Dynamical properties of total intensity fluctuation spectrum in two-mode Nd:YVO4 microchip laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Shao-Hui; Shu-Lian, Zhang; Tan, Yi-Dong; Sun, Li-Qun

2015-12-01

We investigate the total intensity fluctuation spectrum of the two-longitudinal- mode Nd:YVO4 microchip laser (ML). We find that low-frequency relaxation oscillation (RO) peaks still appear in the total intensity fluctuation spectrum, which is different from a previous research result that the low-frequency RO peaks exist in the spectrum of the individual mode but compensate for each other totally in the total intensity fluctuation spectrum. Taking the spatial hole-burning effect into account, one and two-mode rate equations for Nd:YVO4 ML laser are established and studied. Based on the theoretical model, we find that when the gains and losses for two longitudinal models are different, a low-frequency RO peak will appear in the total intensity fluctuation spectrum, while when they share the same gain and loss, the total spectrum will behave like that of a single mode laser. Theoretical simulation results coincide with experimental results very well. Project supported by the Beijing Higher Education Young Elite Teacher Project, China (Grant No. YETP0086), the Tsinghua University Initiative Scientific Research Programme, China (Grant No. 2012Z02166), and the Special-funded Programme on National Key Scientific Instruments and Equipment Development of China (Grant No. 2011YQ04013603).

Public health research systems in the European union

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Strengthening health research is an important objective for international health organisations, but there has been less attention to support for health research in Europe. We describe the public-health (population and organisational level) research systems in the 27 European Union countries. Methods We developed a typology for describing health research structures based on funding streams and strategies. We drew data from internet sources and asked country informants to review these for consistency and completeness. The structures were described as organograms and narratives in country profiles for each of the 27 EU member states. National public-health research structures included public and independent funding organisations, 'mixed' institutions (which receive funds, and both use and allocate them) and provider institutions. Results Most health research is funded through ministries of science or science councils (and sometimes foundations), while parliaments and regions may also contribute. National institutes of public health are usually funded by ministries of health. Many national research organisations both determine research programmes and undertake health research, but there is a move towards public-health sciences within the universities, and a transition from internal grants to competitive funding. Of 27 national research strategies, 17 referred to health and 11 to public health themes. Although all countries had strategies for public health itself, we found little coherence in public-health research programmes. The European Commission has country contact points for both EU research and health programmes, but they do not coordinate with national health-research programmes. Conclusions Public-health research is broadly distributed across programmes in EU countries. Better understanding of research structures, programmes and results would improve recognition for public health in Europe, and contribute to practice. EU ministries of health should give greater attention to national public-health research strategies and programmes, and the European Union and the World Health Organisation can provide coordination and support. PMID:21970897

Two faces of patient advocacy: the current controversy in newborn screening.

PubMed

Arnold, Cosby G

2014-08-01

Newborn screening programmes began in the 1960s, have traditionally been conducted without parental permission and have grown dramatically in the last decade. Whether these programmes serve patients' best interests has recently become a point of controversy. Privacy advocates, concerned that newborn screening infringes upon individual liberties, are demanding fundamental changes to these programmes. These include parental permission and limiting the research on the blood samples obtained, an agenda at odds with the viewpoints of newborn screening advocates. This essay presents the history of newborn screening in the USA, with attention to factors that have contributed to concerns about these programmes. The essay suggests that the rapid increase in the number of disorders screened for and the addition of research without either public knowledge or informed consent were critical to the development of resistance to mandatory newborn screening and research. Future newborn screening initiatives should include public education and comment to ensure continued support. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Association between home visiting interventions and First Nations families' health and social outcomes in Manitoba, Canada: protocol for a study of linked population-based administrative data.

PubMed

Brownell, Marni D; Nickel, Nathan C; Enns, Jennifer E; Chartier, Mariette; Campbell, Rhonda; Phillips-Beck, Wanda; Chateau, Dan; Burland, Elaine; Santos, Rob; Katz, Alan

2017-10-10

First Nations people are descendants of Canada's original inhabitants. In consequence of historical and ongoing structural injustices, many First Nations families struggle with challenging living conditions, including high rates of poverty, poor housing conditions, mental illness and social isolation. These risk factors impede caregivers' abilities to meet their children's basic physical and psychosocial needs. Home visiting programmes were developed to support child developmental health in families facing parenting challenges. However, whether home visiting is an effective intervention for First Nations families has not been examined. We are evaluating two home visiting programmes in Manitoba, Canada, to determine whether they promote nurturing family environments for First Nations children. This research builds on new and established relationships among academic researchers, government decision-makers and First Nations stakeholders. We will link health, education and social services data from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository to data from two home visiting programmes in Manitoba. Logistic regression modelling will be used to assess whether programme participation is associated with improved child developmental health, better connections between families and social services, reduced instances of child maltreatment and being taken into out-of-home care by child welfare and reduced inequities for First Nations families. Non-participating individuals with similar sociodemographic characteristics will serve as comparators. We will use an interrupted time series approach to test for differences in outcomes before and after programme implementation and a propensity score analysis to compare differences between participants and non-participants. Approvals were granted by the Health Information Research Governance Committee of the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board. Our integrated knowledge translation approach will involve disseminating findings through government and community briefings, developing lay summaries and infographics, presenting at academic conferences and publishing in scientific journals. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Supporting Policy In health with Research: an Intervention Trial (SPIRIT)—protocol for a stepped wedge trial

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Introduction Governments in different countries have committed to better use of evidence from research in policy. Although many programmes are directed at assisting agencies to better use research, there have been few tests of the effectiveness of such programmes. This paper describes the protocol for SPIRIT (Supporting Policy In health with Research: an Intervention Trial), a trial designed to test the effectiveness of a multifaceted programme to build organisational capacity for the use of research evidence in policy and programme development. The primary aim is to determine whether SPIRIT results in an increase in the extent to which research and research expertise is sought, appraised, generated and used in the development of specific policy products produced by health policy agencies. Methods and analysis A stepped wedge cluster randomised trial involving six health policy agencies located in Sydney, Australia. Policy agencies are the unit of randomisation and intervention. Agencies were randomly allocated to one of three start dates (steps) to receive the 1-year intervention programme, underpinned by an action framework. The SPIRIT intervention is tailored to suit the interests and needs of each agency and includes audit, feedback and goal setting; a leadership programme; staff training; the opportunity to test systems to assist in the use of research in policies; and exchange with researchers. Outcome measures will be collected at each agency every 6 months for 30 months (starting at the beginning of step 1). Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was granted by the University of Western Sydney Human Research and Ethics Committee HREC Approval H8855. The findings of this study will be disseminated broadly through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences and used to inform future strategies. PMID:24989620

The role of the third world academy of sciences (TWAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, M. H. A.

The Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1983 and officially launched by the former Secretary General of the United Nations in 1985. TWAS has united the most eminent scientists from the South. It currently has 350 members from 55 developing countries, including the 9 living Nobel Laureates of Third World origin. The main mission of TWAS is to promote scientific excellence for sustainable development in the South. In 1988, TWAS facilitated the establishment of the Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO), a non-governmental alliance of over 133 scientific organizations, including 27 Ministries of Science and Technology and Higher Education, 42 Research Councils and 36 Academies from 70 Third World countries. TWNSO's mission is to assist in building political and scientific leadership for science- based economic development in the South and in promoting broad-based South-South and South-North partnerships in areas of science and technology critical to sustainable development. TWAS and TWNSO have established a number of programmes that can benefit scientists in developing countries conducting ground-based experiments for the utilization of global satellite data. These programmes include the awarding of research grants to promising space scientists to enable them to purchase equipment and spare parts needed for their experimental work, and the awarding of fellowships to space scientists in the South for research and training in other space research institutions in the South. In addition, TWNSO has recently launched a major South-South collaboration programme which will provide competitive research grants to joint research projects (including those related to the utilization of global satellite data) involving 2-3 competent institutions from different countries in the South.

Bosonized Supersymmetric Sawada-Kotera Equations: Symmetries and Exact Solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ping; Zeng, Bao-Qing; Liu, Li-Ming

2015-04-01

The Bosonized Supersymmetric Sawada-Kotera (BSSK) system is constructed by applying bosonization method to a Supersymmetric Sawada-Kotera system in this paper. The symmetries on the BSSK equations are researched and the calculation shows that the BSSK equations are invariant under the scaling transformations, the space-time translations and Galilean boosts. The one-parameter invariant subgroups and the corresponding invariant solutions are researched for the BSSK equations. Four types of reduction equations and similarity solutions are proposed. Period Cnoidal wave solutions, dark solitary wave solutions and bright solitary wave solutions of the BSSK equations are demonstrated and some evolution curves of the exact solutions are figured out. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 11305031, the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province under Grant No. S2013010011546, the Science and Technology Project Foundation of Zhongshan under Grant Nos. 2013A3FC0264 and 2013A3FC0334, and Training Programme Foundation for Outstanding Young Teachers in Higher Education Institutions of Guangdong Province under Grant No. Yq2013205

Super-cooled liquid water topped sub-arctic clouds and precipitation - investigation based on combination of ground-based in-situ and remote-sensing observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirsikko, Anne; Brus, David; O'Connor, Ewan J.; Filioglou, Maria; Komppula, Mika; Romakkaniemi, Sami

2017-04-01

In the high and mid latitudes super-cooled liquid water layers are frequently observed on top of clouds. These layers are difficult to forecast with numerical weather prediction models, even though, they have strong influence on atmospheric radiative properties, cloud microphysical properties, and subsequently, precipitation. This work investigates properties of super-cooled liquid water layer topped sub-arctic clouds and precipitation observed with ground-based in-situ (cloud probes) and remote-sensing (a cloud radar, Doppler and multi-wavelength lidars) instrumentation during two-month long Pallas Cloud Experiment (PaCE 2015) in autumn 2015. Analysis is based on standard Cloudnet scheme supplemented with new retrieval products of the specific clouds and their properties. Combination of two scales of observation provides new information on properties of clouds and precipitation in the sub-arctic Pallas region. Current status of results will be presented during the conference. The authors acknowledge financial support by the Academy of Finland (Centre of Excellence Programme, grant no 272041; and ICINA project, grant no 285068), the ACTRIS2 - European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654109, the KONE foundation, and the EU FP7 project BACCHUS (grant no 603445).

Bioethics training programmes for Africa: evaluating professional and bioethics-related achievements of African trainees after a decade of Fogarty NIH investment

PubMed Central

Kass, Nancy E; Ali, Joseph; Hallez, Kristina

2016-01-01

Objectives Our primary aim was to evaluate the impact of US National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded bioethics training programmes (Fogarty bioethics training programmes, FBTPs) that trained individuals from Africa over the programme's first 10 years to examine changes between pretraining and post-training in individual achievement and to document any associations between individual, training programme and post-training accomplishments. Design We surveyed trainees from the 10 bioethics programmes funded by NIH Fogarty International Center from 2000 to 2011 that included African trainees. McNemar's and Wilcoxon signed rank-sum tests were used to analyse pre–post levels of general and bioethics-related professional achievement. Likelihood of specific post-training achievement outcomes was measured using logistic regression including demographic, pretraining and intratraining variables. Setting 10 different FBTPs that trained individuals from Africa from 2000 to 2011. Participants Of 253 eligible respondents, 171 completed the survey (response rate 67.6%). Primary outcome measures Pre–post comparisons of professional achievement indicators (eg, serving in leadership roles, teaching, publishing manuscripts); likelihood of specific post-training achievement outcomes. Results Post-training, respondents were significantly more likely to report serving in a leadership role, being an investigator on a research grant, serving on international committees, serving as a mentor, and publishing manuscripts than at pretraining. Post-training, significantly greater numbers of respondents reported bioethics-related achievements including being a bioethics instructor, serving on an Institutional Review Board (IRB), being an investigator on a bioethics grant and publishing bioethics-related manuscripts than pretraining. Controlling for other factors, there were no significant differences by gender in the post-training success of these participants in terms of leadership roles, being instructors, investigators on grants and holding IRB roles. Conclusions African trainees who participated in FBTPs reported significantly higher levels of professional achievement after training. There was no single factor—either demographic, related to a trainee's professional background, or in programme design—that consistently predicted greater levels of post-training achievement. PMID:27633644

[Memorandum prevention research - research areas and methods].

PubMed

Walter, U; Nöcker, G; Plaumann, M; Linden, S; Pott, E; Koch, U; Pawils, S; Altgeld, T; Dierks, M L; Frahsa, A; Jahn, I; Krauth, C; Pomp, M; Rehaag, R; Robra, B P; Süß, W; Töppich, J; Trojan, A; von Unger, H; Wildner, M; Wright, M

2012-10-01

From 2004 to 2012, the German Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) established its first funding programme for the promotion of prevention research. 60 projects on primary prevention and health promotion and the meta-project entitled "Cooperation for Sustainable Prevention Research" (KNP) received BMBF grants under this programme during this period. The experience and knowledge gained and recommendations arising from the research funded under this programme are compiled in memorandum format. The "Memorandum on Prevention Research - Research Areas and Methods" highlights 5 research areas that are considered to be especially relevant from the perspective of the involved scientists and practice partners.The promotion of structural development and sustainability enhancement in disease prevention and health promotion are central areas that should branch out from existing nuclei of crystallization. Improving the health competence of the population and of specific subpopulations is another major area. Research in these areas should contribute to the development of theoretical concepts and to the empirical testing of these concepts. The transfer of knowledge for effective use of developed disease prevention and health promotion programmes and measures is still a scarcely researched area. Among other things, studies of the transfer of programmes from one context to another, analyses of the coop-eration between politics and science, and the continued theoretical and conceptual development of transfer research are needed. Long-term data on the effects of intervention studies are also needed for proper evaluation of sustainability. The latter dem-onstrates the importance of method development in disease prevention and health promotion research as an area that should receive separate funding and support. This research should include, in particular, studies of the efficacy of complex interventions, health economic analyses, and participative health research. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

A cluster-randomised controlled trial integrating a community-based water, sanitation and hygiene programme, with mass distribution of albendazole to reduce intestinal parasites in Timor-Leste: the WASH for WORMS research protocol.

PubMed

Nery, Susana Vaz; McCarthy, James S; Traub, Rebecca; Andrews, Ross M; Black, Jim; Gray, Darren; Weking, Edmund; Atkinson, Jo-An; Campbell, Suzy; Francis, Naomi; Vallely, Andrew; Williams, Gail; Clements, Archie

2015-12-30

There is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits of community-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes on infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and intestinal protozoa. Our study aims to contribute to that evidence base by investigating the effectiveness of combining two complementary approaches for control of STH: periodic mass administration of albendazole, and delivery of a community-based WASH programme. WASH for WORMS is a cluster-randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a community-based WASH intervention integrated with periodic mass distribution of albendazole will be more effective in reducing infections with STH and protozoa than mass deworming alone. All 18 participating rural communities in Timor-Leste receive mass chemotherapy every 6 months. Half the communities also receive the community-based WASH programme. Primary outcomes are the cumulative incidence of infection with STH. Secondary outcomes include the prevalence of protozoa; intensity of infection with STH; as well as morbidity indicators (anaemia, stunting and wasting). Each of the trial outcomes will be compared between control and intervention communities. End points will be measured 2 years after the first albendazole distribution; and midpoints are measured at 6 months intervals (12 months for haemoglobin and anthropometric indexes). Mixed-methods research will also be conducted in order to identify barriers and enablers associated with the acceptability and uptake of the WASH programme. Ethics approval was obtained from the human ethics committees at the University of Queensland, Australian National University, Timorese Ministry of Health, and University of Melbourne. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals presented at national and international conferences, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders in health and WASH programmes. This study is funded by a Partnership for Better Health--Project grant from the National Health and Research Council (NHMRC), Australia. ACTRN12614000680662; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Tracking the career development of scientists in low- and middle-income countries trained through TDR's research capacity strengthening programmes: Learning from monitoring and impact evaluation.

PubMed

Halpaap, Béatrice; Vahedi, Mahnaz; Certain, Edith; Alvarado, Tini; Saint Martin, Caroline; Merle, Corinne; Mihut, Michael; Launois, Pascal

2017-12-01

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO has been supporting research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for over 40 years. In order to assess and continuously optimize its capacity strengthening approaches, an evaluation of the influence of TDR training grants on research career development was undertaken. The assessment was part of a larger evaluation conducted by the European Science Foundation. A comprehensive survey questionnaire was developed and sent to a group of 117 trainees supported by TDR who had completed their degree (masters or PhD) between 2000 and 2012; of these, seventy seven (77) responded. Most of the respondents (80%) rated TDR support as a very important factor that influenced their professional career achievements. The "brain drain" phenomenon towards high-income countries was particularly low amongst TDR grantees: the rate of return to their region of origin upon completion of their degree was 96%. A vast majority of respondents are still working in research (89%), with 81% of respondents having participated in multidisciplinary research activities; women engaged in multidisciplinary collaboration to a higher extent than men. However, only a minority of all have engaged in intersectoral collaboration, an aspect that would require further study. The post-degree career choices made by the respondents were strongly influenced by academic considerations. At the time of the survey, 92% of all respondents hold full-time positions, mainly in the public sector. Almost 25% of the respondents reported that they had influenced policy and practice changes. Some of the challenges and opportunities faced by trainees at various stages of their research career have been identified. Modalities to overcome these will require further investigation. The survey evidenced how TDR's research capacity grant programmes made a difference on researchers' career development and on south-south collaborations, by strengthening and localizing research capacity in lower income regions, and also showed there is more that needs to be done. The factors involved, challenges and lessons learnt may help donors and policy makers improve their future interventions with regard to designing capacity strengthening programmes and setting funding priorities.

DNA barcoding in diverse educational settings: five case studies

PubMed Central

Imondi, Ralph; James, Karen; Spencer, Diana; Steinke, Dirk

2016-01-01

Despite 250 years of modern taxonomy, there remains a large biodiversity knowledge gap. Most species remain unknown to science. DNA barcoding can help address this gap and has been used in a variety of educational contexts to incorporate original research into school curricula and informal education programmes. A growing body of evidence suggests that actively conducting research increases student engagement and retention in science. We describe case studies in five different educational settings in Canada and the USA: a programme for primary and secondary school students (ages 5–18), a year-long professional development programme for secondary school teachers, projects embedding this research into courses in a post-secondary 2-year institution and a degree-granting university, and a citizen science project. We argue that these projects are successful because the scientific content is authentic and compelling, DNA barcoding is conceptually and technically straightforward, the workflow is adaptable to a variety of situations, and online tools exist that allow participants to contribute high-quality data to the international research effort. Evidence of success includes the broad adoption of these programmes and assessment results demonstrating that participants are gaining both knowledge and confidence. There are exciting opportunities for coordination among educational projects in the future. This article is part of the themed issue ‘From DNA barcodes to biomes’. PMID:27481792

DNA barcoding in diverse educational settings: five case studies.

PubMed

Henter, Heather J; Imondi, Ralph; James, Karen; Spencer, Diana; Steinke, Dirk

2016-09-05

Despite 250 years of modern taxonomy, there remains a large biodiversity knowledge gap. Most species remain unknown to science. DNA barcoding can help address this gap and has been used in a variety of educational contexts to incorporate original research into school curricula and informal education programmes. A growing body of evidence suggests that actively conducting research increases student engagement and retention in science. We describe case studies in five different educational settings in Canada and the USA: a programme for primary and secondary school students (ages 5-18), a year-long professional development programme for secondary school teachers, projects embedding this research into courses in a post-secondary 2-year institution and a degree-granting university, and a citizen science project. We argue that these projects are successful because the scientific content is authentic and compelling, DNA barcoding is conceptually and technically straightforward, the workflow is adaptable to a variety of situations, and online tools exist that allow participants to contribute high-quality data to the international research effort. Evidence of success includes the broad adoption of these programmes and assessment results demonstrating that participants are gaining both knowledge and confidence. There are exciting opportunities for coordination among educational projects in the future.This article is part of the themed issue 'From DNA barcodes to biomes'. © 2016 The Authors.

The impact of the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme, 2003-13: a multimethod evaluation.

PubMed

Guthrie, Susan; Bienkowska-Gibbs, Teresa; Manville, Catriona; Pollitt, Alexandra; Kirtley, Anne; Wooding, Steven

2015-08-01

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme supports research tailored to the needs of NHS decision-makers, patients and clinicians. This study reviewed the impact of the programme, from 2003 to 2013, on health, clinical practice, health policy, the economy and academia. It also considered how HTA could maintain and increase its impact. Interviews (n = 20): senior stakeholders from academia, policy-making organisations and the HTA programme. Bibliometric analysis: citation analysis of publications arising from HTA programme-funded research. Researchfish survey: electronic survey of all HTA grant holders. Payback case studies (n = 12): in-depth case studies of HTA programme-funded research. We make the following observations about the impact, and routes to impact, of the HTA programme: it has had an impact on patients, primarily through changes in guidelines, but also directly (e.g. changing clinical practice); it has had an impact on UK health policy, through providing high-quality scientific evidence - its close relationships with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the National Screening Committee (NSC) contributed to the observed impact on health policy, although in some instances other organisations may better facilitate impact; HTA research is used outside the UK by other HTA organisations and systematic reviewers - the programme has an impact on HTA practice internationally as a leader in HTA research methods and the funding of HTA research; the work of the programme is of high academic quality - the Health Technology Assessment journal ensures that the vast majority of HTA programme-funded research is published in full, while the HTA programme still encourages publication in other peer-reviewed journals; academics agree that the programme has played an important role in building and retaining HTA research capacity in the UK; the HTA programme has played a role in increasing the focus on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in medicine - it has also contributed to increasingly positive attitudes towards HTA research both within the research community and the NHS; and the HTA focuses resources on research that is of value to patients and the UK NHS, which would not otherwise be funded (e.g. where there is no commercial incentive to undertake research). The programme should consider the following to maintain and increase its impact: providing targeted support for dissemination, focusing resources when important results are unlikely to be implemented by other stakeholders, particularly when findings challenge vested interests; maintaining close relationships with NICE and the NSC, but also considering other potential users of HTA research; maintaining flexibility and good relationships with researchers, giving particular consideration to the Technology Assessment Report (TAR) programme and the potential for learning between TAR centres; maintaining the academic quality of the work and the focus on NHS need; considering funding research on the short-term costs of the implementation of new health technologies; improving the monitoring and evaluation of whether or not patient and public involvement influences research; improve the transparency of the priority-setting process; and continuing to monitor the impact and value of the programme to inform its future scientific and administrative development.

Operational research within a Global Fund supported tuberculosis project in India: why, how and its contribution towards change in policy and practice

PubMed Central

Sagili, Karuna D; Satyanarayana, Srinath; Chadha, Sarabjit S; Wilson, Nevin C; Kumar, Ajay M V; Oeltmann, John E; Chadha, Vineet K; Nagaraja, Sharath Burugina; Ghosh, Smita; Q Lo, Terrence; Volkmann, Tyson; Willis, Matthew; Shringarpure, Kalpita; Reddy, Ravichandra Chinnappa; Kumar, Prahlad; Nair, Sreenivas A; Rao, Raghuram; Yassin, Mohammed; Mwangala, Perry; Zachariah, Rony; Tonsing, Jamhoih; Harries, Anthony D; Khaparde, Sunil

2018-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The Global Fund encourages operational research (OR) in all its grants; however very few reports describe this aspect. In India, Project Axshya was supported by a Global Fund grant to improve the reach and visibility of the government Tuberculosis (TB) services among marginalised and vulnerable communities. OR was incorporated to build research capacity of professionals working with the national TB programme and to generate evidence to inform policies and practices. Objectives: To describe how Project Axshya facilitated building OR capacity within the country, helped in addressing several TB control priority research questions, documented project activities and their outcomes, and influenced policy and practice. Methods: From September 2010 to September 2016, three key OR-related activities were implemented. First, practical output-oriented modular training courses were conducted (n = 3) to build research capacity of personnel involved in the TB programme, co-facilitated by The Union, in collaboration with the national TB programme, WHO country office and CDC, Atlanta. Second, two large-scale Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys were conducted at baseline and mid-project to assess the changes pertaining to TB knowledge, attitudes and practices among the general population, TB patients and health care providers over the project period. Third, studies were conducted to describe the project’s core activities and outcomes. Results: In the training courses, 44 participant teams were supported to develop research protocols on topics of national priority, resulting in 28 peer-reviewed scientific publications. The KAP surveys and description of project activities resulted in 14 peer-reviewed publications. Of the published papers at least 12 have influenced change in policy or practice. Conclusions: OR within a Global Fund supported TB project has resulted in building OR capacity, facilitating research in areas of national priority and influencing policy and practice. We believe this experience will provide guidance for undertaking OR in Global Fund projects. PMID:29553308

Operational research within a Global Fund supported tuberculosis project in India: why, how and its contribution towards change in policy and practice.

PubMed

Sagili, Karuna D; Satyanarayana, Srinath; Chadha, Sarabjit S; Wilson, Nevin C; Kumar, Ajay M V; Moonan, Patrick K; Oeltmann, John E; Chadha, Vineet K; Nagaraja, Sharath Burugina; Ghosh, Smita; Q Lo, Terrence; Volkmann, Tyson; Willis, Matthew; Shringarpure, Kalpita; Reddy, Ravichandra Chinnappa; Kumar, Prahlad; Nair, Sreenivas A; Rao, Raghuram; Yassin, Mohammed; Mwangala, Perry; Zachariah, Rony; Tonsing, Jamhoih; Harries, Anthony D; Khaparde, Sunil

2018-01-01

The Global Fund encourages operational research (OR) in all its grants; however very few reports describe this aspect. In India, Project Axshya was supported by a Global Fund grant to improve the reach and visibility of the government Tuberculosis (TB) services among marginalised and vulnerable communities. OR was incorporated to build research capacity of professionals working with the national TB programme and to generate evidence to inform policies and practices. To describe how Project Axshya facilitated building OR capacity within the country, helped in addressing several TB control priority research questions, documented project activities and their outcomes, and influenced policy and practice. From September 2010 to September 2016, three key OR-related activities were implemented. First, practical output-oriented modular training courses were conducted (n = 3) to build research capacity of personnel involved in the TB programme, co-facilitated by The Union, in collaboration with the national TB programme, WHO country office and CDC, Atlanta. Second, two large-scale Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) surveys were conducted at baseline and mid-project to assess the changes pertaining to TB knowledge, attitudes and practices among the general population, TB patients and health care providers over the project period. Third, studies were conducted to describe the project's core activities and outcomes. In the training courses, 44 participant teams were supported to develop research protocols on topics of national priority, resulting in 28 peer-reviewed scientific publications. The KAP surveys and description of project activities resulted in 14 peer-reviewed publications. Of the published papers at least 12 have influenced change in policy or practice. OR within a Global Fund supported TB project has resulted in building OR capacity, facilitating research in areas of national priority and influencing policy and practice. We believe this experience will provide guidance for undertaking OR in Global Fund projects.

Tracking the career development of scientists in low- and middle-income countries trained through TDR’s research capacity strengthening programmes: Learning from monitoring and impact evaluation

PubMed Central

Halpaap, Béatrice; Vahedi, Mahnaz; Certain, Edith; Alvarado, Tini; Saint Martin, Caroline; Merle, Corinne; Mihut, Michael

2017-01-01

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) co-sponsored by UNICEF, UNDP, World Bank and WHO has been supporting research capacity strengthening in low- and middle-income countries for over 40 years. In order to assess and continuously optimize its capacity strengthening approaches, an evaluation of the influence of TDR training grants on research career development was undertaken. The assessment was part of a larger evaluation conducted by the European Science Foundation. A comprehensive survey questionnaire was developed and sent to a group of 117 trainees supported by TDR who had completed their degree (masters or PhD) between 2000 and 2012; of these, seventy seven (77) responded. Most of the respondents (80%) rated TDR support as a very important factor that influenced their professional career achievements. The “brain drain” phenomenon towards high-income countries was particularly low amongst TDR grantees: the rate of return to their region of origin upon completion of their degree was 96%. A vast majority of respondents are still working in research (89%), with 81% of respondents having participated in multidisciplinary research activities; women engaged in multidisciplinary collaboration to a higher extent than men. However, only a minority of all have engaged in intersectoral collaboration, an aspect that would require further study. The post-degree career choices made by the respondents were strongly influenced by academic considerations. At the time of the survey, 92% of all respondents hold full-time positions, mainly in the public sector. Almost 25% of the respondents reported that they had influenced policy and practice changes. Some of the challenges and opportunities faced by trainees at various stages of their research career have been identified. Modalities to overcome these will require further investigation. The survey evidenced how TDR’s research capacity grant programmes made a difference on researchers’ career development and on south-south collaborations, by strengthening and localizing research capacity in lower income regions, and also showed there is more that needs to be done. The factors involved, challenges and lessons learnt may help donors and policy makers improve their future interventions with regard to designing capacity strengthening programmes and setting funding priorities. PMID:29216192

An educational international partnership responding to local needs: process evaluation of the Brazil FAIMER Regional Institute.

PubMed

Amaral, E; Campos, H H; Friedman, S; Morahan, P S; Araujo, M N T; Carvalho, P M; Bollela, V; Ribeiro, M G F; Mennin, S; Haddad, A E; Campos, F

2012-11-01

The Brazilian public health system requires competent professionals sensitive to the needs of the population. The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER) provides a two-year faculty development programme for health professions educators, aiming to build leadership in education to improve health. A partnership with governmental initiatives and FAIMER was established for meeting these needs. This paper describes the initial process evaluation results of the Brazilian FAIMER Institute Fellowship (FAIMER BR). Data were analysed for the classes 2007-2010 regarding: application processes; innovation project themes; retrospective post-pre self-ratings of knowledge acquisition; and professional development portfolios. Seventeen of 26 Brazilian states were represented among 98 Fellows, predominantly from public medical schools (75.5%) and schools awarded Ministry of Health grants to align education with public health services (89.8%). One-third (n = 32) of Fellows' innovation projects were related to these grants. Significant increases occurred in all topic subscales on self-report of knowledge acquisition (effect sizes, 1.21-2.77). In the follow up questionnaire, 63% of Fellows reported that their projects were incorporated into the curriculum or institutional policies. The majority reported that the programme deepened their knowledge (98%), provided new ideas about medical education (90%) and provided skills for conflict management (63%). One-half of the Fellows reported sustained benefits from the programme listserv and other communications, including breadth of expertise, establishment of research collaboration and receiving emotional support. Contributors to initial programme success included alignment of curriculum with governmental initiatives, curriculum design merging educational technology, leadership and management skills and central role of an innovation educational project responding to local needs.

Who Am I and What Keeps Me Going? Profiling the Distance Learning Student in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baxter, Jacqueline

2012-01-01

Student retention and progression has exercised the HE sector for some time now, and there has been much research into the reasons why students drop out of Higher Education courses. (Allen, 2006; Buglear, 2009;). More recently the Higher Education Academy Grants Programme Briefing (HEFCE, 2010), outlined a number of areas that emergent project…

The Role of Habitus and Reflexivity in Young People Managing Pathways out of Crime

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

France, Alan; Bottrell, Dorothy; Haddon, Edward

2013-01-01

This article draws on material from the ESRC funded "Pathways into and out of crime" research programme (Grant number L330253001) to explore how a group of educationally disaffected young people negotiate and try to manage their desistance from offending. We argue that the ability to be reflexive represents a form of embodied cultural…

A Hybrid Monte Carlo importance sampling of rare events in Turbulence and in Turbulent Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Margazoglou, Georgios; Biferale, Luca; Grauer, Rainer; Jansen, Karl; Mesterhazy, David; Rosenow, Tillmann; Tripiccione, Raffaele

2017-11-01

Extreme and rare events is a challenging topic in the field of turbulence. Trying to investigate those instances through the use of traditional numerical tools turns to be a notorious task, as they fail to systematically sample the fluctuations around them. On the other hand, we propose that an importance sampling Monte Carlo method can selectively highlight extreme events in remote areas of the phase space and induce their occurrence. We present a brand new computational approach, based on the path integral formulation of stochastic dynamics, and employ an accelerated Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm for this purpose. Through the paradigm of stochastic one-dimensional Burgers' equation, subjected to a random noise that is white-in-time and power-law correlated in Fourier space, we will prove our concept and benchmark our results with standard CFD methods. Furthermore, we will present our first results of constrained sampling around saddle-point instanton configurations (optimal fluctuations). The research leading to these results has received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 642069, and from the EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under ERC Grant Agreement No. 339032.

Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes.

PubMed

Caffrey, Louise; Wyatt, David; Fudge, Nina; Mattingley, Helena; Williamson, Catherine; McKevitt, Christopher

2016-09-08

Gender inequity has persisted in academic medicine. Yet equity is vital for countries to achieve their full potential in terms of translational research and patient benefit. This study sought to understand how the gender equity programme, Athena SWAN, can be enabled and constrained by interactions between the programme and the context it is implemented into, and whether these interactions might produce unintended consequences. Multimethod qualitative case studies using a realist evaluation approach. 5 departments from a university medical school hosting a Translational Research Organisation. 25 hours of observations of gender equality committee meetings, 16 in-depth interviews with Heads of Departments, Committee Leads and key personnel involved in the initiative. 4 focus groups with 15 postdoctoral researchers, lecturers and senior lecturers. The implementation of Athena SWAN principles was reported to have created social space to address gender inequity and to have highlighted problematic practices to staff. However, a number of factors reduced the programme's potential to impact gender inequity. Gender inequity was reproduced in the programme's enactment as female staff was undertaking a disproportionate amount of Athena SWAN work, with potential negative impacts on individual women's career progression. Early career researchers experienced problems accessing Athena SWAN initiatives. Furthermore, the impact of the programme was perceived to be undermined by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms, which are beyond the programme's remit. Gender equity programmes have the potential to address inequity. However, paradoxically, they can also unintentionally reproduce and reinforce gender inequity through their enactment. Potential programme impacts may be undermined by barriers to staff availing of career development and training initiatives, and by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

North–south collaboration and capacity development in global health research in low- and middle-income countries – the ARCADE projects

PubMed Central

Atkins, Salla; Marsden, Sophie; Diwan, Vishal; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2016-01-01

Background Research capacity enhancement is needed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for improved health, wellbeing, and health systems’ development. In this article, we discuss two capacity-building projects, the African/Asian Regional Capacity Development (ARCADE) in Health Systems and Services Research (HSSR) and Research on Social Determinants of Health (RSDH), implemented from 2011 to 2015. The two projects focussed on providing courses in HSSR and social determinants of health research, and on developing collaborations between universities, along with capacity in LMIC universities to manage research grant submissions, financing, and reporting. Both face-to-face and sustainable online teaching and learning resources were used in training at higher postgraduate levels (Masters and Doctoral level). Design We collated project meeting and discussion minutes along with project periodic reports and deliverables. We extracted key outcomes from these, reflected on these in discussions, and summarised them for this paper. Results Nearly 55 courses and modules were developed that were delivered to over 920 postgraduate students in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Junior researchers were mentored in presenting, developing, and delivering courses, and in preparing research proposals. In total, 60 collaborative funding proposals were prepared. The consortia also developed institutional capacity in research dissemination and grants management through webinars and workshops. Discussion ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH were comprehensive programmes, focussing on developing the research skills, knowledge, and capabilities of junior researchers. One of the main strengths of these programmes was the focus on network building amongst the partner institutions, where each partner brought skills, expertise, and diverse work cultures into the consortium. Through these efforts, the projects improved both the capacity of junior researchers and the research environment in Africa, Asia, and Europe. PMID:27725081

North-south collaboration and capacity development in global health research in low- and middle-income countries - the ARCADE projects.

PubMed

Atkins, Salla; Marsden, Sophie; Diwan, Vishal; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2016-01-01

Research capacity enhancement is needed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for improved health, wellbeing, and health systems' development. In this article, we discuss two capacity-building projects, the African/Asian Regional Capacity Development (ARCADE) in Health Systems and Services Research (HSSR) and Research on Social Determinants of Health (RSDH), implemented from 2011 to 2015. The two projects focussed on providing courses in HSSR and social determinants of health research, and on developing collaborations between universities, along with capacity in LMIC universities to manage research grant submissions, financing, and reporting. Both face-to-face and sustainable online teaching and learning resources were used in training at higher postgraduate levels (Masters and Doctoral level). We collated project meeting and discussion minutes along with project periodic reports and deliverables. We extracted key outcomes from these, reflected on these in discussions, and summarised them for this paper. Nearly 55 courses and modules were developed that were delivered to over 920 postgraduate students in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Junior researchers were mentored in presenting, developing, and delivering courses, and in preparing research proposals. In total, 60 collaborative funding proposals were prepared. The consortia also developed institutional capacity in research dissemination and grants management through webinars and workshops. ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH were comprehensive programmes, focussing on developing the research skills, knowledge, and capabilities of junior researchers. One of the main strengths of these programmes was the focus on network building amongst the partner institutions, where each partner brought skills, expertise, and diverse work cultures into the consortium. Through these efforts, the projects improved both the capacity of junior researchers and the research environment in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Public health research support through the European structural funds in central and eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

PubMed

McCarthy, Mark

2012-04-05

Public health research provides evidence for practice across fields including health care, health promotion and health surveillance. Levels of public health research vary markedly across European Union (EU) countries, and are lowest in the EU's new member states (in Central and Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean). However, these countries now receive most of the EU's Structural Funds, some of which are allocated to research. STEPS, an EU-funded study, sought to assess support for public health research at national and European levels. To identify support through the Structural funds, STEPS drew information from country respondents and internet searches for all twelve EU new member states. The EU allocates annually around €7 billion through the Structural Funds for member states' own use on research. These funds can cover infrastructure, academic employment, and direct research grants. The programmes emphasise links to business. Support for health research includes major projects in biosciences, but direct support for public health research was found in only three countries - Cyprus, Latvia and Lithuania. Public health research is not prioritised in the EU's Structural Funds programme in comparison with biomedicine. For the research dimension of the new European programme for Structural Funds 2014-2002, ministries of health should propose public health research to strengthen the evidence-base for European public health policy and practice.

Consensus standards for introductory e-learning courses in human participants research ethics.

PubMed

Williams, John R; Sprumont, Dominique; Hirtle, Marie; Adebamowo, Clement; Braunschweiger, Paul; Bull, Susan; Burri, Christian; Czarkowski, Marek; Fan, Chien Te; Franck, Caroline; Gefenas, Eugenjius; Geissbuhler, Antoine; Klingmann, Ingrid; Kouyaté, Bocar; Kraehenbhul, Jean-Pierre; Kruger, Mariana; Moodley, Keymanthri; Ntoumi, Francine; Nyirenda, Thomas; Pym, Alexander; Silverman, Henry; Tenorio, Sara

2014-06-01

This paper reports the results of a workshop held in January 2013 to begin the process of establishing standards for e-learning programmes in the ethics of research involving human participants that could serve as the basis of their evaluation by individuals and groups who want to use, recommend or accredit such programmes. The standards that were drafted at the workshop cover the following topics: designer/provider qualifications, learning goals, learning objectives, content, methods, assessment of participants and assessment of the course. The authors invite comments on the draft standards and eventual endorsement of a final version by all stakeholders. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

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

PubMed

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

2015-04-01

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

CBM Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ablyazimov, T.; Abuhoza, A.; Adak, R.; Adamczewski-Musch, J.; Adamczyk, M.; Aggarwal, M. M.; Ahammed, Z.; Ahmad, F.; Ahmad, N.; Ahmad, S.; Akindinov, A.; Akishin, P.; Akishina, E.; Akishina, T.; Akishina, V.; Al-Turany, M.; Alexandrov, E.; Alexandrov, I.; Amar-Youcef, S.; Anđelić, M.; Andreeva, O.; Andrei, C.; Andronic, A.; Anisimov, Yu.; Appelshäuser, H.; Arend, A.; Argintaru, D.; Atkin, E.; Avdeev, S.; Averbeck, R.; Azmi, M. D.; Baban, V.; Bach, M.; Badura, E.; Baginyan, S.; Balle, T.; Balog, T.; Bandyopadhyay, S.; Banerjee, P.; Baranova, N.; Barczyk, T.; Bartoş, D.; Bashir, S.; Basrak, Z.; Baszczyk, M.; Batenkov, O.; Baublis, V.; Baumann, C.; Baznat, M.; Becker, K.-H.; Bel, T.; Belogurov, S.; Bendarouach, J.; Berceanu, I.; Bercuci, A.; Berdermann, E.; Berdnikov, A.; Berdnikov, Y.; Berendes, R.; Bergmann, C.; Bertini, D.; Bertini, O.; Beşliu, C.; Bezshyyko, O.; Bhaduri, P. P.; Bhasin, A.; Bhati, A. K.; Bhattacharjee, B.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Bhattacharyya, T. K.; Biswas, S.; Blau, D.; Blume, C.; Bocharov, Yu.; Böttger, S.; Borysova, M.; Breitner, T.; Brüning, U.; Brzychczyk, J.; Bubak, A.; Büsching, H.; Bychkov, A.; Byszuk, A.; Cai, Xu; Cãlin, M.; Cao, Ping; Čaplar, R.; Caragheorgheopol, G.; Carević, I.; Cătănescu, V.; Chakrabarti, A.; Chatterji, S.; Chattopadhyay, Sanatan; Chattopadhyay, Subhasis; Chen, Hongfang; Cheng, Jianping; Chepurnov, V.; Chernenko, S.; Chernogorov, A.; Choi, Kyung-Eon; Ciobanu, M. I.; Claus, G.; Constantin, F.; Covlea, V.; Csanád, M.; D'Ascenzo, N.; Das, S.; Davkov, K.; Davkov, V.; de Cuveland, J.; Debnath, B.; Dementiev, D.; Deng, Zhi; Deppe, H.; Deppner, I.; Derenovskaya, O.; Deveaux, C. A.; Deveaux, M.; Dey, K.; Dey, M.; Dillenseger, P.; Dobyrn, V.; Doering, D.; Dorokhov, A.; Drozd, A.; Dubey, A. K.; Dubnichka, S.; Dubnichkova, A.; Dürr, M.; Dulinski, W.; Dutka, L.; Dželalija, M.; Emschermann, D.; Engel, H.; Eremin, V.; Eşanu, T.; Eschke, J.; Eschweiler, D.; Eum, Jongsik; Fan, Huanhuan; Fateev, O.; Filozova, I.; Finogeev, D.; Fischer, P.; Flemming, H.; Frankenfeld, U.; Friese, V.; Friske, E.; Fröhlich, I.; Frühauf, J.; Fülöp, Á.; Gajda, J.; Galatyuk, T.; Galkin, A.; Galkin, V.; Gangopadhyay, G.; García Chávez, C.; Gašparić, I.; Gebelein, J.; Ghosh, P.; Ghosh, S. K.; Goffe, M.; Golinka-Bezshyyko, L.; Golovatyuk, V.; Golovnya, S.; Golovtsov, V.; Golubeva, M.; Golubkov, D.; Gómez Ramírez, A.; Gorbunov, S.; Gorokhov, S.; Gottschalk, D.; Gryboś, P.; Grzeszczuk, A.; Guber, F.; Gudima, K.; Gupta, A.; Gusakov, Yu.; Haldar, A.; Haldar, S.; Hartmann, H.; Hehner, J.; Heidel, K.; Heine, N.; Hellbär, E.; Herghelegiu, A.; Herrmann, N.; Heß, B.; Heuser, J. M.; Himmi, A.; Höhne, C.; Holzmann, R.; Huang, Guangming; Huang, Xinjie; Hutsch, J.; Hutter, D.; Iakovleva, E.; Ierusalimov, A.; Ilgenfritz, E.-M.; Irfan, M.; Ivanov, M.; Ivanov, Valery; Ivanov, Victor; Ivanov, Vladimir; Ivashkin, A.; Jaaskelainen, K.; Jahan, H.; Jain, V.; Jakovlev, V.; Janson, T.; Jipa, A.; Kadenko, I.; Kämpfer, B.; Kalcher, S.; Kalinin, V.; Kampert, K.-H.; Kang, Tae Im; Kaptur, E.; Karabowicz, R.; Karavichev, O.; Karavicheva, T.; Karmanov, D.; Karnaukhov, V.; Karpechev, E.; Kasiński, K.; Kasprowicz, G.; Kaur, M.; Kazantsev, A.; Kebschull, U.; Kekelidze, G.; Khan, M. M.; Khan, S. A.; Khanzadeev, A.; Khasanov, F.; Khvorostukhin, A.; Kirakosyan, V.; Kirejczyk, M.; Kiryakov, A.; Kiš, M.; Kisel, I.; Kisel, P.; Kiselev, S.; Kiss, A.; Kiss, T.; Klaus, P.; Kłeczek, R.; Klein-Bösing, Ch.; Kleipa, V.; Kmon, P.; Koch, K.; Kochenda, L.; Koczoń, P.; König, W.; Kohn, M.; Kolb, B. W.; Kolosova, A.; Komkov, B.; Kopfer, J. M.; Korolev, M.; Korolko, I.; Kotte, R.; Kotynia, A.; Kovalchuk, A.; Kowalski, S.; Koziel, M.; Kozlov, G.; Kravtsov, P.; Krebs, E.; Kreidl, C.; Kresan, D.; Kretschmar, G.; Kretz, M.; Krieger, M.; Kryshen, E.; Kucewicz, W.; Kudin, L.; Kugler, A.; Kulakov, I.; Kunkel, J.; Kurepin, A.; Kurilkin, P.; Kushpil, V.; Kyva, V.; Ladygin, V.; Lara, C.; Larionov, P.; Laso Garcia, A.; Lavrik, E.; Lazanu, I.; Lebedev, A.; Lebedev, S.; Lebedeva, E.; Lehnert, J.; Lehrbach, J.; Lemke, F.; Li, Cheng; Li, Jin; Li, Qiyan; Li, Yuanjing; Li, Yulan; Lindenstruth, V.; Linev, S.; Linnik, B.; Litvinenko, E.; Liu, Feng; Lobanov, I.; Lobanova, E.; Löchner, S.; Loizeau, P.-A.; Lucio Martínez, J. A.; Lymanets, A.; Maevskaya, A.; Mahajan, S.; Mahapatra, D. P.; Mahmoud, T.; Maj, P.; Majka, Z.; Malakhov, A.; Malankin, E.; Malkevich, D.; Malyatina, O.; Malygina, H.; Mandal, S.; Manko, V.; Manz, S.; Marin, V.; Marin Garcia, A. M.; Markert, J.; Masciocchi, S.; Matulewicz, T.; Merkin, M.; Mialkovski, V.; Michel, J.; Miftakhov, N.; Mikhailov, K.; Mikhaylov, V.; Milanović, B.; Militsija, V.; Mir, M. F.; Miskowiec, D.; Morhardt, T.; Müller, W. F. J.; Müntz, C.; Murin, Yu.; Najman, R.; Naumann, L.; Nayak, T.; Nedosekin, A.; Neumann, B.; Niebur, W.; Nikulin, V.; Normanov, D.; Nüssle, M.; Oancea, A.; Oh, Kunsu; Onishchuk, Y.; Osipov, D.; Ososkov, G.; Ossetski, D.; Otfinowski, P.; Ovcharenko, E.; Pal, S.; Panasenko, I.; Panda, N. R.; Parzhitskiy, S.; Pauly, C.; Peng, Haiping; Peric, I.; Peshekhonov, D.; Peshekhonov, V.; Petráček, V.; Petriş, M.; Petrovici, A.; Petrovici, M.; Petrovskiy, A.; Petukhov, O.; Piasecki, K.; Pieper, J.; Pietraszko, J.; Płaneta, R.; Plekhanov, E.; Plotnikov, V.; Plujko, V.; Pluta, J.; Poliakov, V.; Polozov, P.; Pop, A.; Popov, V.; Pospisil, V.; Potukuchi, B. V. K. S.; Pouryamout, J.; Poźniak, K.; Prakash, A.; Prokudin, M.; Pshenichnov, I.; Pugach, M.; Pugatch, V.; Querchfeld, S.; Radulescu, L.; Raha, S.; Raja, W.; Rami, F.; Raniwala, R.; Raniwala, S.; Raportirenko, A.; Rautenberg, J.; Rauza, J.; Ray, R.; Razin, S.; Reichelt, P.; Reinecke, S.; Reshetin, A.; Ristea, C.; Ristea, O.; Roether, F.; Romaniuk, R.; Rost, A.; Rostchin, E.; Rostovtseva, I.; Roy, A.; Rożynek, J.; Ryabov, Yu.; Rykalin, V.; Sadovsky, A.; Sadovsky, S.; Sahoo, R.; Sahu, P. K.; Saini, J.; Samanta, S.; Sambyal, S. S.; Samsonov, V.; Sánchez Rosado, J.; Sau, S.; Saveliev, V.; Schatral, S.; Schiaua, C.; Schmidt, C. J.; Schmidt, H. R.; Schmidt, K.; Schweda, K.; Scurtu, A.; Seck, F.; Seddiki, S.; Selyuzhenkov, I.; Semennikov, A.; Senger, A.; Senger, P.; Shabunov, A.; Shao, Ming; Sharma, M. K.; Shumeiko, N.; Shumikhin, V.; Sikora, B.; Simakov, A.; Simon, C.; Simons, C.; Singaraju, R. N.; Singh, A. K.; Singh, B. K.; Singh, C. P.; Singhal, V.; Siwek-Wilczyńska, K.; Škoda, L.; Skwira-Chalot, I.; Som, I.; Song, Jihye; Sorokin, I.; Sosin, Z.; Soyk, D.; Staszel, P.; Stavinskiy, A.; Stephan, E.; Storozhyk, D.; Strikhanov, M.; Strohauer, S.; Stroth, J.; Sturm, C.; Sultanov, R.; Sun, Yongjie; Svoboda, O.; Szczygieł, R.; Talukdar, R.; Tang, Zebo; Tanha, M.; Tarasiuk, J.; Tarassenkova, O.; Târzilă, M.-G.; Tiflov, V.; Tischler, T.; Tlustý, P.; Toia, A.; Tolyhi, T.; Topil'skaya, N.; Trageser, C.; Trivedy, P.; Tsakov, I.; Tsyupa, Yu.; Turowiecki, A.; Uhlig, F.; Usenko, E.; Valin, I.; Vasiliev, T.; Vassiliev, I.; Verbitskaya, E.; Verhoeven, W.; Veshikov, A.; Visinka, R.; Viyogi, Y. P.; Volkov, S.; Volkov, Yu.; Vorobiev, A.; Voronin, A.; Vovchenko, V.; Vznuzdaev, E.; Vznuzdaev, M.; Wang, Dong; Wang, Yaping; Yi, Wang; Wendisch, C.; Wessels, J. P.; Wiebusch, M.; Wiechula, J.; Wiedemann, B.; Wielanek, D.; Wieloch, A.; Winckler, N.; Winter, M.; Wiśniewski, K.; Wohlfeld, D.; Wolf, Gy.; Sanguk, Won; Wüstenfeld, J.; Xiang, Changzhou; Nu, Xu; Yi, Jun-Gyu; Yin, Zhongbao; Yoo, In-Kwon; Yue, Qian; Yuldashev, B.; Yushmanov, I.; Zabołotny, W.; Zaitsev, Yu.; Zanevsky, Yu.; Zhalov, M.; Zhang, Ya Peng; Zhang, Yifei; Zhou, Daicui; Zhu, Xianglei; Zinchenko, A.; Zipper, W.; Żoładź, M.; Zrelov, P.; Zryuev, V.; Zumbruch, P.; Zyzak, M.

2014-11-01

We acknowledge support by the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) of the European Commission through projects AIDA, CRISP and HadronPhysics3; the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Germany, through the grants 05P09PXFC5, 05P12PXFCE, 05P12RFFC7, 05P12RFFCM, 05P12RFFCP, 05P12RGFCG,05P12RGGHM, 05P12VHFCE, 05P12VHFCF, 05PRVHFC7, and 06HD9123I; the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Germany, grant GRK 1039; the Hessian Loewe Initiative through the Helmholtz International Center for FAIR (HIC4FAIR); the Helmholtz Graduate School HIRe; the Helmholtz Research School H-QM; the GSI Helmholzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung mbH, Germany, through F&E cooperations with Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen and Bergische Universität Wuppertal (WKAMPE1012); the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India; the University Grants Commission, Government of India; the Indo-FAIR Co-ordination Centre, Bose Institute, Kolkata, India; the Strategic Grants POSDRU/89/1.5/S/58852 and PN-II-ID-PCE-IDEI 34/05.10.2011, Romania; the NASR/CAPACITATI-Modul III, Romania, contract nr. 179EU; the NASR/NUCLEU Project PN09370103, Romania; the FAIR Russia Research Center (FRRC), Russia; and the Federal Agency for Atomic Research (Rosatom), Russia.

Space science curriculum design and research at NC A&T state university

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kebede, Abebe; Nair, Jyoti; Smith, Galen

2007-12-01

Recently, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NCAT) won one of the largest awards from NASA to develop curriculum and research capability in space science in partnership with NASA centres, National Institute of Aerospace, the North Carolina Space Grant, the American Astronomical Society and a number of institutions affiliated with NASA. The plan is to develop curricula and research platforms that prepare science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students to be employed by NASA. The research programme initially focuses on the study of space and atmospheric physics, and the development of a general capability in atmospheric/space science.

Improving the performance of community health workers in humanitarian emergencies: a realist evaluation protocol for the PIECES programme.

PubMed

Gilmore, Brynne; Adams, Ben Jack; Bartoloni, Alex; Alhaydar, Bana; McAuliffe, Eilish; Raven, Joanna; Taegtmeyer, Miriam; Vallières, Frédérique

2016-08-16

Understanding what enhances the motivation and performance of community health workers (CHWs) in humanitarian emergencies represents a key research gap within the field of human resources for health. This paper presents the research protocol for the Performance ImprovEment of CHWs in Emergency Settings (PIECES) research programme. Enhancing Learning and Research in Humanitarian Action (ELRHA) funded the development of this protocol as part of their Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) call (No.19839). PIECES aims to understand what factors improve the performance of CHWs in level III humanitarian emergencies. The suggested protocol uses a realist evaluation with multiple cases across the 3 country sites: Turkey, Iraq and Lebanon. Working with International Medical Corps (IMC), an initial programme theory was elicited through literature and document reviews, semistructured interviews and focus groups with IMC programme managers and CHWs. Based on this initial theory, this protocol proposes a combination of semistructured interviews, life histories and critical incident narratives, surveys and latent variable modelling of key constructs to explain how contextual factors work to trigger mechanisms for specific outcomes relating to IMC's 300+ CHWs' performance. Participants will also include programme staff, CHWs and programme beneficiaries. Realist approaches will be used to better understand 'what works, for whom and under what conditions' for improving CHW performance within humanitarian contexts. Trinity College Dublin's Health Policy and Management/Centre for Global Health Research Ethics Committee gave ethical approval for the protocol development phase. For the full research project, additional ethical approval will be sought from: Université St. Joseph (Lebanon), the Ethics Committee of the Ministry of Health in Baghdad (Iraq) and the Middle East Technical University (Turkey). Dissemination activities will involve a mixture of research feedback, policy briefs, guidelines and recommendations, as well as open source academic articles. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Use and outcomes of targeted therapies in early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer in Australia: protocol detailing observations in a whole of population cohort

PubMed Central

Daniels, Benjamin; Lord, Sarah J; Kiely, Belinda E; Houssami, Nehmat; Haywood, Philip; Lu, Christine Y; Ward, Robyn L; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

2017-01-01

Background The management of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) has changed dramatically with the introduction and widespread use of HER2-targeted therapies. However, there is relatively limited real-world information on patterns of use, effectiveness and safety in whole of population cohorts. The research programme detailed in this protocol will generate evidence on the prescribing patterns, safety monitoring and outcomes of patients with BC treated with HER2-targeted therapies in Australia. Methods/design Our ongoing research programme will involve a series of retrospective cohort studies that include every patient accessing Commonwealth-funded HER2-targeted therapies for the treatment of early BC and advanced BC in Australia. At the time of writing, our cohorts consist of 11 406 patients with early BC and 5631 with advanced BC who accessed trastuzumab and lapatinib between 2001 and 2014. Pertuzumab and trastuzumab emtansine were publicly funded for metastatic BC in 2015, and future data updates will include patients accessing these medicines. We will use dispensing claims for cancer and other medicines, medical service claims and demographics data for each patient accessing HER2-targeted therapies to undertake this research. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been granted by the Population Health Service Research Ethics Committee and data access approval has been granted by the Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) External Review Evaluation Committee. Our findings will be reported in peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and policy forums. By providing detailed information on the use and outcomes associated with HER2-targeted therapies in a national cohort treated in routine clinical care, our research programme will better inform clinicians and patients about the real-world use of these treatments and will assist third-party payers to better understand the use and economic costs of these treatments. PMID:28119394

Parenting for Autism, Language, And Communication Evaluation Study (PALACES): protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

PubMed Central

Williams, Margiad Elen; Hastings, Richard; Charles, Joanna Mary; Evans, Sue; Hutchings, Judy

2017-01-01

Introduction Children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) often have associated behavioural difficulties that can present a challenge for parents and parenting. There are several effective social learning theory-based parenting programmes for dealing with behavioural difficulties, including the Incredible Years (IY) parent programmes. However, these programmes typically do not specifically target parents of children with ASD. Recently, a new addition to the IY suite of programmes known as the IY Autistic Spectrum and Language Delays (IY-ASLD) parent programme was developed. The main aims of the present study are to examine the feasibility of delivering this programme within child health services and to provide initial evidence for effectiveness and economic costs. Methods and analysis The Parenting for Autism, Language, And Communication Evaluation Study (PALACES) trial is a pragmatic, multicentre, pilot randomised controlled trial comparing the IY-ASLD programme with a wait-list control condition. 72 parents of children with ASD (aged 3–8 years) will be randomly allocated to either the intervention or control condition. Data will be collected prior to randomisation and 6 months postrandomisation for all families. Families in the intervention condition only will also be followed up at 12 and 18 months postrandomisation. This study will provide initial evidence of effectiveness for the newly developed IY-ASLD parenting programme. It will also add to the limited economic evidence for an intervention targeting parents of children with ASD and provide longer term data, an important component for evaluations of parenting programmes. Ethics and dissemination Approval for the study was granted by the Research Ethics Committee at the School of Psychology, Bangor University (reference number: 2016–15768) and the North Wales Research Ethics Committee, UK (reference number: 16/WA/0224). The findings will be disseminated through research conferences and peer-reviewed journals. Trial registration number ISRCTN57070414; Pre-results. PMID:28209607

Child Support Grant access and receipt among 12-week-old infants in an urban township setting in South Africa.

PubMed

Zembe-Mkabile, Wanga; Doherty, Tanya; Sanders, David; Jackson, Debra

2014-01-01

Cash transfers (CTs) are increasingly used as a strategy to alleviate poverty and improve child health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. The Child Support Grant (CSG) is the largest CT programme in South Africa, and on the continent, targeting poor children from birth until the age of 18 with a monthly sum of R300 (USD30). Evidence on the CSG shows that early receipt of the grant is associated with improved child health outcomes. Since its implementation, one of the major concerns about the grant has been take-up rates, particularly for younger children. This paper reports results on take-up rates for 12-week-old infants residing in an urban township in South Africa. This is a descriptive study utilising data from a community-based, cluster-randomised trial which evaluated a programme providing pregnancy and post-natal home visits by community health workers to 3,494 mothers in Umlazi township, South Africa. At the 12-week visit, half (52%) of the mothers who had enrolled in the study had applied for the CSG on behalf of their children, while 85% of the mothers who had not applied were still planning to apply. Only 38% (1,327) of all children had received the CSG. In this study, many mothers had not applied for the CSG in the first few months after delivery, and only a third of children had accessed the grant. Further research is needed to understand what the current barriers are that prevent mothers from applying for this important form of social protection in the early months after delivery.

Between Prevention and Therapy: Gio Batta Gori and the National Cancer Institute’s Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Programme, 1974–1978

PubMed Central

Cantor, David

2012-01-01

This paper explores the origins of the Diet, Nutrition and Cancer Programme (DNCP) of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and its fate under its first director, Gio Batta Gori. The DNCP is used to explore the emergence of federal support for research on diet, nutrition and cancer following the 1971 Cancer Act, the complex relations between cancer prevention and therapeutics in the NCI during the 1970s, the broader politics around diet, nutrition and cancer during that decade, and their relations to Senator George McGovern’s select committee on Nutrition and Human Needs. It also provides a window onto the debates and struggles over whether NCI research should be funded by contracts or grants, the nature of the patronage system within the federal cancer research agency, how a director, Gio Gori, lost patronage within that system and how a tightening of the budget for cancer research in the mid-to-late 1970s affected the DNCP. PMID:23112384

Evaluating factors influencing the delivery and outcomes of an incentive-based behaviour change strategy targeting child obesity: protocol for a qualitative process and impact evaluation.

PubMed

Enright, Gemma; Gyani, Alex; Raadsma, Simon; Allman-Farinelli, Margaret; Rissel, Chris; Innes-Hughes, Christine; Lukeis, Sarah; Rodgers, Anthony; Redfern, Julie

2016-12-16

Community-based weight management programmes are important in addressing childhood obesity. However, the mechanisms that lead to behaviour change within the programmes are rarely studied within the context of the programmes themselves once they have been implemented. This means that further potential gains in the effectiveness of the programme are often not made and any potential losses of efficacy are often not noticed. Qualitative research alongside randomised controlled trials (RCTs) can tell us the context in which these programmes are implemented and elucidate potential mediators or modifiers of the programmes' effectiveness. The aim of this evaluation is to determine the barriers and enablers to the delivery and impact of an incentive-based behaviour change strategy targeting child obesity to inform future translation. Qualitative analysis, including stakeholder and family interviews, focus groups and a survey, will be used. The research will be conducted in collaboration with policymakers, researchers and community health professionals. Participants will be selected from programme providers, and parents/carers and children participating in an Australian community weight management programme during an RCT examining the effectiveness of incentives for improving behaviour change. A maximum variation sampling method based on participant demographics and group characteristics will be used. Thematic analysis will be carried out inductively based on emergent themes, using NVivo V.9. This research is approved by the South West Sydney Human Ethics Committee review body (HREC/14/LPOOL/480). The evaluation will provide information about the contextual and influencing factors related to the outcomes of the RCT. The results will assist researchers, community health practitioners and policymakers regarding the development, implementation and translation of behaviour change strategies in community initiatives for obese children. Insights gained may be applicable to a range of chronic conditions where similar preventive intervention approaches are indicated. ACTRN12615000558527, Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

High Velocity Precessing Jet from the Water Fountain IRAS 18286-0959 Revealed by VLBA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yung, Bosco; Nakashima, J.; Imai, H.; Deguchi, S.; Diamond, P. J.; Kwok, S.

2011-05-01

We report the multi-epoch VLBA observations of 22.2GHz water maser emission associated with the "water fountain" star IRAS 18286-0959. The detected maser emission are distributed in the velocity range from -50km/s to 150km/s. The spatial distribution of over 70% of the identified maser features is found to be highly collimated along a spiral jet (namely, jet 1) extended from southeast to northwest direction, and the rest of the features appear to trace another spiral jet (jet 2) with a different orientation. The two jets form a "double-helix" pattern which lies across 200 milliarcseconds (mas). The maser features are reasonably fit by a model consisting of two precessing jets. The velocities of jet 1 and jet 2 are derived to be 138km/s and 99km/s, respectively. The precession period of jet 1 is about 56 years, and for jet 2 it is about 73 years. We propose that the appearance of two jets observed are the result of a single driving source with a significant proper motion. This research was supported by grants from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China, the Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research of the University of Hong Kong, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists from the Ministry 9 of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology, and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from Japan Society for Promotion Science.

Cancer and the family: assessment, communication and brief interventions-the development of an educational programme for healthcare professionals when a parent has cancer.

PubMed

Grant, Lucy; Sangha, Amrit; Lister, Sara; Wiseman, Theresa

2016-12-01

This study developed and piloted an educational intervention to support healthcare professionals (HCPs) to provide supportive care for families when a parent has cancer. Programme development followed the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework, beginning with examination of theory and research, and consultation with experts. The programme content incorporated attachment theory, child development and family systems theory. It was piloted thrice with HCPs from a cancer centre. The evaluation involved a questionnaire, comprising open-ended questions, completed before and after the programme. Data from the questionnaire were analysed using framework analysis. 31 HCPs from varying disciplines participated. The programme was evaluated positively by participants. Before the programme, participants had significant concerns about their professional competence, which included: managing their own emotions; a perceived sensitivity around raising child and family matters with patients and a lack of specialist experience, skills and knowledge. After completing the programme, participants reported greater understanding and knowledge, increased confidence to approach patients about family matters, greater skill to initiate conversations and explore family concerns and guiding parent-child communication according to the child's level of understanding, and an increased engagement and resilience for caring for parents with cancer. Supporting HCPs to provide family-centred care is likely to reduce psychological difficulties in families where a parent has cancer. Further work is planned to disseminate the programme, evaluate the transfer of skills into practice, assess how HCPs manage the emotional demands of providing supportive care over time, and consider on-going professional support for HCPs. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A Scientometric Evaluation of the Chagas Disease Implementation Research Programme of the PAHO and TDR

PubMed Central

Carbajal-de-la-Fuente, Ana Laura; Yadón, Zaida E.

2013-01-01

The Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) is an independent global programme of scientific collaboration cosponsored by the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. TDR's strategy is based on stewardship for research on infectious diseases of poverty, empowerment of endemic countries, research on neglected priority needs, and the promotion of scientific collaboration influencing global efforts to combat major tropical diseases. In 2001, in view of the achievements obtained in the reduction of transmission of Chagas disease through the Southern Cone Initiative and the improvement in Chagas disease control activities in some countries of the Andean and the Central American Initiatives, TDR transferred the Chagas Disease Implementation Research Programme (CIRP) to the Communicable Diseases Unit of the Pan American Health Organization (CD/PAHO). This paper presents a scientometric evaluation of the 73 projects from 18 Latin American and European countries that were granted by CIRP/PAHO/TDR between 1997 and 2007. We analyzed all final reports of the funded projects and scientific publications, technical reports, and human resource training activities derived from them. Results about the number of projects funded, countries and institutions involved, gender analysis, number of published papers in indexed scientific journals, main topics funded, patents inscribed, and triatomine species studied are presented and discussed. The results indicate that CIRP/PAHO/TDR initiative has contributed significantly, over the 1997–2007 period, to Chagas disease knowledge as well as to the individual and institutional-building capacity. PMID:24244761

Research in progress: Medical Research Council United Kingdom Refractory Asthma Stratification Programme (RASP-UK).

PubMed

Heaney, Liam G; Djukanovic, Ratko; Woodcock, Ashley; Walker, Samantha; Matthews, John G; Pavord, Ian D; Bradding, Peter; Niven, Robert; Brightling, Chris E; Chaudhuri, Rekha; Arron, Joseph R; Choy, David F; Cowan, Douglas; Mansur, Adel; Menzies-Gow, Andrew; Adcock, Ian; Chung, Kian F; Corrigan, Chris; Coyle, Peter; Harrison, Timothy; Johnston, Sebastian; Howarth, Peter; Lordan, James; Sabroe, Ian; Bigler, Jeannette; Smith, Dirk; Catley, Matthew; May, Richard; Pierre, Lisa; Stevenson, Chris; Crater, Glenn; Keane, Frank; Costello, Richard W; Hudson, Val; Supple, David; Hardman, Tim

2016-02-01

The UK Refractory Asthma Stratification Programme (RASP-UK) will explore novel biomarker stratification strategies in severe asthma to improve clinical management and accelerate development of new therapies. Prior asthma mechanistic studies have not stratified on inflammatory phenotype and the understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms in asthma without Type 2 cytokine inflammation is limited. RASP-UK will objectively assess adherence to corticosteroids (CS) and examine a novel composite biomarker strategy to optimise CS dose; this will also address what proportion of patients with severe asthma have persistent symptoms without eosinophilic airways inflammation after progressive CS withdrawal. There will be interactive partnership with the pharmaceutical industry to facilitate access to stratified populations for novel therapeutic studies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Capacity and readiness of civil society organisations to implement community case management of malaria in Kenya.

PubMed

Marita, Enock; Oule, Jared; Mungai, Margaret; Thiam, Sylla; Ilako, Festus

2016-01-01

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) contribute to achieving development goals through advocacy, social mobilisation and provision of health services. CSO programming is a key component of Global Fund (GF) grants; however, CSOs face technical and governance capacity challenges in grant utilisation leading to missed opportunities for improving health at community level. Amref Health Africa was appointed Principal Recipient of a GF grant aimed at scaling up community case management of malaria through CSOs as sub-recipients in western Kenya. To identify potential risks and strengthen grant management, Amref Health Africa and the Ministry of Health conducted a capacity needs assessment to determine the capacity of CSOs to effectively utilise grants. 26 selected CSOs participated in this study. Document reviews and on-site assessments and observations were conducted using structured tool. The five main assessment areas were: governance and risk management; strategic and operational planning; monitoring and evaluation; programme management; and financial management. Overall performance was grouped into four categories: 3.0-2.5 (excellent), 2.0-2.4 (good), 1.5-1.9 (fair), and 1.0-1.4 (poor). Data were collected and analysed using Excel software. Twenty five out of 26 CSOs were legally compliant. 14(54%) CSOs were categorized as good; 7(27%) as excellent; 3(12%) as poor and 2(8%) as fair. Most CSOs had good programme management capacity but monitoring and evaluation presented the most capacity gaps. More than 75% of the CSOs were rated as excellent or good. A capacity building plan, programme risk management plan and oversight mechanisms were important for successful grant implementation.

Practical applications of injury surveillance: a brief 25-year history of the Connecticut Injury Prevention Center.

PubMed

Lapidus, Garry; Borrup, Kevin; DiVietro, Susan; Campbell, Brendan T; Beebe, Rebecca; Grasso, Damion; Rogers, Steven; Joseph, D'Andrea; Banco, Leonard

2016-04-01

The mission of the Connecticut Injury Prevention Center (CIPC), jointly housed in Connecticut Children's Medical Center and Hartford Hospital, is to reduce unintentional injury and violence among Connecticut residents, with a special focus on translating research into injury prevention programmes and policy. The CIPC engages in four core activities: research, education and training, community outreach programmes and public policy. As surveillance is an essential element of injury prevention, the CIPC has developed a robust statewide fatal and non-fatal injury surveillance system that has guided our prior work and continues to inform our current projects. The purpose of this article is to review the projects, programmes, and collaborative relationships that have made the CIPC successful in reducing unintentional injury and violence in Connecticut throughout the course of its 25 years history. Retrospective review of the application of injury surveillance. We believe that the application of our surveillance system can serve as a model for others who wish to engage in collaborative, community-based, data-driven injury prevention programmes in their own communities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

76 FR 61377 - Buy American Exceptions Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-04

... programmable limiting thermostats for the Harry S. Truman Apartments project, and to the Denver Housing... granted by HUD on the basis that the relevant manufactured goods, Venstar ColorTouch programmable limiting...

Computational Nanotechnology at NASA Ames Research Center, 1996

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Al; Bailey, David; Langhoff, Steve; Pohorille, Andrew; Levit, Creon; Chancellor, Marisa K. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

Some forms of nanotechnology appear to have enormous potential to improve aerospace and computer systems; computational nanotechnology, the design and simulation of programmable molecular machines, is crucial to progress. NASA Ames Research Center has begun a computational nanotechnology program including in-house work, external research grants, and grants of supercomputer time. Four goals have been established: (1) Simulate a hypothetical programmable molecular machine replicating itself and building other products. (2) Develop molecular manufacturing CAD (computer aided design) software and use it to design molecular manufacturing systems and products of aerospace interest, including computer components. (3) Characterize nanotechnologically accessible materials of aerospace interest. Such materials may have excellent strength and thermal properties. (4) Collaborate with experimentalists. Current in-house activities include: (1) Development of NanoDesign, software to design and simulate a nanotechnology based on functionalized fullerenes. Early work focuses on gears. (2) A design for high density atomically precise memory. (3) Design of nanotechnology systems based on biology. (4) Characterization of diamonoid mechanosynthetic pathways. (5) Studies of the laplacian of the electronic charge density to understand molecular structure and reactivity. (6) Studies of entropic effects during self-assembly. Characterization of properties of matter for clusters up to sizes exhibiting bulk properties. In addition, the NAS (NASA Advanced Supercomputing) supercomputer division sponsored a workshop on computational molecular nanotechnology on March 4-5, 1996 held at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, collaborations with Bill Goddard at CalTech, Ralph Merkle at Xerox Parc, Don Brenner at NCSU (North Carolina State University), Tom McKendree at Hughes, and Todd Wipke at UCSC are underway.

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications

PubMed Central

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-01-01

Abstract We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the ‘programmable programming language’. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology. PMID:28040748

How the strengths of Lisp-family languages facilitate building complex and flexible bioinformatics applications.

PubMed

Khomtchouk, Bohdan B; Weitz, Edmund; Karp, Peter D; Wahlestedt, Claes

2018-05-01

We present a rationale for expanding the presence of the Lisp family of programming languages in bioinformatics and computational biology research. Put simply, Lisp-family languages enable programmers to more quickly write programs that run faster than in other languages. Languages such as Common Lisp, Scheme and Clojure facilitate the creation of powerful and flexible software that is required for complex and rapidly evolving domains like biology. We will point out several important key features that distinguish languages of the Lisp family from other programming languages, and we will explain how these features can aid researchers in becoming more productive and creating better code. We will also show how these features make these languages ideal tools for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications. We will specifically stress the advantages of domain-specific languages (DSLs): languages that are specialized to a particular area, and thus not only facilitate easier research problem formulation, but also aid in the establishment of standards and best programming practices as applied to the specific research field at hand. DSLs are particularly easy to build in Common Lisp, the most comprehensive Lisp dialect, which is commonly referred to as the 'programmable programming language'. We are convinced that Lisp grants programmers unprecedented power to build increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence systems that may ultimately transform machine learning and artificial intelligence research in bioinformatics and computational biology.

Amsterdam's STI/HIV Programme: An Innovative Strategy to Achieve and Enhance the Participation of Migrant Community-Based Organisations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagemakers, Annemarie; van Husen, Gwen; Barrett, Jennifer B.; Koelen, Maria A.

2015-01-01

Objective: The STI/HIV prevention programme in Amsterdam aims to improve the sexual health of Amsterdam residents of African, Antillean, Aruban and Surinamese origins. The programme strategy is to achieve and enhance the participation of migrant community-based organisations (CBOs) in sexual health promotion through a grant scheme and by providing…

A mixed method, multiperspective evaluation of a near peer teaching programme.

PubMed

Lydon, Sinéad; O'Connor, Paul; Mongan, Orla; Gorecka, Miroslawa; McVicker, Lyle; Stankard, Aiden; Byrne, Dara

2017-09-01

Peer teaching (PT) has become increasingly popular. PT may offer benefits for students, tutors and institutions. Although resistance to PT has been identified among faculty, research has typically focused on students' experiences and perceptions, rather than those of the peer tutors or senior doctors/medical faculty. The current study comprised of a comprehensive, multiperspective evaluation of a near PT programme delivered by interns to final-year medical students in the Republic of Ireland. This study employed a mixed methods design, using both interviews and questionnaires to assess students' (n=130), interns' (n=49) and medical faculty's or senior doctors' (n=29) perceptions of the programme. All three groups were emphatic about the programme's benefits, although senior doctors and faculty reported significantly more positive attitudes than the others. Mean ratings of the programme's value, out of 10, were 8.2 among students, 8.2 among interns and 9.1 among senior doctors and faculty. Challenges identified were largely organisational in nature. Perceived benefits for students included the informality of teaching sessions, increased opportunities in the clinical environment and improvements in exam preparedness. Perceived benefits for the interns included improvements in knowledge and teaching ability and experience as a role model. PT programmes have been posited as an 'easy fix' to growing numbers of students. However, it is apparent that PT has substantial value outside of this. Future research that conducts economic evaluations of such programmes and that collects objective data on teaching quality and student learning would be of much interest. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

A Programmable Microkernel for Real-Time Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

A Programmable Microkernel for Real - Time Systems Christoph M. Kirsch Thomas A. Henzinger Marco A.A. Sanvido Report No. UCB/CSD-3-1250 June 2003...TITLE AND SUBTITLE A Programmable Microkernel for Real - Time Systems 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 A Programmable Microkernel for Real - Time Systems ∗ Christoph M

European Universe Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, P.; Miley, G.; Westra van Holthe, F.; Schrier, W.; Reed, S.

2011-10-01

The European Universe Awareness (EU-UNAWE) programme uses the beauty and grandeur of the cosmos to encourage young children, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, to develop an interest in science and technology and to foster a sense of global citizenship. EU-UNAWE is already active in 40 countries and comprises a global network of almost 500 astronomers, teachers and other educators. The programme was recently awarded a grant of 1.9 million euros by the European Union so that it can be further developed in five European countries and South Africa. The grant will be used to organise teacher training workshops and to develop educational materials, such as an astronomy news service for children and games. During this presentation we will outline some of the biggest achievements of EU-UNAWE to date and discuss future plans for the programme.

Freedom of Information Act: scalpel or just a sharp knife?

PubMed

Hammond, Simon P; Cross, Jane L; Poland, Fiona M; Patel, Martyn; Penhale, Bridget; Smith, Toby O; Fox, Chris

2017-01-01

The concluding statement of the Burns Commission, established to evaluate whether changes are needed to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), ruled no major legislative changes were required. As such Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation still enables anyone to obtain information from public authorities. In this brief report article we explore arguments regarding FOI as an instrument for healthcare research using an international research programme as a case study. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Capacity and readiness of civil society organisations to implement community case management of malaria in Kenya

PubMed Central

Marita, Enock; Oule, Jared; Mungai, Margaret; Thiam, Sylla; Ilako, Festus

2016-01-01

Introduction Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) contribute to achieving development goals through advocacy, social mobilisation and provision of health services. CSO programming is a key component of Global Fund (GF) grants; however, CSOs face technical and governance capacity challenges in grant utilisation leading to missed opportunities for improving health at community level. Amref Health Africa was appointed Principal Recipient of a GF grant aimed at scaling up community case management of malaria through CSOs as sub-recipients in western Kenya. To identify potential risks and strengthen grant management, Amref Health Africa and the Ministry of Health conducted a capacity needs assessment to determine the capacity of CSOs to effectively utilise grants. Methods 26 selected CSOs participated in this study. Document reviews and on-site assessments and observations were conducted using structured tool. The five main assessment areas were: governance and risk management; strategic and operational planning; monitoring and evaluation; programme management; and financial management. Overall performance was grouped into four categories: 3.0-2.5 (excellent), 2.0-2.4 (good), 1.5-1.9 (fair), and 1.0-1.4 (poor). Data were collected and analysed using Excel software. Results Twenty five out of 26 CSOs were legally compliant. 14(54%) CSOs were categorized as good; 7(27%) as excellent; 3(12%) as poor and 2(8%) as fair. Most CSOs had good programme management capacity but monitoring and evaluation presented the most capacity gaps. Conclusion More than 75% of the CSOs were rated as excellent or good. A capacity building plan, programme risk management plan and oversight mechanisms were important for successful grant implementation. PMID:28523081

A systematic review of technology-based interventions for unintentional injury prevention education and behaviour change.

PubMed

Omaki, Elise; Rizzutti, Nicholas; Shields, Wendy; Zhu, Jeffrey; McDonald, Eileen; Stevens, Martha W; Gielen, Andrea

2017-04-01

The aims of this literature review are to (1) summarise how computer and mobile technology-based health behaviour change applications have been evaluated in unintentional injury prevention, (2) describe how these successes can be applied to injury-prevention programmes in the future and (3) identify research gaps. Studies included in this systematic review were education and behaviour change intervention trials and programme evaluations in which the intervention was delivered by either a computer or mobile technology and addressed an unintentional injury prevention topic. Articles were limited to those published in English and after 1990. Among the 44 technology-based injury-prevention studies included in this review, 16 studies evaluated locally hosted software programmes, 4 studies offered kiosk-based programmes, 11 evaluated remotely hosted internet programmes, 2 studies used mobile technology or portable devices and 11 studies evaluated virtual-reality interventions. Locally hosted software programmes and remotely hosted internet programmes consistently increased knowledge and behaviours. Kiosk programmes showed evidence of modest knowledge and behaviour gains. Both programmes using mobile technology improved behaviours. Virtual-reality programmes consistently improved behaviours, but there were little gains in knowledge. No studies evaluated text-messaging programmes dedicated to injury prevention. There is much potential for computer-based programmes to be used for injury-prevention behaviour change. The reviewed studies provide evidence that computer-based communication is effective in conveying information and influencing how participants think about an injury topic and adopt safety behaviours. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The impact of an arts-based programme on the affective and cognitive components of empathic development.

PubMed

Zazulak, Joyce; Halgren, Camilla; Tan, Megan; Grierson, Lawrence E M

2015-06-01

Medical education research demonstrates that empathic behaviour is amenable to positive change when targeted through educational programmes. This study evaluates the impact of an arts-based intervention designed to nurture learner empathy through the provision of facilitated visual literacy activities. Health Sciences students (N=19) were assigned to two learning groups: a group that participated in a visual literacy programme at the McMaster Museum of Art and a control group that participated in the normal Health Sciences curriculum. All participants completed an inter-reactivity index, which measures empathy on affective and cognitive levels, prior to and following the programme. Those individuals assigned to the visual literacy programme also completed open-ended questions concerning the programme's impact on their empathic development. The index scores were subjected to independent within-group, between-test analyses. There was no significant impact of the programme on the participants' overall empathic response. However, sub-component analyses revealed that the programme had a significant positive effect on cognitive aspects of empathy. This finding was substantiated by the narrative reports. The study concludes that the affective focus of humanities-based education needs to be enhanced and recommends that learners are educated on the different components that comprise the overall empathic response. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Association between home visiting interventions and First Nations families’ health and social outcomes in Manitoba, Canada: protocol for a study of linked population-based administrative data

PubMed Central

Brownell, Marni D; Nickel, Nathan C; Enns, Jennifer E; Chartier, Mariette; Campbell, Rhonda; Phillips-Beck, Wanda; Chateau, Dan; Burland, Elaine; Santos, Rob; Katz, Alan

2017-01-01

Introduction First Nations people are descendants of Canada’s original inhabitants. In consequence of historical and ongoing structural injustices, many First Nations families struggle with challenging living conditions, including high rates of poverty, poor housing conditions, mental illness and social isolation. These risk factors impede caregivers’ abilities to meet their children’s basic physical and psychosocial needs. Home visiting programmes were developed to support child developmental health in families facing parenting challenges. However, whether home visiting is an effective intervention for First Nations families has not been examined. We are evaluating two home visiting programmes in Manitoba, Canada, to determine whether they promote nurturing family environments for First Nations children. Methods and analysis This research builds on new and established relationships among academic researchers, government decision-makers and First Nations stakeholders. We will link health, education and social services data from the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository to data from two home visiting programmes in Manitoba. Logistic regression modelling will be used to assess whether programme participation is associated with improved child developmental health, better connections between families and social services, reduced instances of child maltreatment and being taken into out-of-home care by child welfare and reduced inequities for First Nations families. Non-participating individuals with similar sociodemographic characteristics will serve as comparators. We will use an interrupted time series approach to test for differences in outcomes before and after programme implementation and a propensity score analysis to compare differences between participants and non-participants. Ethics and dissemination Approvals were granted by the Health Information Research Governance Committee of the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba and the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board. Our integrated knowledge translation approach will involve disseminating findings through government and community briefings, developing lay summaries and infographics, presenting at academic conferences and publishing in scientific journals. PMID:29018072

Asymmetric Core Computing for U.S. Army High-Performance Computing Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

Playstation 4 (should one be announced). 8 4.2 FPGAs Reconfigurable computing refers to performing computations using Field Programmable Gate Arrays...2008 4 . TITLE AND SUBTITLE Asymmetric Core Computing for U.S. Army High-Performance Computing Applications 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER...Acknowledgments vi  1.  Introduction 1  2.  Relevant Technologies 2  3.  Technical Approach 5  4 .  Research and Development Highlights 7  4.1  Cell

Casimir effect and radiative heat transfer between Chern Insulators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2015-03-01

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

Sustainability of recurrent expenditure on public social welfare programmes: expenditure analysis of the free maternal care programme of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme.

PubMed

Ankrah Odame, Emmanuel; Akweongo, Patricia; Yankah, Ben; Asenso-Boadi, Francis; Agyepong, Irene

2014-05-01

Sustainability of public social welfare programmes has long been of concern in development circles. An important aspect of sustainability is the ability to sustain the recurrent financial costs of programmes. A free maternal care programme (FMCP) was launched under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2008 with a start-up grant from the British Government. This article examines claims expenditure under the programme and the implications for the financial sustainability of the programme, and the lessons for donor and public financing of social welfare programmes. Records of reimbursement claims for services and medicines by women benefitting from the policy in participating facilities in one sub-metropolis in Ghana were analysed to gain an understanding of the expenditure on this programme at facility level. National level financial inflow and outflow (expenditure) data of the NHIS, related to implementation of this policy for 2008 and 2009, were reviewed to put the facility-based data in the national perspective. A total of US$936 450.94 was spent in 2009 by the scheme on FMCP in the sub-metropolis. The NHIS expenditure on the programme for the entire country in 2009 was US$49.25 million, exceeding the British grant of US$10.00 million given for that year. Subsequently, the programme has been entirely financed by the National Health Insurance Fund. The rapidly increasing, recurrent demands on this fund from the maternal delivery exemption programme-without a commensurate growth on the amounts generated annually-is an increasing threat to the sustainability of the fund. Provision of donor start-up funding for programmes with high recurrent expenditures, under the expectation that government will take over and sustain the programme, must be accompanied by clear long-term analysis and planning as to how government will sustain the programme.

Examining the pathways for young people with drug and alcohol dependence: a mixed-method design to examine the role of a treatment programme.

PubMed

Nathan, Sally; Rawstorne, Patrick; Hayen, Andrew; Bryant, Joanne; Baldry, Eileen; Ferry, Mark; Williams, Megan; Shanahan, Marian; Jayasinha, Ranmalie

2016-05-25

Young people with drug and alcohol problems are likely to have poorer health and other psychosocial outcomes than other young people. Residential treatment programmes have been shown to lead to improved health and related outcomes for young people in the short term. There is very little robust research showing longer term outcomes or benefits of such programmes. This paper describes an innovative protocol to examine the longer term outcomes and experiences of young people referred to a residential life management and treatment programme in Australia designed to address alcohol and drug issues in a holistic manner. This is a mixed-methods study that will retrospectively and prospectively examine young people's pathways into and out of a residential life management programme. The study involves 3 components: (1) retrospective data linkage of programme data to health and criminal justice administrative data sets, (2) prospective cohort (using existing programme baseline data and a follow-up survey) and (3) qualitative in-depth interviews with a subsample of the prospective cohort. The study will compare findings among young people who are referred and (a) stay 30 days or more in the programme (including those who go on to continuing care and those who do not); (b) start, but stay fewer than 30 days in the programme; (c) are assessed, but do not start the programme. Ethics approval has been sought from several ethics committees including a university ethics committee, state health departments and an Aboriginal-specific ethics committee. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at research conferences, disseminated via a report for the general public and through Facebook communications. The study will inform the field more broadly about the value of different methods in evaluating programmes and examining the pathways and trajectories of vulnerable young people. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Linked symptom monitoring and depression treatment programmes for specialist cancer services: protocol for a mixed-methods implementation study.

PubMed

Wanat, Marta; Walker, Jane; Burke, Katy; Sevdalis, Nick; Richardson, Alison; Mulick, Amy; Frost, Chris; Sharpe, Michael

2017-07-02

There is growing awareness that cancer services need to address patients' well-being as well as treating their cancer. We developed systematic approaches to (1) monitoring patients' symptoms including depression using a 'Symptom Monitoring Service' and (2) providing treatment for those with major depression using a programme called 'Depression Care for People with Cancer'. Used together, these two programmes were found to be highly effective and cost-effective in clinical trials. The overall aims of this project are to: (1) study the process of introducing these programmes into routine clinical care in a large cancer service, (2) identify the challenges associated with implementation and how these are overcome, (3) determine their effectiveness in a routine non-research setting and (4) describe patients' and clinicians' experience of the programmes. This is a mixed-methods longitudinal implementation study. We will study the process of implementation in three phases (April 2016-December 2018): 'Pre-implementation' (setting up of the new programmes), 'Early Implementation' (implementation of the programmes in a small number of clinics) and 'Implementation and Maintenance' (implementation in the majority of clinics). We will use the following methods of data collection: (1) contemporaneous logs of the implementation process, (2) interviews with healthcare professionals and managers, (3) interviews with patients and (4) routinely collected clinical data. The study has been reviewed by a joint committee of Oxford University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust Research and Development Department and the University of Oxford's Clinical Trials and Research Governance Department and judged to be service evaluation, not requiring ethics committee approval. The findings of this study will guide the scaling up implementation of the programmes across the UK and will enable us to construct an implementation toolkit. We will disseminate our findings in publications and at relevant national and international conferences. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Students' Self-Grading, Professor's Grading and Negotiated Final Grading at Three University Programmes: Analysis of Reliability and Grade Difference Ranges and Tendencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Pastor, Victor M.; Fernandez-Balboa, Juan-Miguel; Santos Pastor, Maria L.; Aranda, Antonio Fraile

2012-01-01

This study was undertaken at three teacher education programmes and was designed to determine the following within each programme: (1) the reliability correlations among students' self-grade (SSG), the grade granted by the professor (PG) and the negotiated final grade (NFG); (2) the range and frequency of grade differences between SSG and PG; and…

Philip Morris' new scientific initiative: an analysis

PubMed Central

HIRSCHHORN, N.; BIALOUS, S. A.; SHATENSTEIN, S.

2001-01-01

In the fall of 2000, Philip Morris re-initiated an external research grants programme ("Philip Morris External Research Program", or PMERP), the first since the dissolution of the Council for Tobacco Research (CTR) and the Center for Indoor Air Research (CIAR). The ostensible purpose of the programme is to help develop cigarette designs "that might reduce the health risk of smoking". Internal company documents also indicate that Philip Morris urgently seeks to restore its scientific "credibility", as part of a "new openness" in relation to the external community. The structure of the review panel—a cohort of external peer reviewers, a science advisory board, and an internal, anonymous review and approvals committee—is nearly identical to that of the CIAR. The majority of the named reviewers have had previous affiliation with the tobacco industry either as reviewers or grantees, but only a minority have done research directly on tobacco or smoking. The programmatic substance of the PMERP could be interpreted as soliciting exculpatory evidence with respect to smoking and exposure to smoke. We remain sceptical about the scientific integrity of PMERP.


Keywords: Philip Morris; scientific credibility; tobacco industry PMID:11544389

Global Fund grant programmes: an analysis of evaluation scores.

PubMed

Radelet, Steven; Siddiqi, Bilal

2007-05-26

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria evaluates programme performance after 2 years to help decide whether to continue funding. We aimed to identify the correlation between programme evaluation scores and characteristics of the programme, the health sector, and the recipient country. We obtained data on the first 140 Global Fund grants evaluated in 2006, and analysed 134 of these. We used an ordered probit multivariate analysis to link evaluation scores to different characteristics, allowing us to record the association between changes in those characteristics and the probability of a programme receiving a particular evaluation score. Programmes that had government agencies as principal recipients, had a large amount of funding, were focused on malaria, had weak initial proposals, or were evaluated by the accounting firm KPMG, scored lowest. Countries with a high number of doctors per head, high measles immunisation rates, few health-sector donors, and high disease-prevalence rates had higher evaluation scores. Poor countries, those with small government budget deficits, and those that have or have had socialist governments also received higher scores. Our results show associations, not causality, and they focus on evaluation scores rather than actual performance of the programmes. Yet they provide some early indications of characteristics that can help the Global Fund identify and monitor programmes that might be at risk. The results should not be used to influence the distribution of funding, but rather to allocate resources for oversight and risk management.

Encouraging translation and assessing impact of the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement: rationale and protocol for a research impact assessment.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Shanthi; Reeves, Penny; Deeming, Simon; Bailie, Ross Stewart; Bailie, Jodie; Bainbridge, Roxanne; Cunningham, Frances; Doran, Christopher; McPhail Bell, Karen; Searles, Andrew

2017-12-04

There is growing recognition among health researchers and funders that the wider benefits of research such as economic, social and health impacts ought to be assessed and valued alongside academic outputs such as peer-reviewed papers. Research translation needs to increase and the pathways to impact ought to be more transparent. These processes are particularly pertinent to the Indigenous health sector given continued concerns that Indigenous communities are over-researched with little corresponding improvement in health outcomes. This paper describes the research protocol of a mixed methods study to apply FAIT (Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research) to the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement (CRE-IQI). FAIT will be applied to five selected CRE-IQI Flagship projects to encourage research translation and assess the wider impact of that research. Phase I will develop a modified programme logic model for each Flagship project including identifying process, output and impact metrics so progress can be monitored. A scoping review will inform potential benefits. In phase II, programme logic models will be updated to account for changes in the research pathways over time. Audit and feedback will be used to encourage research translation and collect evidence of achievement of any process, output and interim impacts. In phase III, three proven methodologies for measuring research impact-Payback, economic assessment and narratives-will be applied. Data on the application of FAIT will be collected and analysed to inform and improve FAIT's performance. This study is funded by a nationally competitive grant (ID 1078927) from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Newcastle's Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: H-2017-0026). The results from the study will be presented in several peer-reviewed publications, through conference presentations and via social media. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

22 CFR 1304.9 - Fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... granted under paragraph (c) of this section. Payment of fees should be in U.S. Dollars in the form of... waiver or reduction of fees has been granted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section: (1) Duplications... well as the costs of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. MCC is not required to...

22 CFR 1304.9 - Fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... granted under paragraph (c) of this section. Payment of fees should be in U.S. Dollars in the form of... waiver or reduction of fees has been granted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section: (1) Duplications... well as the costs of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. MCC is not required to...

Impact of vectorborne parasitic neglected tropical diseases on child health.

PubMed

Barry, Meagan A; Murray, Kristy O; Hotez, Peter J; Jones, Kathryn M

2016-07-01

Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are all vectorborne neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) that are responsible for significant disease burden in impoverished children and adults worldwide. As vectorborne parasitic diseases, they can all be targeted for elimination through vector control strategies. Examples of successful vector control programmes for these diseases over the past two decades have included the Southern Cone Initiative against Chagas disease, the Kala-azar Control Scheme against leishmaniasis, the Onchocerciasis Control Programme and the lymphatic filariasis control programme in The Gambia. A common vector control component in all of these programmes is the use of adulticides including dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and newer synthetic pyrethroid insecticides against the insect vectors of disease. Household spraying has been used against Chagas disease and leishmaniasis, and insecticide-treated bed nets have helped prevent leishmaniasis and lymphatic filariasis. Recent trends in vector control focus on collaborations between programmes and sectors to achieve integrated vector management that addresses the holistic vector control needs of a community rather than approaching it on a disease-by-disease basis, with the goals of increased efficacy, sustainability and cost-effectiveness. As evidence of vector resistance to currently used insecticide regimens emerges, research to develop new and improved insecticides and novel control strategies will be critical in reducing disease burden. In the quest to eliminate these vectorborne NTDs, efforts need to be made to continue existing control programmes, further implement integrated vector control strategies and stimulate research into new insecticides and control methods. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Peer Review of Grant Applications: Criteria Used and Qualitative Study of Reviewer Practices

PubMed Central

Abdoul, Hendy; Perrey, Christophe; Amiel, Philippe; Tubach, Florence; Gottot, Serge; Durand-Zaleski, Isabelle; Alberti, Corinne

2012-01-01

Background Peer review of grant applications has been criticized as lacking reliability. Studies showing poor agreement among reviewers supported this possibility but usually focused on reviewers’ scores and failed to investigate reasons for disagreement. Here, our goal was to determine how reviewers rate applications, by investigating reviewer practices and grant assessment criteria. Methods and Findings We first collected and analyzed a convenience sample of French and international calls for proposals and assessment guidelines, from which we created an overall typology of assessment criteria comprising nine domains relevance to the call for proposals, usefulness, originality, innovativeness, methodology, feasibility, funding, ethical aspects, and writing of the grant application. We then performed a qualitative study of reviewer practices, particularly regarding the use of assessment criteria, among reviewers of the French Academic Hospital Research Grant Agencies (Programmes Hospitaliers de Recherche Clinique, PHRCs). Semi-structured interviews and observation sessions were conducted. Both the time spent assessing each grant application and the assessment methods varied across reviewers. The assessment criteria recommended by the PHRCs were listed by all reviewers as frequently evaluated and useful. However, use of the PHRC criteria was subjective and varied across reviewers. Some reviewers gave the same weight to each assessment criterion, whereas others considered originality to be the most important criterion (12/34), followed by methodology (10/34) and feasibility (4/34). Conceivably, this variability might adversely affect the reliability of the review process, and studies evaluating this hypothesis would be of interest. Conclusions Variability across reviewers may result in mistrust among grant applicants about the review process. Consequently, ensuring transparency is of the utmost importance. Consistency in the review process could also be improved by providing common definitions for each assessment criterion and uniform requirements for grant application submissions. Further research is needed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of these measures. PMID:23029386

Review of performance-based incentives in community-based family planning programmes.

PubMed

Bellows, Nicole M; Askew, Ian; Bellows, Benjamin

2015-04-01

One strategy for improving family planning (FP) uptake at the community level is the use of performance-based incentives (PBIs), which offer community distributors financial incentives to recruit more users of FP. This article examines the use of PBIs in community-based FP programmes via a literature search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature conducted in April 2013. A total of 28 community-based FP programmes in 21 countries were identified as having used PBIs. The most common approach was a sales commission model where distributors received commission for FP products sold, while a referral payment model for long-term methods was also used extensively. Six evaluations were identified that specifically examined the impact of the PBI in community-based FP programmes. Overall, the results of the evaluations are mixed and more research is needed; however, the findings suggest that easy-to-understand PBIs can be successful in increasing the use of FP at the community level. For future use of PBIs in community-based FP programmes it is important to consider the ethics of incentivising FP and ensuring that PBIs are non-coercive and choice-enhancing. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Conversations between anthropology and psychiatry: drawing out the best from interdisciplinarity in global mental health.

PubMed

Rosso Buckton, Amanda

2015-12-01

Conversations between anthropologists and psychiatrists have led to new theoretical trajectories, research agendas and clinical practices as social scientists and medical practitioners forged new understandings about the interaction of culture, personhood and illness. However, the demands of global mental health, coupled with health service provision requirements, mean that mental health interventions set up with the best intentions can fail to take into account the knowledge and expertise that social sciences can contribute to a programme's success. In this paper, I reflect on conversations between an anthropologist and mental health professionals in direct reference to data analysis of an AusAID mental health capacity-building programme undertaken in the Pacific region. Social and cultural perspectives embedded within programmes can provide richer, more contextualised interventions. In drawing on the combined expertise of anthropology and psychiatry, new taken-for-granted reference points embedding cultural approaches form the basis for delivery of global mental health programmes. These perspectives include: Locating mental health programmes within development critiques. Situating the subjects of development within contextualised settings, acknowledging and respecting local knowledge, understandings and practices. A focus on interdisciplinarity as the basis for future practice in global mental health projects. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Multi-scale simulations of droplets in generic time-dependent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milan, Felix; Biferale, Luca; Sbragaglia, Mauro; Toschi, Federico

2017-11-01

We study the deformation and dynamics of droplets in time-dependent flows using a diffuse interface model for two immiscible fluids. The numerical simulations are at first benchmarked against analytical results of steady droplet deformation, and further extended to the more interesting case of time-dependent flows. The results of these time-dependent numerical simulations are compared against analytical models available in the literature, which assume the droplet shape to be an ellipsoid at all times, with time-dependent major and minor axis. In particular we investigate the time-dependent deformation of a confined droplet in an oscillating Couette flow for the entire capillary range until droplet break-up. In this way these multi component simulations prove to be a useful tool to establish from ``first principles'' the dynamics of droplets in complex flows involving multiple scales. European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreement No 642069. & European Research Council under the European Community's Seventh Framework Program, ERC Grant Agreement No 339032.

Exact Solutions of Atmospheric (2+1)-Dimensional Nonlinear Incompressible Non-hydrostatic Boussinesq Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Ping; Wang, Ya-Xiong; Ren, Bo; Li, Jin-Hua

2016-12-01

Exact solutions of the atmospheric (2+1)-dimensional nonlinear incompressible non-hydrostatic Boussinesq (INHB) equations are researched by Combining function expansion and symmetry method. By function expansion, several expansion coefficient equations are derived. Symmetries and similarity solutions are researched in order to obtain exact solutions of the INHB equations. Three types of symmetry reduction equations and similarity solutions for the expansion coefficient equations are proposed. Non-traveling wave solutions for the INHB equations are obtained by symmetries of the expansion coefficient equations. Making traveling wave transformations on expansion coefficient equations, we demonstrate some traveling wave solutions of the INHB equations. The evolutions on the wind velocities, temperature perturbation and pressure perturbation are demonstrated by figures, which demonstrate the periodic evolutions with time and space. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11305031 and 11305106, and Training Programme Foundation for Outstanding Young Teachers in Higher Education Institutions of Guangdong Province under Grant No. Yq2013205

Financial incentives to discontinue long-term benzodiazepine use: a discrete choice experiment investigating patient preferences and willingness to participate.

PubMed

Marti, Joachim; Bachhuber, Marcus; Feingold, Jordyn; Meads, David; Richards, Michael; Hennessy, Sean

2017-10-06

Investigate the acceptability of financial incentives for initiating a medically supervised benzodiazepine discontinuation programme among people with long-term benzodiazepine use and to identify programme features that influence willingness to participate. We conducted a discrete choice experiment in which we presented a variety of incentive-based programs to a sample of older adults with long-term benzodiazepine use identified using the outpatient electronic health record of a university-owned health system. We studied four programme variables: incentive amount for initiating the programme, incentive amount for successful benzodiazepine discontinuation, lottery versus certain payment and whether partial payment was given for dose reduction. Respondents reported their willingness to participate in the programmes and additional information was collected on demographics, history of use and anxiety symptoms. The overall response rate was 28.4%. Among the 126 respondents, all four programme variables influenced stated preferences. Respondents strongly preferred guaranteed cash-based incentives as opposed to a lottery, and the dollar amount of both the starting and conditional incentives had a substantial impact on choice. Willingness to participate increased with the amount of conditional incentive. Programme participation also varied by gender, duration of use and income. Participation in an incentive-based benzodiazepine discontinuation programme might be relatively low, but is modifiable by programme variables including incentive amounts. These results will be helpful to inform the design of future trials of benzodiazepine discontinuation programmes. Further research is needed to assess the financial viability and potential cost-effectiveness of such economic incentives. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Research support for effective state and community tobacco control programme response to electronic nicotine delivery systems.

PubMed

Schmitt, Carol L; Lee, Youn Ok; Curry, Laurel E; Farrelly, Matthew C; Rogers, Todd

2014-07-01

To identify unmet research needs of state and community tobacco control practitioners pertaining to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS or e-cigarettes) that would inform policy and practice efforts at the state and community levels, and to describe ENDS-related research and dissemination activities of the National Cancer Institute-funded State and Community Tobacco Control Research Initiative. To determine specific research gaps relevant to state and community tobacco control practice, we analysed survey data collected from tobacco control programmes (TCPs) in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (N=51). Survey items covered a range of ENDS issues: direct harm to users, harm of secondhand vapour, cessation, flavours, constituents and youth access. There is no ENDS topic on which a majority of state TCP managers feel very informed. They feel least informed about harms of secondhand vapour while also reporting that this information is among the most important for their programme. A majority (N=31) of respondents indicated needs for research on the implications of ENDS products for existing policies. TCP managers report that ENDS research is highly important for practice and need research-based information to inform decision making around the inclusion of ENDS in existing tobacco control policies. For optimal relevance to state and community TCPs, research on ENDS should prioritise study of the health effects of ENDS use and secondhand exposure to ENDS vapour in the context of existing tobacco control policies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Inexpensive Miniature Programmable Magnetic Stirrer from Reconfigured Computer Parts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Conan; Leech, Donal

2017-01-01

This technology report outlines a robust and easy to assemble magnetic stirrer that is programmable. All of the parts are recycled from obsolete computer hardware except the Arduino microcontroller and motor driver, at a total cost of around $40. This multidisciplinary approach introduces microcontrollers to students and grants the opportunity to…

Mapping Standardised Test Scores with Other Variables Using GIS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerski, Joseph; Linn, Sophia; Gindele, Rick

2005-01-01

This article discusses the Mapping CSAP (Colorado Student Achievement Program) project, an extension of a grant-funded programme that sought to show the importance of a geographic perspective on public policy decision-making at the state level. In this programme, high school students were asked to grapple with current state issues in Colorado,…

Collective patient behaviours derailing ART roll-out in KwaZulu-Natal: perspectives of health care providers.

PubMed

Michel, Janet; Matlakala, Christina; English, Rene; Lessells, Richard; Newell, Marie-Louise

2013-07-19

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) roll-out is fraught with challenges, many with serious repercussions. We explored and described patient behaviour-related challenges from the perspective of health care providers from non-governmental organisations involved in ART programmes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A descriptive case study design using qualitative approach was applied during this study. Data was collected from nine key informants from the three biggest NGOs involved in ART roll-out using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Transcribing and coding for emergent themes was done by two independent reviewers. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the UNISA research ethics committee of The Faculty of Health Sciences. Written consent was obtained from directors of the three NGOs involved and individual audio taped informed consent was obtained from all study participants prior to data collection. Findings revealed six broad areas of patient behaviour challenges. These were patient behaviour related to socio-economic situation of patient (skipping of medication due to lack of food, or due to lack of transport fees), belief systems (traditional and religious), stigma (non- disclosure), sexual practices (non-acceptability of condoms, teenage pregnancies), escapism (drug and alcohol abuse) and opportunism (skipping medication in order to access disability grant, teenage pregnancies in order to access child grant). New programmes need to address patient behaviour as a complex phenomenon requiring a multi-pronged approach that also addresses social norms and institutions. In the face of continued ART scale up, this is further evidence for the need for multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure successful and sustainable ART roll-out.

Extracting physical quantities from BES data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, Michael; Field, Anthony; Schekochihin, Alexander; van Wyk, Ferdinand; MAST Team

2015-11-01

We propose a method to extract the underlying physical properties of turbulence from measurements, thereby facilitating quantitative comparisons between theory and experiment. Beam Emission Spectroscopy (BES) diagnostics record fluctuating intensity time series, which are related to the density field in the plasma through Point-Spread Functions (PSFs). Assuming a suitable form for the correlation function of the underlying turbulence, analytical expressions are derived that relate the correlation parameters of the intensity field: the radial and poloidal correlation lengths and wavenumbers, the correlation time and the fluctuation amplitude, to the equivalent correlation properties of the density field. In many cases, the modification caused by the PSFs is substantial enough to change conclusions about physics. Our method is tested by applying PSFs to the ``real'' density field, generated by non-linear gyrokinetic simulations of MAST, to create synthetic turbulence data, from which the method successfully recovers the correlation function of the ``real'' density field. This method is applied to BES data from MAST to determine the scaling of the 2D structure of the ion-scale turbulence with equilibrium parameters, including the ExB flow shear. Work funded by the Euratom research and training programme 2014-2018 under grant agreement No 633053 and from the RCUK Energy Programme [grant number EP/I501045].

Intrinsic limits to gene regulation by global crosstalk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedlander, Tamar; Prizak, Roshan; Guet, Calin; Barton, Nicholas H.; Tkacik, Gasper

Gene activity is mediated by the specificity of binding interactions between special proteins, called transcription factors, and short regulatory sequences on the DNA, where different protein species preferentially bind different DNA targets. Limited interaction specificity may lead to crosstalk: a regulatory state in which a gene is either incorrectly activated due to spurious interactions or remains erroneously inactive. Since each protein can potentially interact with numerous DNA targets, crosstalk is inherently a global problem, yet has previously not been studied as such. We construct a theoretical framework to analyze the effects of global crosstalk on gene regulation, using statistical mechanics. We find that crosstalk in regulatory interactions puts fundamental limits on the reliability of gene regulation that are not easily mitigated by tuning proteins concentrations or by complex regulatory schemes proposed in the literature. Our results suggest that crosstalk imposes a previously unexplored global constraint on the functioning and evolution of regulatory networks, which is qualitatively distinct from the known constraints that act at the level of individual gene regulatory elements. The research leading to these results has received funding from the People Programme (Marie Curie Actions) of the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under REA Grant agreement Nr. 291734 (T.F.) and ERC Grant Nr. 250152 (N.B.).

Surveys of current status in biomedical science grant review: funding organisations' and grant reviewers' perspectives

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The objectives of this research were (a) to describe the current status of grant review for biomedical projects and programmes from the perspectives of international funding organisations and grant reviewers, and (b) to explore funders' interest in developing uniform requirements for grant review aimed at making the processes and practices of grant review more consistent, transparent, and user friendly. Methods A survey to a convenience sample of 57 international public and private organisations that give grants for biomedical research was conducted. Nine participating organisations then emailed a random sample of their external reviewers an invitation to participate in a second electronic survey. Results A total of 28 of 57 (49%) organisations in 19 countries responded. Organisations reported these problems as frequent or very frequent: declined review requests (16), late reports (10), administrative burden (7), difficulty finding new reviewers (4), and reviewers not following guidelines (4). The administrative burden of the process was reported to have increased over the past 5 years. In all, 17 organisations supported the idea of uniform requirements for conducting grant review and for formatting grant proposals. A total of 258/418 (62%) reviewers responded from 22 countries. Of those, 48% (123/258) said their institutions encouraged grant review, yet only 7% (17/258) were given protected time and 74% (192/258) received no academic recognition for this. Reviewers rated these factors as extremely or very important in deciding to review proposals: 51% (131/258) desire to support external fairness, 47% (120/258) professional duty, 46% (118/258) relevance of the proposal's topic, 43% (110/258) wanting to keep up to date, 40% (104/258) desire to avoid suppression of innovation. Only 16% (42/258) reported that guidance from funders was very clear. In all, 85% (220/258) had not been trained in grant review and 64% (166/258) wanted this. Conclusions Funders reported a growing workload of biomedical proposals that is getting harder to peer review. Just under half of grant reviewers take part for the good of science and professional development, but many report lack of academic and practical support and clear guidance. Around two-thirds of funders supported the development of uniform requirements for the format and peer review of proposals to help ease the current situation. PMID:20961441

Do cash transfer programmes yield better health in the first year of life? A systematic review linking low-income/middle-income and high-income contexts.

PubMed

Siddiqi, Arjumand; Rajaram, Akshay; Miller, Steven P

2018-04-28

Decades of research unequivocally demonstrates that no matter the society, socioeconomic resources are perhaps the most fundamental determinants of health throughout the life course, including during its very earliest stages. As a result, societies have implemented 'cash transfer' programmes, whichprovide income supplementation to reduce socioeconomic disadvantage among the poorest families with young children. Despite this being a common approach of societies around the world, research on effects of these programmes in low-income/middle-income countries, and those in high-income countries has been conducted as if they are entirely distinct phenomena. In this paper, we systematically review the international literature on the association between cash transfer programmes and health outcomes during the first year of life. We conducted a systematic review based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Using a variety of relevant keywords, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews, EconLit and Social Sciences Citations Index. Our review yielded 14 relevant studies. These studies suggested cash transfer programmes that were not attached to conditions tended to yield positive effects on outcomes such as birth weight and infant mortality. Programmes that were conditional on use of health services also carried positive effects, while those that carried labour-force participation conditionalities tended to yield no positive effects. Given several dynamics involved in determining whether children are healthy or not, which are common worldwide, viewing the literature from a global perspective produces novel insights regarding the tendency of policies and programmes to reduce or, to exacerbate, the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage on child health. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Focus on sex differences in grant applications submitted to the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development.

PubMed

Keuken, Debby G; Haafkens, Joke A; Klazinga, Niek S

2007-10-24

Several measures have been implemented at international level to ensure that there is a greater focus on sex differences in health research. This study evaluates the effect of various formal incentives that were introduced by a Dutch financer of health research to encourage applicants to include sex differences in research proposals. We sampled 213 health research proposals submitted in 2003 to the programmes Prevention (N = 104) and Innovation (N = 109) by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw). These proposals were analysed and categorized with regard to the expressed intention to take sex differences into consideration. Furthermore, those proposals in which such intention was absent were appraised by researchers to determine whether an intention of this kind would have been relevant. We found that 23 % of proposals submitted to Prevention (incentive: programme specific instructions) and 10% of those submitted to Innovation (general set of guidelines) took account of sex differences (difference 13%; 95% CI: 3.1-22.9). Conversely, 66% of the research proposals in Prevention, and 20% in Innovation, failed to take sex differences into consideration, even though this might well have been relevant. There is still insufficient incentive for those submitting research proposals to ZonMw to systematically incorporate sex differences when drafting such documents. The provisions in ZonMw's policy need to be amended and better monitored. For this, we formulated some recommendations.

Clinician-scientist MB/PhD training in the UK: a nationwide survey of medical school policy.

PubMed

Barnett-Vanes, Ashton; Ho, Guiyi; Cox, Timothy M

2015-12-30

This study surveyed all UK medical schools regarding their Bachelor of Medicine (MB), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (MB/PhD) training policy in order to map the current training landscape and to provide evidence for further research and policy development. Deans of all UK medical schools registered with the Medical Schools Council were invited to participate in this survey electronically. The number of medical schools that operate institutional MB/PhD programmes or permit self-directed student PhD intercalation. Medical school recruitment procedures and attitudes to policy guidance. 27 of 33 (81%) registered UK medical schools responded. Four (14%) offer an institutional MB/PhD programme. However, of those without institutional programmes, 17 (73%) permit study interruption and PhD intercalation: two do not (one of whom had discontinued their programme in 2013), three were unsure and one failed to answer the question. Regarding student eligibility, respondents cited high academic achievement in medical studies and a bachelor's or master's degree. Of the Medical schools without institutional MB/PhD programmes, 5 (21%) have intentions to establish a programme, 8 (34%) do not and 3 were unsure, seven did not answer. 19 medical schools (70%) considered national guidelines are needed for future MB/PhD programme development. We report the first national survey of MB/PhD training in the UK. Four medical schools have operational institutional MB/PhD programmes, with a further five intending to establish one. Most medical schools permit study interruption and PhD intercalation. The total number MB/PhD students yet to graduate from medical school could exceed 150, with 30 graduating per year. A majority of medical school respondents to this survey believe national guidelines are required for MB/PhD programme development and implementation. Further research should focus on the MB/PhD student experience. Discussion regarding local and national MB/PhD policies between medical schools and academic stakeholders are needed. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

"Modeling" Youth Work: Logic Models, Neoliberalism, and Community Praxis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpenter, Sara

2016-01-01

This paper examines the use of logic models in the development of community initiatives within the AmeriCorps program. AmeriCorps is the civilian national service programme in the U.S., operating as a grants programme to local governments and not-for-profit organisations and providing low-cost labour to address pressing issues of social…

What can a participatory approach to evaluation contribute to the field of integrated care?

PubMed

Eyre, Laura; Farrelly, Michael; Marshall, Martin

2017-07-01

Better integration of care within the health sector and between health and social care is seen in many countries as an essential way of addressing the enduring problems of dwindling resources, changing demographics and unacceptable variation in quality of care. Current research evidence about the effectiveness of integration efforts supports neither the enthusiasm of those promoting and designing integrated care programmes nor the growing efforts of practitioners attempting to integrate care on the ground. In this paper we present a methodological approach, based on the principles of participatory research, that attempts to address this challenge. Participatory approaches are characterised by a desire to use social science methods to solve practical problems and a commitment on the part of researchers to substantive and sustained collaboration with relevant stakeholders. We describe how we applied an emerging practical model of participatory research, the researcher-in-residence model, to evaluate a large-scale integrated care programme in the UK. We propose that the approach added value to the programme in a number of ways: by engaging stakeholders in using established evidence and with the benefits of rigorously evaluating their work, by providing insights for local stakeholders that they were either not familiar with or had not fully considered in relation to the development and implementation of the programme and by challenging established mindsets and norms. While there is still much to learn about the benefits and challenges of applying participatory approaches in the health sector, we demonstrate how using such approaches have the potential to help practitioners integrate care more effectively in their daily practice and help progress the academic study of integrated care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The use and impact of cancer medicines in routine clinical care: methods and observations in a cohort of elderly Australians

PubMed Central

Pearson, Sallie-Anne; Schaffer, Andrea

2014-01-01

Introduction After medicines have been subsidised in Australia we know little about their use in routine clinical practice, impact on resource utilisation, effectiveness or safety. Routinely collected administrative health data are available to address these issues in large population-based pharmacoepidemiological studies. By bringing together cross-jurisdictional data collections that link drug exposure to real-world outcomes, this research programme aims to evaluate the use and impact of cancer medicines in a subset of elderly Australians in the real-world clinical setting. Methods and analysis This ongoing research programme involves a series of retrospective cohort studies of Australian Government Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) clients. The study population includes 104 635 veterans who reside in New South Wales, Australia, and were aged 65 years and over as of 1 July 2004. We will investigate trends in cancer medicines use according to cancer type and other sociodemographic characteristics as well as predictors of the initiation of cancer medicines and other treatment modalities, survival and adverse outcomes among patients with cancer. The programme is underpinned by the linkage of eight health administrative databases under the custodianship of the DVA and the New South Wales Ministry of Health, including cancer notifications, medicines dispensing data, hospitalisation data and health services data. The cancer notifications database is available from 1994 with all other databases available from 2005 onwards. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval has been granted by the DVA and New South Wales Population and Health Service Research Ethics Committees. Results Results will be reported in peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and policy forums. The programme has high translational potential, providing invaluable evidence about cancer medicines in an elderly population who are under-represented in clinical trials. PMID:24793244

Scattering of massless fermions by Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordström black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sporea, Ciprian A.

2017-12-01

We study the scattering of massless Dirac fermions by Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordström black holes. This is done by applying partial wave analysis to the scattering modes obtained after solving the massless Dirac equation in the asymptotic regions of the two black hole geometries. We successfully obtain analytic phase shifts, with the help of which the scattering cross section is computed. The glory and spiral scattering phenomena are shown to be present, as in the case of massive fermion scattering by black holes. Supported by a grant of the Ministry of National Education and Scientific Research, RDI Programme for Space Technology and Advanced Research - STAR, project number 181/20.07.2017

The efficacy of a supervised and a home-based core strengthening programme in adults with poor core stability: a three-arm randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Chuter, V H; de Jonge, X A K Janse; Thompson, B M; Callister, R

2015-03-01

Poor core stability is linked to a range of musculoskeletal pathologies and core-strengthening programmes are widely used as treatment. Treatment outcomes, however, are highly variable, which may be related to the method of delivery of core strengthening programmes. We investigated the effect of identical 8 week core strengthening programmes delivered as either supervised or home-based on measures of core stability. Participants with poor core stability were randomised into three groups: supervised (n=26), home-based (n=26) or control (n=26). Primary outcomes were the Sahrmann test and the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) for dynamic core stability and three endurance tests (side-bridge, flexor and Sorensen) for static core stability. The exercise programme was devised and supervised by an exercise physiologist. Analysis of covariance on the change from baseline over the 8 weeks showed that the supervised group performed significantly better on all core stability measures than both the home-based and control group. The home-based group produced significant improvements compared to the control group in all static core stability tests, but not in most of the dynamic core stability tests (Sahrmann test and two out of three directions of the SEBT). Our results support the use of a supervised core-strengthening programme over a home-based programme to maximise improvements in core stability, especially in its dynamic aspects. Based on our findings in healthy individuals with low core stability, further research is recommended on potential therapeutic benefits of supervised core-strengthening programmes for pathologies associated with low core stability. ACTRN12613000233729. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Challenges in implementing an advance care planning programme in long-term care.

PubMed

McGlade, Ciara; Daly, Edel; McCarthy, Joan; Cornally, Nicola; Weathers, Elizabeth; O'Caoimh, Rónán; Molloy, D William

2017-02-01

A high prevalence of cognitive impairment and frailty complicates the feasibility of advance care planning in the long-term-care population. Research aim: To identify challenges in implementing the 'Let Me Decide' advance care planning programme in long-term-care. This feasibility study had two phases: (1) staff education on advance care planning and (2) structured advance care planning by staff with residents and families. Participants and research context: long-term-care residents in two nursing homes and one community hospital. Ethical considerations: The local research ethics committee granted ethical approval. Following implementation, over 50% of all residents had completed some form of end-of-life care plan. Of the 70 residents who died in the post-implementation period, 14% had no care plan, 10% (with capacity) completed an advance care directive and lacking such capacity, 76% had an end-of-life care plan completed for them by the medical team, following discussions with the resident (if able) and family. The considerable logistical challenge of releasing staff for training triggered development of an e-learning programme to facilitate training. The challenges encountered were largely concerned with preserving resident's autonomy, avoiding harm and suboptimal or crisis decision-making, and ensuring residents were treated fairly through optimisation of finite resources. Although it may be too late for many long-term-care residents to complete their own advance care directive, the ' Let Me Decide' programme includes a feasible and acceptable option for structured end-of-life care planning for residents with variable capacity to complete an advance care directive, involving discussion with the resident (to the extent they were able) and their family. While end-of-life care planning was time-consuming to deliver, nursing staff were willing to overcome this and take ownership of the programme, once the benefits in improved communication and enhanced peace of mind among all parties involved became apparent in practice.

Human pair walking behavior: evaluation of cooperation strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dobramysl, Ulrich; Bodova, Katarina; Kollar, Richard; Erban, Radek

2015-03-01

Human walkers are notoriously poor at keeping a direction without external cues: Experimental work by Souman et al. with blindfolded subjects told to walk in a straight line revealed intriguing circular and spiraling trajectories, which can be approximated by a stochastic process. In this work, motivated by pair walking experiments by Miglierini et al., we introduce an analysis of various strategies employed by a pair of blindfolded walkers, who are communicating via auditory cues, to maximize their efficiency at walking straight. To this end, we characterize pairs of strategies such as free walking, side-by-side walking and unconditional following from data generated by robot pair walking experiments (using computer vision techniques) and numerical simulations. We extract the mean exit distances of walker pairs from a corridor with finite width to construct phase portraits of the walking performance. We find intriguing cooperative effects leading to non-trivial enhancements of the efficiency at walking straight. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement No. 239870; and from the Royal Society through a Research Grant.

Coronal Dynamics at Recent Total Solar Eclipses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasachoff, J. M.; Lu, M.; Davis, A. B.; Demianski, M.; Rusin, V.; Saniga, M.; Seaton, D. B.; Lucas, R.; Babcock, B. A.; Dantowitz, R.; Gaintatzis, P.; Seeger, C. H.; Malamut, C.; Steele, A.

2014-12-01

Our composite images of the solar corona based on extensive imaging at the total solar eclipses of 2010 (Easter Island), 2012 (Australia), and 2013 (Gabon) reveal several coronal mass ejections and other changes in coronal streamers and in polar plumes. Our resultant spatial resolution is finer than that available in imaging from spacecraft, including that from SOHO/LASCO or STEREO. We trace the eruptions back to their footpoints on the sun using imaging from SDO and SWAP, and follow them upwards through the corona, measuring velocities. The high-resolution computer compositing by Miloslav Druckmüller and Hana Druckmüllerová (2010 and 2013) and Pavlos Gaintatzis (2012) allows comparison of our images with those taken at intervals of minutes or hours along the totality path. Williams College's 2013 eclipse expedition was supported in part by grant 9327-13 from National Geographic Society/Committee for Research and Exploration. Our work on the 2012 eclipse is supported in part by grant AGS-1047726 from Solar Terrestrial Research/NSF AGS. V.R. and M.S. were partially supported by the VEGA grant agency project 2/0098/10 and 2/0003/13 (Slovak Academy of Sciences) and Grant 0139-12 from NG/CRE, and Hana Druckmüllerová by grant 205/09/1469 of the Czech Science Foundation. M.L. was supported by Sigma Xi. C.M. was a Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium Summer Fellow, supported at Williams College by REU/NSF grant AST-1005024. Partial support was provided by U.S. Department of Defense's ASSURE program. J.M.P. thanks Caltech's Planetary Sciences Department for hospitality. Support for D.B.S. and SWAP came from PRODEX grant C90345 managed by ESA in collaboration with the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) in support of the PROBA2/SWAP mission, and from the EC's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant 218816 (SOTERIA project, www.soteria-space.eu). SWAP is a project of the Centre Spatial de Liège and the Royal Observatory of Belgium funded by BELSPO.

A cluster-randomised controlled trial integrating a community-based water, sanitation and hygiene programme, with mass distribution of albendazole to reduce intestinal parasites in Timor-Leste: the WASH for WORMS research protocol

PubMed Central

Nery, Susana Vaz; McCarthy, James S; Traub, Rebecca; Andrews, Ross M; Black, Jim; Gray, Darren; Weking, Edmund; Atkinson, Jo-An; Campbell, Suzy; Francis, Naomi; Vallely, Andrew; Williams, Gail; Clements, Archie

2015-01-01

Introduction There is limited evidence demonstrating the benefits of community-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes on infections with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and intestinal protozoa. Our study aims to contribute to that evidence base by investigating the effectiveness of combining two complementary approaches for control of STH: periodic mass administration of albendazole, and delivery of a community-based WASH programme. Methods and analysis WASH for WORMS is a cluster-randomised controlled trial to test the hypothesis that a community-based WASH intervention integrated with periodic mass distribution of albendazole will be more effective in reducing infections with STH and protozoa than mass deworming alone. All 18 participating rural communities in Timor-Leste receive mass chemotherapy every 6 months. Half the communities also receive the community-based WASH programme. Primary outcomes are the cumulative incidence of infection with STH. Secondary outcomes include the prevalence of protozoa; intensity of infection with STH; as well as morbidity indicators (anaemia, stunting and wasting). Each of the trial outcomes will be compared between control and intervention communities. End points will be measured 2 years after the first albendazole distribution; and midpoints are measured at 6 months intervals (12 months for haemoglobin and anthropometric indexes). Mixed-methods research will also be conducted in order to identify barriers and enablers associated with the acceptability and uptake of the WASH programme. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained from the human ethics committees at the University of Queensland, Australian National University, Timorese Ministry of Health, and University of Melbourne. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed journals presented at national and international conferences, and disseminated to relevant stakeholders in health and WASH programmes. This study is funded by a Partnership for Better Health—Project grant from the National Health and Research Council (NHMRC), Australia. Trial registration number ACTRN12614000680662; Pre-results PMID:26719316

Collective patient behaviours derailing ART roll-out in KwaZulu-Natal: perspectives of health care providers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Antiretroviral therapy (ART) roll-out is fraught with challenges, many with serious repercussions. We explored and described patient behaviour-related challenges from the perspective of health care providers from non-governmental organisations involved in ART programmes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods A descriptive case study design using qualitative approach was applied during this study. Data was collected from nine key informants from the three biggest NGOs involved in ART roll-out using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Transcribing and coding for emergent themes was done by two independent reviewers. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the UNISA research ethics committee of The Faculty of Health Sciences. Written consent was obtained from directors of the three NGOs involved and individual audio taped informed consent was obtained from all study participants prior to data collection. Results Findings revealed six broad areas of patient behaviour challenges. These were patient behaviour related to socio-economic situation of patient (skipping of medication due to lack of food, or due to lack of transport fees), belief systems (traditional and religious), stigma (non- disclosure), sexual practices (non-acceptability of condoms, teenage pregnancies), escapism (drug and alcohol abuse) and opportunism (skipping medication in order to access disability grant, teenage pregnancies in order to access child grant). Conclusion New programmes need to address patient behaviour as a complex phenomenon requiring a multi-pronged approach that also addresses social norms and institutions. In the face of continued ART scale up, this is further evidence for the need for multi-sectoral collaboration to ensure successful and sustainable ART roll-out. PMID:23870285

Aerosol classification using EARLINET measurements for an intensive observational period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papagiannopoulos, Nikolaos; Mona, Lucia; Pappalardo, Gelsomina

2016-04-01

ACTRIS (Aerosols, Clouds and Trace gases Research Infrastructure Network) organized an intensive observation period during summer 2012. This campaign aimed at the provision of advanced observations of physical and chemical aerosol properties, at the delivery of information about the 3D distribution of European atmospheric aerosols, and at the monitoring of Saharan dust intrusions events. EARLINET (European Aerosol Research Lidar Network) participated in the ACTRIS campaign through the addition of measurements according to the EARLINET schedule as well as daily lidar-profiling measurements around sunset by 11 selected lidar stations for the period from 8 June - 17 July. EARLINET observations during this almost two-month period are used to characterize the optical properties and vertical distribution of long-range transported aerosol over the broader area of Mediterranean basin. The lidar measurements of aerosol intensive parameters (lidar ratio, depolarization, Angstrom exponents) are shown to vary with location and aerosol type. A methodology based on EARLINET observations of frequently observed aerosol types is used to classify aerosols into seven separate types. The summertime Mediterranean basin is prone to African dust aerosols. Two major dust events were studied. The first episode occurred from the 18 to 21 of the June and the second one lasted from 28 June to 6 July. The lidar ratio within the dust layer was found to be wavelength independent with mean values of 58±14 sr at 355 nm and 57±11 sr at 532 nm. For the particle linear depolarization ratio, mean values of 0.27±0.04 at 532 nm have been found. Acknowledgements. The financial support for EARLINET in the ACTRIS Research Infrastructure Project by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 654169 and previously under grant agreement no. 262254 in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) is gratefully acknowledged.

Hitler's bible: an analysis of the relationship between American and German eugenics in pre-war Nazi Germany.

PubMed

Brown, Susan

2009-06-01

Throughout the last century the wellbeing of those with disability has been threatened by the idea of eugenics. The most notable and extreme example of this could be considered to have been carried out during World WarTwo, within Nazi eugenic programmes. These resulted in the sterilisation and killing of hundreds of thousands of disabled people. Through research of a wide range of sources it has been established that much of the inspiration and encouragement for this rapidly progressing movement in Germany initially came from America, most notably from California. American eugenicists expressed interest, and at times jealousy, at the speed of the progression in German eugenics. German Sterilisation laws were drafted following careful study of American experiments and research, while financial support from a number of American individuals encouraged further German research. Correspondence between influential leaders, including Hitler, Grant and Whitney, Verschuer and Popenoe, on both sides also added to the developing relationship. In conclusion, although there are a number of vital differences between the progress of the eugenics programme in America and in pre-war Nazi Germany, and eugenics in America never produced the massive genocide that occurred in Germany, it is clear that the research, encouragement and enthusiasm from America had a profound influence on the rapidly growing Nazi eugenics movement.

A qualitative evidence synthesis on the management of male obesity.

PubMed

Archibald, Daryll; Douglas, Flora; Hoddinott, Pat; van Teijlingen, Edwin; Stewart, Fiona; Robertson, Clare; Boyers, Dwayne; Avenell, Alison

2015-10-12

To investigate what weight management interventions work for men, with which men, and under what circumstances. Realist synthesis of qualitative studies. Sensitive searches of 11 electronic databases from 1990 to 2012 supplemented by grey literature searches. Studies published between 1990 and 2012 reporting qualitative research with obese men, or obese men in contrast to obese women and lifestyle or drug weight management were included. The studies included men aged 16 years or over, with no upper age limit, with a mean or median body mass index of 30 kg/m(2) in all settings. 22 studies were identified, including 5 qualitative studies linked to randomised controlled trials of weight maintenance interventions and 8 qualitative studies linked to non-randomised intervention studies, and 9 relevant UK-based qualitative studies not linked to any intervention. Health concerns and the perception that certain programmes had 'worked' for other men were the key factors that motivated men to engage with weight management programmes. Barriers to engagement and adherence with programmes included: men not problematising their weight until labelled 'obese'; a lack of support for new food choices by friends and family, and reluctance to undertake extreme dieting. Retaining some autonomy over what is eaten; flexibility about treats and alcohol, and a focus on physical activity were attractive features of programmes. Group interventions, humour and social support facilitated attendance and adherence. Men were motivated to attend programmes in settings that were convenient, non-threatening and congruent with their masculine identities, but men were seldom involved in programme design. Men's perspectives and preferences within the wider context of family, work and pleasure should be sought when designing weight management services. Qualitative research is needed with men to inform all aspects of intervention design, including the setting, optimal recruitment processes and strategies to minimise attrition. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Innovative community-based ecosystem management for dengue and Chagas disease prevention in low and middle income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

PubMed

Finkelman, Jacobo

2015-02-01

In 2009, the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) launched a call for innovative community-based ecosystem management research projects for dengue and Chagas disease prevention in low and middle income countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Eight research institutions were selected. The outputs of these projects led to a better understanding of the interaction between ecological, biological, social and economic (eco-bio-social) determinants of dengue and Chagas disease in Latin America and the Caribbean. Both diseases are considered highly relevant in the regional health agendas. © World Health Organization 2015. The World Health Organization has granted Oxford University Press permission for the reproduction of this article.

What is best practice in sex and relationship education? A synthesis of evidence, including stakeholders' views.

PubMed

Pound, Pandora; Denford, Sarah; Shucksmith, Janet; Tanton, Clare; Johnson, Anne M; Owen, Jenny; Hutten, Rebecca; Mohan, Leanne; Bonell, Chris; Abraham, Charles; Campbell, Rona

2017-07-02

Sex and relationship education (SRE) is regarded as vital to improving young people's sexual health, but a third of schools in England lacks good SRE and government guidance is outdated. We aimed to identify what makes SRE programmes effective, acceptable, sustainable and capable of faithful implementation. This is a synthesis of findings from five research packages that we conducted (practitioner interviews, case study investigation, National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, review of reviews and qualitative synthesis). We also gained feedback on our research from stakeholder consultations. Primary research and stakeholder consultations were conducted in the UK. Secondary research draws on studies worldwide. Our findings indicate that school-based SRE and school-linked sexual health services can be effective at improving sexual health. We found professional consensus that good programmes start in primary school. Professionals and young people agreed that good programmes are age-appropriate, interactive and take place in a safe environment. Some young women reported preferring single-sex classes, but young men appeared to want mixed classes. Young people and professionals agreed that SRE should take a 'life skills' approach and not focus on abstinence. Young people advocated a 'sex-positive' approach but reported this was lacking. Young people and professionals agreed that SRE should discuss risks, but young people indicated that approaches to risk need revising. Professionals felt teachers should be involved in SRE delivery, but many young people reported disliking having their teachers deliver SRE and we found that key messages could become lost when interpreted by teachers. The divergence between young people and professionals was echoed by stakeholders. We developed criteria for best practice based on the evidence. We identified key features of effective and acceptable SRE. Our best practice criteria can be used to evaluate existing programmes, contribute to the development of new programmes and inform consultations around statutory SRE. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Looking back at the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship: the most prestigious research award of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

PubMed

Boult, Margaret; Babidge, Wendy; Pleass, Susan; Scott, David

2015-10-01

The John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship is a generous endowment made to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) by the young neurosurgeon's family, following his death from a brain tumour. In this article, we examine the significance and legacy of the grant since its inception in 1979. This is the highest level of research fellowship awarded by the RACS recognizing early career excellence, as part of its significant research funding programme (over $1.7 million in 2015). John Mitchell Crouch recipients have been pioneers in various areas of medicine where they have developed new technologies, established research centres, improved patient safety and military surgery and embraced evidence-based medicine. The funds they received have directly contributed to research published in numerous highly respected peer-reviewed journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine; established new laboratories, helped fund clinical trials and allowed new directions of research to be pursued. Recipients of the John Mitchell Crouch Fellowship have been recognized with many awards including 11 Australian and New Zealand Honours to date. Many other significant research funds have been subsequently bestowed, including over 120 National Health Medical Research Council (NHMRC) grants to Australian and New Zealand recipients subsequent to their Fellowship. This article also shows the range of disciplines in which the award has supported cutting-edge research leading to benefits for patients and health care. © 2015 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Evaluative Study of M.A. Education Programmes of Teacher Education at Higher Education Level in Pakistan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fatima, Jabeen; Naseer Ud Din, Muhammad

2010-01-01

The study was aimed at evaluating the MA Education Programme of teacher education in Pakistan. Post-graduate teacher's training institutes in Pakistan grant the Master of Education (MA/M.Ed.), Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) post-graduate degrees in the field of education to enhance the careers and accelerate the…

Exploring the components of physician volunteer engagement: a qualitative investigation of a national Canadian simulation-based training programme.

PubMed

Sarti, Aimee J; Sutherland, Stephanie; Landriault, Angele; DesRosier, Kirk; Brien, Susan; Cardinal, Pierre

2017-06-23

Conceptual clarity on physician volunteer engagement is lacking in the medical literature. The aim of this study was to present a conceptual framework to describe the elements which influence physician volunteer engagement and to explore volunteer engagement within a national educational programme. The context for this study was the Acute Critical Events Simulation (ACES) programme in Canada, which has successfully evolved into a national educational programme, driven by physician volunteers. From 2010 to 2014, the programme recruited 73 volunteer healthcare professionals who contributed to the creation of educational materials and/or served as instructors. A conceptual framework was constructed based on an extensive literature review and expert consultation. Secondary qualitative analysis was undertaken on 15 semistructured interviews conducted from 2012 to 2013 with programme directors and healthcare professionals across Canada. An additional 15 interviews were conducted in 2015 with physician volunteers to achieve thematic saturation. Data were analysed iteratively and inductive coding techniques applied. From the physician volunteer data, 11 themes emerged. The most prominent themes included volunteer recruitment, retention, exchange, recognition, educator network and quasi-volunteerism. Captured within these interrelated themes were the framework elements, including the synergistic effects of emotional, cognitive and reciprocal engagement. Behavioural engagement was driven by these factors along with a cue to action, which led to contributions to the ACES programme. This investigation provides a preliminary framework and supportive evidence towards understanding the complex construct of physician volunteer engagement. The need for this research is particularly important in present day, where growing fiscal constraints create challenges for medical education to do more with less. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Global Fund-supported programmes contribution to international targets and the Millennium Development Goals: an initial analysis.

PubMed

Komatsu, Ryuichi; Low-Beer, Daniel; Schwartländer, Bernhard

2007-10-01

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is one of the largest funders to fight these diseases. This paper discusses the programmatic contribution of Global Fund-supported programmes towards achieving international targets and Millennium Development Goals, using data from Global Fund grants. Results until June 2006 of 333 grants supported by the Global Fund in 127 countries were aggregated and compared against international targets for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Progress reports to the Global Fund secretariat were used as a basis to calculate results. Service delivery indicators for antiretrovirals (ARV) for HIV/AIDS, case detection under the DOTS strategy for tuberculosis (DOTS) and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) for malaria prevention were selected to estimate programmatic contributions to international targets for the three diseases. Targets of Global Fund-supported programmes were projected based on proposals for Rounds 1 to 4 and compared to international targets for 2009. Results for Global Fund-supported programmes total 544,000 people on ARV, 1.4 million on DOTS and 11.3 million for ITNs by June 2006. Global Fund-supported programmes contributed 18% of international ARV targets, 29% of DOTS targets and 9% of ITNs in sub-Saharan Africa by mid-2006. Existing Global Fund-supported programmes have agreed targets that are projected to account for 19% of the international target for ARV delivery expected for 2009, 28% of the international target for DOTS and 84% of ITN targets in sub-Saharan Africa. Global Fund-supported programmes have already contributed substantially to international targets by mid-2006, but there is a still significant gap. Considerably greater financial support is needed, particularly for HIV, in order to achieve international targets for 2009.

Life on the borders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barry, Edward

2010-02-01

Interdisciplinary science has been a hot topic for more than a decade, with increasing numbers of researchers working on projects that do not fit into neat departmental boxes like "physics" or "biology". Yet despite this increased activity, the structures in place to support these interdisciplinary scientists - including research grants and training for PhD students - have sometimes lagged behind. One programme that aims to help fill this gap for students of biomedical, physical and computational sciences is the Interfaces Initiative, a joint project of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the US National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. Physics World talked to a current Interfaces participant, Edward Barry, who is finishing his PhD in biology-related condensed-matter physics at Brandeis University in Massachusetts.

Being normal, not vulnerable: case study of a 2-day residential programme for young adults with cancer.

PubMed

Martins, Ana; Taylor, Rachel M; Morgan, Sue; Fern, Lorna A

2017-07-13

To identify and describe the outcomes and facilitating processes of participation at 'Find Your Sense of Tumour' (FYSOT), a 2-day residential programme/conference for young people with cancer, from the perspective of professionals attending and patient representatives. Case study. Observation of the 'Find Your Sense of Tumour' over 18s residential programme and face-to-face interviews in hospital and phone interviews. Twenty-six participants - 19 professionals from hospitals across the UK who accompanied young people to FYSOT; 3 programme organisers; and 4 young people from the programme steering committee. Participant observation and semistructured interviews. This process evaluation of an educational, social and peer-to-peer support residential weekend for young people with cancer identified key outcomes for young people - positive attitudes (increased sociability, confidence), belonging (feeling accepted, understood), recreation (trying new activities, having fun) and increased knowledge (balance between educational talks and interactions with other young people); and three overarching facilitating processes - being with other young people, the professionals accompanying young people to the event for support and guidance, and the conference/intentional programming. Being in a safe, relaxed and fun environment with other young people facilitates the development of peer support networks and increases young people's confidence and knowledge. Although the focus of the residential programme is on young people, interviewees acknowledge the impact of attending on professionals' motivation, learning and changes in practice. This study has extended our understanding of the role of residential programmes by identifying outcomes and facilitating mechanisms. We have shown that residential programmes have an important role in providing participants with social, emotional and informational support, as well as play an important role in redefining normality. Longitudinal quantitative and qualitative research is needed to optimise outcomes and design and implement quality programmes that support young people's development. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Mentoring Cambodian and Lao health professionals in tobacco control leadership and research skills.

PubMed

Ferry, L Hyder; Job, J; Knutsen, S; Montgomery, S; Petersen, F; Rudatsikira, E; Singh, P

2006-06-01

The aim of the programme was to ultimately affect public health practice and policy in the Kingdom of Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) by training key health professionals to conduct tobacco control research. Encouraged by the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, a global partnership formed to build effective leadership to develop and guide national tobacco control agendas. The partners were the Ministries of Health (Cambodia and Lao PDR), non-government organisations (Adventist Development and Relief Agency in Cambodia and Laos) and an academic institution (Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, USA). 16 health professionals, 10 from Cambodia and 6 from Lao PDR, were selected by local advisory committees to enter a two-year, intensive tobacco research graduate certificate and research training programme. We developed a "Global Tobacco Control Methods" (GTCM) 28 unit certificate programme that was offered in five sessions from September 2003 to September 2005 at the National Institute of Public Health, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. As part of their coursework, the 16 trainees actively participated in the development and implementation of two research projects. In the first project, "Healthy Doc Healthy Patient" (HDHP), trainees adapted an existing, self-administered questionnaire designed to assess health practices and beliefs of medical students in Cambodia and Lao PDR. The second project involved the design of a national prevalence of tobacco use and health beliefs study in Cambodia using a multi-stage, cluster sample method. Trainees were sponsored to attend and present at international tobacco control conferences to enhance their awareness of the tobacco epidemic. As of September 2005, 14 trainees (8 from Cambodia and 6 from Lao PDR) completed the courses in the GTCM certificate programme. The HDHP study sampled four medical school classes (years 3, 4, 5 and 6) in both Cambodia (n = 330, 71.1% response rate) and Lao PDR (n = 386, 87.3% response rate). As part of the Cambodian adult tobacco prevalence study in Cambodia, 13,988 adults (ages > or = 18 years) were interviewed from all 22 provinces during the summer of 2005. Over the two years, more than half of the trainees participated substantially in local and regional tobacco control and research activities. Programme challenges included the trainees' limited English language and computer proficiency skills, both of which improved during the two years. With the successful completion of the certificate programme, the remaining two years of the grant will be used to prepare the trainees for positions of leadership within their Ministries of Health and other agencies to implement effective tobacco control policies based on locally-derived research findings.

Analysis of the impact of recreational trail usage for prioritising management decisions: a regression tree approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomczyk, Aleksandra; Ewertowski, Marek; White, Piran; Kasprzak, Leszek

2016-04-01

The dual role of many Protected Natural Areas in providing benefits for both conservation and recreation poses challenges for management. Although recreation-based damage to ecosystems can occur very quickly, restoration can take many years. The protection of conservation interests at the same as providing for recreation requires decisions to be made about how to prioritise and direct management actions. Trails are commonly used to divert visitors from the most important areas of a site, but high visitor pressure can lead to increases in trail width and a concomitant increase in soil erosion. Here we use detailed field data on condition of recreational trails in Gorce National Park, Poland, as the basis for a regression tree analysis to determine the factors influencing trail deterioration, and link specific trail impacts with environmental, use related and managerial factors. We distinguished 12 types of trails, characterised by four levels of degradation: (1) trails with an acceptable level of degradation; (2) threatened trails; (3) damaged trails; and (4) heavily damaged trails. Damaged trails were the most vulnerable of all trails and should be prioritised for appropriate conservation and restoration. We also proposed five types of monitoring of recreational trail conditions: (1) rapid inventory of negative impacts; (2) monitoring visitor numbers and variation in type of use; (3) change-oriented monitoring focusing on sections of trail which were subjected to changes in type or level of use or subjected to extreme weather events; (4) monitoring of dynamics of trail conditions; and (5) full assessment of trail conditions, to be carried out every 10-15 years. The application of the proposed framework can enhance the ability of Park managers to prioritise their trail management activities, enhancing trail conditions and visitor safety, while minimising adverse impacts on the conservation value of the ecosystem. A.M.T. was supported by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education under Grant 927/MOB/2012/0 ("Mobility Plus" program). P.C.L. White received funding under a UK Natural Environment Research Council grant (NE/K001620/1), with support from the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Sustainability (BESS) programme. BESS is a six-year programme (2011-2017) funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the UK's Living with Environmental Change. (LWEC) programme.

Efficacy of the Otago Exercise Programme to reduce falls in community-dwelling adults aged 65-80 years old when delivered as group or individual training.

PubMed

Albornos-Muñoz, Laura; Moreno-Casbas, María Teresa; Sánchez-Pablo, Clara; Bays-Moneo, Ana; Fernández-Domínguez, Juan Carlos; Rich-Ruiz, Manuel; Gea-Sánchez, Montserrat

2018-04-06

This study will compare how falls can be reduced in non-institutionalized older Spanish adults aged 65-80 years by providing group or individual exercise sessions using the Otago Exercise Programme. The Otago Exercise Programme is a progressive home-based exercise programme, where trained health professionals help people engage in strength, balance and endurance exercises. Its format is based on the evidence from four clinical trials. The benefits of the Otago Exercise Programme are the same for people who have and have not suffered falls and it can also be used for visually impaired people. A multicentre, simply blinded, randomized, non-inferiority clinical trial, with two arms-group training and individual training-that started in January 2017 and will continue until December 2019. Each study group has 364 subjects, who will take part in four individual or group sessions delivered mainly by nurses over an 8-week period, with a reinforcement session 6 months later. Data will be collected at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. The fall percentage will be the most relevant clinical variable and we will also consider safety, viability, compliance, economic analysis and therapeutic value. Approval and funding was granted in December 2016 for this 3-year study by the Spanish Health Research Fund (PI16CIII/00031). Older people from 65-80 years old tend to be more isolated and tackling worries about falls can improve social activities and independence. It has been shown that group training provides better adherence to exercise than individual training and this study will test that hypothesis for the Otago Exercise Programme. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A systematic review of the main mechanisms of heart failure disease management interventions.

PubMed

Clark, Alexander M; Wiens, Kelly S; Banner, Davina; Kryworuchko, Jennifer; Thirsk, Lorraine; McLean, Lianne; Currie, Kay

2016-05-01

To identify the main mechanisms of heart failure (HF) disease management programmes based in hospitals, homes or the community. Systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies using realist synthesis. The search strategy incorporated general and specific terms relevant to the research question: HF, self-care and programmes/interventions for HF patients. To be included, papers had to be published in English after 1995 (due to changes in HF care over recent years) to May 2014 and contain specific data related to mechanisms of effect of HF programmes. 10 databases were searched; grey literature was located via Proquest Dissertations and Theses, Google and publications from organisations focused on HF or self-care. 33 studies (n=3355 participants, mean age: 65 years, 35% women) were identified (18 randomised controlled trials, three mixed methods studies, six pre-test post-test studies and six qualitative studies). The main mechanisms identified in the studies were associated with increased patient understanding of HF and its links to self-care, greater involvement of other people in this self-care, increased psychosocial well-being and support from health professionals to use technology. Future HF disease management programmes should seek to harness the main mechanisms through which programmes actually work to improve HF self-care and outcomes, rather than simply replicating components from other programmes. The most promising mechanisms to harness are associated with increased patient understanding and self-efficacy, involvement of other caregivers and health professionals and improving psychosocial well-being and technology use. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Evidence-based hamstring injury prevention is not adopted by the majority of Champions League or Norwegian Premier League football teams: the Nordic Hamstring survey.

PubMed

Bahr, Roald; Thorborg, Kristian; Ekstrand, Jan

2015-11-01

The Nordic hamstring (NH) exercise programme was introduced in 2001 and has been shown to reduce the risk of acute hamstring injuries in football by at least 50%. Despite this, the rate of hamstring injuries has not decreased over the past decade in male elite football. To examine the implementation of the NH exercise programme at the highest level of male football in Europe, the UEFA Champions League (UCL), and to compare this to the Norwegian Premier League, Tippeligaen, where the pioneer research on the NH programme was conducted. Retrospective survey. 50 professional football teams, 32 from the UCL and 18 from Tippeligaen. A questionnaire, based on the Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework, addressing key issues related to the implementation of the NH programme during three seasons from 2012 through 2014, was distributed to team medical staff using electronic survey software. The response rate was 100%. Of the 150 club-seasons covered by the study, the NH programme was completed in full in 16 (10.7%) and in part in an additional 9 (6%) seasons. Consequently, 125 (83.3%) club-seasons were classified as non-compliant. There was no difference in compliance between the UCL and Tippeligaen in any season (χ(2): 0.41 to 0.52). Adoption and implementation of the NH exercise programme at the highest levels of male football in Europe is low; too low to expect any overall effect on acute hamstring injury rates. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Meeting report: First International Conference on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

PubMed

Papa, Anna; Weber, Friedemann; Hewson, Roger; Weidmann, Manfred; Koksal, Iftihar; Korukluoglu, Gulay; Mirazimi, Ali

2015-08-01

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is the most widespread tick-borne disease of humans, occurring from western China to the Balkans in Eurasia and south throughout the length of Africa. Its incidence has increased over the past decade, particularly in Turkey and Iran, and the disease has also emerged in India. Research has been hindered by limited laboratory capacity in many regions where the disease is prevalent, indicating the need for collaboration between investigators in endemic countries and those with greater scientific resources. In an effort to increase such collaboration, the First International Conference on Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever was held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from February 13 to 14, 2015. This meeting followed the conclusion of an EU-supported Collaborative Project under the Health Cooperation Work Programme of the 7th Framework Programme (Grant agreement No. 260427). It is expected to be the first in a series of meetings that will bring together researchers from around the world to exchange knowledge and experience on various aspects of CCHF. This report summarizes major presentations by the invited speakers at the First International Conference on CCHF. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Self-Management Programme of Activity Coping and Education - SPACE for COPD(C) - in primary care: The protocol for a pragmatic trial.

PubMed

Bourne, Claire LA; Kanabar, Pratiksha; Mitchell, Katy; Schreder, Sally; Houchen-Wolloff, Linzy; Bankart, M John G; Apps, Lindsay; Hewitt, Stacey; Harvey-Dunstan, Theresa; Singh, Sally J

2017-07-10

National guidance for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) suggests that self-management support be provided for patients. Our institution has developed a standardised, manual-based, supported self-management programme: Self-Management Programme of Activity Coping and Education (SPACE for COPD(C)). SPACE was previously piloted on a 1-2-1 basis, delivered by researchers, to individuals with COPD. Discussions with stakeholders highlighted considerable interest in delivering the SPACE for COPD(C) intervention as a group-based self-management programme facilitated by healthcare professionals (HCPs) in primary care settings. The study aims are to explore the feasibility, acceptability and efficacy for the intervention to be delivered and supported by HCPs and to examine whether group-based delivery of SPACE for COPD(C), with sustained support, improves patient outcomes following the SPACE for COPD(C) intervention. A prospective, multi-site, single-blinded randomised controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted, with follow-up at 6 and 9 months. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the control group (usual care) or intervention group (a six-session, group-based SPACE for COPD(C)self-management programme delivered over 5 months). The primary outcome is change in COPD assessment test at 6 months.A discussion session will be conducted with HCPs who deliver the intervention to discuss and gain insight into any potential facilitators/barriers to implementing the intervention in practice. Furthermore, we will conduct semi-structured focus groups with intervention participants to understand feasibility and acceptability. All qualitative data will be analysed thematically. The project has received a favourable opinion from South Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee, REC reference: 14/SC/1169 and full R&D approval from the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust: 152408.Study results will be disseminated through appropriate peer-reviewed journals, national and international respiratory/physiotherapy conferences, via the Collaboration and Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care and through social media. ISRCTN17942821; pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

'Including health in systems responsible for urban planning': a realist policy analysis research programme.

PubMed

Harris, Patrick; Friel, Sharon; Wilson, Andrew

2015-07-23

Realist methods are increasingly being used to investigate complex public health problems. Despite the extensive evidence base clarifying the built environment as a determinant of health, there is limited knowledge about how and why land-use planning systems take on health concerns. Further, the body of research related to the wider determinants of health suffers from not using political science knowledge to understand how to influence health policy development and systems. This 4-year funded programme of research investigates how the land-use planning system in New South Wales, Australia, incorporates health and health equity at multiple levels. The programme uses multiple qualitative methods to develop up to 15 case studies of different activities of the New South Wales land-use planning system. Comparison cases from other jurisdictions will be included where possible and useful. Data collection includes publicly available documentation and purposively sampled stakeholder interviews and focus groups of up to 100 participants across the cases. The units of analysis in each case are institutional structures (rules and mandates constraining and enabling actors), actors (the stakeholders, organisations and networks involved, including health-focused agencies), and ideas (policy content, information, and framing). Data analysis will focus on and develop propositions concerning the mechanisms and conditions within and across each case leading to inclusion or non-inclusion of health. Data will be refined using additional political science and sociological theory. Qualitative comparative analysis will compare cases to develop policy-relevant propositions about the necessary and sufficient conditions needed to include health issues. Ethics has been approved by Sydney University Human Research Ethics Committee (2014/802 and 2015/178). Given the nature of this research we will incorporate stakeholders, often as collaborators, throughout. We outline our research translation strategies following best practice approaches. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Moving knowledge into action for more effective practice, programmes and policy: protocol for a research programme on integrated knowledge translation.

PubMed

Graham, Ian D; Kothari, Anita; McCutcheon, Chris

2018-02-02

Health research is conducted with the expectation that it advances knowledge and eventually translates into improved health systems and population health. However, research findings are often caught in the know-do gap: they are not acted upon in a timely way or not applied at all. Integrated knowledge translation (IKT) is advanced as a way to increase the relevance, applicability and impact of research. With IKT, knowledge users work with researchers throughout the research process, starting with identification of the research question. Knowledge users represent those who would be able to use research results to inform their decisions (e.g. clinicians, managers, policy makers, patients/families and others). Stakeholders are increasingly interested in the idea that IKT generates greater and faster societal impact. Stakeholders are all those who are interested in the use of research results but may not necessarily use them for their own decision-making (e.g. governments, funders, researchers, health system managers and policy makers, patients and clinicians). Although IKT is broadly accepted, the actual research supporting it is limited and there is uncertainty about how best to conduct and support IKT. This paper presents a protocol for a programme of research testing the assumption that engaging the users of research in phases of its production leads to (a) greater appreciation of and capacity to use research; (b) the production of more relevant, useful and applicable research that results in greater impact; and (c) conditions under which it is more likely that research results will influence policy, managerial and clinical decision-making. The research programme will adopt an interdisciplinary, international, cross-sector approach, using multiple and mixed methods to reflect the complex and social nature of research partnerships. We will use ongoing and future natural IKT experiments as multiple cases to study IKT in depth, and we will take advantage of the team's existing relationships with provincial, national and international organizations. Case studies will be retrospective and prospective, and the 7-year grant period will enable longitudinal studies. The initiation of partnerships, funding processes, the research lifecycle and then outcomes/impacts post project will be studied in real time. These living laboratories will also allow testing of strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the IKT approach. This is the first interdisciplinary, systematic and programmatic research study on IKT. The research will provide scientific evidence on how to reliably and validly measure collaborative research partnerships and their impacts. The proposed research will build the science base for IKT, assess its relationship with research use and identify best practices and appropriate conditions for conducting IKT to achieve the greatest impact. It will also train and mentor the next generation of IKT researchers.

The good CPD guide: A practical guide to managed continuing professional development in medicine Janet Grant The good CPD guide: A practical guide to managed continuing professional development in medicine Radcliffe Publishing 190pp £29.99 9781846195709 1846195705 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2012-02-10

DURING HARD times, when education budgets decrease, the purpose of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes must be made clear to practitioners and services. Clarity is crucial in ensuring that CPD programmes receive adequate funding, and that enough time and professional effort are devoted to them.

NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme in England: formative evaluation of the programme in early phase implementation.

PubMed

Penn, Linda; Rodrigues, Angela; Haste, Anna; Marques, Marta M; Budig, Kirsten; Sainsbury, Kirby; Bell, Ruth; Araújo-Soares, Vera; White, Martin; Summerbell, Carolyn; Goyder, Elizabeth; Brennan, Alan; Adamson, Ashley J; Sniehotta, Falko F

2018-02-21

Evaluation of the demonstrator phase and first wave roll-out of the National Health Service (NHS) Diabetes Prevention Programme (DPP) in England. To examine: (1) intervention design, provision and fidelity assessment procedures; (2) risk assessment and recruitment pathways and (3) data collection for monitoring and evaluation. To provide recommendations informing decision makers on programme quality, improvements and future evaluation. We reviewed programme documents, mapping against the NHS DPP specification and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) public health guideline: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) prevention in people at high risk (PH38), conducted qualitative research using individual interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders and examined recruitment, fidelity and data collection procedures. Seven NHS DPP demonstrator sites and, subsequently, 27 first wave areas across England. Intensive behavioural intervention with weight loss, diet and physical activity goals. The national programme specifies at least 13 sessions over 9 months, delivered face to face to groups of 15-20 adults with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, mainly recruited from primary care and NHS Health Checks. Participants for qualitative research were purposively sampled to provide a spread of stakeholder experience. Documents for review were provided via the NHS DPP Management Group. The NHS DPP specification reflected current evidence with a clear framework for service provision. Providers, with national capacity to deliver, supplied intervention plans compliant with this framework. Stakeholders highlighted limitations in fidelity assessment and recruitment and retention challenges, especially in reach and equity, that could adversely impact on implementation. Risk assessment for first wave eligibility differed from NICE guidance. The NHS DPP provides an evidence-based behavioural intervention for prevention of T2D in adults at high risk, with capacity to deliver nationally. Framework specification allows for balance between consistency and contextual variation in intervention delivery, with session details devolved to providers. Limitations in fidelity assurance, data collection procedures and recruitment issues could adversely impact on intervention effectiveness and restrict evaluation. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Partners for the optimal organisation of the healthcare continuum for high users of health and social services: protocol of a developmental evaluation case study design.

PubMed

Hudon, Catherine; Chouinard, Maud-Christine; Couture, Martine; Brousselle, Astrid; Couture, Eva Marjorie; Dubois, Marie-France; Fortin, Martin; Freund, Tobias; Loignon, Christine; Mireault, Jean; Pluye, Pierre; Roberge, Pasquale; Rodriguez, Charo

2014-12-02

Case management allows us to respond to the complex needs of a vulnerable clientele through a structured approach that promotes enhanced interaction between partners. Syntheses on the subject converge towards a need for a better description of the relationships between programmes and their local context, as well as the characteristics of the clienteles and programmes that contribute to positive impacts. The purpose of this project is thus to describe and evaluate the case management programmes of four health and social services centres in the Saguenay-Lac- Saint-Jean region of Québec, Canada, in order to inform their improvement while creating knowledge on case management that can be useful in other contexts. This research relies on a multiple embedded case study design based on a developmental evaluation approach. We will work with the case management programme for high users of hospital services of each centre. Three different units of analysis will be interwoven to obtain an in-depth understanding of each case, that is: (1) health and social services centre and local services network, (2) case management programme and (3) patients who are high users of services. Two strategies for programme evaluation (logic models and implementation analysis) will guide the mixed data collection based on qualitative and quantitative methods. This data collection will rely on: (1) individual interviews and focus groups; (2) participant observation; (3) document analysis; (4) clinical and administrative data and (5) questionnaires. Description and comparison of cases, and integration of qualitative and quantitative data will be used to guide the data analysis. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Research Boards of the four health and social services centres (HSSCs) involved. Findings will be disseminated by publications in peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and policy and practice partners in local and national government. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Comparing federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by the conditional cash transfer programme of Mexico.

PubMed

Bustamante, Arturo Vargas

2011-10-01

This study investigates household out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures (OPH) and preventive care utilization (PHU) to compare federal and state healthcare provider performance in villages targeted by conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes in poor rural areas of Mexico. Lower OPH and higher PHU are indicative of better performance in the study setting. Log-linear and probit regression models were used to compare outcomes in households from treatment and control villages reached by federal and state healthcare providers. In treatment villages, eligible households receive cash grants from the CCT programme. In control villages, eligible households do not receive cash grants from the CCT programme at the time of the survey. Families who live in treatment villages reported lower OPH (-52.5% for federal and -46.2% for state clinics) and higher PHU (21% for federal and 20% for state clinics) regardless of clinic setting. As the reduction in OPH is higher in areas reached by the federal clinics, it implies better performance from this healthcare delivery system. Additionally, federal clinic outcomes were also more homogeneous because OPH are not significantly different between treatment and control villages. Alternative measures such as drug and physician expenditures, diabetes and hypertension tests and nutritional-supplement receipt confirmed these findings. Mexico has two healthcare delivery systems that cater to identical rural populations. The better-funded and more centralized federal system is more effective at providing health care in poor rural villages of Mexico regardless of CCT participation. State clinics in villages targeted by the CCT programme, however, perform significantly better. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

EBCOG Hospital Recognition: where do we stand?

PubMed Central

Wladimiroff, J.; Hornnes, P.

2010-01-01

Hospital Recognition for general Ob/Gyn training programmes was started by EBCOG (European Board & College of Obstetrics & Gynaecology) in 1996 and for subspecialty Ob/Gyn training programmes in 2005, the latter jointly with the four European scientific organisations representing the subspecialties. So far, 85 Audits/Visits have been conducted by EBCOG for general Ob/Gyn training and a good start has been made for subspecialty training, in particular Gynaecological Oncology. EBCOG Visits are conducted by two EBCOG representatives and one trainee appointed by ENTOG (European Network for Trainees in Obstetrics & Gynaecology) for general Ob/Gyn training programmes and by two subspecialty specialists and an EBCOG representative for subspecialty programmes. Each Visit lasts one day. Accredition is granted by the EBCOG Executive Board depending on the Visiting report. Ultimately, EBCOG would like to see the introduction of an auditing and accreditation system for general and subspecialty Ob/Gyn training programmes in each country in Europe PMID:25206968

ESO and Chile: 10 Years of Productive Scientific Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2006-06-01

ESO and the Government of Chile launched today the book "10 Years Exploring the Universe", written by the beneficiaries of the ESO-Chile Joint Committee. This annual fund provides grants for individual Chilean scientists, research infrastructures, scientific congresses, workshops for science teachers and astronomy outreach programmes for the public. In a ceremony held in Santiago on 19 June 2006, the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs marked the 10th Anniversary of the Supplementary Agreement, which granted to Chilean astronomers up to 10 percent of the total observing time on ESO telescopes. This agreement also established an annual fund for the development of astronomy, managed by the so-called "ESO-Chile Joint Committee". ESO PR Photo 21/06 ESO PR Photo 21/06 Ten Years ESO-Chile Agreement Ceremony The celebration event was hosted by ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky, and the Director of Special Policy for the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Luis Winter. "ESO's commitment is, and always will be, to promote astronomy and scientific knowledge in the country hosting our observatories", said ESO Director General, Dr. Catherine Cesarsky. "We hope Chile and Europe will continue with great achievements in this fascinating joint adventure, the exploration of the universe." On behalf of the Government of Chile, Ambassador Luis Winter outlined the historical importance of the Supplementary Agreement, ratified by the Chilean Congress in 1996. "Such is the magnitude of ESO-Chile Joint Committee that, only in 2005, this annual fund represented 8 percent of all financing sources for Chilean astronomy, including those from Government and universities", Ambassador Winter said. The ESO Representative and Head of Science in Chile, Dr. Felix Mirabel, and the appointed Chilean astronomer for the ESO-Chile Joint Committee, Dr. Leonardo Bronfman, also took part in the ceremony, along with ambassadors in Chile of ESO members States, and representatives of the Chilean government and the scientific community. To review the impact of the numerous projects financed over the last decade, ESO presented the book "10 Years Exploring the Universe", based on the reports of the beneficiaries of the ESO-Chile fund. Since the beginning, the ESO-Chile fund has granted over 2.5 million euros to finance post-doc and astronomy professors for main Chilean universities, development of research infrastructure, organisation of scientific congresses, workshops for science teachers, and astronomy outreach programmes for the public. In addition to the 400,000 euros given annually by ESO to the ESO-Chile Joint Committee, around 550,000 euros are granted every year to finance regional collaboration programmes, fellowships for students in Chilean universities, and the development of radio astronomy through the ALMA-Chile Committee. In total, apart form the 10 percent of the observing time at all ESO telescopes, ESO contributes annually with 950,000 euros for the promotion of astronomy and scientific culture in Chile. The growth of astronomy and related sciences in Chile in the last years has been outstanding. According to a study by the Chilean Academy of Science in 2005, the number of astronomers has doubled over the last 20 years and there has been an 8-fold increase in the number of scientific publications. It is gratifying to see that 100 percent of the observing time granted by international observatories in Chile is actually used by the national community. The same study stated that astronomy could be the first scientific discipline in Chile with the standards of a developed country, with additional benefits in terms of technological improvement and growth of human resources. The English edition of the book "10 Years Exploring the Universe" is available here. The Spanish edition can be downloaded here.

Examining the social determinants of children's developmental health: protocol for building a pan-Canadian population-based monitoring system for early childhood development.

PubMed

Guhn, Martin; Janus, Magdalena; Enns, Jennifer; Brownell, Marni; Forer, Barry; Duku, Eric; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Raos, Rob

2016-04-29

Early childhood is a key period to establish policies and practices that optimise children's health and development, but Canada lacks nationally representative data on social indicators of children's well-being. To address this gap, the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher-administered questionnaire completed for kindergarten-age children, has been implemented across most Canadian provinces over the past 10 years. The purpose of this protocol is to describe the Canadian Neighbourhoods and Early Child Development (CanNECD) Study, the aims of which are to create a pan-Canadian EDI database to monitor trends over time in children's developmental health and to advance research examining the social determinants of health. Canada-wide EDI records from 2004 to 2014 (representing over 700,000 children) will be linked to Canada Census and Income Taxfiler data. Variables of socioeconomic status derived from these databases will be used to predict neighbourhood-level EDI vulnerability rates by conducting a series of regression analyses and latent variable models at provincial/territorial and national levels. Where data are available, we will measure the neighbourhood-level change in developmental vulnerability rates over time and model the socioeconomic factors associated with those trends. Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board at the University of British Columbia. Study findings will be disseminated to key partners, including provincial and federal ministries, schools and school districts, collaborative community groups and the early childhood development research community. The database created as part of this longitudinal population-level monitoring system will allow researchers to associate practices, programmes and policies at school and community levels with trends in developmental health outcomes. The CanNECD Study will guide future early childhood development action and policies, using the database as a tool for formative programme and policy evaluation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Prospective observational study protocol to investigate long-term adverse effects of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) study.

PubMed

Inglis, S K; Carucci, S; Garas, P; Häge, A; Banaschewski, T; Buitelaar, J K; Dittmann, R W; Falissard, B; Hollis, C; Kovshoff, H; Liddle, E; McCarthy, S; Nagy, P; Neubert, A; Rosenthal, E; Sonuga-Barke, E; Wong, I; Zuddas, A; Coghill, D C

2016-04-26

Methylphenidate is the most frequently used medication for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Europe. Following concerns about its safety, the European Commission called for research into the long-term effects of methylphenidate on children and adolescents with ADHD. The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) research programme was designed to address this call. At the heart of this programme is a 2-year longitudinal naturalistic pharmacovigilance study being conducted in 27 European sites. 3 cohorts of children and adolescents (aged 6-17) living in the UK, Germany, Italy and Hungary are being recruited:Group 1 (Medicated ADHD): 800 ADHD medication-naive children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD about to start methylphenidate treatment for the first time.Group 2 (Unmedicated ADHD): 400 children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD who have never been treated with ADHD medication and have no intention of beginning medication.Group 3 (Non-ADHD): 400 children and adolescents without ADHD who are siblings of individuals in either group 1 or 2.All participants will be assessed 5 times during their 2-year follow-up period for growth and development, psychiatric, neurological and cardiovascular health. The primary outcome measure will be the height velocity SD score. Ethical approval for the study has been granted by the East of Scotland Research Ethics Service. Following this approval, patient information leaflets and consent forms were translated as necessary and submissions made by lead sites in each of the other 3 countries to their own ethics committees. Following ethical approval in each country, local ethical permissions at each site were sought and obtained as needed. The study's website (http://www.adhd-adduce.org/page/view/2/Home) provides information for researchers, participants and the general public. NCT01470261. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Psychological Impact of Primary Screening (PIPS) for HPV: a protocol for a cross-sectional evaluation within the NHS cervical screening programme.

PubMed

McBride, Emily; Marlow, Laura; Forster, Alice S; Moss, Sue; Myles, Jonathan; Kitchener, Henry; Patnick, Julietta; Waller, Jo

2016-12-23

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is now using human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as the primary test in six sentinel sites in England, with the intention of rolling this out across the whole of England. Previous research evaluating HPV testing in the cervical screening context suggests that an HPV-positive result may increase anxiety beyond that associated with abnormal cytology, but this has not been explored in the context of primary HPV testing. The main aim of this study is to explore the impact of the HPV primary screening programme on anxiety and distress. A cross-sectional between-groups design (total N ∼ 673) will be employed to assess the psychological impact of different HPV and cytology results at three time points: shortly after receiving the results, and 6 and 12 months later. Women will fall into one of six groups based on their screening results. The primary outcomes will be anxiety and general distress. Secondary outcomes will include understanding of screening results, perceived risk of cervical cancer, psychosexual functioning, intention to attend future screening and knowledge of HPV. General linear modelling will be used to test for differences between groups and changes over the three time points. Health Research Authority approval was received on 26 September 2016. Ethical approval was received from London- Surrey Borders NHS Research Ethics Committee on 30 August 2016. Section 251 approval was received from the Confidentiality Advisory Group on 24 August 2016. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication and presentation at national and international conferences. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT): Explanation and Elaboration Statement.

PubMed

Slade, Susan C; Dionne, Clermont E; Underwood, Martin; Buchbinder, Rachelle

2016-10-05

Exercise is effective for prevention and management of acute and chronic health conditions. However, trial descriptions of exercise interventions are often suboptimal, leaving readers unclear about the content of effective programmes. To address this, the 16-item internationally endorsed Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template (CERT) was developed. The aim is to present the final template and provide an Explanation and Elaboration Statement to operationalise the CERT. Development of the CERT was based on the EQUATOR Network methodological framework for developing reporting guidelines. We used a modified Delphi technique to gain consensus of international exercise experts and conducted 3 sequential rounds of anonymous online questionnaires and a Delphi workshop. The 16-item CERT is the minimum data set considered necessary to report exercise interventions. The contents may be included in online supplementary material, published as a protocol or located on websites and other electronic repositories. The Explanation and Elaboration Statement is intended to enhance the use, understanding and dissemination of the CERT and presents the meaning and rationale for each item, together with examples of good reporting. The CERT is designed specifically for the reporting of exercise programmes across all evaluative study designs for exercise research. The CERT can be used by authors to structure intervention reports, by reviewers and editors to assess completeness of exercise descriptions and by readers to facilitate the use of the published information. The CERT has the potential to increase clinical uptake of effective exercise programmes, enable research replication, reduce research waste and improve patient outcomes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Impact assessment of Iran's health technology assessment programme.

PubMed

Yazdizadeh, Bahareh; Mohtasham, Farideh; Velayati, Ashraf

2018-02-22

Following approximately 10 years from the beginning of Iran's national Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme, the present study aims to evaluate its success by examining the impact of HTA and identifying the determinant factors leading to the implementation of HTA report results. The triangulation method was employed herein. HTA reports were initially identified and their impact and determinant factors were then examined from the perspectives of both researchers (by preparing a questionnaire according to the Payback model and sending it to HTA principle investigators) and stakeholders (semi-structured interviews held with each HTA stakeholder). Simultaneously, the quality of the HTA reports was examined with relevant critical appraisal checklists. The impact of 19 equipment technologies and four pharmaceutical technologies were assessed in this study. Twenty researchers replied (response rate, 86.96%) to the questionnaire on the impact of HTA reports from the researcher's perspective. To assess the impact of HTA reports from the stakeholder's perspective, seven policy-makers were chosen and interviewed as the main target audience. The most common step taken to disseminate the results of the HTA projects was publication. Conducting the HTA had taught researchers and their colleagues' new skills and had facilitated the securing of research grants from other organisations. Most reports had used the systematic review method but the relevant details had been scarcely presented regarding outcomes, costs and analysis. The greatest impact of HTA reports on decision-making had been on policy-makers providing and allocating finances. Barriers in stewardship, identification and prioritisation of topics, performance and dissemination of HTA results were the main barriers of implementing HTAs. In most aspects, the status of HTA impact reports need improvement. Thus far, the barriers and facilitators of the HTA programme in Iran have been investigated in other studies. These findings should be pooled to reach a solution that can be actively applied to the health system to improve the status quo of HTA in Iran.

HOspitals and patients WoRking in Unity (HOW R U?): protocol for a prospective feasibility study of telephone peer support to improve older patients' quality of life after emergency department discharge.

PubMed

Lowthian, Judy A; Lennox, Alyse; Curtis, Andrea; Dale, Jeremy; Browning, Colette; Smit, De Villiers; Wilson, Gillian; O'Brien, Debra; Rosewarne, Cate; Boyd, Lee; Garner, Cath; Cameron, Peter

2016-12-02

Older people presenting to an emergency department (ED) have a higher likelihood of social isolation, loneliness and depression; which are all associated with negative health outcomes and increased health service use, including higher rates of ED attendance. The HOW R U? study aims to ascertain the feasibility and acceptability of a postdischarge telephone support programme for older ED patients following discharge. The intervention, which aims to improve quality of life, will be delivered by hospital-based volunteers. A multicentre prospective uncontrolled feasibility study will enrol 50 community-dwelling patients aged ≥70 years with symptoms of loneliness or depression who are discharged home within 72 hours from the ED or acute medical ward. Participants will receive weekly supportive telephone calls over a 3-month period from a volunteer-peer. Feasibility will be assessed in terms of recruitment, acceptability of the intervention to participants and level of retention in the programme. Changes in level of loneliness (UCLA-3 item Loneliness Scale), mood (Geriatric Depression Scale-5 item) and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L and EQ-VAS) will also be measured postintervention (3 months). Research ethics and governance committee approval has been granted for this study by each participating centre (reference: 432/15 and 12-09-11-15). Study findings will inform the design and conduct of a future multicentre randomised controlled trial of a postdischarge volunteer-peer telephone support programme to improve social isolation, loneliness or depressive symptoms in older patients. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publication, and conference and seminar presentation. ACTRN12615000715572, Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

10 years of didactic training for novices in medical education at Charité.

PubMed

Sonntag, Ulrike; Peters, Harm; Schnabel, Kai P; Breckwoldt, Jan

2017-01-01

Introduction: Many medical faculties are introducing faculty development programmes to train their teaching staff with the aim of improving student learning performance. Frequently changing parameters within faculties pose a challenge for the sustainable establishment of such programmes. In this paper, we aim to describe facilitating and hindering parameters using the example of the basic teacher training (BTT) course at the Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Project description: After sporadic pilot attempts for university education training, basic teacher training was finally established at the Charité in 2006 for all new teaching staff. An interdisciplinary taskforce at the office for student affairs designed the programme according to the Kern cycle of curriculum development, while the Charité advanced training academy provided the necessary resources. Within ten years more than 900 faculty members have completed the BTT (9% of current active teaching staff at the Charité). The BTT programme underwent several phases (piloting, evaluation, review, personnel and financial boosting), all of which were marked by changes in the staff and organizational framework. Evaluations by participants were very positive, sustainable effects on teaching could be proven to a limited extent. Discussion: Success factors for the establishment of the programme were the institutional framework set by the faculty directors, the commitment of those involved, the support of research grants and the thoroughly positive evaluation by participants. More challenging were frequent changes in parameters and the allocation of incentive resources for other, format-specific training courses (e.g. PBL) as part of the introduction of the new modular curriculum of the Charité. Conclusion: The sustainment of the programme was enabled through strategic institutional steps taken by the faculty heads. Thanks to the commitment and input by those at a working level as well as management level, the basic teacher training course is today an established part of the faculty development programme at the Charité.

10 years of didactic training for novices in medical education at Charité

PubMed Central

Sonntag, Ulrike; Peters, Harm; Schnabel, Kai P.; Breckwoldt, Jan

2017-01-01

Introduction: Many medical faculties are introducing faculty development programmes to train their teaching staff with the aim of improving student learning performance. Frequently changing parameters within faculties pose a challenge for the sustainable establishment of such programmes. In this paper, we aim to describe facilitating and hindering parameters using the example of the basic teacher training (BTT) course at the Charité – Universtitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Project description: After sporadic pilot attempts for university education training, basic teacher training was finally established at the Charité in 2006 for all new teaching staff. An interdisciplinary taskforce at the office for student affairs designed the programme according to the Kern cycle of curriculum development, while the Charité advanced training academy provided the necessary resources. Within ten years more than 900 faculty members have completed the BTT (9% of current active teaching staff at the Charité). The BTT programme underwent several phases (piloting, evaluation, review, personnel and financial boosting), all of which were marked by changes in the staff and organizational framework. Evaluations by participants were very positive, sustainable effects on teaching could be proven to a limited extent. Discussion: Success factors for the establishment of the programme were the institutional framework set by the faculty directors, the commitment of those involved, the support of research grants and the thoroughly positive evaluation by participants. More challenging were frequent changes in parameters and the allocation of incentive resources for other, format-specific training courses (e.g. PBL) as part of the introduction of the new modular curriculum of the Charité. Conclusion: The sustainment of the programme was enabled through strategic institutional steps taken by the faculty heads. Thanks to the commitment and input by those at a working level as well as management level, the basic teacher training course is today an established part of the faculty development programme at the Charité. PMID:29085883

Interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme: a randomised controlled feasibility trial.

PubMed

Chaplin, Emma; Hewitt, Stacey; Apps, Lindsay; Bankart, John; Pulikottil-Jacob, Ruth; Boyce, Sally; Morgan, Mike; Williams, Johanna; Singh, Sally

2017-03-31

The aim of this study was to determine if an interactive web-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme is a feasible alternative to conventional PR. Randomised controlled feasibility trial. Participants with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited from PR assessments, primary care and community rehabilitation programmes. Patients randomised to conventional rehabilitation started the programme according to the standard care at their referred site on the next available date. 103 patients were recruited to the study and randomised: 52 to conventional rehabilitation (mean (±SD) age 66 (±8) years, Medical Research Council (MRC) 3 (IQR2-4)); 51 to the web arm (mean (±SD) age 66 (±10) years, MRC 3 (IQR2-4)). Participants had to be willing to participate in either arm of the trial, have internet access and be web literate. Patients randomised to the web-based programme worked through the website, exercising and recording their progress as well as reading educational material. Conventional PR consisted of twice weekly, 2 hourly sessions (an hour for exercise training and an hour for education). Recruitment rates, eligibility, patient preference and dropout and completion rates for both programmes were collected. Standard outcomes for a PR assessment including measures of exercise capacity and quality of life questionnaires were also evaluated. A statistically significant improvement (p≤0.01) was observed within each group in the endurance shuttle walk test (WEB: mean change 189±211.1; PR classes: mean change 184.5±247.4 s) and Chronic Respiratory disease Questionnaire-Dyspnoea (CRQ-D; WEB: mean change 0.7±1.2; PR classes: mean change 0.8±1.0). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in any outcome. Dropout rates were higher in the web-based programme (57% vs 23%). An interactive web-based PR programme is feasible and acceptable when compared with conventional PR. Future trials maybe around choice-based PR programmes for select patients enabling stratification of patient care. ISRCTN03142263; Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Partnering Healthy@Work: an Australian university-government partnership facilitating policy-relevant research.

PubMed

Jose, Kim; Venn, Alison; Jarman, Lisa; Seal, Judy; Teale, Brook; Scott, Jennifer; Sanderson, Kristy

2017-12-01

Research funding is increasingly supporting collaborations between knowledge users and researchers. Partnering Healthy@Work (pH@W), an inaugural recipient of funding through Australia's Partnership for Better Health Grants scheme, was a 5-year partnership between the Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian State Service (TSS). The partnerships purpose was to evaluate a comprehensive workplace health promotion programme (Healthy@Work) targeting 30 000 public sector employees; generating new knowledge and influencing workplace health promotion policy and decision-making. This mixed methods study evaluates the partnership between policy-makers and academics and identifies strategies that enabled pH@W to deliver key project outcomes. A pH@W document review was conducted, two partnership assessment tools completed and semi-structured interviews conducted with key policy-makers and academics. Analysis of the partnership assessment tools and interviews found that pH@W had reached a strong level of collaboration. Policy-relevant knowledge was generated about the health of TSS employees and their engagement with workplace health promotion. Knowledge exchange of a conceptual and instrumental nature occurred and was facilitated by the shared grant application, clear governance structures, joint planning, regular information exchange between researchers and policy-makers and research student placements in the TSS. Flexibility and acknowledgement of different priorities and perspectives of partner organizations were identified as critical factors for enabling effective partnership working and research relevance. Academic-policy-maker partnerships can be a powerful mechanism for improving policy relevance of research, but need to incorporate strategies that facilitate regular input from researchers and policy-makers in order to achieve this. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Careers and people

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2010-05-01

UK grants for 'world's best' students Up to 100 research students will have their fees and expenses part-funded by the UK government as part of a £2.5m scheme to attract talented students from around the world to UK universities. The Newton Scholarship programme will provide £25 000 each to 100 highly skilled candidates who wish to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK. With median annual tuition fees reaching £11 900 for overseas students on laboratory-based research courses in 2009, the new scholarships will not, however, cover the full cost of a PhD. Nevertheless, the director of the Russell Group of elite universities, Wendy Piatt, praised the scheme, calling it a "welcome initiative" in the face of "increasingly fierce global competition" for top students. The first Newton Scholars are expected to begin their studies in the autumn.

The primary care sports medicine fellowship: American Medical Society for Sports Medicine proposed standards of excellence.

PubMed

Asif, Irfan M; Stovak, Mark; Ray, Tracy; Weiss-Kelly, Amanda

2017-09-01

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine recognises a need to provide direction and continually enhance the quality of sports medicine fellowship training programmes. This document was developed to be an educational resource for sports medicine physicians who teach in a 1-year primary care sports medicine fellowship training programme. It is meant to provide high standards and targets for fellowship training programmes that choose to re-assess their curriculum and seek to make improvements. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Privatization and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dash, Neena

2009-01-01

This paper highlights emerging trends, programmes and policies in privatization of education in Western countries. These trends are educational vouchers, choice of private schools, private school liberalization, private contracting of specific services, tuition tax credits and deductions for parents ,subsidies and assistance grants to private…

OCD? Not Me! Protocol for the development and evaluation of a web-based self-guided treatment for youth with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Rees, Clare S; Anderson, Rebecca A; Finlay-Jones, Amy

2015-04-29

OCD? Not Me! is a novel, web-based, self-guided intervention designed to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in young people aged 12-18, using the principles of exposure and response prevention. The current paper presents the protocol for the development of the programme and for an open trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of this programme for OCD in young people, and associated distress and symptom accommodation in their parents and caregivers. We will measure the impact of the OCD? Not Me! programme on OCD symptoms using the Children's Florida Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (C-FOCI), and both the self-report and parent report of the Children's Obsessional Compulsive Inventory-Revised (ChOCI-R). The impact of the programme on OCD-related functional impairment will be measured using the parent report of the Child Obsessive-Compulsive Impact Scale-Revised (COIS-R). Secondary outcome measures include the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Youth Quality of Life-Short Form (YQoL-SF). The 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) will be used to measure the impact of the programme on parent/caregiver distress, while the Family Accommodation Scale (FAS) will be used to measure change in family accommodation of OCD symptoms. Multilevel mixed effects linear regression will be used to analyse the impact of the intervention on the outcome measures. This study has been approved by the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study will be reported in international peer-reviewed journals. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12613000152729. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Funding for self-employment of people with disabilities. Grants, loans, revolving funds or linkage with microfinance programmes.

PubMed

de Klerk, Ton

2008-03-01

In 2005, Handicap International commissioned a study on the practices of funding for self-employment activities of people with disabilities (PWD), with a special focus on access to microfinance. The overall goal of the study was to produce a framework document highlighting good practices, strategies, tools and operational methods that guarantee the efficiency and sustainability of self-employment projects for PWDs. The first phase of the study consisted of a literature review and a worldwide survey. Through this first phase the research team identified the most innovative programmes for further analysis through field visits. In the second phase field visits were conducted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua and Uganda, while regional workshops were organised in Dhaka and Nairobi. Phase three involved consolidation and analysis of the information and finally drafting of the framework document. This paper summarises the findings and good practices as presented in the framework document, based on the results of the literature review, the survey and the field research. It is not a scientific paper, i.e. it doesn't contain a discussion of the literature reviewed or systematic reference to sources, the same as the document on which it is based, as it is primarily meant for 'practitioners'. A main finding of the study was that there is no single 'best solution' to funding of self employment activities. While inclusion of PWDs in existing microfinance institutions (MFIs) is the preferred strategy, guaranteeing efficiency, sustainability and future access to funding for the target group, it was found that in reality many PWDs do not have access to microfinance programmes. This can be explained by stigmatisation of PWDs by staff of MFIs, who do not believe in their income earning and repayment capacity, and self-exclusion by PWDs. To fight against it projects have been set-up linking MFIs with programmes for PWDs, focusing on better information exchange between both parties respectively on disability for MFIs and the characteristics of microfinance for programmes for PWDs. Other programmes experiment with special credit lines or guarantee funds, placed at the disposal of MFls and earmarked for loan disbursement for PWDs, to facilitate their inclusion. Another reason for non-inclusion is the vulnerability of many PWDs. Many of them have no prior business experience, while many MFIs only provide loans to clients with an existing business. Vocational and/or business training and raising of their self-confidence, to be assured by a programme for PWDs, is often required prior to setting-up of a self-employment activity and taking a loan. If not prepared to run a 'business' successfully, taking a loan will present a too great a risk for themselves, getting indebted, and for the MFI. 'Start-up' grants for business-starters and revolving funds managed by PWD programmes, are other approaches practised by PWD programmes, of which the pros and cons are discussed in the study. A major weakness of many MFIs is that they do not reach the most vulnerable clients, including many of the PWDs, and their weak presence in rural areas especially in Africa. MFls have to look for innovative approaches to deepen their outreach. The self-help group approach in India, starting with the clients' own savings from which loans can be disbursed to the group members while linking the well-performing groups to banks for access to bank loans, is such a new approach. It is practised by The Leprosy Mission Trust in India. In Africa, some international NGOs started with similar 'community based saving and lending groups'.

[The progress in the rehabilitation of dysarthria in Parkinson disease using LSVT (Lee Silverman Voice Treatment)].

PubMed

Kamińska, Ilona; Zebryk-Stopa, Anna; Pruszewicz, Antoni; Dziubalska-Kołaczyk, Katarzyna; Połczyńska-Fiszer, Monika; Pietrala, Dawid; Przedpelska-Ober, Elzbieta

2007-01-01

Parkison's disease causes damage to the central nervous system resulting in bradykinesia, muscle rigidity, rest tremor and dysarthric speech. In clinical terms dysarthria denotes the dysfunction of articulation, phonation and respiration. It is brought about by the impairment of neural paths innervating the speech apparatus, thus causing a decreased ability to communicate. The study was conducted by the Center for Speech and Language Processing (CSLP), Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań and the Chair and Department of Phoniatrics and Audiology, the Medical University, Poznań within the interdisciplinary research project grant called "Speech and Language Virtual Therapist for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease". Apart from traditional voice and speech therapies, one of the ways of treating speech disturbances accompanying Parkinson's disease is an innovative Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT). The purpose of this innovative method introduced by dr L. Ramig and colleagues in 1987-1988, is to teach the patient to speak loud. As a result of co-operation between CLSP and the Center for Spoken Language Research (CSLR) at the University of Colorado, Boulder, USA, a Polish version of LSVT Virtual Therapist computer programme was created (LSVTVT). The programme is based on the principles of LSVT. The positive outcomes of the therapy give hope to Parkinson's disease patients with dysarthria, as well as to speech therapists.

Peer-reviewed and unbiased research, rather than 'sound science', should be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

PubMed

Trasande, Leonardo; Vandenberg, Laura N; Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre; Myers, John Peterson; Slama, Remy; Vom Saal, Frederick; Zoeller, Robert Thomas

2016-11-01

Evidence increasingly confirms that synthetic chemicals disrupt the endocrine system and contribute to disease and disability across the lifespan. Despite a United Nations Environment Programme/WHO report affirmed by over 100 countries at the Fourth International Conference on Chemicals Management, 'manufactured doubt' continues to be cast as a cloud over rigorous, peer-reviewed and independently funded scientific data. This study describes the sources of doubt and their social costs, and suggested courses of action by policymakers to prevent disease and disability. The problem is largely based on the available data, which are all too limited. Rigorous testing programmes should not simply focus on oestrogen, androgen and thyroid. Tests should have proper statistical power. 'Good laboratory practice' (GLP) hardly represents a proper or even gold standard for laboratory studies of endocrine disruption. Studies should be evaluated with regard to the contamination of negative controls, responsiveness to positive controls and dissection techniques. Flaws in many GLP studies have been identified, yet regulatory agencies rely on these flawed studies. Peer-reviewed and unbiased research, rather than 'sound science', should be used to evaluate endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Modeling tsunamis induced by retrogressive submarine landslides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Løvholt, F.; Kim, J.; Harbitz, C. B.

2015-12-01

Enormous submarine landslides having volumes up to thousands of km3 and long run-out may cause tsunamis with widespread effects. Clay-rich landslides, such as Trænadjupet and Storegga offshore Norway commonly involve retrogressive mass and momentum release mechanisms that affect the tsunami generation. Therefore, such landslides may involve a large amount of smaller blocks. As a consequence, the failure mechanisms and release rate of the individual blocks are of importance for the tsunami generation. Previous attempts to model the tsunami generation due to retrogressive landslides are few, and limited to idealized conditions. Here, we review the basic effects of retrogression on tsunamigenesis in simple geometries. To this end, two different methods are employed for the landslide motion, a series block with pre-scribed time lags and kinematics, and a dynamic retrogressive model where the inter-block time lag is determined by the model. The effect of parameters such as time lag on wave-height, wave-length, and dispersion are discussed. Finally, we discuss how the retrogressive effects may have influenced the tsunamis due to large landslides such as the Storegga slide. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Research Council of Norway under grant number 231252 (Project TsunamiLand) and the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 603839 (Project ASTARTE).

Laser-driven strong magnetostatic fields with applications to charged beam transport and magnetized high energy-density physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Joao

2017-10-01

Powerful laser-plasma processes are explored to generate discharge currents of a few 100 kA in coil targets, yielding magnetostatic fields (B-fields) in the kTesla range. The B-fields are measured by proton-deflectometry and high-frequency bandwidth B-dot probes. According to our modeling, the quasi-static currents are provided from hot electron ejection from the laser-irradiated surface, accounting for the space charge neutralization and the plasma magnetization. The major control parameter is the laser irradiance Iλ2 . The B-fields ns-scale is long enough to magnetize secondary targets through resistive diffusion. We applied it in experiments of laser-generated relativistic electron transport into solid dielectric targets, yielding an unprecedented enhancement of a factor 5 on the energy-density flux at 60 µm depth, compared to unmagnetized transport conditions. These studies pave the ground for magnetized high-energy density physics investigations, related to laser-generated secondary sources of radiation and/or high-energy particles and their transport, to high-gain fusion energy schemes and to laboratory astrophysics. We acknowledge funding from French National Agency for Research (ANR), Grant TERRE ANR-2011-BS04-014, and from EUROfusion Consortium, European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Grant 633053.

Views of commissioners, managers and healthcare professionals on the NHS Health Check programme: a systematic review.

PubMed

Mills, Katie; Harte, Emma; Martin, Adam; MacLure, Calum; Griffin, Simon J; Mant, Jonathan; Meads, Catherine; Saunders, Catherine L; Walter, Fiona M; Usher-Smith, Juliet A

2017-11-15

To synthesise data concerning the views of commissioners, managers and healthcare professionals towards the National Health Service (NHS) Health Check programme in general and the challenges faced when implementing it in practice. A systematic review of surveys and interview studies with a descriptive analysis of quantitative data and thematic synthesis of qualitative data. An electronic literature search of MEDLINE, Embase, Health Management Information Consortium, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Global Health, PsycInfo, Web of Science, OpenGrey, the Cochrane Library, NHS Evidence, Google Scholar, Google, ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry from 1 January 1996 to 9 November 2016 with no language restriction and manual screening of reference lists of all included papers. Primary research reporting views of commissioners, managers or healthcare professionals on the NHS Health Check programme and its implementation in practice. Of 18 524 citations, 15 articles met the inclusion criteria. There was evidence from both quantitative and qualitative studies that some commissioners and general practice (GP) healthcare professionals were enthusiastic about the programme, whereas others raised concerns around inequality of uptake, the evidence base and cost-effectiveness. In contrast, those working in pharmacies were all positive about programme benefits, citing opportunities for their business and staff. The main challenges to implementation were: difficulties with information technology and computer software, resistance to the programme from some GPs, the impact on workload and staffing, funding and training needs. Inadequate privacy was also a challenge in pharmacy and community settings, along with difficulty recruiting people eligible for Health Checks and poor public access to some venues. The success of the NHS Health Check Programme relies on engagement by those responsible for its commissioning, management and delivery. Recognising and addressing the challenges identified in this review, in particular the concerns of GPs, are important for the future of the programme. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Frontiers of parasitology research in the People's Republic of China: infection, diagnosis, protection and surveillance

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Control and eventual elimination of human parasitic diseases in the People's Republic of China (P.R. China) requires novel approaches, particularly in the areas of diagnostics, mathematical modelling, monitoring, evaluation, surveillance and public health response. A comprehensive effort, involving the collaboration of 188 scientists (>85% from P.R. China) from 48 different institutions and universities (80% from P.R. China), covers this collection of 29 articles published in Parasites & Vectors. The research mainly stems from a research project entitled “Surveillance and diagnostic tools for major parasitic diseases in P.R. China” (grant no. 2008ZX10004-011) and highlights the frontiers of research in parasitology. The majority of articles in this thematic series deals with the most important parasitic diseases in P.R. China, emphasizing Schistosoma japonicum, Plasmodium vivax and Clonorchis sinensis plus some parasites of emerging importance such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Significant achievements have been made through the collaborative research programme in the following three fields: (i) development of strategies for the national control programme; (ii) updating the surveillance data of parasitic infections both in human and animals; and (iii) improvement of existing, and development of novel, diagnostic tools to detect parasitic infections. The progress is considerable and warrants broad validation efforts. Combined with the development of improved tools for diagnosis and surveillance, integrated and multi-pronged control strategies should now pave the way for elimination of parasitic diseases in P.R. China. Experiences and lessons learned can stimulate control and elimination efforts of parasitic diseases in other parts of the world. PMID:23036110

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-04-01

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

The maximum drag reduction asymptote

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choueiri, George H.; Hof, Bjorn

2015-11-01

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

Theory of plasmonic effects in nonlinear optics: the case of graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rostami, Habib; Katsnelson, Mikhail I.; Polini, Marco; Mikhail I. Katsnelson Collaboration; Habib Rostami; Marco Polini Collaboration

The nonlinear optical properties of two-dimensional electronic systems are beginning to attract considerable interest both in the theoretical and experimental sectors. Recent experiments on the nonlinear optical properties of graphene reveal considerably strong third harmonic generation and four-wave mixing of this single-atomic-layer electronic system. We develop a large-N theory of electron-electron interaction corrections to multi-legged Feynman diagrams describing second- and third-order nonlinear response functions. Our theory is completely general and is useful to understand all second- and third-order nonlinear effects, including harmonic generation, wave mixing, and photon drag. We apply our theoretical framework to the case of graphene, by carrying out microscopic calculations of the second- and third-order nonlinear response functions of an interacting two-dimensional gas of massless Dirac fermions. We compare our results with recent measurements, where all-optical launching of graphene plasmons has been achieved. This work was supported by Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant agreement No. 696656 GrapheneCore, and the ERC Advanced Grant 338957 FEMTO/NANO (M.I.K.).

Encouraging translation and assessing impact of the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement: rationale and protocol for a research impact assessment

PubMed Central

Ramanathan, Shanthi; Reeves, Penny; Deeming, Simon; Bailie, Ross Stewart; Bailie, Jodie; Bainbridge, Roxanne; Cunningham, Frances; Doran, Christopher; McPhail Bell, Karen; Searles, Andrew

2017-01-01

Introduction There is growing recognition among health researchers and funders that the wider benefits of research such as economic, social and health impacts ought to be assessed and valued alongside academic outputs such as peer-reviewed papers. Research translation needs to increase and the pathways to impact ought to be more transparent. These processes are particularly pertinent to the Indigenous health sector given continued concerns that Indigenous communities are over-researched with little corresponding improvement in health outcomes. This paper describes the research protocol of a mixed methods study to apply FAIT (Framework to Assess the Impact from Translational health research) to the Centre for Research Excellence in Integrated Quality Improvement (CRE-IQI). FAIT will be applied to five selected CRE-IQI Flagship projects to encourage research translation and assess the wider impact of that research. Methods and analysis Phase I will develop a modified programme logic model for each Flagship project including identifying process, output and impact metrics so progress can be monitored. A scoping review will inform potential benefits. In phase II, programme logic models will be updated to account for changes in the research pathways over time. Audit and feedback will be used to encourage research translation and collect evidence of achievement of any process, output and interim impacts. In phase III, three proven methodologies for measuring research impact—Payback, economic assessment and narratives—will be applied. Data on the application of FAIT will be collected and analysed to inform and improve FAIT’s performance. Ethics and dissemination This study is funded by a nationally competitive grant (ID 1078927) from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee (ID: H-2017–0026). The results from the study will be presented in several peer-reviewed publications, through conference presentations and via social media. PMID:29208619

Impact of a Dutch urban regeneration programme on mental health trends: a quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Jongeneel-Grimen, Birthe; Droomers, Mariël; Kramer, Daniëlle; Bruggink, Jan-Willem; van Oers, Hans; Kunst, Anton E; Stronks, Karien

2016-10-01

This paper aims to assess the mental health impact of an urban regeneration programme implemented from 2008 onwards in the 40 most deprived districts in the Netherlands. Interventions varied from improvements in the built environment to activities promoting social cohesion. We accessed repeated cross-sectional data from the annual Health Interview Survey, for the period 2004-2011 among adults (n target districts=1445, n rest of the Netherlands=44 795). We used multilevel logistic regression models to compare the development of mental health in the target districts with the rest of the Netherlands and with comparably deprived districts. Results were presented as 'slope estimates' with corresponding 95% CIs. Finally, we analysed the trends by gender and by the intensity of the programme. The trend change in mental health between the intervention and preintervention period was approximately the same in the target districts as in broadly comparably deprived control districts (Δ slope 0.06 (-0.08 to 0.20)). However, among women, a tendency was found towards more positive trend changes in the target districts compared with control districts (Δ slope 0.17 (-0.01 to 0.34)). Those districts that implemented an intensive programme experienced an improvement in mental health, while residents of the comparably deprived control districts experienced a deterioration, resulting in a statistically significantly more positive trend change between the preintervention and intervention period in those target districts (Δ slope 0.19 (0.01 to 0.38)). Implementing an urban regeneration programme with a wide range of intensive interventions may be effective in promoting good mental health. Further research is required to examine which mix of interventions is needed for the programme to be effective. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Preparing the prescription: a review of the aim and measurement of social referral programmes.

PubMed

Rempel, Emily S; Wilson, Emma N; Durrant, Hannah; Barnett, Julie

2017-10-12

Our aim is to review, and qualitatively evaluate, the aims and measures of social referral programmes. Our first objective is to identify the aims of social referral initiatives. Our second objective is to identify the measures used to evaluate whether the aims of social referral were met. Literature review. Social referral programmes, also called social prescribing and emergency case referral, link primary and secondary healthcare with community services, often under the guise of decreasing health system costs. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we undertook a literature review to address that aim. We searched in five academic online databases and in one online non-academic search engine, including both academic and grey literature, for articles referring to 'social prescribing' or 'community referral'. We identified 41 relevant articles and reports. After extracting the aims, measures and type of study, we found that most social referral programmes aimed to address a wide variety of system and individual health problems. This included cost savings, resource reallocation and improved mental, physical and social well-being. Across the 41 studies and reports, there were 154 different kinds of measures or methods of evaluation identified. Of these, the most commonly used individual measure was the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, used in nine studies and reports. These inconsistencies in aims and measures used pose serious problems when social prescribing and other referral programmes are often advertised as a solution to health services-budgeting constraints, as well as a range of chronic mental and physical health conditions. We recommend researchers and local community organisers alike to critically evaluate for whom, where and why their social referral programmes 'work'. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A school-based intervention incorporating smartphone technology to improve health-related fitness among adolescents: rationale and study protocol for the NEAT and ATLAS 2.0 cluster randomised controlled trial and dissemination study.

PubMed

Lubans, David R; Smith, Jordan J; Peralta, Louisa R; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Okely, Anthony D; Salmon, Jo; Eather, Narelle; Dewar, Deborah L; Kennedy, Sarah; Lonsdale, Chris; Hilland, Toni A; Estabrooks, Paul; Finn, Tara L; Pollock, Emma; Morgan, Philip J

2016-06-27

Physical inactivity has been described as a global pandemic. Interventions aimed at developing skills in lifelong physical activities may provide the foundation for an active lifestyle into adulthood. In general, school-based physical activity interventions targeting adolescents have produced modest results and few have been designed to be 'scaled-up' and disseminated. This study aims to: (1) assess the effectiveness of two physical activity promotion programmes (ie, NEAT and ATLAS) that have been modified for scalability; and (2) evaluate the dissemination of these programmes throughout government funded secondary schools. The study will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase (cluster randomised controlled trial), 16 schools will be randomly allocated to the intervention or a usual care control condition. In the second phase, the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (Re-AIM) framework will be used to guide the design and evaluation of programme dissemination throughout New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In both phases, teachers will be trained to deliver the NEAT and ATLAS programmes, which will include: (1) interactive student seminars; (2) structured physical activity programmes; (3) lunch-time fitness sessions; and (4) web-based smartphone apps. In the cluster RCT, study outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 6 months (primary end point) and 12-months. Muscular fitness will be the primary outcome and secondary outcomes will include: objectively measured body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, flexibility, resistance training skill competency, physical activity, self-reported recreational screen-time, sleep, sugar-sweetened beverage and junk food snack consumption, self-esteem and well-being. This study has received approval from the University of Newcastle (H-2014-0312) and the NSW Department of Education (SERAP: 2012121) human research ethics committees. This study is funded by the Australian Research Council (FT140100399) and the NSW Department of Education. ACTRN12615000360516; Pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Doctor Referral of Overweight People to a Low-Energy Treatment (DROPLET) in primary care using total diet replacement products: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Jebb, Susan A; Astbury, Nerys M; Tearne, Sarah; Nickless, Alecia; Aveyard, Paul

2017-08-04

The global prevalence of obesity has risen significantly in recent decades. There is a pressing need to identify effective interventions to treat established obesity that can be delivered at scale. The aim of the Doctor Referral of Overweight People to a Low-Energy Treatment (DROPLET) study is to determine the clinical effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of referral to a low-energy total diet replacement programme compared with usual weight management interventions in primary care. The DROPLET trial is a randomised controlled trial comparing a low-energy total diet replacement programme with usual weight management interventions delivered in primary care. Eligible patients will be recruited through primary care registers and randomised to receive a behavioural support programme delivered by their practice nurse or a referral to a commercial provider offering an initial 810 kcal/d low-energy total diet replacement programme for 8 weeks, followed by gradual food reintroduction, along with weekly behavioural support for 24 weeks. The primary outcome is weight change at 12 months. The secondary outcomes are weight change at 3 and 6 months, the proportion of participants achieving 5% and 10% weight loss at 12 months, and change in fat mass, haemoglobin A1c, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and systolic and diastolic blood pressure at 12 months. Data will be analysed on the basis of intention to treat. Qualitative interviews on a subsample of patients and healthcare providers will assess their experiences of the weight loss programmes and identify factors affecting acceptability and adherence. This study has been reviewed and approved by the National Health ServiceHealth Research Authority (HRA)Research Ethics Committee (Ref: SC/15/0337). The trial findings will be disseminated to academic and health professionals through presentations at meetings and peer-reviewed journals and to the public through the media. If the intervention is effective, the results will be communicated to policymakers and commissioners of weight management services. ISRCTN75092026. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

A gender-sensitised weight loss and healthy living programme for overweight and obese men delivered by Scottish Premier League football clubs (FFIT): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Hunt, Kate; Wyke, Sally; Gray, Cindy M; Anderson, Annie S; Brady, Adrian; Bunn, Christopher; Donnan, Peter T; Fenwick, Elisabeth; Grieve, Eleanor; Leishman, Jim; Miller, Euan; Mutrie, Nanette; Rauchhaus, Petra; White, Alan; Treweek, Shaun

2014-04-05

The prevalence of male obesity is increasing but few men take part in weight loss programmes. We assessed the effect of a weight loss and healthy living programme on weight loss in football (soccer) fans. We did a two-group, pragmatic, randomised controlled trial of 747 male football fans aged 35-65 years with a body-mass index (BMI) of 28 kg/m(2) or higher from 13 Scottish professional football clubs. Participants were randomly assigned with SAS (version 9·2, block size 2-9) in a 1:1 ratio, stratified by club, to a weight loss programme delivered by community coaching staff in 12 sessions held every week. The intervention group started a weight loss programme within 3 weeks, and the comparison group were put on a 12 month waiting list. All participants received a weight management booklet. Primary outcome was mean difference in weight loss between groups at 12 months, expressed as absolute weight and a percentage of their baseline weight. Primary outcome assessment was masked. Analyses were based on intention to treat. The trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials, number ISRCTN32677491. 374 men were allocated to the intervention group and 374 to the comparison group. 333 (89%) of the intervention group and 355 (95%) of the comparison group completed 12 month assessments. At 12 months the mean difference in weight loss between groups, adjusted for baseline weight and club, was 4·94 kg (95% CI 3·95-5·94) and percentage weight loss, similarly adjusted, was 4·36% (3·64-5·08), both in favour of the intervention (p<0·0001). Eight serious adverse events were reported, five in the intervention group (lost consciousness due to drugs for pre-existing angina, gallbladder removal, hospital admission with suspected heart attack, ruptured gut, and ruptured Achilles tendon) and three in the comparison group (transient ischaemic attack, and two deaths). Of these, two adverse events were reported as related to participation in the programme (gallbladder removal and ruptured Achilles tendon). The FFIT programme can help a large proportion of men to lose a clinically important amount of weight; it offers one effective strategy to challenge male obesity. Scottish Government and The UK Football Pools funded delivery of the programme through a grant to the Scottish Premier League Trust. The National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research Programme funded the assessment (09/3010/06). Copyright © 2014 Hunt et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY-NC-ND. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Politics, policies and processes: a multidisciplinary and multimethods research programme on policies on the social determinants of health inequity in Australia.

PubMed

Baum, Fran; Friel, Sharon

2017-12-21

The development and implementation of multisectoral policy to improve health and reduce health inequities has been slow and uneven. Evidence is largely focused on the facts of health inequities rather than understanding the political and policy processes. This 5-year funded programme of research investigates how these processes could function more effectively to improve equitable population health. The programme of work is organised in four work packages using four themes (macroeconomics and infrastructure, land use and urban environments, health systems and racism) related to the structural drivers shaping the distribution of power, money and resources and daily living conditions. Policy case studies will use publicly available documents (policy documents, published evaluations, media coverage) and interviews with informants (policy-makers, former politicians, civil society, private sector) (~25 per case). NVIVO software will be used to analyse the documents to see how 'social and health equity' is included and conceptualised. The interview data will include qualitative descriptive and theory-driven critical discourse analysis. Our quantitative methodological work assessing the impact of public policy on health equity is experimental that is in its infancy but promises to provide the type of evidence demanded by policy-makers. Our programme is recognising the inherently political nature of the uptake, formulation and implementation of policy. The early stages of our work indicate its feasibility. Our work is aided by a Critical Policy Reference Group. Multiple ethics approvals have been obtained with the foundation approval from the Social and Behavioural Ethics Committee, Flinders University (Project No: 6786).The theoretical, methodological and policy engagement processes established will provide improved evidence for policy-makers who wish to reduce health inequities and inform a new generation of policy savvy knowledge on social determinants. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Assessing acute coronary syndrome patients' cardiac-related beliefs, motivation and mood over time to predict non-attendance at cardiac rehabilitation.

PubMed

Herber, Oliver R; Jones, Martyn C; Smith, Karen; Johnston, Derek W

2012-12-01

This research protocol describes and justifies a study to assess patients' cardiac-related beliefs (i.e. illness representations, knowledge/misconceptions, cardiac treatment beliefs), motivation and mood over time to predict non-attendance at a cardiac rehabilitation programme by measuring weekly/monthly changes in these key variables. Heart disease is the UK's leading cause of death. Evidence from meta-analyses suggests that cardiac rehabilitation facilitates recovery following acute cardiac events. However, 30-60% of patients do not attend cardiac rehabilitation. There is some evidence from questionnaire studies that a range of potentially modifiable psychological variables including patients' cardiac-related beliefs, motivation and mood may influence attendance. Mixed-methods. In this study, during 2012-2013, electronic diary data will be gathered weekly/monthly from 240 patients with acute coronary syndrome from discharge from hospital until completion of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. This will identify changes and interactions between key variables over time and their power to predict non-attendance at cardiac rehabilitation. Data will be analysed to examine the relationship between patients' illness perceptions, cardiac treatment beliefs, knowledge/misconceptions, mood and non-attendance of the cardiac rehabilitation programme. The qualitative component (face-to-face interviews) seeks to explore why patients decide not to attend, not complete or complete the cardiac rehabilitation programme. The identification of robust predictors of (non-)attendance is important for the design and delivery of interventions aimed at optimizing cardiac rehabilitation uptake. Funding for the study was granted in February 2011 by the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office (CZH/4/650). © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Unidirectional Quantum Remote Control: Teleportation of Control-State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Yi-Zhuang; Gu, Yong-Jian; Wu, Gui-Chu; Guo, Guang-Can

2003-08-01

We investigate the problem of teleportation of unitary operations by unidirectional control-state teleportation and propose a scheme called unidirectional quantum remote control. The scheme is based on the isomorphism between operation and state. It allows us to store a unitary operation in a control state, thereby teleportation of the unitary operation can be implemented by unidirectional teleportation of the control-state. We find that the probability of success for implementing an arbitrary unitary operation on arbitrary M-qubit state by unidirectional control-state teleportation is 4-M, and 2M ebits and 4M cbits are consumed in each teleportation. The project supported by the National Fundamental Research Programme (2001CB309300) and the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 102068

Verification of short lead time forecast models: applied to Kp and Dst forecasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wintoft, Peter; Wik, Magnus

2016-04-01

In the ongoing EU/H2020 project PROGRESS models that predicts Kp, Dst, and AE from L1 solar wind data will be used as inputs to radiation belt models. The possible lead times from L1 measurements are shorter (10s of minutes to hours) than the typical duration of the physical phenomena that should be forecast. Under these circumstances several metrics fail to single out trivial cases, such as persistence. In this work we explore metrics and approaches for short lead time forecasts. We apply these to current Kp and Dst forecast models. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 637302.

Assessment and Career in a Primary School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Filer, Ann; Pollard, Andrew

This paper explores the ways in which social processes and taken-for-granted classroom practices influence the production of individual pupil performance, its assessment, and the interpretations of such judgments. The study is contextualized in the longitudinal parallel ethnographies of the Identity and Learning Programme, a collaborative program…

Randomised controlled trial examining the effect of an outpatient exercise training programme on haemodynamics and cardiac MR parameters of right ventricular function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: the ExPAH study protocol.

PubMed

Chia, Karen S W; Faux, Steven G; Wong, Peter K K; Holloway, Cameron; Assareh, Hassan; McLachlan, Craig S; Kotlyar, Eugene

2017-02-06

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by elevated pulmonary artery pressure. Early stage PH patients are often asymptomatic. Disease progression is associated with impairment of right ventricular function and progressive dyspnoea. Current guidelines recommend exercise training (grade IIa, level B). However, many questions remain regarding the mechanisms of improvement, intensity of supervision and optimal frequency, duration and intensity of exercise. This study will assess the effect of an outpatient rehabilitation programme on haemodynamics and cardiac right ventricular function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a subgroup of PH. This randomised controlled trial involves both a major urban tertiary and smaller regional hospital in New South Wales, Australia. The intervention will compare an outpatient rehabilitation programme with a control group (home exercise programme). Participants will be stable on oral PAH-specific therapy. The primary outcome measure will be right ventricular ejection fraction measured by cardiac MRI. Secondary outcomes will include haemodynamics measured by right heart catheterisation, endurance, functional capacity, health-related quality of life questionnaires and biomarkers of cardiac function and inflammation. Ethical approval has been granted by St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney (HREC/14/SVH/341). Results of this study will be disseminated through presentation at scientific conferences and in scientific journals. ACTRN12615001041549; pre-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

RACER: Effective Race Detection Using AspectJ

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodden, Eric; Havelund, Klaus

2008-01-01

The limits of coding with joint constraints on detected and undetected error rates Programming errors occur frequently in large software systems, and even more so if these systems are concurrent. In the past, researchers have developed specialized programs to aid programmers detecting concurrent programming errors such as deadlocks, livelocks, starvation and data races. In this work we propose a language extension to the aspect-oriented programming language AspectJ, in the form of three new built-in pointcuts, lock(), unlock() and may be Shared(), which allow programmers to monitor program events where locks are granted or handed back, and where values are accessed that may be shared amongst multiple Java threads. We decide thread-locality using a static thread-local objects analysis developed by others. Using the three new primitive pointcuts, researchers can directly implement efficient monitoring algorithms to detect concurrent programming errors online. As an example, we expose a new algorithm which we call RACER, an adoption of the well-known ERASER algorithm to the memory model of Java. We implemented the new pointcuts as an extension to the Aspect Bench Compiler, implemented the RACER algorithm using this language extension and then applied the algorithm to the NASA K9 Rover Executive. Our experiments proved our implementation very effective. In the Rover Executive RACER finds 70 data races. Only one of these races was previously known.We further applied the algorithm to two other multi-threaded programs written by Computer Science researchers, in which we found races as well.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Salut Programme: a universal health promotion intervention for parents and children-protocol of a register-based retrospective observational study.

PubMed

Feldman, Inna; Eurenius, Eva; Häggström, Jenny; Sampaio, Filipa; Lindkvist, Marie; Pulkki-Brännström, Anni-Maria; Ivarsson, Anneli

2016-08-04

There is inadequate evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of health promotion interventions. The Salut Programme aims to reach all parents and children in the Västerbotten County of Sweden with a combination of health promotion interventions initiated during pregnancy and continued over the childhood period. This study protocol describes an effectiveness study and an economic evaluation study, where the ongoing Salut Programme is compared to care-as-usual over the periods of pregnancy, delivery and the child's first 2 years of life. A register-based retrospective observational study design will be used with existing data sources with respect to exposures and outcomes. Outcomes of interest are clustered at 3 points: around the child's birth, 1 month after the child's birth and 2 years after the child's birth. We will simulate an experiment by retrospectively identifying and comparing children and their parents in the geographical areas where the Salut Programme was implemented since 2006 and onwards, and the areas where the Programme was not implemented before 2009. Outcomes will be analysed and compared for the premeasure period, and the postmeasure period for both groups. Our analysis combines difference-in-difference estimation with matching. A complementary analysis will be carried out on the longitudinal subsample of mothers who gave birth at least once during each of the time periods. The economic evaluation aims to capture the wider societal costs and benefits of the Salut Programme for the first 2 years of the children's lives. Incremental costs will be compared with incremental health gains and the results will be presented as a cost-consequence analysis. The Regional Ethical Review Board in Umeå has given clearance for the Salut Programme research (2010-63-31M). No individual's identity will be revealed when presenting results. This study will provide information that can guide decision-makers to allocate resources optimally. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Countering the demand for, and supply of, illicit tobacco: an assessment of the 'North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health' Programme.

PubMed

McNeill, Ann; Iringe-Koko, Belinda; Bains, Manpreet; Bauld, Linda; Siggens, Geoffrey; Russell, Andrew

2014-05-01

Illicit tobacco (IT) undermines the effectiveness of tobacco control strategies. We assessed the implementation and impact of a new programme designed to reduce demand for, as well as supply of, IT, in the north of England, where IT was prevalent. 'Mixed methods' research was undertaken. Qualitative methods included stakeholder interviews (at outset and 1 year later) and ethnographic research. Indicators reflecting those supply and demand issues for which data were available were identified and monitored, including relevant items on two cross-sectional surveys carried out in 2009 and 2011 with over 4000 individuals from which a social marketing campaign was also developed. IT reports to two existing hotlines, promoted through the programme, were assessed. Initially, concerns abounded about the different philosophies and ways of working of local and national enforcement and health agencies, but these were much reduced at follow-up. A protocol was developed which greatly facilitated the flow of intelligence about IT supply. A social marketing campaign was developed highlighting two messages: IT makes it easier for children to start smoking and brings crime into the community, thereby avoiding misleading messages about relative harms of illicit and licit tobacco. Public and stakeholder awareness of IT increased as did calls to both hotlines. A partnership of agencies, with competing values, was established to tackle IT, a complex public health issue and, inter alia, implemented a social marketing campaign using novel messages. This improved the flow of intelligence about the supply of IT and increased awareness of IT. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The Melbourne Family Support Program: evidence-based strategies that prepare family caregivers for supporting palliative care patients.

PubMed

Hudson, Peter; Aranda, Sanchia

2014-09-01

A key component of palliative care is support for family caregivers. Although some family caregivers identify positive aspects, the impact is typically burdensome; they are prone to physical and psychological morbidity, financial disadvantage and social isolation. Outcomes of systematic reviews have highlighted the importance of investment in family caregiver intervention research. To provide an overview of the development, evaluation and outcomes arising from of a programme of research (The Melbourne Family Support Program (FSP)), which focused on reducing the psychosocial burden of family caregivers. Developmental work involved a systematic literature review; focus groups with family caregivers and health professionals; and identification of a conceptual framework. Following a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT), a programme of psychoeducational intervention studies was developed and tested; one via RCT, the others via prepost test. Four psychoeducational interventions, incorporating one-to-one and group format delivery, conducted in both the home and inpatient hospital/hospice were evaluated. Statistically significant outcomes included improvements in family caregivers' preparedness, competence, positive emotions, more favourable levels of psychological wellbeing and a reduction in unmet needs. Internationally endorsed guidelines for the psychosocial support of family caregivers were produced and several resources were constructed. Fifteen publications in international peer-reviewed journals have arisen from this programme. The interventions and resources from the Melbourne FSP provide several evidenced-based and clinically relevant approaches that focus on reducing the psychosocial burden of the caregiving role. In several instances, however, more rigorous methodological testing is advocated. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

25 CFR 517.9 - Fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... paragraph (c) of this section. Payment of fees should be by check or money order made payable to the... fees has been granted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section: (1) Copies. The FOIA Officer shall... requested records, as well as the costs of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. The...

25 CFR 517.9 - Fees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... paragraph (c) of this section. Payment of fees should be by check or money order made payable to the... fees has been granted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section: (1) Copies. The FOIA Officer shall... requested records, as well as the costs of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. The...

An assessment of oral cancer curricula in dental hygiene programmes: implications for cancer control.

PubMed

Thacker, K K; Kaste, L M; Homsi, K D; LeHew, C W

2016-11-01

To assess oral cancer prevention and early detection curricula in Illinois associate-degree dental hygiene programmes and highlight global health applications. An email invitation was sent to each Illinois associate-degree granting dental hygiene programme's oral cancer contact to participate in a survey via a SurveyMonkey™ link to a 21-item questionnaire. Questions elicited background information on each programme and inquired about curriculum and methods used for teaching oral cancer prevention and early detection. Eight of the 12 (67%) programmes responded. Three (37.5%) reported having a specific oral cancer curriculum. Five (62.5%) require students to perform examinations for signs and symptoms of oral cancer at each clinic visit. Variations exist across the programmes in the number of patients each student sees annually and the number of oral cancer examinations each student performs before graduation. Seven programmes (87.5%) conduct early detection screening in community settings. All programmes included risk assessment associated with tobacco. All other risk factors measured were treated inconsistently. Significant differences in training and experience were reported across Illinois dental hygiene programmes. Training is neither standardized nor uniformly comprehensive. Students' preparation for delivering prevention and early detection services to their patients could be strengthened to ensure competence including reflection of risk factors and behaviours in a global context. Regular review of curricular guidelines and programme content would help dental hygienists meet the expectations of the Crete Declaration on Oral Cancer Prevention. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research funding of prison health research: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Kouyoumdjian, Fiona G; McIsaac, Kathryn E; Foran, Jessica E; Matheson, Flora I

2017-01-01

Health research provides a means to define health status and to identify ways to improve health. Our objective was to define the proportion of grants and funding from the Government of Canada's health research investment agency, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), that was awarded for prison health research, and to describe the characteristics of funded grants. In this descriptive study, we defined prison health research as research on the health and health care of people in prisons and at the time of their release. We searched the CIHR Funding Decisions Database by subject and by investigator name for funded grants for prison health research in Canada in all competitions between 2010 and 2014. We calculated the proportion of grants and funding awarded for prison health research, and described the characteristics of funded grants. During the 5-year study period, 21 grants were awarded that included a focus on prison health research, for a total of $2 289 948. Six of these grants were operating grants and 6 supported graduate or fellowship training. In total, 0.13% of all grants and 0.05% of all funding was for prison health research. A relatively small proportion of CIHR grants and funding were awarded for prison health research between 2010 and 2014. If prison health is a priority for Canada, strategic initiatives that include funding opportunities could be developed to support prison health research in Canada.

Outcomes associated with 12 years of grant funding: the Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society grant program.

PubMed

Keil, Margaret F; Lipman, Terri H

2007-06-01

In 1990, the Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society (PENS) developed a grant program to provide funding to advance pediatric endocrinology nursing practice through basic and applied research. Minimal data exist regarding the effect of grant funding on professional development and research dissemination. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that PENS' grant funding has resulted in professional presentations, publications, and further research funding. Nineteen grants that received funding were identified. Survey questions included whether the results of the PENS-funded study were presented, published, and resulted in subsequent funding from other sources. Outcome data were available for 11 of 18 grants (61%). All funded studies were presented at PENS conference; 55% were presented at other national or international conferences. Sixteen publications resulted from seven funded studies; 64% of PENS' funded studies led to additional funding, and 18% resulted in additional research studies. In summary, the research grant program of PENS funded 19 grants, which resulted in numerous publications, presentations, and, in some cases, additional research funding from other sources. Many grant recipients acknowledged that PENS was their first source of research funding and gave them the opportunity to become experienced in their role as clinical researchers.

Estimating costs of quality improvement for outpatient healthcare organisations: a practical methodology.

PubMed

Brown, Sydney E S; Chin, Marshall H; Huang, Elbert S

2007-08-01

Outpatient healthcare organisations worldwide participate in quality improvement (QI) programmes. Despite the importance of understanding the financial impact of such programmes, there are no established standard methods for empirically assessing QI programme costs and their consequences for small outpatient healthcare organisations. The costs and cost consequences were evaluated for a diabetes QI programme implemented throughout the USA in federally qualified community health centres. For five case study centres, survey instruments and methods for data analysis were developed. Two types of cost/revenue were evaluated. Direct costs/revenues, such as personnel time, items purchased and grants received, were evaluated using self-administered surveys. Cost/revenue consequences, which were cost/revenue changes that may have occurred due to changes in patient utilisation or physician behaviour, were evaluated using electronic billing data. Other methods for evaluating cost/revenue consequences if electronic billing data are not available are also discussed. This paper describes a practical taxonomy and method for assessing the costs and revenues of QI programmes for outpatient organisations. Results of such analyses will be useful for healthcare organisations implementing QI programmes and also for policy makers designing incentives for QI participation.

Effects of a community-based multicomponent rehabilitation programme for patients with fibromyalgia: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Haugmark, Trond; Hagen, Kåre Birger; Provan, Sella Aarrestad; Bærheim, Elisebeth; Zangi, Heidi A

2018-06-04

People with fibromyalgia (FM) suffer from symptoms such as widespread pain, non-refreshing sleep, fatigue and reduced quality of life. Effects of pharmacological treatment are questionable and non-pharmacological treatments are recommended as first-line therapy. To date the majority of patients with FM in Norway are not offered any targeted treatment. The aim of this randomised controlled trial is to investigate the effects of a community-based multicomponent rehabilitation programme comprising an acceptance-based and mindfulness-based group intervention, the Vitality Training Programme (VTP), followed by tailored physical activity counselling. General practitioners refer potential participants to a rheumatologist in specialist healthcare for diagnostic clarification and assessment of comorbidities. Inclusion criteria are widespread pain/FM ≥3 months, age 20-50 and work participation (minimum part-time) within the last 2 years. The intervention group attends the VTP comprising 10 weekly 4 hour group sessions plus a booster session after 6 months. Thereafter, they receive 12 weeks of individually tailored physical exercise counselled by physiotherapists at community-based Healthy Life Centers. The control group follows treatment as usual. The primary outcome is Patient Global Impression of Change. Secondary outcomes include self-reported pain, fatigue and sleep quality, psychological distress, mindfulness, health-related quality of life, physical activity, work ability and exercise beliefs and habits. To achieve a power of 80% and allow for 10% dropout, 70 participants are needed in each arm. All analyses will be conducted on intention-to-treat bases and measured as differences between groups at 12 months follow-up. The study is approved and granted by the Norwegian South-Eastern Regional Health Authority (reference 2016015). Ethics approval was obtained from Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (reference 2015/2447/REK sør-øst A). Results will be submitted to appropriate journals and presented in relevant conferences and social media. ISRCTN 96836577. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Do Coupled Climate Models Correctly SImulate the Upward Branch of the Deept Ocean Global Conveyor?

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

Sarmiento, Jorge L; Downes, Stephanie; Bianchi, Daniele

The large-scale meridional overturning circulation (MOC) connects the deep ocean, a major reservoir of carbon, to the other components of the climate system and must therefore be accurately represented in Earth System Models. Our project aims to address the specific question of the pathways and mechanisms controlling the upwelling branch of the MOC, a subject of significant disagreement between models and observational syntheses, and among general circulation models. Observations of these pathways are limited, particularly in regions of complex hydrography such as the Southern Ocean. As such, we rely on models to examine theories of the overturning circulation, both physicallymore » and biogeochemically. This grant focused on a particular aspect of the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) where there is currently significant disagreement between models and observationally based analyses of the MOC, and amongst general circulation models. In particular, the research focused on addressing the following questions: 1. Where does the deep water that sinks in the polar regions rise to the surface? 2. What processes are responsible for this rise? 3. Do state-of-the-art coupled GCMs capture these processes? Our research had three key components: observational synthesis, model development and model analysis. In this final report we outline the key results from these areas of research for the 2007 to 2012 grant period. The research described here was carried out primarily by graduate student, Daniele Bianchi (now a Postdoc at McGill University, Canada), and Postdoc Stephanie Downes (now a Research Fellow at The Australian national University, Australia). Additional support was provided for programmers Jennifer Simeon as well as Rick Slater.« less

Understanding barriers and outcomes of unspecified (non-directed altruistic) kidney donation from both professional's and patient's perspectives: research protocol for a national multicentre mixed-methods prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Gare, Rebecca; Gogalniceanu, Petrut; Maple, Hannah; Burnapp, Lisa; Clarke, Alexis; Williams, Lynsey; Norton, Sam; Chilcot, Joseph; Gibbs, Paul; Mitchell, Annie; McCrone, Paul; Draper, Heather; Mamode, Nizam

2017-09-21

Living donation accounts for over one-third of all kidney transplants taking place in the UK. 1 The concept of anonymously donating a kidney to a stranger (non-directed altruistic or unspecified kidney donation (UKD)) remains uncomfortable for some clinicians, principally due to concerns about the motivations and long-term physical and psychological outcomes in this donor group. The research programme aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the unspecified donor programme in the UK. It aims to identify reasons for variations in practice across centres, explore outcomes for donors and ascertain barriers and facilitators to UKD, as well as assess the economic implications of unspecified donation. The research programme will adopt a mixed-methods approach to assessing UKD nationally using focus groups, interviews and questionnaires. Two study populations will be investigated. The first will include transplant professionals involved in unspecified kidney donation. The second will include a 5-year prospective cohort of individuals who present to any of the 23 UK transplant centres as a potential unspecified living kidney donor. Physical and psychological outcomes will be followed up to 1 year following donation or withdrawal from the donation process. A matched sample of specified donors (those donating to someone they know) will be recruited as a control group. Further qualitative work consisting of interviews will be performed on a purposive sample of unspecified donors from both groups (those who do and do not donate). The findings will be reported to NHS Blood and Transplant and the British Transplant Society with a view to developing national guidelines and a protocol for the management of those presenting for unspecified donation. ISRCTN23895878, Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

National Center for Education Research Publication Handbook: Publications from Funded Education Research Grants, FY 2002 to FY 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Education Research, 2013

2013-01-01

Since its inception in 2002, the National Center for Education Research (NCER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has funded over 700 education research grants and over 60 education training grants. The research grants have supported exploratory research to build theory or generate hypotheses on factors that may affect educational…

Health promotion programme in the private workplaces in Singapore: a prevalence survey.

PubMed

Chew, L; Cheah, C; Koh, Y H

2002-01-01

A postal survey was conducted in 4,479 private companies with at least 50 employees in 1998 to determine the prevalence and the scope of workplace health promotion programme in these companies in Singapore. The self-administered questionnaire mailed to the study population covered five areas viz, organisational details, workplace health policies, health promotion and related activities, workplace health facilities and the source of assistance for the programme. The overall response was 49.5%. Parkinson's definition of workplace health promotion was used in the analysis to determine the prevalence of the programme. The data was collated on DBase IV and analysed using SPSS computer programmes. About one third of the respondents covering an estimated 26% of the private sector workforce had a comprehensive workplace health promotion programme as defined by Parkinson. This prevalence was a function of workforce size and industry type. Workplaces with larger workforce size (p<0.001) and those from the manufacturing and human/health service sectors (p<0.001) were more likely to have such programmes compared to their smaller counterparts and other industries respectively. The management remained the main driver behind these programmes. Many of the programmes were centred around health promoting policies and facilities with emphasis on occupational healthl safety and smoking issues. A significant proportion of workplaces surveyed had in place a comprehensive workplace health promotion programme. However, more could still be done to encourage its uptake such as training for facilitators, consultation, grant provision etc. Small workplaces remained an untapped market for such programmes.

Origin of Initial Current Peak in High Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering and Verification by Non-Sputtering Discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong-Zhen, Wu; Shu, Xiao; Sui-Han, Cui; Ricky, K. Y. Fu; Xiu-Bo, Tian; Paul, K. Chu; Feng, Pan

2016-07-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 51301004 and U1330110, the Guangdong Innovative and Entrepreneurial Research Team Program under Grant No 2013N080, the Shenzhen Science and Technology Research Grant under Grant Nos JCYJ20140903102215536 and JCYJ20150828093127698, and the City University of Hong Kong Applied Research Grant under Grant No 9667104.

From plans to actions in patient and public involvement: qualitative study of documented plans and the accounts of researchers and patients sampled from a cohort of clinical trials

PubMed Central

Buck, Deborah; Gamble, Carrol; Dudley, Louise; Preston, Jennifer; Hanley, Bec; Williamson, Paula R; Young, Bridget

2014-01-01

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is increasingly required, although evidence to inform its implementation is limited. Objective Inform the evidence base by describing how plans for PPI were implemented within clinical trials and identifying the challenges and lessons learnt by research teams. Methods We compared PPI plans extracted from clinical trial grant applications (funded by the National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme between 2006 and 2010) with researchers’ and PPI contributors’ interview accounts of PPI implementation. Analysis of PPI plans and transcribed qualitative interviews drew on the Framework technique. Results Of 28 trials, 25 documented plans for PPI in funding applications and half described implementing PPI before applying for funding. Plans varied from minimal to extensive, although almost all anticipated multiple modes of PPI. Interview accounts indicated that PPI plans had been fully implemented in 20/25 trials and even expanded in some. Nevertheless, some researchers described PPI within their trials as tokenistic. Researchers and contributors noted that late or minimal PPI engagement diminished its value. Both groups perceived uncertainty about roles in relation to PPI, and noted contributors’ lack of confidence and difficulties attending meetings. PPI contributors experienced problems in interacting with researchers and understanding technical language. Researchers reported difficulties finding ‘the right’ PPI contributors, and advised caution when involving investigators’ current patients. Conclusions Engaging PPI contributors early and ensuring ongoing clarity about their activities, roles and goals, is crucial to PPI's success. Funders, reviewers and regulators should recognise the value of preapplication PPI and allocate further resources to it. They should also consider whether PPI plans in grant applications match a trial's distinct needs. Monitoring and reporting PPI before, during and after trials will help the research community to optimise PPI, although the need for ongoing flexibility in implementing PPI should also be recognised. PMID:25475243

Realising the dream of becoming a nurse: Underrepresented BSc nursing students experiences.

PubMed

O'Brien, Brid; Graham, Margaret M; O'Sullivan, Deirdre

2017-07-01

This paper describes the experiences of underrepresented BSc nursing students in realising the dream of becoming a nurse in one university. In the past ten years, pre-registration nurse education has become established within higher education in Ireland. This development includes promoting access and inclusion of students from traditionally underrepresented groups in higher education. A third of nursing students currently access places on programmes through routes specifically designed for underrepresented groups. A qualitative descriptive study design provided an opportunity for student voices to be heard. Ethical approval was sought and granted. Eleven students were interviewed nearing completion of a four year BSc Nursing programme. Data analysis followed a thematic approach, in generating themes. Three themes emerged from the data: taking the first steps; finding a way and getting through. Findings highlight participants' challenges in balancing study, clinical practice and family life in achieving and realising their dream of becoming a nurse. This study illustrates the nature and complexities of participants' experiences throughout the BSc Nursing programmes towards becoming university graduates, eligible for registration as a nurse. Students from underrepresented groups bring rich and diverse life experiences in preparation for and becoming caring practitioners. It highlights the individuality within participants' experiences and draws attention to the value of personalised support for students. An opportunity to encourage the development of emotional intelligence needs to be fostered within nurse education programmes. Creating positive learning environments is critical to supporting student understanding of compassionate patient centred care. Findings have relevance for global curriculum design and structures to support individual student centred engagement. Further research is required to consider how best to support students from underrepresented groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating a Research Training Programme for People with Intellectual Disabilities Participating in Inclusive Research: The Views of Participants.

PubMed

Fullana, Judit; Pallisera, Maria; Català, Elena; Puyalto, Carolina

2017-07-01

This article presents the results of evaluating a research training programme aimed at developing the skills of people with intellectual disabilities to actively participate in inclusive research. The present authors opted for a responsive approach to evaluation, using a combination of interviews, questionnaires and focus groups to gather information on the views of students, trainers and members of the research team regarding how the programme progressed, the learning achieved and participants' satisfaction with the programme. The evaluation showed that most of the participants were satisfied with the programme and provided guidelines for planning contents and materials, demonstrating the usefulness of these types of programme in constructing the research group and empowering people with intellectual disabilities to participate in research. The evaluation revealed that the programme had been a positive social experience that fostered interest in lifelong learning for people with intellectual disabilities. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Program: its contribution in view of WHO recommendations for provision of doctors.

PubMed

Carvalho, Viviane Karoline da Silva; Marques, Carla Pintas; Silva, Everton Nunes da

2016-09-01

In order to examine whether Brazil's Mais Médicos (More Doctors) Programme (PMM) reflected World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for improved attraction, retention and recruitment of health workers in remote and rural areas, this descriptive, qualitative study drew on document analysis in order to compare the WHO recommendations published in 2010 with Brazil's Law No. 12,871/13, which instituted the PMM. Of the 16 WHO recommendations systematised here, the PMM met 37.5%. Recommendations not incorporated into the PMM include career development programmes and public recognition strategies. Although reflecting WHO recommendations and already in place elsewhere in the SUS prior to announcement of the PMM, the National Retention Grant Programme and multi-professional teams (as in the Family Health Strategy) were not implemented by the PMM. The programme contains innovative components such as a new curriculum for medical schools and compulsory medical service. On the other hand, the PMM could have invested more in personal and professional support.

Meeting the goal of concurrent adolescent and adult licensure of HIV prevention and treatment strategies.

PubMed

Hume, Michelle; Lewis, Linda L; Nelson, Robert M

2017-12-01

The ability of adolescents to access safe and effective new products for HIV prevention and treatment is optimised by adolescent licensure at the same time these products are approved and marketed for adults. Many adolescent product development programmes for HIV prevention or treatment products may proceed simultaneously with adult phase III development programmes. Appropriately implemented, this strategy is not expected to delay licensure as information regarding product efficacy can often be extrapolated from adults to adolescents, and pharmacokinetic properties of drugs in adolescents are expected to be similar to those in adults. Finally, adolescents enrolled in therapeutic HIV prevention and treatment research can be considered adults, based on US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations and the appropriate application of state law. The FDA permits local jurisdictions to apply state and local HIV/sexually transmitted infection minor treatment laws so that adolescents who are HIV-positive or at risk of contracting HIV may be enrolled in therapeutic or prevention trials without obtaining parental permission. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Philanthropies croisées: a joint venture in public health at Lyon (1917-1940).

PubMed

Saunier, Pierre-Yves; Tournès, Ludovic

2009-01-01

Since the end of the First World War the Rockefeller Foundation has spearheaded a large-scale programme in the field of education for the health professions (doctors and nurses). In several countries throughout the world, but with its efforts concentrated on Europe, it has financed schools, constructed information networks, granted research scholarships and awarded training bursaries. In so doing it has not, however, been in the business of propagating an irresistible "American model," nor has it pursued a huge undertaking in disinterested aid. Through an attempt to contextualize these programmes, to bring to light the existence of common reference points, to retrace the work with local participants and to appraise cleavages within the philanthropic apparatus, this article proposes a fine-grained reading of the role of the Rockefeller Foundation at the Faculté de Médecine (Faculty of Medicine) and the Ecole d'Infirmières et d'assistantes sociales (Training School for Nurses and Social Workers) in Lyon between 1917- and 1940. It analyses these institutions in terms of the transactions, negotiations and appropriations that highlight their joint-venture character and it identifies their varied impact.

The Good CPD Guide Janet Grant The Good CPD Guide Radcliffe Publishing £29.99 190pp 9781846195709 1846195705 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2012-08-31

THE AUTHOR provides a four-step approach to coherent and relevant continuing professional development programmes. Content includes: identifying what and how best to learn, how to relate this learning to personal development planning and demonstrating the effects of learning in practice.

Interoperability science cases with the CDPP tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nathanaël, J.; Cecconi, B.; André, N.; Bouchemit, M.; Gangloff, M.; Budnik, E.; Jacquey, C.; Pitout, F.; Durand, J.; Rouillard, A.; Lavraud, B.; Genot, V. N.; Popescu, D.; Beigbeder, L.; Toniutti, J. P.; Caussarieu, S.

2017-12-01

Data exchange protocols are never as efficient as when they are invisible for the end user who is then able to discover data, to cross compare observations and modeled data and finally to perform in depth analysis. Over the years these protocols, including SAMP from IVOA, EPN-TAP from the Europlanet 2020 RI community, backed by standard web-services, have been deployed in tools designed by the French Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas (CDPP) including AMDA, the Propagation Tool, 3DView, ... . This presentation will focus on science cases which show the capability of interoperability in the planetary and heliophysics contexts, involving both CDPP and companion tools. Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

Economic support to patients in HIV and TB grants in rounds 7 and 10 from the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

PubMed

Richter, Linda M; Lönnroth, Knut; Desmond, Chris; Jackson, Robin; Jaramillo, Ernesto; Weil, Diana

2014-01-01

People with TB and/or HIV frequently experience severe economic barriers to health care, including out-of-pocket expenses related to diagnosis and treatment, as well as indirect costs due to loss of income. These barriers can both aggravate economic hardship and prevent or delay diagnosis, treatment and successful outcome, leading to increased transmission, morbidity and mortality. WHO, UNAIDS and the ILO argue that economic support of various kinds is essential to enable vulnerable people to protect themselves from infection, avoid delayed diagnosis and treatment, overcome barriers to adherence, and avert destitution. This paper analyses successful country proposals to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that include economic support in Rounds 7 and 10; 36 and 20 HIV and TB grants in Round 7 and 32 and 26, respectively, in Round 10. Of these, up to 84 percent included direct or indirect economic support for beneficiaries, although the amount constituted a very small proportion of the total grant. In TB grants, the objectives of economic support were generally clearly stated, and focused on mechanisms to improve treatment uptake and adherence, and the case was most clearly made for MDR-TB patients. In HIV grants, the objectives were much broader in scope, including mitigation of adverse economic and social effects of HIV and its treatment on both patients and families. The analysis shows that economic support is on the radar for countries developing Global Fund proposals, and a wide range of economic support activities are in place. In order to move forward in this area, the wealth of country experience that exists needs to be collated, assessed and disseminated. In addition to trials, operational research and programme evaluations, more precise guidance to countries is needed to inform evidence-based decision about activities that are cost-effective, affordable and feasible.

Economic Support to Patients in HIV and TB Grants in Rounds 7 and 10 from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

PubMed Central

Richter, Linda M.; Lönnroth, Knut; Desmond, Chris; Jackson, Robin; Jaramillo, Ernesto; Weil, Diana

2014-01-01

People with TB and/or HIV frequently experience severe economic barriers to health care, including out-of-pocket expenses related to diagnosis and treatment, as well as indirect costs due to loss of income. These barriers can both aggravate economic hardship and prevent or delay diagnosis, treatment and successful outcome, leading to increased transmission, morbidity and mortality. WHO, UNAIDS and the ILO argue that economic support of various kinds is essential to enable vulnerable people to protect themselves from infection, avoid delayed diagnosis and treatment, overcome barriers to adherence, and avert destitution. This paper analyses successful country proposals to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria that include economic support in Rounds 7 and 10; 36 and 20 HIV and TB grants in Round 7 and 32 and 26, respectively, in Round 10. Of these, up to 84 percent included direct or indirect economic support for beneficiaries, although the amount constituted a very small proportion of the total grant. In TB grants, the objectives of economic support were generally clearly stated, and focused on mechanisms to improve treatment uptake and adherence, and the case was most clearly made for MDR-TB patients. In HIV grants, the objectives were much broader in scope, including mitigation of adverse economic and social effects of HIV and its treatment on both patients and families. The analysis shows that economic support is on the radar for countries developing Global Fund proposals, and a wide range of economic support activities are in place. In order to move forward in this area, the wealth of country experience that exists needs to be collated, assessed and disseminated. In addition to trials, operational research and programme evaluations, more precise guidance to countries is needed to inform evidence-based decision about activities that are cost-effective, affordable and feasible. PMID:24489702

Developing Researching Managers and Relevant Research--The "Executive Research Programme"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werr, Andreas; Strannegård, Lars

2014-01-01

The current paper argues for bridging the "relevance gap" in management research and education by creating educational programmes that bring together experienced managers and management researchers. In the "Executive Research Programme" discussed in this paper, managers were paired up with researchers to conduct a collaborative…

Cost-effectiveness of a quality improvement programme to reduce central line-associated bloodstream infections in intensive care units in the USA.

PubMed

Herzer, Kurt R; Niessen, Louis; Constenla, Dagna O; Ward, William J; Pronovost, Peter J

2014-09-25

To assess the cost-effectiveness of a multifaceted quality improvement programme focused on reducing central line-associated bloodstream infections in intensive care units. Cost-effectiveness analysis using a decision tree model to compare programme to non-programme intensive care units. USA. Adult patients in the intensive care unit. Economic costs of the programme and of central line-associated bloodstream infections were estimated from the perspective of the hospital and presented in 2013 US dollars. Central line-associated bloodstream infections prevented, deaths averted due to central line-associated bloodstream infections prevented, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed. Compared with current practice, the programme is strongly dominant and reduces bloodstream infections and deaths at no additional cost. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that there was an almost 80% probability that the programme reduces bloodstream infections and the infections' economic costs to hospitals. The opportunity cost of a bloodstream infection to a hospital was the most important model parameter in these analyses. This multifaceted quality improvement programme, as it is currently implemented by hospitals on an increasingly large scale in the USA, likely reduces the economic costs of central line-associated bloodstream infections for US hospitals. Awareness among hospitals about the programme's benefits should enhance implementation. The programme's implementation has the potential to substantially reduce morbidity, mortality and economic costs associated with central line-associated bloodstream infections. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Requirements for authorisation of internal dosimetry services.

PubMed

Melo, D R; Cunha, P G; Torres, M M C; Lourenço, M C

2003-01-01

In order to ensure that a facility is in compliance with the occupational exposure requirements established by regulatory authorities, the measurements and dose assessments specified in the individual monitoring programme need to be reliable. There are two important questions that shall be addressed here: one is how the licensed facilities can demonstrate to their workers and regulatory bodies compliance with the regulatory limits and the reliability of the results of the individual monitoring programmes; the other concerns the mechanisms used to demonstrate to a facility in another country the reliability of the measurement results of an individual monitoring bioassay programme. The accreditation of the bioassay laboratory, according to ISO/IEC 17025, shall be the basic requirement for obtaining the authorisation granted by the national regulatory authority. For the second question, such confidence can be achieved through International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC).

Laboratory for Nuclear Science. High Energy Physics Program

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

Milner, Richard

High energy and nuclear physics research at MIT is conducted within the Laboratory for Nuclear Science (LNS). Almost half of the faculty in the MIT Physics Department carry out research in LNS at the theoretical and experimental frontiers of subatomic physics. Since 2004, the U.S. Department of Energy has funded the high energy physics research program through grant DE-FG02-05ER41360 (other grants and cooperative agreements provided decades of support prior to 2004). The Director of LNS serves as PI. The grant supports the research of four groups within LNS as “tasks” within the umbrella grant. Brief descriptions of each group aremore » given here. A more detailed report from each task follows in later sections. Although grant DE-FG02-05ER41360 has ended, DOE continues to fund LNS high energy physics research through five separate grants (a research grant for each of the four groups, as well as a grant for AMS Operations). We are pleased to continue this longstanding partnership.« less

Measuring Interactions among Research Grant Recipients through Social Network Analysis: Insights into Evaluating and Improving Research Collaborations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, Gary; Scarlett-Ferguson, Heather; Aspen, Cathy

2015-01-01

Alberta Health Services (AHS) was awarded a grant from the Alberta Ministry of Human Services to promote applied mental health research within areas of interest to the Ministry. The grant funded the "Collaborative Research Grant Initiative: Mental Wellness in Seniors and Persons with Disabilities" (CRGI), designed to collaboratively…

Co-producing public involvement training with members of the public and research organisations in the East Midlands: creating, delivering and evaluating the lay assessor training programme.

PubMed

Horobin, Adele; Brown, George; Higton, Fred; Vanhegan, Stevie; Wragg, Andrew; Wray, Paula; Walker, Dawn-Marie

2017-01-01

Members of the public share their views with researchers to improve health and social care research. Lay assessing is one way of doing this. This is where people, drawing upon personal and general life experience, comment on material, such as grant applications and patient information, to highlight strengths and weaknesses and to suggest improvements. This paper reports on setting up a training programme for lay assessors. Meetings were held between interested public and staff from research organisations. People discussed what lay assessing is, why they want to do it, skills and support needed and if training was wanted. They were invited to form a group to develop the training together. Training was delivered in the East Midlands. People who attended gave their thoughts about it by completing questionnaires and joining a feedback event. The group developed the structure of the training programme together and it oversaw the development of the training content by individual members. People who attended training reported feeling more confident about lay assessing. This was particularly so for those who had not done lay assessing before. They indicated how valuable it was to talk with others at the training. Our findings support the National Institute for Health Research recommendations for improving learning and development for public involvement in research. This project has created a solid base for local research organisations to work together in public involvement training. Lay assessor training is now part of a wider programme of shared resources called the Sharebank. Background Involving members of the public in research can improve its quality and incorporate the needs and views of patients. One method for doing this is lay assessing, where members of the public are consulted to improve research materials. This paper documents the establishment of a pilot training programme for lay assessors. It describes a way of working that embodies a regional, cross-organisational approach to co-producing training with members of the public. Methods Open meetings, led by AH, were held for existing and aspiring lay assessors to define lay assessing, motivations for doing it, skills required, associated learning and development needs, and to gauge interest for training. Those who attended meetings, including members of the public and staff, were invited to form a working group to co-produce the training programme. Training was delivered in modules at two centres in the East Midlands and evaluated through participant feedback at the end of each module and at an evaluation event. Feedback was through a mix of Likert scale scoring, open text and verbal responses. Results Discussions from the open meetings informed the development of the training by the working group. Led by AH, the working group, as a whole, co-produced the structure and format of the training and oversaw training content development by individuals within the group. Training was well-received by participants. Feedback through Likert scoring ( n  = 14) indicated higher feelings of confidence in knowledge of relevant subject matter and in fulfilling the lay assessor role, particularly amongst those who had not done lay assessing before. Opportunities that the training afforded for interaction between participants - sharing of varied experiences and knowledge - and a 'learn by doing' approach was of particular value, as indicated by 10 responses to open-ended questions. Conclusions This project has created a solid foundation for collaboration between research organisations in the East Midlands in devising and delivering training in public involvement together. Our evaluation provides evidence in support of National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) recommendations on principles for learning and development for public involvement in research.

How a deliberative approach includes women in the decisions of screening mammography: a citizens' jury feasibility study in Andalusia, Spain.

PubMed

Baena-Cañada, José M; Luque-Ribelles, Violeta; Quílez-Cutillas, Alicia; Rosado-Varela, Petra; Benítez-Rodríguez, Encarnación; Márquez-Calderón, Soledad; Rivera-Bautista, Juan Manuel

2018-05-05

To verify whether a citizens' jury study is feasible to the Andalusian population and to know if women, when better informed, are able to answer the research question of whether the Andalusian Public Health System must continue offering screening mammography to women aged 50-69. The reasons for the pertinent decision and recommendations to the political authorities will be stated. Qualitative research study with the methodology of citizens' jury. Breast cancer screening programme in Andalusia (Spain). Thirteen women aged 50-69 with secondary school or higher education accepted to participate as a jury. Two epidemiologists were the expert witnesses. The main researcher was the neutral moderator. Jury met on Monday, 15 February 2016. The moderator indicated to the jury that it had to assess the screening programme's key benefits and main harm. On Tuesday, 16 February, the expert witnesses positioned for and against the programme. On Thursday, 18 February, the jury deliberated, reached final conclusions, submitted its vote and stated its recommendations to politicians. The deliberation session was transcribed and analysed with the support of ATLAS.ti.5.2 software. Feasibility in the Andalusian population, women's vote and opinion, reasons for votes and recommendations to political authorities. Eleven participants voted yes and two voted no. There are three reasons to vote 'yes': health, the test nature, and individual freedom. Some women invoke the lack of efficacy and the cost to justify their negative vote, at least in universal terms. On completion, they made suggestions to be submitted to the pertinent authorities for the improvement of information, psychology services and research. The deliberative strategy is feasible and causes a favourable positioning regarding screening mammography, although information changes the opinion of some women, who desire informed decision making and to keep or increase medicalisation in their lives. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The Impact of Research Grant Funding on Scientific Productivity*

PubMed Central

Jacob, Brian A.; Lefgren, Lars

2011-01-01

In this paper, we estimate the impact of receiving an NIH grant on subsequent publications and citations. Our sample consists of all applications (unsuccessful as well as successful) to the NIH from 1980 to 2000 for standard research grants (R01s). Both OLS and IV estimates show that receipt of an NIH research grant (worth roughly $1.7 million) leads to only one additional publication over the next five years, which corresponds to a 7 percent increase. The limited impact of NIH grants is consistent with a model in which the market for research funding is competitive, so that the loss of an NIH grant simply causes researchers to shift to another source of funding. PMID:21857758

Protocol for establishing an infant feeding database linkable with population-based administrative data: a prospective cohort study in Manitoba, Canada

PubMed Central

Nickel, Nathan Christopher; Warda, Lynne; Kummer, Leslie; Chateau, Joanne; Heaman, Maureen; Green, Chris; Katz, Alan; Paul, Julia; Perchuk, Carolyn; Girard, Darlene; Larocque, Lorraine; Enns, Jennifer Emily; Shaw, Souradet

2017-01-01

Introduction Breast feeding is associated with many health benefits for mothers and infants. But despite extensive public health efforts to promote breast feeding, many mothers do not achieve their own breastfeeding goals; and, inequities in breastfeeding rates persist between high and low-income mother–infant dyads. Developing targeted programme to support breastfeeding dyads and reduce inequities between mothers of different socioeconomic status are a priority for public health practitioners and health policy decision-makers; however, many jurisdictions lack the timely and comprehensive population-level data on infant-feeding practices required to monitor trends in breastfeeding initiation and duration. This protocol describes the establishment of a population-based infant-feeding database in the Canadian province of Manitoba, providing opportunities to develop and evaluate breastfeeding support programme. Methods and analysis Routinely collected administrative health data on mothers’ infant-feeding practices will be captured during regular vaccination visits using the Teleform fax tool, which converts handwritten information to an electronic format. The infant-feeding data will be linked to the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository, a comprehensive collection of population-based information spanning health, education and social services domains. The linkage will allow us to answer research questions about infant-feeding practices and to evaluate how effective current initiatives promoting breast feeding are. Ethics and dissemination Approvals have been granted by the Health Research Ethics Board at the University of Manitoba. Our integrative knowledge translation approach will involve disseminating findings through government and community briefings, presenting at academic conferences and publishing in scientific journals. PMID:29061626

Teaching at higher levels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-11-01

Undergraduate physics programmes for the 21st century were under discussion at a recent event held in Arlington, USA, open to two or three members of the physics faculties of universities from across the whole country. The conference was organized by the American Association of Physics Teachers with co-sponsorship from the American Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society and Project Kaleidoscope. Among the various aims were to learn about physics departments that have successfully revitalized their undergraduate physics programmes with innovative introductory physics courses and multi-track majors programmes. Engineers and life scientists were to be asked directly how physics programmes can better serve their students, and business leaders would be speaking on how physics departments can help to prepare their students for the diverse careers that they will eventually follow. It was planned to highlight ways that departments could fulfil their responsibilities towards trainee teachers, to identify the resources needed for revitalizing a department's programme, and to develop guidelines and recommendations for a funding programme to support collaborative efforts among physics departments for carrying out the enhancements required. More details about the conference can be found on the AAPT website (see http://www.aapt.org/programs/rupc.html). Meanwhile the UK's Higher Education Funding Council has proposed a two-pronged approach to the promotion of high quality teaching and learning, as well as widening participation in higher education from 1999-2000. A total of £60m should be available to support these initiatives by the year 2001-2002. As part of this scheme the Council will invite bids from institutions to support individual academics in enhancing learning and teaching, as well as in recognition of individual excellence. As with research grants, such awards would enable staff to pursue activities such as the development of teaching materials, textbooks and technology applications, the improvement of delivery methods and work on curriculum and assessment practice. In addition, around half of the funding total will be set aside to widen participation for all students who can benefit from higher education, with assistance to ensure that those students succeed.

Understanding the motivation and performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of health programmes in Kampala, Uganda: a realist evaluation protocol.

PubMed

Vareilles, Gaëlle; Pommier, Jeanine; Kane, Sumit; Pictet, Gabriel; Marchal, Bruno

2015-01-28

The recruitment of community health volunteers to support the delivery of health programmes is a well-established approach in many countries, particularly where health services are not readily available. However, studies on management of volunteers are scarce and current research on human resource management of volunteers faces methodological challenges. This paper presents the protocol of a realist evaluation that aims at identifying the factors influencing the performance of community health volunteers involved in the delivery of a Red Cross immunisation programme in Kampala (Uganda) with a specific focus on motivation. The realist evaluation cycle structures the protocol. To develop the theoretical basis for the evaluation, the authors conducted interviews and reviewed the literature on community health volunteers' performance, management and organisational behaviour. This led to the formulation of the initial programme theory, which links the intervention inputs (capacity-building strategies) to the expected outcomes (positive work behaviour) with mechanisms that point in the direction of drivers of motivation. The contextual elements include components such as organisational culture, resource availability, etc. A case study design will be adopted. We define a case as a Red Cross branch, run by a programme manager, and will select two cases at the district level in Kampala. Mixed methods will be used in data collection, including individual interviews of volunteers, participant observation and document review. The thematic analysis will be based on the initial programme theory and will seek for context-mechanism-outcome configurations. Findings from the two cases will be compared. We discuss the scope for applying realist evaluation and the methodological challenges we encountered in developing this protocol. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee at Rennes University Hospital, France. Results will be published in scientific journals, and communicated to respondents and relevant institutions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Programmes, resources, and needs of HIV-prevention nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa, Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

PubMed

Kelly, J A; Somlai, A M; Benotsch, E G; Amirkhanian, Y A; Fernandez, M I; Stevenson, L Y; Sitzler, C A; McAuliffe, T L; Brown, K D; Opgenorth, K M

2006-01-01

This study assessed the programmes, resources, and needs of HIV-prevention nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 75 countries in Africa, Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Multiple databases and expert recommendations were used to identify one major HIV-prevention NGO in the capital or a large city in each country, and in-depth interviews were conducted with each NGO Director. Most NGOs are carrying out their programmes with minimal funding and few regularly employed personnel. Most are highly dependent on international donors, but reliance on small grants with short funding periods limits programme development capacity. HIV-prevention activities varied by region, with African NGOs most likely to use peer education and community awareness events; Eastern European NGOs most likely to offer needle exchange; Latin American NGOs to have resource centres and offer risk reduction programmes; and Caribbean organizations to use mass education approaches. Across regions, NGOs most often targeted the general public and youth, although specialized at-risk groups were the additional focus of attention in some regions. Limited funding, governmental indifference or opposition, AIDS stigma, and social discomfort discussing sex were often cited as barriers to new HIV-prevention programmes. NGOs are critical service providers. However, their funding, programmes, and resource capacities must be strengthened if NGOs are to realize their full potential in HIV prevention.

Programmes, resources, and needs of HIV-prevention nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa, Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean

PubMed Central

KELLY, J. A.; SOMLAI, A. M.; BENOTSCH, E. G.; AMIRKHANIAN, Y. A.; FERNANDEZ, M. I.; STEVENSON, L. Y.; SITZLER, C. A.; MCAULIFFE, T. L.; BROWN, K. D.; OPGENORTH, K. M.

2008-01-01

This study assessed the programmes, resources, and needs of HIV-prevention nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in 75 countries in Africa, Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Multiple databases and expert recommendations were used to identify one major HIV-prevention NGO in the capital or a large city in each country, and in-depth interviews were conducted with each NGO Director. Most NGOs are carrying out their programmes with minimal funding and few regularly employed personnel. Most are highly dependent on international donors, but reliance on small grants with short funding periods limits programme development capacity. HIV-prevention activities varied by region, with African NGOs most likely to use peer education and community awareness events; Eastern European NGOs most likely to offer needle exchange; Latin American NGOs to have resource centres and offer risk reduction programmes; and Caribbean organizations to use mass education approaches. Across regions, NGOs most often targeted the general public and youth, although specialized at-risk groups were the additional focus of attention in some regions. Limited funding, governmental indifference or opposition, AIDS stigma, and social discomfort discussing sex were often cited as barriers to new HIV-prevention programmes. NGOs are critical service providers. However, their funding, programmes, and resource capacities must be strengthened if NGOs are to realize their full potential in HIV prevention. PMID:16282071

Building capacity for tobacco control research and policy

PubMed Central

Stillman, F; Yang, G; Figueiredo, V; Hernandez‐Avila, M; Samet, J

2006-01-01

The Fogarty International Center (FIC) initiative, “International Tobacco and Health Research Capacity Building Program” represents an important step in US government funding for global tobacco control. Low‐ and middle‐income countries of the world face a rising threat to public health from the rapidly escalating epidemic of tobacco use. Many are now parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and capacity development to meet FCTC provisions. One initial grant provided through the FIC was to the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH) to support capacity building and research programmes in China, Brazil, and Mexico. The initiative's capacity building effort focused on: (1) building the evidence base for tobacco control, (2) expanding the infrastructure of each country to deliver tobacco control, and (3) developing the next generation of leaders as well as encouraging networking throughout the country and with neighbouring countries. This paper describes the approach taken and the research foci, as well some of the main outcomes and some identified challenges posed by the effort. Individual research papers are in progress to provide more in‐depth reporting of study results. PMID:16723670

An observational study to evaluate three pilot programmes of retesting chlamydia-positive individuals within 6 months in the South West of England.

PubMed

Angel, Georgina; Horner, Paddy J; O'Brien, Norah; Sharp, Matt; Pye, Karl; Priestley, Cecilia; Macleod, John; Looker, Katharine J; Turner, Katherine M E

2015-10-28

To evaluate 3 pilot chlamydia retesting programmes in South West England which were initiated prior to the release of new National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) guidelines recommending retesting in 2014. Individuals testing positive between August 2012 and July 2013 in Bristol (n=346), Cornwall (n=252) and Dorset (n=180) programmes were eligible for inclusion in the retesting pilots. The primary outcomes were retest within 6 months (yes/no) and repeat diagnosis at retest (yes/no), adjusted for area, age and gender. Overall 303/778 (39.0%) of participants were retested within 6 months and 31/299 (10.4%) were positive at retest. Females were more likely to retest than males and Dorset had higher retesting rates than the other areas. More than a third of those eligible were retested within the time frame of the study. Chlamydia retesting programmes appear feasible within the context of current programmes to identify individuals at continued risk of infection with relatively low resource and time input. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Research capacity building in midwifery: Case study of an Australian Graduate Midwifery Research Intern Programme.

PubMed

Hauck, Yvonne L; Lewis, Lucy; Bayes, Sara; Keyes, Louise

2015-09-01

Having the research capacity to identify problems, create new knowledge and most importantly translate this knowledge into practice is essential within health care. Midwifery, as well as other health professions in Australia, is challenged in building its research capacity to contribute evidence to inform clinical practice. The aim of this project was to evaluate an innovative Graduate Midwifery Research Intern Programme offered at a tertiary obstetric hospital in Western Australia, to determine what was working well and how the programme could be improved. A case study approach was used to gain feedback from graduate midwives within a Graduate Research Intern (GRI) Programme. In addition outcomes were compiled of all projects the GRI midwives contributed to. Six GRI midwives participated in a survey comprising of four open ended questions to provide feedback about the programme. Findings confirm that the GRI programme increased the graduates understanding of how research works, its capacity to define a problem, generate new knowledge and inform clinical practice. The GRI midwives' feedback suggested the programme opened their thinking to future study and gave them enhanced insight into women's experiences around childbirth. To grow our knowledge as a professional group, midwives must develop and promote programmes to build our pool of research capable midwives. By sharing our programme evaluation we hope to entice other clinical settings to consider the value in replicating such a programme within their context. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Fe-Oxide and Mg Layer Insertion on Tunneling Magnetoresistance Properties of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lou, Yong-Le; Zhang, Yu-Ming; Guo, Hui; Xu, Da-Qing; Zhang, Yi-Men

2016-11-01

Not Available Supported by the National Defense Advance Research Foundation under Grant No 9140A08XXXXXX0DZ106, the Basic Research Program of Ministry of Education of China under Grant No JY10000925005, the Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department under Grant No 11JK0912, the Scientific Research Foundation of Xi'an University of Science and Technology under Grant No 2010011, and the Doctoral Research Startup Fund of Xi'an University of Science and Technology under Grant No 2010QDJ029.

Economic evaluation of smoke alarm distribution methods in Baltimore, Maryland.

PubMed

Diamond-Smith, Nadia; Bishai, David; Perry, Elise; Shields, Wendy; Gielen, Andrea

2014-08-01

This paper analyses costs and potential lives saved from a door-to-door smoke alarm distribution programme using data from a programme run by the Baltimore City Fire Department in 2010-2011. We evaluate the impact of a standard home visit programme and an enhanced home visit programme that includes having community health workers provide advance notice, promote the programme, and accompany fire department personnel on the day of the home visit, compared with each other and with an option of not having a home visit programme (control). Study data show that the home visit programme increased by 10% the number of homes that went from having no working alarm to having any working alarm, and the enhanced programme added an additional 1% to the number of homes protected. We use published reports on the relative risk of death in homes with and without a working smoke alarm to show that the standard programme would save an additional 0.24 lives per 10,000 homes over 10 years, compared with control areas and the enhanced home visit programme saved an additional 0.07 lives compared with the standard programme. The incremental cost of each life saved for the standard programme compared with control was $28,252 per death averted and $284,501per additional death averted for the enhanced compared with the standard. Following the US guidelines for the value of a life, both programmes are cost effective, however, the standard programme may offer a better value in terms of dollars per death averted. The study also highlights the need for better data on the benefits of current smoke alarm recommendations and their impact on injury, death and property damage. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Federal actions to incentivise state adoption of 0.08 g/dL blood alcohol concentration laws.

PubMed

Tung, Gregory J; Vernick, Jon S; Stuart, Elizabeth A; Webster, Daniel W; Gielen, Andrea C

2017-10-01

To model rates of 0.08 g/dL blood alcohol concentration (BAC) per se law implementation among the states associated with (1) a federal incentive grant programme and (2) a threat from the federal government to withhold highway transportation funds. An observational study of state-level 0.08 g/dL BAC per se law enactment among all 50 US states from 1982 to 2006 using a parametric survival analysis to assess the time-dependent risk of policy enactment. The federal government's threat to withhold transportation funds was associated with a 10.30 times greater hazard (HR: 10.30, 95% CI 3.88 to 27.36) of states adopting a 0.08 g/dL BAC law compared with periods of time when this threat was not in place. The incentive grant programme created by the federal government was associated with a non-significant 17% decrease in the hazard of states adopting a 0.08 g/dL BAC law (HR: 0.83, 95% CI 0.35 to 2.0). In the case of 0.08 g/dL BAC per se laws, the federal government's threat to withhold transportation funds was effective at accelerating policy adoption. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Rationale and methods of a multicentre randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of a Community Health Assessment Programme with Emergency Medical Services (CHAP-EMS) implemented on residents aged 55 years and older in subsidised seniors' housing buildings in Ontario, Canada.

PubMed

Agarwal, Gina; McDonough, Beatrice; Angeles, Ricardo; Pirrie, Melissa; Marzanek, Francine; McLeod, Brent; Dolovich, Lisa

2015-06-11

Chronic diseases and falls substantially contribute to morbidity/mortality among seniors, causing this population to frequently seek emergency medical care. Research suggests the paramedic role can be successfully expanded to include community-based health promotion and prevention. This study implements a community paramedicine programme targeting seniors in subsidised housing, a high-risk population and frequent users of emergency medical services (EMS). The aims are to reduce EMS calls, improve health outcomes and healthcare utilisation. This is a pragmatic clustered randomised control trial in four communities across Ontario, Canada. Within each, four to eight seniors' apartment buildings will be paired and within each pair one building will be randomly assigned to receive the Community Health Assessment Programme through EMS (CHAP-EMS) intervention, while the other building receives no intervention. During the 1-year intervention, paramedics will run weekly sessions in a common area of the building, assessing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and falls; providing health education and referrals to community programmes; and communicating results to the participant's primary physician. The primary outcomes are rate of emergency calls per 100 residents, change in blood pressure and change in Canadian Diabetes Risk (CANRISK) score, as collected by the local EMS and study databases. The secondary outcomes are change in health behaviours, measured using a preintervention and postintervention survey and healthcare utilisation, available through administrative databases. Analysis will mainly consist of descriptive statistics and generalised estimating equations, including subgroup cluster analysis. This study is approved by the Hamilton Integrated Research Ethics Board and will follow the Tri-Council Policy Statement. Findings will be disseminated through reports to local stakeholders, publication in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. NCT02152891. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Low Crosstalk Three-Color Infrared Detector by Controlling the Minority Carriers Type of InAs/GaSb Superlattices for Middle-Long and Very-Long Wavelength

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong-Wei, Jiang; Wei, Xiang; Feng-Yun, Guo; Hong-Yue, Hao; Xi, Han; Xiao-Chao, Li; Guo-Wei, Wang; Ying-Qiang, Xu; Qing-Jiang, Yu; Zhi-Chuan, Niu

2016-04-01

Not Available Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant Nos 2014CB643903, 2013CB932904, 2012CB932701 and 2011CB922201, the National Special Funds for the Development of Major Research Equipment and Instruments of China under Grant No 2012YQ140005, the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDB01010200, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation-funded Project under Grant No 2014M561029, the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University under Grant No NCET-10-0066, the National High-Technology Research and Development Program of China under Grant No 2013AA031502, the Science and Technology Innovation Project of Harbin City under Grant No 2011RFLXG006, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 61274013, U1037602, 61306013, 51202046, and 61290303, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation under Grant Nos 2012M510144 and 2013T60366, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities under Grant Nos HIT.NSRIF.2013006 and HIT.BRETIII.201403.

On the Restricted Toda and c-KdV Flows of Neumann Type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, RuGuang; Qiao, ZhiJun

2000-09-01

It is proven that on a symplectic submanifold the restricted c-KdV flow is just the interpolating Hamiltonian flow of invariant for the restricted Toda flow, which is an integrable symplectic map of Neumann type. They share the common Lax matrix, dynamical r-matrix and system of involutive conserved integrals. Furthermore, the procedure of separation of variables is considered for the restricted c-KdV flow of Neumann type. The project supported by the Chinese National Basic Research Project "Nonlinear Science" and the Doctoral Programme Foundation of Institution of High Education of China. The first author also thanks the National Natural Science Foundation of China (19801031) and "Qinglan Project" of Jiangsu Province of China; and the second author also thanks the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowships, Deutschland, the Special Grant of Excellent Ph. D Thesis of China, the Science & Technology Foundation (Youth Talent Foundation) and the Science Research Foundation of Education Committee of Liaoning Province of China.

Deformations of a pre-stretched elastic membrane driven by non-uniform electroosmotic flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bercovici, Moran; Boyko, Evgeniy; Gat, Amir

2016-11-01

We study viscous-elastic dynamics of fluid confined between a rigid plate and a pre-stretched elastic membrane subjected to non-uniform electroosmotic flow, and focus on the case of a finite-size membrane clamped at its boundaries. Considering small deformations of a strongly pre-stretched membrane, and applying the lubrication approximation for the flow, we derive a linearized leading-order non-homogenous 4th order diffusion equation governing the deformation and pressure fields. We derive a time-dependent Green's function for a rectangular domain, and use it to obtain several basic solutions for the cases of constant and time varying electric fields. In addition, defining an asymptotic expansion where the small parameter is the ratio of the induced to prescribed tension, we obtain a set of four one-way coupled equations providing a first order correction for the deformation field. Funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Grant agreement No. 678734 (MetamorphChip).

Bursting oscillations in a hydro-turbine governing system with two time scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Qing-Shuang; Chen, Di-Yi; Zhang, Hao

2017-12-01

Not Available Project supported by the Scientific Research Foundation of the National Natural Science Foundation of China-Outstanding Youth Foundation (Grant No. 51622906), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51479173), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. 201304030577), the Scientific Research Funds of Northwest A & F University, China (Grant No. 2013BSJJ095), the Science Fund for Excellent Young Scholars from Northwest A & F University (Grant No. Z109021515), and the Shaanxi Provincial Nova Program, China (Grant No. 2016KJXX-55).

Productivity and career paths of previous recipients of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine research grant awards.

PubMed

Young, Kelly D

2008-06-01

The objective was to assess productivity of previous recipients of Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) grant awards. All previous recipients of SAEM Research Training Grants, Neuroscience Research Awards, Scholarly Sabbatical Awards, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Research Fellowship awards funded through 2004 were identified through SAEM's records and surveyed. Award categories assessed were those still offered by SAEM at the time of the survey and therefore excluded the Geriatric Research Award. The 2005-2006 SAEM Grants Committee developed a survey using previous publications assessing productivity of training grants and fellowship awards and refined it through consensus review and limited pilot testing. We assessed measures of academic productivity (numbers of publications and additional grants awarded), commitment to an academic career, satisfaction with the SAEM award, and basic demographic information. Overall response rate was 70%; usable data were returned by all seven Research Training Grant awardees, both Neuroscience awardees, four of five Scholarly Sabbatical awardees, and six of 14 EMS Research Fellowship awardees. Of those who gave demographic information, 78% (14/18) were male and 94% (16/17) were non-Hispanic white. All the respondents remained in academics, and 14 of 19 felt that they will definitely be in academics 5 years from the time of the survey. They have a median of 1.8 original research publications per year since the end of their grant period, and 74% (14/19) have received subsequent federal funding. All found the SAEM award to be helpful or very helpful to their careers. Previous recipients of the SAEM grant awards show evidence of academic productivity in the form of subsequent grant funding and research publications, and the majority remain committed to and satisfied with their academic research careers.

How well does early-career investigators' cardiovascular outcomes research training align with funded outcomes research?

PubMed

Crowley, Matthew J; Al-Khatib, Sana M; Wang, Tracy Y; Khazanie, Prateeti; Kressin, Nancy R; Krumholz, Harlan M; Kiefe, Catarina I; Wells, Barbara L; O'Brien, Sean M; Peterson, Eric D; Sanders, Gillian D

2018-02-01

Outcomes research training programs should prepare trainees to successfully compete for research funding. We examined how early-career investigators' prior and desired training aligns with recently funded cardiovascular (CV) outcomes research. We (1) reviewed literature to identify 13 core competency areas in CV outcomes research; (2) surveyed early-career investigators to understand their prior and desired training in each competency area; (3) examined recently funded grants commonly pursued by early-career outcomes researchers to ascertain available funding in competency areas; and (4) analyzed alignment between investigator training and funded research in each competency area. We evaluated 185 survey responses from early-career investigators (response rate 28%) and 521 funded grants from 2010 to 2014. Respondents' prior training aligned with funded grants in the areas of clinical epidemiology, observational research, randomized controlled trials, and implementation/dissemination research. Funding in community-engaged research and health informatics was more common than prior training in these areas. Respondents' prior training in biostatistics and systematic review was more common than funded grants focusing on these specific areas. Respondents' desired training aligned similarly with funded grants, with some exceptions; for example, desired training in health economics/cost-effectiveness research was more common than funded grants in these areas. Restricting to CV grants (n=132) and National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-funded grants (n=170) produced similar results. Identifying mismatch between funded grants in outcomes research and early-career investigators' prior/desired training may help efforts to harmonize investigator interests, training, and funding. Our findings suggest a need for further consideration of how to best prepare early-career investigators for funding success. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The DIAS Outreach Seismology in Schools (Seismeolaí­ocht sa Scoil) Pilot Programme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blake, T.; Jones, A. G.; Campbell, G.

2008-12-01

Ireland has technology to thank for the 'Celtic Tiger' Revolution, yet over the last half decade fewer and fewer Irish students are completing high school with a science focus. To counter this trend, and to ensure a supply of Irish geophysicists for the future, it is important to engage and fascinate young minds with the wonders of physics and of the Earth we live on. The Geophysics Section of the School of Cosmic Physics in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) has been running an Outreach programme for some years, but there was a more general public orientation to the programme. In an effort to bring DIAS's science directly to the schools, we have launched a pilot programme, coincidentally and fortuitously during the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), in Seismology in Schools (Seismeolaíocht sa Scoil) that introduces young students to the world of seismology and earthquake research. The launch of DIAS's Seismology in Schools programme has been aided considerably through IRIS's (The Incorporated Institutes for Research Seismology) contributions of their AMASEIS software, that is used to display the data output from the seismometer, and educational posters and demonstration software used to teach Earth Science to students, and through BGS's design and development of the educational seismometer, which is a Lehman pattern horizontal motion seismometer using a garden-gate offset suspension pendulum. Initially, we planned for a very tentative pilot with just two seismometers rotating around local schools, but the Directors of the Educational Centres across Ireland (ATECI, Association of Teachers/Education Centres in Ireland) have become key players in this pilot by purchasing a further 34 seismometers and promoting this initiative among their school. In addition, Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI) has purchased a further four seismometers as part of their contribution to IYPE. Currently 36 schools are participating in the enlarged pilot programme; 18 primary schools, 17 secondary schools and one vocational training scheme. In primary schools the focus is with 5th and 6th year class projects. In the secondary school system, the pilot programme is seen as an excellent Transition Year (aged 16) project. We have held "Train the Teacher" Workshops in April-May 2008, with the assistance of the Education Centres throughout the country, to roll out the pilot programme across Ireland. A maximum of ten teachers attended each training workshop, which included primary and secondary school teachers of both Physics and Geography. During the academic year 2008-2009 the students at the 36 schools will work with earthquake data, use the educational software and generally becoming more aware of the Earth as a dynamic planet. Teachers and students will implement a programme of reporting on the earthquakes they record throughout the year to DIAS and initiate the exchange of earthquake data between participating schools in Ireland by use of the internet. The pilot will continue until April 2009 when a final report will be written to evaluate the success and future direction of the initiative. Based on the overwhelming interest shown to date, we envisage enlarging the programme further and working toward twinning the Schools with counterparts around the world. The pilot programme is funded by internal DIAS funds and also by a grant from the government agency DSE (Discover Science & Engineering).

Improving Physics Teaching through Action Research: The Impact of a Nationwide Professional Development Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Marcus; Rietdijk, Willeke; Garrett, Caro; Griffiths, Janice

2015-01-01

This article presents an independent evaluation of the Action Research for Physics (ARP) programme, a nationwide professional development programme which trains teachers to use action research to increase student interest in physics and encourage them to take post-compulsory physics. The impact of the programme was explored from the perspective of…

Creating an effective physical activity-based health promotion programme for adults with a brain injury.

PubMed

Driver, Simon; Irwin, Kelley; Woolsey, Anne; Pawlowski, Jill

2012-01-01

To describe the processes involved with developing and implementing a physical activity-based health promotion programme for people with a brain injury, summarize previous health promotion research efforts and provide an actual example of a programme entitled P.A.C.E, a 'Physical Activity Centred Education' programme. REASONING BEHIND LITERATURE SELECTION: Brain injury is a serious public health issue due to the incidence, complexity and high healthcare costs. Health promotion programmes that incorporate physical activity have been shown to improve the health of people with a disability. However, if programmes are to be successful they have to be appropriately designed, otherwise individuals will not adopt and maintain the desired health behaviours. Readers will have an understanding of (1) how a theoretical framework drives programme development, (2) the strategies required to facilitate behaviour change, (3) how previous research supports the use of a physical activity-based health promotion programme and (4) how to implement a programme. Future research ideas are provided so as to stimulate research in the area of physical activity-based health promotion programmes for people with a brain injury.

How to apply for research grants in allergology.

PubMed

Guillen-Grima, Francisco; Annan, James W; Alvarez, José María Negro; Gómez, José Miguel Sáez; Ontoso, Enrique Aguinaga

2009-01-01

This is a guide for grant application for researchers seeking research grants in the field of allergy and related diseases for the first time. It outlines how to organize proposals and the potential issues to be considered in order to fulfil the criteria of the funding bodies and thus improve chances of obtaining the desired funding when applying for a research grant. We will use this paper as an example of a grant proposal to be presented to the FIS "Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria" (Health Research Fund) of Spain. The general framework can be used for a research proposal to any funding agency. The main research designs are reviewed. Other topics such as hypothesis, objectives, methodology, ethics and legal issues, and budget are presented.

Global health training in US obstetrics and gynaecology residency programmes: perspectives of students, residents and programme directors.

PubMed

Nathan, Lisa M; Banks, Erika H; Conroy, Erin M; McGinn, Aileen P; Ghartey, Jeny P; Wagner, Sarah A; Merkatz, Irwin R

2015-12-01

Benefits of exposure to global health training during medical education are well documented and residents' demand for this training is increasing. Despite this, it is offered by few US obstetrics and gynaecology (OBGYN) residency training programmes. To evaluate interest, perceived importance, predictors of global health interest and barriers to offering global health training among prospective OBGYN residents, current OBGYN residents and US OGBYN residency directors. We designed two questionnaires using Likert scale questions to assess perceived importance of global health training. The first was distributed to current and prospective OBGYN residents interviewing at a US residency programme during 2012-2013. The second questionnaire distributed to US OBGYN programme directors assessed for existing global health programmes and global health training barriers. A composite Global Health Interest/Importance score was tabulated from the Likert scores. Multivariable linear regression was performed to assess for predictors of Global Health Interest/Importance. A total of 159 trainees (77%; 129 prospective OBGYN residents and 30 residents) and 69 (28%) programme directors completed the questionnaires. Median Global Health Interest/Importance score was 7 (IQR 4-9). Prior volunteer experience was predictive of a 5-point increase in Global Health Interest/Importance score (95% CI -0.19 to 9.85; p=0.02). The most commonly cited barriers were cost and time. Interest and perceived importance of global health training in US OBGYN residency programmes is evident among trainees and programme directors; however, significant financial and time barriers prevent many programmes from offering opportunities to their trainees. Prior volunteer experience predicts global health interest. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Comparison of two training programmes on paramedic-delivered CPR performance.

PubMed

Govender, Kevin; Sliwa, Karen; Wallis, Lee; Pillay, Yugan

2016-05-01

To compare CPR performance in two groups of paramedics who received CPR training from two different CPR training programmes. Conducted in June 2014 at the Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service, the national ambulance service of the State of Qatar, the CPR performances of 149 new paramedic recruits were evaluated after they had received training from either a traditional CPR programme or a tailored CPR programme. Both programmes taught the same content but differed in the way in which this content was delivered to learners. Exclusive to the tailored programme was mandatory precourse work, continuous assessments, a locally developed CPR instructional video and pedagogical activities tailored to the background education and learner style preferences of paramedics. At the end of each respective training programme, a single examiner who was blinded to the type of training paramedics had received, rated them as competent or non-competent on basic life support skills, condition specific skills, specific overall skills and non-technical skills during a simulated out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) assessment. Paramedics who received CPR training with the tailored programme were rated competent 70.9% of the time, compared with paramedics who attended the traditional programme and who achieved this rating 7.9% of the time (p<0.001). Specific improvements were seen in the time required to detect cardiac arrest, chest compression quality, and time to first monitored rhythm and delivered shock. In an OHCA scenario, CPR performance rated as competent was significantly higher when training was received using a tailored CPR programme. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

The art of obtaining grants.

PubMed

Devine, Emily Beth

2009-03-15

The grantsmanship process is described from the perspective of the investigator. Successful grant writing involves considerable preparation. There are thousands of grant-making agencies, both public and private, and many of the grants offered can be found in online databases. Investigators should focus their grant-seeking efforts on firms and research subjects of interest. Factors that determine the type of funding pursued include the source of funds, the activity pursued by the investigator, the research subject area, the geographic area, the investigator's career level, the investigator's affiliation with a professional society, and the size of the grant. To strategize for long-term success, there are two ways a new investigator can begin-by serving as a coinvestigator on a grant held by a more-senior investigator or by pursuing a small grant as a principal investigator. When reviewing grant proposals, reviewers usually focus on a proposal's significance and impact, originality, usefulness and generalizability, scope, approach to research, feasibility, and sufficiency of resources to complete the project. Once a grant is awarded, investigators must ensure they are well versed in conducting ethical research, complying with regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, preparing human subjects applications, managing grant budgets, and managing the project and personnel. Most grant makers require the presentation and publication of project results. Writing a grant proposal involves significant preparation. To be a successful grant writer, the investigator should have a strong interest in the research topic at hand. At the same time, he or she should have a clear understanding of the sponsor's perspective and interests.

7 CFR 3400.4 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to provide... materials must be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Grant Application... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3400.4 How to apply for a grant. (a) A request for...

7 CFR 3400.4 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

...-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to provide... materials must be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Grant Application... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3400.4 How to apply for a grant. (a) A request for...

7 CFR 3400.4 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to provide... materials must be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Grant Application... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3400.4 How to apply for a grant. (a) A request for...

Preventing deaths and injuries from house fires: a cost-benefit analysis of a community-based smoke alarm installation programme.

PubMed

Yellman, Merissa A; Peterson, Cora; McCoy, Mary A; Stephens-Stidham, Shelli; Caton, Emily; Barnard, Jeffrey J; Padgett, Ted O; Florence, Curtis; Istre, Gregory R

2018-02-01

Operation Installation (OI), a community-based smoke alarm installation programme in Dallas, Texas, targets houses in high-risk urban census tracts. Residents of houses that received OI installation (or programme houses) had 68% fewer medically treated house fire injuries (non-fatal and fatal) compared with residents of non-programme houses over an average of 5.2 years of follow-up during an effectiveness evaluation conducted from 2001 to 2011. To estimate the cost-benefit of OI. A mathematical model incorporated programme cost and effectiveness data as directly observed in OI. The estimated cost per smoke alarm installed was based on a retrospective analysis of OI expenditures from administrative records, 2006-2011. Injury incidence assumptions for a population that had the OI programme compared with the same population without the OI programme was based on the previous OI effectiveness study, 2001-2011. Unit costs for medical care and lost productivity associated with fire injuries were from a national public database. From a combined payers' perspective limited to direct programme and medical costs, the estimated incremental cost per fire injury averted through the OI installation programme was $128,800 (2013 US$). When a conservative estimate of lost productivity among victims was included, the incremental cost per fire injury averted was negative, suggesting long-term cost savings from the programme. The OI programme from 2001 to 2011 resulted in an estimated net savings of $3.8 million, or a $3.21 return on investment for every dollar spent on the programme using a societal cost perspective. Community smoke alarm installation programmes could be cost-beneficial in high-fire-risk neighbourhoods. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

One-dimensional ZnO nanostructure-based optoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zheng; Kang, Zhuo; Liao, Qingliang; Zhang, Xiaomei; Zhang, Yue

2017-10-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Major Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB932602), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0202701), the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities, China (Grant No. B14003), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51527802, 51232001, 51602020, 51672026, and 51372020), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 2015M580981 and 2016T90033) Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission, China, the State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, China (Grant No. 2016Z-06), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China, and JST in Japan, Research and Education Consortium for Innovation of Advanced Integrated Science.

Band Structure and Optical Gain of InGaAs/GaAsBi Type-II Quantum Wells Modeled by the k · p Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chang; Pan, Wenwu; Kolokolov, Konstantin; Wang, Shumin

2018-05-01

Not Available Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2014CB643902, the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61334004, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61404152, and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDA5-1, the Foundation of National Laboratory for Infrared Physics, the Key Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No KGZD-EW-804, and the Creative Research Group Project of Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61321492.

A 25-year analysis of the American College of Gastroenterology Research Grant Program:

PubMed Central

Crockett, Seth D.; Dellon, Evan S.; Bright, Stephanie D.; Shaheen, Nicholas J.

2011-01-01

Introduction The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has awarded research grants for 25 years. We assessed the characteristics of grant recipients, their current academic status, and the likelihood of publication resulting from the grant. Methods Demographic data, year and amount of award, title of project, and recipient’s institution were extracted from ACG databases. Using ACG reports and medical literature search engines, we assessed publication based on grant-funded research, as well as career publication record. We also determined the current position of awardees. Similar analysis was performed for recipients of junior investigator awards. Results A total of 396 clinical research awards totaling $5,374,497 ($6,867,937 in 2008 dollars) were awarded to 341 recipients in the 25 years between 1983 and 2008. The most commonly funded areas of research were endoscopy (22% of awards) and motility/functional disorders (21%). At least one peer-reviewed publication based on grant-funded research occurred in 255 of the awards (69%). Higher award value was associated with subsequent publication. Of 341 past awardees, 195 (62%) are currently in academic positions. Factors associated with staying in academics included higher award value (p<0.01), a Master’s degree (p=0.02) and publishing grant-funded research (p<0.01). The junior faculty career development award was granted to 27 individuals for a total of $3,000,000 (3,398,004 in 2008 dollars). Publication resulted from 90% of the funded projects, and 95% of awardees have remained in academics. Overall, the mean cost in grant dollars per published paper based on the research was $14,875. Conclusion The majority of ACG grant recipients published the results of their research and remained in academics. Higher amount of award, holding an advanced degree, and publication were associated with careers in academics. The ACG research grant award program is an important engine of investigation, publications, and academic career development in the field of gastroenterology. PMID:19319125

Size and characteristics of the biomedical research workforce associated with U.S. National Institutes of Health extramural grants

PubMed Central

Pool, Lindsay R.; Wagner, Robin M.; Scott, Lindsey L.; RoyChowdhury, Deepshikha; Berhane, Rediet; Wu, Charles; Pearson, Katrina; Sutton, Jennifer A.; Schaffer, Walter T.

2016-01-01

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) annually invests approximately $22 billion in biomedical research through its extramural grant programs. Since fiscal year (FY) 2010, all persons involved in research during the previous project year have been required to be listed on the annual grant progress report. These new data have enabled the production of the first-ever census of the NIH-funded extramural research workforce. Data were extracted from All Personnel Reports submitted for NIH grants funded in FY 2009, including position title, months of effort, academic degrees obtained, and personal identifiers. Data were de-duplicated to determine a unique person count. Person-years of effort (PYE) on NIH grants were computed. In FY 2009, NIH funded 50,885 grant projects, which created 313,049 full- and part-time positions spanning all job functions involved in biomedical research. These positions were staffed by 247,457 people at 2,604 institutions. These persons devoted 121,465 PYE to NIH grant-supported research. Research project grants each supported 6 full- or part-time positions, on average. Over 20% of positions were occupied by postdoctoral researchers and graduate and undergraduate students. These baseline data were used to project workforce estimates for FYs 2010–2014 and will serve as a foundation for future research.—Pool, L. R., Wagner, R. M., Scott, L. L., RoyChowdhury, D., Berhane, R., Wu, C., Pearson, K., Sutton, J. A., Schaffer, W. T. Size and characteristics of the biomedical research workforce associated with U.S. National Institutes of Health extramural grants. PMID:26625903

Sensitivity study of the Storegga Slide tsunami using retrogressive and visco-plastic rheology models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jihwan; Løvholt, Finn

2016-04-01

Enormous submarine landslides having volumes up to thousands of km3 and long run-out may cause tsunamis with widespread effects. Clay-rich landslides, such as Trænadjupet and Storegga offshore Norway commonly involve retrogressive mass and momentum release mechanisms that affect the tsunami generation. As a consequence, the failure mechanisms, soil parameters, and release rate of the retrogression are of importance for the tsunami generation. Previous attempts to model the tsunami generation due to retrogressive landslides are few, and limited to idealized conditions. Here, a visco-plastic model including additional effects such as remolding, time dependent mass release, and hydrodynamic resistance, is employed for simulating the Storegga Slide. As landslide strength parameters and their evolution in time are uncertain, it is necessary to conduct a sensitivity study to shed light on the tsunamigenic processes. The induced tsunami is simulated using Geoclaw. We also compare our tsunami simulations with recent analysis conducted using a pure retrogressive model for the landslide, as well as previously published results using a block model. The availability of paleotsunami run-up data and detailed slide deposits provides a suitable background for improved understanding of the slide mechanics and tsunami generation. The research leading to these results has received funding from the Research Council of Norway under grant number 231252 (Project TsunamiLand) and the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 603839 (Project ASTARTE).

Optimal Management of Water, Nutrient and Carbon Cycles of Green Urban Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Revelli, R.; Pelak, N. F., III; Porporato, A. M.

2016-12-01

The urban ecosystem is a complex, metastable system with highly coupled flows of mass, energy, people and capital. Their sustainability is in part linked to the existence of green spaces which provide important ecosystem services, whose sustainable management requires quantification of their benefits in terms of impacts on water, carbon and energy fluxes. An exploration of problems of optimal management of such green urban spaces and the related biogeochemical fluxes is presented, extending probabilistic ecohydrological models of the soil-plant system to the urban context, where biophysical and ecological conditions tend to be radically different from the surrounding rural and natural environment (e.g. heat islands, air and water pollution, low quality soils, etc…). The coupled soil moisture, nutrient and plant dynamics are modeled to compute water requirements, carbon footprint, nutrient demand and losses, and related fluxes under different design, management and climate scenarios. The goal is to provide operative rules for a sustainable water use through focused irrigation and fertilization strategies, optimal choice of plants, soil and cultivation conditions, accounting for the typical hydroclimatic variability that occur in the urban environment. This work is part of a project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 701914. The work is also cofounded by USDA Agricultural Research Service cooperative agreement 58-6408-3-027; National Science Foundation (NSF) grants: EAR-1331846, EAR-1316258, and the DGE-1068871 and FESD EAR-1338694.

Temperature rise induced by an annular focused transducer with a wide aperture angle in multi-layer tissue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qi, Meng; Liu, Jiehui; Mao, Yiwei; Liu, Xiaozhou

2018-01-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, China (Grant No. 2016YFF0203000), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11774167 and 61571222), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. 020414380001), the State Key Laboratory of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. SKLA201609), and AQSIQ Technology Research and Development Program, China (Grant No. 2017QK125).

The ARV roll out and the disability grant: a South African dilemma?

PubMed

de Paoli, Marina Manuela; Mills, Elizabeth Anne; Grønningsaeter, Arne Backer

2012-02-16

Prior to the antiretroviral (ARV) drug roll out in 2004, people living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Africa received disability grants when they were defined as "AIDS-sick". In the absence of available and effective medication, a diagnosis of AIDS portended disability. The disability grant is a critical component of South Africa's social security system, and plays an important role in addressing poverty among PLHIV. Given the prevalence of unemployment and poverty, disability grants ensure access to essential resources, like food, for PLHIV. Following the ARV roll out in South Africa, PLHIV experienced improved health that, in turn, affected their grant eligibility. Our aim is to explore whether PLHIV reduced or stopped treatment to remain eligible for the disability grant from the perspectives of both PLHIV and their doctors. A mixed-methods design with concurrent triangulation was applied. We conducted: (1) in-depth semi-structured interviews with 29 PLHIV; (2) in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight medical doctors working in the public sector throughout the Cape Peninsula; (3) three focus group discussions with programme managers, stakeholders and community workers; and (4) a panel survey of 216 PLHIV receiving ARVs. Unemployment and poverty were the primary concerns for PLHIV and the disability grant was viewed as a temporary way out of this vicious cycle. Although loss of the disability grant significantly affected the well-being of PLHIV, they did not discontinue ARVs. However, in a number of subtle ways, PLHIV "tipped the scales" to lower the CD4 count without stopping ARVs completely. Grant criteria were deemed ad hoc, and doctors struggled to balance economic and physical welfare when assessing eligibility. It is crucial to provide sustainable economic support in conjunction with ARVs in order to make "positive living" a reality for PLHIV. A chronic illness grant, a basic income grant or an unemployment grant could provide viable alternatives when the PLHIV are no longer eligible for a disability grant.

The ARV roll out and the disability grant: a South African dilemma?

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Prior to the antiretroviral (ARV) drug roll out in 2004, people living with HIV (PLHIV) in South Africa received disability grants when they were defined as "AIDS-sick". In the absence of available and effective medication, a diagnosis of AIDS portended disability. The disability grant is a critical component of South Africa's social security system, and plays an important role in addressing poverty among PLHIV. Given the prevalence of unemployment and poverty, disability grants ensure access to essential resources, like food, for PLHIV. Following the ARV roll out in South Africa, PLHIV experienced improved health that, in turn, affected their grant eligibility. Our aim is to explore whether PLHIV reduced or stopped treatment to remain eligible for the disability grant from the perspectives of both PLHIV and their doctors. Methods A mixed-methods design with concurrent triangulation was applied. We conducted: (1) in-depth semi-structured interviews with 29 PLHIV; (2) in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight medical doctors working in the public sector throughout the Cape Peninsula; (3) three focus group discussions with programme managers, stakeholders and community workers; and (4) a panel survey of 216 PLHIV receiving ARVs. Results Unemployment and poverty were the primary concerns for PLHIV and the disability grant was viewed as a temporary way out of this vicious cycle. Although loss of the disability grant significantly affected the well-being of PLHIV, they did not discontinue ARVs. However, in a number of subtle ways, PLHIV "tipped the scales" to lower the CD4 count without stopping ARVs completely. Grant criteria were deemed ad hoc, and doctors struggled to balance economic and physical welfare when assessing eligibility. Conclusions It is crucial to provide sustainable economic support in conjunction with ARVs in order to make "positive living" a reality for PLHIV. A chronic illness grant, a basic income grant or an unemployment grant could provide viable alternatives when the PLHIV are no longer eligible for a disability grant. PMID:22340659

The National Institute for Health Research Leadership Programme

PubMed Central

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

2012-01-01

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

Planetary Space Weather Services for the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

André, Nicolas; Grande, Manuel

2016-04-01

Under Horizon 2020, the Europlanet 2020 Research Infrastructure (EPN2020-RI) will include an entirely new Virtual Access Service, WP5 VA1 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) that will extend the concepts of space weather and space situational awareness to other planets in our Solar System and in particular to spacecraft that voyage through it. VA1 will make five entirely new 'toolkits' accessible to the research community and to industrial partners planning for space missions: a general planetary space weather toolkit, as well as three toolkits dedicated to the following key planetary environments: Mars (in support ExoMars), comets (building on the expected success of the ESA Rosetta mission), and outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUICE mission to be launched in 2022). This will give the European planetary science community new methods, interfaces, functionalities and/or plugins dedicated to planetary space weather in the tools and models available within the partner institutes. It will also create a novel event-diary toolkit aiming at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor showers and impacts. A variety of tools (in the form of web applications, standalone software, or numerical models in various degrees of implementation) are available for tracing propagation of planetary and/or solar events through the Solar System and modelling the response of the planetary environment (surfaces, atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres) to those events. But these tools were not originally designed for planetary event prediction and space weather applications. So WP10 JRA4 "Planetary Space Weather Services" (PSWS) will provide the additional research and tailoring required to apply them for these purposes. The overall objectives of this Joint Research Aactivities will be to review, test, improve and adapt methods and tools available within the partner institutes in order to make prototype planetary event and space weather services operational in Europe at the end of the programme. Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

[The SGO Health Research Promotion Program. XIII. Evaluation of the section 'Addiction Research'].

PubMed

van Rees-Wortelboer, M M

1999-01-02

As a part of the SGO Health Research Promotion Programme a research programme on addiction research was realized. Aim of the programme was to strengthen and concentrate the Dutch research into addiction. Within the Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research (AIAR), a structural collaboration between the Jellinek Treatment Centre for Addiction, the University of Amsterdam and the Academic Hospital of the University of Amsterdam, strategic research programmes were developed on the borderland of addiction and psychiatry, notably 'Clinical epidemiology addiction' and 'Developmental disorders, addiction and psychotraumas'. The institution of a co-ordinating platform of research groups conducting socio-epidemiological addiction research improved the co-ordination of research lines in this field.

Security in Full-Force

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

When fully developed for NASA, Vanguard Enforcer(TM) software-which emulates the activities of highly technical security system programmers, auditors, and administrators-was among the first intrusion detection programs to restrict human errors from affecting security, and to ensure the integrity of a computer's operating systems, as well as the protection of mission critical resources. Vanguard Enforcer was delivered in 1991 to Johnson Space Center and has been protecting systems and critical data there ever since. In August of 1999, NASA granted Vanguard exclusive rights to commercialize the Enforcer system for the private sector. In return, Vanguard continues to supply NASA with ongoing research, development, and support of Enforcer. The Vanguard Enforcer 4.2 is one of several surveillance technologies that make up the Vanguard Security Solutions line of products. Using a mainframe environment, Enforcer 4.2 achieves previously unattainable levels of automated security management.

The new Italian mandatory vaccine Law as a health policy instrument against the anti-vaccination movement.

PubMed

Chirico, F

2018-01-01

In Italy, the Parliament granted recently the final approval to a law introducing a long list of childhood vaccinations mandatory for preschool and school-age children. Before the approval, a vibrant public debate took place on the traditional media, in the social networks and among policymakers because of the so called "anti-vaccination movement". In this paper, we discuss about ethical aspects and relationship between individual rights and public health. The role of social networks and the Internet is also essential to disseminate correct informations, influencing health behaviours and contributing to educating people about this major public health issue in a right way. Finally, new and specific educational programmes are needed in order to transmit the young generation the means to correctly understand scientific research about this controversial issue.

14 CFR 1260.20 - Provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Provisions § 1260.20 Provisions. (a) Research grants, education grants, training grants, and cooperative...) Research grants awarded to foreign organizations, when approved by Headquarters, will include the following... Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). FDP awards are subject to the FDP Phase III General Terms and...

14 CFR 1260.20 - Provisions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Provisions § 1260.20 Provisions. (a) Research grants, education grants, training grants, and cooperative...) Research grants awarded to foreign organizations, when approved by Headquarters, will include the following... Federal Demonstration Partnership (FDP). FDP awards are subject to the FDP Phase III General Terms and...

The intensity detection of single-photon detectors based on photon counting probability density statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zijing; Wu, Long; Song, Jie; Zhao, Yuan

2017-09-01

Not Available Projiect supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. AUGA5710056414), the Program for Innovation Research of Science in Harbin Institute of Technology (Grant Nos. PIRS OF HIT A201412 and PIRS OF HIT Q201505), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11675046), the Doctoral Fund of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20122302120003), the Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (Grant No. A201303), and the Postdoctoral Scientific Research Developmental Fund of Heilongjiang Province, China (Grant No. LBH-Q15060).

Experimental Observation of the Ground-State Geometric Phase of Three-Spin XY Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui, Zhou; Zhao-Kai, Li; Heng-Yan, Wang; Hong-Wei, Chen; Xin-Hua, Peng; Jiang-Feng, Du

2016-06-01

Not Available Supported by the National Key Basic Research Program under Grant Nos 2013CB921800 and 2014CB848700, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars under Grant No 11425523, the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11375167, 11227901, 91021005 and 11575173, the Strategic Priority Research Program (B) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under Grant No XDB01030400, the Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China under Grant No 20113402110044, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

What Is Ethics in Research and Why Is It Important?

MedlinePlus

... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

2006 Horton (Hydrology) Research Grant Recipients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2007-03-01

The 2006 Horton (Hydrology) Research Grant Committee selected two recipients, Xingyuan Chen and Carl Legleiter. The research grant, which is separate from the Horton Award, supports projects in hydrology and water resources by doctoral candidates at institutions of higher learning.

14 CFR 1260.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt... include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and cooperative... property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher...

14 CFR 1260.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt... include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and cooperative... property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher...

14 CFR 1260.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt... include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and cooperative... property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher...

14 CFR 1260.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of exempt... include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and cooperative... property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution of higher...

5 CFR 2604.501 - Fees to be charged-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... subpart C of this part. All fees shall be charged to the requester, except where the charging of fees is limited under § 2604.503(a) and (b) or where a waiver or reduction of fees is granted under § 2604.503(c... responsive to a request, as well as the cost of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. The...

5 CFR 2604.501 - Fees to be charged-general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... subpart C of this part. All fees shall be charged to the requester, except where the charging of fees is limited under § 2604.503(a) and (b) or where a waiver or reduction of fees is granted under § 2604.503(c... responsive to a request, as well as the cost of operator/programmer salary apportionable to the search. The...

How to write an educational research grant: AMEE Guide No. 101.

PubMed

Blanco, Maria A; Gruppen, Larry D; Artino, Anthony R; Uijtdehaage, Sebastian; Szauter, Karen; Durning, Steven J

2016-01-01

Writing an educational research grant in health profession education is challenging, not only for those doing it for the first time but also for more experienced scholars. The intensity of the competition, the peculiarities of the grant format, the risk of rejection, and the time required are among the many obstacles that can prevent educational researchers with interesting and important ideas from writing a grant, that could provide the funding needed to turn their scholarly ideas into reality. The aim of this AMEE Guide is to clarify the grant-writing process by (a) explaining the mechanics and structure of a typical educational research grant proposal, and (b) sharing tips and strategies for making the process more manageable.

Effects of Honours Programme Participation in Higher Education: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kool, Ada; Mainhard, Tim; Jaarsma, Debbie; van Beukelen, Peter; Brekelmans, Mieke

2017-01-01

Honours programmes have become part of higher education systems around the globe, and an increasing number of students are enrolled in such programmes. So far, effects of these programmes are largely under-researched. Two gaps in previous research on the effects of such programmes were addressed: (1) most studies lack a comparable control group of…

Basic Research in Orbital Debris Detection and Estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culp, Robert D.

1999-01-01

The research conducted under NASA Research Grant has been reported periodically throughout the duration of this grant. This research has been coordinated with the work supported by NASA Graduate Student Research Grant awarded to further the graduate doctoral program of Kira Jorgensen. This work will continue through the completion of Kira Jorgensen's Ph.D. program in May, 2000.

Competitive Research Grants and Their Impact on Career Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloch, Carter; Graversen, Ebbe Krogh; Pedersen, Heidi Skovgaard

2014-01-01

The role of competitive funds as a source of funding for academic research has increased in many countries. For the individual researcher, the receipt of a grant can influence both scientific production and career paths. This paper focuses on the importance of the receipt of a research grant for researchers' academic career paths utilizing a…

Old ways, new means: tobacco industry funding of academic and private sector scientists since the Master Settlement Agreement.

PubMed

Schick, Suzaynn F; Glantz, Stanton A

2007-06-01

When, as a condition of the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) in 1998, US tobacco companies disbanded the Council for Tobacco Research and the Center for Indoor Air Research, they lost a vital connection to scientists in academia and the private sector. The aim of this paper was to investigate two new research projects funded by US tobacco companies by analysis of internal tobacco industry documents now available at the University of California San Francisco (San Francisco, California, USA) Legacy tobacco documents library, other websites and the open scientific literature. Since the MSA, individual US tobacco companies have replaced their industry-wide collaborative granting organisations with new, individual research programmes. Philip Morris has funded a directed research project through the non-profit Life Sciences Research Office, and British American Tobacco and its US subsidiary Brown and Williamson have funded the non-profit Institute for Science and Health. Both of these organisations have downplayed or concealed their true level of involvement with the tobacco industry. Both organisations have key members with significant and long-standing financial relationships with the tobacco industry. Regulatory officials and policy makers need to be aware that the studies these groups publish may not be as independent as they seem.

14 CFR § 1260.102 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... authority to vest title in the recipient without further obligation to the Federal Government. An example of... purpose. Awards include research grants, training grants, facilities grants, educational grants, and...) for property acquired under an award to conduct basic or applied research by a non-profit institution...

A facile and efficient dry transfer technique for two-dimensional Van derWaals heterostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Li; Du, Luojun; Lu, Xiaobo; Yang, Rong; Shi, Dongxia; Zhang, Guangyu

2017-08-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2013CB934500 and 2013CBA01602), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61325021, 11574361, and 51572289), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, CAS, (Grant No. QYZDB-SSW-SLH004), and the Strategic Priority Research Program (B), CAS (Grant No. XDB07010100).

Interdisciplinary research has consistently lower funding success.

PubMed

Bromham, Lindell; Dinnage, Russell; Hua, Xia

2016-06-30

Interdisciplinary research is widely considered a hothouse for innovation, and the only plausible approach to complex problems such as climate change. One barrier to interdisciplinary research is the widespread perception that interdisciplinary projects are less likely to be funded than those with a narrower focus. However, this commonly held belief has been difficult to evaluate objectively, partly because of lack of a comparable, quantitative measure of degree of interdisciplinarity that can be applied to funding application data. Here we compare the degree to which research proposals span disparate fields by using a biodiversity metric that captures the relative representation of different fields (balance) and their degree of difference (disparity). The Australian Research Council's Discovery Programme provides an ideal test case, because a single annual nationwide competitive grants scheme covers fundamental research in all disciplines, including arts, humanities and sciences. Using data on all 18,476 proposals submitted to the scheme over 5 consecutive years, including successful and unsuccessful applications, we show that the greater the degree of interdisciplinarity, the lower the probability of being funded. The negative impact of interdisciplinarity is significant even when number of collaborators, primary research field and type of institution are taken into account. This is the first broad-scale quantitative assessment of success rates of interdisciplinary research proposals. The interdisciplinary distance metric allows efficient evaluation of trends in research funding, and could be used to identify proposals that require assessment strategies appropriate to interdisciplinary research.

Supporting the use of theory in cross-country health services research: a participatory qualitative approach using Normalisation Process Theory as an example.

PubMed

O'Donnell, Catherine A; Mair, Frances S; Dowrick, Christopher; Brún, Mary O'Reilly-de; Brún, Tomas de; Burns, Nicola; Lionis, Christos; Saridaki, Aristoula; Papadakaki, Maria; Muijsenbergh, Maria van den; Weel-Baumgarten, Evelyn van; Gravenhorst, Katja; Cooper, Lucy; Princz, Christine; Teunissen, Erik; Mareeuw, Francine van den Driessen; Vlahadi, Maria; Spiegel, Wolfgang; MacFarlane, Anne

2017-08-21

To describe and reflect on the process of designing and delivering a training programme supporting the use of theory, in this case Normalisation Process Theory (NPT), in a multisite cross-country health services research study. Participatory research approach using qualitative methods. Six European primary care settings involving research teams from Austria, England, Greece, Ireland, The Netherlands and Scotland. RESTORE research team consisting of 8 project applicants, all senior primary care academics, and 10 researchers. Professional backgrounds included general practitioners/family doctors, social/cultural anthropologists, sociologists and health services/primary care researchers. Views of all research team members (n=18) were assessed using qualitative evaluation methods, analysed qualitatively by the trainers after each session. Most of the team had no experience of using NPT and many had not applied theory to prospective, qualitative research projects. Early training proved didactic and overloaded participants with information. Drawing on RESTORE's methodological approach of Participatory Learning and Action, workshops using role play, experiential interactive exercises and light-hearted examples not directly related to the study subject matter were developed. Evaluation showed the study team quickly grew in knowledge and confidence in applying theory to fieldwork.Recommendations applicable to other studies include: accepting that theory application is not a linear process, that time is needed to address researcher concerns with the process, and that experiential, interactive learning is a key device in building conceptual and practical knowledge. An unanticipated benefit was the smooth transition to cross-country qualitative coding of study data. A structured programme of training enhanced and supported the prospective application of a theory, NPT, to our work but raised challenges. These were not unique to NPT but could arise with the application of any theory, especially in large multisite, international projects. The lessons learnt are applicable to other theoretically informed studies. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Follow-up study of the regional quota system of Japanese medical schools and prefecture scholarship programmes: a study protocol.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Masatoshi; Takeuchi, Keisuke; Tanaka, Junko; Tazuma, Susumu; Inoue, Kazuo; Owaki, Tetsuhiro; Iguchi, Seitaro; Maeda, Takahiro

2016-04-15

Given the shortage of physicians, particularly in rural areas, the Japanese government has rapidly expanded the number of medical school students by adding chiikiwaku (regional quotas) since 2008. Quota entrants now account for 17% of all medical school entrants. Quota entrants are usually local high school graduates who receive a scholarship from the prefecture government. In exchange, they temporarily practise in that prefecture, including its rural areas, after graduation. Many prefectures also have scholarship programmes for non-quota students in exchange for postgraduate in-prefecture practice. The objective of this cohort study, conducted by the Japanese Council for Community-based Medical Education, is to evaluate the outcomes of the quota admission system and prefecture scholarship programmes nationwide. There are 3 groups of study participants: quota without scholarship, quota with scholarship and non-quota with scholarship. Under the support of government ministries and the Association of Japan Medical Colleges, and participation of all prefectures and medical schools, passing rate of the National Physician License Examination, scholarship buy-out rate, geographic distribution and specialties distribution of each group are analysed. Participants who voluntarily participated are followed by linking their baseline information to data in the government's biennial Physician Census. Results to date have shown that, despite medical schools' concerns about academic quality, the passing rate of the National Physician License Examination in each group was higher than that of all medical school graduates. The Ethics Committee for Epidemiological Research of Hiroshima University and the Research Ethics Committee of Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences permitted this study. No individually identifiable results will be presented in conferences or published in journals. The aggregated results will be reported to concerned government ministries, associations, prefectures and medical schools as data for future policy planning. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Development of a modified Hess-Murray law for non-Newtonian fluids in bifurcating micro-channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emerson, David; Barber, Robert

2012-11-01

Microfluidic manifolds frequently require the use of bifurcating channels and these can be used to create precise concentration gradients for chemical applications. More recently, novel devices have been attempting to replicate vasculatures or bronchial structures occurring in nature with the goal of creating artificial bifurcations that mimic the basic principles of designs found in nature. In previous work, we have used the biological principles behind the Hess-Murray Law, where bifurcating structures exhibit a constant stress profile and follow a third-power rule, to enable rectangular or trapezoidal micro-channels to be fabricated using conventional lithographic or wet-etching techniques. Using biological principles to design man made devices is generally referred to as biomimetics and this approach has found success in a range of new and emerging topics. However, our previous work was limited to Newtonian flows. More recently, we have used the Rabinovitsch-Mooney equation to be able to extend our analysis to non-Newtonian fluids. This has allowed us to develop a new rule that can provide a design criterion to predict channel dimensions for non-Newtonian flows obeying a constant stress biological principle. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for support of CCP12 and Programme Grant award (grant number EP/I011927/1).

Intermittency of solar system plasma turbulence near Venus and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Eliza; Echim, Marius; Chang, Tom

2016-04-01

We analyze magnetic field data from Venus Express (VEX) and CLUSTER to investigate the turbulent properties of the solar wind and the Earth's and Venus' magnetosheaths. A systematic study of the PDFs (Probability Distribution Functions) of the measured magnetic fluctuations and their fourth order moments (kurtosis) reveals numerous intermittent time series. The presence of intermittency is marked by non-Gaussian PDFs with heavy wings and a scale dependent kurtosis. Higher order analyses on the scale dependence of several moment orders of the PDFs, the structure functions, along with the scaling of the kurtosis allow for a selection of scales that pertain to different scaling regimes, governed by different physics. On such sub-ranges of scales we investigate the fractal structure of fluctuations through the Rank Ordered Multifractal Analysis - ROMA (Chang and Wu, 2008). ROMA is applied to a selection of intermittent magnetic field time series in the solar wind and planetary magnetosheaths and helps to quantify the turbulence properties through the estimation of a spectrum of local Hurst exponents. Research supported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 313038/STORM, and a grant of the Romanian Ministry of National Education, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0418.

Effective dielectric constant model of electromagnetic backscattering from stratified air-sea surface film-sea water medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Tao; Perrie, William; Fang, He; Zhao, Li; Yu, Wen-Jin; He, Yi-Jun

2017-05-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFC1401007), the Global Change Research Program of China (Grant No. 2015CB953901), the Canadian Program on Energy Research and Development (OERD), the Office of Naval Research (Code 322, “Arctic and Global Prediction” (Principal Investigator: William Perrie)) (Grant No. N00014-15-1-2611), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41276187).

Distinction between critical current effects and intrinsic anomalies in the point-contact Andreev reflection spectra of unconventional superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Ge; Wei, Zhong-Xu; Brisbois, Jérémy; Jia, Yan-Li; Huang, Yu-Long; Zhou, Hua-Xue; Ni, Shun-Li; Silhanek, Alejandro V.; Shan, Lei; Zhu, Bei-Yi; Yuan, Jie; Dong, Xiao-Li; Zhou, Fang; Zhao, Zhong-Xian; Jin, Kui

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (Grant Nos. 2015CB921000, 2016YFA0300301, and 2017YFA0302902), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11674374 and 1474338), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. QYZDB-SSW-SLH008), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant Nos. XDB07020100 and XDB07030200), the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Project (Grant No. Z161100002116011), the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique–FNRS and the ARC Grant 13/18-08 for Concerted Research Actions, financed by the French Community of Belgium (Wallonia-Brussels Federation). Jérémy Brisbois acknowledges the support from F.R.S.–FNRS (Research Fellowship), The work of Alejandro V Silhanek is partially supported by PDR T.0106.16 of the F.R.S.–FNRS..

Aerosol Optical Depth spatiotemporal variability and contribution of different aerosol types over Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgoulias, Aristeidis K.; Alexandri, Georgia; Kourtidis, Konstantinos; Zanis, Prodromos; Pöschl, Ulrich; Lelieveld, Jos; Levy, Robert; Amiridis, Vassilis; Marinou, Eleni; Tsikerdekis, Athanasios; Pozzer, Andrea

2015-04-01

In this work, we study the aerosol spatiotemporal variability over the region of Eastern Mediterranean, for the time period 2000-2012, using a 0.1-degree gridded dataset compiled from level-2 MODIS TERRA and MODIS AQUA AOD550 and FMR550 data. A detailed validation of the AOD550 data was implemented using ground-based observations from the AERONET, also showing that the gridding methodology we followed allows for the detection of several local hot spots that cannot be seen using lower resolutions or level-3 data. By combining the MODIS data with data from other satellite sensors (TOMS, OMI), data from a global chemical-aerosol-transport model (GOCART), and reanalysis data from MACC and ERA-interim, we quantify the relative contribution of different aerosol types to the total AOD550 for the period of interest. For this reason, we developed an optimized algorithm for regional studies based on results from previous global studies. Over land, anthropogenic, dust, and fine-mode natural aerosols contribute to the total AOD550, while anthropogenic, dust and maritime AODs are calculated over the ocean. The dust AOD550 over the region was compared against dust AODs from the LIVAS CALIPSO product, showing a similar seasonal variability. Finally, we also look into the aerosol load short-term trends over the region for each aerosol type separately, the results being strongly affected by the selected time period. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) and national resources under the operational programme Education and Lifelong Learning (EdLL) within the framework of the Action "Supporting Postdoctoral Researchers" (QUADIEEMS project) and from the European Research Council under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement no. 226144 (C8 project).

A fuller picture: evaluating an art therapy programme in a multidisciplinary mental health service.

PubMed

Brady, Catherina; Moss, Hilary; Kelly, Brendan D

2017-03-01

Art therapy has a long history in mental healthcare, but requires an enhanced evidence base in order to better identify its precise role in contemporary services. This paper describes an evaluation of an art therapy programme in an acute adult psychiatry admission unit in Ireland. A mixed method research design was used. Quantitative data were collected through a survey of 35 staff members and 11 service users. Qualitative data included free text comments collected in the survey and individual feedback from service users. Both methods aimed to assess the role of art therapy as part of a multidisciplinary mental health service. Thematic content analysis was employed to analyse qualitative data. Staff demonstrated overwhelming support for art therapy as one element within multidisciplinary services available to patients in the acute psychiatry setting, Qualitative feedback associated art therapy with improvements in quality of life and individual support, and emphasised its role as a non-verbal intervention, especially useful for those who find talking therapy difficult. Creative self-expression is valued by staff and service users as part of the recovery process. Recommendations arising from the research include continuing the art therapy service, expanding it to include patients under rehabilitation, provision of information and education sessions to staff, and further research to identify other potential long-term effects. The low response of staff and small sample in this study, however, must be noted as limitations to these findings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Synthesis of strong SiV photoluminescent diamond particles on silica optical fiber by chemical vapor deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zongchun; Mei, Yingshuang; Chen, Chengke; Ruan, Yinlan; Hu, Xiaojun

2018-03-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50972129 and 50602039), the International Science Technology Cooperation Program of China (Grant No. 2014DFR51160), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFE0133200), European Unionʼs Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) Scheme (Grant No. 734578), and the One Belt and One Road International Cooperation Project from Key Research and Development Program of Zhejiang Province, China (Grant No. 2018C04021).

A 25-year analysis of the American College of Gastroenterology research grant program: factors associated with publication and advancement in academics.

PubMed

Crockett, Seth D; Dellon, Evan S; Bright, Stephanie D; Shaheen, Nicholas J

2009-05-01

The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has awarded research grants for 25 years. We assessed the characteristics of grant recipients, their current academic status, and the likelihood of publication resulting from the grant. Demographic data, the year and amount of award, title of project, and recipient's institution were extracted from ACG databases. Using ACG reports and medical literature search engines, we assessed publication based on grant-funded research, as well as career publication record. We also determined the current position of awardees. A similar analysis was performed for recipients of junior investigator awards. A total of 396 clinical research awards totaling $5,374,497 ($6,867,937 in 2008 dollars) were awarded to 341 recipients in the 25 years between 1983 and 2008. The most commonly funded areas of research were endoscopy (22% of awards) and motility/functional disorders (21%). At least one peer-reviewed publication based on grant-funded research occurred with 255 of the 368 awards (69%) for 1983-2006 [corrected]. Higher award value was associated with subsequent publication. Of the 313 awardees over the same period, 195 (62%) are currently in academic positions [corrected]. Factors associated with staying in academics included higher award value (P < 0.01), a Master's degree (P = 0.02), and publishing grant-funded research (P < 0.01). The junior faculty career development award was granted to 27 individuals for a total of $3,000,000 (3,398,004 in 2008 dollars). Publication resulted from 90% of the funded projects, and 95% of awardees have remained in academics. Overall, the mean cost in grant dollars per published paper based on the research was $14,875. The majority of ACG grant recipients published the results of their research and remained in academics. Higher amount of award, holding an advanced degree, and publication were associated with careers in academics. The ACG research grant award program is an important engine of investigation, publication, and academic career development in the field of gastroenterology.

Molten silicate mantle during a giant impact. Speciation from vapor to supercritical state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caracas, R.; Stewart, S. T.

2017-12-01

We employ large-scale first-principles molecular dynamics simulations to understand the physical and chemical behavior of the molten protolunar disk, at the atomic level. We consider the average composition of the Earth's mantle as proposed by Sun and McDonough (1995). We cover the 0.75 - 7.5 g/cm3 density range and 2000 - 10000 K temperature range. This allows us to investigate the entire disk, from the interior of the molten core to the outer regions of the vaporized disk. At high density, the liquid is highly polymerized and viscous, consistent with previous studies. At low density and low temperatures, in the 2000 to 4000 K range, we capture the nucleation of bubbles. The bubbles contain a low-density gas phase rich in individual alkaline and calc-alkaline cations and SiOx groups. When volatiles are present in the system, such molecular species are the first ones to evaporate and be present in these bubbles. We propose numerical tools to detect the liquid-vapor equilibrium. The critical curves are reached consistently regardless of the thermodynamic path we chose to obtain the low densities. We analyze the equilibrium between the gas of the bubbles and the liquid. At high temperature, we identify the supercritical region characterized by one homogeneous fluid, rich in ionic species. We show that the chemical speciation is very different from the one obtained at ambient pressure conditions. Critical curves are necessary to understand the separation and degassing of volatiles during the recovery from a giant impact. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement n°681818 - IMPACT). The ab initio simulations were performed on the GENCI supercomputers, under eDARI/CINES grants x106368.

A Community-Academic Partnered Grant Writing Series to Build Infrastructure for Partnered Research.

PubMed

King, Keyonna M; Pardo, Yvette-Janine; Norris, Keith C; Diaz-Romero, Maria; Morris, D'Ann; Vassar, Stefanie D; Brown, Arleen F

2015-10-01

Grant writing is an essential skill necessary to secure financial support for community programs and research projects. Increasingly, funding opportunities for translational biomedical research require studies to engage community partners, patients, or other stakeholders in the research process to address their concerns. However, there is little evidence on strategies to prepare teams of academic and community partners to collaborate on grants. This paper presents the description and formative evaluation of a two-part community-academic partnered grant writing series designed to help community organizations and academic institutions build infrastructure for collaborative research projects using a partnered approach. The first phase of the series was a half-day workshop on grant readiness, which was open to all interested community partners. The second phase, open only to community-academic teams that met eligibility criteria, was a 12-week session that covered partnered grant writing for foundation grants and National Institutes of Health grants. Participants in both phases reported an increase in knowledge and self-efficacy for writing partnered proposals. At 1-year follow-up, participants in Phase 2 had secured approximately $1.87 million in funding. This community-academic partnered grant writing series helped participants obtain proposal development skills and helped community-academic teams successfully compete for funding. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A Community–Academic Partnered Grant Writing Series to Build Infrastructure for Partnered Research

PubMed Central

Pardo, Yvette‐Janine; Norris, Keith C.; Diaz‐Romero, Maria; Morris, D'Ann; Vassar, Stefanie D.; Brown, Arleen F.

2015-01-01

Abstract Grant writing is an essential skill necessary to secure financial support for community programs and research projects. Increasingly, funding opportunities for translational biomedical research require studies to engage community partners, patients, or other stakeholders in the research process to address their concerns. However, there is little evidence on strategies to prepare teams of academic and community partners to collaborate on grants. This paper presents the description and formative evaluation of a two‐part community–academic partnered grant writing series designed to help community organizations and academic institutions build infrastructure for collaborative research projects using a partnered approach. The first phase of the series was a half‐day workshop on grant readiness, which was open to all interested community partners. The second phase, open only to community–academic teams that met eligibility criteria, was a 12‐week session that covered partnered grant writing for foundation grants and National Institutes of Health grants. Participants in both phases reported an increase in knowledge and self‐efficacy for writing partnered proposals. At 1‐year follow‐up, participants in Phase 2 had secured approximately $1.87 million in funding. This community–academic partnered grant writing series helped participants obtain proposal development skills and helped community–academic teams successfully compete for funding. PMID:26365589

Bringing Community and Academic Scholars Together to Facilitate and Conduct Authentic Community Based Participatory Research: Project UNITED

PubMed Central

Lewis, Dwight; Yerby, Lea; Tucker, Melanie; Foster, Pamela Payne; Hamilton, Kara C.; Fifolt, Matthew M.; Hites, Lisle; Shreves, Mary Katherine; Page, Susan B.; Bissell, Kimberly L.; Lucky, Felecia L.; Higginbotham, John C.

2015-01-01

Cultural competency, trust, and research literacy can affect the planning and implementation of sustainable community-based participatory research (CBPR). The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight: (1) the development of a CBPR pilot grant request for application; and (2) a comprehensive program supporting CBPR obesity-related grant proposals facilitated by activities designed to promote scholarly collaborations between academic researchers and the community. After a competitive application process, academic researchers and non-academic community leaders were selected to participate in activities where the final culminating project was the submission of a collaborative obesity-related CBPR grant application. Teams were comprised of a mix of academic researchers and non-academic community leaders, and each team submitted an application addressing obesity-disparities among rural predominantly African American communities in the US Deep South. Among four collaborative teams, three (75%) successfully submitted a grant application to fund an intervention addressing rural and minority obesity disparities. Among the three submitted grant applications, one was successfully funded by an internal CBPR grant, and another was funded by an institutional seed funding grant. Preliminary findings suggest that the collaborative activities were successful in developing productive scholarly relationships between researchers and community leaders. Future research will seek to understand the full-context of our findings. PMID:26703675

Quantum light storage in rare-earth-ion-doped solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hua, Yi-Lin; Zhou, Zong-Quan; Li, Chuan-Feng; Guo, Guang-Can

2018-02-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0304100), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61327901, 11774331, 11774335, 11504362, 11325419, and 11654002), the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. QYZDY-SSW-SLH003), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant Nos. WK2470000023 and WK2470000026).

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-10

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

Anisotropic transport of microalgae Chlorella vulgaris in microfluidic channel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izzati Ishak, Nur; Muniandy, S. V.; Periasamy, Vengadesh; Ng, Fong-Lee; Phang, Siew-Moi

2017-08-01

Not Available Project supported by the Science Fund from the Ministry of Higher Education of Malaysia under the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (Grant No. FRGS: FP057-2014A) and the Fund from the University of Malaya Research Grant (Grant No. UMRG: RP020A-14AFR).

Japan's anti-nuclear weapons policy misses its target, even in the war on terrorism.

PubMed

DiFilippo, Anthony

2003-01-01

While actively working to promote the abolition of all nuclear weapons from the world since the end of the cold war, Japan's disarmament policies are not without problems. Promoting the elimination of nuclear weapons as Japan remains under the US nuclear umbrella creates a major credibility problem for Tokyo, since this decision maintains a Japanese deterrence policy at the same time that officials push for disarmament. Tokyo also advocates a gradual approach to the abolition of nuclear weapons, a decision that has had no effect on those countries that have been conducting sub-critical nuclear testing, nor stopped India and Pakistan from carrying out nuclear tests. Consistent with Article 9 of the Constitution, the Japanese war-renouncing constitutional clause, Tokyo toughened Japan's sizeable Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme in the early 1990s. Because of the anti-military guidelines included in Japan's ODA programme, Tokyo stopped new grant and loan aid to India and Pakistan in 1998 after these countries conducted nuclear tests. However, because of the criticism Japan faced from its failure to participate in the 1991 Gulf War, Tokyo has been seeking a new Japanese role in international security during the post-cold war period. Deepening its commitment to the security alliance with the US, Tokyo has become increasingly influenced by Washington's global polices, including the American war on terrorism. After Washington decided that Pakistan would be a key player in the US war on terrorism, Tokyo restored grant and loan aid to both Islamabad and New Delhi, despite the unequivocal restrictions of Japan's ODA programme.

Pollen

MedlinePlus

... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

Ozone

MedlinePlus

... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

77 FR 48494 - Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive License

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-14

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Research Service Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive License AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to Jones...

76 FR 56393 - Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive License

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-13

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agricultural Research Service Notice of Intent to Grant Exclusive License AGENCY: Agricultural Research Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent. SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, intends to grant to PMC...

An analysis of the NIH-supported sickle cell disease research portfolio.

PubMed

Gavini, Nara; Hoots, W Keith; Mensah, George A; Hanspal, Manjit

2015-02-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD), an inherited blood disorder is due to a single amino acid substitution on the beta chain of hemoglobin, and is characterized by anemia, severe infections, acute and chronic pain, and multi-organ damage. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is dedicated to support basic, translational and clinical science research to improve care and ultimately, to find a cure for SCD that causes such suffering. This report provides a detailed analysis of grants funded by the NIH for SCD research in Fiscal Years 2007 through 2013. During this period, the NIH supported 247 de novo grants totaling $272,210,367 that address various aspects of SCD. 83% of these funds supported research project grants investigating the following 5 scientific themes: Pathology of Sickle Red Blood Cells; Globin Gene Expression; Adhesion and Vascular Dysfunction; Neurological Complications and Organ-specific Dysfunction; and Pain Management and Intervention. The remaining 17% of total funds supported career development and training grants; Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants; large Center grants; and Conference grants. Further analysis showed that the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is the largest funder of SCD research within NIH with 67% of total grants, contributing 77% of total funds; followed by the National Institute for Digestive Diseases and Kidney (NIDDK) that is funding 19% of grants, contributing 13% of total funds. The remaining 14% of grants totaling 10% of the funds were supported by all other NIH Institutes/Centers (ICs) combined. In summary, the NIH is using multiple funding mechanisms to support a sickle cell disease research agenda that is intended to advance the detection, treatment, and cure of this debilitating genetic disease. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Serious gaming during multidisciplinary rehabilitation for patients with complex chronic pain or fatigue complaints: study protocol for a controlled trial and process evaluation.

PubMed

Vugts, Miel A P; Joosen, Margot C W; Mert, Agali; Zedlitz, Aglaia; Vrijhoef, Hubertus J M

2017-06-08

Many individuals suffer from chronic pain or functional somatic syndromes and face boundaries for diminishing functional limitations by means of biopsychosocial interventions. Serious gaming could complement multidisciplinary interventions through enjoyment and independent accessibility. A study protocol is presented for studying whether, how, for which patients and under what circumstances, serious gaming improves patient health outcomes during regular multidisciplinary rehabilitation. A mixed-methods design is described that prioritises a two-armed naturalistic quasi-experiment. An experimental group is composed of patients who follow serious gaming during an outpatient multidisciplinary programme at two sites of a Dutch rehabilitation centre. Control group patients follow the same programme without serious gaming in two similar sites. Multivariate mixed-modelling analysis is planned for assessing how much variance in 250 patient records of routinely monitored pain intensity, pain coping and cognition, fatigue and psychopathology outcomes is attributable to serious gaming. Embedded qualitative methods include unobtrusive collection and analyses of stakeholder focus group interviews, participant feedback and semistructured patient interviews. Process analyses are carried out by a systematic approach of mixing qualitative and quantitative methods at various stages of the research. The Ethics Committee of the Tilburg School of Social and Behavioural Sciences approved the research after reviewing the protocol for the protection of patients' interests in conformity to the letter and rationale of the applicable laws and research practice (EC 2016.25t). Findings will be presented in research articles and international scientific conferences. A prospective research protocol for the naturalistic quasi-experimental outcome evaluation was entered in the Dutch trial register (registration number: NTR6020; Pre-results). © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

DengueTools: innovative tools and strategies for the surveillance and control of dengue

PubMed Central

Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Renhorn, Karl-Erik; Tissera, Hasitha; Abu Bakar, Sazaly; Alphey, Luke; Kittayapong, Pattamaporn; Lindsay, Steve; Logan, James; Hatz, Christoph; Reiter, Paul; Rocklöv, Joacim; Byass, Peter; Louis, Valérie R.; Tozan, Yesim; Massad, Eduardo; Tenorio, Antonio; Lagneau, Christophe; L'Ambert, Grégory; Brooks, David; Wegerdt, Johannah; Gubler, Duane

2012-01-01

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease estimated to cause about 230 million infections worldwide every year, of which 25,000 are fatal. Global incidence has risen rapidly in recent decades with some 3.6 billion people, over half of the world's population, now at risk, mainly in urban centres of the tropics and subtropics. Demographic and societal changes, in particular urbanization, globalization, and increased international travel, are major contributors to the rise in incidence and geographic expansion of dengue infections. Major research gaps continue to hamper the control of dengue. The European Commission launched a call under the 7th Framework Programme with the title of ‘Comprehensive control of Dengue fever under changing climatic conditions’. Fourteen partners from several countries in Europe, Asia, and South America formed a consortium named ‘DengueTools’ to respond to the call to achieve better diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and predictive models and improve our understanding of the spread of dengue to previously uninfected regions (including Europe) in the context of globalization and climate change. The consortium comprises 12 work packages to address a set of research questions in three areas: Research area 1: Develop a comprehensive early warning and surveillance system that has predictive capability for epidemic dengue and benefits from novel tools for laboratory diagnosis and vector monitoring. Research area 2: Develop novel strategies to prevent dengue in children. Research area 3: Understand and predict the risk of global spread of dengue, in particular the risk of introduction and establishment in Europe, within the context of parameters of vectorial capacity, global mobility, and climate change. In this paper, we report on the rationale and specific study objectives of ‘DengueTools’. DengueTools is funded under the Health theme of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community, Grant Agreement Number: 282589 Dengue Tools. PMID:22451836

DengueTools: innovative tools and strategies for the surveillance and control of dengue.

PubMed

Wilder-Smith, Annelies; Renhorn, Karl-Erik; Tissera, Hasitha; Abu Bakar, Sazaly; Alphey, Luke; Kittayapong, Pattamaporn; Lindsay, Steve; Logan, James; Hatz, Christoph; Reiter, Paul; Rocklöv, Joacim; Byass, Peter; Louis, Valérie R; Tozan, Yesim; Massad, Eduardo; Tenorio, Antonio; Lagneau, Christophe; L'Ambert, Grégory; Brooks, David; Wegerdt, Johannah; Gubler, Duane

2012-01-01

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease estimated to cause about 230 million infections worldwide every year, of which 25,000 are fatal. Global incidence has risen rapidly in recent decades with some 3.6 billion people, over half of the world's population, now at risk, mainly in urban centres of the tropics and subtropics. Demographic and societal changes, in particular urbanization, globalization, and increased international travel, are major contributors to the rise in incidence and geographic expansion of dengue infections. Major research gaps continue to hamper the control of dengue. The European Commission launched a call under the 7th Framework Programme with the title of 'Comprehensive control of Dengue fever under changing climatic conditions'. Fourteen partners from several countries in Europe, Asia, and South America formed a consortium named 'DengueTools' to respond to the call to achieve better diagnosis, surveillance, prevention, and predictive models and improve our understanding of the spread of dengue to previously uninfected regions (including Europe) in the context of globalization and climate change.The consortium comprises 12 work packages to address a set of research questions in three areas:Research area 1: Develop a comprehensive early warning and surveillance system that has predictive capability for epidemic dengue and benefits from novel tools for laboratory diagnosis and vector monitoring.Research area 2: Develop novel strategies to prevent dengue in children.Research area 3: Understand and predict the risk of global spread of dengue, in particular the risk of introduction and establishment in Europe, within the context of parameters of vectorial capacity, global mobility, and climate change.In this paper, we report on the rationale and specific study objectives of 'DengueTools'. DengueTools is funded under the Health theme of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community, Grant Agreement Number: 282589 Dengue Tools.

How Do I Review Thee? Let Me Count the Ways: A Comparison of Research Grant Proposal Review Criteria Across US Federal Funding Agencies.

PubMed

Falk-Krzesinski, Holly J; Tobin, Stacey C

While Elizabeth Barrett Browning counted 25 ways in which she loves her husband in her poem, "How Do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways," we identified only eight ways to evaluate the potential for success of a federal research grant proposal. This may be surprising, as it seems upon initial glance of the review criteria used by various federal funding agencies that each has its own distinct set of "rules" regarding the review of grant proposals for research and scholarship. Much of the grantsmanship process is dependent upon the review criteria, which represent the funders' desired impact of the research. But since most funders that offer research grants share the overarching goals of supporting research that (1) fits within its mission and (2) will bring a strong return on its financial investment, the review criteria used to evaluate research grant proposals are based on a similar set of fundamental questions. In this article, we compare the review criteria of 10 US federal agencies that support research through grant programs, and demonstrate that there are actually only a small and finite number of ways that a grant proposal can be evaluated. Though each funding agency may use slightly different wording, we found that the majority of the agencies' criteria address eight key questions. Within the highly competitive landscape of research grant funding, new researchers must find support for their research agendas and established investigators and research development offices must consider ways to diversify their funding portfolios, yet all may be discouraged by the apparent myriad of differences in review criteria used by various funding agencies. Guided by research administrators and research development professionals, recognizing that grant proposal review criteria are similar across funding agencies may help lower the barrier to applying for federal funding for new and early career researchers, or facilitate funding portfolio diversification for experienced researchers. Grantmakers are furthermore provided valuable guidance to develop and refine their own proposal review criteria.

How Do I Review Thee? Let Me Count the Ways: A Comparison of Research Grant Proposal Review Criteria Across US Federal Funding Agencies

PubMed Central

Falk-Krzesinski, Holly J.; Tobin, Stacey C.

2016-01-01

While Elizabeth Barrett Browning counted 25 ways in which she loves her husband in her poem, “How Do I Love Thee? Let me Count the Ways,” we identified only eight ways to evaluate the potential for success of a federal research grant proposal. This may be surprising, as it seems upon initial glance of the review criteria used by various federal funding agencies that each has its own distinct set of “rules” regarding the review of grant proposals for research and scholarship. Much of the grantsmanship process is dependent upon the review criteria, which represent the funders’ desired impact of the research. But since most funders that offer research grants share the overarching goals of supporting research that (1) fits within its mission and (2) will bring a strong return on its financial investment, the review criteria used to evaluate research grant proposals are based on a similar set of fundamental questions. In this article, we compare the review criteria of 10 US federal agencies that support research through grant programs, and demonstrate that there are actually only a small and finite number of ways that a grant proposal can be evaluated. Though each funding agency may use slightly different wording, we found that the majority of the agencies’ criteria address eight key questions. Within the highly competitive landscape of research grant funding, new researchers must find support for their research agendas and established investigators and research development offices must consider ways to diversify their funding portfolios, yet all may be discouraged by the apparent myriad of differences in review criteria used by various funding agencies. Guided by research administrators and research development professionals, recognizing that grant proposal review criteria are similar across funding agencies may help lower the barrier to applying for federal funding for new and early career researchers, or facilitate funding portfolio diversification for experienced researchers. Grantmakers are furthermore provided valuable guidance to develop and refine their own proposal review criteria. PMID:27274713

ESF EUROCORES Programmes In Geosciences And Environmental Sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonckheere, I. G.

2007-12-01

In close cooperation with its Member Organisations, the European Science Foundation (ESF) has launched since late 2003 a series of European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) Programmes. Their aim is to enable researchers in different European countries to develop cooperation and scientific synergy in areas where European scale and scope are required in a global context. The EUROCORES Scheme provides an open, flexible and transparent framework that allows national science funding and science performing agencies to join forces to support excellent European-led research, following a selection among many science-driven suggestions for new Programmes themes submitted by the scientific community. The EUROCORES instrument represents the first large scale attempt of national research (funding) agencies to act together against fragmentation, asynchronicity and duplication of research (funding) within Europe. There are presently 7 EUROCORES Programmes specifically dealing with cutting edge science in the fields of Earth, Climate and Environmental Sciences. The EUROCORES Programmes consist of a number of international, multidisciplinary collaborative research projects running for 3-4 years, selected through independent peer review. Under the overall responsibility of the participating funding agencies, those projects are coordinated and networked together through the scientific guidance of a Scientific Committee, with the support of a Programme Coordinator, responsible at ESF for providing planning, logistics, and the integration and dissemination of science. Strong links are aimed for with other major international programmes and initiatives worldwide. In this framework, linkage to IYPE would be of major interest for the scientific communities involved. Each Programme mobilises 5 to 13 million Euros in direct science funding from 9 to 27 national agencies from 8 to 20 countries. Additional funding for coordination, networking and dissemination is allocated by the ESF through these distinctive research initiatives, to build on the national research efforts and contribute to the capacity building, in relation with typically about 15-20 post-doc positions and/or PhD studentships supported nationally within each Programme. Typical networking activities are topical workshops, open sessions in a larger conference, Programme conference, (summer / winter) schools, exchange visits across projects or programmes. Overall, EUROCORES Programmes are supported by more than 60 national agencies from 30 countries and by the European Science Foundation (ESF) with support by the European Commission, DG Research (Sixth Framework Programme, contract ERAS-CT-2003-980409). In the framework of AGU, a series of present EUROCORES Programmes in the field of Geosciences and Environmental Sciences are presented (e.g., EuroDIVERSITY, EuroDEEP, EUROMARGINS, EuroCLIMATE, and EuroMinScI).

Village family planning volunteers in Indonesia: their role in the family planning programme.

PubMed

Utomo, Iwu Dwisetyani; Arsyad, Syahmida S; Hasmi, Eddy Nurul

2006-05-01

Family planning was once a sensitive issue in Indonesia, but today it is considered essential. This paper reports on a study in 1997-98 of the role of village family planning volunteers and the cadres who worked under them in West Java, Central Java and DI Yogyakarta, in implementing the national family planning programme in Indonesia. A total of 108 village family planning volunteers, 108 family planning cadres, 108 local leaders and 324 couples eligible for family planning from 36 villages in the three provinces were interviewed. The volunteers and cadres have made a significant contribution to the implementation of the family planning programme. They promote family planning, organise meetings, provide information, organise income-generation activities, give savings and credit assistance, collect and report data and deliver other family welfare services. Teachers, wives of government officials and others recognised by the community as better off in terms of education and living conditions were most often identified to become family planning volunteers. Because they are women and because they are the most distant arm of the programme, their work is taken for granted. As their activities are directed towards women, especially in women's traditional roles, the programme tends to entrench the existing gender gap in responsibility for family planning and family welfare.

Parkinson's Disease

MedlinePlus

... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

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

PubMed

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

2017-12-14

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

Influence of fluorescence time characteristics on the spatial resolution of CW-stimulated emission depletion microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Haiyun; Zhao, Wei; Zhang, Chen; Liu, Yong; Wang, Guiren; Wang, Kaige

2018-03-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11672229 and 61378083), International Cooperation Foundation of the National Science and Technology Major Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2011DFA12220), Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 91123030), Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China (Grant Nos. 2010JS110 and 2013SZS03-Z01), Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi Province — Major Basic Research Project, China (Grant No. 2016ZDJC-15), Young Scientist Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11504294), and the Youth Talent Plan of the Natural Science Foundation of Shaanxi Province of China (Grant No. 2016JQ103).

Appendicitis

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Diarrhea

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... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Porphyria

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Pancreatitis

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Hemorrhoids

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Hyperthyroidism

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Research and Grant Management: The Role of the Project Management Office (PMO) in a European Research Consortium Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wedekind, Gerben Kristian; Philbin, Simon Patrick

2018-01-01

This paper illustrates how a university-based project management office (PMO) can provide focused support across the entire grant project lifecycle within a European research context. In recent years, EU (European Union) research and innovation grant programs have increasingly shifted to support multidisciplinary consortia composed of industry,…

45 CFR Appendix E to Part 74 - Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals E Appendix E to Part 74 Public Welfare... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals i. purpose and scope A. Objectives. This appendix provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development work...

45 CFR Appendix E to Part 74 - Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals E Appendix E to Part 74 Public Welfare... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals i. purpose and scope A. Objectives. This appendix provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development work...

45 CFR Appendix E to Part 74 - Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals E Appendix E to Part 74 Public Welfare... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals i. purpose and scope A. Objectives. This appendix provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development work...

45 CFR Appendix E to Part 74 - Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals E Appendix E to Part 74 Public Welfare... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals i. purpose and scope A. Objectives. This appendix provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development work...

45 CFR Appendix E to Part 74 - Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development Under Grants and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals E Appendix E to Part 74 Public Welfare... Research and Development Under Grants and Contracts With Hospitals i. purpose and scope A. Objectives. This appendix provides principles for determining the costs applicable to research and development work...

Electric & Magnetic Fields

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Allergens and Irritants

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Bisphenol A (BPA)

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... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

Characterization of Interface State Density of Ni/p-GaN Structures by Capacitance/Conductance-Voltage-Frequency Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zhi-Fu; Zhang, He-Qiu; Liang, Hong-Wei; Peng, Xin-Cun; Zou, Ji-Jun; Tang, Bin; Du, Guo-Tong

2017-08-01

Not Available Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province under Grant No 20133ACB20005, the Key Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 41330318, the Key Program of Science and Technology Research of Ministry of Education under Grant No NRE1515, the Foundation of Training Academic and Technical Leaders for Main Majors of Jiangxi Province under Grant No 20142BCB22006, the Research Foundation of Education Bureau of Jiangxi Province under Grant No GJJ14501, and the Engineering Research Center of Nuclear Technology Application (East China Institute of Technology) Ministry of Education under Grant No HJSJYB2016-1.

Gap plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence of monolayer MoS2 in hybrid nanostructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Le; Liu, Di; Qi, Xiao-Zhuo; Xiong, Xiao; Feng, Lan-Tian; Li, Ming; Guo, Guo-Ping; Guo, Guang-Can; Ren, Xi-Feng

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61590932 and 11774333), the Anhui Initiative Project in Quantum Information Technologies, China (Grant No. AHY130300), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB24030600), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2016YFA0301700), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China.

Modulation of intra- and inter-sheet interactions in short peptide self-assembly by acetonitrile in aqueous solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Li; Zhao, Yurong; Zhou, Peng; Xu, Hai; Wang, Yanting

2016-12-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB932804), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91227115, 11421063, 11504431, and 21503275), the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of China (Grant No. 15CX02025A), and the Application Research Foundation for Post-doctoral Scientists of Qingdao City, China (Grant No. T1404096).

Paving the Road to Success: Reflecting Critically on Year One of an Undergraduate Student Support Programme at a Large South African University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Klerk, Danie; Spark, Linda; Jones, Andrew; Maleswena, Tshepiso

2017-01-01

Student success, faculty and university throughput, and the need for adequate and appropriate student support remain prevalent issues in the South African and global higher education sectors. Subsequently, the Faculty of Commerce, Law, and Management at a large South African university applied for Teaching and Development Grant funding in order to…

To apply or not to apply: a survey analysis of grant writing costs and benefits.

PubMed

von Hippel, Ted; von Hippel, Courtney

2015-01-01

We surveyed 113 astronomers and 82 psychologists active in applying for federally funded research on their grant-writing history between January, 2009 and November, 2012. We collected demographic data, effort levels, success rates, and perceived non-financial benefits from writing grant proposals. We find that the average proposal takes 116 PI hours and 55 CI hours to write; although time spent writing was not related to whether the grant was funded. Effort did translate into success, however, as academics who wrote more grants received more funding. Participants indicated modest non-monetary benefits from grant writing, with psychologists reporting a somewhat greater benefit overall than astronomers. These perceptions of non-financial benefits were unrelated to how many grants investigators applied for, the number of grants they received, or the amount of time they devoted to writing their proposals. We also explored the number of years an investigator can afford to apply unsuccessfully for research grants and our analyses suggest that funding rates below approximately 20%, commensurate with current NIH and NSF funding, are likely to drive at least half of the active researchers away from federally funded research. We conclude with recommendations and suggestions for individual investigators and for department heads.

Menetrier's Disease

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Hepatitis A

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Viral Gastroenteritis

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Diabetes Medicines

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Digestive Diseases

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Dermatitis Herpetiformis

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Urodynamic Testing

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Liver Transplant

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Wilson Disease

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Alagille Syndrome

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Endocrine Diseases

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Thyroid Tests

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Urinary Diversion

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Kidney Stones

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Abdominal Adhesions

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Primary Hyperparathyroidism

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Bariatric Surgery

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Guided internet-administered self-help to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer during adolescence (U-CARE: YoungCan): a study protocol for a feasibility trial.

PubMed

Ander, Malin; Wikman, Anna; Ljótsson, Brjánn; Grönqvist, Helena; Ljungman, Gustaf; Woodford, Joanne; Lindahl Norberg, Annika; von Essen, Louise

2017-01-27

A subgroup of adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer during adolescence reports elevated levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms and unmet needs for psychological support. Evidence-based psychological treatments tailored for this population are lacking. This protocol describes a feasibility study of a guided-internet-administered self-help programme (YoungCan) primarily targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression among young persons diagnosed with cancer during adolescence and of the planned study procedures for a future controlled trial. The study is an uncontrolled feasibility trial with a pre-post and 3-month follow-up design. Potential participants aged 15-25 years, diagnosed with cancer during adolescence, will be identified via the Swedish Childhood Cancer Registry. 30 participants will be included. Participants will receive YoungCan, a 12-week therapist-guided, internet-administered self-help programme consisting primarily of cognitive-behavioural therapy organised into individually assigned modules targeting depressive symptoms, worry and anxiety, body dissatisfaction and post-traumatic stress. Interactive peer support and psychoeducative functions are also available. Feasibility outcomes include: recruitment and eligibility criteria; data collection; attrition; resources needed to complete the study and programme; safety procedures; participants' and therapists' adherence to the programme; and participants' acceptability of the programme and study methodology. Additionally, mechanisms of impact will be explored and data regarding symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, body dissatisfaction, reactions to social interactions, quality of life, axis I diagnoses according to the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview and healthcare service use will be collected. Exploratory analyses of changes in targeted outcomes will be conducted. This feasibility protocol was approved by the Regional Ethical Review Board in Uppsala, Sweden (ref: 2016/210). Findings will be disseminated to relevant research, clinical, health service and patient communities through publications in peer-reviewed and popular science journals and presentations at scientific and clinical conferences. ISRCTN97835363. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Active Play in After-school Programmes: development of an intervention and description of a matched-pair cluster-randomised trial assessing physical activity play in after-school programmes.

PubMed

Riiser, Kirsti; Helseth, Sølvi; Ellingsen, Hanna; Fallang, Bjørg; Løndal, Knut

2017-08-04

Interventions delivered in after-school programmes (ASPs) have the potential to become a means of ensuring adequate physical activity among schoolchildren. This requires a motivational climate, allowing for self-determined play. If trained, ASP staff may represent a valuable resource for supporting such play. Increasing knowledge and supportive skills among ASP staff may also potentially increase their motivation for work. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the 'Active Play in ASP' intervention, which aims to promote physical activity among first graders attending ASP, and to present a protocol for a matched-pair cluster-randomised trial to evaluate the intervention. Informed by experiences from practice, evidence-based knowledge and theory, the intervention was developed in a stepwise process including focus group meetings and a small-scale pilot test. The intervention contains a course programme for ASP staff to increase their skills in how to support physical activity through play. In a cluster randomised controlled trial, the ASPs will be matched and randomly allocated to receive the 7-month intervention or to a control group. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, after 7 and 19 months. First graders attending the ASPs included are eligible. The primary outcome will be accelerometer-determined minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the ASP. The study uses a mixed methods approach including observations and interviews to provide rich descriptions of the concept of children's physical activity in ASP. Moreover, the trial will assess whether the ASP staff benefits from participation in the intervention in terms of increased work motivation. Lastly, process evaluations of programme fidelity, satisfaction and suggestions on improvement will be performed. The study is approved by the Data Protection Official for Research (reference no 46008). Results will be presented in conferences and peer-reviewed journals. Clinical Trials (NCT02954614), pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Protocol for a mixed-methods longitudinal study to identify factors influencing return to work in the over 50s participating in the UK Work Programme: Supporting Older People into Employment (SOPIE).

PubMed

Brown, Judith; Neary, Joanne; Katikireddi, Srinivasa Vittal; Thomson, Hilary; McQuaid, Ronald W; Leyland, Alastair H; Frank, John; Jeavons, Luke; de Pellette, Paul; Kiran, Sibel; Macdonald, Ewan B

2015-12-16

Increasing employment among older workers is a policy priority given the increase in life expectancy and the drop in labour force participation after the age of 50. Reasons for this drop are complex but include poor health, age discrimination, inadequate skills/qualifications and caring roles; however, limited evidence exists on how best to support this group back to work. The Work Programme is the UK Government's flagship policy to facilitate return to work (RTW) among those at risk of long-term unemployment. 'Supporting Older People Into Employment' (SOPIE) is a mixed-methods longitudinal study involving a collaboration between academics and a major Work Programme provider (Ingeus). The study will investigate the relationship between health, worklessness and the RTW process for the over 50s. There are three main study components. Embedded fieldwork will document the data routinely collected by Ingeus and the key interventions/activities delivered. The quantitative study investigates approximately 14,000 individuals (aged 16-64 years, with 20% aged over 50) who entered the Ingeus Work Programme (referred to as 'clients') in a 16-month period in Scotland and were followed up for 2 years. Employment outcomes (including progression towards work) and how they differ by client characteristics (including health), intervention components received and external factors will be investigated. The qualitative component will explore the experiences of clients and Ingeus staff, to better understand the interactions between health and (un)employment, Work Programme delivery, and how employment services can be better tailored to the needs of the over 50s. Ethical approval was received from the University of Glasgow College of Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (application number 400140186). Results will be disseminated through journal articles, national and international conferences. Findings will inform current and future welfare-to-work and job retention initiatives to extend healthy working lives. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Collaborative Research Seed Grants for Integrating Knowledges and Creating New Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freitag, Amy

2015-01-01

Incorporating different ways of knowing in research and management has the potential to bring creativity to environmental problem-solving through integrating ways of knowing and innovation via co-producing knowledge. To gain these benefits, North Carolina Sea Grant Extension offers small annual grants called Fisheries Resource Grants to paired…

Strategies for optimizing the thermoelectricity of PbTe alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Jinze; Wang, Teng; Wang, Hongchao; Su, Wenbin; Wang, Xue; Chen, Tingting; Wang, Chunlei

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CB632506), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51501105, 51672159, and 51611540342), the Young Scholars Program of Shandong University (Grant No. 2015WLJH21), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 2015M580588 and 2016T90631), the Postdoctoral Innovation Foundation of Shandong Province, China (Grant No. 201603027), the Fundamental Research Funds of Shandong University (Grant No. 2015TB019), and the Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology (Grant No. 201703).

Views of academic dentists about careers in academic dentistry in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Goldacre, M; Lee, P; Stear, S; Sidebottom, E; Richards, R

2000-02-12

The aim of this paper is to report the views of academic dentists about careers in academic dentistry assessed by method of a postal questionnaire survey. The subjects of the survey were dentists in academic posts in the United Kingdom. The incentives in pursuing an academic career which respondents rated most highly were the opportunity to teach and the variety of work in an academic career. The greatest disincentives were competing pressures from service work, teaching and research, and the difficulty of getting research grants. Many would like to spend more time on research and less on service work and teaching. The length of time required for training, and the quality of training, was a concern, particularly for junior academics. Most respondents rated the enjoyment of their job highly but scored much lower on satisfaction with the time their job left for domestic and leisure activities. By contrast with academic medicine, in academic dentistry there is typically greater emphasis on teaching and less on research. In conclusion, the balance of activities in academic posts, particularly between service work, teaching and research, needs to be regularly reviewed. The development of a more structured training programme for junior academics, which does not disadvantage academic dentists when compared with their NHS colleagues, may be required.

Terminated Research Grants Supported in the Field of Nursing by Division of Nursing, Public Health Service Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Institutes of Health (DHEW), Bethesda, MD. Div. of Nursing.

One hundred and fifty-two terminated research grants are listed. Information includes grant number, investigator, institution, and title of research. Requests for reports or publication are to be made directly to the investigator. (JK)

Land-Grant University-Industry Relationships in Biotechnology: A Comparison with the Non-Land-Grant Research Universities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curry, James; Kenney, Martin

1990-01-01

Presents study of industrial involvement in biotechnology research, comparing faculty surveys from land-grant colleges of agriculture and nonagricultural research universities. Agricultural biotechnologists report higher industrial involvement and more optimism about it. Industrial funding levels shown as significant factor in activities and…

Strategies for Helping Your Faculty Get More Grants from Companies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schumacher, Dorin

1994-01-01

As researchers turn to industry over government for research funding, it is proposed that research administrators provide substantial assistance to faculty in the different strategies and skills needed to win grants. Differences between corporate and federal sponsors, basic strategies found effective in winning grants, and elements of effective…

Measuring interdisciplinary research and education outcomes in the Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Gemma; Loucks, Daniel Pete; Blaschke, Alfred Paul; Bucher, Christian; Farnleitner, Andreas; Fürnkranz-Prskawetz, Alexia; Parajka, Juraj; Pfeifer, Norbert; Rechberger, Helmut; Wagner, Wolfgang; Zessner, Matthias; Blöschl, Günter

2015-04-01

The interdisciplinary postgraduate research and education programme - the Vienna Doctoral Programme on Water Resource Systems - was initiated in 2009. To date, 35 research students, three post-docs and ten faculty members have been engaged in the Programme, from ten research fields (aquatic microbiology, hydrology, hydro-climatology, hydro-geology, mathematical economics, photogrammetry, remote sensing, resource management, structural mechanics, and water quality). The Programme aims to develop research students with the capacity to work across the disciplines, to conduct cutting edge research and foster an international perspective. To do this, a variety of mechanisms are adopted that include research cluster groups, joint study sites, joint supervision, a basic study programme and a research semester abroad. The Programme offers a unique case study to explore if and how these mechanisms lead to research and education outcomes. Outcomes are grouped according to whether they are tangible (publications with co-authors from more than one research field, analysis of graduate profiles and career destinations) or non-tangible (interaction between researchers, networks and trust). A mixed methods approach that includes bibliometric analysis combined with interviews with students is applied. Bibliometric analysis shows that as the Programme has evolved the amount of multi-disciplinary work has increased (32% of the 203 full papers produced by the programme's researchers have authors from more than one research field). Network analysis to explore which research fields collaborate most frequently show that hydrology plays a significant role and has collaborated with seven of the ten research fields. Hydrology researchers seem to interact the most strongly with other research fields as they contribute understanding on water system processes. Network analysis to explore which individuals collaborate shows that much joint work takes place through the five research cluster groups (water resource management, land-surface processes, Hydrological Open Air Laboratory, water and health, modelling and risk). Student interviews highlight that trust between colleagues and supervisors, and the role of spaces for interaction (joint study sites, cluster group meetings, shared offices etc.) are important for joint work. Graduate analysis shows that students develop skills and confidence to work across disciplines through collaborating on their doctoral research. Working collaboratively during the doctorate appears to be strongly correlated with continuing to work in this way after graduation.

Causes of Diabetes

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Upper GI Endoscopy

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Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome

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Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome

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Medullary Sponge Kidney

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Constipation in Children

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Kidney Infection (Pyelonephritis)

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Diabetes and Pregnancy

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Living With Diabetes

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Wine biotechnology in South Africa: towards a systems approach to wine science.

PubMed

Moore, John P; Divol, Benoit; Young, Philip R; Nieuwoudt, Hélène H; Ramburan, Viresh; du Toit, Maret; Bauer, Florian F; Vivier, Melané A

2008-11-01

The wine industry in South Africa is over three centuries old and over the last decade has reemerged as a significant competitor in world wine markets. The Institute for Wine Biotechnology (IWBT) was established in partnership with the Department of Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University to foster basic fundamental research in the wine sciences leading to applications in the broader wine and grapevine industries. This review focuses on the different research programmes of the Institute (grapevine, yeast and bacteria biotechnology programmes, and chemical-analytical research), commercialisation activities (SunBio) and new initiatives to integrate the various research disciplines. An important focus of future research is the Wine Science Research Niche Area programme, which connects the different research thrusts of the IWBT and of several research partners in viticulture, oenology, food science and chemistry. This 'Functional Wine-omics' programme uses a systems biology approach to wine-related organisms. The data generated within the programme will be integrated with other data sets from viticulture, oenology, analytical chemistry and the sensory sciences through chemometrics and other statistical tools. The aim of the programme is to model aspects of the wine making process, from the vineyard to the finished product.

Width-Dependent Optical Properties for Zigzag-Edge Silicene Nanoribbons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bao, Hai-Rui; Liao, Wen-Hu; Zhang, Xin-Cheng; Zuo, Min

2018-01-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 11664010 and 11264013, the Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 2017JJ2217 and 12JJ4003, the Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial Education Department of China under Grant No 14B148, the Science and Technology Innovative Research Team in Higher Educational Institutions of Hunan Province, the Innovation Project for Postgraduate of Hunan Province under Grant No CX2015B549, and the Research Program of Jishou University under Grant Nos 15JDY026 and Jdy16021.

Excessive levitation for the efficient loading of large-volume optical dipole traps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoqing; Li, Yuqing; Feng, Guosheng; Wu, Jizhou; Ma, Jie; Xiao, Liantuan; Jia, Suotang

2018-01-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0304203), the Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. IRT13076), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91436108, 61378014, 61675121, 11434007, 61705123, and 61722507), the Fund for Shanxi “1331 Project” Key Subjects Construction and the Foundation for Outstanding Young Scholars of Shanxi Province, China (Grant No. 201601D021001), and the Applied Basic Research Project of Shanxi Province, China (Grant No. 201701D221002).

Randomised controlled trial of online continuing education for health professionals to improve the management of chronic fatigue syndrome: a study protocol.

PubMed

Li, Sophie H; Sandler, Carolina X; Casson, Sally M; Cassar, Joanne; Bogg, Tina; Lloyd, Andrew R; Barry, Benjamin K

2017-05-10

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a serious and debilitating illness that affects between 0.2%-2.6% of the world's population. Although there is level 1 evidence of the benefit of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and graded exercise therapy (GET) for some people with CFS, uptake of these interventions is low or at best untimely. This can be partly attributed to poor clinician awareness and knowledge of CFS and related CBT and GET interventions. This trial aims to evaluate the effect of participation in an online education programme, compared with a wait-list control group, on allied health professionals' knowledge about evidence-based CFS interventions and their levels of confidence to engage in the dissemination of these interventions. A randomised controlled trial consisting of 180 consenting allied health professionals will be conducted. Participants will be randomised into an intervention group (n=90) that will receive access to the online education programme, or a wait-list control group (n=90). The primary outcomes will be: 1) knowledge and clinical reasoning skills regarding CFS and its management, measured at baseline, postintervention and follow-up, and 2) self-reported confidence in knowledge and clinical reasoning skills related to CFS. Secondary outcomes include retention of knowledge and satisfaction with the online education programme. The influence of the education programme on clinical practice behaviour, and self-reported success in the management of people with CFS, will also be assessed in a cohort study design with participants from the intervention and control groups combined. The study protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at The University of New South Wales (approval number HC16419). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at scientific conferences and meetings. ACTRN12616000296437. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Development of a questionnaire to evaluate patients' awareness of cardiovascular disease risk in England's National Health Service Health Check preventive cardiovascular programme.

PubMed

Woringer, Maria; Nielsen, Jessica Jones; Zibarras, Lara; Evason, Julie; Kassianos, Angelos P; Harris, Matthew; Majeed, Azeem; Soljak, Michael

2017-09-25

The National Health Service (NHS) Health Check is a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment and management programme in England aiming to increase CVD risk awareness among people at increased risk of CVD. There is no tool to assess the effectiveness of the programme in communicating CVD risk to patients. The aim of this paper was to develop a questionnaire examining patients' CVD risk awareness for use in health service research evaluations of the NHS Health Check programme. We developed an 85-item questionnaire to determine patients' views of their risk of CVD. The questionnaire was based on a review of the relevant literature. After review by an expert panel and focus group discussion, 22 items were dropped and 2 new items were added. The resulting 65-item questionnaire with satisfactory content validity (content validity indices≥0.80) and face validity was tested on 110 NHS Health Check attendees in primary care in a cross-sectional study between 21 May 2014 and 28 July 2014. Following analyses of data, we reduced the questionnaire from 65 to 26 items. The 26-item questionnaire constitutes four scales: Knowledge of CVD Risk and Prevention, Perceived Risk of Heart Attack/Stroke, Perceived Benefits and Intention to Change Behaviour and Healthy Eating Intentions. Perceived Risk (Cronbach's α=0.85) and Perceived Benefits and Intention to Change Behaviour (Cronbach's α=0.82) have satisfactory reliability (Cronbach's α≥0.70). Healthy Eating Intentions (Cronbach's α=0.56) is below minimum threshold for reliability but acceptable for a three-item scale. The resulting questionnaire, with satisfactory reliability and validity, may be used in assessing patients' awareness of CVD risk among NHS Health Check attendees. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Large-scale implementation of disease control programmes: a cost-effectiveness analysis of long-lasting insecticide-treated bed net distribution channels in a malaria-endemic area of western Kenya-a study protocol.

PubMed

Gama, Elvis; Were, Vincent; Ouma, Peter; Desai, Meghna; Niessen, Louis; Buff, Ann M; Kariuki, Simon

2016-11-21

Historically, Kenya has used various distribution models for long-lasting insecticide-treated bed nets (LLINs) with variable results in population coverage. The models presently vary widely in scale, target population and strategy. There is limited information to determine the best combination of distribution models, which will lead to sustained high coverage and are operationally efficient and cost-effective. Standardised cost information is needed in combination with programme effectiveness estimates to judge the efficiency of LLIN distribution models and options for improvement in implementing malaria control programmes. The study aims to address the information gap, estimating distribution cost and the effectiveness of different LLIN distribution models, and comparing them in an economic evaluation. Evaluation of cost and coverage will be determined for 5 different distribution models in Busia County, an area of perennial malaria transmission in western Kenya. Cost data will be collected retrospectively from health facilities, the Ministry of Health, donors and distributors. Programme-effectiveness data, defined as the number of people with access to an LLIN per 1000 population, will be collected through triangulation of data from a nationally representative, cross-sectional malaria survey, a cross-sectional survey administered to a subsample of beneficiaries in Busia County and LLIN distributors' records. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis will be used for the evaluation. A cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed from a health-systems perspective, and cost-effectiveness ratios will be calculated using bootstrapping techniques. The study has been evaluated and approved by Kenya Medical Research Institute, Scientific and Ethical Review Unit (SERU number 2997). All participants will provide written informed consent. The findings of this economic evaluation will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Brain Games study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial of computerised cognitive training for preventing mental illness in adolescents with high-risk personality styles.

PubMed

Mewton, Louise; Hodge, Antoinette; Gates, Nicola; Visontay, Rachel; Teesson, Maree

2017-09-25

A broad range of mental disorders are now understood as aberrations of normal adolescent brain development. In both adolescents and adults, executive dysfunction has been implicated across a range of mental illnesses, and enhancing executive functioning may prove to be a useful prevention strategy for adolescents at risk for a range of psychopathology. This study will consist of a double-blind, randomised controlled trial with a 12-month follow-up period. Participants will consist of 200 people aged 16-24 years who are at risk for a range of mental disorders based on personality risk factors, but have not experienced a lifetime mental illness as determined by a structured diagnostic interview. Participants will be randomly allocated to either an intervention group who complete an online cognitive training programme specifically targeting executive functioning ability or a control group who complete an online cognitive training programme that has limited executive functioning training potential. Superiority of the executive functioning training programme compared with the control training programme will be assessed at baseline, post-training and at 3-month, 6-month and 12-month follow-up. All assessments will be conducted online. The primary outcome of the study will be general psychopathology as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will include executive functioning ability, day-to-day functioning and alcohol consumption. All analyses will be undertaken using mixed-model repeated measures analysis of variance with planned contrasts. Ethics approval has been obtained from the University of New South Wales Human Research Ethics Committee (HC15094). Results of the trial immediately post-treatment and at 12 months follow-up will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. ACTRN12616000127404; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effects of a multicomponent workplace intervention programme with environmental changes on physical activity among Japanese white collar employees: a protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Watanabe, Kazuhiro; Kawakami, Norito

2017-10-24

Physical activity is one of the most important health behaviours as a determinant of physical and mental health. Although intervention strategies for promoting physical activity among workers are needed, evidence for the effectiveness of multilevel workplace interventions with environmental changes on the promotion of physical activity are still limited due to lack of cluster randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The aim of this study is to investigate effects of a 3-month workplace intervention programme with environmental changes on the improvement in physical activity among Japanese white collar employees. This study will be a two-arm and parallel-group cluster (worksite) RCT. Japanese worksites and employees who are employed by the worksites will be recruited through health insurance associations and chambers of commerce. Worksites that meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to intervention or control groups. The intervention worksites will be offered the original intervention programme that consists of 13 contents with environmental changes. The control worksites will be able to get three times feedback of the assessment of the amount of physical activity and basic occupational health service in each worksite. The primary outcome will be the total amount of physical activity measured by the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Multilevel latent growth modelling will be conducted to examine the effectiveness of the intervention programme. This study was ethically approved by the research ethics committee of the Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan (No. 11230). Results will be submitted and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal. UMIN000024069; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Effects of a programme of interventions on regional comprehensive palliative care for patients with cancer: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Morita, Tatsuya; Miyashita, Mitsunori; Yamagishi, Akemi; Akiyama, Miki; Akizuki, Nobuya; Hirai, Kei; Imura, Chizuru; Kato, Masashi; Kizawa, Yoshiyuki; Shirahige, Yutaka; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Eguchi, Kenji

2013-06-01

Improvement of palliative care is an important public health issue, but knowledge about how to deliver palliative care throughout a region remains inadequate. We used surveys and in-depth interviews to assess changes in the quality of palliative care after regional interventions and to gain insights for improvement of palliative care at a regional level. In this mixed-methods study, a comprehensive programme of interventions for regional palliative care for patients with cancer was implemented from April 1, 2008, to March 31, 2011 in Tsuruoka, Kashiwa, Hamamatsu, and Nagasaki in Japan. Interventions included education, specialist support, and networking. We surveyed patients, bereaved family members, physicians, and nurses before and after the interventions were introduced. We also did qualitative interviews with health-care professionals after the interventions were introduced. Primary endpoints were numbers of home deaths, coverage of specialist services, and patient-reported and family-reported qualities of care. This trial is registered with UMIN Clinical Trial Registry, Japan (UMIN000001274). 859 patients, 1110 bereaved family members, 911 physicians, and 2378 nurses provided analysable preintervention surveys; 857 patients, 1137 bereaved family members, 706 physicians, and 2236 nurses provided analysable postintervention surveys. Proportions of home deaths increased significantly, from 348 of 5147 (6.76%) before the intervention programme to 581 of 5546 (10.48%) after the intervention programme (p<0.0001). Furthermore, 194 of 221 (87.78%) family members of patients who died at home answered that these patients had wanted to die at home. The ratio of patients who received palliative care services to all patients who died of cancer increased significantly (from 0.31 to 0.50; p<0.0001). The patient-reported (effect size 0.14; adjusted p=0.0027) and family-reported (0.23; p<0.0001) qualities of care were significantly better after interventions than before interventions. Physician-reported and nurse-reported difficulties decreased significantly after the introduction of the interventions. Qualitative interviews showed improved communication and cooperation between health-care professionals because of greater opportunities for interactions at various levels. A regional programme of interventions could improve the quality of palliative care. Improvement of communication between health-care professionals is key to improvement of services. Third Term Comprehensive Control Research for Cancer Health and Labor Sciences Research Grants of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of the National Cancer Act on grant support.

PubMed

Kalberer, J T

1975-03-01

The National Cancer Act of 1971 resulted in a threefold increase in appropriations for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) within a 4-year period. A major effect was the increase for the Grants Program from +93 million in fiscal year 1970 to more than +280 million in 1974. Grant programs, administered by the Division of Cancer Research Resources and Centers, account for more than 50% of the total NCI extramural research budget and fall into four broad categories: research, training (including fellowships), cancer control, and construction. With the exception of the training area, funding for all grant programs has increased dramatically as a result of the Act. The ocst of research has also risen, as reflected in the average twofold increase in cost per NCI traditional grant over the past 10 years. This rise in cost is due to a number of factors, including inflation, more sophisticated equipment and supplies and, in some cases, more ambitious projects. The principal type of research grants include traditional awarded for investigator-initiated research projects, and center, awarded for comprehensive and specialized cancer centers. While support for traditional grants has remained in the forefront of NCI funding, money for cancer center grants has increased at a greater rate in recent years, reflecting emphasis on the development of cancer centers throughout the country. Compared to other institutes at the NIH, NCI is in a very favorable funding position; in fiscal year 1974 NCI awarded more money for its research grant programs than all of the other institutes (with the exception of the National Heart and Lung Institue) obligated for their entire budgets. The Act has stimulated a large increase in new cancer applications received, and the increased funding has made it possible for NCI to award a greater number of grants. Young investigators have competed well for the additional monies made available by the Act and funding for cancer research outside the United States, still only a small part of NCI's budget, has increased.

Complicity as Infiltration: The (Im)possibilities of Research with/in NSF Engineering Grants in the Age of Neoliberal Scientism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daza, Stephanie Lynn

2012-01-01

In this article, I use a Spivakian decolonizing perspective to take simplification to task in two ways--the simplification of methodology with/in grants and the simplification of critique that skirts the impossibility of noncomplicitous research and researchers. I posit that "neoliberal scientism"'s grants culture is colonizing research--narrowly…

Environmental Health Topics from A to Z

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... common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health. Explore Research Funding Opportunities Grants Grants Explore Grants ... health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights ...

National Diabetes Education Program

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Diabetes and Kidney Disease

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Treatment for Celiac Disease

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ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)

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Treatment for Diverticular Disease

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Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia)

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Weight-Control Information Network

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Insulin Resistance and Prediabetes

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Penile Curvature (Peyronie's Disease)

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Urine Blockage in Newborns

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Complexity and Turbulence at the Substorm Onset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Consolini, G.; De Marco, R.; Acquaviva, E.

2014-12-01

Geomagnetic substorms are one of the principal manifestations of the Earth's magnetospheric complex dynamics in response to solar wind changes. In the last two decades, in-situ susbtorm related studies showed that the onset of this phenomenon is accompanied by fluctuations covering a wide range of scales from the MHD domain to the small non-MHD one. Furthermore, these fluctuations have a turbulent, sporadic and intermittent character. This is particularly true for the well-known current disruption (CD) process, occurring at the substorm onset. Here, the features of the turbulence observed during a CD phenomenon are investigated, with a particular attention to the genereation of a 1/f spectrum in the MHD domain and its connection with a competing direct and inverse cascading process. A comparison with Hall-MHD shell-model simulations will be presented and discussed. This research has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013]) under Grant agreement no. 313038/STORM.

Beam dynamics in THz dielectric-loaded waveguides for the AXSIS project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinatier, T.; Assmann, R. W.; Dorda, U.; Lemery, F.; Marchetti, B.

2017-07-01

In this paper, we investigate with ASTRA simulations the beam dynamics in dielectric-loaded waveguides driven by THz pulses, used as linac structure for the AXSIS project. We show that the bunch properties at the linac exit are very sensitive to the phase velocity of the THz pulse and are limited by the strong phase slippage of the bunch respective to it. We also show that the bunch properties are optimized when low frequencies (< 300 GHz) are used inside the linac, and that the longitudinal focal point can be put several tens of cm away from the linac exit thanks to ballistic bunching. However, a strong asymmetry in the bunch transverse sizes remains for which a solution is still to be found. Work supported by the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC Grant Agreement n. 609920.

Using quantum process tomography to characterize decoherence in an analog electronic device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ostrove, Corey; La Cour, Brian; Lanham, Andrew; Ott, Granville

The mathematical structure of a universal gate-based quantum computer can be emulated faithfully on a classical electronic device using analog signals to represent a multi-qubit state. We describe a prototype device capable of performing a programmable sequence of single-qubit and controlled two-qubit gate operations on a pair of voltage signals representing the real and imaginary parts of a two-qubit quantum state. Analog filters and true-RMS voltage measurements are used to perform unitary and measurement gate operations. We characterize the degradation of the represented quantum state with successive gate operations by formally performing quantum process tomography to estimate the equivalent decoherence channel. Experimental measurements indicate that the performance of the device may be accurately modeled as an equivalent quantum operation closely resembling a depolarizing channel with a fidelity of over 99%. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under Grant No. N00014-14-1-0323.

Evaluating the Success of a Science Academic Development Programme at a Research-Intensive University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engelbrecht, Johann; Harding, Ansie; Potgieter, Marietjie

2014-01-01

Academic development (AD) programmes for students not complying with the entrance requirements of mainstream programmes in science have been running at a number of universities in South Africa. In this study we contribute to the debate on criteria for the success of AD programmes, specifically in the context of research-intensive universities in…

Probing the structure of multi-center molecules with odd–even high harmonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Ning; Yu, Shujuan; Li, Weiyan; Yang, Shiping; Chen, Yanjun

2018-05-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants No. 91750111), the Youth Foundation of Hebei Province Education Department, China (Grant No. QN2017028), the Fundamental Research Funds for Hebei GEO University, China (Grant No. BQ2017047), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, China (Grant No. A2015205161), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. SNNU.GK201801009).

Horizontal schools-based health programme in rural Kenya.

PubMed

Bogie, James; Eder, Ben; Magnus, Dan; Amonje, Onguko David; Gant, Martina

2017-09-01

Primary school children in low-income countries are at risk of many diseases and poor health affects attendance, cognition and ability to learn. Developing school health and nutrition strategies has been extensively highlighted as a global priority, with a particular focus on complex programme design. However, such programmes are relatively untested in low-income settings. We implemented a complex school health and nutrition programme in two schools in Western Kenya over 3 years. There were numerous elements covering health policy, skills-based health education, infrastructure and disease prevention. A local non-governmental organisation, with involvement from local government and the community, performed programme implementation. Height-for-age, weight-for-age,height-for-weight, anaemia prevalence, academic performance and school attendance were the primary outcome measures. The programme improved nutrition, academic performance and anaemia prevalence. The number of underweight children fell from 20% to 11% (OR 0.51 95% CI 0.39 to 0.68 p=<0.01) and stunting prevalence fell from 29.9% to 20% (OR 0.59 95% CI 0.50 to 0.68 p=<0.01). Academic performance improved with a 74% reduction in odds of failing assessments (OR 0.26 95% CI 0.22 to 0.29 p=<0.01). Anaemia prevalence fell from 17.2% to 11%. The programme showed an increase in low body mass index prevalence and no effect on school attendance, the reasons for which are unclear. These results are encouraging and demonstrate that complex schools health programmes can lead to positive gains in health, nutrition and importantly academic performance. There is a need for further evaluation of comprehensive school health interventions in poor communities. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Do exercises used in injury prevention programmes modify cutting task biomechanics? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Pappas, Evangelos; Nightingale, Elizabeth J; Simic, Milena; Ford, Kevin R; Hewett, Timothy E; Myer, Gregory D

2015-05-01

Some injury prevention programmes aim to reduce the risk of ACL rupture. Although the most common athletic task leading to ACL rupture is cutting, there is currently no consensus on how injury prevention programmes influence cutting task biomechanics. To systematically review and synthesise the scientific literature regarding the influence of injury prevention programme exercises on cutting task biomechanics. The three largest databases (Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL) were searched for studies that investigated the effect of injury prevention programmes on cutting task biomechanics. When possible meta-analyses were performed. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Across all studies, a total of 100 participants received exercises that are part of ACL injury prevention programmes and 76 participants served in control groups. Most studies evaluated variables associated with the quadriceps dominance theory. The meta-analysis revealed decreased lateral hamstrings electromyography activity (p ≤ 0.05) while single studies revealed decreased quadriceps and increased medial hamstrings activity and decreased peak knee flexion moment. Findings from single studies reported that ACL injury prevention exercises reduce neuromuscular deficits (knee valgus moment, lateral trunk leaning) associated with the ligament and trunk dominance theories, respectively. The programmes we analysed appear most effective when they emphasise individualised biomechanical technique correction and target postpubertal women. The exercises used in injury prevention programmes have the potential to improve cutting task biomechanics by ameliorating neuromuscular deficits linked to ACL rupture, especially when they emphasise individualised biomechanical technique correction and target postpubertal female athletes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine

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National Kidney Disease Education Program

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Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I

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Definition and Facts for Constipation

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Imaging of the Urinary Tract

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Interstitial Cystitis / Painful Bladder Syndrome

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Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease

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Gas in the Digestive Tract

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Henoch-Schönlein Purpura

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Symptoms and Causes of Constipation

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Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease & NASH

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Prostatitis: Inflammation of the Prostate

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Treatment for Constipation in Children

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What Is NAFLD and NASH?

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Pain Medicines and Kidney Damage

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Kidneys and How They Work

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Smoking and Your Digestive System

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Treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

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Celebrate the Beauty of Youth

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Standardisation of delivery and assessment of research training for specialty trainees based on curriculum requirements: recommendations based on a scoping review.

PubMed

Rangan, Amar; Pitchford, James; Williams, Penny; Wood, Brian; Robson, Stephen

2017-02-06

(1) To conduct a scoping review of postgraduate specialty training (ST) curricula for doctors within Health Education England in order to identify common themes and variations in requirements for training and assessment of research competencies. (2) To make recommendations on standardisation of training for clinical research across ST programmes. Health Education England North East and National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (CRN)-North East and North Cumbria. Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP); Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) checklists and curricula for ST were obtained from Health Education England North East and reviewed between June and September 2015. Research competence requirements based on knowledge, skills or behaviour-based domains were identified and entered onto a spreadsheet for analysis. Common themes with levels of competence required were identified. This information was used to construct and propose a model for delivery of training in clinical research across ST programmes. Sixty-two ST curricula were reviewed and seven common themes for research training were found in up to 97% of the curricula. Requirement for good clinical practice (GCP) in research training was included in 15% of curricula. One of the common themes involved knowledge-based competency, and three each of the remaining seven involved skills or behaviour-based competencies. There was less clarity and larger variation between specialties in how research competencies were assessed; and what evidence was required for ARCP and CCT to assure competence. 63% (19/30) of curricula from medical specialties had no mention of research requirements within their ARCP guidelines. Given that the majority of specialty curricula contain consistent themes around core research knowledge, consideration should be given to standardising the delivery and assessment of generic research competencies within ST. Our recommendations from this review could form the basis for developing structured research training for specialty trainees involving: (1) a taught course for knowledge-based competencies; (2) clinical placements with CRN teams for practical workplace-based experience and (3) developing research tutors to help support placements and assessment of these competencies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

7 CFR 3401.6 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... (80-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to... be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Application for Funding and... AGRICULTURE RANGELAND RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3401.6 How to apply for a grant. (a) General. After...

7 CFR 3401.6 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... (80-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to... be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Application for Funding and... AGRICULTURE RANGELAND RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3401.6 How to apply for a grant. (a) General. After...

7 CFR 3401.6 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... (80-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to... must be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Application for Funding... AGRICULTURE RANGELAND RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3401.6 How to apply for a grant. (a) General. After...

7 CFR 3401.6 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... (80-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to... be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in the Application for Funding and... AGRICULTURE RANGELAND RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3401.6 How to apply for a grant. (a) General. After...

Improvement of sensitivity of graphene photodetector by creating bandgap structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Ni-Zhen; He, Meng-Ke; Yu, Peng; Zhou, Da-Hua

2017-10-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51271210), the Chongqing Municipal Research Program of Basic Research and Frontier Technology, China (Grant No. cstc2015jcyjBX0039), and the Foundation for the Creative Research Groups of Higher Education of Chongqing Municipality, China (Grant No. CXTDX201601016).

Similarities and differences in philanthropic and federal support for medical research in the United States: an analysis of funding by nonprofits in 2006-2008.

PubMed

Myers, Elizabeth R; Alciati, Marianne H; Ahlport, Kathryn N; Sung, Nancy S

2012-11-01

The medical community currently has no detailed source of information on philanthropic research funding. The authors sought to identify trends in research funding by members of the Health Research Alliance (HRA), a consortium of nonprofit funders of biomedical research, and compare findings with research support from the federal government. Thirty-two HRA members uploaded information about grants with start dates in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Data were collected about each grant, investigator, and recipient institution. Disease categorization codes were assigned by a computer process similar to that used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the three years under study, HRA members awarded 9,934 grants, totaling $2,712,418,254 in research and training support. Grant funding increased by 26% between 2006 and 2008. In contrast, NIH research spending increased by only 3% over the same time. Fifty-six percent of HRA grant dollars supported research projects, whereas 30% supported career development and training. During the same period, more than two-thirds of NIH grant dollars supported research projects, although NIH invested proportionally less in career development and training (7%). The largest proportion of HRA grant dollars addressed cancer, followed by diabetes and genetics. Sixty-three percent of HRA-supported investigators were men and 36% were women; 66% of investigators were white, 32% Asian, and fewer than 2% black. These results indicate that nonprofit organizations play an important role in developing careers and advancing research in significant disease areas such as cancer and diabetes, and in basic science areas such as genetics.

Transforming research for food and health in Europe.

PubMed

McCarthy, M

2012-10-01

Eating causes up to a quarter of premature deaths from chronic diseases in Europe through poor diet and excess consumption. FAHRE (Food and Health Research in Europe) was funded to determine needs and gaps in research structures and programmes. Most food research links towards agriculture and the environmental sciences, whereas most health research links towards clinical diseases, biochemical pathways and biology. Research on food and health together includes food safety research addressing biological and chemical contaminants, and biotechnology research supporting clinical nutrition. Research for healthy eating must draw on social and behavioural sciences for studies of policy, regulation and interventions. The food industry, across production, retail and catering, must be part of the research programme, and civil society. Better coordination and improved levels of funding are needed in the coming European research programme 'Horizon 2020', and national programmes linked in the Joint Programming Initiative. Transforming the research agenda can give great benefits to Europe's citizens.

[Adult learning, professional autonomy and individual commitment].

PubMed

Pardell-Alentá, H

The concept of 'andragogy' is the basis of the adult education which is different from pedagogy in several aspects, particularly in the autonomy of the adult learner in choosing the educational programmes and the methodologies and sites in where learning occurs. This happens very often in the worksite. The professionals have to learn permanently during their active lives in order to maintain their competence updated. In this sense, continuing education correlates with continuing professional development, which is an attempt to enlarge the traditional domains of continuing education. Continuing education must be clearly differentiated from formal education, which is a requirement for granting professional degrees or titles. Very often it arises from the changing health needs and for this reason is necessary to avoid the institutionalization of continuing education programmes. Professional associations should be actively involved in providing and accrediting continuing education-continuing professional development programmes, because this involvement is an essential component of the professionals' self-regulation in the context of the current medical professionalism ideology.

Mortality of patients with COPD participating in chronic disease management programmes: a happy end?

PubMed

Peytremann-Bridevaux, I; Taffe, P; Burnand, B; Bridevaux, P O; Puhan, M A

2014-09-01

Concerns about increased mortality could question the role of COPD chronic disease management (CDM) programmes. We aimed at extending a recent Cochrane review to assess the effects of CDM on mortality in patients with COPD. Mortality data were available for 25 out of 29 trials identified in a COPD integrated care systematic review. Meta-analysis using random-effects models was performed, followed by subgroup analyses according to study length (3-12 months vs >12 months), main intervention component (exercise, self-management, structured follow-up) and use of an action plan. The meta-analysis showed no impact of CDM on mortality (pooled OR: 1.00, 95% CI 0.79 to 1.28). These results do not suggest that CDM programmes expose patients with COPD to excessive mortality risk. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (Primary Biliary Cirrhosis)

MedlinePlus

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Symptoms and Causes of Celiac Disease

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Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Children

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Dental Enamel Defects and Celiac Disease

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Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Infants

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Urinary Tract and How It Works

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Patient level cost of diabetes self-management education programmes: an international evaluation.

PubMed

Doyle, Gerardine; O'Donnell, Shane; Quigley, Etáin; Cullen, Kate; Gibney, Sarah; Levin-Zamir, Diane; Ganahl, Kristin; Müller, Gabriele; Muller, Ingrid; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Chang, Wushou Peter; Van Den Broucke, Stephan

2017-06-04

The objective of this study was to examine the value of time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) in understanding the process and costs of delivering diabetes self-management education (DSME) programmes in a multicountry comparative study. Outpatient settings in five European countries (Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, UK) and two countries outside Europe, Taiwan and Israel. Providers of DSME programmes across participating countries (N=16) including healthcare professionals, administrators and patients taking part in DSME programmes. Primary measure: time spent by providers in the delivery of DSME and resources consumed in order to compute programme costs. Secondary measures: self-report measures of behavioural self-management and diabetes disease/health-related outcomes. We found significant variation in costs and the processes of how DSME programmes are provided across and within countries. Variations in costs were driven by a combination of price variances, mix of personnel skill and efficiency variances. Higher cost programmes were not found to have achieved better relative outcomes. The findings highlight the value of TDABC in calculating a patient level cost and potential of the methodology to identify process improvements in guiding the optimal allocation of scarce resources in diabetes care, in particular for DSME that is often underfunded. This study is the first to measure programme costs using estimates of the actual resources used to educate patients about managing their medical condition and is the first study to map such costs to self-reported behavioural and disease outcomes. The results of this study will inform clinicians, managers and policy makers seeking to enhance the delivery of DSME programmes. The findings highlight the benefits of adopting a TDABC approach to understanding the drivers of the cost of DSME programmes in a multicountry study to reveal opportunities to bend the cost curve for DSME. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Hydrogel research in Germany: the priority programme, Intelligent Hydrogels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wallmersperger, Thomas; Sadowski, Gabriele

2009-03-01

The priority programme "Intelligent Hydrogels" was established by the German Research Foundation (DFG) in 2006 in order to strengthen the hydrogel-related research in Germany. The programme is being coordinated by Gabriele Sadowski, Technische Universität Dortmund. The aim of this priority programme is to develop new methods for the synthesis and characterization of smart hydrogels and to develop new modelling strategies in order to a) prepare the hydrogels for special applications and/or b) to develop and extend their capabilities for any desired use. In this programme, 73 scientists (36 professors and 37 scientific assistants/PhD students) from all over Germany are involved, working in 23 projects.

Influence of moderate-to-strong anisotropic non-Kolmogorov turbulence on intensity fluctuations of a Gaussian–Schell model beam in marine atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Mingjian; Guo, Lixin; Li, Jiangting

2018-05-01

Not Available Project supported by the Open Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Pulsed Power Laser Technology (Grant No. SKL2016KF05), the Key Industrial Innovation Chain Project in Industrial Domain, China (Grant No. 2017ZDCXL-GY-06-02), the Huawei Innovation Research Program, China (Grant No. HO2017050001AG), and the Foundation for Innovative Research Groups of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61621005).

Band engineering and precipitation enhance thermoelectric performance of SnTe with Zn-doping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhiyu; Wang, Ruifeng; Wang, Guoyu; Zhou, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Zhengshang; Yin, Cong; Hu, Qing; Zhou, Binqiang; Tang, Jun; Ang, Ran

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51771126), the Youth Foundation of Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (Grant No. 2016JQ0051), the Sichuan University Talent Introduction Research Funding (Grand No. YJ201537), the Sichuan University Outstanding Young Scholars Research Funding (Grant No. 2015SCU04A20), the World First-Class University Construction Funding, and the Fundamental and Frontier Research in Chongqing (Grant No. CSTC2015JCYJBX0026).

Johne's disease: a successful eradication programme in a dairy goat herd.

PubMed

Gavin, William G; Porter, Catherine A; Hawkins, Nathan; Schofield, Michael J; Pollock, John M

2018-04-28

This retrospective analysis and report describes the successful eradication and posteradication surveillance programme for Johne's disease ( Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP)) in a closed herd of dairy goats. In 1994, MAP's presence in the goat herd was first suspected through individual annual serological screening and then subsequently confirmed through faecal culture and histopathology in 1997 when implementation of a more aggressive programme of testing and eradication of the diseased animals began. This programme included frequent serological screening of all adult goats using ELISA and agar gel immunodiffusion assays. Faecal cultures for bacteria were performed on suspect or positive animals and for all goats found dead or euthanased, and tissues were submitted for histopathology and acid-fast staining. Additional disease eradication measures included maintaining a closed herd and minimising faecal-oral transmission of MAP. Following a more aggressive testing regimen and euthanasia of goats with positive faecal culture, the herd was first considered free of MAP in 2003 and has remained free to the present day. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Online communication in a rehabilitation setting: Experiences of patients with chronic conditions using a web portal in Denmark.

PubMed

Cerdan, Jose; Catalan-Matamoros, Daniel; Berg, Sarah Warny

2017-12-01

To gain insight into the experiences of patients with long-term conditions enrolled in an online rehabilitation programme using a web portal. Danish outpatients were recruited from a rehabilitation department and were granted access to a web portal which included an online rehabilitation programme with key information, clinical advice, and self-management activities. After two weeks, patients were invited to participate in focus groups. A topic guide was used to explore this new online rehabilitation programme in relation to participants' experiences. Fourteen participants, ranging from 42 to 72 years old, were allocated into three focus groups. Participants mainly reported negative experiences by the following four themes: 'patients' experiences', 'technical aspects', 'areas for improvement', and 'digitalization added value'. Participants mainly reported negative experiences and suggested combining both face-to-face consultations with online care by user-friendly web portals. This will ensure a positive contribution from digital communication tools to rehabilitation. Patients' experiences should be considered in the design of web portals in rehabilitation which could help healthcare organizations when developing online rehabilitation programmes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

National Directory of NASA Space Grant Contacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Congress enacted the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (also known as Space Grant). NASA's Space Grant Program funds education, research, and public service programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico through 52 university-based Space Grant consortia. These consortia form a network of colleges and universities, industry partners, State and local Government agencies, other Federal agencies, museum and science centers, and nonprofit organizations, all with interests in aerospace education, research, and training. Space Grant programs emphasize the diversity of human resources, the participation of students in research, and the communication of the benefits of science and technology to the general public. Each year approximately one-third of the NASA Space Grant funds support scholarships and fellowships for United States students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Typically, at least 20 percent of these awards go to students from underrepresented groups, and at least 40 percent go to women. Most Space Grant student awards include a mentored research experience with university faculty or NASA scientists or engineers. Space Grant consortia also fund curriculum enhancement and faculty development programs. Consortia members administer precollege and public service education programs in their States. The 52 consortia typically leverage NASA funds with matching contributions from State, local, and other university sources, which more than double the NASA funding. For more information, consult the Space Grant Web site at http://education.nasa.gov/spacegrant/

Research Capacity Strengthening in Low and Middle Income Countries - An Evaluation of the WHO/TDR Career Development Fellowship Programme.

PubMed

Käser, Michael; Maure, Christine; Halpaap, Beatrice M M; Vahedi, Mahnaz; Yamaka, Sara; Launois, Pascal; Casamitjana, Núria

2016-05-01

Between August 2012 and April 2013 the Career Development Fellowship programme of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (World Health Organization) underwent an external evaluation to assess its past performance and determine recommendations for future programme development and continuous performance improvement. The programme provides a year-long training experience for qualified researchers from low and middle income countries at pharmaceutical companies or product development partnerships. Independent evaluators from the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health used a results-based methodology to review the programme. Data were gathered through document review, surveys, and interviews with a range of programme participants. The final evaluation report found the Career Development Fellowship to be relevant to organizers' and programme objectives, efficient in its operations, and effective in its training scheme, which was found to address needs and gaps for both fellows and their home institutions. Evaluators found that the programme has the potential for impact and sustainability beyond the programme period, especially with the successful reintegration of fellows into their home institutions, through which newly-developed skills can be shared at the institutional level. Recommendations included the development of a scheme to support the re-integration of fellows into their home institutions post-fellowship and to seek partnerships to facilitate the scaling-up of the programme. The impact of the Professional Membership Scheme, an online professional development tool launched through the programme, beyond the scope of the Career Development Fellowship programme itself to other applications, has been identified as a positive unintended outcome. The results of this evaluation may be of interest for other efforts in the field of research capacity strengthening in LMICs or, generally, to other professional development schemes of a similar structure.

Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Definition and Facts for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Dermatitis Herpetiformis: Skin Manifestation of Celiac Disease

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

How Do Doctors Treat NAFLD and NASH?

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Diabetes, Gum Disease, and Other Dental Problems

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Definition and Facts for Constipation in Children

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Bladder Control Problems and Bedwetting in Children

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... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Two cross-sectional studies in south India assessing the effect of an HIV prevention programme for female sex workers on reducing syphilis among their clients.

PubMed

Rajaram, Subramanian Potty; Banandur, Pradeep; Thammattoor, Usha K; Thomas, Tinku; Mainkar, Mandar K; Paranjape, Ramesh; Adhikary, Rajatashurva; Duchesne, Thierry; Ramesh, Banadakoppa M; Isac, Shajy; Moses, Stephen; Alary, Michel

2014-11-01

To assess the impact of the Avahan HIV prevention programme for female sex workers (FSWs) in south India on reducing syphilis prevalence among their clients, by comparing rates of syphilis over time as reported in two large-scale surveys of FSWs' clients. A random-effect multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed using syphilis as the dependent variable, with individual independent variables (from the two survey rounds) at level 1 and the district-level programme (from the Avahan computerised monitoring and information system) and contextual variables (from Indian government datasets) at level 2. Programme variables included their 2006 value and their difference in value between 2008 and 2006, as well as the interaction between the latter and the study round. The analysis also controlled for baseline syphilis prevalence and its interaction with the study round. Syphilis decreased significantly among FSWs' clients, from 4.8% (round 1) to 2.6% (round 2), p<0.001. The OR of the interaction term between the difference in programme coverage of FSWs and the round was 0.98 (p=0.023), suggesting that increased coverage was associated with a reduced incidence of syphilis. This study suggests that the Avahan intervention programme among FSWs reduced syphilis rates among their clients. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Differences in antiretroviral scale up in three South African provinces: the role of implementation management

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background South Africa’s antiretroviral programme is governed by defined national plans, establishing treatment targets and providing funding through ring-fenced conditional grants. However, in terms of the country’s quasi-federal constitution, provincial governments bear the main responsibility for provision of health care, and have a certain amount of autonomy and therefore choice in the way their HIV/AIDS programmes are implemented. Methods The paper is a comparative case study of the early management of ART scale up in three South African provincial governments – Western Cape, Gauteng and Free State – focusing on both operational and strategic dimensions. Drawing on surveys of models of ART care and analyses of the policy process conducted in the three provinces between 2005 and 2007, as well as a considerable body of grey and indexed literature on ART scale up in South Africa, it draws links between implementation processes and variations in provincial ART coverage (low, medium and high) achieved in the three provinces. Results While they adopted similar chronic disease care approaches, the provinces differed with respect to political and managerial leadership of the programme, programme design, the balance between central standardisation and local flexibility, the effectiveness of monitoring and evaluation systems, and the nature and extent of external support and programme partnerships. Conclusions This case study points to the importance of sub-national programme processes and the influence of factors other than financing or human resource capacity, in understanding intervention scale up. PMID:20594370

Non-Abelian fermion parity interferometry of Majorana bound states in a Fermi sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahan, Daniel; Tanhayi Ahari, Mostafa; Ortiz, Gerardo; Seradjeh, Babak; Grosfeld, Eytan

We study the quantum dynamics of Majorana and regular fermion bound states coupled to a one-dimensional lead. The dynamics following the quench in the coupling to the lead exhibits a series of dynamical revivals as the bound state propagates in the lead and reflects from the boundaries. We show that the nature of revivals for a single Majorana bound state depends uniquely on the presence of a resonant level in the lead. When two spatially separated Majorana modes are coupled to the lead, the revivals depend only on the phase difference between their host superconductors. Remarkably, the quench in this case effectively performs a fermion-parity interferometry between Majorana bound states, revealing their unique non-Abelian braiding. Using both analytical and numerical techniques, we find the pattern of fermion parity transfers following the quench, study its evolution in the presence of disorder and interactions, and thus, ascertain the fate of Majorana in a rough Fermi sea. Work supported in part by BSF Grant No. 2014345, ISF Grant Nos. 401/12 and 1626/16, EU Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) Grant No. 303742, NSF CAREER Grant DMR-1350663 and the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University.

Effect of a Clinical and Translational Science Award institute on grant funding in a major research university.

PubMed

Kabo, Felichism W; Mashour, George A

2017-04-01

Previous studies have examined the impact of Clinical and Translational Science Awards programs on other outcomes, but not on grant seeking. The authors examined the effects on grant seeking of the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), a Clinical and Translational Science Awards institute at the University of Michigan. We assessed over 63,000 grant proposals submitted at the University of Michigan in the years 2002-2012 using data from the university and MICHR's Tracking Metrics and Reporting System. We used a retrospective, observational study of the dynamics of grant-seeking success and award funding. Heckman selection models were run to assess MICHR's relationship with a proposal's success (selection), and subsequently the award's size (outcome). Models were run for all proposals and for clinical and translational research (CTR) proposals alone. Other covariates included proposal classification, type of grant award, academic unit, and year. MICHR had a positive and statistically significant relationship with success for both proposal types. For all grants, MICHR was associated with a 29.6% increase in award size. For CTR grants, MICHR had a statistically nonsignificant relationship with award size. MICHR's infrastructure, created to enable and enhance CTR, has also created positive spillovers for a broader spectrum of research and grant seeking.

An international survey of cerebral palsy registers and surveillance systems

PubMed Central

Goldsmith, Shona; McIntyre, Sarah; Smithers-Sheedy, Hayley; Blair, Eve; Cans, Christine; Watson, Linda; Yeargin-Allsopp, Marshalyn

2016-01-01

AIM To describe cerebral palsy (CP) surveillance programmes and identify similarities and differences in governance and funding, aims and scope, definition, inclusion/exclusion criteria, ascertainment and data collection, to enhance the potential for research collaboration. METHOD Representatives from 38 CP surveillance programmes were invited to participate in an online survey and submit their data collection forms. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize information submitted. RESULTS Twenty-seven surveillance programmes participated (25 functioning registers, two closed owing to lack of funding). Their aims spanned five domains: resource for CP research, surveillance, aetiology/prevention, service planning, and information provision (in descending order of frequency). Published definitions guided decision making for the definition of CP and case eligibility for most programmes. Consent, case identification, and data collection methods varied widely. Ten key data items were collected by all programmes and a further seven by at least 80% of programmes. All programmes reported an interest in research collaboration. INTERPRETATION Despite variability in methodologies, similarities exist across programmes in terms of their aims, definitions, and data collected. These findings will facilitate harmonization of data and collaborative research efforts, which are so necessary on account of the heterogeneity and relatively low prevalence of CP. PMID:26781543

Office of Naval Research Equipment Grant Report, Durip Grant Number N00014-89-J-1326 (MTU No. 881120)

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-07-01

AD-A239 472 IIIi111111111I 1111 Office of Naval Research Equipment Grant Report Durip Grant No. N00014-89- J -1326, (MTU 9 881120) DTICS E LECTE AUG1...approved , pb " release and sale; iLs di:;tiiution is unlimited. j u y, 1 99 1 91-06146 1 q IliEllIi EHIlll .1 7 9 - 49 DISCLAIMU NOTICE THIS DOCUMENT...funds -or this grant were to be used to further the effo-ts of the C0fice of Naval Research contract No. N00014-89- J -19 5 issued b. the The purpose of

Size, Accumulation and Performance for Research Grants: Examining the Role of Size for Centres of Excellence

PubMed Central

Bloch, Carter; Schneider, Jesper W.; Sinkjær, Thomas

2016-01-01

The present paper examines the relation between size, accumulation and performance for research grants, where we examine the relation between grant size for Centres of Excellence (CoE) funded by the Danish National Research Foundation (DNRF) and various ex post research performance measures, including impact and shares of highly cited articles. We examine both the relation between size and performance and also how performance for CoEs evolves over the course of grant periods. In terms of dynamics, it appears that performance over the grant period (i.e. 10 years) is falling for the largest CoEs, while it is increasing for those among the smallest half. Overall, multivariate econometric analysis finds evidence that performance is increasing in grant size and over time. In both cases, the relation appears to be non-linear, suggesting that there is a point at which performance peaks. The CoEs have also been very successful in securing additional funding, which can be viewed as a ‘cumulative effect’ of center grants. In terms of new personnel, the far majority of additional funding is spent on early career researchers, hence, this accumulation would appear to have a ‘generational’ dimension, allowing for scientific expertise to be passed on to an increasing number of younger researchers. PMID:26862907

Studying de-implementation in health: an analysis of funded research grants.

PubMed

Norton, Wynne E; Kennedy, Amy E; Chambers, David A

2017-12-04

Studying de-implementation-defined herein as reducing or stopping the use of a health service or practice provided to patients by healthcare practitioners and systems-has gained traction in recent years. De-implementing ineffective, unproven, harmful, overused, inappropriate, and/or low-value health services and practices is important for mitigating patient harm, improving processes of care, and reducing healthcare costs. A better understanding of the state-of-the-science is needed to guide future objectives and funding initiatives. To this end, we characterized de-implementation research grants funded by the United States (US) National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). We used systematic methods to search, identify, and describe de-implementation research grants funded across all 27 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) and AHRQ from fiscal year 2000 through 2017. Eleven key terms and three funding opportunity announcements were used to search for research grants in the NIH Query, View and Report (QVR) system. Two coders identified eligible grants based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. A codebook was developed, pilot tested, and revised before coding the full grant applications of the final sample. A total of 1277 grants were identified through the QVR system; 542 remained after removing duplicates. After the multistep eligibility assessment and review process, 20 grant applications were coded. Many grants were funded by NIH (n = 15), with fewer funded by AHRQ, and a majority were funded between fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (n = 11). Grant proposals focused on de-implementing a range of health services and practices (e.g., medications, therapies, screening tests) across various health areas (e.g., cancer, cardiovascular disease) and delivery settings (e.g., hospitals, nursing homes, schools). Grants proposed to use a variety of study designs and research methods (e.g., experimental, observational, mixed methods) to accomplish study aims. Based on the systematic portfolio analysis of NIH- and AHRQ-funded research grants over the past 17 years, relatively few have focused on studying the de-implementation of ineffective, unproven, harmful, overused, inappropriate, and/or low-value health services and practices provided to patients by healthcare practitioners and systems. Strategies for raising the profile and growing the field of research on de-implementation are discussed.

A new framework for designing programmes of assessment

PubMed Central

Van der Vleuten, C. P. M.; Schuwirth, L. W. T.

2009-01-01

Research on assessment in medical education has strongly focused on individual measurement instruments and their psychometric quality. Without detracting from the value of this research, such an approach is not sufficient to high quality assessment of competence as a whole. A programmatic approach is advocated which presupposes criteria for designing comprehensive assessment programmes and for assuring their quality. The paucity of research with relevance to programmatic assessment, and especially its development, prompted us to embark on a research project to develop design principles for programmes of assessment. We conducted focus group interviews to explore the experiences and views of nine assessment experts concerning good practices and new ideas about theoretical and practical issues in programmes of assessment. The discussion was analysed, mapping all aspects relevant for design onto a framework, which was iteratively adjusted to fit the data until saturation was reached. The overarching framework for designing programmes of assessment consists of six assessment programme dimensions: Goals, Programme in Action, Support, Documenting, Improving and Accounting. The model described in this paper can help to frame programmes of assessment; it not only provides a common language, but also a comprehensive picture of the dimensions to be covered when formulating design principles. It helps identifying areas concerning assessment in which ample research and development has been done. But, more importantly, it also helps to detect underserved areas. A guiding principle in design of assessment programmes is fitness for purpose. High quality assessment can only be defined in terms of its goals. PMID:19821042

A new framework for designing programmes of assessment.

PubMed

Dijkstra, J; Van der Vleuten, C P M; Schuwirth, L W T

2010-08-01

Research on assessment in medical education has strongly focused on individual measurement instruments and their psychometric quality. Without detracting from the value of this research, such an approach is not sufficient to high quality assessment of competence as a whole. A programmatic approach is advocated which presupposes criteria for designing comprehensive assessment programmes and for assuring their quality. The paucity of research with relevance to programmatic assessment, and especially its development, prompted us to embark on a research project to develop design principles for programmes of assessment. We conducted focus group interviews to explore the experiences and views of nine assessment experts concerning good practices and new ideas about theoretical and practical issues in programmes of assessment. The discussion was analysed, mapping all aspects relevant for design onto a framework, which was iteratively adjusted to fit the data until saturation was reached. The overarching framework for designing programmes of assessment consists of six assessment programme dimensions: Goals, Programme in Action, Support, Documenting, Improving and Accounting. The model described in this paper can help to frame programmes of assessment; it not only provides a common language, but also a comprehensive picture of the dimensions to be covered when formulating design principles. It helps identifying areas concerning assessment in which ample research and development has been done. But, more importantly, it also helps to detect underserved areas. A guiding principle in design of assessment programmes is fitness for purpose. High quality assessment can only be defined in terms of its goals.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2016-01-01

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

Researching the Impact of Teacher Professional Development Programmes Based on Action Research, Constructivism, and Systems Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehetmeier, Stefan; Andreitz, Irina; Erlacher, Willibald; Rauch, Franz

2015-01-01

This paper deals with the topic of professional development programmes' impact. Concepts and ideas of action research, constructivism, and systems theory are used as a theoretical framework and are combined to describe and analyse an exemplary professional development programme in Austria. Empirical findings from both quantitative and qualitative…

Redeveloping a Business Undergraduate Honours Research Degree to Improve Educational Outcomes: Implications for PhD Supervision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitsis, Ann

2015-01-01

There are many challenges that undergraduate students face when studying an honours research degree. Honours programmes though traditionally considered within the business discipline as a loss leader, nevertheless, form a direct entry requirement for PhD programmes. The honours degree can be considered a formative research programme for student…

Big Science vs. Little Science: How Scientific Impact Scales with Funding.

PubMed

Fortin, Jean-Michel; Currie, David J

2013-01-01

is it more effective to give large grants to a few elite researchers, or small grants to many researchers? Large grants would be more effective only if scientific impact increases as an accelerating function of grant size. Here, we examine the scientific impact of individual university-based researchers in three disciplines funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). We considered four indices of scientific impact: numbers of articles published, numbers of citations to those articles, the most cited article, and the number of highly cited articles, each measured over a four-year period. We related these to the amount of NSERC funding received. Impact is positively, but only weakly, related to funding. Researchers who received additional funds from a second federal granting council, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, were not more productive than those who received only NSERC funding. Impact was generally a decelerating function of funding. Impact per dollar was therefore lower for large grant-holders. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis that larger grants lead to larger discoveries. Further, the impact of researchers who received increases in funding did not predictably increase. We conclude that scientific impact (as reflected by publications) is only weakly limited by funding. We suggest that funding strategies that target diversity, rather than "excellence", are likely to prove to be more productive.

On the scaling features of high-latitude geomagnetic field fluctuations during a large geomagnetic storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Michelis, Paola; Federica Marcucci, Maria; Consolini, Giuseppe

2015-04-01

Recently we have investigated the spatial distribution of the scaling features of short-time scale magnetic field fluctuations using measurements from several ground-based geomagnetic observatories distributed in the northern hemisphere. We have found that the scaling features of fluctuations of the horizontal magnetic field component at time scales below 100 minutes are correlated with the geomagnetic activity level and with changes in the currents flowing in the ionosphere. Here, we present a detailed analysis of the dynamical changes of the magnetic field scaling features as a function of the geomagnetic activity level during the well-known large geomagnetic storm occurred on July, 15, 2000 (the Bastille event). The observed dynamical changes are discussed in relationship with the changes of the overall ionospheric polar convection and potential structure as reconstructed using SuperDARN data. This work is supported by the Italian National Program for Antarctic Research (PNRA) - Research Project 2013/AC3.08 and by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013]) under Grant no. 313038/STORM and

Definition and Facts for Peptic Ulcers (Stomach Ulcers)

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Nutrition for Early Chronic Kidney Disease in Adults

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

What are the symptoms of NAFLD and NASH?

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Eating, Diet, and Nutrition for Irritable Bowel Syndrome

MedlinePlus

... Process Research Training & Career Development Funded Grants & Grant History Research Resources Research at NIDDK Technology Advancement & Transfer Meetings & Workshops Health Information Diabetes Digestive ...

Ethical responsibilities of health research funders to advance global health justice.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Hyder, Adnan A

2018-05-04

Research funders from high-income countries have an ethical obligation to support health research in low and middle-income countries that promotes justice in global health. Conceptual work from bioethics proposes funders should do so through their design of grants programs, investments, and grants management. That work has begun to specify the content of funders' ethical responsibility with regards to health systems research, but it has thus far not been informed by their practice. As a first step to bridge that gap, this paper focuses on health systems research funders' design of grants programs. It aims to test the content of funders' proposed ethical responsibility against recent empirical work describing how they design their health systems research grants programs to help address global health disparities. Based on that analysis, recommendations are made for how to better articulate the content of health systems research funders' obligation. Such recommendations may be pertinent to funders of other types of international research. The paper also provides an initial picture of how well health systems research grants programs' designs may align with the ideals of global health justice.

Simulation of a torrential rainstorm in Xinjiang and gravity wave analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Rui; Liu, Yi; Ran, Ling-Kun; Zhang, Yu-Li

2018-05-01

Not Available Project supported by China Special Fund for Meteorological Research in the Public Interest (Grant No. GYHY201406002), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41575065 and 41405049), the National Natural Science Foundation International Cooperation Project, China (Grant No. 41661144024), and Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA17010100).

78 FR 46953 - CDC and ATSDR Use of the SF-424 Research and Related Forms (Application Packages) in Grants.gov...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-02

... Use of the SF-424 Research and Related Forms (Application Packages) in Grants.gov and the eRA Commons... Management and Budget approved form sets available through Grants.gov . CDC and other agencies serviced by eRA use the `Competition ID' field of Grants.gov application packages for quick and easy...

Hydrodynamic Sensing Based on Surface-Modified Flexible Nanocomposite Film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shu, Yi; Tian, He; Wang, Zhe; Zhao, Hai-Ming; Mi, Wen-Tian; Li, Yu-Xing; Cao, Hui-Wen; Ren, Tian-Ling

2015-11-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation under Grant No 61434001 and 61574083, the National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No 2015CB352100, the National Key Project of Science and Technology under Grant No 2011ZX02403-002, and the Special Fund for Agroscientic Research in the Public Interest of China under Grant No 201303107.

Evaluation of NSF's Program of Grants and Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Academies Press, 2009

2009-01-01

In 1998, the National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a program of Grants for Vertical Integration of Research and Education in the Mathematical Sciences (VIGRE). These grants were designed for institutions with PhD-granting departments in the mathematical sciences, for the purpose of developing high-quality education programs, at all levels,…

22 CFR 63.4 - Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Grants to foreign participants to lecture... EXCHANGE PROGRAM § 63.4 Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research. A citizen or national of a foreign country who has been awarded a grant to lecture, teach, and engage in...

22 CFR 63.4 - Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Grants to foreign participants to lecture... EXCHANGE PROGRAM § 63.4 Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research. A citizen or national of a foreign country who has been awarded a grant to lecture, teach, and engage in...

22 CFR 63.4 - Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Grants to foreign participants to lecture... EXCHANGE PROGRAM § 63.4 Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research. A citizen or national of a foreign country who has been awarded a grant to lecture, teach, and engage in...

22 CFR 63.4 - Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Grants to foreign participants to lecture... EXCHANGE PROGRAM § 63.4 Grants to foreign participants to lecture, teach, and engage in research. A citizen or national of a foreign country who has been awarded a grant to lecture, teach, and engage in...

Mouth Problems and HIV

MedlinePlus

... Advancing the nation's oral health through research and innovation Health Info Research Grants & Funding Careers & Training News & ... Advancing the nation's oral health through research and innovation Health Info Research Grants & Funding Careers & Training News & ...

Safer@home-Simulation and training: the study protocol of a qualitative action research design.

PubMed

Wiig, Siri; Guise, Veslemøy; Anderson, Janet; Storm, Marianne; Lunde Husebø, Anne Marie; Testad, Ingelin; Søyland, Elsa; Moltu, Kirsti L

2014-07-29

While it is predicted that telecare and other information and communication technology (ICT)-assisted services will have an increasingly important role in future healthcare services, their implementation in practice is complex. For implementation of telecare to be successful and ensure quality of care, sufficient training for staff (healthcare professionals) and service users (patients) is fundamental. Telecare training has been found to have positive effects on attitudes to, sustained use of, and outcomes associated with telecare. However, the potential contribution of training in the adoption, quality and safety of telecare services is an under-investigated research field. The overall aim of this study is to develop and evaluate simulation-based telecare training programmes to aid the use of videophone technology in elderly home care. Research-based training programmes will be designed for healthcare professionals, service users and next of kin, and the study will explore the impact of training on adoption, quality and safety of new telecare services. The study has a qualitative action research design. The research will be undertaken in close collaboration with a multidisciplinary team consisting of researchers and managers and clinical representatives from healthcare services in two Norwegian municipalities, alongside experts in clinical education and simulation, as well as service user (patient) representatives. The qualitative methods used involve focus group interviews, semistructured interviews, observation and document analysis. To ensure trustworthiness in the data analysis, we will apply member checks and analyst triangulation; in addition to providing contextual and sample description to allow for evaluation of transferability of our results to other contexts and groups. The study is approved by the Norwegian Social Science Data Services. The study is based on voluntary participation and informed written consent. Informants can withdraw at any point in time. The results will be disseminated at research conferences, peer review journals, one PhD thesis and through public presentations to people outside the scientific community. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Policy Development for Research Grants, and Contracts Administration in the Small College or University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lyons, Paul R.

Some of the major administrative factors that will require attention by small colleges and universities as they develop policy and general procedures for the administration of research, grants, and contracts are considered. Management of research, grants, and contracts is a process that involves the review and approval of proposals; project…

7 CFR 3400.4 - How to apply for a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-character maximum), yet represent the major thrust of the research. This title will be used to provide...). Each set of such materials must be identified with the title of the research project as it appears in... AGRICULTURE SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3400.4 How to apply for a grant. (a) A request for...

The effects of placing an operational research fellow within the Viet Nam National Tuberculosis Programme.

PubMed

Hoa, N B; Nhung, N V; Kumar, A M V; Harries, A D

2016-12-21

In April 2009, an operational research fellow was placed within the Viet Nam National Tuberculosis Control Programme (NTP). Over the 6 years from 2010 to 2015, the OR fellow co-authored 21 tuberculosis research papers (as principal author in 15 [71%]). This constituted 23% of the 91 tuberculosis papers published in Viet Nam during this period. Of the 21 published papers, 16 (76%) contributed to changes in policy ( n = 8) and practice ( n = 8), and these in turn improved programme performance. Many papers also contributed important evidence for better programme planning. Highly motivated OR fellows embedded within NTPs can facilitate high-quality research and research uptake.

Sun Grant Initiative : great strides toward a sustainable and more energy-independent future

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

The Sun Grant Initiative publication, developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, offers a glimpse of how the Sun Grant Initiative Centers are advancing alternative fuels research. Transportation plays a significant role in biofuels research,...

Quantitative evaluation of space charge effects of laser-cooled three-dimensional ion system on a secular motion period scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Li-Jun; Song, Hong-Fang; Chen, Shao-Long; Huang, Yao; Tong, Xin; Guan, Hua; Gao, Ke-Lin

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0304401), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11622434, 11474318, 91336211, and 11634013), the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB21030100), Hubei Province Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2017CFA040), and the Youth Innovation Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2015274).

Hot spots enriched plasmonic nanostructure-induced random lasing of quantum dots thin film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Feng; Zhang, Xiao-Yang; Wu, Jing-Yuan; Zhang, Tong

2018-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFA0205800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11734005, 61307066, and 61450110442), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. BK20130630), the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20130092120024), the Innovation Fund of School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Southeast University, China (Grant No. 2242015KD006), and the Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Southeast University, China (Grant Nos. YBJJ1513 and YBJJ1613).

Leadership as a Health Research Policy Intervention: An Evaluation of the NIHR Leadership Programme (Phase 2).

PubMed

Marjanovic, Sonja; Cochrane, Gavin; Manville, Catriona; Harte, Emma; Chataway, Joanna; Jones, Molly Morgan

2016-01-29

In early 2012, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) leadership programme was re-commissioned for a further three years following an evaluation by RAND Europe. During this new phase of the programme, we conducted a real-time evaluation, the aim of which was to allow for reflection on and adjustment of the programme on an on-going basis as events unfold. This approach also allowed for participants on the programme to contribute to and positively engage in the evaluation. The study aimed to understand the outputs and impacts from the programme, and to test the underlying assumptions behind the NIHR Leadership Programme as a science policy intervention. Evidence on outputs and impacts of the programme were collected around the motivations and expectations of participants, programme design and individual-, institutional- and system-level impacts.

Prospective observational study protocol to investigate long-term adverse effects of methylphenidate in children and adolescents with ADHD: the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) study

PubMed Central

Inglis, S K; Carucci, S; Garas, P; Häge, A; Banaschewski, T; Buitelaar, J K; Dittmann, R W; Falissard, B; Hollis, C; Kovshoff, H; Liddle, E; McCarthy, S; Nagy, P; Neubert, A; Rosenthal, E; Sonuga-Barke, E; Wong, I; Zuddas, A; Coghill, D C

2016-01-01

Introduction Methylphenidate is the most frequently used medication for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Europe. Following concerns about its safety, the European Commission called for research into the long-term effects of methylphenidate on children and adolescents with ADHD. The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Drugs Use Chronic Effects (ADDUCE) research programme was designed to address this call. At the heart of this programme is a 2-year longitudinal naturalistic pharmacovigilance study being conducted in 27 European sites. Methods and analysis 3 cohorts of children and adolescents (aged 6–17) living in the UK, Germany, Italy and Hungary are being recruited: Group 1 (Medicated ADHD): 800 ADHD medication-naive children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD about to start methylphenidate treatment for the first time. Group 2 (Unmedicated ADHD): 400 children and adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD who have never been treated with ADHD medication and have no intention of beginning medication. Group 3 (Non-ADHD): 400 children and adolescents without ADHD who are siblings of individuals in either group 1 or 2. All participants will be assessed 5 times during their 2-year follow-up period for growth and development, psychiatric, neurological and cardiovascular health. The primary outcome measure will be the height velocity SD score. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for the study has been granted by the East of Scotland Research Ethics Service. Following this approval, patient information leaflets and consent forms were translated as necessary and submissions made by lead sites in each of the other 3 countries to their own ethics committees. Following ethical approval in each country, local ethical permissions at each site were sought and obtained as needed. The study's website (http://www.adhd-adduce.org/page/view/2/Home) provides information for researchers, participants and the general public. Trial registration number NCT01470261. PMID:27118284

Study protocol for the Cities Changing Diabetes programme: a global mixed-methods approach.

PubMed

Napier, A David; Nolan, John J; Bagger, Malene; Hesseldal, Louise; Volkmann, Anna-Maria

2017-11-08

Urban living has been shown to affect health in various ways. As the world is becoming more urbanised and almost two-thirds of people with diabetes now live in cities, research into the relationship between urban living, health and diabetes is key to improving the lives of many. The majority of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes, a subset linked to overweight and obesity, decreased physical activity and unhealthy diets. Diabetes has significant consequences for those living with the condition as well as their families, relationships and wider society. Although care and management are improving, complications remain common, and diabetes is among the leading causes of vision loss, amputation, neuropathy and renal and cardiovascular disease worldwide. We present a research protocol for exploring the drivers of type 2 diabetes and its complications in urban settings through the Cities Changing Diabetes (CCD) partnership programme. A global study protocol is implemented in eight collaborating CCD partner cities. In each city, academic institutions, municipal representatives and local stakeholders collaborate to set research priorities and plan implementation of findings. Local academic teams execute the study following the global study protocol presented here. A quantitative Rule of Halves analysis obtains measures of the magnitude of the diabetes burden, the diagnosis rates in each city and the outcomes of care. A qualitative Diabetes Vulnerability Assessment explores the urban context in vulnerability to type 2 diabetes and identifies social factors and cultural determinants relevant to health, well-being and diabetes. The protocol steers the collection of primary and secondary data across the study sites. Research ethics board approval has been sought and obtained in each site. Findings from each of the local studies as well as the result from combined multisite (global) analyses will be reported in a series of core scientific journal papers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

PREFACE: 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ručevskis, Sandris

2015-11-01

The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2015) took place in Riga, Latvia from 30th September - 2nd October, 2015. The first event of the conference series, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University, was held in 2013. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; maintenance, inspection and monitoring methods; construction technologies; structural management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; and geomatics and geotechnics. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for leading researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2015 attracted over 120 scientists from 24 countries. After rigorous reviewing, over 80 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort. The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies was organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University with the support of the Latvia State Research Programme under the grant agreement "INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, IMATEH". I would like to express sincere gratitude to Juris Smirnovs, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Andris Chate, manager of the Latvia State Research Programme. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to Diana Bajare, Laura Sele, Liga Radina and Jana Galilejeva for their major contribution to organizing the conference and to the literary editor Tatjana Smirnova and technical editor Daira Erdmane for their hard work on the conference proceedings.

Examining the social determinants of children's developmental health: protocol for building a pan-Canadian population-based monitoring system for early childhood development

PubMed Central

Guhn, Martin; Janus, Magdalena; Enns, Jennifer; Brownell, Marni; Forer, Barry; Duku, Eric; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Raos, Rob

2016-01-01

Introduction Early childhood is a key period to establish policies and practices that optimise children's health and development, but Canada lacks nationally representative data on social indicators of children's well-being. To address this gap, the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher-administered questionnaire completed for kindergarten-age children, has been implemented across most Canadian provinces over the past 10 years. The purpose of this protocol is to describe the Canadian Neighbourhoods and Early Child Development (CanNECD) Study, the aims of which are to create a pan-Canadian EDI database to monitor trends over time in children's developmental health and to advance research examining the social determinants of health. Methods and analysis Canada-wide EDI records from 2004 to 2014 (representing over 700 000 children) will be linked to Canada Census and Income Taxfiler data. Variables of socioeconomic status derived from these databases will be used to predict neighbourhood-level EDI vulnerability rates by conducting a series of regression analyses and latent variable models at provincial/territorial and national levels. Where data are available, we will measure the neighbourhood-level change in developmental vulnerability rates over time and model the socioeconomic factors associated with those trends. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this study was granted by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board at the University of British Columbia. Study findings will be disseminated to key partners, including provincial and federal ministries, schools and school districts, collaborative community groups and the early childhood development research community. The database created as part of this longitudinal population-level monitoring system will allow researchers to associate practices, programmes and policies at school and community levels with trends in developmental health outcomes. The CanNECD Study will guide future early childhood development action and policies, using the database as a tool for formative programme and policy evaluation. PMID:27130168

Identifying and exploring factors influencing career choice, recruitment and retention of anaesthesia trainees in the UK.

PubMed

Moore, J N; McDiarmid, A J; Johnston, P W; Cleland, J A

2017-02-01

Many acute hospital specialties are experiencing low recruitment and high attrition of trainees. Understanding what is important to current trainees is critical in terms of identifying and addressing factors which adversely affect recruitment and retention. To identify and explore factors involved in anaesthetic trainees' career decision making. This was a mixed methods study using a questionnaire survey (assessing how influential 18 different factors were when choosing anaesthetics, using a five-point Likert scale), supplemented by semi-structured interviews, carried out in August-December 2014, in Scotland, UK. 42/68 (62%) completed responses were received, representing over half of all core (58%) and Acute Care Common Stem (65%) trainees across Scotland. Overall, questionnaire data indicated that the following were most important in career decision making: perceived job satisfaction among those already in the specialty, structured training, the nature of the work (practical, varied, immediate outcomes). Thirteen interviews were carried out. These highlighted that prior positive exposure and experience with anaesthetists encouraged trainees into the specialty. Enthusiastic, supportive colleagues and structured training (including clear milestones, regular teaching and feedback) were considered to enhance the quality of training. Sustainable working conditions, flexibility within programme and out-of-programme opportunities were valued. Respondents reported concerns about the impact of increasing service delivery demands on training quality. Many of the elements important to today's anaesthetics trainees are related to positive learning and working environments. This fits with research findings from other professional groups. These findings can inform the development of programmes which cultivate trainee commitment to, and enthusiasm for, anaesthetics. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The impact of a regional care bundle on maternal breast milk use in preterm infants: outcomes of the East of England quality improvement programme.

PubMed

Battersby, C; Santhakumaran, S; Upton, M; Radbone, L; Birch, J; Modi, N

2014-09-01

To evaluate a quality improvement (QI) programme to increase the use of maternal breast milk (MBM) in preterm infants. Interrupted time series analysis. 17 neonatal units in the East of England (EoE) Perinatal Network; 144 in the rest of the UK Neonatal Collaborative (UKNC). Infants born ≤32(+6) weeks gestation admitted to neonatal care between 2009 and 2012. A 'care bundle' to promote MBM in the EoE. Percentage of infants receiving exclusive or any MBM at discharge and care days where any MBM was received. Data were extracted from the National Neonatal Research Database; outcomes were compared preintervention and postintervention, and in relation to the rest of the UKNC. Exclusive and any MBM use at discharge increased from 26% to 33% and 50% to 57% respectively in the EoE, though there was no evidence of a step or trend change following the introduction of the care bundle. Exclusive MBM use at discharge improved significantly faster in EoE than the rest of the UKNC; 0.22% (95% CI 0.11 to 0.34) increase per month versus 0.05% (95% CI 0.01 to 0.09, p=0.007 for difference). The percentage of infants receiving MBM at discharge and care days where any MBM was received was not significantly different between EoE and the rest of the UKNC. This QI programme was associated with some improvement in MBM use in preterm infants that would not have been evident without the use of routinely recorded national comparator data. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Sick and still at school: an empirical study of sickness presence among students in Norwegian secondary school.

PubMed

Johansen, Vegard

2015-09-15

This paper investigates sickness presence (SP) among students. The research questions asked are: What is the distribution of SP among students in Norwegian secondary school? What characterises students with high SP in Norwegian secondary schools? A cross-sectional survey conducted in 10th grade in lower secondary school (LSS) and level 2 in upper secondary school (USS). The study was conducted using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis. The survey was administered to 66 schools, and 2 or 3 classes participated at each school. The response rate was 84% in LSS (n=1880) and 81% in USS (n=1160). The paper provides information about the distribution of SP in secondary schools. The paper also examines which factors influence high SP. 75% of students in LSS and 80% of students in USS reported SP in the previous school year. 24% of students in LSS and 33% of students in USS reported high SP (4 episodes or more). Students with high absence from school were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.7, ORUSS=2.0) than those with low/no absence. Girls were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.5, ORUSS=1.5) than boys. In LSS, students with high school motivation reported high SP more often than students with low/medium motivation. In USS, students in vocational studies programmes reported high SP more often than students in general/academic studies programmes. Some SP during a school year may be more common than no SP. Gender, absence, motivation and education programme were important factors for high SP in secondary school. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Systematic review of health and behavioural outcomes of smoking cessation interventions in prisons.

PubMed

de Andrade, Dominique; Kinner, Stuart A

2016-09-01

We conducted a systematic review to examine the impact of smoking cessation interventions, including smoking bans, on prisoners and prison staff. We systematically searched health and criminal justice databases for relevant studies. Search strings were used to combine terms related to smoking cessation interventions with terms related to incarceration. We used forward and backward snowballing to capture additional studies. Studies were included if: they were published between 1 January 1994 and 23 May 2016; the population was incarcerated adults and/or prison staff; they had a quantitative component; they were published in English; and they reported outcomes of a smoking cessation programme/ban with regard to reported change in smoking behaviour and/or behavioural outcomes. Studies were reviewed for methodological rigour using the Effective Public Health Practice Project's Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data were independently reviewed for methodological quality by 1 author and a research assistant. Cessation programmes, including free nicotine replacement therapy and/or behavioural counselling can significantly increase the likelihood of quitting in prison and increase abstinence postrelease. Indoor bans have little impact on prisoner smoking behaviour. Prisoners who experience a complete smoking ban typically resume smoking shortly after release from prison. Bans may result in adverse behavioural outcomes, but these are generally minimal and short-lived. While there is limited evidence to inform tobacco control policies in custodial settings, outcomes of this review suggest that cessation programmes/bans can be an effective mechanism to interrupt prisoner smoking behaviour when properly enforced. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Three-dimensional Crustal Structure beneath the Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Multi-scale Gravity Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, C.; Luo, Z.; Sun, R.; Li, Q.

2017-12-01

The Tibetan Plateau, the largest and highest plateau on Earth, was uplifted, shorten and thicken by the collision and continuous convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates since 50 million years ago, the Eocene epoch. Fine three-dimensional crustal structure of the Tibetan Plateau is helpful in understanding the tectonic development. At present, the ordinary method used for revealing crustal structure is seismic method, which is inhibited by poor seismic station coverage, especially in the central and western plateau primarily due to the rugged terrain. Fortunately, with the implementation of satellite gravity missions, gravity field models have demonstrated unprecedented global-scale accuracy and spatial resolution, which can subsequently be employed to study the crustal structure of the entire Tibetan Plateau. This study inverts three-dimensional crustal density and Moho topography of the Tibetan Plateau from gravity data using multi-scale gravity analysis. The inverted results are in agreement with those provided by the previous works. Besides, they can reveal rich tectonic development of the Tibetan Plateau: (1) The low-density channel flow can be observed from the inverted crustal density; (2) The Moho depth in the west is deeper than that in the east, and the deepest Moho, which is approximately 77 km, is located beneath the western Qiangtang Block; (3) The Moho fold, the directions of which are in agreement with the results of surface movement velocities estimated from Global Positioning System, exists clearly on the Moho topography.This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41504015), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2015M572146), and the Surveying and Mapping Basic Research Programme of the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation (Grant No. 15-01-08).

Facts and Statistics

MedlinePlus

... Drug Listings Blood Cancer Conferences Researchers & Healthcare Professionals Academic Grants Academic Grant Programs Apply for a Grant Grant Finder Therapy Acceleration Program Academic Concierge Biotechnology Accelerator Clinical Trials Division Resources for ...

The impact on healthcare, policy and practice from 36 multi-project research programmes: findings from two reviews.

PubMed

Hanney, Steve; Greenhalgh, Trisha; Blatch-Jones, Amanda; Glover, Matthew; Raftery, James

2017-03-28

We sought to analyse the impacts found, and the methods used, in a series of assessments of programmes and portfolios of health research consisting of multiple projects. We analysed a sample of 36 impact studies of multi-project research programmes, selected from a wider sample of impact studies included in two narrative systematic reviews published in 2007 and 2016. We included impact studies in which the individual projects in a programme had been assessed for wider impact, especially on policy or practice, and where findings had been described in such a way that allowed them to be collated and compared. Included programmes were highly diverse in terms of location (11 different countries plus two multi-country ones), number of component projects (8 to 178), nature of the programme, research field, mode of funding, time between completion and impact assessment, methods used to assess impact, and level of impact identified. Thirty-one studies reported on policy impact, 17 on clinician behaviour or informing clinical practice, three on a combined category such as policy and clinician impact, and 12 on wider elements of impact (health gain, patient benefit, improved care or other benefits to the healthcare system). In those multi-programme projects that assessed the respective categories, the percentage of projects that reported some impact was policy 35% (range 5-100%), practice 32% (10-69%), combined category 64% (60-67%), and health gain/health services 27% (6-48%). Variations in levels of impact achieved partly reflected differences in the types of programme, levels of collaboration with users, and methods and timing of impact assessment. Most commonly, principal investigators were surveyed; some studies involved desk research and some interviews with investigators and/or stakeholders. Most studies used a conceptual framework such as the Payback Framework. One study attempted to assess the monetary value of a research programme's health gain. The widespread impact reported for some multi-project programmes, including needs-led and collaborative ones, could potentially be used to promote further research funding. Moves towards greater standardisation of assessment methods could address existing inconsistencies and better inform strategic decisions about research investment; however, unresolved issues about such moves remain.

7 CFR 3411.6 - Grant awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Grant awards. 3411.6 Section 3411.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM General § 3411...

7 CFR 3403.13 - Notice of grant awards.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice of grant awards. 3403.13 Section 3403.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM...

76 FR 37191 - Notice of Competition for University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program Grants

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-24

... Competition for University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program Grants AGENCY: Research and Innovative... conduct a competition for University Transportation Centers (UTC) Program grants for the purpose of... of demonstrated ability, research, technology and education resources, leadership, multi-modal...

78 FR 61399 - Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Research License

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice 13-118] Notice of Intent To Grant Exclusive Research License AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ACTION: Notice of intent to grant... the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The prospective exclusive...

Evaluation of quality improvement programmes

PubMed Central

Ovretveit, J; Gustafson, D

2002-01-01



 In response to increasing concerns about quality, many countries are carrying out large scale programmes which include national quality strategies, hospital programmes, and quality accreditation, assessment and review processes. Increasing amounts of resources are being devoted to these interventions, but do they ensure or improve quality of care? There is little research evidence as to their effectiveness or the conditions for maximum effectiveness. Reasons for the lack of evaluation research include the methodological challenges of measuring outcomes and attributing causality to these complex, changing, long term social interventions to organisations or health systems, which themselves are complex and changing. However, methods are available which can be used to evaluate these programmes and which can provide decision makers with research based guidance on how to plan and implement them. This paper describes the research challenges, the methods which can be used, and gives examples and guidance for future research. It emphasises the important contribution which such research can make to improving the effectiveness of these programmes and to developing the science of quality improvement. PMID:12486994

Side effects of problem-solving strategies in large-scale nutrition science: towards a diversification of health.

PubMed

Penders, Bart; Vos, Rein; Horstman, Klasien

2009-11-01

Solving complex problems in large-scale research programmes requires cooperation and division of labour. Simultaneously, large-scale problem solving also gives rise to unintended side effects. Based upon 5 years of researching two large-scale nutrigenomic research programmes, we argue that problems are fragmented in order to be solved. These sub-problems are given priority for practical reasons and in the process of solving them, various changes are introduced in each sub-problem. Combined with additional diversity as a result of interdisciplinarity, this makes reassembling the original and overall goal of the research programme less likely. In the case of nutrigenomics and health, this produces a diversification of health. As a result, the public health goal of contemporary nutrition science is not reached in the large-scale research programmes we studied. Large-scale research programmes are very successful in producing scientific publications and new knowledge; however, in reaching their political goals they often are less successful.

Programme Recruitment and Evaluation: The Effect of an Employability Enhancement Programme on the General Self-Efficacy Levels of Unemployed Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazenberg, R.; Seddon, F.; Denny, S.

2015-01-01

This paper reports research that engaged in the evaluation of an intervention programme designed to enhance the employability of a group of unemployed graduates. The evaluation adopted a quasi-experimental intervention research method employing a general self-efficacy scale, which had been validated in prior research. Results revealed that…

Insider Research as Part of a Master's Programme: Opportunities Lost and Found within Action Learning Sets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milano, Chloe; Lawless, Aileen; Eades, Elaine

2015-01-01

This account explores the role of action learning during and after an educational programme. We focus on the final stage of a master's programme and the insider research that is a key feature in many UK universities. Researching within one's own organization should lead to individual and organizational learning. However, there is relatively little…

Bidirectional multi-qubit quantum teleportation in noisy channel aided with weak measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Guang; Lian, Bao-Wang; Nie, Min; Jin, Jiao

2017-04-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61172071), the Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department, China (Grant No. 16JK1711), the International Scientific Cooperation Program of Shaanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2015KW-013), and the Natural Science Foundation Research Project of Shaanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2016JQ6033).

Propagation factor of electromagnetic concentric rings Schell-model beams in non-Kolmogorov turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Zhen-Zhen; Liu, Zheng-Jun; Zhou, Ke-Ya; Sun, Qiong-Ge; Liu, Shu-Tian

2017-02-01

Not Available Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2013CBA01702), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61377016, 11104049, 10974039, 61575055, and 61575053), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, China (Grant No. HIT.BRETIII.201406), and the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University, China (Grant No. NCET-12-0148).

Orbital Angular Momentum Generation Using Circular Ring Resonators in Radio Frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Fu-Chun; Huang, Ming; Yang, Cheng-Fu; Li, Ting-Hua; Zhang, Jia-Lin; Chen, Si-Yu

2018-02-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 61461052, the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education under Grant No 20135301110003, the Seventh of Yunnan University Graduate Student Scientific Research Project under Grant No ynuy201443, and the Doctoral Award for the Academic Newcomers (2014) of Yunnan Province under Grant No C6155501.

Interaction between Breathers and Rogue Waves in a Nonlinear Optical Fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xiang-Shu; Zhao, Li-Chen; Duan, Liang; Gao, Peng; Yang, Zhan-Ying; Yang, Wen-Li

2018-02-01

Not Available Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No 11475135, the Guangxi Provincial Education Department Research Project of China under Grant No 2017KY0776, the Shaanxi Provincial Science Association of Colleges and Universities of China under Grant No 20160216, and the Special Research Project of Education Department of Shaanxi Provincial Government under Grant No 16JK1763.