Show & Tell: A Video Column/Setting Clear Learning Purposes for ELLs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisher, Doug; Frey, Nancy

2016-01-01

The language of school is demanding; much of the content is decontextualized and abstract, and it concerns matters that are far removed from the daily life. Students are expected to learn about rain forests and prime numbers, literary motifs, and historical events that occurred centuries ago. Consider the additional cognitive demands confronting…

On making laboratory report work more meaningful through criterion-based evaluation.

PubMed

Naeraa, N

1987-05-01

The purpose of this work was to encourage students to base their laboratory report work on guidelines reflecting a quality criterion set, previously derived from the functional role of the various sections in scientific papers. The materials were developed by a trial-and-error approach and comprise learning objectives, a parallel structure of manual and reports, general and specific report guidelines and a new common starting experiment. The principal contents are presented, followed by an account of the author's experience with them. Most of the author's students now follow the guidelines. Their conclusions are affected by difficulties in adjusting expected results with due regard to the specific conditions of the experimental subject or to their own deviations from the experimental or analytical procedures prescribed in the manual. Also, problems in interpreting data unbiased by explicit expectations are evident, although a clear distinction between expected and actual results has been helpful for them in seeing the relationship between experiments and textbook contents more clearly, and thus in understanding the hypothetico-deductive approach.

Designing School Systems for All Students: A Toolbox to Fix America's Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manley, Robert J.; Hawkins, Richard J.

2009-01-01

"Designing School Systems for All Students" provides a clear methodology for school leaders, teachers, and school board members to follow as they redesign their schools for the benefit of students. The authors demonstrate how school leaders set the expectations for all students to learn and grow as important contributors to the culture. In the…

Creating a University for the 21st Century: Strategic Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Dakota University System, 2005

2005-01-01

This document presents the strategic plan of the North Dakota University System, revised in November 2005, to develop a common vision and clear set of expectations for higher education in North Dakota. The strategic plan for the University System is directly linked to the Roundtable on Higher Education plan. This document presents the ten sections…

The hospital marketer and the advertising agency: who should do what--and to whom.

PubMed

Keyser, J A

1987-01-01

Close cooperation between advertising agencies and their clients is an essential ingredient of a successful advertising campaign. Expectations and responsibilities must be clearly defined in writing, and realistic deadlines should be set and adhered to. Campaigns lacking these crucial components are handicapped from the start, and results produced will be less effective than a carefully planned and executed campaign.

A stochastic electricity market clearing formulation with consistent pricing properties

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

Zavala, Victor M.; Kim, Kibaek; Anitescu, Mihai

We argue that deterministic market clearing formulations introduce arbitrary distortions between day-ahead and expected real-time prices that bias economic incentives. We extend and analyze a previously proposed stochastic clearing formulation in which the social surplus function induces penalties between day-ahead and real-time quantities. We prove that the formulation yields price bounded price distortions, and we show that adding a similar penalty term to transmission flows and phase angles ensures boundedness throughout the network. We prove that when the price distortions are zero, day-ahead quantities equal a quantile of their real-time counterparts. The undesired effects of price distortions suggest that stochasticmore » settings provide significant benefits over deterministic ones that go beyond social surplus improvements. Finally, we propose additional metrics to evaluate these benefits.« less

A stochastic electricity market clearing formulation with consistent pricing properties

DOE PAGES

Zavala, Victor M.; Kim, Kibaek; Anitescu, Mihai; ...

2017-03-16

We argue that deterministic market clearing formulations introduce arbitrary distortions between day-ahead and expected real-time prices that bias economic incentives. We extend and analyze a previously proposed stochastic clearing formulation in which the social surplus function induces penalties between day-ahead and real-time quantities. We prove that the formulation yields price bounded price distortions, and we show that adding a similar penalty term to transmission flows and phase angles ensures boundedness throughout the network. We prove that when the price distortions are zero, day-ahead quantities equal a quantile of their real-time counterparts. The undesired effects of price distortions suggest that stochasticmore » settings provide significant benefits over deterministic ones that go beyond social surplus improvements. Finally, we propose additional metrics to evaluate these benefits.« less

State dependent optimization of measurement policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konkarikoski, K.

2010-07-01

Measurements are the key to rational decision making. Measurement information generates value, when it is applied in the decision making. An investment cost and maintenance costs are associated with each component of the measurement system. Clearly, there is - under a given set of scenarios - a measurement setup that is optimal in expected (discounted) utility. This paper deals how the measurement policy optimization is affected by different system states and how this problem can be tackled.

Learning Contracts in Undergraduate Courses: Impacts on Student Behaviors and Academic Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

contract. The students each set their expectations for the next exam grade and put it in writing , and the learning contract overtly empowered them to...of success (Bandura, 1977). Putting something achievable in writing , ensuring that is it clear and customized to the individual, having prior...tests of life?" Self-direction is a highly valuable skill that involves the ability to learn independently and possess metacognitive ability. Successful

Research report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, W. P.; Gillibrand, E.

2004-06-01

The primary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of a full year of single-sex (SS) teaching of science. The secondary aims were to locate any differentiation by set and gender, and to relate these to more proximal variables. Participants were 13 year olds. Higher set girls gave evidence of clear benefits overall, and higher set boys also, except in biology. Lower set pupils performed at or below expectations. Analyses of additional questionnaire and interview data pointed to further reasons for avoiding the making of unqualified generalizations about SS teaching. Pupil preferences for SS teaching were relevant, as were gender differences in attitudes to biology and physics. Qualitative data suggested higher set girls benefited from more learningrelated classroom interaction and less interference and exploitation of girls by boys in SS classes. Lower set pupils complained that SS teaching deprived them of social interaction with the other sex. The concluding suggestion was that SS teaching offers affordances of benefits when mixed-sex teaching has specifiable disadvantages.

Avoiding integrity land mines.

PubMed

Heineman, Ben W

2007-04-01

How does a large multinational keep thousands of employees, operating in hundreds of countries, honest in a high-pressure business environment? As the chief legal officer at General Electric for nearly 20 years, Ben Heineman was part of the senior management group that sought to do just that--to make sure its executives and employees are moved to do the right thing as strongly as they are motivated to make their numbers. Heineman describes a set of systems that combine the communication of clear expectations with oversight, deterrence, and incentives. Nowhere are the expectations higher--and the sanctions more powerful--than for top executives. Heineman recounts example after example of senior leaders terminated for ethical lapses even when the business consequences of doing so were painful--and even when they had no direct knowledge of the violations occurring on their watch. To make expectations clear throughout the company, GE has systematically sought to set uniform standards that stay well ahead of current legal developments and stakeholders' changing attitudes about corporate accountability. Responsibility for implementing those standards, which are embedded in GE's operating practices, rests with the business leaders in the field. Oversight is both methodical and multifaceted. A host of auditing and assessment systems enables GE to compare the performance of its various business units against one another and against industry benchmarks. Perhaps the most powerful is the company's ombudsman system, which doesn't just allow but requires employees to lodge concerns. Failures to report into the system or up the line, or retaliation in any form, are firing offenses. The current intense focus on board-level governance has missed the point, Heineman argues. It is time to shift the debate from board oversight of the CEO to how top company leaders can most effectively infuse integrity at all levels of the corporation.

Measuring the anisotropy in the CMB

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Page, L. A.

The CMB is perhaps the cleanest cosmological observable. Its angular spectrum may be both computed and measured to percent accuracy. The current data clearly show a rise in the angular spectrum to a peak of roughly Tl = (l(l + 1)Cl/2)1/2 80 K at l 200, and a fall at higher l. In particular, δTl at l = 400 is significantly less than at l = 200. This is shown through a combined analysis of data sets and by the TOCO data alone. For spatially flat models, a peak in the angular spectrum near l = 200 is indicated, whereas for Ω0 = 0.35 models one expects a peak near l = 400. The data clearly prefer the spatially flat models.

The effect of the research setting on the emotional and sensory profiling under blind, expected, and informed conditions: A study on premium and private label yogurt products.

PubMed

Schouteten, Joachim J; De Steur, Hans; Sas, Benedikt; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Gellynck, Xavier

2017-01-01

Although sensory and emotional evaluation of food products mostly occurs in a controlled laboratory environment, it is often criticized as it may not reflect a realistic situation for consumers. Moreover, products are mainly blind evaluated by participants, whereas external factors such as brand are often considered as key drivers of food choice. This study aims to examine the role of research setting (central location test versus home-use test) and brand information on the overall acceptance, and sensory and emotional profiling of 5 strawberry-flavored yogurts. Thereby, private label and premium brands are compared under 3 conditions: blind, expected, and informed (brand information). A total of 99 adult subjects participated in 3 sessions over 3 consecutive weeks. Results showed that overall liking for 2 yogurt samples was higher in the laboratory environment under the informed evaluation condition, whereas no effect of research setting was found under the blind and expected conditions. Although emotional profiles of the products differed depending on the research setting, this was less the case for the sensory profiles. Furthermore, brand information clearly affected the sensory perception of certain attributes but had less influence on overall liking and emotional profiling. These results indicate that both scientists and food companies should consider the effect of the chosen methodology on ecological validity when conducting sensory research with consumers because the laboratory context could lead to a more positive evaluation compared with a home-use test. Copyright © 2017 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-Gaussian bias: insights from discrete density peaks

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

Desjacques, Vincent; Riotto, Antonio; Gong, Jinn-Ouk, E-mail: Vincent.Desjacques@unige.ch, E-mail: jinn-ouk.gong@apctp.org, E-mail: Antonio.Riotto@unige.ch

2013-09-01

Corrections induced by primordial non-Gaussianity to the linear halo bias can be computed from a peak-background split or the widespread local bias model. However, numerical simulations clearly support the prediction of the former, in which the non-Gaussian amplitude is proportional to the linear halo bias. To understand better the reasons behind the failure of standard Lagrangian local bias, in which the halo overdensity is a function of the local mass overdensity only, we explore the effect of a primordial bispectrum on the 2-point correlation of discrete density peaks. We show that the effective local bias expansion to peak clustering vastlymore » simplifies the calculation. We generalize this approach to excursion set peaks and demonstrate that the resulting non-Gaussian amplitude, which is a weighted sum of quadratic bias factors, precisely agrees with the peak-background split expectation, which is a logarithmic derivative of the halo mass function with respect to the normalisation amplitude. We point out that statistics of thresholded regions can be computed using the same formalism. Our results suggest that halo clustering statistics can be modelled consistently (in the sense that the Gaussian and non-Gaussian bias factors agree with peak-background split expectations) from a Lagrangian bias relation only if the latter is specified as a set of constraints imposed on the linear density field. This is clearly not the case of standard Lagrangian local bias. Therefore, one is led to consider additional variables beyond the local mass overdensity.« less

The Influence of Color on the Consumer’s Experience of Beer

PubMed Central

Carvalho, Felipe Reinoso; Moors, Pieter; Wagemans, Johan; Spence, Charles

2017-01-01

Visual appearance (e.g., color) cues set expectations regarding the likely taste and flavor properties of food and drink. These expectations may, in turn, anchor the subsequent tasting experience. In the present study, we examined the influence of the color of a beer on the consumer’s experience. Dark and pale beers were evaluated both before and after tasting. Importantly, these beers were indistinguishable in terms of their taste/flavor when tasted without any visual cues. The results indicate that the differing visual appearance of the beers led to clear differences in expected taste/flavor. However, after tasting, no differences in flavor ratings were observed, indicating that the expectations based on visual cues did not influence the actual tasting experience. The participants also expected the dark beer to be more expensive than the pale one. These outcomes suggest that changes in the visual appearance of a beer lead to significant changes in the way in which consumers expect the beer to taste. At the same time, however, our findings also suggest the need for more evidence to be collected in order to determine the boundary conditions on when such crossmodal expectations may vs. may not affect the tasting experience. Highlights: The expected flavor of a beer is affected by its visual appearance. No differences in flavor ratings were observed on tasting. Consumers expect dark beers to be more expensive than pale/amber beers. PMID:29312065

The Influence of Color on the Consumer's Experience of Beer.

PubMed

Carvalho, Felipe Reinoso; Moors, Pieter; Wagemans, Johan; Spence, Charles

2017-01-01

Visual appearance (e.g., color) cues set expectations regarding the likely taste and flavor properties of food and drink. These expectations may, in turn, anchor the subsequent tasting experience. In the present study, we examined the influence of the color of a beer on the consumer's experience. Dark and pale beers were evaluated both before and after tasting. Importantly, these beers were indistinguishable in terms of their taste/flavor when tasted without any visual cues. The results indicate that the differing visual appearance of the beers led to clear differences in expected taste/flavor. However, after tasting, no differences in flavor ratings were observed, indicating that the expectations based on visual cues did not influence the actual tasting experience. The participants also expected the dark beer to be more expensive than the pale one. These outcomes suggest that changes in the visual appearance of a beer lead to significant changes in the way in which consumers expect the beer to taste. At the same time, however, our findings also suggest the need for more evidence to be collected in order to determine the boundary conditions on when such crossmodal expectations may vs. may not affect the tasting experience. Highlights: The expected flavor of a beer is affected by its visual appearance. No differences in flavor ratings were observed on tasting. Consumers expect dark beers to be more expensive than pale/amber beers.

[Role expectations of various professional groups in the operating theatre].

PubMed

Gfrörer, R; Bernard, U; Schaper, C; Bauer, M; Schüpfer, G K

2007-11-01

Clearly defined professional roles have the advantage that team members know what they are expected to do and what their expectations of other professional groups are. For the definition of roles a distinct number of interactions between persons are a prerequisite. In a typical operations room (OR) team members are not constantly involved and are often exchanged. Interactions between personnel are not strong enough to fulfil the designing process of role shaping. In this study the possible substitution of defined roles by a distinct professional culture in an OR was studied. Using a shortened form of the SYMLOG questionnaire, 179 persons working in the ORs of 2 Swiss hospitals were interviewed. The three main professional groups in the OR setting were represented in this cohort: anaesthesia personnel (physicians and nurses), surgeons and operating room technicians and nurses. The SYMLOG questionnaire allows the rating of sympathy, influence and goal orientation of the professional groups. Surgeons and anaesthetists had the strongest influence and higher ratings for goal orientation. In comparison, the influence of members of the nursing profession was less valued. All three professional groups rated themselves higher than in the perception of the other professional groups. It is concluded that in this analysis the role definition was not clear. Optimization is therefore possible which could reduce conflict potential and contribute to a higher productivity.

When hope and fear collide: Expectations and experiences of first-year doctoral students in the natural sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, C. Sean

Although there is a significant body of research on the process of undergraduate education and retention, much less research exists as it relates to the doctoral experience, which is intended to be transformational in nature. At each stage of the process students are presented with a unique set of challenges and experiences that must be negotiated and mastered. However, we know very little about entering students' expectations, beliefs, goals, and identities, and how these may or may not change over time within a doctoral program. Utilizing a framework built upon socialization theory and cognitive-ecological theory, this dissertation examines the expectations that incoming doctoral students have about their programs as well as the actual experiences that these students have during their first year. Interviews were conducted with twelve students from the departments of Botany, Chemistry, and Physics prior to matriculation into their respective doctoral programs. These initial interviews provided information about students' expectations. Interviews were then conducted approximately every six to eight weeks to assess students' perceptions about their actual experiences throughout their first year. The findings of this study showed that new doctoral students tend to have uninformed and naive expectations about their programs. In addition, many of the specific policies or procedures necessary for navigation through a doctoral program were unknown to the students. While few differences existed in terms of students' expectations based on gender or discipline, there were significant differences in how international students described their expectations compared to American students. The two primary differences between American and international students revolved around the role of faculty members and the language barrier. It is clear that the first year of doctoral study is indeed a year of transition. The nature and clarity of the expectations associated with the role of 'graduate student' can have demonstrable effects on the lives of students. In addition, the behavior of graduate students is related to how they define or interpret their roles as students. There are numerous implications for both policy & practice to assist doctoral students in developing clear and informed expectations, and to help them navigate through their first year.

Do employee health management programs work?

PubMed

Serxner, Seth; Gold, Daniel; Meraz, Angela; Gray, Ann

2009-01-01

Current peer review literature clearly documents the economic return and Return-on-Investment (ROI) for employee health management (EHM) programs. These EHM programs are defined as: health promotion, self-care, disease management, and case management programs. The evaluation literature for the sub-set of health promotion and disease management programs is examined in this article for specific evidence of the level of economic return in medical benefit cost reduction or avoidance. The article identifies the methodological challenges associated with determination of economic return for EHM programs and summarizes the findings from 23 articles that included 120 peer review study results. The article identifies the average ROI and percent health plan cost impact to be expected for both types of EHM programs, the expected time period for its occurrence, and caveats related to its measurement.

Teaching civility to undergraduate nursing students using a virtue ethics-based curriculum.

PubMed

Russell, Martha Joan

2014-06-01

As professionals, nurses are expected to engage in respectful relationships with clients, other health care professionals, and each other. Regulatory bodies set standards and codes of ethics for professional behavior in nursing that clearly communicate expectations for civility. However, the wealth of literature on incivility in the profession indicates that nurses often fall short of meeting these standards in their interactions with other nurses. Currently, few effective strategies exist for nurse educators to teach civility to nursing students and prepare them to engage in healthy relationships with their colleagues. This article argues for the use of virtue ethics as a philosophical framework for teaching civility to undergraduate nursing students. The pedagogical strategies proposed may help students contribute to the development of healthy workplaces. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Incidental findings in pediatric research.

PubMed

Wilfond, Benjamin S; Carpenter, Katherine J

2008-01-01

The approach to incidental research findings in children emerges by considering the child-parent relationship and balancing divergent interests and preferences. Incidental findings with clear and proximate clinical importance should be disclosed to both. We recommend that particularly sensitive or private information (e.g., pregnancy or drug use) should be disclosed to the adolescent first, while particularly serious information (e.g., cancer) should first be disclosed to the parent. These approaches allow the researcher to form an alliance with one party prior to engaging the other. However, unlike clinical settings, where there may be presumptive expectations of confidentiality about sharing information within the family, in most research settings it is reasonable to plan to disclose such information to both parties. It is important to communicate this plan during the informed consent process separately to adolescents to avoid enrolling adolescents when sensitive incidental findings such as pregnancy and drug use may be detected. The approach to incidental findings without clear and proximate benefit is challenging. Researchers should plan more limited disclosure of such incidental findings for pediatric participants than for adult participants.

Fitting Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation Models with Random Effects and Unknown Initial Conditions Using the Stochastic Approximation Expectation-Maximization (SAEM) Algorithm.

PubMed

Chow, Sy-Miin; Lu, Zhaohua; Sherwood, Andrew; Zhu, Hongtu

2016-03-01

The past decade has evidenced the increased prevalence of irregularly spaced longitudinal data in social sciences. Clearly lacking, however, are modeling tools that allow researchers to fit dynamic models to irregularly spaced data, particularly data that show nonlinearity and heterogeneity in dynamical structures. We consider the issue of fitting multivariate nonlinear differential equation models with random effects and unknown initial conditions to irregularly spaced data. A stochastic approximation expectation-maximization algorithm is proposed and its performance is evaluated using a benchmark nonlinear dynamical systems model, namely, the Van der Pol oscillator equations. The empirical utility of the proposed technique is illustrated using a set of 24-h ambulatory cardiovascular data from 168 men and women. Pertinent methodological challenges and unresolved issues are discussed.

"Just How I Need to Learn It"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobbertin, Cheryl Becker

2012-01-01

What if teachers not only made clear the learning expectations at the start of each unit, but also helped students see where they stand in relation to those expectations? Students would realize what specific skills and understandings they most needed to work on and would clearly see the need for differentiation in the class. Dobbertin describes…

Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) Analysis of the Problem Reporting and Corrective Action (PRACA) Database of the International Space Station On-Orbit Electrical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oeftering, Richard C.; Bradish, Martin A.; Juergens, Jeffrey R.; Lewis, Michael J.

2011-01-01

The NASA Constellation Program is investigating and developing technologies to support human exploration of the Moon and Mars. The Component-Level Electronic-Assembly Repair (CLEAR) task is part of the Supportability Project managed by the Exploration Technology Development Program. CLEAR is aimed at enabling a flight crew to diagnose and repair electronic circuits in space yet minimize logistics spares, equipment, and crew time and training. For insight into actual space repair needs, in early 2008 the project examined the operational experience of the International Space Station (ISS) program. CLEAR examined the ISS on-orbit Problem Reporting and Corrective Action database for electrical and electronic system problems. The ISS has higher than predicted reliability yet, as expected, it has persistent problems. A goal was to identify which on-orbit electrical problems could be resolved by a component-level replacement. A further goal was to identify problems that could benefit from the additional diagnostic and test capability that a component-level repair capability could provide. The study indicated that many problems stem from a small set of root causes that also represent distinct component problems. The study also determined that there are certain recurring problems where the current telemetry instrumentation and built-in tests are unable to completely resolve the problem. As a result, the root cause is listed as unknown. Overall, roughly 42 percent of on-orbit electrical problems on ISS could be addressed with a component-level repair. Furthermore, 63 percent of on-orbit electrical problems on ISS could benefit from additional external diagnostic and test capability. These results indicate that in situ component-level repair in combination with diagnostic and test capability can be expected to increase system availability and reduce logistics. The CLEAR approach can increase the flight crew s ability to act decisively to resolve problems while reducing dependency on Earth-supplied logistics for future Constellation Program missions.

Vasectomy and vasectomy reversal the Thai way.

PubMed

Gojaseni, P

1982-12-01

In 1972 the ratio of female sterilization acceptors to vasectomy acceptors in Thailand was 24.5:1; in 1978 the ratio was 2.8:1. Several factors are responsible for this change. First, a national family planning program to support voluntary family planning started in 1970 and lowered the population growth rate from 3.2% in 1973 to 2.1% in 1982. Second, the desired family size in Thailand is 3 and it is generally agreed that the solution is voluntary sterilization as a more cost effective fertility control method. Thirdly, misunderstandings about vasectomy were cleared up through media campaigns which cleared the way for greater acceptance. Fourth, in 1975 special clinics at big hospitals and a mobile unit were set up to perform vasectomies. Lastly, a group of nongovernment organizations has been set up, such as the Thai Association for Voluntary Sterilization, to provide the infrastructure for vasectomy campaigns. Requests for vasectomy reversals have, expectedly, increased as well, usually caused by marriage, child's death, improved finances, and psychosexual health. In a recent study of 32 cases, positive sperm reappearance after vas reanastomosis was found in 71.4% and the pregnancy rate was 52.3%.

Lexical prediction via forward models: N400 evidence from German Sign Language.

PubMed

Hosemann, Jana; Herrmann, Annika; Steinbach, Markus; Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, Ina; Schlesewsky, Matthias

2013-09-01

Models of language processing in the human brain often emphasize the prediction of upcoming input-for example in order to explain the rapidity of language understanding. However, the precise mechanisms of prediction are still poorly understood. Forward models, which draw upon the language production system to set up expectations during comprehension, provide a promising approach in this regard. Here, we present an event-related potential (ERP) study on German Sign Language (DGS) which tested the hypotheses of a forward model perspective on prediction. Sign languages involve relatively long transition phases between one sign and the next, which should be anticipated as part of a forward model-based prediction even though they are semantically empty. Native speakers of DGS watched videos of naturally signed DGS sentences which either ended with an expected or a (semantically) unexpected sign. Unexpected signs engendered a biphasic N400-late positivity pattern. Crucially, N400 onset preceded critical sign onset and was thus clearly elicited by properties of the transition phase. The comprehension system thereby clearly anticipated modality-specific information about the realization of the predicted semantic item. These results provide strong converging support for the application of forward models in language comprehension. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A solar infrared photometer for space flight application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kostiuk, Theodor; Deming, Drake

1991-01-01

A photometer concept which is capable of nearly simultaneous measurements of solar radiation from 1.6 to 200 microns in seven wavelength bands is described. This range of wavelengths can probe the solar photosphere from below the level of unit optical depth in the visible to the temperature minimum, about 500 km above it. An instrument package including a 20-cm Gregorian telescope and a filter wheel photometer utilizing noncryogenic pyroelectric infrared detectors is described. Approaches to the rejection of the visible solar spectrum in the instrument, the availability of optical and mechanical components, and the expected instrumental sensitivity are discussed. For wavelengths below 35 microns, the projected instrumental sensitivity is found to be adequate to detect the intensity signature of solar p-mode oscillations during 5 min of integration. For longer wavelengths, clear detection is expected through Fourier analysis of modest data sets.

Development of 23 novel polymorphic EST-SSR markers for the endangered relict conifer Metasequoia glyptostroboides.

PubMed

Jin, Yuqing; Bi, Quanxin; Guan, Wenbin; Mao, Jian-Feng

2015-09-01

Metasequoia glyptostroboides is an endangered relict conifer species endemic to China. In this study, expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were developed using transcriptome mining for future genetic and functional studies. We collected 97,565 unigene sequences generated by 454 pyrosequencing. A bioinformatics analysis identified 2087 unique and putative microsatellites, from which 96 novel microsatellite markers were developed. Fifty-three of the 96 primer sets successfully amplified clear fragments of the expected sizes; 23 of those loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight, with an average of three, and the observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0 to 1.0 and 0.117 to 0.813, respectively. These microsatellite loci will enrich the genetic resources to develop functional studies and conservation strategies for this endangered relict species.

Development of 23 novel polymorphic EST-SSR markers for the endangered relict conifer Metasequoia glyptostroboides1

PubMed Central

Jin, Yuqing; Bi, Quanxin; Guan, Wenbin; Mao, Jian-Feng

2015-01-01

Premise of the study: Metasequoia glyptostroboides is an endangered relict conifer species endemic to China. In this study, expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers were developed using transcriptome mining for future genetic and functional studies. Methods and Results: We collected 97,565 unigene sequences generated by 454 pyrosequencing. A bioinformatics analysis identified 2087 unique and putative microsatellites, from which 96 novel microsatellite markers were developed. Fifty-three of the 96 primer sets successfully amplified clear fragments of the expected sizes; 23 of those loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to eight, with an average of three, and the observed and expected heterozygosity values ranged from 0 to 1.0 and 0.117 to 0.813, respectively. Conclusions: These microsatellite loci will enrich the genetic resources to develop functional studies and conservation strategies for this endangered relict species. PMID:26421250

What do stakeholders expect from patient engagement: Are these expectations being met?

PubMed

Boudes, Mathieu; Robinson, Paul; Bertelsen, Neil; Brooke, Nicholas; Hoos, Anton; Boutin, Marc; Geissler, Jan; Sargeant, Ify

2018-06-01

Meaningful patient engagement (PE) in medicines development and during the life cycle of a product requires all stakeholders have a clear understanding of respective expectations. A qualitative survey was undertaken to understand stakeholder expectations. The survey explored 4 themes from the perspective of each stakeholder group: meaning, views, expectations and priorities for PE. Participants were grouped into 7 categories: policymakers/regulators; health-care professionals (HCPs); research funders; payers/purchasers/HTA; patients/patient representatives; pharmaceutical/life sciences industry; and academic researchers. Fifty-nine interviews were conducted across a range of geographies, PE experience and job seniority/role. There was consensus across stakeholders on meaning of PE; importance of promoting PE to a higher level than currently; need for a more structured process and guidance. There was little consensus on stakeholder expectations and roles. Policymakers/regulators were expected by others to drive PE, create a framework and facilitate PE, provide guidelines of good practice and connect stakeholders, but this expectation was not shared by the policymakers/regulators group. HCPs were seen as the link between patients and other stakeholders, but HCPs did not necessarily share this view. Despite broad stakeholder categories, clear themes emerged: there is no "leader"; no stakeholder has a clear view on how to meaningfully engage with patients; there are educational gaps; and a structure and guidance for PE is urgently required. Given the diversity of stakeholders, there needs to be multistakeholder collaborative leadership. Effective collaboration requires consensus on roles, responsibilities and expectations to synergize efforts to deliver meaningful PE in medicines life cycle. © 2018 The Authors. Health Expectations published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does community health care require different competencies from physicians and nurses?

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Recently competency approach in Health Professionals’ Education (HPE) has become quite popular and for an effective competency based HPE, it is important to design the curriculum around the health care needs of the population to be served and on the expected roles of the health care providers. Unfortunately, in community settings roles of health providers tend to be described less clearly, particularly at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level where a multidisciplinary and appropriately prepared health team is generally lacking. Moreover, to tailor the education on community needs there is no substantial evidence on what specific requirements the providers must be prepared for. Methods This study has explored specific tasks of physicians and nurses employed to work in primary or secondary health care units in a context where there is a structural scarcity of community health care providers. In-depth Interviews of 11 physicians and 06 nurses working in community settings of Pakistan were conducted along with review of their job descriptions. Results At all levels of health settings, physicians’ were mostly engaged with diagnosing and prescribing medical illness of patients coming to health center and nurses depending on their employer were either providing preventive health care activities, assisting physicians or occupied in day to day management of health center. Geographical location or level of health facility did not have major effect on the roles being expected or performed, however the factors that determined the roles performed by health providers were employer expectations, preparation of health providers for providing community based care, role clarity and availability of resources including health team at health facilities. Conclusions Exploration of specific tasks of physicians and nurses working in community settings provide a useful framework to map competencies, and can help educators revisit the curricula and instructional designs accordingly. Furthermore, in community settings there are many synergies between the roles of physicians and nurses which could be simulated as learning activities; at the same time these two groups of health providers offer distinct sets of services, which must be harnessed to build effective, non-hierarchal, collaborative health teams. PMID:24387322

A test of the California competency-based differentiated role model.

PubMed

Keating, Sarah B; Rutledge, Dana N; Sargent, Arlene; Walker, Polly

2003-01-01

To address the incongruence between the expectations of nursing service and education in California, the Education Industry Interface Task Force of the California Strategic Planning Committee for Nursing developed descriptions to assist employers and educators in clearly differentiating practice and educational competencies. The completion of the Competency-Based Role Differentiation Model resulted in the need to test the model for its utility in the service setting, in education, and for career planning for nurses. Three alpha demonstration sites were selected based on representative geographical regions of California. The sites were composed of tri-partnerships consisting of a medical center, an associate degree in nursing program, and a baccalaureate nursing program. Observers rated senior students and new graduates in medical-surgical units on their behaviors in teacher and leadership care provider and care coordinator roles. The alpha demonstration study results were as expected. That is, senior students practice predominantly at a novice level in teacher and management/leadership care provider functions and new graduates practice predominately at the competent level. New graduates are more likely to take on novice and competent care coordinator roles. The CBRDM may be useful for practice and education settings to evaluate student and nurse performance, to define role expectations, and to identify the preparation necessary for the roles. It is useful for all of nursing as it continues to define its levels of practice and their relationship to on-the-job performance, curriculum development, and carrier planning.

Guideposts and Roadblocks to the Career-Long Scholarly Engagement of Physical Education Teacher Education Faculty.

PubMed

Berei, Catherine P; Pratt, Erica; Parker, Melissa; Shephard, Kevin; Liang, Tanjian; Nampai, Udon; Neamphoka, Guntima

2017-12-01

Scholarship is essential for the growth and development of the physical education field. Over time, scholarship expectations have changed, forcing faculty members to alter time spent for research, teaching, and service. Social-cognitive career theory (SCCT) presents a model for understanding performance and persistence in an occupational environment. The interconnected aspects of SCCT have different emphasis related to self-efficacy, outcome expectations, or personal goals pursuit. This study explored physical education teacher education (PETE) faculty members' continuing engagement in scholarly activity through SCCT. Data collection included interviews with 9 senior PETE faculty members who met the criteria for "productive scholars over time." Curriculum vitae were collected to verify productivity. Data analysis revealed guidepost themes that included collaborating, finding balance, defining a research process, and maintaining a strong work ethic. Roadblocks encountered included other obligations and lack of support for research. Participants demonstrated strong self-efficacy; held high, positive expectations for success; and set very specific, clear, and deliberate goals. Participant behavior was moderated by their personal attributes (capacity to build relationships, set goals, and maintain interest and passion) and was tempered by the environments in which they worked. Fostering similar behaviors has the potential to guide future and current PETE faculty members in creating supportive and encouraging atmospheres for sustained productivity. The lack of literature relating to this topic warrants the need for more research exploring the influential factors and benefits gained from sustained scholarly productivity over time for PETE faculty members.

Assessment and Utility of Frailty Measures in Critical Illness, Cardiology, and Cardiac Surgery.

PubMed

Rajabali, Naheed; Rolfson, Darryl; Bagshaw, Sean M

2016-09-01

Frailty is a clearly emerging theme in acute care medicine, with obvious prognostic and health resource implications. "Frailty" is a term used to describe a multidimensional syndrome of loss of homeostatic reserves that gives rise to a vulnerability to adverse outcomes after relatively minor stressor events. This is conceptually simple, yet there has been little consensus on the operational definition. The gold standard method to diagnose frailty remains a comprehensive geriatric assessment; however, a variety of validated physical performance measures, judgement-based tools, and multidimensional scales are being applied in critical care, cardiology, and cardiac surgery settings, including open cardiac surgery and transcatheter aortic value replacement. Frailty is common among patients admitted to the intensive care unit and correlates with an increased risk for adverse events, increased resource use, and less favourable patient-centred outcomes. Analogous findings have been described across selected acute cardiology and cardiac surgical settings, in particular those that commonly intersect with critical care services. The optimal methods for screening and diagnosing frailty across these settings remains an active area of investigation. Routine assessment for frailty conceivably has numerous purported benefits for patients, families, health care providers, and health administrators through better informed decision-making regarding treatments or goals of care, prognosis for survival, expectations for recovery, risk of complications, and expected resource use. In this review, we discuss the measurement of frailty and its utility in patients with critical illness and in cardiology and cardiac surgery settings. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Cardiovascular Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Relational autonomy: moving beyond the limits of isolated individualism.

PubMed

Walter, Jennifer K; Ross, Lainie Friedman

2014-02-01

Although clinicians may value respecting a patient's or surrogate's autonomy in decision-making, it is not always clear how to proceed in clinical practice. The confusion results, in part, from which conception of autonomy is used to guide ethical practice. Reliance on an individualistic conception such as the "in-control agent" model prioritizes self-sufficiency in decision-making and highlights a decision-maker's capacity to have reason transcend one's emotional experience. An alternative model of autonomy, relational autonomy, highlights the social context within which all individuals exist and acknowledges the emotional and embodied aspects of decision-makers. These 2 conceptions of autonomy lead to different interpretations of several aspects of ethical decision-making. The in-control agent model believes patients or surrogates should avoid both the influence of others and emotional persuasion in decision-making. As a result, providers have a limited role to play and are expected to provide medical expertise but not interfere with the individual's decision-making process. In contrast, a relational autonomy approach acknowledges the central role of others in decision-making, including clinicians, who have a responsibility to engage patients' and surrogates' emotional experiences and offer clear guidance when patients are confronting serious illness. In the pediatric setting, in which decision-making is complicated by having a surrogate decision-maker in addition to a patient, these conceptions of autonomy also may influence expectations about the role that adolescents can play in decision-making.

Anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in urban and rural areas.

PubMed

Bará, Salvador

2016-10-01

The growing emissions of artificial light to the atmosphere are producing, among other effects, a significant increase of the night sky brightness (NSB) above its expected natural values. A permanent sensor network has been deployed in Galicia (northwest of Iberian peninsula) to monitor the anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in a countrywide area. The network is composed of 14 detectors integrated in automated weather stations of MeteoGalicia, the Galician public meteorological agency. Zenithal NSB readings are taken every minute and the results are openly available in real time for researchers, interested stakeholders and the public at large through a dedicated website. The measurements allow one to assess the extent of the loss of the natural night in urban, periurban, transition and dark rural sites, as well as its daily and monthly time courses. Two metrics are introduced here to characterize the disruption of the night darkness across the year: the significant magnitude ( m 1/3 ) and the moonlight modulation factor ( γ ). The significant magnitude shows that in clear and moonless nights the zenithal night sky in the analysed urban settings is typically 14-23 times brighter than expected from a nominal natural dark sky. This factor lies in the range 7-8 in periurban sites, 1.6-2.5 in transition regions and 0.8-1.6 in rural and mountain dark sky places. The presence of clouds in urban areas strongly enhances the amount of scattered light, easily reaching amplification factors in excess of 25, in comparison with the light scattered in the same places under clear sky conditions. The periodic NSB modulation due to the Moon, still clearly visible in transition and rural places, is barely notable at periurban locations and is practically lost at urban sites.

Anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in urban and rural areas

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The growing emissions of artificial light to the atmosphere are producing, among other effects, a significant increase of the night sky brightness (NSB) above its expected natural values. A permanent sensor network has been deployed in Galicia (northwest of Iberian peninsula) to monitor the anthropogenic disruption of the night sky darkness in a countrywide area. The network is composed of 14 detectors integrated in automated weather stations of MeteoGalicia, the Galician public meteorological agency. Zenithal NSB readings are taken every minute and the results are openly available in real time for researchers, interested stakeholders and the public at large through a dedicated website. The measurements allow one to assess the extent of the loss of the natural night in urban, periurban, transition and dark rural sites, as well as its daily and monthly time courses. Two metrics are introduced here to characterize the disruption of the night darkness across the year: the significant magnitude (m1/3) and the moonlight modulation factor (γ). The significant magnitude shows that in clear and moonless nights the zenithal night sky in the analysed urban settings is typically 14–23 times brighter than expected from a nominal natural dark sky. This factor lies in the range 7–8 in periurban sites, 1.6–2.5 in transition regions and 0.8–1.6 in rural and mountain dark sky places. The presence of clouds in urban areas strongly enhances the amount of scattered light, easily reaching amplification factors in excess of 25, in comparison with the light scattered in the same places under clear sky conditions. The periodic NSB modulation due to the Moon, still clearly visible in transition and rural places, is barely notable at periurban locations and is practically lost at urban sites. PMID:27853572

The levers of influence.

PubMed

Martin, W

1999-01-01

Physicians often determine the demand for health care services, as well as control the clinical processes aimed at improving health outcomes at the individual and population level. Given their important role in enhancing health status and improving the health care delivery system, it is critical that physician executives master the tools necessary to positively influence physician behavior. But changing behavior is far more complex than "doing it or not doing it." The Nike slogan "just do it" is motivating, but over-simplified. The roots of human change include: consciousness-raising, emotional arousal, commitment, helping relationships, self-reevaluation, reward, and environmental control. A model to effectively influence behavior is presented and includes setting clear expectations, measuring and monitoring performance, providing feedback, and rewarding and recognizing improvement. If all else fails, try discipline. This five-step approach is based on the science of human behavior and working with physicians in diverse settings, ranging from academic medical centers to small practices.

Dysmorphometrics: the modelling of morphological abnormalities.

PubMed

Claes, Peter; Daniels, Katleen; Walters, Mark; Clement, John; Vandermeulen, Dirk; Suetens, Paul

2012-02-06

The study of typical morphological variations using quantitative, morphometric descriptors has always interested biologists in general. However, unusual examples of form, such as abnormalities are often encountered in biomedical sciences. Despite the long history of morphometrics, the means to identify and quantify such unusual form differences remains limited. A theoretical concept, called dysmorphometrics, is introduced augmenting current geometric morphometrics with a focus on identifying and modelling form abnormalities. Dysmorphometrics applies the paradigm of detecting form differences as outliers compared to an appropriate norm. To achieve this, the likelihood formulation of landmark superimpositions is extended with outlier processes explicitly introducing a latent variable coding for abnormalities. A tractable solution to this augmented superimposition problem is obtained using Expectation-Maximization. The topography of detected abnormalities is encoded in a dysmorphogram. We demonstrate the use of dysmorphometrics to measure abrupt changes in time, asymmetry and discordancy in a set of human faces presenting with facial abnormalities. The results clearly illustrate the unique power to reveal unusual form differences given only normative data with clear applications in both biomedical practice & research.

European innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing: triggers of setting the headline target of 2 additional healthy life years at birth at EU average by 2020.

PubMed

Lagiewka, Karolina

2012-10-22

The objective of this paper is to provide analytical research that supported the European Commission in setting the global target of additional two healthy life years (HLY) at birth by 2020 in the EU on average, within the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (the EIP on AHA). It produces a straightforward analysis of HLY projections that helped the European Commission set a firm, politically sound, target. In order to reach that goal, policy makers need to commit to redefining health priorities and goals and developing and implementing relevant strategies and programmes. The study computes a simple simulation of the HLY at birth based on three demographic scenarios: compression of morbidity, expansion of morbidity and an intermediary scenario, the dynamic equilibrium, given the expected 2.1 year gain in male and 1.6 in female life expectancy (LE) by 2020. Data on HLY and projections of life expectancy were obtained from Eurostat and 2008 was taken as a baseline. For consistency and given data gaps, EU27 average values of HLY were calculated. In the EU27 as a whole, the difference between LE and HLY in 2008 was nearly 15 years for men and 20 years for women. The developments of healthy life expectancies across the EU Member States (MSs) are even more diverse that makes it difficult to model any robust EU level trends.Under compression of morbidity, life expectancy and HLY would increase by 2020 on average by 2.1 and 2.0 years for men and by 1.6 and 1.4 years for women respectively. The expected years with disability would remain unchanged while the HLY/LE ratio would improve leading to a 0.5% gain for both genders. Under expansion of morbidity, life expectancy would increase by 2.1 years for men and 1.4 years for women by 2020, while HLY would remain unchanged and the expected years with disability would increase by 2.1 years and 1.6 years in women. This would imply the deterioration of the HLY/LE ratio for both men and women generating a 2.2% and 1.4% loss of health for men and women accordingly. Under dynamic equilibrium, the HLY would increase but to a lesser extent as the rise in life expectancy. The HLY would increase by 1.6 and 1.2 years for men and women respectively. HLY/LE ratio would remain unchanged for both men (+0.1%) and women. The study shows that the first scenario would reduce the HLY gap between the EU MSs by 1.4 years in men and 1.2 years in women, the second would generate no change, while the third one would reduce the gap by 0.9 years in men and increase it by 0.7 years in women. The results of the study triggered the political decision of setting the global target of 2 additional HLY for the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing to be achieved by 2020. It is a 'grand' goal but can be achieved. Statistics clearly show that EU countries characterise very different levels of health progress, with a gap of 2 decades and diverging trends. With this in mind, the EU HLY target should be complemented by national HLY targets for men and women, set by MSs.

European innovation partnership on active and healthy ageing: triggers of setting the headline target of 2 additional healthy life years at birth at EU average by 2020

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The objective of this paper is to provide analytical research that supported the European Commission in setting the global target of additional two healthy life years (HLY) at birth by 2020 in the EU on average, within the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (the EIP on AHA). It produces a straightforward analysis of HLY projections that helped the European Commission set a firm, politically sound, target. In order to reach that goal, policy makers need to commit to redefining health priorities and goals and developing and implementing relevant strategies and programmes. Methods The study computes a simple simulation of the HLY at birth based on three demographic scenarios: compression of morbidity, expansion of morbidity and an intermediary scenario, the dynamic equilibrium, given the expected 2.1 year gain in male and 1.6 in female life expectancy (LE) by 2020. Data on HLY and projections of life expectancy were obtained from Eurostat and 2008 was taken as a baseline. For consistency and given data gaps, EU27 average values of HLY were calculated. Results In the EU27 as a whole, the difference between LE and HLY in 2008 was nearly 15 years for men and 20 years for women. The developments of healthy life expectancies across the EU Member States (MSs) are even more diverse that makes it difficult to model any robust EU level trends. Under compression of morbidity, life expectancy and HLY would increase by 2020 on average by 2.1 and 2.0 years for men and by 1.6 and 1.4 years for women respectively. The expected years with disability would remain unchanged while the HLY/LE ratio would improve leading to a 0.5% gain for both genders. Under expansion of morbidity, life expectancy would increase by 2.1 years for men and 1.4 years for women by 2020, while HLY would remain unchanged and the expected years with disability would increase by 2.1 years and 1.6 years in women. This would imply the deterioration of the HLY/LE ratio for both men and women generating a 2.2% and 1.4% loss of health for men and women accordingly. Under dynamic equilibrium, the HLY would increase but to a lesser extent as the rise in life expectancy. The HLY would increase by 1.6 and 1.2 years for men and women respectively. HLY/LE ratio would remain unchanged for both men (+0.1%) and women. The study shows that the first scenario would reduce the HLY gap between the EU MSs by 1.4 years in men and 1.2 years in women, the second would generate no change, while the third one would reduce the gap by 0.9 years in men and increase it by 0.7 years in women. Conclusions The results of the study triggered the political decision of setting the global target of 2 additional HLY for the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing to be achieved by 2020. It is a ‘grand’ goal but can be achieved. Statistics clearly show that EU countries characterise very different levels of health progress, with a gap of 2 decades and diverging trends. With this in mind, the EU HLY target should be complemented by national HLY targets for men and women, set by MSs. PMID:23088612

Ultrahigh sensitivity endoscopic camera using a new CMOS image sensor: providing with clear images under low illumination in addition to fluorescent images.

PubMed

Aoki, Hisae; Yamashita, Hiromasa; Mori, Toshiyuki; Fukuyo, Tsuneo; Chiba, Toshio

2014-11-01

We developed a new ultrahigh-sensitive CMOS camera using a specific sensor that has a wide range of spectral sensitivity characteristics. The objective of this study is to present our updated endoscopic technology that has successfully integrated two innovative functions; ultrasensitive imaging as well as advanced fluorescent viewing. Two different experiments were conducted. One was carried out to evaluate the function of the ultrahigh-sensitive camera. The other was to test the availability of the newly developed sensor and its performance as a fluorescence endoscope. In both studies, the distance from the endoscopic tip to the target was varied and those endoscopic images in each setting were taken for further comparison. In the first experiment, the 3-CCD camera failed to display the clear images under low illumination, and the target was hardly seen. In contrast, the CMOS camera was able to display the targets regardless of the camera-target distance under low illumination. Under high illumination, imaging quality given by both cameras was quite alike. In the second experiment as a fluorescence endoscope, the CMOS camera was capable of clearly showing the fluorescent-activated organs. The ultrahigh sensitivity CMOS HD endoscopic camera is expected to provide us with clear images under low illumination in addition to the fluorescent images under high illumination in the field of laparoscopic surgery.

Final Environmental Assessment for the Airfield Safety Zone Vegetation Clearing at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

JBMDL’s flying mission. Installation Restoration Program (IRP), Hazardous Materials and Waste Management There are several IRP sites within the...McGuire airfield area; however, none are expected to impact the Proposed Action. Negligible impacts on hazardous materials management during tree clearing...would be expected as only minor quantities of hazardous materials are likely to be used. BMPs would be followed to minimize the possibility of a

Enhancing clinical learning in the workplace: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Magnier, K; Wang, R; Dale, V H M; Murphy, R; Hammond, R A; Mossop, L; Freeman, S L; Anderson, C; Pead, M J

Workplace learning (WPL) is seen as an essential component of clinical veterinary education by the veterinary profession. This study sought to understand this type of learning experience more deeply. This was done utilising observations of students on intramural rotations (IMR) and interviews with students and clinical staff. WPL was seen as an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and develop clinical and professional skills in what is generally regarded as a safe, authentic environment. Clinical staff had clear ideas of what they expected from students in terms of interest, engagement, professionalism, and active participation, where this was appropriate. In contrast, students often did not know what to expect and sometimes felt under-prepared when entering the workplace, particularly in a new species area. With the support of staff acting as mentors, students learned to identify gaps in their knowledge and skills, which could then be addressed during specific IMR work placements. Findings such as these illustrate both the complexities of WPL and the diversity of different workplace settings encountered by the students.

Enhancing clinical learning in the workplace: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Magnier, K.; Wang, R.; Dale, V. H. M.; Murphy, R.; Hammond, R. A.; Mossop, L.; Freeman, S. L.; Anderson, C.; Pead, M. J.

2011-01-01

Workplace learning (WPL) is seen as an essential component of clinical veterinary education by the veterinary profession. This study sought to understand this type of learning experience more deeply. This was done utilising observations of students on intramural rotations (IMR) and interviews with students and clinical staff. WPL was seen as an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and develop clinical and professional skills in what is generally regarded as a safe, authentic environment. Clinical staff had clear ideas of what they expected from students in terms of interest, engagement, professionalism, and active participation, where this was appropriate. In contrast, students often did not know what to expect and sometimes felt under-prepared when entering the workplace, particularly in a new species area. With the support of staff acting as mentors, students learned to identify gaps in their knowledge and skills, which could then be addressed during specific IMR work placements. Findings such as these illustrate both the complexities of WPL and the diversity of different workplace settings encountered by the students. PMID:22090156

Wide field NEO survey 1.0-m telescope with 10 2k×4k mosaic CCD camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Isobe, Syuzo; Asami, Atsuo; Asher, David J.; Hashimoto, Toshiyasu; Nakano, Shi-ichi; Nishiyama, Kota; Ohshima, Yoshiaki; Terazono, Junya; Umehara, Hiroaki; Yoshikawa, Makoto

2002-12-01

We developed a new 1.0 m telescope with a 3 degree flat focal plane to which a mosaic CCD camera with 10 2k×4k chips is fixed. The system was set up in February 2002, and is now undergoing the final fine adjustments. Since the telescope has a focal length of 3 m, a field of 7.5 square degrees is covered in one image. In good seeing conditions, 1.5 arc seconds, at the site located in Bisei town, Okayama prefecture in Japan, we can expect to detect down to 20th magnitude stars with an exposure time of 60 seconds. Considering a read-out time, 46 seconds, of the CCD camera, one image is taken in every two minutes, and about 2,100 square degrees of field is expected to be covered in one clear night. This system is very effective for survey work, especially for Near-Earth-Asteroid detection.

Assessing vocational outcome expectancy in individuals with serious mental illness: a factor-analytic approach.

PubMed

Iwanaga, Kanako; Umucu, Emre; Wu, Jia-Rung; Yaghmaian, Rana; Lee, Hui-Ling; Fitzgerald, Sandra; Chan, Fong

2017-07-04

Self-determination theory (SDT) and self-efficacy theory (SET) can be used to conceptualize self-determined motivation to engage in mental health and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and to predict recovery. To incorporate SDT and SET as a framework for vocational recovery, developing and validating SDT/SET measures in vocational rehabilitation is warranted. Outcome expectancy is an important SDT/SET variable affecting rehabilitation engagement and recovery. The purpose of this study was to validate the Vocational Outcome Expectancy Scale (VOES) for use within the SDT/SET vocational recovery framework. One hundred and twenty-four individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) participated in this study. Measurement structure of the VOES was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Both EFA and CFA results supported a two-factor structure: (a) positive outcome expectancy, and (b) negative outcome expectancy. The internal consistency reliability coefficients for both factors were acceptable. In addition, positive outcome expectancy correlated stronger than negative outcome expectancy with other SDT/SET constructs in the expected directions. The VOES is a brief, reliable and valid instrument for assessing vocational outcome expectancy in individuals with SMI that can be integrated into SDT/SET as a vocational rehabilitation engagement and recovery model in psychiatric rehabilitation.

Shape of Strained Solid He-4 at Low Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kojima, Harry

2004-01-01

(1) Interferometer apparatus for measuring surface profile (2) For small strains, the expected linear decrease in height is not seen. (3) For large strains, undulation and irreversible deformations begin to set in, but we cannot yet make clear connection with stress-driven instability theory. Torii and Balibar have observed appearances of deformations beyond threshold stress on He-4 solid surface. The difference of our results from theory real? We are not ready to claim in affirmative. To be able to answer: 1) improve crystal growth techniques; (orientation, annealing, better pressure control) 2) improve homogeneity of stress; (better alignment with vertical, better understanding of interaction between solid He-4 and walls) 4) improve optics.

The role of the nurse executive in fostering and empowering the advanced practice registered nurse.

PubMed

Talbert, Tukea L

2012-06-01

The nurse executive plays a critical role in the design, oversight, and outcomes of the delivery of care and a key role in the success of the integration of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) into an organization. The critical areas that nurse executives must consider to foster and empower APRNs are: (1) knowledge and self preparation, especially of political initiatives that affect the role, (2) visionary leadership and development of clear role expectations and appropriate credentialing, (3) strategies to reduce disconnection between the APRN and their practice setting, and (4) appropriate education and marketing of the role to stakeholders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Doctors' and nurses' perceptions of a ward-based pharmacist in rural northern Sweden.

PubMed

Sjölander, Maria; Gustafsson, Maria; Gallego, Gisselle

2017-08-01

Background This project is part of the prospective quasi experimental proof-of-concept investigation of clinical pharmacist intervention study to reduce drug-related problems among people admitted to a ward in a rural hospital in northern Sweden. Objective To explore doctors' and nurses' perceptions and expectations of having a ward-based pharmacist providing clinical pharmacy services. Setting Medical ward in a rural hospital in northern Sweden. Method Eighteen face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of doctors and nurses working on the ward where the clinical pharmacy service was due to be implemented. Semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Main outcome measure Perceptions and expectations of nurses and doctors. Results Doctors and nurses had limited experience of working with pharmacists. Most had a vague idea of what pharmacists can contribute within a ward setting. Participants, mainly nurses, suggested inventory and drug distribution roles, but few were aware of the pharmacists' skills and clinical competence. Different views were expressed on whether the new clinical pharmacy service would have an impact on workload. However, most participants took a positive view of having a ward-based pharmacist. Conclusion This study provided an opportunity to explore doctors' and nurses' expectations of the role of clinical pharmacists before a clinical pharmacy service was implemented. To successfully implement a clinical pharmacy service, roles, clinical competence and responsibilities should be clearly described. Furthermore, it is important to focus on collaborative working relationships between doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

Development and implementation of an HSE management system in E and P companies

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

Bentley, P.D.; Mundhenk, D.L.; Jones, M.G.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the experience to date with safety management systems (SMS's) and describes their implementation after the Piper Alpha disaster and Lord Cullen's report. It also shows the gradual expansion of these systems toward fully integrated health, safety, and environment (HSE) management systems. The authors' company policy, which was clearly stated before publication of Lord Cullen's report, is that work should not start until the appropriate controls are in place. Work based on this policy and on objective-setting SMS's within Shell Intl. Petroleum Mij. (SIPM) E and P coordination started in earnest soon after the publication of the reportmore » in Nov. 1990 and has continued without interruption since that time. Objective-setting systems may be defined as systems where the company management sets its own objectives or goals on the basis of functional rather than prescriptive requirements and then goes on to demonstrate how such goals have been, or are being, met. The paper ends with a projection of what may be expected in the future.« less

Motivation Enhancement Therapy with pregnant substance-abusing women: does baseline motivation moderate efficacy?

PubMed

Ondersma, Steven J; Winhusen, Theresa; Erickson, Sarah J; Stine, Susan M; Wang, Yun

2009-04-01

Some evidence suggests that motivational approaches are less efficacious--or even counter-productive--with persons who are relatively motivated at baseline. The present study was conducted to examine whether disordinal moderation by baseline motivation could partially explain negative findings in a previous study [Winhusen, T., Kropp, F., Babcock, D., Hague, D., Erickson, S.J., Renz, C., Rau, L., Lewis, D., Leimberger, J., Somoza, E., 2008. Motivational enhancement therapy to improve treatment utilization and outcome in pregnant substance users. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 35, 161-173]. Analyses also focused on the relative utility of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale, vs. a single goal question as potential moderators of Motivation Enhancement Therapy (MET). Participants were 200 pregnant women presenting for substance abuse treatment at one of four sites. Women were randomly assigned to either a three-session MET condition or treatment as usual (TAU). Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) revealed no significant moderation effects on drug use at post-treatment. At follow-up, contrary to expectations, participants who had not set a clear quit goal at baseline were less likely to be drug-free if randomized to MET (OR=0.48); participants who did set a clear quit goal were more likely to be drug-free if randomized to MET (OR=2.53). No moderating effects were identified via the URICA. Disordinal moderation of MET efficacy by baseline motivation may have contributed somewhat to the negative results of the [Winhusen, T., Kropp, F., Babcock, D., Hague, D., Erickson, S.J., Renz, C., Rau, L., Lewis, D., Leimberger, J., Somoza, E., 2008. Motivational enhancement therapy to improve treatment utilization and outcome in pregnant substance users. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 35, 161-173] study, but in the opposite direction expected. A simple question regarding intent to quit may be useful in identifying persons who may differentially respond to motivational interventions. However, moderation effects are unstable, may be best identified with alternate methodologies, and may operate differently among pregnant women.

On the basis set convergence of electron–electron entanglement measures: helium-like systems

PubMed Central

Hofer, Thomas S.

2013-01-01

A systematic investigation of three different electron–electron entanglement measures, namely the von Neumann, the linear and the occupation number entropy at full configuration interaction level has been performed for the four helium-like systems hydride, helium, Li+ and Be2+ using a large number of different basis sets. The convergence behavior of the resulting energies and entropies revealed that the latter do in general not show the expected strictly monotonic increase upon increase of the one–electron basis. Overall, the three different entanglement measures show good agreement among each other, the largest deviations being observed for small basis sets. The data clearly demonstrates that it is important to consider the nature of the chemical system when investigating entanglement phenomena in the framework of Gaussian type basis sets: while in case of hydride the use of augmentation functions is crucial, the application of core functions greatly improves the accuracy in case of cationic systems such as Li+ and Be2+. In addition, numerical derivatives of the entanglement measures with respect to the nucleic charge have been determined, which proved to be a very sensitive probe of the convergence leading to qualitatively wrong results (i.e., the wrong sign) if too small basis sets are used. PMID:24790952

On the basis set convergence of electron-electron entanglement measures: helium-like systems.

PubMed

Hofer, Thomas S

2013-01-01

A systematic investigation of three different electron-electron entanglement measures, namely the von Neumann, the linear and the occupation number entropy at full configuration interaction level has been performed for the four helium-like systems hydride, helium, Li(+) and Be(2+) using a large number of different basis sets. The convergence behavior of the resulting energies and entropies revealed that the latter do in general not show the expected strictly monotonic increase upon increase of the one-electron basis. Overall, the three different entanglement measures show good agreement among each other, the largest deviations being observed for small basis sets. The data clearly demonstrates that it is important to consider the nature of the chemical system when investigating entanglement phenomena in the framework of Gaussian type basis sets: while in case of hydride the use of augmentation functions is crucial, the application of core functions greatly improves the accuracy in case of cationic systems such as Li(+) and Be(2+). In addition, numerical derivatives of the entanglement measures with respect to the nucleic charge have been determined, which proved to be a very sensitive probe of the convergence leading to qualitatively wrong results (i.e., the wrong sign) if too small basis sets are used.

Misconceptions on Missing Data in RAD-seq Phylogenetics with a Deep-scale Example from Flowering Plants.

PubMed

Eaton, Deren A R; Spriggs, Elizabeth L; Park, Brian; Donoghue, Michael J

2017-05-01

Restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing and related methods rely on the conservation of enzyme recognition sites to isolate homologous DNA fragments for sequencing, with the consequence that mutations disrupting these sites lead to missing information. There is thus a clear expectation for how missing data should be distributed, with fewer loci recovered between more distantly related samples. This observation has led to a related expectation: that RAD-seq data are insufficiently informative for resolving deeper scale phylogenetic relationships. Here we investigate the relationship between missing information among samples at the tips of a tree and information at edges within it. We re-analyze and review the distribution of missing data across ten RAD-seq data sets and carry out simulations to determine expected patterns of missing information. We also present new empirical results for the angiosperm clade Viburnum (Adoxaceae, with a crown age >50 Ma) for which we examine phylogenetic information at different depths in the tree and with varied sequencing effort. The total number of loci, the proportion that are shared, and phylogenetic informativeness varied dramatically across the examined RAD-seq data sets. Insufficient or uneven sequencing coverage accounted for similar proportions of missing data as dropout from mutation-disruption. Simulations reveal that mutation-disruption, which results in phylogenetically distributed missing data, can be distinguished from the more stochastic patterns of missing data caused by low sequencing coverage. In Viburnum, doubling sequencing coverage nearly doubled the number of parsimony informative sites, and increased by >10X the number of loci with data shared across >40 taxa. Our analysis leads to a set of practical recommendations for maximizing phylogenetic information in RAD-seq studies. [hierarchical redundancy; phylogenetic informativeness; quartet informativeness; Restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing; sequencing coverage; Viburnum.]. © The authors 2016. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Society of Systematic Biologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permission@oup.com.

Parent Expectancies and Preferences for Mental Health Treatment: The Roles of Emotion Mind-Sets and Views of Failure.

PubMed

Schleider, Jessica L; Weisz, John R

2018-01-24

Because parents are primary gatekeepers to mental health care for their children, parental expectations that mental health treatment is ineffective may undermine treatment seeking, retention, and response. Thus, a need exists to understand parents' expectations about treatment and to develop scalable interventions that can instill more favorable views. We examined parents' treatment expectancies and preferences for their offspring and themselves in relation to two global beliefs: mind-sets (malleability beliefs) of emotions and anxiety, and views of failure as enhancing versus debilitating. Study 1 (N = 200; 49.5% fathers; 70.4% Caucasian) examined associations among parents' emotion mind-sets, anxiety mind-sets, failure beliefs, and treatment expectancies and preferences. Study 2 (N = 430; 44.70% fathers; 75.80% Caucasian) tested whether online inductions teaching "growth emotion mind-sets" (viewing emotions as malleable), adaptive failure beliefs, or both improved parents' treatment expectancies and hypothetical preferences for treatment (vs. no-treatment). Participants received one of three 8- to 15-min inductions or a psychoeducation control, rating treatment expectancies. and preferences pre- and postinduction. In Study 1, fixed emotion mind-sets and failure-is-debilitating beliefs were associated with lower parent psychotherapy expectancies for offspring and themselves and stronger "no-treatment" preferences for offspring. In Study 2, inductions teaching (a) growth emotion mind-sets only and (b) growth emotion mind-sets and failure-is-enhancing beliefs improved parents' psychotherapy expectancies for themselves (ds = .38, .51) and offspring (ds = .30, .43). No induction increased parents' hypothetical preferences for treatment (vs. no-treatment). Findings suggest scalable strategies for strengthening parents' psychotherapy effectiveness beliefs for themselves and their children.

Measuring consistent masses for 25 Milky Way globular clusters

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

Kimmig, Brian; Seth, Anil; Ivans, Inese I.

2015-02-01

We present central velocity dispersions, masses, mass-to-light ratios (M/Ls ), and rotation strengths for 25 Galactic globular clusters (GCs). We derive radial velocities of 1951 stars in 12 GCs from single order spectra taken with Hectochelle on the MMT telescope. To this sample we add an analysis of available archival data of individual stars. For the full set of data we fit King models to derive consistent dynamical parameters for the clusters. We find good agreement between single-mass King models and the observed radial dispersion profiles. The large, uniform sample of dynamical masses we derive enables us to examine trendsmore » of M/L with cluster mass and metallicity. The overall values of M/L and the trends with mass and metallicity are consistent with existing measurements from a large sample of M31 clusters. This includes a clear trend of increasing M/L with cluster mass and lower than expected M/Ls for the metal-rich clusters. We find no clear trend of increasing rotation with increasing cluster metallicity suggested in previous work.« less

Central venous access devices: an investigation of oncology nurses' troubleshooting techniques.

PubMed

Mason, Tina M; Ferrall, Sheila M; Boyington, Alice R; Reich, Richard R

2014-08-01

Experienced oncology nurses use different troubleshooting techniques for clearing occluded central venous access devices (CVADs) with varying degrees of success. The purpose of this study was to explore troubleshooting techniques used for clearing occluded CVADs by experienced oncology RNs and identify the perceived effectiveness of each technique. An invitation for a web-based survey was sent to select RN members of the Oncology Nursing Society. All nurses (N = 224) reported asking patients to raise and/or move their arm. Most nurses asked patients to lie down, cough, and take deep breaths. Respondents considered instilling a thrombolytic agent to be the most effective technique. No associations were found between techniques and respondents' years in oncology nursing, work setting, certification, or academic degree. The findings contribute to knowledge about care of patients with occluded devices and will help formulate direction for additional investigation of CVADs. Establishing the appropriateness of practice-related troubleshooting techniques may eliminate unnecessary steps and save nursing time. Educating nurses on the topic will also help reduce techniques that are not expected to yield results or are contraindicated.

Mechanisms of subliminal response priming.

PubMed

Kiesel, Andrea; Kunde, Wilfried; Hoffmann, Joachim

2008-07-15

Subliminal response priming has been considered to operate on several stages, e.g. perceptual, central or motor stages might be affected. While primes' impact on target perception has been clearly demonstrated, semantic response priming recently has been thrown into doubt (e.g. Klinger, Burton, & Pitts, 2000). Finally, LRP studies have revealed that subliminal primes evoke motor processes. Yet, the premises for such prime-evoked motor activation are not settled. A transfer of priming to stimuli that have never been presented as targets appears particularly interesting because it suggests a level of processing that goes beyond a reactivation of previously acquired S-R links. Yet, such transfer has not always withstood empirical testing. To account for these contradictory results, we proposed a two-process model (Kunde, Kiesel, & Hoffmann, 2003): First, participants build up expectations regarding imperative stimuli for the required responses according to experience and/or instructions. Second, stimuli that match these "action triggers" directly activate the corresponding motor responses irrespective of their conscious identification. In line with these assumptions, recent studies revealed that non-target primes induce priming when they fit the current task intentions and when they are expected in the experimental setting.

Kind discipline: Developing a conceptual model of a promising school discipline approach.

PubMed

Winkler, Jennifer L; Walsh, Michele E; de Blois, Madeleine; Maré, Jeannette; Carvajal, Scott C

2017-06-01

This formative evaluation develops a novel conceptual model for a discipline approach fostering intrinsic motivation and positive relationships in schools. We used concept mapping to elicit and integrate perspectives on kind discipline from teachers, administrators, and other school staff. Three core themes describing kind discipline emerged from 11 identified clusters: (1) proactively developing a positive school climate, (2) responding to conflict with empathy, accountability, and skill, and (3) supporting staff skills in understanding and sharing expectations. We mapped the identified components of kind discipline onto a social ecological model and found that kind discipline encompasses all levels of that model including the individual, relational, environmental/structural, and even community levels. This contrasts with the dominant individual-behavioral discipline approaches that focus on fewer levels and may not lead to sustained student and staff motivation. The findings illustrate the importance of setting and communicating clear expectations and the need for them to be collaboratively developed. Products of the analysis and synthesis reported here are operationalized materials for teachers grounded in a "be kind" culture code for classrooms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suggestions for getting more forestry in the logging plan.

Treesearch

Robert H. Ruth; Roy R. Silen

1950-01-01

The staggered-setting system of clear-cutting is fast becoming prevailing practice in the Douglas-fir region. The trend is away from large, continuous clear cuts to clear-cutting smaller units of timber of less than 80 acres. These are called staggered settings because the surrounding stand is left uncut to provide seed and serve as a firebreak. Major aims of this...

Normative Expectations and Individual Decisions concerning Media Gratification Choices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lichtenstein, Allen; Rosenfeld, Lawrence

1984-01-01

Results indicate that each of the nine media studied (newspapers, magazines, commercial and public television, books, radio, friends, recorded music, film) has a clear, socially defined image, suggesting a two-stage model of media channel utilization--normative expectations followed by individual decisions. (PD)

17 CFR 240.17Ad-22 - Standards for clearing agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... of the clearing agency's risk management procedures. (9) Provide market participants with sufficient... to its participants that would be expected to breach margin requirements or other risk control... net capital as defined in § 240.15c3-1 for broker-dealers or any similar risk adjusted capital...

Light field and water clarity simulation of natural environments in laboratory conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pe'eri, Shachak; Shwaery, Glenn

2012-06-01

Simulation of natural oceanic conditions in a laboratory setting is a challenging task, especially when that environment can be miles away. We present an attempt to replicate the solar radiation expected at different latitudes with varying water clarity conditions up to 30 m in depth using a 2.5 m deep engineering tank at the University of New Hampshire. The goals of the study were: 1) to configure an underwater light source that produced an irradiance spectrum similar to natural daylight with the sun at zenith and at 60° under clear atmospheric conditions, and 2) to monitor water clarity as a function of depth. Irradiance was measured using a spectra-radiometer with a cosine receiver to analyze the output spectrum of submersed lamps as a function of distance. In addition, an underwater reflection method was developed to measure the diffuse attenuation coefficient in real time. Two water clarity types were characterized, clear waters representing deep, open-ocean conditions, and murky waters representing littoral environments. Results showed good correlation between the irradiance measured at 400 nm to 600 nm and the natural daylight spectrum at 3 m from the light source. This can be considered the water surface conditions reference. Using these methodologies in a controlled laboratory setting, we are able to replicate illumination and water conditions to study the physical, chemical and biological processes on natural and man-made objects and/or systems in simulated, varied geographic locations and environments.

Outcomes sensitive to nursing service quality in ambulatory cancer chemotherapy: Systematic scoping review.

PubMed

Griffiths, Peter; Richardson, Alison; Blackwell, Rebecca

2012-07-01

There is long standing interest in identifying patient outcomes that are sensitive to nursing care and an increasing number of systems that include outcomes in order to demonstrate or monitor the quality of nursing care. We undertook scoping reviews of the literature in order to identify patient outcomes sensitive to the quality of nursing services in ambulatory cancer chemotherapy settings to guide the development of an outcomes-based quality measurement system. A 2-stage scoping review to identify potential outcome areas which were subsequently assessed for their sensitivity to nursing was carried out. Data sources included the Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, the British Nursing Index, Google and Google scholar. We identified a broad range of outcomes potentially sensitive to nursing. Individual trials support many nursing interventions but we found relatively little clear evidence of effect on outcomes derived from systematic reviews and no evidence associating characteristics of nursing services with outcomes. The purpose of identifying a set of outcomes as specifically nurse-sensitive for quality measurement is to give clear responsibility and create an expectation of strong clinical leadership by nurses in terms of monitoring and acting on results. It is important to select those outcomes that nurses have most impact upon. Patient experience, nausea, vomiting, mucositis and safe medication administration were outcome areas most likely to yield sensitive measures of nursing service quality in ambulatory cancer chemotherapy. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Enhance your team-based qualitative research.

PubMed

Fernald, Douglas H; Duclos, Christine W

2005-01-01

Qualitative research projects often involve the collaborative efforts of a research team. Challenges inherent in teamwork include changes in membership and differences in analytical style, philosophy, training, experience, and skill. This article discusses teamwork issues and tools and techniques used to improve team-based qualitative research. We drew on our experiences in working on numerous projects of varying, size, duration, and purpose. Through trials of different tools and techniques, expert consultation, and review of the literature, we learned to improve how we build teams, manage information, and disseminate results. Attention given to team members and team processes is as important as choosing appropriate analytical tools and techniques. Attentive team leadership, commitment to early and regular team meetings, and discussion of roles, responsibilities, and expectations all help build more effective teams and establish clear norms. As data are collected and analyzed, it is important to anticipate potential problems from differing skills and styles, and how information and files are managed. Discuss analytical preferences and biases and set clear guidelines and practices for how data will be analyzed and handled. As emerging ideas and findings disperse across team members, common tools (such as summary forms and data grids), coding conventions, intermediate goals or products, and regular documentation help capture essential ideas and insights. In a team setting, little should be left to chance. This article identifies ways to improve team-based qualitative research with more a considered and systematic approach. Qualitative researchers will benefit from further examination and discussion of effective, field-tested, team-based strategies.

Sunshine duration and global radiation trends in Italy (1959-2013): To what extent do they agree?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manara, V.; Brunetti, M.; Maugeri, M.; Sanchez-Lorenzo, A.; Wild, M.

2017-04-01

Two Italian homogenized data sets of sunshine duration (SD) and global radiation (Eg↓) relative anomalies are used to investigate to what extent these two variables agree with respect to their temporal evolution. They are compared for northern and southern Italy over the period 1959-2013. Both under all-sky and clear-sky conditions, the SD records tend to show a shorter and less intense decrease until the 1980s ("global dimming") with respect to the Eg↓ ones, while there is a better agreement in the subsequent period when both variables increase ("brightening period"). To investigate whether such behavior can be explained by a different sensitivity of SD and Eg↓ to atmospheric turbidity variations, the observed clear-sky trends are compared to those estimated by a model based both on Lambert-Beer's law and on a simple estimation of diffuse radiation. Results show that most of the differences observed in the trends of the clear-sky SD and Eg↓ records can be explained considering a realistic pattern of atmospheric turbidity in the 1959-2013 period. The only exception concerns winter and autumn in northern Italy where clear-sky SD does not decrease in the dimming period as much as it would be expected on the basis of the corresponding increase in atmospheric turbidity. One reason for this discrepancy could be the influence of other variables like relative humidity. This case study highlights that changes in atmospheric turbidity have to be kept in mind when SD is used to investigate the multidecadal evolution of Eg↓.

Short-Term Metal Ion Trends Following Removal of Recalled Modular Neck Femoral Stems.

PubMed

Barlow, Brian T; Assini, Joseph; Boles, John; Lee, Yuo-Yu; Westrich, Geoffrey H

2015-07-01

Elevated serum metal ions have been well documented with the Rejuvenate modular neck femoral stem (Stryker, Mahwah, NJ); however, the rate at which ion levels decline following revision is less clear. This study included fifty-nine consecutive revisions of Rejuvenate stems for symptomatic ALTR. Blood tests prior to revision and postoperatively at 6weeks, 3months, 6months, and 1year measured serum cobalt and chromium concentrations, ESR, and CRP. At six weeks following revision of a unilateral Rejuvenate, cobalt and chromium levels dropped from preoperative levels by 67% and 42%, respectively. At three months, cobalt levels declined to 19% of preoperative values, but chromium levels remained stable. With this information, surgeons can set realistic expectations for serum metal ion levels following Rejuvenate stem revision. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Modification of the ρ meson detected by low-mass electron-positron pairs in central Pbsbnd Au collisions at 158A GeV/c

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamová, D.; Agakichiev, G.; Antończyk, D.; Appelshäuser, H.; Belaga, V.; Bielcikova, J.; Braun-Munzinger, P.; Busch, O.; Cherlin, A.; Damjanović, S.; Dietel, T.; Dietrich, L.; Drees, A.; Dubitzky, W.; Esumi, S. I.; Filimonov, K.; Fomenko, K.; Fraenkel, Z.; Garabatos, C.; Glässel, P.; Holeczek, J.; Kushpil, V.; Maas, A.; Marín, A.; Milošević, J.; Milov, A.; Miśkowiec, D.; Panebrattsev, Yu.; Petchenova, O.; Petráček, V.; Pfeiffer, A.; Rak, J.; Ravinovich, I.; Rehak, P.; Sako, H.; Schmitz, W.; Sedykh, S.; Shimansky, S.; Stachel, J.; Šumbera, M.; Tilsner, H.; Tserruya, I.; Wessels, J. P.; Wienold, T.; Wurm, J. P.; Xie, W.; Yurevich, S.; Yurevich, V.; Ceres Collaboration

2008-09-01

We present a measurement of e+e- pair production in central Pbsbnd Au collisions at 158 A GeV / c. As reported earlier, a significant excess of the e+e- pair yield over the expectation from hadron decays is observed. The improved mass resolution of the present data set, recorded with the upgraded CERES experiment at the CERN-SPS, allows for a comparison of the data with different theoretical approaches. The data clearly favor a substantial in-medium broadening of the ρ spectral function over a density-dependent shift of the ρ pole mass. The in-medium broadening model implies that baryon induced interactions are the key mechanism to the observed modifications of the ρ meson at SPS energy.

Modification of the ρ meson detected by low-mass electron positron pairs in central PbAu collisions at 158A GeV/c

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ceres Collaboration; Adamová, D.; Agakichiev, G.; Antończyk, D.; Appelshäuser, H.; Belaga, V.; Bielcikova, J.; Braun-Munzinger, P.; Busch, O.; Cherlin, A.; Damjanović, S.; Dietel, T.; Dietrich, L.; Drees, A.; Dubitzky, W.; Esumi, S. I.; Filimonov, K.; Fomenko, K.; Fraenkel, Z.; Garabatos, C.; Glässel, P.; Holeczek, J.; Kushpil, V.; Maas, A.; Marín, A.; Milošević, J.; Milov, A.; Miśkowiec, D.; Panebrattsev, Yu.; Petchenova, O.; Petráček, V.; Pfeiffer, A.; Rak, J.; Ravinovich, I.; Rehak, P.; Sako, H.; Schmitz, W.; Sedykh, S.; Shimansky, S.; Stachel, J.; Šumbera, M.; Tilsner, H.; Tserruya, I.; Wessels, J. P.; Wienold, T.; Wurm, J. P.; Xie, W.; Yurevich, S.; Yurevich, V.

2008-09-01

We present a measurement of ee pair production in central PbAu collisions at 158A GeV/c. As reported earlier, a significant excess of the ee pair yield over the expectation from hadron decays is observed. The improved mass resolution of the present data set, recorded with the upgraded CERES experiment at the CERN-SPS, allows for a comparison of the data with different theoretical approaches. The data clearly favor a substantial in-medium broadening of the ρ spectral function over a density-dependent shift of the ρ pole mass. The in-medium broadening model implies that baryon induced interactions are the key mechanism to the observed modifications of the ρ meson at SPS energy.

‘I did try and point out about his dignity’: a qualitative narrative study of patients and carers’ experiences and expectations of junior doctors

PubMed Central

Kostov, Camille E; Rees, Charlotte E; Gormley, Gerard J

2018-01-01

Objectives For many years, the voice of patients has been understood as a critical element for the improvement of care quality in healthcare settings. How well medical graduates are prepared for clinical practice is an important question, but one that has rarely been considered from patient and public perspectives. We aimed to fill this gap by exploring patients and carers’ experiences and expectations of junior doctors. Design This comprises part of a wider study on UK medical graduates’ preparedness for practice. A qualitative narrative methodology was used, comprising four individual and six group interviews. Participants 25 patients and carers from three UK countries. Analysis Data were transcribed, anonymised and analysed using framework analysis. Main results We identified three themes pertinent to answering our research question: (1) sources of knowledge (sources of information contributing to patients and carers’ perceptions of junior doctors’ impacting on expectations); (2) desires for student/trainee learning (experiences and expectations of medical training); and (3) future doctors (experiences and expectations of junior doctors). We also highlight metaphorical talk and humour, where relevant, in the quotes presented to give deeper insights into participants’ perspectives of the issues. Participants focused on personal and interpersonal aspects of being a doctor, such as respect and communication. There was a strong assertion that medical graduates needed to gain direct experience with a diverse range of patients to encourage individualised care. Participants narrated their experiences of having symptoms ignored and attributed to an existing diagnosis (‘diagnostic overshadowing’) and problems relating to confidentiality. Conclusions Our findings support the view that patients and carers have clear expectations about junior doctors, and that patient views are important for preparing junior doctors for practice. There is a necessity for greater dialogue between patients, doctors and educators to clarify expectations and confidentiality issues around patient care. PMID:29358422

Great Expectations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natale, Jo Anna

1993-01-01

Inside one Washington, DC, elementary school, Principal John Pannell has high hopes for his students and an expansive school vision. Malcolm X School compensates for disorder outside by clearly inculcating rules and behavior expectations. Children in school uniforms daily repeat a motto promoting Malcolm X as a school of love allowing no hitting,…

Research and Teacher Effectiveness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berliner, David

This paper presents one researcher's premise that the most important variable in determining classroom effectiveness is the congruence of the delivered curriculum with the desired outcomes or, that students be given the opportunity to learn what is expected of them. This theory presupposes that curriculum expectations be made clear to students,…

How Students' Expectations Shape Their Quest for Purpose during College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Jessica A.; Glanzer, Perry L.

2016-01-01

This article presents the findings of a 75-participant phenomenological study that examined the relationship between students' expectations of their university experience and their perception of purpose development. A clear dichotomy emerged between those who had a "holistic" mindset and understood their university as a place to develop…

On the age and mass function of the globular cluster M 4: A different interpretation of recent deep HST observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marchi, G.; Paresce, F.; Straniero, O.; Prada Moroni, P. G.

2004-03-01

Very deep images of the Galactic globular cluster M 4 (NGC 6121) through the F606W and F814W filters were taken in 2001 with the WFPC2 on board the HST. A first published analysis of this data set (Richer et al. \\cite{Richer2002}) produced the result that the age of M 4 is 12.7± 0.7 Gyr (Hansen et al. \\cite{Hansen2002}), thus setting a robust lower limit to the age of the universe. In view of the great astronomical importance of getting this number right, we have subjected the same data set to the simplest possible photometric analysis that completely avoids uncertain assumptions about the origin of the detected sources. This analysis clearly reveals both a thin main sequence, from which can be deduced the deepest statistically complete mass function yet determined for a globular cluster, and a white dwarf (WD) sequence extending all the way down to the 5 \\sigma detection limit at I ≃ 27. The WD sequence is abruptly terminated at exactly this limit as expected by detection statistics. Using our most recent theoretical WD models (Prada Moroni & Straniero \\cite{Prada2002}) to obtain the expected WD sequence for different ages in the observed bandpasses, we find that the data so far obtained do not reach the peak of the WD luminosity function, thus only allowing one to set a lower limit to the age of M 4 of ˜9 Gyr. Thus, the problem of determining the absolute age of a globular cluster and, therefore, the onset of GC formation with cosmologically significant accuracy remains completely open. Only observations several magnitudes deeper than the limit obtained so far would allow one to approach this objective. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA for NASA under contract NAS5-26555.

76 FR 68238 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Options Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-03

... Defaulting Clearing Member's Accounts October 28, 2011. I. Introduction On July 28, 2011, the Options..._occ_11_08_a_1.pdf . The liquidation of open long and short positions through exchange transactions is... expected to result in a shorter liquidation period and reduced execution risk. During Lehman Brothers...

Writing: Clearing the Mind for Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neff, Bonita Dostal

Many communication majors expect to do little written communication, since skill in oral communication is more developed if not preferred. Before a student writes or becomes engaged in the rational and logical process of evaluating writing, he or she is in the stage of clearing the mind for action. A non-rationalistic approach to writing seeks to…

17 CFR 240.17Ad-22 - Standards for clearing agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... of the clearing agency's risk management procedures. (9) Provide market participants with sufficient... agency's exposures to its participants that would be expected to breach margin requirements or other risk... section means net capital as defined in § 240.15c3-1 for broker-dealers or any similar risk adjusted...

A benefit-cost framework of motivation for a specific activity.

PubMed

Studer, B; Knecht, S

2016-01-01

How can an individual be motivated to perform a target exercise or activity? This question arises in training, therapeutic, and education settings alike, yet despite-or even because of-the large range of extant motivation theories, finding a clear answer to this question can be challenging. Here we propose an application-friendly framework of motivation for a specific activity or exercise that incorporates core concepts from several well-regarded psychological and economic theories of motivation. The key assumption of this framework is that motivation for performing a given activity is determined by the expected benefits and the expected costs of (performance of) the activity. Benefits comprise positive feelings, gains, and rewards experienced during performance of the activity (intrinsic benefits) or achieved through the activity (extrinsic benefits). Costs entail effort requirements, time demands, and other expenditure (intrinsic costs) as well as unwanted associated outcomes and missing out on alternative activities (extrinsic costs). The expected benefits and costs of a given exercise are subjective and state dependent. We discuss convergence of the proposed framework with a selection of extant motivation theories and briefly outline neurobiological correlates of its main components and assumptions. One particular strength of our framework is that it allows to specify five pathways to increasing motivation for a target exercise, which we illustrate and discuss with reference to previous empirical data. © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of methylphenidate and expectancy on children with ADHD: behavior, academic performance, and attributions in a summer treatment program and regular classroom settings.

PubMed

Pelham, William E; Hoza, Betsy; Pillow, David R; Gnagy, Elizabeth M; Kipp, Heidi L; Greiner, Andrew R; Waschbusch, Daniel A; Trane, Sarah T; Greenhouse, Joel; Wolfson, Lara; Fitzpatrick, Erin

2002-04-01

Pharmacological and expectancy effects of 0.3 mg/kg methylphenidate on the behavior and attributions of boys with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were evaluated. In a within-subject, balanced-placebo design, 136 boys received 4 medication-expectancy conditions. Attributions for success and failure on a daily report card were gathered. Assessments took place within the setting of a summer treatment program and were repeated in boys' regular classrooms. Expectancy did not affect the boys' behavior; only active medication improved their behavior. Boys attributed their success to their effort and ability and attributed failure to task difficulty and the pill, regardless of medication and expectancy. Results were generally equivalent across the two settings; where there were differences, beneficial effects of medication were more apparent in the school setting. The findings were unaffected by individual-difference factors.

Defining Futile and Potentially Inappropriate Interventions: A Policy Statement From the Society of Critical Care Medicine Ethics Committee.

PubMed

Kon, Alexander A; Shepard, Eric K; Sederstrom, Nneka O; Swoboda, Sandra M; Marshall, Mary Faith; Birriel, Barbara; Rincon, Fred

2016-09-01

The Society of Critical Care Medicine and four other major critical care organizations have endorsed a seven-step process to resolve disagreements about potentially inappropriate treatments. The multiorganization statement (entitled: An official ATS/AACN/ACCP/ESICM/SCCM Policy Statement: Responding to Requests for Potentially Inappropriate Treatments in Intensive Care Units) provides examples of potentially inappropriate treatments; however, no clear definition is provided. This statement was developed to provide a clear definition of inappropriate interventions in the ICU environment. A subcommittee of the Society of Critical Care Medicine Ethics Committee performed a systematic review of empirical research published in peer-reviewed journals as well as professional organization position statements to generate recommendations. Recommendations approved by consensus of the full Society of Critical Care Medicine Ethics Committees and the Society of Critical Care Medicine Council were included in the statement. ICU interventions should generally be considered inappropriate when there is no reasonable expectation that the patient will improve sufficiently to survive outside the acute care setting, or when there is no reasonable expectation that the patient's neurologic function will improve sufficiently to allow the patient to perceive the benefits of treatment. This definition should not be considered exhaustive; there will be cases in which life-prolonging interventions may reasonably be considered inappropriate even when the patient would survive outside the acute care setting with sufficient cognitive ability to perceive the benefits of treatment. When patients or surrogate decision makers demand interventions that the clinician believes are potentially inappropriate, the seven-step process presented in the multiorganization statement should be followed. Clinicians should recognize the limits of prognostication when evaluating potential neurologic outcome and terminal cases. At times, it may be appropriate to provide time-limited ICU interventions to patients if doing so furthers the patient's reasonable goals of care. If the patient is experiencing pain or suffering, treatment to relieve pain and suffering is always appropriate. The Society of Critical Care Medicine supports the seven-step process presented in the multiorganization statement. This statement provides added guidance to clinicians in the ICU environment.

Aeolian Removal of Dust Types from Photovoltaic Surfaces on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Perez-Davis, Marla E.

1990-01-01

Dust elevated in local or global dust storms on the Martian surface could settle on photovoltaic (PV) surfaces and seriously hamper their performance. Using a recently developed technique to apply a uniform dust layer, PV surface materials were subjected to simulated Martian winds in an attempt to determine whether natural aeolian processes on Mars would sweep off the settled dust. Three different types of dust were used. The effects of wind velocity, angle of attack, height above the Martian surface, and surface coating material were investigated. It was found that arrays mounted on an angle of attack approaching 45 deg show the most efficient clearing. Although the angular dependence is not sharp, horizontally mounted arrays required much higher wind velocities to clear off the dust. From this test it appears that the arrays may be erected quite near the ground, but previous studies have suggested that saltation effects can be expected to cause such arrays to be covered by soil if they are set up less than about a meter from the ground. Particle size effect appear to dominate over surface chemistry in these experiments, but additional tests are required to confirm this.

SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR THE OHIO RIVER FISH INDEX BASED ON IN-STREAM HABITAT

EPA Science Inventory

The use of habitat criteria for setting fish community assessment expectations is common for streams, but a standard approach for great rivers remains largely undeveloped. We developed assessment expectations for the Ohio River Fish Index (ORFIN) based on measures of in-stream h...

Urban-rural differences in disability-free life expectancy in Bangladesh using the 2010 HIES data.

PubMed

Islam, Md Shariful; Tareque, Md Ismail; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Fazle Rabbi, Ahbab Mohammad; Khan, Hafiz T A; Begum, Sharifa

2017-01-01

Research on health expectancy has been carried out in Bangladesh but none of it has examined the differences in Disability-Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) between urban and rural setting in context of rapid urbanization of Bangladesh in past decades. The present study aims to estimate DFLE for people of all ages living in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh, and to examine the differences in DFLE between these two areas. Data from the Sample Vital Registration System 2010 and the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 were used in this study. The Sullivan method was applied to estimate DFLE in Bangladesh. Higher rates of mortality and disability were observed in rural areas compared to urban areas with few exceptions. Statistically significant differences in DFLE were revealed from birth to age 15 years for both sexes between urban and rural areas. Urban males had a longer life expectancy (LE), longer DFLE and shorter LE with disability both in number and proportion when compared to rural males. Rural females at age 20+ years had a longer LE than urban females but urban females had a longer DFLE and a shorter LE with disability in both number and proportion at all ages than did rural females. This study demonstrates that there were clear inequalities in LE, DFLE and LE with disability between rural and urban areas of Bangladesh along with age-specific differences as well. These findings may serve as useful and benchmark for intervention and policy implications for reducing the gap in health outcomes.

Experimental instruction in photonics for high school students: approaches to managing problems faced

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choong, Zhengyang

2017-08-01

Student research projects are increasingly common at the K-12 level. However, students often face difficulties in the course of their school research projects such as setting realistic timelines and expectations, handling problems stemming from a lack of self-confidence, as well as being sufficiently disciplined for sustained communication and experimentation. In this work, we explore manifestations of these problems in the context of a photonics project, characterising the spectrum of the breakdown flash from Silicon Avalanche Photodiodes. We report on the process of planning and building the setup, data collection, analysis and troubleshooting, as well as the technical and human problems at each step. Approaches that were found to be helpful in managing the aforementioned problems are discussed, including an attention to detail during experimental work, as well as communicating in a forthcoming manner. Œe former allowed for clearer planning and the setting of quantifiable proximal goals; the latter helped in motivating discipline, and also helped in the understanding of research as an iterative learning process without a clear definition of success or failure.

Make your enemies your allies.

PubMed

Uzzi, Brian; Dunlap, Shannon

2012-05-01

Rivalries in the workplace can be destructive to both personal career growth and group success. Many attempts to reverse rivalries fail because of the complex way emotion and reason operate in the building of trust. Using a method called the 3Rs, an effective leader can turn a rival into a collaborator, setting the stage for a healthy work life while driving fresh thinking within an organization. Step 1 of the method is redirection, shifting a rival's negative emotions away from the adversarial relationship. This creates an opening for Step 2, reciprocity, through which a relationship can be established. Here, the essential principle is to give before you ask--offering a rival something of clear benefit and "priming the pump" for a future return that requires little effort on the rival's part. Step 3, rationality, sets expectations of the new relationship so that efforts made using the previous steps don't come off as disingenuous. A rival is encouraged to see collaborative opportunities from a reasoned standpoint. A key advantage of the 3Rs is that the method can work to reverse all kinds of rivalries, including those with subordinates, peers, and superiors.

The Effects of Attrition on Baseline Comparability in Randomized Experiments in Education: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valentine, Jeffrey C.; McHugh, Cathleen M.

2007-01-01

Using meta-analysis, randomized experiments in education that either clearly did or clearly did not experience student attrition were examined for the baseline comparability of groups. Results from 35 studies suggested that after attrition, the observed measures of baseline comparability of groups did not differ more than would be expected given…

The Prediction of College Student Academic Performance and Retention: Application of Expectancy and Goal Setting Theories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Barry A.; Mandel, Rhonda G.

2010-01-01

Student retention and performance in higher education are important issues for educators, students, and the nation facing critical professional labor shortages. Expectancy and goal setting theories were used to predict academic performance and college student retention. Students' academic expectancy motivation at the start of the college…

Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

2014-01-01

The purpose of our study was to understand consumers' risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20-50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public.

Mechanisms of subliminal response priming

PubMed Central

Kiesel, Andrea; Kunde, Wilfried; Hoffmann, Joachim

2008-01-01

Subliminal response priming has been considered to operate on several stages, e.g. perceptual, central or motor stages might be affected. While primes’ impact on target perception has been clearly demonstrated, semantic response priming recently has been thrown into doubt (e.g. Klinger, Burton, & Pitts, 2000). Finally, LRP studies have revealed that subliminal primes evoke motor processes. Yet, the premises for such prime-evoked motor activation are not settled. A transfer of priming to stimuli that have never been presented as targets appears particularly interesting because it suggests a level of processing that goes beyond a reactivation of previously acquired S-R links. Yet, such transfer has not always withstood empirical testing. To account for these contradictory results, we proposed a two-process model (Kunde, Kiesel, & Hoffmann, 2003): First, participants build up expectations regarding imperative stimuli for the required responses according to experience and/or instructions. Second, stimuli that match these “action triggers” directly activate the corresponding motor responses irrespective of their conscious identification. In line with these assumptions, recent studies revealed that non-target primes induce priming when they fit the current task intentions and when they are expected in the experimental setting. PMID:20517516

Governance principles for wildlife conservation in the 21st century

USGS Publications Warehouse

Decker, Daniel J.; Smith, Christian; Forstchen, Ann; Hare, Darragh; Pomeranz, Emily; Doyle-Capitman, Catherine; Schuler, Krysten; Organ, John F.

2016-01-01

Wildlife conservation is losing ground in the U.S. for many reasons. The net effect is declines in species and habitat. To address this trend, the wildlife conservation institution (i.e., all customs, practices, organizations and agencies, policies, and laws with respect to wildlife) must adapt to contemporary social–ecological conditions. Adaptation could be supported by clear guidelines reflecting contemporary expectations for wildlife governance. We combine elements of public trust thinking and good governance to produce a broad set of wildlife governance principles. These principles represent guidance for ecologically and socially responsible wildlife conservation. They address persistent, systemic problems and, if adopted, will bring the institution into line with modern expectations for governance of public natural resources. Implementation will require changes in values, objectives, and processes of the wildlife conservation institution. These changes may be difficult, but promise improved wildlife conservation outcomes and increased support for conservation. We introduce challenges and opportunities associated with the principles, and encourage dialogue about them among scientists, practitioners, and other leaders in U.S. wildlife conservation. The principles alone will not change the course of conservation for the better, but may be necessary for such change to occur.

'She gave it her best shot right away': patient experiences of biomedical and patient-centered communication.

PubMed

Swenson, Sara L; Zettler, Patti; Lo, Bernard

2006-05-01

Medical educators and researchers recommend a patient-centered interviewing style, but little empirical data exists regarding what aspects of physician communication patients like and why. We investigated patient responses to videotaped doctor-patient vignettes to ascertain what they liked about patient-centered and biomedical communication. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 230 adult medicine patients who viewed videotapes depicting both patient-centered and biomedical physician communication styles. We used a mixed methods approach to derive a "ground-up" framework of patient communication preferences. Respondents who preferred different communication styles articulated different sets of values, important physician behaviors, and physician-patient role expectations. Participants who preferred the patient-centered physician (69%) liked that she worked with and respected patients and explored what the patient wanted. Participants who preferred the biomedical physician (31%) liked that she prevented harm, demonstrated medical authority, and delivered information clearly. Patients like (and dislike) patient-centered communication for thoughtful, considered reasons that appear grounded in their values and expectations about physicians, patients, and the clinical encounter. Better understanding the diversity of patient communication preferences may lead to more effective and individualized care.

Uncovering the care setting-turnover intention relationship of geriatric nurses.

PubMed

Rahnfeld, Marlen; Wendsche, Johannes; Ihle, Andreas; Müller, Sandrine R; Kliegel, Matthias

2016-06-01

In times of global demographic changes, strategies are needed for improving nursing staff retention. We examined the association of care setting (nursing homes and home care) with geriatric nurses' intention to leave their job and their profession. Thus far, it is unclear why nurses' turnover intention and behaviour do not differ between care settings, although working conditions tend to be better in home care. We used the Job Demands-Resources model to explain indirect and buffering effects by job demands (time pressure, social conflicts) and resources (task identity, supervisor support, and co-worker support) via nurses' perceived health and job satisfaction on nurses' leaving intentions. The present cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted with a sample of N  = 278 registered nurses and nursing aides in German geriatric care. As expected, there was no direct relationship between care setting and leaving attitudes. Demands and resources predicted the intention to leave with job satisfaction as mediator. We found more demands in nursing homes but no differences in resources. Serial mediation effects of care setting on intentions to leave via demands/resources and health/job satisfaction as mediators were found only for time pressure and social conflicts. Unexpectedly, there were no clear differences between intention to leave the job and the profession. As hypotheses were only partly confirmed, other buffering and detrimental effects on leaving intentions are discussed. The present data suggest that detailed concepts for personnel and career planning in geriatric care are needed.

A converged calculation of the energy barrier to internal rotation in the ethylene-sulfur dioxide dimer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resende, Stella M.; De Almeida, Wagner B.; van Duijneveldt-van de Rijdt, Jeanne G. C. M.; van Duijneveldt, Frans B.

2001-08-01

Geometrical parameters for the equilibrium (MIN) and lowest saddle-point (TS) geometries of the C2H4⋯SO2 dimer, and the corresponding binding energies, were calculated using the Hartree-Fock and correlated levels of ab initio theory, in basis sets ranging from the D95(d,p) double-zeta basis set to the aug-cc-pVQZ correlation consistent basis set. An assessment of the effect of the basis set superposition error (BSSE) on these results was made. The dissociation energy from the lowest vibrational state was estimated to be 705±100 cm-1 at the basis set limit, which is well within the range expected from experiment. The barrier to internal rotation was found to be 53±5 cm-1, slightly higher than the (revised) experimental result of 43 cm-1, probably due to zero-point vibrational effects. Our results clearly show that, in direct contrast with recent ideas, the BSSE correction affects differentially the MIN and TS binding energies and so has to be included in the calculation of small energy barriers such as that in the C2H4⋯SO2 dimer. Previous reports of positive MP2 frozen-core binding energies for this complex in basis D95(d,p) are confirmed. The anomalies are shown to be an artifact arising from an incorrect removal of virtual orbitals by the default frozen-core option in the GAUSSIAN program.

Optimal filter design with progressive genetic algorithm for local damage detection in rolling bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wodecki, Jacek; Michalak, Anna; Zimroz, Radoslaw

2018-03-01

Harsh industrial conditions present in underground mining cause a lot of difficulties for local damage detection in heavy-duty machinery. For vibration signals one of the most intuitive approaches of obtaining signal with expected properties, such as clearly visible informative features, is prefiltration with appropriately prepared filter. Design of such filter is very broad field of research on its own. In this paper authors propose a novel approach to dedicated optimal filter design using progressive genetic algorithm. Presented method is fully data-driven and requires no prior knowledge of the signal. It has been tested against a set of real and simulated data. Effectiveness of operation has been proven for both healthy and damaged case. Termination criterion for evolution process was developed, and diagnostic decision making feature has been proposed for final result determinance.

Are increases in cigarette taxation regressive?

PubMed

Borren, P; Sutton, M

1992-12-01

Using the latest published data from Tobacco Advisory Council surveys, this paper re-evaluates the question of whether or not increases in cigarette taxation are regressive in the United Kingdom. The extended data set shows no evidence of increasing price-elasticity by social class as found in a major previous study. To the contrary, there appears to be no clear pattern in the price responsiveness of smoking behaviour across different social classes. Increases in cigarette taxation, while reducing smoking levels in all groups, fall most heavily on men and women in the lowest social class. Men and women in social class five can expect to pay eight and eleven times more of a tax increase respectively, than their social class one counterparts. Taken as a proportion of relative incomes, the regressive nature of increases in cigarette taxation is even more pronounced.

Infants' development of object permanence: a refined methodology and new evidence of Piaget's hypothesized ordinality.

PubMed

Kramer, J A; Hill, K T; Cohen, L B

1975-03-01

To investigate Piaget's theory of object concept development, a series of 6 tasks was administered in a combined longitudinal/cross-sectional design incorporating a number of methodological controls. The tasks spanned the entire sensorimotor period and included single versus sequential displacements combined with visible or invisible hidings. 36 infants from 5 to 32 months of age at initial testing were drawn equally from day-care and home settings. All infants received the 6 tasks during each of 3 testing sessions over a 6-month period. Clear evidence was obtained for task ordinality as proposed by Piaget, with ordinality coefficients ranging from .71 to .82 for the 3 testing sessions. Performance changes across the 3 sessions were also ordinal in 80% of the cases. Expected age, task, and session effects and accompanying interactions were also obtained.

Aeolian Removal of Dust Types from Photovoltaic Surfaces on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; Perez-Davis, Marla E.; Marabito, Mark

1990-01-01

Dust elevated in local or global dust storms on the Martian surface could settle on photovoltaic (PV) surfaces and seriously hamper their performance. Using a recently developed technique to apply a uniform dust layer, PV surface materials were subjected to simulated Martian winds in an attempt to determine whether natural Aeolian processes on Mars would sweep off the settled dust. Three different types of dust were used; an optical polishing powder, basaltic "trap rock", and iron (III) oxide crystals. The effects of wind velocity, angle of attack, height above the Martian surface, and surface coating material were investigated. It was found that arrays mounted with an angle of attack approaching 45 degrees show the most efficient clearing. Although the angular dependence is not sharp, horizontally mounted arrays required significantly higher wind velocities to clear off the dust. From this test it appears that the arrays may be erected quite near the ground, but previous studies have suggested that saltation effects can be expected to cause such arrays to be covered by soil if they are set up less than about a meter from the ground. Particle size effects appear to dominate over surface chemistry in these experiments, but additional tests are required to confirm this. Providing that the surface chemistry of Martian dusts is not drastically different from simulated dust and that gravity differences have only minor effects, the materials used for protective coatings for photovoltaic arrays may be optimized for other considerations such as transparency, and chemical or abrasion resistance. The static threshold velocity is low enough that there are regions on Mars which experience winds strong enough to clear off a photovoltaic array if it is properly oriented. Turbulence fences proved to be an ineffective strategy to keep dust cleared from the photovoltaic surfaces.

What Does Anonymization Mean? DataSHIELD and the Need for Consensus on Anonymization Terminology.

PubMed

Wallace, Susan E

2016-06-01

Anonymization is a recognized process by which identifiers can be removed from identifiable data to protect an individual's confidentiality and is used as a standard practice when sharing data in biomedical research. However, a plethora of terms, such as coding, pseudonymization, unlinked, and deidentified, have been and continue to be used, leading to confusion and uncertainty. This article shows that this is a historic problem and argues that such continuing uncertainty regarding the levels of protection given to data risks damaging initiatives designed to assist researchers conducting cross-national studies and sharing data internationally. DataSHIELD and the creation of a legal template are used as examples of initiatives that rely on anonymization, but where the inconsistency in terminology could hinder progress. More broadly, this article argues that there is a real possibility that there could be possible damage to the public's trust in research and the institutions that carry it out by relying on vague notions of the anonymization process. Research participants whose lack of clear understanding of the research process is compensated for by trusting those carrying out the research may have that trust damaged if the level of protection given to their data does not match their expectations. One step toward ensuring understanding between parties would be consistent use of clearly defined terminology used internationally, so that all those involved are clear on the level of identifiability of any particular set of data and, therefore, how that data can be accessed and shared.

Dryland Salinity in the North Stirling Land Conservation District, Western Australia: Simulation and Management Options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomboso, J.; Ghassemi, F.; Appleyard, S. J.

1997-01-01

The North Stirling Land Conservation District consists of approximately 100,000 hectares north of the Stirling Range National Park, Western Australia. Clearing of land for agriculture occurred in the 1960's and early 1970's. The groundwater is highly saline, and, since clearing, the water table has risen by as much as 12 m; it is now generally less than 3 m below ground level throughout the area. The rise in groundwater levels following clearing and the use of crops and pastures requiring low water use have caused dramatic secondary salinisation over a short period of time. Groundwater flow was simulated with models of steady-state and transient groundwater flow. By incorporating economic simulations with the calibrated transient hydrogeological model, estimates of the expected gross margin losses were made. Three salinity-management strategies were simulated. Results indicate that 1) under the `do-nothing' strategy, future gross margins are expected to decline; 2) under the agronomic strategy, the rate of water-table rise would be reduced and foregone agricultural production losses would be less than the `do-nothing' strategy; and 3) under the agroforestry strategy, the water table is expected to decline in the long term, which would increase future agricultural production levels and, hence, profitability.

Efficiency of different techniques to identify changes in land use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zornoza, Raúl; Mateix-Solera, Jorge; Gerrero, César

2013-04-01

The need for the development of sensitive and efficient methodologies for soil quality evaluation is increasing. The ability to assess soil quality and identify key soil properties that serve as indicators of soil function is complicated by the multiplicity of physical, chemical and biological factors that control soil processes. In the mountain region of the Mediterranean Basin of Spain, almond trees have been cultivated in terraced orchards for centuries. These crops are immersed in the Mediterranean forest scenery, configuring a mosaic landscape where orchards are integrated in the forest masses. In the last decades, almond orchards are being abandoned, leading to an increase in vegetation cover, since abandoned fields are naturally colonized by the surrounded natural vegetation. Soil processes and properties are expected to be associated with vegetation successional dynamics. Thus, the establishment of suitable parameters to monitor soil quality related to land use changes is particularly important to guarantee the regeneration of the mature community. In this study, we selected three land uses, constituted by forest, almond trees orchards, and orchards abandoned between 10 and 15 years previously to sampling. Sampling was carried out in four different locations in SE Spain. The main purpose was to evaluate if changes in management have significantly influenced different sets of soil characteristics. For this purpose, we used a discriminant analysis (DA). The different sets of soil characteristics tested in this study were 1: physical, chemical and biochemical properties; 2: soil near infrared (NIR) spectra; and 3: phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs). After the DA performed with the sets 1 and 2, the three land uses were clearly separated by the two first discriminant functions, and more than 85 % of the samples were correctly classified (grouped). Using the sets 3 and 4 for DA resulted in a slightly better separation of land uses, being more than 85% of the samples correctly classified. These results suggest that the combination of properties of different nature is effective to show the state of soil quality, owing to the close interaction among physical, chemical and biochemical properties in soil. In addition, NIR spectra offer an integrate vision of soil quality, as they synthesize information regarding mineralogy, soil chemistry, soil biology, organic matter and physical attributes. With the DA developed with the PLFAs, the 100% of samples were correctly classified or grouped, indicating a clear impact of land management. This confirms the higher sensitivity of parameters related to soil microbial community structure to evaluate soil quality, perturbations and management. This result was expected as microbial communities respond very fast to changes in land use, faster than measurements of total microbial biomass and activity. Key Words: Land use changes; Phospholipids fatty acids; Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Psychometric validity of the parent's outcome expectations for children's television viewing (POETV) scale

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

TV and other screen use are common among elementary-school-aged children with both potential benefits and harms. It is not clear why some parents restrict their children's screen use and others do not. Parents' outcome expectations for allowing their child to watch TV and other screen media, i.e., t...

Early Career Teachers, Mathematics and Technology: Device Conflict and Emerging Mathematical Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attard, Catherine; Orlando, Joanne

2014-01-01

Information and communication technologies (ICT) are positioned in policy/syllabus documents as an essential resource in the teaching of mathematics. Given their youth and lifelong experience with technology, early career teachers (ECTs) are expected to excel in their use of ICT; however, we are not clear on the viability of these expectations and…

A set of enhanced green fluorescent protein concatemers for quantitative determination of nuclear localization signal strength.

PubMed

Böhm, Jennifer; Thavaraja, Ramya; Giehler, Susanne; Nalaskowski, Marcus M

2017-09-15

Regulated transport of proteins between nucleus and cytoplasm is an important process in the eukaryotic cell. In most cases, active nucleo-cytoplasmic protein transport is mediated by nuclear localization signal (NLS) and/or nuclear export signal (NES) motifs. In this study, we developed a set of vectors expressing enhanced GFP (EGFP) concatemers ranging from 2 to 12 subunits (2xEGFP to 12xEGFP) for analysis of NLS strength. As shown by in gel GFP fluorescence analysis and αGFP Western blotting, EGFP concatemers are expressed as fluorescent full-length proteins in eukaryotic cells. As expected, nuclear localization of concatemeric EGFPs decreases with increasing molecular weight. By oligonucleotide ligation this set of EGFP concatemers can be easily fused to NLS motifs. After determination of intracellular localization of EGFP concatemers alone and fused to different NLS motifs we calculated the size of a hypothetic EGFP concatemer showing a defined distribution of EGFP fluorescence between nucleus and cytoplasm (n/c ratio = 2). Clear differences of the size of the hypothetic EGFP concatemer depending on the fused NLS motif were observed. Therefore, we propose to use the size of this hypothetic concatemer as quantitative indicator for comparing strength of different NLS motifs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selecting the Best Frontline Treatment in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

PubMed Central

Yilmaz, Musa; Abaza, Yasmin; Jabbour, Elias

2017-01-01

With the discovery of Philadelphia chromosome, understanding of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) pathobiology has tremendously increased. Development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting the BCR/ABL1 oncoprotein has changed the landscape of the disease. Today, the expected survival of CML patients, if properly managed, is likely to be similar to the general population. Imatinib is the first approved TKI in CML treatment, and for several years, it was the only option in the frontline setting. Four years ago, second generation TKIs (nilotinib and dasatinib) were approved as alternative frontline options. Now, clinicians are faced the challenge of making decision for which TKI to chose upfront. Second generation TKIs have been demonstrated to induce deeper and faster responses compared to imatinib, however, none of 3 TKIs have been shown to have a clear survival advantage, they all are reasonable options. In contrast, when considering therapy in individual patients, the case may be stronger for a specific TKI. Co-morbidities of the patient and side effect profile of the TKI of interest should be an important consideration in decision making. At present, the cost nilotinib or dasatinib is not remarkably different from imatinib. However, patent for imatinib is expected to expire soon, and it will be available as a generic. Clinicians, then, need to weigh the advantages some patients gain with nilotinib or dasatinib in the frontline setting against the difference in cost. Whatever TKI is chosen as frontline, intolerance, non-compliance or treatment failure should be recognized early as a prompt intervention increases the chance of achieving best possible response. PMID:25921387

Index theorem and universality properties of the low-lying eigenvalues of improved staggered quarks.

PubMed

Follana, E; Hart, A; Davies, C T H

2004-12-10

We study various improved staggered quark Dirac operators on quenched gluon backgrounds in lattice QCD generated using a Symanzik-improved gluon action. We find a clear separation of the spectrum into would-be zero modes and others. The number of would-be zero modes depends on the topological charge as expected from the index theorem, and their chirality expectation value is large ( approximately 0.7). The remaining modes have low chirality and show clear signs of clustering into quartets and approaching the random matrix theory predictions for all topological charge sectors. We conclude that improvement of the fermionic and gauge actions moves the staggered quarks closer to the continuum limit where they respond correctly to QCD topology.

Evolving Roles For Teaching Assistants In Introductory Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunbar, R. W.; Egger, A. E.; Schwartz, J. K.

2008-12-01

As we bring new research-based learning approaches, curricular innovations, and student engagement practices into the introductory science classroom, expectations of teaching assistants (TAs) should have, and have, changed. Similarly, the 21st century teaching assistant has different expectations of us. Maintaining relevance in this context means bringing TAs into an integrated teaching team that supports effective learning for students and provides structured professional development opportunities for TAs. A number of support efforts on our campus, with counterparts at many other universities, seek to optimize the instructional impact of faculty and teaching assistants, thus opening the door to enhanced student engagement (e.g. the quality of effort students put forth, their persistence in science and/or engineering courses, and their perception of scientific relevance in everyday life). Among these efforts, School of Earth Sciences course development TAs work 1:1 in advance of the term with introductory course faculty to design exercises and course materials that meet clearly articulated student learning goals or pedagogical challenges. Throughout the process, TAs are mentored by the faculty as well as science pedagogy experts. Initially funded by a major teaching award, the School is now moving to institutionalize this successful program which has broadened the definition of the TA role. Another area of optimization, reflecting Shulman's concept of pedagogical content knowledge, is our campus mandate that TA development take place within a departmental, as well as general, context. Both Chemistry and Physics expect introductory course TAs to lead interactive, guided-inquiry or tutorial-style sections. Integrating these sections with lecture and positively reinforcing course goals requires TA buy-in and a set of pedagogical facilitation skills cultivated through course-specific training and active mentoring while teaching. To better support the mentoring process in these and other departments, the MinT (Mentors in Teaching) program provides resources and a learning community for advanced graduate students who mentor TAs. There is clearly more to do, but we have come a long way from sink or swim toward an enriched infrastructure of support for teaching and learning in the introductory science classroom.

77 FR 55887 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; the Options Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-11

... Organizations; the Options Clearing Corporation; Order Approving Proposed Rule Change To Amend OCC's By-Laws To... would amend OCC's By-Laws to allow the Corporation to approve OCC's form of clearing member application.... OCC's By- Laws and Rules set forth the qualifications and requirements for clearing membership at OCC...

Engineering Graduates' Skill Sets in the MENA Region: A Gap Analysis of Industry Expectations and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramadi, Eric; Ramadi, Serge; Nasr, Karim

2016-01-01

This study explored gaps between industry expectations and perceptions of engineering graduates' skill sets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study measured the importance that managers of engineers placed on 36 skills relevant to engineers. Also measured was managers' satisfaction with engineering graduates' skill sets.…

75 FR 37864 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing of Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-30

... and Rules To Establish a Clearing Fund Amount Intended To Support Losses Under a Defined Set of... intended to support losses under a defined set of default scenarios. II. Self-Regulatory Organization's... discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined...

ACES MWL data analysis center at SYRTE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meynadier, F.; Delva, P.; le Poncin-Lafitte, C.; Guerlin, C.; Laurent, P.; Wolf, P.

2017-12-01

The ACES-PHARAO mission aims at operating a cold-atom caesium clock on board the International Space Station, and performs two-way time transfer with ground terminals, in order to allow highly accurate and stable comparisons of its internal timescale with those found in various metrology institutes. Scientific goals in fundamental physics include tests of the gravitational redshift with unprecedented accuracy, and search for a violation of the Lorentz local invariance. As launch is coming closer we are getting ready to process the data expected to come from ACES Microwave Link (MWL) once on board the International Space Station. Several hurdles have been cleared in our software in the past months, as we managed to implement algorithms that reach target accuracy for ground/space desynchronisation measurement. I will present the current status of data analysis preparation, as well as the activities that will take place at SYRTE in order to set up its data processing center.

Study of the Dalitz decay ϕ → ηe+e- with the KLOE detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Babusci, D.; Balwierz-Pytko, I.; Bencivenni, G.; Bloise, C.; Bossi, F.; Branchini, P.; Budano, A.; Caldeira Balkeståhl, L.; Ceradini, F.; Ciambrone, P.; Curciarello, F.; Czerwiński, E.; Danè, E.; De Leo, V.; De Lucia, E.; De Robertis, G.; De Santis, A.; De Simone, P.; Di Cicco, A.; Di Domenico, A.; Di Salvo, R.; Domenici, D.; Erriquez, O.; Fanizzi, G.; Fantini, A.; Felici, G.; Fiore, S.; Franzini, P.; Gajos, A.; Gauzzi, P.; Giardina, G.; Giovannella, S.; Graziani, E.; Happacher, F.; Heijkenskjöld, L.; Höistad, B.; Johansson, T.; Kamińska, D.; Krzemien, W.; Kupsc, A.; Lee-Franzini, J.; Loddo, F.; Loffredo, S.; Mandaglio, G.; Martemianov, M.; Martini, M.; Mascolo, M.; Messi, R.; Miscetti, S.; Morello, G.; Moricciani, D.; Moskal, P.; Palladino, A.; Passeri, A.; Patera, V.; Prado Longhi, I.; Ranieri, A.; Santangelo, P.; Sarra, I.; Schioppa, M.; Sciascia, B.; Silarski, M.; Tortora, L.; Venanzoni, G.; Wiślicki, W.; Wolke, M.

2015-03-01

We have studied the vector to pseudoscalar conversion decay ϕ → ηe+e-, with η →π0π0π0, with the KLOE detector at DAΦNE. The data set of 1.7 fb-1 of e+e- collisions at √{ s} ∼Mϕ contains a clear conversion decay signal of ∼ 31 , 000 events from which we measured a value of BR (ϕ → ηe+e-) = (1.075 ± 0.007 ± 0.038) ×10-4. The same sample is used to determine the transition form factor by a fit to the e+e- invariant mass spectrum, obtaining bϕη = (1.28 ±0.10-0.08+0.09) GeV-2, that improves by a factor of five the precision of the previous measurement and is in good agreement with VMD expectations.

Ecological literacy and beyond: Problem-based learning for future professionals.

PubMed

Lewinsohn, Thomas M; Attayde, José Luiz; Fonseca, Carlos Roberto; Ganade, Gislene; Jorge, Leonardo Ré; Kollmann, Johannes; Overbeck, Gerhard E; Prado, Paulo Inácio; Pillar, Valério D; Popp, Daniela; da Rocha, Pedro L B; Silva, Wesley Rodrigues; Spiekermann, Annette; Weisser, Wolfgang W

2015-03-01

Ecological science contributes to solving a broad range of environmental problems. However, lack of ecological literacy in practice often limits application of this knowledge. In this paper, we highlight a critical but often overlooked demand on ecological literacy: to enable professionals of various careers to apply scientific knowledge when faced with environmental problems. Current university courses on ecology often fail to persuade students that ecological science provides important tools for environmental problem solving. We propose problem-based learning to improve the understanding of ecological science and its usefulness for real-world environmental issues that professionals in careers as diverse as engineering, public health, architecture, social sciences, or management will address. Courses should set clear learning objectives for cognitive skills they expect students to acquire. Thus, professionals in different fields will be enabled to improve environmental decision-making processes and to participate effectively in multidisciplinary work groups charged with tackling environmental issues.

Tracking changes in search behaviour at a health web site.

PubMed

Eklund, Ann-Marie

2012-01-01

Nowadays, the internet is used as a means to provide the public with official information on many different topics, including health related matters and care providers. In this work we have studied a search log from the official Swedish health web site 1177.se for patterns of search behaviour over time. To improve the analysis, we mapped the queries to UMLS semantic types and MeSH categories. Our analysis shows that, as expected, diseases and health care activities are the ones of most interest, but also a clear increased interest in geographical locations in the setting of health care providers. We also note a change over time in which kinds of diseases are of interest. Finally, we conclude that this type of analysis may be useful in studies of what health related topics matter to the public, but also for design and follow-up of public information campaigns.

Contextual modulation of value signals in reward and punishment learning

PubMed Central

Palminteri, Stefano; Khamassi, Mehdi; Joffily, Mateus; Coricelli, Giorgio

2015-01-01

Compared with reward seeking, punishment avoidance learning is less clearly understood at both the computational and neurobiological levels. Here we demonstrate, using computational modelling and fMRI in humans, that learning option values in a relative—context-dependent—scale offers a simple computational solution for avoidance learning. The context (or state) value sets the reference point to which an outcome should be compared before updating the option value. Consequently, in contexts with an overall negative expected value, successful punishment avoidance acquires a positive value, thus reinforcing the response. As revealed by post-learning assessment of options values, contextual influences are enhanced when subjects are informed about the result of the forgone alternative (counterfactual information). This is mirrored at the neural level by a shift in negative outcome encoding from the anterior insula to the ventral striatum, suggesting that value contextualization also limits the need to mobilize an opponent punishment learning system. PMID:26302782

Wildfire risk as a socioecological pathology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fischer, A. Paige; Spies, Thomas A; Steelman, Toddi A; Moseley, Cassandra; Johnson, Bart R.; Bailey, John D.; Ager, Alan A; Bourgeron, Patrick S.; Charnley, Susan; Collins, Brandon M.; Kline, Jeffrey D; Leahy, Jessica E; Littell, Jeremy; Millington, James D. A.; Nielsen-Pincus, Max; Olsen, Christine S; Paveglio, Travis B; Roos, Christopher I.; Steen-Adams, Michelle M; Stevens, Forrest R; Vukomanovic, Jelena; White, Eric M; Bowman, David M J S

2016-01-01

Wildfire risk in temperate forests has become a nearly intractable problem that can be characterized as a socioecological “pathology”: that is, a set of complex and problematic interactions among social and ecological systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Assessments of wildfire risk could benefit from recognizing and accounting for these interactions in terms of socioecological systems, also known as coupled natural and human systems (CNHS). We characterize the primary social and ecological dimensions of the wildfire risk pathology, paying particular attention to the governance system around wildfire risk, and suggest strategies to mitigate the pathology through innovative planning approaches, analytical tools, and policies. We caution that even with a clear understanding of the problem and possible solutions, the system by which human actors govern fire-prone forests may evolve incrementally in imperfect ways and can be expected to resist change even as we learn better ways to manage CNHS.

Body size mediates social and environmental effects on nest building behaviour in a fish with paternal care.

PubMed

Lehtonen, Topi K; Lindström, Kai; Wong, Bob B M

2015-07-01

Body size, social setting, and the physical environment can all influence reproductive behaviours, but their interactions are not well understood. Here, we investigated how male body size, male-male competition, and water turbidity influence nest-building behaviour in the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus), a marine fish with exclusive paternal care. We found that environmental and social factors affected the nest characteristics of small and large males differently. In particular, association between male size and the level of nest elaboration (i.e. the amount of sand piled on top of the nest) was positive only under clear water conditions. Similarly, male size and nest entrance size were positively associated only in the absence of competition. Such interactions may, in turn, help to explain the persistence of variation in reproductive behaviours, which-due to their importance in offspring survival-are otherwise expected to be under strong balancing selection.

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

PubMed

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

2016-09-01

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

Situating the practice of organ donation in familial, cultural, and political context.

PubMed

Lock, Margaret; Crowley-Makota, Megan

2008-07-01

This article provides a discussion of the factors that have contributed in recent years to the assertion that there is a growing shortage of organs for transplant. Findings from ethnographic research carried out in 3 settings--the United States, Japan, and Mexico--are then presented to demonstrate that factors other than low education levels, irrationality, or a lack of generosity are at work when individuals make decisions about organ donation. In all 3 sites, it is clear that both the donation and receiving of organs are based on moral positions and felt obligations concerning appropriate behavior among close relatives and that the ideal of autonomous choice is not readily applicable. Culturally informed expectations are at work in all 3 sites, and in Japan and Mexico, social and political dimensions additionally come into play. We argue that a better accounting is called for of the familial, cultural, and political contexts within which organ transfer takes place.

Injuries to research subjects A survey of investigators.

PubMed

Cardon, P V; Dommel, F W; Trumble, R R

1976-09-16

A task force of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare conducted a survey aimed at estimating the incidence of research-related injuries, with a view to determining the feasibility of compensating subjects injured during research. The data were obtained by telephone from 331 investigators conducting research on nearly 133,000 human subjects over the past three years. Eighty-five investigators reported at least one injury. Of the 4957 reported injuries, 3926 were classified as trivial, and 974 as temporarily disabling; of 57 injuries resulting in death or permanent disability, one disabling stroke, not clearly related to the research, occurred three days after a non-therapeutic procedure; the rest resulted from treatments expected to benefit the patients directly, usually cancer chemotherapy. The data suggest that the risks of participation in nontherapeutic research may be of no greater than those of everyday life, and in therapeutic research, no greater than those of treatment in other settings.

Contextual modulation of value signals in reward and punishment learning.

PubMed

Palminteri, Stefano; Khamassi, Mehdi; Joffily, Mateus; Coricelli, Giorgio

2015-08-25

Compared with reward seeking, punishment avoidance learning is less clearly understood at both the computational and neurobiological levels. Here we demonstrate, using computational modelling and fMRI in humans, that learning option values in a relative--context-dependent--scale offers a simple computational solution for avoidance learning. The context (or state) value sets the reference point to which an outcome should be compared before updating the option value. Consequently, in contexts with an overall negative expected value, successful punishment avoidance acquires a positive value, thus reinforcing the response. As revealed by post-learning assessment of options values, contextual influences are enhanced when subjects are informed about the result of the forgone alternative (counterfactual information). This is mirrored at the neural level by a shift in negative outcome encoding from the anterior insula to the ventral striatum, suggesting that value contextualization also limits the need to mobilize an opponent punishment learning system.

Development and Validation of MMPI-2-RF Scales for Indexing Triarchic Psychopathy Constructs.

PubMed

Sellbom, Martin; Drislane, Laura E; Johnson, Alexandria K; Goodwin, Brandee E; Phillips, Tasha R; Patrick, Christopher J

2016-10-01

The triarchic model characterizes psychopathy in terms of three distinct dispositional constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. The model can be operationalized through scales designed specifically to index these domains or by using items from other inventories that provide coverage of related constructs. The present study sought to develop and validate scales for assessing the triarchic model domains using items from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). A consensus rating approach was used to identify items relevant to each triarchic domain, and following psychometric refinement, the resulting MMPI-2-RF-based triarchic scales were evaluated for convergent and discriminant validity in relation to multiple psychopathy-relevant criterion variables in offender and nonoffender samples. Expected convergent and discriminant associations were evident very clearly for the Boldness and Disinhibition scales and somewhat less clearly for the Meanness scale. Moreover, hierarchical regression analyses indicated that all MMPI-2-RF triarchic scales incremented standard MMPI-2-RF scale scores in predicting extant triarchic model scale scores. The widespread use of MMPI-2-RF in clinical and forensic settings provides avenues for both clinical and research applications in contexts where traditional psychopathy measures are less likely to be administered. © The Author(s) 2015.

Comparison of Microclimate Simulated weather data to ASHRAE Clear Sky Model and Measured Data

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

Bhandari, Mahabir S.

In anticipation of emerging global urbanization and its impact on microclimate, a need exists to better understand and quantify microclimate effects on building energy use. Satisfaction of this need will require coordinated research of microclimate impacts on and from “human systems.” The Urban Microclimate and Energy Tool (Urban-MET) project seeks to address this need by quantifying and analyzing the relationships among climatic conditions, urban morphology, land cover, and energy use; and using these relationships to inform energy-efficient urban development and planning. Initial research will focus on analysis of measured and modeled energy efficiency of various building types in selected urbanmore » areas and temporal variations in energy use for different urban morphologies under different microclimatic conditions. In this report, we analyze the differences between microclimate weather data sets for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory campus produced by ENVI-met and Weather Research Forecast (WRF) models, the ASHRAE clear sky which defines the maximum amounts of solar radiation that can be expected, and measured data from a weather station on campus. Errors with climate variables and their impact on building energy consumption will be shown for the microclimate simulations to help prioritize future improvement for use in microclimate simulation impacts to energy use of buildings.« less

5 CFR 9901.406 - Setting and communicating performance expectations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... expectations. 9901.406 Section 9901.406 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT AND LABOR RELATIONS SYSTEMS (DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NATIONAL SECURITY PERSONNEL SYSTEM (NSPS) Performance Management § 9901.406 Setting and...

5 CFR 9701.406 - Setting and communicating performance expectations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... expectations. 9701.406 Section 9701.406 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY-OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Performance Management § 9701.406 Setting and...

Cultural perceptions and clinical experiences of nursing students in Eastern Turkey.

PubMed

Karatay, G; Bowers, B; Karadağ, E B; Demir, M C

2016-12-01

This study explored Turkish nursing students' perceptions of providing care to patients culturally different from themselves. Increasing migration will increase the need for nurses to provide care across cultural groups. Twenty one students in the second year of a 4-year nursing programme participated in 3 focus groups. Data were analysed using directed content analysis. Research questions were based on Campinha-Bacote's model. Three themes were identified: perceived cultural barriers, perceived cultural facilitators and identifying culturally sensitive actions. Generally, students were able to define culture but were unable to say how culture would affect nursing practice. Students were unprepared to practice in a multicultural setting. Cultural awareness is insufficient for determining how to respond to cultural differences. The study is limited by its restriction to a single school of nursing and a single curriculum. The multiple, ongoing political, religious and ethnic conflicts will require nurses to provide care to patients from other cultural groups, in some instances to people identified as adversaries to the group the nurse may represent. Understanding cultural differences is insufficient to do this effectively. Learning culturally competent care requires opportunities to provide, be guided through and reflect on care to individuals from different cultural groups. Standards for culturally competent care should be adopted by all care delivery settings. Public and organizational policies openly declaring healthcare settings as cultural safe zones, and explicit organizational commitment to culturally safe care, would set clear expectations for providers and help ensure a positive patient experience. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Calibration strategy for the COROT photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buey, J.-T.; Auvergne, M.; Lapeyrere, V.; Boumier, P.

2004-01-01

Like Eddington, the COROT photometer will measure very small fluctutions on a large signal: the amplitudes of planetary transits and solar-like oscillations are expressed in ppm (parts per million). For such an instrument, specific calibration has to be done during the different phases of the development of the instrument and of all the subsystems. Two main things have to be taken into account: - the calibration during the study phase; - the calibration of the sub-systems and building of numerical models. The first item allows us to clearly understand all the perturbations (internal and external) and to identify their relative impacts on the expected signal (by numerical models including expected values of perturbations and sensitivity of the instrument). Methods and a schedule for the calibration process can also be introduced, in good agreement with the development plan of the instrument. The second item is more related to the measurement of the sensitivity of the instrument and all its sub-systems. As the instrument is designed to be as stable as possible, we have to mix measurements (with larger fluctuations of parameters than expected) and numerical models. Some typical reasons for that are: - there are many parameters to introduce in the measurements and results from some models (bread-board for example) may be extrapolated to the flight model; - larger fluctuations than expected are used (to measure precisely the sensitivity) and numerical models give the real value of noise with the expected fluctuations. - Characteristics of sub-systems may be measured and models used to give the sensitivity of the whole system built with them, as end-to-end measurements may be impossible (time, budget, physical limitations). Also, house-keeping measurements have to be set up on the critical parts of the sub-systems: measurements on thermal probes, power supply, pointing, etc. All these house-keeping data are used during ground calibration and during the flight, so that correct correlation between signal and house-keeping can be achieved.

Exploring expectation effects in EMDR: does prior treatment knowledge affect the degrading effects of eye movements on memories?

PubMed Central

Littel, Marianne; van Schie, Kevin; van den Hout, Marcel A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective psychological treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder. Recalling a memory while simultaneously making eye movements (EM) decreases a memory’s vividness and/or emotionality. It has been argued that non-specific factors, such as treatment expectancy and experimental demand, may contribute to the EMDR’s effectiveness. Objective: The present study was designed to test whether expectations about the working mechanism of EMDR would alter the memory attenuating effects of EM. Two experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, we examined the effects of pre-existing (non-manipulated) knowledge of EMDR in participants with and without prior knowledge. In Experiment 2, we experimentally manipulated prior knowledge by providing participants without prior knowledge with correct or incorrect information about EMDR’s working mechanism. Method: Participants in both experiments recalled two aversive, autobiographical memories during brief sets of EM (Recall+EM) or keeping eyes stationary (Recall Only). Before and after the intervention, participants scored their memories on vividness and emotionality. A Bayesian approach was used to compare two competing hypotheses on the effects of (existing/given) prior knowledge: (1) Prior (correct) knowledge increases the effects of Recall+EM vs. Recall Only, vs. (2) prior knowledge does not affect the effects of Recall+EM. Results: Recall+EM caused greater reductions in memory vividness and emotionality than Recall Only in all groups, including the incorrect information group. In Experiment 1, both hypotheses were supported by the data: prior knowledge boosted the effects of EM, but only modestly. In Experiment 2, the second hypothesis was clearly supported over the first: providing knowledge of the underlying mechanism of EMDR did not alter the effects of EM. Conclusions: Recall+EM appears to be quite robust against the effects of prior expectations. As Recall+EM is the core component of EMDR, expectancy effects probably contribute little to the effectiveness of EMDR treatment. PMID:29038685

User library service expectations in health science vs. other settings: a LibQUAL+ Study.

PubMed

Thompson, Bruce; Kyrillidou, Martha; Cook, Colleen

2007-12-01

To explore how the library service expectations and perceptions of users might differ across health-related libraries as against major research libraries not operating in a medical context; to determine whether users of medical libraries demand better library service quality, because the inability of users to access needed literature promptly may lead to a patient who cannot be properly diagnosed, or a diagnosis that cannot be properly treated. We compared LibQUAL+ total and subscale scores across three groups of US, Canadian and British libraries for this purpose. Anticipated differences in expectations for health as other library settings did not emerge. The expectations and perceptions are similar across different types of health science library settings, hospital and academic, and across other general research libraries.

Noise Hampers Children’s Expressive Word Learning

PubMed Central

Riley, Kristine Grohne; McGregor, Karla K.

2013-01-01

Purpose To determine the effects of noise and speech style on word learning in typically developing school-age children. Method Thirty-one participants ages 9;0 (years; months) to 10;11 attempted to learn 2 sets of 8 novel words and their referents. They heard all of the words 13 times each within meaningful narrative discourse. Signal-to-noise ratio (noise vs. quiet) and speech style (plain vs. clear) were manipulated such that half of the children heard the new words in broadband white noise and half heard them in quiet; within those conditions, each child heard one set of words produced in a plain speech style and another set in a clear speech style. Results Children who were trained in quiet learned to produce the word forms more accurately than those who were trained in noise. Clear speech resulted in more accurate word form productions than plain speech, whether the children had learned in noise or quiet. Learning from clear speech in noise and plain speech in quiet produced comparable results. Conclusion Noise limits expressive vocabulary growth in children, reducing the quality of word form representation in the lexicon. Clear speech input can aid expressive vocabulary growth in children, even in noisy environments. PMID:22411494

User Expectations for Media Sharing Practices in Open Display Networks

PubMed Central

Jose, Rui; Cardoso, Jorge C. S.; Hong, Jason

2015-01-01

Open Display Networks have the potential to allow many content creators to publish their media to an open-ended set of screen displays. However, this raises the issue of how to match that content to the right displays. In this study, we aim to understand how the perceived utility of particular media sharing scenarios is affected by three independent variables, more specifically: (a) the locativeness of the content being shared; (b) how personal that content is and (c) the scope in which it is being shared. To assess these effects, we composed a set of 24 media sharing scenarios embedded with different treatments of our three independent variables. We then asked 100 participants to express their perception of the relevance of those scenarios. The results suggest a clear preference for scenarios where content is both local and directly related to the person that is publishing it. This is in stark contrast to the types of content that are commonly found in public displays, and confirms the opportunity that open displays networks may represent a new media for self-expression. This novel understanding may inform the design of new publication paradigms that will enable people to share media across the display networks. PMID:26153770

Sea surface temperature 1871-2099 in 14 cells around the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Sheppard, Charles

2004-07-01

Monthly sea surface temperature is provided for 14 locations around the UK for a 230 year period. These series are derived from the HadISST1 data set for historical time (1871-1999) and from the HadCM3 climate model for predicted SST (1950-2099). Two adjustments of the forecast data sets are needed to produce confluent SST series: the 50 year overlap is used for a gross adjustment, and a statistical scaling on the forecast data ensures that annual variations in forecast data match those of historical data. These monthly SST series are available on request. The overall rise in SST over time is clear for all sites, commencing in the last quarter of the 20th century. Apart from expected trends of overall warmer mean SST with more southerly latitudes and overall cooler mean SST towards the East, more interesting statistically significant general trends include a greater decadal rate of rise from warmer starting conditions. Annual temperature variation is not affected by absolute temperature, but is markedly greater towards the East. There is no correlation of annual range of SST with latitude, or with present SST values.

The prevention of oral mucositis in patients with blood cancers: current concepts and emerging landscapes.

PubMed

Niscola, Pasquale; Tendas, Andrea; Cupelli, Luca; Catalano, Gianfranco; Scaramucci, Laura; Giovannini, Marco; Trinchieri, Vito; Sharma, Atul; Efficace, Fabio; Cartoni, Claudio; Piccioni, Daniela; Perrotti, Alessio; Dentamaro, Teresa; de Fabritiis, Paolo; Keefe, Dorothy M K

2012-12-01

The prevention of oral mucositis (OM) in the management of hematological malignancies continues to represent an unmet clinical need. Addressing this issue has major clinical implications as OM can also greatly impair patient's quality of life. To review currently available measures and investigational agents to prevent OM in hematological patients. we searched for OM and related issues using Medline; the abstract books of the most important hematological and oncological meetings were also reviewed. Many agents targeting different mechanisms of mucosal damage have been applied in order to prevent OM; most of them have failed or its efficacy has not been fully demonstrated. Palifermin is the first pharmaceutical/biological agent approved for the prevention of OM; its use is currently restricted to patients who have received radiotherapy-containing conditioning regimens prior to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. No clear benefit by this agent has been demonstrated outside of this specific setting and its application should be limited to clinical trials. Other interventions, such as other growth factors and non mitogenic measures are under investigation or in development and their application in the hematological setting is expected in the short term.

[How to Understand "Clinical Ethics" and "Research Ethics" in Clinical Settings--Incorporation of IRB, REC, and CEC in Hospital Organizations].

PubMed

Ita, Koichiro

2016-02-01

As the traditional definition of "medical ethics" has recently changed markedly with advances in medical knowledge and technology, medical doctors and researchers in Japan are required to understand and apply both research and clinical ethics. Quite frequently, ethical problems in clinical settings cannot be addressed by the simple application of good will, hard work, and perseverance by medical personnel. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) have jointly published "Ethical Guidelines for Clinical Studies;" however, clear guidelines (legal, ministerial, or governmental) outlining the expectations regarding clinical ethics do not exist. All medical personnel face deep ethical dilemmas. In these instances, if the fulfillment of 'ethics' relies solely on the capacity of personnel to apply their own individual moral efforts, the result will be burn-out among these workers who have a strong sense of responsibility. In order to avoid this, a system which comprises multiple physicians, nurses, and other personnel must be established, allowing collaboration when an appropriate response is required. A major factor supporting this approach is the offering of Clinical Ethics Consultations.

Determination of some dominant parameters of the global dynamic sea surface topography from GEOS-3 altimetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mather, R. S.; Lerch, F. J.; Rizos, C.; Masters, E. G.; Hirsch, B.

1978-01-01

The 1977 altimetry data bank is analyzed for the geometrical shape of the sea surface expressed as surface spherical harmonics after referral to the higher reference model defined by GEM 9. The resulting determination is expressed as quasi-stationary dynamic SST. Solutions are obtained from different sets of long arcs in the GEOS-3 altimeter data bank as well as from sub-sets related to the September 1975 and March 1976 equinoxes assembled with a view to minimizing seasonal effects. The results are compared with equivalent parameters obtained from the hydrostatic analysis of sporadic temperature, pressure and salinity measurements of the oceans and the known major steady state current systems with comparable wavelengths. The most clearly defined parameter (the zonal harmonic of degree 2) is obtained with an uncertainty of + or - 6 cm. The preferred numerical value is smaller than the oceanographic value due to the effect of the correction for the permanent earth tide. Similar precision is achieved for the zonal harmonic of degree 3. The precision obtained for the fourth degree zonal harmonic reflects more closely the accuracy expected from the level of noise in the orbital solutions.

Developmental changes in autonomic responses are associated with future reward/punishment expectations: A study of sympathetic skin responses in the Markov decision task.

PubMed

Hosaka, Hiromi; Aoyagi, Kakuro; Kaga, Yoshimi; Kanemura, Hideaki; Sugita, Kanji; Aihara, Masao

2017-08-01

Autonomic nervous system activity is recognized as a major component of emotional responses. Future reward/punishment expectations depend upon the process of decision making in the frontal lobe, which is considered to play an important role in executive function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between autonomic responses and decision making during reinforcement tasks using sympathetic skin responses (SSR). Nine adult and 9 juvenile (mean age, 10.2years) volunteers were enrolled in this study. SSRs were measured during the Markov decision task (MDT), which is a reinforcement task. In this task, subjects must endure a small immediate loss to ultimately get a large reward. The subjects had to undergo three sets of tests and their scores in these tests were assessed and evaluated. All adults showed gradually increasing scores for the MDT from the first to third set. As the trial progressed from the first to second set in adults, SSR appearance ratios remarkably increased for both punishment and reward expectations. In comparison with adults, children showed decreasing scores from the first to second set. There were no significant inter-target differences in the SSR appearance ratio in the first and second set in children. In the third set, the SSR appearance ratio for reward expectations was higher than that in the neutral condition. In reinforcement tasks, such as MDT, autonomic responses play an important role in decision making. We assume that SSRs are elicited during efficient decision making tasks associated with future reward/punishment expectations, which demonstrates the importance of autonomic function. In contrast, in children around the age of 10years, the autonomic system does not react as an organized response specific to reward/punishment expectations. This suggests the immaturity of the future reward/punishment expectations process in children. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

2014-01-01

Background The purpose of our study was to understand consumers’ risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. Methods One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20–50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Results Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. Conclusion A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public. PMID:25565822

Methane, Black Carbon, and Ethane Emissions from Natural Gas Flares in the Bakken Shale, North Dakota.

PubMed

Gvakharia, Alexander; Kort, Eric A; Brandt, Adam; Peischl, Jeff; Ryerson, Thomas B; Schwarz, Joshua P; Smith, Mackenzie L; Sweeney, Colm

2017-05-02

Incomplete combustion during flaring can lead to production of black carbon (BC) and loss of methane and other pollutants to the atmosphere, impacting climate and air quality. However, few studies have measured flare efficiency in a real-world setting. We use airborne data of plume samples from 37 unique flares in the Bakken region of North Dakota in May 2014 to calculate emission factors for BC, methane, ethane, and combustion efficiency for methane and ethane. We find no clear relationship between emission factors and aircraft-level wind speed or between methane and BC emission factors. Observed median combustion efficiencies for methane and ethane are close to expected values for typical flares according to the US EPA (98%). However, we find that the efficiency distribution is skewed, exhibiting log-normal behavior. This suggests incomplete combustion from flares contributes almost 1/5 of the total field emissions of methane and ethane measured in the Bakken shale, more than double the expected value if 98% efficiency was representative. BC emission factors also have a skewed distribution, but we find lower emission values than previous studies. The direct observation for the first time of a heavy-tail emissions distribution from flares suggests the need to consider skewed distributions when assessing flare impacts globally.

Differences in public and private sector adoption of telemedicine: Indian case study for sectoral adoption.

PubMed

Sood, Sanjay P; Negash, Solomon; Mbarika, Victor W A; Kifle, Mengistu; Prakash, Nupur

2007-01-01

Telemedicine is the use of communication networks to exchange medical information for providing healthcare services and medical education from one site to another. The application of telemedicine is more promising in economically developing countries with agrarian societies. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) identifies three healthcare services: clinical medical services, health and medical education, and consumer health information. However, it is not clear how these services can be adopted by different sectors: public and private. This paper looks at four Indian case studies, two each in public and private sectors to understand two research questions: Are there differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private hospitals. If there are differences: What are the differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private sectors? Authors have used the extant literature in telemedicine and healthcare to frame theoretical background, describe the research setting, present the case studies, and provide discussion and conclusions about their findings. Authors believe that as India continues to develop its telemedicine infrastructures, especially with continued government support through subsidies to private telemedicine initiatives, its upward trend in healthcare will continue. This is expected to put India on the path to increase its life expectancy rates, especially for it rural community which constitute over 70% of its populace.

Monitoring for neuroprotection. New technologies for the new millennium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, R. J.

2001-01-01

Monitoring for neuroprotection, like surgery, has placed on emphasis on minimal or non-invasiveness. Monitoring of parameters that truly reflect the degree of injury to the nervous system is another goal. Thus, two themes for the coming decade in neuromonitoring will be: (1) less-invasive monitoring; and (2) parameters that more closely reflect the etiological factors in ischemic or other neuroinjury. In this paper, we review neuromonitoring techniques and devices that can be used readily in the operating room or intensive care unit setting. Those that require transport of the patient to a special facility (e.g., for computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging/spectroscopy) and those that have been in standard practice for neuromonitoring (e.g., electrophysiological monitoring--EEG, evoked potentials) are not considered. The two techniques considered in detail are (1) continuous multiparameter local brain tissue monitoring with microprobes, and (2) non-invasive continuous local brain tissue oxygenation monitoring by near infrared spectroscopy. Both techniques have been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. The rationale for their use, the nature of the devices, and clinical results to date are reviewed. It is expected that both techniques will gain wide acceptance during the coming decade; further advances in neuromonitoring that can be expected further into the twenty-first century are also discussed.

Prescribing and the core curriculum for tomorrow's doctors: BPS curriculum in clinical pharmacology and prescribing for medical students

PubMed Central

Ross, Sarah; Maxwell, Simon

2012-01-01

Prescribing is one of the commonest tasks expected of new doctors and is a complex process involving a mixture of knowledge, judgement and skills. Preparing graduates to be prescribers is one of the greatest challenges of modern undergraduate medical education and there is some evidence to suggest that training could be improved. The aims of this article are (i) to review some of the challenges of delivering effective prescribing education, (ii) to provide a clear statement of the learning outcomes in clinical pharmacology and prescribing that should be expected of all medical graduates and (iii) to describe a curriculum that might enable students to achieve these outcomes. We build on the previous curriculum recommendations of the British Pharmacological Society and take into account those of other key bodies, notably the General Medical Council. We have also reviewed relevant evidence from the literature and set our work in the context of recent trends in medical education. We divide our recommended learning objectives into four sections: principles of clinical pharmacology, essential drugs, essential therapeutic problems and prescribing skills. Although these will not necessarily be accepted universally we believe that they will help those who design and map undergraduate curricula to explore potential gaps and identify improvements. PMID:22288524

Children's motivation in elementary physical education: an expectancy-value model of achievement choice.

PubMed

Xiang, Ping; McBride, Ron; Guan, Jianmin; Solmon, Melinda

2003-03-01

This study examined children's motivation in elementary physical education within an expectancy-value model developed by Eccles and her colleagues. Four hundred fourteen students in second and fourth grades completed questionnaires assessing their expectancy-related beliefs, subjective task values, and intention for future participation in physical education. Results indicated that expectancy-related beliefs and subjective task values were clearly distinguishable from one another across physical education and throwing. The two constructs were related to each other positively. Children's intention for future participation in physical education was positively associated with their subjective task values and/or expectancy-related beliefs. Younger children had higher motivation for learning in physical education than older children. Gender differences emerged and the findings provided empirical evidence supporting the validity of the expectancy-value model in elementary physical education.

Center for Dielectric Studies at the Pennsylvania State University,

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-05-01

microstructure. The permittivity shows a weak peak near 100K which also has clear relaxation character and closely duplicates the behavior of higA purity...departures from the expected Curie-Weiss made by Demurov and Venevtsev.1 both hysteresis loops in P(E) behavior . Clearly. from the frequency response and...dielectric measurements, an powderl had second phase KzTa.O,,; powder II was completely anomalous behavior was observed by inelastic neutron scattering

Environmental Assessment for Clear AFS Grid Tie-in and Heat Plant, Clear Air Force Station, Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-01

greenhouse gases are presented in this section. 3.3.2.1 Air Quality Standards All stationary and mobile sources of air pollutants within a...These inventories provide estimates of criteria pollutant emissions associated with industrial sources, residential wood burning, mobile sources...larger, more mobile wildlife species are expected to vacate the project area, whereas individuals of less mobile species (i.e., small mammals,) could

Building a leadership brand.

PubMed

Ulrich, Dave; Smallwood, Norm

2007-01-01

How do some firms produce a pipeline of consistently excellent managers? Instead of concentrating merely on strengthening the skills of individuals, these companies focus on building a broad organizational leadership capability. It's what Ulrich and Smallwood--cofounders of the RBL Group, a leadership development consultancy--call a leadership brand. Organizations with leadership brands take an "outside-in" approach to executive development. They begin with a clear statement of what they want to be known for by customers and then link it with a required set of management skills. The Lexus division of Toyota, for instance, translates its tagline--"The pursuit of perfection"--into an expectation that its leaders excel at managing quality processes. The slogan of Bon Secours Health System is "Good help to those in need." It demands that its managers balance business skills with compassion and caring. The outside-in approach helps firms build a reputation for high-quality leaders whom customers trust to deliver on the company's promises. In examining 150 companies with strong leadership capabilities, the authors found that the organizations follow five strategies. First, make sure managers master the basics of leadership--for example, setting strategy and grooming talent. Second, ensure that leaders internalize customers' high expectations. Third, incorporate customer feedback into evaluations of executives. Fourth, invest in programs that help managers hone the right skills, by tapping customers to participate in such programs. Finally, track the success of efforts to build leadership bench strength over the long-term. The result is outstanding management that persists even when individual executives leave. In fact, companies with the strongest leadership brands often become "leader feeders"--firms that regularly graduate leaders who go on to head other companies.

Bow Shock in Merging Cluster A520: The Edge of the Radio Halo and the Electron–Proton Equilibration Timescale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Qian H. S.; Giacintucci, Simona; Markevitch, Maxim

2018-04-01

We studied the prominent bow shock in the merging galaxy cluster A520 using a deep Chandra X-ray observation and archival VLA radio data. This shock is a useful diagnostic tool, owing to its clear geometry and relatively high Mach number. At the “nose” of the shock, we measure a Mach number of M={2.4}-0.2+0.4. The shock becomes oblique away from the merger axis, with the Mach number falling to ≃1.6 around 30° from the nose. The electron temperature immediately behind the shock nose is consistent with that from the Rankine–Hugoniot adiabat, and is higher (at a 95% confidence) than expected for adiabatic compression of electrons followed by Coulomb electron–proton equilibration, indicating the presence of equilibration mechanisms faster than Coulomb collisions. This is similar to an earlier finding for the Bullet cluster. We also combined four archival VLA data sets to obtain a better image of the cluster’s giant radio halo at 1.4 GHz. An abrupt edge of the radio halo traces the shock front, and no emission is detected in the pre-shock region. If the radio edge were due only to adiabatic compression of relativistic electrons in pre-shock plasma, we would expect a pre-shock radio emission detectable in this radio data set; however, an interferometric artifact dominates the uncertainty, so we cannot rule this model out. Other interesting features of the radio halo include a peak at the remnant of the cool core, suggesting that the core used to have a radio minihalo, and a peak marking a possible region of high turbulence.

Complex sources of variance in female dominance rank in a nepotistic society

PubMed Central

Lea, Amanda J.; Learn, Niki H.; Theus, Marcus J.; Altmann, Jeanne; Alberts, Susan C.

2016-01-01

Many mammalian societies are structured by dominance hierarchies, and an individual’s position within this hierarchy can influence reproduction, behaviour, physiology and health. In nepotistic hierarchies, which are common in cercopithecine primates and also seen in spotted hyaenas, Crocuta crocuta, adult daughters are expected to rank immediately below their mother, and in reverse age order (a phenomenon known as ‘youngest ascendancy’). This pattern is well described, but few studies have systematically examined the frequency or causes of departures from the expected pattern. Using a longitudinal data set from a natural population of yellow baboons, Papio cynocephalus, we measured the influence of maternal kin, paternal kin and group size on female rank positions at two life history milestones, menarche and first live birth. At menarche, most females (73%) ranked adjacent to their family members (i.e. the female held an ordinal rank in consecutive order with other members of her maternal family); however, only 33% of females showed youngest ascendancy within their matriline at menarche. By the time they experienced their first live birth, many females had improved their dominance rank: 78% ranked adjacent to their family members and 49% showed youngest ascendancy within their matriline. The presence of mothers and maternal sisters exerted a powerful influence on rank outcomes. However, the presence of fathers, brothers and paternal siblings did not produce a clear effect on female dominance rank in our analyses, perhaps because females in our data set co-resided with variable numbers and types of paternal and male relatives. Our results also raise the possibility that female body size or competitive ability may influence dominance rank, even in this classically nepotistic species. In total, our analyses reveal that the predictors of dominance rank in nepotistic rank systems are much more complex than previously thought. PMID:26997663

Postlingual adult performance in noise with HiRes 120 and ClearVoice Low, Medium, and High.

PubMed

Holden, Laura K; Brenner, Christine; Reeder, Ruth M; Firszt, Jill B

2013-11-01

The study's objectives were to evaluate speech recognition in multiple listening conditions using several noise types with HiRes 120 and ClearVoice (Low, Medium, High) and to determine which ClearVoice program was most beneficial for everyday use. Fifteen postlingual adults attended four sessions; speech recognition was assessed at sessions 1 and 3 with HiRes 120 and at sessions 2 and 4 with all ClearVoice programs. Test measures included sentences presented in restaurant noise (R-SPACE), in speech-spectrum noise, in four- and eight-talker babble, and connected discourse presented in 12-talker babble. Participants completed a questionnaire comparing ClearVoice programs. Significant group differences in performance between HiRes 120 and ClearVoice were present only in the R-SPACE; performance was better with ClearVoice High than HiRes 120. Among ClearVoice programs, no significant group differences were present for any measure. Individual results revealed most participants performed better in the R-SPACE with ClearVoice than HiRes 120. For other measures, significant individual differences between HiRes 120 and ClearVoice were not prevalent. Individual results among ClearVoice programs differed and overall preferences varied. Questionnaire data indicated increased understanding with High and Medium in certain environments. R-SPACE and questionnaire results indicated an advantage for ClearVoice High and Medium. Individual test and preference data showed mixed results between ClearVoice programs making global recommendations difficult; however, results suggest providing ClearVoice High and Medium and HiRes 120 as processor options for adults willing to change settings. For adults unwilling or unable to change settings, ClearVoice Medium is a practical choice for daily listening.

Parenting practices and the transmission of ethnic identity.

PubMed

Davey, Maureen; Fish, Linda Stone; Askew, Julie; Robila, Mihaela

2003-04-01

Three years after being interviewed, a nonrandom, purposeful subsample of 14 Jewish families from a larger sample of 48 families living in Central New York was reinterviewed. The primary aim of this follow-up study was to develop a descriptive understanding of parenting practices and the transmission of ethnic identity. Semistructured family interviews were conducted and coded using grounded-theory techniques, in particular the constant comparative method of analysis. Four main qualitative categories emerged from this study: Individual differences in teenagers, stages of ethnic identity development, parenting practices, and parental role models. Findings suggest that clear expectations, a type of authoritative parenting, could be associated with the positive transmission of Jewish ethnic identity. This type of parenting style was direct as parents expressed clear expectations for participation in Jewish activities both at home and in the community.

Women's antenatal preferences for delivery route in a setting with high cesarean section rates and a medically dominated maternity system.

PubMed

Dweik, Diána; Girasek, Edmond; Töreki, Annamária; Mészáros, Gyula; Pál, Attila

2014-04-01

To assess birth preferences in a sample of Hungarian pregnant women and identify determinants of ambivalence or clear choices for cesarean section throughout pregnancy. Follow-up two-point questionnaire survey. University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hungary. A total of 413 women with singleton pregnancies where there was no awareness of medical contradictions to vaginal delivery, attending for routine ultrasound examination in mid-pregnancy from November 2011 to March 2012. Questionnaires completed in mid- and late pregnancy (gestational weeks 18-22 and 35-37) including the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire A. Prevalence of women preferring cesarean section or being uncertain about what delivery route to choose, in case they had the choice; their demographic characteristics, attitudes toward birth issues and their Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire A scores, compared with women consistent in their preference for vaginal delivery. Of the 413 respondents, 365 (88.4%) were consistent in their preference for vaginal delivery. In logistic regression models the important contributors to describing preferences for cesarean section or uncertain preferences were previous cesarean section and maternal belief that cesarean section is more beneficial than vaginal delivery. The majority of pregnant women preferred vaginal delivery to cesarean section. Neither a higher Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire A score nor sociodemographic differences were important determinants of a preference for cesarean section or for an uncertain preference. On the other hand, previous cesarean section and certain preconceived maternal attitudes towards delivery were characteristic for these women. © 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The global cancer burden and human development: A review.

PubMed

Fidler, Miranda M; Bray, Freddie; Soerjomataram, Isabelle

2018-02-01

This review examines the links between human development and cancer overall and for specific types of cancer, as well as cancer-related risk-factors and outcomes, such as disability and life expectancy. To assess human development, the Human Development Index was utilized continuously and according to four levels (low, medium, high, very high), where the low and very high categories include the least and most developed countries, respectively. All studies that assessed aspects of the global cancer burden using this measure were reviewed. Although the present cancer incidence burden is greater in higher Human Development Index countries, a greater proportion of the global mortality burden is observed in less developed countries, with a higher mean fatality rate in the latter countries. Further, the future cancer burden is expected to disproportionally affect less developed regions; in particular, it has been estimated that low and medium Human Development Index countries will experience a 100% and 81% increase in cancer incidence from 2008 to 2030, respectively. Disparities were also observed in risk factors and average health outcomes, such as a greater number of years of life lost prematurely and fewer cancer-related gains in life expectancy observed in lower versus higher Human Development Index settings. From a global perspective, there remain clear disparities in the cancer burden according to national Human Development Index scores. International efforts are needed to aid countries in social and economic transition in order to efficiently plan, implement and evaluate cancer control initiatives as a means to reduce the widening gap in cancer occurrence and survival worldwide.

EG-09EPIGENETIC PROFILING REVEALS A CpG HYPERMETHYLATION PHENOTYPE (CIMP) ASSOCIATED WITH WORSE PROGRESSION-FREE SURVIVAL IN MENINGIOMA

PubMed Central

Olar, Adriana; Wani, Khalida; Mansouri, Alireza; Zadeh, Gelareh; Wilson, Charmaine; DeMonte, Franco; Fuller, Gregory; Jones, David; Pfister, Stefan; von Deimling, Andreas; Sulman, Erik; Aldape, Kenneth

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Methylation profiling of solid tumors has revealed biologic subtypes, often with clinical implications. Methylation profiles of meningioma and their clinical implications are not well understood. METHODS: Ninety-two meningioma samples (n = 44 test set and n = 48 validation set) were profiled using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Unsupervised clustering and analyses for recurrence-free survival (RFS) were performed. RESULTS: Unsupervised clustering of the test set using approximately 900 highly variable markers identified two clearly defined methylation subgroups. One of the groups (n = 19) showed global hypermethylation of a set of markers, analogous to CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP). These findings were reproducible in the validation set, with 18/48 samples showing the CIMP-positive phenotype. Importantly, of 347 highly variable markers common to both the test and validation set analyses, 107 defined CIMP in the test set and 94 defined CIMP in the validation set, with an overlap of 83 markers between the two datasets. This number is much greater than expected by chance indicating reproducibly of the hypermethylated markers that define CIMP in meningioma. With respect to clinical correlation, the 37 CIMP-positive cases displayed significantly shorter RFS compared to the 55 non-CIMP cases (hazard ratio 2.9, p = 0.013). In an effort to develop a preliminary outcome predictor, a 155-marker subset correlated with RFS was identified in the test dataset. When interrogated in the validation dataset, this 155-marker subset showed a statistical trend (p < 0.1) towards distinguishing survival groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study defines the existence of a CIMP phenotype in meningioma, which involves a substantial proportion (37/92, 40%) of samples with clinical implications. Ongoing work will expand this cohort and examine identification of additional biologic differences (mutational and DNA copy number analysis) to further characterize the aberrant methylation subtype in meningioma. CIMP-positivity with aberrant methylation in recurrent/malignant meningioma suggests a potential therapeutic target for clinically aggressive cases.

Wishful thinking in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

PubMed

Krizan, Zlatan; Miller, Jeffrey C; Johar, Omesh

2010-01-01

In elections, political preferences are strongly linked to the expectations of the electoral winner-people usually expect their favorite candidate to win. This link could be driven by wishful thinking (a biasing influence of preferences), driven by a biasing influence of expectations on one's wishes, or produced spuriously. To examine these competing possibilities in the 2008 U.S. presidential election, a longitudinal study assessed uncommitted young voters' electoral expectations and preferences over four time points during the month before the election. The findings indicated clear support for wishful thinking: Over time, people's preferences shaped their expectations, but the reverse was not the case. Moreover, these relations were larger among those more strongly identified with their political party and held even when perceptions of general candidate popularity were taken into account. Finally, changes in electoral expectations were consequential, as they shaped disappointment in the electoral results even after taking candidate preferences into account.

Mental health treatment outcome expectancies in Burundi.

PubMed

Irankunda, Pacifique; Heatherington, Laurie

2017-02-01

Best practices in global mental health stress the importance of understanding local values and beliefs. Research demonstrates that expectancies about the effectiveness of a given treatment significantly predicts outcome, beyond the treatment effect itself. To help inform the development of mental health interventions in Burundi, we studied expectancies about the effectiveness of four treatments: spiritual healing, traditional healing, medication, and selected evidence-based psychosocial treatments widely used in the US. Treatment expectancies were assessed for each of three key syndromes identified by previous research: akabonge (a set of depression-like symptoms), guhahamuka (a set of trauma-related symptoms), and ibisigo (a set of psychosis-like symptoms) . In individual interviews or written surveys in French or Kirundi with patients ( N = 198) awaiting treatment at the clinic, we described each disorder and the treatments in everyday language, asking standard efficacy expectations questions about each ("Would it work?" "Why or why not?"). Findings indicated uniformly high expectancies about the efficacy of spiritual treatment, relatively high expectancies for western evidence-based treatments (especially cognitive behavior therapy [CBT] for depression-like symptoms), lower expectancies for medicine, and especially low expectancies for traditional healing (except for traditional healing for psychosis-like symptoms). There were significant effects of gender but not of education level. Qualitative analyses of explanations provide insight into the basis of people's beliefs, their explanations about why a given treatment would or would not work varied by type of disorder, and reflected beliefs about underlying causes. Implications for program development and future research are discussed.

Expectations, Realizations, and Approval of Tablet Computers in an Educational Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassan, Mamdouh; Geys, Benny

2016-01-01

The introduction of new technologies in classrooms is often thought to offer great potential for advancing learning. In this article, we investigate the relationship between such expectations and the post-implementation evaluation of a new technology in an educational setting. Building on psychological research, we argue that (1) high expectations…

16(th) IHIW: analysis of HLA population data, with updated results for 1996 to 2012 workshop data (AHPD project report).

PubMed

Riccio, M E; Buhler, S; Nunes, J M; Vangenot, C; Cuénod, M; Currat, M; Di, D; Andreani, M; Boldyreva, M; Chambers, G; Chernova, M; Chiaroni, J; Darke, C; Di Cristofaro, J; Dubois, V; Dunn, P; Edinur, H A; Elamin, N; Eliaou, J-F; Grubic, Z; Jaatinen, T; Kanga, U; Kervaire, B; Kolesar, L; Kunachiwa, W; Lokki, M L; Mehra, N; Nicoloso, G; Paakkanen, R; Voniatis, D Papaioannou; Papasteriades, C; Poli, F; Richard, L; Romón Alonso, I; Slavčev, A; Sulcebe, G; Suslova, T; Testi, M; Tiercy, J-M; Varnavidou, A; Vidan-Jeras, B; Wennerström, A; Sanchez-Mazas, A

2013-02-01

We present here the results of the Analysis of HLA Population Data (AHPD) project of the 16th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop (16IHIW) held in Liverpool in May-June 2012. Thanks to the collaboration of 25 laboratories from 18 different countries, HLA genotypic data for 59 new population samples (either well-defined populations or donor registry samples) were gathered and 55 were analysed statistically following HLA-NET recommendations. The new data included, among others, large sets of well-defined populations from north-east Europe and West Asia, as well as many donor registry data from European countries. The Gene[rate] computer tools were combined to create a Gene[rate] computer pipeline to automatically (i) estimate allele frequencies by an expectation-maximization algorithm accommodating ambiguities, (ii) estimate heterozygosity, (iii) test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), (iv) test for selective neutrality, (v) generate frequency graphs and summary statistics for each sample at each locus and (vi) plot multidimensional scaling (MDS) analyses comparing the new samples with previous IHIW data. Intrapopulation analyses show that HWE is rarely rejected, while neutrality tests often indicate a significant excess of heterozygotes compared with neutral expectations. The comparison of the 16IHIW AHPD data with data collected during previous workshops (12th-15th) shows that geography is an excellent predictor of HLA genetic differentiations for HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 loci but not for HLA-DQ, whose patterns are probably more influenced by natural selection. In Europe, HLA genetic variation clearly follows a north to south-east axis despite a low level of differentiation between European, North African and West Asian populations. Pacific populations are genetically close to Austronesian-speaking South-East Asian and Taiwanese populations, in agreement with current theories on the peopling of Oceania. Thanks to this project, HLA genetic variation is more clearly defined worldwide and better interpreted in relation to human peopling history and HLA molecular evolution. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Towards sets of hazardous waste indicators. Essential tools for modern industrial management.

PubMed

Peterson, Peter J; Granados, Asa

2002-01-01

Decision-makers require useful tools, such as indicators, to help them make environmentally sound decisions leading to effective management of hazardous wastes. Four hazardous waste indicators are being tested for such a purpose by several countries within the Sustainable Development Indicator Programme of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development. However, these indicators only address the 'down-stream' end-of-pipe industrial situation. More creative thinking is clearly needed to develop a wider range of indicators that not only reflects all aspects of industrial production that generates hazardous waste but considers socio-economic implications of the waste as well. Sets of useful and innovative indicators are proposed that could be applied to the emerging paradigm shift away from conventional end-of-pipe management actions and towards preventive strategies that are being increasingly adopted by industry often in association with local and national governments. A methodological and conceptual framework for the development of a core-set of hazardous waste indicators has been developed. Some of the indicator sets outlined quantify preventive waste management strategies (including indicators for cleaner production, hazardous waste reduction/minimization and life cycle analysis), whilst other sets address proactive strategies (including changes in production and consumption patterns, eco-efficiency, eco-intensity and resource productivity). Indicators for quantifying transport of hazardous wastes are also described. It was concluded that a number of the indicators proposed could now be usefully implemented as management tools using existing industrial and economic data. As cleaner production technologies and waste minimization approaches are more widely deployed, and industry integrates environmental concerns at all levels of decision-making, it is expected that the necessary data for construction of the remaining indicators will soon become available.

Decomposing cross-country differences in quality adjusted life expectancy: the impact of value sets.

PubMed

Heijink, Richard; van Baal, Pieter; Oppe, Mark; Koolman, Xander; Westert, Gert

2011-06-23

The validity, reliability and cross-country comparability of summary measures of population health (SMPH) have been persistently debated. In this debate, the measurement and valuation of nonfatal health outcomes have been defined as key issues. Our goal was to quantify and decompose international differences in health expectancy based on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We focused on the impact of value set choice on cross-country variation. We calculated Quality Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) at age 20 for 15 countries in which EQ-5D population surveys had been conducted. We applied the Sullivan approach to combine the EQ-5D based HRQoL data with life tables from the Human Mortality Database. Mean HRQoL by country-gender-age was estimated using a parametric model. We used nonparametric bootstrap techniques to compute confidence intervals. QALE was then compared across the six country-specific time trade-off value sets that were available. Finally, three counterfactual estimates were generated in order to assess the contribution of mortality, health states and health-state values to cross-country differences in QALE. QALE at age 20 ranged from 33 years in Armenia to almost 61 years in Japan, using the UK value set. The value sets of the other five countries generated different estimates, up to seven years higher. The relative impact of choosing a different value set differed across country-gender strata between 2% and 20%. In 50% of the country-gender strata the ranking changed by two or more positions across value sets. The decomposition demonstrated a varying impact of health states, health-state values, and mortality on QALE differences across countries. The choice of the value set in SMPH may seriously affect cross-country comparisons of health expectancy, even across populations of similar levels of wealth and education. In our opinion, it is essential to get more insight into the drivers of differences in health-state values across populations. This will enhance the usefulness of health-expectancy measures.

Development of search prefilters for infrared library searching of clear coat paint smears.

PubMed

Lavine, Barry K; Fasasi, Ayuba; Mirjankar, Nikhil; Sandercock, Mark

2014-02-01

Search prefilters developed from spectral data collected on two 6700 Thermo-Nicolet FTIR spectrometers were able to identify the respective manufacturing plant and the production line of an automotive vehicle from its clear coat paint smear using IR transmission spectra collected on a Bio-Rad 40A or Bio-Rad 60 FTIR spectrometer. All four spectrometers were equipped with DTGS detectors. An approach based on instrumental line functions was used to transfer the classification model between the Thermo-Nicolet and Bio-Rad instruments. In this study, 209 IR spectra of clear coat paint smears comprising the training set were collected using two Thermo-Nicolet 6700 IR spectrometers, whereas the validation set consisted of 242 IR spectra of clear coats obtained using two Bio-Rad FTIR instruments. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Clearing margin system in the futures markets—Applying the value-at-risk model to Taiwanese data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiu, Chien-Liang; Chiang, Shu-Mei; Hung, Jui-Cheng; Chen, Yu-Lung

2006-07-01

This article sets out to investigate if the TAIFEX has adequate clearing margin adjustment system via unconditional coverage, conditional coverage test and mean relative scaled bias to assess the performance of three value-at-risk (VaR) models (i.e., the TAIFEX, RiskMetrics and GARCH-t). For the same model, original and absolute returns are compared to explore which can accurately capture the true risk. For the same return, daily and tiered adjustment methods are examined to evaluate which corresponds to risk best. The results indicate that the clearing margin adjustment of the TAIFEX cannot reflect true risks. The adjustment rules, including the use of absolute return and tiered adjustment of the clearing margin, have distorted VaR-based margin requirements. Besides, the results suggest that the TAIFEX should use original return to compute VaR and daily adjustment system to set clearing margin. This approach would improve the funds operation efficiency and the liquidity of the futures markets.

An Expanded Theoretical Framework of Care Coordination Across Transitions in Care Settings.

PubMed

Radwin, Laurel E; Castonguay, Denise; Keenan, Carolyn B; Hermann, Cherice

2016-01-01

For many patients, high-quality, patient-centered, and cost-effective health care requires coordination among multiple clinicians and settings. Ensuring optimal care coordination requires a clear understanding of how clinician activities and continuity during transitions affect patient-centeredness and quality outcomes. This article describes an expanded theoretical framework to better understand care coordination. The framework provides clear articulation of concepts. Examples are provided of ways to measure the concepts.

Attentional influences on memory formation: A tale of a not-so-simple story.

PubMed

Ortiz-Tudela, J; Milliken, B; Jiménez, L; Lupiáñez, J

2018-05-01

Is there a learning mechanism triggered by mere expectation violation? Is there some form of memory enhancement inherent to an event mismatching our predictions? Across seven experiments, we explore this issue by means of a validity paradigm. Although our manipulation clearly succeeded in generating an expectation and breaking it, the memory consequences of that expectation mismatch are not so obvious. We report here evidence of a null effect of expectation on memory formation. Our results (1) show that enhanced memory for unexpected events is not easily achieved and (2) call for a reevaluation of previous accounts of memory enhancements based on prediction error or difficulty of processing. Limitations of this study and possible implications for the field are discussed in detail.

Yes I can: Expected success promotes actual success in emotion regulation.

PubMed

Bigman, Yochanan E; Mauss, Iris B; Gross, James J; Tamir, Maya

2016-11-01

People who expect to be successful in regulating their emotions tend to experience less frequent negative emotions and are less likely to suffer from depression. It is not clear, however, whether beliefs about the likelihood of success in emotion regulation can shape actual emotion regulation success. To test this possibility, we manipulated participants' beliefs about the likelihood of success in emotion regulation and assessed their subsequent ability to regulate their emotions during a negative emotion induction. We found that participants who were led to expect emotion regulation to be more successful were subsequently more successful in regulating their emotional responses, compared to participants in the control condition. Our findings demonstrate that expected success can contribute to actual success in emotion regulation.

Study participants incentives, compensation and reimbursement in resource-constrained settings.

PubMed

Mduluza, Takafira; Midzi, Nicholas; Duruza, Donold; Ndebele, Paul

2013-01-01

Controversies still exists within the research fraternity on the form and level of incentives, compensation and reimbursement to study participants in resource-constrained settings. While most research activities contribute significantly to advancement of mankind, little has been considered in rewarding directly the research participants from resource-constrained areas. A study was conducted in Zimbabwe to investigate views and expectations of various stakeholders on study participation incentives, compensation and reimbursement issues. Data was collected using various methods including a survey of about 1,008 parents/guardians of school children participating in various immunological cohort studies and parasitology surveys. Community advisory boards (CABs) at 9 of the sites were also consulted. Further, information was gathered during discussions held at a basic research ethics training workshop. The workshop had 45 participants that including 40 seasoned Zimbabwean researchers and 5 international research collaborators. About 90% (907) of the study participants and guardians expected compensation of reasonable value, in view of the researchers' value and comparison to other sites regardless of economic status of the community. During discussion with researchers at a basic ethics training workshop, about 80% (32) believed that decisions on level of compensation should be determined by the local research ethics committees. While, the few international research collaborators were of the opinion that compensation should be in accordance with local guidelines, and incentives should be in line with funding. Both the CAB members and study participants expressed that there should be a clear distinction between study incentive and compensation accorded to individual and community expectations on benefits from studies. However, CABs expressed that their suggestions on incentives and compensation are often moderated by the regulatory authorities who cite fear of unknown concerns. Overall, both personal and community benefits need to be considered collectively in future studies to be conducted in resource-constrained communities. There is projected fear that recruitment in future may be a challenge, now that almost every community, has somehow been reached and participated in some form of studies. A major concern on reimbursement, compensation or incentives should be internationally pegged regardless of different economic status of the individuals or communities where the study is to be conducted.

Theories of Motivation--Borrowing the Best.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terpstra, David E.

1979-01-01

Five theories of motivation are discussed: Maslow's Need Hierarchy, Herzberg's dual-factor or motivation-hygiene theory, goal setting or task motivation, expectancy/valence-theory (also known as instrumentality theory, valence-instrumentality-expectancy theory, or expectancy theory), and reinforcement. (JH)

Institutional Ethics Resources: Creating Moral Spaces.

PubMed

Hamric, Ann B; Wocial, Lucia D

2016-09-01

Since 1992, institutions accredited by The Joint Commission have been required to have a process in place that allows staff members, patients, and families to address ethical issues or issues prone to conflict. While the commission's expectations clearly have made ethics committees more common, simply having a committee in no way demonstrates its effectiveness in terms of the availability of the service to key constituents, the quality of the processes used, or the outcomes achieved. Beyond meeting baseline accreditation standards, effective ethics resources are requisite for quality care for another reason. The provision of care to the sick is a practice with profound moral dimensions. Clinicians need what Margaret Urban Walker has called "moral spaces," reflective spaces within institutions in which to explore and communicate values and ethical obligations as they undergird goals of care. Walker proposed that ethicists needed to be concerned with the design and maintenance of these moral spaces. Clearly, that concern needs to extend beyond ethicists to institutional leaders. This essay uses Walker's idea of moral space to describe individuals and groups who are actual and potential ethics resources in health care institutions. We focus on four requisite characteristics of effective resources and the challenges to achieving them, and we identify strategies to build them. In our view, such moral spaces are particularly important for nurses and their colleagues on interprofessional teams and need to be expanded and strengthened in most settings. © 2016 The Hastings Center.

The impact of joint responses of devices in an airport security system.

PubMed

Nie, Xiaofeng; Batta, Rajan; Drury, Colin G; Lin, Li

2009-02-01

In this article, we consider a model for an airport security system in which the declaration of a threat is based on the joint responses of inspection devices. This is in contrast to the typical system in which each check station independently declares a passenger as having a threat or not having a threat. In our framework the declaration of threat/no-threat is based upon the passenger scores at the check stations he/she goes through. To do this we use concepts from classification theory in the field of multivariate statistics analysis and focus on the main objective of minimizing the expected cost of misclassification. The corresponding correct classification and misclassification probabilities can be obtained by using a simulation-based method. After computing the overall false alarm and false clear probabilities, we compare our joint response system with two other independently operated systems. A model that groups passengers in a manner that minimizes the false alarm probability while maintaining the false clear probability within specifications set by a security authority is considered. We also analyze the staffing needs at each check station for such an inspection scheme. An illustrative example is provided along with sensitivity analysis on key model parameters. A discussion is provided on some implementation issues, on the various assumptions made in the analysis, and on potential drawbacks of the approach.

Borehole Volumetric Strainmeters Detect Very Long-period Ocean Level Changes in Tokai Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takanami, T.; Linde, A. T.; Sacks, S. I.; Kitagawa, G.; Hirata, N.; Rydelek, P. A.

2015-12-01

We detected a clear very long-period strain signal with a predominant period of about 2 months in the data from Sacks-Evertson borehole volumetric strainmeters. These have been operated by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) since 1976 in Tokai area, Japan, the area of an expected Tokai eartquake. Earth's surface is always influenced by natural force such as earth tide, air pressure, and precipitation as well as by human induced sources. In order to decompose into their components in the maximum likelihood estimation, state-space modeling (Takanami et al., 2013) is applied to the observed time series data for 15 months before and after the earthquake M6.5 that occurred on 11th August 2009 in Suruga Bay. In the analysis, the strain data are decomposed into trend, air pressure, earth tide, precipitation effects and observation noise. Clear long-period strain signals are seen in the normalized trend component time series. Time series data from JMA tide gages around Suruga Bay are similarly decomposed. Then spectral analyses are applied to the trend components for the same time interval. Comparison of amplitude peaks in spectra for both data sets show all have a peak at period of about 1464 hours. Thus strain changes may be influenced by very long-period ocean level changes; it is necessary to consider this possibility before attributing tectonic significance to such variations.

Comparison of seven optical clearing methods for mouse brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Peng; Zhu, Jingtan; Yu, Tingting; Zhu, Dan

2018-02-01

Recently, a variety of tissue optical clearing techniques have been developed to reduce light scattering for imaging deeper and three-dimensional reconstruction of tissue structures. Combined with optical imaging techniques and diverse labeling methods, these clearing methods have significantly promoted the development of neuroscience. However, most of the protocols were proposed aiming for specific tissue type. Though there are some comparison results, the clearing methods covered are limited and the evaluation indices are lack of uniformity, which made it difficult to select a best-fit protocol for clearing in practical applications. Hence, it is necessary to systematically assess and compare these clearing methods. In this work, we evaluated the performance of seven typical clearing methods, including 3DISCO, uDISCO, SeeDB, ScaleS, ClearT2, CUBIC and PACT, on mouse brain samples. First, we compared the clearing capability on both brain slices and whole-brains by observing brain transparency. Further, we evaluated the fluorescence preservation and the increase of imaging depth. The results showed that 3DISCO, uDISCO and PACT posed excellent clearing capability on mouse brains, ScaleS and SeeDB rendered moderate transparency, while ClearT2 was the worst. Among those methods, ScaleS was the best on fluorescence preservation, and PACT achieved the highest increase of imaging depth. This study is expected to provide important reference for users in choosing most suitable brain optical clearing method.

5 CFR 362.106 - Participant Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 362.106 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PATHWAYS... Agreement with each Pathways Participant that clearly identifies expectations, including but not limited to... permanent competitive service employment according to the requirements of the applicable Pathways Program. ...

Fission Surface Power Technology Development Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palac, Donald T.; Mason, Lee S.; Harlow, Scott

2009-01-01

With the potential future deployment of a lunar outpost there is expected to be a clear need for a high-power, lunar surface power source to support lunar surface operations independent of the day-night cycle, and Fission Surface Power (FSP) is a very effective solution for power levels above a couple 10 s of kWe. FSP is similarly enabling for the poorly illuminated surface of Mars. The power levels/requirements for a lunar outpost option are currently being studied, but it is known that cost is clearly a predominant concern to decision makers. This paper describes the plans of NASA and the DOE to execute an affordable fission surface power system technology development project to demonstrate sufficient technology readiness of an affordable FSP system so viable and cost-effective FSP system options will be available when high power lunar surface system choices are expected to be made in the early 2010s.

Regression away from the mean: Theory and examples.

PubMed

Schwarz, Wolf; Reike, Dennis

2018-02-01

Using a standard repeated measures model with arbitrary true score distribution and normal error variables, we present some fundamental closed-form results which explicitly indicate the conditions under which regression effects towards (RTM) and away from the mean are expected. Specifically, we show that for skewed and bimodal distributions many or even most cases will show a regression effect that is in expectation away from the mean, or that is not just towards but actually beyond the mean. We illustrate our results in quantitative detail with typical examples from experimental and biometric applications, which exhibit a clear regression away from the mean ('egression from the mean') signature. We aim not to repeal cautionary advice against potential RTM effects, but to present a balanced view of regression effects, based on a clear identification of the conditions governing the form that regression effects take in repeated measures designs. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Analyses of Student Learning in Global Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takle, E. S.; Moser, H.; Sorensen, E. K.

2004-12-01

The Global Change course at Iowa State University is a senior undergraduate and graduate level course that has been delivered over the internet with online dialog and learning activities since 1995. Students may enroll in the course as a distance education course, but in doing so they engage in dialog with students in the conventional on-campus face-to-face course. Online delivery and student participation offer opportunities for promoting use of critical thinking skills and collaborative learning not available in face-to-face environments. Students are required to research, post, and defend with authoritative information their positions on a variety of global change issues and specifically identify how they have demonstrated use of critical thinking skills in their online postings. Threaded dialog is used for structuring interactions toward promoting collaborative learning. We analyze collaborative learning by use of a rubric based on the theory of language games. By random selection of 1,350 online dialog comments posted over the last 10 years we evaluated student response to requirements for demonstrating critical thinking skills and collaboration in learning. We found that, by itself, the requirement of demonstrating critical thinking skills in online dialog was insufficient in promoting collaborative learned as measured by the standards of language game theory. But we also found that if an online comment clearly defines a situation and makes a clear expectation of a response, the likelihood is high that a game will be created. And if a game is established, there is a high probability that it will be closed, thereby giving evidence that collaborative learning had occurred. We conclude that a key component in collaborative online learning lies in establishing a lead-off comment that provides sufficient background information to clearly define an engaging situation. It also must include a clear expectation that a response is expected that will provide dialog participants an opportunity to demonstrate critical thinking skills in their responding comments.

Functional Bregman Divergence and Bayesian Estimation of Distributions (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

shows that if the set of possible minimizers A includes EPF [F ], then g∗ = EPF [F ] minimizes the expectation of any Bregman divergence. Note the theorem...probability distribution PF defined over the set M. Let A be a set of functions that includes EPF [F ] if it exists. Suppose the function g∗ minimizes...the expected Bregman divergence between the random function F and any function g ∈ A such that g∗ = arg inf g∈A EPF [dφ(F, g)]. Then, if g∗ exists

Neural Prediction Errors Distinguish Perception and Misperception of Speech.

PubMed

Blank, Helen; Spangenberg, Marlene; Davis, Matthew H

2018-06-11

Humans use prior expectations to improve perception, especially of sensory signals that are degraded or ambiguous. However, if sensory input deviates from prior expectations, correct perception depends on adjusting or rejecting prior expectations. Failure to adjust or reject the prior leads to perceptual illusions especially if there is partial overlap (hence partial mismatch) between expectations and input. With speech, "Slips of the ear" occur when expectations lead to misperception. For instance, a entomologist, might be more susceptible to hear "The ants are my friends" for "The answer, my friend" (in the Bob Dylan song "Blowing in the Wind"). Here, we contrast two mechanisms by which prior expectations may lead to misperception of degraded speech. Firstly, clear representations of the common sounds in the prior and input (i.e., expected sounds) may lead to incorrect confirmation of the prior. Secondly, insufficient representations of sounds that deviate between prior and input (i.e., prediction errors) could lead to deception. We used cross-modal predictions from written words that partially match degraded speech to compare neural responses when male and female human listeners were deceived into accepting the prior or correctly reject it. Combined behavioural and multivariate representational similarity analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data shows that veridical perception of degraded speech is signalled by representations of prediction error in the left superior temporal sulcus. Instead of using top-down processes to support perception of expected sensory input, our findings suggest that the strength of neural prediction error representations distinguishes correct perception and misperception. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Misperceiving spoken words is an everyday experience with outcomes that range from shared amusement to serious miscommunication. For hearing-impaired individuals, frequent misperception can lead to social withdrawal and isolation with severe consequences for well-being. In this work, we specify the neural mechanisms by which prior expectations - which are so often helpful for perception - can lead to misperception of degraded sensory signals. Most descriptive theories of illusory perception explain misperception as arising from a clear sensory representation of features or sounds that are in common between prior expectations and sensory input. Our work instead provides support for a complementary proposal; namely that misperception occurs when there is an insufficient sensory representations of the deviation between expectations and sensory signals. Copyright © 2018 the authors.

Specific efficacy expectations mediate exercise compliance in patients with COPD.

PubMed

Kaplan, R M; Atkins, C J; Reinsch, S

1984-01-01

Social learning theory has generated two different approaches for the assessment of expectancies. Bandura argues that expectancies are specific and do not generalize. Therefore, he prefers measures of specific efficacy expectations. Others endorse the role of generalized expectancies measured by locus of control scales. The present study examines specific versus generalized expectancies as mediators of changes in exercise behavior among 60 older adult patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The patients were given a prescription to increase exercise and randomly assigned to experimental groups or control groups. All groups received attention but only experimental groups received training to increase their exercise. After 3 months, groups given specific training for compliance with walking significantly increased their activity in comparison to the control group receiving only attention. These changes were mediated by changes in perceived efficacy for walking, with efficacy expectations for other behaviors changing as a function of their similarity to walking. A generalized health locus of control expectancy measure was less clearly associated with behavior change. The results are interpreted as supporting Bandura's version of social theory.

Differential associations between components of anxiety sensitivity and smoking-related characteristics.

PubMed

Guillot, Casey R; Zvolensky, Michael J; Leventhal, Adam M

2015-01-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS)-the tendency to fear anxiety-related experiences-is a risk factor for anxiety disorders and may contribute to smoking motivation and maintenance. Few studies have examined the relations between conceptually distinct components of AS and smoking behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations between AS components-physical concerns, mental concerns, and social concerns-and an array of smoking-related characteristics. In a cross-sectional design, we administered the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and self-report measures of tobacco dependence, smoking abstinence behavior, and smoking outcome and abstinence expectancies to 314 smokers (≥ 10 cigarettes/day, 32% female, M age=44 years). The ASI Mental Concerns subscale was most clearly associated with greater difficulty maintaining abstinence and stronger expectations of smoking-related negative reinforcement and withdrawal (βs=.21-.31, ps ≤ .005); the ASI Social Concerns was most clearly associated with stronger positive reinforcement smoking expectancies (β=.20, p=.0009); and ASI Physical Concerns subscale was most clearly associated with stronger tobacco withdrawal symptoms experienced in prior quit attempts (β=.20, p=.002). Based on these findings of patterns of associations with smoking-related characteristics across distinct components of AS, we speculate that (1) mindfulness training may be useful for treating tobacco addiction in smokers high in AS mental concerns, and (2) smokers high in AS physical and social concerns may benefit from smoking cessation treatment that incorporates interoceptive exposure and cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluating structures, properties and vibrational and electronic spectra of the potassium 2-isonicotinoyltrifluoroborate salt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iramain, Maximiliano A.; Davies, Lilian; Brandán, Silvia Antonia

2018-07-01

The potassium 2-isonicotinoyltrifluorborate salt has been characterized by using FT-IR, FT-Raman and UV-Visible spectroscopies while its structural properties were studied by using B3LYP/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311++G** calculations in gas and aqueous solution phases. Four conformers with CS and C1 symmetries were found in the potential energy surfaces but only one of them presents the minimum energy. Two dimeric species of this salt were also optimized in accordance to the layered architectures suggested for trifluoroborate potassium salts in the solid phase. Here, the experimental Raman bands at 796, 748 and 676 cm-1 clearly support the presence of both dimers. On the other hand, the 2-isonicotinoyltrifluorborate anion was optimized because its presence is expected in solution. Reasonable correlations were observed between the predicted FTIR, Raman and UV-visible spectra with the corresponding experimental ones. The solvation energies for the salt in aqueous solution were predicted by using both methods. Here, it is observed that the change of furane by pyridine ring generates an increase in the solvation energies of the potassium 2-isonicotinoyltrifluorborate salt in relation to potassium 3-furoyltrifluoroborate salt. The study of the charges has revealed that there is an effect of the size of the basis set on the Mulliken charges while the AIM analyses suggest that the F⋯H and O⋯K interactions are also strongly dependent of the medium and the size of the basis sets. The bond orders for the F and K atoms evidence their higher ionic characteristics in solution with both basis sets. The NBO and AIM results clearly support the higher stability of this salt in both media. The studies by using the frontier orbitals indicate that the change of furane by pyridine ring decreases the reactivity of this salt by using 6-31G* basis set but increases when the other one is employed. Another effect of change of furane by pyridine ring is observed in the increase of the f(νCdbnd O) and f(νBF3) force constants. In addition, the force fields for the salt in both media were reported together to their complete vibrational assignments and force constants by using both levels of theory.

Natural regeneration of Douglas-fir and associated species using modified clear-cutting systems in the Oregon Cascades.

Treesearch

Jerry F. Franklin

1963-01-01

Clear cutting is the standard harvesting system in old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in the Pacific Northwest. Usually these clear cuts are in "staggered settings" of 15 to 80 acres with the surrounding stand left uncut to provide seed and serve as a firebreak. However, satisfactory natural regeneration of Douglas-fir...

76 FR 51087 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing of Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... organizations to plan for the possibility of a default by two or more clearing members in a short time frame.\\9... and Rules To Establish a Clearing Fund Amount Intended To Support Losses Under a Defined Set of... discussed any comments it received on the proposed rule change. The text of these statements may be examined...

Factors leading to different viability predictions for a grizzly bear data set

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mills, L.S.; Hayes, S.G.; Wisdom, M.J.; Citta, J.; Mattson, D.J.; Murphy, K.

1996-01-01

Population viability analysis programs are being used increasingly in research and management applications, but there has not been a systematic study of the congruence of different program predictions based on a single data set. We performed such an analysis using four population viability analysis computer programs: GAPPS, INMAT, RAMAS/AGE, and VORTEX. The standardized demographic rates used in all programs were generalized from hypothetical increasing and decreasing grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) populations. Idiosyncracies of input format for each program led to minor differences in intrinsic growth rates that translated into striking differences in estimates of extinction rates and expected population size. In contrast, the addition of demographic stochasticity, environmental stochasticity, and inbreeding costs caused only a small divergence in viability predictions. But, the addition of density dependence caused large deviations between the programs despite our best attempts to use the same density-dependent functions. Population viability programs differ in how density dependence is incorporated, and the necessary functions are difficult to parameterize accurately. Thus, we recommend that unless data clearly suggest a particular density-dependent model, predictions based on population viability analysis should include at least one scenario without density dependence. Further, we describe output metrics that may differ between programs; development of future software could benefit from standardized input and output formats across different programs.

Re-typograph phase I: a proof-of-concept for typeface parameter extraction from historical documents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamiroy, Bart; Bouville, Thomas; Blégean, Julien; Cao, Hongliu; Ghamizi, Salah; Houpin, Romain; Lloyd, Matthias

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the first phase of an attempt to create a full retro-engineering pipeline that aims to construct a complete set of coherent typographic parameters defining the typefaces used in a printed homogenous text. It should be stressed that this process cannot reasonably be expected to be fully automatic and that it is designed to include human interaction. Although font design is governed by a set of quite robust and formal geometric rulesets, it still heavily relies on subjective human interpretation. Furthermore, different parameters, applied to the generic rulesets may actually result in quite similar and visually difficult to distinguish typefaces, making the retro-engineering an inverse problem that is ill conditioned once shape distortions (related to the printing and/or scanning process) come into play. This work is the first phase of a long iterative process, in which we will progressively study and assess the techniques from the state-of-the-art that are most suited to our problem and investigate new directions when they prove to not quite adequate. As a first step, this is more of a feasibility proof-of-concept, that will allow us to clearly pinpoint the items that will require more in-depth research over the next iterations.

Cancer patient experience with navigation service in an urban hospital setting: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Gotlib Conn, L; Hammond Mobilio, M; Rotstein, O D; Blacker, S

2016-01-01

Cancer patient navigators are increasingly present on the oncology health care team. The positive impact of navigation on cancer care is recognised, yet a clear understanding of what the patient navigator does and how he/she executes the role continues to emerge. This study aimed to understand cancer patients' perceptions of, and experiences with patient navigation, exploring how navigation may enhance the patient experience in an urban hospital setting where patients with varying needs are treated. A qualitative study using a constructionist approach was conducted. Fifteen colorectal cancer patients participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were analyzed inductively and iteratively. Findings provide insight into two central aspects of cancer navigation: navigation as patient-centred coordination and explanation of clinical care, and navigation as individualised, holistic support. Within these themes, the key benefits of navigation from the patients' perspective were demystifying the system; ensuring comprehension, managing expectations; and, delivering patient-centred care. The navigator provided individualised and extended family support; a holistic approach; and, addressed emotional and psychological needs. These findings provide a means to operationalise and validate an emerging role description and competency framework for the cancer navigator who must identify and adapt to patients' varying needs throughout the cancer care continuum. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The theory of multiple stupidities: education, technology and organisation in Arabia.

PubMed

Al Lily, Abdulrahman Essa; Alhazmi, Ahmed Ali; Alzahrani, Saleh

2017-11-01

Traditional perspectives have envisaged intelligence as one entity dominated by a single set of abilities (i.e. cognitive abilities), whereas modern perspectives have defined intelligence in various shapes (e.g. linguistic, musical and interpersonal intelligences). By the same token, traditional perspectives have examined stupidity as one set of inabilities (i.e. cognitive inabilities). However, it is not clear whether modern perspectives have discussed whether stupidity exists in various forms-in the same way as they have envisaged intelligence. To address this limitation, 257 university members were asked to share what they perceived as being stupid educational and technological practices in their institutions. Analysis of the data suggested three concepts were important to the members: moral, spatial and administrative stupidities. That is, stupidity is perceived to come in the form of failing to meet certain moral, spatial and administrative values. This implies that modern perspectives may conceptualise stupidity differently from traditional perspectives, seeing it as going beyond cognitive inabilities and viewing it as existing in various forms (e.g. moral, spatial and administrative stupidities). Thus, there are multiple stupidities as there are multiple forms of intelligence. A strength of this research is that it views stupidity through an organisational and qualitative lens, although some may traditionally expect such a topic to be examined quantitatively through psychometric and biological approaches.

A principled approach to setting optimal diagnostic thresholds: where ROC and indifference curves meet.

PubMed

Irwin, R John; Irwin, Timothy C

2011-06-01

Making clinical decisions on the basis of diagnostic tests is an essential feature of medical practice and the choice of the decision threshold is therefore crucial. A test's optimal diagnostic threshold is the threshold that maximizes expected utility. It is given by the product of the prior odds of a disease and a measure of the importance of the diagnostic test's sensitivity relative to its specificity. Choosing this threshold is the same as choosing the point on the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve whose slope equals this product. We contend that a test's likelihood ratio is the canonical decision variable and contrast diagnostic thresholds based on likelihood ratio with two popular rules of thumb for choosing a threshold. The two rules are appealing because they have clear graphical interpretations, but they yield optimal thresholds only in special cases. The optimal rule can be given similar appeal by presenting indifference curves, each of which shows a set of equally good combinations of sensitivity and specificity. The indifference curve is tangent to the ROC curve at the optimal threshold. Whereas ROC curves show what is feasible, indifference curves show what is desirable. Together they show what should be chosen. Copyright © 2010 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consistent free energy landscapes and thermodynamic properties of small proteins based on a single all-atom force field employing an implicit solvation.

PubMed

Kim, Eunae; Jang, Soonmin; Pak, Youngshang

2007-10-14

We have attempted to improve the PARAM99 force field in conjunction with the generalized Born (GB) solvation model with a surface area correction for more consistent protein folding simulations. For this purpose, using an extended alphabeta training set of five well-studied molecules with various folds (alpha, beta, and betabetaalpha), a previously modified version of PARAM99/GBSA is further refined, such that all native states of the five training species correspond to their lowest free energy minimum states. The resulting modified force field (PARAM99MOD5/GBSA) clearly produces reasonably acceptable conformational free energy surfaces of the training set with correct identifications of their native states in the free energy minimum states. Moreover, due to its well-balanced nature, this new force field is expected to describe secondary structure propensities of diverse folds in a more consistent manner. Remarkably, temperature dependent behaviors simulated with the current force field are in good agreement with the experiment. This agreement is a significant improvement over the existing standard all-atom force fields. In addition, fundamentally important thermodynamic quantities, such as folding enthalpy (DeltaH) and entropy (DeltaS), agree reasonably well with the experimental data.

Ultrasound: Head (For Parents)

MedlinePlus

... the computer screen. A technician (sonographer) trained in ultrasound imaging will spread a clear, warm gel on your child's scalp (over the fontanel). This gel helps with the transmission of the ... Expect The head ultrasound test is painless, though your child may feel ...

The Third International Conference: Tokyo

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, J. Roby

1972-01-01

The Tokyo Conference featured more of an acceptance of established theory, agreement on broad programs, and consolidation of approaches. It also made clear the fact that governments now take, and expect to take a much greater responsibility for adult education. (Author/RK)

Pain anticipation: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of brain imaging studies.

PubMed

Palermo, Sara; Benedetti, Fabrizio; Costa, Tommaso; Amanzio, Martina

2015-05-01

The anticipation of pain has been investigated in a variety of brain imaging studies. Importantly, today there is no clear overall picture of the areas that are involved in different studies and the exact role of these regions in pain expectation remains especially unexploited. To address this issue, we used activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis to analyze pain anticipation in several neuroimaging studies. A total of 19 functional magnetic resonance imaging were included in the analysis to search for the cortical areas involved in pain anticipation in human experimental models. During anticipation, activated foci were found in the dorsolateral prefrontal, midcingulate and anterior insula cortices, medial and inferior frontal gyri, inferior parietal lobule, middle and superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, and caudate. Deactivated foci were found in the anterior cingulate, superior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and in the claustrum. The results of the meta-analytic connectivity analysis provide an overall view of the brain responses triggered by the anticipation of a noxious stimulus. Such a highly distributed perceptual set of self-regulation may prime brain regions to process information where emotion, action and perception as well as their related subcategories play a central role. Not only do these findings provide important information on the neural events when anticipating pain, but also they may give a perspective into nocebo responses, whereby negative expectations may lead to pain worsening. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Delineation of an old coal mine in an urban environment with surface wave seismics using a landstreamer and laterally constrained inversion

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

Roger Wisen; Mattias Linden; Mats Svensson

2007-01-15

Prior to the site investigation for a tunnel below Helsingborg, southern Sweden, a surface wave seismic investigation was made to delineate an old coal mine. The mine as described in old literature has an area of about 6 acres and each layer of coal has a height of less than one 1 m; however, the exact location and status is unclear. The sedimentary geological setting consists of fill, quaternary deposits, shale, coal and sandstone. The mine, or alternatively the coal, is found at 10 m depth between a layer of shale and a layer of soft sandstone. The seismic measurementsmore » were made along two crossing profiles, located on the walkways covered with gravel, in the area where the mine is expected. The measurement system was a landstreamer with 244.5 Hz geophones, a Geometrics Geode and a shotgun. The v{sub s} models clearly show increasing velocities with depth with a low velocity layer at 10 m depth. The results correlate well with the expected geology and results from geotechnical drillings that indicate an open mine in parts of the area; however, the low velocity layer is mainly due to the soft sandstone and does not seem to be strongly affected by the presence of the open mine.« less

Worth of Geophysical Data in Natural-Disaster-Insurance Rate Setting.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attanasi, E. D.; Karlinger, M. R.

1982-04-01

Insurance firms that offer natural-disaster insurance base their rates on available information. The benefits from collecting additional data and incorporating this information to improve parameter estimates of probability distributions that are used to characterize natural-disaster events can be determined by computing changes in premiums as a function of additional data. Specifically, the worth of data can be measured by changes in consumer's surplus (the widely applied measure of benefits to consumers used in benefit-cost analysis) brought about when the premiums are adjusted. In this paper, a formal model of the process for setting insurance rates is hypothesized in which the insurance firm sets rates so as to trade off penalties of overestimation and underestimation of expected damages estimated from currently available hydrologic data. A Bayesian preposterior analysis is performed which permits the determination of the expected benefits of collecting additional geophysical data by examining the changes in expected premium rates as a function of the longer record before the data are actually collected. An estimate of the expected benefits associated with collecting more data for the representative consumer is computed using an assumed demand function for insurance. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of expected benefits to changes in insurance demand and firm rate-setting procedures is carried out. From these results, conclusions are drawn regarding aggregate benefits to all flood insurance purchasers.

[Bioethics destiny].

PubMed

Fagot-Largeault, Anne

2015-01-01

The paper is about the links between ethics and science, at a time (1974-2014) when the life sciences expanded rapidly. First (1974-1994), the development of a principlist ethics, set out by philosophers, sustained the research, and the scientists, expected to behave responsibly, felt like they could easily converge towards impeccable and consensual solutions to any problem arising from scientific innovations. Later on (1994-2014), however, while yielding ground to social sciences and ground work, bioethics took an empirical turn; then it became clear that behaving responsibly was compatible with a plurality of divergent normative convictions. Ethics crumbled. Local or national policies restored order, so-called bioethical laws short-circuited ethical reflection. And far from being respected as the wise men, apt to recommend the very best solutions to problems raised by new scientific advances, researchers happened to be deemed irresponsible, as some of them were suspected of lacking intellectual integrity. Copyright © 2015 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Profile of the Alere i Influenza A & B assay: a pioneering molecular point-of-care test.

PubMed

Wang, Hongmei; Deng, Jikui; Tang, Yi-Wei

2018-05-01

The Alere i Influenza A & B assay incorporates the Nicking Enzyme Amplification Reaction technique on the Alere i instrument to detect and differentiate influenza virus (Flu) A and B nucleic acids in specific specimens. Areas covered: The Alere i Influenza A & B assay was cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for use with nasal swabs (NS) and nasopharyngeal swabs, either directly or in viral transport medium. Notably, direct use on NS was the first ever CLIA-waived nucleic acid-based test. Previously published evaluations have reported sensitivities and specificities of 55.2-100% and 62.5-100% for Flu A and 45.2-100% and 53.6-100% for Flu B, respectively. Expert commentary: The Alere i Influenza A & B assay provides a rapid and simple platform for detection and differentiation of Flu A and B. Efforts are expected to further improve sensitivity and user-friendliness for effective and widespread use in the true point-of-care setting.

Short-term Time Step Convergence in a Climate Model

DOE PAGES

Wan, Hui; Rasch, Philip J.; Taylor, Mark; ...

2015-02-11

A testing procedure is designed to assess the convergence property of a global climate model with respect to time step size, based on evaluation of the root-mean-square temperature difference at the end of very short (1 h) simulations with time step sizes ranging from 1 s to 1800 s. A set of validation tests conducted without sub-grid scale parameterizations confirmed that the method was able to correctly assess the convergence rate of the dynamical core under various configurations. The testing procedure was then applied to the full model, and revealed a slow convergence of order 0.4 in contrast to themore » expected first-order convergence. Sensitivity experiments showed without ambiguity that the time stepping errors in the model were dominated by those from the stratiform cloud parameterizations, in particular the cloud microphysics. This provides a clear guidance for future work on the design of more accurate numerical methods for time stepping and process coupling in the model.« less

Community Context, Land Use and First Birth

PubMed Central

Ghimire, Dirgha J.; Axinn, William G.

2010-01-01

This paper examines the influence of community context and land use on the monthly odds of first birth in a society in the midst of dramatic fertility transition. The theoretical framework guiding our work predicts that proximity to non-family services should delay first births by creating opportunities for competing non-family activities and spreading new ideas that change expectations about family life. On the other hand, living in agricultural settings that provide opportunities for higher returns to the child labor should speed first births. We use a longitudinal, multilevel, mixed-method data from the Nepalese Himalayas to test these predictions. The empirical results reveal that non-family services during childhood and during early adulthood both have important independent influences on the odds of first birth. Also, as predicted, a high density of agricultural land use affects the odds of first births in the opposite direction, speeding first births. This clear pattern of contrasting effects provides important new evidence of the contextual dynamics that produce watershed changes in post-marital birth timing. PMID:20877584

Evaluation Criteria for Nursing Student Application of Evidence-Based Practice: A Delphi Study.

PubMed

Bostwick, Lina; Linden, Lois

2016-06-01

Core clinical evaluation criteria do not exist for measuring prelicensure baccalaureate nursing students' application of evidence-based practice (EBP) during direct care assignments. The study objective was to achieve consensus among EBP nursing experts to create clinical criteria for faculty to use in evaluating students' application of EBP principles. A three-round Delphi method was used. Experts were invited to participate in Web-based surveys. Data were analyzed using qualitative coding and categorizing. Quantitative analyses were descriptive calculations for rating and ranking. Expert consensus occurred in the Delphi rounds. The study provides a set of 10 core clinical evaluation criteria for faculty evaluating students' progression toward competency in their application of EBP. A baccalaureate program curriculum requiring the use of Bostwick's EBP Core Clinical Evaluation Criteria will provide a clear definition for understanding basic core EBP competence as expected for the assessment of student learning. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(5):336-341.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Do coverage mandates affect direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceuticals? Evidence from parity laws.

PubMed

Nathenson, Robert; Richards, Michael R

2018-01-29

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs is a relatively unique feature of the US health care system and a source of tens of billions of dollars in annual spending. It has also garnered the attention of researchers and policymakers interested in its implications for firm and consumer behavior. However, few economic studies have explored the DTCA response to public policies, especially those mandating coverage of these products. We use detailed advertising expenditure data to assess if pharmaceutical firms increase their marketing efforts after the implementation of relevant state and federal health insurance laws. We focus on mental health parity statutes and related drug therapies-a potentially ripe setting for inducing stronger consumer demand. We find no clear indication that firms expect greater value from DTCA after these regulatory changes. DTCA appears driven by other considerations (e.g., product debut); however, it remains a possibility that firms respond to these laws through other, unobserved channels (e.g., provider detailing).

Performing the unexplainable: Implicit task performance reveals individually reliable sequence learning without explicit knowledge

PubMed Central

Sanchez, Daniel J.; Gobel, Eric W.; Reber, Paul J.

2015-01-01

Memory-impaired patients express intact implicit perceptual–motor sequence learning, but it has been difficult to obtain a similarly clear dissociation in healthy participants. When explicit memory is intact, participants acquire some explicit knowledge and performance improvements from implicit learning may be subtle. Therefore, it is difficult to determine whether performance exceeds what could be expected on the basis of the concomitant explicit knowledge. Using a challenging new sequence-learning task, robust implicit learning was found in healthy participants with virtually no associated explicit knowledge. Participants trained on a repeating sequence that was selected randomly from a set of five. On a performance test of all five sequences, performance was best on the trained sequence, and two-thirds of the participants exhibited individually reliable improvement (by chi-square analysis). Participants could not reliably indicate which sequence had been trained by either recognition or recall. Only by expressing their knowledge via performance were participants able to indicate which sequence they had learned. PMID:21169570

Korea Microlensing Telescope Network Microlensing Events from 2015: Event-finding Algorithm, Vetting, and Photometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, D.-J.; Kim, H.-W.; Hwang, K.-H.; Albrow, M. D.; Chung, S.-J.; Gould, A.; Han, C.; Jung, Y. K.; Ryu, Y.-H.; Shin, I.-G.; Yee, J. C.; Zhu, W.; Cha, S.-M.; Kim, S.-L.; Lee, C.-U.; Lee, D.-J.; Lee, Y.; Park, B.-G.; Pogge, R. W.; The KMTNet Collaboration

2018-02-01

We present microlensing events in the 2015 Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet) data and our procedure for identifying these events. In particular, candidates were detected with a novel “completed-event” microlensing event-finder algorithm. The algorithm works by making linear fits to a ({t}0,{t}{eff},{u}0) grid of point-lens microlensing models. This approach is rendered computationally efficient by restricting u 0 to just two values (0 and 1), which we show is quite adequate. The implementation presented here is specifically tailored to the commission-year character of the 2015 data, but the algorithm is quite general and has already been applied to a completely different (non-KMTNet) data set. We outline expected improvements for 2016 and future KMTNet data. The light curves of the 660 “clear microlensing” and 182 “possible microlensing” events that were found in 2015 are presented along with our policy for their public release.

What Can a Hypnotic Induction Do?

PubMed

Woody, Erik; Sadler, Pamela

2016-10-01

In contrast to how recent definitions of hypnosis describe the induction, a work-sample perspective is advocated that characterizes the induction as an initial, stage-setting phase encompassing everything in a hypnotic session up to the first hypnotic suggestion of particular relevance to the therapeutic or research goals at hand. Four major ways are then discussed in which the induction could affect subsequent hypnotic responses: It may provide information about how subsequent behaviors are to be enacted; it may provide cues about the nature of the interpersonal interaction to be expected in hypnosis; it may provide meta-suggestions, defined as suggestive statements intended to enhance responses to subsequent hypnotic suggestions; and it may provide a clear transition to help allow new behaviors and experiences to emerge. Several ideas for future research are advanced, such as mapping hypnosis style onto the interpersonal circumplex, evaluating whether attentional-state changes measured at the end of the induction actually mediate subsequent hypnotic responsiveness, and systematically examining the impact of ritual-like aspects of inductions.

Modulation of visually evoked movement responses in moving virtual environments.

PubMed

Reed-Jones, Rebecca J; Vallis, Lori Ann

2009-01-01

Virtual-reality technology is being increasingly used to understand how humans perceive and act in the moving world around them. What is currently not clear is how virtual reality technology is perceived by human participants and what virtual scenes are effective in evoking movement responses to visual stimuli. We investigated the effect of virtual-scene context on human responses to a virtual visual perturbation. We hypothesised that exposure to a natural scene that matched the visual expectancies of the natural world would create a perceptual set towards presence, and thus visual guidance of body movement in a subsequently presented virtual scene. Results supported this hypothesis; responses to a virtual visual perturbation presented in an ambiguous virtual scene were increased when participants first viewed a scene that consisted of natural landmarks which provided 'real-world' visual motion cues. Further research in this area will provide a basis of knowledge for the effective use of this technology in the study of human movement responses.

Observation and spectroscopy of a two-electron Wigner molecule in an ultraclean carbon nanotube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pecker, S.; Kuemmeth, F.; Secchi, A.; Rontani, M.; Ralph, D. C.; McEuen, P. L.; Ilani, S.

2013-09-01

Two electrons on a string form a simple model system where Coulomb interactions are expected to play an interesting role. In the presence of strong interactions, these electrons are predicted to form a Wigner molecule, separating to the ends of the string. This spatial structure is believed to be clearly imprinted on the energy spectrum, yet so far a direct measurement of such a spectrum in a controllable one-dimensional setting is still missing. Here we use an ultraclean carbon nanotube to realize this system in a tunable potential. Using tunnelling spectroscopy we measure the addition spectra of two interacting carriers, electrons or holes, and identify seven low-energy states characterized by their exchange symmetries. The formation of a Wigner molecule is evident from a tenfold quenching of the fundamental excitation energy as compared with the non-interacting value. Our ability to tune the two-carrier state in space and to study it for both electrons and holes provides an unambiguous demonstration of this strongly interacting quantum ground state.

Effective Patient-Physician Communication Based on Osteopathic Philosophy in Caring for Elderly Patients.

PubMed

Noll, Donald R; Ginsberg, Terrie; Elahi, Abdul; Cavalieri, Thomas A

2016-01-01

The objective of this article is to discuss effective communication strategies between elderly patients and their physicians from the perspective of osteopathic heritage. The patient-physician communication styles of Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO, and early osteopathic physicians (ie, DOs) may have influenced how DOs today communicate with their patients. Historical literature describes how Still would discuss with his patients the causes of their health problems using analogies and language they would understand, and how, when caring for a patient at the end of life, he empathically provided emotional support for both patients and their families. Early DOs advocated setting clear expectations for patients regarding clinical outcomes and carefully listening to patients to build trust. The Osteopathic Oath, which calls for the DO to view the patient as a friend, may also affect patient-physician communication. Early osteopathic philosophy and culture, as modeled by Dr Still in his approach to elderly patients, should inspire today's DOs in their communication with their elderly patients.

Community Context, Land Use and First Birth.

PubMed

Ghimire, Dirgha J; Axinn, William G

2010-09-01

This paper examines the influence of community context and land use on the monthly odds of first birth in a society in the midst of dramatic fertility transition. The theoretical framework guiding our work predicts that proximity to non-family services should delay first births by creating opportunities for competing non-family activities and spreading new ideas that change expectations about family life. On the other hand, living in agricultural settings that provide opportunities for higher returns to the child labor should speed first births. We use a longitudinal, multilevel, mixed-method data from the Nepalese Himalayas to test these predictions. The empirical results reveal that non-family services during childhood and during early adulthood both have important independent influences on the odds of first birth. Also, as predicted, a high density of agricultural land use affects the odds of first births in the opposite direction, speeding first births. This clear pattern of contrasting effects provides important new evidence of the contextual dynamics that produce watershed changes in post-marital birth timing.

Characteristics of sports-based youth development programs.

PubMed

Perkins, Daniel F; Noam, Gil G

2007-01-01

The term "sports-based youth development programs" is coined and defined in the context of the community youth development framework. Sports-based youth development programs are out-of-school-time programs that use a particular sport to facilitate learning and life skill development in youth. Community youth development programs use a community youth development approach to create opportunities for youth to connect to others, develop skills, and use those skills to contribute to their communities. This, in turn, increases their ability to succeed. The authors describe how sports-based youth development programs can be contexts that promote positive youth development. The features of positive developmental settings for youth from the work of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, as well as the features identified by other researchers, are presented in the context of sports-based youth development programs. For example, a sports program that provides appropriate structure has delineated clear rules, expectations, and responsibilities for youth, parents, coaches, officials, and other organizers.

A Career at a Small Liberal Arts College.

PubMed

Punt, Jennifer

2017-10-03

A career as a tenure-track professor at a liberal arts college provides the opportunity to combine serious interests in teaching with research. The basic goals of the liberal arts institution are to educate the student broadly while encouraging mastery of a particular area of interest. Preparing for such a career requires not only a commitment to teaching but also a productive PhD and postdoctoral experience, regardless of the expectations for active research within the job. The application and interview processes require one to be informed, flexible, energetic, and clear-in writing and in speaking. Establishing an invigorating teaching and research program will allow you to balance realism and ambition as you find a way to bring the best science to the undergraduate setting. The exposure to students whose thinking is often more unfettered and creative, and to colleagues whose scholarships span many disciplines, makes a position at a liberal arts college one of the most intellectually stimulating careers available to a scientist. Copyright © 2017 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Price dynamics and market power in an agent-based power exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cincotti, Silvano; Guerci, Eric; Raberto, Marco

2005-05-01

This paper presents an agent-based model of a power exchange. Supply of electric power is provided by competing generating companies, whereas demand is assumed to be inelastic with respect to price and is constant over time. The transmission network topology is assumed to be a fully connected graph and no transmission constraints are taken into account. The price formation process follows a common scheme for real power exchanges: a clearing house mechanism with uniform price, i.e., with price set equal across all matched buyer-seller pairs. A single class of generating companies is considered, characterized by linear cost function for each technology. Generating companies compete for the sale of electricity through repeated rounds of the uniform auction and determine their supply functions according to production costs. However, an individual reinforcement learning algorithm characterizes generating companies behaviors in order to attain the expected maximum possible profit in each auction round. The paper investigates how the market competitive equilibrium is affected by market microstructure and production costs.

Housing for People with Substance Use Disorders: One Size Does Not Fit All Tenants-Assessment of 16 Housing Services and Suggestions for Improvement Based on Real World Experience.

PubMed

Littlewood, Richard; Gilman, Mark; McLoughlin, Sharon

2018-04-27

Housing is an important factor for individuals addressing substance use disorders (SUD). This work compared aims and outcomes for new housing services and made suggestions for improvement. 16 new services were assessed over 6 months activity against factors identified as important. Services defined expected standards including (1) engagement with treatment for SUD, (2) restrictions on continuing substance use by tenants. After 6 months, 9 (56%) housing projects did not achieve planned standards and lowered criteria for inclusion. When setting up housing for people with SUD it is important to define clearly the nature of the intended service. Different types of housing programs in a network are needed to meet the evolving behaviour of tenants. One size does not fit all. Stable housing is important for people addressing SUD and these suggestions may increase the chance of providing a suitable foundation for people in need.

Mapping and quantifying isomer sets of hydrocarbons (≥ C12) in diesel exhaust, lubricating oil and diesel fuel samples using GC × GC-ToF-MS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Mohammed S.; Zeraati-Rezaei, Soheil; Liang, Zhirong; Stark, Christopher; Xu, Hongming; MacKenzie, A. Rob; Harrison, Roy M.

2018-05-01

Airborne particles and vapours, like many other environmental samples including water, soils and sediments, contain complex mixtures of hydrocarbons, often deriving from crude oil either before or after fractionation into fuels, lubricants and feedstocks. Comprehensive 2D gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ToF-MS), offers a very powerful technique that separates and identifies many compounds in complicated hydrocarbon mixtures. However, quantification and identification of individual constituents at high ionization energies would require hundreds of expensive (when available) standards for calibration. Although the precise chemical structure of hydrocarbons does matter for their environmental impact and fate, strong similarities can be expected for compounds having very similar chemical structures and carbon numbers. There is, therefore, a clear benefit in an analytical technique which is specific enough to separate different classes of compounds and to distinguish homologous series while avoiding the need to handle each isomer individually. Varying EI (electron impact) ionization mass spectrometry significantly enhances the identification of individual isomers and homologous compound groups, which we refer to as isomer sets. Advances are reported in mapping and quantifying isomer sets of hydrocarbons (≥ C12) in diesel fuel, lubricating oil and diesel exhaust emissions. By using this analysis we report mass closures of ca. 90 and 75 % for diesel fuel and lubricating oil, and identify 85 and 75 % of the total ion current for gas- and particulate-phase diesel exhaust emissions.

Military Aircraft Emissions Research - Case of Hercules Cargo Plane (C-130H) Emissions

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

Cheng, Mengdawn; Corporan, E.; DeWitt, M.

2007-01-01

Tactical airlifter like C-130H has been in use for more than 50 years, and is expected to serve for many years to come. However, the emission characteristics data of the aircraft are scarce. To increase our understanding of turboprop engine emissions, emissions from a military C-130H cargo aircraft were characterized in field conditions in the fall of 2005. Particulate and gaseous pollutants were measured by conventional and advanced instrumentation platforms that were built with in-situ extractive or remote optical sensing technologies. The measurements performed at the C-130H engine exhaust exit showed increased levels of emissions as the engine power settingmore » increased. In contrast, there was no such a relationship found for the C-130H emitted particulate matter (as a function of engine power setting) measured at about 15-m downstream of the engine exhaust plane. The emitted gaseous species measured at both locations were, however, proportional to the engine power setting and comparable (at both locations) when corrected for ambient dilution indicating the lack of particulate emission-power setting relationship at the far field is unique. The result clearly indicates that the aircraft emission factor or index for particulate matter cannot be experimentally determined at a downstream location away from the exhaust exit and has to be determined right at the engine exhaust plane. Emission indices that are needed for air quality modeling will be presented.« less

Effectiveness of genomic prediction of maize hybrid performance in different breeding populations and environments.

PubMed

Windhausen, Vanessa S; Atlin, Gary N; Hickey, John M; Crossa, Jose; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Sorrells, Mark E; Raman, Babu; Cairns, Jill E; Tarekegne, Amsal; Semagn, Kassa; Beyene, Yoseph; Grudloyma, Pichet; Technow, Frank; Riedelsheimer, Christian; Melchinger, Albrecht E

2012-11-01

Genomic prediction is expected to considerably increase genetic gains by increasing selection intensity and accelerating the breeding cycle. In this study, marker effects estimated in 255 diverse maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were used to predict grain yield, anthesis date, and anthesis-silking interval within the diversity panel and testcross progenies of 30 F(2)-derived lines from each of five populations. Although up to 25% of the genetic variance could be explained by cross validation within the diversity panel, the prediction of testcross performance of F(2)-derived lines using marker effects estimated in the diversity panel was on average zero. Hybrids in the diversity panel could be grouped into eight breeding populations differing in mean performance. When performance was predicted separately for each breeding population on the basis of marker effects estimated in the other populations, predictive ability was low (i.e., 0.12 for grain yield). These results suggest that prediction resulted mostly from differences in mean performance of the breeding populations and less from the relationship between the training and validation sets or linkage disequilibrium with causal variants underlying the predicted traits. Potential uses for genomic prediction in maize hybrid breeding are discussed emphasizing the need of (1) a clear definition of the breeding scenario in which genomic prediction should be applied (i.e., prediction among or within populations), (2) a detailed analysis of the population structure before performing cross validation, and (3) larger training sets with strong genetic relationship to the validation set.

Is there a need for a code of ethics in science communication and Communicating Uncertainties on Climate Change?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cegnar, T.; Benestad, R.; Billard, C.

2010-09-01

The EMS Media team recognises that: Scientific knowledge is valuable for society, but it also becomes fragile in a media-dominated society where the distortion of facts clouds the validity of the information. The use of scientific titles in communication normally brings expectations of high standards regarding the information content. Freedom of speech is fragile in the sense that it can be diluted by a high proportion of false information. The value of scientific and scholastic titles is degraded when they are used to give the impression of false validity. Science communication is powerful, and implies a certain responsibility and ethical standard. The scientific community operates with a more or less tacit ethics code in all areas touching the scientists' activities. Even though many scientific questions cannot be completely resolved, there is a set of established and unequivocal scientific practices, methods, and tests, on which our scientific knowledge rests. Scientists are assumed to master the scientific practices, methods, and tests. High standard in science-related communication and media exposure, openness, and honesty will increase the relevance of science, academies, and scientists in the society, in addition to benefiting the society itself. Science communication is important to maintain and enhance the general appreciation of science. The value of the role of science is likely to increase with a reduced distance between scientists and the society and a lower knowledge barrier. An awareness about the ethical aspects of science and science communication may aid scientists in making decisions about how and what to say. Scientists are often not trained in communication or ethics. A set of guide lines may lower the barrier for scientists concerned about tacit codes to come forward and talk to the media. Recommendations: The mass media should seek more insight into scientific knowledge, history, principles, and societies. Journalists and artists should be encouraged and receive support to attend the large scientific conferences organised by e.g the EMS, EGU, AMS, and the AGU. National meteorological societies can contribute by promoting the idea of media participation, e.g. through statements and letters of opinion to news papers, in TV and radio. They can point to media awards and best-practice examples (such as the Norwegian collaboration between the national broadcasting corporation and the meteorological service yr.no.) Tacit ethics codes and expectations from scientists should be spelled out. The role of scientists should be clear, and national academies and member organisations are encouraged to provide a clear list of expectations. Statements drawing on the authority of science should have a basis in well-established and unequivocal scientific practices, methods, and tests. This means, for instance, that analysis and statistics must conform to well-established robust methods, avoiding 'cherry picking' and the misrepresentation of data. The information should also - to the greatest possible degree - be based on open source and transparent methods and data.

How do electronic cigarettes affect cravings to smoke or vape? Parsing the influences of nicotine and expectancies using the balanced-placebo design.

PubMed

Palmer, Amanda M; Brandon, Thomas H

2018-05-01

Although electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are frequently initiated for smoking cessation, results from the first two clinical trials testing this suggest that the perceived benefits of vaping may be influenced by non-nicotine factors, including cognitive outcome expectancies. The current study investigated the separate and combined effects of nicotine delivery and outcome expectancies on cravings for cigarettes and e-cigarettes using a balanced-placebo experiment. Drug dosage (contains nicotine or not) was crossed with instructional set (told nicotine or non-nicotine) during ad lib e-cigarette use sessions by 128 current e-cigarette users (52 identifying as current cigarette smokers or "dual users"). It was hypothesized that reduction in craving for both cigarettes and e-cigarettes following e-cigarette administration would be driven primarily by the instructional set manipulation, reflecting the influence of outcome expectancies. As hypothesized, among dual users, a main effect of instructional set emerged on reductions in craving to smoke cigarettes, with participants who were told that their e-cigarette contained nicotine reporting greater craving reduction (p = .046). With respect to reduced cravings for e-cigarettes, we found an interaction between drug dose and instructional set (p = .02) such that nicotine e-cigarettes reduced cravings more than non-nicotine e-cigarettes only among participants told to expect nicotine. Findings suggest that cognitive expectancies contribute to the acute effects of e-cigarettes on craving, which may provide guidance for their potential as smoking cessation aids. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

The Life Course in the Making: Gender and the Development of Adolescents' Expected Timing of Adult Role Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crockett, Lisa J.; Beal, Sarah J.

2012-01-01

Adolescents' expectations about the timing of adult role transitions have the potential to shape their actual transitions, setting the stage for their adult lives. Although expectations about timing emerge by early adolescence, little is known about how these expectations develop across adolescence. This longitudinal study examined developmental…

Establishing supervisor-students’ relationships through mutual expectation: A study from supervisors’ point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masek, Alias

2017-08-01

The literature suggests that failure to establish a good relationship in communicating expectations of research supervision is one of the factors contributing to the slow pace of research progress. Moreover, it is not fully understood how students and a supervisor ‘pre-define’ their styles and communicate their expectations through a successful relationship. As a result, the students might lose motivation to do their research during the study period and are not able to complete their research on time. This will subsequently entail an extension of the study period. Without a good relationship between students and the supervisor, miscommunication occurs, leading to mismatched expectations from both parties. This research attempts to explore the establishment of a good supervisor-students’ relationship from supervisor point of views, so that supervision expectations can be clearly delivered and effectively communicated; guidelines will be drawn up for forging the supervisor-students’ relationship basing on mutual expectations of both parties.

Measuring functional service quality using SERVQUAL in a high-dependence health service relationship.

PubMed

Clark, W Randy; Clark, Leigh Anne

2007-01-01

Although there is a growing concern about health care quality, little research has focused on how to measure quality in long-term care settings. In this article, we make the following observations: (1) most users of the SERVQUAL instrument reassess customers' expectations each time they measure quality perceptions; (2) long-term care relationships are likely to be ongoing, dependent relationships; (3) because of this dependence, customers in the long-term care setting are likely to reduce their expectations when faced with poor service quality; (4) by using this "settled" expectations level, service providers may make biased conclusions of quality improvements. We recommend various methods for overcoming or minimizing this "settling" effect and propose modifications to the SERVQUAL gap 5 measure to assess quality in a long-term care setting.

Business process re-engineering--saviour or just another fad? One UK health care perspective.

PubMed

Patwardhan, Anjali; Patwardhan, Dhruv

2008-01-01

Pressure to change is politically driven owing to escalating healthcare costs and an emphasis on efficiency gains, value for money and improved performance proof in terms of productivity and recently to some extent by demands from less satisfied patients and stakeholders. In a background of newly immerging expensive techniques and drugs, there is an increasing consumer expectation, i.e. quality services. At the same time, health system managers and practitioners are finding it difficult to cope with demand and quality expectations. Clinicians are frustrated because they are not recognised for their contribution. Managers are frustrated because meaningful dialogue with clinicians is lacking, which has intensified the need for change to a more efficient system that satisfies all arguments about cost effectiveness and sustainable quality services. Various strategies, originally developed by management quality "gurus" for engineering industries, have been applied to health industries with variable success, which largely depends on the type of health care system to which they are applied. Business process re-engineering is examined as a quality management tool using past and recent publications. The paper finds that applying business process re-engineering in the right circumstances and selected settings for quality improvement is critical for its success. It is certainly "not for everybody". The paper provides a critical appraisal of business process re-engineering experiences in UK healthcare. Lessons learned regarding selecting organisations and agreeing realistic expectations are addressed. Business process re-engineering has been evaluated and reviewed since 1987 in US managed health care, with no clear lessons learned possibly because unit selection and simultaneous comparison between two units virtually performing at opposite ends has never been done before. Two UK pilot studies, however, add useful insights.

Space data management at the NSSDC (National Space Sciences Data Center): Applications for data compression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, James L.

1989-01-01

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), established in 1966, is the largest archive for processed data from NASA's space and Earth science missions. The NSSDC manages over 120,000 data tapes with over 4,000 data sets. The size of the digital archive is approximately 6,000 gigabytes with all of this data in its original uncompressed form. By 1995 the NSSDC digital archive is expected to more than quadruple in size reaching over 28,000 gigabytes. The NSSDC digital archive is expected to more than quadruple in size reaching over 28,000 gigabytes. The NSSDC is beginning several thrusts allowing it to better serve the scientific community and keep up with managing the ever increasing volumes of data. These thrusts involve managing larger and larger amounts of information and data online, employing mass storage techniques, and the use of low rate communications networks to move requested data to remote sites in the United States, Europe and Canada. The success of these thrusts, combined with the tremendous volume of data expected to be archived at the NSSDC, clearly indicates that innovative storage and data management solutions must be sought and implemented. Although not presently used, data compression techniques may be a very important tool for managing a large fraction or all of the NSSDC archive in the future. Some future applications would consist of compressing online data in order to have more data readily available, compress requested data that must be moved over low rate ground networks, and compress all the digital data in the NSSDC archive for a cost effective backup that would be used only in the event of a disaster.

Non-universal critical exponents in earthquake complex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pastén, Denisse; Torres, Felipe; Toledo, Benjamín A.; Muñoz, Víctor; Rogan, José; Valdivia, Juan Alejandro

2018-02-01

The problem of universality of critical exponents in complex networks is studied based on networks built from seismic data sets. Using two data sets corresponding to Chilean seismicity (northern zone, including the 2014 Mw = 8 . 2 earthquake in Iquique; and central zone without major earthquakes), directed networks for each set are constructed. Connectivity and betweenness centrality distributions are calculated and found to be scale-free, with respective exponents γ and δ. The expected relation between both characteristic exponents, δ >(γ + 1) / 2, is verified for both data sets. However, unlike the expectation for certain scale-free analytical complex networks, the value of δ is found to be non-universal.

Building a Better Board.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crowther, Connie

1989-01-01

Guidelines for establishing an effective fund-raising board include knowing the group's and the institution's mission, getting expert help, recruiting helpful individuals, making expectations clear, giving trustees honest information, promoting trustee self-examination, getting a key leader to direct recruitment, welcoming new leadership, having…

5 CFR 1631.6 - How to request records-form and content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...., Washington, DC 20005. The words “FOIA Request” should be clearly marked on both the letter and the envelope... failure to obtain the record on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat...

76 FR 64328 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

... financial resources) is minimized, collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of... disaster deployments, the Corporation's expectations for performance upon selection, and the application...: Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the...

40 CFR 761.120 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... with the particular spill. These factors may mitigate expected exposures and risks or make cleanup to... spill situations in which site-specific risk factors may warrant additional cleanup to more stringent... numerical decontamination levels is clearly unwarranted because of risk-mitigating factors, that compliance...

40 CFR 761.120 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... with the particular spill. These factors may mitigate expected exposures and risks or make cleanup to... spill situations in which site-specific risk factors may warrant additional cleanup to more stringent... numerical decontamination levels is clearly unwarranted because of risk-mitigating factors, that compliance...

Collaborating for Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobrzeniecki, Aimee; Poole, Ken; Troppe, Mark

2006-01-01

Collaborating to define clear roles, responsibilities, and expectations can help a college and its partners avoid misunderstandings and "turf" problems. In this article, the authors describe vital partnerships between community colleges and economic development organizations to foster economic growth. The authors also share some lessons…

Practice Makes Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neill, Judy

This paper focuses on how people learn to help educators design curriculum that will enable students to successfully complete a distance learning class. Up-front organization, clear communication about performance expectations, outcome driven assessment, and imaginative learning strategies are critical to successful distance learning.…

Modelling the costs and consequences of treating paediatric faecal impaction in Australia.

PubMed

Guest, Julian F; Clegg, John P

2006-01-01

To compare the costs and consequences of using oral macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes (macrogol 3350; Movicol) compared to enemas/suppositories, manual evacuation and naso-gastric administration of macrogol (NGA-PEG) lavage solution in treating paediatric faecal impaction in Australia. A decision model was constructed using published clinical outcomes, utilities and clinician-derived resource utilisation estimates. The model was used to determine the expected Commonwealth and parent costs associated with each treatment over the period of disimpaction and 12 weeks post-disimpaction, in Australian dollars at 2003/2004 prices. 92% of oral macrogol 3350-treated patients are expected to be disimpacted within 6 days following initial treatment, compared with 79% of patients treated with enemas and suppositories who are expected to be disimpacted within 8 days. All patients are expected to be disimpacted within 5 days following a manual evacuation and within 2 days following NGA-PEG. The level of health gain at 12 weeks post-disimpaction irrespective of treatment for disimpaction and subsequent maintenance is expected to be the same; the expected quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) being 0.20 (95% CI: 0.17; 0.23). Starting treatment with oral macrogol 3350 in an outpatient setting is expected to lead to a Commonwealth cost of $758, compared to $1838 with NGA-PEG, $2125 with enemas and suppositories, $3931 with oral macrogol 3350 in an inpatient setting and $4478 with manual evacuation. Resource use associated with maintenance following initial disimpaction is expected to be broadly similar, irrespective of initial laxative. Hence, the expected Commonwealth cost is primarily affected by the treatment used to initially disimpact a patient. Expected parents' costs are expected to be comparable irrespective of treatment ranging from $89 to $112 per patient. Within the limitations of our model, using oral macrogol 3350 in an outpatient setting for treating faecally impacted children affords a cost effective alternative compared to the other treatments investigated.

Satellite Catalog Renumbering: What Does That Mean and Should I Be Worried?

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-02

Line Element Set ". Because of growth of the number of objects in the satellite catalog, it is expected that the fixed format will be insufficient to...the "Two Line Element Set ". Because of growth of the number of objects in the satellite catalog, it is expected that the fixed format will be...on what is called a "Two Line Element Set " (TLE). Using this data in the proper formulas allows us to predict when the satellite will be overhead and

Improving teaching on an inpatient pediatrics service: a retrospective analysis of a program change

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The traditional role of the faculty inpatient attending providing clinical care and effectively teaching residents and medical students is threatened by increasing documentation requirements, pressures to increase clinical productivity, and insufficient funding available for medical education. In order to sustain and improve clinical education on a general pediatric inpatient service, we instituted a comprehensive program change. Our program consisted of creating detailed job descriptions, setting clear expectations, and providing salary support for faculty inpatient attending physicians serving in clinical and educational roles. This study was aimed at assessing the impact of this program change on the learners’ perceptions of their faculty attending physicians and learners’ experiences on the inpatient rotations. Methods We analyzed resident and medical student electronic evaluations of both clinical and teaching faculty attending physician characteristics, as well as resident evaluations of an inpatient rotation experience. We compared the proportions of “superior” ratings versus all other ratings prior to the educational intervention (2005–2006, baseline) with the two subsequent years post intervention (2006–2007, year 1; 2007–2008, year 2). We also compared medical student scores on a comprehensive National Board of Medical Examiners clinical subject examination pre and post intervention. Results When compared to the baseline year, pediatric residents were more likely to rate as superior the quality of didactic teaching (OR=1.7 [1.0-2.8] year 1; OR=2.0 [1.1-3.5] year 2) and attendings’ appeal as a role model (OR=1.9 [1.1-3.3] year 2). Residents were also more likely to rate as superior the quality of feedback and evaluation they received from the attending (OR=2.1 [1.2-3.7] year 1; OR=3.9 [2.2-7.1] year 2). Similar improvements were also noted in medical student evaluations of faculty attendings. Most notably, medical students were significantly more likely to rate feedback on their data gathering and physical examination skills as superior (OR=4.2 [2.0-8.6] year 1; OR=6.4 [3.0-13.6] year 2). Conclusions A comprehensive program which includes clear role descriptions along with faculty expectations, as well as salary support for faculty in clinical and educational roles, can improve resident and medical student experiences on a general pediatric inpatient service. The authors provide sufficient detail to replicate this program to other settings. PMID:23020896

Climate Trend Detection using Sea-Surface Temperature Data-sets from the (A)ATSR and AVHRR Space Sensors.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llewellyn-Jones, D. T.; Corlett, G. K.; Remedios, J. J.; Noyes, E. J.; Good, S. A.

2007-05-01

Sea-Surface Temperature (SST) is an important indicator of global change, designated by GCOS as an essential Climate Variable (ECV). The detection of trends in Global SST requires rigorous measurements that are not only global, but also highly accurate and consistent. Space instruments can provide the means to achieve these required attributes in SST data. This paper presents an analysis of 15 years of SST data from two independent data sets, generated from the (A)ATSR and AVHRR series of sensors respectively. The analyses reveal trends of increasing global temperature between 0.13°C to 0.18 °C, per decade, closely matching that expected from some current predictions. A high level of consistency in the results from the two independent observing systems is seen, which gives increased confidence in data from both systems and also enables comparative analyses of the accuracy and stability of both data sets to be carried out. The conclusion is that these satellite SST data-sets provide important means to quantify and explore the processes of climate change. An analysis based upon singular value decomposition, allowing the removal of gross transitory disturbances, notably the El Niño, in order to examine regional areas of change other than the tropical Pacific, is also presented. Interestingly, although El Niño events clearly affect SST globally, they are found to have a non- significant (within error) effect on the calculated trends, which changed by only 0.01 K/decade when the pattern of El Niño and the associated variations was removed from the SST record. Although similar global trends were calculated for these two independent data sets, larger regional differences are noted. Evidence of decreased temperatures after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991 was also observed. The methodology demonstrated here can be applied to other data-sets, which cover long time-series observations of geophysical observations in order to characterise long-term change.

Development of Infrared Library Search Prefilters for Automotive Clear Coats from Simulated Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Spectra.

PubMed

Perera, Undugodage Don Nuwan; Nishikida, Koichi; Lavine, Barry K

2018-06-01

A previously published study featuring an attenuated total reflection (ATR) simulation algorithm that mitigated distortions in ATR spectra was further investigated to evaluate its efficacy to enhance searching of infrared (IR) transmission libraries. In the present study, search prefilters were developed from transformed ATR spectra to identify the assembly plant of a vehicle from ATR spectra of the clear coat layer. A total of 456 IR transmission spectra from the Paint Data Query (PDQ) database that spanned 22 General Motors assembly plants and served as a training set cohort were transformed into ATR spectra by the simulation algorithm. These search prefilters were formulated using the fingerprint region (1500 cm -1 to 500 cm -1 ). Both the transformed ATR spectra (training set) and the experimental ATR spectra (validation set) were preprocessed for pattern recognition analysis using the discrete wavelet transform, which increased the signal-to-noise of the ATR spectra by concentrating the signal in specific wavelet coefficients. Attenuated total reflection spectra of 14 clear coat samples (validation set) measured with a Nicolet iS50 Fourier transform IR spectrometer were correctly classified as to assembly plant(s) of the automotive vehicle from which the paint sample originated using search prefilters developed from 456 simulated ATR spectra. The ATR simulation (transformation) algorithm successfully facilitated spectral library matching of ATR spectra against IR transmission spectra of automotive clear coats in the PDQ database.

Effect of experience, expectation and resource availability on perceptions of crowding among trout anglers in Pennsylvania

Treesearch

Craig A. Miller

1995-01-01

Crowding research has suggested expectancy theory as one explanation to perceptions of crowding expressed by participants in outdoor recreation activities. Expectancy theory states that an individual enters into an activity with a preconceived set of expectations for the outcome of the experience. In this study, anglers fishing on the opening day of Pennsylvania's...

5 CFR 1650.13 - Monthly payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... monthly payment amount calculated based on life expectancy. Payments based on life expectancy are determined using the factors set forth in the Internal Revenue Service life expectancy tables codified at 26... in one of the following manners: (1) A specific dollar amount. The amount elected must be at least...

5 CFR 1650.13 - Monthly payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... monthly payment amount calculated based on life expectancy. Payments based on life expectancy are determined using the factors set forth in the Internal Revenue Service life expectancy tables codified at 26... in one of the following manners: (1) A specific dollar amount. The amount elected must be at least...

15 CFR 292.2 - Training development and deployment projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of the activity, and “customer satisfaction” measures of performance. (6) Management and... clearly defined and the proposal must demonstrate that it understands the population's training needs... implementation mechanisms. The proposal must set forth clearly defined, effective mechanisms for delivery and/or...

Haze in beverages.

PubMed

Siebert, Karl J

2009-01-01

Beverages such as beer, wine, clear fruit juices, teas, and formulated products with similar ingredients are generally expected by consumers to be clear (free of turbidity) and to remain so during the normal shelf life of the product. Hazy products are often regarded as defective and perhaps even potentially harmful. Since consumers are usually more certain of what they perceive visually than of what they taste or smell, the development of haze in a clear product can reduce the likelihood of repeat purchasing of a product and can have serious economic consequences to a producer. Hazes are caused by suspended insoluble particles of colloidal or larger size that can be perceived visually or by instruments. Hazes in clear beverages can arise from a number of causes, but are most often due to protein-polyphenol interaction. The nature of protein-polyphenol interaction and its effect on haze particles, analysis of haze constituents, and stabilization of beverages against haze formation are reviewed.

5 CFR 362.106 - Participant Agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Participant Agreement. 362.106 Section... PROGRAMS General Provisions § 362.106 Participant Agreement. Agencies must execute a written Participant Agreement with each Pathways Participant that clearly identifies expectations, including but not limited to...

Employers Expect the Best.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, James

1980-01-01

Business needs vocational education graduates with a strong business education and with occupational skill training based on clear theoretical understanding. Local business needs a close working relationship with the local vocational education community. Business could become the most important ally and supporter of the schools. (CT)

Balancing the Optimal and the Feasible: A Practical Guide for Setting Up Patient Registries for the Collection of Real-World Data for Health Care Decision Making Based on Dutch Experiences.

PubMed

de Groot, Saskia; van der Linden, Naomi; Franken, Margreet G; Blommestein, Hedwig M; Leeneman, Brenda; van Rooijen, Ellen; Koos van der Hoeven, J J M; Wouters, Michel W; Westgeest, Hans M; Uyl-de Groot, Carin A

2017-04-01

The aim of this article was to provide practical guidance in setting up patient registries to facilitate real-world data collection for health care decision making. This guidance was based on our experiences and involvement in setting up patient registries in oncology in the Netherlands. All aspects were structured according to 1) mission and goals ("the Why"), 2) stakeholders and funding ("the Who"), 3) type and content ("the What"), and 4) identification and recruitment of patients, data handling, and pharmacovigilance ("the How"). The mission of most patient registries is improving patient health by improving the quality of patient care; monitoring and evaluating patient care is often the primary goal ("the Why"). It is important to align the objectives of the registry and agree on a clear and functional governance structure with all stakeholders ("the Who"). There is often a trade off between reliability, validity, and specificity of data elements and feasibility of data collection ("the What"). Patient privacy should be carefully protected, and address (inter-)national and local regulations. Patient registries can reveal unique safety information, but it can be challenging to comply with pharmacovigilance guidelines ("the How"). It is crucial to set up an efficient patient registry that serves its aims by collecting the right data of the right patient in the right way. It can be expected that patient registries will become the new standard alongside randomized controlled trials due to their unique value. Copyright © 2017 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Unexpected Expected Value.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartzman, Steven

1993-01-01

Discusses the surprising result that the expected number of marbles of one color drawn from a set of marbles of two colors after two draws without replacement is the same as the expected number of that color marble after two draws with replacement. Presents mathematical models to help explain this phenomenon. (MDH)

Self-regulation of goal setting: turning free fantasies about the future into binding goals.

PubMed

Oettingen, G; Pak, H; Schnetter, K

2001-05-01

Fantasy realization theory states that when people contrast their fantasies about a desired future with reflections on present reality, a necessity to act is induced that leads to the activation and use of relevant expectations. Strong goal commitment arises in light of favorable expectations, and weak goal commitment arises in light of unfavorable expectations. To the contrary, when people only fantasize about a desired future or only reflect on present reality, expectancy-independent moderate goal commitment emerges. Four experiments pertaining to various life domains supported these hypotheses. Strength of goal commitment was assessed in cognitive (e.g., making plans), affective (e.g., felt attachment), and behavioral terms (e.g., effort expenditure, quality of performance). Implications for theories on goal setting and goal striving are discussed.

Evaluating Alerting and Guidance Performance of a UAS Detect-And-Avoid System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Seung Man; Park, Chunki; Thipphavong, David P.; Isaacson, Douglas R.; Santiago, Confesor

2016-01-01

A key challenge to the routine, safe operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) is the development of detect-and-avoid (DAA) systems to aid the UAS pilot in remaining "well clear" of nearby aircraft. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of alerting criteria and pilot response delay on the safety and performance of UAS DAA systems in the context of routine civil UAS operations in the National Airspace System (NAS). A NAS-wide fast-time simulation study was conducted to assess UAS DAA system performance with a large number of encounters and a broad set of DAA alerting and guidance system parameters. Three attributes of the DAA system were controlled as independent variables in the study to conduct trade-off analyses: UAS trajectory prediction method (dead-reckoning vs. intent-based), alerting time threshold (related to predicted time to LoWC), and alerting distance threshold (related to predicted Horizontal Miss Distance, or HMD). A set of metrics, such as the percentage of true positive, false positive, and missed alerts, based on signal detection theory and analysis methods utilizing the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were proposed to evaluate the safety and performance of DAA alerting and guidance systems and aid development of DAA system performance standards. The effect of pilot response delay on the performance of DAA systems was evaluated using a DAA alerting and guidance model and a pilot model developed to support this study. A total of 18 fast-time simulations were conducted with nine different DAA alerting threshold settings and two different trajectory prediction methods, using recorded radar traffic from current Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations, and supplemented with DAA-equipped UAS traffic based on mission profiles modeling future UAS operations. Results indicate DAA alerting distance threshold has a greater effect on DAA system performance than DAA alerting time threshold or ownship trajectory prediction method. Further analysis on the alert lead time (time in advance of predicted loss of well clear at which a DAA alert is first issued) indicated a strong positive correlation between alert lead time and DAA system performance (i.e. the ability of the UAS pilot to maneuver the unmanned aircraft to remain well clear). While bigger distance thresholds had beneficial effects on alert lead time and missed alert rate, it also generated a higher rate of false alerts. In the design and development of DAA alerting and guidance systems, therefore, the positive and negative effects of false alerts and missed alerts should be carefully considered to achieve acceptable alerting system performance by balancing false and missed alerts. The results and methodology presented in this study are expected to help stakeholders, policymakers and standards committees define the appropriate setting of DAA system parameter thresholds for UAS that ensure safety while minimizing operational impacts to the NAS and equipage requirements for its users before DAA operational performance standards can be finalized.

A mixed-methods study on perceptions towards use of Rapid Ethical Assessment to improve informed consent processes for health research in a low-income setting.

PubMed

Addissie, Adamu; Davey, Gail; Newport, Melanie J; Addissie, Thomas; MacGregor, Hayley; Feleke, Yeweyenhareg; Farsides, Bobbie

2014-05-02

Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) is a form of rapid ethnographic assessment conducted at the beginning of research project to guide the consent process with the objective of reconciling universal ethical guidance with specific research contexts. The current study is conducted to assess the perceived relevance of introducing REA as a mainstream tool in Ethiopia. Mixed methods research using a sequential explanatory approach was conducted from July to September 2012, including 241 cross-sectional, self-administered and 19 qualitative, in-depth interviews among health researchers and regulators including ethics committee members in Ethiopian health research institutions and universities. In their evaluation of the consent process, only 40.2% thought that the consent process and information given were adequately understood by study participants; 84.6% claimed they were not satisfied with the current consent process and 85.5% thought the best interests of study participants were not adequately considered. Commonly mentioned consent-related problems included lack of clarity (48.1%), inadequate information (34%), language barriers (28.2%), cultural differences (27.4%), undue expectations (26.6%) and power imbalances (20.7%). About 95.4% believed that consent should be contextualized to the study setting and 39.4% thought REA would be an appropriate approach to improve the perceived problems. Qualitative findings helped to further explore the gaps identified in the quantitative findings and to map-out concerns related to the current research consent process in Ethiopia. Suggestions included, conducting REA during the pre-test (pilot) phase of studies when applicable. The need for clear guidance for researchers on issues such as when and how to apply the REA tools was stressed. The study findings clearly indicated that there are perceived to be correctable gaps in the consent process of medical research in Ethiopia. REA is considered relevant by researchers and stakeholders to address these gaps. Exploring further the feasibility and applicability of REA is recommended.

Designing Undergraduate Research Experiences: A Multiplicity of Options

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manduca, C. A.

2001-12-01

Research experiences for undergraduate students can serve many goals including: developing student understanding of the process of science; providing opportunities for students to develop professional skills or test career plans; completing publishable research; enabling faculty professional development; or enhancing the visibility of a science program. The large range of choices made in the design of an undergraduate research program or opportunity must reflect the goals of the program, the needs and abilities of the students and faculty, and the available resources including both time and money. Effective program design, execution, and evaluation can all be enhanced if the goals of the program are clearly articulated. Student research experiences can be divided into four components: 1) defining the research problem; 2) developing the research plan or experiment design; 3) collecting and interpreting data, and 4) communicating results. In each of these components, the program can be structured in a wide variety of ways and students can be given more or less guidance or freedom. While a feeling of ownership of the research project appears to be very important, examples of successful projects displaying a wide range of design decisions are available. Work with the Keck Geology Consortium suggests that four strategies can enhance the likelihood of successful student experiences: 1) students are well-prepared for research experience (project design must match student preparation); 2) timelines and events are structured to move students through intermediate goals to project completion; 3) support for the emotional, financial, academic and technical challenges of a research project is in place; 4) strong communications between students and faculty set clear expectations and enable mid-course corrections in the program or project design. Creating a research culture for the participants or embedding a project in an existing research culture can also assist students in completing a successful research experience. Outstanding undergraduate research experiences can take place in a wide variety of settings and serve a wide variety of student and faculty needs if projects are designed with these goals in mind.

A mixed-methods study on perceptions towards use of Rapid Ethical Assessment to improve informed consent processes for health research in a low-income setting

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Rapid Ethical Assessment (REA) is a form of rapid ethnographic assessment conducted at the beginning of research project to guide the consent process with the objective of reconciling universal ethical guidance with specific research contexts. The current study is conducted to assess the perceived relevance of introducing REA as a mainstream tool in Ethiopia. Methods Mixed methods research using a sequential explanatory approach was conducted from July to September 2012, including 241 cross-sectional, self-administered and 19 qualitative, in-depth interviews among health researchers and regulators including ethics committee members in Ethiopian health research institutions and universities. Results In their evaluation of the consent process, only 40.2% thought that the consent process and information given were adequately understood by study participants; 84.6% claimed they were not satisfied with the current consent process and 85.5% thought the best interests of study participants were not adequately considered. Commonly mentioned consent-related problems included lack of clarity (48.1%), inadequate information (34%), language barriers (28.2%), cultural differences (27.4%), undue expectations (26.6%) and power imbalances (20.7%). About 95.4% believed that consent should be contextualized to the study setting and 39.4% thought REA would be an appropriate approach to improve the perceived problems. Qualitative findings helped to further explore the gaps identified in the quantitative findings and to map-out concerns related to the current research consent process in Ethiopia. Suggestions included, conducting REA during the pre-test (pilot) phase of studies when applicable. The need for clear guidance for researchers on issues such as when and how to apply the REA tools was stressed. Conclusion The study findings clearly indicated that there are perceived to be correctable gaps in the consent process of medical research in Ethiopia. REA is considered relevant by researchers and stakeholders to address these gaps. Exploring further the feasibility and applicability of REA is recommended. PMID:24885049

Models for the hotspot distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jurdy, Donna M.; Stefanick, Michael

1990-01-01

Published hotspot catalogs all show a hemispheric concentration beyond what can be expected by chance. Cumulative distributions about the center of concentration are described by a power law with a fractal dimension closer to 1 than 2. Random sets of the corresponding sizes do not show this effect. A simple shift of the random sets away from a point would produce distributions similar to those of hotspot sets. The possible relation of the hotspots to the locations of ridges and subduction zones is tested using large sets of randomly-generated points to estimate areas within given distances of the plate boundaries. The probability of finding the observed number of hotspots within 10 deg of the ridges is about what is expected.

The development of occupational aspirations and expectations among inner-city boys.

PubMed

Cook, T D; Church, M B; Ajanaku, S; Shadish, W R; Kim, J R; Cohen, R

1996-12-01

The occupational aspirations and expectations of two populations of boys in grades 2, 4, 6, and 8 were examined in order (1) to describe what is unique about the development of job preferences among urban ghetto children who live in settings where many adult males are not well attached to the labor force and (2) to examine 6 reasons for any age- and population-dependent patterns there might be in job aspirations and job expectations. Findings show that boys tend to be more realistic about occupational aspirations and expectations the older they are; that from second grade on the occupational expectations of inner-city boys mirror existing race and class differences in adult job holdings; that the gap between occupational aspirations and expectations is greater for the ghetto boys and remains roughly constant in size across the grades examined; and that the lower occupational expectations of the inner-city boys are strongly related to their lower educational expectations, with these educational expectations being associated with fewer poor boys having a biological father at home and with more of these boys seeing obstacles to success in the local social setting. But, the lower occupational expectations of the ghetto boys are not due to having fewer positive role models or believing that schooling will not pay off for them in the future as it does for others.

The influence of linguistic experience on pitch perception in speech and nonspeech sounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bent, Tessa; Bradlow, Ann R.; Wright, Beverly A.

2003-04-01

How does native language experience with a tone or nontone language influence pitch perception? To address this question 12 English and 13 Mandarin listeners participated in an experiment involving three tasks: (1) Mandarin tone identification-a clearly linguistic task where a strong effect of language background was expected, (2) pure-tone and pulse-train frequency discrimination-a clearly nonlinguistic auditory discrimination task where no effect of language background was expected, and (3) pitch glide identification-a nonlinguistic auditory categorization task where some effect of language background was expected. As anticipated, Mandarin listeners identified Mandarin tones significantly more accurately than English listeners (Task 1) and the two groups' pure-tone and pulse-train frequency discrimination thresholds did not differ (Task 2). For pitch glide identification (Task 3), Mandarin listeners made more identification errors: in comparison with English listeners, Mandarin listeners more frequently misidentified falling pitch glides as level, and more often misidentified level pitch ``glides'' with relatively high frequencies as rising and those with relatively low frequencies as falling. Thus, it appears that the effect of long-term linguistic experience can extend beyond lexical tone category identification in syllables to pitch class identification in certain nonspeech sounds. [Work supported by Sigma Xi and NIH.

Restricted numerical range: A versatile tool in the theory of quantum information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gawron, Piotr; Puchała, Zbigniew; Miszczak, Jarosław Adam; Skowronek, Łukasz; Życzkowski, Karol

2010-10-01

Numerical range of a Hermitian operator X is defined as the set of all possible expectation values of this observable among a normalized quantum state. We analyze a modification of this definition in which the expectation value is taken among a certain subset of the set of all quantum states. One considers, for instance, the set of real states, the set of product states, separable states, or the set of maximally entangled states. We show exemplary applications of these algebraic tools in the theory of quantum information: analysis of k-positive maps and entanglement witnesses, as well as study of the minimal output entropy of a quantum channel. Product numerical range of a unitary operator is used to solve the problem of local distinguishability of a family of two unitary gates.

Performance evaluation of snow and ice plows.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-11-01

Removal of ice and snow from road surfaces is a critical task in the northern tier of the United States, : including Illinois. Highways with high levels of traffic are expected to be cleared of snow and ice quickly : after each snow storm. This is ne...

The Facilitator's Role in Children's Play.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford, Sylvia A.

1993-01-01

Examines ways child caregivers can create fun, safe, and stimulating play environment for young children. Includes discussion of several factors: (1) a carefully planned and organized physical environment; (2) routine, repetition, and consistency; (3) clearly stated expectations and limits; (4) interaction with the children; (5) behavior role…

Sustaining Motivation and Productivity during Significant Organizational Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellak, Mary T.

2001-01-01

Discussion of organizational change and possible negative effects which can impact organizational performance focuses on ways a manager can identify problems with employee motivation and productivity and address them in a supportive manner. Topics include clear expectations, open communication, and recognizing employee efforts. (Author/LRW)

Effective Schools. What Makes a Public School Work Well?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Our Children, 1998

1998-01-01

Most effective schools share a number of key characteristics, including clear-cut goals and objectives, adequate funding and financial management, quality academic programs, valid assessment programs, parent and family involvement, teacher and staff development, high expectations for students, community involvement, comprehensive support services,…

Can't Wait for Monday

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esquith, Rafe

2014-01-01

"When did teachers became the scapegoats for factors beyond their control?" wonders Rafe Esquith in this passionate article. A 30-year veteran teacher, Esquith understands all too clearly the factors undermining teacher morale: ubiquitous tests, rules, and regulations; unfair, often ridiculous expectations; rising poverty and decaying…

Working memory representations persist in the face of unexpected task alterations.

PubMed

Swan, Garrett; Wyble, Brad; Chen, Hui

2017-07-01

It is well known that information can be held in memory while performing other tasks concurrently, such as remembering a color or number during a separate visual search task. However, it is not clear what happens to stored information in the face of unexpected tasks, such as the surprise questions that are often used in experiments related to inattentional and change blindness. Does the unpredicted shift in task context cause memory representations to be cleared in anticipation of new information? To answer this question, we ran two experiments where the task unexpectedly switched partway through the experiment with a surprise question. Half of the participants were asked to report the same attribute (Exp. 1 = Identity, Exp. 2 = Color) of a target stimulus in both presurprise and postsurprise trials, while for the other half, the reported attribute switched from identity to color (Exp. 1) or vice versa (Exp. 2). Importantly, all participants had to read an unexpected set of instructions and respond differently on the surprise trial. Accuracy on the surprise trial was higher for the same-attribute groups than the different-attribute groups. Furthermore, there was no difference in reaction time on the surprise trial between the two groups. These results suggest that information participants expected to report can survive an encounter with an unexpected task. The implication is that failures to report information on a surprise trial in many experiments reflect genuine differences in memory encoding, rather than forgetting or overwriting induced by the surprise question.

Management of the athlete with a failed shoulder instability procedure.

PubMed

Gwathmey, F Winston; Warner, Jon J P

2013-10-01

The athlete with a failed instability procedure requires a thoughtful and systematic approach to achieve a good outcome. Goals of treatment should be defined and realistic expectations should be set. Revision stabilization has a high rate of recurrent instability, low rates of return to play, and low clinical outcome scores. Fundamental to successful revision surgery is choosing the correct procedure. The decision is straightforward in athletes with clear factors that predict recurrence (significant glenoid bone loss, engaging Hill-Sachs lesions) because only a bony procedure can restore the articular arc of the glenoid. Arthroscopic revision Bankart repair may be appropriate in those athletes who have an obvious Bankart tear and no bone loss after a traumatic reinjury. The challenge for the shoulder surgeon is identifying the best surgery for the athlete who does not have such clear-cut indications. Each factor that has the potential to lead to a poor outcome needs to be collected and calculated. Patient factors (age, laxity, type and level of sport), injury factors (mechanism of injury, capsulolabral injury, glenoid bone loss, Hill-Sachs lesion), and technical factors (previous surgery performed, integrity of repair, scarring) must be integrated into the treatment algorithm. Based on this collection of factors, the shoulder surgeon should be prepared to provide the athlete with the surgery that provides the best chance to return to playing sports and the lowest risk of recurrent instability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Torching the Haystack: modelling fast-fail strategies in drug development.

PubMed

Lendrem, Dennis W; Lendrem, B Clare

2013-04-01

By quickly clearing the development pipeline of failing or marginal products, fast-fail strategies release resources to focus on more promising molecules. The Quick-Kill model of drug development demonstrates that fast-fail strategies will: (1) reduce the expected time to market; (2) reduce expected R&D costs; and (3) increase R&D productivity. This paper outlines the model and demonstrates the impact of fast-fail strategies. The model is illustrated with costs and risks data from pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Information Uncertainty within the Context of a Net-Centric Data Model: A Mine Warfare Example

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

key assumption in the calculation of the primary MIW MOEs of the estimated risk to a transitor and the expected time required to clear all of the mines...primary MOE of Risk, or Probability of Damage to a Ship Transitor , is calculated by using information in the highlighted circle on the left, to include...percent clearance achieved. 0 E( ) Pr( | , ) r R r r m p ∞ = = ∗∑ (0.2) Risk can be calculated for each transitor given the expected number of

On the convergence between PSY-5 domains and PID-5 domains and facets: implications for assessment of DSM-5 personality traits.

PubMed

Anderson, Jaime L; Sellbom, Martin; Bagby, R Michael; Quilty, Lena C; Veltri, Carlo O C; Markon, Kristian E; Krueger, Robert F

2013-06-01

The DSM-5 Personality and Personality Disorders workgroup and their consultants have developed the 220-item, self-report Personality Inventory for the DSM-5 (PID-5) for direct assessment of the proposed personality trait system for DSM-5; however, most practicing clinical psychologists will likely continue to rely on separate omnibus measures to index symptoms and traits associated with psychopathology. The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) is one such measure and assesses the Personality Psychopathology Five (PSY-5) domains, which are conceptual cognates of the DSM-5 trait domains. The current study examined the associations between the MMPI-2-RF PSY-5 scales and the DSM-5 trait domains and facets indexed by the PID-5. A clear pattern of convergence was found indicating that each of the PSY-5 scales was most highly correlated with its conceptually expected PID-5 counterpart (rs = .44-.67; Mdn r = .53) and facet correlations generally showed the same pattern. Similarly, when each of the PSY-5 scales was regressed onto the PID-5 domains, the conceptually expected pattern of associations emerged even more clearly. Finally, a joint exploratory factor analysis with the PSY-5 and PID-5 trait facet scales indicated a five-factor solution that clearly resembled both of the PSY-5/DSM-5 trait domains. These results show clear evidence that the MMPI-2-RF has utility in the assessment of dimensional personality traits proposed for the upcoming DSM-5.

A comparison of human elements and nonhuman elements in private health care settings: customers' perceptions and expectations.

PubMed

Mohd Suki, Norazah; Chwee Lian, Jennifer Chiam; Suki, Norbayah Mohd

2009-01-01

In today's highly competitive health care environment, many private health care settings are now looking into customer service indicators to learn customers' perceptions and determine whether they are meeting customers' expectations in order to ensure that their customers are satisfied with the services. This research paper aims to investigate whether the human elements were more important than the nonhuman elements in private health care settings. We used the internationally renowned SERVQUAL five-dimension model plus three additional dimensions-courtesy, communication, and understanding of customers of the human element-when evaluating health care services. A total of 191 respondents from three private health care settings in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia were investigated. Descriptive statistics were calculated by the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program, version 15. Interestingly, the results suggested that customers nowadays have very high expectations especially when it comes to the treatment they are receiving. Overall, the research indicated that the human elements were more important than the nonhuman element in private health care settings. Hospital management should look further to improve on areas that have been highlighted. Implications for management practice and directions for future research are discussed.

Temporal polyethism, life expectancy, and entropy of workers of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi Almeida, 1987 (Formicidae: Ectatomminae).

PubMed

Santana Vieira, Alexsandro; Desidério Fernandes, Wedson; Fernando Antonialli-Junior, William

2010-05-01

We investigated the changes in the behavioral repertoire over the course of life and determined the life expectancy and entropy of workers of the ant Ectatomma vizottoi. Newly emerged ants were individually marked with model airplane paint for observation of behaviors and determination of the age and life expectancy. Ants were divided into two groups: young and old workers. The 36 behaviors observed were divided into eight categories. Workers exhibit a clear division of tasks throughout their lives, with young workers performing more tasks inside the colony and old workers, outside, unlike species that have small colonies. This species also exhibits an intermediate life expectancy compared to workers of other species that are also intermediary in size. This supports the hypothesis of a relationship between size and maximum life expectancy, but it also suggests that other factors may also be acting in concert. Entropy value shows a high mortality rate during the first life intervals.

Illustrating Caffeine's Pharmacological and Expectancy Effects Utilizing a Balanced Placebo Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotshaw, Sandra C.; And Others

1996-01-01

Hypothesizes that pharmacological and expectancy effects may be two principles that govern caffeine consumption in the same way they affect other drug use. Tests this theory through a balanced placebo design on 100 male undergraduate students. Expectancy set and caffeine content appeared equally powerful, and worked additionally, to affect…

Children as Ethicists: Stories for Thoughtful Young Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bratt, Kirstin Ruth

2010-01-01

An emphasis on diversity is one of the greatest challenges in my teaching. Everyone, myself included, enters the course with a set of expectations for human behavior, and literature can be very disruptive of these expectations. International literature, for example, often disrupts the narrative expectations of readers who were trained by stories…

Perceptions and Expectations of Online Graduate Students Regarding Synchronous Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailie, Jeffrey L.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to gain an increased understanding of the perceptions and expectations of a group of experienced online student participants regarding synchronous events in the higher learning setting. Areas of inquiry posed to online student panelists included whether they expected live events to be included in their classes, and…

The Effects of Traumatic Experiences on Academic Relationships and Expectations in Justice-Involved Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Micah E.

2018-01-01

Positive school experiences are an important predictor of long-term health and well-being. Developing positive relationships with school personnel and positive academic expectations set the foundation for success. Positive relationships and expectations can be a powerful protective factor or intervention to redirect troubled children toward a more…

Do Students Expect Compensation for Wage Risk?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweri, Juerg; Hartog, Joop; Wolter, Stefan C.

2011-01-01

We use a unique data set about the wage distribution that Swiss students expect for themselves ex ante, deriving parametric and non-parametric measures to capture expected wage risk. These wage risk measures are unfettered by heterogeneity which handicapped the use of actual market wage dispersion as risk measure in earlier studies. Students in…

Home advantage in soccer--A matter of expectations, goal setting and tactical decisions of coaches?

PubMed

Staufenbiel, Kathrin; Lobinger, Babett; Strauss, Bernd

2015-01-01

In soccer, home teams win about 67% of decided games. The causes for this home advantage are still unresolved. There is a shortage of research on the psychological states of actors involved. In this study, we examined soccer coaches' expectations, goal setting and tactical decisions in relation to game location. Soccer coaches (N = 297) with different expertise levels participated in an experimental, online management game and were randomly assigned to one of two groups, "home game (HG)" or "away game." Participants received information on the game for which they were asked to make decisions in multiple points. The only differing information between groups was game location. Regardless of expertise, HG coaches had higher expectations to win, set more challenging goals and decided for more offensive and courageous playing tactics. Possible consequences of these findings concerning home advantage in soccer are discussed.

Engineering graduates' skill sets in the MENA region: a gap analysis of industry expectations and satisfaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramadi, Eric; Ramadi, Serge; Nasr, Karim

2016-01-01

This study explored gaps between industry expectations and perceptions of engineering graduates' skill sets in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This study measured the importance that managers of engineers placed on 36 skills relevant to engineers. Also measured was managers' satisfaction with engineering graduates' skill sets. Importance and satisfaction were used to calculate skill gaps for each skill. A principal components analysis was then performed, consolidating the 36 skills into 8 categories. The means of importance, satisfaction, and skill gaps were ranked to determine the areas in which graduates needed improvement. Results showed significant gaps between managers' expectations of and satisfaction with all 36 skills. The areas in which managers felt that graduates needed most improvement were communication, time management, and continuous learning. Managers reported that recent engineering graduates exhibited low overall preparedness for employment. These findings may help to inform curricular reform in engineering education.

Mathematics. Suggested Learner Outcomes: Grades 9-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Education, Oklahoma City.

This publication provides suggested learner outcomes for guiding instruction and evaluation of students in grades 9-12 in Oklahoma. The goals are intended to provide teachers, administrators, school boards, parents, and other concerned citizens with a clear understanding of expected minimum learner outcomes for each mathematics course. Teachers…

The Therapeutic Use of Art to Increase Trust in Troubled Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roussos, Elaine

1983-01-01

An art-teacher therapist discusses six principles she uses in working with disturbed children (such as consistency of management and clearly defined expectations and limits), and cites two examples of how an art project can help children develop trust and lessen their withdrawal. (CL)

Microbial communities in blueberry soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial communities thrive in the soil of the plant root zone and it is clear that these communities play a role in plant health. Although blueberry fields can be productive for decades, yields are sometimes below expectations and fields that are replanted sometimes underperform and/or take too lo...

Using Common Planning Time to Foster Professional Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dever, Robin; Lash, Martha J.

2013-01-01

Increased emphasis on meeting state standards, more stringent requirements for designation as highly qualified, and intensified accountability for student performance have foisted new expectations upon teachers and stimulated changes in professional development models in which the greater urgency is clearly to attend to the teacher's role as…

A Parent Guide for the Misbehaving High School Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, J. Phil

1982-01-01

Explores factors that may help parents understand and correct their adolescent's misbehavior in school. Discusses the communication process and the need to delineate clear expectations. Suggests the use of logical consequences for changing behavior. Reviews principles of behaviorism and discusses the parent-school relationship. (RC)

An Earthquake Source Sensitivity Analysis for Tsunami Propagation in the Eastern Mediterranean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Necmioglu, Ocal; Meral Ozel, Nurcan

2013-04-01

An earthquake source parameter sensitivity analysis for tsunami propagation in the Eastern Mediterranean has been performed based on 8 August 1303 Crete and Dodecanese Islands earthquake resulting in destructive inundation in the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis involves 23 cases describing different sets of strike, dip, rake and focal depth, while keeping the fault area and displacement, thus the magnitude, same. The main conclusions of the evaluation are drawn from the investigation of the wave height distributions at Tsunami Forecast Points (TFP). The earthquake vs. initial tsunami source parameters comparison indicated that the maximum initial wave height values correspond in general to the changes in rake angle. No clear depth dependency is observed within the depth range considered and no strike angle dependency is observed in terms of amplitude change. Directivity sensitivity analysis indicated that for the same strike and dip, 180° shift in rake may lead to 20% change in the calculated tsunami wave height. Moreover, an approximately 10 min difference in the arrival time of the initial wave has been observed. These differences are, however, greatly reduced in the far field. The dip sensitivity analysis, performed separately for thrust and normal faulting, has both indicated that an increase in the dip angle results in the decrease of the tsunami wave amplitude in the near field approximately 40%. While a positive phase shift is observed, the period and the shape of the initial wave stays nearly the same for all dip angles at respective TFPs. These affects are, however, not observed at the far field. The resolution of the bathymetry, on the other hand, is a limiting factor for further evaluation. Four different cases were considered for the depth sensitivity indicating that within the depth ranges considered (15-60 km), the increase of the depth has only a smoothing effect on the synthetic tsunami wave height measurements at the selected TFPs. The strike sensitivity analysis showed clear phase shift with respect to the variation of the strike angles, without leading to severe variation of the initial and maximum waves at locations considered. Travel time maps for two cases corresponding to difference in the strike value (60° vs 150°) presented a more complex wave propagation for the case with 60° strike angle due to the fact that the normal of the fault plane is orthogonal to the main bathymetric structure in the region, namely the Eastern section of the Hellenic Arc between Crete and Rhodes Islands. For a given set of strike, dip and focal depth parameters, the effect of the variation in the rake angle has been evaluated in the rake sensitivity analysis. A waveform envelope composed of symmetric synthetic recordings at one TFPs could be clearly observed as a result of rake angle variations in 0-180° range. This could also lead to the conclusion that for a given magnitude (fault size and displacement), the expected maximum and minimum tsunami wave amplitudes could be evaluated as a waveform envelope rather limited to a single point of time or amplitude. The Evaluation of the initial wave arrival times follows an expected pattern controlled by the distance, wheras maximum wave arrival time distribution presents no clear pattern. Nevertheless, the distribution is rather concentrated in time domain for some TFPs. Maximum positive and minimum negative wave amplitude distributions indicates a broader range for a subgroup of TFPs, wheras for the remaining TFPs the distributions are narrow. Any deviation from the expected trend of calculating narrower ranges of amplitude distributions could be interpreted as the result o the bathymetry and focusing effects. As similar studies conducted in the different parts of the globe indicated, the main characteristics of the tsunami propagation are unique for each basin. It should be noted, however, that the synthetic measurements obtained at the TFPs in the absence of high-resolution bathymetric data, should be considered only an overall guidance. The results indicate the importance of the accuracy of earthquake source parameters for reliable tsunami predictions and the need for high-resolution bathymetric data to be able to perform calculations with higher accuracy. On the other hand, this study did not address other parameters, such as heterogeneous slip distribution and rupture duration, which affect the tsunami initiation and propagation process.

Clear Skies Ahead! Clearing up Confusion about Clouds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cartwright, Tina J.; Miranda, Rommel J.; Hermann, Ronald S.; Hemler, Deb

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors present an inquiry-based approach to facilitate student understanding of the differences among common cloud descriptive characteristics through the use of a semi-dichotomous key developed by a former West Virginia state climatologist. The authors also demonstrate how students can analyze common class data sets that…

77 FR 22666 - Payment System Risk Policy; Daylight Overdraft Posting Rules

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-17

... of separately-sorted savings bonds and to eliminate a reference to the contractual clearing balance... clearing balance program are effective July 12, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Susan V. Foley... account balances according to a set of ``posting rules'' that determine the intraday timing of debits and...

Common Learning Objectives for Undergraduate Control Systems Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reck, Rebecca M.

2017-01-01

Course objectives, like research objectives and product requirements, help provide clarity and direction for faculty and students. Unfortunately, course and laboratory objectives are not always clearly stated. Without a clear set of objectives, it can be hard to design a learning experience and determine whether students are achieving the intended…

Poster - Thur Eve - 55: Monte Carlo simulations of variations in planned dose distributions in a prostate patient population.

PubMed

Balderson, M J; Brown, D W; Quirk, S; Ghasroddashti, E; Kirkby, C

2012-07-01

Clinical outcome studies with clear and objective endpoints are necessary to make informed radiotherapy treatment decisions. Commonly, clinical outcomes are established after lengthy and costly clinical trials are performed and the data are analyzed and published. One the challenges with obtaining meaningful data from clinical trials is that by the time the information gets to the medical profession the results may be less clinically relevant than when the trial began, An alternative approach is to estimate clinical outcomes through patient population modeling. We are developing a mathematical tool that uses Monte Carlo techniques to simulate variations in planned and delivered dose distributions of prostate patients receiving radiotherapy. Ultimately, our simulation will calculate a distribution of Tumor Control Probabilities (TCPs) for a population of patients treated under a given protocol. Such distributions can serve as a metric for comparing different treatment modalities, planning and setup approaches, and machine parameter settings or tolerances with respect to outcomes on broad patient populations. It may also help researchers understand differences one might expect to find before actually doing the clinical trial. As a first step and for the focus of this abstract we wanted to see if we could answer the question: "Can a population of dose distributions of prostate patients be accurately modeled by a set of randomly generated Gaussian functions?" Our results have demonstrated that using a set of randomly generated Gaussian functions can simulate a distribution of prostate patients. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Effectiveness of Genomic Prediction of Maize Hybrid Performance in Different Breeding Populations and Environments

PubMed Central

Windhausen, Vanessa S.; Atlin, Gary N.; Hickey, John M.; Crossa, Jose; Jannink, Jean-Luc; Sorrells, Mark E.; Raman, Babu; Cairns, Jill E.; Tarekegne, Amsal; Semagn, Kassa; Beyene, Yoseph; Grudloyma, Pichet; Technow, Frank; Riedelsheimer, Christian; Melchinger, Albrecht E.

2012-01-01

Genomic prediction is expected to considerably increase genetic gains by increasing selection intensity and accelerating the breeding cycle. In this study, marker effects estimated in 255 diverse maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids were used to predict grain yield, anthesis date, and anthesis-silking interval within the diversity panel and testcross progenies of 30 F2-derived lines from each of five populations. Although up to 25% of the genetic variance could be explained by cross validation within the diversity panel, the prediction of testcross performance of F2-derived lines using marker effects estimated in the diversity panel was on average zero. Hybrids in the diversity panel could be grouped into eight breeding populations differing in mean performance. When performance was predicted separately for each breeding population on the basis of marker effects estimated in the other populations, predictive ability was low (i.e., 0.12 for grain yield). These results suggest that prediction resulted mostly from differences in mean performance of the breeding populations and less from the relationship between the training and validation sets or linkage disequilibrium with causal variants underlying the predicted traits. Potential uses for genomic prediction in maize hybrid breeding are discussed emphasizing the need of (1) a clear definition of the breeding scenario in which genomic prediction should be applied (i.e., prediction among or within populations), (2) a detailed analysis of the population structure before performing cross validation, and (3) larger training sets with strong genetic relationship to the validation set. PMID:23173094

Proposals for registered nurse prescribing: perceptions and intentions of nurses working in primary health care settings.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Jill

2015-12-01

In 2013, the Nursing Council of New Zealand consulted on a proposal for introduction of registered nurse (RN) prescribing at two levels (specialist and community) within the designated class of prescriber. The proposal builds on the success of the diabetes nurse specialist prescribing project and the experience of other countries where RN prescribing is well established. To describe the views and intentions of nurses who work in primary health care (PHC) settings about the two levels of RN prescribing proposed. The study involved a self-reported survey using a non-probability sample of RNs working in PHC settings (N=305). Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed descriptively. The respondents were experienced nurses. Overall, 82.3% expressed interest in becoming a community nurse prescriber, and 62.6% expressed interest in the specialist prescriber level. RN prescribing was expected to improve efficiency and access to medicines for high-needs populations, clarify accountability and improve nurses' autonomy. The education requirements for the specialist level were viewed as appropriate but too onerous for many. Requirements were viewed as inadequate for the community level. Concerns were raised about funding for education and support for RN prescribing roles. Nurses were positive about the proposals and see a potential to meet significant unmet health need. Nurses are already engaged in the provision of medicines to patients and prescribing authority would ensure they are suitably qualified to engage in these tasks. A clear policy platform will be needed if the proposed levels of RN prescribing are to be successfully implemented.

Station Set Residual: Event Classification Using Historical Distribution of Observing Stations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Procopio, Mike; Lewis, Jennifer; Young, Chris

2010-05-01

Analysts working at the International Data Centre in support of treaty monitoring through the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization spend a significant amount of time reviewing hypothesized seismic events produced by an automatic processing system. When reviewing these events to determine their legitimacy, analysts take a variety of approaches that rely heavily on training and past experience. One method used by analysts to gauge the validity of an event involves examining the set of stations involved in the detection of an event. In particular, leveraging past experience, an analyst can say that an event located in a certain part of the world is expected to be detected by Stations A, B, and C. Implicit in this statement is that such an event would usually not be detected by Stations X, Y, or Z. For some well understood parts of the world, the absence of one or more "expected" stations—or the presence of one or more "unexpected" stations—is correlated with a hypothesized event's legitimacy and to its survival to the event bulletin. The primary objective of this research is to formalize and quantify the difference between the observed set of stations detecting some hypothesized event, versus the expected set of stations historically associated with detecting similar nearby events close in magnitude. This Station Set Residual can be quantified in many ways, some of which are correlated with the analysts' determination of whether or not the event is valid. We propose that this Station Set Residual score can be used to screen out certain classes of "false" events produced by automatic processing with a high degree of confidence, reducing the analyst burden. Moreover, we propose that the visualization of the historically expected distribution of detecting stations can be immediately useful as an analyst aid during their review process.

Geographical variation in life expectancy at birth in England and Wales is largely explained by deprivation.

PubMed

Woods, Laura M; Rachet, Bernard; Riga, Michael; Stone, Noell; Shah, Anjali; Coleman, Michel P

2005-02-01

To describe the population mortality profile of England and Wales by deprivation and in each government office region (GOR) during 1998, and to quantify the influence of geography and deprivation in determining life expectancy. Construction of life tables describing age specific mortality rates and life expectancy at birth from death registrations and estimated population counts. Life tables were created for (a) quintiles of income deprivation based on the income domain score of the index of multiple deprivation 2000, (b) each GOR and Wales, and (c) every combination of deprivation and geography. England and Wales.PATIENTS/ PARTICIPANTS: Residents of England and Wales, 1998. Life expectancy at birth varies with deprivation quintile and is highest in the most affluent groups. The differences are mainly attributable to differences in mortality rates under 75 years of age. Regional life expectancies display a clear north-south gradient. Linear regression analysis shows that deprivation explains most of the geographical variation in life expectancy. Geographical patterns of life expectancy identified within these data for England and Wales in 1998 are mainly attributable to variations in deprivation status as defined by the IMD 2000 income domain score.

Incidence, prevalence and genetic determinants of neonatal diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

PubMed

Nansseu, Jobert Richie N; Ngo-Um, Suzanne S; Balti, Eric V

2016-11-10

In the absence of existing data, the present review intends to determine the incidence, prevalence and/or genetic determinants of neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), with expected contribution to disease characterization. We will include cross-sectional, cohort or case-control studies which have reported the incidence, prevalence and/or genetic determinants of NDM between January 01, 2000 and May 31, 2016, published in English or French languages and without any geographical limitation. PubMed and EMBASE will be extensively screened to identify potentially eligible studies, completed by manual search. Two authors will independently screen, select studies, extract data, and assess the risk of bias; disagreements will be resolved by consensus. Clinical heterogeneity will be investigated by examining the design and setting (including geographic region), procedure used for genetic testing, calculation of incidence or prevalence, and outcomes in each study. Studies found to be clinically homogeneous will be pooled together through a random effects meta-analysis. Statistical heterogeneity will be assessed using the chi-square test of homogeneity and quantified using the I 2 statistic. In case of substantial heterogeneity, subgroup analyses will be undertaken. Publication bias will be assessed with funnel plots, complemented with the use of Egger's test of bias. This systematic review and meta-analysis is expected to draw a clear picture of phenotypic and genotypic presentations of NDM in order to better understand the condition and adequately address challenges in respect with its management. PROSPERO CRD42016039765.

A meta-synthesis of factors influencing nursing home staff decisions to transfer residents to hospital.

PubMed

Laging, Bridget; Ford, Rosemary; Bauer, Michael; Nay, Rhonda

2015-10-01

To report a meta-synthesis of qualitative research studies exploring the role of nursing home staff in decisions to transfer residents to hospital. Nurses and nurse assistants provide the majority of care to residents living in nursing homes and may be the only health workers present when a resident deteriorates. To inform future strategies, it is vital to understand the role of nursing home staff in decisions to transfer to hospital. A systematic review identified 17 studies to be included. The process of meta-synthesis was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute's guidelines. Qualitative research papers published between January 1989-October 2012 were identified in key databases including Cinahl, Embase, Medline and PsycInfo. Nursing home staff members play a key role in decision-making at the time of a resident's deterioration. Multiple factors influence decisions to transfer to hospital including an unclear expectation of the nursing home role; limited staffing capacity; fear of working outside their scope of practice; poor access to multidisciplinary support and difficulties communicating with other decision-makers. There is a lack of consensus regarding the role of the nursing home when a resident's health deteriorates. Nursing home staff would benefit from a clear prescription of their expected minimum clinical skill set; a staffing capacity that allows for the increased requirements to manage residents on-site, greater consistency in access to outside resources and further confidence and skills to optimize their role in resident advocacy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Selecting physician leaders for clinical service lines: critical success factors.

PubMed

Epstein, Andrew L; Bard, Marc A

2008-03-01

Clinical service lines and interdisciplinary centers have emerged as important strategic programs within academic health centers (AHCs). Effective physician leadership is significant to their success, but how these leaders are chosen has not been well studied. The authors conducted a study to identify current models for selecting the physician leaders of clinical service lines, determine critical success factors, and learn how the search process affected service line performance. In 2003 and 2004, the authors interviewed clinical and executive personnel involved in 14 programs to establish, or consider establishing, heart or cancer service lines, at 13 AHCs. The responses were coded to identify and analyze trends and themes. The key findings of the survey were (1) the goals and expectations that AHCs set for their service line leaders vary greatly, depending on both the strategic purpose of the service line in the AHC and the service line's stage of development, (2) the matrix organizational structure employed by most AHCs limits the leader's authority over necessary resources, and calls forth a variety of compensating strategies if the service line is to succeed, (3) the AHCs studied used relatively informal processes to identify, evaluate, and select service line leaders, and (4) the leader's job is vitally shaped by the AHC's strategic, structural, and political context, and selection criteria should be determined accordingly. Institutions should be explicit about the strategic purpose and stage of development of their clinical service lines and be clear about their expectations and requirements in hiring service line leaders.

Analysis of forest and forest clearings in Amazonia with Landsat and Shuttle Imaging Radar-A data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Thomas A.; Woodwell, George M.

1987-01-01

Landsat and Shuttle Imaging Radar-A L band (23.5 cm wavelength) data from 1981 were used to analyze areas of intact tropical forest and areas recently cleared from forest for agriculture and pasture in Mato Grosso, Brazil. Portions of SIR-A Data Takes #24C and #31 film were digitized using a microdensitometer. Landsat MSS data of July 1981 were also examined. The digital values from SIR-A DT 31 were compared with the normalized difference vegetation index values (NDVI) from the Landsat data for the same sites. Contrary to expectations some cleared areas had brighter radar responses than surrounding forest. The explanation seems to be that a recently cleared forest (cut and burned during the dry season) is texturally very rough as the exposed standing and fallen boles and woody litter may function as effective corner or dihedral reflectors. Combining radar data with NDVI data may help to assess the relative age of forest clearings and determine differences in both woody and green leaf biomass of primary and secondary tropical forests.

Goal Setting and Self-Efficacy among Delinquent, At-Risk and Not At-Risk Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Annemaree; Gordon, Kellie; Haynes, Michele; Houghton, Stephen

2013-01-01

Setting clear achievable goals that enhance self-efficacy and reputational status directs the energies of adolescents into socially conforming or non-conforming activities. This present study investigates the characteristics and relationships between goal setting and self-efficacy among a matched sample of 88 delinquent (18% female), 97 at-risk…

Situating Standard Setting within Argument-Based Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papageorgiou, Spiros; Tannenbaum, Richard J.

2016-01-01

Although there has been substantial work on argument-based approaches to validation as well as standard-setting methodologies, it might not always be clear how standard setting fits into argument-based validity. The purpose of this article is to address this lack in the literature, with a specific focus on topics related to argument-based…

Prediction of Psilocybin Response in Healthy Volunteers

PubMed Central

Studerus, Erich; Gamma, Alex; Kometer, Michael; Vollenweider, Franz X.

2012-01-01

Responses to hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, are believed to be critically dependent on the user's personality, current mood state, drug pre-experiences, expectancies, and social and environmental variables. However, little is known about the order of importance of these variables and their effect sizes in comparison to drug dose. Hence, this study investigated the effects of 24 predictor variables, including age, sex, education, personality traits, drug pre-experience, mental state before drug intake, experimental setting, and drug dose on the acute response to psilocybin. The analysis was based on the pooled data of 23 controlled experimental studies involving 409 psilocybin administrations to 261 healthy volunteers. Multiple linear mixed effects models were fitted for each of 15 response variables. Although drug dose was clearly the most important predictor for all measured response variables, several non-pharmacological variables significantly contributed to the effects of psilocybin. Specifically, having a high score in the personality trait of Absorption, being in an emotionally excitable and active state immediately before drug intake, and having experienced few psychological problems in past weeks were most strongly associated with pleasant and mystical-type experiences, whereas high Emotional Excitability, low age, and an experimental setting involving positron emission tomography most strongly predicted unpleasant and/or anxious reactions to psilocybin. The results confirm that non-pharmacological variables play an important role in the effects of psilocybin. PMID:22363492

Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Studerus, Erich; Gamma, Alex; Kometer, Michael; Vollenweider, Franz X

2012-01-01

Responses to hallucinogenic drugs, such as psilocybin, are believed to be critically dependent on the user's personality, current mood state, drug pre-experiences, expectancies, and social and environmental variables. However, little is known about the order of importance of these variables and their effect sizes in comparison to drug dose. Hence, this study investigated the effects of 24 predictor variables, including age, sex, education, personality traits, drug pre-experience, mental state before drug intake, experimental setting, and drug dose on the acute response to psilocybin. The analysis was based on the pooled data of 23 controlled experimental studies involving 409 psilocybin administrations to 261 healthy volunteers. Multiple linear mixed effects models were fitted for each of 15 response variables. Although drug dose was clearly the most important predictor for all measured response variables, several non-pharmacological variables significantly contributed to the effects of psilocybin. Specifically, having a high score in the personality trait of Absorption, being in an emotionally excitable and active state immediately before drug intake, and having experienced few psychological problems in past weeks were most strongly associated with pleasant and mystical-type experiences, whereas high Emotional Excitability, low age, and an experimental setting involving positron emission tomography most strongly predicted unpleasant and/or anxious reactions to psilocybin. The results confirm that non-pharmacological variables play an important role in the effects of psilocybin.

Occupational cancer in Italy.

PubMed Central

Merler, E; Vineis, P; Alhaique, D; Miligi, L

1999-01-01

This article is a discussion of occupational cancer in Italy. The introduction provides the necessary context of Italian industrialization and occupational health regulation. This is followed by a review of Italian epidemiologic studies of occupational cancer risks considered in terms of relative measures of risk and attributable risk of carcinogenic agents or exposure circumstances. We attempt to establish the number of workers exposed to carcinogens in Italy and the intensity of their exposures. Finally, the Italian system of compensation for occupational cancer is discussed. Several cohort and case-control studies have addressed the issue of occupational risks, mostly among male workers. The results of these studies suggest that the growing incidence of and mortality by mesothelioma is explained by the widespread and intense exposure to asbestos in some Italian industrial settings. A high attributable risk of lung tumors among male populations in industrial areas of northern Italy is explained by occupational exposures. However, insufficient data are available for clear definition of the extent and intensity of occupational exposure to carcinogenic substances. In Italy, we must prioritize and maximize resources in occupational cancer epidemiology and revitalize the role of national institutions. Recent legislation has established new regulations on the handling of carcinogenic substances in industrial settings, a new list of occupational diseases, and a national registry of mesothelioma linked to asbestos exposure. These legislative changes are expected to have positive effects. PMID:10350509

A Joint Gaussian Process Model for Active Visual Recognition with Expertise Estimation in Crowdsourcing

PubMed Central

Long, Chengjiang; Hua, Gang; Kapoor, Ashish

2015-01-01

We present a noise resilient probabilistic model for active learning of a Gaussian process classifier from crowds, i.e., a set of noisy labelers. It explicitly models both the overall label noise and the expertise level of each individual labeler with two levels of flip models. Expectation propagation is adopted for efficient approximate Bayesian inference of our probabilistic model for classification, based on which, a generalized EM algorithm is derived to estimate both the global label noise and the expertise of each individual labeler. The probabilistic nature of our model immediately allows the adoption of the prediction entropy for active selection of data samples to be labeled, and active selection of high quality labelers based on their estimated expertise to label the data. We apply the proposed model for four visual recognition tasks, i.e., object category recognition, multi-modal activity recognition, gender recognition, and fine-grained classification, on four datasets with real crowd-sourced labels from the Amazon Mechanical Turk. The experiments clearly demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed model. In addition, we extend the proposed model with the Predictive Active Set Selection Method to speed up the active learning system, whose efficacy is verified by conducting experiments on the first three datasets. The results show our extended model can not only preserve a higher accuracy, but also achieve a higher efficiency. PMID:26924892

The pursuit of longevity - the bringer of peace to the middle East.

PubMed

Stambler, Ilia

2014-01-01

Despite the common apprehensions regarding the aging population, this work aims to argue, on both deontological and utilitarian moral grounds, that any increase in general life-expectancy will be beneficial for the Middle East, countering the common fears associated with this increase. A set of ethical arguments concerning increasing longevity is presented, from both the deontological and utilitarian perspective. A wide selection of economic, psychological, demographic and epidemiological literature and databases is analyzed to determine common correlates of extended longevity. On the deontological grounds, the value of extended longevity is derived from the value of life preservation, regardless of its term. On the utilitarian grounds, the value of extended longevity is demonstrated by its correlation with further human values, such as education level and intellectual activity, economic prosperity, equality, solidarity and peacefulness. With the common apprehensions of stagnation and scarcity due to life extension found wanting, the pursuit of longevity by the population can be seen as a cross-cultural and cross-generational good. Though the current study mainly refers to sources and data relevant to the Middle East, a similar pro-longevity argument can be also made for other cultural contexts. In view of its numerous benefits, normatively, the goal of longevity should be set clearly and openly by the society, and actively pursued, or at least discussed, in academia, the political system and broader public.

SEARCHES FOR POINT-LIKE AND EXTENDED NEUTRINO SOURCES CLOSE TO THE GALACTIC CENTER USING THE ANTARES NEUTRINO TELESCOPE

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

Adrián-Martínez, S.; Ardid, M.; Bou-Cabo, M.

2014-05-01

A search for cosmic neutrino sources using six years of data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope has been performed. Clusters of muon neutrinos over the expected atmospheric background have been looked for. No clear signal has been found. The most signal-like accumulation of events is located at equatorial coordinates R.A. = –46.°8 and decl. = –64.°9 and corresponds to a 2.2σ background fluctuation. In addition, upper limits on the flux normalization of an E {sup –2} muon neutrino energy spectrum have been set for 50 pre-selected astrophysical objects. Finally, motivated by an accumulation of seven events relatively close tomore » the Galactic Center in the recently reported neutrino sample of the IceCube telescope, a search for point sources in a broad region around this accumulation has been carried out. No indication of a neutrino signal has been found in the ANTARES data and upper limits on the flux normalization of an E {sup –2} energy spectrum of neutrinos from point sources in that region have been set. The 90% confidence level upper limits on the muon neutrino flux normalization vary between 3.5 and 5.1 × 10{sup –8} GeV cm{sup –2} s{sup –1}, depending on the exact location of the source.« less

The NASA Innovations in Climate Education Project: 'Instructional Strategies for Expanding Climate Change Concepts within Readng/Literacy Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walton-Jaggers, L. J.; Johnson, D.; Hayden, L. B.; Hale, S. R.

2013-12-01

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. In 2010 the standards were designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that young people need for success in college and careers. In 2013 the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in connection with the CCSS developed revised science standards in performance, prior standards documents listed what students should know or understand, foundations were each performance expectation incorporates all three dimensions from a science or engineering practice, a core disciplinary idea, and a crosscutting concept, and coherence that connects each set of performance expectations lists connections to other ideas within the disciplines of science and engineering. Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) in Elizabeth City, North Carolina has joined with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Durham, New Hampshire under the NASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE) grant to empower faculty of education programs at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to better engage their pre-service teachers in teaching and learning about global climate change through the use of NASA Earth observation sets. Specifically, professors from MSIs received training with Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and GES-DISC Interactive Online Visualization And aNalysis Infrastructure (GIOVANNI) to engage pre-service teachers in facets of climate education. Grambling State University faculty members served as participants of the NICE workshop for 2012 and were encouraged to develop lessons in climate education from information shared at the workshop. A corresponding project that incorporated the CCSS and NGSS at Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana was headed by Dr. Loretta Jaggers. This paper documents activities that pre-service students in the GSU Curriculum and Instruction Department (College of Education) ED 452-Advanced Seminar Methods course have implemented. Activities included: Critique of Climate Education (oceans) articles, Methodology instruction; and design of a grade specific daily science lesson plan based on Climate Education that focused on El Nino, La Nina, seasonal characteristics of the southern oceans and resources from a NASA NICE workshop packet. Lessons designed were implemented on-site of partner secondary schools. The implementation included a virtual component as Grambling and ECSU students interacted via a polycom environment during reports from ED 452-Advanced Seminar Methods students.

Practice makes proficient: pigeons (Columba livia) learn efficient routes on full-circuit navigational traveling salesperson problems.

PubMed

Baron, Danielle M; Ramirez, Alejandro J; Bulitko, Vadim; Madan, Christopher R; Greiner, Ariel; Hurd, Peter L; Spetch, Marcia L

2015-01-01

Visiting multiple locations and returning to the start via the shortest route, referred to as the traveling salesman (or salesperson) problem (TSP), is a valuable skill for both humans and non-humans. In the current study, pigeons were trained with increasing set sizes of up to six goals, with each set size presented in three distinct configurations, until consistency in route selection emerged. After training at each set size, the pigeons were tested with two novel configurations. All pigeons acquired routes that were significantly more efficient (i.e., shorter in length) than expected by chance selection of the goals. On average, the pigeons also selected routes that were more efficient than expected based on a local nearest-neighbor strategy and were as efficient as the average route generated by a crossing-avoidance strategy. Analysis of the routes taken indicated that they conformed to both a nearest-neighbor and a crossing-avoidance strategy significantly more often than expected by chance. Both the time taken to visit all goals and the actual distance traveled decreased from the first to the last trials of training in each set size. On the first trial with novel configurations, average efficiency was higher than chance, but was not higher than expected from a nearest-neighbor or crossing-avoidance strategy. These results indicate that pigeons can learn to select efficient routes on a TSP problem.

Factors Principals Consider When Choosing Professional Development for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, Kimberly Jacob

2017-01-01

Professional development is supposed to increase instructional capacity in teachers. It is well funded by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which also provides clear expectations for activities and programs that research suggests make it effective in improving student learning (Ball & Cohen, 1999; Banilower et al., 2006; Gersten et…

Parenting Styles and Substance Use during Childhood and Adolescence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coombs, Robert H.; Landsverk, John

1988-01-01

Found parent-youth sentiment and power varied markedly among four continuous groups of 443 drug-using/drug-abstaining youth between the ages of 9 and 17. Suggests that prosocial behaviors are enhanced when behavioral expectations are clearly specified and reinforced with praise, encouragement, and other positive rewards. (Author/NB)

FOREST ECOSYSTEM CARBON AND NITROGEN ACCUMULATION DURING THE FIRST CENTURY AFTER AGRICULTURAL ABANDONMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Forests of the northeastern U.S. are expected to serve as a substantial sink for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) as they recover from extensive clearing and agriculture. However, questions remain concerning the rate, distribution and duration of this potential sink. We used a chron...

Assessing Creativity: Creating a Rubric to Effectively Evaluate Mediated Digital Portfolios

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Jeffrey S.

2017-01-01

Objectively assessing student creative work in the fields associated with mass media can be problematic. Communicating expectations to students, as well as providing them with a clear yet flexible rubric for evaluation of copywriting, newswriting, audio production, video production, and web-design, requires examination of the relevant student…

77 FR 775 - Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests; Idaho; Clear Creek Integrated Restoration Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-06

... species distributions habitat complexity (diversity) and landscape pattern across the forested portions of..., improve long term resistance and resilience at the landscape level; restore natural fire regimes and... landscape that is more highly fragmented than what would be expected through natural disturbance. Ladder...

33 CFR 117.702 - Arthur Kill.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Kill (AK) Railroad Bridge shall be maintained in the full open position for navigation at all times... clearly visible from both the up and downstream sides of the bridge. (c) Tide restrained deep draft vessels shall notify the bridge operator, daily, of their expected times of vessel transits through the...

Occupational Apathy: A Social or Individual Responsibility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArthur, Kent R.

A lack of clear national goals, increased bureaucracy, the infiltration of unions into the colleges, and the increasing emphasis on personal rather than organizational priorities have contributed to a growing national malaise. Our expectations are conditioned, to a large extent, by these factors and other external influences, including parents,…

Collaboratively Crafting Individualized Education Program Goals for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jozwik, Sara L.; Cahill, Alice; Sánchez, Gilberto

2018-01-01

Individualized education programs (IEPs) reflect the spirit of individualized instruction that lies at the heart of special education. Quality annual goal statements, which propel the implementation of special education programming, use clear language to communicate measurable, meaningful, and standards-aligned expectations to all members of the…

Jumping to Quadratic Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunter, Devon

2016-01-01

It is no easy feat to engage young people with abstract material as well as push them to greater depths of understanding. Add in the extra pressures of curriculum expectations and standards and the problem is exacerbated. Projects designed around standards and having multiple entry points clearly offer students the best opportunity to engage with…

Mutual Best Friendship Involvement, Best Friends' Rejection Sensitivity, and Psychological Maladaptation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowker, Julie C.; Thomas, Katelyn K.; Norman, Kelly E.; Spencer, Sarah V.

2011-01-01

Rejection sensitivity (RS) refers to the tendency to anxiously expect, readily perceive, and overreact to experiences of possible rejection. RS is a clear risk factor for psychological maladaptation during early adolescence. However, there is growing evidence of significant heterogeneity in the psychological correlates of RS. To investigate when…

The Impact of Superintendent Support for Curriculum Mapping on Principals' Efficacious Use of Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danna, Stephen; Spatt, Spatt

2013-01-01

Pressures on school leaders to reform are pervasive within the United States. Prior studies show that superintendents who provide clear expectations and goals, collaborate, ensure quality professional development, and attend to curriculum alignment develop effective building leaders (Marzano & Waters, 2009; Wahlstrom, Louis, Leithwood, &…

Guiding Principles to Impact an Institution-Wide Assessment Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinerichs, Scott; Bernotsky, R. Lorraine; Danner, Loretta Rieser

2015-01-01

Institutions of higher education are faced with challenges when implementing an assessment initiative. These challenges include constraints on time and resources, the demands of specialized accreditation, and faculty motivation to comply. In addition, the communication of the expectations around assessment must be clear to all constituents in…

Workshop Summary: The Many Faces of Motivation in the Learning Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Keith

1992-01-01

Discusses how students can be motivated by clear expectations, feedback, rewards, praise, grading, and the categorization of goals. Highlights Maslow's hierarchy of needs and its application to motivation. Summarizes motivational techniques used at two universities and one business: role playing in teacher training for secondary physical…

Alcohol and Staff Leisure Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camping Magazine, 1992

1992-01-01

Discusses the problem of alcohol use and abuse by camp staff. Describes alcohol policies of two different camps. Camp Highlands allows responsible drinking but not intoxication. Camp Olympia requires total abstinence from alcohol. A policy that clearly expresses the camp's philosophy toward alcohol and spells out all expectations and results is…

Ten Principles of Effective School Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Visions for Public Schools, 2006

2006-01-01

This brief document offers ten principles of effective school design. They are: (1) Clear Focus and High Expectations for staff and students are defining features of an effective school; (2) A Rigorous Instructional Program provides equitable opportunities to learn and enables every student to master challenging content, skills, and learning…

School Restructuring: What Works When? A Guide for Education Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassel, Emily Ayscue; Hassel, Bryan C.; Arkin, Matthew D.; Kowal, Julie M.; Steiner, Lucy M.

2009-01-01

Studies of high-performing schools, where all students learn more than similar students in other schools, show common design elements. These elements are comprehensive, affecting the whole school, and include: (1) Clear mission guiding daily activities; (2) High, unyielding expectations that all students will learn; (3) Frequent monitoring of…

76 FR 67007 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Boston Stock Exchange Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-28

..., NASDAQ OMX is proposing to amend the compositional requirements of the Nominating & Governance Committee... requirements of the Nominating & Governance Committee, including independence requirements. BSECC expects that... increase the size of the Nominating & Governance Committee to six directors, but will not modify the size...

76 FR 67009 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Stock Clearing Corporation of Philadelphia; Notice of Filing of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-28

..., NASDAQ OMX is proposing to amend the compositional requirements of the Nominating & Governance Committee... requirements of the Nominating & Governance Committee, including independence requirements. SCCP expects that... increase the size of the Nominating & Governance Committee to six directors, but will not modify the size...

Compassion: A Teaching Tool?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Kate

2009-01-01

Colin is a kindergartener who acted like a three-year-old with an attitude. This author, his kindergarten teacher, had tried visual schedules, positive and negative reinforcement, ignoring disruptive behavior, clear expectations and choices, and nothing was curbing his defiant behaviors. So far, all he had learned was that grown-ups were always…

Randomized Controlled Studies and Alternative Designs in Outcome Studies: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadish, William R.

2011-01-01

This article reviews several decades of the author's meta-analytic and experimental research on the conditions under which nonrandomized experiments can approximate the results from randomized experiments (REs). Several studies make clear that we can expect accurate effect estimates from the regression discontinuity design, though its statistical…

A Methodology for Meta-Analysis of Local Climate Change Adaptation Policies

EPA Science Inventory

Local governments are beginning to take steps to address the consequences of climate change, such as sea level rise and heat events. However, we donot have a clear understanding of what local governments are doing -- the extent to which they expect climate change to affect their ...

A Meta-Analysis of Local Climate Change Adaptation Actions

EPA Science Inventory

Local governments are beginning to take steps to address the consequences of climate change, such as sea level rise and heat events. However, we do not have a clear understanding of what local governments are doing -- the extent to which they expect climate change to affect their...

Skin Colour Awareness and Preference in London Nursery School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laishley, Jenny

1971-01-01

Study focuses on children aged 3 to 5 years from 3 London areas. Contrary to expectation, awareness of differences in skin color was not a simple function of age and contact with colored children and adults; no clear evidence of prejudiced thinking was found in the subjects studied. (RJ)

Systems, Not Superheroes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zelman, Susan Tave; Cross, Christopher T.

2008-01-01

Crises create heroes. But just as superheroes are always fighting crime, educators spend too much time putting out fires, and frequently do not get to the root of the problem that might have prevented the situation in the first place. The authors advocate for educational organization around four goals: (1) clear expectations for students; (2) the…

The Retention and Attrition of Catholic School Principals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Durow, W. Patrick; Brock, Barbara L.

2004-01-01

This article reports the results of a study of the retention of principals in Catholic elementary and secondary schools in one Midwestern diocese. Findings revealed that personal needs, career advancement, support from employer, and clearly defined role expectations were key factors in principals' retention decisions. A profile of components of…

Expected Utility Illustrated: A Graphical Analysis of Gambles with More than Two Possible Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Frederick H.

2010-01-01

The author presents a simple geometric method to graphically illustrate the expected utility from a gamble with more than two possible outcomes. This geometric result gives economics students a simple visual aid for studying expected utility theory and enables them to analyze a richer set of decision problems under uncertainty compared to what…

A Quantitative Study of the Resultant Differences between Additive Practices and Reductive Practices in Data Requirements Gathering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Gerald

2016-01-01

With the increase in technology in all facets of our lives and work, there is an ever increasing set of expectations that people have regarding information availability, response time, and dependability. While expectations are affected by gender, age, experience, industry, and other factors, people have expectations of technology, and from…

Teaching Leadership in the EMBA: Where to Begin

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Priscilla

2011-01-01

An examination of the role of a corporate leader versus the role of a corporate manager makes clear the distinct differences. The lines are often blurred in discussion of these executive levels of corporate governance, and individuals in the corporate settings often seek leadership roles without a clear understanding of what the leadership with…

Measuring fecundity with standardised estimates of expected pregnancies.

PubMed

Mikolajczyk, Rafael T; Stanford, Joseph B

2006-11-01

Approaches to measuring fecundity include the assessment of time to pregnancy and day-specific probabilities of conception (daily fecundities) indexed to a day of ovulation. In this paper, we develop an additional approach of calculating expected pregnancies based on daily fecundities indexed to the last day of the menstrual cycle. Expected pregnancies can thus be calculated while controlling for frequency and timing of coitus. Comparing observed pregnancies with expected pregnancies allows for a standardised comparison of fecundity between studies or groups within studies, and can be used to assess the effects of categorical covariates on the woman or couple level, and also on the cycle level. This can be accomplished in a minimal data set that does not necessarily require hormonal measurement or the explicit identification of ovulation. We demonstrate this approach by examining the effects of age and parity on fecundity in a data set from women monitoring their fertility cycles with the Creighton Model FertilityCare System.

A pleiotropy-informed Bayesian false discovery rate adapted to a shared control design finds new disease associations from GWAS summary statistics.

PubMed

Liley, James; Wallace, Chris

2015-02-01

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been successful in identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with many traits and diseases. However, at existing sample sizes, these variants explain only part of the estimated heritability. Leverage of GWAS results from related phenotypes may improve detection without the need for larger datasets. The Bayesian conditional false discovery rate (cFDR) constitutes an upper bound on the expected false discovery rate (FDR) across a set of SNPs whose p values for two diseases are both less than two disease-specific thresholds. Calculation of the cFDR requires only summary statistics and have several advantages over traditional GWAS analysis. However, existing methods require distinct control samples between studies. Here, we extend the technique to allow for some or all controls to be shared, increasing applicability. Several different SNP sets can be defined with the same cFDR value, and we show that the expected FDR across the union of these sets may exceed expected FDR in any single set. We describe a procedure to establish an upper bound for the expected FDR among the union of such sets of SNPs. We apply our technique to pairwise analysis of p values from ten autoimmune diseases with variable sharing of controls, enabling discovery of 59 SNP-disease associations which do not reach GWAS significance after genomic control in individual datasets. Most of the SNPs we highlight have previously been confirmed using replication studies or larger GWAS, a useful validation of our technique; we report eight SNP-disease associations across five diseases not previously declared. Our technique extends and strengthens the previous algorithm, and establishes robust limits on the expected FDR. This approach can improve SNP detection in GWAS, and give insight into shared aetiology between phenotypically related conditions.

A Game of Hide and Seek: Expectations of Clumpy Resources Influence Hiding and Searching Patterns

PubMed Central

Wilke, Andreas; Minich, Steven; Panis, Megane; Langen, Tom A.; Skufca, Joseph D.; Todd, Peter M.

2015-01-01

Resources are often distributed in clumps or patches in space, unless an agent is trying to protect them from discovery and theft using a dispersed distribution. We uncover human expectations of such spatial resource patterns in collaborative and competitive settings via a sequential multi-person game in which participants hid resources for the next participant to seek. When collaborating, resources were mostly hidden in clumpy distributions, but when competing, resources were hidden in more dispersed (random or hyperdispersed) patterns to increase the searching difficulty for the other player. More dispersed resource distributions came at the cost of higher overall hiding (as well as searching) times, decreased payoffs, and an increased difficulty when the hider had to recall earlier hiding locations at the end of the experiment. Participants’ search strategies were also affected by their underlying expectations, using a win-stay lose-shift strategy appropriate for clumpy resources when searching for collaboratively-hidden items, but moving equally far after finding or not finding an item in competitive settings, as appropriate for dispersed resources. Thus participants showed expectations for clumpy versus dispersed spatial resources that matched the distributions commonly found in collaborative versus competitive foraging settings. PMID:26154661

Colorimetric and spectroradiometric characteristics of narrow-field-of-view clear skylight in Granada, Spain.

PubMed

Hernández-Andrés, J; Romero, J; Lee, R L

2001-02-01

As part of our ongoing research into the clear daytime sky's visible structure, we analyze over 1,500 skylight spectra measured during a seven-month period in Granada, Spain. We use spectral radiances measured within 3 degrees fields of view (FOV's) to define colorimetric characteristics along four sky meridians: the solar meridian and three meridians at azimuths of 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 315 degrees relative to it. The resulting clear-sky chromaticities in 44 different view directions (1) are close to but do not coincide with the CIE daylight locus, (2) form V-shaped meridional chromaticity curves along it (as expected from theory), and (3) have correlated color temperatures (CCT's) ranging from 3,800 K to infinity K. We also routinely observe that sky color and luminance are asymmetric about the solar meridian, usually perceptibly so. A principal-components analysis shows that three vectors are required for accurate clear-sky colorimetry, whereas six are needed for spectral analyses.

Rapid Expectation Adaptation during Syntactic Comprehension

PubMed Central

Fine, Alex B.; Jaeger, T. Florian; Farmer, Thomas A.; Qian, Ting

2013-01-01

When we read or listen to language, we are faced with the challenge of inferring intended messages from noisy input. This challenge is exacerbated by considerable variability between and within speakers. Focusing on syntactic processing (parsing), we test the hypothesis that language comprehenders rapidly adapt to the syntactic statistics of novel linguistic environments (e.g., speakers or genres). Two self-paced reading experiments investigate changes in readers’ syntactic expectations based on repeated exposure to sentences with temporary syntactic ambiguities (so-called “garden path sentences”). These sentences typically lead to a clear expectation violation signature when the temporary ambiguity is resolved to an a priori less expected structure (e.g., based on the statistics of the lexical context). We find that comprehenders rapidly adapt their syntactic expectations to converge towards the local statistics of novel environments. Specifically, repeated exposure to a priori unexpected structures can reduce, and even completely undo, their processing disadvantage (Experiment 1). The opposite is also observed: a priori expected structures become less expected (even eliciting garden paths) in environments where they are hardly ever observed (Experiment 2). Our findings suggest that, when changes in syntactic statistics are to be expected (e.g., when entering a novel environment), comprehenders can rapidly adapt their expectations, thereby overcoming the processing disadvantage that mistaken expectations would otherwise cause. Our findings take a step towards unifying insights from research in expectation-based models of language processing, syntactic priming, and statistical learning. PMID:24204909

The Tasmantid Seamounts: A window into the structural inheritance of ocean floor fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richards, F. D.; Kalnins, L. M.; Watts, A. B.; Cohen, B. E.; Beaman, R. J.

2015-12-01

The extinct Tasman Sea spreading centre, active from 84--53 Ma, is intersected at a number of locations by the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The chain, which extends for over 2000 km off the east coast of Australia, progressively increases in age from south to north with ages ranging between 6 Ma and ˜50 Ma. While thick sediment (˜1 km) obscures much of the northern Tasman Sea basement, detailed morphological and geophysical analyses of the seamounts reveal a strong correlation between tectonic setting, seamount orientation, and volcanic structure, despite the ≥20 Ma offset between spreading cessation and initial seamount emplacement. Morphologically, structural inheritance is evidenced by the contrast between two volcanic styles: 1) the rugged, predominantly fissure-fed, fabrics characterizing seamounts emplaced at inside corners of spreading segment-transform intersections; and 2) the conical seamounts with summit craters and isolated dyke-fed flank cones that develop off-axis. Furthermore, volcanic fabrics align closely with the principal stress directions expected for a spreading ridge system in which strong mechanical coupling occurs across transform faults. This suggests that the lithosphere is dissected by numerous deep faults, allowing magma to be channelled away from the site of melting along pre-existing structural trends. The generally low effective elastic thickness, TeT_e, (≤15 km) and lack of a plate age-TeT_e relationship along the chain indicate that structural inheritance is also the major control on lithospheric strength near the extinct spreading centre. While the importance of structural inheritance in controlling magmatic behaviour is commonly acknowledged in continental settings, these results clearly demonstrate the need to also consider it in the oceanic realm.The extinct Tasman Sea spreading centre, active from 84--53 Ma, is intersected at a number of locations by the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. The chain, which extends for over 2000 km off the east coast of Australia, progressively increases in age from south to north with ages ranging between 6 Ma and ˜50 Ma. While thick sediment ( ˜1 km) obscures much of the northern Tasman Sea basement, detailed morphological and geophysical analyses of the seamounts reveal a strong correlation between tectonic setting, seamount orientation, and volcanic structure, despite the ≥20 Ma offset between spreading cessation and initial seamount emplacement. Morphologically, structural inheritance is evidenced by the contrast between two volcanic styles: 1) the rugged, predominantly fissure-fed, fabrics characterizing seamounts emplaced at inside corners of spreading segment-transform intersections; and 2) the conical seamounts with summit craters and isolated dyke-fed flank cones that develop off-axis. Furthermore, volcanic fabrics align closely with the principal stress directions expected for a spreading ridge system in which strong mechanical coupling occurs across transform faults. This suggests that the lithosphere is dissected by numerous deep faults, allowing magma to be channelled away from the site of melting along pre-existing structural trends. The generally low effective elastic thickness, Te, (≤15 km) and lack of a plate age-Te relationship along the chain indicate that structural inheritance is also the major control on lithospheric strength near the extinct spreading centre. While the importance of structural inheritance in controlling magmatic behaviour is commonly acknowledged in continental settings, these results clearly demonstrate the need to also consider it in the oceanic realm.

Private Education in Poland: Breaking the Mould?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klus-Stanska, Dorota; Olek, Hilary

1998-03-01

The burgeoning private sector is perhaps the most tangible of the changes in education which followed the upheavals of 1989/90 in Central and Eastern Europe. This article sets out to analyse the growth of private education in Poland and its contribution to the ongoing processes of democratisation and educational development. The authors argue that the euphoria of the period immediately following the overthrow of one-party communism encouraged unrealistic expectations of educational reform. Their analysis of private sector schooling in Poland suggests that its development has occurred in a haphazard fashion, reflecting the uncertainties of a society undergoing a painful process of transition. Symptomatic of this has been the failure to establish a clear regulatory framework for the private sector - an omission which has undermined the credibility of private schools. Nevertheless, the authors argue that the development of private sector schooling in Poland has brought diversity and a degree of innovation to a system previously almost devoid of either. There is now an urgent need for the evaluation and dissemination of private sector initiatives, which can serve as examples for future educational decision-making in Poland.

Detecting livestock production zones.

PubMed

Grisi-Filho, J H H; Amaku, M; Ferreira, F; Dias, R A; Neto, J S Ferreira; Negreiros, R L; Ossada, R

2013-07-01

Communities are sets of nodes that are related in an important way, most likely sharing common properties and/or playing similar roles within a network. Unraveling a network structure, and hence the trade preferences and pathways, could be useful to a researcher or a decision maker. We implemented a community detection algorithm to find livestock communities, which is consistent with the definition of a livestock production zone, assuming that a community is a group of farm premises in which an animal is more likely to stay during its lifetime than expected by chance. We applied this algorithm to the network of animal movements within the state of Mato Grosso for 2007. This database holds information concerning 87,899 premises and 521,431 movements throughout the year, totaling 15,844,779 animals moved. The community detection algorithm achieved a network partition that shows a clear geographical and commercial pattern, two crucial features for preventive veterinary medicine applications; this algorithm provides also a meaningful interpretation to trade networks where links emerge based on trader node choices. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating undergraduate nursing students' self-efficacy and competence in writing: Effects of a writing intensive intervention.

PubMed

Miller, Louise C; Russell, Cynthia L; Cheng, An-Lin; Skarbek, Anita J

2015-05-01

While professional nurses are expected to communicate clearly, these skills are often not explicitly taught in undergraduate nursing education. In this research study, writing self-efficacy and writing competency were evaluated in 52 nontraditional undergraduate baccalaureate completion students in two distance-mediated 16-week capstone courses. The intervention group (n = 44) experienced various genres and modalities of written assignments set in the context of evidence-based nursing practice; the comparison group (n = 8) received usual writing undergraduate curriculum instruction. Self-efficacy, measured by the Post Secondary Writerly Self-Efficacy Scale, indicated significant improvements for all self-efficacy items (all p's = 0.00). Writing competency, assessed in the intervention group using a primary trait scoring rubric (6 + 1 Trait Writing Model(®) of Instruction and Assessment), found significant differences in competency improvement on five of seven items. This pilot study demonstrated writing skills can improve in nontraditional undergraduate students with guided instruction. Further investigation with larger, culturally diverse samples is indicated to validate these results. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Models and Measurements of the Rotation of Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Folkner, W. M.; Konopliv, A. S.; Park, R. S.; Dehant, V. M. A.; Yseboodt, M.; Rivoldini, A.

2016-12-01

The rotation of Mars has been determined more accurately than for any other planet except Earth. This has been done using radio tracking data from spacecraft orbiting Mars or landed on Mars, starting with Mariner 9 in 1972 continuing through the present with several orbiters currently in operation. The Viking landers in 1976 provided the first clear measurements of variation in length of day. Mars Pathfinder combined with Viking lander provided the first estimate of the martian precession rate. The model for rigid Mars rotation developed by Reasenberg and King for Viking data analysis is accurate enough to fit the currently available measurements. With the InSight mission to be launched in 2018 and the ExoMars lander mission to be launched in 2020, nutation of Mars due to non-rigid effects are expected to be detectable, requiring improved models for the effects of the martian fluid core. We will present an overview of the current measurements sets, including comparisons of length-of-day variations from independent subsets, plans for the InSight and ExoMars missions, and summarize potential modeling improvements.

Impact of aerobic stabilization on the characteristics of treatment sludge in the leather tanning industry.

PubMed

Cokgor, Emine Ubay; Aydinli, Ebru; Tas, Didem Okutman; Zengin, Gulsum Emel; Orhon, Derin

2014-01-01

The efficiency of aerobic stabilization on the treatment sludge generated from the leather industry was investigated to meet the expected characteristics and conditions of sludge prior to landfill. The sludge types subjected to aerobic stabilization were chemical treatment sludge, biological excess sludge, and the mixture of both chemical and biological sludges. At the end of 23 days of stabilization, suspended solids, volatile suspended solids and total organic carbon removal efficiencies were determined as 17%, 19% and 23% for biological sludge 31%, 35% and 54% for chemical sludge, and 32%, 34% and 63% for the mixture of both chemical and biological sludges, respectively. Model simulations of the respirometric oxygen uptake rate measurements showed that the ratio of active biomass remained the same at the end of the stabilization for all the sludge samples. Although mixing the chemical and biological sludges resulted in a relatively effective organic carbon and solids removal, the level of stabilization achieved remained clearly below the required level of organic carbon content for landfill. These findings indicate the potential risk of setting numerical restrictions without referring to proper scientific support.

Successful Aging: Advancing the Science of Physical Independence in Older Adults

PubMed Central

Anton, Stephen D.; Woods, Adam J.; Ashizawa, Tetso; Barb, Diana; Buford, Thomas W.; Carter, Christy S.; Clark, David J.; Cohen, Ronald A.; Corbett, Duane B.; Cruz-Almeida, Yenisel; Dotson, Vonetta; Ebner, Natalie; Efron, Philip A.; Fillingim, Roger B.; Foster, Thomas C.; Gundermann, David M.; Joseph, Anna-Maria; Karabetian, Christy; Leeuwenburgh, Christiaan; Manini, Todd M.; Marsiske, Michael; Mankowski, Robert T.; Mutchie, Heather L.; Perri, Michael G.; Ranka, Sanjay; Rashidi, Parisa; Sandesara, Bhanuprasad; Scarpace, Philip J.; Sibille, Kimberly T.; Solberg, Laurence M.; Someya, Shinichi; Uphold, Connie; Wohlgemuth, Stephanie; Wu, Samuel Shangwu; Pahor, Marco

2015-01-01

The concept of ‘Successful Aging’ has long intrigued the scientific community. Despite this long-standing interest, a consensus definition has proven to be a difficult task, due to the inherent challenge involved in defining such a complex, multi-dimensional phenomenon. The lack of a clear set of defining characteristics for the construct of successful aging has made comparison of findings across studies difficult and has limited advances in aging research. The domain in which consensus on markers of successful aging is furthest developed is the domain of physical functioning. For example, walking speed appears to be an excellent surrogate marker of overall health and predicts the maintenance of physical independence, a cornerstone of successful aging. The purpose of the present article is to provide an overview and discussion of specific health conditions, behavioral factors, and biological mechanisms that mark declining mobility and physical function and promising interventions to counter these effects. With life expectancy continuing to increase in the United States and developed countries throughout the world, there is an increasing public health focus on the maintenance of physical independence among all older adults. PMID:26462882

Lagrangian single-particle turbulent statistics through the Hilbert-Huang transform.

PubMed

Huang, Yongxiang; Biferale, Luca; Calzavarini, Enrico; Sun, Chao; Toschi, Federico

2013-04-01

The Hilbert-Huang transform is applied to analyze single-particle Lagrangian velocity data from numerical simulations of hydrodynamic turbulence. The velocity trajectory is described in terms of a set of intrinsic mode functions C(i)(t) and of their instantaneous frequency ω(i)(t). On the basis of this decomposition we define the ω-conditioned statistical moments of the C(i) modes, named q-order Hilbert spectra (HS). We show that such quantities have enhanced scaling properties as compared to traditional Fourier transform- or correlation-based (structure functions) statistical indicators, thus providing better insights into the turbulent energy transfer process. We present clear empirical evidence that the energylike quantity, i.e., the second-order HS, displays a linear scaling in time in the inertial range, as expected from a dimensional analysis. We also measure high-order moment scaling exponents in a direct way, without resorting to the extended self-similarity procedure. This leads to an estimate of the Lagrangian structure function exponents which are consistent with the multifractal prediction in the Lagrangian frame as proposed by Biferale et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 064502 (2004)].

Host subspecific viral strains in European house mice: Murine cytomegalovirus in the Eastern (Mus musculus musculus) and Western house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus).

PubMed

Čížková, Dagmar; Baird, Stuart J E; Těšíková, Jana; Voigt, Sebastian; Ľudovít, Ďureje; Piálek, Jaroslav; Goüy de Bellocq, Joëlle

2018-06-09

Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) has been reported from house mice (Mus musculus) worldwide, but only recently from Eastern house mice (M. m. musculus), of particular interest because they form a semi-permeable species barrier in Europe with Western house mice, M. m. domesticus. Here we report genome sequences of EastMCMV (from Eastern mice), and set these in the context of MCMV genomes from genus Mus hosts. We show EastMCMV and WestMCMV are genetically distinct. Phylogeny splitting analyses show a genome wide (94%) pattern consistent with no West-East introgression, the major exception (3.8%) being a genome-terminal region of duplicated genes involved in host immune system evasion. As expected from its function, this is a region of maintenance of ancestral polymorphism: The lack of clear splitting signal cannot be interpreted as evidence of introgression. The EastMCMV genome sequences reported here can therefore serve as a well-described resource for exploration of murid MCMV diversity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More than motherhood? A feminist exploration of 'women's health' in papers indexed by CINAHL 1993-1995.

PubMed

Raftos, M; Mannix, J; Jackson, D

1997-12-01

Holism is claimed to be the signifying feature that sets women's health apart from traditional approaches to health care. As such, articles published in the nursing literature about women's health would, one might expect, reflect the centrality of holism to women's health care nursing. The findings of a study which examined the content and the focus of articles published about women's health in journals indexed by CINAHL in the period 1993-1995 challenge this assumption. It was found that women's health is a taken-for-granted notion and is used interchangeably and synonymously to refer to reproductive health, maternal health, neonatal health, family health and (hetero) sexual health. Confounding the view that holism is foundational to a women's health perspective, the papers forming the study's sample largely depict issues to do with women's health from a narrow and stereotypical perspective and with a bio-medical focus. Women were referred to as fragmented bodies, body parts and diseases, and were depicted as being passive and silent. By contrast, the voice (and the activity) of nurses and nursing's imperative to intervene was clearly discernible.

Cell-Free Fetal DNA Testing for Prenatal Diagnosis.

PubMed

Drury, S; Hill, M; Chitty, L S

Prenatal diagnosis and screening have undergone rapid development in recent years, with advances in molecular technology driving the change. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for Down syndrome as a highly sensitive screening test is now available worldwide through the commercial sector with many countries moving toward implementation into their publically funded maternity systems. Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis (NIPD) can now be performed for definitive diagnosis of some recessive and X-linked conditions, rather than just paternally inherited dominant and de novo conditions. NIPD/T offers pregnant couples greater choice during their pregnancy as these safer methods avoid the risk of miscarriage associated with invasive testing. As the cost of sequencing falls and technology develops further, there may well be potential for whole exome and whole genome sequencing of the unborn fetus using cell-free DNA in the maternal plasma. How such assays can or should be implemented into the clinical setting remain an area of significant debate, but it is clear that the progress made to date for safer prenatal testing has been welcomed by expectant couples and their healthcare professionals. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tele-ICU "myth busters".

PubMed

Venditti, Angelo; Ronk, Chanda; Kopenhaver, Tracey; Fetterman, Susan

2012-01-01

Tele-intensive care unit (ICU) technology has been proven to bridge the gap between available resources and quality care for many health care systems across the country. Tele-ICUs allow the standardization of care and provide a second set of eyes traditionally not available in the ICU. A growing body of literature supports the use of tele-ICUs based on improved outcomes and reduction in errors. To date, the literature has not effectively outlined the limitations of this technology related to response to changes in patient care, interventions, and interaction with the care team. This information can potentially have a profound impact on service expectations. Some misconceptions about tele-ICU technology include the following: tele-ICU is "watching" 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; tele-ICU is a telemetry unit; tele-ICU is a stand-alone crisis intervention tool; tele-ICU decreases staffing at the bedside; tele-ICU clinical roles are clearly defined and understood; and tele-ICUs are not cost-effective to operate. This article outlines the purpose of tele-ICU technology, reviews outcomes, and "busts" myths about tele-ICU technology.

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

Lindroos M.; Calaga R.; Bousson S.

In 2003 the joint European effort to design a European Spallation Source (ESS) resulted in a set of reports, and in May 2009 Lund was agreed to be the ESS site. The ESS Scandinavia office has since then worked on setting all the necessary legal and organizational matters in place so that the Design Update and construction can be started in January 2011, in collaboration with European partners. The Design Update phase is expected to end in 2012, to be followed by a construction phase, with first neutrons expected in 2018-2019.

Leonid predictions for the period 2001-2100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslov, Mikhail

2007-02-01

This article provides a set of summaries of what to expect from the Leonid meteor shower for each year of the period 2001-2100. Each summary contains the moments of maximum/maxima, their expected intensity and some comments about average meteor brightness during them. Special attention was paid to background (traditional) maxima, which are characterized with their expected times and intensities.

Examining the Utility of the Schoolwide Expectations Survey for Specific Settings (SESSS): A Data-Informed Approach to Developing Expectation Matrices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Royer, David James

2017-01-01

To best support all students' academic, behavioral, and social needs, an integrated systems approach is necessary. In such systems, all faculty and staff ideally recognize student success is a shared responsibility and collaborate in a data-informed process to define common student behavioral expectations to facilitate success academically,…

Perceptual grouping effects on cursor movement expectations.

PubMed

Dorneich, Michael C; Hamblin, Christopher J; Lancaster, Jeff A; Olofinboba, Olu

2014-05-01

Two studies were conducted to develop an understanding of factors that drive user expectations when navigating between discrete elements on a display via a limited degree-of-freedom cursor control device. For the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle spacecraft, a free-floating cursor with a graphical user interface (GUI) would require an unachievable level of accuracy due to expected acceleration and vibration conditions during dynamic phases of flight. Therefore, Orion program proposed using a "caged" cursor to "jump" from one controllable element (node) on the GUI to another. However, nodes are not likely to be arranged on a rectilinear grid, and so movements between nodes are not obvious. Proximity between nodes, direction of nodes relative to each other, and context features may all contribute to user cursor movement expectations. In an initial study, we examined user expectations based on the nodes themselves. In a second study, we examined the effect of context features on user expectations. The studies established that perceptual grouping effects influence expectations to varying degrees. Based on these results, a simple rule set was developed to support users in building a straightforward mental model that closely matches their natural expectations for cursor movement. The results will help designers of display formats take advantage of the natural context-driven cursor movement expectations of users to reduce navigation errors, increase usability, and decrease access time. The rules set and guidelines tie theory to practice and can be applied in environments where vibration or acceleration are significant, including spacecraft, aircraft, and automobiles.

Carbon monoxide column retrieval for clear-sky and cloudy atmospheres: a full-mission data set from SCIAMACHY 2.3 µm reflectance measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borsdorff, Tobias; aan de Brugh, Joost; Hu, Haili; Nédélec, Philippe; Aben, Ilse; Landgraf, Jochen

2017-05-01

We discuss the retrieval of carbon monoxide (CO) vertical column densities from clear-sky and cloud contaminated 2311-2338 nm reflectance spectra measured by the Scanning Imaging Absorption Spectrometer for Atmospheric Chartography (SCIAMACHY) from January 2003 until the end of the mission in April 2012. These data were processed with the Shortwave Infrared CO Retrieval algorithm (SICOR) that we developed for the operational data processing of the Tropospheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) that will be launched on ESA's Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) mission. This study complements previous work that was limited to clear-sky observations over land. Over the oceans, CO is estimated from cloudy-sky measurements only, which is an important addition to the SCIAMACHY clear-sky CO data set as shown by NDACC and TCCON measurements at coastal sites. For Ny-Ålesund, Lauder, Mauna Loa and Reunion, a validation of SCIAMACHY clear-sky retrievals is not meaningful because of the high retrieval noise and the few collocations at these sites. The situation improves significantly when considering cloudy-sky observations, where we find a low mean bias b = ±6. 0 ppb and a strong correlation between the validation and the SCIAMACHY results with a mean Pearson correlation coefficient r = 0. 7. Also for land observations, cloudy-sky CO retrievals present an interesting complement to the clear-sky data set. For example, at the cities Tehran and Beijing the agreement of SCIAMACHY clear-sky CO observations with MOZAIC/IAGOS airborne measurements is poor with a mean bias of b = 171. 2 ppb and 57.9 ppb because of local CO pollution, which cannot be captured by SCIAMACHY. For cloudy-sky retrievals, the validation improves significantly. Here the retrieved column is mainly sensitive to CO above the cloud and so not affected by the strong local surface emissions. Adjusting the MOZAIC/IAGOS measurements to the vertical sensitivity of the retrieval, the mean bias adds up to b = 52. 3 ppb and 5.0 ppb for Tehran and Beijing. At the less urbanised region around the airport Windhoek, local CO pollution is less prominent and so MOZAIC/IAGOS measurements agree well with SCIAMACHY clear-sky retrievals with a mean bias of b = 15. 5 ppb, but can be even further improved for cloudy SCIAMACHY observations with a mean bias of b = 0. 2 ppb. Overall the cloudy-sky CO retrievals from SCIAMACHY short-wave infrared measurements present a major extension of the clear-sky-only data set, which more than triples the amount of data and adds unique observations over the oceans. Moreover, the study represents the first application of the S5P algorithm for operational CO data processing on cloudy observations prior to the launch of the S5P mission.

48 CFR 2919.502 - Setting aside acquisitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... whether procurements should be conducted via 8(a) procedures, HUBZone procedures or as small business set-asides. If a reasonable expectation exists that at least two responsible small businesses may submit... PROGRAMS SMALL BUSINESS AND SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS CONCERNS Set-Asides for Small Business 2919.502...

40 CFR 164.22 - Contents of document setting forth objections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... objections. 164.22 Section 164.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... RODENTICIDE ACT, ARISING FROM REFUSALS TO REGISTER, CANCELLATIONS OF REGISTRATIONS, CHANGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS... registration, or change the classification of a pesticide, shall clearly and concisely set forth such...

40 CFR 164.22 - Contents of document setting forth objections.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... objections. 164.22 Section 164.22 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... RODENTICIDE ACT, ARISING FROM REFUSALS TO REGISTER, CANCELLATIONS OF REGISTRATIONS, CHANGES OF CLASSIFICATIONS... registration, or change the classification of a pesticide, shall clearly and concisely set forth such...

17 CFR 230.605 - Filing and use of the offering circular.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... similar process which will result in clearly legible copies. If printed, it shall be set in roman type at... tabular matter may be set in roman type at least as large as eight-point modern type. All type shall be...

Dynamical Typicality Approach to Eigenstate Thermalization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reimann, Peter

2018-06-01

We consider the set of all initial states within a microcanonical energy shell of an isolated many-body quantum system, which exhibit an arbitrary but fixed nonequilibrium expectation value for some given observable A . On the condition that this set is not too small, it is shown by means of a dynamical typicality approach that most such initial states exhibit thermalization if and only if A satisfies the so-called weak eigenstate thermalization hypothesis (wETH). Here, thermalization means that the expectation value of A spends most of its time close to the microcanonical value after initial transients have died out. The wETH means that, within the energy shell, most eigenstates of the pertinent system Hamiltonian exhibit very similar expectation values of A .

More Than a Feeling: Public Expectations About Emotional Responses to Criminal Victimization.

PubMed

Wrede, Olof; Ask, Karl

2015-01-01

Crime victims' emotional display in legal settings has been found to influence credibility judgments. The specific nature of public expectations about crime victims' emotional responses have, however, not been adequately investigated. In an experimental vignette study, respondents in a community sample (N = 404) estimated the likelihood that female and male victims would experience 7 distinct emotions in response to 5 types of crimes. Across all crime types, female victims were expected to experience significantly more situation-focused (anxiety, fear) and inward-focused (guilt, shame, sadness) emotions, and significantly less other-focused emotions (hatred, anger) than male victims. This calls for an increased focus on distinct emotions in future research on victim's emotions. Implications for victims in legal and social settings are discussed.

Structural Similitude and Scaling Laws

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simitses, George J.

1998-01-01

Aircraft and spacecraft comprise the class of aerospace structures that require efficiency and wisdom in design, sophistication and accuracy in analysis and numerous and careful experimental evaluations of components and prototype, in order to achieve the necessary system reliability, performance and safety. Preliminary and/or concept design entails the assemblage of system mission requirements, system expected performance and identification of components and their connections as well as of manufacturing and system assembly techniques. This is accomplished through experience based on previous similar designs, and through the possible use of models to simulate the entire system characteristics. Detail design is heavily dependent on information and concepts derived from the previous steps. This information identifies critical design areas which need sophisticated analyses, and design and redesign procedures to achieve the expected component performance. This step may require several independent analysis models, which, in many instances, require component testing. The last step in the design process, before going to production, is the verification of the design. This step necessitates the production of large components and prototypes in order to test component and system analytical predictions and verify strength and performance requirements under the worst loading conditions that the system is expected to encounter in service. Clearly then, full-scale testing is in many cases necessary and always very expensive. In the aircraft industry, in addition to full-scale tests, certification and safety necessitate large component static and dynamic testing. Such tests are extremely difficult, time consuming and definitely absolutely necessary. Clearly, one should not expect that prototype testing will be totally eliminated in the aircraft industry. It is hoped, though, that we can reduce full-scale testing to a minimum. Full-scale large component testing is necessary in other industries as well, Ship building, automobile and railway car construction all rely heavily on testing. Regardless of the application, a scaled-down (by a large factor) model (scale model) which closely represents the structural behavior of the full-scale system (prototype) can prove to be an extremely beneficial tool. This possible development must be based on the existence of certain structural parameters that control the behavior of a structural system when acted upon by static and/or dynamic loads. If such structural parameters exist, a scaled-down replica can be built, which will duplicate the response of the full-scale system. The two systems are then said to be structurally similar. The term, then, that best describes this similarity is structural similitude. Similarity of systems requires that the relevant system parameters be identical and these systems be governed by a unique set of characteristic equations. Thus, if a relation or equation of variables is written for a system, it is valid for all systems which are similar to it. Each variable in a model is proportional to the corresponding variable of the prototype. This ratio, which plays an essential role in predicting the relationship between the model and its prototype, is called the scale factor.

Solution Concepts for Distributed Decision-Making without Coordination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beling, Peter A.; Patek, Stephen D.

2005-01-01

Consider a single-stage problem in which we have a group N agents who are attempting to minimize the expected cost of their joint actions, without the benefit of communication or a pre-established protocol but with complete knowledge of the expected cost of any joint set of actions for the group. We call this situation a static coordination problem. The central issue in defining an appropriate solution concept for static coordination problems is considering how to deal with the fact that if the agents axe faced with a set of multiple (mixed) strategies that are equally attractive in terms of cost, a failure of coordination may lead to an expected cost value that is worse than that of any of the strategies in the set. In this proposal, we describe the notion of a general coordination problem, describe initial efforts at developing a solution concept for static coordination problems, and then outline a research agenda that centers on activities that will be basis for obtaining a complete understanding of solutions to static coordination problems.

Preparing the Information Professional: An Agenda for the Future. Contributions in Librarianship and Information Science, Number 93.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehman, Sajjad ur

Redesigning information education in response to the market dynamic requires clear articulation of the expectations of employers, identification of competencies for professionals, and appreciation of environmental, institutional, and situational contexts. This book responds to these needs in a systematic and scientific manner by describing methods…

Science and Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Kohl S.

2008-01-01

The author was born and raised in rural, northern Mississippi. He went to a local school, the North Pontotoc Attendance Center, from first grade on. The author was always interested in math and science, but, then, he was interested in most all subjects. The expected path that his friends and siblings had followed was clear: attend a junior college…

Work Force Preparation for Technician-Level Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Hobart L.

The Tech Prep Associate Degree (TPAD) program must be clearly focused on technician-level occupations, which are expected to have the greatest occupational growth. Generally, the preparation required to enter the work force at the technician level is completion of an associate degree program that includes 50 percent theory and 50 percent applied…

What Can We Expect from A-Level Mathematics Students?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Duncan

1997-01-01

Discusses the results obtained by students with A-level mathematics on Coventry University's diagnostic test in October 1997. Compares these results with those of students who entered the university in 1991. Provides detailed analysis of specific questions that indicate those areas in which students with grade A clearly outperform students with…

Class Council between Democracy Learning and Character Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budde, Jürgen; Weuster, Nora

2017-01-01

Purpose: Class council has become a popular approach for character education and democracy learning in German schools. However, it is not clear if the expectations are met in social practice. Approach: The data was gained with an ethnographical multiple method approach within three contrasting secondary schools. The study is informed by practice…

Alfalfa N credits to second-year corn larger than expected

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alfalfa can provide substantial amounts of nitrogen (N) to the first crop that follows it. Recent field research on first-year corn confirms that it is highly likely that grain yields will not improve with added fertilizer N, except on very sandy and very clayey soils. It is less clear how much fert...

Widening Access to Higher Education--The Limits of Positive Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Nick

2004-01-01

2003 was a tempestuous year for the formulation of higher education policy. After considerable delay, the White Paper "The Future of Higher Education" was published in January and this appeared to give a clear signal that government expected higher education institutions, particularly the pre-1992 universities, to do significantly more…

Student Participation and Disadvantage: Limitations in Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black, Rosalyn

2011-01-01

The public policy of numerous nations, including Australia, articulates a clear expectation that schools will develop young people's capacities to participate in civic society and its democratic structures and processes. A romantic policy rhetoric hides a reality that is both more complex and less well understood than is typically acknowledged.…

Does the First Week of Class Matter? A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of Student Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann, Anthony D.; Foster, David A.; Hardin, Erin E.

2010-01-01

Teaching experts suggest that establishing clear expectations and a supportive environment at the beginning of a college course has a lasting impact on student attitudes. However, minimal empirical evidence exists to support these suggestions. Consequently, we randomly assigned instructors to either begin their course with a reciprocal interview…

The Impact of a Professional Development Network on Leadership Development and School Improvement Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieckhoff, Barbara Stacy; Larsen, Catherine

2012-01-01

Principals are expected to create a vision for their schools with clearly articulated goals for sustainable change. The 2008 Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards provide a strong framework for leadership knowledge, behavior and dispositions. ISLLC Standards 1 and 2 outline the school leader's responsibility in…

Information Fuels Support for School Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Michael B.; Howell, William G.; Peterson, Paul E.

2014-01-01

The Common Core State Standards initiative (CCSS) seeks to "provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn" at various grade levels. For some education observers, CCSS will finally clarify for students, parents, and educators what students need to know and be able to do if they are to be prepared for…

Solid Ground: Comment on "Shifting Sands: Reflections from the Field of Higher Education."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swisher, Karen Gayton

2001-01-01

Critiques an article on using reflection to examine discrimination in higher education and the academe, presenting one American Indian woman administrator's experience with higher education and beyond. Emphasizes the benefits of: having a mentor, defining an agenda to guide one's research, clearly defining one's expectations for tenure, and…

Non-Verbal Communication Training: An Avenue for University Professionalizing Programs?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gazaille, Mariane

2011-01-01

In accordance with today's workplace expectations, many university programs identify the ability to communicate as a crucial asset for future professionals. Yet, if the teaching of verbal communication is clearly identifiable in most university programs, the same cannot be said of non-verbal communication (NVC). Knowing the importance of the…

26 CFR 1.162-3T - Materials and supplies (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... for which no record of consumption is kept or of which physical inventories at the beginning and end..., provided taxable income is clearly reflected. (3) Use or consumption of rotable and temporary spare parts...) Consists of fuel, lubricants, water, and similar items, that are reasonably expected to be consumed in 12...

26 CFR 1.162-3T - Materials and supplies (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... for which no record of consumption is kept or of which physical inventories at the beginning and end..., provided taxable income is clearly reflected. (3) Use or consumption of rotable and temporary spare parts...) Consists of fuel, lubricants, water, and similar items, that are reasonably expected to be consumed in 12...

Relations between Student Perceptions of Their School Environment and Academic Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gietz, Carmen; McIntosh, Kent

2014-01-01

This study examined student perceptions of their school environment (specifically, safety and inclusion in the school, experiences being bullied, and clear expectations for behaviour) and their relation with academic achievement at the school level. Participants were students in 969 elementary schools and 73 middle schools who took part in a…

Educative Supervision in International Cooperation Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Ana; Valdivia-Moral, Pedro; Cachón, Javier; Prieto, Joel

2015-01-01

This present paper has got a clear goal: to contextualize education for development in the present moment, planning its evolution and the keys that characterize education collected from the most representative and up-to-date pieces of work. The experience that we present is integrated in a project developed in Paraguay that is expected to describe…

39 CFR 3010.42 - Contents of notice of agreement in support of a negotiated service agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

.... (b) A statement identifying all parties to the agreement and a description clearly explaining the operative components of the agreement. (c) Details regarding the expected improvements in the net financial position or operations of the Postal Service. The projection of change in net financial position as a...

Navy Recruit’s Expectations of Productivity, Liking, and Intentions to Quit under Different Supervisors.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-11-01

Further research in this area , however, is clearly necessary. The Hispanic/Mainstream contrast, in this study, did not reveal any important differences...1977, 3, 143-158 (b). Triandis, H. C. Influencias culturales en el comportamiento social. Inter- american Journal of Psychology, 1981, 1 5, 1-28

Assessing Preservice Teachers' Dispositions: A Critical Dimension of Professional Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rike, Cheryl J.; Sharp, L. Kathryn

2008-01-01

The early childhood faculty at the University of Memphis developed the Early Childhood Education Behaviors & Dispositions Checklist for four main purposes: (1) The faculty needed a way to clearly communicate to students the expectations for their dispositions and the means of assessment; (2) It is a professional obligation in preservice…

Aligning Resources with Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tran, Samantha

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses that the ability to clearly link resources, activities and goals in a rational and logical manner is a model that many educators and school leaders would welcome. She also states that in the 1990s, when the state moved in the direction of standards and accountability, part of the thinking was that public…

District-Run Public Charter High Schools: What Do We Know? Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bleyaert, Barbara

2010-01-01

Successful district-run charter high schools, ones where there is a higher than expected achievement and graduation rate, share three characteristics: (1) a clearly articulated focus or mission for the school; (2) a rigorous academic curriculum for all students that emphasizes relevance, critical thinking, and problem-solving; (3) an emphasis on…

An Exploratory Review of the Role of Research Mediators in Social Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebba, Judy

2013-01-01

The need to justify public expenditure has increased the emphasis on impact of research. Identifying ways to maximise impact is a requirement of research funders and a concern of governments internationally. Researchers are expected to communicate findings clearly, make use of the media and influence politicians and administrators. Through an…

Civil Rights and Social Justice: A Path to Engagement and Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Golod, Flo

2008-01-01

When one listens to Southside Family Charter School kids articulate the lessons they've learned from the school's civil rights curriculum, it's clear that demographic descriptors often lead to low expectations. These kids are articulate, knowledgeable, and deeply engaged in their study of the civil rights movement. They bring the same competence…

Supporting Technology Integration within a Teacher Education System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaffer, Scott P.; Richardson, Jennifer C.

2004-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine a teacher education system relative to the degree of performance support for the use of technology to support learning. Performance support was measured by the presence of factors such as clear expectations, feedback, tools, rewards, incentives, motivation, capacity, skills, and knowledge within the…

Teaching Style, ICT Experience and Teachers' Attitudes toward Teaching with Web 2.0

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kale, Ugur; Goh, Debbie

2014-01-01

Emphasis on 21st Century Skills development has increased expectations on teachers to take advantages of emerging technologies to support student learning. Yet it is not clear whether teachers are well equipped with the necessary skills, support, and positive attitudes toward integrating them in their practices. Even though student-centered…

Subsurface thermal and hydrological changes between forest and clear-cut sites in the Oregon Cascades

EPA Science Inventory

The Cascades of the US Pacific Northwest are a climatically sensitive area. Projections of continued winter warming in this area are expected to induce a switch from a snow-dominated to a rain-dominated winter precipitation regime with a likely impact on subsurface thermal and h...

Clear Expectations, Communication, and Flexibility: Unlocking the Potential of an Education Department through a Nontraditional Staffing Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flax, Corinne; Holko, Kathleen; Stricker, Laura

2017-01-01

After an outside evaluator identified key areas of improvement, the Education Department at the Bruce Museum refocused staff responsibilities in order to meet audience needs. To utilize staff effectively, the department underwent a radical restructuring, transitioning from a traditional vertical structure to a horizontal, integrated management…

Swimming with Crocs: Professional Development in a Northern Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reedy, Alison; Boitshwarelo, Bopelo; Barnes, Joshua; Billany, Trevor

2015-01-01

Professional development for teacher educators is critical in a rapidly changing environment where graduate teachers are expected to have 21st Century skills and knowledge. As made explicit in a recent report on teacher education in Australia, "the evidence is clear: enhancing the capability of teachers is vital to raising the overall quality…

Understanding the Skills in the Common Core State Standards

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blosveren, Kate

2012-01-01

As defined on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) website, "the Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn... reflecting the "knowledge" and "skills" that our young people need for success in college and careers." While the "knowledge" defined within the CCSS is apparent--the…

Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinson, Dana; Rhim, Lauren Morando

2009-01-01

The components of a successful school are clear. Many educators can easily list them: high expectations for all students, a safe and orderly learning environment, strong instructional leadership, highly qualified teachers, data-driven decision making, etc. Then why don't more schools change the what they are doing to mirror them? Knowing the…

How to Enforce Discipline Rules without Trampling Kids' Rights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Jay

1989-01-01

A Georgia school district standardized discipline procedures, codified offenses, and published the results in booklet form. A clear hierarchy of offenses specifies problems to be handled at the local school, at formal hearings, or at a special disciplinary committee. Students know what to expect, and administrators know how to proceed. (MLF)

Charter School Appeals. Policy Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Neill, Paul T.

2009-01-01

Authorizers must decide whether a proposed school should be allowed to open and whether it should be required to close. To enable authorizers to serve as quality gatekeepers for the sector, state policy must give authorizers clear power to deny low-quality charter school applications and to close charter schools that fail to meet expectations. At…

Candidates' Assessment of a Principal Preparation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Henry S.; Szal, Dennis

2011-01-01

The clear call for accountability has been heard throughout the country as it deals with the system of education in the United States. Students are expected to be accountable for their learning as measured by state or national tests. Teachers are held responsible for their students' learning. Colleges and Universities have not, and should not…

Ethnic Variations in Family Power Relations: Part I--Jewish American Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Victor, Jeffrey S.

Roles in the Jewish-American family system tend to be flexible, without a clearly defined division of labor or hierarchy of authority. Husband-father and wife-mother roles tend to be somewhat interchangeable and androgynous. Because role expectations constantly change to fit changing circumstances, ambiguity in each member's perception of…

Secret Codes, Remainder Arithmetic, and Matrices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peck, Lyman C.

This pamphlet is designed for use as enrichment material for able junior and senior high school students who are interested in mathematics. No more than a clear understanding of basic arithmetic is expected. Students are introduced to ideas from number theory and modern algebra by learning mathematical ways of coding and decoding secret messages.…

Shared responsibility: school nurses' experience of collaborating in school-based interprofessional teams.

PubMed

Reuterswärd, Marina; Hylander, Ingrid

2017-06-01

The Swedish Education Act (2011) mandated a new combination of services to boost students' physical health, their mental health and special education through interprofessional pupil health and well-being (PH) teams. For Swedish school nurses, providing these services presents new challenges. To describe how Swedish school nurses experience their work and collaboration within the interprofessional PH teams. Twenty-five school nurses (SNs) were interviewed in five focus groups. Content analysis was used to examine the data and to explore SNs' workplace characteristics by using the components of the sense of coherence (SOC) framework. SNs' experiences of work and collaboration within PH teams can be described using three domains: the expectations of others regarding SNs' roles, SNs' contributions to pupils' health and well-being, and collaboration among SNs within PH teams. The results indicate a discrepancy between SNs' own experiences of their contribution and their experiences of other professionals' expectations regarding those contributions. Some duties were perceived as expected, comprehensible, manageable and meaningful, while other duties - though expected - were perceived as less meaningful, taking time away from school-related matters. Other duties that were not explicitly expected - promoting general health and creating safety zones for pupils, teachers and parents, for example - were nonetheless perceived as meaningful. Collaboration within PH teams was considered meaningful, comprehensible and manageable only if the objectives of the team meetings were clear, if other professionals were available and if professional roles on the team were clearly communicated. The SNs reported a lack of clarity regarding their role in PH and its implementation in schools, indicating that professionals in PH teams need to discuss collaboration so as to find their niche given the new conditions. SOC theory emerged as a useful framework for discussing concrete work-related factors in the school environment. © 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.

The control of meal size in human subjects: a role for expected satiety, expected satiation and premeal planning.

PubMed

Brunstrom, Jeffrey M

2011-05-01

Unlike energy expenditure, energy intake occurs during discrete events: snacks and meals. The prevailing view is that meal size is governed by physiological and psychological events that promote satiation towards the end of a meal. This review explores an alternative and perhaps controversial proposition. Specifically that satiation plays a secondary role, and that meal size (kJ) is controlled by decisions about portion size, before a meal begins. Recently, techniques have been developed that enable us to quantify 'expected satiation' and 'expected satiety' (respectively, the fullness and the respite from hunger that foods are expected to confer). When compared on a kJ-for-kJ basis, these expectations differ markedly across foods. Moreover, in self-selected meals, these measures are remarkably good predictors of the energy content of food that ends up on our plate, even more important than palatability. Expected satiation and expected satiety are influenced by the physical characteristics of a food (e.g. perceived volume). However, they are also learned. Indeed, there is now mounting evidence for 'expected-satiation drift', a general tendency for a food to have higher expected satiation as it increases in familiarity. Together, these findings show that important elements of control (discrimination and learning/adaptation) are clearly evident in plans around portion size. Since most meals are eaten in their entirety, understanding the nature of these controls should be given high priority.

Predicting gambling problems from gambling outcome expectancies in college student-athletes.

PubMed

St-Pierre, Renée A; Temcheff, Caroline E; Gupta, Rina; Derevensky, Jeffrey; Paskus, Thomas S

2014-03-01

While previous research has suggested the potential importance of gambling outcome expectancies in determining gambling behaviour among adolescents, the predictive ability of gambling outcome expectancies has not yet been clearly delineated for college-aged youth. The current study aims to explore the relationships between gender and outcome expectancies in the prediction of gambling severity among college student-athletes. Data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) study assessing gambling behaviours and problems among U.S. college student-athletes were utilized. Complete data was available for 7,517 student-athletes. As expected, male college student-athletes reported more gambling participation as well as greater gambling problems than their female counterparts. Findings showed positive relationships between the outcome expectancies of financial gain, and negative emotional impacts and gambling problems. That is, those who endorsed more items on the outcome expectancy scales for financial gain and negative emotional impacts also tended to endorse more gambling-related problems. Findings also showed a negative relationship between outcome expectancies of fun and enjoyment, and gambling problems over and above the variance accounted for by gender. Those with gambling problems were less likely to have the expectation that gambling would be fun than those without gambling problems. Despite NCAA efforts to curb gambling activity, the results suggest that college student-athletes are at risk for over-involvement in gambling. Therefore, it is important to explore gambling outcome expectancies within this group since the motivations and reasons for gambling might be able to inform treatment initiatives.

Treatment expectations of men with ED and their female partners: an exploratory qualitative study based on grounded theory.

PubMed

Henninger, S; Höhn, C; Leiber, C; Berner, M M

2015-01-01

Erectile dysfunction (ED) can impair the quality of life and the relationship. An early treatment is necessary to avoid the development of comorbid complaints. To arise the help-seeking behavior and to improve the treatment of affected men, it is necessary to be aware of the treatment expectations. The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment expectations of men with ED and their female partners. This is an explorative qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews with 12 men with ED and their female partners. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed and analyzed on the basis of the grounded theory. We could identify various treatment expectations, which could be differentiated into expectations according to the conditions (for example, low costs and an early access), the handling of the practitioner (for example, showing interest and taking the patient seriously or incorporate the female partner), the treatment itself (for example, clearing the causes and helpful medication) and the treatment outcome (for example, having no ED and more sexual desire). Considering the identified expectations could increase treatment motivation and compliance. We derive five theses from our data, how to implement our findings.

Role-player expectations regarding the education of nursing research.

PubMed

Zeelie, S C; Bornman, J E; Botes, A C

2003-12-01

This article reports on role player expectations regarding the education of nursing research. The importance of the role player expectations are two-fold: firstly as a factor in the external environment influencing and guiding the formulation phase of the development of standards and secondly, due to the clear indications of problems regarding nursing research in the nursing profession in literature. The role player expectations were elicited using a qualitative, exploratory and contextual design. The role player population included nurse educators, nurses in managerial, clinical and research positions, students and the medical profession. The data was gathered using the naïve sketches and qualitative data analysis was done using Morse & Field's approach (1996:103-107) in combination with Tesch's data analysis approach as cited by Creswell (1994:154-156). Sixty initial categories were narrowed down to six final categories, which are the research learning programme, personnel, students, departmental policies, funding and support systems. The role player expectations were elicited as part of a research study aiming tot develop a self-evaluation system for quality assurance in nursing research and as such, the role player expectations plays a pivotal role in the development of standards for the self-evaluation system.

Locating the Coaching Process in Practice: Models "for" and "of" Coaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cushion, Christopher J.; Armour, Kathleen M.; Jones, Robyn L.

2006-01-01

Background: Despite an increasing recognition of the existence of a process of coaching, and a resulting increase in research activity, there remains a lack of a clear conceptual base for sports coaching. This situation has left coaching without a clear set of concepts and principles that reflect coaching practice. Purpose: The aim of this paper…

78 FR 42579 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-16

... Change Regarding a Change to Interest Rate Swap Margin Calculation Parameters July 10, 2013. Pursuant to... Interest Rate Swap Margin Parameters Please be advised that beginning 7/15/2013, CME Clearing will utilize a revised set of parameters for the margining of CME cleared Interest Rate Swap Products. The...

The CLEAR[TM] Problem-Solving Model: Discovering Strengths and Solutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehler, Nancy; Seger, Vikki

2011-01-01

This article introduces a unique team approach to planning and positive behavior support. The young person becomes a key participant in solving problems and setting goals for growth. The CLEAR Team Problem Solving model shifts the focus from deficits to strengths and solutions. The goal is to identify how a child's private logic and interpersonal…

AMTA Monograph Series. Effective Clinical Practice in Music Therapy Medical Music Therapy for Pediatrics in Hospital Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Music Therapy Association, 2008

2008-01-01

The impact of hospitalization on children and their families is becoming more clearly understood in today's changing healthcare environment. Pediatric inpatient services are focused on children with more critical illnesses, shorter hospital stays, and a culture of family-centered care. This publication clearly exemplifies the role of music…

Theoretical and Empirical Base for Implementation Components of Health-Promoting Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samdal, Oddrun; Rowling, Louise

2011-01-01

Purpose: Efforts to create a scientific base for the health-promoting school approach have so far not articulated a clear "Science of Delivery". There is thus a need for systematic identification of clearly operationalised implementation components. To address a next step in the refinement of the health-promoting schools' work, this paper sets out…

World-Class Ambitions, Weak Standards: An Excerpt from "The State of State Science Standards 2012"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Educator, 2012

2012-01-01

A solid science education program begins by clearly establishing what well-educated youngsters need to learn about this multifaceted domain of human knowledge. The first crucial step is setting clear academic standards for the schools--standards that not only articulate the critical science content students need to learn, but that also properly…

75 FR 7301 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-18

... difference is that the Exchange used clearing firm floating monthly rate information for the month of... account changes in clearing firm floating monthly rates for the month of February 2010. The Exchange... fees are currently set at the indicative lease rate (as defined below) for January 2010. The Exchange...

75 FR 18934 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-13

... fees are currently set at the indicative lease rate \\4\\ for March 2010. The Exchange proposes to adjust... access fees at the indicative lease rate, the Exchange proposes to revise both the Temporary Member....27(b) as the highest clearing firm floating monthly rate of the CBOE Clearing Members that assist in...

75 FR 3951 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-25

... difference is that the Exchange used clearing firm floating monthly rate information for the month of January... changes in clearing firm floating monthly rates for the month of January 2010. The Exchange believes that... fees are currently set at the indicative lease rate (as defined below) for December 2009. The Exchange...

A generalized memory test algorithm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milner, E. J.

1982-01-01

A general algorithm for testing digital computer memory is presented. The test checks that (1) every bit can be cleared and set in each memory work, and (2) bits are not erroneously cleared and/or set elsewhere in memory at the same time. The algorithm can be applied to any size memory block and any size memory word. It is concise and efficient, requiring the very few cycles through memory. For example, a test of 16-bit-word-size memory requries only 384 cycles through memory. Approximately 15 seconds were required to test a 32K block of such memory, using a microcomputer having a cycle time of 133 nanoseconds.

Does food complexity have a role in eliciting expectations of satiating capacity?

PubMed

Marcano, Johanna; Morales, Diana; Vélez-Ruiz, Jorge F; Fiszman, Susana

2015-09-01

New strategies for formulating healthy, balanced food with enhanced expected satiating capacity are a hot topic. The present work tests the hypothesis that adding complexity to food will result in higher expectations of satiating capacity. Different kinds of "visible" particles (wheat bran, ground coconut, flaxseeds and oat meal) were added to cheese pies with the aim of increasing the complexity of both their appearance and their texture. Two more basic recipes were also prepared with no particles added. Instrumental texture measurements, complexity and expected satiating capacity consumer scoring and sensory profiling of the six pie formulations were performed. In addition, the consumers were asked to write down the characteristics they took into account in their pie complexity scores. For pies with very similar instrumental TPA hardness and resistance to penetration values, a clear trend that emerged was that the more complex the texture, the higher the satiating capacity expectations. The qualitative analysis of the terms mentioned by consumers was of great value for understanding the concepts underlying the appraisal of the samples' complexity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CHAMELEON AUTOMATED RESIDENTIAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

EPA Science Inventory

The expected output of the project will be an experimentally determined Chameleon specification. The expected outcomes will include 1) a set of guidelines for implementing Chameleon in residential structures from both a retrofit and original design perspective and 2) a cost a...

An effective attentional set for a specific colour does not prevent capture by infrequently presented motion distractors.

PubMed

Retell, James D; Becker, Stefanie I; Remington, Roger W

2016-01-01

An organism's survival depends on the ability to rapidly orient attention to unanticipated events in the world. Yet, the conditions needed to elicit such involuntary capture remain in doubt. Especially puzzling are spatial cueing experiments, which have consistently shown that involuntary shifts of attention to highly salient distractors are not determined by stimulus properties, but instead are contingent on attentional control settings induced by task demands. Do we always need to be set for an event to be captured by it, or is there a class of events that draw attention involuntarily even when unconnected to task goals? Recent results suggest that a task-irrelevant event will capture attention on first presentation, suggesting that salient stimuli that violate contextual expectations might automatically capture attention. Here, we investigated the role of contextual expectation by examining whether an irrelevant motion cue that was presented only rarely (∼3-6% of trials) would capture attention when observers had an active set for a specific target colour. The motion cue had no effect when presented frequently, but when rare produced a pattern of interference consistent with attentional capture. The critical dependence on the frequency with which the irrelevant motion singleton was presented is consistent with early theories of involuntary orienting to novel stimuli. We suggest that attention will be captured by salient stimuli that violate expectations, whereas top-down goals appear to modulate capture by stimuli that broadly conform to contextual expectations.

Single-Sex Teaching and Achievement in Science. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, W. P.; Gillibrand, E.

2004-01-01

The primary purpose was to investigate the efficacy of a full year of single-sex (SS) teaching of science. The secondary aims were to locate any differentiation by set and gender, and to relate these to more proximal variables. Participants were 13 year olds. Higher set girls gave evidence of clear benefits overall, and higher set boys also,…

Estimators for Two Measures of Association for Set Correlation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Jacob; Nee, John C. M.

1984-01-01

Two measures of association between sets of variables have been proposed for set correlation: the proportion of generalized variance, and the proportion of additionive variance. Because these measures are strongly positively biased, approximate expected values and estimators of these measures are derived and checked. (Author/BW)

40 CFR 1066.270 - Unloaded coastdown verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... manufacturer. (2) With the dynamometer in coastdown mode, set the dynamometer inertia for the smallest vehicle... with the dynamometer inertia set for the largest vehicle weight that you expect to test. (4) Determine the average coastdown force, F, for each speed and inertia setting using the following equation...

40 CFR 1066.270 - Unloaded coastdown verification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... manufacturer. (2) With the dynamometer in coastdown mode, set the dynamometer inertia for the smallest vehicle... with the dynamometer inertia set for the largest vehicle weight that you expect to test. (4) Determine the average coastdown force, F, for each speed and inertia setting using the following equation...

Three-input gate logic circuits on chemically assembled single-electron transistors with organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers

PubMed Central

Majima, Yutaka; Hackenberger, Guillaume; Azuma, Yasuo; Kano, Shinya; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; Susaki, Tomofumi; Sakamoto, Masanori; Teranishi, Toshiharu

2017-01-01

Abstract Single-electron transistors (SETs) are sub-10-nm scale electronic devices based on conductive Coulomb islands sandwiched between double-barrier tunneling barriers. Chemically assembled SETs with alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticles show highly stable Coulomb diamonds and two-input logic operations. The combination of bottom-up and top-down processes used to form the passivation layer is vital for realizing multi-gate chemically assembled SET circuits, as this combination enables us to connect conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies via planar processes. Here, three-input gate exclusive-OR (XOR) logic operations are demonstrated in passivated chemically assembled SETs. The passivation layer is a hybrid bilayer of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and pulsed laser deposited (PLD) aluminum oxide (AlOx), and top-gate electrodes were prepared on the hybrid passivation layers. Top and two-side-gated SETs showed clear Coulomb oscillation and diamonds for each of the three available gates, and three-input gate XOR logic operation was clearly demonstrated. These results show the potential of chemically assembled SETs to work as logic devices with multi-gate inputs using organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers. PMID:28634499

Three-input gate logic circuits on chemically assembled single-electron transistors with organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

PubMed

Majima, Yutaka; Hackenberger, Guillaume; Azuma, Yasuo; Kano, Shinya; Matsuzaki, Kosuke; Susaki, Tomofumi; Sakamoto, Masanori; Teranishi, Toshiharu

2017-01-01

Single-electron transistors (SETs) are sub-10-nm scale electronic devices based on conductive Coulomb islands sandwiched between double-barrier tunneling barriers. Chemically assembled SETs with alkanethiol-protected Au nanoparticles show highly stable Coulomb diamonds and two-input logic operations. The combination of bottom-up and top-down processes used to form the passivation layer is vital for realizing multi-gate chemically assembled SET circuits, as this combination enables us to connect conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies via planar processes. Here, three-input gate exclusive-OR (XOR) logic operations are demonstrated in passivated chemically assembled SETs. The passivation layer is a hybrid bilayer of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and pulsed laser deposited (PLD) aluminum oxide (AlO[Formula: see text]), and top-gate electrodes were prepared on the hybrid passivation layers. Top and two-side-gated SETs showed clear Coulomb oscillation and diamonds for each of the three available gates, and three-input gate XOR logic operation was clearly demonstrated. These results show the potential of chemically assembled SETs to work as logic devices with multi-gate inputs using organic and inorganic hybrid passivation layers.

Questioning the Relevance of Model-Based Probability Statements on Extreme Weather and Future Climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, L. A.

2007-12-01

We question the relevance of climate-model based Bayesian (or other) probability statements for decision support and impact assessment on spatial scales less than continental and temporal averages less than seasonal. Scientific assessment of higher resolution space and time scale information is urgently needed, given the commercial availability of "products" at high spatiotemporal resolution, their provision by nationally funded agencies for use both in industry decision making and governmental policy support, and their presentation to the public as matters of fact. Specifically we seek to establish necessary conditions for probability forecasts (projections conditioned on a model structure and a forcing scenario) to be taken seriously as reflecting the probability of future real-world events. We illustrate how risk management can profitably employ imperfect models of complicated chaotic systems, following NASA's study of near-Earth PHOs (Potentially Hazardous Objects). Our climate models will never be perfect, nevertheless the space and time scales on which they provide decision- support relevant information is expected to improve with the models themselves. Our aim is to establish a set of baselines of internal consistency; these are merely necessary conditions (not sufficient conditions) that physics based state-of-the-art models are expected to pass if their output is to be judged decision support relevant. Probabilistic Similarity is proposed as one goal which can be obtained even when our models are not empirically adequate. In short, probabilistic similarity requires that, given inputs similar to today's empirical observations and observational uncertainties, we expect future models to produce similar forecast distributions. Expert opinion on the space and time scales on which we might reasonably expect probabilistic similarity may prove of much greater utility than expert elicitation of uncertainty in parameter values in a model that is not empirically adequate; this may help to explain the reluctance of experts to provide information on "parameter uncertainty." Probability statements about the real world are always conditioned on some information set; they may well be conditioned on "False" making them of little value to a rational decision maker. In other instances, they may be conditioned on physical assumptions not held by any of the modellers whose model output is being cast as a probability distribution. Our models will improve a great deal in the next decades, and our insight into the likely climate fifty years hence will improve: maintaining the credibility of the science and the coherence of science based decision support, as our models improve, require a clear statement of our current limitations. What evidence do we have that today's state-of-the-art models provide decision-relevant probability forecasts? What space and time scales do we currently have quantitative, decision-relevant information on for 2050? 2080?

Sky island diversification meets the multispecies coalescent - divergence in the spruce-fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga, Araneae, Mygalomorphae) on the highest peaks of southern Appalachia.

PubMed

Hedin, Marshal; Carlson, Dave; Coyle, Fred

2015-07-01

Microhexura montivaga is a miniature tarantula-like spider endemic to the highest peaks of the southern Appalachian mountains and is known only from six allopatric, highly disjunct montane populations. Because of severe declines in spruce-fir forest in the late 20th century, M. montivaga was formally listed as a US federally endangered species in 1995. Using DNA sequence data from one mitochondrial and seven nuclear genes, patterns of multigenic genetic divergence were assessed for six montane populations. Independent mitochondrial and nuclear discovery analyses reveal obvious genetic fragmentation both within and among montane populations, with five to seven primary genetic lineages recovered. Multispecies coalescent validation analyses [guide tree and unguided Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BPP), Bayes factor delimitation (BFD)] using nuclear-only data congruently recover six or seven distinct lineages; BFD analyses using combined nuclear plus mitochondrial data favour seven or eight lineages. In stark contrast to this clear genetic fragmentation, a survey of secondary sexual features for available males indicates morphological conservatism across montane populations. While it is certainly possible that morphologically cryptic speciation has occurred in this taxon, this system may alternatively represent a case where extreme population genetic structuring (but not speciation) leads to an oversplitting of lineage diversity by multispecies coalescent methods. Our results have clear conservation implications for this federally endangered taxon and illustrate a methodological issue expected to become more common as genomic-scale data sets are gathered for taxa found in naturally fragmented habitats. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health reform: setting the agenda for long term care.

PubMed

Hatch, O G; Wofford, H; Willging, P R; Pomeroy, E

1993-06-01

The White House Task Force on National Health Care Reform, headed by First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, is expected to release its prescription for health care reform this month. From the outset, Clinton's mandate was clear: to provide universal coverage while reining in costs for delivering quality health care. Before President Clinton was even sworn into office, he had outlined the major principles that would shape the health reform debate. Global budgeting would establish limits on all health care expenditures, thereby containing health costs. Under a system of managed competition, employers would form health alliances for consumers to negotiate for cost-effective health care at the community level. So far, a basic approach to health care reform has emerged. A key element is universal coverage--with an emphasis on acute, preventive, and mental health care. Other likely pieces are employer-employee contributions to health care plans, laws that guarantee continued coverage if an individual changes jobs or becomes ill, and health insurance alliances that would help assure individual access to low-cost health care. What still is not clear is the extent to which long term care will be included in the basic benefits package. A confidential report circulated by the task force last month includes four options for long term care: incremental Medicaid reform; a new federal/state program to replace Medicaid; a social insurance program for home and community-based services; or full social insurance for long term care. Some work group members have identified an additional option: prefunded long term care insurance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Development and validation of the Comprehensive Indoor Tanning Expectations Scale.

PubMed

Noar, Seth M; Myrick, Jessica Gall; Morales-Pico, Brenda; Thomas, Nancy E

2014-05-01

Strong links between indoor tanning behavior and skin cancer have been demonstrated across several studies. Understanding the complex belief systems that underlie indoor tanning in young women is a crucial first step in developing interventions to deter this behavior. To develop and validate a comprehensive, multidimensional, theory-based outcome expectations measure to advance an understanding of the sets of beliefs that underlie indoor tanning behavior among young women. Cross-sectional study comprising a web-based survey of 11 sororities at a large university in the southeastern United States. Study participants (n = 706) were aged 18 to 25 years; 45.3% had tanned indoors in their lifetime and 30.3% in the past year. Intention to tan indoors, frequency of indoor tanning behavior in the past year, and indoor tanner type (nontanner, former tanner, or current tanner). A comprehensive scale assessing indoor tanning outcome expectations was developed. In total, 6 positive outcome expectations factors and 5 negative outcome expectations factors were identified. These subscales were reliable (coefficient α range, 0.86-0.95) and were significantly (mostly at P < .001) correlated with a set of established measures, including appearance motivation, indoor tanning attitudes and norms, and intention to tan indoors. Examination of subscales across the 3 indoor tanning groups also revealed significant (P < .001) differences on all 11 subscales. Current tanners had the most positive and least negative perceptions about indoor tanning, while nontanners had the most negative and least positive perceptions. Former tanners tended to fall in between these 2 groups. The 2 subscales with the largest differences across the groups were mood enhancement (positive outcome expectation) and psychological/physical discomfort (negative outcome expectation). Multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated several outcome expectations subscales to be significantly associated with intention to tan indoors and frequency of indoor tanning behavior. Results suggest that the Comprehensive Indoor Tanning Expectations (CITE) Scale provides a reliable and valid assessment of the complex sets of beliefs that underlie indoor tanning, including positive (motivational) and negative (deterrent) beliefs. This new scale may further advance research on indoor tanning beliefs and can guide health communications to prevent and deter indoor tanning behavior.

New insights from a statistical analysis of IUE spectra of dwarf novae and nova-like stars. I - Inclination effects in lines and continua

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

La Dous, Constanze

1991-01-01

IUE observations of dwarf novae at maximum at quiescence and novalike objects at the high brightness state are analyzed for effects of the inclination angle on the emitted continuum and line radiation. A clear pattern in the continuum flux distribution is exhibited only by dwarf novae at maximum where some 80 percent of the non-double-eclipsing systems show essentially identical distributions. This result is not in disagreement with theoretical expectations. All classes of objects exhibit a clear, but in each case different, dependence of the line radiation on the inclination angle.

78 FR 72475 - Derivatives Clearing Organizations and International Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-02

... principles set forth in the Commodity Exchange Act (``CEA'') for systemically important DCOs (``SIDCOs'') and... all DCOs, which are set forth in the Commission's DCO regulations on compliance with core principles... are consistent with the Principles for Financial Market Infrastructures (``PFMIs'') published by the...

How to implement a fracture liaison service

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The case for Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) for the prevention of secondary fractures is clear. With an ageing population, the burden of osteoporosis is set to increase. Despite evidence for the clinical effectiveness of secondary fracture prevention, translation in the real world setting remains di...

Limited capacity for contour curvature in iconic memory.

PubMed

Sakai, Koji

2006-06-01

We measured the difference threshold for contour curvature in iconic memory by using the cued discrimination method. The study stimulus consisting of 2 to 6 curved contours was briefly presented in the fovea, followed by two lines as cues. Subjects discriminated the curvature of two cued curves. The cue delays were 0 msec. and 300 msec. in Exps. 1 and 2, respectively, and 50 msec. before the study offset in Exp. 3. Analysis of data from Exps. 1 and 2 showed that the Weber fraction rose monotonically with the increase in set size. Clear set-size effects indicate that iconic memory has a limited capacity. Moreover, clear set-size effect in Exp. 3 indicates that perception itself has a limited capacity. Larger set-size effects in Exp. 1 than in Exp. 3 suggest that iconic memory after perceptual process has limited capacity. These properties of iconic memory at threshold level are contradictory to the traditional view that iconic memory has a high capacity both at suprathreshold and categorical levels.

Supervising Athletic Trainers' Perceptions of Professional Socialization of Graduate Assistant Athletic Trainers in the Collegiate Setting

PubMed Central

Thrasher, Ashley B.; Walker, Stacy E.; Hankemeier, Dorice A.; Pitney, William A.

2015-01-01

Context: Many newly credentialed athletic trainers gain initial employment as graduate assistants (GAs) in the collegiate setting, yet their socialization into their role is unknown. Exploring the socialization process of GAs in the collegiate setting could provide insight into how that process occurs. Objective: To explore the professional socialization of GAs in the collegiate setting to determine how GAs are socialized and developed as athletic trainers. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Individual phone interviews. Patients or Other Participants: Athletic trainers (N = 21) who had supervised GAs in the collegiate setting for a minimum of 8 years (16 men [76%], 5 women [24%]; years of supervision experience = 14.6 ± 6.6). Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected via phone interviews, which were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by a 4-person consensus team with a consensual qualitative-research design. The team independently coded the data and compared ideas until a consensus was reached, and a codebook was created. Trustworthiness was established through member checks and multianalyst triangulation. Results: Four themes emerged: (1) role orientation, (2) professional development and support, (3) role expectations, and (4) success. Role orientation occurred both formally (eg, review of policies and procedures) and informally (eg, immediate role immersion). Professional development and support consisted of the supervisor mentoring and intervening when appropriate. Role expectations included decision-making ability, independent practice, and professionalism; however, supervisors often expected GAs to function as experienced, full-time staff. Success of the GAs depended on their adaptability and on the proper selection of GAs by supervisors. Conclusions: Supervisors socialize GAs into the collegiate setting by providing orientation, professional development, mentoring, and intervention when necessary. Supervisors are encouraged to use these socialization tactics to enhance the professional development of GAs in the collegiate setting. PMID:25347237

[Influence of Nurses' Self-leadership on Individual and Team Members' Work Role Performance].

PubMed

Kim, Se Young; Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Byungsoo; Lee, Eunpyo

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine correlations between nurses' self-leadership and individual work role performance and correlations between self-leadership in nursing units and team members' work role performance. Participants were 202 conveniently selected general nurses from 5 general hospitals in Korea. The study was carried out on 35 nursing units. Data were collected during February 2015 with self-report questionnaires. For factors affecting individual work role performance, self-expectation, self-goal setting, constructive thought, clinical career in the present nursing unit and marital status accounted for 44.0% of proficiency, while self-expectation, self-goal setting, constructive thought, and marital status accounted for 42.3% of adaptivity. Self-expectation, self-goal setting, constructive thought, self-reward, clinical career in the present nursing unit and position accounted for 26.4% of proactivity. In terms of team members' work role performance, self-reward and self-expectation in nursing units explained 29.0% of team members' proficiency. Self-reward and self-expectation in nursing units explained 31.6% of team members' adaptivity, and self-reward in nursing units explained 16.8% of team members' proactivity. The results confirm that nurses' self-leadership affects not only individual self-leadership but also team members' work role performance. Accordingly, to improve nurses' work role performance in nursing units of nursing organizations, improvement in nursing environment based on self-leadership education is necessary and nurses' tasks rearranged so they can appreciate work-autonomy and challenges of work.

Expected Number of Passes in a Binary Search Scheme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tenenbein, Aaron

1974-01-01

The binary search scheme is a method of finding a particular file from a set of ordered files stored in a computer. In this article an exact expression for the expected number of passes required to find a file is derived. (Author)

Centenarian Rates and Life Expectancy Related to the Death Rates of Multiple Sclerosis, Asthma, and Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in Children.

PubMed

Lens-Pechakova, Lilia S

2016-02-01

The autoimmune diseases are among the 10 leading causes of death for women and the number two cause of chronic illness in America as well as a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Patients of some autoimmune diseases have shown a shorter life span and are a model of accelerated immunosenescence. Conversely, centenarians are used as a model of successful aging and have shown several immune parameters that are better preserved and lower levels of autoantibodies. The study reported here focused on clarifying the connection between longevity and some autoimmune and allergic diseases in 29 developed Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, because multidisciplinary analyses of the accelerated or delayed aging data could show a distinct relationship pattern, help to identify common factors, and determine new important factors that contribute to longevity and healthy aging. The relationships between the mortality rates data of multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), asthma, the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) from one side and centenarian rates (two sets) as well as life expectancy data from the other side were assessed using regression models and Pearson correlation coefficients. The data obtained correspond to an inverse linear correlation with different degrees of linearity. This is the first observation of a clear tendency of diminishing centenarian rates or life expectancy in countries having higher death rates of asthma, MS, and RA and a higher incidence of T1D in children. The conclusion is that most probably there are common mechanistic pathways and factors affecting the above diseases and at the same time but in the opposite direction the processes of longevity. Further study, comparing genetic data, mechanistic pathways, and other factors connected to autoimmune diseases with those of longevity could clarify the processes involved, so as to promote longevity and limit the expansion of those diseases in the younger and older population.

Multivariate Qst–Fst Comparisons: A Neutrality Test for the Evolution of the G Matrix in Structured Populations

PubMed Central

Martin, Guillaume; Chapuis, Elodie; Goudet, Jérôme

2008-01-01

Neutrality tests in quantitative genetics provide a statistical framework for the detection of selection on polygenic traits in wild populations. However, the existing method based on comparisons of divergence at neutral markers and quantitative traits (Qst–Fst) suffers from several limitations that hinder a clear interpretation of the results with typical empirical designs. In this article, we propose a multivariate extension of this neutrality test based on empirical estimates of the among-populations (D) and within-populations (G) covariance matrices by MANOVA. A simple pattern is expected under neutrality: D = 2Fst/(1 − Fst)G, so that neutrality implies both proportionality of the two matrices and a specific value of the proportionality coefficient. This pattern is tested using Flury's framework for matrix comparison [common principal-component (CPC) analysis], a well-known tool in G matrix evolution studies. We show the importance of using a Bartlett adjustment of the test for the small sample sizes typically found in empirical studies. We propose a dual test: (i) that the proportionality coefficient is not different from its neutral expectation [2Fst/(1 − Fst)] and (ii) that the MANOVA estimates of mean square matrices between and among populations are proportional. These two tests combined provide a more stringent test for neutrality than the classic Qst–Fst comparison and avoid several statistical problems. Extensive simulations of realistic empirical designs suggest that these tests correctly detect the expected pattern under neutrality and have enough power to efficiently detect mild to strong selection (homogeneous, heterogeneous, or mixed) when it is occurring on a set of traits. This method also provides a rigorous and quantitative framework for disentangling the effects of different selection regimes and of drift on the evolution of the G matrix. We discuss practical requirements for the proper application of our test in empirical studies and potential extensions. PMID:18245845

It's All about Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Principal Leadership, 2007

2007-01-01

Setting high expectations, promoting academic excellence, encouraging students to set their sights on postsecondary education--administrators and teachers are quite familiar with these ideas and their use within the school setting. Although each of these ideas is important to what secondary education is and should be, it is somehow hard to imagine…

Effect of mindfulness meditation on brain-computer interface performance.

PubMed

Tan, Lee-Fan; Dienes, Zoltan; Jansari, Ashok; Goh, Sing-Yau

2014-01-01

Electroencephalogram based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) enable stroke and motor neuron disease patients to communicate and control devices. Mindfulness meditation has been claimed to enhance metacognitive regulation. The current study explores whether mindfulness meditation training can thus improve the performance of BCI users. To eliminate the possibility of expectation of improvement influencing the results, we introduced a music training condition. A norming study found that both meditation and music interventions elicited clear expectations for improvement on the BCI task, with the strength of expectation being closely matched. In the main 12 week intervention study, seventy-six healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to three groups: a meditation training group; a music training group; and a no treatment control group. The mindfulness meditation training group obtained a significantly higher BCI accuracy compared to both the music training and no-treatment control groups after the intervention, indicating effects of meditation above and beyond expectancy effects. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

International survey on D-dimer test reporting: a call for standardization.

PubMed

Lippi, Giuseppe; Tripodi, Armando; Simundic, Ana-Maria; Favaloro, Emmanuel J

2015-04-01

D-dimer is the biochemical gold standard for diagnosing a variety of thrombotic disorders, but result reporting is heterogeneous in clinical laboratories. A specific five-item questionnaire was developed to gain a clear picture of the current standardization of D-dimer test results. The questionnaire was opened online (December 24, 2014-February 10, 2015) on the platform "Google Drive (Google Inc., Mountain View; CA)," and widely disseminated worldwide by newsletters and alerts. A total of 409 responses were obtained during the period of data capture, the largest of which were from Italy (136; 33%), Australia (55; 22%), Croatia (29; 7%), Serbia (26; 6%), and the United States (21; 5%). Most respondents belonged to laboratories in general hospitals (208; 51%), followed by laboratories in university hospitals (104; 26%), and the private sector (94; 23%). The majority of respondents (i.e., 246; 60%) indicated the use of fibrinogen equivalent unit for expressing D-dimer results, with significant heterogeneities across countries and health care settings. The highest prevalence of laboratories indicated they were using "ng/mL" (139; 34%), followed by "mg/L" (136; 33%), and "µg/L" (73; 18%), with significant heterogeneity across countries but not among different health care settings. Expectedly, the vast majority of laboratories (379; 93%) declared to be using a fixed cutoff rather than an age-adjusted threshold, with no significant heterogeneity across countries and health care settings. The results of this survey attest that at least 28 different combinations of measurement units are currently used to report D-dimer results worldwide, and this evidence underscores the urgent need for more effective international joined efforts aimed to promote a worldwide standardization of D-dimer results reporting. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Advanced Algorithms and High-Performance Testbed for Large-Scale Site Characterization and Subsurface Target Detecting Using Airborne Ground Penetrating SAR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fijany, Amir; Collier, James B.; Citak, Ari

1997-01-01

A team of US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District and Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, let Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Stanford Research Institute (SRI), and Montgomery Watson is currently in the process of planning and conducting the largest ever survey at the Former Buckley Field (60,000 acres), in Colorado, by using SRI airborne, ground penetrating, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The purpose of this survey is the detection of surface and subsurface Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and in a broader sense the site characterization for identification of contaminated as well as clear areas. In preparation for such a large-scale survey, JPL has been developing advanced algorithms and a high-performance restbed for processing of massive amount of expected SAR data from this site. Two key requirements of this project are the accuracy (in terms of UXO detection) and speed of SAR data processing. The first key feature of this testbed is a large degree of automation and a minimum degree of the need for human perception in the processing to achieve an acceptable processing rate of several hundred acres per day. For accurate UXO detection, novel algorithms have been developed and implemented. These algorithms analyze dual polarized (HH and VV) SAR data. They are based on the correlation of HH and VV SAR data and involve a rather large set of parameters for accurate detection of UXO. For each specific site, this set of parameters can be optimized by using ground truth data (i.e., known surface and subsurface UXOs). In this paper, we discuss these algorithms and their successful application for detection of surface and subsurface anti-tank mines by using a data set from Yuma proving Ground, A7, acquired by SRI SAR.

A multifactor analysis of fungal and bacterial community structure of the root microbiome of mature Populus deltoides trees

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

Shakya, Migun; Gottel, Neil R; Castro Gonzalez, Hector F

2013-01-01

Bacterial and fungal communities associated with plant roots are central to the host- health, survival and growth. However, a robust understanding of root-microbiome and the factors that drive host associated microbial community structure have remained elusive, especially in mature perennial plants from natural settings. Here, we investigated relationships of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere and root endosphere of the riparian tree species Populus deltoides, and the influence of soil parameters, environmental properties (host phenotype and aboveground environmental settings), host plant genotype (Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers), season (Spring vs. Fall) and geographic setting (at scales from regional watershedsmore » to local riparian zones) on microbial community structure. Each of the trees sampled displayed unique aspects to it s associated community structure with high numbers of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) specific to an individual trees (bacteria >90%, fungi >60%). Over the diverse conditions surveyed only a small number of OTUs were common to all samples within rhizosphere (35 bacterial and 4 fungal) and endosphere (1 bacterial and 1 fungal) microbiomes. As expected, Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were dominant in root communities (>50%) while other higher-level phylogenetic groups (Chytridiomycota, Acidobacteria) displayed greatly reduced abundance in endosphere compared to the rhizosphere. Variance partitioning partially explained differences in microbiome composition between all sampled roots on the basis of seasonal and soil properties (4% to 23%). While most variation remains unattributed, we observed significant differences in the microbiota between watersheds (Tennessee vs. North Carolina) and seasons (Spring vs. Fall). SSR markers clearly delineated two host populations associated with the samples taken in TN vs. NC, but overall genotypic distances did not have a significant effect on corresponding communities that could be separated from other measured effects.« less

A Multifactor Analysis of Fungal and Bacterial Community Structure in the Root Microbiome of Mature Populus deltoides Trees

PubMed Central

Shakya, Migun; Gottel, Neil; Castro, Hector; Yang, Zamin K.; Gunter, Lee; Labbé, Jessy; Muchero, Wellington; Bonito, Gregory; Vilgalys, Rytas; Tuskan, Gerald; Podar, Mircea; Schadt, Christopher W.

2013-01-01

Bacterial and fungal communities associated with plant roots are central to the host health, survival and growth. However, a robust understanding of the root-microbiome and the factors that drive host associated microbial community structure have remained elusive, especially in mature perennial plants from natural settings. Here, we investigated relationships of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere and root endosphere of the riparian tree species Populus deltoides, and the influence of soil parameters, environmental properties (host phenotype and aboveground environmental settings), host plant genotype (Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers), season (Spring vs. Fall) and geographic setting (at scales from regional watersheds to local riparian zones) on microbial community structure. Each of the trees sampled displayed unique aspects to its associated community structure with high numbers of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) specific to an individual trees (bacteria >90%, fungi >60%). Over the diverse conditions surveyed only a small number of OTUs were common to all samples within rhizosphere (35 bacterial and 4 fungal) and endosphere (1 bacterial and 1 fungal) microbiomes. As expected, Proteobacteria and Ascomycota were dominant in root communities (>50%) while other higher-level phylogenetic groups (Chytridiomycota, Acidobacteria) displayed greatly reduced abundance in endosphere compared to the rhizosphere. Variance partitioning partially explained differences in microbiome composition between all sampled roots on the basis of seasonal and soil properties (4% to 23%). While most variation remains unattributed, we observed significant differences in the microbiota between watersheds (Tennessee vs. North Carolina) and seasons (Spring vs. Fall). SSR markers clearly delineated two host populations associated with the samples taken in TN vs. NC, but overall host genotypic distances did not have a significant effect on corresponding communities that could be separated from other measured effects. PMID:24146861

Spine Tango registry data collection in a conservative spinal service: a feasibility study.

PubMed

Morris, Samuel; Booth, James; Hegarty, James

2016-09-01

The study reports the feasibility of implementing routine registry data collection and sustaining a high rate of data capture within a secondary care spinal osteopathy service, using the Spine Tango Conservative registry data collection tool (STC) with multiple patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Neck Disability Index (NDI), COMI Low Back Conservative, COMI Neck Conservative and EQ-5D-3L. Data collection rates were studied during the implementation of a registry data collection project from October 2011 to June 2015. The primary outcome was completion rate of PROMs and the STC, measured as a percentage of total expected data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to illustrate completion rates by year, age group, sex, region of spinal complaint, baseline ODI or NDI score and number of PROMs required to complete the data set. Data were collected on 349 patients. Overall data collection rates increased from 54.8 % in January-June 2012 to 90.4 % in January-June 2015. The percentage of fully completed data sets was lower in the patient group required to complete 4-5 PROMs at each data collection point (15.4 %) than it was in the patient group required to complete 2-3 PROMs (37.4 %). Other comparisons showed no clear patterns. Our analysis shows that a high rate of data capture can be sustained in a clinical setting using the STC and multiple PROMs. However, increasing the burden of data collection on patients and practitioners was associated with increased data loss. We describe measures taken to reduce data loss in the future and to increase the efficiency of the data collection project.

Professional relationships and power dynamics between urban community-based nurses and social work case managers: advocacy in action.

PubMed

Young, Staci

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore how community-based case managers interface with their clients' healthcare providers and other community organizations as a function within their advocacy efforts. Case managers previously defined advocacy as occurring at individual, organizational, and community levels. The relationships they attempt to develop and maintain are consistent with case management ideology, yet this is a complex process to ensure care for vulnerable populations with many medical and socioeconomic needs. Community-based case management settings. In-depth qualitative interviews with a total of 20 nurse and social work case managers working in public housing, university-affiliated community nursing centers, local parishes, and community ministry. The case managers in this study reflected on how they interface with their clients, other healthcare providers, and community organizations on behalf of their clients. They reflect on the importance of trust and communication to facilitate this process. The advocacy work of case managers is influenced by the setting, others' perceptions of their knowledge and expertise, and power dynamics. Their ability to effectively advocate is greatly influenced by the strength of the relationships they forge. Advocacy for vulnerable clients is influenced by the existing relationship between case managers and their clients' healthcare providers. Case managers need to be persistent in their interactions with other providers to ensure that their clients have access to valuable community resources. Clear lines of communication should be established between case managers so that there is clarity around roles and expectations in service provision. Case managers should also participate in the mentoring of future health professions students so they may learn the application of advocacy work in community settings.

Impact and management of dual relationships in metropolitan, regional and rural mental health practice.

PubMed

Endacott, Ruth; Wood, Anita; Judd, Fiona; Hulbert, Carol; Thomas, Ben; Grigg, Margaret

2006-01-01

To explore the extent and impact of professional boundary crossings in metropolitan, regional and rural mental health practice in Victoria and identify strategies mental health clinicians use to manage dual relationships. Nine geographically located focus groups consisting of mental health clinicians: four focus groups in rural settings; three in a regional city and two in a metropolitan mental health service. A total of 52 participants were interviewed. Data revealed that professional boundaries were frequently breached in regional and rural settings and on occasions these breaches had a significantly negative impact. Factors influencing the impact were: longevity of the clinician's relationship with the community, expectations of the community, exposure to community 'gossip' and size of the community. Participants reported greater stress when the boundary crossing affected their partner and/or children. Clinicians used a range of proactive and reactive strategies, such as private telephone number, avoidance of social community activities, when faced with a potential boundary crossing. The feasibility of reactive strategies depended on the service configuration: availability of an alternative case manager, requirement for either patient or clinician to travel. The greater challenges faced by rural and regional clinicians were validated by metropolitan participants with rural experience and rural participants with metropolitan experience. No single strategy is used or appropriate for managing dual relationships in rural settings. Employers and professional bodies should provide clearer guidance for clinicians both in the management of dual relationships and the distinction between boundary crossings and boundary violation. Clinicians are clearly seeking to represent and protect the patients' interests; consideration should be given by consumer groups to steps that can be taken by patients to reciprocate.

USL/DBMS NASA/PC R and D project C programming standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Moreau, Dennis R.

1984-01-01

A set of programming standards intended to promote reliability, readability, and portability of C programs written for PC research and development projects is established. These standards must be adhered to except where reasons for deviation are clearly identified and approved by the PC team. Any approved deviation from these standards must also be clearly documented in the pertinent source code.

Rough Set Theory based prognostication of life expectancy for terminally ill patients.

PubMed

Gil-Herrera, Eleazar; Yalcin, Ali; Tsalatsanis, Athanasios; Barnes, Laura E; Djulbegovic, Benjamin

2011-01-01

We present a novel knowledge discovery methodology that relies on Rough Set Theory to predict the life expectancy of terminally ill patients in an effort to improve the hospice referral process. Life expectancy prognostication is particularly valuable for terminally ill patients since it enables them and their families to initiate end-of-life discussions and choose the most desired management strategy for the remainder of their lives. We utilize retrospective data from 9105 patients to demonstrate the design and implementation details of a series of classifiers developed to identify potential hospice candidates. Preliminary results confirm the efficacy of the proposed methodology. We envision our work as a part of a comprehensive decision support system designed to assist terminally ill patients in making end-of-life care decisions.

Patient expectations of treatment for back pain: a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies.

PubMed

Verbeek, Jos; Sengers, Marie-José; Riemens, Linda; Haafkens, Joke

2004-10-15

A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative studies. To summarize evidence from studies among patients with low back pain on their expectations and satisfaction with treatment as part of practice guideline development. Patients are often dissatisfied with treatment for acute or chronic back pain. We searched the literature for studies on patient expectations and satisfaction with treatment for low back pain. Treatment aspects related to expectations or satisfaction were identified in qualitative studies. Percentages of dissatisfied patients were calculated from quantitative studies. Twelve qualitative and eight quantitative studies were found. Qualitative studies revealed the following aspects that patient expectation from treatment for back pain or with which they are dissatisfied. Patients want a clear diagnosis of the cause of their pain, information and instructions, pain relief, and a physical examination. Next, expectations are that there are more diagnostic tests, other therapy or referrals to specialists, and sickness certification. They expect confirmation from the healthcare provider that their pain is real. Like other patients, they want a confidence-based association that includes understanding, listening, respect, and being included in decision-making. The results from qualitative studies are confirmed by quantitative studies. Patients have explicit expectations on diagnosis, instructions, and interpersonal management. New strategies need to be developed in order to meet patients' expectations better. Practice guidelines should pay more attention to the best way of discussing the causes and diagnosis with the patient and should involve them in the decision-making process.

Goal setting: Eating, Physical activity & Weight loss

Cancer.gov

No matter what your weight loss goal is, the key to reaching your goals is to make changes to your lifestyle behaviors like eating and physical activity. This involves setting realistic expectations and making a plan.

Procedures for adjusting regional regression models of urban-runoff quality using local data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, A.B.; Sisolak, J.K.

1993-01-01

Statistical operations termed model-adjustment procedures (MAP?s) can be used to incorporate local data into existing regression models to improve the prediction of urban-runoff quality. Each MAP is a form of regression analysis in which the local data base is used as a calibration data set. Regression coefficients are determined from the local data base, and the resulting `adjusted? regression models can then be used to predict storm-runoff quality at unmonitored sites. The response variable in the regression analyses is the observed load or mean concentration of a constituent in storm runoff for a single storm. The set of explanatory variables used in the regression analyses is different for each MAP, but always includes the predicted value of load or mean concentration from a regional regression model. The four MAP?s examined in this study were: single-factor regression against the regional model prediction, P, (termed MAP-lF-P), regression against P,, (termed MAP-R-P), regression against P, and additional local variables (termed MAP-R-P+nV), and a weighted combination of P, and a local-regression prediction (termed MAP-W). The procedures were tested by means of split-sample analysis, using data from three cities included in the Nationwide Urban Runoff Program: Denver, Colorado; Bellevue, Washington; and Knoxville, Tennessee. The MAP that provided the greatest predictive accuracy for the verification data set differed among the three test data bases and among model types (MAP-W for Denver and Knoxville, MAP-lF-P and MAP-R-P for Bellevue load models, and MAP-R-P+nV for Bellevue concentration models) and, in many cases, was not clearly indicated by the values of standard error of estimate for the calibration data set. A scheme to guide MAP selection, based on exploratory data analysis of the calibration data set, is presented and tested. The MAP?s were tested for sensitivity to the size of a calibration data set. As expected, predictive accuracy of all MAP?s for the verification data set decreased as the calibration data-set size decreased, but predictive accuracy was not as sensitive for the MAP?s as it was for the local regression models.

A Study of Global Cirrus Cloud Morphology with AIRS Cloud-clear Radiances (CCRs)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Dong L.; Gong, Jie

2012-01-01

Version 6 (V6) AIRS cloud-clear radiances (CCR) are used to derive cloud-induced radiance (Tcir=Tb-CCR) at the infrared frequencies of weighting functions peaked in the middle troposphere. The significantly improved V 6 CCR product allows a more accurate estimation of the expected clear-sky radiance as if clouds are absent. In the case where strong cloud scattering is present, the CCR becomes unreliable, which is reflected by its estimated uncertainty, and interpolation is employed to replace this CCR value. We find that Tcir derived from this CCR method are much better than other methods and detect more clouds in the upper and lower troposphere as well as in the polar regions where cloud detection is particularly challenging. The cloud morphology derived from the V6 test month, as well as some artifacts, will be shown.

Relationships among Professionals' Knowledge, Experience, and Expectations Regarding Cochlear Implants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ben-Itzhak, D.; Most, T.; Weisel, A.

2005-01-01

The present study examined the relationships between teachers' and communication clinicians' self-reported knowledge on cochlear implants and their expectations of CIs. The authors also explored these professionals' views regarding the child's communication mode, educational setting, and social options following cochlear implantation. The…

The expected value of possession in professional rugby league match-play.

PubMed

Kempton, Thomas; Kennedy, Nicholas; Coutts, Aaron J

2016-01-01

This study estimated the expected point value for starting possessions in different field locations during rugby league match-play and calculated the mean expected points for each subsequent play during the possession. It also examined the origin of tries scored according to the method of gaining possession. Play-by-play data were taken from all 768 regular-season National Rugby League (NRL) matches during 2010-2013. A probabilistic model estimated the expected point outcome based on the net difference in points scored by a team in possession in a given situation. An iterative method was used to approximate the value of each situation based on actual scoring outcomes. Possessions commencing close to the opposition's goal-line had the highest expected point equity, which decreased as the location of the possession moved towards the team's own goal-line. Possessions following an opposition error, penalty or goal-line dropout had the highest likelihood of a try being scored on the set subsequent to their occurrence. In contrast, possessions that follow an opposition completed set or a restart were least likely to result in a try. The expected point values framework from our model has applications for informing playing strategy and assessing individual and team performance in professional rugby league.

On the relation of earthquake stress drop and ground motion variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oth, Adrien; Miyake, Hiroe; Bindi, Dino

2017-07-01

One of the key parameters for earthquake source physics is stress drop since it can be directly linked to the spectral level of ground motion. Stress drop estimates from moment corner frequency analysis have been shown to be extremely variable, and this to a much larger degree than expected from the between-event ground motion variability. This discrepancy raises the question whether classically determined stress drop variability is too large, which would have significant consequences for seismic hazard analysis. We use a large high-quality data set from Japan with well-studied stress drop data to address this issue. Nonparametric and parametric reference ground motion models are derived, and the relation of between-event residuals for Japan Meteorological Agency equivalent seismic intensity and peak ground acceleration with stress drop is analyzed for crustal earthquakes. We find a clear correlation of the between-event residuals with stress drops estimates; however, while the island of Kyushu is characterized by substantially larger stress drops than Honshu, the between-event residuals do not reflect this observation, leading to the appearance of two event families with different stress drop levels yet similar range of between-event residuals. Both the within-family and between-family stress drop variations are larger than expected from the ground motion between-event variability. A systematic common analysis of these parameters holds the potential to provide important constraints on the relative robustness of different groups of data in the different parameter spaces and to improve our understanding on how much of the observed source parameter variability is likely to be true source physics variability.

State anxiety modulates the return of fear.

PubMed

Kuhn, Manuel; Mertens, Gaetan; Lonsdorf, Tina B

2016-12-01

Current treatments for anxiety disorders are effective but limited by the high frequency of clinical relapse. Processes underlying relapse are thought to be experimentally modeled in fear conditioning experiments with return fear (ROF) inductions. Thereby reinstatement-induced ROF might be considered a model to study mechanisms underlying adversity-induced relapse. Previous studies have reported differential ROF (i.e. specific for the danger stimulus) but also generalized ROF (i.e. for safe and danger stimuli), but reasons for these divergent findings are not clear yet. Hence, the response pattern (i.e. differential or generalized) following reinstatement may be of importance for the prediction of risk or resilience for ROF. The aim of this study was to investigate state anxiety as a potential individual difference factor contributing to differentiability or generalization of return of fear. Thirty-six participants underwent instructed fear expression, extinction and ROF induction through reinstatement while physiological (skin conductance response, fear potentiated startle) and subjective measures of fear and US expectancy were acquired. Our data show that, as expected, high state anxious individuals show deficits in SCR discrimination between dangerous and safe cues after reinstatement induced ROF (i.e. generalization) as compared to low state anxious individuals. The ability to maintain discrimination under aversive circumstances is negatively associated with pathological anxiety and predictive of resilient responding while excessive generalization is a hallmark of anxiety disorders. Therefore, we suggest that experimentally induced ROF might prove useful in predicting relapse risk in clinical settings and might have implications for possible interventions for relapse prevention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intrathecal infusions for intractable cancer pain: A qualitative study of the impact on a case series of patients and caregivers

PubMed Central

Hawley, Philippa; Beddard-Huber, Elizabeth; Grose, Cameron; McDonald, William; Lobb, Daphne; Malysh, Louise

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: The need for intrathecal infusion in a palliative care setting is infrequent. Despite established efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness, this is considered an ‘extraordinary measure’ in Canada. Patients requiring this approach are not typical palliative care patients, having shorter and more uncertain life expectancies. OBJECTIVES: The present study is a qualitative exploration of the impact of intrathecal pump implantation on cancer patients, and also the impact of the intervention on the staff caring for those patients. METHODS: Palliative care unit patients who received an implanted intrathecal pump or dome catheter for intractable cancer pain participated in multiple semistructured interviews. Doctors and nurses caring for each patient were also interviewed. Interviews were recorded and analyzed for themes. The study terminated when saturation was reached. RESULTS: Six patients participated, with up to three interviews each. Twenty-four staff interviews took place. Patients’ hopes and expectations were not always fully met, but the infusions had a profound positive effect on quality of life. Patients expressed anxiety about dependence on the device, and also on a few highly skilled individuals. Staff interviews revealed a significant impact on the ‘culture’ of the palliative care unit. Clear communication of the rationale for infusion was very important, as was regular education about infusion management. CONCLUSIONS: Implanted intrathecal infusion devices are a necessary part of a tertiary level cancer pain management service for the unfortunate minority with intractable pain. Practical recommendations for care are made for palliative care programs contemplating offering intrathecal infusions. PMID:19862372

Enhancing OSCE preparedness with video exemplars in undergraduate nursing students. A mixed method study.

PubMed

Massey, D; Byrne, J; Higgins, N; Weeks, B; Shuker, M-A; Coyne, E; Mitchell, M; Johnston, A N B

2017-07-01

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) are designed to assess clinical skill performance and competency of students in preparation for 'real world' clinical responsibilities. OSCEs are commonly used in health professional education and are typically associated with high levels of student anxiety, which may present a significant barrier to performance. Students, including nursing students, have identified that flexible access to exemplar OSCEs might reduce their anxiety and enable them to better prepare for such examinations. To implement and evaluate an innovative approach to preparing students for OSCEs in an undergraduate (registration) acute care nursing course. A set of digitized OSCE exemplars were prepared and embedded in the University-based course website as part of usual course learning activities. Use of the exemplars was monitored, pre and post OSCE surveys were conducted, and qualitative data were collected to evaluate the approach. OSCE grades were also examined. The online OSCE exemplars increased self-rated student confidence, knowledge, and capacity to prepare and provided clarity around assessment expectations. OSCE exemplars were accessed frequently and positively received; but did not impact on performance. Video exemplars aid student preparation for OSCEs, providing a flexible, innovative and clear example of the assessment process. Video exemplars improved self-rated student confidence and understanding of performance expectations, leading to increased engagement and reduced anxiety when preparing for the OSCE, but not overall OSCE performance. Such OSCE exemplars could be used to increase staff capacity and improve the quality of the student learning experience. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pharmacological therapies, lifestyle choices and nitric oxide deficiency: a perfect storm.

PubMed

Bryan, Nathan S

2012-12-01

Over the past 10 years, despite a slight increase in life expectancy and a decrease in all causes of deaths, the percentage of the US population with heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and obesity has increased. So even though Americans are living longer, they are plagued by increasing incidences of morbidities. This trend is also reflective of the global population, where 17.3 million people died from cardiovascular disease in 2008, and an estimated 23.6 million are expected to die from this disease in 2030. Whereas access to medical care and management of certain diseases has improved, it is clear that the incidence and treatment of chronic disease has not kept pace. The discovery of nitric oxide (NO) production in the human body is a relatively new advancement of modern medicine. Unfortunately, NO is still not at the forefront of therapy. In the clinical setting, there are no standard laboratory diagnostics for NO status and no prescription therapies to safely and effectively restore NO homeostasis, despite being recognized as the earliest indicator for a number of different chronic diseases. This review will reveal how many modern therapies and western lifestyles actually lead to a decrease in NO homeostasis in patients, from pediatrics to geriatrics. The findings outlined here highlight why nitric oxide homeostasis should be accounted for and considered in the treatment of patients and in the development of new therapies. Understanding NO homeostasis in each patient and how treatments and procedures affect NO homeostasis should allow for better medical care and improved outcomes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On a Clear Day, You Can See ICS: The Dying Art of Incident Command and the Normal Accident of NIMS - A Policy Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

response in an effort to determine “What can be done better next time?” and “How do we prevent this from happening again?” One basic expectation that...effort to determine “What can be done better next time?” and “How do we prevent this from happening again?” One basic expectation that citizens have of...to determine “What can be done better next time?” and “How do we prevent this from happening again?” After the tragic events of September, 11, 2001

14 CFR 399.32 - Zone of limited suspension for domestic passenger fares.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Zone of limited suspension for domestic... and Tariffs § 399.32 Zone of limited suspension for domestic passenger fares. (a) Applicability. This... unreasonable except upon a clear showing of abuse of market power that the Board does not expect to be...

Identifying Configurations of Perceived Teacher Autonomy Support and Structure: Associations with Self-Regulated Learning, Motivation and Problem Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vansteenkiste, Maarten; Sierens, Eline; Goossens, Luc; Soenens, Bart; Dochy, Filip; Mouratidis, Athanasios; Aelterman, Nathalie; Haerens, Leen; Beyers, Wim

2012-01-01

Grounded in self-determination theory, the aim of this study was (a) to examine naturally occurring configurations of perceived teacher autonomy support and clear expectations (i.e., a central aspect of teacher structure), and (b) to investigate associations with academic motivation, self-regulated learning, and problem behavior. Based on…

Networked Governance in Three Policy Areas with Implications for the Common Core State Standards Initiative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manna, Paul

2010-01-01

Policy makers and researchers now recognize that designing effective institutions to govern policy networks is a major challenge of the 21st Century. Presently, the Common Core State Standards Initiative resembles an emerging network of organizations united around the goal of developing clear and challenging academic expectations for students in…

Contact with Parents in Japan: Effects on Opinions toward Gender and Intergenerational Roles.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rindfuss, Ronald R.; And Others

1992-01-01

Used data from national survey to examine extent to which contact with husband's and wife's parents affects opinions held by Japanese adults on gender roles, intergenerational relations, and socialization goals. Effect of living with parents was clear and expected. For those not residing with parents, frequency of contact had at best minimal…

Adolescent Contraceptive Use: Models, Research, and Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitley, Bernard E., Jr.; Schofield, Janet Ward

Both the career model and the decision model have been proposed to explain patterns of contraceptive use in teenagers. The career model views contraceptive use as a symbol of a woman's sexuality and implies a clear decision to be sexually active. The decision model is based on the subjective expected utility (SEU) theory which holds that people…

Anticipating Adolescence: How To Cope with Your Child's Emotional Upheaval and Forge a New Relationship Together.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabriel, H. Paul; Wool, Robert

Noting that with informed understanding, parents can prepare for and cope with their adolescents' profound internal turmoil, this book provides parents with a clear view of what to expect during their child's adolescence: the major biological and psychological developments of adolescence; the most significant social, sexual, and cultural…

Preparing Special Educators for Collaboration in the Classroom: Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton-Jones, Bethany M.; Vail, Cynthia O.

2014-01-01

Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and programs continues to be a focus in the international field of special education. In the USA where the history of inclusion is over three decades old, current special educator's professional standards clearly expect that certified special educators will enter the field…

Preparing Special Educators for Collaboration in the Classroom: Pre-Service Teachers' Beliefs and Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton-Jones, Bethany; Vail, Cynthia O.

2013-01-01

Inclusion of students with disabilities in general education classrooms and programs continues to be a focus in the international field of special education. In the USA where the history of inclusion is over three decades old, current special educator's professional standards clearly expect that certified special educators will enter the field…

Reducing Disruptive Behaviours and Improving Classroom Behavioural Climate with Class-Wide Positive Behaviour Support in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Närhi, Vesa; Kiiski, Tiina; Savolainen, Hannu

2017-01-01

Disruptive behaviour in classrooms is a significant challenge for learning in schools and a risk factor for students' academic achievement and a significant source of teachers' work-related stress. Earlier research shows that clear behavioural expectations, monitoring students' adherence to them and behaviour-specific praise are effective…

"Life Insurance" for Parents of Retarded Children, Adolescents and Adults: Short and Long Term Parent Counseling Techniques.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doernberg, Nanette L.

Counseling approaches for parents of young retarded children are reviewed. Guidelines are suggested for helping parents as they proceed through stages of protective denial (in which they need clear information about retardation), expectations of a cure (in which their attempts to further the child's development must be realistically balanced),…

Here Are the Traits that Separate the Boss Who Walks on Water . . . from the Boss Who's All Wet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ficklen, Ellen

1984-01-01

Discusses characteristics of good and bad bosses in school systems. Good bosses create a team spirit, show concern, fairness, and trust for their employees, and have demanding but clear expectations, though they allow for mistakes. Bad bosses are self-centered and either neglect or tyrannize their employees. (TE)

16 CFR 18.5 - Deception as to blooming, fruiting, or growing ability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... purchasers the ability of such products: (a) To bloom, flower, or fruit within a specified period of time; or... section, when flower bulbs are of such immaturity as not reasonably to be expected to bloom and flower the... flowers, they shall be tagged or labeled so as to clearly, adequately and conspicuously disclose such fact...

16 CFR 18.5 - Deception as to blooming, fruiting, or growing ability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... purchasers the ability of such products: (a) To bloom, flower, or fruit within a specified period of time; or... section, when flower bulbs are of such immaturity as not reasonably to be expected to bloom and flower the... flowers, they shall be tagged or labeled so as to clearly, adequately and conspicuously disclose such fact...

16 CFR 18.5 - Deception as to blooming, fruiting, or growing ability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... purchasers the ability of such products: (a) To bloom, flower, or fruit within a specified period of time; or... section, when flower bulbs are of such immaturity as not reasonably to be expected to bloom and flower the... flowers, they shall be tagged or labeled so as to clearly, adequately and conspicuously disclose such fact...

16 CFR 18.5 - Deception as to blooming, fruiting, or growing ability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... purchasers the ability of such products: (a) To bloom, flower, or fruit within a specified period of time; or... section, when flower bulbs are of such immaturity as not reasonably to be expected to bloom and flower the... flowers, they shall be tagged or labeled so as to clearly, adequately and conspicuously disclose such fact...

16 CFR 18.5 - Deception as to blooming, fruiting, or growing ability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... purchasers the ability of such products: (a) To bloom, flower, or fruit within a specified period of time; or... section, when flower bulbs are of such immaturity as not reasonably to be expected to bloom and flower the... flowers, they shall be tagged or labeled so as to clearly, adequately and conspicuously disclose such fact...

Developing a Content Strategy for an Academic Library Website

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakiston, Rebecca

2013-01-01

Academic library websites contain a vast amount of complex content and, all too often, there is a lack of established process for creating, updating, and deleting that content. There is no clear vision or purpose to the content, and numerous staff members are expected to maintain content with little guidance. Because of this, many library websites…

76 FR 20779 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; The Options Clearing Corporation; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... Change To Provide Legal Certainty for the Trading of Futures on the CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index April... CBOE Gold ETF Volatility Index (``GVZ Index''). II. Self-Regulatory Organization's Statement of the..., LLC (``CFE'') as an up-to-the-minute market estimate of the expected volatility of SPDR Gold Shares...

Connecting the Dots: Postsecondary's Role in Preparing K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, 2012

2012-01-01

For the first time in the nation's history 46 States and the District of Columbia have agreed that all K-12 students will be educated along a common continuum of high academic expectations known as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Having clear, consistent standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics will help ensure that all…

Exploring Primary School CLIL Perceptions in Catalonia: Students', Teachers' and Parents' Opinions and Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pladevall-Ballester, Elisabet

2015-01-01

Analysing participants' perceptions of a Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) experience is essential in order to provide a clear picture of whether CLIL is effectively implemented. This becomes extremely relevant in primary school contexts, where the way the different groups involved in an educational experience feel tends to be highly…

How large is large? Identifying large corporate ownerships in FIA datasets

Treesearch

Jesse Caputo; Brett Butler; Andy Hartsell

2017-01-01

Forest ownership size is a continuous variable, albeit one with a distinctly nonnormal distribution. Although large corporate forest ownerships are expected to differ in terms of behavior and objectives from smaller corporate ownerships, there is no clear and unambiguous means of defined these two ownership groups. We examined the distribution of the ownership size...

The True Story of Oral Communication Education in Alabama: A Case of Academic Discrimination?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emanuel, Richard

2016-01-01

Written communication and oral communication are inextricably linked as essential life skills and as desirable educational outcomes. However, there is a clear disconnect between what Alabama colleges expect of their graduates and what they are providing them in terms of oral communication education. The steps taken to develop the general studies…

Constructing School Knowledge after the Wall: The Case of Textbook Publishing in the Former German Democratic Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEneaney, Elizabeth H.; Nieswandt, Martina

2006-01-01

Organisational ecology and world cultural perspectives are used to analyse the struggle of the former East German textbook publisher Volk und Wissen after reunification. We argue that the normative expectations of Western Germany with respect to instructional materials clearly emulate world cultural principles, and so Volk und Wissen's transition…

Grade Expectations: More than Meets the Eye

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samad, Arshad Abd; bt Ahmad, Zamzam

2012-01-01

Raimes (1983) has identified nine components necessary to produce a piece of writing that is clear, fluent and effective. These are also the aspects that are considered when assessing writing. The common practice is to have raters score the essays and they are provided with a rating scale for this purpose. A training and practice session is also…

Turnaround Schools as a U-Turn for Student Achievement: The Rotary of School Reform Efforts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mette, Ian M.

2012-01-01

This case study presents data to support the notion that turnaround school policy can improve the efficiency of how traditionally low-performing schools function. The schools that were successful in implementing the UVA Turnaround Program training developed a clear understanding of the expectations for participating in the UVA Turnaround Program…

Accommodating Teachers' Attitudes towards New Educational Testing Paradigms through the OPENPAU Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia Laborda, Jesus; Gonzalez Such, Jose; Alvarez Alvarez, Alfredo

2015-01-01

Testing is an issue of increasing importance. While for many teachers language learning should be communicative; in fact, they expect their students to provide evidence of their knowledge. Thus, there is a clear mismatch on the approach to language teaching and language testing. As a consequence, there is an evident need change the testing…

Perspectives, trends, and forestry opportunities

Treesearch

Calvin F. Bey

1993-01-01

It is clear that our perspective, profession, society and approach to natural resource management has changed a lot over the last century and particularly over the last 30 years. We have adjusted to many changes and will be challenged to adjust to many more in the future. Understanding the global environmental perspective and expected trends should help us as we deal...

Having the AP Conversation: Why It's Time to Re-Evaluate Advanced Placement Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Roger

2010-01-01

Since its widespread emergence in the mid-1960s, the Advanced Placement (AP) curriculum has successfully established and maintained an identity as the gold standard of transcript currency for college preparatory schools. It is something that nearly all independent school parents and students believe they understand and clearly expect, and it is…

A Model for Study of Teacher Agency for Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pantic, Nataša

2015-01-01

Internationally teachers are called upon to act as agents of change. However, there is little clarity about the kind of change teachers are expected to contribute to and even less empirical evidence about the ways teacher agency operates in schools and beyond. Empirical analyses of teacher agency require a clear articulation of the purpose and…

Effective Leadership Behaviors for Child Care Administrators: Seeking Quality Measurement System Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Rachel

2011-01-01

Among quality measurement systems, there is no clear description of how administrators are expected to move through the process. This is not necessarily a fault of the systems; it is not their intention to script a program's process. Yes, there are many tasks that are logically the administrator's responsibility--important things that must get…