has provided us with valuable knowledge that includes the theories behind their design,…

  5. Developing Learning Progressions in Support of the New Science Standards: A RAPID Workshop Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogat, Aaron

    2011-01-01

    The hypothetical learning progressions presented here are the products of the deliberations of two working groups of science education researchers, each group also including a state science curriculum supervisor, organized by the Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE), with support from the National Science Foundation. Their charge was…

  6. Acoustic Rapid COTS Insertion: A Case Study in Spiral Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-10-30

    Provost The Acquisition Chair, Graduate School of Business & Public Policy, Naval Postgraduate School supported the funding of the research...Senior Lecturer Graduate School of Business & Public Policy Reviewed by: ________________________________ Robert N. Beck Dean, Graduate...School of Business & Public Policy Released by: ________________________________ Dan C. Boger, Ph.D. Acting Dean of Research

  7. Higher Education Research in Uganda: Problems and Prospects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Owoeye, J. S.; Oyebade, S. A.

    2010-01-01

    Research is regarded as essential for development and the application of new knowledge for the benefit of society. Higher education in Uganda has expanded rapidly in the last 20 years. Universities have become the most important institutions in the achievement of national and international goals in enhancing the quality of life, wealth creation,…

  8. Discovering Inexpensive, Effective Catalysts for Solar Energy Conversion: An Authentic Research Laboratory Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaner, Sarah E.; Hooker, Paul D.; Nickel, Anne-Marie; Leichtfuss, Amanda R.; Adams, Carissa S.; de la Cerda, Dionisia; She, Yuqi; Gerken, James B.; Pokhrel, Ravi; Ambrose, Nicholas J.; Khaliqi, David; Stahl, Shannon S.; Schuttlefield Christus, Jennifer D.

    2016-01-01

    Electrochemical water oxidation is a major focus of solar energy conversion efforts. A new laboratory experiment has been developed that utilizes real-time, hands-on research to discover catalysts for solar energy conversion. The HARPOON, or Heterogeneous Anodes Rapidly Perused for Oxygen Overpotential Neutralization, experiment allows an array of…

  9. What We Know Now: Education, Neuroscience and Transdisciplinary Autism Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ravet, Jackie; Williams, Justin H. G.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Knowledge about the brain has been growing rapidly since the 1990s as a result of developments in neuroscientific research linked to improvements in functional neuroimaging and other brain imaging technologies. As the brain is the "principal organ involved in learning" (1), it would seem reasonable to assume that education…

  10. Sociology of International Education--An Emerging Field of Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Resnik, Julia

    2012-01-01

    This article points to international education in elementary and post-elementary schools as an emerging and promising field of enquiry. It describes the state of art of this new field and sets out the nature of the research. The rapid development of international networks in recent decades; the contribution of international education policies to…

  11. Facebook: A Bibliographic Analysis of the PsycINFO Database

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piotrowski, Chris

    2012-01-01

    With the advent of rapidly emerging technologies, researchers need to be cognizant of developments and applications in the area of social media as a topic of investigatory interest. To date, scholarly research on the topic of Facebook, a ubiquitous social media site, is rather extensive. This study on Facebook, using a bibliographic content…

  12. State Postsecondary Education Research: New Methods to Inform Policy and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shaw, Kathleen M., Ed.; Heller, Donald E., Ed.

    2007-01-01

    This is an opportune time for researchers in higher education to examine policy via cross-state comparative analyses. Momentous court, legislative and policy developments that impact state-level higher education policy are emerging at a rapid rate. The states have emerged as postsecondary policy innovators in the areas of student financing,…

  13. Rapid evidence assessment: increasing the transparency of an emerging methodology.

    PubMed

    Varker, Tracey; Forbes, David; Dell, Lisa; Weston, Adele; Merlin, Tracy; Hodson, Stephanie; O'Donnell, Meaghan

    2015-12-01

    Within the field of evidence-based practice, policy makers, health care professionals and consumers require timely reviews to inform decisions on efficacious health care and treatments. Rapid evidence assessment (REA), also known as rapid review, has emerged in recent years as a literature review methodology that fulfils this need. It highlights what is known in a clinical area to the target audience in a relatively short time frame. This article discusses the lack of transparency and limited critical appraisal that can occur in REA, and goes on to propose general principles for conducting a REA. The approach that we describe is consistent with the principles underlying systematic review methodology, but also makes allowances for the rapid delivery of information as required while utilizing explicit and reproducible methods at each stage. Our method for conducting REA includes: developing an explicit research question in consultation with the end-users; clear definition of the components of the research question; development of a thorough and reproducible search strategy; development of explicit evidence selection criteria; and quality assessments and transparent decisions about the level of information to be obtained from each study. In addition, the REA may also include an assessment of the quality of the total body of evidence. Transparent reporting of REA methodologies will provide greater clarity to end-users about how the information is obtained and about the trade-offs that are made between speed and rigour. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Obsidian provenance research in the Americas.

    PubMed

    Glascock, Michael D

    2002-08-01

    The characterization of archaeological materials to support provenance research has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Volcanic obsidian has several unique properties that make it the ideal archaeological material for studying prehistoric trade and exchange. This Account describes our laboratory's development of a systematic methodology for the characterization of obsidian sources and artifacts from Mesoamerica and other regions of North and South America in support of archaeological research.

  15. Interlaboratory studies and initiatives developing standards for proteomics

    PubMed Central

    Ivanov, Alexander R.; Colangelo, Christopher M.; Dufresne, Craig P.; Friedman, David B.; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Mechtler, Karl; Phinney, Brett S.; Rose, Kristie L.; Rudnick, Paul A.; Searle, Brian C.; Shaffer, Scott A.; Weintraub, Susan T.

    2013-01-01

    Proteomics is a rapidly transforming interdisciplinary field of research that embraces a diverse set of analytical approaches to tackle problems in fundamental and applied biology. This view-point article highlights the benefits of interlaboratory studies and standardization initiatives to enable investigators to address many of the challenges found in proteomics research. Among these initiatives, we discuss our efforts on a comprehensive performance standard for characterizing PTMs by MS that was recently developed by the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Proteomics Standards Research Group (sPRG). PMID:23319436

  16. Applications of immobilized catalysts in continuous flow processes.

    PubMed

    Kirschning, Andreas; Jas, Gerhard

    2004-01-01

    As part of the dramatic changes associated with automation in pharmaceutical and agrochemical research laboratories, the search for new technologies has become a major topic in the chemical community. Commonly, high-throughput chemistry is still carried out in batches whereas flow-through processes are rather restricted to production processes, despite the fact that the latter concept allows facile automation, reproducibility, safety, and process reliability. Indeed, methods and technologies are missing that allow rapid transfer from the research level to process development. Continuous flow processes are considered as a universal lever to overcome these restrictions and only recently, joint efforts between synthetic and polymer chemists and chemical engineers have resulted in the first continuous flow devices and microreactors which allow rapid preparation of compounds with minimum workup. Importantly, more and more developments combine the use of immobilized reagents and catalysts with the concept of structured continuous flow reactors. Consequently, the present article focuses on this new research field, which is located at the interface of continuous flow processes and solid-phase-bound catalysts.

  17. SEQADAPT: an adaptable system for the tracking, storage and analysis of high throughput sequencing experiments.

    PubMed

    Burdick, David B; Cavnor, Chris C; Handcock, Jeremy; Killcoyne, Sarah; Lin, Jake; Marzolf, Bruz; Ramsey, Stephen A; Rovira, Hector; Bressler, Ryan; Shmulevich, Ilya; Boyle, John

    2010-07-14

    High throughput sequencing has become an increasingly important tool for biological research. However, the existing software systems for managing and processing these data have not provided the flexible infrastructure that research requires. Existing software solutions provide static and well-established algorithms in a restrictive package. However as high throughput sequencing is a rapidly evolving field, such static approaches lack the ability to readily adopt the latest advances and techniques which are often required by researchers. We have used a loosely coupled, service-oriented infrastructure to develop SeqAdapt. This system streamlines data management and allows for rapid integration of novel algorithms. Our approach also allows computational biologists to focus on developing and applying new methods instead of writing boilerplate infrastructure code. The system is based around the Addama service architecture and is available at our website as a demonstration web application, an installable single download and as a collection of individual customizable services.

  18. SEQADAPT: an adaptable system for the tracking, storage and analysis of high throughput sequencing experiments

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background High throughput sequencing has become an increasingly important tool for biological research. However, the existing software systems for managing and processing these data have not provided the flexible infrastructure that research requires. Results Existing software solutions provide static and well-established algorithms in a restrictive package. However as high throughput sequencing is a rapidly evolving field, such static approaches lack the ability to readily adopt the latest advances and techniques which are often required by researchers. We have used a loosely coupled, service-oriented infrastructure to develop SeqAdapt. This system streamlines data management and allows for rapid integration of novel algorithms. Our approach also allows computational biologists to focus on developing and applying new methods instead of writing boilerplate infrastructure code. Conclusion The system is based around the Addama service architecture and is available at our website as a demonstration web application, an installable single download and as a collection of individual customizable services. PMID:20630057

  19. Health anthropology and urban health research.

    PubMed

    Obrist, Brigit; VAN Eeuwijk, Peter; Weiss, Mitchell G

    2003-12-01

    We live in a rapidly urbanising world. According to the 2001 statistics of the United Nations,a the proportion of urban dwellers rose from 30% in 1950 to 47% in 2000 and will probably attain 60% in 2030. Almost 70% of these urban dwellers live in cities of developing regions. At the current rates of urbanisation, the number of city dwellers in the world will equal that of their rural counterparts by 2007. In the late 1980s, researchers became increasingly concerned about the combined impact of rapid urban growth and economic recession on the health of a majority of people in African and Asian cities. Several books established urban health research with a focus on developing countries as a multidisciplinary field of inquiry (Harpham et al., 1988; Salem &Jeannée, 1989). It is now widely recognised that urbanisation per se is not necessarily bad for health, but it becomes so if urban governments fail to establish and support necessary infrastructure and services to protect citizens from environmental hazards and from social, economic and political insecurity.

  20. Electronic patient-reported data capture as a foundation of rapid learning cancer care.

    PubMed

    Abernethy, Amy P; Ahmad, Asif; Zafar, S Yousuf; Wheeler, Jane L; Reese, Jennifer Barsky; Lyerly, H Kim

    2010-06-01

    "Rapid learning healthcare" presents a new infrastructure to support comparative effectiveness research. By leveraging heterogeneous datasets (eg, clinical, administrative, genomic, registry, and research), health information technology, and sophisticated iterative analyses, rapid learning healthcare provides a real-time framework in which clinical studies can evaluate the relative impact of therapeutic approaches on a diverse array of measures. This article describes an effort, at 1 academic medical center, to demonstrate what rapid learning healthcare might look like in operation. The article describes the process of developing and testing the components of this new model of integrated clinical/research function, with the pilot site being an academic oncology clinic and with electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) being the foundational dataset. Steps included: feasibility study of the ePRO system; validation study of ePRO collection across 3 cancers; linking ePRO and other datasets; implementation; stakeholder alignment and buy in, and; demonstration through use cases. Two use cases are presented; participants were metastatic breast cancer (n = 65) and gastrointestinal cancer (n = 113) patients at 2 academic medical centers. (1) Patient-reported symptom data were collected with tablet computers; patients with breast and gastrointestinal cancer indicated high levels of sexual distress, which prompted multidisciplinary response, design of an intervention, and successful application for funding to study the intervention's impact. (2) The system evaluated the longitudinal impact of a psychosocial care program provided to patients with breast cancer. Participants used tablet computers to complete PRO surveys; data indicated significant impact on psychosocial outcomes, notably distress and despair, despite advanced disease. Results return to the clinic, allowing iterative update and evaluation. An ePRO-based rapid learning cancer clinic is feasible, providing real-time research-quality data to support comparative effectiveness research.

  1. Clinical trials and contract research organizations in India.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Shoibal

    2012-06-01

    Economics and demography are driving drug development to the developing world. India needs this opportunity to build research skills required to combat its enormous disease burden. A variety of global and local contract research organizations (CROs) that specialize in the execution of research to develop health care products operate in India today. CROs assure quality and compliance to regulations while coordinating with tertiary providers such as a site management organization and the central laboratory. Back room operations to manage, analyze, and report data form a bulk of the employment generated by clinical research, absorbing programmers, data managers, biostatisticians,and medical writers. Despite rapid growth and strong potential, India remains a minor contributor to global pharmaceutical research because of policy stagnation, regulatory gaps, and misinformed controversies in the media.

  2. Oil and Gas Development in the Appalachian Basin

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA seeks applications for multidisciplinary research that will foster a better understanding of how the rapid increase of OGD activities in the Appalachian Basin may impact the surrounding environment and public health

  3. [Examining the developing brain in Dutch child and adolescent psychiatry].

    PubMed

    Popma, A

    2015-01-01

    Research on the developing brain in children and adolescents is delivering new insights into the underlying mechanisms of childhood psychiatric disorders. To provide important information about the role that departments of Dutch child and adolescent psychiatry are playing in this international field that is expanding rapidly. This article provides an overview of recent, mainly Dutch neuro-imaging studies on the developing brain. A large number of studies from Dutch research centers have greatly increased our knowledge about normal and abnormal brain development in relation to the development of psychiatric disorders. Neuro-developmental research can help us to understand the underlying mechanisms of developing psychiatric disorders. This is likely to lead to new preventive measures and to more effective treatment in the future. Policy-makers should therefore commit a larger proportion of their neuroscience research budgets to neurodevelopmental studies in children.

  4. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD).

  5. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. A larger image is available without labels (No. 0101755).

  6. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101830, and TBD).

  7. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD).

  8. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830).

  9. Distance Education: An Evolving Instructional Technology Application.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dwyer, Francis

    1999-01-01

    Focuses on the several levels of questions that need to be considered before planning and implementing a distance education program. Discusses systems procedures to be followed in developing pilot lessons (modules) prior to "rapid prototyping." Concludes by providing a generic research plan for ensuring the development of sustained quality…

  10. Higher Education in South-East Asia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Online Submission, 2006

    2006-01-01

    South-East Asia is a region of vast development diversity but also many commonalities. And the development of higher education in the region, stemmed from its different historical background is changing rapidly towards their respective socio-economic needs. The publication is a joint research study by UNESCO Bangkok and Southeast Asian Ministers…

  11. Use of Rich-Media Resources by Engineering Undergraduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillie, Martin; Dahli, Ranim; Saunders, Fiona C.; Gibson, Andrew

    2017-01-01

    The ability to develop and distribute digital teaching resources in higher education has developed rapidly over the last decade but research into how students use such resources has received limited attention. This study uses questionnaire results, Internet analytic data and semi-structured interviews to examine the use of three types of…

  12. Support a Science of Performance Improvement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryk, Anthony S.

    2009-01-01

    We must reengineer both how we carry out educational R&D and the schools in which this work occurs if we want to achieve more productive ends. Education needs a Design, Educational Engineering, and Development infrastructure, which includes a rapid prototyping process by which researchers and practitioners co-develop innovations, try them in…

  13. The Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) Modeling System: Past, Recent Developments, and New Directions

    EPA Science Inventory

    Every year since 1966 the NCAR/ASP has hosted a summer colloquium designed for graduate students favoring subjects that represent new or rapidly developing areas of atmospheric science research. The NCAR/ASP Summer Colloquium brings together lecturers and graduate students for tw...

  14. Tuning and History: A Personal Overview

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isaacs, Ann Katherine

    2017-01-01

    The text places Tuning History in the context of the rapidly developing international collaboration among historians which began in Europe in 1989, with the ECTS Pilot project, and continued, from 2000 on, with the European History Networks (for research and for curriculum development) working in parallel and in collaboration with Tuning, in…

  15. Rapid near-optimal aerospace plane trajectory generation and guidance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Calise, A. J.; Corban, J. E.; Markopoulos, N.

    1991-01-01

    Effort was directed toward the problems of the real time trajectory optimization and guidance law development for the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) applications. In particular, singular perturbation methods were used to develop guidance algorithms suitable for onboard, real time implementation. The progress made in this research effort is reported.

  16. Development of an analytical method to measure insoluble and soluble starch in sugarcane and sweet sorghum products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A rapid, quantitative research method using microwave-assisted probe ultrasonication was developed to facilitate the determination of total insoluble, and soluble starch in various sugar crop products. Several variables that affect starch solubilization were evaluated, 1) conductive boiling time, 2...

  17. Structure, function and five basic needs of the global health research system

    PubMed Central

    Rudan, Igor; Sridhar, Devi

    2016-01-01

    Background Two major initiatives that were set up to support and co–ordinate global health research efforts have been largely discontinued in recent years: the Global Forum for Health Research and World Health Organization's Department for Research Policy and Cooperation. These developments provide an interesting case study into the factors that contribute to the sustainability of initiatives to support and co–ordinate global health research in the 21st century. Methods We reviewed the history of attempts to govern, support or co–ordinate research in global health. Moreover, we studied the changes and shifts in funding flows attributed to global health research. This allowed us to map the structure of the global health research system, as it has evolved under the increased funding contributions of the past decade. Bearing in mind its structure, core functions and dynamic nature, we proposed a framework on how to effectively support the system to increase its efficiency. Results Based on our framework, which charted the structure and function of the global health research system and exposed places and roles for many stakeholders within the system, five basic needs emerged: (i) to co–ordinate funding among donors more effectively; (ii) to prioritize among many research ideas; (iii) to quickly recognize results of successful research; (iv) to ensure broad and rapid dissemination of results and their accessibility; and (v) to evaluate return on investments in health research. Conclusion The global health research system has evolved rapidly and spontaneously. It has not been optimally efficient, but it is possible to identify solutions that could improve this. There are already examples of effective responses for the need of prioritization of research questions (eg, the CHNRI method), quick recognition of important research (eg, systems used by editors of the leading journals) and rapid and broadly accessible publication of the new knowledge (eg, PLoS One journal as an example). It is still necessary to develop tools that could assist donors to co–ordinate funding and ensure more equity between areas in the provided support, and to evaluate the value for money invested in health research. PMID:26401270

  18. Characteristics of products generated by selective sintering and stereolithography rapid prototyping processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cariapa, Vikram

    1993-01-01

    The trend in the modern global economy towards free market policies has motivated companies to use rapid prototyping technologies to not only reduce product development cycle time but also to maintain their competitive edge. A rapid prototyping technology is one which combines computer aided design with computer controlled tracking of focussed high energy source (eg. lasers, heat) on modern ceramic powders, metallic powders, plastics or photosensitive liquid resins in order to produce prototypes or models. At present, except for the process of shape melting, most rapid prototyping processes generate products that are only dimensionally similar to those of the desired end product. There is an urgent need, therefore, to enhance the understanding of the characteristics of these processes in order to realize their potential for production. Currently, the commercial market is dominated by four rapid prototyping processes, namely selective laser sintering, stereolithography, fused deposition modelling and laminated object manufacturing. This phase of the research has focussed on the selective laser sintering and stereolithography rapid prototyping processes. A theoretical model for these processes is under development. Different rapid prototyping sites supplied test specimens (based on ASTM 638-84, Type I) that have been measured and tested to provide a data base on surface finish, dimensional variation and ultimate tensile strength. Further plans call for developing and verifying the theoretical models by carefully designed experiments. This will be a joint effort between NASA and other prototyping centers to generate a larger database, thus encouraging more widespread usage by product designers.

  19. Nanoscale tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecular sieve separation.

    PubMed

    Wang, Jing; Zhu, Junyong; Zhang, Yatao; Liu, Jindun; Van der Bruggen, Bart

    2017-03-02

    The precise and rapid separation of different molecules from aqueous, organic solutions and gas mixtures is critical to many technologies in the context of resource-saving and sustainable development. The strength of membrane-based technologies is well recognized and they are extensively applied as cost-effective, highly efficient separation techniques. Currently, empirical-based approaches, lacking an accurate nanoscale control, are used to prepare the most advanced membranes. In contrast, nanoscale control renders the membrane molecular specificity (sub-2 nm) necessary for efficient and rapid molecular separation. Therefore, as a growing trend in membrane technology, the field of nanoscale tailor-made membranes is highlighted in this review. An in-depth analysis of the latest advances in tailor-made membranes for precise and rapid molecule sieving is given, along with an outlook to future perspectives of such membranes. Special attention is paid to the established processing strategies, as well as the application of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in nanoporous membrane design. This review will provide useful guidelines for future research in the development of nanoscale tailor-made membranes with a precise and rapid molecular sieve separation property.

  20. The development of an annotated library of neutral human milk oligosaccharides

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Shuai; Tao, Nannan; German, J. Bruce; Grimm, Rudolf; Lebrilla, Carlito B.

    2010-01-01

    Human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs)a perform a number of functions including serving as prebiotics to stimulate the growth of beneficial intestinal bacteria, as receptor analogs to inhibit binding of pathogens, and as substances that promote postnatal brain development. There is further evidence that HMOs participate in modulating the human immune system. Because the absorption, catabolism and biological function of oligosaccharides (OS) have strong correlations with their structures, structure elucidation is key to advancing this research. Oligosaccharides are produced by competing enzymes that provide the large structural diversity and heterogeneity that characterizes this class of compounds. Unlike the proteome, there is no template for oligosaccharides making it difficult to rapidly identify oligosaccharide structures. In this research, the annotation of the neutral free oligosaccharides in milk is performed to develop a database for the rapid identification of oligosaccharide structures. Our strategy incorporates high performance nanoflow liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry for characterizing HMO structures. HPLC-Chip/TOF MS provides a sensitive and quantitative method for sample profiling. The reproducible retention time and accurate mass can be used to rapidly identify the OS structures in HMO samples. A library with 45 neutral OS structures has been constructed. The structures include information regarding the epitopes such as Lewis type as well as information regarding the secretor status. PMID:20578730

  1. Mining for Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    AbTech Corporation used an F-18 HARV (High Alpha Research Vehicle) simulation developed by NASA to create an interactive computer-based prototype of the MQ (Model Quest) SV (System Validator) tool. Dryden Flight Research Center provided support to develop, test, and rapidly reprogram the validation function. AbTech's ModelQuest Enterprises highly automated and outperforms other modeling techniques to quickly discover meaningful relationships, patterns, and trends in databases. Applications include technical and business professionals in finance, marketing, business, banking, retail, healthcare, and aerospace.

  2. The need for a usable assessment tool to analyse the efficacy of emergency care systems in developing countries: proposal to use the TEWS methodology.

    PubMed

    Sun, Jared H; Twomey, Michele; Tran, Jeffrey; Wallis, Lee A

    2012-11-01

    Ninety percent of emergency incidents occur in developing countries, and this is only expected to get worse as these nations develop. As a result, governments in developing countries are establishing emergency care systems. However, there is currently no widely-usable, objective method to monitor or research the rapid growth of emergency care in the developing world. Analysis of current quantitative methods to assess emergency care in developing countries, and the proposal of a more appropriate method. Currently accepted methods to quantitatively assess the efficacy of emergency care systems cannot be performed in most developing countries due to weak record-keeping infrastructure and the inappropriateness of applying Western derived coefficients to developing country conditions. As a result, although emergency care in the developing world is rapidly growing, researchers and clinicians are unable to objectively measure its progress or determine which policies work best in their respective countries. We propose the TEWS methodology, a simple analytical tool that can be handled by low-resource, developing countries. By relying on the most basic universal parameters, simplest calculations and straightforward protocol, the TEWS methodology allows for widespread analysis of emergency care in the developing world. This could become essential in the establishment and growth of new emergency care systems worldwide.

  3. Rapid Production of Composite Prototype Hardware

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeLay, T. K.

    2000-01-01

    The objective of this research was to provide a mechanism to cost-effectively produce composite hardware prototypes. The task was to take a hands-on approach to developing new technologies that could benefit multiple future programs.

  4. Feasibility of rapid ethical assessment for the Ethiopian health research ethics review system.

    PubMed

    Addissie, Adamu; Davey, Gail; Newport, Melanie; Farsides, Bobbie; Feleke, Yeweyenhareg

    2015-01-01

    One of the challenges in the process of ethical medical research in developing countries, including Ethiopia, is translating universal principles of medical ethics into appropriate informed consent documents and their implementation. Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) has been suggested as a feasible approach to meet this application gap. In the past few years REA has been employed in few research project in Ethiopia and have been found to be a useful and practical approach. Feasibility assessment of REA for the Ethiopian research setting was conducted between 2012-2013 in order to inform the subsequent introduction of REA into research ethics review and governance system in the country. REA was found to be an appropriate, relevant and feasible venture. We argue that REA can be integrated as part of the ethics review and governance system in Ethiopia. REA tools and techniques are considered relevant and acceptable to the Ethiopian research community, with few practical challenges anticipated in their implementation. REA are considered feasible for integration in the Ethiopian ethics review system.

  5. Recent advances in wavelet technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wells, R. O., Jr.

    1994-01-01

    Wavelet research has been developing rapidly over the past five years, and in particular in the academic world there has been significant activity at numerous universities. In the industrial world, there has been developments at Aware, Inc., Lockheed, Martin-Marietta, TRW, Kodak, Exxon, and many others. The government agencies supporting wavelet research and development include ARPA, ONR, AFOSR, NASA, and many other agencies. The recent literature in the past five years includes a recent book which is an index of citations in the past decade on this subject, and it contains over 1,000 references and abstracts.

  6. The impact of Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence: An integrative literature review and synthesis.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Jørghild Karlotte; Skår, Randi; Tveit, Bodil

    2018-04-01

    To describe, interpret and synthesise the current research findings on the impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients in general hospital wards. As patient safety initiatives designed to ensure the early identification and management of deteriorating patients, the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems have broad appeal. However, it is still unclear how these systems impact nurses' competence when these systems are used in general hospital wards. CINAHL, PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE and Ovid MEDLINE databases were systematically searched for relevant articles. Articles were appraised, a thematic analysis was conducted, and similar and divergent perspectives on emergent themes and subthemes were extracted by a team of researchers. Thirty-six studies met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of findings showed how the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems impacted three competence areas: (i) Nurses' competence in assessing and caring for patients related to the subthemes: (a) sensing clinical deterioration and (b) the development of skills and knowledge. (ii). Nurses' competence in referring patients, related to the subthemes: (a) deciding whether to summon help and (b) the language and communication lines in the referral process. (ii) Nurses' coping and mastery experiences. The impact of the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems on nurses' competence in identifying and managing deteriorating patients is beneficial but also somewhat contradictory. A greater understanding of nurses' development of competence when using the Early Warning Score and Rapid Response Systems will facilitate the design of implementation strategies and the use of these systems to improve practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. The Effect of Jetting Parameters on the Performance of Droplet Formation for Ink-Jet Rapid Prototyping

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Helmer, Wayne

    1998-01-01

    Heinzl et al. (1985) reports that experiments in ink-jets to produce drawings or signals occurred as early as 1930. Various companies such as IBM and Pitney-Bowes have conducted extensive studies on these devices for many years. Many such reports are available in such journals as the IBM Journal of Research and Development. While numerous articles have been published on the jetting characteristics of ink and water, the literature is rather limited on fluids such as waxes (Gao & Sonin 1994) or non-water based fluids (Passow, et al. 1993). This present study extends the knowledge base to determine the performance of molten waxes in "ink-jet" type printers for rapid prototyping. The purpose of this research was to qualitatively and quantitatively study the droplet formation of a drop-on-demand ink-jet type nozzle system for rapid prototyping.

  8. University Teachers' Perceptions of Appropriate Emotion Display and High-Quality Teacher-Student Relationship: Similarities and Differences across Cultural-Educational Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hagenauer, Gerda; Gläser-Zikuda, Michaela; Volet, Simone E.

    2016-01-01

    Research on teachers' emotion display and the quality of the teacher-student relationship in higher education is increasingly significant in the context of rapidly developing internationalization in higher education, with scholars (and students) moving across countries for research and teaching. However, there is little theoretically grounded…

  9. An Exploration of the Impact of an Online MBA Course on Intercultural Sensitivity Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warell, Suzanne Scaffidi

    2009-01-01

    While research on online MBA courses is growing rapidly, teaching specific skills using online delivery formats is a relatively new stream of research in graduate business education. In this study, adult learning methods such as experiential activities, discussion, teamwork, and action learning were used in a seven-week online MBA course to…

  10. Rapid Building Assessment Project

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-01

    Efficiency Buildings Hub EISA Energy Independence Security Act EPRI The Electric Power and Research Institute ESTCP Environmental Security Technology...Ordinary Least Squares PG&E Pacific Gas & Electric R&D research and development RBA Remote Building Analytics REST representational state...utilities across North America and Europe. Requiring only hourly utility electric meter data, the building type, and address, FirstFuel can produce a

  11. Putting the Pressure On

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2000-01-01

    Langley Research Center's interest in hypersonic flight led to a SBIR contract with IAP Research, Inc. to develop an electromagnetic launcher. The launcher technology was the basis for IAP's Magnepress process which manufactures high-density parts at rapid rates. The powder compaction technology can be used in the automotive industry and has also been sold to ice cream dispenser manufacturers.

  12. Evaluation of Automatic Item Generation Utilities in Formative Assessment Application for Korean High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Choi, Jaehwa; Kim, HeeKyoung; Pak, Seohong

    2018-01-01

    The recent interests in research in the assessment field have been rapidly shifting from decision-maker-centered assessments to learner-centered assessments (i.e., diagnostic and/or formative assessments). In particular, it is a very important research topic in this field to analyze how these learner-centered assessments are developed more…

  13. How Do They Get Here?: Paths into Physics Education Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barthelemy, Ramon S.; Henderson, Charles; Grunert, Megan L.

    2013-01-01

    Physics education research (PER) is a relatively new and rapidly growing area of Ph.D. specialization. To sustain the field of PER, a steady pipeline of talented scholars needs to be developed and supported. One aspect of building this pipeline is understanding how students come to graduate and postdoctoral work in PER and what their career goals…

  14. Developing Capacities for Teaching Responsible Science in the MENA Region: Refashioning Scientific Dialogue

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Academies Press, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Spurred on by new discoveries and rapid technological advances, the capacity for life science research is expanding across the globe-and with it comes concerns about the unintended impacts of research on the physical and biological environment, human well-being, or the deliberate misuse of knowledge, tools, and techniques to cause harm. This…

  15. The Development of a Parenteral Pharmaceutical Formulation of a New Class of Compounds of Nitrosourea.

    PubMed

    Nikolaeva, Ludmila; Oborotova, Natalia; Bunyatyan, Natalia; Zhang, Xi; Sanarova, Ekaterina; Lantsova, Anna; Orlova, Olga; Polozkova, Alevtina

    2016-11-01

    Despite the rapid development of medical technologies, chemotherapy treatment still occupies an important place in clinical oncology. In this regard, the current research in this area focuses on the synthesis of new highly effective antitumor substances that have minimal side effects and the development of stable pharmaceutical formulations (PF) on their basis. In order to solve this problem, the I. Ya. Postovsky Institute of Organic Synthesis of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences actively sought for original substances, namely, nitrosourea (NU) derivatives, one of the most promising classes of anticancer drugs. As a result of this research, a novel NU derivative was synthesized, namely ormustine, which showed high antitumor activity in preliminary preclinical trials. It is now crucial to develop an ormustine pharmaceutical formulation. Conducted technological studies showed that the most suitable solvent for the drug substance is 0.1 M hydrochloric acid, which ensures its rapid dissolution by ultrasonic treatment. A significant reduction in the concentration of the active ingredient during the storage of the solution required the development of a technique of its lyophilization and the selection of a shaper such as a Kollidon 17 PF. Upon completion of the development of a pharmaceutical formulation of ormustine, its stability after lyophilization was demonstrated, and a sufficient amount of the drug has been acquired for preclinical research.

  16. Identification of pollutant sources in a rapidly developing urban river catchment in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Jingshui; Yin, Hailong; Jomma, Seifeddine; Rode, Michael; Zhou, Qi

    2016-04-01

    Rapid economic development and urbanization worldwide cause serious ecological and environmental problems. A typical region that is in transition and requires systemic research for effective intervention is the rapidly developing city of Hefei in central P. R. China. In order to investigate the sources of pollutants over a one-year period in Nanfei River catchment that drains the city of Hefei, discharges were measured and water samples were taken and measured along the 14km river section at 10 sites for 4 times from 2013 to 2014. Overflow concentrations of combined sewer and separate storm drains were also measured by selecting 15 rain events in 4 typical drainage systems. Loads and budgets of water and different pollutant sources i.e., wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent, urban drainage overflow, unknown wastewater were calculated. The water balance demonstrated that >70% of the discharge originated from WWTP effluent. Lack of clean upstream inflow thereby is threatening ecological safety and water quality. Furthermore, mass fluxes calculations revealed that >40% of the COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) loads were from urban drainage overflow because of a large amount of discharge of untreated wastewater in pumping stations during rain events. WWTP effluent was the predominant source of the total nitrogen loads (>60%) and ammonia loads (>45%). However, the total phosphorous loads from three different sources are similar (˜1/3). Thus, our research provided a basis for appropriate and prior mitigation strategies (state-of-art of WWTP upgrade, sewer systems modification, storm water regulation and storage capacity improvement, etc.) for different precedence-controlled pollutants with the limited infrastructure investments in these rapidly developing urban regions.

  17. Design and Development of an Equipotential Voltage Reference (Grounding) System for a Low-Cost Rapid-Development Modular Spacecraft Architecture

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lukash, James A.; Daley, Earl

    2011-01-01

    This work describes the design and development effort to adapt rapid-development space hardware by creating a ground system using solutions of low complexity, mass, & cost. The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft is based on the modular common spacecraft bus architecture developed at NASA Ames Research Center. The challenge was building upon the existing modular common bus design and development work and improving the LADEE spacecraft design by adding an Equipotential Voltage Reference (EVeR) system, commonly referred to as a ground system. This would aid LADEE in meeting Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) requirements, thereby making the spacecraft more compatible with itself and its space environment. The methods used to adapt existing hardware are presented, including provisions which may be used on future spacecraft.

  18. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101830, and TBD).

  19. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830).

  20. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This computer-generated image depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. A larger image is available without labels (No. 0101755).

  1. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD).

  2. Vulnerability of China's nearshore ecosystems under intensive mariculture development.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hui; Su, Jilan

    2017-04-01

    Rapid economic development and increasing population in China have exerted tremendous pressures on the coastal ecosystems. In addition to land-based pollutants and reclamation, fast expansion of large-scale intensive mariculture activities has also brought about additional effects. So far, the ecological impact of rapid mariculture development and its large-scale operations has not drawn enough attention. In this paper, the rapid development of mariculture in China is reviewed, China's effort in the application of ecological mariculture is examined, and the vulnerability of marine ecosystem to mariculture impact is evaluated through a number of examples. Removal or reduced large and forage fish, due to both habitat loss to reclamation/mariculture and overfishing for food or fishmeal, may have far-reaching effects on the coastal and shelf ecosystems in the long run. Large-scale intensive mariculture operations carry with them undesirable biological and biochemical characteristics, which may have consequences on natural ecosystems beyond normally perceived spatial and temporal boundaries. As our understanding of possible impacts of large-scale intensive mariculture is lagging far behind its development, much research is urgently needed.

  3. UPLC-MS for metabolomics: a giant step forward in support of pharmaceutical research.

    PubMed

    Nassar, Ala F; Wu, Terence; Nassar, Samuel F; Wisnewski, Adam V

    2017-02-01

    Metabolomics is a relatively new and rapidly growing area of post-genomic biological research. As use of metabolomics technology grows throughout the spectrum of drug discovery and development, and its applications broaden, its impact is expanding dramatically. This review seeks to provide the reader with a brief history of the development of metabolomics, its significance and strategies for conducting metabolomics studies. The most widely used analytical tools for metabolomics: NMR, LC-MS and GC-MS, are discussed along with considerations for their use. Herein, we will show how metabolomics can assist in pharmaceutical research studies, such as pharmacology and toxicology, and discuss some examples of the importance of metabolomics analysis in research and development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. A Case Study of the Development of WebPA: An Online Peer-Moderated Marking Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loddington, Steve; Pond, Keith; Wilkinson, Nicola; Willmot, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Peer moderation of group work in higher education is rapidly advancing through the use of technological developments and is increasingly being informed by pedagogical research. The highly successful WebPA online assessment system has gone through a number of development phases over its 15-year history and has now evolved into a relatively mature…

  5. Geogebra Applets Design and Development for Junior High School Students to Learn Quadrilateral Mathematics Concepts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nisiyatussani; Ayuningtyas, Vidya; Fathurrohman, Maman; Anriani, Nurul

    2018-01-01

    This design and development research was motivated by the rapid expansion and use of GeoGebra by mathematics educators (teachers and lecturers) in Indonesia. One of GeoGebra features is GeoGebra Applet that can be used, modified, and/or developed by educators for dynamic and interactive mathematics teaching and learning. At the time of research…

  6. Integration of research infrastructures and ecosystem models toward development of predictive ecology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Y.; Huang, Y.; Jiang, J.; MA, S.; Saruta, V.; Liang, G.; Hanson, P. J.; Ricciuto, D. M.; Milcu, A.; Roy, J.

    2017-12-01

    The past two decades have witnessed rapid development in sensor technology. Built upon the sensor development, large research infrastructure facilities, such as National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and FLUXNET, have been established. Through networking different kinds of sensors and other data collections at many locations all over the world, those facilities generate large volumes of ecological data every day. The big data from those facilities offer an unprecedented opportunity for advancing our understanding of ecological processes, educating teachers and students, supporting decision-making, and testing ecological theory. The big data from the major research infrastructure facilities also provides foundation for developing predictive ecology. Indeed, the capability to predict future changes in our living environment and natural resources is critical to decision making in a world where the past is no longer a clear guide to the future. We are living in a period marked by rapid climate change, profound alteration of biogeochemical cycles, unsustainable depletion of natural resources, and deterioration of air and water quality. Projecting changes in future ecosystem services to the society becomes essential not only for science but also for policy making. We will use this panel format to outline major opportunities and challenges in integrating research infrastructure and ecosystem models toward developing predictive ecology. Meanwhile, we will also show results from an interactive model-experiment System - Ecological Platform for Assimilating Data into models (EcoPAD) - that have been implemented at the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental change (SPRUCE) experiment in Northern Minnesota and Montpellier Ecotron, France. EcoPAD is developed by integrating web technology, eco-informatics, data assimilation techniques, and ecosystem modeling. EcoPAD is designed to streamline data transfer seamlessly from research infrastructure facilities to model simulation, data assimilation, and ecological forecasting.

  7. Research progress and hotspot analysis of spatial interpolation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Li-juan; Zheng, Xin-qi; Miao, Jin-li

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, the literatures related to spatial interpolation between 1982 and 2017, which are included in the Web of Science core database, are used as data sources, and the visualization analysis is carried out according to the co-country network, co-category network, co-citation network, keywords co-occurrence network. It is found that spatial interpolation has experienced three stages: slow development, steady development and rapid development; The cross effect between 11 clustering groups, the main convergence of spatial interpolation theory research, the practical application and case study of spatial interpolation and research on the accuracy and efficiency of spatial interpolation. Finding the optimal spatial interpolation is the frontier and hot spot of the research. Spatial interpolation research has formed a theoretical basis and research system framework, interdisciplinary strong, is widely used in various fields.

  8. Arctic in Rapid Transition: Priorities for the future of marine and coastal research in the Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werner, Kirstin; Fritz, Michael; Morata, Nathalie; Keil, Kathrin; Pavlov, Alexey; Peeken, Ilka; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Findlay, Helen S.; Kędra, Monika; Majaneva, Sanna; Renner, Angelika; Hendricks, Stefan; Jacquot, Mathilde; Nicolaus, Marcel; O'Regan, Matt; Sampei, Makoto; Wegner, Carolyn

    2016-09-01

    Understanding and responding to the rapidly occurring environmental changes in the Arctic over the past few decades require new approaches in science. This includes improved collaborations within the scientific community but also enhanced dialogue between scientists and societal stakeholders, especially with Arctic communities. As a contribution to the Third International Conference on Arctic Research Planning (ICARPIII), the Arctic in Rapid Transition (ART) network held an international workshop in France, in October 2014, in order to discuss high-priority requirements for future Arctic marine and coastal research from an early-career scientists (ECS) perspective. The discussion encompassed a variety of research fields, including topics of oceanographic conditions, sea-ice monitoring, marine biodiversity, land-ocean interactions, and geological reconstructions, as well as law and governance issues. Participants of the workshop strongly agreed on the need to enhance interdisciplinarity in order to collect comprehensive knowledge about the modern and past Arctic Ocean's geo-ecological dynamics. Such knowledge enables improved predictions of Arctic developments and provides the basis for elaborate decision-making on future actions under plausible environmental and climate scenarios in the high northern latitudes. Priority research sheets resulting from the workshop's discussions were distributed during the ICARPIII meetings in April 2015 in Japan, and are publicly available online.

  9. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD). This image is from a digital still camera; higher resolution is not available.

  10. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Here the transparent furnace is extracted for servicing. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD).

  11. Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, and TBD). This composite is from a digital still camera; higher resolution is not available.

  12. Individual Differences in the Lexical Development of French-English Bilingual Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    David, Annabelle; Wei, Li

    2008-01-01

    The large and rapidly expanding body of literature on bilingual acquisition is mostly comprised of either single-case or cross-sectional studies. While these studies have made major contributions to our understanding of bilingual children's language development, they do not allow researchers to compare and contrast results with regard to…

  13. Inequalities in Educational Development: Papers Presented at an IIEP Seminar.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). International Inst. for Educational Planning.

    Based on the realization that the rapid worldwide growth of educational systems over the last two decades has not produced the expected eradication of social inequality, an international seminar was held for educational policy-makers, planners from developing countries, research workers in the area, and representatives of aid agencies from 33…

  14. An Auto-Scoring Mechanism for Evaluating Problem-Solving Ability in a Web-Based Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chiou, Chuang-Kai; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tseng, Judy C. R.

    2009-01-01

    The rapid development of computer and network technologies has attracted researchers to investigate strategies for and the effects of applying information technologies in learning activities; simultaneously, learning environments have been developed to record the learning portfolios of students seeking web information for problem-solving. Although…

  15. Grand Challenges and Chemical Engineering Curriculum--Developments at TU Dortmund University

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kockmann, Norbert; Lutze, Philip; Gorak, Andrzej

    2016-01-01

    Chemical processing industry is progressively focusing their research activities and product placements in the areas of Grand Challenges (or Global Megatrends) such as mobility, energy, communication, or health care and food. Innovation in all these fields requires solving high complex problems, rapid product development as well as dealing with…

  16. Stimulating Innovation and Accelerating the Development of Complex and Slowly Maturing Technologies Through Advanced Technology Prize Competitions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-15

    technology prize competitions have been used since the 18th century to spur innovation and advance the development of complex and slowly maturing disruptive ... technologies The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has used advanced technology competitions in 2004 and 2005 to rapidly accelerate the

  17. Higher Education Studies in Japan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaneko, Motohisa

    2010-01-01

    The rapid development of higher education in the postwar period has given rise to various problems, and higher education studies in Japan have developed in response to them. What have been the major issues, and how did academic research respond to them, in postwar Japan? This article delineates an outline of higher education studies in general,…

  18. Laboratory and field testing of an accelerated bridge construction demonstration bridge : US Highway 6 bridge over Keg Creek : tech transfer summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-04-01

    To address the need for the development of a fast, repeatable, and dependable way to replace typical bridges across the country, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) developed project R04, Innovative Designs for Rapid Renewal, as part of the...

  19. Psychological Development and Educational Problems of Left-Behind Children in Rural China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Xiaojun; Tian, Yuan; Zhang, Yongxin; Xie, Xiaochun; Heath, Melissa A.; Zhou, Zongkui

    2015-01-01

    With China's rapidly developing economy and increasing urbanization, many adults from rural areas migrate to urban areas for better paid jobs. A side effect of this migration is that parents frequently leave their children behind (left-behind children). This research investigated left-behind children's and non-left-behind children's psychological,…

  20. Motivation Matters in Mobile Language Learning: A Brief Commentary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ushioda, Ema

    2013-01-01

    As highlighted in the original call for papers for this special issue, learning with mobile technologies is currently a rapidly developing area of interest for researchers, teachers, materials writers and app developers in the educational field, not least within language education. Yet to what extent is this growing interest realised and shared by…

  1. A Novel, Rapid Assay for Detection and Differentiation of Serotype-Specific Antibodies to Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Complex Alphaviruses

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-01-01

    Research Center Detachment, Lima, Peru Abstract. An epitope-blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the rapid differentiation of...subtype and variety of antibodies to VEEV in equines, humans, or rodent reservoir hosts can be critical for determining the potential of a naturally...of human sera from Mexico and Peru using a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and plaque reduction neutralization tests* Serum number Country

  2. Simulink based behavioural modelling of a pulse oximeter for deployment in rapid development, prototyping and verification.

    PubMed

    Shokouhian, M; Morling, R C S; Kale, I

    2012-01-01

    The pulse oximeter is a well-known device for measuring the level of oxygen in blood. Since their invention, pulse oximeters have been under constant development in both aspects of hardware and software; however there are still unsolved problems that limit their performance [6], [7]. Many fresh algorithms and new design techniques are being suggested every year by industry and academic researchers which claim that they can improve accuracy of measurements [8], [9]. With the lack of an accurate computer-based behavioural model for pulse oximeters, the only way for evaluation of these newly developed systems and algorithms is through hardware implementation which can be both expensive and time consuming. This paper presents an accurate Simulink based behavioural model for a pulse oximeter that can be used by industry and academia alike working in this area, as an exploration as well as productivity enhancement tool during their research and development process. The aim of this paper is to introduce a new computer-based behavioural model which provides a simulation environment from which new ideas can be rapidly evaluated long before the real implementation.

  3. Data-driven decision support for radiologists: re-using the National Lung Screening Trial dataset for pulmonary nodule management.

    PubMed

    Morrison, James J; Hostetter, Jason; Wang, Kenneth; Siegel, Eliot L

    2015-02-01

    Real-time mining of large research trial datasets enables development of case-based clinical decision support tools. Several applicable research datasets exist including the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), a dataset unparalleled in size and scope for studying population-based lung cancer screening. Using these data, a clinical decision support tool was developed which matches patient demographics and lung nodule characteristics to a cohort of similar patients. The NLST dataset was converted into Structured Query Language (SQL) tables hosted on a web server, and a web-based JavaScript application was developed which performs real-time queries. JavaScript is used for both the server-side and client-side language, allowing for rapid development of a robust client interface and server-side data layer. Real-time data mining of user-specified patient cohorts achieved a rapid return of cohort cancer statistics and lung nodule distribution information. This system demonstrates the potential of individualized real-time data mining using large high-quality clinical trial datasets to drive evidence-based clinical decision-making.

  4. Development of performance measures for non-motorized dynamics.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-12-27

    This report recommends performance measures for non-motorized (pedestrian and bicyclists) : traffic safety for Michigan cities. Based on the data collected from four Michigan cities, Ann : Arbor, East Lansing, Flint, and Grand Rapids, the research te...

  5. Travel diaries : an annotated catalog

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-06-01

    The travel diary is the central survey instrument for travel behavior research. In its current form it reflects forty years of development. This paper discusses the current and possible contents of the travel diary against the background of a rapidly...

  6. Plant Immunity Inducer Development and Application.

    PubMed

    Dewen, Qiu; Yijie, Dong; Yi, Zhang; Shupeng, Li; Fachao, Shi

    2017-05-01

    Plant immunity inducers represent a new and rapidly developing field in plant-protection research. In this paper, we discuss recent research on plant immunity inducers and their development and applications in China. Plant immunity inducers include plant immunity-inducing proteins, chitosan oligosaccharides, and microbial inducers. These compounds and microorganisms can trigger defense responses and confer disease resistance in plants. We also describe the mechanisms of plant immunity inducers and how they promote plant health. Furthermore, we summarize the current situation in plant immunity inducer development in China and the global marketplace. Finally, we also deeply analyze the development trends and application prospects of plant immunity inducers in environmental protection and food safety.

  7. Multifunctional Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors for Rapid Capture and Detection of Pathogens.

    PubMed

    Mustafa, Fatima; Hassan, Rabeay Y A; Andreescu, Silvana

    2017-09-15

    Nanomaterial-based sensing approaches that incorporate different types of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures in conjunction with natural or synthetic receptors as molecular recognition elements provide opportunities for the design of sensitive and selective assays for rapid detection of contaminants. This review summarizes recent advancements over the past ten years in the development of nanotechnology-enabled sensors and systems for capture and detection of pathogens. The most common types of nanostructures and NPs, their modification with receptor molecules and integration to produce viable sensing systems with biorecognition, amplification and signal readout are discussed. Examples of all-in-one systems that combine multifunctional properties for capture, separation, inactivation and detection are also provided. Current trends in the development of low-cost instrumentation for rapid assessment of food contamination are discussed as well as challenges for practical implementation and directions for future research.

  8. Biosensor for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes: emerging trends.

    PubMed

    Soni, Dharmendra Kumar; Ahmad, Rafiq; Dubey, Suresh Kumar

    2018-05-23

    The early detection of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) and understanding the disease burden is of paramount interest. The failure to detect pathogenic bacteria in the food industry may have terrible consequences, and poses deleterious effects on human health. Therefore, integration of methods to detect and trace the route of pathogens along the entire food supply network might facilitate elucidation of the main contamination sources. Recent research interest has been oriented towards the development of rapid and affordable pathogen detection tools/techniques. An innovative and new approach like biosensors has been quite promising in revealing the foodborne pathogens. In spite of the existing knowledge, advanced research is still needed to substantiate the expeditious nature and sensitivity of biosensors for rapid and in situ analysis of foodborne pathogens. This review summarizes recent developments in optical, piezoelectric, cell-based, and electrochemical biosensors for Listeria sp. detection in clinical diagnostics, food analysis, and environmental monitoring, and also lists their drawbacks and advantages.

  9. AIBench: a rapid application development framework for translational research in biomedicine.

    PubMed

    Glez-Peña, D; Reboiro-Jato, M; Maia, P; Rocha, M; Díaz, F; Fdez-Riverola, F

    2010-05-01

    Applied research in both biomedical discovery and translational medicine today often requires the rapid development of fully featured applications containing both advanced and specific functionalities, for real use in practice. In this context, new tools are demanded that allow for efficient generation, deployment and reutilization of such biomedical applications as well as their associated functionalities. In this context this paper presents AIBench, an open-source Java desktop application framework for scientific software development with the goal of providing support to both fundamental and applied research in the domain of translational biomedicine. AIBench incorporates a powerful plug-in engine, a flexible scripting platform and takes advantage of Java annotations, reflection and various design principles in order to make it easy to use, lightweight and non-intrusive. By following a basic input-processing-output life cycle, it is possible to fully develop multiplatform applications using only three types of concepts: operations, data-types and views. The framework automatically provides functionalities that are present in a typical scientific application including user parameter definition, logging facilities, multi-threading execution, experiment repeatability and user interface workflow management, among others. The proposed framework architecture defines a reusable component model which also allows assembling new applications by the reuse of libraries from past projects or third-party software. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Smart Grid Legislative and Regulatory Policies and Case Studies

    EIA Publications

    2011-01-01

    In recent years, a number of U.S. states have adopted or are considering smart grid related laws, regulations, and voluntary or mandatory requirements. At the same time, the number of smart grid pilot projects has been increasing rapidly. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) commissioned SAIC to research the development of smart grid in the United States and abroad. The research produced several documents that will help guide EIA as it considers how best to track smart grid developments.

  11. Propulsion and Power Rapid Response Research and Development (R&D) Support. Delivery Order 0011: Advanced Propulsion Fuels Research and Development-Subtask: Framework and Guidance for Estimating Greenhouse Gas Footprints of Aviation Fuels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-04-01

    Uncertainties, Gaps , and Issues for the Use of GWP to Examine Emissions From Aviation That Impact Global Climate Change. (Wuebbles, Yang and Herman 2008...selecting time periods and spatial scales for data gathering, strategies for filling data gaps , and computational considerations for managing the...Fuels Assumptions, methodological choices, strategies for filling data gaps , and other factors throughout the life cycle substantially influence the

  12. Emergence of a scientific and commercial research and development infrastructure for human gene therapy.

    PubMed

    Crofts, Christine; Krimsky, Sheldon

    2005-02-01

    A research and clinical subfield known as "human gene therapy" has grown rapidly since 1990, when the first human trials were approved in the United States. Using quantitative data, this paper describes and analyzes the research and commercial infrastructure, including academic centers, publications, intellectual property, and biotechnology firms, that has developed around the goal of discovering clinical applications for the modification and transport of DNA to somatic cells. Despite setbacks and few documented successes, the subfield of human gene therapy continues to serve as an influential clinical paradigm for the treatment of inherited and noninherited diseases.

  13. Legislating the laboratory? Promotion and precaution in a nanomaterials company.

    PubMed

    Phelps, Robin; Fisher, Erik

    2011-01-01

    Legislation is a form of governance that directs attention and prescribes action. Within the domain of nanoscience, the US 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act contains mandates not only for rapid development for economic competitiveness but also for responsible implementation, which is required to take place by integrating societal considerations into research and development. This chapter investigates whether these two mandates tend more to coexist or compete with one another, both in the purview of nanoscience policy and in the venue of nanoscience practice. This chapter first reviews macrolevel analysis of the directives contained in the legislation. It then examines, drawing on an empirical case study, how these directives manifest at the microlevel of a nanoscience research and development laboratory.

  14. The Republic of Chile: an upper middle-income country at the crossroads of economic development and aging.

    PubMed

    Gitlin, Laura N; Fuentes, Patricio

    2012-06-01

    Chile is a developing country with a rapidly expanding economy and concomitant social and cultural changes. It is expected to become a developed country within 10 years. Chile is also characterized as being in an advanced demographic transition. Unique challenges are posed by the intersection of rapid economic development and an aging population, making Chile an intriguing case study for examining the impact of these societal-level trends on the aging experience. This paper highlights essential characteristics of this country for understanding its emerging aging society. It reveals that there is a fundamental lack of adequate and depthful epidemiologic and country-specific research from which to fully understand the aging experience and guide new policies in support of health and well-being.

  15. The Republic of Chile: An Upper Middle-Income Country at the Crossroads of Economic Development and Aging

    PubMed Central

    Gitlin, Laura N.; Fuentes, Patricio

    2012-01-01

    Chile is a developing country with a rapidly expanding economy and concomitant social and cultural changes. It is expected to become a developed country within 10 years. Chile is also characterized as being in an advanced demographic transition. Unique challenges are posed by the intersection of rapid economic development and an aging population, making Chile an intriguing case study for examining the impact of these societal-level trends on the aging experience. This paper highlights essential characteristics of this country for understanding its emerging aging society. It reveals that there is a fundamental lack of adequate and depthful epidemiologic and country-specific research from which to fully understand the aging experience and guide new policies in support of health and well-being. PMID:22534464

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

    SLAC,

    The Department of Energy (DOE) and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC) encourage innovation, creativity, originality and quality to maintain the Laboratory’s research activities and staff at the forefront of science and technology. To further advance its scientific research capabilities, the Laboratory allocates a portion of its funds for the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program. With DOE guidance, the LDRD program enables SLAC scientists to make rapid and significant contributions that seed new strategies for solving important national science and technology problems. The LDRD program is conducted using existing research facilities.

  17. Research and Development in the Anthropogenic Cryosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Jong, C.; Luthe, T.; Hohenwallne, D.

    2009-04-01

    Much of todays cryosphere research is oriented towards the polar regions and is strongly supported by large associations and funding. On the other hand, funding and institutional support is still limited for mountains. In Europe, mountain research is mainly funded through Alpine Space Interregs, FP7, ESF and COST. However, there is growing global change pressure on mountain regions, particularly in the more fragile, higher altitudes such as between 1000 - 3200 m in the Alps. Although these zones are comparable to the Arctic in terms of climatic and physiographic conditions, they are not in terms of human pressures and atmospheric pollution released from surrounding agglomerations. A re-orientation of research into more applied projects that tackle present day problems is necessary. Not only is climate change rapidly changing the face of mountains, socio-economic multipliers are also acting fast. New problems such as conflicts over natural resources are evolving at a rapid rate, requiring research funding and projects to respond at according rates if timely and efficient solutions are to be proposed. Other problems include contamination of high altitude lakes and ecosystems through atmospheric precipitation of persistent organic pollutants and concentration of radio-active substances. The rapid melt of glacier ice is also releasing pollutants that have been captured for many decades. Many of the present day problems develop due to a miscomprehension of the cryosphere. Short-term economical reasoning outweighs the long-term ecological impacts that could be very counter-productive at the long term. Both the glaciological, snow, permafrost, geomorphological, ecological, hydrological and atmospheric conditions are increasingly heavily modified by human impacts. The effects include the alteration of the ice cover (by artificial covering of glaciers), production of artificial snow cover, snow and ground compaction, erosion, landsliding, change in vegetation cover and fauna, modification of local hydrological cycle and modification of local climate and atmospheric pollution. Research in mountains should balance the needs of scientists and stakeholders alike, but this requires re-orientation of mountain research into multi-disciplinary projects next to basic science. Unlike the polar regions (with exceptions like Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen), seasonal population pressure in mountains is intense, causing local problems such as water scarcity. Research in these areas therefore requires close collaboration with stakeholders. Large-scale events such as Winter Olympics that have benefited from the classical mountain cryosphere in the past are now increasingly becoming internationally competitive and independent of the natural cryospheric conditions. New ski areas are developed world-wide in zones that do not offer natural climatological conditions for maintaining ski runs. Sub-zero temperatures are used as a basis for snow-making even in those regions that do not benefit from sufficient natural snow-fall. Large-scale landscape modification results in motorway like ski runs, large snow water reservoirs and extensive housing projects on vulnerable slopes. Due to steep and remote topography, transport is often dominated by cars and increases CO2 emissions intensively at local hot spots. In future, mountain slopes that have been heavily modified for winter tourism, may rapidly become neglected zones due to rapid snowline retreat. As the summer season extends, the modifications to the cryosphere will become more and more evident. Even with positive temperatures and snow-free ground, the vegetation season will not be extensive enough to enable rapid recovery, especially at altitudes above 2000 m a.s.l and north-facing aspects. Several decades of anthropogenic modification may require several centuries of recovery to provide new economical benefits.

  18. [Some worries about Dendrobium officinale industry].

    PubMed

    Li, Guang; Lu, Juan; Chen, Xi

    2013-02-01

    In recent years, with the continuous development of the industry of Dendrobium officinale, the technological alliance on CEEUSRO has been established. However, many problems also exposed with the rapid expansion of the industry, such as weak basic research, single species of the product, lack of in-depth studies and difficult to guarantee the quality. Industrial foam was gradually formed. To guard against the D. officinale becoming another "Puer Tea" , the authors believe that the key to sustainable development of the industry is enterprises and research institutes should strengthen basic research, speed up development of application of integrated innovations, government should strengthen guidance, regulate the operation of the market, then protect the quality of D. officinale in the market.

  19. Planning in the 90's for Community Colleges: Coping with Rapid Change by Linking Futures Research with Professional Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Diana K.

    The rate of the change now occurring outside of community colleges has made long-range planning an especially difficult task. Futures research, which attempts to forecast future scenarios by studying societal, economic, and demographic trends, can be used effectively to facilitate the institutional planning process by anticipating both internal…

  20. Propulsion and Power Rapid Response Research and Development (R&D) Support. Delivery Order 0010: Propulsion and Power Student and Faculty Research and Technical Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    using spray cooling in recent years (Chow et al. 1997, Mudawar , 2001, Rini et al. 2002, Lin and Ponnappan, 2003 & and references there in) and various...19. I. Mudawar (2001), Assessment of high heat-flux thermal management schemes, IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, 24

  1. ARC-1969-AC74-1058-29

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1974-03-13

    United Airlines DC-8 (N8099U) Two Segment Evaluation. In-Flight Thrust Reversing, Steep Approach Research. The thrust reversing concept was applied to the DC-8 Commercial transport to achieve the rapid descent capability required for FAA certificaiton. Note: Used in publication in Flight Research at Ames; 57 Years of Development and Validation of Aeronautical Technology NASA SP-1998-3300 fig 96

  2. Praxis, Ethics and Power: Developing Praxeology as a Participatory Paradigm for Early Childhood Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pascal, Chris; Bertram, Tony

    2012-01-01

    The discipline and practice of participatory, practice-led research has grown rapidly in recent years and it is now widely accepted as making an important and serious contribution to the knowledge base of early childhood. Despite this progress recently we have come to understand that our worldview has needed to shift again in response to the…

  3. How Should Research Contribute to Instructional Improvement? The Case of Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Catherine; Perry, Rebecca; Murata, Aki

    2006-01-01

    Lesson study, a Japanese form of professional development that centers on collaborative study of live classroom lessons, has spread rapidly in the United States since 1999. Drawing on examples of Japanese and U.S. lesson study, we propose that three types of research are needed if lesson study is to avoid the fate of so many other once-promising…

  4. Program Evaluation - Automotive Lightweighting Materials Program Research and Development Projects Assessment of Benefits - Case Studies No. 2

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

    Das, S.

    This report is the second of a series of studies to evaluate research and development (R&D) projects funded by the Automotive Lightweighting Materials (ALM) Program of the Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies (OAAT) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The objectives of the program evaluation are to assess short-run outputs and long-run outcomes that may be attributable to the ALM R&D projects. The ALM program focuses on the development and validation of advanced technologies that significantly reduce automotive vehicle body and chassis weight without compromising other attributes such as safety, performance, recyclability, and cost. Funded projects range from fundamentalmore » materials science research to applied research in production environments. Collaborators on these projects include national laboratories, universities, and private sector firms, such as leading automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. Three ALM R&D projects were chosen for this evaluation: Design and Product Optimization for Cast Light Metals, Durability of Lightweight Composite Structures, and Rapid Tooling for Functional Prototyping of Metal Mold Processes. These projects were chosen because they have already been completed. The first project resulted in development of a comprehensive cast light metal property database, an automotive application design guide, computerized predictive models, process monitoring sensors, and quality assurance methods. The second project, the durability of lightweight composite structures, produced durability-based design criteria documents, predictive models for creep deformation, and minimum test requirements and suggested test methods for establishing durability properties and characteristics of random glass-fiber composites for automotive structural composites. The durability project supported Focal Project II, a validation activity that demonstrates ALM program goals and reduces the lead time for bringing new technology into the marketplace. Focal projects concentrate on specific classes of materials and nonproprietary components and are done jointly by DOE and the Automotive Composites Consortium of U.S. Council for Automotive Research (USCAR). The third project developed a rapid tooling process that reduces tooling time, originally some 48-52 weeks, to less than 12 weeks by means of rapid generation of die-casting die inserts and development of generic holding blocks, suitable for use with large casting applications. This project was conducted by the United States Automotive Materials Partnership, another USCAR consortium.« less

  5. Who We Are | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    The Frederick National Laboratory is addressing some of the most urgent problems in the biomedical sciences – in cancer and AIDS, drug development and first-in-human clinical trials, applications of nanotechnology in medicine, and rapid response to

  6. Aggregate Exposure Pathway Workshop

    EPA Science Inventory

    Recognizing the growing demands for conducting rapid, cost-effective, and reliable exposure assessment on the thousands of chemicals in commerce, a committee convened by the National Research Council (NRC) developed its vision for exposure science in the 21st century. A necessary...

  7. Safety inspection of plant products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Advances in hyperspectral imaging technology have provided enormous opportunity for the food industry and research community to develop rapid and non-invasive inspection methods for food safety inspection. This chapter reviews and discusses different aspects of using this technology in safety inspec...

  8. Rapid instructed task learning: A new window into the human brain’s unique capacity for flexible cognitive control

    PubMed Central

    Cole, Michael W.; Laurent, Patryk; Stocco, Andrea

    2012-01-01

    The human ability to flexibly adapt to novel circumstances is extraordinary. Perhaps the most illustrative yet underappreciated form of this cognitive flexibility is rapid instructed task learning (RITL) – the ability to rapidly reconfigure our minds to perform new tasks from instruction. This ability is important for everyday life (e.g., learning to use new technologies), and is used to instruct participants in nearly every study of human cognition. We review the development of RITL as a circumscribed domain of cognitive neuroscience investigation, culminating in recent demonstrations that RITL is implemented via brain circuits centered on lateral prefrontal cortex. We then build on this and other insights to develop an integrative theory of cognitive flexibility and cognitive control, identifying theoretical principles and mechanisms that may make RITL possible in the human brain. Insights gained from this new theoretical account have important implications for further developments and applications of RITL research. PMID:23065743

  9. Empowering local potential resources: strategies and challenges of vocational high school in East Java

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadewo, FX S.; Utami, D.; Handoyo, P.; Pribadi, F.

    2018-01-01

    The low interest of entrepreneurship in Indonesia can be seen from two factors, namely cultural and structural. However, it can be addressed through education, one of its strategy is through Vocational Entrepreneurship development program based on the potential of the region. This research seeks to see the readiness of SMK in developing entrepreneurship program in accordance with the potential of the region. The research approach uses Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP) method. The research location is SMK in Tuban, Jember, Malang, Kediri and Pamekasan. The subject of the research is the managerial side of the school, including the curriculum development team, the School Committee and Vice Principals of Curriculum. The results of this study indicate that all principals already know about the potential of the region and have tried entrepreneurial development based on the potential of the area.

  10. Urbanization and Land Use Changes in Peri-Urban Area using Spatial Analysis Methods (Case Study: Ciawi Urban Areas, Bogor Regency)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cahya, D. L.; Martini, E.; Kasikoen, K. M.

    2018-02-01

    Urbanization is shown by the increasing percentage of the population in urban areas. In Indonesia, the percentage of urban population increased dramatically form 17.42% (1971) to 42.15% (2010). This resulted in increased demand for housing. Limited land in the city area push residents looking for an alternative location of his residence to the peri-urban areas. It is accompanied by a process of land conversion from green area into built-up area. Continuous land conversion in peri-urban area is becoming increasingly widespread. Bogor Regency as part of the Jakarta Metropolitan Area is experiencing rapid development. This regency has been experienced land-use change very rapidly from agricultural areas into urban built up areas. Aim of this research is to analyze the effect of urbanization on land use changes in peri-urban areas using spatial analysis methods. This research used case study of Ciawi Urban Area that experiencing rapid development. Method of this research is using descriptive quantitative approach. Data used in this research is primary data (field survey) and secondary data (maps). To analyze land use change is using Geographic Information System (GIS) as spatial analysis methods. The effect of urbanization on land use changes in Ciawi Urban Area from year 2013 to 2015 is significant. The reduction of farm land is around -4.00% and wetland is around - 2.51%. The increasing area for hotel/villa/resort is around 3.10%. Based on this research, local government (Bogor Regency) should be alert to the land use changes that does not comply with the land use plan and also consistently apply the spatial planning.

  11. Advances in developing rapid, reliable and portable detection systems for alcohol.

    PubMed

    Thungon, Phurpa Dema; Kakoti, Ankana; Ngashangva, Lightson; Goswami, Pranab

    2017-11-15

    Development of portable, reliable, sensitive, simple, and inexpensive detection system for alcohol has been an instinctive demand not only in traditional brewing, pharmaceutical, food and clinical industries but also in rapidly growing alcohol based fuel industries. Highly sensitive, selective, and reliable alcohol detections are currently amenable typically through the sophisticated instrument based analyses confined mostly to the state-of-art analytical laboratory facilities. With the growing demand of rapid and reliable alcohol detection systems, an all-round attempt has been made over the past decade encompassing various disciplines from basic and engineering sciences. Of late, the research for developing small-scale portable alcohol detection system has been accelerated with the advent of emerging miniaturization techniques, advanced materials and sensing platforms such as lab-on-chip, lab-on-CD, lab-on-paper etc. With these new inter-disciplinary approaches along with the support from the parallel knowledge growth on rapid detection systems being pursued for various targets, the progress on translating the proof-of-concepts to commercially viable and environment friendly portable alcohol detection systems is gaining pace. Here, we summarize the progress made over the years on the alcohol detection systems, with a focus on recent advancement towards developing portable, simple and efficient alcohol sensors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Developing a spinal cord injury research strategy using a structured process of evidence review and stakeholder dialogue. Part I: rapid review of SCI prioritisation literature.

    PubMed

    Bragge, P; Piccenna, L; Middleton, J W; Williams, S; Creasey, G; Dunlop, S; Brown, D; Gruen, R L

    2015-10-01

    This is a rapid evidence review. The objective of this study was to gain an overview of the volume, nature and findings of studies regarding priorities for spinal cord injury (SCI) research. A worldwide literature search was conducted. Six medical literature databases and Google Scholar were searched for reviews in which the primary aim was to identify SCI research priorities. Two systematic reviews were identified-one of quantitative and one of qualitative studies. The quality of the reviews was variable. Collectively, the reviews identified 31 primary studies; 24 quantitative studies totalling 5262 participants and 7 qualitative studies totalling 120 participants. Despite the difference in research paradigms, there was convergence in review findings in the areas of body impairments and relationships. The vast majority of literature within the reviews focused on the SCI patient perspective. The reviews inform specific research topics and highlight other important research considerations, most notably those pertaining to SCI patients' perspectives on quality of life, which may be of use in determining meaningful research outcome measures. The views of other SCI research stakeholders such as researchers, clinicians, policymakers, funders and carers would help shape a bigger picture of SCI research priorities, ultimately optimising research outputs and translation into clinical practice and health policy change. Review findings informed subsequent activities in developing a regional SCI research strategy, as described in two companion papers. This project was funded by the Victorian Transport Accident Commission and the Australian and New Zealand SCI Network.

  13. Research on the Application of Rapid Surveying and Mapping for Large Scare Topographic Map by Uav Aerial Photography System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Z.; Song, Y.; Li, C.; Zeng, F.; Wang, F.

    2017-08-01

    Rapid acquisition and processing method of large scale topographic map data, which relies on the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) low-altitude aerial photogrammetry system, is studied in this paper, elaborating the main work flow. Key technologies of UAV photograph mapping is also studied, developing a rapid mapping system based on electronic plate mapping system, thus changing the traditional mapping mode and greatly improving the efficiency of the mapping. Production test and achievement precision evaluation of Digital Orth photo Map (DOM), Digital Line Graphic (DLG) and other digital production were carried out combined with the city basic topographic map update project, which provides a new techniques for large scale rapid surveying and has obvious technical advantage and good application prospect.

  14. A search for rapidly modulated emission in bright X-ray sources using the HEAO A-1 data base

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fairbank, William M.

    1987-01-01

    A search was performed in the HEAO A-1 Data Base (located at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C.) for evidence of rapidly-rotating neutron stars that could be sources of coherent gravitational radiation. A new data analysis algorithm, which was developed, is described. The algorithm was applied to data from observations of Cyg X-2, Cyg X-3, and 1820-30. Upper limits on pulse fraction were derived and reported.

  15. Software for rapid prototyping in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

    PubMed

    Kappler, Michael A

    2008-05-01

    The automation of drug discovery methods continues to develop, especially techniques that process information, represent workflow and facilitate decision-making. The magnitude of data and the plethora of questions in pharmaceutical and biotechnology research give rise to the need for rapid prototyping software. This review describes the advantages and disadvantages of three solutions: Competitive Workflow, Taverna and Pipeline Pilot. Each of these systems processes large amounts of data, integrates diverse systems and assists novice programmers and human experts in critical decision-making steps.

  16. Rapid qualitative research methods during complex health emergencies: A systematic review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Ginger A; Vindrola-Padros, Cecilia

    2017-09-01

    The 2013-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa highlighted both the successes and limitations of social science contributions to emergency response operations. An important limitation was the rapid and effective communication of study findings. A systematic review was carried out to explore how rapid qualitative methods have been used during global heath emergencies to understand which methods are commonly used, how they are applied, and the difficulties faced by social science researchers in the field. We also asses their value and benefit for health emergencies. The review findings are used to propose recommendations for qualitative research in this context. Peer-reviewed articles and grey literature were identified through six online databases. An initial search was carried out in July 2016 and updated in February 2017. The PRISMA checklist was used to guide the reporting of methods and findings. The articles were assessed for quality using the MMAT and AACODS checklist. From an initial search yielding 1444 articles, 22 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Thirteen of the articles were qualitative studies and nine used a mixed-methods design. The purpose of the rapid studies included: the identification of causes of the outbreak, and assessment of infrastructure, control strategies, health needs and health facility use. The studies varied in duration (from 4 days to 1 month). The main limitations identified by the authors were: the low quality of the collected data, small sample sizes, and little time for cross-checking facts with other data sources to reduce bias. Rapid qualitative methods were seen as beneficial in highlighting context-specific issues that need to be addressed locally, population-level behaviors influencing health service use, and organizational challenges in response planning and implementation. Recommendations for carrying out rapid qualitative research in this context included the early designation of community leaders as a point of contact, early and continuous sharing of findings, and development of recommendations with local policy makers and practitioners. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Research progress of on-the-go soil parameter sensors based on NIRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, Xiaofei; Meng, Zhijun; Wu, Guangwei; Guo, Jianhua

    2014-11-01

    Both the ever-increasing prices of fertilizer and growing ecological concern over chemical run-off into sources of drinking water have brought the issues of precision agriculture and site-specific management to the forefront of present technological development within agriculture and ecology. Soil is an important and basic element in agriculture production. Acquisition of soil information plays an important role in precision agriculture. The soil parameters include soil total nitrogen, phosporus, potassium, soil organic matter, soil moisture, electrical conductivity and pH value and so on. Field rapid acquisition to all the kinds of soil physical and chemical parameters is one of the most important research directions. And soil parameter real-time monitoring is also the trend of future development in precision agriculture. While developments in precision agriculture and site-specific management procedures have made significant in-roads on these issues and many researchers have developed effective means to determine soil properties, routinely obtaining robust on-the-go measurements of soil properties which are reliable enough to drive effective fertilizer application remains a challenge. NIRS technology provides a new method to obtain soil parameter with low cost and rapid advantage. In this paper, research progresses of soil on-the-go spectral sensors at domestic and abroad was combed and analyzed. There is a need for the sensing system to perform at least six key indexes for any on-the-go soil spectral sensor to be successful. The six indexes are detection limit, specificity, robustness, accuracy, cost and easy-to-use. Both the research status and problems were discussed. Finally, combining the national conditions of china, development tendency of on-the-go soil spectral sensors was proposed. In the future, on-the-go soil spectral sensors with reliable enough, sensitive enough and continuous detection would become popular in precision agriculture.

  18. Non-US electrodynamic launchers research and development

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

    Parker, J.V.; Batteh, J.H.; Greig, J.R.

    Electrodynamic launcher research and development work of scientists outside the United States is analyzed and assessed by six internationally recognized US experts in the field of electromagnetic and electrothermal launchers. The assessment covers five broad technology areas: (1) Experimental railguns; (2) Railgun theory and design; (3) Induction launchers; (4) Electrothermal guns; (5) Energy storage and power supplies. The overall conclusion is that non-US work on electrodynamic launchers is maturing rapidly after a relatively late start in many countries. No foreign program challenges the US efforts in scope, but it is evident that the United States may be surpassed in somemore » technologies within the next few years. Until recently, published Russian work focused on hypervelocity for research purposes. Within the last two years, large facilities have been described where military-oriented development has been underway since the mid-1980s. Financial support for these large facilities appears to have collapsed, leaving no effective effort to develop practical launchers for military or civilian applications. Electrodynamic launcher research in Europe is making rapid progress by focusing on a single application, tactical launchers for the military. Four major laboratories, in Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, are working on this problem. Though narrower in scope than the US effort, the European work enjoys a continuity of support that has accelerated its progress. The next decade will see the deployment of electrodynamic launcher technology, probably in the form of an electrothermal-chemical upgrade for an existing gun system. The time scale for deployment of electromagnetic launchers is entirely dependent on the level of research-and-development effort. If resources remain limited, the advantage will lie with cooperative efforts that have reasonably stable funding such as the present French-German program.« less

  19. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Here the transparent furnace is extracted for servicing. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD).

  20. Neutron Scattering from Polymers: Five Decades of Developing Possibilities.

    PubMed

    Higgins, J S

    2016-06-07

    The first three decades of my research career closely map the development of neutron scattering techniques for the study of molecular behavior. At the same time, the theoretical understanding of organization and motion of polymer molecules, especially in the bulk state, was developing rapidly and providing many predictions crying out for experimental verification. Neutron scattering is an ideal technique for providing the necessary evidence. This autobiographical essay describes the applications by my research group and other collaborators of increasingly sophisticated neutron scattering techniques to observe and understand molecular behavior in polymeric materials. It has been a stimulating and rewarding journey.

  1. Development of a rapid response plan for intraoperative emergencies: the Circulate, Scrub, and Technical Assistance Team.

    PubMed

    Earle, David; Betti, Diane; Scala, Emilia

    2017-01-01

    Unplanned intraoperative events are inevitable and cause stress and inefficiency among staff. We believe that developing a technical rapid response team with explicitly defined, narrow roles would reduce the amount of chaos during such emergencies. This article provides a detailed description of the development and implementation of such a program. In-situ simulation of an intraoperative emergency was used for a formal assessment of the current practice. Debriefing sessions identified areas of improvement and solicited solutions. A multidisciplinary working group then developed and implemented the technical rapid response team based on the needs assessment. The program was designed to create a Circulating, Scrubbing, and Technical Assistance Team that helps with equipment, supplies, anesthesia, and communication. We anticipate the program will foster a culture of safety, and promote positive relationships and attitudes of the entire multidisciplinary team. In the future, research regarding patient outcomes and staff satisfaction and safety attitudes may help provide objective evidence of the benefits of the program. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The Bridging Advanced Developments for Exceptional Rehabilitation (BADER) Consortium: Reaching in Partnership for Optimal Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Stanhope, Steven J.; Wilken, Jason M.; Pruziner, Alison L.; Dearth, Christopher L.; Wyatt, Marilynn; Ziemke, CAPT Gregg W.; Strickland, Rachel; Milbourne, Suzanne A.; Kaufman, Kenton R.

    2017-01-01

    The Bridging Advanced Developments for Exceptional Rehabilitation (BADER) Consortium began in September 2011 as a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program. A partnership was formed with DoD Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Centers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), academia, and industry to rapidly conduct innovative, high-impact, and sustainable clinically relevant research. The BADER Consortium has a unique research capacity-building focus that creates infrastructures and strategically connects and supports research teams to conduct multiteam research initiatives primarily led by MTF and VA investigators. BADER relies on strong partnerships with these agencies to strengthen and support orthopaedic rehabilitation research. Its focus is on the rapid forming and execution of projects focused on obtaining optimal functional outcomes for patients with limb loss and limb injuries. The Consortium is based on an NIH research capacity-building model that comprises essential research support components that are anchored by a set of BADER-funded and initiative-launching studies. Through a partnership with the DoD/VA Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, the BADER Consortium’s research initiative-launching program has directly supported the identification and establishment of eight BADER-funded clinical studies. BADER’s Clinical Research Core (CRC) staff, who are embedded within each of the MTFs, have supported an additional 37 non-BADER Consortium-funded projects. Additional key research support infrastructures that expedite the process for conducting multisite clinical trials include an omnibus Cooperative Research and Development Agreement and the NIH Clinical Trials Database. A 2015 Defense Health Board report highlighted the Consortium’s vital role, stating the research capabilities of the DoD Advanced Rehabilitation Centers are significantly enhanced and facilitated by the BADER Consortium. PMID:27849456

  3. The Bridging Advanced Developments for Exceptional Rehabilitation (BADER) Consortium: Reaching in Partnership for Optimal Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Stanhope, Steven J; Wilken, Jason M; Pruziner, Alison L; Dearth, Christopher L; Wyatt, Marilynn; Ziemke, Gregg W; Strickland, Rachel; Milbourne, Suzanne A; Kaufman, Kenton R

    2016-11-01

    The Bridging Advanced Developments for Exceptional Rehabilitation (BADER) Consortium began in September 2011 as a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense (DoD) Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program. A partnership was formed with DoD Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Centers, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), academia, and industry to rapidly conduct innovative, high-impact, and sustainable clinically relevant research. The BADER Consortium has a unique research capacity-building focus that creates infrastructures and strategically connects and supports research teams to conduct multiteam research initiatives primarily led by MTF and VA investigators.BADER relies on strong partnerships with these agencies to strengthen and support orthopaedic rehabilitation research. Its focus is on the rapid forming and execution of projects focused on obtaining optimal functional outcomes for patients with limb loss and limb injuries. The Consortium is based on an NIH research capacity-building model that comprises essential research support components that are anchored by a set of BADER-funded and initiative-launching studies. Through a partnership with the DoD/VA Extremity Trauma and Amputation Center of Excellence, the BADER Consortium's research initiative-launching program has directly supported the identification and establishment of eight BADER-funded clinical studies. BADER's Clinical Research Core (CRC) staff, who are embedded within each of the MTFs, have supported an additional 37 non-BADER Consortium-funded projects. Additional key research support infrastructures that expedite the process for conducting multisite clinical trials include an omnibus Cooperative Research and Development Agreement and the NIH Clinical Trials Database. A 2015 Defense Health Board report highlighted the Consortium's vital role, stating the research capabilities of the DoD Advanced Rehabilitation Centers are significantly enhanced and facilitated by the BADER Consortium. Reprint & Copyright © 2016 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  4. Rural Government--Poor Counties, 1962-87. Rural Development Research Report Number 88.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reeder, Richard J.; Jansen, Anicca C.

    During the 1960s, many rural local governments were believed to provide inadequate government services, which hindered rural development. Rapid growth in government spending has reduced the incidence of government poverty from 78 percent of nonmetropolitan counties in 1962 to only 7 percent in 1987. Those counties still government-poor in 1987…

  5. Technical Note: Daily variation in intake of a salt-limited supplement by grazing steers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The objective of this research was to develop and test an automated supplement intake measurement system (SmartFeed, SF) in grazing trials. The SF was developed by C-lock Inc., (Rapid City, SD), and was designed using a stainless steel feed bin with load cells and an radio frequency identification ...

  6. Developing an English Mobile Learning Attitude Scale for Adult Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Liu, Tzu-Ying

    2017-01-01

    In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile devices, mobile learning (m-learning) has becoming another popular topic. There is a strong need for both researchers and educators to be aware of adult learners' attitudes toward English mobile learning, yet relevant studies on mobile learning to promote English learning for adult learners are…

  7. Developing Writing Abilities of EFL Students through Blogging

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kitchakarn, Orachorn

    2014-01-01

    Due to a rapid development and expansion of technology and, as a result, Web 2.0 technologies are providing both teachers and learners with new solutions to the limitations of traditional method in the field of language teaching and learning. The research compared students' writing ability before and after they were taught through blog, a new…

  8. Learning to Lead, Leading to Learn: How Facilitators Learn to Lead Lesson Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewis, Jennifer M.

    2016-01-01

    This article presents research on how teacher developers in the United States learn to conduct lesson study. Although the practice of lesson study is expanding rapidly in the US, high-quality implementation requires skilled facilitation. In contexts such as the United States where this form of professional development is relatively novel, few…

  9. Rapid Prototyping a Collections-Based Mobile Wayfinding Application

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hahn, Jim; Morales, Alaina

    2011-01-01

    This research presents the results of a project that investigated how students use a library developed mobile app to locate books in the library. The study employed a methodology of formative evaluation so that the development of the mobile app would be informed by user preferences for next generation wayfinding systems. A key finding is the…

  10. Stronger Neural Dynamics Capture Changes in Infants' Visual Working Memory Capacity over Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perone, Sammy; Simmering, Vanessa R.; Spencer, John P.

    2011-01-01

    Visual working memory (VWM) capacity has been studied extensively in adults, and methodological advances have enabled researchers to probe capacity limits in infancy using a preferential looking paradigm. Evidence suggests that capacity increases rapidly between 6 and 10 months of age. To understand how the VWM system develops, we must understand…

  11. COTS-based OO-component approach for software inter-operability and reuse (software systems engineering methodology)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yin, J.; Oyaki, A.; Hwang, C.; Hung, C.

    2000-01-01

    The purpose of this research and study paper is to provide a summary description and results of rapid development accomplishments at NASA/JPL in the area of advanced distributed computing technology using a Commercial-Off--The-Shelf (COTS)-based object oriented component approach to open inter-operable software development and software reuse.

  12. The undergraduate research fellows program: a unique model to promote engagement in research.

    PubMed

    Vessey, Judith A; DeMarco, Rosanna F

    2008-01-01

    Well-educated nurses with research expertise are needed to advance evidence-based nursing practice. A primary goal of undergraduate nursing curricula is to create meaningful participatory experiences to help students develop a research skill set that articulates with rapid career advancement of gifted, young graduates interested in nursing research and faculty careers. Three research enrichment models-undergraduate honors programs, research assistant work-for-hire programs, and research work/mentorship programs-to be in conjunction with standard research content are reviewed. The development and implementation of one research work/mentorship program, the Boston College undergraduate research fellows program (UGRF), is explicated. This process included surveying previous UGRFs followed by creating a retreat and seminars to address specific research skill sets. The research skill sets included (a) how to develop a research team, (b) accurate data retrieval, (c) ethical considerations, (d) the research process, (e) data management, (f) successful writing of abstracts, and (g) creating effective poster presentations. Outcomes include evidence of involvement in research productivity and valuing of evidenced-based practice through the UGRF mentorship process with faculty partners.

  13. Applying the Scientific Method of Cybersecurity Research

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

    Tardiff, Mark F.; Bonheyo, George T.; Cort, Katherine A.

    The cyber environment has rapidly evolved from a curiosity to an essential component of the contemporary world. As the cyber environment has expanded and become more complex, so have the nature of adversaries and styles of attacks. Today, cyber incidents are an expected part of life. As a result, cybersecurity research emerged to address adversarial attacks interfering with or preventing normal cyber activities. Historical response to cybersecurity attacks is heavily skewed to tactical responses with an emphasis on rapid recovery. While threat mitigation is important and can be time critical, a knowledge gap exists with respect to developing the sciencemore » of cybersecurity. Such a science will enable the development and testing of theories that lead to understanding the broad sweep of cyber threats and the ability to assess trade-offs in sustaining network missions while mitigating attacks. The Asymmetric Resilient Cybersecurity Initiative at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is a multi-year, multi-million dollar investment to develop approaches for shifting the advantage to the defender and sustaining the operability of systems under attack. The initiative established a Science Council to focus attention on the research process for cybersecurity. The Council shares science practices, critiques research plans, and aids in documenting and reporting reproducible research results. The Council members represent ecology, economics, statistics, physics, computational chemistry, microbiology and genetics, and geochemistry. This paper reports the initial work of the Science Council to implement the scientific method in cybersecurity research. The second section describes the scientific method. The third section in this paper discusses scientific practices for cybersecurity research. Section four describes initial impacts of applying the science practices to cybersecurity research.« less

  14. Multifunctional Nanotechnology-Enabled Sensors for Rapid Capture and Detection of Pathogens

    PubMed Central

    Mustafa, Fatima; Andreescu, Silvana

    2017-01-01

    Nanomaterial-based sensing approaches that incorporate different types of nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructures in conjunction with natural or synthetic receptors as molecular recognition elements provide opportunities for the design of sensitive and selective assays for rapid detection of contaminants. This review summarizes recent advancements over the past ten years in the development of nanotechnology-enabled sensors and systems for capture and detection of pathogens. The most common types of nanostructures and NPs, their modification with receptor molecules and integration to produce viable sensing systems with biorecognition, amplification and signal readout are discussed. Examples of all-in-one systems that combine multifunctional properties for capture, separation, inactivation and detection are also provided. Current trends in the development of low-cost instrumentation for rapid assessment of food contamination are discussed as well as challenges for practical implementation and directions for future research. PMID:28914769

  15. Feedstock Interface Fy2017 Q3 Report

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

    Carpenter, Danny; Howe, Daniel; Westover, Tyler

    This report summarized the results obtained in FY2017 Q3 of a collaborative effort between researchers at NREL, PNNL, and INL to develop rapid screening methods and models to predict the fact pyrolysis conversion performance of a range of biomass materials.

  16. Conducting environmental health research in the Arabian Middle East: lessons learned and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Yeatts, Karin B; El-Sadig, Mohamed; Ali, Habiba I; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Campbell, Alan; Ng, Shu Wen; Reeves, Lisa; Chan, Ronna L; Davidson, Christopher A; Funk, William E; Boundy, Maryanne G; Leith, David; Popkin, Barry; Gibson, Jacqueline Macdonald; Rusyn, Ivan; Olshan, Andrew F

    2012-05-01

    The Arabian Gulf nations are undergoing rapid economic development, leading to major shifts in both the traditional lifestyle and the environment. Although the pace of change is brisk, there is a dearth of environmental health research in this region. We describe challenges and successes of conducting an environmental epidemiologic study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf nation in the Middle East, with an inter-disciplinary team that includes in-country academic and government collaborators as well as U.S. academic collaborators. We present several issues, including study and data collection design, exposure assessment, scheduling and time coordination, quality assurance and quality control, and institutional review board protocols. These topics are considered in a cultural context. Benefits of this research included building linkages among multinational, interdisciplinary team members, generating data for local environmental decision making, and developing local epidemiologic research capacity. The Middle Eastern culture of hospitality greatly benefited the project team. Cultural differences impact multiple aspects of epidemiologic research and should be respectfully addressed. Conducting international population-based environmental research poses many challenges; these challenges can be met successfully with careful planning, cultural knowledge, and flexibility. Lessons learned are applicable to interdisciplinary research all over the world. The research conducted will benefit the environmental and public health agencies of the UAE and provide the nation's leadership with country-specific environmental health data that can be used to protect the public's health in a rapidly changing environment.

  17. Conducting Environmental Health Research in the Arabian Middle East: Lessons Learned and Opportunities

    PubMed Central

    El-Sadig, Mohamed; Ali, Habiba I.; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Campbell, Alan; Ng, Shu Wen; Reeves, Lisa; Chan, Ronna L.; Davidson, Christopher A.; Funk, William E.; Boundy, Maryanne G.; Leith, David; Popkin, Barry; Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald; Rusyn, Ivan; Olshan, Andrew F.

    2012-01-01

    Background: The Arabian Gulf nations are undergoing rapid economic development, leading to major shifts in both the traditional lifestyle and the environment. Although the pace of change is brisk, there is a dearth of environmental health research in this region. Objective: We describe challenges and successes of conducting an environmental epidemiologic study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf nation in the Middle East, with an inter-disciplinary team that includes in-country academic and government collaborators as well as U.S. academic collaborators. Discussion: We present several issues, including study and data collection design, exposure assessment, scheduling and time coordination, quality assurance and quality control, and institutional review board protocols. These topics are considered in a cultural context. Benefits of this research included building linkages among multinational, interdisciplinary team members, generating data for local environmental decision making, and developing local epidemiologic research capacity. The Middle Eastern culture of hospitality greatly benefited the project team. Conclusion: Cultural differences impact multiple aspects of epidemiologic research and should be respectfully addressed. Conducting international population-based environmental research poses many challenges; these challenges can be met successfully with careful planning, cultural knowledge, and flexibility. Lessons learned are applicable to interdisciplinary research all over the world. The research conducted will benefit the environmental and public health agencies of the UAE and provide the nation’s leadership with country-specific environmental health data that can be used to protect the public’s health in a rapidly changing environment. PMID:22356946

  18. Reengineering the National Clinical and Translational Research Enterprise: The Strategic Plan of the National Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium

    PubMed Central

    Reis, Steven E.; Berglund, Lars; Bernard, Gordon R.; Califf, Robert M.; FitzGerald, Garret A.; Johnson, Peter C.

    2009-01-01

    Advances in human health require the efficient and rapid translation of scientific discoveries into effective clinical treatments; this process in turn depends upon observational data gathered from patients, communities, and public-health research that can be used to guide basic scientific investigation. Such bidirectional translational science, however, faces unprecedented challenges due to the rapid pace of scientific and technological development, as well as the difficulties of negotiating increasingly complex regulatory and commercial environments that overlap the research domain. Further, numerous barriers to translational science have emerged among the nation’s academic research centers, including basic structural and cultural impediments to innovation and collaboration, shortages of trained investigators, and inadequate funding. To address these serious and systemic problems, in 2006, the National Institutes of Health created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which aims to catalyze the transformation of biomedical research at a national level, speeding the discovery and development of therapies, fostering collaboration, engaging communities, and training succeeding generations of clinical and translational researchers. The authors report in detail on the planning process, begun in 2008, that was used to engage stakeholders and to identify, refine, and ultimately implement the CTSA program’s overarching strategic goals. They also discuss the implications and likely impact of this strategic planning process as it is applied among the nation’s academic health centers. PMID:20182119

  19. Reengineering the national clinical and translational research enterprise: the strategic plan of the National Clinical and Translational Science Awards Consortium.

    PubMed

    Reis, Steven E; Berglund, Lars; Bernard, Gordon R; Califf, Robert M; Fitzgerald, Garret A; Johnson, Peter C

    2010-03-01

    Advances in human health require the efficient and rapid translation of scientific discoveries into effective clinical treatments; this process, in turn, depends on observational data gathered from patients, communities, and public health research that can be used to guide basic scientific investigation. Such bidirectional translational science, however, faces unprecedented challenges due to the rapid pace of scientific and technological development, as well as the difficulties of negotiating increasingly complex regulatory and commercial environments that overlap the research domain. Further, numerous barriers to translational science have emerged among the nation's academic research centers, including basic structural and cultural impediments to innovation and collaboration, shortages of trained investigators, and inadequate funding.To address these serious and systemic problems, in 2006 the National Institutes of Health created the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) program, which aims to catalyze the transformation of biomedical research at a national level, speeding the discovery and development of therapies, fostering collaboration, engaging communities, and training succeeding generations of clinical and translational researchers. The authors report in detail on the planning process, begun in 2008, that was used to engage stakeholders and to identify, refine, and ultimately implement the CTSA program's overarching strategic goals. They also discuss the implications and likely impact of this strategic planning process as it is applied among the nation's academic health centers.

  20. Developing research competencies through a project-based tissue-engineering module in the biomedical engineering undergraduate curriculum.

    PubMed

    Wallen, M; Pandit, A

    2009-05-01

    In addressing the task of developing an undergraduate module in the field of tissue engineering, the greatest challenge lies in managing to capture what is a growing and rapidly changing field. Acknowledging the call for the development of greater critical thinking and interpersonal skills among the next generation of engineers as well as encouraging students to engage actively with the dynamic nature of research in the field, the module was developed to include both project-based and cooperative-learning experiences. These learning activities include developing hypotheses for the application of newly introduced laboratory procedures, a collaborative mock grant submission, and debates on ethical issues in which students are assigned roles as various stakeholders. Feedback from module evaluations has indicated that, while students find the expectations challenging, they are able to gain an advanced insight into a dynamic field. More importantly, students develop research competencies by engaging in activities that require them to link current research directions with their own development of hypotheses for future tissue-engineering applications.

  1. Spectrally queued feature selection for robotic visual odometery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pirozzo, David M.; Frederick, Philip A.; Hunt, Shawn; Theisen, Bernard; Del Rose, Mike

    2011-01-01

    Over the last two decades, research in Unmanned Vehicles (UV) has rapidly progressed and become more influenced by the field of biological sciences. Researchers have been investigating mechanical aspects of varying species to improve UV air and ground intrinsic mobility, they have been exploring the computational aspects of the brain for the development of pattern recognition and decision algorithms and they have been exploring perception capabilities of numerous animals and insects. This paper describes a 3 month exploratory applied research effort performed at the US ARMY Research, Development and Engineering Command's (RDECOM) Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) in the area of biologically inspired spectrally augmented feature selection for robotic visual odometry. The motivation for this applied research was to develop a feasibility analysis on multi-spectrally queued feature selection, with improved temporal stability, for the purposes of visual odometry. The intended application is future semi-autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) control as the richness of data sets required to enable human like behavior in these systems has yet to be defined.

  2. High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals Hypothalamic MicroRNAs as Novel Partners Involved in Timing the Rapid Development of Chicken (Gallus gallus) Gonads.

    PubMed

    Han, Wei; Zou, Jianmin; Wang, Kehua; Su, Yijun; Zhu, Yunfen; Song, Chi; Li, Guohui; Qu, Liang; Zhang, Huiyong; Liu, Honglin

    2015-01-01

    Onset of the rapid gonad growth is a milestone in sexual development that comprises many genes and regulatory factors. The observations in model organisms and mammals including humans have shown a potential link between miRNAs and development timing. To determine whether miRNAs play roles in this process in the chicken (Gallus gallus), the Solexa deep sequencing was performed to analyze the profiles of miRNA expression in the hypothalamus of hens from two different pubertal stages, before onset of the rapid gonad development (BO) and after onset of the rapid gonad development (AO). 374 conserved and 46 novel miRNAs were identified as hypothalamus-expressed miRNAs in the chicken. 144 conserved miRNAs were showed to be differentially expressed (reads > 10, P < 0.05) during the transition from BO to AO. Five differentially expressed miRNAs were validated by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) method. 2013 putative genes were predicted as the targets of the 15 most differentially expressed miRNAs (fold-change > 4.0, P < 0.01). Of these genes, 7 putative circadian clock genes, Per2, Bmal1/2, Clock, Cry1/2, and Star were found to be targeted multiple times by the miRNAs. qRT-PCR revealed the basic transcription levels of these clock genes were much higher (P < 0.01) in AO than in BO. Further functional analysis suggested that these 15 miRNAs play important roles in transcriptional regulation and signal transduction pathways. The results provide new insights into miRNAs functions in timing the rapid development of chicken gonads. Considering the characteristics of miRNA functional conservation, the results will contribute to the research on puberty onset in humans.

  3. Better concrete mixes for rapid repair in Wisconsin : research brief.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-07-04

    Research Benefits : Confirmed that Wisconsins current CIP rapid-repair concretes perform adequately : Recommended mixture improvements to alleviate construction difficulties : Determined that increasing the durability of rapid repair c...

  4. Re-Envisioning the Roles, Tasks, and Contributions of Language Teachers in the Multilingual Era of Language Education Research and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kubanyiova, Magdalena; Crookes, Graham

    2016-01-01

    This article lays out the proposition that the rapid changes in 21st-century society, in which multilingualism is the norm, have presented new challenges, questions, and resources with regard to the roles, tasks, and contributions of language teachers. In line with recent research developments and in keeping with tradition, we believe it helpful…

  5. Dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state NMR in heterogeneous catalysis research

    DOE PAGES

    Kobayashi, Takeshi; Perras, Frédéric A.; Slowing, Igor I.; ...

    2015-10-20

    In this study, a revolution in solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) spectroscopy is taking place, attributable to the rapid development of high-field dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), a technique yielding sensitivity improvements of 2–3 orders of magnitude. This higher sensitivity in SSNMR has already impacted materials research, and the implications of new methods on catalytic sciences are expected to be profound.

  6. Informatics in Turkey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cakir, Serhat

    1994-01-01

    In the last twenty years the rapid change in the informatics sector has had economic and social impact on private and government activities. The Supreme Council for Science and Technology of Turkey assigned highest priority to the informatics in its meeting in February 1993. With this advice TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey) intends to give a strong impulse to development of a research policy in this field.

  7. Applications of Mass Spectrometry for Cellular Lipid Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Chunyan; Wang, Miao; Han, Xianlin

    2015-01-01

    Mass spectrometric analysis of cellular lipids is an enabling technology for lipidomics, which is a rapidly-developing research field. In this review, we briefly discuss the principles, advantages, and possible limitations of electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry-based methodologies for the analysis of lipid species. The applications of these methodologies to lipidomic research are also summarized. PMID:25598407

  8. Development Strategy for Mobilecommunications Market in Chinese Rural Area

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liwei; Zhang, Yanjun; Xu, Liying; Li, Daoliang

    Based on full analysis of rural mobile communication market, in order to explore mobile operators in rural areas of information services for sustainable development model, this paper presents three different aspects, including rural mobile communications market demand, the rural market for mobile communications business model and development strategies for rural mobile communications market research business. It supplies some valuable references for operators to develop rural users rapidly, develop the rural market effectively and to get access to develop a broad space.

  9. AE Monitoring of Diamond Turned Rapidly Soldified Aluminium 443

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Onwuka, G.; Abou-El-Hossein, K.; Mkoko, Z.

    2017-05-01

    The fast replacement of conventional aluminium with rapidly solidified aluminium alloys has become a noticeable trend in the current manufacturing industries involved in the production of optics and optical molding inserts. This is as a result of the improved performance and durability of rapidly solidified aluminium alloys when compared to conventional aluminium. Melt spinning process is vital for manufacturing rapidly solidified aluminium alloys like RSA 905, RSA 6061 and RSA 443 which are common in the industries today. RSA 443 is a newly developed alloy with few research findings and huge research potential. There is no available literature focused on monitoring the machining of RSA 443 alloys. In this research, Acoustic Emission sensing technique was applied to monitor the single point diamond turning of RSA 443 on an ultrahigh precision lathe machine. The machining process was carried out after careful selection of feed, speed and depths of cut. The monitoring process was achieved with a high sampling data acquisition system using different tools while concurrent measurement of the surface roughness and tool wear were initiated after covering a total feed distance of 13km. An increasing trend of raw AE spikes and peak to peak signal were observed with an increase in the surface roughness and tool wear values. Hence, acoustic emission sensing technique proves to be an effective monitoring method for the machining of RSA 443 alloy.

  10. The Development of Self-Regulation across Early Childhood

    PubMed Central

    Montroy, Janelle J.; Bowles, Ryan P.; Skibbe, Lori E.; McClelland, Megan M.; Morrison, Frederick J.

    2016-01-01

    The development of early childhood self-regulation is often considered an early life marker for later life successes. Yet little longitudinal research has evaluated whether there are different trajectories of self-regulation development across children. This study investigates the development of behavioral self-regulation between the ages of three and seven, with a direct focus on possible heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories, and a set of potential indicators that distinguish unique behavioral self-regulation trajectories. Across three diverse samples, 1,386 children were assessed on behavioral self-regulation from preschool through first grade. Results indicated that majority of children develop self-regulation rapidly during early childhood, and that children follow three distinct developmental patterns of growth. These three trajectories were distinguishable based on timing of rapid gains, as well as child gender, early language skills, and maternal education levels. Findings highlight early developmental differences in how self-regulation unfolds with implications for offering individualized support across children. PMID:27709999

  11. Ii. Moving sleep and child development research forward: priorities and recommendations from the srcd-sponsored forum on sleep and child development.

    PubMed

    El-Sheikh, Mona; Buckhalt, Joseph A

    2015-03-01

    Prevalent in typically developing children, insufficient or poor-quality sleep are matters of public health concern. Programmatic studies of the predictors and sequelae of sleep are increasing rapidly and yielding novel research paradigms that explicate connections between sleep, family processes, and child development within the sociocultural milieu. In an SRCD-sponsored Forum, established researchers and junior scholars from disparate areas of inquiry (e.g., Pediatrics; Public Health; Psychology; Anthropology) convened. An overarching goal of the Forum was to promote dialogue and collaborations, identify pivotal areas in the study of typically developing children's sleep, and integrate knowledge of sleep and child development across disciplines toward making conceptual advances about the ways that sleep and waking behaviors are intertwined. In addition to conceptual advances, a second goal focused on the need for methodological advances, including contemporary approaches and tools in the measures and analyses of sleep to help accelerate the pace and enhance the quality of research in this interdisciplinary field. © 2015 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  12. Development and validation of an algorithm for the study of sleep using a biometric shirt in young healthy adults.

    PubMed

    Pion-Massicotte, Joëlle; Godbout, Roger; Savard, Pierre; Roy, Jean-François

    2018-02-23

    Portable polysomnography is often too complex and encumbering for recording sleep at home. We recorded sleep using a biometric shirt (electrocardiogram sensors, respiratory inductance plethysmography bands and an accelerometer) in 21 healthy young adults recorded in a sleep laboratory for two consecutive nights, together with standard polysomnography. Polysomnographic recordings were scored using standard methods. An algorithm was developed to classify the biometric shirt recordings into rapid eye movement sleep, non-rapid eye movement sleep and wake. The algorithm was based on breathing rate and heart rate variability, body movement, and included a correction for sleep onset and offset. The overall mean percentage of agreement between the two sets of recordings was 77.4%; when non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep epochs were grouped together, it increased to 90.8%. The overall kappa coefficient was 0.53. Five of the seven sleep variables were significantly correlated. The findings of this pilot study indicate that this simple portable system could be used to estimate the general sleep pattern of young healthy adults. © 2018 European Sleep Research Society.

  13. Carbon and Conservation: Cropping systems and greenhouse gases

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Quantifying and predicting soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems have been research goals for numerous institutions, especially since the turn of the millennium. Cost, time, and politics are variables that have limited the rapid development of robust quant...

  14. Laboratory Evaluation of Concrete Ties and Fastenings for Transit Use

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1979-03-01

    This report was prepared as part of an ongoing research effort by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) to develop standard concrete ties for rapid transit use. The overall objective of this contract was to fabricate and evaluate, by la...

  15. Mechanobiology by the numbers: a close relationship between biology and physics.

    PubMed

    Schwarz, Ulrich S

    2017-12-01

    Studies of mechanobiology lie at the interface of various scientific disciplines from biology to physics. Accordingly, quantification and mathematical modelling have been instrumental in fuelling the progress in this rapidly developing research field, assisting experimental work on many levels.

  16. Report on Transmission Cost Allocation for RTOs and Others (Presentation)

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

    Coles, L.

    2011-06-01

    Presented at the MARC 2011 Annual Conference, 6 June 2011, Rapid City, South Dakota. This presentation provides an overview of the latest research findings and policy developments pertaining to cost allocation and new variable generation resources on the power grid.

  17. An Introduction to ToxCast™

    EPA Science Inventory

    ToxCast™ is a chemical prioritization research program to develop the ability to forecast toxicity using bioactivity profiling. The point is to use results in a variety of in vitro and rapid non-mammalian in vivo assays to explore effects at different toxicity targets. The desi...

  18. Assessment of relevant prior and ongoing research for the concept development and needs identification for integrated dynamic transit operations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-11-01

    In support of USDOTs Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Mobility Program, the Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) program seeks to create applications that fully leverage frequently collected and rapidly disseminated multi-source data gat...

  19. Assessing fish predation on migrating juvenile steelhead and a retrospective comparison to steelhead survival through the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project, Columbia River, Washington, 2009-11

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hardiman, Jill M.; Counihan, Timothy D.; Burgess, Dave S.; Simmons, Katrina E.; Holmberg, Glen S.; Rogala, Josh; Polacek, Rochelle

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have been working with the Public Utility District No. 2 of Grant County, Washington (Grant PUD), to increase their understanding of predator-prey interactions in the Priest Rapids Hydroelectric Project (PRP), Columbia River, Washington. For this study, the PRP is defined as the area approximately 6 kilometers upstream of Wanapum Dam to the Priest Rapids Dam tailrace, 397.1 miles from the mouth of the Columbia River. Past year’s low survival numbers of juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) through Wanapum and Priest Rapids Dams has prompted Grant PUD, on behalf of the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee, to focus research efforts on steelhead migration and potential causal mechanisms for low survival. Steelhead passage survival in 2009 was estimated at 0.944 through the Wanapum Development (dam and reservoir) and 0.881 through the Priest Rapids Development and for 2010, steelhead survival was 0.855 for Wanapum Development and 0.904 for Priest Rapids Development. The USGS and WDFW implemented field collection efforts in 2011 for northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu), and walleye (Sander vitreus, formerly Stizostedion vitreum) and their diets in the PRP. For predator indexing, we collected 948 northern pikeminnow, 237 smallmouth bass, 18 walleye, and two largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The intent of this study was to provide standardized predation indices within individual reaches of the PRP to discern spatial variability in predation patterns. Furthermore, the results of the 2011 study were compared to results of a concurrent steelhead survival study. Our results do not indicate excessively high predation of Oncorhynchus spp. occurring by northern pikeminnow or smallmouth bass in any particular reach throughout the study area. Although we found Oncorhynchus spp. in the predator diets, the relative proportion was small. Predation index values in 2011 were highest in the Priest Rapids mid-reservoir reach for northern pikeminnow and smallmouth bass. Predation indices generally were high in the tailrace areas for northern pikeminnow, and high in the forebay areas for smallmouth bass. Steelhead survival in 2011 was consistently high throughout the study period and the PRP, although predation indices were relatively low, which suggests that fish predation did not significantly affect steelhead survival throughout the study area. Our efforts to correlate retrospective predation indices with survival estimates for 2009 and 2010 did provide some evidence for high predation occurring in some of the same reaches, which had low steelhead survival, such as the Priest Rapids tailrace in 2009. However, for 2010, our results indicated that the loss of salmonids to predation were more contradictory to the survival results, where predation indices were higher for reaches in the Priest Rapids Development than in the Wanapum Development. Establishing correlations between steelhead survival and observed predation indices for previous research years, in 2009 and 2010 was confounded by the lack of coordination of these two studies during the initial study design, implementation period for such an analysis. Future efforts to correlate steelhead survival with fish predation would benefit from efforts to better coordinate the studies with consistent study reaches, and better timing of concurrent efforts.

  20. Nonlinear Aerodynamic Modeling From Flight Data Using Advanced Piloted Maneuvers and Fuzzy Logic

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brandon, Jay M.; Morelli, Eugene A.

    2012-01-01

    Results of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate Seedling Project Phase I research project entitled "Nonlinear Aerodynamics Modeling using Fuzzy Logic" are presented. Efficient and rapid flight test capabilities were developed for estimating highly nonlinear models of airplane aerodynamics over a large flight envelope. Results showed that the flight maneuvers developed, used in conjunction with the fuzzy-logic system identification algorithms, produced very good model fits of the data, with no model structure inputs required, for flight conditions ranging from cruise to departure and spin conditions.

  1. Basics and applications of genome editing technology.

    PubMed

    Yamamoto, Takashi; Sakamoto, Naoaki

    2016-01-01

    Genome editing with programmable site-specific nucleases is an emerging technology that enables the manipulation of targeted genes in many organisms and cell lines. Since the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 system in 2012, genome editing has rapidly become an indispensable technology for all life science researchers, applicable in various fields. In this seminar, we will introduce the basics of genome editing and focus on the recent development of genome editing tools and technologies for the modification of various organisms and discuss future directions of the genome editing research field, from basic to medical applications.

  2. Study of Dynamic Behavior and Hazards of VHBR, LOVA, And PSS Propellants under Rapid Ignition And Combustion Conditions by Real-Time X-Ray Radiography

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-12-01

    formulation . He also discussed the recent develop - ments in VHBR research and suggested a plan for future research to answer some of the questions. METHOD OF...tests. Before VHBR propellants were developed in the early 1970’s, the only solid propellants that burned aster than 05 m/s were explosives, and...and become highly reactive free radicals. This would enhance the combustion process in the gas phase, which would in turn, increase the heat transfer

  3. [Considerations and ideas on teaching reform of stomatology for cultivating innovative talents of high quality].

    PubMed

    Zheng, Jia-wei; Cao, Xia; Feng, Xi-ping; Zhang, Zhi-yuan; Zhang, Jian-zhong

    2009-10-01

    The past decade has shown increasing demands for reforming dental education that would produce a graduate better equipped to work in the rapidly changing world of the twenty-first century. With the rapid development of social economy and more and more fierce competitive environment, teaching reform on stomatology is imperative nowadays. The existing curriculum of courses, teaching method, teaching medium, and mode of training must be improved and innovated based on cultivation of innovative talents with all-round development of moral, intellectual, physical, and aesthetic education. All the teaching should be student-centered rather than teacher-centered, with the purpose of enhancing the students' research ability, English ability, and clinical skills.

  4. A new aggregation-induced emission fluorescent probe for rapid detection of nitroreductase and its application in living cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Gaoping; Tang, Yonghe; Ma, Yanyan; Xu, An; Lin, Weiying

    2018-01-01

    The biological activity of nitroreductase (NTR) is closely related to biological hypoxia status in organisms. The development of effective methods for monitoring the activity of NTR is of great significance for medical diagnosis and tumor research. Toward this goal, we have developed a new aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorescence NTR probe TPE-HY used the tetraphenylethene as the fluorophore, and used the nitro group as the NTR recognition site. The probe TPE-HY has many excellent properties, including rapid response, AIE characteristics, high sensitivity and selectivity, and low cytotoxicity. Importantly, the probe TPE-HY is successfully applied to monitor endogenous NTR in living HeLa cells.

  5. Symposium in the field of geothermal energy

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

    Ramirez, Miguel; Mock, John E.

    1989-04-01

    Mexico and the US are nations with abundant sources of geothermal energy, and both countries have progressed rapidly in developing their more accessible resources. For example, Mexico has developed over 600 MWe at Cerro Prieto, while US developers have brought in over 2000 MWe at the Geysers. These successes, however, are only a prologue to an exciting future. All forms of energy face technical and economic barriers that must be overcome if the resources are to play a significant role in satisfying national energy needs. Geothermal energy--except for the very highest grade resources--face a number of barriers, which must bemore » surmounted through research and development. Sharing a common interest in solving the problems that impede the rapid utilization of geothermal energy, Mexico and the US agreed to exchange information and participate in joint research. An excellent example of this close and continuing collaboration is the geothermal research program conducted under the auspices of the 3-year agreement signed on April 7, 1986 by the US DOE and the Mexican Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE). The major objectives of this bilateral agreement are: (1) to achieve a thorough understanding of the nature of geothermal reservoirs in sedimentary and fractured igneous rocks; (2) to investigate how the geothermal resources of both nations can best be explored and utilized; and (3) to exchange information on geothermal topics of mutual interest.« less

  6. What are the best methodologies for rapid reviews of the research evidence for evidence-informed decision making in health policy and practice: a rapid review.

    PubMed

    Haby, Michelle M; Chapman, Evelina; Clark, Rachel; Barreto, Jorge; Reveiz, Ludovic; Lavis, John N

    2016-11-25

    Rapid reviews have the potential to overcome a key barrier to the use of research evidence in decision making, namely that of the lack of timely and relevant research. This rapid review of systematic reviews and primary studies sought to answer the question: What are the best methodologies to enable a rapid review of research evidence for evidence-informed decision making in health policy and practice? This rapid review utilised systematic review methods and was conducted according to a pre-defined protocol including clear inclusion criteria (PROSPERO registration: CRD42015015998). A comprehensive search strategy was used, including published and grey literature, written in English, French, Portuguese or Spanish, from 2004 onwards. Eleven databases and two websites were searched. Two review authors independently applied the eligibility criteria. Data extraction was done by one reviewer and checked by a second. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed independently by two reviewers. A narrative summary of the results is presented. Five systematic reviews and one randomised controlled trial (RCT) that investigated methodologies for rapid reviews met the inclusion criteria. None of the systematic reviews were of sufficient quality to allow firm conclusions to be made. Thus, the findings need to be treated with caution. There is no agreed definition of rapid reviews in the literature and no agreed methodology for conducting rapid reviews. While a wide range of 'shortcuts' are used to make rapid reviews faster than a full systematic review, the included studies found little empirical evidence of their impact on the conclusions of either rapid or systematic reviews. There is some evidence from the included RCT (that had a low risk of bias) that rapid reviews may improve clarity and accessibility of research evidence for decision makers. Greater care needs to be taken in improving the transparency of the methods used in rapid review products. There is no evidence available to suggest that rapid reviews should not be done or that they are misleading in any way. We offer an improved definition of rapid reviews to guide future research as well as clearer guidance for policy and practice.

  7. Forensic psychiatry and neurolaw: Description, developments, and debates.

    PubMed

    Meynen, Gerben

    2018-04-30

    Neuroscience produces a wealth of data on the relationship between brain and behavior, including criminal behavior. The research field studying the possible and actual impact of neuroscience on the law and legal practices, is called neurolaw. It is a new and rapidly developing domain of interdisciplinary research. Since forensic psychiatry has to do with both neuroscience and the law, neurolaw is of specific relevance for this psychiatric specialty. In this contribution, I will discuss three main research areas in neurolaw - revision, assessment, and intervention - and explore their relevance for forensic psychiatry. I will identify some valuable possibilities as well as some notable challenges - both technical and ethical - for forensic psychiatry regarding neurolaw developments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. A Proposed Strategy for Research Misconduct Policy: A Review on Misconduct Management in Health Research System

    PubMed Central

    Djalalinia, Shirin; Owlia, Parviz; Malek Afzali, Hossein; Ghanei, Mostafa; Peykari, Niloofar

    2016-01-01

    Background: Today, with the rapid growth of scientific production, research misconduct has become a worldwide problem. This article is intended to introduce the successful experience on the management of research paper misconducts in the field of health research. Methods: Our aim was to design and develop the strategy for research misconduct policy. Focusing on the national regulatory system, we developed a hierarchical model for paper misconduct policy in all the medical sciences universities and their affiliated research units. Results: Through our regulatory policy for paper misconduct management, specific protocol was followed in the field of health research publications through which the capabilities of covering the four main elements of prevention, investigation, punishment, and correction have come together. Conclusions: Considering the proposed strategy, regarding the strengths and weaknesses, utilization of evaluation tool can be one of the best strategies to achieving the prospective of health research papers by 2025. PMID:27512558

  9. A Proposed Strategy for Research Misconduct Policy: A Review on Misconduct Management in Health Research System.

    PubMed

    Djalalinia, Shirin; Owlia, Parviz; Malek Afzali, Hossein; Ghanei, Mostafa; Peykari, Niloofar

    2016-01-01

    Today, with the rapid growth of scientific production, research misconduct has become a worldwide problem. This article is intended to introduce the successful experience on the management of research paper misconducts in the field of health research. Our aim was to design and develop the strategy for research misconduct policy. Focusing on the national regulatory system, we developed a hierarchical model for paper misconduct policy in all the medical sciences universities and their affiliated research units. Through our regulatory policy for paper misconduct management, specific protocol was followed in the field of health research publications through which the capabilities of covering the four main elements of prevention, investigation, punishment, and correction have come together. Considering the proposed strategy, regarding the strengths and weaknesses, utilization of evaluation tool can be one of the best strategies to achieving the prospective of health research papers by 2025.

  10. Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Cancer Diagnosis and Surgical Margin Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Ifa, Demian R.; Eberlin, Livia S.

    2017-01-01

    Background There is a clinical need for new technologies that would enable rapid disease diagnosis based on diagnostic molecular signatures. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry has revolutionized the means by which molecular information can be obtained from tissue samples in real time and with minimal sample pretreatment. New developments in ambient ionization techniques applied to clinical research suggest that ambient ionization mass spectrometry will soon become a routine medical tool for tissue diagnosis. Content This review summarizes the main developments in ambient ionization techniques applied to tissue analysis, with focus on desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, probe electrospray ionization, touch spray, and rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry. We describe their applications to human cancer research and surgical margin evaluation, highlighting integrated approaches tested for ex vivo and in vivo human cancer tissue analysis. We also discuss the challenges for clinical implementation of these tools and offer perspectives on the future of the field. Summary A variety of studies have showcased the value of ambient ionization mass spectrometry for rapid and accurate cancer diagnosis. Small molecules have been identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers, including metabolites, fatty acids, and glycerophospholipids. Statistical analysis allows tissue discrimination with high accuracy rates (>95%) being common. This young field has challenges to overcome before it is ready to be broadly accepted as a medical tool for cancer diagnosis. Growing research in new, integrated ambient ionization mass spectrometry technologies and the ongoing improvements in the existing tools make this field very promising for future translation into the clinic. PMID:26555455

  11. Industry/University Consortium for ATS research

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

    Allen, R.P.; Golan, L.P.

    1993-11-01

    The Industry/University ATS research program is the result of two planning workshops. Workshop I was held April 8--10, 1991 and had the goal of identifying research needs for advanced gas turbine cycles that would permit rapid commercialization of cycles with significant improvements over the machines currently under development, in terms of the cost of electricity produced and the environmental burdens resulting from their use in power producing. Workshop II was held in January 1992 and continued the identification of the research needs to develop advanced gas turbine systems. The goals established for the ATS systems were: (1) efficiency exceeding 60%more » for large utility turbine system and 15% improvement in heat rate for industrial systems; (2) busbar energy costs 10% less than current state of the art and (3) fuel flexible designs. In addition Workshop II participants agreed that an industry driven research consortium was an acceptable mechanism to achieve base technology development needs.« less

  12. Hull Form Design and Optimization Tool Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-07-01

    global minimum. The algorithm accomplishes this by using a method known as metaheuristics which allows the algorithm to examine a large area by...further development of these tools including the implementation and testing of a new optimization algorithm , the improvement of a rapid hull form...under the 2012 Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program. 15. SUBJECT TERMS hydrodynamic, hull form, generation, optimization, algorithm

  13. Recent Acquisition Reform Through Technology and Workforce Improvements

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-09-01

    HMMWV High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle IED Improvised Explosive Device IRAD Independent Research And Development JCIDS Joint...their specific field within the acquisition community (Eide & Allen, 2012). In 1993, the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) was enacted...need arises as the nation’s “adversaries are modernizing at a significant rate, and they are responding rapidly to our development programs and fielded

  14. The 1991 version of the plume impingement computer program. Volume 1: Description

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bender, Robert L.; Somers, Richard E.; Prendergast, Maurice J.; Clayton, Joseph P.; Smith, Sheldon D.

    1991-01-01

    The objective of this contract was to continue development of a vacuum plume impingement evaluator to provide an analyst with a capability for rapid assessment of thruster plume impingement scenarios. The research was divided into three areas: Plume Impingement Computer Program (PLIMP) modification/validation; graphics development; and documentation in the form of a Plume Handbook and PLIMP Input Guide.

  15. Using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to Enhance Language Teaching & Learning: An Interview with Dr. A. Gumawang Jati

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Floris, Flora Debora

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, information and communication technology (ICT) has become embedded and affected the every aspect of our lives. Rapid development of ICT has changed our language teaching pedagogy at all levels. Teachers, curriculum developers, researchers have been constantly striving to find techniques to use some form of it to both assist and…

  16. The Best Practices for Professional Development of Vocational Educators in Teaching Competencies among APEC Economies: A Case Study of Malaysia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mustapha, Ramlee B.

    Research has documented that vocational education and training (VET) is critical to Malaysia's industrial development. Rapid technological changes and increased global competition have exacerbated the challenges associated with delivery of quality VET in Malaysia. The barriers to improving VET in Malaysia and ways of overcoming those barriers,…

  17. How Digital Image Processing Became Really Easy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cannon, Michael

    1988-02-01

    In the early and mid-1970s, digital image processing was the subject of intense university and corporate research. The research lay along two lines: (1) developing mathematical techniques for improving the appearance of or analyzing the contents of images represented in digital form, and (2) creating cost-effective hardware to carry out these techniques. The research has been very effective, as evidenced by the continued decline of image processing as a research topic, and the rapid increase of commercial companies to market digital image processing software and hardware.

  18. Considerations in establishing a post-mortem brain and tissue bank for the study of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: a proposed protocol.

    PubMed

    Nacul, Luis; O'Donovan, Dominic G; Lacerda, Eliana M; Gveric, Djordje; Goldring, Kirstin; Hall, Alison; Bowman, Erinna; Pheby, Derek

    2014-06-18

    Our aim, having previously investigated through a qualitative study involving extensive discussions with experts and patients the issues involved in establishing and maintaining a disease specific brain and tissue bank for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), was to develop a protocol for a UK ME/CFS repository of high quality human tissue from well characterised subjects with ME/CFS and controls suitable for a broad range of research applications. This would involve a specific donor program coupled with rapid tissue collection and processing, supplemented by comprehensive prospectively collected clinical, laboratory and self-assessment data from cases and controls. We reviewed the operations of existing tissue banks from published literature and from their internal protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs). On this basis, we developed the protocol presented here, which was designed to meet high technical and ethical standards and legal requirements and was based on recommendations of the MRC UK Brain Banks Network. The facility would be most efficient and cost-effective if incorporated into an existing tissue bank. Tissue collection would be rapid and follow robust protocols to ensure preservation sufficient for a wide range of research uses. A central tissue bank would have resources both for wide-scale donor recruitment and rapid response to donor death for prompt harvesting and processing of tissue. An ME/CFS brain and tissue bank could be established using this protocol. Success would depend on careful consideration of logistic, technical, legal and ethical issues, continuous consultation with patients and the donor population, and a sustainable model of funding ideally involving research councils, health services, and patient charities. This initiative could revolutionise the understanding of this still poorly-understood disease and enhance development of diagnostic biomarkers and treatments.

  19. An Efficient, Rapid, and Recyclable System for CRISPR-Mediated Genome Editing in Candida albicans.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Namkha; Quail, Morgan M F; Hernday, Aaron D

    2017-01-01

    Candida albicans is the most common fungal pathogen of humans. Historically, molecular genetic analysis of this important pathogen has been hampered by the lack of stable plasmids or meiotic cell division, limited selectable markers, and inefficient methods for generating gene knockouts. The recent development of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat(s) (CRISPR)-based tools for use with C. albicans has opened the door to more efficient genome editing; however, previously reported systems have specific limitations. We report the development of an optimized CRISPR-based genome editing system for use with C. albicans . Our system is highly efficient, does not require molecular cloning, does not leave permanent markers in the genome, and supports rapid, precise genome editing in C. albicans . We also demonstrate the utility of our system for generating two independent homozygous gene knockouts in a single transformation and present a method for generating homozygous wild-type gene addbacks at the native locus. Furthermore, each step of our protocol is compatible with high-throughput strain engineering approaches, thus opening the door to the generation of a complete C. albicans gene knockout library. IMPORTANCE Candida albicans is the major fungal pathogen of humans and is the subject of intense biomedical and discovery research. Until recently, the pace of research in this field has been hampered by the lack of efficient methods for genome editing. We report the development of a highly efficient and flexible genome editing system for use with C. albicans . This system improves upon previously published C. albicans CRISPR systems and enables rapid, precise genome editing without the use of permanent markers. This new tool kit promises to expedite the pace of research on this important fungal pathogen.

  20. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, and TBD). This composite is from a digital still camera; higher resolution is not available.

  1. Microgravity

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2001-06-05

    This scale model depicts the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1) being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the European Space Agency (ESA) for placement in the Destiny laboratory module aboard the International Space Station. The rack is part of the plarned Materials Science Research Facility (MSRF) and is expected to include two furnace module inserts, a Quench Module Insert (being developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center) to study directional solidification in rapidly cooled alloys and a Diffusion Module Insert (being developed by the European Space Agency) to study crystal growth, and a transparent furnace (being developed by NASA's Space Product Development program). Multi-user equipment in the rack is being developed under the auspices of NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) and ESA. Key elements are labeled in other images (0101754, 0101829, 0101830, and TBD). This image is from a digital still camera; higher resolution is not available.

  2. A practical guide to scoring a Multi-Dimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MDHAQ) and Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data (RAPID) scores in 10-20 seconds for use in standard clinical care, without rulers, calculators, websites or computers.

    PubMed

    Pincus, Theodore; Yazici, Yusuf; Bergman, Martin

    2007-08-01

    The American College of Rheumatology Core Data Set for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) includes 3 measures which are found on a patient self-report questionnaire, physical function, pain, and patient estimate of global status. These measures are included in all clinical trials, but not assessed at most encounters in standard rheumatology care. Rheumatologists may have experience with lengthy research questionnaires in clinical trials and other clinical research, which (appropriately) are regarded as relatively cumbersome research tools and do not contribute to clinical care. A format of a questionnaire known as the multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) has been developed for standard rheumatology care to contribute to rheumatology clinical care in daily practice. The 3 scores for physical function, pain, and global status can be "eyeballed" in a second or two and formally scored into a composite index known as rheumatology assessment patient index data (RAPID) in about 10 seconds. This chapter provides a brief tutorial designed to instruct rheumatologists and their staffs regarding how to use and score the MDHAQ and RAPID in standard clinical care.

  3. The oculometer - A new approach to flight management research.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spady, A. A., Jr.; Waller, M. C.

    1973-01-01

    For the first time researchers have an operational, nonintrusive instrument for determining a pilot's eye-point-of-regard without encumbering the pilot or introducing other artifacts into the simulation of flight experience. The instrument (the oculometer developed for NASA by Honeywell, Inc.) produces data in a form appropriate for online monitoring and rapid analysis using state-of-the-art display and computer technology. The type and accuracy of data obtained and the potential use of the oculometer as a research and training tool will be discussed.

  4. Flight dynamics research for highly agile aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nguyen, Luat T.

    1989-01-01

    This paper highlights recent results of research conducted at the NASA Langley Research Center as part of a broad flight dynamics program aimed at developing technology that will enable future combat aircraft to achieve greatly enhanced agility capability at subsonic combat conditions. Studies of advanced control concepts encompassing both propulsive and aerodynamic approaches are reviewed. Dynamic stall phenomena and their potential impact on maneuvering performance and stability are summarized. Finally, issues of mathematical modeling of complex aerodynamics occurring during rapid, large amplitude maneuvers are discussed.

  5. Xurography as a Rapid Fabrication Alternative for Point-of-Care Devices: Assessment of Passive Micromixers

    PubMed Central

    Martínez-López, J. Israel; Mojica, Mauricio; Rodríguez, Ciro A.; Siller, Héctor R.

    2016-01-01

    Despite the copious amount of research on the design and operation of micromixers, there are few works regarding manufacture technology aimed at implementation beyond academic environments. This work evaluates the viability of xurography as a rapid fabrication tool for the development of ultra-low cost microfluidic technology for extreme Point-of-Care (POC) micromixing devices. By eschewing photolithographic processes and the bulkiness of pumping and enclosure systems for rapid fabrication and passively driven operation, xurography is introduced as a manufacturing alternative for asymmetric split and recombine (ASAR) micromixers. A T-micromixer design was used as a reference to assess the effects of different cutting conditions and materials on the geometric features of the resulting microdevices. Inspection by stereographic and confocal microscopy showed that it is possible to manufacture devices with less than 8% absolute dimensional error. Implementation of the manufacturing methodology in modified circular shape- based SAR microdevices (balanced and unbalanced configurations) showed that, despite the precision limitations of the xurographic process, it is possible to implement this methodology to produce functional micromixing devices. Mixing efficiency was evaluated numerically and experimentally at the outlet of the microdevices with performances up to 40%. Overall, the assessment encourages further research of xurography for the development of POC micromixers. PMID:27196904

  6. Xurography as a Rapid Fabrication Alternative for Point-of-Care Devices: Assessment of Passive Micromixers.

    PubMed

    Martínez-López, J Israel; Mojica, Mauricio; Rodríguez, Ciro A; Siller, Héctor R

    2016-05-16

    Despite the copious amount of research on the design and operation of micromixers, there are few works regarding manufacture technology aimed at implementation beyond academic environments. This work evaluates the viability of xurography as a rapid fabrication tool for the development of ultra-low cost microfluidic technology for extreme Point-of-Care (POC) micromixing devices. By eschewing photolithographic processes and the bulkiness of pumping and enclosure systems for rapid fabrication and passively driven operation, xurography is introduced as a manufacturing alternative for asymmetric split and recombine (ASAR) micromixers. A T-micromixer design was used as a reference to assess the effects of different cutting conditions and materials on the geometric features of the resulting microdevices. Inspection by stereographic and confocal microscopy showed that it is possible to manufacture devices with less than 8% absolute dimensional error. Implementation of the manufacturing methodology in modified circular shape- based SAR microdevices (balanced and unbalanced configurations) showed that, despite the precision limitations of the xurographic process, it is possible to implement this methodology to produce functional micromixing devices. Mixing efficiency was evaluated numerically and experimentally at the outlet of the microdevices with performances up to 40%. Overall, the assessment encourages further research of xurography for the development of POC micromixers.

  7. Evaluation of urban sprawl and urban landscape pattern in a rapidly developing region.

    PubMed

    Lv, Zhi-Qiang; Dai, Fu-Qiang; Sun, Cheng

    2012-10-01

    Urban sprawl is a worldwide phenomenon happening particularly in rapidly developing regions. A study on the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban sprawl and urban pattern is useful for the sustainable management of land management and urban land planning. The present research explores the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban sprawl in the context of a rapid urbanization process in a booming economic region of southern China from 1979 to 2005. Three urban sprawl types are distinguished by analyzing overlaid urban area maps of two adjacent study years which originated from the interpretation of remote sensed images and vector land use maps. Landscape metrics are used to analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of urban sprawl for each study period. Study results show that urban areas have expanded dramatically, and the spatiotemporal landscape pattern configured by the three sprawl types changed obviously. The different sprawl type patterns in five study periods have transformed significantly, with their proportions altered both in terms of quantity and of location. The present research proves that urban sprawl quantification and pattern analysis can provide a clear perspective of the urbanization process during a long time period. Particularly, the present study on urban sprawl and sprawl patterns can be used by land use and urban planners.

  8. Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL) Progress Report and Proposal for Funding Continuation NASA Nebraska EPSCoR

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bowen, Brent; Fink, Mary; Gogos, George; Moussavi, Massoum; Nickerson, Jocelyn; Rundquist, Donald; Russell, Valerie; Tarry, Scott

    2004-01-01

    The Aeronautics Education, Research, and Industry Alliance (AERIAL), which began as a comprehensive, multi-faceted NASA EPSCoR 2000 initiative, has contributed substantially to the strategic research and technology priorities of NASA, while intensifying Nebraska's rapidly growing aeronautics research and development endeavors. AERIAL has enabled Nebraska researchers to: (a) continue strengthening their collaborative relationships with NASA Field Centers, Codes, and Enterprises; (b) increase the capacity of higher education throughout Nebraska to invigorate and expand aeronautics research; and (c) expedite the development of aeronautics-related research infrastructure and industry in the state. Nebraska has placed emphasis on successfully securing additional funds from non-EPSCoR and non-NASA sources. AERIAL researchers have aggressively pursued additional funding opportunities offered by NASA, industry, and other agencies. This report contains a summary of AERIAL's activities and accomplishments during its first three years of implementation.

  9. Informed consent in implantable BCI research: identification of research risks and recommendations for development of best practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klein, Eran; Ojemann, Jeffrey

    2016-08-01

    Objective. Implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) research promises improvements in human health and enhancements in quality of life. Informed consent of subjects is a central tenet of this research. Rapid advances in neuroscience, and the intimate connection between functioning of the brain and conceptions of the self, make informed consent particularly challenging in BCI research. Identification of safety and research-related risks associated with BCI devices is an important step in ensuring meaningful informed consent. Approach. This paper highlights a number of BCI research risks, including safety concerns, cognitive and communicative impairments, inappropriate subject expectations, group vulnerabilities, privacy and security, and disruptions of identity. Main results. Based on identified BCI research risks, best practices are needed for understanding and incorporating BCI-related risks into informed consent protocols. Significance. Development of best practices should be guided by processes that are: multidisciplinary, systematic and transparent, iterative, relational and exploratory.

  10. Informed consent in implantable BCI research: identification of research risks and recommendations for development of best practices.

    PubMed

    Klein, Eran; Ojemann, Jeffrey

    2016-08-01

    Implantable brain-computer interface (BCI) research promises improvements in human health and enhancements in quality of life. Informed consent of subjects is a central tenet of this research. Rapid advances in neuroscience, and the intimate connection between functioning of the brain and conceptions of the self, make informed consent particularly challenging in BCI research. Identification of safety and research-related risks associated with BCI devices is an important step in ensuring meaningful informed consent. This paper highlights a number of BCI research risks, including safety concerns, cognitive and communicative impairments, inappropriate subject expectations, group vulnerabilities, privacy and security, and disruptions of identity. Based on identified BCI research risks, best practices are needed for understanding and incorporating BCI-related risks into informed consent protocols. Development of best practices should be guided by processes that are: multidisciplinary, systematic and transparent, iterative, relational and exploratory.

  11. Chromatin: Its history, current research, and the seminal researchers and their philosophy.

    PubMed

    Deichmann, Ute

    2015-01-01

    The concept of chromatin as a complex of nucleic acid and proteins in the cell nucleus was developed by cytologists and biochemists in the late 19th century. It was the starting point for biochemical research on DNA and nuclear proteins. Although interest in chromatin declined rapidly at the beginning of the 20th century, a few decades later a new focus on chromatin emerged, which was not only related to its structure, but also to its function in gene regulatory processes in the development of higher organisms. Since the late 20th century, research on chromatin modifications has also been conducted under the label of epigenetics. This article highlights the major phases of chromatin research until the present time and introduces major investigators and their scientific and philosophical outlooks.

  12. Developing Methods Using ToxCast Data for the Classification and Prioritization of Antimicrobials and Inerts

    EPA Science Inventory

    Improved chemical risk management and increased efficiency of chemical prioritization, classification and assessment are major goals within EPA. Towards achieving these goals, EPA's ToxCast™ research program has been designed to rapidly screen hundreds to thousands of chemicals' ...

  13. Database Development for Ocean Impacts: Imaging, Outreach and Rapid Response

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-18

    Edds-Walton, R R. Fay Specialisation for underwater hearing in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans Association for Research in...hearing in the red-eared slider turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans . International Society for Neuroethology 2010 Ketten, D. R., Arruda, ,J., S

  14. Microtiter plate-based antibody microarrays for bacteria and toxins

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Research has focused on the development of rapid biosensor-based, high-throughput, and multiplexed detection of pathogenic bacteria in foods. Specifically, antibody microarrays in 96-well microtiter plates have been generated for the purpose of selective detection of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (...

  15. Inclement Weather Crater Repair Tool Kit

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-11-30

    Force’s Rapid Airfield Damage Repair (RADR) Program developed technologies to return bomb -damaged runways and taxiways to full operational sortie...ERDC/GSL TR-17-26 3 2 Inclement Weather Crater Repair Research This chapter gives an overview of the bomb -crater repair process and presents

  16. Current Simulation Gaming in Australia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diehl, B. J.

    1979-01-01

    The current level of simulation and game (SG) research and development activity in Australia is limited compared with levels in America and England; but Australian interest in SG is rapidly increasing, especially due to the recent formation of the Australian Decision-Simulation and Educational Gaming Association. (CMV)

  17. 76 FR 47216 - Expediting Research Tools to NIH Licensees Through the Use of Pay.gov for Rapid Processing of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-04

    ... NIH Licensees Through the Use of Pay.gov for Rapid Processing of Royalty Payments AGENCY: National... receipt of research tools through the use of Pay.gov for rapid processing of their royalty payments... royalty payment site within Pay.gov expedites processing times for shipment of their research tools...

  18. Advances in the biological effects of terahertz wave radiation.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Li; Hao, Yan-Hui; Peng, Rui-Yun

    2014-01-01

    The terahertz (THz) band lies between microwave and infrared rays in wavelength and consists of non-ionizing radiation. Both domestic and foreign research institutions, including the army, have attached considerable importance to the research and development of THz technology because this radiation exhibits both photon-like and electron-like properties, which grant it considerable application value and potential. With the rapid development of THz technology and related applications, studies of the biological effects of THz radiation have become a major focus in the field of life sciences. Research in this field has only just begun, both at home and abroad. In this paper, research progress with respect to THz radiation, including its biological effects, mechanisms and methods of protection, will be reviewed.

  19. The Inter-Life Project: Researching the Potential of Art, Design and Virtual Worlds as a Vehicle for Assisting Young People with Key Life Changes and Transitions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lally, Victor; Sclater, Madeleine

    2013-01-01

    Careers work in the twenty-first century faces a key challenge in terms of digital technologies: to evaluate their potential for careers work in challenging settings. Given the rapidity of developments, technologies require evaluation in research innovations and naturalistic settings. Virtual worlds offer potential for careers and guidance work,…

  20. Developing a Mobile Physics Learning Environment Based on Physics Misconception Research and E-Learning Design Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Young-Jin

    2010-01-01

    With a rapid increase in the number of people who own a handheld device, such as an iPod, education researchers and administrators started looking for a way to use a handheld device to foster student learning. However, the current use of a mobile device in education is quite limited. With few exceptions, it is mostly used as a simple media player…

  1. Assessing Sonar Performance in Realistic Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    ASPIRE project, a number of shortcomings were identified in conjunction with RCN partners in the 1C (Underwater Warfare) Thrust. These were: • There is...and the algorithms and models integrated into it to be tested on non-research platforms such as RCN ships. Much of the work undertaken in WBE 2...Sensitivity and Transmission Estimation Tool R & D Research and Development RCN Royal Canadian Navy REA Rapid Environmental Assessment REP Recognized

  2. Revised Rapid Soils Analysis Kit (RSAK) - Wet Methodology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-01-01

    respective owners. The findings of this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other...Airfields and Pavements Branch (GMA) of the Engineering Systems and Materials Division (GM), U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center...the soil type and the in-place soil conditions. This research project was designed to provide soldiers who have minimal to no experience in soil

  3. Special Operations Research Topics 2014

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    problems . I encourage SOF personnel to contribute their experiences and ideas to the SOF community by submitting your completed research on these...and rapid problem solving. While this can be very beneficial in high-stress, time-sensitive situations, it may not be conducive to the development...a perception that everything is important and all problems must be quickly solved. Not only does this imply that slowing down to think is a waste

  4. University of Wisconsin Ion Beam Laboratory: A facility for irradiated materials and ion beam analysis

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

    Field, K. G.; Wetteland, C. J.; Cao, G.

    2013-04-19

    The University of Wisconsin Ion Beam Laboratory (UW-IBL) has recently undergone significant infrastructure upgrades to facilitate graduate level research in irradiated materials phenomena and ion beam analysis. A National Electrostatics Corp. (NEC) Torodial Volume Ion Source (TORVIS), the keystone upgrade for the facility, can produce currents of hydrogen ions and helium ions up to {approx}200 {mu}A and {approx}5 {mu}A, respectively. Recent upgrades also include RBS analysis packages, end station developments for irradiation of relevant material systems, and the development of an in-house touch screen based graphical user interface for ion beam monitoring. Key research facilitated by these upgrades includes irradiationmore » of nuclear fuels, studies of interfacial phenomena under irradiation, and clustering dynamics of irradiated oxide dispersion strengthened steels. The UW-IBL has also partnered with the Advanced Test Reactor National Scientific User Facility (ATR-NSUF) to provide access to the irradiation facilities housed at the UW-IBL as well as access to post irradiation facilities housed at the UW Characterization Laboratory for Irradiated Materials (CLIM) and other ATR-NSUF partner facilities. Partnering allows for rapid turnaround from proposed research to finalized results through the ATR-NSUF rapid turnaround proposal system. An overview of the UW-IBL including CLIM and relevant research is summarized.« less

  5. Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy of Metal–Organic Framework Compounds (MOFs)

    PubMed Central

    Hoffmann, Herbert C.; Debowski, Marta; Müller, Philipp; Paasch, Silvia; Senkovska, Irena; Kaskel, Stefan; Brunner, Eike

    2012-01-01

    Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a well-established method for the investigation of various types of porous materials. During the past decade, metal–organic frameworks have attracted increasing research interest. Solid-state NMR spectroscopy has rapidly evolved into an important tool for the study of the structure, dynamics and flexibility of these materials, as well as for the characterization of host–guest interactions with adsorbed species such as xenon, carbon dioxide, water, and many others. The present review introduces and highlights recent developments in this rapidly growing field.

  6. The Rapid Forensic Evaluation of Microbes in Biodefense Research Program Will Develop a Rapid Screening and Detection System for Multiple Bio-Threat (BT) Agents for the Department of Defense

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-31

    The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing...comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggesstions for reducing this burden, to... stratification near or close to the tip of the fungal mycelium suggesting active protein and lipid synthesis. The device uses a DSLR camera with a 1-5x Macro

  7. Research and Development of Hazardous/Toxic Waste Analytical Screening Procedures. Available Field Methods for Rapid Screening of Hazardous Waste Materials at Waste Sites (Class A Poisons).

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-01-01

    bromide is listed as a positive interference. Nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide can be detected by using the Draeger nitrous fumes detector tube. A... fumes exhibit a delay from the time of exposure to the onset of symptoms. This time delay would not be conducive for a rapid field screening test. It...Dangerous when strongly heated, emits highly toxic fumes . THRESHOLD LIMIT VALUE: No information available PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS: A. Intensely irritating to

  8. Data access for scientific problem solving

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, James W.

    1987-01-01

    An essential ingredient in scientific work is data. In disciplines such as Oceanography, data sources are many and volumes are formidable. The full value of large stores of data cannot be realized unless careful thought is given to data access. JPL has developed the Pilot Ocean Data System to investigate techniques for archiving and accessing ocean data obtained from space. These include efficient storage and rapid retrieval of satellite data, an easy-to-use user interface, and a variety of output products which, taken together, permit researchers to extract and use data rapidly and conveniently.

  9. REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Recent advances in X-ray refractive optics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aristov, V. V.; Shabel'nikov, L. G.

    2008-01-01

    X-ray refractive optics has made rapid strides to a large degree due to the work of Russian scientists, and has now become one of the most rapidly advancing areas in modern physical optics. This review outlines the results of investigation of refractive devices and analysis of their properties. The conception of planar lenses made of silicon and other materials is set forth. We discuss the applications of refractive lenses to the transformation of X-ray images, photonic crystal research, and the development of focusing devices in high-energy X-ray telescopes.

  10. Medical education practice-based research networks: Facilitating collaborative research.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Alan; Young, Robin; Hicks, Patricia J

    2016-01-01

    Research networks formalize and institutionalize multi-site collaborations by establishing an infrastructure that enables network members to participate in research, propose new studies, and exploit study data to move the field forward. Although practice-based clinical research networks are now widespread, medical education research networks are rapidly emerging. In this article, we offer a definition of the medical education practice-based research network, a brief description of networks in existence in July 2014 and their features, and a more detailed case study of the emergence and early growth of one such network, the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network (APPD LEARN). We searched for extant networks through peer-reviewed literature and the world-wide web. We identified 15 research networks in medical education founded since 2002 with membership ranging from 8 to 120 programs. Most focus on graduate medical education in primary care or emergency medicine specialties. We offer four recommendations for the further development and spread of medical education research networks: increasing faculty development, obtaining central resources, studying networks themselves, and developing networks of networks.

  11. Medical education practice-based research networks: Facilitating collaborative research

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz, Alan; Young, Robin; Hicks, Patricia J.; APPD LEARN, For

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background: Research networks formalize and institutionalize multi-site collaborations by establishing an infrastructure that enables network members to participate in research, propose new studies, and exploit study data to move the field forward. Although practice-based clinical research networks are now widespread, medical education research networks are rapidly emerging. Aims: In this article, we offer a definition of the medical education practice-based research network, a brief description of networks in existence in July 2014 and their features, and a more detailed case study of the emergence and early growth of one such network, the Association of Pediatric Program Directors Longitudinal Educational Assessment Research Network (APPD LEARN). Methods: We searched for extant networks through peer-reviewed literature and the world-wide web. Results: We identified 15 research networks in medical education founded since 2002 with membership ranging from 8 to 120 programs. Most focus on graduate medical education in primary care or emergency medicine specialties. Conclusions: We offer four recommendations for the further development and spread of medical education research networks: increasing faculty development, obtaining central resources, studying networks themselves, and developing networks of networks. PMID:25319404

  12. In-home monitoring of persons with dementia: ethical guidelines for technology research and development.

    PubMed

    Mahoney, Diane F; Purtilo, Ruth B; Webbe, Frank M; Alwan, Majd; Bharucha, Ashok J; Adlam, Tim D; Jimison, Holly B; Turner, Beverly; Becker, S Ann

    2007-07-01

    Innovative technologies are rapidly emerging that offer caregivers the support and means to assist older adults with cognitive impairment to continue living "at home." Technology research and development efforts applied to older adults with dementia invoke special grant review and institutional review board concerns, to ensure not only safe but also ethically appropriate interventions. Evidence is emerging, however, that tensions are growing between innovators and reviewers. Reviewers with antitechnology biases are in a position to stifle needed innovation. Technology developers who fail to understand the clinical and caregiving aspects of dementia may design applications that are not in alignment with users' capabilities. To bridge this divide, we offer an analysis of the ethical issues surrounding home monitoring, a model framework, and ethical guidelines for technology research and development for persons with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers.

  13. Fetal growth and risk of childhood asthma and allergic disease

    PubMed Central

    Tedner, S G; Örtqvist, A K; Almqvist, C

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Early genetic and environmental factors have been discussed as potential causes for the high prevalence of asthma and allergic disease in the western world, and knowledge on fetal growth and its consequence on future health and disease development is emerging. Objective This review article is an attempt to summarize research on fetal growth and risk of asthma and allergic disease. Current knowledge and novel findings will be reviewed and open research questions identified, to give basic scientists, immunologists and clinicians an overview of an emerging research field. Methods PubMed-search on pre-defined terms and cross-references. Results Several studies have shown a correlation between low birth weight and/or gestational age and asthma and high birth weight and/or gestational age and atopy. The exact mechanism is not yet clear but both environmental and genetic factors seem to contribute to fetal growth. Some of these factors are confounders that can be adjusted for, and twin studies have been very helpful in this context. Suggested mechanisms behind fetal growth are often linked to the feto-maternal circulation, including the development of placenta and umbilical cord. However, the causal link between fetal growth restriction and subsequent asthma and allergic disease remains unexplained. New research regarding the catch-up growth following growth restriction has posited an alternative theory that diseases later on in life result from rapid catch-up growth rather than intrauterine growth restriction per se. Several studies have found a correlation between a rapid weight gain after birth and development of asthma or wheezing in childhood. Conclusion and clinical relevance Asthma and allergic disease are multifactorial. Several mechanisms seem to influence their development. Additional studies are needed before we fully understand the causal links between fetal growth and development of asthma and allergic diseases. PMID:22994341

  14. Imaging informatics-based multimedia ePR system for data management and decision support in rehabilitation research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ximing; Verma, Sneha; Qin, Yi; Sterling, Josh; Zhou, Alyssa; Zhang, Jeffrey; Martinez, Clarisa; Casebeer, Narissa; Koh, Hyunwook; Winstein, Carolee; Liu, Brent

    2013-03-01

    With the rapid development of science and technology, large-scale rehabilitation centers and clinical rehabilitation trials usually involve significant volumes of multimedia data. Due to the global aging crisis, millions of new patients with age-related chronic diseases will produce huge amounts of data and contribute to soaring costs of medical care. Hence, a solution for effective data management and decision support will significantly reduce the expenditure and finally improve the patient life quality. Inspired from the concept of the electronic patient record (ePR), we developed a prototype system for the field of rehabilitation engineering. The system is subject or patient-oriented and customized for specific projects. The system components include data entry modules, multimedia data presentation and data retrieval. To process the multimedia data, the system includes a DICOM viewer with annotation tools and video/audio player. The system also serves as a platform for integrating decision-support tools and data mining tools. Based on the prototype system design, we developed two specific applications: 1) DOSE (a phase 1 randomized clinical trial to determine the optimal dose of therapy for rehabilitation of the arm and hand after stroke.); and 2) NEXUS project from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center(RERC, a NIDRR funded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center). Currently, the system is being evaluated in the context of the DOSE trial with a projected enrollment of 60 participants over 5 years, and will be evaluated by the NEXUS project with 30 subjects. By applying the ePR concept, we developed a system in order to improve the current research workflow, reduce the cost of managing data, and provide a platform for the rapid development of future decision-support tools.

  15. Ketamine blocks bursting in the lateral habenula to rapidly relieve depression.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yan; Cui, Yihui; Sang, Kangning; Dong, Yiyan; Ni, Zheyi; Ma, Shuangshuang; Hu, Hailan

    2018-02-14

    The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist ketamine has attracted enormous interest in mental health research owing to its rapid antidepressant actions, but its mechanism of action has remained elusive. Here we show that blockade of NMDAR-dependent bursting activity in the 'anti-reward center', the lateral habenula (LHb), mediates the rapid antidepressant actions of ketamine in rat and mouse models of depression. LHb neurons show a significant increase in burst activity and theta-band synchronization in depressive-like animals, which is reversed by ketamine. Burst-evoking photostimulation of LHb drives behavioural despair and anhedonia. Pharmacology and modelling experiments reveal that LHb bursting requires both NMDARs and low-voltage-sensitive T-type calcium channels (T-VSCCs). Furthermore, local blockade of NMDAR or T-VSCCs in the LHb is sufficient to induce rapid antidepressant effects. Our results suggest a simple model whereby ketamine quickly elevates mood by blocking NMDAR-dependent bursting activity of LHb neurons to disinhibit downstream monoaminergic reward centres, and provide a framework for developing new rapid-acting antidepressants.

  16. NHERI: Advancing the Research Infrastructure of the Multi-Hazard Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blain, C. A.; Ramirez, J. A.; Bobet, A.; Browning, J.; Edge, B.; Holmes, W.; Johnson, D.; Robertson, I.; Smith, T.; Zuo, D.

    2017-12-01

    The Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI), supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a distributed, multi-user national facility that provides the natural hazards research community with access to an advanced research infrastructure. Components of NHERI are comprised of a Network Coordination Office (NCO), a cloud-based cyberinfrastructure (DesignSafe-CI), a computational modeling and simulation center (SimCenter), and eight Experimental Facilities (EFs), including a post-disaster, rapid response research facility (RAPID). Utimately NHERI enables researchers to explore and test ground-breaking concepts to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure lifelines from earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis, and surge enabling innovations to help prevent natural hazards from becoming societal disasters. When coupled with education and community outreach, NHERI will facilitate research and educational advances that contribute knowledge and innovation toward improving the resiliency of the nation's civil infrastructure to withstand natural hazards. The unique capabilities and coordinating activities over Year 1 between NHERI's DesignSafe-CI, the SimCenter, and individual EFs will be presented. Basic descriptions of each component are also found at https://www.designsafe-ci.org/facilities/. Additionally to be discussed are the various roles of the NCO in leading development of a 5-year multi-hazard science plan, coordinating facility scheduling and fostering the sharing of technical knowledge and best practices, leading education and outreach programs such as the recent Summer Institute and multi-facility REU program, ensuring a platform for technology transfer to practicing engineers, and developing strategic national and international partnerships to support a diverse multi-hazard research and user community.

  17. Maximising value from a United Kingdom Biomedical Research Centre: study protocol.

    PubMed

    Greenhalgh, Trisha; Ovseiko, Pavel V; Fahy, Nick; Shaw, Sara; Kerr, Polly; Rushforth, Alexander D; Channon, Keith M; Kiparoglou, Vasiliki

    2017-08-14

    Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) are partnerships between healthcare organisations and universities in England. Their mission is to generate novel treatments, technologies, diagnostics and other interventions that increase the country's international competitiveness, to rapidly translate these innovations into benefits for patients, and to improve efficiency and reduce waste in healthcare. As NIHR Oxford BRC (Oxford BRC) enters its third 5-year funding period, we seek to (1) apply the evidence base on how best to support the various partnerships in this large, multi-stakeholder research system and (2) research how these partnerships play out in a new, ambitious programme of translational research. Organisational case study, informed by the principles of action research. A cross-cutting theme, 'Partnerships for Health, Wealth and Innovation' has been established with multiple sub-themes (drug development, device development, business support and commercialisation, research methodology and statistics, health economics, bioethics, patient and public involvement and engagement, knowledge translation, and education and training) to support individual BRC research themes and generate cross-theme learning. The 'Partnerships' theme will support the BRC's goals by facilitating six types of partnership (with patients and citizens, clinical services, industry, across the NIHR infrastructure, across academic disciplines, and with policymakers and payers) through a range of engagement platforms and activities. We will develop a longitudinal progress narrative centred around exemplar case studies, and apply theoretical models from innovation studies (Triple Helix), sociology of science (Mode 2 knowledge production) and business studies (Value Co-creation). Data sources will be the empirical research studies within individual BRC research themes (who will apply separately for NHS ethics approval), plus documentary analysis and interviews and ethnography with research stakeholders. This study has received ethics clearance through the University of Oxford Central University Research Ethics Committee. We anticipate that this work will add significant value to Oxford BRC. We predict accelerated knowledge translation; closer alignment of the innovation process with patient priorities and the principles of responsible, ethical research; reduction in research waste; new knowledge about the governance and activities of multi-stakeholder research partnerships and the contexts in which they operate; and capacity-building that reflects the future needs of a rapidly-evolving health research system.

  18. Metal-halide perovskites for photovoltaic and light-emitting devices.

    PubMed

    Stranks, Samuel D; Snaith, Henry J

    2015-05-01

    Metal-halide perovskites are crystalline materials originally developed out of scientific curiosity. Unexpectedly, solar cells incorporating these perovskites are rapidly emerging as serious contenders to rival the leading photovoltaic technologies. Power conversion efficiencies have jumped from 3% to over 20% in just four years of academic research. Here, we review the rapid progress in perovskite solar cells, as well as their promising use in light-emitting devices. In particular, we describe the broad tunability and fabrication methods of these materials, the current understanding of the operation of state-of-the-art solar cells and we highlight the properties that have delivered light-emitting diodes and lasers. We discuss key thermal and operational stability challenges facing perovskites, and give an outlook of future research avenues that might bring perovskite technology to commercialization.

  19. Smart health and innovation: facilitating health-related behaviour change.

    PubMed

    Redfern, J

    2017-08-01

    Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are the leading cause of death globally. Smart health technology and innovation is a potential strategy for increasing reach and for facilitating health behaviour change. Despite rapid growth in the availability and affordability of technology there remains a paucity of published and robust research in the area as it relates to health. The objective of the present paper is to review and provide a snapshot of a variety of contemporary examples of smart health strategies with a focus on evidence and research as it relates to prevention with a CVD management lens. In the present analysis, five examples will be discussed and they include a physician-directed strategy, consumer directed strategies, a public health approach and a screening strategy that utilises external hardware that connects to a smartphone. In conclusion, NCD have common risk factors and all have an association with nutrition and health. Smart health and innovation is evolving rapidly and may help with diagnosis, treatment and management. While on-going research, development and knowledge is needed, the growth of technology development and utilisation offers opportunities to reach more people and achieve better health outcomes at local, national and international levels.

  20. What the Biology of the Brain Tells Us about Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sylwester, Robert

    1994-01-01

    Dramatic developments in brain research and imaging technology are rapidly advancing our understanding of the human brain. The new biologically based brain theories suggest that "nature" dominates "nurture" and that many current beliefs about instruction, learning, and memory are wrong. This article explains neural Darwinism…

  1. High-throughput dietary exposure predictions for chemical migrants from food contact substances for use in chemical prioritization

    EPA Science Inventory

    Under the ExpoCast program, United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) researchers have developed a high-throughput (HT) framework for estimating aggregate exposures to chemicals from multiple pathways to support rapid prioritization of chemicals. Here, we present method...

  2. Strategies to meet the challenges of monitoring greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Quantifying and predicting soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural systems have been research goals for numerous institutions, especially since the turn of the millennium. Cost, time, and politics are variables that have limited the rapid development of robust quant...

  3. Detection, isolation, and persistence of viruses within bivalve mollusks

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Norovirus (NV), hepatitis A virus (HAV), and other virus transmission by molluscan shellfish is a significant issue. Research at the ARS-Dover DE laboratory has led to the development of improved methods for detecting these viruses. To identify pathogenic viruses within mollusks, a rapid highly-se...

  4. Research on the Undergraduate Financial Engineering Education in China

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ma, Haiyong; Zhang, Weiwei

    2011-01-01

    The rapid development of modern economy has put forward higher requirements for financial engineering education. This paper analyzes the status and problems in undergraduate financial engineering education in china, such as indistinct training objective, rigid curriculum structure, and superficial teaching methods, etc. and puts forward…

  5. Engineered Nanomaterial Ecological Effects Research within ORD's National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory

    EPA Science Inventory

    Advances in nanotechnology are resulting in the production of new nanomaterials at a rapid pace. Driving the dramatic development of new materials and products is the prospect of stronger and lighter materials, better and more efficient energy systems, potential tremendous benefi...

  6. Line-scan hyperspectral imaging techniques for food and agricultural applications

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hyperspectral imaging technologies in the food and agricultural area have been evolved rapidly during the past 15 years owing to tremendous interest from both academic and industrial fields. Line-scan hyperspectral imaging is a major method that has been intensively researched and developed in diffe...

  7. The Army Study System. A Staff Study by The Director of Special Studies Office of the Chief of Staff, U. S. Army

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1964-05-01

    knights of France won the day, changed the course of history and initiated a new technique of battle in which the heavily armored horse - man rapidly...Director for RDT&E funds and the Director for the Budget Programs within the RDTVE appropriation. A`s such, he develops the rmy Research . iud Develop

  8. Systems Thinking and Participatory Research and Extension Skills: Can These Be Taught in the Classroom? Occasional Papers in Rural Extension, No. 10.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jiggins, Janice; Roling, Niels

    Over the last decade, there have been rapid developments in field methodologies within participatory approaches to rural and agricultural development. At the same time, the use of "soft systems" methodologies for bringing potentially conflictual or disparate actors together for action has spread from the business world to other applications. These…

  9. An Extensive Reading Strategy to Promote Online Writing for Elementary Students in the 1:1 Digital Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Zhong; Yang, Xian Min; He, Ke Kang

    2016-01-01

    The rapid development of the digital classroom has made it possible to combine extensive reading with online writing, yet research and development in this area are lacking. This study explores the impact of online writing after extensive reading in a classroom setting in China where there was one computer for each student (a 1:1 digital…

  10. Development of High Speed Imaging and Analysis Techniques Compressible Dynamics Stall

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chandrasekhara, M. S.; Carr, L. W.; Wilder, M. C.; Davis, Sanford S. (Technical Monitor)

    1996-01-01

    Dynamic stall has limited the flight envelope of helicopters for many years. The problem has been studied in the laboratory as well as in flight, but most research, even in the laboratory, has been restricted to surface measurement techniques such as pressure transducers or skin friction gauges, except at low speed. From this research, it became apparent that flow visualization tests performed at Mach numbers representing actual flight conditions were needed if the complex physics associated with dynamic stall was to be properly understood. However, visualization of the flow field during compressible conditions required carefully aligned and meticulously reconstructed holographic interferometry. As part of a long-range effort focused on exposing of the physics of compressible dynamic stall, a research wind tunnel was developed at NASA Ames Research Center which permits visual access to the full flow field surrounding an oscillating airfoil during compressible dynamic stall. Initially, a stroboscopic schlieren technique was used for visualization of the stall process, but the primary research tool has been point diffraction interferometry(PDI), a technique carefully optimized for use in th is project. A review of the process of development of PDI will be presented in the full paper. One of the most valuable aspects of PDI is the fact that interferograms are produced in real time on a continuous basis. The use of a rapidly-pulsed laser makes this practical; a discussion of this approach will be presented in the full paper. This rapid pulsing(up to 40,000 pulses/sec) produces interferograms of the rapidly developing dynamic stall field in sufficient resolution(both in space and time) that the fluid physics of the compressible dynamic stall flowfield can be quantitatively determined, including the gradients of pressure in space and time. This permits analysis of the influence of the effect of pitch rate, Mach number, Reynolds number, amplitude of oscillation, and other parameters on the dynamic stall process. When interferograms can be captured in real time, the potential for real-time mapping of a developing unsteady flow such as dynamic stall becomes a possibility. This has been achieved in the present case through the use of a high-speed drum camera combined with electronic circuitry which has resulted in a series of interferograms obtained during a single cycle of dynamic stall; images obtained at the rate of 20 KHz will be presented as a part of the formal presentation. Interferometry has been available for a long time; however, most of its use has been limited to visualization. The present research has focused on use of interferograms for quantitative mapping of the flow over oscillating airfoils. Instantaneous pressure distributions can now be obtained semi-automatically, making practical the analysis of the thousands of interferograms that are produced in this research. A review of the techniques that have been developed as part of this research effort will be presented in the final paper.

  11. General Motors' R&D: Managing Innovation Globally

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taub, Alan

    2006-03-01

    The rapid pace of technology development and the globalization of the automobile industry are major forces driving General Motors to devise new ways to innovate faster and more efficiently. In response, GM has developed a global R&D network that has transformed GM's research and development organization from a U.S.-based enterprise to one that is over 30 percent leveraged with collaboration in 16 countries. This talk will focus on the challenges faced as well as the lessons learned and best practices developed in building this network.

  12. Next Generation LOCAD-PTS Cartridge Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morris, H.; Nutter, D.; Weite, E.; Wells, M.; Maule, J.; Damon, M.; Monaco, L.; Steele, A.; Wainwright, N.

    2008-01-01

    Future astrobiology exploration missions will require rapid, point-of-use techniques for surface science experiments and contamination monitoring. The Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development (LOCAD) team is developing operational instruments that advance spaceflight technologies to molecular-based methods. Currently, LOCAD-Portable Test System (PTS) is quantifying levels of the bacterial molecule endotoxin onboard the Internatioal Space Station. Future research and development will focus on more sensitive molecular techniques that expand the number of compounds detected to include beta-glucan from fungal cell walls.

  13. Research Translation and Emerging Health Technologies: Synthetic Biology and Beyond.

    PubMed

    Chan, Sarah

    2016-12-09

    New health technologies are rapidly emerging from various areas of bioscience research, such as gene editing, regenerative medicine and synthetic biology. These technologies raise promising medical possibilities but also a range of ethical considerations. Apart from the issues involved in considering whether novel health technologies can or should become part of mainstream medical treatment once established, the process of research translation to develop such therapies itself entails particular ethical concerns. In this paper I use synthetic biology as an example of a new and largely unexplored area of health technology to consider the ways in which novel health technologies are likely to emerge and the ethical challenges these will present. I argue that such developments require us to rethink conventional attitudes towards clinical research, the roles of doctors/researchers and patients/participants with respect to research, and the relationship between science and society; and that a broader framework is required to address the plurality of stakeholder roles and interests involved in the development of treatments based on novel technologies.

  14. Resolving Rapid Variation in Energy for Particle Transport

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

    Haut, Terry Scot; Ahrens, Cory Douglas; Jonko, Alexandra

    2016-08-23

    Resolving the rapid variation in energy in neutron and thermal radiation transport is needed for the predictive simulation capability in high-energy density physics applications. Energy variation is difficult to resolve due to rapid variations in cross sections and opacities caused by quantized energy levels in the nuclei and electron clouds. In recent work, we have developed a new technique to simultaneously capture slow and rapid variations in the opacities and the solution using homogenization theory, which is similar to multiband (MB) and to the finite-element with discontiguous support (FEDS) method, but does not require closure information. We demonstrated the accuracymore » and efficiency of the method for a variety of problems. We are researching how to extend the method to problems with multiple materials and the same material but with different temperatures and densities. In this highlight, we briefly describe homogenization theory and some results.« less

  15. The Gut Microbiome: A New Frontier in Autism Research

    PubMed Central

    Mulle, Jennifer G.; Sharp, William G.; Cubells, Joseph F.

    2013-01-01

    The human gut harbors a complex community of microbes that profoundly influence many aspects of growth and development, including development of the nervous system. Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing methods have led to rapidly expanding knowledge about this gut microbiome. Here, we review fundamental emerging data on the human gut microbiome, with a focus on potential interactions between the microbiome and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and consider research on atypical patterns of feeding and nutrition in ASD and how they might interact with the microbiome. Finally we selectively survey results from studies in rodents on the impact of the microbiome on neurobehavioral development. The evidence reviewed here suggests that a deeper understanding of the gut microbiome could open up new avenues of research on ASD, including potential novel treatment strategies. PMID:23307560

  16. A Review of Analytical Techniques and Their Application in Disease Diagnosis in Breathomics and Salivaomics Research

    PubMed Central

    Beale, David J.; Jones, Oliver A. H.; Karpe, Avinash V.; Dayalan, Saravanan; Oh, Ding Yuan; Kouremenos, Konstantinos A.; Ahmed, Warish; Palombo, Enzo A.

    2016-01-01

    The application of metabolomics to biological samples has been a key focus in systems biology research, which is aimed at the development of rapid diagnostic methods and the creation of personalized medicine. More recently, there has been a strong focus towards this approach applied to non-invasively acquired samples, such as saliva and exhaled breath. The analysis of these biological samples, in conjunction with other sample types and traditional diagnostic tests, has resulted in faster and more reliable characterization of a range of health disorders and diseases. As the sampling process involved in collecting exhaled breath and saliva is non-intrusive as well as comparatively low-cost and uses a series of widely accepted methods, it provides researchers with easy access to the metabolites secreted by the human body. Owing to its accuracy and rapid nature, metabolomic analysis of saliva and breath (known as salivaomics and breathomics, respectively) is a rapidly growing field and has shown potential to be effective in detecting and diagnosing the early stages of numerous diseases and infections in preclinical studies. This review discusses the various collection and analyses methods currently applied in two of the least used non-invasive sample types in metabolomics, specifically their application in salivaomics and breathomics research. Some of the salient research completed in this field to date is also assessed and discussed in order to provide a basis to advocate their use and possible future scientific directions. PMID:28025547

  17. I. Sleep and development: introduction to the monograph.

    PubMed

    El-Sheikh, Mona; Sadeh, Avi

    2015-03-01

    Literature on sleep and child development is growing rapidly in exciting new directions across several disciplines and with this comes a need for guiding conceptual principles and methodological tools. In this introductory chapter, the importance of sleep for child development across multiple domains is highlighted. The aims of this monograph are presented and pertain to the need to consider and integrate theory and research across multiple disciplines and use state-of-the-art methodologies. A developmental ecological systems perspective adapted to sleep illustrates the multiple levels of influence and their importance in the study of child sleep and development. A focal aim is to provide examples of longitudinal studies linking sleep with child development, which are presented in seven chapters of this volume. © 2015 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

  18. Rapid, high efficiency isolation of pancreatic ß-cells.

    PubMed

    Clardy, Susan M; Mohan, James F; Vinegoni, Claudio; Keliher, Edmund J; Iwamoto, Yoshiko; Benoist, Christophe; Mathis, Diane; Weissleder, Ralph

    2015-09-02

    The ability to isolate pure pancreatic ß-cells would greatly aid multiple areas of diabetes research. We developed a fluorescent exendin-4-like neopeptide conjugate for the rapid purification and isolation of functional mouse pancreatic β-cells. By targeting the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor with the fluorescent conjugate, β-cells could be quickly isolated by flow cytometry and were >99% insulin positive. These studies were confirmed by immunostaining, microscopy and gene expression profiling on isolated cells. Gene expression profiling studies of cytofluorometrically sorted β-cells from 4 and 12 week old NOD mice provided new insights into the genetic programs at play of different stages of type-1 diabetes development. The described isolation method should have broad applicability to the β-cell field.

  19. Multivariable control of a rapid thermal processor using ultrasonic sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dankoski, Paul C. P.

    The semiconductor manufacturing industry faces the need for tighter control of thermal budget and process variations as circuit feature sizes decrease. Strategies to meet this need include supervisory control, run-to-run control, and real-time feedback control. Typically, the level of control chosen depends upon the actuation and sensing available. Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) is one step of the manufacturing cycle requiring precise temperature control and hence real-time feedback control. At the outset of this research, the primary ingredient lacking from in-situ RTP temperature control was a suitable sensor. This research looks at an alternative to the traditional approach of pyrometry, which is limited by the unknown and possibly time-varying wafer emissivity. The technique is based upon the temperature dependence of the propagation time of an acoustic wave in the wafer. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the ultrasonic sensors as a potentially viable sensor for control in RTP. To do this, an experimental implementation was developed at the Center for Integrated Systems. Because of the difficulty in applying a known temperature standard in an RTP environment, calibration to absolute temperature is nontrivial. Given reference propagation delays, multivariable model-based feedback control is applied to the system. The modelling and implementation details are described. The control techniques have been applied to a number of research processes including rapid thermal annealing and rapid thermal crystallization of thin silicon films on quartz/glass substrates.

  20. What are the priorities for future success in critical care research in the UK? Report from a national stakeholder meeting.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Tim; Brett, Stephen J

    2015-11-01

    Critical care in the United Kingdom is now well-established in terms of professional status, standards of clinical practice and training, and national audit through professional bodies and government representation. Research is fundamental to the further development and maturation of the specialty, to develop new therapies and technologies, more efficient and effective service organisation, and to improve patient and family experience and outcomes. Critical care research has expanded rapidly in the UK, and now has established organisations and infrastructure to share and develop ideas, through the UK Critical Care Research Forum and similar meetings. In September 2014, the Intensive Care Foundation and Critical Care Leadership Forum hosted a research colloquium to reflect, in part, on achievements, but more importantly plan for the future. With an invited list of participants the meeting explored firstly - the practical delivery of clinical research and secondly - the future financing landscape, from both academic funders' and commercial developers' perspectives. The following article summarises the important 'take home' messages from this meeting and suggests key issues for future strategy.

  1. Tracking the emergence of synthetic biology.

    PubMed

    Shapira, Philip; Kwon, Seokbeom; Youtie, Jan

    2017-01-01

    Synthetic biology is an emerging domain that combines biological and engineering concepts and which has seen rapid growth in research, innovation, and policy interest in recent years. This paper contributes to efforts to delineate this emerging domain by presenting a newly constructed bibliometric definition of synthetic biology. Our approach is dimensioned from a core set of papers in synthetic biology, using procedures to obtain benchmark synthetic biology publication records, extract keywords from these benchmark records, and refine the keywords, supplemented with articles published in dedicated synthetic biology journals. We compare our search strategy with other recent bibliometric approaches to define synthetic biology, using a common source of publication data for the period from 2000 to 2015. The paper details the rapid growth and international spread of research in synthetic biology in recent years, demonstrates that diverse research disciplines are contributing to the multidisciplinary development of synthetic biology research, and visualizes this by profiling synthetic biology research on the map of science. We further show the roles of a relatively concentrated set of research sponsors in funding the growth and trajectories of synthetic biology. In addition to discussing these analyses, the paper notes limitations and suggests lines for further work.

  2. BrainSnail: A dynamic information display system for the Sciences

    PubMed Central

    Telefont, Martin; Asaithambi, Asai

    2009-01-01

    Scientific reference management has become crucial in rapidly expanding fields of biology. Many of the reference management systems currently employed are reference centric and not object/process focused. BrainSnail is a reference management/knowledge representation application that tries to bridge disconnect between subject and reference in the fields of neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. BrainSnail has been developed with considering both individual researcher and research group efforts. PMID:19293992

  3. Defense Biometric and Forensic Office Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Strategy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-01-06

    investments in biometric and forensic RDT&E. From refining biometric modalities to exploring ‘ game changing’ forensic technologies such as rapid DNA to the... ASD (R&E)), is to identify, fund, manage and transition projects that support biometric and/or forensic requirements. In the second role, the DBFO...forensic stakeholders cannot fund, to the COIs for consideration.  Increase contacts with ASD (R&E) divisions/laboratories focused on basic research

  4. Airfield Damage Repair (ADR); Polymer Repair of Airfields Summary of Research

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-12-01

    reported in section 4.3.1. Prior to mixing, the stainless steel bowl, paddle and molds were sprayed with an industrial silicone release agent, Zip-Slip...aggressive foaming and segregation problems. airfield damage repair, (ADR), polymer, concrete, polymer concrete, crater repair U U U UU 30 R. Craig...Polymer Technology for Agile Combat Support to develop a rapid crater repair using resin binders for indigenous materials. The research team consisted of

  5. Improved Training Method for Rapid Rehabilitation of Amputees

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-03-01

    return to active duty or to a productive civilian life. Body This was the third year of a research effort to develop and test a novel training...a velocity standardized to leg length. This test assessment of the rehabilitative program is performed before and after the two week training on the...control group : Comparisons were also made between patients who had not been enrolled in the research study to patients who had participated in the

  6. Riding the Rapids of Classroom-Based Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lonergan, Robyn; Cumming, Therese M.

    2017-01-01

    Conducting classroom-based research can be difficult, often fraught with challenges, analogous to riding a canoe down the rapids. The dynamics of classroom-based research often require flexibility on the parts of both the researcher and school personnel. Classroom-based research is viewed here through a framework of problem-based methodology as…

  7. The Effects of Research & Development Funding on Scientific Productivity: Academic Chemistry, 1990-2009.

    PubMed

    Rosenbloom, Joshua L; Ginther, Donna K; Juhl, Ted; Heppert, Joseph A

    2015-01-01

    This article examines the relationship between Research & Development (R&D) funding and the production of knowledge by academic chemists. Using articles published, either raw counts or adjusted for quality, we find a strong, positive causal effect of funding on knowledge production. This effect is similar across subsets of universities, suggesting a relatively efficient allocation of R&D funds. Finally, we document a rapid acceleration in the rate at which chemical knowledge was produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s relative to the financial and human resources devoted to its production.

  8. The Effects of Research & Development Funding on Scientific Productivity: Academic Chemistry, 1990-2009

    PubMed Central

    Rosenbloom, Joshua L.; Ginther, Donna K.; Juhl, Ted; Heppert, Joseph A.

    2015-01-01

    This article examines the relationship between Research & Development (R&D) funding and the production of knowledge by academic chemists. Using articles published, either raw counts or adjusted for quality, we find a strong, positive causal effect of funding on knowledge production. This effect is similar across subsets of universities, suggesting a relatively efficient allocation of R&D funds. Finally, we document a rapid acceleration in the rate at which chemical knowledge was produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s relative to the financial and human resources devoted to its production. PMID:26372555

  9. Automated flight test management system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hewett, M. D.; Tartt, D. M.; Agarwal, A.

    1991-01-01

    The Phase 1 development of an automated flight test management system (ATMS) as a component of a rapid prototyping flight research facility for artificial intelligence (AI) based flight concepts is discussed. The ATMS provides a flight engineer with a set of tools that assist in flight test planning, monitoring, and simulation. The system is also capable of controlling an aircraft during flight test by performing closed loop guidance functions, range management, and maneuver-quality monitoring. The ATMS is being used as a prototypical system to develop a flight research facility for AI based flight systems concepts at NASA Ames Dryden.

  10. Tracking the NGS revolution: managing life science research on shared high-performance computing clusters.

    PubMed

    Dahlö, Martin; Scofield, Douglas G; Schaal, Wesley; Spjuth, Ola

    2018-05-01

    Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed the life sciences, and many research groups are newly dependent upon computer clusters to store and analyze large datasets. This creates challenges for e-infrastructures accustomed to hosting computationally mature research in other sciences. Using data gathered from our own clusters at UPPMAX computing center at Uppsala University, Sweden, where core hour usage of ∼800 NGS and ∼200 non-NGS projects is now similar, we compare and contrast the growth, administrative burden, and cluster usage of NGS projects with projects from other sciences. The number of NGS projects has grown rapidly since 2010, with growth driven by entry of new research groups. Storage used by NGS projects has grown more rapidly since 2013 and is now limited by disk capacity. NGS users submit nearly twice as many support tickets per user, and 11 more tools are installed each month for NGS projects than for non-NGS projects. We developed usage and efficiency metrics and show that computing jobs for NGS projects use more RAM than non-NGS projects, are more variable in core usage, and rarely span multiple nodes. NGS jobs use booked resources less efficiently for a variety of reasons. Active monitoring can improve this somewhat. Hosting NGS projects imposes a large administrative burden at UPPMAX due to large numbers of inexperienced users and diverse and rapidly evolving research areas. We provide a set of recommendations for e-infrastructures that host NGS research projects. We provide anonymized versions of our storage, job, and efficiency databases.

  11. Tracking the NGS revolution: managing life science research on shared high-performance computing clusters

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Background Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has transformed the life sciences, and many research groups are newly dependent upon computer clusters to store and analyze large datasets. This creates challenges for e-infrastructures accustomed to hosting computationally mature research in other sciences. Using data gathered from our own clusters at UPPMAX computing center at Uppsala University, Sweden, where core hour usage of ∼800 NGS and ∼200 non-NGS projects is now similar, we compare and contrast the growth, administrative burden, and cluster usage of NGS projects with projects from other sciences. Results The number of NGS projects has grown rapidly since 2010, with growth driven by entry of new research groups. Storage used by NGS projects has grown more rapidly since 2013 and is now limited by disk capacity. NGS users submit nearly twice as many support tickets per user, and 11 more tools are installed each month for NGS projects than for non-NGS projects. We developed usage and efficiency metrics and show that computing jobs for NGS projects use more RAM than non-NGS projects, are more variable in core usage, and rarely span multiple nodes. NGS jobs use booked resources less efficiently for a variety of reasons. Active monitoring can improve this somewhat. Conclusions Hosting NGS projects imposes a large administrative burden at UPPMAX due to large numbers of inexperienced users and diverse and rapidly evolving research areas. We provide a set of recommendations for e-infrastructures that host NGS research projects. We provide anonymized versions of our storage, job, and efficiency databases. PMID:29659792

  12. Nutritional metabolomics: Progress in addressing complexity in diet and health

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Dean P.; Park, Youngja; Ziegler, Thomas R.

    2013-01-01

    Nutritional metabolomics is rapidly maturing to use small molecule chemical profiling to support integration of diet and nutrition in complex biosystems research. These developments are critical to facilitate transition of nutritional sciences from population-based to individual-based criteria for nutritional research, assessment and management. This review addresses progress in making these approaches manageable for nutrition research. Important concept developments concerning the exposome, predictive health and complex pathobiology, serve to emphasize the central role of diet and nutrition in integrated biosystems models of health and disease. Improved analytic tools and databases for targeted and non-targeted metabolic profiling, along with bioinformatics, pathway mapping and computational modeling, are now used for nutrition research on diet, metabolism, microbiome and health associations. These new developments enable metabolome-wide association studies (MWAS) and provide a foundation for nutritional metabolomics, along with genomics, epigenomics and health phenotyping, to support integrated models required for personalized diet and nutrition forecasting. PMID:22540256

  13. Enabling Real-time Water Decision Support Services Using Model as a Service

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, T.; Minsker, B. S.; Lee, J. S.; Salas, F. R.; Maidment, D. R.; David, C. H.

    2014-12-01

    Through application of computational methods and an integrated information system, data and river modeling services can help researchers and decision makers more rapidly understand river conditions under alternative scenarios. To enable this capability, workflows (i.e., analysis and model steps) are created and published as Web services delivered through an internet browser, including model inputs, a published workflow service, and visualized outputs. The RAPID model, which is a river routing model developed at University of Texas Austin for parallel computation of river discharge, has been implemented as a workflow and published as a Web application. This allows non-technical users to remotely execute the model and visualize results as a service through a simple Web interface. The model service and Web application has been prototyped in the San Antonio and Guadalupe River Basin in Texas, with input from university and agency partners. In the future, optimization model workflows will be developed to link with the RAPID model workflow to provide real-time water allocation decision support services.

  14. Early‐Stage Capital Cost Estimation of Biorefinery Processes: A Comparative Study of Heuristic Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Couturier, Jean‐Luc; Kokossis, Antonis; Dubois, Jean‐Luc

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Biorefineries offer a promising alternative to fossil‐based processing industries and have undergone rapid development in recent years. Limited financial resources and stringent company budgets necessitate quick capital estimation of pioneering biorefinery projects at the early stages of their conception to screen process alternatives, decide on project viability, and allocate resources to the most promising cases. Biorefineries are capital‐intensive projects that involve state‐of‐the‐art technologies for which there is no prior experience or sufficient historical data. This work reviews existing rapid cost estimation practices, which can be used by researchers with no previous cost estimating experience. It also comprises a comparative study of six cost methods on three well‐documented biorefinery processes to evaluate their accuracy and precision. The results illustrate discrepancies among the methods because their extrapolation on biorefinery data often violates inherent assumptions. This study recommends the most appropriate rapid cost methods and urges the development of an improved early‐stage capital cost estimation tool suitable for biorefinery processes. PMID:27484398

  15. Personal Health Records: Is Rapid Adoption Hindering Interoperability?

    PubMed Central

    Studeny, Jana; Coustasse, Alberto

    2014-01-01

    The establishment of the Meaningful Use criteria has created a critical need for robust interoperability of health records. A universal definition of a personal health record (PHR) has not been agreed upon. Standardized code sets have been built for specific entities, but integration between them has not been supported. The purpose of this research study was to explore the hindrance and promotion of interoperability standards in relationship to PHRs to describe interoperability progress in this area. The study was conducted following the basic principles of a systematic review, with 61 articles used in the study. Lagging interoperability has stemmed from slow adoption by patients, creation of disparate systems due to rapid development to meet requirements for the Meaningful Use stages, and rapid early development of PHRs prior to the mandate for integration among multiple systems. Findings of this study suggest that deadlines for implementation to capture Meaningful Use incentive payments are supporting the creation of PHR data silos, thereby hindering the goal of high-level interoperability. PMID:25214822

  16. On the Application of Rapid Prototyping Technology for the Fabrication of Flapping Wings for Micro Air Vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kraemer, Kurtis Leigh

    Micro air vehicles (MAV) are a class of small uninhabited aircraft with dimensions less than 15 cm (6 in) and mass less than 500g (1.1 lbs). The aim of this research was to develop a fast, accurate, low-cost, and repeatable fabrication process for flapping MAV wings. Through the use of the RepRap Mendel open-source fused-deposition modeling (FDM) rapid prototyping machine ("3-D printer"), various wing prototypes were designed and fabricated using a bio-inspired approach. Testing of the aerodynamic performance of both real locust wings and the 3-D printed wing prototypes was performed through axial spin testing. Bending stiffness measurements were also performed on the 3-D printed wings. Through the use of open-source rapid prototyping technology, a fast and low-cost fabrication process for flapping MAV wings has been developed, out of which further understanding of flapping wing design and fabrication has been gained.

  17. Effect of acute alarm odor exposure and biological sex on generalized avoidance and glutamatergic signaling in the hippocampus of Wistar rats.

    PubMed

    Homiack, Damek; O'Cinneide, Emma; Hajmurad, Sema; Dohanich, Gary P; Schrader, Laura A

    2018-06-19

    Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by the development of paradoxical memory disturbances including intrusive memories and amnesia for specific details of the traumatic experience. Despite evidence that women are at higher risk to develop PTSD, most animal research has focused on the processes by which male rodents develop adaptive fear memory. As such, the mechanisms contributing to sex differences in the development of PTSD-like memory disturbances are poorly understood. In this investigation, we exposed adult male and female Wistar rats to the synthetic alarm odor 2,4,5-trimethylthiazole (TMT) to assess development of generalized fear behavior and rapid modulation of glutamate uptake and signaling cascades associated with hippocampus-dependent long-term memory. We report that female Wistar rats exposed to alarm odor exhibit context discrimination impairments relative to TMT-exposed male rats, suggesting the intriguing possibility that females are at greater risk in developing generalized fear memories. Mechanistically, alarm odor exposure rapidly modulated signaling cascades consistent with activation of the CREB shut-off cascade in the male, but not the female hippocampus. Moreover, TMT exposure dampened glutamate uptake and affected expression of the glutamate transporter, GLT-1 in the hippocampus. Taken together, these results provide evidence for rapid sex-dependent modulation of CREB signaling in the hippocampus by alarm odor exposure which may contribute to the development of generalized fear.

  18. Children with Incarcerated Mothers: Developmental Outcomes, Special Challenges and Recommendations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dallaire, Danielle H.

    2007-01-01

    Incarcerated mothers represent a rapidly growing sector of the prison population. This review of the literature presents research examining the psychological and socio-emotional well-being of children with an incarcerated mother, highlighting risk and protective factors at different stages of children's development. Child outcomes are reviewed…

  19. Mentor Age and Youth Developmental Outcomes in School-Based Mentoring Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hwang, NaYoung

    2015-01-01

    Mentoring programs that provide guidance and support for disadvantaged youth have expanded rapidly during the past decade in the United States. Research suggests that students with teenage mentors exhibit positive youth development, including enhanced academic self-esteem and connectedness. By contrast, some studies showed that programs that offer…

  20. Student Attitudes to Traditional and Online Methods of Delivery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Lily; Fong, Michelle

    2014-01-01

    Rapid developments in education technology have provided educators and students new options in a constantly changing, competitive teaching and learning environment. As the number of online teaching resources continue to increase, research into student attitudes toward traditional and online methods of delivery is important in order to determine…

  1. Developing the Assessment Literacy of University Proficiency Test Users

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Loughlin, Kieran

    2013-01-01

    The rapidly increasing use of English language proficiency test scores by universities around the world to select international students has resulted in a range of admissions, marketing, academic and teaching support staff interacting with the tests in different ways. To date, there has been little research investigating the assessment literacy…

  2. Use of DNA markers in forest tree improvement research

    Treesearch

    D.B. Neale; M.E. Devey; K.D. Jermstad; M.R. Ahuja; M.C. Alosi; K.A. Marshall

    1992-01-01

    DNA markers are rapidly being developed for forest trees. The most important markers are restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), polymerase chain reaction- (PCR) based markers such as random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), and fingerprinting markers. DNA markers can supplement isozyme markers for monitoring tree improvement activities such as; estimating...

  3. Framework of Quality Assurance of TEL Integration into an Educational Organization

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Volungeviciene, Airina; Tereseviciene, Margarita; Tait, Alan

    2014-01-01

    This research paper addresses the issues of integration of technology enhanced learning (TEL) into an educational organization. Good practice experience cannot be directly transferred to new organisations due to different contextual conditions. The TEL integration depends significantly upon a very rapid development of services and information…

  4. Biology, Medicine, and the Bill of Rights. Special Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

    The rapid progress in the biological sciences has resulted in many social, ethical, and legal issues. In medical practice, public health programs, research laboratories, law enforcement, insurance, the patenting process, agriculture, genetic counseling, and other fields, legal controversies and public policy debates have developed. Some of these…

  5. Enhancing Student Collaboration in Global Virtual Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kohut, Gary F.

    2012-01-01

    With the growth in the global economy and the rapid development of communication and information technologies, global virtual teams are quickly becoming the norm in the workplace. Research indicates, however, that many students have little or no experience working in such teams. Students who learn through these experiences benefit from higher task…

  6. Taking the Heat off the School Lunchroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lutz, Raymond P.; And Others

    The application of operations research techniques to a public school system's lunch program suggests a possible solution to the problem of rapidly increasing program costs. A computer-assisted menu planner was developed which generated a monthly set of menus satisfying nutritional and Federal standards, and food demand cycles. When compared to the…

  7. Perceptions of the Design of Voice Output Communication Aids

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Judge, Simon; Townend, Gillian

    2013-01-01

    Background: Voice output communication aids (VOCAs) are a key form of aided communication within the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). In recent years, rapid developments in technology have resulted in an explosion of devices available commercially, yet little research has been conducted into what people who use VOCAs…

  8. Numerate Intends to Join ATOM Consortium to Rapidly Accelerate Preclinical Drug Development | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    SAN FRANCISCO – Computational drug design company Numerate has signed a letter of intent to join an open consortium of scientists staffed from two U.S. national laboratories, industry, and academia working to transform drug discovery and developmen

  9. On Direction of Dependence in Latent Variable Contexts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Eye, Alexander; Wiedermann, Wolfgang

    2014-01-01

    Approaches to determining direction of dependence in nonexperimental data are based on the relation between higher-than second-order moments on one side and correlation and regression models on the other. These approaches have experienced rapid development and are being applied in contexts such as research on partner violence, attention deficit…

  10. Addressing Literacy through Neuroscience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Steve; Tallal, Paula A.

    2006-01-01

    Brain is the source of all human thoughts, feelings and emotions. Now the mysteries of the human brain are rapidly being elucidated by neuroscience research. For more than 150 years, neuroscience has held that most of the brain's functionality develops during critical periods in early childhood and that once past these critical periods, the window…

  11. DEVELOPMENT OF REAL-TIME PCR ASSAYS FOR RAPID DETECTION OF PFIESTERIA PISCICIDA AND RELATED DINOFLAGELLATES. (R827084)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

  12. Dissociative Disorders in Children: Behavioral Profiles and Problems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Putnam, Frank W.

    1993-01-01

    Clinical research has established a connection between childhood trauma and the development of dissociative disorders in adults. Pathological dissociation produces a range of symptoms and behaviors such as amnesias, rapid shifts in mood and behavior, and auditory and visual hallucinations. Many of these symptoms are misdiagnosed as attention,…

  13. The Role of Item Models in Automatic Item Generation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gierl, Mark J.; Lai, Hollis

    2012-01-01

    Automatic item generation represents a relatively new but rapidly evolving research area where cognitive and psychometric theories are used to produce tests that include items generated using computer technology. Automatic item generation requires two steps. First, test development specialists create item models, which are comparable to templates…

  14. The ExpoCast Project and Rapid Exposure Research at the U.S. E.P.A. (Global Chem webinar presentation)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Session Title: New Approaches for Developing Exposure Data to Advance Chemical Safety Assessments Session Description: Evaluating the potential risks from chemicals and the products of chemistry throughout their lifecycle requires information about both exposure and hazard. Pro...

  15. Improving Programs and Outcomes: Implementation Frameworks and Organization Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bertram, Rosalyn M.; Blase, Karen A.; Fixsen, Dean L.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents recent refinements to implementation constructs and frameworks. It updates and clarifies the frequently cited study conducted by the National Implementation Research Network that introduced these frameworks for application in diverse endeavors. As such, it may serve as a historical marker in the rapidly developing science and…

  16. Developing a Dynamic Inference Expert System to Support Individual Learning at Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hung, Yu Hsin; Lin, Chun Fu; Chang, Ray I.

    2015-01-01

    In response to the rapid growth of information in recent decades, knowledge-based systems have become an essential tool for organizational learning. The application of electronic performance-support systems in learning activities has attracted considerable attention from researchers. Nevertheless, the vast, ever-increasing amount of information is…

  17. RAPID DETERMINATION OF MICROBIAL PATHWAYS FOR POLLUTANT DEGRADATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The proposed project period is three years and the total GCHSRC funding requested is as follows: $49,811 (Year 1), $49,555 (Year 2) and $49,917 (Year 3). The final product of this research effort will be a cDNA subtraction tool which has been developed specifically...

  18. Life Sciences Teachers Negotiating Professional Development Agency in Changing Curriculum Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh-Pillay, Asheena; Samuel, Michael Anthony

    2017-01-01

    This article probes teacher responses to three curricular reform initiatives from a South African situated contextual perspective. It focuses on Life Sciences teachers who have initially reported feeling overwhelmed by this rapidly changing curriculum environment: adopting and re-adapting to the many expected shifts. The research question posed…

  19. Long-range Perspectives in Environmental Education: Producing Practical Problem-solvers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barratt, Rod

    1997-01-01

    Addresses postgraduate environmental education by supported distance learning as offered by the Open University in Great Britain. Refers to techniques for regularly updating material in rapidly developing areas as well as integrating teaching and research. Also refers to the modular course Integrated Safety, Health and Environmental Management.…

  20. A Modern City--Its Geography.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mayer, Harold M.; And Others

    This publication contains nine articles intended to enhance teachers' understanding of urban geography. The articles are reprinted from issues of the 1969 volume of the Journal of Geography. Urban studies has been one of the most rapidly developing fields of geography during the post World War II generation. There has been extensive research and…

  1. Managerial Problems in the Use of Educational Technology in Primary Education Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosgorur, Vural

    2013-01-01

    Rapid progress in science and technology also changes understanding, wishes and expectations, processes, operations and organisational structures. Such developments positively affect the structure of educational systems as well as learning-teaching activities in instructional environments. The problem of this research is to define managerial…

  2. Open source tools to exploit DNA sequence data from livestock species

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) is a recent technological development that allows researchers to rapidly determine the DNA sequence of an individual. The decrease in cost of NGS has brought the technology into the realm of practical applications in livestock genomics, where it can be used to genera...

  3. Learning Path Recommendation Based on Modified Variable Length Genetic Algorithm

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dwivedi, Pragya; Kant, Vibhor; Bharadwaj, Kamal K.

    2018-01-01

    With the rapid advancement of information and communication technologies, e-learning has gained a considerable attention in recent years. Many researchers have attempted to develop various e-learning systems with personalized learning mechanisms for assisting learners so that they can learn more efficiently. In this context, curriculum sequencing…

  4. REM Dreaming and Cognitive Skills at Ages 5-8: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foulkes, David; And Others

    1990-01-01

    Describes laboratory research on REM (rapid eye movement) sleep in children ages five to eight. Image quality, self-representation, and narrative complexity of dreams all develop as age progresses. Children's representational intelligence predicts their rate of dream production, but language skills do not. (GH)

  5. DEVELOPMENT OF PROTEIN PROFILE TECHNOLOGY TO EVALUATE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS USING A SMALL FISH MODEL

    EPA Science Inventory

    The rationale for this research is: i) Protein expression changes with life stage, disease, tissue type and environmental stressors; ii) Technology allows rapid analysis of large numbers of proteins to provide protein expression profiles; iii) Protein profiles are used as specifi...

  6. Calibration of the Delaware Rapid Assessment Protocol to a Comprehensive Measure of Wetland Condition

    EPA Science Inventory

    The importance of monitoring and assessment to the management and protection of wetlands has been recognized, and research in recent years has made progress in the development of wetland monitoring and assessment tools. Wetland assessments are made at multiple levels of intensit...

  7. Problematizing Service-Learning: Critical Reflections for Development and Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stewart, Trae, Ed.; Webster, Nicole, Ed.

    2010-01-01

    Interest in and research on civic engagement and service-learning have increased exponentially. In this rapid growth, efforts have been made to institutionalize pedagogies of engagement across both K-12 and higher education. As a result, increased positive attention has been complemented equally by well-founded critiques complicating experiential…

  8. High-throughput RAD-SNP genotyping for characterization of sugar beet genotypes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    High-throughput SNP genotyping provides a rapid way of developing resourceful set of markers for delineating the genetic architecture and for effective species discrimination. In the presented research, we demonstrate a set of 192 SNPs for effective genotyping in sugar beet using high-throughput mar...

  9. Analytics to Literacies: The Development of a Learning Analytics Framework for Multiliteracies Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawson, Shane; Siemens, George

    2014-01-01

    The rapid advances in information and communication technologies, coupled with increased access to information and the formation of global communities, have resulted in interest among researchers and academics to revise educational practice to move beyond traditional "literacy" skills towards an enhanced set of…

  10. Factors Associated with Student Academic Achievement at Community Colleges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yu, Hongwei

    2017-01-01

    Student retention has garnered increased attentions in higher education. Drawing from various theoretical perspectives, researchers have developed multiple theoretical models to explain or predict student retention. Most models, however, were intended for traditional aged, full-time students at 4-year colleges or universities. The rapid growth of…

  11. Understanding Interdisciplinarity: Curricular and Organizational Features of Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, David B.; Lattuca, Lisa R.; Kimball, Ezekiel W.; Reason, Robert D.

    2013-01-01

    Though the number of interdisciplinary undergraduate programs has increased rapidly over the past several decades, little empirical research has characterized such programs. In this article we report on our investigation of the characteristics of interdisciplinary programs and develop typologies to describe the multiple ways in which such programs…

  12. International Mobility of Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Doctoral Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Jane; Madden, Meggan

    2010-01-01

    International academic mobility is an aspect of internationalization that is changing rapidly in terms of volume, scope, and impact. Although much of the attention and research on mobility has focused on undergraduate students participating in short-term study abroad, internships, and exchange experiences, the new push to develop international…

  13. Information Competency and Creative Initiative of Personality and Their Manifestation in Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tabachuk, Natalia P.; Ledovskikh, Irina A.; Shulika, Nadezhda A.; Karpova, Irina V.; Kazinets, Victor A.; Polichka, Anatolii E.

    2018-01-01

    The relevance of the research is due to the global trends of development of the information society that are associated with the rapid advancement of civilization (IT penetration, increased computer availability, variability) and innovation processes in the sphere of education (competency-based approach, humanization and humanitarization). These…

  14. Plan of Action for Real-World Translation of LGBTQ Health and Aging Research.

    PubMed

    Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I; Kim, Hyun-Jun; McKenzie, Glenise L; Krinsky, Lisa; Emlet, Charles A

    2017-12-01

    Despite accumulating evidence of health disparities, there exists limited translational research to enhance optimal health and aging of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified * (LGBTQ) older adults. Based on the Health Equity Promotion Model that addresses the distinct needs and strengths of LGBTQ older adults, we underscore the important role of collaborations among researchers, practitioners, and communities to build community capacity. Given the rapidly shifting context, we advance principles to guide future work that will enhance translational research and the development of evidence-based practice so that LGBTQ older adults can reach their full health potential.

  15. [Progress in research of mobile health intervention].

    PubMed

    Huang, Z; Ning, P S; Cheng, P X; Hu, G Q

    2016-10-10

    With the rapid development of mobile communication technology and the growing popularity of smartphones worldwide, mobile health has become an extension of e-Health and Tele-Health, and is of value in the research and practice of public health. In this paper, we systematically assessed research literature of mobile health' s application on disease prevention and control as well as health promotion. Based on the characteristics of current literature, this paper focused on the application of mobile health in maternal health promotion, chronic disease management, and communicable disease prevention and control to provide reference for the mobile health intervention research in China.

  16. Flight Test Results of a GPS-Based Pitot-Static Calibration Method Using Output-Error Optimization for a Light Twin-Engine Airplane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martos, Borja; Kiszely, Paul; Foster, John V.

    2011-01-01

    As part of the NASA Aviation Safety Program (AvSP), a novel pitot-static calibration method was developed to allow rapid in-flight calibration for subscale aircraft while flying within confined test areas. This approach uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology coupled with modern system identification methods that rapidly computes optimal pressure error models over a range of airspeed with defined confidence bounds. This method has been demonstrated in subscale flight tests and has shown small 2- error bounds with significant reduction in test time compared to other methods. The current research was motivated by the desire to further evaluate and develop this method for full-scale aircraft. A goal of this research was to develop an accurate calibration method that enables reductions in test equipment and flight time, thus reducing costs. The approach involved analysis of data acquisition requirements, development of efficient flight patterns, and analysis of pressure error models based on system identification methods. Flight tests were conducted at The University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI) utilizing an instrumented Piper Navajo research aircraft. In addition, the UTSI engineering flight simulator was used to investigate test maneuver requirements and handling qualities issues associated with this technique. This paper provides a summary of piloted simulation and flight test results that illustrates the performance and capabilities of the NASA calibration method. Discussion of maneuver requirements and data analysis methods is included as well as recommendations for piloting technique.

  17. Rapid Reviews in Health Policy: A Study of Intended Use in the New South Wales' Evidence Check Programme

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Gabriel Mary; Redman, Sally; Turner, Tari; Haines, Mary

    2016-01-01

    Rapid reviews of research are a key way in which policy makers use research. This paper examines 74 rapid reviews commissioned by health policy agencies through the Sax Institute's Evidence Check programme. We examine what prompted policy makers to commission rapid reviews, their purpose, how and when they intended to use them, and how this varied…

  18. Optogenetic Activation of the Sublaterodorsal (SLD) Nucleus Induces Rapid Muscle Inhibition

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-01

    ARL-CR-0783 ● SEP 2015 US Army Research Laboratory Optogenetic Activation of the Sublaterodorsal (SLD) Nucleus Induces Rapid...ARL-CR-0783 ● SEP 2015 US Army Research Laboratory Optogenetic Activation of the Sublaterodorsal (SLD) Nucleus Induces Rapid Muscle...Optogenetic Activation of the Sublaterodorsal (SLD) Nucleus Induces Rapid Muscle Inhibition 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 1120-1120-99 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

  19. Inter-relationships Linking Probability of Becoming a Case of Nicotine Dependence With Frequency of Tobacco Cigarette Smoking.

    PubMed

    Vsevolozhskaya, Olga A; Anthony, James C

    2016-12-01

    Once smoking starts, some tobacco cigarette smokers (TCS) can make very rapid transitions into tobacco dependence syndromes (TCD). With adjustment for smoking frequency, we posit female excess risk for this rapid-onset TCD. In a novel application of functional analysis for tobacco research, we estimate four Hill function parameters and plot TCD risk against a gradient of smoking frequency, as observed quite soon after smoking onset. In aggregate, the National Surveys of Drug Use and Health, 2004-2013, identified 1546 newly incident TCS in cross-sectional research, each with standardized TCD assessment. Hill function estimates contradict our apparently over-simplistic hypothesis. Among newly incident TCS males with only 1-3 recent smoking days, an estimated 1%-3% had become rapid-onset TCD cases; non-overlapping confidence intervals show lower TCD risk for females. In contrast, among daily smokers, closer to 50% of female TCS showed rapid-onset TCD, versus under 20% of male TCS, but a larger sample will be needed to confirm the apparent female excess risk at the daily smoking frequency level. Smoking frequency and TCD onset become inter-dependent quite soon after TCS onset. Feedback loops are expected, and might explain a potential reversal of male-female differences across smoking frequency gradients. These novel epidemiological estimates prompt new thinking and questions about interventions. In this large sample epidemiological study, with a nationally representative sample of newly incident TCS assessed cross-sectionally, we see a quite rapid onset of tobacco dependence, with an early male excess that fades out at higher levels of smoking frequency. Next steps include development of outreach and intervention for this very rapid-onset tobacco dependence. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  20. Rapid assessment of infrastructure of primary health care facilities - a relevant instrument for health care systems management.

    PubMed

    Scholz, Stefan; Ngoli, Baltazar; Flessa, Steffen

    2015-05-01

    Health care infrastructure constitutes a major component of the structural quality of a health system. Infrastructural deficiencies of health services are reported in literature and research. A number of instruments exist for the assessment of infrastructure. However, no easy-to-use instruments to assess health facility infrastructure in developing countries are available. Present tools are not applicable for a rapid assessment by health facility staff. Therefore, health information systems lack data on facility infrastructure. A rapid assessment tool for the infrastructure of primary health care facilities was developed by the authors and pilot-tested in Tanzania. The tool measures the quality of all infrastructural components comprehensively and with high standardization. Ratings use a 2-1-0 scheme which is frequently used in Tanzanian health care services. Infrastructural indicators and indices are obtained from the assessment and serve for reporting and tracing of interventions. The tool was pilot-tested in Tanga Region (Tanzania). The pilot test covered seven primary care facilities in the range between dispensary and district hospital. The assessment encompassed the facilities as entities as well as 42 facility buildings and 80 pieces of technical medical equipment. A full assessment of facility infrastructure was undertaken by health care professionals while the rapid assessment was performed by facility staff. Serious infrastructural deficiencies were revealed. The rapid assessment tool proved a reliable instrument of routine data collection by health facility staff. The authors recommend integrating the rapid assessment tool in the health information systems of developing countries. Health authorities in a decentralized health system are thus enabled to detect infrastructural deficiencies and trace the effects of interventions. The tool can lay the data foundation for district facility infrastructure management.

  1. Rapid Crop Cover Mapping for the Conterminous United States.

    PubMed

    Dahal, Devendra; Wylie, Bruce; Howard, Danny

    2018-06-05

    Timely crop cover maps with sufficient resolution are important components to various environmental planning and research applications. Through the modification and use of a previously developed crop classification model (CCM), which was originally developed to generate historical annual crop cover maps, we hypothesized that such crop cover maps could be generated rapidly during the growing season. Through a process of incrementally removing weekly and monthly independent variables from the CCM and implementing a 'two model mapping' approach, we found it viable to generate conterminous United States-wide rapid crop cover maps at a resolution of 250 m for the current year by the month of September. In this approach, we divided the CCM model into one 'crop type model' to handle the classification of nine specific crops and a second, binary model to classify the presence or absence of 'other' crops. Under the two model mapping approach, the training errors were 0.8% and 1.5% for the crop type and binary model, respectively, while test errors were 5.5% and 6.4%, respectively. With spatial mapping accuracies for annual maps reaching upwards of 70%, this approach demonstrated a strong potential for generating rapid crop cover maps by the 1 st of September.

  2. Recommender systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lü, Linyuan; Medo, Matúš; Yeung, Chi Ho; Zhang, Yi-Cheng; Zhang, Zi-Ke; Zhou, Tao

    2012-10-01

    The ongoing rapid expansion of the Internet greatly increases the necessity of effective recommender systems for filtering the abundant information. Extensive research for recommender systems is conducted by a broad range of communities including social and computer scientists, physicists, and interdisciplinary researchers. Despite substantial theoretical and practical achievements, unification and comparison of different approaches are lacking, which impedes further advances. In this article, we review recent developments in recommender systems and discuss the major challenges. We compare and evaluate available algorithms and examine their roles in the future developments. In addition to algorithms, physical aspects are described to illustrate macroscopic behavior of recommender systems. Potential impacts and future directions are discussed. We emphasize that recommendation has great scientific depth and combines diverse research fields which makes it interesting for physicists as well as interdisciplinary researchers.

  3. Alzforum and SWAN: the present and future of scientific web communities.

    PubMed

    Clark, Tim; Kinoshita, June

    2007-05-01

    Scientists drove the early development of the World Wide Web, primarily as a means for rapid communication, document sharing and data access. They have been far slower to adopt the web as a medium for building research communities. Yet, web-based communities hold great potential for accelerating the pace of scientific research. In this article, we will describe the 10-year experience of the Alzheimer Research Forum ('Alzforum'), a unique example of a thriving scientific web community, and explain the features that contributed to its success. We will then outline the SWAN (Semantic Web Applications in Neuromedicine) project, in which Alzforum curators are collaborating with informatics researchers to develop novel approaches that will enable communities to share richly contextualized information about scientific data, claims and hypotheses.

  4. The food industry and conflicts of interest in nutrition research: A Latin American perspective.

    PubMed

    Barnoya, Joaquin; Nestle, Marion

    2016-12-01

    Conflicts of interest arise when corporations marketing harmful products establish financial relationships with research institutions, researchers, or public health organizations. As obesity becomes a worldwide epidemic, such relationships threaten to jeopardize the integrity of scientific research. Latin America, a region undergoing rapid development, is particularly vulnerable to such conflicts. Here, we provide examples of how food and beverage companies are funding nutrition-focused research and institutions in Latin America, putting their credibility at risk. Public health organizations and institutions should take measures to identify, manage, and limit (or eliminate) conflicts of interest caused by partnerships with food companies making and marketing unhealthful products.

  5. Reliability of rapid reporting of cancers in New Hampshire.

    PubMed

    Celaya, Maria O; Riddle, Bruce L; Cherala, Sai S; Armenti, Karla R; Rees, Judy R

    2010-01-01

    The New Hampshire State Cancer Registry (NHSCR) has a 2-phase reporting system. An abbreviated, "rapid" report of cancer diagnosis or treatment is due to the central registry within 45 days of diagnosis and a more detailed, definitive report is due within 180 days. Rapid reports are used for various research studies, but researchers who contact patients are warned that the rapid reports may contain inaccuracies. This study aimed to assess the reliability of rapid cancer reports. For diagnosis years 2000-2004, we compared the rapid and definitive reports submitted to NHSCR. We calculated the sensitivity and positive predictive value of rapid reports; the reliability of key data items overall and for major sites; and the time between diagnosis and submission of the report. Rapid reports identified incident cancer cases with a sensitivity of 88.5%. The overall accuracy of key data items was high. The accuracy of primary sites identified by rapid reports was high generally but lower for ovarian and unknown primaries. A subset analysis showed that 47% of cancers were reported within 90 days of diagnosis. Rapid reports submitted to NHSCR are generally of high quality and present a useful opportunity for research investigations in New Hampshire.

  6. Induced Innovation and Social Inequality: Evidence from Infant Medical Care.

    PubMed

    Cutler, David M; Meara, Ellen; Richards-Shubik, Seth

    2012-01-01

    We develop a model of induced innovation that applies to medical research. Our model yields three empirical predictions. First, initial death rates and subsequent research effort should be positively correlated. Second, research effort should be associated with more rapid mortality declines. Third, as a byproduct of targeting the most common conditions in the population as a whole, induced innovation leads to growth in mortality disparities between minority and majority groups. Using information on infant deaths in the U.S. between 1983 and 1998, we find support for all three empirical predictions.

  7. NCI Blog Post: CPTAC, the Complementary Sibling of TCGA (An Interview with Dr. Henry Rodriguez about NCI’s Proteomics Program) | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

    Cancer.gov

    What is proteomics? Proteomics is a highly automated and rapid method for measuring all the proteins in a biological sample. Proteins are the molecules that actually do most of the work inside a cell. When researchers develop cancer drugs, those drugs typically target proteins, so scientists and clinicians really have to understand what the proteins are doing. Proteomics researchers are now able to measure up to 10,000 proteins per tumor sample.

  8. Indoor chemistry: research opportunities and challenges.

    PubMed

    Nazaroff, W W; Goldstein, A H

    2015-08-01

    In this editorial, we have highlighted key research opportunities and challenges in four topical themes for indoor chemistry: human occupants as agents influencing indoor chemistry; oxidative chemistry; surface phenomena; and semivolatile organic compounds. In each case, enough prior work has been done to demonstrate the importance of the theme and to create a foundation for future studies. Extensive achievements and ongoing progress in (outdoor) atmospheric chemistry—both in the analytical methods developed and in the scientific knowledge created—also contribute to a strong foundation from which to achieve rapid research progress in this exciting new domain.

  9. Research on the Direction of China's Energy Development and Coping Strategies Based on the Trend of World Energy Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Lixin; Tao, Ye; Jiang, Yan; Ma, Ju

    2018-06-01

    To realize the modernization of the national economy, it is necessary to develop energy science and technology for China,which is third largest countries in the world.The rapid development of science and technology has promoted the continuous transformation of the global energy industry. By analyzing the trend of energy development in the world today, this paper discusses the challenges that the global energy development facing and the situation and tasks faced by China's energy sustainable development, and looks forward to China's strategies to cope with the development of the world's energy.

  10. Global climate change and the mitigation challenge.

    PubMed

    Princiotta, Frank

    2009-10-01

    Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), have led to increasing atmospheric concentrations, very likely the primary cause of the 0.8 degrees C warming the Earth has experienced since the Industrial Revolution. With industrial activity and population expected to increase for the rest of the century, large increases in greenhouse gas emissions are projected, with substantial global additional warming predicted. This paper examines forces driving CO2 emissions, a concise sector-by-sector summary of mitigation options, and research and development (R&D) priorities. To constrain warming to below approximately 2.5 degrees C in 2100, the recent annual 3% CO2 emission growth rate needs to transform rapidly to an annual decrease rate of from 1 to 3% for decades. Furthermore, the current generation of energy generation and end-use technologies are capable of achieving less than half of the emission reduction needed for such a major mitigation program. New technologies will have to be developed and deployed at a rapid rate, especially for the key power generation and transportation sectors. Current energy technology research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) programs fall far short of what is required.

  11. Archaeal viruses--novel, diverse and enigmatic.

    PubMed

    Peng, Xu; Garrett, Roger A; She, QunXin

    2012-05-01

    Recent research has revealed a remarkable diversity of viruses in archaeal-rich environments where spindles, spheres, filaments and rods are common, together with other exceptional morphotypes never recorded previously. Moreover, their double-stranded DNA genomes carry very few genes exhibiting homology to those of bacterial and eukaryal viruses. Studies on viral life cycles are still at a preliminary stage but important insights are being gained especially from microarray analyses of viral transcripts for a few model virus-host systems. Recently, evidence has been presented for some exceptional archaeal-specific mechanisms for extra-cellular morphological development of virions and for their cellular extrusion. Here we summarise some of the recent developments in this rapidly developing and exciting research area.

  12. Practice and Educational Gaps in Cosmetic Dermatologic Surgery.

    PubMed

    Waldman, Abigail; Sobanko, Joseph F; Alam, Murad

    2016-07-01

    This article identifies gaps in the practice of cosmetic dermatology and cosmetics education, and how to overcome these limitations. There is a rapid development of new devices and procedures, with limited data, patient-reported outcomes, and comparative effectiveness research from which to develop best cosmetic practice. There is a need for increased research and funding dedicated to these goals, improved and convenient training for staff to adopt new devices/procedures, and continuous evolution of databases to pool outcome data and develop outcome sets. Resident education can be improved by dedicated resident cosmetic clinics, didactic teaching from visiting professors, attendance of cosmetic dermatology courses and meetings, and encouraging postresidency training. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Development and application of Human Genome Epidemiology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Jingwen

    2017-12-01

    Epidemiology is a science that studies distribution of diseases and health in population and its influencing factors, it also studies how to prevent and cure disease and promote health strategies and measures. Epidemiology has developed rapidly in recent years and it is an intercross subject with various other disciplines to form a series of branch disciplines such as Genetic epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, drug epidemiology and tumor epidemiology. With the implementation and completion of Human Genome Project (HGP), Human Genome Epidemiology (HuGE) has emerged at this historic moment. In this review, the development of Human Genome Epidemiology, research content, the construction and structure of relevant network, research standards, as well as the existing results and problems are briefly outlined.

  14. Analysis of the frontier technology of agricultural IoT and its predication research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Shuqing; Zhang, Jianhua; Zhu, Mengshuai; Wu, Jianzhai; Shen, Chen; Kong, Fantao

    2017-09-01

    Agricultural IoT (Internet of Things) develops rapidly. Nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology are successfully integrated into the agricultural sensor technology. Big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology have also been successfully used in IoT. This paper carries out the research on integration of agricultural sensor technology, nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology and the application of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology in agricultural IoT. The advantages and development of the integration of nanotechnology, biotechnology and optoelectronic technology with agricultural sensor technology were discussed. The application of big data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology in IoT and their development trend were analysed.

  15. Linking Research, Education and Public Engagement in Geoscience: Leadership and Strategic Partnerships.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moosavi, S. C.

    2017-12-01

    By their very nature, the geosciences address societal challenges requiring a complex interplay between the research community, geoscience educators and public engagement with the general population to build their knowledge base and convince them to act appropriately to implement policies guided by scientific understanding. The most effective responses to geoscience challenges arise when strong collaborative structures connecting research, education and the public are in place to afford rapid communication and trust at all stages of the investigative and policy implementation processes. Educational programs that involve students and scientists via service learning exploring high profile issues of community interest and outreach to teachers through professional development build the network of relationships with geoscientists to respond rapidly to solve societal problems. These pre-existing personal connections simultaneously hold wider credibility with the public than unfamiliar scientific experts less accustomed to speaking to general audiences. The Geological Society of America is leveraging the research and educational experience of its members to build a self-sustaining state/regional network of K-12 professional development workshops designed to link the academic, research, governmental and industrial communities. The goal is not only to improve the content knowledge and pedagogical skills which teachers bring to their students, but also to build a diverse community of trust capable of responding to geoscience challenges in a fashion relevant to local communities. Dr. Moosavi is building this program by drawing on his background as a biogeochemistry researcher with 20 years experience focused on use of place-based approaches in general education and pre- and in-service teacher preparation in Research 1 and comprehensive universities, liberal arts and community colleges and high school. Experience with K-12 professional development working with the Minnesota Mineral Education Workshop and an undergraduate service learning research program related to beach erosion and the BP Oil Spill on Grand Isle, Louisiana are of particular value to this effort.

  16. The development of self-regulation across early childhood.

    PubMed

    Montroy, Janelle J; Bowles, Ryan P; Skibbe, Lori E; McClelland, Megan M; Morrison, Frederick J

    2016-11-01

    The development of early childhood self-regulation is often considered an early life marker for later life successes. Yet little longitudinal research has evaluated whether there are different trajectories of self-regulation development across children. This study investigates the development of behavioral self-regulation between the ages of 3 and 7 years, with a direct focus on possible heterogeneity in the developmental trajectories, and a set of potential indicators that distinguish unique behavioral self-regulation trajectories. Across 3 diverse samples, 1,386 children were assessed on behavioral self-regulation from preschool through first grade. Results indicated that majority of children develop self-regulation rapidly during early childhood, and that children follow 3 distinct developmental patterns of growth. These 3 trajectories were distinguishable based on timing of rapid gains, as well as child gender, early language skills, and maternal education levels. Findings highlight early developmental differences in how self-regulation unfolds, with implications for offering individualized support across children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. An important role of the moisture supply from the Kuroshio Current/Kuroshio Extension in the rapid development of an explosive cyclone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirata, H.; Kawamura, R.; Kato, M.; Shinoda, T.

    2014-12-01

    We investigated how the moisture supply from the Kuroshio Current/Kuroshio Extension affects the rapid intensification of an explosive cyclone using a couple atmosphere-ocean non-hydrostatic model, CReSS-NHOES. The Cloud-Resolving Storm Simulator (CReSS) and the Non-Hydrostatic Ocean model for the Earth Simulator (NHOES) have been developed by the Hydrospheric Atmospheric Research Center of Nagoya University and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, respectively. We performed a numerical simulation of an extratropical cyclone migrating along the southern periphery of the Kuroshio Current on January 14, 2013, that developed most rapidly in recent years in the vicinity of Japan. The evolutions of surface fronts related to the cyclone simulated by the CReSS-NHOES closely resemble Shapiro-Keyser model. In the lower troposphere, the cyclone's bent-back front and the associated frontal T-bone structure become evident with the cyclone development. Cold Conveyor Belt (CCB) is also well organized over the northern part of the cyclone. During its developing stage, since the CCB dominates just over the Kuroshio Current/Kuroshio Extension, a large amount of moisture is efficiently supplied from the warm current into the CCB. The vapor evaporated from the underlying warm current is transported into the bent-back front by the CCB and converges horizontally in the vicinity of the front. As a result, strong diabatic heating arises over the corresponding moisture convergence area in that vicinity, indicating that the abundant moisture due to the warm current plays a vital role in rapid development of the cyclone through latent heat release processes. Both processes of the moisture transport from the warm current into the cyclone system via the CCB and of the latent heat release around the bent-back front are also confirmed by trajectory analyses. The rapid SLP decrease of the cyclone center can in turn increase the moisture supply from the warm current through enhancement of the CCB. We anticipate that such a feedback process plays a key role in the rapid intensification of the cyclone highlighted in this study.

  18. Neurotech for Neuroscience: Unifying Concepts, Organizing Principles, and Emerging Tools

    PubMed Central

    Silver, Rae; Boahen, Kwabena; Grillner, Sten; Kopell, Nancy; Olsen, Kathie L.

    2012-01-01

    The ability to tackle analysis of the brain at multiple levels simultaneously is emerging from rapid methodological developments. The classical research strategies of “measure,” “model,” and “make” are being applied to the exploration of nervous system function. These include novel conceptual and theoretical approaches, creative use of mathematical modeling, and attempts to build brain-like devices and systems, as well as other developments including instrumentation and statistical modeling (not covered here). Increasingly, these efforts require teams of scientists from a variety of traditional scientific disciplines to work together. The potential of such efforts for understanding directed motor movement, emergence of cognitive function from neuronal activity, and development of neuromimetic computers are described by a team that includes individuals experienced in behavior and neuroscience, mathematics, and engineering. Funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, explore the potential of these changing frontiers of research for developing research policies and long-term planning. PMID:17978017

  19. Building Capacity to Use Earth Observations in Decision Making: A Case Study of NASA's DEVELOP National Program Methods and Best Practices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ross, K. W.; Crepps, G.; Miller, T. N.; Favors, J. E.; Rogers, L.; Allsbrook, K. N.; Bender, M. R.; Ruiz, M. L.

    2015-12-01

    NASA's DEVELOP National Program fosters an immersive research environment for dual capacity building. Through rapid feasibility Earth science projects, the future workforce and current decision makers are engaged in research projects to build skills and capabilities to use Earth observation in environmental management and policy making. DEVELOP conducts over 80 projects annually, successfully building skills through partnerships with over 150 organizations and providing over 350 opportunities for project participants each year. Filling a void between short-term training courses and long-term research projects, the DEVELOP model has been successful in supporting state, local, federal and international government organizations to adopt methodologies and enhance decision making processes. This presentation will highlight programmatic best practices, feedback from participants and partner organizations, and three sample case studies of successful adoption of methods in the decision making process.

  20. Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft, (LCRRS): A Research Project in Low Cost Spacecraft Design and Fabrication in a Rapid Prototyping Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spremo, Stevan; Bregman, Jesse; Dallara, Christopher D.; Ghassemieh, Shakib M.; Hanratty, James; Jackson, Evan; Kitts, Christopher; Klupar, Pete; Lindsay, Michael; Ignacio, Mas; hide

    2009-01-01

    The Low Cost Rapid Response Spacecraft (LCRRS) is an ongoing research development project at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Moffett Field, California. The prototype spacecraft, called Cost Optimized Test for Spacecraft Avionics and Technologies (COTSAT) is the first of what could potentially be a series of rapidly produced low-cost satellites. COTSAT has a target launch date of March 2009 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The LCRRS research system design incorporates use of COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf), MOTS (Modified Off The Shelf), and GOTS (Government Off The Shelf) hardware for a remote sensing satellite. The design concept was baselined to support a 0.5 meter Ritchey-Chretien telescope payload. This telescope and camera system is expected to achieve 1.5 meter/pixel resolution. The COTSAT team is investigating the possibility of building a fully functional spacecraft for $500,000 parts and $2,000,000 labor. Cost is dramatically reduced by using a sealed container, housing the bus and payload subsystems. Some electrical and RF designs were improved/upgraded from GeneSat-1 heritage systems. The project began in January 2007 and has yielded two functional test platforms. It is expected that a flight-qualified unit will be finished in December 2008. Flight quality controls are in place on the parts and materials used in this development with the aim of using them to finish a proto-flight satellite. For LEO missions the team is targeting a mission class requiring a minimum of six months lifetime or more. The system architecture incorporates several design features required by high reliability missions. This allows for a true skunk works environment to rapidly progress toward a flight design. Engineering and fabrication is primarily done in-house at NASA Ames with flight certifications on materials. The team currently employs seven Full Time Equivalent employees. The success of COTSATs small team in this effort can be attributed to highly cross trained engineering team. The engineers on the team are capable of functioning in two to three engineering disciplines which allows highly efficient interdisciplinary engineering collaboration. NASA Ames is actively proposing mission concepts to use the COTSAT platform to accomplish science. If the COTSAT team validates this approach, it will allow the possibility for remote sensing missions to produce a high science yield for minimal cost and reduced schedule. Another aim of this approach is to yield an accelerated pathway from a Phase A study to mission launch. Leaders in the aerospace industry have shown interest in this methodology. Several visits and tours have been given in the lab. Although the concept of low-cost development is initially met with skepticism from some within the prohibitive aerospace industry, the project's efforts have been highly praised for the accomplishments met within a limited time and budget. Overall the development has progressed tremendously well and the team is answering critical questions for current and future low-cost small satellite developments. COTSAT subsystems are not limited to a specific weight class and could be adapted to produce smaller platforms and to fit various launch vehicles.

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