Impacts of Social-Emotional Curricula on Three-Year-Olds: Exploratory Findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration. Research Snapshot. OPRE Report 2014-78

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsueh, JoAnn; Lowenstein, Amy E.; Morris, Pamela; Mattera, Shira K.; Bangser, Michael

2014-01-01

This report presents exploratory impact findings for 3-year-olds from the Head Start CARES demonstration, a large-scale randomized controlled trial implemented in Head Start centers for one academic year across the country. The study was designed primarily to test the effects of the enhancements on 4-year-olds, but it also provides an opportunity…

Do the Effects of Head Start Vary by Parental Preacademic Stimulation?

PubMed Central

Miller, Elizabeth B.; Farkas, George; Vandell, Deborah Lowe; Duncan, Greg J.

2014-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N=3,185, age = 3–4 years) were used to determine whether one year of Head Start differentially benefited children from homes with high, middle, and low levels of parental preacademic stimulation on three academic outcome domains – early math, early literacy, and receptive vocabulary. Results from residualized growth models showed positive impacts of random assignment to Head Start on all three outcomes, and positive associations between parental preacademic stimulation and academic performance. Two moderated effects were also found. Head Start boosted early math skills the most for children receiving low parental preacademic stimulation. Effects of Head Start on early literacy skills were largest for children receiving moderate levels of parental preacademic stimulation. Implications for Head Start are discussed. PMID:24597729

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report IV, Volume I: Pilot Year Impact Study--Instrument Characteristics and Attrition Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; And Others

This interim report of a pilot year impact study on evaluation methodology is part of a series of documents on the evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, a Head Start demonstration program aimed at promoting educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and primary school experiences. This report deals with…

Changes in parents' spanking and reading as mechanisms for Head Start impacts on children.

PubMed

Gershoff, Elizabeth T; Ansari, Arya; Purtell, Kelly M; Sexton, Holly R

2016-06-01

This study examined whether Head Start, the nation's main two-generation program for low-income families, benefits children in part through positive changes in parents' use of spanking and reading to children. Data were drawn from the 3-year-old cohort of the national evaluation of the Head Start program known as the Head Start Impact Study (N = 2,063). Results indicated that Head Start had small, indirect effects on children's spelling ability at Age 4 and their aggression at Age 4 through an increase in parents' reading to their children. Taken together, the results suggest that parents play a role in sustaining positive benefits of the Head Start program for children's behavior and literacy skills, one that could be enhanced with a greater emphasis on parent involvement and education. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Head Start’s Impact is Contingent on Alternative Type of Care in Comparison Group

PubMed Central

Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Waldfogel, Jane

2014-01-01

Using data (n = 3,790 with 2,119 in the 3-year-old cohort and 1,671 in the 4-year-old cohort) from 353 Head Start centers in the Head Start Impact Study, the only large-scale randomized experiment in Head Start history, this paper examined the impact of Head Start on children’s cognitive and parent-reported social-behavioral outcomes through first grade contingent on the child care arrangements used by children who were randomly assigned to the control group (i.e., parental care, relative/non-relative care, another Head Start program, or other center-based care). A principal score matching approach was adopted to identify children assigned to Head Start who were similar to children in the control group with a specific care arrangement. Overall, the results showed that the effects of Head Start varied substantially contingent on the alternative child care arrangements. Compared to children in parental care and relative/non-relative care, Head Start participants generally had better cognitive and parent-reported behavioral development, with some benefits of Head Start persisting through first grade; in contrast, few differences were found between Head Start and other center-based care. The results have implications regarding the children for whom Head Start is most beneficial as well as how well Head Start compares to other center-based programs. PMID:25329552

Analysis of Modeling Assumptions used in Production Cost Models for Renewable Integration Studies

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

Stoll, Brady; Brinkman, Gregory; Townsend, Aaron

2016-01-01

Renewable energy integration studies have been published for many different regions exploring the question of how higher penetration of renewable energy will impact the electric grid. These studies each make assumptions about the systems they are analyzing; however the effect of many of these assumptions has not been yet been examined and published. In this paper we analyze the impact of modeling assumptions in renewable integration studies, including the optimization method used (linear or mixed-integer programming) and the temporal resolution of the dispatch stage (hourly or sub-hourly). We analyze each of these assumptions on a large and a small systemmore » and determine the impact of each assumption on key metrics including the total production cost, curtailment of renewables, CO2 emissions, and generator starts and ramps. Additionally, we identified the impact on these metrics if a four-hour ahead commitment step is included before the dispatch step and the impact of retiring generators to reduce the degree to which the system is overbuilt. We find that the largest effect of these assumptions is at the unit level on starts and ramps, particularly for the temporal resolution, and saw a smaller impact at the aggregate level on system costs and emissions. For each fossil fuel generator type we measured the average capacity started, average run-time per start, and average number of ramps. Linear programming results saw up to a 20% difference in number of starts and average run time of traditional generators, and up to a 4% difference in the number of ramps, when compared to mixed-integer programming. Utilizing hourly dispatch instead of sub-hourly dispatch saw no difference in coal or gas CC units for either start metric, while gas CT units had a 5% increase in the number of starts and 2% increase in the average on-time per start. The number of ramps decreased up to 44%. The smallest effect seen was on the CO2 emissions and total production cost, with a 0.8% and 0.9% reduction respectively when using linear programming compared to mixed-integer programming and 0.07% and 0.6% reduction, respectively, in the hourly dispatch compared to sub-hourly dispatch.« less

The Phenomenon of Business Start-Ups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melis, Africa

1990-01-01

A study of four European countries (France, United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain) was conducted to gather data on the business start-up process and its impact on the generation of jobs, small business start-up support programs, training and counseling programs, and characteristics of successful business starters. (The original aim of the study was to…

Head Start Program and Cost Data Analysis: Final Report - Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cordes, Joseph; And Others

This second volume of the Head Start Program and Cost Data Analysis Final Report analyzes data from sources other than the Head Start Program Information Report (PIR). The report is divided into three sections: Distributional Impact of Head Start Financing, Pilot Study of Program Compliance, and Recommendations for Secondary Data Analysis. The…

Extended School Day. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burton, Ella M.

2007-01-01

There are only a handful of formal studies that examined the impact of changes in school starting time on student learning and behavior. The Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) at the University of Minnesota is a leader in this research and identified the impact of changes in school starting times across the school,…

Strength and Power Qualities Are Highly Associated With Punching Impact in Elite Amateur Boxers.

PubMed

Loturco, Irineu; Nakamura, Fabio Y; Artioli, Guilherme G; Kobal, Ronaldo; Kitamura, Katia; Cal Abad, Cesar C; Cruz, Igor F; Romano, Felipe; Pereira, Lucas A; Franchini, Emerson

2016-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between punching impact and selected strength and power variables in 15 amateur boxers from the Brazilian National Team (9 men and 6 women). Punching impact was assessed in the following conditions: 3 jabs starting from the standardized position, 3 crosses starting from the standardized position, 3 jabs starting from a self-selected position, and 3 crosses starting from a self-selected position. For punching tests, a force platform (1.02 × 0.76 m) covered by a body shield was mounted on the wall at a height of 1 m, perpendicular to the floor. The selected strength and power variables were vertical jump height (in squat jump and countermovement jump), mean propulsive power in the jump squat, bench press (BP), and bench throw, maximum isometric force in squat and BP, and rate of force development in the squat and BP. Sex and position main effects were observed, with higher impact for males compared with females (p ≤ 0.05) and the self-selected distance resulting in higher impact in the jab technique compared with the fixed distance (p ≤ 0.05). Finally, the correlations between strength/power variables and punching impact indices ranged between 0.67 and 0.85. Because of the strong associations between punching impact and strength/power variables (e.g., lower limb muscle power), this study provides important information for coaches to specifically design better training strategies to improve punching impact.

Home Start Followup Study: A Study of Long-Term Impact of Home Start on Program Participants. Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bache, William; Nauta, Marrit J.

This paper provides a summary of a Home Start Followup Study (HSFS) which was initiated in 1976. An attempt was made to examine the durability of gains made as the result of families' (parents and their 3- to 5-year-old children) participation in the program. In addition, the study was designed to determine whether program duration (one versus two…

Do Head Start Impacts Vary by Neighborhood Context?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Pamela A.; Connors, Maia C.; McCoy, Dana Charles; Gomez, Celia J.; Yoshikawa, Hiro; Aber, J. Lawrence

2014-01-01

This paper capitalizes on the addition of geocodes for Head Start centers in which children were randomly assigned to address questions about the role of neighborhood characteristics in moderating impacts of assignment to the Head Start program. Researchers explore the extent to which impacts of assignment to Head Start on outcomes for children…

76 FR 17130 - Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-28

... Impact Study fits within this agenda. The Committee will provide advice regarding future research efforts... Planning, Research and Evaluation Advisory Committee on Head Start Research and Evaluation AGENCY... for Head Start Research and Evaluation. General Function of Committee: The Advisory Committee for Head...

Strengthening Families in Head Start: The Impact of a Parent Education Programme on the Emotional Well-Being of Latino Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duch, Helena; Rodriguez, Carmen

2011-01-01

This study explores the impact of a Head Start add-on programme, a matrix of services for parents which provides educational and vocational supports, on maternal depression and children's behaviour in Latino families. We hypothesise that after having completed training, parents who participated in the add-on programme would have lower levels of…

Ozone impact minimization through coordinated scheduling of turnaround operations from multiple olefin plants in an ozone nonattainment area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Sijie; Wang, Sujing; Xu, Qiang; Ho, Thomas

2018-03-01

Turnaround operations (start-up and shutdown) are critical operations in olefin plants, which emit large quantities of VOCs, NOx and CO. The emission has great potentials to impact the ozone level in ozone nonattainment areas. This study demonstrates a novel practice to minimize the ozone impact through coordinated scheduling of turnaround operations from multiple olefin plants located in Houston, Texas, an ozone nonattainment area. The study considered two olefin plants scheduled to conduct turnaround operations: one start-up and one shutdown, simultaneously on the same day within a five-hour window. Through dynamic simulations of the turnaround operations using ASPEN Plus Dynamics and air quality simulations using CAMx, the study predicts the ozone impact from the combined effect of the two turnaround operations under different starting-time scenarios. The simulations predict that the ozone impact from planned turnaround operations ranges from a maximum of 11.4 ppb to a minimum of 1.4 ppb. Hence, a reduction of up to 10.0 ppb can be achieved on a single day based on the selected two simulation days. This study demonstrates a cost-effective and environmentally benign ozone control practice for relevant stakeholders, including environmental agencies, regional plant operators, and local communities.

Application of intelligent soft start in asynchronous motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Xue; Ye, Ying; Wang, Yuelong; Peng, Lei; Zhang, Suying

2018-05-01

The starting way of three phase asynchronous motor has full voltage start and step-down start. Direct starting brings large current impact, causing excessive local temperature to the power grid and larger starting torque will also impact the motor equipment and affect the service life of the motor. Aim at the problem of large current and torque caused by start-up, an intelligent soft starter is proposed. Through the application of intelligent soft start on asynchronous motor, highlights its application advantage in motor control.

77 FR 8878 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

.... Participants have been randomly assigned to either a Head Start group or a control group. Data collection for... of 4,667 treatment and control group members in the Head Start Impact Study, minus 432 families that...

Improving on-time surgical starts: the impact of implementing pre-OR timeouts and performance pay.

PubMed

Martin, Luke; Langell, John

2017-11-01

Operating room (OR) time is expensive. Underutilized OR time negatively impacts efficiency and is an unnecessary cost for hospitals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a pre-OR timeout and performance pay incentive on the frequency of on-time, first surgical starts. At a single Veterans Affairs Medical Center, we implemented a pre-OR timeout in the form of a safety-briefing checklist and a modest performance pay incentive for on-time starts (>90% compliance) for attending surgeons. Data were collected on all first-start cases beginning before implementation in 2008 and continued through 2015. Each year, an average of 960 first starts occurred across nine surgical divisions. Before implementation of either the timeout or pay incentive, only 15% of cases started on time, and by 2015, greater than 72% were on time (P < 0.001). Over the study period, there were significant improvements in on-time starts (P = 0.01), of delays <15 min (P = 0.01), and of delays 16 to 30 min (P = 0.04). The trends for delays of 31 to 60 min or >60 min were not significant (P = 0.31; P = 0.81). Assuming a loss of 7 min per case for delays <15 min and 20 min per case for delays of 16 to 30 min, the total OR time saved from implementing these measures was 37,556 min. At an estimated cost of $20/min, gross savings from this project were $751,120. Implementation of a pre-OR timeout and performance pay for on-time starts significantly improves OR utilization and reduces unnecessary costs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A single center analysis of factors influencing study start-up timeline in clinical trials.

PubMed

Krafcik, Brianna M; Doros, Gheorghe; Malikova, Marina A

2017-11-01

Efficient start-up phase in clinical trials is crucial to execution. The goal was to determine factors contributing to delays. The start-up milestones were assessed for 38 studies and analyzed. Total start-up time was shorter for following studies: device trials, no outsourcing, fewer ancillary services used and in interventional versus observational designs. The use of a centralized Institutional Review Board (IRB) versus a local IRB reduced time to approval. Studies that never enrolled took longer on average to finalize their budget/contract, and obtain IRB than ones that did enroll. Different features of clinical trials can affect timeline of start-up process. An understanding of the impact of each feature allows for optimization.

The Impact of Head Start on Children, Families and Communities. Final Report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis and Utilization Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKey, Ruth Hubbell; And Others

Including all Head Start research (both published and unpublished) and using, when possible, the statistical technique of meta-analysis, this final report of the Head Start Evaluation, Synthesis, and Utilization Project presents findings on the impact of Head Start on children's cognitive and socioemotional development, on child health and health…

Analysis of the Impacts of an Early Start for Compliance with the Kyoto Protocol

EIA Publications

1999-01-01

This report describes the Energy Information Administration's analysis of the impacts of an early start, using the same methodology as in Impacts of the Kyoto Protocol on U.S. Energy Markets and Economic Activity, with only those changes in assumptions caused by the early start date.

Do the Effects of Head Start Vary by Parental Preacademic Stimulation?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Elizabeth B.; Farkas, George; Vandell, Deborah Lowe; Duncan, Greg J.

2014-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 3,185, age = 3-4 years) were used to determine whether 1 year of Head Start differentially benefited children from homes with high, middle, and low levels of parental preacademic stimulation on three academic outcome domains--early math, early literacy, and receptive vocabulary. Results from residualized…

Impact of Attending Jump Start Literacy Camp on Reading Achievement among Third and Fourth Grade Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padgett, Carrie B.

2010-01-01

The Jump Start Literacy Camp was developed as a means to combat summer learning loss. The camp utilized high-energy activities to target phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. This study examined the effects of the Jump Start Literacy Camp on reading achievement for rising third and fourth grade students in an urban…

The effects of Tulsa's CAP Head Start program on middle-school academic outcomes and progress.

PubMed

Phillips, Deborah; Gormley, William; Anderson, Sara

2016-08-01

This study presents evidence pertinent to current debates about the lasting impacts of early childhood educational interventions and, specifically, Head Start. A group of students who were first studied to examine the immediate impacts of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Community Action Project (CAP) Head Start program were followed-up in middle school, primarily as 8th graders. Using ordinary least squares and logistic regressions with a rich set of controls and propensity score weighting models to account for differential selection into Head Start, we compared students who had attended the CAP Head Start program and enrolled in the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) as kindergarteners with children who also attended TPS kindergarten but had attended neither CAP Head Start nor the TPS pre-K program as 4-year-olds. CAP Head Start produced significant positive effects on achievement test scores in math and on both grade retention and chronic absenteeism for middle-school students as a whole; positive effects for girls on grade retention and chronic absenteeism; for white students on math test scores; for Hispanic students on math test scores and chronic absenteeism, and for students eligible for free lunches on math test scores, grade retention, and chronic absenteeism. We conclude that the Tulsa CAP Head Start program produced significant and consequential effects into the middle school years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

77 FR 23483 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-19

... for Emotion and Social skill promotion (CARES) project: Impact and Implementation Studies. OMB No. 0970-0364. Description: The Head Start Classroom-based Approaches and Resource for Emotion and Social skill promotion (CARES) project is evaluating social emotional program enhancements within Head Start...

Sleep, sleepiness and school start times: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Dexter, Donn; Bijwadia, Jagdeep; Schilling, Dana; Applebaugh, Gwendolyn

2003-01-01

High school students are reported to be excessively sleepy, resulting in decreased academic performance, increased psycho-social problems and increased risk of morbidity and mortality from accidents. Early school start times have been noted to contribute to this problem. This report attempts to confirm the relationship of early school start times with decreased sleep and increased sleepiness. We examined sophomore and junior students in 2 local high schools with different start times and measured the amount of time slept and sleepiness. We found that students at the early start school reported reduced sleep time and more sleepiness than their counterparts at the later starting school. Early school start times are associated with student reports of less sleep and increased sleepiness. Further studies in larger groups are recommended in view of the potential significant impact of sleep deprivation in this age group.

Executive functions and school readiness intervention: Impact, moderation, and mediation in the Head Start REDI program

PubMed Central

BIERMAN, KAREN L.; NIX, ROBERT L.; GREENBERG, MARK T.; BLAIR, CLANCY; DOMITROVICH, CELENE E.

2011-01-01

Despite their potentially central role in fostering school readiness, executive function (EF) skills have received little explicit attention in the design and evaluation of school readiness interventions for socioeconomically disadvantaged children. The present study examined a set of five EF measures in the context of a randomized-controlled trial of a research-based intervention integrated into Head Start programs (Head Start REDI). Three hundred fifty-six 4-year-old children (17% Hispanic, 25% African American; 54% girls) were followed over the course of the prekindergarten year. Initial EF predicted gains in cognitive and social–emotional skills and moderated the impact of the Head Start REDI intervention on some outcomes. The REDI intervention promoted gains on two EF measures, which partially mediated intervention effects on school readiness. We discuss the importance of further study of the neurobiological bases of school readiness, the implications for intervention design, and the value of incorporating markers of neurobiological processes into school readiness interventions. PMID:18606033

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report VI: Executive Summary. Recommendations for Continuing the Impact Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; Love, John M.

This brief report summarizes the analysis and conclusions presented in detail in Interim Report VI regarding the feasibility of conducting a longitudinal study of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC). This project is a Head Start demonstration program aimed at providing educational and developmental continuity between children's Head Start and…

Keeping Kids on Track: Impacts of a Parenting-Focused Early Head Start Program on Attachment Security and Cognitive Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roggman, Lori A.; Boyce, Lisa K.; Cook, Gina A.

2009-01-01

Research Findings: The home-based Early Head Start program in this local study aimed to promote children's early attachment and cognitive development by establishing supportive relationships with parents and guiding responsive parenting and positive parent-child play interactions. To test the effectiveness of this approach, we studied the…

Are Two Years Better than One Year? A Propensity Score Analysis of the Impact of Head Start Program Duration on Children's School Performance in Kindergarten

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Xiaoli; Leow, Christine; Hahs-Vaughn, Debbie L.; Korfmacher, Jon; Marcus, Sue M.

2012-01-01

Using data from a nationally representative sample, this study examined Head Start children's school outcome differences by the end of Kindergarten between children who attended Head Start program for two years and the ones who attended for one year. Propensity scores were used to match children who experienced different durations of the program…

Who benefits most from Head Start? Using latent class moderation to examine differential treatment effects.

PubMed

Rhoades Cooper, Brittany; Lanza, Stephanie T

2014-01-01

Head Start (HS) is the largest federally funded preschool program for disadvantaged children. Research has shown relatively small impacts on cognitive and social skills; therefore, some have questioned its effectiveness. Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (3-year-old cohort; N = 2,449), latent class analysis was used to (a) identify subgroups of children defined by baseline characteristics of their home environment and caregiver and (b) test whether the effects of HS on cognitive, and behavioral and relationship skills over 2 years differed across subgroups. The results suggest that the effectiveness of HS varies quite substantially. For some children there appears to be a significant, and in some cases, long-term, positive impact. For others there is little to no effect. © 2014 The Authors. Child Development © 2014 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Impact of hand forces and start/stop frequency on physiological responses to three forms of pushing and pulling: a South African perspective.

PubMed

Ai, Todd

2012-01-01

There has been limited attention given to the physiological demands of pushing and pulling, especially in industrially developing countries such as South Africa. Two key factors affecting the physiological demands of these tasks are the hand forces exerted and the start/stop frequency. The purpose of the current study was therefore to investigate the physiological responses to pushing and pulling at various loads and start/stop frequencies. 36 male subjects participated in the study and were required to complete a total of 18 conditions (three techniques: pushing, two- and one-handed pulling; three loads: 200, 350 and 500 kg; and two frequencies: 2 and 4 stops per minute). During each condition the heart rate, oxygen uptake and energy expenditure were measured. Pushing was found to elicit significantly lower responses for all three dependent variables than either form of pulling. The start/stop frequency was also found to have a significant impact on subject responses. The findings of this study indicate that the technique adopted to maneuver loads is critical in determining the physical demands placed on the human operator. Furthermore increasing the frequency of start/stops plays an important role, thus the forces exerted during these two phases are important from a physiological perspective.

Moneyball for Head Start: Using Data, Evidence, and Evaluation to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mead, Sara; Mitchel, Ashley LiBetti

2016-01-01

Head Start is a valuable federal program that improves the lives of our nation's most vulnerable children and their families. Research shows that Head Start programs improve children's learning at school entry and have a positive impact on long-term life outcomes. Research also suggests that Head Start could have a stronger impact on children's…

Spousal Capital as a Resource for Couples Starting a Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matzek, Amanda E.; Gudmunson, Clinton G.; Danes, Sharon M.

2010-01-01

This longitudinal study finds that spousal capital is an important resource for entrepreneurs starting a business because it has implications for business sustainability and couple relationship quality. Structural equation modeling supported a process whereby gender had an impact on spousal involvement in the business, which was positively…

Early Head Start and African American Families: Impacts and Mechanisms of Child Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harden, Brenda Jones; Sandstrom, Heather; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel

2012-01-01

Persistent disparities exist between African American children and their European American counterparts across developmental domains. Early childhood intervention may serve to promote more positive outcomes among African American children. The current study examined whether and how the Early Head Start (EHS) program benefited African American…

Transportation and socioeconomic impacts of bypasses on communities : an integrated synthesis of panel data, multilevel, and spatial econometric models with case studies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-09-21

Title: Transportation and Socioeconomic Impacts of Bypasses on Communities: An Integrated Synthesis of Panel Data, Multilevel, and Spatial Econometric Models with Case Studies. The title used at the start of this project was Transportation and Soc...

76 FR 26303 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-06

... Impact Study. OMB No.: 0970-0229. Description: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the... children and families in the Head Start Impact Study. In anticipation of the possibility of conducting a... respondents' current location, as well as other basic information about the parents' whereabouts and future...

Does Work Have an Impact on Depressive Symptoms and Parenting among Low-Income Mothers of Head Start Preschoolers? JCPR Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raver, C. Cybele

This study examined whether low-wage work would affect low-income, Head Start-enrolled mothers' psychological well-being and parenting style over time. Respondents were low-income, rural and urban mothers participating in a study on parenting and child development. In 1996-97 and 1998-99, mothers completed interviews on demographics, depressive…

Assessing satellite-based start-of-season trends in the US High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To adequately assess the effects of global warming it is necessary to address trends and impacts at the local level. This study examines phenological changes in the start-of-season (SOS) derived from satellite observations from 1982–2008 in the US High Plains region. The surface climate-based SOS wa...

Association of sleep and academic performance.

PubMed

Eliasson, Arne; Eliasson, Anders; King, Joseph; Gould, Ben; Eliasson, Arn

2002-03-01

Poor school performance by adolescent students has been attributed in part to insufficient sleep. It is recognized that a number of factors lead to diminished total sleep time and chief among these are early school start times and sleep phase delay in adolescence. Political initiatives are gaining momentum across the United States to require later school start times with the intent of increasing total sleep time and consequently improving school performance. Later school start times come with significant costs and impact other activities of families and communities. The decision to implement later school start times cannot be made lightly and deserves support of well-performed research on the impact of these changes. A study evaluating the association of academic performance and total sleep time was performed in middle school and high school students in a suburban Maryland school system. Preliminary results of this study show no correlation of total sleep time with academic performance. Before mandating costly changes in school schedules, it would be useful to perform further research to determine the effects of increasing sleep time on the behaviors of adolescent students.

Assessment of Program Impact Through First Grade, Volume II: Impact on Institutions. An Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report X.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosario, Jose; And Others

As part of a longitudinal study evaluating program effects, this report, the second in a series of six, describes the impact of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC) on the institutional policies and procedures of participating Head Start centers and elementary schools up to the time the evaluation study's cohort of children had completed grade…

Impact of Technological and Structural Change on Employment: Prospective Analysis 2020. Background Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christidis, Panayotis, Ed.; Hernandez, Hector, Ed.; Lievonen, Jorma, Ed.

A study examined the role of technology in the European Union's (EU's) economy and its impacts on employment. Starting point was Technology and Employment Maps of the FUTURES project that identified main emerging technological developments (TDs) and their implications for employment. Technologies' potential impact on productivity growth and…

An Impact Evaluation of the Resource Access Projects 1980-1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Empson, Judith V.; And Others

This report presents findings of the fifth impact evaluation of Head Start's 15 Resource Access Projects (RAPs), offering data for the 1980-81 program year. RAPs are the designated liaison between Head Start grantees and state and local education systems, and they also train Head Start staff to work with handicapped children and their families.…

High School Start Times and the Impact on High School Students: What We Know, and What We Hope to Learn

PubMed Central

Morgenthaler, Timothy I.; Hashmi, Sarah; Croft, Janet B.; Dort, Leslie; Heald, Jonathan L.; Mullington, Janet

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Several organizations have provided recommendations to ensure high school starts no sooner than 08:30. However, although there are plausible biological reasons to support such recommendations, published recommendations have been based largely on expert opinion and a few observational studies. We sought to perform a critical review of published evidence regarding the effect of high school start times on sleep and other relevant outcomes. Methods: We performed a broad literature search to identify 287 candidate publications for inclusion in our review, which focused on studies offering direct comparison of sleep time, academic or physical performance, behavioral health measures, or motor vehicular accidents in high school students. Where possible, outcomes were combined for meta-analysis. Results: After application of study criteria, only 18 studies were suitable for review. Eight studies were amenable to meta-analysis for some outcomes. We found that later school start times, particularly when compared with start times more than 60 min earlier, are associated with longer weekday sleep durations, lower weekday-weekend sleep duration differences, reduced vehicular accident rates, and reduced subjective daytime sleepiness. Improvement in academic performance and behavioral issues is less established. Conclusions: The literature regarding effect of school start time delays on important aspects of high school life suggests some salutary effects, but often the evidence is indirect, imprecise, or derived from cohorts of convenience, making the overall quality of evidence weak or very weak. This review highlights a need for higher-quality data upon which to base important and complex public health decisions. Citation: Morgenthaler TI, Hashmi S, Croft JB, Dort L, Heald JL, Mullington J. High school start times and the impact on high school students: what we know, and what we hope to learn. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(12):1681–1689. PMID:27855730

The Impact of the Chile Intervention on the Food Served in Head Start Centers in Rural New Mexico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morshed, Alexandra B.; Davis, Sally M.; Keane, Patricia C.; Myers, Orrin B.; Mishra, Shiraz I.

2016-01-01

Background: The Child Health Initiative for Lifelong Eating and Exercise is a multicomponent obesity-prevention intervention, which was evaluated among Head Start (HS) centers in American Indian and predominantly Hispanic communities in rural New Mexico. This study examines the intervention's foodservice outcomes: fruits, vegetables, whole grains,…

Florida Panhandle Healthy Start: A Randomized Trial of Prenatal Home Visitation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stabile, Isabel; Graham, Mimi

Noting prenatal and early childhood home visitation by nurses has had positive effects on birth outcomes in several at-risk populations, this study examined the impact of weekly home visits by systematically trained visitors on birth outcomes of high-risk pregnant women within the context of a Florida Healthy Start project. Participating were…

Supporting Head Start Parents: Impact of a Text Message Intervention on Parent-Child Activity Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurwitz, Lisa B.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Hanson, Ann; Raden, Anthony; Wartella, Ellen

2015-01-01

Head Start emphasises parent engagement as a critical strategy in promoting children's long-term learning. Parents can support children's positive development by engaging them in stimulating activities. The following study assessed whether a service that delivered parenting tips via text message could prompt parents of children enrolled in Head…

Evaluation of a Peer-Led, Low-Intensity Physical Activity Program for Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werner, Danilea; Teufel, James; Brown, Stephen L.

2014-01-01

Background: Physical inactivity is a primary contributor to decreasing functional physical fitness and increasing chronic disease in older adults. Purpose: This study assessed the health-related benefits of ExerStart for Lay Leaders, a 20-week, community based, peer-led, low-impact exercise program for older adults. ExerStart focuses on aerobic…

Demand Response at the Naval Postgraduate School

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

service, cost avoidance of starting extra power plants during emergencies, and reduction of negative environmental impact . The illustration below...on. Refraining from starting a peak performance plant means less pollution and lower environmental impact . Operations at the Naval Postgraduate...affect the environment. F. STEP 5: MONETIZE ALL IMPACTS The environmental impact that a Demand Response program has is an intangible one. Over

Two-Year versus One-Year Head Start Program Impact: Addressing Selection Bias by Comparing Regression Modeling with Propensity Score Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leow, Christine; Wen, Xiaoli; Korfmacher, Jon

2015-01-01

This article compares regression modeling and propensity score analysis as different types of statistical techniques used in addressing selection bias when estimating the impact of two-year versus one-year Head Start on children's school readiness. The analyses were based on the national Head Start secondary dataset. After controlling for…

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, Interim Report VI: Recommendations for Continuing the Impact Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur; And Others

This interim report re-examines data on instrument suitability, comparability of groups, and adequacy of sample size in Year III of the process evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC) and offers preliminary recommendations concerning the feasibility of continuing the impact study. PDC is a Head Start demonstration program aimed at…

The Impact of Planned Organizational Change on an Academic Library: An MRAP Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Ming-ming Shen

This paper examines the impact of organizational change on a university library. The change process started in 1980 at Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, Indiana, with the initiation of a self-study, the Management Review and Analysis Program (MRAP). With certain key recommendations implemented, the University Libraries has been transformed…

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity, Interim Report VII, Volume 3: Assessment of Program Impact Through the Head Start Year.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; And Others

This interim report, part of a series of documents examining the feasibility of the longitudinal evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC), presents the results of an analysis of PDC impact at the Head Start level, using Spring 1977 data. PDC is a Head Start Demonstration Program aimed at providing educational and developmental…

Relative Effects of a Comprehensive versus Reduced Training for Head Start Teachers Who Serve Spanish-Speaking English Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solari, Emily J.; Zucker, Tricia A.; Landry, Susan H.; Williams, Jeffrey M.

2016-01-01

With increased demand for improved early childhood education services, it is important to better understand the essential professional development resources that have the greatest impact on both teacher and child outcomes. This study compared the effectiveness of two teacher-training models in bilingual Migrant and Seasonal Head Start and Head…

Integrative Research and Intervention To Facilitate Child and Family Development, Education, Readiness for Head Start, and Family Self-Sufficiency.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapidus, Leah Blumberg

This paper describes a project designed to facilitate and evaluate child and family mental health in the community, inside and outside of Head Start programs. Also detailed is a study of the effects of "Community Impact" programs and 6-week, focused, group interventions for children and families in programs predicted to increase…

Psychiatric Disorders among Children with Cerebral Palsy at School Starting Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjorgaas, H. M.; Hysing, M.; Elgen, I.

2012-01-01

The aim of the present population study was to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children with cerebral palsy (CP), as well as the impact of comorbid conditions. A cohort of children with CP born 2001-2003, and living in the Western Health Region of Norway were evaluated at school starting age. Parents were interviewed with the…

Impact of acute geriatric care in elderly patients according to the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment criteria in northern France.

PubMed

Frély, Anne; Chazard, Emmanuel; Pansu, Aymeric; Beuscart, Jean-Baptiste; Puisieux, François

2016-02-01

In France, over 20% of hospitalizations of elderly people are a result of adverse drug events, of which 50% are considered preventable. Tools have been developed to detect inappropriate prescriptions. The Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert doctors to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) criteria are innovative and adapted to French prescriptions. This is one of the first French prospective studies to evaluate the impact of acute geriatric care on prescriptions at discharge in elderly patients using the STOPP/START criteria. The evaluation of prescriptions according to STOPP/START was carried out on admission and at discharge of patients in acute geriatric units at three hospitals in the Nord-Pas de Calais region, France. A total of 202 elderly hospitalized patients were included during the 4.5 months of the study (1.5 months per center). The mean number of drugs was seven on admission and at discharge. Over half of the prescriptions at admission contained at least one potentially inappropriate medication or one potential prescription omission. The prescriptions at discharge contained significantly fewer potentially inappropriate medications than prescriptions on admission (P < 0.001). In contrast, there was no difference between prescriptions at discharge in terms of potential prescription omissions. Acute geriatric hospitalization in France improves prescriptions in terms of potentially inappropriate medication, but has no impact on potential prescription omissions. Further studies must be carried out to see if STOPP/START could be used as a tool in French prescription. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs among Lebanese school and university students.

PubMed

Alaouie, Hala; Afifi, Rema A; Haddad, Pascale; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Nakkash, Rima

2015-03-01

Pictorial health warnings are more effective than text warnings in enhancing motivation to quit and not to start smoking among youth. In Lebanon, packs still have only a very small text warning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packs among Lebanese youth. This was a cross-sectional study including school students (n=1412) aged 13-18 years recruited from 28 schools and university students (n=1217) aged 18-25 years recruited from 7 universities. A variety of warnings were adapted from other countries. In all, 4 warnings were tested among school students and 18 among university students. All pictorial warnings were considered more effective than the current text warning on message-related and impact-related variables, including intentions to quit or not to start smoking among school and university students. Selected examples related to the top-ranked pictorial warnings are: among male non-smoking school students, 81% agreed that the 'lung' warning had more impact on their intentions not to start smoking as compared to 57% for the current text warning (p<0.001) with a significant difference compared to the current text warning; among female non-smoking university students, 75% agreed that the 'economic impact' pictorial had more impact on their intentions not to start smoking with significant difference as compared to 43% for the current text warning (p value=0.001); finally, the 'heart attack' pictorial resulted in 52% of male university students smokers stating they intended to quit as opposed to 20% for the current text warning (p value=0.019). The results of the present study add to the general international literature on the impact of pictorial warnings on youth and young adults. This study is also the first to test a non-health pictorial warning about the negative economic consequences of smoking, and to find that such a warning was effective among specific sociodemographic groups. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Orthodontic treatment of palatally impacted maxillary canines.

PubMed

Olive, Richard J

2002-11-01

The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of treating children with impacted maxillary canines by orthodontic treatment alone. The subjects were 28 children (mean age: 13.5 years, range 11.4-16.1 years) with between them 32 palatally impacted canines. The overlying primary canines were extracted between 0 and 42 months before the start of appliance treatment to open space in the arches for the impacted teeth. No other surgical procedures were carried out prior to the start of appliance treatment. Appliance treatment was deferred for at least six months if an impacted canine was the main reason for treatment, otherwise treatment was commenced according to the needs of the patient. In 94% of the cases, the severity of impaction lessened following extraction of the overlying primary canines and orthodontic treatment. The deepest impactions tended to occur in the oldest children. The majority (75%) of the canines emerged following orthodontic treatment to create space for them in the arch; the remainder were surgically exposed. Appliance treatment tended to take longer in children with the deepest impactions. It is concluded that fixed appliance treatment to create space for a palatally impacted canine is an effective management option for children with impacted maxillary canines.

The Role of Access to Head Start and Quality Ratings for Spanish-Speaking Dual Language Learners’ (DLLs) Participation in Early Childhood Education

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 4,442) were used to test for differences between Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learners (DLLs) and monolingual English-speaking children in: (1) Head Start attendance rates when randomly assigned admission; and (2) quality ratings of other early childhood education (ECE) programs attended when not randomly assigned admission to Head Start. Logistic regressions showed that Spanish-speaking DLL children randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely than monolingual-English learners to attend. Further, Spanish-speaking DLLs not randomly assigned a spot in Head Start were more likely to attend higher-quality ECE centers than non-DLL children. Policy implications are discussed, suggesting that, if given access, Spanish-speaking DLL families will take advantage of quality ECE programs. PMID:25018585

Multisectoral climate impact hotspots in a warming world.

PubMed

Piontek, Franziska; Müller, Christoph; Pugh, Thomas A M; Clark, Douglas B; Deryng, Delphine; Elliott, Joshua; Colón González, Felipe de Jesus; Flörke, Martina; Folberth, Christian; Franssen, Wietse; Frieler, Katja; Friend, Andrew D; Gosling, Simon N; Hemming, Deborah; Khabarov, Nikolay; Kim, Hyungjun; Lomas, Mark R; Masaki, Yoshimitsu; Mengel, Matthias; Morse, Andrew; Neumann, Kathleen; Nishina, Kazuya; Ostberg, Sebastian; Pavlick, Ryan; Ruane, Alex C; Schewe, Jacob; Schmid, Erwin; Stacke, Tobias; Tang, Qiuhong; Tessler, Zachary D; Tompkins, Adrian M; Warszawski, Lila; Wisser, Dominik; Schellnhuber, Hans Joachim

2014-03-04

The impacts of global climate change on different aspects of humanity's diverse life-support systems are complex and often difficult to predict. To facilitate policy decisions on mitigation and adaptation strategies, it is necessary to understand, quantify, and synthesize these climate-change impacts, taking into account their uncertainties. Crucial to these decisions is an understanding of how impacts in different sectors overlap, as overlapping impacts increase exposure, lead to interactions of impacts, and are likely to raise adaptation pressure. As a first step we develop herein a framework to study coinciding impacts and identify regional exposure hotspots. This framework can then be used as a starting point for regional case studies on vulnerability and multifaceted adaptation strategies. We consider impacts related to water, agriculture, ecosystems, and malaria at different levels of global warming. Multisectoral overlap starts to be seen robustly at a mean global warming of 3 °C above the 1980-2010 mean, with 11% of the world population subject to severe impacts in at least two of the four impact sectors at 4 °C. Despite these general conclusions, we find that uncertainty arising from the impact models is considerable, and larger than that from the climate models. In a low probability-high impact worst-case assessment, almost the whole inhabited world is at risk for multisectoral pressures. Hence, there is a pressing need for an increased research effort to develop a more comprehensive understanding of impacts, as well as for the development of policy measures under existing uncertainty.

Multisectoral Climate Impact Hotspots in a Warming World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piontek, Franziska; Mueller, Christoph; Pugh, Thomas A. M.; Clark, Douglas B.; Deryng, Delphine; Elliott, Joshua; deJesusColonGonzalez, Felipe; Floerke, Martina; Folberth, Christian; Franssen, Wietse;

A quasi-experimental study of the impact of school start time changes on adolescent sleep.

PubMed

Owens, Judith A; Dearth-Wesley, Tracy; Herman, Allison N; Oakes, J Michael; Whitaker, Robert C

2017-12-01

To determine whether simultaneous school start time changes (delay for some schools; advance for others) impact adolescents' sleep. Quasi-experimental study using cross-sectional surveys before and after changes to school start times in September 2015. Eight middle (grades 7-8), 3 secondary (grades 7-12), and 8 high (grades 9-12) schools in Fairfax County (Virginia) public schools. A total of 2017 (6% of ~34,900) students were surveyed before start time changes, and 1180 (3% of ~35,300) were surveyed after. A 50-minute delay (7:20 to 8:10 am) in start time for high schools and secondary schools and a 30-minute advance (8:00 to 7:30 am) for middle schools. Differences before and after start time changes in self-reported sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. Among respondents, 57.5% were non-Hispanic white, and 10.3% received free or reduced-priced school meals. Before start time changes, high/secondary and middle school students slept a mean (SD) of 7.4 (1.2) and 8.4 (1.0) hours on school nights, respectively, and had a prevalence of daytime sleepiness of 78.4% and 57.2%, respectively. Adjusted for potential confounders, students with a 50-minute delay slept 30.1 minutes longer (95% confidence interval [CI], 24.3-36.0) on school nights and had less daytime sleepiness (-4.8%; 95% CI, -8.5% to -1.1%), whereas students with a 30-minute advance slept 14.8 minutes less (95% CI, -21.6 to -8.0) and had more daytime sleepiness (8.0%; 95% CI, 2.5%-13.5%). Both advances and delays in school start times are associated with changes in adolescents' school-night sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. Larger changes might occur with later start times. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Disadvantaged Children and Their First School Experiences. ETS-Head Start Longitudinal Study: Preliminary Description of the Initial Sample Prior to School Enrollment. A Report in Two Volumes: Volume 2--Tables.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ.

As part of its 6-year longitudinal study designed to assess the impact of Head Start, Educational Testing Service (ETS) has summarized and compiled tables of data collected on 16 of the 33 instruments administered to children in 1969 in three sites (St. Louis, Missouri; Trenton, New Jersey; and Portland, Oregon). Data from the parent interview and…

The Impact of Enterprise Education on Attitudes to Enterprise in Young People: An Evaluation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athayde, Rosemary

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to present evidence on the impact of enterprise education on young people still at school in London, UK. The study was designed to measure the effect of participation in a Young Enterprise (YE) Company Program on young people's attitudes toward starting a business, and on their enterprise potential.…

Can Research Design Explain Variation in Head Start Research Results? A Meta-Analysis of Cognitive and Achievement Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shager, Hilary M.; Schindler, Holly S.; Magnuson, Katherine A.; Duncan, Greg J.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Hart, Cassandra M. D.

2013-01-01

This study explores the extent to which differences in research design explain variation in Head Start program impacts. We employ meta-analytic techniques to predict effect sizes for cognitive and achievement outcomes as a function of the type and rigor of research design, quality and type of outcome measure, activity level of control group, and…

Impact of lean six sigma process improvement methodology on cardiac catheterization laboratory efficiency.

PubMed

Agarwal, Shikhar; Gallo, Justin J; Parashar, Akhil; Agarwal, Kanika K; Ellis, Stephen G; Khot, Umesh N; Spooner, Robin; Murat Tuzcu, Emin; Kapadia, Samir R

2016-03-01

Operational inefficiencies are ubiquitous in several healthcare processes. To improve the operational efficiency of our catheterization laboratory (Cath Lab), we implemented a lean six sigma process improvement initiative, starting in June 2010. We aimed to study the impact of lean six sigma implementation on improving the efficiency and the patient throughput in our Cath Lab. All elective and urgent cardiac catheterization procedures including diagnostic coronary angiography, percutaneous coronary interventions, structural interventions and peripheral interventions performed between June 2009 and December 2012 were included in the study. Performance metrics utilized for analysis included turn-time, physician downtime, on-time patient arrival, on-time physician arrival, on-time start and manual sheath-pulls inside the Cath Lab. After implementation of lean six sigma in the Cath Lab, we observed a significant improvement in turn-time, physician downtime, on-time patient arrival, on-time physician arrival, on-time start as well as sheath-pulls inside the Cath Lab. The percentage of cases with optimal turn-time increased from 43.6% in 2009 to 56.6% in 2012 (p-trend<0.001). Similarly, the percentage of cases with an aggregate on-time start increased from 41.7% in 2009 to 62.8% in 2012 (p-trend<0.001). In addition, the percentage of manual sheath-pulls performed in the Cath Lab decreased from 60.7% in 2009 to 22.7% in 2012 (p-trend<0.001). The current longitudinal study illustrates the impact of successful implementation of a well-known process improvement initiative, lean six sigma, on improving and sustaining efficiency of our Cath Lab operation. After the successful implementation of this continuous quality improvement initiative, there was a significant improvement in the selected performance metrics namely turn-time, physician downtime, on-time patient arrival, on-time physician arrival, on-time start as well as sheath-pulls inside the Cath Lab. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal analysis of standardized test scores of students in the Science Writing Heuristic approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanlen, Niphon

The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal impacts of the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach on student science achievement measured by the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). A number of studies have reported positive impact of an inquiry-based instruction on student achievement, critical thinking skills, reasoning skills, attitude toward science, etc. So far, studies have focused on exploring how an intervention affects student achievement using teacher/researcher-generated measurement. Only a few studies have attempted to explore the long-term impacts of an intervention on student science achievement measured by standardized tests. The students' science and reading ITBS data was collected from 2000 to 2011 from a school district which had adopted the SWH approach as the main approach in science classrooms since 2002. The data consisted of 12,350 data points from 3,039 students. The multilevel model for change with discontinuity in elevation and slope technique was used to analyze changes in student science achievement growth trajectories prior and after adopting the SWH approach. The results showed that the SWH approach positively impacted students by initially raising science achievement scores. The initial impact was maintained and gradually increased when students were continuously exposed to the SWH approach. Disadvantaged students who were at risk of having low science achievement had bigger benefits from experience with the SWH approach. As a result, existing problematic achievement gaps were narrowed down. Moreover, students who started experience with the SWH approach as early as elementary school seemed to have better science achievement growth compared to students who started experiencing with the SWH approach only in high school. The results found in this study not only confirmed the positive impacts of the SWH approach on student achievement, but also demonstrated additive impacts found when students had longitudinal experiences with the approach. By engaging in the argument-based classrooms where teachers value students' prior knowledge, encourage students to take control of their learning, and provide non-threatening environment for students to developing big ideas through negotiation, student's achievement can be enhanced. The results also started to shed some light on sustainability of the SWH approach within the school district.

Impact of delaying school start time on adolescent sleep, mood, and behavior.

PubMed

Owens, Judith A; Belon, Katherine; Moss, Patricia

2010-07-01

To examine the impact of a 30-minute delay in school start time on adolescents' sleep, mood, and behavior. Participants completed the online retrospective Sleep Habits Survey before and after a change in school start time. An independent high school in Rhode Island. Students (n = 201) in grades 9 through 12. Intervention Institution of a delay in school start time from 8 to 8:30 am. Sleep patterns and behavior, daytime sleepiness, mood, data from the Health Center, and absences/tardies. After the start time delay, mean school night sleep duration increased by 45 minutes, and average bedtime advanced by 18 minutes (95% confidence interval, 7-29 minutes [t(423) = 3.36; P < .001]); the percentage of students getting less than 7 hours of sleep decreased by 79.4%, and those reporting at least 8 hours of sleep increased from 16.4% to 54.7%. Students reported significantly more satisfaction with sleep and experienced improved motivation. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and depressed mood were all reduced. Most health-related variables, including Health Center visits for fatigue-related complaints, and class attendance also improved. A modest delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in measures of adolescent alertness, mood, and health. The results of this study support the potential benefits of adjusting school schedules to adolescents' sleep needs, circadian rhythm, and developmental stage.

Crop residue decomposition in Minnesota biochar amended plots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weyers, S. L.; Spokas, K. A.

2014-02-01

Impacts of biochar application at laboratory scales are routinely studied, but impacts of biochar application on decomposition of crop residues at field scales have not been widely addressed. The priming or hindrance of crop residue decomposition could have a cascading impact on soil processes, particularly those influencing nutrient availability. Our objectives were to evaluate biochar effects on field decomposition of crop residue, using plots that were amended with biochars made from different feedstocks and pyrolysis platforms prior to the start of this study. Litterbags containing wheat straw material were buried below the soil surface in a continuous-corn cropped field in plots that had received one of seven different biochar amendments or a non-charred wood pellet amendment 2.5 yr prior to start of this study. Litterbags were collected over the course of 14 weeks. Microbial biomass was assessed in treatment plots the previous fall. Though first-order decomposition rate constants were positively correlated to microbial biomass, neither parameter was statistically affected by biochar or wood-pellet treatments. The findings indicated only a residual of potentially positive and negative initial impacts of biochars on residue decomposition, which fit in line with established feedstock and pyrolysis influences. Though no significant impacts were observed with field-weathered biochars, effective soil management may yet have to account for repeat applications of biochar.

Cold-start characteristics of polymer electrolyte fuel cells

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

Mishler, Jeff; Mukundan, Rangachary; Wang, Yun

2010-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the electrochemical reaction kinetics, species transport, and solid water dynamics in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) during cold start. A simplitied analysis is developed to enable the evaluation of the impact of ice volume fraction on cell performance during coldstart. Supporting neutron imaging data are also provided to reveal the real-time water evolution. Temperature-dependent voltage changes due to the reaction kinetics and ohmic loss are also analyzed based on the ionic conductivity of the membrane at subfreezing temperature. The analysis is valuable for the fundamental study of PEFC cold-start.

A realist review to explore how low-income pregnant women use food vouchers from the UK's Healthy Start programme.

PubMed

Ohly, Heather; Crossland, Nicola; Dykes, Fiona; Lowe, Nicola; Hall-Moran, Victoria

2017-04-21

To explore how low-income pregnant women use Healthy Start food vouchers, the potential impacts of the programme, and which women might experience these impacts and why. A realist review. Primary or empirical studies (of any design) were included if they contributed relevant evidence or insights about how low-income women use food vouchers from the Healthy Start (UK) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programmes. The assessment of 'relevance' was deliberately broad to ensure that reviewers remained open to new ideas from a variety of sources of evidence. A combination of evidence synthesis and realist analysis techniques was used to modify, refine and substantiate programme theories, which were constructed as explanatory 'context-mechanism-outcome'-configurations. 38 primary studies were included in this review: four studies on Healthy Start and 34 studies on WIC. Two main outcome strands were identified: dietary improvements (intended) and financial assistance (unintended). Three evidence-informed programme theories were proposed to explain how aspects of context (and mechanisms) may generate these outcomes: the 'relative value' of healthy eating (prioritisation of resources); retailer discretion (pressure to 'bend the rules'); the influence of other family members (disempowerment). This realist review suggests that some low-income pregnant women may use Healthy Start vouchers to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables and plain cow's milk, whereas others may use them to reduce food expenditure and save money for other things. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Prehospital fast track care for patients with hip fracture: Impact on time to surgery, hospital stay, post-operative complications and mortality a randomised, controlled trial.

PubMed

Larsson, Glenn; Strömberg, Rn Ulf; Rogmark, Cecilia; Nilsdotter, Anna

2016-04-01

Ambulance organisations in Sweden have introduced prehospital fast track care (PFTC) for patients with suspected hip fracture. This means that the ambulance nurse starts the pre-operative procedure otherwise implemented at the accident & emergency ward (A&E) and transports the patient directly to the radiology department instead of A&E. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient is transported directly to the orthopaedic ward. No previous randomised, controlled studies have analysed PFTC to describe its possible advantages. The aim of this study is to examine whether PFTC has any impact on outcomes such as time to surgery, length of stay, post-operative complications and mortality. The design of this study is a prehospital randomised, controlled study, powered to include 400 patients. The patients were randomised into PFTC or the traditional care pathway (A&E group). Time from arrival to start for X-ray was faster for PFTC (mean, 28 vs. 145 min; p<0.001), but the groups did not differ with regard to time from start of X-ray to start of surgery (mean 18.40 h in both groups). No significant differences between the groups were observed with regard to: time from arrival to start of surgery (p=0.07); proportion operated within 24h (79% PFTC, 75% A&E; p=0.34); length of stay (p=0.34); post-operative complications (p=0.75); and 4 month mortality (18% PFTC, 15% A&E p=0.58). PFTC improved time to X-ray and admission to a ward, as expected, but did not significantly affect time to start of surgery, length of stay, post-operative complications or mortality. These outcomes were probably affected by other factors at the hospital. Patients with either possible life-threatening conditions or life-threatening conditions prehospital were excluded. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Parenting Gains in Head Start as a Function of Initial Parenting Skill

PubMed Central

Ansari, Arya; Purtell, Kelly; Gershoff, Elizabeth T.

2016-01-01

Using data from the Head Start Impact Study (n = 3,696), this article examines whether one year of Head Start differentially benefited parents as a function of their initial parenting behaviors. Four outcomes are examined, namely parents’ rates of engaging in cognitive stimulation, reading to their child, and spanking, as well as their depressive symptoms. In general, most parents demonstrated improvements in their reading practices and cognitive stimulation, regardless of their parenting behaviors at baseline. However, depressive symptoms and spanking behavior showed improvements only among parents who began the Head Start program with the most depressive symptoms and the most frequent spanking, respectively. These findings suggest that treatment-induced changes in parenting can vary by parents’ incoming attributes and that heterogeneity of effects should be considered. Implications for Head Start and other parenting interventions are discussed. PMID:27818529

Parenting Gains in Head Start as a Function of Initial Parenting Skill.

PubMed

Ansari, Arya; Purtell, Kelly; Gershoff, Elizabeth T

2016-10-01

Using data from the Head Start Impact Study ( n = 3,696), this article examines whether one year of Head Start differentially benefited parents as a function of their initial parenting behaviors. Four outcomes are examined, namely parents' rates of engaging in cognitive stimulation, reading to their child, and spanking, as well as their depressive symptoms. In general, most parents demonstrated improvements in their reading practices and cognitive stimulation, regardless of their parenting behaviors at baseline. However, depressive symptoms and spanking behavior showed improvements only among parents who began the Head Start program with the most depressive symptoms and the most frequent spanking, respectively. These findings suggest that treatment-induced changes in parenting can vary by parents' incoming attributes and that heterogeneity of effects should be considered. Implications for Head Start and other parenting interventions are discussed.

Delaying Middle School and High School Start Times Promotes Student Health and Performance: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement.

PubMed

Watson, Nathaniel F; Martin, Jennifer L; Wise, Merrill S; Carden, Kelly A; Kirsch, Douglas B; Kristo, David A; Malhotra, Raman K; Olson, Eric J; Ramar, Kannan; Rosen, Ilene M; Rowley, James A; Weaver, Terri E; Chervin, Ronald D

2017-04-15

During adolescence, internal circadian rhythms and biological sleep drive change to result in later sleep and wake times. As a result of these changes, early middle school and high school start times curtail sleep, hamper a student's preparedness to learn, negatively impact physical and mental health, and impair driving safety. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence shows that delaying school start times positively impacts student achievement, health, and safety. Public awareness of the hazards of early school start times and the benefits of later start times are largely unappreciated. As a result, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is calling on communities, school boards, and educational institutions to implement start times of 8:30 AM or later for middle schools and high schools to ensure that every student arrives at school healthy, awake, alert, and ready to learn. © 2017 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Delayed School Start Times and Adolescent Sleep: A Systematic Review of the Experimental Evidence

PubMed Central

Minges, Karl E.; Redeker, Nancy S.

2016-01-01

Summary Many schools have instituted later morning start times to improve sleep, academic, and other outcomes in response to the mismatch between youth circadian rhythms and early morning start times. However, there has been no systematic synthesis of the evidence on the effects of this practice. To examine the impact of delayed school start time on students’ sleep, health, and academic outcomes, electronic databases were systematically searched and data were extracted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Six studies satisfied selection criteria and used pre-post, no control (n=3), randomized controlled trial (n=2), and quasi-experimental (n=1) designs. School start times were delayed 25 to 60 minutes, and correspondingly, total sleep time increased from 25 to 77 minutes per weeknight. Some studies revealed reduced daytime sleepiness, depression, caffeine use, tardiness to class, and trouble staying awake. Overall, the evidence supports recent non-experimental study findings and calls for policy that advocates for delayed school start time to improve sleep. This presents a potential long-term solution to chronic sleep restriction during adolescence. However, there is a need for rigorous randomized study designs and reporting of consistent outcomes, including objective sleep measures and consistent measures of health and academic performance. PMID:26545246

The Impact of College Quality on Early Labor Market Outcomes in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Li

2014-01-01

This study aims to explore the impact of college quality on early labor market outcomes in China, including the fresh college graduates' initial employment status and starting wages for students who graduated in 2011. The main data source is the College Student Labor Market (CSLM) survey conducted by Tsinghua University. Distinguished from…

Impact of Online Orientation for First-Time Online Students on Retention, Academic Success, and Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Lynda

2017-01-01

A challenge faced by higher education is whether online orientation that is offered before the start of class can impact academic performance for online students. The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine if there are significant differences in retention, academic success, and persistence between first time online students…

The Impact of Short-Term Economic Fluctuations on Kindergarten Enrollment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Douglas A.

2010-01-01

For some 5-year-olds, delayed kindergarten enrollment may result in long-term academic benefits. Although waiting an additional year allows for further development prior to the start of formal education, the economic costs of the next best alternatives can be significant. This study examines the impact of short-term economic fluctuations on a…

Study on regional air quality impact from a chemical plant emergency shutdown.

PubMed

Ge, Sijie; Wang, Sujing; Xu, Qiang; Ho, Thomas

2018-06-01

Emergency shutdowns of chemical plants (ESCP) inevitably generate intensive and huge amounts of VOCs and NO x emissions through flaring that can cause highly localized and transient air pollution events with elevated ozone concentrations. However, quantitative studies of regional ozone impact due to ESCP, in terms of how ESCP would affect and to what extent ESCP could impact, are still lacking. This paper reports a systematic study on regional air quality impact from an olefin plant emergency shutdown due to the sudden failure of its cracked gas compressor (CGC). It demonstrates that emergency shutdown may cause significant ozone increment subject to different factors such as the starting time of emergency shutdown, flare destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) and plant location. In our studied case, the 8-hr ozone increment ranges from 0.4 to 3.3 ppb under different starting time, from 3.3 to 24.8 ppb under different DRE, and from 1.6 to 3.3 ppb under different locations. The results enable us to understand how and to what extent emergency operating activities of the chemical process will affect local air quality, which might be beneficial for decision makings on emergency air-quality response and control in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact of the Phase 2 Infantry Advanced Leader Course (ALC)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

as well as interpersonal skills (Baldwin & Ford, 1988; Baldwin cited in Baldwin & Ford, 1988). In a meta-analysis of 117 studies, Taylor, Russ- Eft ... tapping each of the nine competencies. Correlations were computed among the competencies at the start-/end-of-course and follow-on. These... tapping each of the seven tasks. Intercorrelations among ALC task categories were also calculated at both the start and end of the course as well as

Later Education Start Times in Adolescence: Time for Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Paul; Lee, Clark

2015-01-01

School start times for adolescents in the United States are typically too early to be healthy for this age group. There is significant evidence from the research literature that early starts have serious negative impacts on students. In particular, early education start times in adolescence cause chronic sleep deprivation, which damages both…

Guide to Improving Parenting Education in Even Start Family Literacy Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Douglas R.; D'Angelo, Diane

This guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services in Even Start. It is aimed at Even Start state coordinators and local program administrators responsible for supporting and monitoring the quality of parenting education services in Even Start, and at local program staff…

Training Head Start Coordinators for Workplace Preparedness. NCCU Head Start Monograph, October 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Central Univ., Durham.

This monograph summarizes results from academic capstone activities of graduate students and faculty advisors regarding issues consistent with Head Start national priorities and practice needs. The following theses are summarized: (1) "Multicultural Education in Head Start Programs in North Carolina" (S.K. Gant); (2) "The Impact of…

Long-Term Impacts of the Chicago School Readiness Project on Children's Behavior in Kindergarten: The Moderating Role of Child Baseline Characteristics and Kindergarten School Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie M.; Zhai, Fuhua; Raver, C. Cybele

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the long-term impact of participation in the Chicago School Readiness Project (CSRP) during the Head Start year on children's behavioral outcomes at the end of their Kindergarten year. The primary questions addressed in the paper are: (1) What is the experimental impact of CSRP on two-year change (from Fall Head Start to…

Accident rates and the impact of daylight saving time transitions.

PubMed

Robb, David; Barnes, Thomas

2018-02-01

One-third of nations have adopted some form of Daylight Saving Time (DST). Associated costs and benefits include impacts on accident rates. Using data from 12.6 million accident claims in New Zealand during 2005-2016, we model accident rates as a function of various date-based predictors including days before/after the start and end of DST, holidays, day of week, and month of year. This is the first study to consider multiple accident categories (Road, Work, Falls and Home & Community), and the first in the southern hemisphere. The start of DST is associated with significantly higher rates of road accidents (first day +16% and second day +12%). Evidence that accident rates for Falls and Home & Community decline (increase) prior to the start (end) of DST suggest potential behavioural adaption from anticipating the change. While Work accidents show limited impact from DST changes, they exhibit a significant decline over the course of the week (Friday 13% lower than Monday), whereas Road accidents exhibit a significant increase (Friday 19% higher than Monday). Our results have implications for both DST implementation and policy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of an Alternate Start Codon on Heterologous Expression of a PhoA Fusion Protein in Mycoplasma gallisepticum

PubMed Central

Panicker, Indu S.; Browning, Glenn F.; Markham, Philip F.

2015-01-01

While the genomes of many Mycoplasma species have been sequenced, there are no collated data on translational start codon usage, and the effects of alternate start codons on gene expression have not been studied. Analysis of the annotated genomes found that ATG was the most prevalent translational start codon among Mycoplasma spp. However in Mycoplasma gallisepticum a GTG start codon is commonly used in the vlhA multigene family, which encodes a highly abundant, phase variable lipoprotein adhesin. Therefore, the effect of this alternate start codon on expression of a reporter PhoA lipoprotein was examined in M. gallisepticum. Mutation of the start codon from ATG to GTG resulted in a 2.5 fold reduction in the level of transcription of the phoA reporter, but the level of PhoA activity in the transformants containing phoA with a GTG start codon was only 63% of that of the transformants with a phoA with an ATG start codon, suggesting that GTG was a more efficient translational initiation codon. The effect of swapping the translational start codon in phoA reporter gene expression was less in M. gallisepticum than has been seen previously in Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis, suggesting the process of translational initiation in mycoplasmas may have some significant differences from those used in other bacteria. This is the first study of translational start codon usage in mycoplasmas and the impact of the use of an alternate start codon on expression in these bacteria. PMID:26010086

Impact of Time to Maternal Interview on Interview Responses in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study

PubMed Central

Tinker, Sarah C.; Gibbs, Cassandra; Strickland, Matthew J.; Devine, Owen J.; Crider, Krista S.; Werler, Martha M.; Anderka, Marlene T.; Reefhuis, Jennita

2013-01-01

Prenatal exposures often are assessed using retrospective interviews. Time from exposure to interview may influence data accuracy. We investigated the association of time to interview (TTI) with aspects of interview responses in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a population-based case-control study of birth defects in 10 US states. Mothers completed a computer-assisted telephone interview 1.5–24 months after their estimated date of delivery. Proxy metrics for interview quality were whether certain exposures were reported, whether the start month of reported medication use or illness was reported, or whether responses were missing. Interaction by case status was assessed. Interviews were completed with 30,542 mothers (22,366 cases and 8,176 controls) who gave birth between 1997 and 2007. Mothers of cases were interviewed later than were mothers of controls (11.7 months vs. 9.5 months, respectively). In adjusted analyses, having a TTI that was greater than 6 months was associated with only a few aspects of interview responses (e.g., start month of pseudoephedrine use). Interaction by case-control status was observed for some exposures; mothers of controls had a greater reduction in interview quality with increased TTI in these instances (e.g., report of morning sickness, start month of acetaminophen use and ibuprofen use). The results suggest that TTI might impact interview responses; however, the impact may be minimal and specific to the type of exposure. PMID:23645625

Impact of time to maternal interview on interview responses in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study.

PubMed

Tinker, Sarah C; Gibbs, Cassandra; Strickland, Matthew J; Devine, Owen J; Crider, Krista S; Werler, Martha M; Anderka, Marlene T; Reefhuis, Jennita

2013-06-01

Prenatal exposures often are assessed using retrospective interviews. Time from exposure to interview may influence data accuracy. We investigated the association of time to interview (TTI) with aspects of interview responses in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, a population-based case-control study of birth defects in 10 US states. Mothers completed a computer-assisted telephone interview 1.5-24 months after their estimated date of delivery. Proxy metrics for interview quality were whether certain exposures were reported, whether the start month of reported medication use or illness was reported, or whether responses were missing. Interaction by case status was assessed. Interviews were completed with 30,542 mothers (22,366 cases and 8,176 controls) who gave birth between 1997 and 2007. Mothers of cases were interviewed later than were mothers of controls (11.7 months vs. 9.5 months, respectively). In adjusted analyses, having a TTI that was greater than 6 months was associated with only a few aspects of interview responses (e.g., start month of pseudoephedrine use). Interaction by case-control status was observed for some exposures; mothers of controls had a greater reduction in interview quality with increased TTI in these instances (e.g., report of morning sickness, start month of acetaminophen use and ibuprofen use). The results suggest that TTI might impact interview responses; however, the impact may be minimal and specific to the type of exposure.

The Impact on Clients of a Community-Based Infant Mortality Reduction Program: The National Healthy Start Program Survey of Postpartum Women

PubMed Central

McCormick, Marie C.; Deal, Lisa W.; Devaney, Barbara L.; Chu, Dexter; Moreno, Lorenzo; Raykovich, Karen T.

2001-01-01

Objectives. This study assessed the effect of the national Healthy Start Program on its clients. Methods. We used a cross-sectional survey of a sample from Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) rosters of women less than 6 months postpartum who were residents of Healthy Start Program areas. Results. Healthy Start clients revealed higher sociodemographic risk, but not behavioral risk, for adverse pregnancy outcome than other area residents. They did not differ from other residents in receipt of services except for a greater likelihood of receiving case management, using birth control at the time of the interview, and rating their prenatal care more highly. Conclusions. The Healthy Start Program succeeded in enrolling women at high risk. It had little effect on the immediately concluded pregnancy, but it might influence future outcomes. PMID:11726379

Impact of cold climates on vehicle emissions: the cold start air toxics pulse : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-09-21

This project measured cold start emissions from four vehicles in winter using fast response instrumentation to accurately measure the : time variation of the cold start emission pulse. Seventeen successful tests were conducted over a temperature rang...

Profiles of Kindergarten Classroom and Elementary School Contexts: Associations with the First-Grade Outcomes of Children Transitioning from Head Start

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Phyllis; Bierman, Karen L.

2016-01-01

Poor-quality classroom and school contexts may impede the academic and behavioral adjustment of low-income students when they transition into kindergarten. Several studies have examined the impact of teacher-student interactions on student progress, whereas others have explored the impact of school-level adversity (e.g., student poverty, school…

Measuring the Impact of Enterprise Education and Entrepreneurship Support in Higher Education: Can Routinely Collected Data Be of Use?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kelly

2015-01-01

Policy makers and others charged with driving economic growth often assume a link between entrepreneurship education and business start-up. However, there is little by way of supporting literature in this regard, with few studies exploring impact measures that relate to actual venture creation. This paper considers two routinely collected data…

Evaluating the Impact of SPEED on Students' Career Choices: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodier-Harris, Naomi R.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is two-fold; first, to explore the Student Placements for Entrepreneurs in Education (SPEED) programme, which aims to help students gain real business start-up experience whilst at university and second to examine the impact of SPEED on the students. Design/methodology/approach: For the first part of the paper,…

Teachers' Unions and Compensation: The Impact of Collective Bargaining on Salary Schedules and Performance Pay Schemes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Kristine Lamm; Mykerezi, Elton

2011-01-01

This study examines the impact that collective bargaining has on multiple dimensions of teacher compensation, including average and starting salaries, early and late returns to experience, returns to graduate degrees, and the incidence of different pay for performance schemes. Using data from the School and Staffing Survey (SASS) and a more recent…

Essays on the Impact of Social Media: Evidence from the Music Industry and the Stock Market

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Hailiang

2012-01-01

As both individuals and businesses are starting to embrace social media, understanding the power and influence of social media becomes an important question. This dissertation aims to address this issue and study the impact of social media in different contexts. It consists of two essays. The first essay examines the effectiveness of social media…

Randomized Trial of a Statewide Home Visiting Program: Impact in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duggan, Anne; McFarlane, Elizabeth; Fuddy, Loretta; Burrell, Lori; Higman, Susan M.; Windham, Amy; Sia, Calvin

2004-01-01

Objectives: To assess the impact of home visiting in preventing child abuse and neglect in the first 3 years of life in families identified as at-risk of child abuse through population-based screening at the child's birth. Methods: This experimental study focused on Hawaii Healthy Start Program (HSP) sites operated by three community-based…

Making Schools Safe and Inclusive: Gay-Straight Alliances and School Climate in Ontario

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kitchen, Julian; Bellini, Christine

2013-01-01

Gay-straight alliances (GSAs) have become widespread in Ontario schools and, starting in 2012, all schools are required to permit students to form GSAs. While American research suggests that GSAs have a positive impact on school safety and inclusion, there is little research on the impact of GSAs in Canadian schools. This study, based on a survey…

Aesthetical Information Impact of a Literary Text.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malik, M. F.

The aim of this study was to explore the aesthetic impact of a literary text on the human mind and to extend the knowledge on how and when the information from a book enters the human brain, and if and when it starts to be processed and, possibly, memorized. Readers' responses to aesthetic texts were measured through a series of biometric…

Variations in Sleep and Performance by Duty Start Time in Short Haul Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flynn-Evans, Erin

2016-01-01

Prior studies have confirmed that commercial airline pilots experience circadian phase shifts and short sleep duration following travel with layovers in different time zones. Few studies have examined the impact of early and late starts on the sleep and circadian phase of airline pilots who return to their domicile after each duty period. We recruited 44 pilots (4 female) from a short-haul commercial airline to participate in a study examining sleep and circadian phase over four duty schedules (baseline, early starts, mid-day starts, late starts). Each duty schedule was five days long, separated by three rest days. Participants completed the rosters in the same order. Sleep outcomes were estimated using wrist-borne actigraphy (Actiware Software, Respironics, Bend, OR) and daily sleep diaries. Thirteen participants volunteered to collect urine samples for the assessment of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s). Urine samples were collected in four-hourly bins during the day and eight-hourly bins during sleep episodes, for 24 hours immediately following each experimental duty schedule. The aMT6s results were fit to a cosine in order to obtain the acrophase to estimate circadian phase. Univariate statistics were calculated for acrophase changes, schedule start times and sleep times. All statistical analyses were computed using SAS software (Cary, IN).

Voces de la frontera/Voices from the Border: Using Case Studies of Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting along the U.S.-Mexico Border to Identify Shared Measures of Success.

PubMed

Selchau, Katherine; Babuca, Maricela; Bower, Kara; Castro, Yara; Flores, Araceli; Garcia, Jonah O; Reyes, Maria Lourdes F; Rojas, Yvonne; Shattuck, Laura

2017-12-01

Purpose This research analyzes the cases of five women living along the U.S.-Mexico border who overcame challenges during pregnancy or parenting with the support of a federally funded Healthy Start program, designed to eliminate disparities in perinatal health in disadvantaged communities with the poorest birth outcomes. Study objectives were to: (1) identify common factors that affect healthy maternal and child outcomes for Healthy Start participants; and (2) identify a shared definition of what success looks like for Healthy Start participants and opportunities for further study. Description Five border Healthy Start sites (CA, AZ, NM, and TX) contributed case stories from participants who had overcome access barriers to achieve positive pregnancy, birth or parenting outcomes. Case studies were collected using review of successful participant cases and non-structured interviews by Healthy Start staff, and analyzed using participatory methods and thematic analysis. Assessment Common barriers were: lack of insurance; isolation or unsupportive family relationships; timidness and lack of self-advocacy. Healthy Start programs have been successful in securing supportive relationships through the community health worker model; reducing isolation; obtaining insurance access and a medical home; building self-advocacy skills; and supporting participants to pursue their goals. Conclusion Identified barriers are in line with available literature on health care access and provide a U.S.-Mexico border-specific view. The Healthy Start model is effective at helping women to overcome barriers. Learning from this research may contribute to development of shared measures for more impactful evaluation of Healthy Start and similar programs.

Made in Montana: Entrepreneurial Home Economics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goetting, Marsha A.; Muggli, Gayle Y.

1988-01-01

Reports results from a survey of 13 Montana home economists who each started a small business. Information is included on types of businesses the women had started, income, personal characteristics, reasons for starting a business, its impact on family concerns, marketing, obstacles to success, and resources. (CH)

Investing in Head Start: Impacts and Cost Effectiveness of America's Comprehensive Child Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development, 2009

2009-01-01

As part of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the federal Head Start and Early Head Start programs received a significant increase in funding. Head Start is the longest-running program to address systemic poverty in the United States. It is also one of the most heavily researched programs in the nation. Still, debate continues…

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-27

the start-stop-start-stop cycle over a stretched period of time and that’s a big cost impact . But the challenge is by the same token, the build cycle...well as trying to balance the impacts on geographic locations. Q: What will happen to the aircraft from the eliminated squadrons? A: Where applicable

Navy Ford (CVN 78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-27

the start-stop-start-stop cycle over a stretched period of time and that’s a big cost impact . But the challenge is by the same token, the build cycle...well as trying to balance the impacts on geographic locations. Q: What will happen to the aircraft from the eliminated squadrons? A: Where applicable

Winning the Hearts and Minds: Improving U.S. Counter-Radicalization Efforts Through a Study of the United Kingdoms Prevent Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-01

recommended as part of the U.S. counterterrorism communications strategy. In the article, “The Impact of UK Anti-Terror Laws on Freedom of Expression” by... communications strategy by providing a starting point upon which to build. The research conducted will advance an approach that will impact the enemy militarily...in its impact for protecting the United States from those citizens who see it specifically targeting the U.S. Muslim community . d. Building a

Impact of Changes to Practical Assessment at GCSE and A-Level: The Start of a Longitudinal Study by OCR

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Frances; Wade, Neil; Evans, Steve

2016-01-01

As part of a wider qualification reform at upper secondary level in England, the assessment of practical work is changing, following concerns that the legacy model of assessment was having a negative impact on teaching and learning. The OCR examination board is running a longitudinal survey of teachers' views on practical work, focusing on the…

The "Natural Start Alliance": Building Collective Impact for Early Childhood Environmental Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrick, Christy

2014-01-01

Last year, the North American Association for Environmental Education launched the "Natural Start Alliance," a new initiative to advance environmental education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Natural Start provides an opportunity for key players to convene, share ideas and resources, and move together toward shared goals. This…

Neighborhood Economic Disadvantage and Children's Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development: Exploring Head Start Classroom Quality as a Mediating Mechanism.

PubMed

McCoy, Dana Charles; Connors, Maia C; Morris, Pamela A; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Friedman-Krauss, Allison H

Past research has shown robust relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and children's school achievement and social-emotional outcomes, yet the mechanisms for explaining these relationships are poorly understood. The present study uses data from 1,904 Head Start participants enrolled in the Head Start Impact Study to examine the role that classroom structural and relational quality play in explaining the association between neighborhood poverty and children's developmental gains over the preschool year. Results suggest that neighborhood poverty is directly related to lower levels of classroom quality, and lower gains in early literacy and math scores. Indirect relationships were also found between neighborhood poverty and children's social-emotional outcomes (i.e., approaches to learning and behavior problems) via differences in the physical resources and negative student-teacher relationships within classrooms. These findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to consider community characteristics as potential predictors of disparities in classroom quality and children's cognitive and social-emotional development in Head Start.

Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-08

Search Radar modification to CVN–79 and CVN–80. (G) A business case analysis for the two-phase CVN–79 delivery proposal and impact on fleet...the start-stop-start-stop cycle over a stretched period of time and that’s a big cost impact . But the challenge is by the same token, the build cycle...What are the estimated savings of this proposal in FY2017, and over the FY2017-FY2021 Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP)?  What impact would

Impact of early incentive spirometry in an enhanced recovery program after laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

PubMed

Rollins, K E; Aggarwal, S; Fletcher, A; Knight, A; Rigg, K; Williams, A R; Bhattacharjya, S

2013-05-01

This study aimed to assess the impact of early incentive spirometry on the incidence of chest infection in patients undergoing laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. A retrospective review on all consecutive laparoscopic donor nephrectomies (LDN) performed at a single institution from January 2008 to August 2012 was performed. We performed 84 LDN. Seventy patients had epidural analgesia continued for 48 hours postoperatively and 14 had a combination of spinal followed by oral analgesia. Incentive spirometry was introduced from July 2010 and 45 of the 84 donors used the spirometer as taught, both pre- and postoperatively. We performed 84 LDN; 39 patients did not receive incentive spirometers and had postoperative chest physiotherapy started on postoperative day 1. Of the 45 patients given incentive spirometers, 44 started using their spirometers as taught, after recovery once they were settled in the ward, 1 patient started the exercises the following day. In the group who received no spirometer, 5 patients had a chest infection. In the group of patients who started using their spirometers in the early perioperative period (44/45), no patient developed a chest infection. One patient in this group was excluded from the analysis because he started spirometer exercises on postoperative day 1. This patient did develop a chest infection. Our results suggest that early introduction of incentive spirometry after LDN significantly reduces the incidence of chest infection (P < .05); however, this benefit may be lost if the introduction of spirometry is delayed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is 8:30 a.m. Still Too Early to Start School? A 10:00 a.m. School Start Time Improves Health and Performance of Students Aged 13-16.

PubMed

Kelley, Paul; Lockley, Steven W; Kelley, Jonathan; Evans, Mariah D R

2017-01-01

While many studies have shown the benefits of later school starts, including better student attendance, higher test scores, and improved sleep duration, few have used starting times later than 9:00 a.m. Here we report on the implementation and impact of a 10 a.m. school start time for 13 to 16-year-old students. A 4-year observational study using a before-after-before (A-B-A) design was carried out in an English state-funded high school. School start times were changed from 8:50 a.m. in study year 0, to 10 a.m. in years 1-2, and then back to 8:50 a.m. in year 3. Measures of student health (absence due to illness) and academic performance (national examination results) were used for all students. Implementing a 10 a.m. start saw a decrease in student illness after 2 years of over 50% ( p < 0.0005 and effect size: Cohen's d = 1.07), and reverting to an 8:50 a.m. start reversed this improvement, leading to an increase of 30% in student illness ( p < 0.0005 and Cohen's d = 0.47). The 10:00 a.m. start was associated with a 12% increase in the value-added number of students making good academic progress (in standard national examinations) that was significant (<0.0005) and equivalent to 20% of the national benchmark. These results show that changing to a 10:00 a.m. high school start time can greatly reduce illness and improve academic performance. Implementing school start times later than 8:30 a.m., which may address the circadian delay in adolescents' sleep rhythms more effectively for evening chronotypes, appears to have few costs and substantial benefits.

Re-Engineering Motherhood? Sure Start in the Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hey, Valerie; Bradford, Simon

2006-01-01

This article draws on data collected through two focus groups and eight telephone interviews undertaken as part of an evaluation of a local Sure Start programme. Located in the context of New Labour's valorisation of parenting, and specifically mothering, the article explores the impact of Sure Start policy on discourses of motherhood in this…

Modeling photosynthesis of Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill using Bayesian inference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Wei; Biber, Patrick D.; Peterson, Mark S.; Gong, Chongfeng

2012-12-01

To study the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on photosynthesis of coastal salt marsh plants in Mississippi, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model based on field measurements collected from July 2010 to November 2011. We sampled three locations in Davis Bayou, Mississippi (30.375°N, 88.790°W) representative of a range of oil spill impacts. Measured photosynthesis was negative (respiration only) at the heavily oiled location in July 2010 only, and rates started to increase by August 2010. Photosynthesis at the medium oiling location was lower than at the control location in July 2010 and it continued to decrease in September 2010. During winter 2010-2011, the contrast between the control and the two impacted locations was not as obvious as in the growing season of 2010. Photosynthesis increased through spring 2011 at the three locations and decreased starting with October at the control location and a month earlier (September) at the impacted locations. Using the field data, we developed an HB model. The model simulations agreed well with the measured photosynthesis, capturing most of the variability of the measured data. On the basis of the posteriors of the parameters, we found that air temperature and photosynthetic active radiation positively influenced photosynthesis whereas the leaf stress level negatively affected photosynthesis. The photosynthesis rates at the heavily impacted location had recovered to the status of the control location about 140 days after the initial impact, while the impact at the medium impact location was never severe enough to make photosynthesis significantly lower than that at the control location over the study period. The uncertainty in modeling photosynthesis rates mainly came from the individual and micro-site scales, and to a lesser extent from the leaf scale.

The Impact of Parent-Delivered Intervention on Parents of Very Young Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estes, Annette; Vismara, Laurie; Mercado, Carla; Fitzpatrick, Annette; Elder, Lauren; Greenson, Jessica; Lord, Catherine; Munson, Jeffrey; Winter, Jamie; Young, Gregory; Dawson, Geraldine; Rogers, Sally

2014-01-01

This study investigated the impact of a parent-coaching intervention based on the Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) on parenting-related stress and sense of competence. This was part of a multisite, randomized trial comparing P-ESDM (n = 49) with community intervention (n = 49) for children aged 12 and 24 months. The P-ESDM group reported no…

Counting the DEAD: Did the Dinosaurs and Their Contemporaries Die Out with a Bang or a Whimper?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monastersky, Richard

1992-01-01

Researchers who study the fossil record are seeking to determine whether the impact made by a comet or meteor really did decimate up to half of the life on this planet at the end of the Cretaceous period. Questions whether the extinction of plant and animal life was abrupt, started before the impact, or was a gradual change. (KR)

The MESA Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denson, Cameron D.

2017-01-01

This article examines the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program and investigates its impact on underrepresented student populations. MESA was started in California during the 1970s to provide pathways to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers for underrepresented students and represents an exemplar model…

Delayed high school start times later than 8:30am and impact on graduation rates and attendance rates.

PubMed

McKeever, Pamela Malaspina; Clark, Linda

2017-04-01

The first purpose of this study was to investigate changes in high school graduation rates with a delayed school start time of later than 8:30am. The second aim of the study was to analyze the association between a delayed high school start time later than 8:30am and attendance rates. In the current study, a pre-post design using a repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to examine changes in attendance and graduation rates 2 years after a delayed start was implemented. Public high schools from 8 school districts (n=29 high schools) located throughout 7 different states. Schools were identified using previous research from the Children's National Medical Center's Division of Sleep Medicine Research Team. A total membership of more than 30,000 high school students enrolled in the 29 schools identified by the Children's National Medical Center's Research Team. A pre-post design was used for a within-subject design, controlling for any school-to-school difference in the calculation of the response variable. This is the recommended technique for a study that may include data with potential measurement error. Findings from this study linked a start time of later than 8:30am to improved attendance rates and graduation rates. Attendance rates and graduation rates significantly improved in schools with delayed start times of 8:30am or later. School officials need to take special notice that this investigation also raises questions about whether later start times are a mechanism for closing the achievement gap due to improved graduation rates. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing the impact of a targeted plyometric training on changes in selected kinematic parameters of the swimming start.

PubMed

Rejman, Marek; Bilewski, Marek; Szczepan, Stefan; Klarowicz, Andrzej; Rudnik, Daria; Maćkała, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to analyse changes taking place within selected kinematic parameters of the swimming start, after completing a six-week plyometric training, assuming that the take-off power training improves its effectiveness. The experiment included nine male swimmers. In the pre-test the swimmers performed three starts focusing on the best performance. Next, a plyometric training programme, adapted from sprint running, was introduced in order to increase a power of the lower extremities. The programme entailed 75 minute sessions conducted twice a week. Afterwards, a post-test was performed, analogous to the pre-test. Spatio-temporal structure data of the swimming start were gathered from video recordings of the swimmer above and under water. Impulses triggered by the plyometric training contributed to a shorter start time (the main measure of start effectiveness) and glide time as well as increasing average take-off, flight and glide velocities including take-off, entry and glide instantaneous velocities. The glide angle decreased. The changes in selected parameters of the swimming start and its confirmed diagnostic values, showed the areas to be susceptible to plyometric training and suggested that applied plyometric training programme aimed at increasing take-off power enhances the effectiveness of the swimming start.

Reported consent processes and demographics: a substudy of the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment (START) trial.

PubMed

Denning, E; Sharma, S; Smolskis, M; Touloumi, G; Walker, S; Babiker, A; Clewett, M; Emanuel, E; Florence, E; Papadopoulos, A; Sánchez, A; Tavel, J; Grady, C

2015-04-01

Efforts are needed to improve informed consent of participants in research. The Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Therapy (START) study provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of length and complexity of informed consent documents on understanding and satisfaction among geographically diverse participants. Interested START sites were randomized to use either the standard consent form or the concise consent form for all of the site's participants. A total of 4473 HIV-positive participants at 154 sites world-wide took part in the Informed Consent Substudy, with consent given in 11 primary languages. Most sites sent written information to potential participants in advance of clinic visits, usually including the consent form. At about half the sites, staff reported spending less than an hour per participant in the consent process. The vast majority of sites assessed participant understanding using informal nonspecific questions or clinical judgment. These data reflect the interest of START research staff in evaluating the consent process and improving informed consent. The START Informed Consent Substudy is by far the largest study of informed consent intervention ever conducted. Its results have the potential to impact how consent forms are written around the world. © 2015 British HIV Association.

Head Start: Working Towards Improved Results for Children. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Education Reform of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

These hearings transcripts present testimony on the impact of the Head Start program for preparing disadvantaged children for school, to inform the reauthorization of Head Start. Opening statements by U.S. Representatives Michael Castle (Delaware) and Lynn Wolsey (California) focused on needs for improving Head Start. A written statement by…

Child Care Enrollment Decisions Among Dual Language Learner Families: The Role of Spanish Language Instruction in the Child Care Setting

PubMed Central

Miller, Elizabeth B.

2016-01-01

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 1,141) and the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey, 2009 Cohort (N = 825) were used to describe child care enrollment decisions among Spanish-speaking Dual Language Learner (DLL) families. In particular, logistic regression models tested which child, family, and institutional characteristics predicted enrollment in early care and education (ECE) settings that used Spanish for instruction versus enrollment in settings that did not use Spanish. Results showed that whether the child’s first language was exclusively Spanish and whether other DLL families previously attended the ECE arrangement strongly predicted whether that child enrolled. Policy implications for Head Start-eligible Spanish-speaking DLLs are discussed. PMID:26900255

Impact of the post-2008 economic crisis on harmful drinking in the Dutch working-age population.

PubMed

de Goeij, Moniek C M; van der Wouden, Bregje; Bruggink, Jan-Willem; Otten, Ferdy; Kunst, Anton E

2016-04-01

Studies on the impact of economic crises on alcohol consumption have yielded ambiguous results. Therefore, we studied changes in trends in harmful drinking among Dutch working-age men and women after the post-2008 economic crisis started. We also assessed whether these trend changes differed across age and socioeconomic groups. We used repeated cross-sectional data from the Dutch Health Interview Survey conducted by Statistics Netherlands. Representative samples were independently drawn each month (January, 2004-December, 2013). Our working-age study population consisted of 20,140 men and 22,394 women aged 25-64. For men and women, episodic drinking was defined as drinking ≥6 glasses on one day at least once a week. Chronic drinking was defined as consuming ≥14 glasses/week for women and ≥21 for men. Segmented logistic regression was used to model trend changes separately in men and women. A downward trend in episodic and chronic drinking before the crisis slowed down after the crisis started. For episodic drinking, we observed a ceasing-of-decline among men aged 35-44/45-54/55-64, compared to a start-of-decline among those aged 25-34 (p-interaction=0.042/0.020/0.047). For chronic drinking, we observed a ceasing-of-decline among women (p=0.023) but not among men in general (p=0.238). Among men, a ceasing-of-decline did occur in those with a high income, but a start-of-decline was found among those with a low income (p-interaction=0.049). In some subgroups of the Dutch working-age population, the downward trend in episodic and chronic drinking ceased after the crisis started. This suggests that the crisis had an upward effect on harmful drinking, but only in specific populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examining How Teachers Use Graphs to Teach Mathematics during a Professional Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bautista, Alfredo; Cañadas, María C.; Brizuela, Bárbara M.; Schliemann, Analúcia D.

2015-01-01

There are urgent calls for more studies examining the impact of Professional Development (PD) programs on teachers' instructional practices. In this study, we analyzed how grades 5-9 mathematics teachers used graphs to teach mathematics at the start and end of a PD program. This topic is relevant because while many studies have investigated…

Arts-Based Self-Study: Documenting the Ripple Effect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Sandra

2014-01-01

Like all forms of inquiry, arts-based self-study research can have unexpected consequences. Although we may start out with a fairly clear objective, the data we generate through arts-based methods might address other questions that are even more important than the ones we thought to ask initially, and our study might have an impact that extends…

77 FR 6565 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-08

... and Resources for Emotion and Social skill promotion (CARES) project: Impact and Implementation Studies--Extension. OMB No.: 0970-0364. Description: The Head Start Classroom-based Approaches and Resources for Emotion and Social skill promotion (CARES) project is evaluating social emotional program...

Characteristics of Young Children Exposed to Violence: The Safe Start Demonstration Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Joy S.; Ortega, Sandra; Schewe, Paul A.; Kracke, Kristen

2011-01-01

The Safe Start demonstration projects, funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) under the first phase of the Safe Start initiative, are primarily designed to influence change at the systems or macrolevels to reduce the incidence of and impact of exposure to violence for children aged birth to 6 years; direct…

Impact cratering: The process and its effects on planetary evolution. [and silicate-carbonate reactions on Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grieve, R. A. F.

1984-01-01

The potential for silicate-carbon dioxide reactions as a geochemical weathering agent on Venus was studied. A tholetitic basalt close to the composition determined by the XRF experiment at the Venera 14 sites was subjected to high temperature and pressure (with pure CO2 as the pressure medium) for varying time durations. The starting basalt material and the run products were examined optically and by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The kinetics of the silicate-carbonate reactions is discussed. A study to elucidate details of impact processes and to assess the effects of impact cratering on planetary evolution is mentioned.

High School Start Times and the Impact on High School Students: What We Know, and What We Hope to Learn.

PubMed

Morgenthaler, Timothy I; Hashmi, Sarah; Croft, Janet B; Dort, Leslie; Heald, Jonathan L; Mullington, Janet

2016-12-15

Several organizations have provided recommendations to ensure high school starts no sooner than 08:30. However, although there are plausible biological reasons to support such recommendations, published recommendations have been based largely on expert opinion and a few observational studies. We sought to perform a critical review of published evidence regarding the effect of high school start times on sleep and other relevant outcomes. We performed a broad literature search to identify 287 candidate publications for inclusion in our review, which focused on studies offering direct comparison of sleep time, academic or physical performance, behavioral health measures, or motor vehicular accidents in high school students. Where possible, outcomes were combined for meta-analysis. After application of study criteria, only 18 studies were suitable for review. Eight studies were amenable to meta-analysis for some outcomes. We found that later school start times, particularly when compared with start times more than 60 min earlier, are associated with longer weekday sleep durations, lower weekday-weekend sleep duration differences, reduced vehicular accident rates, and reduced subjective daytime sleepiness. Improvement in academic performance and behavioral issues is less established. The literature regarding effect of school start time delays on important aspects of high school life suggests some salutary effects, but often the evidence is indirect, imprecise, or derived from cohorts of convenience, making the overall quality of evidence weak or very weak. This review highlights a need for higher-quality data upon which to base important and complex public health decisions. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine

The impact of an "acute dialysis start" on the mortality attributed to the use of central venous catheters: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Tennankore, Karthik K; Soroka, Steven D; Kiberd, Bryce A

2012-07-30

Central venous catheters (CVCs) are associated with early mortality in dialysis patients. However, some patients progress to end stage renal disease after an acute illness, prior to reaching an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at which one would expect to establish alternative access (fistula/peritoneal dialysis catheter). The purpose of this study was to determine if exclusion of this "acute start" patient group alters the association between CVCs and mortality. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 406 incident dialysis patients from 1 Jan 2006 to 31 Dec 2009. Patients were classified as acute starts if 1) the eGFR was >25 ml/min/1.73 m2, ≤ 3 months prior to dialysis initiation and declined after an acute event (n = 45), or 2) in those without prior eGFR measurements, there was no supporting evidence of chronic kidney disease on history or imaging (n = 12). Remaining patients were classified as chronic start (n = 349). 98 % and 52 % of acute and chronic starts initiated dialysis with a CVC. There were 148 deaths. The adjusted mortality hazard ratio (HR) for acute vs. chronic start patients was 1.84, (95 % CI [1.19-2.85]). The adjusted mortality HR for patients dialyzing with a CVC compared to alternative access was 1.19 (95 % CI [0.80-1.77]). After excluding acute start patients, the adjusted HR fell to 1.03 (95 % CI [0.67-1.57]). A significant proportion of early dialysis mortality occurs after an acute start. Exclusion of this population attenuates the mortality risk associated with CVCs.

Low pressure hugoniot cusp in polymeric materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, S. A.; Bloomquist, D. D.

1982-04-01

It has previously been shown that polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) exhibits a cusp in the shock Hugoniot at about 2.0 GPa which corresponds with the beginning of shock-induced polarization and the beginning of an exothermic reaction measured in thermocouple and resistivity gauge temperature studies. We now report results we have recently obtained from an ongoing study which indicate that other polymers have similar behavior at about the same pressure. Quartz gauge impact experiments have been performed using polypyro-ellitimide (Vespel) and polysulfone impactors to obtain Hugoniot information and the stress history at the impact plane. In the case of Vespel a slight Hugoniot cusp was observed at about 1.8 GPa which coincides with the start of shock-induced polarization. Polysulfone does not appear to have a cusp but does show stress relaxation at the impact plane beginning at about 1.8 GPa, again coinciding with the start of shock-induced polarization. It has been suggested earlier that the abnormal behavior in PMMA is the result of a shock-induced chemical reaction. This new information suggests that a stress of about 2 GPa is a threshold for shock-induced chemical reaction in several polymers.

Delaying Middle School and High School Start Times Promotes Student Health and Performance: An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Position Statement

PubMed Central

Watson, Nathaniel F.; Martin, Jennifer L.; Wise, Merrill S.; Carden, Kelly A.; Kirsch, Douglas B.; Kristo, David A.; Malhotra, Raman K.; Olson, Eric J.; Ramar, Kannan; Rosen, Ilene M.; Rowley, James A.; Weaver, Terri E.; Chervin, Ronald D.

2017-01-01

During adolescence, internal circadian rhythms and biological sleep drive change to result in later sleep and wake times. As a result of these changes, early middle school and high school start times curtail sleep, hamper a student's preparedness to learn, negatively impact physical and mental health, and impair driving safety. Furthermore, a growing body of evidence shows that delaying school start times positively impacts student achievement, health, and safety. Public awareness of the hazards of early school start times and the benefits of later start times are largely unappreciated. As a result, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is calling on communities, school boards, and educational institutions to implement start times of 8:30 AM or later for middle schools and high schools to ensure that every student arrives at school healthy, awake, alert, and ready to learn. Citation: Watson NF, Martin JL, Wise MS, Carden KA, Kirsch DB, Kristo DA, Malhotra RK, Olson EJ, Ramar K, Rosen IM, Rowley JA, Weaver TE, Chervin RD. Delaying middle school and high school start times promotes student health and performance: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine position statement. J Clin Sleep Med. 2017;13(4):623–625. PMID:28416043

Using mixed methods for evaluating an integrative approach to cancer care: a case study.

PubMed

Brazier, Alison; Cooke, Karen; Moravan, Veronika

2008-03-01

To evaluate the impact of participating in an integrative cancer care program at the Centre for Integrated Healing in Vancouver, British Columbia, on patients' lifestyle, quality of life, and overall well-being. A mixed-methods case study with a pre- and posttest design. No control group was utilized. All new patients starting at the Centre for Integrated Healing between May and September of 2004 were invited to join the study. Forty-six of 77 new patients agreed to participate. Quantitative data measuring quality of life, social support, anxiety and depression, locus of control, and hope were assessed at baseline (pre-program start) and at 6 weeks and 5 months from the start of the program. Qualitative data in the form of focus groups and interviews were collected midway through the follow-up period to further explore program impacts. No statistically significant improvements or declines were noted on the quantitative measures between baseline and the 5-month follow-up point. The qualitative findings revealed a theme of patients' active engagement in their cancer care involving empowered decision making and creating personal change. Facilitators of active patient engagement in their own care from the integrative program included healing partnerships with practitioners, information and resources, managing the integration of complementary and conventional therapies, emotional support, and a sense of hope. This case study was a first attempt at documenting the impact of an integrative cancer care program at the Centre for Integrated Healing. Study limitations included a small sample size, which limited power to detect quantitative changes on the questionnaires and a lack of a control group. Qualitative findings indicated that patients found value in the "person-oriented" holistic approach to care, which encouraged patients to take an active role in decision making and self-care. The use of a mixed-methods research design proved to be an effective approach to not only evaluating outcomes but also examining process issues of the experience. Additional research is greatly needed to better understand potential impacts of integrative approaches to cancer care.

Profiles of Kindergarten Classroom and Elementary School Contexts: Associations with the First-Grade Outcomes of Children Transitioning from Head Start

PubMed Central

Lee, Phyllis; Bierman, Karen L.

2018-01-01

Poor quality classroom and school contexts may impede the academic and behavioral adjustment of low-income students when they transition into kindergarten. Several studies have examined the impact of teacher-student interactions on student progress, whereas others have explored the impact of school-level adversity (e.g., student poverty, school achievement levels). Expanding on prior findings, this study used latent profile analysis to characterize kindergarten contexts in terms of both classroom teacher-student interaction quality and school-level adversity. Following 164 children longitudinally and accounting for functioning in Head Start prior to kindergarten entry, associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade outcomes revealed that children who experienced dual-risk contexts in kindergarten (classrooms with poor quality teacher-student interactions in schools with high levels of adversity) demonstrated the greatest aggression and social difficulties in first grade. Associations between kindergarten context profiles and first grade academic outcomes were less clear. PMID:29731516

Identifying the Channels through Which Head Start Affects Long-Term Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyman, Joshua

2011-01-01

Head Start is a federally funded preschool program for poor children designed to help close the gap between those children and their more advantaged peers before they begin public schooling. Given that Head Start appears to have positive long-run impacts on its recipients, a natural and important next question to ask is: What are the channels…

The Effects of a Head Start Program on Maternal Attitudes and Behaviors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jerry Allen; Peevers, Barbara Hollands

This research is part of an ongoing evaluation of the impact of the Butte County, California, Head Start program on mothers' child rearing behaviors and values, self esteem, and attitudes regarding family ideology. A total of 103 mothers of children enrolled in the Head Start program were given pre- and post-program interviews by their child's…

The Impact of Parent Involvement in Head Start on Parents and Children. Final Report [and] Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Faith Lamb; Piotrkowski, Chaya S.; Kessler-Sklar, Susan; Baker, Amy J. L.; Peay, Lenore; Clark, Beryl

From its inception, Head Start's legislative mandate called for "maximum feasible participation" of parents in all programmatic efforts and policy decisions. Nevertheless, there has been little research done on the benefits of Head Start to parents and on the role of parents as mediators of child and family outcomes. The Head Start…

Treatment discontinuation and tolerability as a function of dose and titration of duloxetine in the treatment of major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Harada, Eiji; Shirakawa, Osamu; Satoi, Yoichi; Marangell, Lauren B; Escobar, Rodrigo

2016-01-01

We sought to better understand how dose and titration with duloxetine treatment may impact tolerability and treatment discontinuation in patients with major depressive disorder. We investigated Phase III duloxetine trials. Group 1 was a single placebo-controlled study with a 20 mg initial dose and a slow titration to 40 and 60 mg. Group 2 was a single study with a 40 mg initial dose and final "active" doses of 40 and 60 mg (5 mg control group), with 1-week titration. Group 3 consisted of eight placebo-controlled studies with starting doses of 40, 60, and 80 mg/day with minimal titration (final dose 40-120 mg/day). Tolerability was measured by rate of discontinuation due to adverse events (DCAE). The DCAE in Group 1 were 3.6% in the 60 mg group, 3.3% in the 40 mg group, and 3.2% in the placebo group. In Group 2, the DCAE were 15.0% in the 60 mg group, 8.1% in the 40 mg group, and 4.9% in the 5 mg group. In Group 3, the DCAE were 9.7% and 4.2% in the duloxetine and placebo groups, respectively. This study suggests that starting dose and titration may have impacted tolerability and treatment discontinuation. A lower starting dose of duloxetine and slower titration may contribute to improving treatment tolerability for patients with major depressive disorder.

Neighborhood Economic Disadvantage and Children’s Cognitive and Social-Emotional Development: Exploring Head Start Classroom Quality as a Mediating Mechanism

PubMed Central

McCoy, Dana Charles; Connors, Maia C.; Morris, Pamela A.; Yoshikawa, Hirokazu; Friedman-Krauss, Allison H.

2015-01-01

Past research has shown robust relationships between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and children’s school achievement and social-emotional outcomes, yet the mechanisms for explaining these relationships are poorly understood. The present study uses data from 1,904 Head Start participants enrolled in the Head Start Impact Study to examine the role that classroom structural and relational quality play in explaining the association between neighborhood poverty and children’s developmental gains over the preschool year. Results suggest that neighborhood poverty is directly related to lower levels of classroom quality, and lower gains in early literacy and math scores. Indirect relationships were also found between neighborhood poverty and children’s social-emotional outcomes (i.e., approaches to learning and behavior problems) via differences in the physical resources and negative student-teacher relationships within classrooms. These findings highlight the need for policy initiatives to consider community characteristics as potential predictors of disparities in classroom quality and children’s cognitive and social-emotional development in Head Start. PMID:25937703

The impact of vegan production on the kimchi microbiome.

PubMed

Zabat, Michelle A; Sano, William H; Cabral, Damien J; Wurster, Jenna I; Belenky, Peter

2018-09-01

Despite previous inquiry into the fermentative bacterial community of kimchi, there has been little insight into the impacts of starting ingredients on the establishment and dynamics of the microbial community. Recently some industrial producers have begun to utilize vegan production methods that omit fermented seafood ingredients. The community-level impacts of this change are unknown. In this study, we investigated the differences in the taxonomic composition of the microbial communities of non-vegan kimchi and vegan kimchi prepared through quick fermentation at room temperature. In addition to tracking the community dynamics over the fermentation process, we looked at the impact of the constituent ingredients and the production facility environment on the microbial community of fermenting kimchi. Our results indicate that the bacterial community of the prepared vegan product closely mirrors the progression and final structure of the non-vegan final product. We also found that room temperature-fermented kimchi differs minimally from more traditional cold-fermented kimchi. Finally, we found that the bacterial community of the starting ingredients show a low relative abundance of the lactic acid bacteria in fermented kimchi, whereas the production facility is dominated by these bacteria. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making a Difference in the Lives of Infants and Toddlers and Their Families: The Impacts of Early Head Start. Volumes I-III: Final Technical Report [and] Appendixes [and] Local Contributions to Understanding the Programs and Their Impacts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, John M.; Kisker, Ellen Eliason; Ross, Christine M.; Schochet, Peter Z.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Paulsell, Diane; Boller, Kimberly; Constantine, Jill; Vogel, Cheri; Fuligni, Alison Sidle; Brady-Smith, Christy

Early Head Start was designed in 1994 as a 2-generation program to enhance children's development and health, strengthen family and community partnerships, and support the staff delivering new services to low-income families with pregnant women, infants, or toddlers. This document contains the final technical report, appendixes, and local…

Zoogeomorphology in the Anthropocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, David R.

2018-02-01

The Anthropocene embodies the concept of human impacts on the natural environment, but disagreements exist as to when to identify its inception/starting date. In this paper I illustrate that regardless of the proposed starting date of the Anthropocene, important zoogeomorphic impacts were initiated at each of these proposed starting dates. Humans have profoundly altered geomorphic pathways through extinctions and the near-extirpation of native populations of animal species that strongly influenced hydrology and removal of surface sediment and through the introduction of populations of animals that bring to bear a suite of different geomorphic effects on environmental systems. Domestication of animals brought its own suite of zoogeomorphic implications. Introductions of exotic species, and the spread of feral species, often led to dramatic new geomorphic landscapes because of the absence of natural controls on population expansion. In the mountains of the western USA and elsewhere, the geomorphic actions of animals are being impacted by human-induced climate change. Climate change in some cases affects the spatial pattern and range of species, whereas in other cases it may lead to the extirpation of species with zoogeomorphic impacts.

Choice of Study Discipline and the Postponement of Motherhood in Europe: The Impact of Expected Earnings, Gender Composition, and Family Attitudes

PubMed Central

VAN BAVEL, JAN

2010-01-01

Theory suggests that the field of study may be at least as consequential for fertility behavior as the duration and level of education. Yet, this qualitative dimension of educational achievement has been largely neglected in demographic studies. This article analyzes the mechanisms relating the field of study with the postponement of motherhood by European college-graduate women aged 20–40. The second round of the European Social Survey is used to assess the impact of four features of study disciplines that are identified as key to reproductive decision making: the expected starting wage, the steepness of the earning profile, attitudes toward gendered family roles, and gender composition. The results indicate that the postponement of motherhood is relatively limited among graduates from study disciplines in which stereotypical attitudes about family roles prevail and in which a large share of the graduates are female. Both the level of the starting wage and the steepness of the earning profile are found to be associated with greater postponement. These results are robust to controlling for the partnership situation and the age at entry into the labor market. PMID:20608105

Choice of study discipline and the postponement of motherhood in Europe: the impact of expected earnings, gender composition, and family attitudes.

PubMed

Van Bavel, Jan

2010-05-01

Theory suggests that the field of study may be at least as consequential for fertility behavior as the duration and level of education. Yet, this qualitative dimension of educational achievement has been largely neglected in demographic studies. This article analyzes the mechanisms relating the field of study with the postponement of motherhood by European college-graduate women aged 20-40. The second round of the European Social Survey is used to assess the impact of four features of study disciplines that are identified as key to reproductive decision making: the expected starting wage, the steepness of the earning profile, attitudes toward gendered family roles, and gender composition. The results indicate that the postponement of motherhood is relatively limited among graduates from study disciplines in which stereotypical attitudes about family roles prevail and in which a large share of the graduates are female. Both the level of the starting wage and the steepness of the earning profile are found to be associated with greater postponement. These results are robust to controlling for the partnership situation and the age at entry into the labor market.

Cross-sectional evaluation of visuomotor tracking performance following subconcussive head impacts.

PubMed

Brokaw, E B; Fine, M S; Kindschi, K E; Santago Ii, A C; Lum, P S; Higgins, M

2018-01-01

Repeated mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has been associated with increased risk of degenerative neurological disorders. While the effects of mTBI and repeated injury are known, studies have only recently started examining repeated subconcussive impacts, impacts that do not result in a clinically diagnosed mTBI. In these studies, repeated subconcussive impacts have been connected to cognitive performance and brain imaging changes. Recent research suggests that performance on a visuomotor tracking (VMT) task may help improve the identification of mTBI. The goal of this study was to investigate if VMT performance is sensitive to the cumulative effect of repeated subconcussive head impacts in collegiate men's lacrosse players. A cross-sectional, prospective study was completed with eleven collegiate men's lacrosse players. Participants wore helmet-mounted sensors and completed VMT and reaction time assessments. The relationship between cumulative impact metrics and VMT metrics were investigated. In this study, VMT performance correlated with repeated subconcussive head impacts; individuals approached clinically diagnosed mTBI-like performance as the cumulative rotational velocity they experienced increased. This suggests that repeated subconcussive impacts can result in measurable impairments and indicates that visuomotor tracking performance may be a useful tool for monitoring the effects of repeated subconcussive impacts.

Biofilm resilience to desiccation in groundwater aquifers: a laboratory and field study.

PubMed

Weaver, L; Webber, J B; Hickson, A C; Abraham, P M; Close, M E

2015-05-01

Groundwater is used as a precious resource for drinking water worldwide. Increasing anthropogenic activity is putting increasing pressure on groundwater resources. One impact of increased groundwater abstraction coupled with increasing dry weather events is the lowering of groundwater levels within aquifers. Biofilms within groundwater aquifers offer protection to the groundwater by removing contaminants entering the aquifer systems from land use activities. The study presented investigated the impact of desiccation events on the biofilms present in groundwater aquifers using field and laboratory experiments. In both field and laboratory experiments a reduction in enzyme activity (glucosidase, esterase and phosphatase) was seen during desiccation compared to wet controls. However, comparing all the data together no significant differences were seen between either wet or desiccated samples or between the start and end of the experiments. In both field and laboratory experiments enzyme activity recovered to start levels after return to wet conditions. The study shows that biofilms within groundwater systems are resilient and can withstand periods of desiccation (4 months). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Istartsmart: An Evaluative Study on a College Success Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruse, Heather L.

2014-01-01

The researcher for this evaluative study investigated the efficacy and impact of the iStartSmart college success course by examining the first-term retention, fall-to-fall persistence, and three-year completion rates of community college students who enrolled in the one- or three-credit course at a community college in Arizona and the rates of…

Fidelity of Implementation of Research Experience for Teachers in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Tapati

2012-01-01

In this study, the Arizona State University Mathematics and Science Teaching Fellows 2010 program was analyzed qualitatively from start to finish to determine the impact of the research experience on teachers in the classroom. The sample for the study was the 2010 cohort of eight high school science teachers. Erickson's (1986) interpretive,…

A Mixed-Method Examination of Preschool Teacher Beliefs about Social-Emotional Learning and Relations to Observed Emotional Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zinsser, Katherine M.; Shewark, Elizabeth A.; Denham, Susanne A.; Curby, Timothy W.

2014-01-01

The connections between parents' socialization practices and beliefs about emotions, and children's emotional development have been well studied; however, teachers' impacts on children's social-emotional learning (SEL) remain widely understudied. In the present study, private preschool and Head Start teachers (N?=?32) were…

Statistical Analysis of Warfare: Identification of Winning Factors with a Focus on Irregular Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Defense HERO Historical Evaluation and Research Organization IDPs Internally Displaced Persons IFR Initial Force Ratio INITA Relative Imitative...armies started combating non-state, widely dispersed groups. Although this change appears to be quite simple, it has had a deep impact on military...1789–1961: A Study of the Impact of the French, Industrial, and Russian Revolutions on War and its Conduct (Boston, MA: Da Capo Press, 1992). 10 Ibid

Climate change and its impact on birch pollen quantities and the start of the pollen season an example from Switzerland for the period 1969-2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frei, Thomas; Gassner, Ewald

2008-09-01

As published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) global warming is a reality and its impact is huge like the increase of extreme weather events, glacier recession, sea level rise and also effects on human health. Among them allergies to airborne pollen might increase or change in pattern due to the invasion of new allergic plants or due to different behavior of plants like earlier flowering. In this study we used the longest Swiss airborne pollen data set to examine the influence of the temperature increase on the time of flowering. In the case of Basel, where pollen data for 38 years are available, it was shown that due to a temperature increase the start of flowering in the case of birch occurred about 15 days earlier. Apart from a shift of the start of the flowering there is also a trend towards higher annual birch pollen quantities and an increase of the highest daily mean pollen concentrations. Due to global warming and because symptoms may appear earlier in the year people suffering from a pollen allergy might face a new unaccustomed situation.

An Evaluation of Fresh Start as a Catch-Up Intervention: A Trial Conducted by Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen; Siddiqui, Nadia; See, Beng Huat

2016-01-01

This paper describes a randomised controlled trial conducted with 10 secondary schools in England to evaluate the impact and feasibility of Fresh Start as an intervention to help new entrants with low prior literacy. Fresh Start is a synthetic phonics programme for small groups of pupils, here implemented three times per week over 22 weeks. The…

[Problems and solutions of implementing plan environmental impact assessment in China].

PubMed

Liang, Xue-gong; Liu, Juan

2004-11-01

At present, there are two forms of Plan Environmental Impact Assessment (PEIA): Self-assessment and entrusted assessment. The appropriate object and the time of starting PEIA were discussed. It points out that self-assessment should be able to realize the essential roles of PEIA, such as 'starting as early as possible', 'optimization of options', etc. At the same time, the concept and function of alternative, PEIA methodology and the role of public participation are all elementarily discussed.

Analytical and experimental evaluations of the effect of broad property fuels on combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. L.

1980-01-01

The impacts of broad property fuels on the design, performance, durability, emissions, and operational characteristics of current and advanced combustors for commercial aircraft gas turbine engines were studied. The effect of fuel thermal stability on engine and airframe fuel system was evaluated. Tradeoffs between fuel properties, exhaust emissions, and combustor life were also investigated. Results indicate major impacts of broad property fuels on allowable metal temperatures in fuel manifolds and injector support, combustor cyclic durability, and somewhat lesser impacts on starting characteristics, lightoff, emissions, and smoke.

Early Learning and Early Identification Follow-Up Study: Transition from the Early to the Later Childhood Grades, 1990-93.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marcon, Rebecca A.

As follow-up to an in-depth study of the District of Columbia's early learning programs and their impact, this study provided data on the transition of previously studied children from primary education to upper elementary grades. Academic progress of the original group of pre-kindergarten and Head Start children was studied during years 5 and 6…

Buffering boys and boosting girls: The protective and promotive effects of Early Head Start for children’s expressive language in the context of parenting stress

PubMed Central

Vallotton, C. D.; Harewood, T.; Ayoub, C. A.; Pan, B.; Mastergeorge, A. M.; Brophy-Herb, H.

2011-01-01

Children’s characteristics, including gender, influence their development by eliciting differential responses from their environments, and by influencing differential responses to their environments. Parenting-related stress, associated with poverty environments, negatively influences children’s language, likely through its impact on parent-child interactions, but may impact boys’ and girls’ development differently. Early intervention represents one tool for supporting development in at-risk toddlers, but gender-differences in effects of intervention are rarely described. The current studies assessed the effects of Early Head Start (EHS) on children’s productive vocabulary in the context of parenting stress and examined gender differences in program effects on vocbulary. Data were from the national EHS Research and Evaluation (EHSRE) study (Study 1, N = 3,001), and from a dataset associated with one EHSRE site (Study 2, N = 146) where additional data on productive vocabulary were collected. Study 1 found that at 24 months of age, the EHS program protected girls’ productive vocabulary from the negative effects of parenting stress, but had little impact on boys’ vocabulary. In Study 2, the local EHS site promoted girls’ vocabulary development over time from 14 to 36 months despite the negative effects of parenting stress, and protected boys’ vocabulary from the negative parenting stress effects. These results suggest differential ways in which at-risk toddlers are affected by early intervention. PMID:23166405

The impact of different definitions and reference groups on the prevalence of cognitive impairment: a study in postmenopausal breast cancer patients before the start of adjuvant systemic therapy.

PubMed

Schilder, Christina M; Seynaeve, Caroline; Linn, Sabine C; Boogerd, Willem; Gundy, Chad M; Beex, Louk V; van Dam, Frits S; Schagen, Sanne B

2010-04-01

Several prospective studies into the effects of adjuvant systemic therapy on cognitive functioning suggest that a proportion of breast cancer patients show cognitive deficits already before the start of systemic therapy. Owing to, among others, methodological inconsistency, studies report different rates of this pre-treatment cognitive impairment. We examined the impact of four different criteria of cognitive impairment and two types of reference groups (a study-specific healthy reference group versus published normative data) on the prevalence of cognitive impairment. Two hundred and five postmenopausal breast cancer patients underwent a battery of neuropsychological tests before the start of endocrine therapy, 124 healthy subjects underwent the same tests. Proportions of cognitive impaired patients were calculated for each of four criteria for cognitive impairment, using (1) study-specific healthy controls and (2) published norms of healthy controls as reference groups. The prevalence of cognitive impairment varied greatly with the strictness of the criterion, as expected, but also was dependent on the reference group used. Cognitive impairment, relative to published norms, ranged from 1% for the strictest to 36.6% for the less strict criterion, cognitive impairment relative to study-specific healthy controls, ranged from 13.7 to 45.4% for the same criteria. This study highlights contrasting proportions of cognitive impairment by using different criteria for cognitive impairment and different reference groups. (Dis)advantages of the methods using a criterion for cognitive impairment, and of the use of published norms versus a study-specific reference group are discussed. Copyright 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Optimizing the post-START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) US strategic nuclear force mix. Master's thesis

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

Leary, D.A.

1989-06-01

This thesis examines the impact a START agreement might have on the United States and Soviet strategic nuclear forces. It then proposes an optimum post-START force mix for the United States and the Soviet Union. The current, as well as projected, post-START targeting policies are discussed. It is concluded that the impact of a START agreement on the current U.S. strategic targeting policy will be minimal. Although the target data base will not shrink as much as the forces tasked to cover it, a prioritization of targets is all that should be necessary with a post-START force. A START agreementmore » will mean major reductions in U.S. and Soviet strategic nuclear forces. As proposed in this thesis, only the ICBM leg of the Triad will require any major re-structuring. This would include the addition of mobile ICBM systems. The SLBM and bomber legs will feel minimal changes (i.e., retiring POSEIDON SSBNs and retiring or converting some older B-52s). It is recommended that the B-52 program be cancelled, and funding be re-directed into mobile ICBM systems. By doing so the United States could utilize technology available today to strengthen its forces and not gamble on the low-observable technology which a stealth bomber might have.« less

Teacher Wellbeing: The Importance of Teacher-Student Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spilt, Jantine L.; Koomen, Helma M. Y.; Thijs, Jochem T.

2011-01-01

Many studies have examined the importance of teacher-student relationships for the development of children. Much less is known, however, about how these relationships impact the professional and personal lives of teachers. This review considers the importance of teacher-student relationships for the wellbeing of teachers starting from the…

Kudzu -- Goat Interactions

Treesearch

Peter R. Mount

1994-01-01

Researchers at Tuskegee University have joined together to study the impact of grazing Angora goats on kudzu (Pueraria lobata). A pilot project funded by the Southern Forest Experiment Station of the USDA Forest Service was started in 1990. The problem was to find an environmentally acceptable way to control and eradicate kudzu in forest situations...

Corruption and Educational Outcomes: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Francis Lim

2008-01-01

Corruption is a problem that continues to plague developed and developing countries worldwide. Previous studies have explored the negative implications of corruption on several aspects of human development, but, despite its serious and long-lasting consequences, the impact of corruption on educational outcomes has started to receive attention only…

High voltage pulse ignition of mercury discharge hollow cathodes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wintucky, E. G.

1973-01-01

A high voltage pulse generated by a capacitor discharge into a step-up transformer has been demonstrated capable of consistently igniting hollow cathode mercury discharges at propellant flows and heater power levels much below those required by conventional cathode starting. Results are presented for 3.2-mm diameter enclosed and open keeper cathodes. Starting characteristics are shown to depend on keeper voltage, mercury flow rate, heater power, keeper orifice size, emissive materials, and electrode to which the pulse is applied. This starting technique has been used to start a cathode over 10,000 times without any degradation of starting capability. The starting reliability, propellant and power savings offered by the high voltage pulse start should favorably impact performance of electron bombardment thrusters in missions requiring many on-off duty cycles.

Impact of Child Life Services on Children and Families Admitted to Start the Ketogenic Diet.

PubMed

Kossoff, Eric H; Sutter, Lindsay; Doerrer, Sarah C; Haney, Courtney A; Turner, Zahava

2017-08-01

Traditionally the ketogenic diet is started as an inpatient admission to the hospital. Starting in January 2015, child life services were made formally available during ketogenic diet admissions to help families cope. One-page surveys were then provided to 15 parents on the day of discharge and again after 3 months. Every family believed that the child life services were helpful. Children who were developmentally appropriate/mildly delayed had higher parent-reported anxiety scores than those who were moderate to severely delayed (4.4 vs 1.0, P = .02). At 3 months, child life services were deemed very helpful for the parents (mean score: 8.9, range: 5-10), and were more helpful for the parent than the child (mean 6.2, range 1-10, P = .047). One of the most helpful services was a prior phone call to parents 1 week prior. In this small pilot study, child life involvement during the start of the ketogenic diet was highly useful.

Internet-based wide area measurement applications in deregulated power systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatib, Abdel-Rahman Amin

Since the deregulation of power systems was started in 1989 in the UK, many countries have been motivated to undergo deregulation. The United State started deregulation in the energy sector in California back in 1996. Since that time many other states have also started the deregulation procedures in different utilities. Most of the deregulation market in the United States now is in the wholesale market area, however, the retail market is still undergoing changes. Deregulation has many impacts on power system network operation and control. The number of power transactions among the utilities has increased and many Independent Power Producers (IPPs) now have a rich market for competition especially in the green power market. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) called upon utilities to develop the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO). The RTO is a step toward the national transmission grid. RTO is an independent entity that will operate the transmission system in a large region. The main goal of forming RTOs is to increase the operation efficiency of the power network under the impact of the deregulated market. The objective of this work is to study Internet based Wide Area Information Sharing (WAIS) applications in the deregulated power system. The study is the first step toward building a national transmission grid picture using information sharing among utilities. Two main topics are covered as applications for the WAIS in the deregulated power system, state estimation and Total Transfer Capability (TTC) calculations. As a first step for building this national transmission grid picture, WAIS and the level of information sharing of the state estimation calculations have been discussed. WAIS impacts to the TTC calculations are also covered. A new technique to update the TTC using on line measurements based on WAIS created by sharing state estimation is presented.

Having your cake and eating it too; effective engagement in start-ups from an academic seat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirkin, Chad

2012-02-01

In order for scientific advances to have a positive impact on society, they must be successfully transitioned from conceptually fundamental endeavors in academic research laboratories to valuable enabling technologies at start-up companies. Nanosphere, NanoInk, and AuraSense are three start-up companies that have been spun out of Northwestern based on research initiated in my laboratory. These companies are focused on commercializing nanotechnology-based applications in the life science and semiconductor industries and have turned discoveries from my lab into viable commercial products. For example, several of the systems developed at these start-ups are in the clinical trial phase, with one already approved by the FDA, and they are poised to have a positive world-wide impact. Herein, I discuss the challenges associated with identifying commercial value in academic research projects, securing intellectual property, forming a company as a legal entity, and locating sources of start-up funds. Further, I will discuss the rewards of venturing into such enterprises and the ways of ensuring a start-up company's long-term success, while juggling the numerous responsibilities of an academic seat. I argue that these two activities are done not in competition, but rather are integral for driving the type of high-level, synergistic scientific research that is being done today.

"Size Matters": Women in High Tech Start-Ups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lackritz, Hilary

2001-03-01

For those who want constant excitement, change, and rapid opportunities to have an impact in the technical world, start-up companies offer wonderful challenges. This talk will focus realistically on rewards and risks in the start-up world. An outline of the differences between the high tech start-ups and the academic and consulting worlds from a personal viewpoint will be presented. Size usually does matter, and in this case, small size can equal independence, entrepreneurship, and other advantages that are hard to come by in Dilbert’s corporate world.

Impact of late diagnosis and treatment on life expectancy in people with HIV-1: UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) Study

PubMed Central

Gompels, Mark; Delpech, Valerie; Porter, Kholoud; Post, Frank; Johnson, Margaret; Dunn, David; Palfreeman, Adrian; Gilson, Richard; Gazzard, Brian; Hill, Teresa; Walsh, John; Fisher, Martin; Orkin, Chloe; Ainsworth, Jonathan; Bansi, Loveleen; Phillips, Andrew; Leen, Clifford; Nelson, Mark; Anderson, Jane; Sabin, Caroline

2011-01-01

Objectives To estimate life expectancy for people with HIV undergoing treatment compared with life expectancy in the general population and to assess the impact on life expectancy of late treatment, defined as CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 at start of antiretroviral therapy. Design Cohort study. Setting Outpatient HIV clinics throughout the United Kingdom. Population Adult patients from the UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) Study with CD4 count ≤350 cells/mm3 at start of antiretroviral therapy in 1996-2008. Main outcome measures Life expectancy at the exact age of 20 (the average additional years that will be lived by a person after age 20), according to the cross sectional age specific mortality rates during the study period. Results 1248 of 17 661 eligible patients died during 91 203 person years’ follow-up. Life expectancy (standard error) at exact age 20 increased from 30.0 (1.2) to 45.8 (1.7) years from 1996-9 to 2006-8. Life expectancy was 39.5 (0.45) for male patients and 50.2 (0.45) years for female patients compared with 57.8 and 61.6 years for men and women in the general population (1996-2006). Starting antiretroviral therapy later than guidelines suggest resulted in up to 15 years’ loss of life: at age 20, life expectancy was 37.9 (1.3), 41.0 (2.2), and 53.4 (1.2) years in those starting antiretroviral therapy with CD4 count <100, 100-199, and 200-350 cells/mm3, respectively. Conclusions Life expectancy in people treated for HIV infection has increased by over 15 years during 1996-2008, but is still about 13 years less than that of the UK population. The higher life expectancy in women is magnified in those with HIV. Earlier diagnosis and subsequent timely treatment with antiretroviral therapy might increase life expectancy. PMID:21990260

Using Physical Activity to Teach Academic Content: A Study of the Effects on Literacy in Head Start Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirk, Stacie M.; Vizcarra, Coleman R.; Looney, Erin C.; Kirk, Erik P.

2014-01-01

The potential impact of increased physical activity on early literacy skills in preschool children has not been sufficiently explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a 6 month, low cost, teacher-directed, academic program that delivered existing literacy lessons using physical activity in Head Start…

Precarious Slopes? The Great Recession, Federal Stimulus, and New Jersey Schools. Working Paper #02-12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chakrabarti, Rajashri; Sutherland, Sarah

2012-01-01

While sparse literature exists investigating the impact of the Great Recession on various sectors of the economy, there is virtually no research that studies the effect of the Great Recession, or past recessions, on schools. This paper starts to fill the void. Studying school funding during the recession is of paramount importance because schools…

El Lexico Tecnico Espanol E Ingles: Linguistica y Humanismo (Spanish/English Lexicon: Linguistics and Humanism).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vivanco, Veronica

This manual, written in Spanish, contains a linguistic study to show that all sciences, whether economic or social, technical or humanistic in nature have a direct impact on our terminology. Starting with general linguistic considerations on technical terms in both English and Spanish, the study advances to semantics used in symbolic language. It…

Exploring the Transformative Potential of Recognition of Prior Informal Learning for Learners: A Case Study in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie

2017-01-01

This article presents an overview of the findings of a recently completed study exploring the potentially transformative impact upon learners of recognition of prior informal learning (RPL). The specific transformative dimension being reported is learner identity. In addition to providing a starting point for an evidence base within Scotland, the…

So, You Want to Start a Charter? La Escuela Freire: A Charter School Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herzog, Anat

2017-01-01

This case study attempts to better understand the nuances of charter school impact by documenting the story of the Board of La Escuela Freire (the Board), a group attempting to open a democratic, social justice charter school in Santa Ana, California. In asking the question: "What has been the development process of La Escuela Freire?",…

Researching Pedagogic Tasks: Second Language Learning, Teaching, and Testing. Applied Linguistics and Language Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bygate, Martin; Skehan, Peter; Swain, Merrill

This book brings together a series of empirical studies into the use of pedagogical tasks for second language learning, with a view to better understanding the structure of tasks, their impact on students, and their use by teachers. This edited volume starts with an introduction to the background and key issues in the topic area. Each section…

Higher Risk Periods for Suicide Among VA Patients Receiving Depression Treatment

PubMed Central

Valenstein, Marcia; Kim, Hyungjin Myra; Ganoczy, Dara; McCarthy, John F.; Zivin, Kara; Austin, Karen L.; Hoggatt, Katherine; Eisenberg, Daniel; Piette, John D.; Blow, Frederic C.; Olfson, Mark

2010-01-01

Background Health systems with limited resources may have the greatest impact on suicide if their prevention efforts target the highest-risk treatment groups during the highest-risk periods. To date, few health systems have carefully segmented their depression treatment populations by level of risk and prioritized prevention efforts on this basis. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 887,859 VA patients receiving depression treatment between 4/1/1999 and 9/30/2004. We calculated suicide rates for five sequential 12-week periods following treatment events that health systems could readily identify: psychiatric hospitalizations, new antidepressant starts (>6 months without fills), “other” antidepressant starts, and dose changes. Using piecewise exponential models, we examined whether rates differed across time-periods. We also examined whether suicide rates differed by age-group in these periods. Results Over all time periods, the suicide rate was 114/100,000 person-years (95% CI; 108,120). In the first 12-week periods, suicide rates were: 568/100,000 p-y (95% CI; 493,651) following psychiatric hospitalizations; 210/100,000 p-y (95% CI; 187, 236) following new antidepressant starts; 193/100,000 p-y (95% CI; 167, 222) following other starts; and 154/100,000 p-y (95% CI; 133, 177) following dose changes. Suicide rates remained above the base rate for 48 weeks following hospital discharge and 12 weeks following antidepressant events. Adults aged 61–80 years were at highest risk in the first 12-weeks periods Conclusions To have the greatest impact on suicide, health systems should prioritize prevention efforts following psychiatric hospitalizations. If resources allow, closer monitoring may also be warranted in the first 12 weeks following antidepressant starts, across all age-groups. PMID:18945495

Assessing Change in Agricultural Productivity Caused by Drought and Conflict in Northern Syria using Landsat Imagery.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girgin, T.; Ozdogan, M.

2015-12-01

Until recently, agricultural production in Syria has been an important source of revenue and food security for the country. At its peak, agriculture in Syria accounted for 25 percent of the country's GDP. In 2014, Syrian agriculture accounted for less than 5 percent of the GDP. This decline in agricultural productivity is the cause of a 3-year long drought that started in 2007, followed by a still-ongoing conflict that started in mid-2011. Using remote sensing tools, this paper focuses on the impact that the 2007-2010 drought had on agricultural production, as well as the impact that the ongoing conflict had on the agricultural production in northern Syria. Remote sensing is a powerful and great solution to study regions of the world that are hard-to-reach due to conflict and/or other limitations. It is particularly useful when studying a region that inaccessible due to an ongoing conflict, such as in northern Syria. Using multi-temporal Landsat 5 and Landsat 8 images from August 2006, 2010 and 2014 and utilizing the neural networks algorithm, we assessed for agricultural output change in northern Syria. We conclude that the ongoing Syrian conflict has had a bigger impact on the agricultural output in northern Syria than the 3-year long drought.

[DIETARY INTAKE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS WHO START TREATMENT WITH TYROSINE KINASE INHIBITORS].

PubMed

Higuera-Pulgar, Isabel; Ribed, Almudena; Carrascal-Fabian, M Luisa; Bretón-Lesmes, Irene; Romero-Jiménez, Rosa M; Cuerda-Compes, Cristina; Velasco-Gimeno, Cristina; Camblor-Álvarez, Miguel; García-Peris, Pilar

2015-09-01

in recent years, researching about new oral antineoplastics has progressed while its impact on dietary intake and nutritional status (NS) hasn't developed enough yet. dietary intake and NS assessment in patients who start treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) and evaluate its impact on them. an observational, prospective-six-months study, in which were included patients starting treatment with TKI. The intake was evaluated by a 24 h dietary record and a food frequency questionnaire. The NS was evaluated by anthropometric measurements and the patient-generated Global Subjective Assessment (PG-GSA); the results were compared with the Spanish references (SENC-semFYC, 2007 and O. Moreiras, 2013). Friedman test, χ2, Wilcoxon, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney were used in the statistical analysis. Significance p < 0.05. 22 patients (54.5% male) were included. At baseline, NS was adequate in 73.9% of patients according PG-GSA. Weight loss was no significant, although a high percentage of the energy and protein requirements hadn't been reached. The caloric intake was positively related with the number of meals. Dietary habits did not change during treatment. dietary intake did not reach nutritional requirements at baseline. The TKI don't seem to affect the patient's intake and nutritional status. The research about these parameters before starting treatment could prevent future complications and it would guide the dietary advice. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Wing Configuration Impact on Design Optimums for a Subsonic Passenger Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Douglas P.

2014-01-01

This study sought to compare four aircraft wing configurations at a conceptual level using a multi-disciplinary optimization (MDO) process. The MDO framework used was created by Georgia Institute of Technology and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. They created a multi-disciplinary design and optimization environment that could capture the unique features of the truss-braced wing (TBW) configuration. The four wing configurations selected for the study were a low wing cantilever installation, a high wing cantilever, a strut-braced wing, and a single jury TBW. The mission that was used for this study was a 160 passenger transport aircraft with a design range of 2,875 nautical miles at the design payload, flown at a cruise Mach number of 0.78. This paper includes discussion and optimization results for multiple design objectives. Five design objectives were chosen to illustrate the impact of selected objective on the optimization result: minimum takeoff gross weight (TOGW), minimum operating empty weight, minimum block fuel weight, maximum start of cruise lift-to-drag ratio, and minimum start of cruise drag coefficient. The results show that the design objective selected will impact the characteristics of the optimized aircraft. Although minimum life cycle cost was not one of the objectives, TOGW is often used as a proxy for life cycle cost. The low wing cantilever had the lowest TOGW followed by the strut-braced wing.

Implementation of the Early Start Denver Model in an Italian community.

PubMed

Colombi, Costanza; Narzisi, Antonio; Ruta, Liliana; Cigala, Virginia; Gagliano, Antonella; Pioggia, Giovanni; Siracusano, Rosamaria; Rogers, Sally J; Muratori, Filippo

2018-02-01

Identifying effective, community-based specialized interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder is an international clinical and research priority. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Early Start Denver Model intervention in a group of young children with autism spectrum disorder living in an Italian community compared to a group of Italian children who received treatment as usual. A total of 22 young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder received the Early Start Denver Model in a center-based context for 6 h per week over 6 months. The Early Start Denver Model group was compared to a group of 70 young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who received treatment as usual for an average of 5.2 h over 6 months. Children in both groups improved in cognitive, adaptive, and social skills after 3 months and 6 months of treatment. Children in the Early Start Denver Model group made larger gains in cognitive and social skills after 3 and 6 months of treatment. The Early Start Denver Model group made larger gains in adaptive skills after 3 months of treatment. Our results are discussed in terms of implications for intervention research and clinical practice. Our study supports the positive impact of the Early Start Denver Model in a non-English-speaking community.

Start-up of an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor treating synthetic carbohydrate rich wastewater.

PubMed

Yeshanew, Martha M; Frunzo, Luigi; Luongo, Vincenzo; Pirozzi, Francesco; Lens, Piet N L; Esposito, Giovanni

2016-12-15

The present work studied the start-up process of a mesophilic (37 ± 2 °C) anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) operated at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 20 days using synthetic carbohydrate rich wastewater. Anox Kaldness-K1 carriers were used as biofilm carrier material. The reactor performance and biofilm formation were evaluated during the process. The start-up process at lower liquid recirculation flow rate enhanced the biofilm formation and reactor performance. The organic substrate composition had a major impact on early colonization of methanogenic archaea onto the surface of the Kaldness carriers during the start-up process. Specific organic substrates favouring the growth of methanogenic archaea, such as acetate, are preferred in order to facilitate the subsequent biofilm formation and AFBR start-up. The supply of 'bio-available' nutrients and trace elements, in particular iron, had an important role on optimal methanogenic activity and speeding-up of the biofilm development on the Kaldness carriers. This paper provides possible strategies to optimize the various operational parameters that influence the initial biofilm formation and development in an AFBR and similar high rate anaerobic reactors, hence can be used to reduce the long time required for process start-up. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Early Head Start, Pediatric Dental Use, and Oral Health–Related Quality of Life

PubMed Central

Burgette, J.M.; Preisser, J.S.; Weinberger, M.; King, R.S.; Rozier, R.G.

2017-01-01

The objective of the study was to examine the mediating effect of child dental use on the effectiveness of North Carolina Early Head Start (EHS) in improving oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL). In total, 479 parents of children enrolled in EHS and 699 parents of Medicaid-matched children were interviewed at baseline when children were approximately 10 mo old and 24 mo later. In this quasi-experimental study, mediation analysis was performed using the counterfactual framework analysis, which employed 2 logit models with random effects: 1) for the mediator as a function of the treatment and covariates and 2) for the outcome as a function of the treatment, mediator, and covariates. The covariates were baseline dental OHRQoL, dental need, survey language, and a propensity score. We used in-person computer-assisted, structured interviews to collect information on demographic characteristics and dental use and to administer the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale, a measure of OHRQoL. Dental use had a mediation effect in the undesired direction with a 2–percentage point increase in the probability of any negative impact to OHRQoL (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3%–3.9%). Even with higher dental use by EHS participants, the probability of any negative impact to OHRQoL was approximately 8 percentage points lower if an individual were moved from the non-EHS group to the EHS group (95% CI, −13.9% to −1.2%). EHS increases child dental use, which worsens family OHRQoL. However, EHS is associated with improved OHRQoL overall. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Study results can inform policy makers that comprehensive early childhood education programs improve oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) for disadvantaged families with young children in pathways outside of clinical dental care. This awareness and its promotion can lead to greater resource investments in early childhood education programs. Information about the negative impacts of dental use on OHRQoL should lead to the development and testing of strategies in dentistry and Early Head Start to improve dental care experiences. PMID:28944292

[Outsourcing in long-term care: a risk management approach].

PubMed

Guimarães, Cristina Machado; Carvalho, José Crespo de

2012-05-01

This article seeks to investigate outsourcing decisions in supply chain management of healthcare organizations, namely the motives and constraints behind the decision, the selection criteria for activities to be outsourced to third parties, the type of possible agreements, and the impact of this decision on the organization per se. A case study of the start-up phase of a Long-term Care unit with an innovative approach and high levels of customization was conducted to understand the outsourcing process in a start-up context (not in the standard context of organizational change) and a risk evaluation matrix was created for outsourcing activities in order to define and implement a performance monitoring process. This study seeks to understand how to evaluate and assess the risks of an outsourcing strategy and proposes a monitoring model using risk management tools. It was shown that the risk management approach can be a solution for monitoring outsourcing in the organizational start-up phase. Conclusions concerning dissatisfaction with the results of outsourcing strategies adopted are also presented.

Reported consent processes and demographics: a substudy of the INSIGHT Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Treatment trial

PubMed Central

Denning, Eileen; Sharma, Shweta; Smolskis, Mary; Touloumi, Giota; Walker, Sarah; Babiker, Abdel; Clewett, Megan; Emanuel, Ezekiel; Florence, Eric; Papadopoulos, Antonios; Sánchez, Adriana; Tavel, Jorge; Grady, Christine

2014-01-01

Objectives Efforts are needed to improve informed consent of participants in research. The Strategic Timing of AntiRetroviral Therapy (START) study provides a unique opportunity to study the effect of length and complexity of informed consent documents on understanding and satisfaction among geographically diverse participants. Methods Interested START sites were randomised to use either the standard consent form or the concise consent form for all of the site’s participants. Results A total of 4473 HIV-positive participants at 154 sites worldwide took part in the Informed Consent Substudy, with consent given in 11 primary languages. Most sites sent written information to potential participants in advance of clinic visits, usually including the consent form. At about half the sites, staff reported spending less than an hour per participant in the consent process. The vast majority of sites assessed participant understanding using informal nonspecific questions or clinical judgment. Conclusions These data reflect the interest of START research staff in evaluating the consent process and improving informed consent. The START Informed Consent Substudy is by far the largest study of informed consent intervention ever conducted. Its results have the potential to impact how consent forms are written around the world. PMID:25711320

Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams: Flawed from the Start, How Perverse Incentives and Unintended Outcomes Impacted Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-17

developmental aid system, as currently constructed, was not successful. An excellent example of this type of study focused on Sida , the Swedish...counterpart to USAID. In their systematic exploration of Sida , Clark C. Gibson and his associates discovered that much of the failure of Sida’s...

Effects of Infant Massage on Attachment Security: An Experimental Manipulation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jump, Vonda K.

The formation of attachments is an important phenomenon occurring in the realm of socioemotional development. This study examined the impact of infant massage on infants' subsequent attachment security. Fifty-seven mother-infant dyads (48 dyads from Head Start, 9 from the community at large) were randomly assigned to a treatment or control group…

Transcending Technological Innovation: The Impact of Acquisitions on Entrepreneurial Technical Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crochetiere, Bruce

2011-01-01

Technology firms with substantial cash reserves acquire smaller entrepreneurial firms for diversification. In 2006, 3 large firms acquired 28 organizations, with the combined deals exceeding $4.7 billion. The problem addressed in this study is that new start-up companies with innovative ideas may not mature when they are acquired by larger…

Successful Methods for Increasing and Improving Parent and Child Interactions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Sharon M.; And Others

Recognizing that parents are their children's first teachers and that their parenting style can influence educational experiences, this study used an ethnographic approach to evaluate the impact on parent-child interaction of the parent education component of the South Dakota Head Start/Public School Transition Project. The demonstration group was…

Ethics and the Exercise of Responsibility among Entrepreneurs in New Ad Agencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlow, S. Scott; Van Tubergen, G. Norman

To seek insight into the ethical and risk-taking orientations of advertising agency entrepreneurs, a study focused on the impact of these orientations on the entrepreneur's practices and perceptions of responsibility surrounding client legal services. Subjects, 152 entrepreneurs at 152 start-up agencies (defined as having six or fewer employees…

Cattle Differ in Ability to Adapt to Small Intestinal Digestion of Starch

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of post-ruminal starch digestion on inflammatory response in dairy cattle. Six cull, nonpregnant, nonlactating, multiparous cannulated Holstein dairy cows (BW 804±101 kg) were fed a high forage diet ad libitum starting 15 d before the infusion p...

International Training: The Training of Managers for Assignment Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treven, Sonja

2003-01-01

This paper presents various approaches to studying cultures of different countries. The starting point is Hofstede's dimensions of cultural values as well as Hall's approach to high- and low-context cultures. After that the interaction between culture and organizational behavior is discussed. A special attention to the impact of culture on…

ATLANTA COMMUTE VEHICLE SOAK AND START DISTRIBUTIONS AND ENGINE STARTS PER DAY: IMPACT ON MOBILE SOURCE EMISSION RATES

EPA Science Inventory

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Civil and Environmental Engineering researchers analyzed the 2004 vehicle activity data obtained from vehicles in the Atlanta Commuter Choice Value Pricing Initiative. The onboard monitoring equipment installed in each participating vehi...

WWC Review of the Report "Increasing Young Children's Contact with Print during Shared Reading: Longitudinal Effects on Literacy Achievement"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

The study examined the impact of the "Project STAR" ("Sit Together and Read") reading program on the literacy skills of preschool students. Researchers randomly assigned 85 preschool classrooms in Ohio to one of three study groups at the start of the 2004-05 or 2005-06 school years: (1) A high-dose intervention group, in which…

Usages and Impacts of the Integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) in Elementary Classrooms: Case Study of Swedish Municipality Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahlin, Johannes S.; Tsertsidis, Antony; Islam, M. Sirajul

2017-01-01

During recent years, many schools have started to implement information and communication technologies (ICTs)-based learning devices (such as laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and active boards) in the classroom settings in order to increase learning outcomes. The aim of this study is to find which activities and outcomes are evident in the usages…

The Influence of Exposure, Parents, and Linguistic Distance on Young European Learners' Foreign Language Comprehension

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindgren, Eva; Munoz, Carmen

2013-01-01

The project Early Language Learning in Europe (ELLiE) has studied the longitudinal effects of an early foreign language (FL) start in seven European contexts. This article presents a sub-study of ELLiE that investigates the impact of out-of-school factors on learners' listening and reading skills in year four of formal FL instruction. More…

The Impact of Peer Mentoring on Mentee Academic Performance: Is Any Mentoring Style Better than No Mentoring at All?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leidenfrost, Birgit; Strassnig, Barbara; Schütz, Marlene; Carbon, Claus-Christian; Schabmann, Alfred

2014-01-01

Universities frequently offer support programs to assist first-year students with the transition from school to the university. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different mentoring styles on mentee academic performance after 1 year and 2 years of study. Participants consisted of 417 psychology students who started their…

Tillage as a tool to manage crop residue: impact on sugar beet production.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hiel, Marie-Pierre; Chélin, Marie; Degrune, Florine; Parvin, Nargish; Bodson, Bernard

2015-04-01

Crop residues and plant cover represent a pool of organic matter that can be used either to restore organic matter in soils, and therefore maintain soil fertility, or that can be valorized outside of the field (e.g. energy production). However, it is crucial that the exportation of residues is not done to the detriment of the system sustainability. Three long term experiments have been settled in the loamy region in Belgium. All of them are designed to study the effect of residues management by several tillage systems (conventional plowing versus reduced tillage) on the whole soil-water-plant system. SOLRESIDUS is a field experiment where we study the impact of crop residue management while in SOLCOUVERT and SOLCOUVERT-BIS, we study the impact of cover crop management. SOLRESIDUS was started in 2008. In this field, four contrasted crop residues managements are tested in order to contrast as much as possible the responses from the soil-water plant system. Two practices characterize the four modalities: soil tillage (ploughing at 25 cm depth or reduce tillage at 10 cm max) and residue management (exportation or restitution). SOLCOUVERT and SOLCOUVERT-BIS were started in 2012 and 2013 respectively. In those fields cover crop management is also diverse: destruction of the cover crop by winter ploughing, spring ploughing, strip tillage (with a chemical destruction if needed) or shallow tillage (with a decompaction before cover crop sowing). Although although the overall project aims at studying the impact of management on the whole soil-water-plant system, here we will only present the results concerning crop production (sugar beet) in SOLCOUVERT experiments. The presented data will include germination rate, crop development (biomass quantification and BBCH stages) weeds population, disease occurrence, pest occurrences, nitrogen uptake by plants, quality and quantity of harvested products.

The Venture Capital-University Interface: Best Practices for Maximum Impact

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holly, Krisztina

2010-01-01

Entrepreneurial start-ups have left an indelible impression on much of the USA's recent economic history. As hotbeds for technological innovation, university research laboratories create groundbreaking innovations that have been at the heart of many successful start-ups. However, powerful ideas do not necessarily beget successful companies: great…

Preliminary Assessment of Potential Habitat Composites' Durability when Exposed to a Long-Term Radiation Environment and Micrometeoroid Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rojdev, Kristina; Graves, Russell; Golden, John; Atwell, William; O'Rouke, Mary Jane; Hill, Charles; Alred, John

2011-01-01

NASA's exploration goals include extending human presence beyond low earth orbit (LEO). As a result, habitation for crew is a critical requirement for meeting this goal. However, habitats are very large structures that contain a multitude of subsystems to sustain human life over long-durations in space, and one of the key challenges has been keeping weight to a minimum in order to reduce costs. Thus, light-weight and multifunctional structural materials are of great interest for habitation. NASA has started studying polymeric composite materials as potential lightweight and multifunctional structural materials for use in long-duration spaceflight. However, little is known about the survivability of these materials when exposed to the space environment outside of LEO for long durations. Thus, a study has been undertaken to investigate the durability of composite materials when exposed to long-duration radiation. Furthermore, as an addition to the primary study, a secondary preliminary investigation has been started on the micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) susceptibility of these materials after radiation exposure. The combined effects of radiation and MMOD impacts are the focus of this paper.

Restrictive educational placements increase adolescent risks for students with early-starting conduct problems.

PubMed

Powers, Christopher J; Bierman, Karen L; Coffman, Donna L

2016-08-01

Students with early-starting conduct problems often do poorly in school; they are disproportionately placed in restrictive educational placements outside of mainstream classrooms. Although intended to benefit students, research suggests that restrictive placements may exacerbate the maladjustment of youth with conduct problems. Mixed findings, small samples, and flawed designs limit the utility of existing research. This study examined the impact of restrictive educational placements on three adolescent outcomes (high school noncompletion, conduct disorder, depressive symptoms) in a sample of 861 students with early-starting conduct problems followed longitudinally from kindergarten (age 5-6). Causal modeling with propensity scores was used to adjust for confounding factors associated with restrictive placements. Analyses explored the timing of placement (elementary vs. secondary school) and moderation of impact by initial problem severity. Restrictive educational placement in secondary school (but not in elementary school) was iatrogenic, increasing the risk of high school noncompletion and the severity of adolescent conduct disorder. Negative effects were amplified for students with conduct problem behavior with less cognitive impairment. To avoid harm to students and to society, schools must find alternatives to restrictive placements for students with conduct problems in secondary school, particularly when these students do not have cognitive impairments that might warrant specialized educational supports. © 2015 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Impact of ultrafiltration and nanofiltration of an industrial fish protein hydrolysate on its bioactive properties.

PubMed

Picot, Laurent; Ravallec, Rozenn; Fouchereau-Péron, Martine; Vandanjon, Laurent; Jaouen, Pascal; Chaplain-Derouiniot, Maryse; Guérard, Fabienne; Chabeaud, Aurélie; Legal, Yves; Alvarez, Oscar Martinez; Bergé, Jean-Pascal; Piot, Jean-Marie; Batista, Irineu; Pires, Carla; Thorkelsson, Gudjon; Delannoy, Charles; Jakobsen, Greta; Johansson, Inez; Bourseau, Patrick

2010-08-30

Numerous studies have demonstrated that in vitro controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of fish and shellfish proteins leads to bioactive peptides. Ultrafiltration (UF) and/or nanofiltration (NF) can be used to refine hydrolysates and also to fractionate them in order to obtain a peptide population enriched in selected sizes. This study was designed to highlight the impact of controlled UF and NF on the stability of biological activities of an industrial fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) and to understand whether fractionation could improve its content in bioactive peptides. The starting fish protein hydrolysate exhibited a balanced amino acid composition, a reproducible molecular weight (MW) profile, and a low sodium chloride content, allowing the study of its biological activity. Successive fractionation on UF and NF membranes allowed concentration of peptides of selected sizes, without, however, carrying out sharp separations, some MW classes being found in several fractions. Peptides containing Pro, Hyp, Asp and Glu were concentrated in the UF and NF retentates compared to the unfractionated hydrolysate and UF permeate, respectively. Gastrin/cholecystokinin-like peptides were present in the starting FPH, UF and NF fractions, but fractionation did not increase their concentration. In contrast, quantification of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like peptides demonstrated an increase in CGRP-like activities in the UF permeate, relative to the starting FPH. The starting hydrolysate also showed a potent antioxidant and radical scavenging activity, and a moderate angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-1 inhibitory activity, which were not increased by UF and NF fractionation. Fractionation of an FPH using membrane separation, with a molecular weight cut-off adapted to the peptide composition, may provide an effective means to concentrate CGRP-like peptides and peptides enriched in selected amino acids. The peptide size distribution observed after UF and NF fractionation demonstrates that it is misleading to characterize the fractions obtained by membrane filtration according to the MW cut-off of the membrane only, as is currently done in the literature. Copyright (c) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry.

Grabbing the Air Force by the Tail: Applying Strategic Cost Analytics to Understand and Manage Indirect Cost Behavior

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-17

impact influenced by its internal and external supply chain activities. This starts with understanding how we currently apply advanced analytic techniques... minimalistic model provides for sufficient degrees of freedom to guard against overfitting. Second, to guard against the possibility of an over-trained model in... starting with 1*. 201* All Military compensation EEICs starting with 201*. Facility Sustainment 52* & 56* All facility maintenance, repair and minor

The impact of post-event information on study-related memories: an exploration of the roles of judgemental anchoring, specific expectations about change, and motivational influences.

PubMed

Sedlmeier, Peter; Jaeger, Sonia

2007-01-01

We explored how well common theories about the impact of post-event information on memories explain recollections that occur naturally in university students' study routines. Instead of starting from a familiar research paradigm, such as those used in hindsight-bias research, the present study used a situation common to university students, and examined how well three candidate explanations--judgemental anchoring, implicit theories of change, and motivational influences--could explain the results we obtained in a long-term memory study that included three sessions, six months apart. We found that about two thirds of the memories of study-related issues were indeed biased, and that the impact of post-event information being used as an anchor is the most plausible explanation for the results. There were also some indications that memory biases might have been due, at least in part, to motivational factors.

Healthy Start - Départ Santé: A pilot study of a multilevel intervention to increase physical activity, fundamental movement skills and healthy eating in rural childcare centres.

PubMed

Froehlich Chow, Amanda; Leis, Anne; Humbert, Louise; Muhajarine, Nazeem; Engler-Stringer, Rachel

2016-10-20

In order to improve healthy behaviours among rural children in their early years, a physical activity and healthy eating intervention (Healthy Start - Départ Santé) was implemented in rural childcare centres throughout Saskatchewan. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of a multimodal physical activity and healthy eating intervention on educators' provision of opportunities for children to improve their physical activity levels, fundamental movement skills and healthy eating behaviours. Six childcare centres (three Francophone and three Anglophone) located in five different rural and semi-rural communities in Saskatchewan participated in this intervention. A total of 69 children with a mean age of 4 years 9 months, and 19 female early childhood educators. Guided by an ecological framework, we implemented a population health controlled intervention, using a wait list control design (48 weeks delayed intervention), and evaluated its impact in rural childcare centres. Mixed methods were employed to determine the effectiveness of the intervention. Overall, educators felt that the intervention supported the provision of physical activity and healthy eating opportunities for children. Increases in children's physical activity levels were reported following the intervention. The lessons learned in this study can be used to improve the Healthy Start - Départ Santé intervention so that its implementation can be effectively expanded to childcare centres within and outside Saskatchewan, in turn, supporting the healthy development of early years (0-5) children in the province and beyond.

Partnerships in Maths: Parents and Schools, The IMPACT Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merttens, Ruth, Ed.; Vass, Jeff, Ed.

The IMPACT Project is a parental involvement initiative originating in London, England. This book aims at a kaleidoscopic approach reflecting a variety of perspectives on the work in this project over five years. Chapters are grouped according to particular aspects of parental involvement. Part I, "Starting IMPACT," contains only one…

Can the Arts Get Under the Skin? Arts and Cortisol for Economically Disadvantaged Children.

PubMed

Brown, Eleanor D; Garnett, Mallory L; Anderson, Kate E; Laurenceau, Jean-Philippe

2017-07-01

This within-subjects experimental study investigated the influence of the arts on cortisol for economically disadvantaged children. Participants were 310 children, ages 3-5 years, who attended a Head Start preschool and were randomly assigned to participate in different schedules of arts and homeroom classes on different days of the week. Cortisol was sampled at morning baseline and after arts and homeroom classes on two different days at start, middle, and end of the year. For music, dance, and visual arts, grouped and separately, results of piecewise hierarchical linear modeling with time-varying predictors suggested cortisol was lower after an arts versus homeroom class at middle and end of the year but not start of the year. Implications concern the impact of arts on cortisol for children facing poverty risks. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

New-onset diabetes after hemodialysis initiation: impact on survival.

PubMed

Salifu, Moro O; Abbott, Kevin C; Aytug, Serhat; Hayat, Amir; Haria, Dhiren M; Shah, Syed; Friedman, Eli A; Delano, Barbara G; McFarlane, Samy I; Hurst, Frank P; Flom, Peter L; Jindal, Rahul M

2010-01-01

The incidence of new-onset diabetes after initiation of hemodialysis (NODAD) and its impact on survival is not known. We used data from the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) from January 2000 to December 2001, with at least 3 years of follow-up for this study. Patients aged 18-80 years were included. NODAD was defined as two Medicare institutional claims for diabetes in patients with no history of diabetes prior to starting hemodialysis (HD). Incidence (per 1,000 patient-years), prevalence (%) and hazard ratios for mortality in patients with NODAD were calculated. There were 59,340 incident patients with no history of diabetes prior to starting HD, of which 3,853 met criteria for NODAD. The overall incidence and prevalence of NODAD were 20 per 1,000 patient-years and 7.6%, respectively. In a cohort of 444 patients without diabetes and documented glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, <6% prior to starting HD (from January 2005 and March 2006), at a mean follow-up of 4.7 +/- 2.6 months, 6.8% developed NODAD defined by two Medicare claims for diabetes after initiation of HD. NODAD was associated with a significantly increased risk of death as compared to non-diabetes patients (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.14-1.25). The USRDS showed a high incidence of NODAD, associated with significantly higher mortality compared to those who did not develop NODAD. The mechanism of NODAD needs to be explored further in experimental and clinical studies. 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on adolescent alcohol use: a systematic review of longitudinal studies.

PubMed

Anderson, Peter; de Bruijn, Avalon; Angus, Kathryn; Gordon, Ross; Hastings, Gerard

2009-01-01

To assess the impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on future adolescent alcohol use. We searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Sociological Abstracts, and PsycLIT, from 1990 to September 2008, supplemented with searches of Google scholar, hand searches of key journals and reference lists of identified papers and key publications for more recent publications. We selected longitudinal studies that assessed individuals' exposure to commercial communications and media and alcohol drinking behaviour at baseline, and assessed alcohol drinking behaviour at follow-up. Participants were adolescents aged 18 years or younger or below the legal drinking age of the country of origin of the study, whichever was the higher. Thirteen longitudinal studies that followed up a total of over 38,000 young people met inclusion criteria. The studies measured exposure to advertising and promotion in a variety of ways, including estimates of the volume of media and advertising exposure, ownership of branded merchandise, recall and receptivity, and one study on expenditure on advertisements. Follow-up ranged from 8 to 96 months. One study reported outcomes at multiple time-points, 3, 5, and 8 years. Seven studies provided data on initiation of alcohol use amongst non-drinkers, three studies on maintenance and frequency of drinking amongst baseline drinkers, and seven studies on alcohol use of the total sample of non-drinkers and drinkers at baseline. Twelve of the thirteen studies concluded an impact of exposure on subsequent alcohol use, including initiation of drinking and heavier drinking amongst existing drinkers, with a dose response relationship in all studies that reported such exposure and analysis. There was variation in the strength of association, and the degree to which potential confounders were controlled for. The thirteenth study, which tested the impact of outdoor advertising placed near schools failed to detect an impact on alcohol use, but found an impact on intentions to use. Longitudinal studies consistently suggest that exposure to media and commercial communications on alcohol is associated with the likelihood that adolescents will start to drink alcohol, and with increased drinking amongst baseline drinkers. Based on the strength of this association, the consistency of findings across numerous observational studies, temporality of exposure and drinking behaviours observed, dose-response relationships, as well as the theoretical plausibility regarding the impact of media exposure and commercial communications, we conclude that alcohol advertising and promotion increases the likelihood that adolescents will start to use alcohol, and to drink more if they are already using alcohol.

NEGF-DFT characterization of diarylethene photoswitches: Impact of substituents

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

Van Dyck, Colin; Geskin, Victor; Cornil, Jérôme

2015-01-22

In this presentation we report a theoretical study on the performance of diarylethene photoswitches. We start with a comparison between the electronic structures of different substituted diarylethene cores. Using a NEGF-DFT formalism we compute self-consistently transmission and IV curves with a focus on the impact of the substituents usually introduced for various synthetic and functional reasons. We find that the conductance properties of the diarylethene photoswitches are rather insensitive to these substitutions in the core. In the interpretation of our results, we make a connection between transmission spectra and molecular electronic properties.

How many scientific papers are mentioned in policy-related documents? An empirical investigation using Web of Science and Altmetric data.

PubMed

Haunschild, Robin; Bornmann, Lutz

2017-01-01

In this short communication, we provide an overview of a relatively newly provided source of altmetrics data which could possibly be used for societal impact measurements in scientometrics. Recently, Altmetric-a start-up providing publication level metrics-started to make data for publications available which have been mentioned in policy-related documents. Using data from Altmetric, we study how many papers indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) are mentioned in policy-related documents. We find that less than 0.5% of the papers published in different subject categories are mentioned at least once in policy-related documents. Based on our results, we recommend that the analysis of (WoS) publications with at least one policy-related mention is repeated regularly (annually) in order to check the usefulness of the data. Mentions in policy-related documents should not be used for impact measurement until new policy-related sites are tracked.

Later school start time is associated with improved sleep and daytime functioning in adolescents.

PubMed

Boergers, Julie; Gable, Christopher J; Owens, Judith A

2014-01-01

Chronic insufficient sleep is a growing concern among adolescents and is associated with a host of adverse health consequences. Early school start times may be an environmental contributor to this problem. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a delay in school start time on sleep patterns, sleepiness, mood, and health-related outcomes. Boarding students (n = 197, mean age = 15.6 yr) attending an independent high school completed the School Sleep Habits Survey before and after the school start time was experimentally delayed from 8:00 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. The delay in school start time was associated with a significant (29 min) increase in sleep duration on school nights. The percentage of students receiving 8 or more hours of sleep on a school night increased to more than double, from 18% to 44%. Students in 9th and 10th grade and those with lower baseline sleep amounts were more likely to report improvements in sleep duration after the schedule change. Daytime sleepiness, depressed mood, and caffeine use were all significantly reduced after the delay in school start time. Sleep duration reverted to baseline levels when the original (earlier) school start time was reinstituted. A modest (25 min) delay in school start time was associated with significant improvements in sleep duration, daytime sleepiness, mood, and caffeine use. These findings have important implications for public policy and add to research suggesting the health benefits of modifying school schedules to more closely align with adolescents' circadian rhythms and sleep needs.

The Emotional Impact of Being Recently Diagnosed with Dyslexia from the Perspective of Chiropractic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kong, Shelley Young

2012-01-01

Increased awareness and improved tests have contributed to the identification of rising numbers of dyslexic students entering higher education in the United Kingdom. Nearly half of these students are not diagnosed until they start their HE courses. Studies of experiences of dyslexic students diagnosed as children exist; however, there is little…

Quantitative (q)AOP for aromatase inhibition as case study to advance qAOP development practices

EPA Science Inventory

Here we describe how “read across” of a quantitative adverse outcome pathway (qAOP) developed with data for one chemical can be used to screen impacts of other chemicals. We developed a qAOP starting with inhibition of CYP19A (aromatase) in fathead minnows (FHM) as th...

Reflecting, Coaching and Mentoring to Enhance Teacher-Child Interactions in Head Start Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zan, Betty; Donegan-Ritter, Mary

2014-01-01

In this study we examined the impact of a year long model of professional development comprised of a monthly cycle of video-based self-reflection, peer coaching, and mentoring and bimonthly workshops focused on selected Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) dimensions. Education supervisors were trained and supported by project staff to lead…

An Exploratory Analysis of the Longitudinal Impact of Principal Change on Elementary School Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hochbein, Craig; Cunningham, Brittany C.

2013-01-01

Recent reform initiatives, such as the Title I School Improvement Grants and Race to the Top, recommended a principal change to jump-start school turnaround. Yet, few educational researchers have examined principal change as way to improve schools in a state of systematic reform; furthermore, no large-scale quantitative study has determined the…

Father Involvement in Young Children's Care and Education: Exploring Boundaries and Starting Conversations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chawla-Duggan, Rita; Milner, Susan

2016-01-01

This paper analyses the impact of a UK local authority initiative--Fathers' Friday--aiming to involve fathers in their children's education, which took place in 20 early years' and primary school settings. Whilst the study involved a range of methods, in this paper interview data associated with practitioners' perspectives of the initiative are…

The Culture of Futility and Its Impact on Study Culture in Technical/Vocational Schools in Belgium

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Houtte, Mieke; Stevens, Peter A. J.

2010-01-01

Starting from the present knowledge society with its social overvaluing of cognition and white-collar jobs at the expense of manual labour, this article examines whether school type--academic versus technical/vocational schools--relates to students' sense of futility. It assesses the schools' culture of futility and investigates the explanatory…

Assessing Changes in Socioemotional Adjustment across Early School Transitions--New National Scales for Children at Risk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDermott, Paul A.; Watkins, Marley W.; Rovine, Michael J.; Rikoon, Samuel H.

2013-01-01

This article reports the development and evidence for validity and application of the Adjustment Scales for Early Transition in Schooling (ASETS). Based on primary analyses of data from the Head Start Impact Study, a nationally representative sample (N = 3077) of randomly selected children from low-income households is configured to inform…

The Impact of Service-Learning among Other Predictors for Persistence and Degree Completion of Undergraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lockeman, Kelly Smith

2012-01-01

College completion is an issue of great concern in the United States, where only 50% of students who start college as freshmen complete a bachelor's degree at that institution within six years. Researchers have studied a variety of factors to understand their relationship to student persistence. Not surprisingly, student characteristics,…

Gender Role and Social Identifications: The Two Major Factors to Shape Turkish Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erden-Imamoglu, Seval

2013-01-01

The process of being a woman starts with biological gender but it is shaped by learning the social gender roles. Besides social gender role; age, education, marriage, and motherhood supply social roles and attributions and they have an impact on women identification and their interpersonal relationships. The aim of the study is to investigate…

Impact of California's Transitional Kindergarten Program, 2013-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manship, Karen; Quick, Heather; Holod, Aleksandra; Mills, Nicholas; Ogut, Burhan; Chernoff, Jodi Jacobson; Blum, Jarah; Hauser, Alison; Anthony, Jennifer; González, Raquel

2015-01-01

Transitional kindergarten--the first year of a two-year kindergarten program for California children born between September 2 and December 2--is intended to better prepare young five-year-olds for kindergarten and ensure a strong start to their educational career. The goal of this study was to measure the success of the program by determining the…

The Differential Impact of Observational Learning and Practice-Based Learning on the Development of Oral Presentation Skills in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Grez, Luc; Valcke, Martin; Roozen, Irene

2014-01-01

The present study focuses on the design and evaluation of an innovative instructional approach to developing oral presentation skills. The intervention builds on the observational learning theoretical perspective. This perspective is contrasted with the traditional training and practice approach. Two sequencing approaches--learners starting with…

Identifying the Best Times for Cognitive Functioning Using New Methods: Matching University Times to Undergraduate Chronotypes

PubMed Central

Evans, M. D. R.; Kelley, Paul; Kelley, Jonathan

2017-01-01

University days generally start at fixed times in the morning, often early morning, without regard to optimal functioning times for students with different chronotypes. Research has shown that later starting times are crucial to high school students' sleep, health, and performance. Shifting the focus to university, this study used two new approaches to determine ranges of start times that optimize cognitive functioning for undergraduates. The first is a survey-based, empirical model (SM), and the second a neuroscience-based, theoretical model (NM). The SM focused on students' self-reported chronotype and times they feel at their best. Using this approach, data from 190 mostly first and second year university students were collected and analyzed to determine optimal times when cognitive performance can be expected to be at its peak. The NM synthesized research in sleep, circadian neuroscience, sleep deprivation's impact on cognition, and practical considerations to create a generalized solution to determine the best learning hours. Strikingly the SM and NM results align with each other and confirm other recent research in indicating later start times. They add several important points: (1) They extend our understanding by showing that much later starting times (after 11 a.m. or 12 noon) are optimal; (2) Every single start time disadvantages one or more chronotypes; and (3) The best practical model may involve three alternative starting times with one afternoon shared session. The implications are briefly considered. PMID:28469566

Effect of illicit direct to consumer advertising on use of etanercept, mometasone, and tegaserod in Canada: controlled longitudinal study.

PubMed

Law, Michael R; Majumdar, Sumit R; Soumerai, Stephen B

2008-09-02

To assess the impact of direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs in the United States on Canadian prescribing rates for three heavily marketed drugs-etanercept, mometasone, and tegaserod. Controlled quasi-experimental study using interrupted time series analysis. Representative sample of 2700 Canadian pharmacies and prescription data from 50 US Medicaid programmes. Differences in number of filled prescriptions per 10,000 population per month between English speaking and French speaking (control) Canadian provinces before and after the start of direct to consumer advertising in the United States. Spending on direct to consumer advertising for study drugs ranged from $194m to $314m ( pound104m- pound169m; euro131m-euro212m) over the study period. Prescription rates for etanercept and mometasone did not increase in English speaking provinces relative to French speaking controls after the start of direct to consumer advertising. In contrast, tegaserod prescriptions increased 42% (0.56 prescriptions/10,000 residents, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.76) in English speaking provinces immediately after the start of US direct to consumer advertising. Uncontrolled analysis of US Medicaid data showed a larger 56% increase in tegaserod prescriptions. However, this increase did not persist over time in either country, despite continued advertising. Exposure to US direct to consumer advertising transiently influenced both Canadian and US prescribing rates for tegaserod, a drug later withdrawn owing to safety concerns. The impact of direct to consumer advertising on drug use seems to be highly variable and probably depends on the characteristics of the advertised drug, the level of exposure to direct to consumer advertising, and the cultural context.

Effect of illicit direct to consumer advertising on use of etanercept, mometasone, and tegaserod in Canada: controlled longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Majumdar, Sumit R; Soumerai, Stephen B

2008-01-01

Objective To assess the impact of direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs in the United States on Canadian prescribing rates for three heavily marketed drugs—etanercept, mometasone, and tegaserod. Design Controlled quasi-experimental study using interrupted time series analysis. Population Representative sample of 2700 Canadian pharmacies and prescription data from 50 US Medicaid programmes. Main outcome measures Differences in number of filled prescriptions per 10 000 population per month between English speaking and French speaking (control) Canadian provinces before and after the start of direct to consumer advertising in the United States. Results Spending on direct to consumer advertising for study drugs ranged from $194m to $314m (£104m-£169m; €131m-€212m) over the study period. Prescription rates for etanercept and mometasone did not increase in English speaking provinces relative to French speaking controls after the start of direct to consumer advertising. In contrast, tegaserod prescriptions increased 42% (0.56 prescriptions/10 000 residents, 95% confidence interval 0.37 to 0.76) in English speaking provinces immediately after the start of US direct to consumer advertising. Uncontrolled analysis of US Medicaid data showed a larger 56% increase in tegaserod prescriptions. However, this increase did not persist over time in either country, despite continued advertising. Conclusions Exposure to US direct to consumer advertising transiently influenced both Canadian and US prescribing rates for tegaserod, a drug later withdrawn owing to safety concerns. The impact of direct to consumer advertising on drug use seems to be highly variable and probably depends on the characteristics of the advertised drug, the level of exposure to direct to consumer advertising, and the cultural context. PMID:18765444

Impact of Starting Point and Bicortical Purchase of C1 Lateral Mass Screws on Atlantoaxial Fusion: Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Elliott, Robert E; Tanweer, Omar; Smith, Michael L; Frempong-Boadu, Anthony

2015-08-01

Structured review of literature and application of meta-analysis statistical techniques. Review published series describing clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients treated with C1 lateral mass screws (C1LMS), specifically analyzing the impact of starting point and bicortical purchase on successful atlantoaxial arthrodesis. Biomechanical studies suggest posterior arch screws and C1LMS with bicortical purchase are stronger than screws placed within the center of the lateral mass or those with unicortical purchase. Online databases were searched for English-language articles between 1994 and 2012 describing posterior atlantal instrumentation with C1LMS. Thirty-four studies describing 1247 patients having posterior atlantoaxial fusion with C1LMS met inclusion criteria. All studies provided class III evidence. Arthrodesis was quite successful regardless of technique (99.0% overall). Meta-analysis and multivariate regression analyses showed that neither posterior arch starting point nor bicortical screw purchase translated into a higher rate of successful arthrodesis. There were no complications from bicortical screw purchase. The Goel-Harms technique is a very safe and successful technique for achieving atlantoaxial fusion, regardless of minor variations in C1LMS technique. Although biomechanical studies suggest markedly increased rigidity of bicortical and posterior arch C1LMS, the significance of these findings may be minimal in the clinical setting of atlantoaxial fixation and fusion with modern techniques. The decision to use either technique must be made after careful review of the preoperative multiplanar computed tomography imaging, assessment of the unique anatomy of each patient, and the demands of the clinical scenario such as bone quality.

Housing market's impact on the secondary woodworking industry

Treesearch

Urs Buehlmann; Matt Bumgardner; Al Schuler; Karen. Koenig

2010-01-01

The housing correction that started in 2007 and resulted in a global recession, is slowly running its course. Its effect, though, on the secondary wood products industry will continue to have impact for the next few years.

Forming a Better Joint Team: Understanding Service Culture Impact on the Effectiveness of Senior Military Leaders

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-13

arrived, and Blue was now starting to understand fully the implications of the order. The JOC was a hub of activity. Staff officers ranging from O...if we divert the hogs down to Kandahar, that pulls them off station here and what happens if we get a troops in contact around Kabul or start ...between them. This paper’s goal is to do just that-- start examining the uniqueness of the service cultures and speculate, sometimes based on

Head Start and Hurricane Recovery: Using a Family Outcomes Measure to Assess the Impact of Program Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janiak, Richard

2007-01-01

In Head Start, family service workers facilitate the process for guiding and assisting families in securing services needed for specific family issues regarding health care, housing, employment, education, and/or crisis management. These services were particularly important to families following Hurricane Charley and the subsequent recovery…

Entrepreneurial Education at the Postsecondary Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Graham

Since 1984, Canada has experienced roughly 150,000 new business start-ups each year. Most of these businesses start small and remain small, yet they have had a significant impact on Canada's economic well-being. Unfortunately, somewhere between 70% and 80% of the new businesses fail to survive beyond 5 years. These statistics underscore the need…

Parental Involvement in Emergent Literacy Skills of Urban Head Start Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nespeca, Sue McCleaf

1995-01-01

Explored the impact of parental involvement and of public libraries on Head Start children's emerging literacy skills. Found differences in the amount of parental involvement in literacy activities and the types of activities. Library use was minimal for fear of damaging books, transportation problems, or lack of time or effort. Suggested…

School Start Time and Adolescent Sleep Patterns: Results From the US National Comorbidity Survey—Adolescent Supplement

PubMed Central

Paksarian, Diana; Rudolph, Kara E.

2015-01-01

Objectives. We estimated associations between school start time and adolescent weeknight bedtime, weeknight sleep duration, and weekend compensatory sleep and assessed whether associations differ by age, sex, or urbanicity. Methods. We used a subsample of a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of 7308 students aged 13 to 18 years attending 245 schools to estimate associations of school start time, reported by school principals, with weeknight bedtime and sleep duration and weekend compensatory sleep, reported during adolescent face-to-face interviews. Results. Start time was positively associated with weeknight bedtime. Associations between start time and weeknight sleep duration were nonlinear and were strongest for start times of 8:00 am and earlier. Associations differed by sex and urbanicity, with the strongest association among boys in major metropolitan counties. Start time was negatively associated with sleep duration among boys in nonurban counties. Start time was not associated with weekend compensatory sleep. Conclusions. Positive overall associations between school start time and adolescent sleep duration at the national level support recent policy recommendations for delaying school start times. However, the impact of start time delays may differ by sex and urbanicity. PMID:25973803

Collaborating for Success: Collaborative Arrangements for 14-19 Provision in the West Midlands. Summary and Analysis of Research Findings from Six Case Studies. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardman, Jill

2006-01-01

These findings from six case study areas in the West Midlands examine how 14-19 collaborative arrangements have developed and changed in response to local circumstances, assess the impact of the developments and changes on the curriculum offer, learner choice and participation, and identify the main success factors for starting and sustaining…

Sleep-Wake Cycle, Daytime Sleepiness, and Attention Components in Children Attending Preschool in the Morning and Afternoon Shifts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belísio, Aline S.; Kolodiuk, Fernanda F.; Louzada, Fernando M.; Valdez, Pablo; Azevedo, Carolina V. M.

2017-01-01

Children tend to sleep and wake up early and to exhibit daytime sleep episodes. To evaluate the impact of school start times on sleepiness and attention in preschool children, this study compared the temporal patterns of sleep, daytime sleepiness, and the components of attention between children aged 4-6 years that study in the morning (n = 66)…

New Work Demands in Higher Education. A Study of the Relationship between Excessive Workload, Coping Strategies and Subsequent Health among Academic Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melin, Marika; Astvik, Wanja; Bernhard-Oettel, Claudia

2014-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between the work conditions in higher education work settings, the academic staff's strategies for handling excessive workload and impact on well-being and work-life balance. The results show that there is a risk that staff in academic work places will start using compensatory coping strategies to deal with…

A Longitudinal Study of the Effect of Computers on the Cognitive Development of Low-Income African American Preschool Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janisse, Heather C.; Li, Xiaoming; Bhavnagri, Navaz P.; Esposito, Cassandra; Stanton, Bonita

2018-01-01

Research Findings: The current study examined the impact of daily classroom computer use on the cognitive development of preschool children in 14 urban Head Start classrooms. The sample consisted of 208 predominantly African American low-income children with a mean age of 48.8 months. A quasi-experimental design was used in which 7 classrooms had…

Effects of Climate Change on Indigenous Livelihoods: The Case of Recurrent Droughts among Nomadic Pastoralist of Southeastern Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mwangi, M. N.; Desanker, P. V.

2006-12-01

Drought is the most injurious impact of climate change that decimates lives and hinders socioeconomic development in most rangelands of Kenya. Several scientific evidences indicate that global climate change will increase frequency and intensity of droughts. This will have important ramification for ecosystems and social systems in the rangelands of southeastern Kenya, and correctly so. These rangelands are fragile and degraded; and the inhabitants are mostly poverty-stricken. Nomadic pastoralism is the chief source of livelihood in this region; it relies on local natural pastures. Besides, pressures from land use change constitute an additional exposure, of nomadic pastoralism, to vulnerabilities of this climatic hazard. This region is highly prone to droughts; it is currently recovering from a devastating drought that started in early 2005 and terminated at the start this year. Most important, and like most societies in sub-Saharan Africa, inadequate adaptive capacity among nomadic pastoralists of Kenya, exacerbates deleterious impacts of drought. The livelihood of these pastoralists, therefore, stands to be destabilized. This study presents findings from an on-going research in Kajiado District of southeastern Kenya. Impacts of and adaptation strategies to recurrent and prolonged droughts among the nomadic Maasai pastoralist are presented. The study concludes with possible future scenarios of this form of pastoralism from which climate change actors can draw from.

NWTC's Grid Capabilities Providing Value for Partners | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

controlled grid conditions where you can research interactions of grid impacts and resource variability impacts on the system at the same time." This capability creates an unrivaled asset. "That's on a smaller 2.5-megawatt dynamometer. They started to realize that grid impacts also need to be

Evaluating the Impact of E15 on Snowmobile Engine Durability and Vehicle Driveability: September 22, 2010 - August 15, 2013

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

Miers, Scott A.; Blough, Jason R.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of E15 on current and legacy snowmobile engines and vehicles that could occur due to misfueling by the vehicle owner. Three test scenarios were conducted to evaluate the impact of E15, including cold-start performance and emissions, on-snow vehicle driveability, and laboratory exhaust emissions over the useful life of the engine. The eightengines tested represent current and legacy product that may exhibit sensitivity to increased ethanol blended in gasoline. Because a limited number of snowmobile engines were evaluated for this test program, the results are not statistically significant. However, the broadmore » range of engine and mixture preparation technologies, combined with the various test scenarios provide preliminaryinformation to assess potential issues with E15 use in snowmobiles. Cold-start tests were performed at -6.7 degrees C (20 degrees F), -17.8 degrees C (0 degrees F), and -28.9 degrees C (-20 degrees F). The evaluation included time to start or number of pulls to start, engine speed, exhaust gas temperature, and start-up engine emissions concentrations. Statistically significant differences instarting times were not observed for most vehicles. Snowmobile driveability was analyzed using a subjective evaluation on a controlled test course. The drivers could not easily discern which fuel the snowmobiles were using during the subjective evaluation. Durability tests were conducted to measure the emissions and performance of the snowmobiles over the useful life of the vehicles (5,000miles). There were no fuel-related engine failures on E0 or E15. Carbon monoxide emissions were generally reduced by E15 relative to E0, by from 10% to 35%. Occasional misfueling of snowmobiles with E15 is not likely to cause noticeable or immediate problems for consumers. E15 is not approved for snowmobile use, and observations made during this study support the U.S. Environmental ProtectionAgency's decision to not approve E15 for snowmobiles.« less

Pharmacological Strategies in the Prevention of Relapse Following Electroconvulsive Therapy

PubMed Central

Prudic, Joan; Haskett, Roger; McCall, W. Vaughn; Isenberg, Keith; Cooper, Thomas; Rosenquist, Peter B.; Mulsant, Benoit H.; Sackeim, Harold A.

2012-01-01

Objective To determine whether starting antidepressant medication at the start of ECT reduces postECT relapse and to determine whether continuation pharmacotherapy with nortriptyline and lithium (NT-Li) differs in efficacy or side effects from continuation pharmacotherapy with venlafaxine and lithium (VEN-Li). Method During an acute ECT phase, 319 patients were randomized to treatment with moderate dosage bilateral ECT or high dosage right unilateral ECT. They were also randomized to concurrent treatment with placebo, NT, or VEN. Of 181 patients to meet postECT remission criteria, 122 (67.4%) participated in a second continuation pharmacotherapy phase. Patients earlier randomized to NT or VEN continued on the antidepressant, while patients earlier randomized to placebo were now randomized to NT or VEN. Li was added for all patients who were followed until relapse or 6 months. Results Starting an antidepressant medication at the beginning of the ECT course did not impact on the rate or timing of relapse relative to starting pharmacotherapy after ECT completion. The combination of NT-Li did not differ from VEN-Li in any relapse or side effect measure. Older age was strongly associated with lower relapse risk, whereas the type of ECT administered in the acute phase and medication resistance were not predictive. Across sites, 50% of patients relapsed, 33.6% continued in remission 6 months postECT, and 16.4% dropped out. Conclusions Starting an antidepressant medication during ECT does not impact relapse and there are concerns about administering Li during an acute ECT course. Nortriptyline and venlafaxine were equally effective in prolonging remission, although relapse rates following ECT are substantial despite intensive pharmacology. As opposed to the usual abrupt cessation of ECT, the impact of an ECT taper should be evaluated. PMID:23303417

Frequency and socio-psychological impact of taunting in school-age patients with cleft lip-palate surgical repair.

PubMed

Lorot-Marchand, A; Guerreschi, P; Pellerin, P; Martinot, V; Gbaguidi, C C; Neiva, C; Devauchelle, B; Frochisse, C; Poli-Merol, M L; Francois-Fiquet, C

2015-07-01

Cleft lip-palate (CLP) is a "social" pathology because of its impact on the child's facial appearance and speech. School is the first place where children are confronted to others and when they start socializing. Taunting and bullying are common and their psychological impact remains hard to assess. The aim of this study was to evaluate the importance of taunting in school and its impact in CLP patients who had surgical repair. We conducted a multicenter prospective study where we consecutively included patients ≥ 12 years who had CLP repair. During a multidisciplinary consultation they were asked to complete a questionnaire (3 parts: surgical outcomes, taunting and its impact, socio-economic status) previously approved by our psychologists. 55 patients were included (37 B, 18 G) (mean age 15.5 years): 11 CL, 13 CP and 31 CLP. 69% of patients reported having suffered from taunting and peer victimization in school. In 84% of the cases, taunting was linked to the CLP defect itself. The teasing started in primary school to reach a peak of aggressiveness in middle school. 42% of patients reported that bullying occurred at least once a day (16/38). Regarding the psychological impact of taunting, 50% of patients reported sadness, 31% depression and 26.3% were marked for life. At one time or another 29% of patients did not want to attend school because of the teasing. The grade retention rate amounted to 37.7% (20/53), and 2 patients were in special education classes. As a matter of fact, 50% of these children repeated their 1st or 2nd year of primary school. Furthermore, 47% of patients wanted to change something to their face, but 63% of them never spoke to their surgeon about additional surgeries even though they were teased in school. Taunting is common in children with CLP. This study highlights the high frequency and impact of taunting on the daily lives and self-perception of patients with CLP or CLP repair. It is important for healthcare professionals to be aware of this issue in the context of a multidisciplinary approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A dynamical study on the origin of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loibnegger, B.; Dvorak, R.; Burger, C.; Maindl, T. I.; Schäfer, C.; Speith, R.

2016-02-01

The process of the formation of the Moon still yields many open questions. The generally accepted scenario proposes a giant impact of a Mars-sized body onto the proto-Earth between 70 to 100 million years after the formation of the terrestrial planets. According to popular theories the Moon formed from the debris disk generated by this giant impact. The goal of our dynamical studies is to find the initial orbit of the Mars-sized impactor (Theia) by investigating the regarding probability of a collision with Earth. Due to previous studies it is assumed that Theia formed between Earth and Mars at the same time as the other terrestrial planets did. Then the planet has to stay on a stable orbit for tens of millions of years till it may collide with the Earth leaving the rest of the inner solar system almost unaffected. In order to investigate the most probable origin of Theia we did n-body simulations starting a Mars-sized object with semi-major axis between 1.085 AU to 1.119 AU at low inclination altering the mean anomaly for each starting position from 0-360 deg. Additionally, simulations with an initial position of Theia inside the orbit of Earth (semi-major axis between 0.875 AU and 0.940 AU) were carried out. In total up to 10000 scenarios were calculated. The used model consists of an inner solar system with Venus, Earth and Mars at their known positions and the additional Theia as well as Jupiter and Saturn at their present orbits. The system was calculated up to 100 million years finding three possible outcomes namely collision with Earth, ejection or stability for the whole calculation period for Theia. Our results place the possible origin of Theia at 1.17 AU where most collisions happen after more than 70 million years. Additionally, the results of the dynamical n-body studies provide important data of the impact such as impact velocity and impact angle which will serve as basis for further detailed investigation of the impact itself by SPH (Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics) computations.

Three Approaches to Preschoolers' Social and Emotional Competence: A Summary of Impact and Implementation Findings from Head Start CARES

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MDRC, 2015

2015-01-01

This summary describes the Head Start CARES research project, which evaluated three classroom-based approaches to enhancing children's social-emotional development: (1) The Incredible Years Teacher Training Program; (2) Preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies); and (3) Tools of the Mind--Play. The three social-emotional…

Factors that Impact West Virginia Head Start Parental Involvement in Early Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clausell, Arlene Midget

2010-01-01

The research problem is: Many parents are not involved in their children's early literacy education. Some Head Start parents experience issues that keep them from teaching their children early literacy skills. The research questions were: What are the factors for parental involvement in the support of early literacy skill development for their…

Later school start times for supporting the education, health, and well-being of high school students.

PubMed

Marx, Robert; Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Davison, Colleen M; Ufholz, Lee-Anne; Freeman, John; Shankar, Ravi; Newton, Lisa; Brown, Robert S; Parpia, Alyssa S; Cozma, Ioana; Hendrikx, Shawn

2017-07-03

A number of school systems worldwide have proposed and implemented later school start times as a means of avoiding the potentially negative impacts that early morning schedules can have on adolescent students. Even mild sleep deprivation has been associated with significant health and educational concerns: increased risk for accidents and injuries, impaired learning, aggression, memory loss, poor self-esteem, and changes in metabolism. Although researchers have begun to explore the effects of delayed school start time, no one has conducted a rigorous review of evidence to determine whether later school start times support adolescent health, education, and well-being. We aimed to assess the effects of a later school start time for supporting health, education, and well-being in high school students.Secondary objectives were to explore possible differential effects of later school start times in student subgroups and in different types of schools; to identify implementation practices, contextual factors, and delivery modes associated with positive and negative effects of later start times; and to assess the effects of later school start times on the broader community (high school faculty and staff, neighborhood, and families). We conducted the main search for this review on 28 October 2014 and updated it on 8 February 2016. We searched CENTRAL as well as 17 key electronic databases (including MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts), current editions of relevant journals and organizational websites, trial registries, and Google Scholar. We included any randomized controlled trials, controlled before-and-after studies, and interrupted time series studies with sufficient data points that pertained to students aged 13 to 19 years and that compared different school start times. Studies that reported either primary outcomes of interest (academic outcomes, amount or quality of sleep, mental health indicators, attendance, or alertness) or secondary outcomes (health behaviors, health and safety indicators, social outcomes, family outcomes, school outcomes, or community outcomes) were eligible. At least two review authors independently determined inclusion and exclusion decisions through screening titles, abstracts, and full-text reports. Two review authors independently extracted data for all eligible studies. We presented findings through a narrative synthesis across all studies. When two or more study samples provided sufficient information to permit effect size calculations, we conducted random-effects meta-analyses to synthesize effects across studies. Our search located 17 eligible records reporting on 11 unique studies with 297,994 participants; the studies examined academic outcomes, amount and quality of sleep, mental health indicators, attendance, and student alertness. Overall, the quality of the body of evidence was very low, as we rated most studies as being at high or unclear risk of bias with respect to allocation, attrition, absence of randomization, and the collection of baseline data. Therefore, we cannot be confident about the effects of later school start times.Preliminary evidence from the included studies indicated a potential association between later school start times and academic and psychosocial outcomes, but quality and comparability of these data were low and often precluded quantitative synthesis. Four studies examined the association between later school start times and academic outcomes, reporting mixed results. Six studies examined effects on total amount of sleep and reported significant, positive relationships between later school start times and amount of sleep. One study provided information concerning mental health outcomes, reporting an association between decreased depressive symptoms and later school start times. There were mixed results for the association between later school start times and absenteeism. Three studies reported mixed results concerning the association between later school start times and student alertness. There was limited indication of potential adverse effects on logistics, as the qualitative portions of one study reported less interaction between parents and children, and another reported staffing and scheduling difficulties. Because of the insufficient evidence, we cannot draw firm conclusions concerning adverse effects at this time.It is important to note the limitations of this evidence, especially as randomized controlled trials and high-quality primary studies are difficult to conduct; school systems are often unwilling or unable to allow researchers the necessary control over scheduling and data collection. Moreover, this evidence does not speak to the process of implementing later school starts, as the included studies focused on reporting the effects rather than exploring the process. This systematic review on later school start times suggests several potential benefits for this intervention and points to the need for higher quality primary studies. However, as a result of the limited evidence base, we could not determine the effects of later school start times with any confidence.

Leveraging Mobile Technology in a School-Based Participatory Asthma Intervention: Findings from the Student Media-Based Asthma Research Team (SMART) Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warren, Christopher M.; Dyer, Ashley; Blumenstock, Jesse; Gupta, Ruchi S.

2016-01-01

Background: Asthma places a heavy burden on Chicago's schoolchildren, particularly in low-income, minority communities. Recently, our group developed a 10-week afterschool program, the Student Asthma Research Team (START), which successfully engaged high school youth in a Photovoice investigation of factors impacting their asthma at school and in…

A Process Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report III, Executive Summary: Preliminary Recommendations for the Study of Child Impact.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granville, Arthur C.; And Others

This executive summary presents the major findings of Interim Report III, which reports preliminary evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC). A Head Start demonstration program, PDC is aimed at promoting greater educational and developmental continuity as children make the transition from preschool to school. The report addresses three…

Impact of North Carolina's Early Childhood Initiatives on Special Education Placements in Third Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muschkin, Clara G.; Ladd, Helen F.; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2015-01-01

This study examines the community-wide effects of investments in two early childhood initiatives in North Carolina (Smart Start and More at Four) on the likelihood of a student being placed into special education. We take advantage of variation across North Carolina counties and years in the timing of the introduction and funding levels of the two…

Exploring the Impact of Varying Levels of Augmented Reality to Teach Probability and Sampling with a Mobile Device

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conley, Quincy

2013-01-01

Statistics is taught at every level of education, yet teachers often have to assume their students have no knowledge of statistics and start from scratch each time they set out to teach statistics. The motivation for this experimental study comes from interest in exploring educational applications of augmented reality (AR) delivered via mobile…

Didactic Content of Constructively-Projective Function of Students Learning: The Extrapolation in Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutuev, Ruslan A.; Nuriyeva, Elvira N.; Safiullina, Tatyana R.; Kryukova, Nina I.; Tagirova, Nataliya P.; Karpenko, Galina V.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the study is conditioned by a radical impact on the learning process of the university by information technology, which put start a new phase in its transformation. According to experts at the present time the main factor of efficiency of university's activity becomes the expansion of students' learning activities, realized on the…

The Impact of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports on Elementary Office Discipline Referrals for Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Maria R.

2017-01-01

Study purpose includes the collection, examination, and comparison of school district office discipline referral data records for fifth grade students with learning and emotional disabilities for a five-year school year timeframe from 2008-2013 for one school district with PBIS implementation starting with the 2008-2009 academic year. A research…

Road construction on Caspar Creek watersheds --- 10-year report on impact

Treesearch

J. S. Krammes; David M. Burns

1973-01-01

In 1960, Federal and State agencies jointly started a long-term study of the effects of logging and road building on streamflow, sedimentation, aquatic habitat, and fish populations on two watersheds of Caspar Creek, in northern California. The experimental watersheds are the North and South Forks of the Creek. The data being collected consist of continuous streamflow...

The impact of new insights and revised practice guidelines on prescribing drugs in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus

PubMed Central

Lub, René; Denig, Petra; van den Berg, Paul B; Hoogenberg, Klaas; de Jong-van den Berg, Lolkje T W

2006-01-01

Aims The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of new insights and revised guidelines on initial and follow-up treatment with antihyperglycaemic drugs over the period 1998–2003. Methods The InterAction Database (IADB), which contains pharmacy dispensing data from 53 community pharmacies in the Northern and Eastern part of the Netherlands, was used in this study. Prevalence and incidence rates of oral antihyperglycaemic drug use were calculated for each year. Follow-up treatment was compared for two cohorts of initial users of oral antihyperglycaemic drugs, starting treatment either 1 year before or 1 year after guideline revision. Results The prevalence and incidence rate of oral antihyperglycaemic drug use increased over the study period from 1.8% to 2.4% (P < 0.001) and 0.3% to 0.4% (P= 0.04). The proportion of metformin as initial treatment increased rapidly in the observation period from 14% to 50% (P < 0.001). Initial users of metformin in 2000 received additional treatment with a sulphonylurea in the follow-up period less often compared with those who started metformin in 1998 (46%vs. 60%, P < 0.004). In contrast, initial users of sulphonylurea in 2000 received additional treatment with metformin more often compared with those who started a sulphonylurea in 1998 (42%vs. 36%, P < 0.008). The new drugs, thiazolidinediones and meglitinides, were seldom used as initial treatment Conclusions New insights and the revision of the practice guideline were followed by a significant increase in both initial and follow-up treatment with metformin among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. PMID:16796700

Just how important is a good season start? Overall team performance and financial budget of elite soccer clubs.

PubMed

Lago-Peñas, Carlos; Sampaio, Jaime

2015-01-01

The aim of the current study was (i) to identify how important is a good season start on elite soccer teams' performance and (ii) to examine whether this impact is related to the clubs' financial budget. The match performances and annual budgets of all teams were collected from the English FA Premier League, French Ligue 1, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A and German Bundesliga for three consecutive seasons (2010-2011 to 2012-2013). A k-means cluster analysis classified the clubs according to their budget as High Range Budget Clubs, Upper-Mid Range Budget Clubs, Lower-Mid Range Budget Clubs and Low Range Budget Clubs. Data were examined through linear regression models. Overall, the results suggested that the better the team performance at the beginning of the season, the better the ranking at the end of the season. However, the impact of the effect depended on the clubs' annual budget, with lower budgets being associated with a greater importance of having a good season start (P < 0.01). Moreover, there were differences in trends across the different leagues. These variables can be used to develop accurate models to estimate final rankings. Conversely, Lower-Mid and Lower Range Budget Clubs can benefit from fine-tuning preseason planning in order to accelerate the acquisition of optimal performances.

Transition to school for children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

PubMed Central

Marsh, Annabel; Spagnol, Vanessa; Grove, Rachel; Eapen, Valsamma

2017-01-01

AIM To identify factors that promote a positive start to school for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS Web of Science, MEDLINE, Scopus, and PsychINFO searches were conducted to identify literature published after 1991 and relevant to school transition processes in children with ASD. Twenty studies were deemed eligible for inclusion. These studies evaluated a range of factors including school readiness, parent and teacher perspectives on transition practices, characteristics of children with ASD that are associated with successful transition to school and the impact of school based intervention programs. RESULTS A review of these studies showed that children with ASD are less school ready emotionally than their peers and those children with ASD appear to have more externalising behaviours and self-regulation difficulties that affect their school engagement and their relationships with their teachers. There was a paucity of research looking at interventions targeting school readiness. However, school-based behavioural interventions appear to improve cognitive, language and daily living skills, but have less impact on socialisation and peer inclusion. CONCLUSION Children with ASD face more challenges transitioning to school, particularly with social interaction. Further development and implementation of specific school-based interventions is needed in order to assist children with autism to maximise their success in starting school. PMID:29043156

Impacts of visuomotor sequence learning methods on speed and accuracy: Starting over from the beginning or from the point of error.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kanji; Watanabe, Katsumi

2016-02-01

The present study examined whether sequence learning led to more accurate and shorter performance time if people who are learning a sequence start over from the beginning when they make an error (i.e., practice the whole sequence) or only from the point of error (i.e., practice a part of the sequence). We used a visuomotor sequence learning paradigm with a trial-and-error procedure. In Experiment 1, we found fewer errors, and shorter performance time for those who restarted their performance from the beginning of the sequence as compared to those who restarted from the point at which an error occurred, indicating better learning of spatial and motor representations of the sequence. This might be because the learned elements were repeated when the next performance started over from the beginning. In subsequent experiments, we increased the occasions for the repetitions of learned elements by modulating the number of fresh start points in the sequence after errors. The results showed that fewer fresh start points were likely to lead to fewer errors and shorter performance time, indicating that the repetitions of learned elements enabled participants to develop stronger spatial and motor representations of the sequence. Thus, a single or two fresh start points in the sequence (i.e., starting over only from the beginning or from the beginning or midpoint of the sequence after errors) is likely to lead to more accurate and faster performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An audit of growth hormone replacement for GH-deficient adults in Scotland.

PubMed

Philip, Sam; Howat, Isobel; Carson, Maggie; Booth, Anne; Campbell, Karen; Grant, Donna; Patterson, Catherine; Schofield, Christopher; Bevan, John; Patrick, Alan; Leese, Graham; Connell, John

2013-04-01

Guidelines on the clinical use of growth hormone therapy in adults were issued by the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in August 2003. We conducted a retrospective clinical audit on the use of growth hormone (GH) in Scotland to evaluate the use of these guidelines and their impact on clinical practice. The audit had two phases. In phase I, the impact of NICE criteria on specialist endocrine practice in starting and continuing GH replacement was assessed. In phase II, the reasons why some adults in Scotland with growth hormone deficiency were not on replacement therapy were evaluated. A retrospective cross-sectional case note review was carried out of all adult patients being followed up for growth hormone deficiency during the study period (1 March 2005 to 31 March 2008). Phase I of the audit included 208 patients and phase II 108 patients. Sellar tumours were the main cause of GH deficiency in both phases of the audit. In phase I, 53 patients (77%) had an AGHDA-QoL score >11 documented before commencing GH post-NICE guidance, compared with 35 (25%) pre-NICE guidance. Overall, only 39 patients (18%) met the full NICE criteria for starting and continuing GH (pre-NICE, 11%; post-NICE, 35%). Phase II indicated that the main reasons for not starting GH included perceived satisfactory quality of life (n = 47, 43%), patient reluctance (16, 15%) or a medical contraindication (16, 15%). Although the use of quality of life assessments has increased following publication of the NICE guidelines, most adults on GH in Scotland did not fulfil the complete set of NICE criteria. The main reason for not starting GH therapy in adult GH-deficient patients was perceived satisfactory quality of life. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

75 FR 68021 - Draft Finding of No Significant Impact on the Tier 1 Ohio 3C Quick Start Passenger Rail Tier-1...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

... purpose of the 3C ``Quick Start'' Passenger Rail Project is to reestablish intercity conventional speed... predictable and consistent travel times. It is intended to provide travel options and develop the passenger... through the High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR Program) administered by the FRA and funded...

The Benefits and Costs of Head Start. Social Policy Report. Volume 21, Number 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Jens; Phillips, Deborah

2007-01-01

We review what is known about Head Start's impacts on children and argue that the program is likely to generate benefits to participants and society as a whole that are larger than program costs. Our conclusions differ from those in some previous reviews because we use a more appropriate standard to judge program effectiveness (benefit-cost…

How a Small/Rural College May Start and Sustain an International Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Norm

The development of an international education program should be approached by a community college in the same way as any other program, with consideration of the program's impact on the college as a whole. First, the college should examine its reasons for wanting to start an international education program. These may include a desire to expand…

Antiretroviral treatment start-time during primary SIV(mac) infection in macaques exerts a different impact on early viral replication and dissemination.

PubMed

Sellier, Pierre; Mannioui, Abdelkrim; Bourry, Olivier; Dereuddre-Bosquet, Nathalie; Delache, Benoit; Brochard, Patricia; Calvo, Julien; Prévot, Sophie; Roques, Pierre

2010-05-11

The time of infection is rarely known in human cases; thus, the effects of delaying the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the peripheral viral load and the establishment of viral reservoirs are poorly understood. Six groups of macaques, infected intravenously with SIV(mac251), were given placebo or antiretroviral therapy to explore reservoir establishment; macaques were treated for 2 weeks, with treatment starting 4 hours, 7 or 14 days after infection. Viral replication and dissemination were measured in the gut (rectum), in the lung and in blood and lymphoid tissues (peripheral lymph nodes), by quantifying viral RNA, DNA and 2LTR circles. We used immunohistochemistry (CD4 and CD68) to assess the impact of these treatments on the relative amount of virus target cells in tissue. Treatment that was started 4 hours post-infection (pi) decreased viral replication and dissemination in blood and tissue samples, which were assessed on day 14 (RNA/DNA/2LTR circles). The virus remained detectable and lymphoid tissues were activated in LN and the gut in both placebo- and ART-treated animals. Viral RNA in plasma continued to be lower in macaques treated seven days after infection; however, this was not the case for viral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. There was a small but significant difference in RNA and DNA levels in tissues between placebo- and ART-treated animals on day 21. When started 14 days after infection, treatment resulted in a limited decrease in the plasma viral load. Treatment that was started 4 hours after infection significantly reduced viral replication and dissemination. When started 7 days after infection, it was of slight virological benefit in peripheral blood and in tissues, and treatment was even less effective if started 14 days pi. These data favor starting ART no longer than one week after intravenous SIV(mac251) exposure.

Impact of different ratios of feedstock to liquid anaerobic digestion effluent on the performance and microbiome of solid-state anaerobic digesters digesting corn stover.

PubMed

Li, Yueh-Fen; Shi, Jian; Nelson, Michael C; Chen, Po-Hsu; Graf, Joerg; Li, Yebo; Yu, Zhongtang

2016-01-01

The objective of this study was to understand how the non-microbial factors of L-AD effluent affected the microbiome composition and successions in the SS-AD digesters using both Illumina sequencing and qPCR quantification of major genera of methanogens. The SS-AD digesters started with a feedstock/total effluent (F/Et) ratio 2.2 (half of the effluent was autoclaved) performed stably, while the SS-AD digesters started with a 4.4 F/Et ratio (no autoclaved effluent) suffered from digester acidification, accumulation of volatile fatty acids, and ceased biogas production two weeks after startup. Some bacteria and methanogens were affected by non-microbial factors of the L-AD fluent. Alkalinity, the main difference between the two F/Et ratios, may be the crucial factor when SS-AD digesters were started using L-AD effluent. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Asymmetric impact of rainfall on India's food grain production: evidence from quantile autoregressive distributed lag model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pal, Debdatta; Mitra, Subrata Kumar

2018-01-01

This study used a quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) model to capture asymmetric impact of rainfall on food production in India. It was found that the coefficient corresponding to the rainfall in the QARDL increased till the 75th quantile and started decreasing thereafter, though it remained in the positive territory. Another interesting finding is that at the 90th quantile and above the coefficients of rainfall though remained positive was not statistically significant and therefore, the benefit of high rainfall on crop production was not conclusive. However, the impact of other determinants, such as fertilizer and pesticide consumption, is quite uniform over the whole range of the distribution of food grain production.

Measuring School and Teacher Value Added for IMPACT and TEAM in DC Public Schools. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isenberg, Eric; Hock, Heinrich

2010-01-01

The District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) has incorporated measures of school and teacher effectiveness, based on student test score growth, into a new teacher assessment system known as IMPACT. Implemented for the first time during the 2009-2010 school year, IMPACT is an assessment system with significant consequences. Prior to the start of…

Impact of North Carolina's Early Childhood Initiatives on Special Education Placements in Third Grade. Working Paper 121

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muschkin, Clara G.; Ladd, Helen F.; Dodge, Kenneth A.

2015-01-01

This study examines the community-wide effects of investments in two early childhood initiatives in North Carolina (Smart Start and More at Four) on the likelihood of a student being placed into special education. We take advantage of variation across North Carolina counties and years in the timing of the introduction and funding levels of the two…

Controlled Study of the Impact on Child Behaviour Problems of Intensive Interaction for Children with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tee, Abi; Reed, Phil

2017-01-01

Pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) received 6 months of intensive interaction or treatment as usual. They were assessed for behaviour problems at the start and end of the period, and changes were related to child and parent factors. Intensive interaction did not offer any greater advantages to child behaviour than treatment as usual.…

Influence of foliar fertilization on walnut foliar zinc levels and nut production in black walnut

Treesearch

William R. Reid; Andrew L. Thomas

2013-01-01

The impact of foliar zinc fertilizer application on nut-bearing black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) trees was studied. Foliar sprays were applied three times per season on two cultivars during four growing seasons by wetting the foliage of the entire crown using a tank mix containing 500 ppm zinc, starting at leaf burst and continuing at 2 week intervals...

Elements of impact assessment: a case study with cyber attacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Shanchieh Jay; Holsopple, Jared; Liu, Daniel

2009-05-01

Extensive discussions have taken place in recent year regarding impact assessment - what is it and how can we do it? It is especially intriguing in this modern era where non-traditional warfare has caused either information overload or limited understanding of adversary doctrines. This work provides a methodical discussion of key elements for the broad definition of impact assessment (IA). The discussion will start with a process flow involving components related to IA. Two key functional components, impact estimation and threat projection, are compared and illustrated in detail. These details include a discussion of when to model red and blue knowledge. Algorithmic approaches will be discussed, augmented with lessons learned from our IA development for cyber situation awareness. This paper aims at providing the community with a systematic understanding of IA and its open issues with specific examples.

A Simulation Study of a Speed Control System for Autonomous On-Road Operation of Automotive Vehicles.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

by block numoiber) The study of human driving of automotive vehicles is an important aid to the development of viable autonomous vehicle navigation...of human driving which could provide some different insights into possible approaches to autonomous vehicle control. At the start of this work, it was...advanced work in the behavioral aspects of human driving . Research of this nature can have a significant impact on the development of autonomous vehicles

Who receives contraception counseling when starting new lupus medications? The potential roles of race, ethnicity, disease activity, and quality of communication.

PubMed

Ferguson, S; Trupin, L; Yazdany, J; Yelin, E; Barton, J; Katz, P

2016-01-01

Family planning discussions are an important aspect of medical care for women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as active disease is a risk factor for poor pregnancy outcomes, and the medications used for treatment can be harmful to the fetus when used during conception and pregnancy. Our objective was to examine the impact of patient perception of quality and type of communication on receiving contraception counseling. Data were derived from patients enrolled in the University of California, San Francisco Lupus Outcomes Study. Individuals participate in a yearly structured telephone interview that includes assessment of contraception counseling when starting new medications, and measures of communication and decision making. Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of not receiving contraception counseling. Of the 68 women included in this analysis, one-third did not receive contraception counseling when starting new medications. Older age, white race, depressive symptoms, and higher SLE disease activity were independently associated with not receiving contraception counseling. Participants who did not receive contraception counseling rated their physicians lower in shared decision-making (SDM) communication. This study demonstrates a gap in family planning counseling among women with SLE starting new medications. Future studies to address these potential areas of intervention, including education about the need for contraception through menopause, and mechanisms to engage in SDM surrounding contraception are needed to improve quality of care for women with lupus. © The Author(s) 2015.

Large-scale production of PMMA/SWCNT composites based on SWCNT modified with PMMA.

PubMed

Fraser, Robin Anderson; Stoeffler, Karen; Ashrafi, Behnam; Zhang, Yunfa; Simard, Benoit

2012-04-01

In this work, a two-step method consisting of in situ polymerization of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in the presence of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), followed by the redispersion of the resulting compound in dimethylformamide (DMF), was used to fabricate SWCNT modified with PMMA (SWCNT-PMMA). Raman spectroscopy revealed that PMMA was merely wrapped around the SWCNT when raw SWCNT or purified SWCNT were used as the starting material. However, PMMA was covalently bonded to SWCNT when acid treated SWCNT (SWCNT-COOH) was used as the starting material. SWCNT-PMMA compounds were further diluted in pure PMMA by conventional melt compounding at large scale (several kilograms) to obtain transparent composites containing 0.09 wt % SWCNT. The micro- and nano-dispersion of the SWCNT in the composites were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The thermal and mechanical properties of the composites were determined by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile testing, and Charpy impact testing. At the the low SWCNT loading studied, the tensile properties remain unchanged, whereas the impact strength improves by 20%.

Modeling Photosynthesis of Spartina alterniflora (smooth cordgrass) Impacted by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Using Bayesian Inference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, W.; Biber, P. D.; Peterson, M. S.; Gong, C.

2012-12-01

We studied the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on photosynthesis of coastal saltmarsh plants in Mississippi from July 2010 to November 2011 using field measurements and a hierarchical Bayesian (HB) model. We sampled three locations in Davis Bayou, Mississippi (30.375°N, 88.790°W) representative of a range of oil spill impacts. Measured photosynthesis was negative (respiration only) at the heavily oiled location in July 2010 only, and rates started to increase by August 2010. Photosynthesis at the medium oiled location was lower than at the control location in July 2010 and it continued to decrease in September 2010. During the winter months in 2010-2011, the contrast between the control and the two impacted locations was not as obvious as in the growing season of 2010. Photosynthesis increased through spring 2011 at the three locations and decreased starting with October at the control location and a month earlier (September) at the impacted locations. Using the field data, we developed an HB model. The model simulations agreed well with the measured photosynthesis, and they captured most of the variability of the measured data. Based on the posteriors of the parameters, air temperature and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) positively influenced photosynthesis whereas the leaf stress level negatively affected photosynthesis. The photosynthesis rates at the heavily impacted location had recovered to the status of the control location about 140 days after the initial impact, while the impact at the medium location was never severe enough to make photosynthesis significantly lower than that at the control location over the study period. The uncertainty in modeling photosynthesis rates mainly came from the individual and micro-site scales, less from the leaf scale. Medians with 95% confidence intervals for the measured photosynthesis rate (μmol C m-2 s-1 - y axis) at the locations of A) Control, B) Medium impact, and C) Heavy impact in each month from July 2010 to November 2011. At the x-axis representing the photosynthetic active radiation intensity, 1 = around 400 μmol C m-2 s-1, 2 = around 800 μmol C m-2 s-1, 3 = around 1200 μmol C m-2 s-1, 4 = around 1600 μmol C m-2 s-1, and 5 = around 2000 μmol C m-2 s-1.

Delays in definitive cervical cancer treatment: An analysis of disparities and overall survival impact.

PubMed

Ramey, Stephen J; Asher, David; Kwon, Deukwoo; Ahmed, Awad A; Wolfson, Aaron H; Yechieli, Raphael; Portelance, Lorraine

2018-04-01

Delays in time to treatment initiation (TTI) with definitive radiation therapy (RT) or chemotherapy and RT (CRT) for cervical cancer could lead to poorer outcomes. This study investigates disparities in TTI and the impact of TTI on overall survival (OS). Adult women with non-metastatic cervical squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2004 and 2014, treated with definitive RT or CRT, and reported to the National Cancer Database were included. TTI was defined as days from diagnosis to start of RT or CRT. The impact of TTI on OS in patients treated with concurrent CRT which included brachytherapy was then assessed. Overall, 14,924 patients were included (84.7% CRT, 15.3% RT). TTI was significantly longer for Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) (RR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.11 to 1.18) and Hispanic women (RR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.15 to 1.24) compared to Non-Hispanic White (NHW) women. Expected TTI (eTTI) for NHW, NHB, and Hispanic women were 38.1, 45.2, and 49.4days. eTTI rose from 36.2days in 2004 to 44.3days by 2014. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) was associated with increased eTTI of 46.5days versus 40.0days for non-IMRT. Longer TTI was not associated with inferior OS in patients treated with concurrent CRT. Delays in starting RT/CRT for cervical cancer increased from 2004 to 2014. Delays disproportionately affect NHB and Hispanic women. However, increased TTI was not associated with increased mortality for women receiving CRT. Further study of TTI's impact on other endpoints is warranted to determine if TTI represents an important quality indicator. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of a community-led program promoting weight loss and healthy living in Aboriginal communities: the New South Wales Knockout Health Challenge.

PubMed

Passmore, Erin; Shepherd, Brooke; Milat, Andrew; Maher, Louise; Hennessey, Kiel; Havrlant, Rachael; Maxwell, Michelle; Hodge, Wendy; Christian, Fiona; Richards, Justin; Mitchell, Jo

2017-12-13

Aboriginal people in Australia experience significant health burden from chronic disease. There has been limited research to identify effective healthy lifestyle programs to address risk factors for chronic disease among Aboriginal people. The Knockout Health Challenge is a community-led healthy lifestyle program for Aboriginal communities across New South Wales, Australia. An evaluation of the 2013 Knockout Health Challenge was undertaken. Participants' self-reported physical activity and diet were measured at four time points - at the start and end of the Challenge (via paper form), and 5 and 9 months after the Challenge (via telephone survey). Participants' weight was measured objectively at the start and end of the Challenge, and self-reported (via telephone survey) 5 and 9 months after the Challenge. Changes in body composition, physical activity and diet between time points were analysed using linear mixed models. As part of the telephone survey participants were also asked to identify other impacts of the Challenge; these were analysed descriptively (quantitative items) and thematically (qualitative items). A total of 586 people registered in 22 teams to participate in the Challenge. The mean weight at the start was 98.54kg (SD 22.4), and 94% of participants were overweight or obese. Among participants who provided data at all four time points (n=122), the mean weight loss from the start to the end of the Challenge was 2.3kg (95%CI -3.0 to -1.9, p<0.001), and from the start to 9 months after the Challenge was 2.3kg (95%CI -3.3 to -1.3, p<0.001). Body mass index decreased by an average of 0.9kg/m 2 (95%CI -1.0 to -0.7, p<0.001) from the start to the end of the Challenge, and 0.8kg/m 2 (95%CI -1.2 to -0.4, p<0.001) 9 months after. At the end of the Challenge, participants reported they were more physically active and had increased fruit and vegetable consumption compared with the start of the Challenge, and identified a range of other positive impacts. The Challenge was effective in reducing weight and promoting healthy lifestyles among Aboriginal people across New South Wales, and has potential to contribute to closing the health gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Impact of multiple-dose versus single-dose inhaler devices on COPD patients’ persistence with long-acting β2-agonists: a dispensing database analysis

PubMed Central

van Boven, Job FM; van Raaij, Joost J; van der Galiën, Ruben; Postma, Maarten J; van der Molen, Thys; Dekhuijzen, PN Richard; Vegter, Stefan

2014-01-01

Background: With a growing availability of different devices and types of medication, additional evidence is required to assist clinicians in prescribing the optimal medication in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients’ persistence with long-acting β2-agonists (LABAs). Aims: To assess the impact of the type of inhaler device (multiple-dose versus single-dose inhalers) on 1-year persistence and switching patterns with LABAs. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was performed comparing a cohort of patients initiating multiple-dose inhalers and a cohort initiating single-dose inhalers. The study population consisted of long-acting bronchodilator naive COPD patients, initiating inhalation therapy with mono-LABAs (formoterol, indacaterol or salmeterol). Analyses were performed using pharmacy dispensing data from 1994 to 2012, obtained from the IADB.nl database. Study outcomes were 1-year persistence and switching patterns. Results were adjusted for initial prescriber, initial medication, dosing regimen and relevant comorbidities. Results: In all, 575 patients initiating LABAs were included in the final study cohort. Among them, 475 (83%) initiated a multiple-dose inhaler and 100 (17%) a single-dose inhaler. Further, 269 (47%) initiated formoterol, 9 (2%) indacaterol and 297 (52%) salmeterol. There was no significant difference in persistence between users of multiple-dose or single-dose inhalers (hazard ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.76–1.26, P=0.99). Over 80% re-started or switched medication. Conclusions: There seems no impact of inhaler device (multiple-dose versus single-dose inhalers) on COPD patients’ persistence with LABAs. Over 80% of patients who initially seemed to discontinue LABAs, re-started their initial medication or switched inhalers or medication within 1 year. PMID:25274453

The effectiveness of early head start for 3-year-old children and their parents: lessons for policy and programs.

PubMed

Love, John M; Kisker, Ellen Eliason; Ross, Christine; Raikes, Helen; Constantine, Jill; Boller, Kimberly; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Chazan-Cohen, Rachel; Tarullo, Louisa Banks; Brady-Smith, Christy; Fuligni, Allison Sidle; Schochet, Peter Z; Paulsell, Diane; Vogel, Cheri

2005-11-01

Early Head Start, a federal program begun in 1995 for low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers, was evaluated through a randomized trial of 3,001 families in 17 programs. Interviews with primary caregivers, child assessments, and observations of parent-child interactions were completed when children were 3 years old. Caregivers were diverse in race-ethnicity, language, and other characteristics. Regression-adjusted impact analyses showed that 3-year-old program children performed better than did control children in cognitive and language development, displayed higher emotional engagement of the parent and sustained attention with play objects, and were lower in aggressive behavior. Compared with controls, Early Head Start parents were more emotionally supportive, provided more language and learning stimulation, read to their children more, and spanked less. The strongest and most numerous impacts were for programs that offered a mix of home-visiting and center-based services and that fully implemented the performance standards early. ((c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved).

Biofilm development during the start-up period of anaerobic biofilm reactors: the biofilm Archaea community is highly dependent on the support material

PubMed Central

Habouzit, Frédéric; Hamelin, Jérôme; Santa-Catalina, Gaëlle; Steyer, Jean-P; Bernet, Nicolas

2014-01-01

To evaluate the impact of the nature of the support material on its colonization by a methanogenic consortium, four substrata made of different materials: polyvinyl chloride, 2 polyethylene and polypropylene were tested during the start-up of lab-scale fixed-film reactors. The reactor performances were evaluated and compared together with the analysis of the biofilms. Biofilm growth was quantified and the structure of bacterial and archaeal communities were characterized by molecular fingerprinting profiles (capillary electrophoresis-single strand conformation polymorphism). The composition of the inoculum was shown to have a major impact on the bacterial composition of the biofilm, whatever the nature of the support material or the organic loading rate applied to the reactors during the start-up period. In contrast, the biofilm archaeal populations were independent of the inoculum used but highly dependent on the support material. Supports favouring Archaea colonization, the limiting factor in the overall process, should be preferred. PMID:24612643

Impact Findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration: National Evaluation of Three Approaches to Improving Preschoolers' Social and Emotional Competence. Executive Summary. OPRE Report 2014-44

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Pamela; Mattera, Shira K.; Castells, Nina; Bangser, Michael; Bierman, Karen; Raver, Cybele

2014-01-01

Low-income preschool children face risks to their social-emotional development that can affect them later on. Although there are promising approaches to promoting preschoolers' social-emotional skills, the evidence base is limited, particularly on their effectiveness when implemented at scale. The Head Start CARES demonstration evaluated the…

Promoting Parents' Social Capital to Increase Children's Attendance in Head Start: Evidence from an Experimental Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sommer, Teresa Eckrich; Sabol, Terri J.; Chase-Lansdale, P. Lindsay; Small, Mario; Wilde, Henry; Brown, Sean; Huang, Zong Yang

2017-01-01

Improving children's attendance is a high priority for Head Start and other early childhood education programs serving low-income children. We conducted a randomized control trial in a major northern city to evaluate the impact of a low-cost intervention designed to promote parents' social capital as a potential influence on children's attendance…

Visual impact of wind farms on cultural heritage: A Norwegian case study

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

Jerpasen, Gro B., E-mail: gro.jerpasen@niku.no; Larsen, Kari C., E-mail: kari.larsen@niku.n

2011-04-15

This paper discusses different approaches of how visual impact on cultural heritage can be methodologically improved within Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). During the recent decade, visual impact on cultural heritage and heritage sites has become a more frequent but contentious issue in public and academic discussions. Yet, within EIA issues relating to heritage sites and visual impact are rarely debated or critically reflected upon. Today most methods and theories on visual impact and cultural heritage within EIA are transferred from disciplines such as landscape architecture, architecture and geography. The article suggests how working with the concepts and definitions of sitemore » and setting can be a methodological tool for delimiting and clarifying visual impact on cultural heritage sites. The article also presents ways of how public participation can be a tool to start exploring the field of what the visual impact on cultural heritage implies and how it effects upon our understanding and appreciation of heritage sites. Examples from a Norwegian case are taken as illustrations to highlight these issues.« less

Impact of Distance Education via Interactive Videoconferencing on Students' Course Performance and Satisfaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klibanov, Olga M.; Dolder, Christian; Anderson, Kevin; Kehr, Heather A.; Woods, J. Andrew

2018-01-01

The impact of distance education via interactive videoconferencing on pharmacy students' performance in a course was assessed after implementation of a distance campus. Students filled out a "Student Demographic Survey" and a "Precourse Knowledge Assessment" at the start of the course and a "Postcourse Knowledge…

Making Sense of Multitasking: Key Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Judd, Terry

2013-01-01

Traditionally viewed as a positive characteristic, there is mounting evidence that multitasking using digital devices can have a range of negative impacts on task performance and learning. While the cognitive processes that cause these impacts are starting to be understood and the evidence that they occur in real learning contexts is mounting, the…

Evaluating the impacts of the Panama Canal Expansion on Texas gulf ports.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

This report covers a four-year period after contractors started work on the third set of locks, which in 2015 will effectively double the size of the ship using the Panama Canal. Many of the impacts linked to the new locks remain unknown (like lock f...

The Impact of a Postgraduate Learning Experience on the Confidence of General Dental Practitioners.

PubMed

Fine, Peter; Louca, Chris; Leung, Albert

2017-04-26

This study aimed to explore the relationship between participating in a learning experience and the ensuing changes in confidence. A self-selected group of General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) entered a five-year, part-time postgraduate master's training programme in restorative dentistry. Confidence in communication with patients and technical skills were measured at the start of the programme by questionnaire and at the conclusion of the programme by questionnaire and personal interview. A total of 72 clinicians started the programme; 27% ( n = 20) completed the master's degree. Assessment of confidence revealed a spread from 4/10 to 10/10 for communication with patients and clinical skills in restorative dentistry before the programme started. A total of 15% ( n = 11) volunteered for interview. Analysis of qualitative data revealed (i) a perceived increase in confidence from all clinicians; (ii) a perceived greater ability to treat patients; (iii) an increase in treatment options being offered to patients; (iv) a perceived increase in treatment uptake by patients; and (v) greater job opportunities. The study showed a positive relationship between the learning experience and the perceived increase in confidence of clinicians. The increase in confidence manifested itself in better communication and clinical skills.

The Impact of a Postgraduate Learning Experience on the Confidence of General Dental Practitioners

PubMed Central

Fine, Peter; Louca, Chris; Leung, Albert

2017-01-01

This study aimed to explore the relationship between participating in a learning experience and the ensuing changes in confidence. A self-selected group of General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) entered a five-year, part-time postgraduate master’s training programme in restorative dentistry. Confidence in communication with patients and technical skills were measured at the start of the programme by questionnaire and at the conclusion of the programme by questionnaire and personal interview. A total of 72 clinicians started the programme; 27% (n = 20) completed the master’s degree. Assessment of confidence revealed a spread from 4/10 to 10/10 for communication with patients and clinical skills in restorative dentistry before the programme started. A total of 15% (n = 11) volunteered for interview. Analysis of qualitative data revealed (i) a perceived increase in confidence from all clinicians; (ii) a perceived greater ability to treat patients; (iii) an increase in treatment options being offered to patients; (iv) a perceived increase in treatment uptake by patients; and (v) greater job opportunities. The study showed a positive relationship between the learning experience and the perceived increase in confidence of clinicians. The increase in confidence manifested itself in better communication and clinical skills. PMID:29563422

LUVOIR Tech Notes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bolcar, Matthew R.; Shaklan, Stuart; Roberge, Aki; Rioux, Norman; Feinberg, Lee; Werner, Michael; Rauscher, Bernard; Mandell, Avi; France, Kevin; Schiminovich, David

2016-01-01

We present nine "tech notes" prepared by the Large UV/Optical/Infrared (LUVOIR) Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT), Study Office, and Technology Working Group. These tech notes are intended to highlight technical challenges that represent boundaries in the trade space for developing the LUVOIR architecture that may impact the science objectives being developed by the STDT. These tech notes are intended to be high-level discussions of the technical challenges and will serve as starting points for more in-depth analysis as the LUVOIR study progresses.

Women in science in Ghana: The Ghana science clinics for girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andam, Aba Bentil; Amponsah, Paulina; Nsiah-Akoto, Irene; Anderson, Christina Oduma; Ababio, Baaba Andam; Asenso, Yaa Akomah; Nyarko, Savanna

2015-12-01

The Ghana Science Clinics for Girls, started in 1987, gave rise to a paradigm shift in the inclusion of girls in science education. One generation later, we review the impact. Our study indicates that progress has been made in the effort to mainstream women into science studies and careers, mainly as a result of the changes that took place through this intervention strategy. The retention rate for girls in science from primary to university has risen considerably and performance is higher.

The Swedish Regional Climate Modelling Programme, SWECLIM: a review.

PubMed

Rummukainen, Markku; Bergström, Sten; Persson, Gunn; Rodhe, Johan; Tjernström, Michael

2004-06-01

The Swedish Regional Climate Modelling Programme, SWECLIM, was a 6.5-year national research network for regional climate modeling, regional climate change projections and hydrological impact assessment and information to a wide range of stakeholders. Most of the program activities focussed on the regional climate system of Northern Europe. This led to the establishment of an advanced, coupled atmosphere-ocean-hydrology regional climate model system, a suite of regional climate change projections and progress on relevant data and process studies. These were, in turn, used for information and educational purposes, as a starting point for impact analyses on different societal sectors and provided contributions also to international climate research.

Impact of video technology on efficiency of pharmacist-provided anticoagulation counseling and patient comprehension.

PubMed

Moore, Sarah J; Blair, Elizabeth A; Steeb, David R; Reed, Brent N; Hull, J Heyward; Rodgers, Jo Ellen

2015-06-01

Discharge anticoagulation counseling is important for ensuring patient comprehension and optimizing clinical outcomes. As pharmacy resources become increasingly limited, the impact of informational videos on the counseling process becomes more relevant. To evaluate differences in pharmacist time spent counseling and patient comprehension (measured by the Oral Anticoagulation Knowledge [OAK] test) between informational videos and traditional face-to-face (oral) counseling. This prospective, open, parallel-group study at an academic medical center randomized 40 individuals-17 warfarin-naïve ("New Start") and 23 with prior warfarin use ("Restart")-to receive warfarin discharge education by video or face-to-face counseling. "Teach-back" questions were used in both groups. Although overall pharmacist time was reduced in the video counseling group (P < 0.001), an interaction between prior warfarin use and counseling method (P = 0.012) suggests the difference between counseling methods was smaller in New Start participants. Following adjustment, mean total time was reduced 8.71 (95% CI = 5.15-12.26) minutes (adjusted P < 0.001) in Restart participants and 2.31 (-2.19 to 6.81) minutes (adjusted P = 0.472) in New Start participants receiving video counseling. Postcounseling OAK test scores did not differ. Age, gender, socioeconomic status, and years of education were not predictive of total time or OAK test score. Use of informational videos coupled with teach-back questions significantly reduced pharmacist time spent on anticoagulation counseling without compromising short-term patient comprehension, primarily in patients with prior warfarin use. Study results demonstrate that video technology provides an efficient method of anticoagulation counseling while achieving similar comprehension. © The Author(s) 2015.

GeneXpert MTB/RIF Testing in the Management of Patients with Active Tuberculosis; A Real Life Experience from Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Omrani, Ali S; Al-Otaibi, Mohammed F; Al-Ateah, Souad M; Al-Onazi, Fahad M; Baig, Kamran; El-Khizzi, Noura A; Albarrak, Ali M

2014-03-01

GeneXpert MTB/RIF is a real-time PCR assay with established diagnostic performance in pulmonary and extra-pulmonary forms of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay to the management of patients with any form of active tuberculosis in a single large tertiary center in Saudi Arabia, with a special focus on the impact on time to start of antituberculous therapy compared with Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) smears and mycobacterial cultures. Clinical, radiological and laboratory records for all patients who were commenced on antituberculous therapy between March 2011 and February 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 140 patients were included, 38.6% of which had pulmonary tuberculosis. GeneXpert MTB/RIF was requested for only 39.2% of patients and was the only reason for starting antituberculous therapy for only 12.1%. The median time to a positive GeneXpert MTB/RIF result was 0 days (IQR 3) compared with 0 day (IQR 1) for smear microscopy (P > 0.999) and 22 days (IQR 21) for mycobacterial cultures (P < 0.001). No patients discontinued antituberculous therapy because of a negative GeneXpert MTB/RIF result. In a setting wherein physicians are highly experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis, GeneXpert MTB/RIF was remarkably under-utilized and had only a limited impact on decisions related to starting or stopping antituberculous therapy. Cost-effectiveness and clinical utility of routine testing of all smear-negative clinical samples submitted for tuberculosis investigations by GeneXpert MTB/RIF warrant further study.

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

Haffner, Robert; Helmer, Dorine; van Til, Harry

Theoretical studies on the relationship between incentive regulation and investment in network industries generally point out that incentive regulation has a negative impact on investment. However, empirical evidence in this area is scarce. An analysis suggests that in the Dutch electricity and gas networks since 2001, incentive regulation has ensured a more rational and professional approach towards investments, with investment levels coming down somewhat at the start of the regulation but picking up later on. (author)

Effects of prescribed fires and a wildfire on biological resources of oak savannas in the Peloncillo Mountains, New Mexico

Treesearch

Gerald J. Gottfried; Peter F. Ffolliott; Daniel G. Neary

2013-01-01

Private and public land managers are attempting to reintroduce fire into the ecosystems of the Peloncillo Mountains to reduce the density of woody species, increase the herbaceous plant cover, and improve the area’s ecological diversity. The Cascabel Watershed Study, which includes 12 small gauged watersheds, was started in 2000 to evaluate the impacts of cool-season (...

Impact of different sampling strategies on score results of the Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower Use Score (NEMS).

PubMed

Junger, A; Hartmann, B; Klasen, J; Brenck, F; Röhrig, R; Hempelmann, G

2007-01-01

Prospective observational study to assess the impact of two different sampling strategies on the score results of the NEMS, used widely to estimate the amount of nursing workload in an ICU. NEMS scores of all patients admitted to the surgical ICU over a one-year period were automatically calculated twice a day with a patient data management system for each patient day on ICU using two different sampling strategies (NEMS(individual): 24-hour intervals starting from the time of admission; NEMS(8 a.m.): 24-hour intervals starting at 8 a.m.). NEMS(individual) and NEMS(8 a.m.) were collected on 3236 patient days; 687 patients were involved. Significantly lower scores were found for the NEMS(8 a.m.) (25.0 +/- 8.7) compared to the NEMS(individual) (26.1 +/- 8.9, p < 0.01); the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was good but not excellent: 0.78. The inter-rater correlation between the two NEMS scores was high or very high (kappa = 0.6-1.0) for six out of nine variables of the NEMS. Different sampling strategies produce different score values, especially due to the end of stay. This has to be taken into account when using the NEMS in quality assurance projects and multi-center studies.

Compared to What? Estimating Causal Effects for Latent Subgroups to Understand Variation in the Impacts of Head Start by Alternate Child Care Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feller, Avi; Grindal, Todd; Miratrix, Luke; Page, Lindsay C.

2014-01-01

Head Start programs currently provide early childhood education and family support services to more than 900,000 low-income children and their families across the United States with an annual budget of around $8 billion in state and federal funds. Researchers and policy makers have debated the program's effectiveness since its inception in 1964.…

Effects of Home and School Computer Use on School Readiness and Cognitive Development among Head Start Children: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Xiaoming; Atkins, Melissa S.; Stanton, Bonita

2006-01-01

Data from 122 Head Start children were analyzed to examine the impact of computer use on school readiness and psychomotor skills. Children in the experimental group were given the opportunity to work on a computer for 15-20 minutes per day with their choice of developmentally appropriate educational software, while the control group received a…

Cultural Momentum: The Impact of Agency on Foreign Area Officer Support to the Geographic Combatant Commands

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

extensive and highly successful military careers started in this personal and professional relationship, directly contributing to the humanitarian aid and...The Navy program, started in 2005, follows the Army’s single-track model for language- enabled officers. The Marine Corps’ program pre-dates the...adheres to its institutional personality against minimalist Joint FAO Program requirements. Before delving into the cases

Impacts of Social-Emotional Curricula on Three-Year-Olds: Exploratory Findings from the Head Start CARES Demonstration. Executive Summary. OPRE Report 2014-78

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsueh, JoAnn; Lowenstein, Amy E.; Morris, Pamela; Mattera, Shira K.; Bangser, Michael

2014-01-01

In recent years, interest has increased in preschool programs that promote low-income children's early learning and development. Although research in this area has focused mostly on 4-year-olds, a growing number of 3-year-olds attend publicly funded preschool. In fact, in Head Start--a federally funded early childhood education program--the…

Fuel system design concepts for broad property fuels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Versaw, E. F.

1984-01-01

The results of a study assessing the impact of using jet fuel with relaxed specification properties on an aircraft fuel system are given. The study objectives were to identify credible values for specific fuel properties which might be relaxed, to evolve advanced fuel system designs for airframe and engines which would permit use of the specified relaxed properties fuels, and to evaluate performance of the candidate advanced fuel systems and the relaxed property fuels in a typical transport aircraft. The study used, as a baseline, the fuel system incorporated in the Lockheed Tristar. This aircraft is powered by three RB.211-524 Rolls-Royce engines and incorporates a Pratt and Whitney ST6C-421 auxiliary power unit for engine starting and inflight emergency electrical power. The fuel property limits examined are compared with commercial Jet A kerosene and the NASA RFP fuel properties. A screening of these properties established that a higher freezing point and a lower thermal stability would impact fuel system design more significantly than any of the other property changes. Three candidate fuel systems which combine the ability to operate with fuels having both a high freeze point and a low thermal stability are described. All candidates employ bleed air to melt fuel freeze-out prior to starting the APU or an inoperable engine. The effects of incorporating these systems on aircraft weight and engine specific fuel consumption are given.

Toward understanding dog evolutionary and domestication history.

PubMed

Galibert, Francis; Quignon, Pascale; Hitte, Christophe; André, Catherine

2011-03-01

Dog domestication was probably started very early during the Upper paleolithic period (~35,000 BP), thus well before any other animal or plant domestication. This early process, probably unconscious, is called proto-domestication to distinguish it from the real domestication process that has been dated around 14,000 BC. Genomic DNA analyses have shown recently that domestication started in the Middle East and rapidly expanded into all human populations. Nowadays, the dog population is fragmented in several hundreds of breeds well characterized by their phenotypes that offer a unique spectrum of polymorphism. More recent studies detect genetic signatures that will be useful to highlight breed history as well as the impact of domestication at the DNA level. Copyright © 2011 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Non-AUG translation: a new start for protein synthesis in eukaryotes

PubMed Central

Kearse, Michael G.; Wilusz, Jeremy E.

2017-01-01

Although it was long thought that eukaryotic translation almost always initiates at an AUG start codon, recent advancements in ribosome footprint mapping have revealed that non-AUG start codons are used at an astonishing frequency. These non-AUG initiation events are not simply errors but instead are used to generate or regulate proteins with key cellular functions; for example, during development or stress. Misregulation of non-AUG initiation events contributes to multiple human diseases, including cancer and neurodegeneration, and modulation of non-AUG usage may represent a novel therapeutic strategy. It is thus becoming increasingly clear that start codon selection is regulated by many trans-acting initiation factors as well as sequence/structural elements within messenger RNAs and that non-AUG translation has a profound impact on cellular states. PMID:28982758

Incorporating environmental concerns into power sector decision-making: A case study of Sri Lanka. World Bank Environment Paper 6

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

Meier, P.; Munasinghe, M.; Team, S.L.S.

1994-04-01

Weighs Sri Lanka`s options for addressing environmental concerns during the planning stages of energy policymaking. Here is a holistic approach to analyzing the environmental impact of various power systems. Unlike standard impact studies that begin at the project level, this method calls for environmental assessments that start at the planning stage of a national framework for energy policymaking. The framework would take into account the energy needs of Sri Lanka`s total economy. It also would make it easier to incorporate environmental goals into power sector decisionmaking at the critical investment stage. Sri Lanka`s development options for the power sector aremore » reviewed in detail. Topics include alternative ways to assess the economic value of a power plant`s impact on biodiversity, human health, and air and water pollution. The study also assesses which energy planning options work best and recommends ways in which the Ceylon Electricity Board can improve its environmental policies.« less

The Impact of Soil Moisture Initialization On Seasonal Precipitation Forecasts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, R. D.; Suarez, M. J.; Tyahla, L.; Houser, Paul (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Some studies suggest that the proper initialization of soil moisture in a forecasting model may contribute significantly to the accurate prediction of seasonal precipitation, especially over mid-latitude continents. In order for the initialization to have any impact at all, however, two conditions must be satisfied: (1) the initial soil moisture anomaly must be "remembered" into the forecasted season, and (2) the atmosphere must respond in a predictable way to the soil moisture anomaly. In our previous studies, we identified the key land surface and atmospheric properties needed to satisfy each condition. Here, we tie these studies together with an analysis of an ensemble of seasonal forecasts. Initial soil moisture conditions for the forecasts are established by forcing the land surface model with realistic precipitation prior to the start of the forecast period. As expected, the impacts on forecasted precipitation (relative to an ensemble of runs that do not utilize soil moisture information) tend to be localized over the small fraction of the earth with all of the required land and atmosphere properties.

Ups and downs in planetary science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoemaker, Carolyn S.

1999-01-01

The field of planetary science as it developed during the lifetimes of Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker has sustained a period of exciting growth. Surveying the skies for planet-crossing asteroids and comets and studying the results of their impact upon the planets, especially the Earth, was for Gene and Carolyn an intense and satisfying quest for knowledge. It all started when Gene envisioned man going to the Moon, especially himself. After that, one thing led to another: the study of nuclear craters and a comparison with Meteor Crater, Arizona; the Apollo project and a succession of unmanned space missions to the inner and outer planets; an awareness of cratering throughout our solar system; the search for near-Earth asteroids and comets; a study of ancient craters in Australia; and the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter. The new paradigm of impact cratering as a cause for mass extinction and the opening of space for the development of new life forms have been causes to champion.

The incidence of acute oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy and its impact on treatment in the first cycle: a systematic review.

PubMed

Gebremedhn, Endale Gebreegziabher; Shortland, Peter John; Mahns, David Anthony

2018-04-12

Although acute oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy (OXIPN) is frequently regarded to be transient, recent studies have reported prolongation of infusion times, dose reduction and treatment cessation following the first dose of oxaliplatin in quarter of patients. Acute OXIPN is also a well-established risk factor for chronic neuropathy. However, there is underreporting of these parameters during the acute phase (≤ 14 days). This paper systematically reviews the incidence of acute OXIPN and its impact on treatment in the first cycle. A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed and Medline. Published original articles were included if they described details about prevalence of oxaliplatin-induced acute neuropathy. Fourteen studies, comprised of 6211 patients were evaluated. The majority of patients were treated with oxaliplatin in combination with leucovorin and fluorouracil (FOLFOX). Most studies used the National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria to assess acute neuropathy. Acute neuropathy (Grades 1-4) was the most common event with prevalence ranging from 4-98%, followed by haematological (1.4-81%) and gastrointestinal (1.2-67%) toxicities, respectively. Drug regimens, starting dose of oxaliplatin and neuropathy assessment tools varied across studies. In addition, moderate to severe toxicities were common in patients that received a large dose of oxaliplatin (> 85 mg/m 2 ) and/ or combined drugs. The majority of studies did not report the factors affecting acute neuropathy namely the range (minimal) doses required to evoke acute neuropathy, patient and clinical risk factors. In addition, there was no systematic reporting of the number of patients subjected to prolonged infusion, dose reduction, treatment delay and treatment cessation during the acute phase. Despite the heterogeneity of studies regarding oxaliplatin starting dose, drug regimen, neuropathy assessment tools and study design, a large number of patients developed acute neuropathy. To develop a better preventive and therapeutic guideline for acute/chronic neuropathy, a prospective study should be conducted in a large cohort of patients in relation to drug regimen, starting/ranges (minimal) of doses producing acute neuropathy, treatment compliance, patient and clinical risk factors using a standardised neuropathy assessment tool.

Geneva-on-the-Lake, Ohio. Small-Boat Harbor. Final Reformulation. Phase I. General Design Memorandum and Final Environmental Impact Statement.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

This item of local $1,901,000______ on Ocoe 90prc ees .J$190,000 on October 1980 price levels. ..$9,00 on October 1980 price levels. 6 cooperation...physical model in October 1980 . Initial testing of the recommended alternative was then started in November 1980 . However, because the model study could not...Appendix C of the Plan of Study for this project. Both the completed Plan of Study and the Stage 2 Document, July 1979 (revised April 1980 ) for this

Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Mobile Text Messaging to Promote Retention and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy for People Living With HIV in Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Wagner, Natascha; Ouedraogo, Denis; Artavia-Mora, Luis; Bedi, Arjun; Thiombiano, Boundia Alexandre

2016-08-17

Retention in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) is a critical challenge in many African countries including Burkina Faso. Delivering text messaging (short message service, SMS) interventions through mobile phones may help facilitate health service delivery and improve patient health. Despite this potential, no evaluations have been delivered for national scale settings to demonstrate the impact of mobile health (mHealth) for PLHIV. This study aims to test the impact of SMS text messaging reminders for PLHIV in Burkina Faso, who are under ART. The evaluation identifies whether patients who receive SMS text messages are more likely to (1) retain in care (measured as a dichotomous variable), (2) adhere to antiretroviral regimens (measured as the number of doses missed in the past 7 days), and (3) experience slower disease progression (measured with T-lymphocytes cells). The second objective is to assess its effects on the frequency of health center visits, physical and psychosocial health, nutrition and whether the type of message (text vs image) and frequency (weekly vs semiweekly) have differential impacts including the possibility of message fatigue over time. This 24-month, wide-scale intervention implements a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of four variants of a mHealth intervention versus a control group. Our sample comprises adult patients (>15 years of age) undergoing antiretroviral therapy with access to mobile phone services. Multivariate regression analysis will be used to analyze the effect of the intervention on the study population. Data collection is done at baseline and three follow-up waves 6, 12, and 24 months after the intervention starts. The targeted 3800 patients were recruited between February 2015 and May 2015. But political uncertainty delayed the launch of the intervention until October 2015. Data analysis has not yet started. The first follow-up data collection started in April 2016. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research that explores the effects of mobile message reminders using a wide-spread sample across an entire nation over a 2-year horizon, especially in a Francophone African country. We hypothesize that the interventions have a positive impact on retention in care and adherence to ART schemes and that a more sluggish disease progression will be observed in the short run. However, these benefits may fade out in the long run. The study expects to advance the research on how long mHealth interventions remain effective and when fatigue sets in the context of wide-scale interventions. This information will be useful in designing future wide-scale mHealth interventions in developing countries.

Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating Mobile Text Messaging to Promote Retention and Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy for People Living With HIV in Burkina Faso

PubMed Central

Ouedraogo, Denis; Artavia-Mora, Luis; Bedi, Arjun; Thiombiano, Boundia Alexandre

2016-01-01

Background Retention in care and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) is a critical challenge in many African countries including Burkina Faso. Delivering text messaging (short message service, SMS) interventions through mobile phones may help facilitate health service delivery and improve patient health. Despite this potential, no evaluations have been delivered for national scale settings to demonstrate the impact of mobile health (mHealth) for PLHIV. Objectives This study aims to test the impact of SMS text messaging reminders for PLHIV in Burkina Faso, who are under ART. The evaluation identifies whether patients who receive SMS text messages are more likely to (1) retain in care (measured as a dichotomous variable), (2) adhere to antiretroviral regimens (measured as the number of doses missed in the past 7 days), and (3) experience slower disease progression (measured with T-lymphocytes cells). The second objective is to assess its effects on the frequency of health center visits, physical and psychosocial health, nutrition and whether the type of message (text vs image) and frequency (weekly vs semiweekly) have differential impacts including the possibility of message fatigue over time. Methods This 24-month, wide-scale intervention implements a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the impact of four variants of a mHealth intervention versus a control group. Our sample comprises adult patients (>15 years of age) undergoing antiretroviral therapy with access to mobile phone services. Multivariate regression analysis will be used to analyze the effect of the intervention on the study population. Data collection is done at baseline and three follow-up waves 6, 12, and 24 months after the intervention starts. Results The targeted 3800 patients were recruited between February 2015 and May 2015. But political uncertainty delayed the launch of the intervention until October 2015. Data analysis has not yet started. The first follow-up data collection started in April 2016. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research that explores the effects of mobile message reminders using a wide-spread sample across an entire nation over a 2-year horizon, especially in a Francophone African country. Conclusions We hypothesize that the interventions have a positive impact on retention in care and adherence to ART schemes and that a more sluggish disease progression will be observed in the short run. However, these benefits may fade out in the long run. The study expects to advance the research on how long mHealth interventions remain effective and when fatigue sets in the context of wide-scale interventions. This information will be useful in designing future wide-scale mHealth interventions in developing countries. PMID:27535717

How Important is Medical Ethics and History of Medicine Teaching in the Medical Curriculum? An Empirical Approach towards Students' Views

PubMed Central

Schulz, Stefan; Woestmann, Barbara; Huenges, Bert; Schweikardt, Christoph; Schäfer, Thorsten

2012-01-01

Objectives: It was investigated how students judge the teaching of medical ethics and the history of medicine at the start and during their studies, and the influence which subject-specific teaching of the history, theory and ethics of medicine (GTE) - or the lack thereof - has on the judgement of these subjects. Methods: From a total of 533 students who were in their first and 5th semester of the Bochum Model curriculum (GTE teaching from the first semester onwards) or followed the traditional curriculum (GTE teaching in the 5th/6th semester), questionnaires were requested in the winter semester 2005/06 and in the summer semester 2006. They were asked both before and after the 1st and 5th (model curriculum) or 6th semester (traditional curriculum). We asked students to judge the importance of teaching medical ethics and the history of medicine, the significance of these subjects for physicians and about teachability and testability (Likert scale from -2 (do not agree at all) to +2 (agree completely)). Results: 331 questionnaire pairs were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the students of the two curricula at the start of the 1st semester. The views on medical ethics and the history of medicine, in contrast, were significantly different at the start of undergraduate studies: The importance of medical ethics for the individual and the physician was considered very high but their teachability and testability were rated considerably worse. For the history of medicine, the results were exactly opposite. GTE teaching led to a more positive assessment of items previously ranked less favourably in both curricula. A lack of teaching led to a drop in the assessment of both subjects which had previously been rated well. Conclusion: Consistent with the literature, our results support the hypothesis that the teaching of GTE has a positive impact on the views towards the history and ethics of medicine, with a lack of teaching having a negative impact. Therefore the teaching of GTE should already begin in the 1st semester. The teaching of GTE must take into account that even right at the start of their studies, students judge medical ethics and the history of medicine differently. PMID:22403593

How important is medical ethics and history of medicine teaching in the medical curriculum? An empirical approach towards students' views.

PubMed

Schulz, Stefan; Woestmann, Barbara; Huenges, Bert; Schweikardt, Christoph; Schäfer, Thorsten

2012-01-01

It was investigated how students judge the teaching of medical ethics and the history of medicine at the start and during their studies, and the influence which subject-specific teaching of the history, theory and ethics of medicine (GTE)--or the lack thereof--has on the judgement of these subjects. From a total of 533 students who were in their first and 5th semester of the Bochum Model curriculum (GTE teaching from the first semester onwards) or followed the traditional curriculum (GTE teaching in the 5th/6th semester), questionnaires were requested in the winter semester 2005/06 and in the summer semester 2006. They were asked both before and after the 1st and 5th (model curriculum) or 6th semester (traditional curriculum). We asked students to judge the importance of teaching medical ethics and the history of medicine, the significance of these subjects for physicians and about teachability and testability (Likert scale from -2 (do not agree at all) to +2 (agree completely)). 331 questionnaire pairs were included in the study. There were no significant differences between the students of the two curricula at the start of the 1st semester. The views on medical ethics and the history of medicine, in contrast, were significantly different at the start of undergraduate studies: The importance of medical ethics for the individual and the physician was considered very high but their teachability and testability were rated considerably worse. For the history of medicine, the results were exactly opposite. GTE teaching led to a more positive assessment of items previously ranked less favourably in both curricula. A lack of teaching led to a drop in the assessment of both subjects which had previously been rated well. Consistent with the literature, our results support the hypothesis that the teaching of GTE has a positive impact on the views towards the history and ethics of medicine, with a lack of teaching having a negative impact. Therefore the teaching of GTE should already begin in the 1st semester. The teaching of GTE must take into account that even right at the start of their studies, students judge medical ethics and the history of medicine differently.

Forming chondrules in impact splashes. I. Radiative cooling model

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

Dullemond, Cornelis Petrus; Stammler, Sebastian Markus; Johansen, Anders

2014-10-10

The formation of chondrules is one of the oldest unsolved mysteries in meteoritics and planet formation. Recently an old idea has been revived: the idea that chondrules form as a result of collisions between planetesimals in which the ejected molten material forms small droplets that solidify to become chondrules. Pre-melting of the planetesimals by radioactive decay of {sup 26}Al would help produce sprays of melt even at relatively low impact velocity. In this paper we study the radiative cooling of a ballistically expanding spherical cloud of chondrule droplets ejected from the impact site. We present results from numerical radiative transfermore » models as well as analytic approximate solutions. We find that the temperature after the start of the expansion of the cloud remains constant for a time t {sub cool} and then drops with time t approximately as T ≅ T {sub 0}[(3/5)t/t {sub cool} + 2/5]{sup –5/3} for t > t {sub cool}. The time at which this temperature drop starts t {sub cool} depends via an analytical formula on the mass of the cloud, the expansion velocity, and the size of the chondrule. During the early isothermal expansion phase the density is still so high that we expect the vapor of volatile elements to saturate so that no large volatile losses are expected.« less

Tide or Tsunami? The Impact of Metrics on Scholarly Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonnell, Andrew G.

2016-01-01

Australian universities are increasingly resorting to the use of journal metrics such as impact factors and ranking lists in appraisal and promotion processes, and are starting to set quantitative "performance expectations" which make use of such journal-based metrics. The widespread use and misuse of research metrics is leading to…

Public Health Impact of Wildfire Emissions: Up-date on the Wildfire Smoke Guide, Public Health Information and Communications Research

EPA Science Inventory

EPA Tools and Resources Webinar: Public Health Impact of Wildfire Smoke Emissions Specific strategies to reduce smoke exposure and the Smoke Sense App As the start of the summer wildfire season approaches, public officials, communities and individuals need up-to-date wildfire smo...

Predator avoidance performance of larval fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) following short-term exposure to estrogen mixtures

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGee, M.R.; Julius, M.L.; Vajda, A.M.; Norris, D.O.; Barber, L.B.; Schoenfuss, H.L.

2009-01-01

Aquatic organisms exposed to endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) at early life-stages may have reduced reproductive fitness via disruption of reproductive and non-reproductive behavioral and physiological pathways. Survival to reproductive age relies upon optimal non-reproductive trait expression, such as adequate predator avoidance responses, which may be impacted through EDC exposure. During a predator–prey confrontation, larval fish use an innate C-start escape behavior to rapidly move away from an approaching threat. We tested the hypotheses that (1) larval fathead minnows exposed to estrogens, a primary class of EDCs, singularly or in mixture, suffer a reduced ability to perform an innate C-start behavior when faced with a threat stimulus; (2) additive effects will cause greater reductions in C-start behavior; and (3) effects will differ among developmental stages. In this study, embryos (post-fertilization until hatching) were exposed for 5 days to environmentally relevant concentrations of estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) singularly and in mixture. Exposed embryos were allowed to hatch and grow in control well water until 12 days old. Similarly, post-hatch fathead minnows were exposed for 12 days to these compounds. High-speed (1000 frames/s) video recordings of escape behavior were collected and transferred to National Institutes of Health Image for frame-by-frame analysis of latency period, escape velocity, and total escape response (combination of latency period and escape velocity). When tested 12 days post-hatch, only E1 adversely affected C-start performance of larvae exposed as embryos. Conversely, larvae exposed for 12 days post-hatch did not exhibit altered escape responses when exposed to E1, while adverse responses were seen in E2 and the estrogen mixture. Ethinylestradiol exposure did not elicit changes in escape behaviors at either developmental stage. The direct impact of reduced C-start performance on survival, and ultimately, reproductive fitness provides an avenue to assess the ecological relevance of exposure in an assay of relatively short duration.

Colonoscopy yields fewer polyps as the day progresses despite using social influence theory to reverse the trend.

PubMed

Kaneshiro, Marc; Ho, Andrew; Chan, Michael; Cohen, Hartley; Spiegel, Brennan M R

2010-12-01

We previously reported that fewer polyps are detected by colonoscopy as the day progresses, a phenomenon that could be modified with "social influence theory" by using auditing and feedback. To measure the impact of a social influence informational poster on the relationship between time of day and colonoscopy yield. Controlled before-and-after study comparing the polyp yield and time of day relationship in a historical cohort versus a 3-month intervention period. University-based Veterans Affairs medical center. Patients undergoing outpatient screening, surveillance, or diagnostic colonoscopies. Placement of informational posters in endoscopy rooms within view of operators and nurses. The poster depicted a bar graph of the previously documented hour-by-hour decreases in polyp yield coupled with prominent text: "What Time Is It Now?" Polyp yield, including secondary end point limited to adenoma detection. We performed regression to measure the effect of start time on polyp yield. There were 477 and 301 patients in the control and intervention periods, respectively. There was a negative relationship between start time and polyp yield, including adenoma detection, for both periods (P = .001). Start time remained negatively predictive of polyp and adenoma yield after adjusting for poster exposure and confounders (P = .01). Nonrandomized study design. An informational poster did not alter the relationship between colonoscopy start time and polyp yield. This strengthens the previous finding that start time may affect polyp yield and suggests that passive use of social influence theory is inadequate to modify this effect. Shortening endoscopy shifts and active auditing with feedback may be necessary. Copyright © 2010 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of center practices on the choice of the first dialysis modality for children and young adults.

PubMed

Hogan, Julien; Ranchin, Bruno; Fila, Marc; Harambat, Jérome; Krid, Saoussen; Vrillon, Isabelle; Roussey, Gwenaelle; Fischbach, Michel; Couchoud, Cécile

2017-04-01

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains the modality of choice in children, but there is no clear evidence to support a better outcome in children treated with PD. We aimed to assess factors that have an impact on the choice of dialysis modality in children and young adults in France and sought to determine the roles of medical factors and center practices. We included all patients aged <20 years at the start of renal replacement therapy (RRT), recorded in the French RRT Registry between 2002 and 2013. Hierarchical logistic regression models were used to study the association between the patient/center characteristics and the probability of receiving PD as the first dialysis modality. We included 806 patients starting RRT in 177 centers, 23 of which were specialized pediatric centers. Six hundred and one patients (74.6 %) started with hemodialysis (HD), whereas 205 (25.4 %) started with PD. A greater probability of PD was found in younger children, whereas starting the treatment in an emergency setting was associated with a low use of PD. We found a significant variability among centers that accounted for 43 % of the total variability. The probability of PD was higher in adult centers and was proportional to the rate of PD in the center. Center practices are a major factor in the choice of dialysis modality. This raises concerns about patient and family choices and to what extent doctors may influence the final decision. Further pediatric studies focusing on children's and parents' wishes are needed to provide care as close as possible to patients' and families' expectations.

Impact of Parents and Peers Smoking on Tobacco Consumption Behavior of University Students

PubMed

Resen, Hussein Mohammed

2018-03-27

Introduction: In the United Arab Emirates, smoking prevalence has increased in both sexes, especially among young adults. Various factors have led to this catastrophe; examples include coverage on TV and social media, as well as market availability. One major influence is smoking by parents and peers. A lot of students may start smoking because of the behavior of their family and friends, and therefore it is necessary to quantify adverse contributions. The aim of this project was to study to what degree parents and peers smoking habits may impact on smoking behavior of students at the University of Sharjah. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study with a non-probability convenient type of sampling, was conducted with university students aged 18 to 23. Information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, comprising 23 questions, developed by ourselves. Results: A total of 400 University of Sharjah students (50% males and 50% females) were included.Some 15.8% of the smoking students had smoking parents, and 17.1% of them had smoking peers. The respective figures were 22.2% and 21.7% for males and 10% and 7.8% for females. Conclusions: Peers had a stronger impact than parents and both parents and peers had greater influence on males than on females. Interestingly, almost 80% of the smoking students did not have smoking parents or peers, which leaves the question unanswered of why they started smoking in the first place. Actions at a societal level should be taken into consideration to prevent smoking and thus help create a non-smoking generation. Creative Commons Attribution License

Impact of Parents and Peers Smoking on Tobacco Consumption Behavior of University Students

PubMed Central

Resen, Hussein Mohammed

2018-01-01

Introduction: In the United Arab Emirates, smoking prevalence has increased in both sexes, especially among young adults. Various factors have led to this catastrophe; examples include coverage on TV and social media, as well as market availability. One major influence is smoking by parents and peers. A lot of students may start smoking because of the behavior of their family and friends, and therefore it is necessary to quantify adverse contributions. The aim of this project was to study to what degree parents and peers smoking habits may impact on smoking behavior of students at the University of Sharjah. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study with a non-probability convenient type of sampling, was conducted with university students aged 18 to 23. Information was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, comprising 23 questions, developed by ourselves. Results: A total of 400 University of Sharjah students (50% males and 50% females) were included.Some 15.8% of the smoking students had smoking parents, and 17.1% of them had smoking peers. The respective figures were 22.2% and 21.7% for males and 10% and 7.8% for females. Conclusions: Peers had a stronger impact than parents and both parents and peers had greater influence on males than on females. Interestingly, almost 80% of the smoking students did not have smoking parents or peers, which leaves the question unanswered of why they started smoking in the first place. Actions at a societal level should be taken into consideration to prevent smoking and thus help create a non-smoking generation. PMID:29580039

CBT for eating disorders: The impact of early changes in eating pathology on later changes in personality pathology, anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Turner, Hannah; Marshall, Emily; Wood, Francesca; Stopa, Lusia; Waller, Glenn

2016-02-01

Whilst studies have consistently identified early symptom reduction as an important predictor of treatment outcome, the impact of early change on common comorbid features has not been investigated. This study of CBT for eating disorders explored patterns of early change in eating pathology and longer-term change in personality pathology, anxiety and depression. It also explored the impact of early change in eating pathology on overall change in personality pathology, anxiety and depression. Participants were 179 adults diagnosed with eating disorders who were offered a course of CBT in an out-patient community eating disorders service in the UK. Patients completed a measure of eating disorder psychopathology at the start of treatment and following the 6th session. They also completed measures of personality disorder cognitions, anxiety and depression at the start and end of treatment. There were significant changes in eating pathology over the first six sessions of treatment. Significant improvements were also seen in personality disorder pathology, anxiety and depression by the end of therapy. Effect sizes were medium to large for both completer and intention to treat analyses. Early changes in eating pathology were associated with later changes in common comorbid features, with early reduction in restraint being a key predictor. These findings demonstrate that early symptom change can be achieved in CBT for eating disorders when delivered in routine clinical practice. Such change has long-term benefits that go beyond the domain of eating pathology, enhancing change in personality pathology, anxiety and depression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of the simulation system {open_quotes}IMPACT{close_quotes} for analysis of nuclear power plant severe accidents

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

Naitoh, Masanori; Ujita, Hiroshi; Nagumo, Hiroichi

1997-07-01

The Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC) has initiated a long-term program to develop the simulation system {open_quotes}IMPACT{close_quotes} for analysis of hypothetical severe accidents in nuclear power plants. IMPACT employs advanced methods of physical modeling and numerical computation, and can simulate a wide spectrum of senarios ranging from normal operation to hypothetical, beyond-design-basis-accident events. Designed as a large-scale system of interconnected, hierarchical modules, IMPACT`s distinguishing features include mechanistic models based on first principles and high speed simulation on parallel processing computers. The present plan is a ten-year program starting from 1993, consisting of the initial one-year of preparatory work followed bymore » three technical phases: Phase-1 for development of a prototype system; Phase-2 for completion of the simulation system, incorporating new achievements from basic studies; and Phase-3 for refinement through extensive verification and validation against test results and available real plant data.« less

Comparative Analysis of Head Impact in Contact and Collision Sports

PubMed Central

Reynolds, Bryson B.; Patrie, James; Henry, Erich J.; Goodkin, Howard P.; Broshek, Donna K.; Wintermark, Max

2017-01-01

Abstract As concerns about head impact in American football have grown, similar concerns have started to extend to other sports thought to experience less head impact, such as soccer and lacrosse. However, the amount of head impact experienced in soccer and lacrosse is relatively unknown, particularly compared with the substantial amount of data from football. This pilot study quantifies and compares head impact from four different types of sports teams: college football, high school football, college soccer, and college lacrosse. During the 2013 and 2014 seasons, 61 players wore mastoid patch accelerometers to quantify head impact during official athletic events (i.e., practices and games). In both practices and games, college football players experienced the most or second-most impacts per athletic event, highest average peak resultant linear and rotational acceleration per impact, and highest cumulative linear and rotational acceleration per athletic event. For average peak resultant linear and rotational acceleration per individual impact, college football was followed by high school football, then college lacrosse, and then college soccer, with similar trends in both practices and games. In the four teams under study, college football players experienced a categorically higher burden of head impact. However, for cumulative impact burden, the high school football cohort was not significantly different from the college soccer cohort. The results suggest that head impact in sport substantially varies by both the type of sport (football vs. soccer vs. lacrosse) and level of play (college vs. high school). PMID:27541183

Determinants of condom uptake among HIV voluntary counselling and testing clients: experiences from a hospital-based study in south India

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background HIV voluntary counselling and testing was a key HIV prevention strategy brought to scale by India's National AIDS Control Organization. Condom uptake is an essential metric of intervention impact given the expansion of the epidemic into an increasingly diverse population. With only 20% of first-time counselling and testing clients at the largest HIV treatment hospital in south India reporting previous condom use, the question of intervention impact on condom use deserves investigation. In this study, we track intervention impact across various demographic groups and identify the added value of more thorough counselling. Methods Data were collected from 8,865 individuals who attended counselling multiple times at the Tamil Nadu Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine over the years 2004-2009. Counsellors recorded client demographic characteristics, HIV risk behaviours reported, and counselling services provided after each counselling session. Matching and regression methods were used to determine the probability of condom uptake by serostatus, gender, and receipt of personalized risk reduction counselling while controlling for other characteristics. Results HIV counselling and testing was associated with condom uptake among 29.2% of HIV positive women (CI 24.5-34.4%), 31.7% of HIV positive men (CI 27.8-35.4%), 15.5% of HIV negative women (CI 11.2-20.8%), and only 3.6% of HIV negative men (CI 1.9-5.9%) who had previously never used condoms. Personalized risk reduction counselling increased impact in some groups; for example an additional 18% of HIV negative women (CI 11.3-24.4%) and 17% of HIV positive men (CI 10.9-23.4%) started using condoms. The number of sexual partners was not associated with the impact of counselling completeness. Conclusions Because the components of testing and counselling impact the condom use habits of men and women differently, understanding the dynamics of condom use negotiation between partners is essential to optimizing impact on Indian couples. Clients' predicted condom uptake ranged between 4% and 47% depending on factors like gender, serostatus, and services provided. Personalized risk reduction counselling is associated with increased chance of condom use, with larger gains in HIV negative women and HIV positive men. HIV negative men are least likely to start using condoms and least impacted by additional counselling. PMID:22236357

Determinants of condom uptake among HIV voluntary counselling and testing clients: experiences from a hospital-based study in south India.

PubMed

Myerson, Rebecca; Makela, Susanna M; Chandrasekhar, C; Mathew, Siju; Chakraborty, Sourabh

2012-01-11

HIV voluntary counselling and testing was a key HIV prevention strategy brought to scale by India's National AIDS Control Organization. Condom uptake is an essential metric of intervention impact given the expansion of the epidemic into an increasingly diverse population. With only 20% of first-time counselling and testing clients at the largest HIV treatment hospital in south India reporting previous condom use, the question of intervention impact on condom use deserves investigation. In this study, we track intervention impact across various demographic groups and identify the added value of more thorough counselling. Data were collected from 8,865 individuals who attended counselling multiple times at the Tamil Nadu Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine over the years 2004-2009. Counsellors recorded client demographic characteristics, HIV risk behaviours reported, and counselling services provided after each counselling session. Matching and regression methods were used to determine the probability of condom uptake by serostatus, gender, and receipt of personalized risk reduction counselling while controlling for other characteristics. HIV counselling and testing was associated with condom uptake among 29.2% of HIV positive women (CI 24.5-34.4%), 31.7% of HIV positive men (CI 27.8-35.4%), 15.5% of HIV negative women (CI 11.2-20.8%), and only 3.6% of HIV negative men (CI 1.9-5.9%) who had previously never used condoms. Personalized risk reduction counselling increased impact in some groups; for example an additional 18% of HIV negative women (CI 11.3-24.4%) and 17% of HIV positive men (CI 10.9-23.4%) started using condoms. The number of sexual partners was not associated with the impact of counselling completeness. Because the components of testing and counselling impact the condom use habits of men and women differently, understanding the dynamics of condom use negotiation between partners is essential to optimizing impact on Indian couples. Clients' predicted condom uptake ranged between 4% and 47% depending on factors like gender, serostatus, and services provided. Personalized risk reduction counselling is associated with increased chance of condom use, with larger gains in HIV negative women and HIV positive men. HIV negative men are least likely to start using condoms and least impacted by additional counselling.

Santa Ana Winds and Fire Regimes of Southern California National Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendix, J.

2015-12-01

In Southern California, it has long been understood that foehn-type Santa Ana winds are an important factor in the occurrence of large wildfires. Although a variety of anecdotal observations and statistical analyses have confirmed the importance of these winds to wildfire, particularly in the Fall months when Santa Ana winds overlap with dry fuels from summer drought, many of the details of those winds' impacts on fire remain obscure. This paper uses data regarding individual fires from California's Fire and Resource Assessment Program database and a compilation of Santa Ana Wind days (SAW days) published by Abatzoglou et al. in 2013 to assess the relationship of Santa Ana winds to fire occurrence and size in Southern California. The analysis included 474 fires larger than 20 ha (~50 acres).that burned on the four Southern California national forests (Angeles, Cleveland, Los Padres and San Bernardino) between 1948 and 2010. Overall, just 10.3% of the fires started on SAW days, and 14.4% experienced at least one SAW day between start and containment dates. The impact of Santa Ana winds is greater, however, with increasing fire size. For fires > 4000 ha, 18.4% began on SAW days, with 30.4% experiencing at least one SAW day before containment. And 20% of fires > 20000 ha started on SAW days, with 50% including one or more SAW days. Fires beginning on SAW days were larger, with a mean of 6239 ha compared to 2150 ha for fires that began on non-SAW days. Only 2% of the fires that began on SAW days were started by lightning, suggesting that the impact of Santa Ana winds on Southern California fire regimes may be enhanced by humans' role in ignitions.

Effect of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on malaria occurrence among HIV-infected adults in West Africa: the MALHIV Study.

PubMed

Eholié, Serge P; Ello, Frédéric N; Coffie, Patrick A; Héma, Arsène; Minta, Daouda K; Sawadogo, Adrien

2017-09-01

Cotrimoxazole (CTX) should be given to all HIV-infected adults with mild or severe HIV-disease or those with CD4 counts below 350/mm 3 according to 2006 WHO guidelines. We assessed the impact of CTX prophylaxis on the risk of malaria episodes in HIV-1-infected adults from four West African countries with different patterns of malaria transmission. Multicentric cohort study, conducted between September 2007 and March 2010 in four West African cities. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) naïve HIV-infected adults started CTX at enrolment (CTX group) if they had CD4 < 350 cells/mm 3 or were at WHO clinical stage ≥2. For patients who did not start CTX at enrolment (non-CTX group) and started CTX afterwards, follow-up was censored at CTX initiation. We used Cox's proportional hazard model to compare the risk of malaria between CTX groups. A total of 514 participants (median CD4 count 238 cells/mm 3 ) were followed for a median of 15 months. At enrolment, 347 started CTX, and 261 started ART. During the follow-up, 28 started CTX. The incidence of malaria was 8.7/100 PY (95%CI 6.3-11.5) overall, 5.2/100 PY (95%CI 3.1-8.3) in the CTX group and 15.5/100 PY (95%CI 10.3-22.1) in the non-CTX group. In multivariate analysis, CTX led to a 69% reduction in the risk of malaria (aHR 0.31, 95%CI 0.10-0.90). Patients in the CTX group had an adjusted risk of malaria three times lower than those in the non-CTX group. The prolonged large-scale use of CTX did not blunt the efficacy of CTX to prevent malaria in this region. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Starting a hospital-based home health agency: Part II--Key success factors.

PubMed

Montgomery, P

1993-09-01

In Part II of a three-part series, the financial, technological and legislative issues of a hospital-based home health-agency are discussed. Beginning a home healthcare service requires intensive research to answer key environmental and operational questions--need, competition, financial projections, initial start-up costs and the impact of delayed depreciation. Assessments involving technology, staffing, legislative and regulatory issues can help project service volume, productivity and cost-control.

Child Teacher Relationship Training (CTRT) with Children Exhibiting Disruptive Behavior: Effects on Teachers' Ability to Provide Emotional and Relational Support to Students and on Student-Teachers Relationship Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pronchenko-Jain, Yulia

2012-01-01

This study investigated the impact of child teacher relationship training (CTRT) on teachers' ability to provide emotional support in the classroom, teachers' use of relationship-building skills, and teachers' level of stress related to the student-child relationship. Teachers and aides from one Head Start school were randomly…

ASSP Advanced Sensor Signal Processor.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-06-01

Field of Regard ±150 Time to Impact : - 4 seconds Guidance Stop: 3.5 seconds after start (blind range of i I seeker at 100 feet above target) The control...These will be integrated across the engagement time in open-loop fashion and will typically lead to terminal impact inaccuracies. The validation was...15) with a natural frequency of around 3 Hz. The frequency and damping do not change substantially over the flight regime, where impact velocities

Smoking to stay thin or giving up to save face? Young men and women talk about appearance concerns and smoking.

PubMed

Grogan, Sarah; Fry, Gary; Gough, Brendan; Conner, Mark

2009-02-01

This study was designed to investigate how young men and women smokers and non-smokers talk about the impact of smoking on appearance, with the aim of using these accounts to inform anti-smoking campaigns targeted at young people. Volunteer smokers and non-smokers took part in 24 focus groups. Eighty-seven men and women aged 17-24 were asked to talk about impacts of smoking on appearance. A thematic analysis of transcripts suggested that weight gain after quitting was only a significant concern for the younger (17-year-old) women. Non-smokers of both genders expressed concern about yellowing of skin and teeth if they started smoking, and women non-smokers were concerned about skin ageing. Smokers believed that smoking made them look 'cool', mature, and sophisticated and would quit only if skin ageing and other negative effects on appearance became visible. Appearance concerns are relevant to the decision whether to start and quit smoking, and are linked to gender and age. Results are discussed in relation to implications for the development of age- and gender-relevant anti-smoking interventions.

Effect of the time of day and queue position in the endoscopic schedule on the performance characteristics of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for diagnosing pancreatic malignancies

PubMed Central

Korenblit, Jason; Tholey, Danielle M.; Tolin, Joanna; Loren, David; Kowalski, Thomas; Adler, Douglas G.; Davolos, Julie; Siddiqui, Ali A.

2016-01-01

Background and Objectives: Recent reports have indicated that the time of day may impact the detection rate of abnormal cytology on gynecologic cytology samples. The aim of this study was to determine if procedure time or queue position affected the performance characteristics of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for diagnosing solid pancreatic malignancies. Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective study evaluating patients with solid pancreatic lesions in whom EUS-FNA was performed. Three timing variables were evaluated as surrogate markers for endoscopist fatigue: Procedure start times, morning versus afternoon procedures, and endoscopy queue position. Statistical analyses were performed to determine whether the timing variables predicted performance characteristics of EUS-FNA. Results: We identified 609 patients (mean age: 65.8 years, 52.1% males) with solid pancreatic lesions who underwent EUS-FNA. The sensitivity of EUS-FNA was 100% for procedures that started at 7 AM while cases that started at 4 PM had a sensitivity of 81%. Using start time on a continuous scale, each elapsed hour was associated with a 1.9% decrease in EUS-FNA sensitivity (P = 0.003). Similarly, a 10% reduction in EUS-FNA sensitivity was detected between morning and afternoon procedures (92% vs. 82% respectively, P = 0.0006). A linear regression comparing the procedure start time and diagnostic accuracy revealed a decrease of approximately 1.7% in procedure accuracy for every hour later a procedure was started. A 16% reduction in EUS-FNA accuracy was detected between morning and afternoon procedures (100% vs. 84% respectively, P = 0.0009). When the queue position was assessed, a 2.4% reduction in accuracy was noted for each increase in the queue position (P = 0.013). Conclusion: Sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA for solid pancreatic lesions decline with progressively later EUS starting times and increasing numbers of procedures before a given EUS, potentially from endoscopist fatigue and cytotechnologist fatigue. PMID:27080605

Minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer: does operative start time impact surgical and oncologic outcomes?

PubMed

Slaughter, Katrina N; Frumovitz, Michael; Schmeler, Kathleen M; Nick, Alpa M; Fleming, Nicole D; dos Reis, Ricardo; Munsell, Mark F; Westin, Shannon N; Soliman, Pamela T; Ramirez, Pedro T

2014-08-01

Recent literature in ovarian cancer suggests differences in surgical outcomes depending on operative start time. We sought to examine the effects of operative start time on surgical outcomes for patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer. A retrospective review was conducted of patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer at a single institution between 2000 and 2011. Surgical and oncologic outcomes were compared between patients with an operative start time before noon and those with a surgical start time after noon. A total of 380 patients were included in the study (245 with start times before noon and 135 with start times after noon). There was no difference in age (p=0.57), number of prior surgeries (p=0.28), medical comorbidities (p=0.19), or surgical complexity of the case (p=0.43). Patients with surgery starting before noon had lower median BMI than those beginning after noon, 31.2 vs. 35.3 respectively (p=0.01). No significant differences were observed for intraoperative complications (4.4% of patients after noon vs. 3.7% of patients before noon, p=0.79), estimated blood loss (median 100 cc vs. 100 cc, p=0.75), blood transfusion rates (7.4% vs. 8.2%, p=0.85), and conversion to laparotomy (12.6% vs. 7.4%, p=0.10). There was no difference in operative times between the two groups (198 min vs. 216.5 min, p=0.10). There was no association between operative start time and postoperative non-infectious complications (11.9% vs. 11.0%, p=0.87), or postoperative infections (17.8% vs. 12.3%, p=0.78). Length of hospital stay was longer for surgeries starting after noon (median 2 days vs. 1 day, p=0.005). No differences were observed in rates of cancer recurrence (12.6% vs. 8.8%, p=0.39), recurrence-free survival (p=0.97), or overall survival (p=0.94). Our results indicate equivalent surgical outcomes and no increased risk of postoperative complications regardless of operative start time in minimally invasive endometrial cancer staging, despite longer length of hospital stay for surgeries beginning after noon. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermo-reversible inhibition makes aqualysin 1 from Thermus aquaticus a potent tool for studying the contribution of the wheat gluten network to the crumb texture of fresh bread.

PubMed

Verbauwhede, Annelien E; Lambrecht, Marlies A; Fierens, Ellen; Hermans, Senne; Shegay, Oksana; Brijs, Kristof; Delcour, Jan A

2018-10-30

The thermo-active serine peptidase aqualysin 1 (Aq1) of Thermus aquaticus was applied in bread making to study the relative contribution of thermoset gluten to bread crumb texture. Aq1 is active between 30 °C and 90 °C with an optimum activity temperature of around 65 °C. It is inhibited by wheat endogenous serine peptidase inhibitors during dough mixing and fermentation and starts hydrolyzing gluten proteins during baking above 80 °C when the enzyme is no longer inhibited and most of the starch is gelatinized and contributes to structure formation. Aq1 activity reduced the molecular weight of gluten proteins and significantly increased their extractability in sodium dodecyl sulfate containing medium. While it had no impact on the specific bread volume and only limited impact on hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, resilience and chewiness, it impacted bread crumb coherence. We conclude that starch has a greater impact on crumb texture than thermoset gluten. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antibiotics in 16-day-old broilers temporarily affect microbial and immune parameters in the gut.

PubMed

Wisselink, H J; Cornelissen, J B W J; Mevius, D J; Smits, M A; Smidt, H; Rebel, J M J

2017-09-01

Animal health benefits from a stable intestinal homeostasis, for which proper development and functioning of the intestinal microbiota and immune system are essential. It has been established that changes in microbial colonization in early life (the first 2 wk post hatch) impacts the functioning of the adult gut and the associated crosstalk between microbiota and intestinal mucosal cells. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of the administration of antibiotics later in life (d 15 to 20 post hatch) on microbiota and immune parameters. For this purpose, chickens received from 15 d post hatch during 5 d amoxicillin or enrofloxacin through their drinking water. Before and at 6, 16, and 27 d after start of the administration of antibiotics, the composition of the microbiota in the jejunum was determined using a 16S ribosomal RNA gene-targeted DNA microarray, the CHICKChip. At 6 d after the start of the administration of the antibiotics, the composition and diversity of the microbiota were affected significantly (P < 0.05), but this change was small and observed only temporarily since differences disappeared at 16 d after initiating treatment with amoxillin and at 27 d after starting treatment with enrofloxacin. Intestinal morphology and development were not visibly affected since there were no differences between villus/crypt ratios and numbers of PAS+ and PCNA+ cells in the duodenum and jejunum at any time point. At 16 d after the start of antibiotic administration, the number of CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells in the duodenum was lower compared to the control animals; however, this difference was not significant. At some time points, significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among the groups to locally expressed IL-8, IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-2, and IL-4 mRNA. However, this effect was not long lasting, as differences that were observed at 16 d after starting the treatment had disappeared at 27 d after treatment was started. The results of this study indicate that later in the broiler's life, antibiotics only temporarily affect intestinal microbial and immune parameters. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

An experimental study of non-destructive testing on glass fibre reinforced polymer composites after high velocity impact event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razali, N.; Sultan, M. T. H.; Cardona, F.

2016-10-01

A non-destructive testing method on Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) after high velocity impact event using single stage gas gun (SSGG) is presented. Specimens of C- type and E-type fibreglass reinforcement, which were fabricated with 6mm, 8mm, 10mm and 12mm thicknesses and size 100 mm x 100 mm, were subjected to a high velocity impact with three types of bullets: conical, hemispherical and blunt at various gas gun pressure levels from 6 bar to 60 bar. Visual observation techniques using a lab microscope were used to determine the infringed damage by looking at the crack zone. Dye penetrants were used to inspect the area of damage, and to evaluate internal and external damages on the specimens after impact. The results from visual analysis of the impacted test laminates were discussed and presented. It was found that the impact damage started with induced delamination, fibre cracking and then failure, simultaneously with matrix cracking and breakage, and finally followed by the fibres pulled out. C-type experienced more damaged areas compared to E-type of GFRP.

The Analysis of Electrical Energy Consumption of the Impact Screwdriver During Assembly of Fixed Threaded Joints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grinevich, I.; Nikishin, Vl.; Mozga, N.; Laitans, M.

2017-06-01

The paper deals with the possibilities of reducing the consumption of electrical energy of the impact screwdriver during the assembly of fixed threaded joints. The recommendations related to a decrease in electrical energy consumption would allow reducing product costs but so far there have been no such recommendations from the producers of the tool as to the effective operating regimes of the impact screwdrivers in relation to electrical energy consumption and necessary tightening moment of the nut. The aim of the study is to find out the economical operating mode of the electrical impact screwdriver when assembling fixed threaded joints. By varying the set speed of the rotor head and working time of the impact mechanism, there is an opportunity to determine electrical energy consumption of the tool for the given tightening moment. The results of the experiment show that at the same tightening moment obtained the electrical energy consumption of the impact screwdriver is less at a higher starting set speed of the rotor head but shorter operating time of the impact mechanism than at a lower speed of the rotor head and longer operating time of the impact mechanism.

High-intensity aerobic interval training can lead to improvement in skeletal muscle power among in-hospital patients with advanced heart failure.

PubMed

Taya, Masanobu; Amiya, Eisuke; Hatano, Masaru; Maki, Hisataka; Nitta, Daisuke; Saito, Akihito; Tsuji, Masaki; Hosoya, Yumiko; Minatsuki, Shun; Nakayama, Atsuko; Fujiwara, Takayuki; Konishi, Yuto; Yokota, Kazuhiko; Watanabe, Masafumi; Morita, Hiroyuki; Haga, Nobuhiko; Komuro, Issei

2018-01-15

This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of interval training during in-hospital treatment of patients with advanced heart failure. Twenty-four consecutive patients with advanced symptomatic heart failure who were referred for cardiac transplant evaluation were recruited. After performing aerobic exercise for approximate intensity, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) was performed. The protocol consisted of 3 or 4 sessions of 1-min high-intensity exercise aimed at 80% of peak VO 2 or 80% heart rate reserve, followed by 4-min recovery periods of low intensity. In addition to the necessary laboratory data, hand grip strength and knee extensor strength were evaluated at the start of exercise training and both at the start and the end of HIIT. Knee extensor strength was standardized by body weight. The BNP level at the start of exercise training was 432 (812) pg/mL and it significantly decreased to 254 (400) pg/mL (p < 0.001) at the end of HIIT. Hand grip strength did not change during course. By contrast, knee extensor strength significantly increased during HIIT [4.42 ± 1.43 → 5.28 ± 1.45 N/kg, p < 0.001], whereas the improvement of knee extensor strength was not significant from the start of exercise training to the start of HIIT. In addition, the change in knee extensor strength during HIIT was significantly associated with the hemoglobin A1c level at the start of exercise (R = - 0.55; p = 0.015). HIIT has a positive impact on skeletal muscle strength among in-hospital patients with advanced heart failure.

Lithologies contributing to the clast population in Apollo 17 LKFM basaltic impact melts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Marc D.; Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Spudis, Paul; Ryder, Graham

1992-01-01

LKFM basaltic impact melts are abundant among Apollo lunar samples, especially those from Apollo 15, 16, and 17. They are generally basaltic in composition, but are found exclusively as impact melts. They seem to be related to basins and so could represent the composition of the lower lunar crust. They contain lithic clasts that cannot be mixed in any proportion to produce the composition of the melt matrix; components rich in transition elements (Ti, Cr, Sc) and REE are not considered. To search for the mysterious cryptic component, we previously investigated the mineral clast population in two Apollo 14 LKFM basaltic impact melts, 15445 and 15455. The cryptic component was not present in the mineral clast assemblage of these breccias either, but some olivine and pyroxene grains appeared to be from lithologies not represented among identified igneous rocks from the lunar highlands. In addition, none of the mineral clasts could be unambiguously assigned to a ferroan anorthosite source. We have now extended this study to Apollo 17, starting with two LKFM impact melt breccias (76295 and 76315) from the Apollo 17 station 6 boulder. The results from the study are presented.

Finite Element Analysis of Saferooms Subjected to Tornado Impact Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parfilko, Y.; Amaral de Arruda, F.; Varela, B.

2017-10-01

A Tornado is one of the most dreadful and unpredictable events in nature. Unfortunately, weather and geographic conditions make a large portion of the United States prone to this phenomenon. Tornado saferooms are monolithic reinforced concrete protective structures engineered to guard against these natural disasters. Saferooms must withstand impacts and wind loads from EF-5 tornadoes - where the wind speed reaches up to 150 m/s (300 mph) and airborne projectiles can reach up to 50 m/s (100 mph). The objective of this work is to evaluate the performance of a saferoom under impact from tornado-generated debris and tornado-dragged vehicles. Numerical simulations were performed to model the impact problem using explicit dynamics and energy methods. Finite element models of the saferoom, windborne debris, and vehicle models were studied using the LS-DYNA software. RHT concrete material was used to model the saferoom and vehicle models from NCAC were used to characterize damage from impacts at various speeds. Simulation results indicate good performance of the saferoom structure at vehicle impact speeds up to 25 meters per second. Damage is more significant and increases nonlinearly starting at impact velocities of 35 m/s (78 mph). Results of this study give valuable insight into the dynamic response of saferooms subjected to projectile impacts, and provide design considerations for civilian protective structures. Further work is being done to validate the models with experimental measurements.

Modeling transport of nutrients & sediment loads into Lake Tahoe under climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Riverson, John; Coats, Robert; Costa-Cabral, Mariza; Dettinger, Mike; Reuter, John; Sahoo, Goloka; Schladow, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

The outputs from two General Circulation Models (GCMs) with two emissions scenarios were downscaled and bias-corrected to develop regional climate change projections for the Tahoe Basin. For one model—the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory or GFDL model—the daily model results were used to drive a distributed hydrologic model. The watershed model used an energy balance approach for computing evapotranspiration and snowpack dynamics so that the processes remain a function of the climate change projections. For this study, all other aspects of the model (i.e. land use distribution, routing configuration, and parameterization) were held constant to isolate impacts of climate change projections. The results indicate that (1) precipitation falling as rain rather than snow will increase, starting at the current mean snowline, and moving towards higher elevations over time; (2) annual accumulated snowpack will be reduced; (3) snowpack accumulation will start later; and (4) snowmelt will start earlier in the year. Certain changes were masked (or counter-balanced) when summarized as basin-wide averages; however, spatial evaluation added notable resolution. While rainfall runoff increased at higher elevations, a drop in total precipitation volume decreased runoff and fine sediment load from the lower elevation meadow areas and also decreased baseflow and nitrogen loads basin-wide. This finding also highlights the important role that the meadow areas could play as high-flow buffers under climatic change. Because the watershed model accounts for elevation change and variable meteorological patterns, it provided a robust platform for evaluating the impacts of projected climate change on hydrology and water quality.

[The importance of early diagnosis and intervention in children diagnosed with reading disorder. Case studies].

PubMed

Törö, Krisztina; Balázs, Judit

2015-06-01

Reading Disorder (RD) belongs to Specific Learning Disorders within the chapter of Neurodevelopmental Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition. Previous research shows that the time of the diagnosis of RD - early (before starting school) or late - has a great impact on the prognosis. In the current paper we present the cases of two children diagnosed with RD. Our cases demonstrate that if RD is diagnosed in early childhood, the child's and his/her family's quality of life can be influenced in a positive direction, while late recognition of RD might influence the child's and the family's quality of life negatively. For these reasons it is important that experts recognize RD in time, start appropriate treatment and give proper support to children diagnosed with RD and their families.

Evaluation of Unbound Engineered Nanoparticles from a Worker Exposure and Environmental Release Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bunker, K.; Casuccio, G.; Lersch, T.; Ogle, R.; Wahl, L.

2009-12-01

Nanotechnology and the use of unbound engineered nanoparticles (UNP) is a rapidly developing area of materials science. UNP are defined as engineered nanoparticles that are not contained within a matrix that would prevent the nanoparticles from being mobile and a potential source of exposure. At this time there are no regulatory environmental release limits or worker exposure limits for UNP. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has initiated a study to evaluate worker exposure and potential environmental release of UNP related to various research activities at LBNL. The study is being performed to help identify and manage potential health and safety hazards as well as environmental impacts related to UNP. A key component of the study is the characterization of starting (source) UNP materials to assist in the determination of worker exposure and environmental release. Analysis of the starting materials is being used to establish source signatures. The source signatures will then be used in the evaluation of worker exposure and environmental release. This presentation will provide an overview of the LBNL study with a focus on the methodologies being used to analyze the samples.

Regretting Ever Starting to Smoke: Results from a 2014 National Survey.

PubMed

Nayak, Pratibha; Pechacek, Terry F; Slovic, Paul; Eriksen, Michael P

2017-04-06

Background : The majority of smokers regret ever starting to smoke, yet the vast majority continue to smoke despite the fact that smoking kills nearly 50% of lifetime users. This study examined the relationships between regret and smoker characteristics, quit history, risk perceptions, experiential thinking, and beliefs and intentions at time of smoking initiation. Methods : Data from the 2014 Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions Survey, a nationally representative survey of United States adults, were analyzed to provide the latest prevalence estimates of regret and potential predictors. Relationships among predictor variables and regret were analyzed using correlations, t -tests, and multinomial logistic regression. Results : The majority of smokers (71.5%) regretted starting to smoke. Being older and non-Hispanic white were significant predictors of regret. Smokers having a high intention to quit, having made quit attempts in the past year, worrying about getting lung cancer, believing smoking every day can be risky for your health, perceiving a risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer during one's lifetime, and considering themselves addicted to cigarettes were significant predictors of regret for smoking initiation. Conclusions : This study provides updated prevalence data on regret using a national sample, and confirms that regret is associated with perceived risk. The findings from this study can be used to inform smoking intervention programs and support the inclusion of smoker regret in cost-benefit analyses of the economic impact of tobacco regulations.

Numerical Simulation of Pre-heated Confined PBX Charge Under Low Velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Cai; Wu, Yanqing; Huang, Fenglei; Liu, Yan; Explosion; damage Team

2017-06-01

Impact sensitivity and thermal safety are very important for explosive safety usage.To investigate the effect of thermal softening on impact sensitivity of HMX-based PBX, a finite element model aiming at pre-heated confined PBX charge sbujected to bullets impact has been established. The predicted ignition starting area of the explosive charge was evaluated based on volume strain and equivalent strain contours. It showed that the ignition starting area moves towards the center of the explosives from the surface with increase of heating temperature. The threshold velocity does not increase monotonically with the pre-heating temperature increases. Instead, the threshold velocity rises till 360 m/s when the cook-off temperature is lower than 75°, then decreases the increased temperature. The results imply that our PBX has the lowest impact sensitivity at about 75°. These numerical results agree very well with the corresponding experiment results conducted by Dai et al. The influence of thermal softening on the impact sensitivity has been analyzed. As the strength decreases, more impact energy will be absorbed. At the same time, shear resistance ability will be weaken and volume compression work may play a more important role to ignition. China National Nature Science Foundation (11572045), ``Science Challenging Program'' (JCKY2016212A501), opening fund from Safety ammunition research and Development Center (RMC2015B03).

Examining How the Perception of Health Can Impact Participation and Autonomy Among Adults with Spinal Cord Injury.

PubMed

Piatt, Jennifer A; Van Puymbroeck, Marieke; Zahl, Melissa; Rosenbluth, Jeffrey P; Wells, Mary Sara

2016-01-01

Background: Studies examining participation as defined by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as well as autonomy among the spinal cord injury population (SCI) are only starting to emerge. Little research has looked at how this population perceives their health status and the role this plays in active participation within their lives. Objective: This exploratory study was developed to determine whether the perception of health has an impact on participation and autonomy among adults with SCI. Methods: A convenience sample of adults with SCI currently receiving outpatient services from a rehabilitation hospital completed the online questionnaire. Forty-two subjects responded and were categorized into 2 groups: Group 1, positive perceived health, and Group 2, negative perceived health. The sample completed the Impact on Autonomy and Participation (IPA) that has 5 subscales (autonomy indoors, family role, autonomy outdoors, social life, and work/education) and demographic questions. Results: Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that perceived health had a significant impact on family roles, autonomy outdoors, social life, and work/education. Perceived health did not have a significant impact on autonomy indoors. Conclusion: The perception of health may have an impact on participation and autonomy within the areas of family role, outdoors, work/education, and social life. Implications for rehabilitation are included.

The C130 Hercules Acquisition Program: A Case Study of the Potential Impact of a System Level Warranty Application.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

Orfice in the Aeronautical Systems Division, and the Air Force Contract Law Center, provided support that ensured success from the very start. Last, but...76 Recommendations for Future Researcn ........ .. 79 Appendix A: Air Force Contract Law Center Suggested Systems Level Warranty...analysis of the findings was accomplisned by the Air Force Contract Law Center.’ Benefits from applying a system level warranty to the C-hiO were

Exploring the impact of staff absenteeism on patient satisfaction using routine databases in a university hospital.

PubMed

Duclay, E; Hardouin, J B; Sébille, V; Anthoine, E; Moret, L

2015-10-01

To explore the influence of staff absenteeism on patient satisfaction using the indicators available in management reports. Among factors explaining patient satisfaction, human resource indicators have been studied widely in terms of burnout or job satisfaction, but there have not been many studies related to absenteeism indicators. A multilevel analysis was conducted using two routinely compiled databases from 2010 in the clinical departments of a university hospital (France). The staff database monitored absenteeism for short-term medical reasons (5 days or less), non-medical reasons and absences starting at the weekend. The patient satisfaction database was established at the time of discharge. Patient satisfaction related to relationships with staff was significantly and negatively correlated with nurse absenteeism for non-medical reasons (P < 0.05) and with nurse absenteeism starting at weekends (P < 0.05). Patient satisfaction related to the hospital environment was significantly and negatively correlated with nurse assistant absenteeism for short-term medical reasons (P < 0.05). Our findings seem to indicate that patient satisfaction is linked to staff absenteeism and should lead to a better understanding of the impact of human resources on patient satisfaction. To enhance patient satisfaction, managers need to find a way to reduce staff absenteeism, in order to avoid burnout and to improve the atmosphere in the workplace. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The impact of nausea and vomiting on women: a burden of early pregnancy.

PubMed

Smith, C; Crowther, C; Beilby, J; Dandeaux, J

2000-11-01

Nausea and vomiting are troublesome symptoms occurring in the first trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to describe the impact these symptoms have on women in early pregnancy by interviewing, using a structured questionnaire, 593 pregnant women presenting with nausea and vomiting in the first trimester of pregnancy. The women were asked to complete the Rhodes index of nausea and vomiting and the MOS 36 Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Symptoms of nausea and vomiting started early in pregnancy. Nausea was the most troublesome symptom experienced by women, both in its duration and intensity. Low scores for the SF-36 were found for all items, particularly physical functioning, energy and social functioning. The women described substantial effects on working, household duties and parenting activities. Findings from this study suggest nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy has a profound impact on women's general sense of well-being and day to day life activities.

The lifelong struggle of Finnish World War II veterans.

PubMed

Nivala, Sirkka; Sarvimäki, Anneli

2015-01-01

In many countries veterans from World War II are growing old. Research has shown that war experiences continue to impact those who have been involved in war for a long time. The present study targets old injured war veterans from World War II in Finland. The aim of this study was to produce knowledge of the impact of war experiences and injuries on the lifespan of Finnish war veterans. The method used was grounded theory. Data were collected by interviewing 20 aged war veterans in their homes. The analysis resulted in four categories, with also subcategories: (1) lost childhood and youth; (2) war traumas impacting life; (3) starting life from scratch; and (4) finding one's own place. A substantive theory of war veterans' lifelong struggle for freedom throughout the lifespan was outlined. The war overshadowed the whole lifespan of the veterans, but in old age they finally felt free. Since war experiences vary depending on historical context, a formal theory would require additional research.

Breakfast Clubs: Starting the Day in a Positive Way

PubMed Central

Graham, Pamela Louise; Russo, Riccardo; Defeyter, Margaret Anne

2015-01-01

Breakfast clubs are widely promoted as having a beneficial impact on children’s behavior at the start of the school day, which can be conducive to their learning within the classroom. However, the few available studies that have considered the impact of breakfast club attendance on children’s behavior have yielded mixed results and no studies to date have directly observed children’s behavior within the breakfast club setting. Using a combination of real-time observation and filmed breakfast club footage, the aims of the current study were to: (1) devise a set of observational criteria appropriate for use in the breakfast club setting; (2) investigate the occurrence of both positive and negative behaviors. A sample of 30 children aged between 3 and 11 years were recruited from 3, opportunistically sampled primary school breakfast clubs in the North East of England, UK. The behaviors they displayed within the breakfast club setting on two separate days were observed and coded for subsequent analysis. Results of the investigation showed that children’s behavior could be classified into three positive and three negative behavioral categories. Using these categories to code children’s behavior as they engaged in breakfast club showed that children displayed more positive than negative behaviors within the breakfast club setting and this was the case regardless of the type of activity (i.e., quiet or boisterous) children were involved in. Findings are discussed in relation to breakfast club policy, implementation, and evaluation. PMID:26217653

Analysis of motion of the body of a motor car hit on its side by another passenger car

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gidlewski, M.; Prochowski, L.

2016-09-01

Based on an analysis of the course of a few experimental crash tests, a physical model and afterwards a mathematical model were prepared to describe the motion of bodies of the vehicles involved during the phase of impact. The motion was analysed in a global coordinate system attached to the road surface. Local coordinate systems were also adopted with their origins being placed at the centres of mass of the vehicles. Equations of motion of the model were derived. The calculation results enabled defining the influence of the location of the point of impact against the vehicle side on e.g. the following: - time history of the impact force exerted by the impacting car (A) on the impacted car (B) as well as characteristic values of this force and of the impulse of the impact force; - time histories showing changes in the velocity of the centre of vehicle mass and in the angle of deviation of the velocity vector from the direction of motion of the impacted vehicle before the collision; - trajectory of the centre of mass and angle of rotation of the body of the impacted vehicle. The calculations were focused on the initial period of motion of the body of the impacted vehicle, up to the instant of 200 ms from the start of the collision process. After this time, the vehicles separate from each other and move independently. The results obtained from the calculations covering this initial period make it possible to determine the starting-point values of the parameters to be taken for further calculations of the free post-impact motion of the cars.

Relations Among the Home Language and Literacy Environment and Children's Language Abilities: A Study of Head Start Dual Language Learners and Their Mothers.

PubMed

Lewis, Kandia; Sandilos, Lia E; Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Sawyer, Brook E; Méndez, Lucía I

This study explored the relations between Spanish-English dual language learner (DLL) children's home language and literacy experiences and their expressive vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities in Spanish and in English. Data from Spanish-English mothers of 93 preschool-age Head Start children who resided in central Pennsylvania were analyzed. Children completed the Picture Vocabulary and Oral Comprehension subtests of the Batería III Woodcock-Muñoz and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Results revealed that the language spoken by mothers and children and the frequency of mother-child reading at home influenced children's Spanish language abilities. In addition, the frequency with which children told a story was positively related to children's performance on English oral language measures. The findings suggest that language and literacy experiences at home have a differential impact on DLLs' language abilities in their 2 languages. Specific components of the home environment that benefit and support DLL children's language abilities are discussed.

A review of recent theoretical studies in nonlinear crystals: towards the design of new materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luppi, Eleonora; Véniard, Valérie

2016-12-01

Nonlinear optics is an important and exciting field of fundamental and applied research, with applications in many different disciplines such as physics chemistry, material science and biology. In the recent years, nonlinear optical phenomena started to be also widely used in technological applications for optoelectronics and photovoltaics. This coincided with an important experimental and theoretical search for new materials with an efficient and exploitable nonlinear optical response. Here, starting from the discovery of nonlinear optics, we review the most important theoretical formalisms developed to understand, interpret and predict the nonlinear optical phenomena. We show the different level of approximation of the many-electrons interactions that these formalisms can describe which are fundamental in the interpretation of the experiments. The impact of the theory is then analyzed on different classes of new materials particularly studied in these years: silicon bulk to nano, compound semiconductors, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenide, hexagonal boron nitride and borate crystals.

Creating regional consensus for starting school later: a physician-driven approach in southern Maine.

PubMed

Collins, Tracey Ann; Indorf, Christopher; Klak, Thomas

2017-12-01

In April 2016, several contiguous school districts and an independent high school academy in southern Maine voted simultaneously to start school later, beginning with the 2016-17 academic year. They became Maine's first school districts to implement the American Academy of Pediatrics' 1 and the American Medical Association's 2 health policy recommendations that middle and high schools should not start before 8:30 AM. Local physicians' presentations to school staff and parents on the medical evidence of the health benefits of a later start solidified early consensus. The action required special permission from the Maine Municipal Association to hold a joint school board vote, impacted approximately 6500 students across the region, resulted in no increase in busing costs, and took 8 months to implement after the first formal school board discussions. Copyright © 2017 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The impact of hydro-biofuel-wind energy consumption on environmental cost of doing business in a panel of BRICS countries: evidence from three-stage least squares estimator.

PubMed

Zaman, Khalid

2018-02-01

The renewable energy sources are considered the vital factor to promote global green business. The environmental cost of doing business is the pre-requisite to analyze sustainable policies that facilitate the eco-minded entrepreneurs to produce healthier goods. This study examines the impact of renewable energy sources (i.e., hydro energy, biofuel energy, and wind energy) on the environmental cost of doing business in a panel of BRICS (Brazil, Russian Federation, India, China, and South Africa) countries, for the period of 1995-2015. The study employed principal component analysis to construct an "integrated environmental index" by using three alternative and plausible factors including carbon dioxide emissions, fossil fuel energy consumption, and chemicals used in the manufacturing process. The environmental index is used as an interactive term with the three cost of doing business indicators including business disclosure index, the cost of business start-up procedures, and logistics performance index to form environmental cost of doing business (ECDB) indicators. The results of three-stage least squares (3SLS) estimator show that foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows supported the green business while trade openness deteriorates the environment, which partially validates the "pollution haven hypotheses (PHH)" in a panel of countries. There is no evidence for environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis; however, there is a monotonic decreasing relationship between per capita income and ECDB indicators. The hydro energy supports the sustainable business environment, while biofuel consumption deteriorates the environmental impact on the cost of business start-up procedures. Finally, wind energy subsequently affected the ECDB indicators in a panel of BRICS countries. The overall results conclude that growth factors and energy sources both have a considerable impact on the cost of doing business; therefore, there is a momentous need to formulate sustainable policy vista to magnetize green business across countries.

Accretion of Rocky Planets by Hot Jupiters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ketchum, Jacob A.; Adams, Fred C.; Bloch, Anthony M.

2011-11-01

The observed population of Hot Jupiters displays a stunning variety of physical properties, including a wide range of densities and core sizes for a given planetary mass. Motivated by the observational sample, this Letter studies the accretion of rocky planets by Hot Jupiters, after the Jovian planets have finished their principal migration epoch and become parked in ~4 day orbits. In this scenario, rocky planets form later and then migrate inward due to torques from the remaining circumstellar disk, which also damps the orbital eccentricity. This mechanism thus represents one possible channel for increasing the core masses and metallicities of Hot Jupiters. This Letter determines probabilities for the possible end states for the rocky planet: collisions with the Jovian planets, accretion onto the star, ejection from the system, and long-term survival of both planets. These probabilities depend on the mass of the Jovian planet and its starting orbital eccentricity, as well as the eccentricity damping rate for the rocky planet. Since these systems are highly chaotic, a large ensemble (N ~ 103) of simulations with effectively equivalent starting conditions is required. Planetary collisions are common when the eccentricity damping rate is sufficiently low, but are rare otherwise. For systems that experience planetary collisions, this work determines the distributions of impact velocities—both speeds and impact parameters—for the collisions. These velocity distributions help determine the consequences of the impacts, e.g., where energy and heavy elements are deposited within the giant planets.

Evaluating the Early Impact of Integrated Children's Services. Round 1 Summary Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lord, Pippa; Kinder, Kay; Wilkin, Anne; Atkinson, Mary; Harland, Jennie

2008-01-01

In early 2007, at the start of the Local Authorities Research Consortium's (LARC's) first year of work, local authorities (LAs) wanted to know if integration of services was having an impact on outcomes. One year on, the question has become--how can we make integrated working deliver better outcomes faster and more consistently? The shift in…

Two-Tier Compensation Structures. Their Impact on Unions, Employers, and Employees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, James E.; Heetderks, Thomas D.

This book examines in detail the impact of tiered compensation structures on unions, employers, and employees. (Tiered compensation structures are defined as pay systems in which employees who start working or change jobs in a company after a certain date receive a lower rate of pay than employees who were doing the same or similar jobs before…

Impacts of P-f & Q-V Droop Control on MicroGrids Transient Stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao-xia, Xiao; Hong-wei, Fang

Impacts of P-f & Q-V droop control on MicroGrid transient stability was investigated with a wind unit of asynchronous generator in the MicroGrid. The system frequency stability was explored when the motor load starts and its load power changes, and faults of different types and different locations occurs. The simulations were done by PSCAD/EMTDC.

Using Topic Order to Reinforce Student Algebra Skills in a Community College Introductory Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blakely, Alan W.

2011-01-01

This article describes the impact of starting with gases in an introductory chemistry course at a community college. Students in the author's class frequently are very weak in algebra skills, and this has a cumulative impact over time that culminates in student struggles when moles and reaction stoichiometry are discussed. The rationale behind…

Development of Psychosocial Scales for Evaluating the Impact of a Culinary Nutrition Education Program on Cooking and Healthful Eating

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Condrasky, Margaret D.; Williams, Joel E.; Catalano, Patricia Michaud; Griffin, Sara F.

2011-01-01

Objective: Develop scales to assess the impact of the "Cooking with a Chef" program on several psychosocial constructs. Methods: Cross-sectional design in which parents and caregivers were recruited from child care settings (Head Start, faith-based, public elementary schools), and cooks were recruited from church and school kitchens. Analysis…

Impact of construction and remodeling markets on the U.S. secondary hardwood products industry

Treesearch

Matt Bumgardner; Urs Buehlmann; Al Schuler; Karen Koenig

2011-01-01

The housing correction that started in 2007 continues to run its course. Excessive inventory levels, limited credit availability, and record foreclosure rates continue to have an impact on U.S. housing markets. With inventories high and demand for new construction low, the U.S. hardwood industry's largest markets for appearance-grade products remain under pressure...

The correlation between stress and economic crisis: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Mucci, Nicola; Giorgi, Gabriele; Roncaioli, Mattia; Fiz Perez, Javier; Arcangeli, Giulio

2016-01-01

In 2008 a deep economic crisis started in the US and rapidly spread around the world. The crisis severely affected the labor market and employees’ well-being. Hence, the aim of this work is to implement a systematic review of the principal studies that analyze the impact of the economic crisis on the health of workers. We conducted our search on the PubMed database, and a total of 19 articles were selected for review. All studies showed that the economic crisis was an important stressor that had a negative impact on workers’ mental health. Most of the studies documented that a rise in unemployment, increased workload, staff reduction, and wages reduction were linked to an increased rate of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, and suicide. Some studies showed that problems related to the crisis may have also affected the general health of workers by increasing the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Finally, some studies looked at the impact of the crisis on health care services. These studies demonstrated that the reduction in public expenditure on health care services, and the reduction of public hospital budgets due to the recession, led to organizational problems (eg, medical supply shortages). PMID:27143898

The correlation between stress and economic crisis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Mucci, Nicola; Giorgi, Gabriele; Roncaioli, Mattia; Fiz Perez, Javier; Arcangeli, Giulio

2016-01-01

In 2008 a deep economic crisis started in the US and rapidly spread around the world. The crisis severely affected the labor market and employees' well-being. Hence, the aim of this work is to implement a systematic review of the principal studies that analyze the impact of the economic crisis on the health of workers. We conducted our search on the PubMed database, and a total of 19 articles were selected for review. All studies showed that the economic crisis was an important stressor that had a negative impact on workers' mental health. Most of the studies documented that a rise in unemployment, increased workload, staff reduction, and wages reduction were linked to an increased rate of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, dysthymia, and suicide. Some studies showed that problems related to the crisis may have also affected the general health of workers by increasing the risk of such health problems as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Finally, some studies looked at the impact of the crisis on health care services. These studies demonstrated that the reduction in public expenditure on health care services, and the reduction of public hospital budgets due to the recession, led to organizational problems (eg, medical supply shortages).

Determine the Impact of Novel BRCA1 Translation Start Sites on Therapy Resistance in Ovarian Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

Award Number: W81XWH-15-1-0197 TITLE: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Neil Johnson, Ph.D. CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION: Institute for Cancer Research...Therapy Resistance in Ovarian Cancer The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be...Start Sites on Therapy 5b. GRANT NUMBER Resistance in Ovarian Cancer W81XWH-15-1-0197 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER Neil

Integration of MODIS-derived metrics to assess interannual variability in snowpack, lake ice, and NDVI in southwest Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reed, Bradley C.; Budde, Michael E.; Spencer, Page; Miller, Amy E.

2009-01-01

Impacts of global climate change are expected to result in greater variation in the seasonality of snowpack, lake ice, and vegetation dynamics in southwest Alaska. All have wide-reaching physical and biological ecosystem effects in the region. We used Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) calibrated radiance, snow cover extent, and vegetation index products for interpreting interannual variation in the duration and extent of snowpack, lake ice, and vegetation dynamics for southwest Alaska. The approach integrates multiple seasonal metrics across large ecological regions. Throughout the observation period (2001-2007), snow cover duration was stable within ecoregions, with variable start and end dates. The start of the lake ice season lagged the snow season by 2 to 3??months. Within a given lake, freeze-up dates varied in timing and duration, while break-up dates were more consistent. Vegetation phenology varied less than snow and ice metrics, with start-of-season dates comparatively consistent across years. The start of growing season and snow melt were related to one another as they are both temperature dependent. Higher than average temperatures during the El Ni??o winter of 2002-2003 were expressed in anomalous ice and snow season patterns. We are developing a consistent, MODIS-based dataset that will be used to monitor temporal trends of each of these seasonal metrics and to map areas of change for the study area.

Oxidative potential of logwood and pellet burning particles assessed by a novel profluorescent nitroxide probe.

PubMed

Miljevic, B; Heringa, M F; Keller, A; Meyer, N K; Good, J; Lauber, A; Decarlo, P F; Fairfull-Smith, K E; Nussbaumer, T; Burtscher, H; Prevot, A S H; Baltensperger, U; Bottle, S E; Ristovski, Z D

2010-09-01

This study reports the potential toxicological impact of particles produced during biomass combustion by an automatic pellet boiler and a traditional logwood stove under various combustion conditions using a novel profluorescent nitroxide probe, BPEAnit. This probe is weakly fluorescent but yields strong fluorescence emission upon radical trapping or redox activity. Samples were collected by bubbling aerosol through an impinger containing BPEAnit solution, followed by fluorescence measurement. The fluorescence of BPEAnit was measured for particles produced during various combustion phases: at the beginning of burning (cold start), stable combustion after refilling with the fuel (warm start), and poor burning conditions. For particles produced by the logwood stove under cold-start conditions, significantly higher amounts of reactive species per unit of particulate mass were observed compared to emissions produced during a warm start. In addition, sampling of logwood burning emissions after passing through a thermodenuder at 250 degrees C resulted in an 80-100% reduction of the fluorescence signal of the BPEAnit probe, indicating that the majority of reactive species were semivolatile. Moreover, the amount of reactive species showed a strong correlation with the amount of particulate organic material. This indicates the importance of semivolatile organics in particle-related toxicity. Particle emissions from the pellet boiler, although of similar mass concentration, were not observed to lead to an increase in fluorescence signal during any of the combustion phases.

A cross-cultural comparison of sleep duration between US And Australian adolescents: the effect of school start time, parent-set bedtimes, and extracurricular load.

PubMed

Short, Michelle A; Gradisar, Michael; Lack, Leon C; Wright, Helen R; Dewald, Julia F; Wolfson, Amy R; Carskadon, Mary A

2013-06-01

To test whether sleep duration on school nights differs between adolescents in Australia and the United States and, if so, whether this difference is explained by cultural differences in school start time, parental involvement in setting bedtimes, and extracurricular commitments. Three hundred eighty-five adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.57, SD = 0.95; 60% male) from Australia and 302 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years (M = 16.03, SD = 1.19; 35% male) from the United States. Adolescents completed the School Sleep Habits Survey during class time, followed by an 8-day sleep diary. After controlling for age and gender, Australian adolescents obtained an average of 47 minutes more sleep per school night than those in the United States. Australian adolescents were more likely to have a parent-set bedtime (17.5% vs. 6.8%), have a later school start time (8:32 a.m. vs. 7:45 a.m.), and spend less time per day on extracurricular commitments (1 h 37 min vs. 2 h 41 min) than their U.S. peers. The mediating factors of parent-set bedtimes, later school start times, and less time spent on extracurricular activities were significantly associated with more total sleep. In addition to biological factors, extrinsic cultural factors significantly affect adolescent sleep. The present study highlights the importance of a cross-cultural, ecological approach and the impact of early school start times, lack of parental limit setting around bedtimes, and extracurricular load in limiting adolescent sleep.

Does Variation in Either Age at Start of Therapy or Duration of Therapy Make Chemoprevention with Finasteride Cost-Effective?

PubMed Central

Stewart, Suzanne Biehn; Scales, Charles D.; Moul, Judd W.; Reed, Shelby D.

2013-01-01

Background Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) of finasteride for prostate cancer prevention are consistent with estimates beyond $100,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The majority of these analyses are based on chemoprevention starting in men aged 50–55yrs. We sought to evaluate the impact of varying both age at commencement of therapy and length of therapy on the cost-effectiveness of finasteride. Methods A probabilistic Markov model was designed to estimate lifetime prostate health related costs and quality-adjusted survival for men receiving or not receiving chemoprevention with finasteride. ICERs across scenarios varying age at start of therapy and duration of chemoprevention were compared. Results The ICER for men starting chemoprevention at age 50 and continuing to age 75 was $88,800 per QALY when assuming finasteride causes a constant risk reduction across all tumor grades (base case 1) and $142,300 per when assuming a differential treatment effect according to Gleason score (base case 2). When starting age is increased, the ICERs trend downward and nadir at 65 years to $64,700 per QALY (base case 1) and $118,600 per QALY (base case 2). Altering duration of therapy had minimal impact. Patient-level experiences with finasteride and BPH significantly influenced the cost-effectiveness of chemoprevention. Conclusion Initiating chemoprevention at ages when prostate cancer incidence is higher improves its cost-effectiveness profile. Only when assuming a constant risk reduction for all tumor grades, did finasteride fall below $100,000 per QALY, but this finding was not upheld when accounting for side effects associated with the drug. PMID:22777393

The GISS sounding temperature impact test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halem, M.; Ghil, M.; Atlas, R.; Susskind, J.; Quirk, W. J.

1978-01-01

The impact of DST 5 and DST 6 satellite sounding data on mid-range forecasting was studied. The GISS temperature sounding technique, the GISS time-continuous four-dimensional assimilation procedure based on optimal statistical analysis, the GISS forecast model, and the verification techniques developed, including impact on local precipitation forecasts are described. It is found that the impact of sounding data was substantial and beneficial for the winter test period, Jan. 29 - Feb. 21. 1976. Forecasts started from initial state obtained with the aid of satellite data showed a mean improvement of about 4 points in the 48 and 772 hours Sub 1 scores as verified over North America and Europe. This corresponds to an 8 to 12 hour forecast improvement in the forecast range at 48 hours. An automated local precipitation forecast model applied to 128 cities in the United States showed on an average 15% improvement when satellite data was used for numerical forecasts. The improvement was 75% in the midwest.

Impact of a Two-step Emergency Department Triage Model with START, then CTAS, on Patient Flow During a Simulated Mass-casualty Incident.

PubMed

Lee, James S; Franc, Jeffrey M

2015-08-01

A high influx of patients during a mass-casualty incident (MCI) may disrupt patient flow in an already overcrowded emergency department (ED) that is functioning beyond its operating capacity. This pilot study examined the impact of a two-step ED triage model using Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) for pre-triage, followed by triage with the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS), on patient flow during a MCI simulation exercise. Hypothesis/Problem It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in time intervals nor patient volumes at each patient-flow milestone. Physicians and nurses participated in a computer-based tabletop disaster simulation exercise. Physicians were randomized into the intervention group using START, then CTAS, or the control group using START alone. Patient-flow milestones including time intervals and patient volumes from ED arrival to triage, ED arrival to bed assignment, ED arrival to physician assessment, and ED arrival to disposition decision were compared. Triage accuracy was compared for secondary purposes. There were no significant differences in the time interval from ED arrival to triage (mean difference 108 seconds; 95% CI, -353 to 596 seconds; P=1.0), ED arrival to bed assignment (mean difference 362 seconds; 95% CI, -1,269 to 545 seconds; P=1.0), ED arrival to physician assessment (mean difference 31 seconds; 95% CI, -1,104 to 348 seconds; P=0.92), and ED arrival to disposition decision (mean difference 175 seconds; 95% CI, -1,650 to 1,300 seconds; P=1.0) between the two groups. There were no significant differences in the volume of patients to be triaged (32% vs 34%; 95% CI for the difference -16% to 21%; P=1.0), assigned a bed (16% vs 21%; 95% CI for the difference -11% to 20%; P=1.0), assessed by a physician (20% vs 22%; 95% CI for the difference -14% to 19%; P=1.0), and with a disposition decision (20% vs 9%; 95% CI for the difference -25% to 4%; P=.34) between the two groups. The accuracy of triage was similar in both groups (57% vs 70%; 95% CI for the difference -15% to 41%; P=.46). Experienced triage nurses were able to apply CTAS effectively during a MCI simulation exercise. A two-step ED triage model using START, then CTAS, had similar patient flow and triage accuracy when compared to START alone.

The impact of tobacco promotion at the point of sale: a systematic review.

PubMed

Paynter, Janine; Edwards, Richard

2009-01-01

Tobacco promotion increases the likelihood that adolescents will start smoking. Much of the tobacco industry's promotional budget is spent on point of sale (PoS) promotion in many jurisdictions. Consequently, tobacco is an eye-catching feature at the PoS in many places. We reviewed the evidence that PoS tobacco promotion influences key smoking-related behaviors and beliefs, increases susceptibility to smoking in youth, undermines smokers' quit attempts, and promotes relapse among ex-smokers. We found 12 peer-reviewed studies, 10 of which were focused on children. Seven of 8 observational studies found statistically significant associations between exposure to tobacco promotion at the PoS and smoking initiation or susceptibility to smoking. Two experimental studies of children found statistically significant associations between exposure to PoS tobacco promotions and beliefs about ease of getting tobacco and smoking prevalence among their peers. An experimental study with adults found that a picture of collected tobacco pack elicited cravings for cigarettes among smokers. A cross-sectional study found that 25% of adult smokers reported impulse purchasing and a third of recent ex-smokers reported urges to start smoking after seeing tobacco displayed. More prospective studies are needed to clarify the temporal relationship between exposure to PoS tobacco and outcome. However, given the addictiveness of tobacco, the severity of the health hazards posed by smoking, the evidence that tobacco promotion encourages children to start smoking, and the consistency of the evidence that PoS promotion influences children's smoking, we believe that ample justification exists for banning PoS advertising and displays of smoked tobacco products.

Quercus pollen season dynamics in the Iberian peninsula: response to meteorological parameters and possible consequences of climate change.

PubMed

Garcia-Mozo, Herminia; Galan, Carmen; Jato, Victoria; Belmonte, Jordina; de la Guardia, Consuelo; Fernandez, Delia; Gutierrez, Montserrat; Aira, M; Roure, Joan; Ruiz, Luis; Trigo, Mar; Dominguez-Vilches, Eugenio

2006-01-01

The main characteristics of the Quercus pollination season were studied in 14 different localities of the Iberian Peninsula from 1992-2004. Results show that Quercus flowering season has tended to start earlier in recent years, probably due to the increased temperatures in the pre-flowering period, detected at study sites over the second half of the 20th century. A Growing Degree Days forecasting model was used, together with future meteorological data forecast using the Regional Climate Model developed by the Hadley Meteorological Centre, in order to determine the expected advance in the start of Quercus pollination in future years. At each study site, airborne pollen curves presented a similar pattern in all study years, with different peaks over the season attributable in many cases to the presence of several species. High pollen concentrations were recorded, particularly at Mediterranean sites. This study also proposes forecasting models to predict both daily pollen values and annual pollen emission. All models were externally validated using data for 2001 and 2004, with acceptable results. Finally, the impact of the highly-likely climate change on Iberian Quercus pollen concentration values was studied by applying RCM meteorological data for different future years, 2025, 2050, 2075 and 2099. Results indicate that under a doubled CO(2) scenario at the end of the 21st century Quercus pollination season could start on average one month earlier and airborne pollen concentrations will increase by 50 % with respect to current levels, with higher values in Mediterranean inland areas.

Impacted tooth

MedlinePlus

... a tooth that does not break through the gum. ... Teeth start to pass through the gums (emerge) during infancy. This happens again when permanent teeth replace the primary (baby) teeth. If a tooth does not come in, or ...

Metabolomics in Sepsis and Its Impact on Public Health.

PubMed

Evangelatos, Nikolaos; Bauer, Pia; Reumann, Matthias; Satyamoorthy, Kapaettu; Lehrach, Hans; Brand, Angela

2017-01-01

Sepsis, with its often devastating consequences for patients and their families, remains a major public health concern that poses an increasing financial burden. Early resuscitation together with the elucidation of the biological pathways and pathophysiological mechanisms with the use of "-omics" technologies have started changing the clinical and research landscape in sepsis. Metabolomics (i.e., the study of the metabolome), an "-omics" technology further down in the "-omics" cascade between the genome and the phenome, could be particularly fruitful in sepsis research with the potential to alter the clinical practice. Apart from its benefit for the individual patient, metabolomics has an impact on public health that extends beyond its applications in medicine. In this review, we present recent developments in metabolomics research in sepsis, with a focus on pneumonia, and we discuss the impact of metabolomics on public health, with a focus on free/libre open source software. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effect of Vaccine Administration Modality on Immunogenicity and Efficacy

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Wei; Wang, Shixia

2016-01-01

Summary The many factors impacting the efficacy of a vaccine can be broadly divided into three categories: (1) features of the vaccine itself, including immunogen design, vaccine type, formulation, adjuvant, and dosing; (2) individual variations among vaccine recipients; and (3) vaccine administration-related parameters. While much literature exists related to vaccines, and recently systems biology has started to dissect the impact of individual subject variation on vaccine efficacy, few studies have focused on the role of vaccine administration-related parameters on vaccine efficacy. Parenteral and mucosal vaccinations are traditional approaches for licensed vaccines; novel vaccine delivery approaches, including needless injection and adjuvant formulations, are being developed to further improve vaccine safety and efficacy. This review provides a brief summary of vaccine administration-related factors, including vaccination approach, delivery route, and method of administration, to gain a better understanding of their potential impact on the safety and immunogenicity of candidate vaccines. PMID:26313239

Impacts of flare emissions from an ethylene plant shutdown to regional air quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ziyuan; Wang, Sujing; Xu, Qiang; Ho, Thomas

2016-08-01

Critical operations of chemical process industry (CPI) plants such as ethylene plant shutdowns could emit a huge amount of VOCs and NOx, which may result in localized and transient ozone pollution events. In this paper, a general methodology for studying dynamic ozone impacts associated with flare emissions from ethylene plant shutdowns has been developed. This multi-scale simulation study integrates process knowledge of plant shutdown emissions in terms of flow rate and speciation together with regional air-quality modeling to quantitatively investigate the sensitivity of ground-level ozone change due to an ethylene plant shutdown. The study shows the maximum hourly ozone increments can vary significantly by different plant locations and temporal factors including background ozone data and solar radiation intensity. It helps provide a cost-effective air-quality control strategy for industries by choosing the optimal starting time of plant shutdown operations in terms of minimizing the induced ozone impact (reduced from 34.1 ppb to 1.2 ppb in the performed case studies). This study provides valuable technical supports for both CPI and environmental policy makers on cost-effective air-quality controls in the future.

Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Clinical Practice Related to the Treatment of Pain. Influence on the Professional Activity and the Doctor-Patient Relationship.

PubMed

Fernandez, Jorge Muriel; Cenador, Maria Begoña García; Manuel López Millan, J; Méndez, Juan Antonio Juanes; Ledesma, María José Sánchez

2017-05-01

The increasing relevance of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in medical care is indisputable. This evidence makes it necessary to start studies that analyse the scope these new forms of access to information and understanding of medicine have on the professional activity of the physician, on the attitude and on the knowledge of patients or, on the doctor-patient relationship. The purpose of this study is to explore some of these aspects in a group of physicians whose clinical activity is related to one of the greatest social impact health problems which is the treatment of chronic pain. Starting with the completion of a questionnaire, in the study group it is observed that the interaction between social structure, increase of information flows and ICTs generate transformations in social practices and behaviour of the actors of the health system. Internet is confirmed as an information space on the subject, but is shown as an underutilized space of interaction between the doctor and his patient.

Statistical Power for the Comparative Regression Discontinuity Design With a Pretest No-Treatment Control Function: Theory and Evidence From the National Head Start Impact Study.

PubMed

Tang, Yang; Cook, Thomas D

2018-01-01

The basic regression discontinuity design (RDD) has less statistical power than a randomized control trial (RCT) with the same sample size. Adding a no-treatment comparison function to the basic RDD creates a comparative RDD (CRD); and when this function comes from the pretest value of the study outcome, a CRD-Pre design results. We use a within-study comparison (WSC) to examine the power of CRD-Pre relative to both basic RDD and RCT. We first build the theoretical foundation for power in CRD-Pre, then derive the relevant variance formulae, and finally compare them to the theoretical RCT variance. We conclude from this theoretical part of this article that (1) CRD-Pre's power gain depends on the partial correlation between the pretest and posttest measures after conditioning on the assignment variable, (2) CRD-Pre is less responsive than basic RDD to how the assignment variable is distributed and where the cutoff is located, and (3) under a variety of conditions, the efficiency of CRD-Pre is very close to that of the RCT. Data from the National Head Start Impact Study are then used to construct RCT, RDD, and CRD-Pre designs and to compare their power. The empirical results indicate (1) a high level of correspondence between the predicted and obtained power results for RDD and CRD-Pre relative to the RCT, and (2) power levels in CRD-Pre and RCT that are very close. The study is unique among WSCs for its focus on the correspondence between RCT and observational study standard errors rather than means.

Shooting in a foam.

PubMed

Le Goff, Anne; Quéré, David; Clanet, Christophe

2014-09-21

We study the motion of a solid sphere after its fast impact on a bath of liquid foam. We identify two regimes of deceleration. At short times, the velocity is still large and the foam behaves similar to a Newtonian fluid of constant viscosity. Then we measure a velocity threshold below which the sphere starts experiencing the foam's elasticity. We interpret this behavior using a visco-elasto-plastic model for foam rheology. Finally we discuss the possibility of stopping a projectile in the foam, and evaluate the capture efficiency.

The Impact of Microwave-Derived Surface Soil Moisture on Watershed Hydrological Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ONeill, P. E.; Hsu, A. Y.; Jackson, T. J.; Wood, E. F.; Zion, M.

1997-01-01

The usefulness of incorporating microwave-derived soil moisture information in a semi-distributed hydrological model was demonstrated for the Washita '92 experiment in the Little Washita River watershed in Oklahoma. Initializing the hydrological model with surface soil moisture fields from the ESTAR airborne L-band microwave radiometer on a single wet day at the start of the study period produced more accurate model predictions of soil moisture than a standard hydrological initialization with streamflow data over an eight-day soil moisture drydown.

Model of prison riots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pabjan, Barbara; Pękalski, Andrzej

2007-02-01

We present a model of a prison with two types of inmates. One (recidivists) is a better organized and has more influence on the formation of opinions, whereas the second one is more susceptible to the influence of internal and external pressure. We study, via computer simulations, the interplay between well-organized minority and the rest and how the final decision, like e.g. starting a riot, depends on such factors as: fraction of recidivists, their initial support of the riot and possibility of contacts among cells. We find that, as expected, the riot is more likely to start if there is more recidivists favoring it at the beginning. The influence of external factors (media) turned out to have a larger impact on the second group of prisoners. Contrary to a common practice, we show that in order to prevent riots it might be better not to block the inter-cell contacts.

The impact of disasters on small business disaster planning: a case study.

PubMed

Flynn, David T

2007-12-01

A major flood in 1997 forced the evacuation of Grand Forks, North Dakota and caused damage of USD 1 billion. Despite this recent disaster there is only marginal evidence of an increase in disaster recovery planning by businesses that experienced the flood. This finding is consistent with the results of other business-related disaster research. Statistical tests of survey results from 2003 indicate that there is a significantly higher rate of disaster recovery planning in businesses started since the 1997 flood than in businesses started before the flood and still in business. Such an outcome indicates a need for public policy actions emphasizing the importance of disaster planning. Improved disaster planning is an aid to business recovery and the results demonstrate the need for more widespread efforts to improve disaster recovery planning on the part of smaller businesses, even in areas that have recently experienced disasters.

Transient analysis techniques in performing impact and crash dynamic studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pifko, A. B.; Winter, R.

1989-01-01

Because of the emphasis being placed on crashworthiness as a design requirement, increasing demands are being made by various organizations to analyze a wide range of complex structures that must perform safely when subjected to severe impact loads, such as those generated in a crash event. The ultimate goal of crashworthiness design and analysis is to produce vehicles with the ability to reduce the dynamic forces experienced by the occupants to specified levels, while maintaining a survivable envelope around them during a specified crash event. DYCAST is a nonlinear structural dynamic finite element computer code that started from the plans systems of a finite element program for static nonlinear structural analysis. The essential features of DYCAST are outlined.

How to rediscover Nature in the Digital Era: Earth sciences, Art and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanza, Tiziana

2016-04-01

How much time spend in Nature the average man? And how much time men spend in the virtual world? Can we consider this one of the main issues when mourning the growing devastating input coming from human activities on the environment? This preliminary work on the theme collect some ideas on the issue and prospect some solution to the light of the work already done in the past. Starting from data collected from the web describing the impact of technology on everyday life, and passing through some studies concerning the impact of technology on the human brain, a new way of conceiving Earth education takes inspiration from a cross cutting of ideas and results coming from different disciplines describing the contemporary world.

Backfilling with guarantees granted upon job submission.

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

Leung, Vitus Joseph; Bunde, David P.; Lindsay, Alexander M.

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present scheduling algorithms that simultaneously support guaranteed starting times and favor jobs with system desired traits. To achieve the first of these goals, our algorithms keep a profile with potential starting times for every unfinished job and never move these starting times later, just as in Conservative Backfilling. To achieve the second, they exploit previously unrecognized flexibility in the handling of holes opened in this profile when jobs finish early. We find that, with one choice of job selection function, our algorithms can consistently yield a lower average waiting time than Conservative Backfilling while still providingmore » a guaranteed start time to each job as it arrives. In fact, in most cases, the algorithms give a lower average waiting time than the more aggressive EASY backfilling algorithm, which does not provide guaranteed start times. Alternately, with a different choice of job selection function, our algorithms can focus the benefit on the widest submitted jobs, the reason for the existence of parallel systems. In this case, these jobs experience significantly lower waiting time than Conservative Backfilling with minimal impact on other jobs.« less

Galileo Infrared Observations of the Shoemaker Levy 9 G and R Fireballs and Splash

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlson, R. W.; Weissman, P. R.; Hui, J.; Segura, M.; Baines, K. H.; Johnson, T. V.; Dossart, P.; Encrenaz, T.; Leader, F.; Mehlman, R.

1995-01-01

The Galileo spacecraft was fortuitously situated for a direct view of the impacts of comet Shoemaker(ka)evy 9 in Jupiter's atmosphere and measurements were recorded by the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) instrument for several of the impact events. Seventeen discrete wavelength channels were used between 0.7 to 5.0 microns, obtained with a time resolution of 5 seconds. Two phases of the impact phenomena are found in the data: the initial fireball, which was evident for one minute, and subsequent fallback of impact ejecta onto the atmosphere, starting six minutes after fireball initiation.

[The impact of parental divorce on the relationships of young adults].

PubMed

De Graaf, A

1996-08-01

"The 1993 Netherlands Fertility and Family Survey shows that parental divorce has an impact on (the attitudes towards) relationships of young adults. Children of divorced parents leave home at an earlier age and have a stronger preference for cohabitation. Once a relationship (cohabitation or marriage) has started, it is more likely to end in separation or divorce." (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

77 FR 1080 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Copper Flat Mine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-09

...] Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Copper Flat Mine Plan of... the Draft EIS. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Copper Flat EIS Project by any of the... New Mexico Copper Corp. to re-start the Copper Flat Mine located in Sierra County, New Mexico. The...

Achievement, Learning, and Seasonal Impact as Measures of School Effectiveness: It's Better to Be Valid than Reliable

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Hippel, Paul T.

2009-01-01

When evaluating schools' effectiveness, is it better to use absolute "achievement levels" or to use "learning rates" over a 9- or 12-month period? Or is it better to use a new measure, seasonal "impact", which is defined as the acceleration in learning rates that occurs when students finish summer vacation and start the school year? Answering this…

The History of UTAUT Model and Its Impact on ICT Acceptance and Usage by Academicians

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oye, N. D.; Iahad, N. A.; Rahim, N. Ab.

2014-01-01

This paper started with the review of the history of technology acceptance model from TRA to UTAUT. The expected contribution is to bring to lime light the current development stage of the technology acceptance model. Based on this, the paper examined the impact of UTAUT model on ICT acceptance and usage in HEIs. The UTAUT model theory was…

Can food vouchers improve nutrition and reduce health inequalities in low-income mothers and young children: a multi-method evaluation of the experiences of beneficiaries and practitioners of the Healthy Start programme in England.

PubMed

McFadden, Alison; Green, Josephine M; Williams, Victoria; McLeish, Jenny; McCormick, Felicia; Fox-Rushby, Julia; Renfrew, Mary J

2014-02-11

Good nutrition is important during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early life to optimise the health of women and children. It is difficult for low-income families to prioritise spending on healthy food. Healthy Start is a targeted United Kingdom (UK) food subsidy programme that gives vouchers for fruit, vegetables, milk, and vitamins to low-income families. This paper reports an evaluation of Healthy Start from the perspectives of women and health practitioners. The multi-method study conducted in England in 2011/2012 included focus group discussions with 49 health practitioners, an online consultation with 620 health and social care practitioners, service managers, commissioners, and user and advocacy groups, and qualitative participatory workshops with 85 low-income women. Additional focus group discussions and telephone interviews included the views of 25 women who did not speak English and three women from Traveller communities. Women reported that Healthy Start vouchers increased the quantity and range of fruit and vegetables they used and improved the quality of family diets, and established good habits for the future. Barriers to registration included complex eligibility criteria, inappropriate targeting of information about the programme by health practitioners and a general low level of awareness among families. Access to the programme was particularly challenging for women who did not speak English, had low literacy levels, were in low paid work or had fluctuating incomes. The potential impact was undermined by the rising price of food relative to voucher value. Access to registered retailers was problematic in rural areas, and there was low registration among smaller shops and market stalls, especially those serving culturally diverse communities. Our evaluation of the Healthy Start programme in England suggests that a food subsidy programme can provide an important nutritional safety net and potentially improve nutrition for pregnant women and young children living on low incomes. Factors that could compromise this impact include erosion of voucher value relative to the rising cost of food, lack of access to registered retailers and barriers to registering for the programme. Addressing these issues could inform the design and implementation of food subsidy programmes in high income countries.

Can food vouchers improve nutrition and reduce health inequalities in low-income mothers and young children: a multi-method evaluation of the experiences of beneficiaries and practitioners of the Healthy Start programme in England

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Good nutrition is important during pregnancy, breastfeeding and early life to optimise the health of women and children. It is difficult for low-income families to prioritise spending on healthy food. Healthy Start is a targeted United Kingdom (UK) food subsidy programme that gives vouchers for fruit, vegetables, milk, and vitamins to low-income families. This paper reports an evaluation of Healthy Start from the perspectives of women and health practitioners. Methods The multi-method study conducted in England in 2011/2012 included focus group discussions with 49 health practitioners, an online consultation with 620 health and social care practitioners, service managers, commissioners, and user and advocacy groups, and qualitative participatory workshops with 85 low-income women. Additional focus group discussions and telephone interviews included the views of 25 women who did not speak English and three women from Traveller communities. Results Women reported that Healthy Start vouchers increased the quantity and range of fruit and vegetables they used and improved the quality of family diets, and established good habits for the future. Barriers to registration included complex eligibility criteria, inappropriate targeting of information about the programme by health practitioners and a general low level of awareness among families. Access to the programme was particularly challenging for women who did not speak English, had low literacy levels, were in low paid work or had fluctuating incomes. The potential impact was undermined by the rising price of food relative to voucher value. Access to registered retailers was problematic in rural areas, and there was low registration among smaller shops and market stalls, especially those serving culturally diverse communities. Conclusions Our evaluation of the Healthy Start programme in England suggests that a food subsidy programme can provide an important nutritional safety net and potentially improve nutrition for pregnant women and young children living on low incomes. Factors that could compromise this impact include erosion of voucher value relative to the rising cost of food, lack of access to registered retailers and barriers to registering for the programme. Addressing these issues could inform the design and implementation of food subsidy programmes in high income countries. PMID:24517737

A very low geno2pheno false positive rate is associated with poor viro-immunological response in drug-naïve patients starting a first-line HAART.

PubMed

Armenia, Daniele; Soulie, Cathia; Di Carlo, Domenico; Fabeni, Lavinia; Gori, Caterina; Forbici, Federica; Svicher, Valentina; Bertoli, Ada; Sarmati, Loredana; Giuliani, Massimo; Latini, Alessandra; Boumis, Evangelo; Zaccarelli, Mauro; Bellagamba, Rita; Andreoni, Massimo; Marcelin, Anne-Geneviève; Calvez, Vincent; Antinori, Andrea; Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca; Perno, Carlo-Federico; Santoro, Maria Mercedes

2014-01-01

We previously found that a very low geno2pheno false positive rate (FPR ≤ 2%) defines a viral population associated with low CD4 cell count and the highest amount of X4-quasispecies. In this study, we aimed at evaluating whether FPR ≤ 2% might impact on the viro-immunological response in HIV-1 infected patients starting a first-line HAART. The analysis was performed on 305 HIV-1 B subtype infected drug-naïve patients who started their first-line HAART. Baseline FPR (%) values were stratified according to the following ranges: ≤ 2; 2-5; 5-10; 10-20; 20-60; >60. The impact of genotypically-inferred tropism on the time to achieve immunological reconstitution (a CD4 cell count gain from HAART initiation ≥ 150 cells/mm(3)) and on the time to achieve virological success (the first HIV-RNA measurement <50 copies/mL from HAART initiation) was evaluated by survival analyses. Overall, at therapy start, 27% of patients had FPR ≤ 10 (6%, FPR ≤ 2; 7%, FPR 2-5; 14%, FPR 5-10). By 12 months of therapy the rate of immunological reconstitution was overall 75.5%, and it was significantly lower for FPR ≤ 2 (54.1%) in comparison to other FPR ranks (78.8%, FPR 2-5; 77.5%, FPR 5-10; 71.7%, FPR 10-20; 81.8%, FPR 20-60; 75.1%, FPR >60; p = 0.008). The overall proportion of patients achieving virological success was 95.5% by 12 months of therapy. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that patients having pre-HAART FPR ≤ 2% had a significant lower relative adjusted hazard [95% C.I.] both to achieve immunological reconstitution (0.37 [0.20-0.71], p = 0.003) and to achieve virological success (0.50 [0.26-0.94], p = 0.031) than those with pre-HAART FPR >60%. Beyond the genotypically-inferred tropism determination, FPR ≤ 2% predicts both a poor immunological reconstitution and a lower virological response in drug-naïve patients who started their first-line therapy. This parameter could be useful to identify patients potentially with less chance of achieving adequate immunological reconstitution and virological undetectability.

Clinical consequences of initial duloxetine dosing strategies: Comparison of 30 and 60 mg QD starting doses

PubMed Central

Dunner, David L.; Wohlreich, Madelaine M.; Mallinckrodt, Craig H.; Watkin, John G.; Fava, Maurizio

2005-01-01

Background: To reduce the risk for treatment-emergent adverse events and increase patient compliance, clinicians frequently prescribe a suboptimal starting dose of antidepressants, with the goal of increasing the dose once the patient has demonstrated tolerability. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and effectiveness associated with an initial week of duloxetine hydrochloride treatment at 30 mg QD and subsequent dose increase to 60 mg QD, compared with a starting dose of 60 mg QD. Methods: In this open-label study, all patients met the criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD) described in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Patients were required to wash out from previous antidepressant medications for 21 days, and were then randomized to receive duloxetine 30 or 60 mg QD for 1 week. After 1 week, patients receiving duloxetine 30 mg QD had their dose increased to 60 mg QD. Patients returned for assessments at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12. During the remainder of the 12-week study period, the duloxetine dose could be titrated based on the degree of response from 60 mg QD (minimum) to 120 mg QD (maximum), with 90 mg QD as an intermediate dose. Tolerability was assessed by means of discontinuation rates, spontaneously reported adverse events, changes in vital signs, and laboratory tests. Effectiveness measures included the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD17) total score, HAMD17 core and Maier subscales, individual HAMD17 items, the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety total score, and the Clinical Global Impression of Severity. Results: One hundred thirty-seven patients were enrolled (82 women, 55 men; mean age, 42 years; duloxetine 30 mg QD, 67 patients; duloxetine 60 mg QD, 70 patients). The rate of discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ significantly between patients starting duloxetine at 30 mg QD and 60 mg QD (13.4% vs 18.6%). The most frequently reported adverse events across both treatment groups were nausea, headache, dry mouth, insomnia, and diarrhea. In the first week of treatment, patients receiving duloxetine 30 mg QD had a significantly lower rate of nausea compared with patients receiving 60 mg QD (16.4% vs 32.9%; P = 0.03). Over the 12-week acute-treatment phase, patients starting duloxetine treatment at 30 mg QD had a significantly lower rate of nausea compared with patients initiating treatment at 60 mg QD (P = 0.047). Although between-group differences in the HAMD17 total score were not statistically significant at any visit, patients starting at 30 mg QD experienced significantly less improvement in HAMD17 core and Maier subscales at week 1 compared with patients starting at 60 mg QD (core, P= 0.044; Maier, P = 0.047). After 2 weeks of treatment, the magnitude of improvement among patients starting at 30 mg QD did not differ significantly from that observed in patients who started treatment at 60 mg QD, and there were no significant between-group differences in effectiveness at any subsequent visit. Conclusions: Results from this open-label study in patients with MDD suggest that starting duloxetine treatment at 30 mg QD for 1 week, followed by escalation to 60 mg QD, might reduce the risk for treatment-emergent nausea in these patients while producing only a transitory impact on effectiveness compared with a starting dose of 60 mg QD. PMID:24678074

Moving beyond GK–12

PubMed Central

Ufnar, J. A.; Kuner, Susan; Shepherd, V. L.

2012-01-01

The National Science Foundation GK–12 program has made more than 300 awards to universities, supported thousands of graduate student trainees, and impacted thousands of K–12 students and teachers. The goals of the current study were to determine the number of sustained GK–12 programs that follow the original GK–12 structure of placing graduate students into classrooms and to propose models for universities with current funding or universities interested in starting a program. Results from surveys, literature reviews, and Internet searches of programs funded between 1999 and 2008 indicated that 19 of 188 funded sites had sustained in-classroom programs. Three distinct models emerged from an analysis of these programs: a full-stipend model, in which graduate fellows worked with partner teachers in a K–12 classroom for 2 d/wk; a supplemental stipend model in which fellows worked with teachers for 1 d/wk; and a service-learning model, in which in-classroom activity was integrated into university academic coursework. Based on these results, potential models for sustainability and replication are suggested, including establishment of formal collaborations between sustained GK–12 programs and universities interested in starting in-classroom programs; development of a new Teaching Experience for Fellows program; and integration of supplemental fellow stipends into grant broader-impact sections. PMID:22949421

Modeling Low Velocity Impacts: Predicting Crater Depth on Pluto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bray, V. J.; Schenk, P.

2014-12-01

The New Horizons mission is due to fly-by the Pluto system in Summer 2015 and provides the first opportunity to image the Pluto surface in detail, allowing both the appearance and number of its crater population to be studied for the first time. Bray and Schenk (2014) combined previous cratering studies and numerical modeling of the impact process to predict crater morphology on Pluto based on current understanding of Pluto's composition, structure and surrounding impactor population. Predictions of how the low mean impact velocity (~2km/s) of the Pluto system will influence crater formation is a complex issue. Observations of secondary cratering (low velocity, high angle) and laboratory experiments of impact at low velocity are at odds regarding how velocity controls depth-diameter ratios: Observations of secondary craters show that these low velocity craters are shallower than would be expected for a hyper-velocity primary. Conversely, gas gun work has shown that relative crater depth increases as impact velocity decreases. We have investigated the influence of impact velocity further with iSALE hydrocode modeling of comet impact into Pluto. With increasing impact velocity, a projectile will produce wider and deeper craters. The depth-diameter ratio (d/D) however has a more complex progression with increasing impact velocity: impacts faster than 2km/s lead to smaller d/D ratios as impact velocity increases, in agreement with gas-gun studies. However, decreasing impact velocity from 2km/s to 300 m/s produced smaller d/D as impact velocity was decreased. This suggests that on Pluto the deepest craters would be produced by ~ 2km/s impacts, with shallower craters produced by velocities either side of this critical point. Further simulations to investigate whether this effect is connected to the sound speed of the target material are ongoing. The complex relationship between impact velocity and crater depth for impacts occurring between 300m/s and 10 km/s suggests that there might be a larger range of 'pristine' crater depths on Pluto than on bodies with higher mean impact velocity. This might affect our ability to define a pristine crater depth as a starting point for crater infill and relaxation studies.

Missed opportunities for impact in patient and carer involvement: a mixed methods case study of research priority setting.

PubMed

Snow, R; Crocker, J C; Crowe, S

2015-01-01

Healthcare workers want to listen more to patients and their carers in all sorts of areas of healthcare. This can include choosing topics for medical research. We looked at how patients and carers have helped to choose topics for research about type I diabetes. We aimed to find out if, and why, researchers often rejected their choices. We looked at a project which brought together patients, carers and healthcare workers to choose topics for research about type 1 diabetes. The group first asked patients, carers and healthcare workers to suggest ideas for research questions. But the group had to follow rules about what counted as a good research question. Some people's ideas did not count as good research questions, and they were rejected at the start. We looked at who were most likely to have their ideas rejected at the start. We found that patients and carers were most likely to have a suggestion rejected. Then we looked at the rejected questions in detail. They were mostly about curing diabetes, preventing diabetes and understanding how diabetes works. There were also some questions about access to medicines and the quality of care. Researchers should ask patients and carers for help deciding what counts as a good research question from the start of projects like these. We should also think about what might be getting in the way of patients and carers making more of a difference in research. Background Patients and carers are increasingly involved in deciding on topics for medical research. However, so far, it has been difficult to gain an accurate picture of the impact of such involvement because of poor reporting and evaluation in published studies to date. This study aimed to explore how a partnership of patients, carers, healthcare professionals and organisations identified questions for future research and why patients and carers had a limited impact on this process. Methods In the first stage of the partnership process, relevant service users and providers (including patients, carers, healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations) were invited to submit suggested research questions about the treatment of type 1 diabetes, via a national online and paper survey. The partnership followed formal protocols that defined a researchable question. This meant that many respondents' suggested research questions were rejected at the start of the process. We analysed survey submissions to find out which groups of respondents were most likely to have their suggestions rejected and what these suggestions were about. Results Five hundred eighty-three respondents submitted 1143 suggested research questions, of which 249 (21.8 %) were rejected at the first stage. Respondents with lived experience of this long-term condition (patients and carers) were more likely than those without lived experience to submit a research question that would be rejected (35.6 vs. 16.5 %; p  < 0.0005). Among the rejected questions submitted by patients and carers, there were several key themes: questions about cure, cause and prevention, understanding the disease, healthcare policy and economics. Conclusions In this case study, early decisions about what constituted a researchable question restricted patients' and carers' contributions to priority setting. When discussions about a project's remit take place before service users are involved, researchers risk distorting the potential impact of involvement. Impact assessments should consider not only the differences patients and carers make to research but also the differences they could have made in the absence of systemic barriers. We recommend that initiatives aimed at involving patients and carers in identifying research questions involve them as early as possible, including in decisions about how and why suggested research questions are selected or rejected.

Usability and Acceptability of a Mobile Comprehensive HIV Prevention App for Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Driggers, Robert; Stekler, Joanne D; Siegler, Aaron; Goldenberg, Tamar; McDougal, Sarah J; Caucutt, Jason; Jones, Jeb; Stephenson, Rob

2017-01-01

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the group most impacted by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the only subgroup in the United States among which new HIV diagnoses are not decreasing. To achieve the US National HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Strategy goals of reducing new diagnoses by 25%, high (eg, 30-50%) coverage of multiple HIV prevention interventions is needed in both urban and rural areas. Mobile phone “apps” are an important channel through which prevention services could be provided at scale and at low marginal cost. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a theory-based Android mobile phone app for HIV prevention. Methods The app included self-assessment tools; prevention recommendations; commodity (condoms, HIV self-tests) ordering; reminders to MSM for basic HIV prevention services, HIV testing, condom use, screening for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP); and prevention and treatment provider locators. The study recruited HIV-negative, Android-using MSM in Atlanta and Seattle who were asked to use the app for 4 months and complete a post-use survey. We measured the use of the app and its features, ordering of commodities, self-report of establishing an HIV testing plan, being HIV tested in the community, and starting PrEP or using nPEP. Usability was assessed using the system usability scale (SUS). Results A total of 121 MSM were enrolled (59.5%, 72/121 from Atlanta; 40.5%, 49/121 from Seattle). Median age was 28. Nearly half (48.8%, 59/121) were nonwhite, and most (85.9%, 104/121) were gay-identified. Most had tested for HIV in the past (85.1%, 103/121), and 52 (43.0%, 52/121) had a plan to test for HIV regularly. Men used the app for an average of 17.7 minutes over the first 4 months. Over the 4-month period, over half ordered condoms (63.6%, 77/121) and HIV test kits (52.8%, 64/121) on the app. Eight of 86 (9%) PrEP-eligible MSM started PrEP during the 4-month period; of those, 6 of the 8 reported that the app influenced their decision to start PrEP. The mean SUS was 73 (above average). Conclusions A theory-based mobile phone app was acceptable to MSM and was rated as having above-average usability. Most men used the commodity-ordering features of the app during the 4-month evaluation period, and nearly 1 in 10 PrEP-eligible men started PrEP, with most attributing their decision to start PrEP in part to the app. A broader, randomized controlled study of the impact of the app on uptake of prevention behaviors for MSM is warranted. PMID:28279949

Interval Between Hysterectomy and Start of Radiation Treatment Is Predictive of Recurrence in Patients With Endometrial Carcinoma

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

Cattaneo, Richard; Hanna, Rabbie K.; Jacobsen, Gordon

Purpose: Adjuvant radiation therapy (RT) has been shown to improve local control in patients with endometrial carcinoma. We analyzed the impact of the time interval between hysterectomy and RT initiation in patients with endometrial carcinoma. Methods and Materials: In this institutional review board-approved study, we identified 308 patients with endometrial carcinoma who received adjuvant RT after hysterectomy. All patients had undergone hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and pelvic and para-aortic lymph node evaluation from 1988 to 2010. Patients' demographics, pathologic features, and treatments were compared. The time interval between hysterectomy and the start of RT was calculated. The effects of time interval onmore » recurrence-free (RFS), disease-specific (DSS), and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Following univariate analysis, multivariate modeling was performed. Results: The median age and follow-up for the study cohort was 65 years and 72 months, respectively. Eighty-five percent of the patients had endometrioid carcinoma. RT was delivered with high-dose-rate brachytherapy alone (29%), pelvic RT alone (20%), or both (51%). Median time interval to start RT was 42 days (range, 21-130 days). A total of 269 patients (74%) started their RT <9 weeks after undergoing hysterectomy (group 1) and 26% started ≥9 weeks after surgery (group 2). There were a total of 43 recurrences. Tumor recurrence was significantly associated with treatment delay of ≥9 weeks, with 5-year RFS of 90% for group 1 compared to only 39% for group 2 (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, RT delay of ≥9 weeks (P<.001), presence of lymphovascular space involvement (P=.001), and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grade (P=.012) were independent predictors of recurrence. In addition, RT delay of ≥9 weeks was an independent significant predictor for worse DSS and OS (P=.001 and P=.01, respectively). Conclusions: Delay in administering adjuvant RT after hysterectomy was associated with worse survival endpoints. Our data suggest that shorter time interval between hysterectomy and start of RT may be beneficial.« less

Do substantial BMI reduction episodes among Swedish schoolchildren have any impact on their final height?

PubMed

Nilsen, Bente B; Yngve, Agneta; Werner, Bo

2018-07-01

This study investigated whether substantial body mass index (BMI) reductions in Swedish schoolchildren aged seven years to 19 years, caused by disease, healthy or unhealthy behaviour, had any impact on their final height. We used height and weight data on 6572 subjects from two nationally representative longitudinal samples of Swedish children born in 1973 and 1981. These provided information on their final height and any BMI reduction episodes. Of the 6572 subjects (50.9% boys), among individuals with information on final height, 1118 had a BMI reduction of 5% and <10%, and 346 had at least one substantial BMI reduction of 10% or more. On a group level, there was no statistically significant difference in the final height of individuals with BMI reductions of 10% or more and those without. The findings were independent of age and the subject's BMI at the start of the reduction episode. However, there were a number of cases where a substantial BMI reduction probably had an impact on the subject's final height. Our study found no evidence that a substantial BMI reduction had any impact on final height on a group level, but further analyses of specific case studies are necessary to determine whether substantial BMI reduction might have an impact on final height. ©2018 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Air jet erosion test on plasma sprayed surface by varying erodent impingement pressure and impingement angle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behera, Ajit; Behera, Asit; Mishra, S. C.; Pani, S.; Parida, P.

2015-02-01

Fly-ash premixed with quartz and illmenite powder in different weight proportions are thermal sprayed on mild steel and copper substrates at various input power levels of the plasma torch ranging from 11 kW to 21 kW DC. The erosion test has done using Air Jet erosion test Reg (As per ASTM G76) with silica erodent typically 150-250 pm in size. Multiple tests were performed at increasing the time duration from 60 sec to 180 sec with increasing pressure (from 1 bar to 2.5 bar) and angle (60° & 90°). This study reveals that the impact velocity and impact angle are two most significant parameters among various factors influencing the wear rate of these coatings. The mechanisms and microstructural changes that arise during erosion wear are studied by using SEM. It is found that, when erodent are impacting the fresh un-eroded surface, material removal occurs by the continuous evolution of craters on the surface. Upper layer splats are removed out after 60 sec and second layer splat erosion starts. Based on these observations Physical models are developed. Some graphs plotted between mass loss-rate versus time period/impact Pressure/impact Angle gives good correlation with surface features observed.

Genetic Counseling Graduate Student Debt: Impact on Program, Career and Life Choices

PubMed Central

Kuhl, Ashley; Reiser, Catherine; Eickhoff, Jens; Petty, Elizabeth M

2015-01-01

The cost of education is rising, increasing student financial aid and debt for students pursuing higher education. A few studies have assessed the impact of student debt in medicine, physical therapy and social work, but little is known about the impact of student debt on genetic counseling students and graduates. To address this gap in knowledge, a web-based study of 408 recent alumni of genetic counseling programs in North America was conducted to assess the impact of student debt on program, career and life choices. Over half (63%; n=256/408) of the participants reported that loans were extremely important in their ability to attend their training program, with most using subsidized loans no longer available to current graduate students. While participants were generally satisfied with their genetic counseling education, 83% (n=282/342) of participants with student debt reported feeling burdened by their debt, which had a median of $40,000-$50,000. This debt is relatively close to the median starting salary reported by survey participants ($45,000-$50,000), breaching the “20-10 rule” that states student debt should not exceed 20% of annual net income. In response to this critical issue, we propose recommendations for the genetic counseling field that may help alleviate student debt impact and burden. PMID:24578121

Saltwater icephobicity: Influence of surface chemistry on saltwater icing

PubMed Central

Carpenter, Katherine; Bahadur, Vaibhav

2015-01-01

Most studies on icephobicity focus on ice formation with pure water. This manuscript presents studies to understand the influence of surfaces on saltwater ice nucleation and propagation. Experiments are conducted to quantify the influence of surface chemistry on saltwater ice nucleation and to understand the utility of superhydrophobic surfaces for saltwater icephobicity. These experiments are conducted with pure water and two sodium chloride solutions, which represent the salinity of seawater and briny produced water. It is seen that the presence of salt slows down the ice front propagation velocity significantly. Saltwater droplet impact dynamics on superhydrophobic surfaces are also different from pure water. Saltwater droplets retract more and a greater fraction of impacting liquid is repelled from the superhydrophobic surface. It is seen that the greater bounciness of saltwater droplets is a result of slower ice nucleation propagation kinetics. These experiments indicate that superhydrophobic surfaces will have better resistance to impact icing with saltwater than pure water and can remain useful at temperatures as low as −40 °C. Overall, this work is a starting point for further studies on heterogeneous nucleation in saltwater and serves as a bridge between the widely studied freshwater icephobic surfaces and saltwater-related applications. PMID:26626958

International service trade and its implications for human resources for health: a case study of Thailand.

PubMed

Wibulpolprasert, Suwit; Pachanee, Cha-Aim; Pitayarangsarit, Siriwan; Hempisut, Pintusorn

2004-06-29

This study aims at analysing the impact of international service trade on the health care system, particularly in terms of human resources for health (HRH), using Thailand as a case study. Information was gathered through a literature review and interviews of relevant experts, as well as a brainstorming session.It was found that international service trade has greatly affected the Thai health care system and its HRH. From 1965 to 1975 there was massive emigration of physicians from Thailand in response to increasing demand in the United States of America. The country lost about 1,500 physicians, 20% of its total number, during that period.External migration of health professionals occurred without relation to agreements on trade in services. It was also found that free trade in service sectors other than health could seriously affect the health care system and HRH. Free trade in financial services with free flow of low-interest foreign loans, which started in 1993 in Thailand, resulted in the mushrooming of urban private hospitals between 1994 and 1997. This was followed by intensive internal migration of health professionals from rural public to urban private hospitals.After the economic crisis in 1997, with the resulting downturn of the private health sector, reverse brain drain was evident. At the same time, foreign investors started to invest in the bankrupt private hospitals. Since 2001, the return of economic growth and the influx of foreign patients have started another round of internal brain drain.

International service trade and its implications for human resources for health: a case study of Thailand

PubMed Central

Wibulpolprasert, Suwit; Pachanee, Cha-aim; Pitayarangsarit, Siriwan; Hempisut, Pintusorn

2004-01-01

This study aims at analysing the impact of international service trade on the health care system, particularly in terms of human resources for health (HRH), using Thailand as a case study. Information was gathered through a literature review and interviews of relevant experts, as well as a brainstorming session. It was found that international service trade has greatly affected the Thai health care system and its HRH. From 1965 to 1975 there was massive emigration of physicians from Thailand in response to increasing demand in the United States of America. The country lost about 1,500 physicians, 20% of its total number, during that period. External migration of health professionals occurred without relation to agreements on trade in services. It was also found that free trade in service sectors other than health could seriously affect the health care system and HRH. Free trade in financial services with free flow of low-interest foreign loans, which started in 1993 in Thailand, resulted in the mushrooming of urban private hospitals between 1994 and 1997. This was followed by intensive internal migration of health professionals from rural public to urban private hospitals. After the economic crisis in 1997, with the resulting downturn of the private health sector, reverse brain drain was evident. At the same time, foreign investors started to invest in the bankrupt private hospitals. Since 2001, the return of economic growth and the influx of foreign patients have started another round of internal brain drain. PMID:15225376

The social, educational and cognitive factors of success in the first year of university: A case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morlaix, Sophie; Suchaut, Bruno

2014-12-01

The main objective of this study, which evaluated a sample of first-year students enrolled at the University of Burgundy, France, in 2010-2011, is to understand the factors determining success in the first year of university. The originality of this research lies in the inclusion of specific indicators of students' skills when they start university within the explanatory models of educational achievement. These indicators include measures of academic performance (written comprehension skills) and cognitive abilities. While the impact of cognitive abilities on educational success has been examined at primary level in France, the present study is among the first to do this at higher education level, with the additional consideration of students' educational and social backgrounds. The results show the significant impact of educational background (repeated years, type of baccalaureate and baccalaureate grade) on success. The researchers also found that written comprehension skills and cognitive abilities alone play a limited role in explaining success, since the impacts of these variables are apparent throughout a student's educational career (and not just in higher education). Another finding was that subject choice based on specific career aspirations is an important factor associated with success - a significant insight which qualifies the impact of educational background.

Subject-specific computer simulation model for determining elbow loading in one-handed tennis backhand groundstrokes.

PubMed

King, Mark A; Glynn, Jonathan A; Mitchell, Sean R

2011-11-01

A subject-specific angle-driven computer model of a tennis player, combined with a forward dynamics, equipment-specific computer model of tennis ball-racket impacts, was developed to determine the effect of ball-racket impacts on loading at the elbow for one-handed backhand groundstrokes. Matching subject-specific computer simulations of a typical topspin/slice one-handed backhand groundstroke performed by an elite tennis player were done with root mean square differences between performance and matching simulations of < 0.5 degrees over a 50 ms period starting from ball impact. Simulation results suggest that for similar ball-racket impact conditions, the difference in elbow loading for a topspin and slice one-handed backhand groundstroke is relatively small. In this study, the relatively small differences in elbow loading may be due to comparable angle-time histories at the wrist and elbow joints with the major kinematic differences occurring at the shoulder. Using a subject-specific angle-driven computer model combined with a forward dynamics, equipment-specific computer model of tennis ball-racket impacts allows peak internal loading, net impulse, and shock due to ball-racket impact to be calculated which would not otherwise be possible without impractical invasive techniques. This study provides a basis for further investigation of the factors that may increase elbow loading during tennis strokes.

[Clinical impact of opening a human milk bank in a neonatal unit].

PubMed

Vázquez-Román, S; Bustos-Lozano, G; López-Maestro, M; Rodríguez-López, J; Orbea-Gallardo, C; Samaniego-Fernández, M; Pallás-Alonso, C R

2014-09-01

The benefits of donor human milk compared with artificial formulas have been well demonstrated; nevertheless the impact in the clinical practice of opening a human milk bank within a neonatal unit has not yet been studied. The main aim of this study was to analyze the impact on the clinical practice of opening a human milk bank in a neonatal unit to provide donor human milk for preterm infants ≤ 32 weeks of gestational age. A before and after study was designed, with the intervention being the opening a human milk bank. Preterm infants ≤ 32 weeks of gestational age born in the Hospital 12 Octubre from July to December 2005 and January to June 2008 (firsts 6 months after opening the human milk bank) were included. After opening the human milk bank, enteral feedings were started 31h before (P<.001), 100ml/kg/day were achieved 59.5h before (P<.001) and 150 ml/kg/day 52 h before (P=.002). Enteral feedings were never started LM with artificial formula, the exposure to formula in the first 15 days of life was reduced from 50% to 16.6%, and it's consumption during the first 28 days of life was significantly reduced. There was a higher consumption of own mother's milk during the hospital stay, and a higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge (54% vs 40%). The availability of donor human milk has led to quicker progression with enteral feedings and earlier withdrawal of parenteral nutrition. It has reduced the exposure to artificial formulas, and has also increased the intake of own mother's milk during the hospital stay and the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at hospital discharge. Copyright © 2013 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Budget impact of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes who experience severe recurrent hypoglycemic episodes in Spain.

PubMed

Giménez, Marga; Elías, Isabel; Álvarez, María; Quirós, Carmen; Conget, Ignacio

Hypoglycemia is one of the most common complications to achieve a good metabolic control, and has been listed by several scientific associations as a common indication to start treatment with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Use of CSII is still residual in Spain as compared to neighbouring countries, and cost of acquisition cost is one of the main reasons. This study estimates the budget impact of treatment with CSII, as compared to multiple daily insulin injections, of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who experience recurrent severe hypoglycemia episodes from the National Healthcare System perspective. Budget impact was based on a retrospective, observational study evaluating the efficacy of CSII in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus conducted at Hospital Clínic i Universitari in Barcelona, where one of the main indications for switching to CSII were recurrent severe hypoglycemia episodes. The mean number of annual episodes was 1.33 in the two years prior to CSII start and 0.08 in the last two years of follow up (p=0.003). Costs of treatment and major hypoglycemic events over a four-year period were considered. Costs were taken from different Spanish data sources and expressed in € of 2016. Treatment with CSII increased costs by €9,509 per patient as compared to multiple daily insulin injections (€11,902-€2,393). Cost associated to severe hypoglycemic events decreased by €19,330 per patient treated with CSIII (€1,371-€20,701). Results suggest mean total savings of €9,821 per patient during the four-year study period. The higher costs associated to CSII therapy may be totally offset by the severe hypoglycemic events prevented. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Impact of Hurricane Irma in the post-recovery of Matthew in South Carolina, the South Atlantic Bight (Western Atlantic)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, M. S.; Levine, N. S.; Jaume, S. C.; Hendricks, J. K.; Rubin, N. D.; Hernandez, J. L.

2017-12-01

The impacts on the Southeastern United States (SEUS, Western Atlantic) from Hurricane Irma in Sept 2017 were felt primarily on the active coastline with the third highest inland storm surge in Charleston and Savannah since the 19th Century. Coastal geometry, waves, and wind duration had a strong influence on the storm surge and coastal erosion impacts regionally. To the North and immediate South, impacts were much less. A full year after the 2016 hurricane season (Hurricane Matthew), the lack of regional recovery reduced protection against Irma. The most devastating impacts of Irma in the SAB occurred from 300 to 500 km away from the eye, on the opposite side of the Floridian peninsula. As Irma devastated the Caribbean, winds started to increases off the SAB on September 8 in the early morning, continuing for the next 3 days and blowing directly towards the SC and GA coasts. Tide gauges started to respond the night of September 8, while waves started arriving in the SEUS around Sept 6. Coastal erosion pre- and post-Irma has been calculated for Central SC using vertical and oblique aerial photos. Citizen Science initiatives through the Charleston Resilience Network have provided on-the-ground data during storms when transportation infrastructures were closed, and allow for ground-truth post-storm of surge and impacts. Said information was collected through Facebook, Google, and other social media. Pictures with timestamps and water heights were collected and are validating inundation flood maps generated for the Charleston SC region. The maps have 1-m horizontal and 7- to 15-cm vertical accuracy. Inundation surfaces were generated at MHHW up to a maximum surge in 6 inch increments. The flood extents of the modeled surge and the photographic evidence show a high correspondence. Storm surge measurements from RTK-GPS provide regional coverage of surge elevations from the coast, inland, and allow for testing of modeled results and model tuning. With Hurricane Irma hitting the SEUS at barely tropical storm power, the level of impact only amplifies the need for more extensive understanding of increased sea-level rise, of poorly understood coastal dynamics in the region, and of infrastructure exposed to more extreme conditions, as our beaches continue to collapse in the face of poor coastal management paradigms.

When is a carer's employment at risk? Longitudinal analysis of unpaid care and employment in midlife in England.

PubMed

King, Derek; Pickard, Linda

2013-05-01

This article examines the thresholds at which provision of unpaid care affects employment in England. Previous research has shown that providing care for 20 or more hours a week has a negative effect on employment. The present article explores the impact of a lower threshold and asks whether provision of care for 10 or more hours a week has a negative effect on employment. The article focuses on women and men aged between 50 and State Pension Age (60 for women, 65 for men). The study uses data from the first four waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), collected in 2002/2003, 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and 2008/2009. Across these waves, there are 17,123 people aged 50-59/64 years, of whom 9% provide unpaid care to an adult. Using logistic regression analysis of the longitudinal data, the study finds that employed women in their fifties who start providing care for <10 hours a week are significantly more likely to remain in employment one wave later than similar women who have not started to provide care. In contrast, employed women in their fifties who start providing care for 10 or more hours a week are significantly less likely to remain in employment one wave later than similar women who have not started to provide care. Employed men aged between 50 and State Pension Age, who provide care for 10 or more hours a week at the beginning of the period have a significantly reduced employment rate one wave later than those who do not provide care. The study therefore suggests that carers' employment may be negatively affected when care is provided at a lower intensity than is generally estimated in England. This has important implications for local authorities, who have a duty to provide services to carers whose employment is at risk. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Urgent-Start Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis in ESRD Patients: Complications and Outcomes.

PubMed

Jin, Haijiao; Fang, Wei; Zhu, Mingli; Yu, Zanzhe; Fang, Yan; Yan, Hao; Zhang, Minfang; Wang, Qin; Che, Xiajing; Xie, Yuanyuan; Huang, Jiaying; Hu, Chunhua; Zhang, Haifen; Mou, Shan; Ni, Zhaohui

2016-01-01

Several studies have suggested that urgent-start peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a feasible alternative to hemodialysis (HD) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), but the impact of the dialysis modality on outcome, especially on short-term complications, in urgent-start dialysis has not been directly evaluated. The aim of the current study was to compare the complications and outcomes of PD and HD in urgent-start dialysis ESRD patients. In this retrospective study, ESRD patients who initiated dialysis urgently without a pre-established functional vascular access or PD catheter at a single center from January 2013 to December 2014 were included. Patients were grouped according to their dialysis modality (PD and HD). Each patient was followed for at least 30 days after catheter insertion (until January 2016). Dialysis-related complications and patient survival were compared between the two groups. Our study enrolled 178 patients (56.2% male), of whom 96 and 82 patients were in the PD and HD groups, respectively. Compared with HD patients, PD patients had more cardiovascular disease, less heart failure, higher levels of serum potassium, hemoglobin, serum albumin, serum pre-albumin, and lower levels of brain natriuretic peptide. There were no significant differences in gender, age, use of steroids, early referral to a nephrologist, prevalence of primary renal diseases, prevalence of co-morbidities, and other laboratory characteristics between the groups. The incidence of dialysis-related complications during the first 30 days was significantly higher in HD than PD patients. HD patients had a significantly higher probability of bacteremia compared to PD patients. HD was an independent predictor of short-term (30-day) dialysis-related complications. There was no significant difference between PD and HD patients with respect to patient survival rate. In an experienced center, PD is a safe and feasible dialysis alternative to HD for ESRD patients with an urgent need for dialysis.

Budgetary Impact Analysis of Reimbursement Varenicline for the Smoking-Cessation Treatment in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus: A National Health System Perspective.

PubMed

Cedillo, Sergio; Sicras-Mainar, Antoni; Jiménez-Ruiz, Carlos A; Fernández de Bobadilla, Jaime; Rejas-Gutiérrez, Javier

2017-01-01

The study aimed to assess the budgetary impact (BI) of reimbursing varenicline in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), type-2 diabetes mellitus (t2-DM) or cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The BI was estimated comparing the current non-reimbursed scenario versus a projected reimbursed scenario using the Spanish National Health System (SNHS) perspective. A hybrid model was developed using epidemiological data and Markov chains to estimate smoking cessation rates with varenicline during a 5-year horizon. Costs of cessation were considered in the reimbursement scenario only. Efficacy, expressed as a 1-year continuous abstinence rate, was derived from clinical trials. Cost savings due to smoking cessation were extracted from local cost-of-illness studies. Results are shown as incremental cost savings. Univariate sensitivity analysis was also applied. A total of 68,684 patients stopped smoking in the reimbursed scenario compared with 15,208 without reimbursement. In the reimbursed scenario, total savings accounted for €36.3 million, showing 14.6 million accumulated additional savings compared with the scenario without reimbursement. Sensitivity analyses showed results to be robust with monetary savings starting in the third year of modeling. Reimbursement of varenicline in smoking cessation is a cost-effective health policy in the SNHS in COPD, t2-DM or CVD, and could produce cost savings starting in the third year of implementation. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Impact of North Carolina's Early Childhood Programs and Policies on Educational Outcomes in Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodge, Kenneth A.; Bai, Yu; Ladd, Helen F.; Muschkin, Clara G.

2017-01-01

North Carolina's Smart Start and More at Four (MAF) early childhood programs were evaluated through the end of elementary school (age 11) by estimating the impact of state funding allocations to programs in each of 100 counties across 13 consecutive years on outcomes for all children in each county-year group (n = 1,004,571; 49% female; 61%…

Mountain pine beetles: A century of knowledge, control attempts, and impacts central to the Black Hills

Treesearch

Russell T. Graham; Lance A. Asherin; Michael A. Battaglia; Terrie Jain; Stephen A. Mata

2016-01-01

This publication chronicles the understanding, controlling, and impacts of mountain pine beetles (MPB) central to the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming from the time they were described by Hopkins in 1902, through the presentation of data from work started by Schmid and Mata in 1985. The plots established by these two men from 1985 through 1994 were subjected to...

Impact-induced devolatilization and hydrogen isotopic fractionation of serpentine: Implications for planetary accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyburczy, James A.; Krishnamurthy, R. V.; Epstein, Samuel; Ahrens, Thomas J.

1988-01-01

Impact-induced devolatilization of porous serpentine was investigated using two independent experimental methods, the gas recovery and the solid recovery method, each yielding nearly identical results. For shock pressures near incipient devolatilization, the hydrogen isotopic composition of the evolved H2O is very close to that of the starting material. For shock pressures at which up to 12 percent impact-induced devolatilization occurs, the bulk evolved gas is significantly lower in deuterium than the starting material. There is also significant reduction of H2O to H2 in gases recovered at these higher shock pressures, probably caused by reaction of evolved H2O with the metal gas recovery fixture. Gaseous H2O-H2 isotopic fractionation suggests high temperature isotopic equilibrium between the gaseous species, indicating initiation of devolatilization at sites of greater than average energy deposition. Bulk gas-residual solid isotopic fractionations indicate nonequilibrium, kinetic control of gas-solid isotopic ratios. Impact-induced hydrogen isotopic fractionation of hydrous silicates during accretion can strongly affect the long-term planetary isotopic ratios of planetary bodies, leaving the interiors enriched in deuterium. Depending on the model used for extrapolation of the isotopic fractionation to devolatilization fractions greater than those investigated experimentally can result from this process.

The impact of embedded support for underprepared students in a college chemistry course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesser, Tiffany L.

This quasi-experimental study examined the impact of embedded support on academic success for students requiring remediation in college chemistry. Additional support for underprepared students incorporated within a course is recommended by Connecticut's Public Act 12-40, An Act Concerning College Readiness and Completion. For this study, embedded support consisted of weekly instructional support sessions and introduced the concepts of metacognitive awareness and motivation in learning. Students' progression through the course was measured using a series of standardized questions. Metacognitive awareness and motivation levels were measure at the start and completion of the semester using the Metacognitive Awareness Inventory (MAI) and Motivated Student Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ). It was found that with embedded support, underprepared students performed academically at a level equivalent to that of their college-ready peers. Based on these results, this embedded support model as an evidence-based practice should be considered in class development or policies surrounding students identified as underprepared.

New graduate nurse transition programs: Relationships with bullying and access to support.

PubMed

Rush, Kathy L; Adamack, Monica; Gordon, Jason; Janke, Robert

2014-01-01

Abstract New graduate nurses are often targets of bullying and horizontal violence. The support offered by new graduate nurse transition programs may moderate the effects of bullying and limit its negative impact on new graduate nurse transition. This study examined the relationships between access to support, workplace bullying and new graduate nurse transition within the context of new graduate transition programs. As part of a mixed methods study, an online survey was administered to new graduates (N = 245) approximately a year from starting employment. Bullied new graduate nurses were less able to access support when needed and had poorer transition experiences than their non-bullied peers. Participation in a formal transition program improved access to support and transition for bullied new graduate nurses. People supports within transition programs positively influenced the new graduate nurse transition experience. Formal transition programs provide support that attenuates the impact of bullying on new graduate nurses and improves transition.

New Graduate Transition Programs: Relationships With Access to Support and Bullying.

PubMed

Rush, Kathy L; Adamack, Monica; Gordon, Jason; Janke, Robert

2014-02-03

Abstract New graduate nurses are often targets of bullying and horizontal violence. The support offered by new graduate nurse transition programs may moderate the effects of bullying and limit its negative impact on new graduate nurse transition. This study examined the relationships between access to support, workplace bullying and new graduate nurse transition within the context of New Graduate Transition programs. As part of a mixed methods study, an online survey was administered to new graduates (n=245) approximately a year from starting employment. Bullied new graduate nurses were less able to access support when needed and had poorer transition experiences than their non-bullied peers. Participation in a formal transition program improved access to support and transition for bullied new graduate nurses. People supports within transition programs positively influenced the new graduate nurse transition experience. Formal transition programs provide support that attenuates the impact of bullying on new graduate nurses and improves transition.

Facilitators and Barriers to Healthy Pregnancy Spacing among Medicaid Beneficiaries: Findings from the National Strong Start Initiative.

PubMed

Cross-Barnet, Caitlin; Courtot, Brigette; Hill, Ian; Benatar, Sarah; Cheeks, Morgan; Markell, Jenny

Closely spaced, unintended pregnancies are common among Medicaid beneficiaries and create avoidable risks for women and infants, including preterm birth. The Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative, a program of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, intended to prevent preterm birth through psychosocially based enhanced prenatal care in maternity care homes, group prenatal care, and birth centers. Comprehensive care offers the opportunity for education and family planning to promote healthy pregnancy spacing. As of March 30, 2016, there were 42,138 women enrolled in Strong Start and 23,377 women had given birth. Individual-level data were collected through three participant survey instruments and a medical chart review, and approximately one-half of women who had delivered (n = 10,374) had nonmissing responses on a postpartum survey that asked about postpartum family planning. Qualitative case studies were conducted annually for the first 3 years of the program and included 629 interviews with staff and 122 focus groups with 887 Strong Start participants. Most programs tried to promote healthy pregnancy spacing through family planning education and provision with some success. Group care sites in particular established protocols for patient-centered family planning education and decision making. Despite program efforts, however, barriers to uptake remained. These included state and institutional policies, provider knowledge and bias, lack of protocols for timing and content of education, and participant issues such as transportation or cultural preferences. The Strong Start initiative introduced a number of successful strategies for increasing women's knowledge regarding healthy pregnancy spacing and access to family planning. Multiple barriers can impact postpartum Medicaid participants' capacity to plan and space pregnancies, and addressing such issues holistically is an important strategy for facilitating healthy interpregnancy intervals. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Associations between number of consecutive night shifts and impairment of neurobehavioral performance during a subsequent simulated night shift.

PubMed

Magee, Michelle; Sletten, Tracey L; Ferguson, Sally A; Grunstein, Ronald R; Anderson, Clare; Kennaway, David J; Lockley, Steven W; Rajaratnam, Shantha Mw

2016-05-01

This study aimed to investigate sleep and circadian phase in the relationships between neurobehavioral performance and the number of consecutive shifts worked. Thirty-four shift workers [20 men, mean age 31.8 (SD 10.9) years] worked 2-7 consecutive night shifts immediately prior to a laboratory-based, simulated night shift. For 7 days prior, participants worked their usual shift sequence, and sleep was assessed with logs and actigraphy. Participants completed a 10-minute auditory psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) at the start (~21:00 hours) and end (~07:00 hours) of the simulated night shift. Mean reaction times (RT), number of lapses and RT distribution was compared between those who worked 2-3 consecutive night shifts versus those who worked 4-7 shifts. Following 4-7 shifts, night shift workers had significantly longer mean RT at the start and end of shift, compared to those who worked 2-3 shifts. The slowest and fastest 10% RT were significantly slower at the start, but not end, of shift among participants who worked 4-7 nights. Those working 4-7 nights also demonstrated a broader RT distribution at the start and end of shift and had significantly slower RT based on cumulative distribution analysis (5 (th), 25 (th), 50 (th), 75 (th)percentiles at the start of shift; 75th percentile at the end of shift). No group differences in sleep parameters were found for 7 days and 24 hours prior to the simulated night shift. A greater number of consecutive night shifts has a negative impact on neurobehavioral performance, likely due to cognitive slowing.

Residency exposures and anticipated future involvement in community settings.

PubMed

Goldshore, Matthew A; Solomon, Barry S; Downs, Stephen M; Pan, Richard; Minkovitz, Cynthia S

2014-01-01

To assess how exposures to community activities in residency impact anticipated future involvement in community child health settings. Prospective cohort study of pediatric residents from 10 programs (12 sites) who completed training between 2003 and 2009. Residents reported annual participation for ≥ 8 days in each of 7 community activities (eg, community settings, child health advocacy) in the prior year. At the start and end of residency, residents reported anticipated involvement in 10 years in 8 community settings (eg, school, shelter). Anticipated involvement was dichotomized: moderate/substantial ("high") versus none/limited ("low"). Logistic regression modeled whether residency exposures independently influenced anticipated future involvement at the end of residency. A total of 683 residents completed surveys at the start and end of residency (66.8% participation). More than half of trainees reported ≥ 8 days' of involvement in community settings (65.6%) or child health advocacy (53.6%) in residency. Fewer anticipated high involvement in at least 1 community setting at the end of residency than at the start (65.5% vs 85.6%, P < .001). Participation in each community activity mediated but did not moderate relations between anticipated involvement at the start and end of residency. In multivariate models, exposure to community settings in residency was associated with anticipated involvement at end of residency (adjusted odds ratio 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.2, 2.0). No other residency exposures were associated. Residents who anticipate high involvement in community pediatrics at the start of residency participate in related opportunities in training. Exposure to community settings during residency may encourage community involvement after training. Copyright © 2014 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Interventions in exclusive breastfeeding: a systematic review.

PubMed

Bevan, Gillian; Brown, Michelle

Now recognised as a worldwide public health issue, the significance of promoting and encouraging exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Documented policies about the importance of facilitating the support of breastfeeding women is currently receiving worldwide recognition (WHO, 2011; WHO and UNICEF, 2003). This literature review will examine provision of support mechanisms for breastfeeding mothers, focusing on peer support in encouraging the starting and maintaining of EBF. Consideration will also be given to any barriers that may prevent higher success rates, as cultural and educational factors may have a significant impact on the starting and maintaining of EBF. These factors must be considered when starting support groups, networks or activities that aim to address this significant public health issue.

Impact of hemodialysis dose and frequency on survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis in Lithuania during 1998-2005.

PubMed

Stankuvienė, Asta; Ziginskienė, Edita; Kuzminskis, Vytautas; Bumblytė, Inga Arūnė

2010-01-01

The question of the targets of dialysis dosing remains controversial since the beginning of the long-term dialysis treatment era. It is still uncertain if higher dialysis dose is better. The aim of our study was to investigate issues of dialysis dose in Lithuania during the period of 1998-2005 and to determine associations between hemodialysis dose and survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis. We analyzed data of all patients who started hemodialysis due to end-stage renal disease in Lithuania between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2005. The information about hemodialysis frequency, duration, and adequacy (according to Kt/V) was obtained from medical documentation. The overall survival rate was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Survival comparisons were made using the log-rank or Breslow tests. Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to select variables significantly associated with the risk of death; then these variables were included in multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. During the study period, from 2428 patients who started chronic hemodialysis, 58.5% of patients started hemodialysis three times a week. More than one-third (36.2%) of patients were dialyzed twice weekly, and 5.3% of patients started hemodialysis once weekly. Survival analysis revealed that patients dialyzed less than three times per week survived shorter than patients receiving a higher dialysis dose. Duration of HD session of ≤8 hours per week was an independent risk factor for mortality. A higher mean Kt/V was associated with better survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis. Dialysis frequency and weekly duration of HD sessions were dependent on HD accessibility in Lithuania during the period of 1998-2005. Better survival of patients on chronic hemodialysis was associated with a higher hemodialysis dose.

The sleeping patterns of Head Start children and the influence on developmental outcomes.

PubMed

Schlieber, M; Han, J

2018-05-01

Sleep has a significant influence on children's development. The objective of this study was to investigate Head Start children's sleeping patterns and the impact on cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Using the 2009 cohort of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (N = 2,868), information on sleeping patterns was assessed through parent interviews. Cognitive outcomes were assessed using direct assessments (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV, the Expressive One-Word Picture Vocabulary Test, and Subtests of the Woodcock-Johnson III) in addition to teacher report. Behavioural outcomes were assessed through parent and teacher reports. A multiple regression analysis was performed for each outcome variable. Descriptive findings showed that 89% of children had a regular bedtime at least 4 days per week and that the average amount of sleep per night was 10.41 hr. White mothers were more likely than other racial groups to adhere to a consistent bedtime, and maternal employment predicted less hour of sleep per night. Multiple regression analyses revealed that disrupted sleep had a negative influence on cognitive outcomes, especially in areas of mathematical problem solving, receptive language, teacher-reported literacy behaviours, and approaches to learning. Disrupted sleep was associated with the risk of misbehaviour by increasing teacher and parent ratings on aggressive behaviours, hyperactivity, and withdrawing in addition to decreased scores on overall social skills. Having an inconsistent bedtime negatively predicted expressive vocabulary and teacher-reported literacy behaviours. The findings of this study support the influential role of sleep on children's development. Sleeping through the night and having a consistent bedtime were found to be predictive of many areas of cognitive and behavioural development. Head Start staff can provide the supports to increase parental knowledge on appropriate child sleep practices. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Managing the vitamin A program portfolio: a case study of Zambia, 2013-2042.

PubMed

Fiedler, John L; Lividini, Keith

2014-03-01

Micronutrient deficiencies continue to constitute a major burden of disease, particularly in Africa and South Asia. Programs to address micronutrient deficiencies have been increasing in number, type, and scale in recent years, creating an ever-growing need to understand their combined coverage levels, costs, and impacts so as to more effectively combat deficiencies, avoid putting individuals at risk for excess intakes, and ensure the efficient use of public health resources. To analyze combinations of the two current programs--sugar fortification and Child Health Week (CHW)--together with four prospective programs--vegetable oil fortification, wheat flour fortification, maize meal fortification, and biofortified vitamin A maize--to identify Zambia's optimal vitamin A portfolio. Combining program cost estimates and 30-year Zambian food demand projections, together with the Zambian 2005 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, the annual costs, coverage, impact, and cost-effectiveness of 62 Zambian portfolios were modeled for the period from 2013 to 2042. Optimal portfolios are identified for each of five alternative criteria: average cost-effectiveness, incremental cost-effectiveness, coverage maximization, health impact maximization, and affordability. The most likely scenario is identified to be one that starts with the current portfolio and takes into account all five criteria. Starting with CHW and sugar fortification, it phases in vitamin A maize, oil, wheat flour, and maize meal (in that order) to eventually include all six individual interventions. Combining cost and Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey (HCES) data provides a powerful evidence-generating tool with which to understand how individual micronutrient programs interact and to quantify the tradeoffs involved in selecting alternative program portfolios.

Incidence and risk factors of injuries and their impact on academic success: A prospective study in PETE students.

PubMed

Bliekendaal, S; Goossens, L; Stubbe, J H

2017-12-01

Injuries can have a major impact on the physical performance and academic career of physical education teacher education (PETE) students. To investigate the injury problem, risk factors, and the impact of injuries on academic success, 252 PETE students were followed during their first semester. Risk factor analysis was conducted by means of logistic regression analysis with a differentiation for upper body, lower body, acute, overuse, and severe injuries. An incidence of 1.26 injuries/student/semester was found. Most injuries involved the lower body (61%), were new injuries (76%), occurred acutely (66%), and were sustained during curricular gymnastics (25%) or extracurricular soccer (28%). Significant risk factors for lower body acute injuries were age (OR=2.14; P=.01), previous injury (OR=2.23; P=.01), and an injury at the start of the year (OR=2.56; P=.02). For lower body overuse injuries, gender (OR=2.85; P=.02) and the interval shuttle run test score (OR=2.44; P=.04) were significant risk factors. Previous injury (OR=2.59; P=.04) and injury at the start of the year (upper body: OR=4.57; P=.02; lower body: OR=3.75; P<.01) were risk factors for severe injuries. Injury-related time loss was positively related to total academic success (r=.20; P=.02) and success in theoretical courses (r=.24; P=<.01). No association was found between time loss and academic success for sport courses. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Needs-led Framework for Understanding the Impact of Caring for a Family Member With Dementia.

PubMed

Pini, Simon; Ingleson, Emma; Megson, Molly; Clare, Linda; Wright, Penny; Oyebode, Jan R

2018-03-19

Approximately half the care for people with dementia is provided by families. It is therefore imperative that research informs ways of maintaining such care. In this study, we propose that a needs-led approach can provide a useful, novel means of conceptualizing the impact of caring on the lives of family carers. Our aim was to develop and present a needs-led framework for understanding how providing care impacts on carers' fulfilment of needs. In this qualitative study, we conducted 42 semistructured interviews with a purposively diverse sample of family carers to generate nuanced contextualized accounts of how caring impacted on carers' lives. Our inductive thematic analysis focused upon asking: "What need is being impacted here?" in order to generate a needs-led framework for understanding. Nine themes were widely endorsed. Each completed the sentence: "Being a carer impacts on fulfilling my need to/for….": Freedom; feel close to my relative; feel in control of my life; be my own person; protect my relative; share/express my thoughts and feelings; take care of myself; feel connected to the people around me; get things done. These needs echo those from other research areas, with relational needs emerging as particularly central. The needs-led approach offers a perspective that is able to capture both stresses and positive aspects of caregiving. We recommend that clinical interviewing using Socratic questioning to discover human needs that are being impacted by caring would provide a valuable starting point for care planning.

Modeling the impact of tuberculosis interventions on epidemiologic outcomes and health system costs.

PubMed

Oxlade, Olivia; Piatek, Amy; Vincent, Cheri; Menzies, Dick

2015-02-13

Tuberculosis (TB) programs must invest in a variety of TB specific activities in order to reach ambitious global targets. Uncertainty exists surrounding the potential impact of each of these activities. The objective of our study was to model different interventions and quantify their impact on epidemiologic outcomes and costs from the health system perspective. Decision analysis was used to define the TB patient trajectory within the health system of three different countries. We considered up to seven different interventions that could affect either the natural history of TB, or patient trajectories within the health system. The expected impact of interventions were derived from published studies where possible. Epidemiologic outcomes and associated health system costs were projected for each scenario. With no specific intervention, TB related death rates are high and less than 10% of the population starts on correct treatment. Interventions that either prevent cases or affect all patients with TB disease early in their trajectory are expected to have the biggest impact, regardless of underlying epidemiologic characteristics of the setting. In settings with a private sector, improving diagnosis and appropriate treatment across all sectors is expected to have a major impact on outcomes. In all settings, the greatest benefit will come from early diagnosis of all forms of TB. Once this has been achieved more specific interventions, such as those targeting HIV, drug resistance or the private sector can be integrated to increase impact.

Prevalence of Surgical Repair for Athletic Pubalgia and Impact on Performance in Football Athletes Participating in the National Football League Combine.

PubMed

Knapik, Derrick M; Gebhart, Jeremy J; Nho, Shane J; Tanenbaum, Joseph E; Voos, James E; Salata, Michael J

2017-05-01

To examine the prevalence and impact of athletic pubalgia (AP) surgery in elite American football athletes participating in the National Football League (NFL) Combine. Results from 1,311 athletes participating in the Combine from 2012 to 2015 were evaluated. Athletes with a history of AP repair were identified using the NFL Combine Database. Athlete history and available imaging was reviewed. NFL performance based on draft status, games played, games started, and current status in the NFL was gathered using publicly available databases. Statistical analysis was performed to detect for significant associations between athlete history and NFL performance in the presence of AP repair and pelvic pathology on postsurgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). AP repair was identified in 4.2% (n = 55) of athletes. MRI was performed in 35% (n = 19 of 55) with AP repair, of which 53% (n = 10 of 19) had positive pathology. Athletes with repair were not at risk of playing (P = .87) or starting (P = .45) fewer regular season games, going undrafted (P = .27), or not being on an active NFL roster (P = .51). Compared with athletes with negative imaging findings, positive pathology on MRI did not have a significant impact on games played (P = .74), games started (P = .48), draft status (P = .26), or being on an active roster (P = .74). Offensive linemen (P = .005) and athletes with a history of repair within 1 year of the Combine (P = .03) had a significantly higher risk of possessing positive pathology on MRI. Athletes with a history of successful AP surgery invited to the NFL Combine and those with persistent pathology on MRI are not at increased risk for diminished performance in the NFL. Offensive linemen and athletes less than 1 year out from surgery have a higher risk for positive MRI findings at the pubic symphysis. Level IV, prognostic study-case series. Copyright © 2017 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School start time effects on adolescent learning and academic performance, emotional health and behaviour.

PubMed

Wahlstrom, Kyla L; Owens, Judith A

2017-11-01

The investigation of the relationship between the time of day that school begins and the effects it could have on students began in the mid-1990s. Since that time, many articles have been written either for the medical literature or the educational literature. This review is intended to bridge that gap by examining together the findings for both academic and health outcomes, exploring what we know and what is needed in further investigation. Teens who are sleep deficient (defined as obtaining less than 8 h per night) because of early starting time for their school are much more likely to engage in risky behaviours, such as drug, cigarette and alcohol use, have significant feelings of depression, get lower grades and are at greater risk for car crashes. Many studies of academic performance and later school start time indicate benefits, although further research is needed to understand the related mechanisms that contribute to improvements in achievement. Recent research in adolescent sleep and outcomes is being shaped by not only measuring sleep duration, but also examining the timing in which sleep occurs. Early school starting time for middle and high students has a clear, deleterious effect on their health and well being. Most recently, sleep deficit in teens is being viewed as a public health issue that needs a wider discussion about its impact and it necessitates improved public education about the sleep phase shift that occurs during adolescence.

Reproductive phenology and pre-dispersal fruit predation in Atriplex halimus L. (Chenopodiaceae).

PubMed

Romera, Prado; Fernández-Illescas, Francisca; Nieva, F Javier J; Rodríguez-Rubio, Pilar; Sánchez-Gullón, Enrique; Muñoz-Rodríguez, Adolfo F

2013-12-01

The flowering phenology pattern of Atriplex halimus was studied in a Mediterranean habitat in order to analyze protandry effectiveness. Fruit set evolution was recorded over two years and the impact of pre-dispersal predation by insects was also evaluated. The flowering phenology coincided in 2006 and 2007, starting in mid-July and reaching full flowering at the end of August in both years. Inflorescences are composed of glomerules with 8.78 ± 2.79 male flowers and 4.57 ± 2.58 female flowers, with no significant differences in position on the inflorescence. The peaks of male and female flower anthesis were reached in mid-August, but the male maximum occurred one week before the female. Plants at the start of flowering only bear male flowers, but female flowers soon appear. Fruit set starts at the end of August; all the flowers were transformed into fruit by mid-September and their development continued to the beginning of October, when fruit structures had matured and began to drop. Fruit predation started at the end of September and reached maximum intensity in mid-October. At population level, male and female flowers seemed to open in the same weeks, but at plant and glomerule level male flowers opened one week before the females. Fruit predation levels were 62.42 and 43.14% in 2006 and 2007 respectively, with no significant differences between different parts of the inflorescence. And larvae of Coleophoridae were the most abundant predators.

The socioeconomic impact of rehabilitation.

PubMed

Blagg, C R

1994-07-01

Rehabilitation of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) should encompass all aspects of the patient's well-being and include vocational, physical, and medical therapies. This would be best achieved by careful management of the patient before the start of dialysis, as well as by provision of adequate dialysis in the most appropriate setting for the individual patient's needs. Before starting dialysis, blood pressure should be well controlled, nutrition maintained, and human recombinant erythropoetin (epoetin) used as necessary to prevent the development of anemia. In patients who are employed, efforts should be made to maintain employment, and vocational counseling should be provided to unemployed patients who are capable of work. Physical well-being should be maintained by encouraging participation in an exercise program. Social, financial, and other counseling should be provided as necessary, together with patient education regarding treatment, including modalities and other aspects of care. The social impact of these efforts primarily will be on the patient's quality of life, and secondarily, on family members and friends. Quality of life depends on many factors, including modality of treatment and adequacy of dialysis. Economic impact also depends on many factors. Providing optimal care before starting dialysis, including the use of epoetin where appropriate, will increase the cost both for drugs and staff. For patients who are able to continue working or can be successfully retrained, these costs will be offset to some degree in the future by taxes paid by the patient and by the patient not participating in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The impact of parent-delivered intervention on parents of very young children with autism.

PubMed

Estes, Annette; Vismara, Laurie; Mercado, Carla; Fitzpatrick, Annette; Elder, Lauren; Greenson, Jessica; Lord, Catherine; Munson, Jeffrey; Winter, Jamie; Young, Gregory; Dawson, Geraldine; Rogers, Sally

2014-02-01

This study investigated the impact of a parent-coaching intervention based on the Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) on parenting-related stress and sense of competence. This was part of a multisite, randomized trial comparing P-ESDM (n = 49) with community intervention (n = 49) for children aged 12 and 24 months. The P-ESDM group reported no increase in parenting stress, whereas the Community group experienced an increase over the same 3-month period. Parental sense of competence did not differ. Number of negative life events was a significant predictor of parenting stress and sense of competence across both groups. This suggests that a parent-coaching intervention may help maintain parental adjustment directly after a child is diagnosed with ASD.

Socio-Economic Resilience to Floods in 90 Countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallegatte, S.; Bangalore, M.; Vogt-Schilb, A.

2015-12-01

Global losses from floods are increasing, with renewed calls for action to reduce their impact. In each country, region or city, many actions can protect the population and help rebuild and recover: building dikes and restoring mangroves; land-use planning; early warning and evacuation; insurance and social safety nets. What should be the priorities? How to build a comprehensive strategy? Is progress being made? We propose a tool - a national-level scorecard based on welfare economics - to assess a country's socio-economic resilience to river floods and identify the most promising policy options in different contexts to reduce the impact of floods on well-being. The tool is applied to 90 countries using open databases, and can serve as a starting point for designing policies and more in-depth local studies.

The impact of parent-delivered intervention on parents of very young children with autism

PubMed Central

Estes, Annette; Vismara, Laurie; Mercado, Carla; Fitzpatrick, Annette; Elder, Lauren; Greenson, Jessica; Lord, Catherine; Munson, Jeffrey; Winter, Jamie; Young, Gregory; Dawson, Geraldine; Rogers, Sally

2013-01-01

This study investigated the impact of a parent-coaching intervention based on the Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM) on parenting-related stress and sense of competence. This was part of a multisite, randomized trial comparing P-ESDM (n=49) with community intervention (n=49) for children aged 12 and 24 months. The P-ESDM group reported no increase in parenting stress, whereas the Community group experienced an increase over the same 3-month period. Parental sense of competence did not differ. Number of negative life events was a significant predictor of parenting stress and sense of competence across both groups. This suggests that a parent-coaching intervention may help maintain parental adjustment directly after a child is diagnosed with ASD. PMID:23838727

Impact of the picture exchange communication system: effects on communication and collateral effects on maladaptive behaviors.

PubMed

Ganz, Jennifer B; Parker, Richard; Benson, Joanne

2009-12-01

Many children with autism require intensive instruction in the use of augmentative or alternative communication systems, such as the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). This study investigated the use of PECS with three young boys with autism to determine the impact of PECS training on use of pictures for requesting, use of intelligible words, and maladaptive behaviors. A multiple baseline-probe design with a staggered start was implemented. Results indicated that all of the participants quickly learned to make requests using pictures and that two used intelligible speech following PECS instruction; maladaptive behaviors were variable throughout baseline and intervention phases. Although all of the participants improved in at least one dependent variable, there remain questions regarding who is best suited for PECS and similar interventions.

No Compromise of Competition Sleep Compared With Habitual Sleep in Elite Australian Footballers.

PubMed

Lalor, Benita J; Halson, Shona L; Tran, Jacqueline; Kemp, Justin G; Cormack, Stuart J

2018-01-01

To assess the impact of match-start time and days relative to match compared with the habitual sleep characteristics of elite Australian Football (AF) players. 45 elite male AF players were assessed during the preseason (habitual) and across 4 home matches during the season. Players wore an activity monitor the night before (-1), night of (0), 1 night after (+1), and 2 nights (+2) after each match and completed a self-reported rating of sleep quality. A 2-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc was used to determine differences in sleep characteristics between match-start times and days relative to the match. Two-way nested ANOVA was conducted to examine differences between competition and habitual phases. Effect size ± 90% confidence interval (ES ± 90% CI) was calculated to quantify the magnitude of pairwise differences. Differences observed in sleep-onset latency (ES = 0.11 ± 0.16), sleep rating (ES = 0.08 ± 0.14), and sleep duration (ES = 0.08 ± 0.01) between competition and habitual periods were trivial. Sleep efficiency was almost certainly higher during competition than habitual, but this was not reflected in the subjective rating of sleep quality. Elite AF competition does not cause substantial disruption to sleep characteristics compared with habitual sleep. While match-start time has some impact on sleep variables, it appears that the match itself is more of a disruption than the start time. Subjective ratings of sleep from well-being questionnaires appear limited in their ability to accurately provide an indication of sleep quality.

Relations Among the Home Language and Literacy Environment and Children's Language Abilities: A Study of Head Start Dual Language Learners and Their Mothers

PubMed Central

Lewis, Kandia; Sandilos, Lia E.; Hammer, Carol Scheffner; Sawyer, Brook E.; Méndez, Lucía I.

2015-01-01

Research Findings This study explored the relations between Spanish–English dual language learner (DLL) children's home language and literacy experiences and their expressive vocabulary and oral comprehension abilities in Spanish and in English. Data from Spanish–English mothers of 93 preschool-age Head Start children who resided in central Pennsylvania were analyzed. Children completed the Picture Vocabulary and Oral Comprehension subtests of the Batería III Woodcock–Muñoz and the Woodcock–Johnson III Tests of Achievement. Results revealed that the language spoken by mothers and children and the frequency of mother–child reading at home influenced children's Spanish language abilities. In addition, the frequency with which children told a story was positively related to children's performance on English oral language measures. Practice or Policy The findings suggest that language and literacy experiences at home have a differential impact on DLLs' language abilities in their 2 languages. Specific components of the home environment that benefit and support DLL children's language abilities are discussed. PMID:27429533

Supply chain risk management of newspaper industry: A quantitative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartika, Viny; Hisjam, Muh.; Sutopo, Wahyudi

2018-02-01

The newspaper industry has several distinctive features that make it stands out from other industries. The strict delivery deadline and zero inventory led to a very short time frame for production and distribution. On the other hand, there is pressure from the newsroom to encourage the start of production as slowly as possible in order to enter the news, while there is pressure from production and distribution to start production as early as possible. Supply chain risk management is needed in determining the best strategy for dealing with possible risks in the newspaper industry. In a case study of a newspaper in Surakarta, quantitative approaches are made to the newspaper supply chain risk management by calculating the expected cost of risk based on the magnitude of the impact and the probability of a risk event. From the calculation results obtained that the five risks with the highest value are newspaper delays to the end customer, broken plate, miss print, down machine, and delayed delivery of newspaper content. Then analyzed appropriate mitigation strategies to cope with such risk events.

On the Generation and Use of TCP Acknowledgments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allman, Mark

1998-01-01

This paper presents a simulation study of various TCP acknowledgment generation and utilization techniques. We investigate the standard version of TCP and the two standard acknowledgment strategies employed by receivers: those that acknowledge each incoming segment and those that implement delayed acknowledgments. We show the delayed acknowledgment mechanism hurts TCP performance, especially during slow start. Next we examine three alternate mechanisms for generating and using acknowledgments designed to mitigate the negative impact of delayed acknowledgments. The first method is to generate delayed ACKs only when the sender is not using the slow start algorithm. The second mechanism, called byte counting, allows TCP senders to increase the amount of data being injected into the network based on the amount of data acknowledged rather than on the number of acknowledgments received. The last mechanism is a limited form of byte counting. Each of these mechanisms is evaluated in a simulated network with no competing traffic, as well as a dynamic environment with a varying amount of competing traffic. We study the costs and benefits of the alternate mechanisms when compared to the standard algorithm with delayed ACKs.

A Brief History of Shigella.

PubMed

Lampel, Keith A; Formal, Samuel B; Maurelli, Anthony T

2018-01-01

The history of Shigella , the causative agent of bacillary dysentery, is a long and fascinating one. This brief historical account starts with descriptions of the disease and its impact on human health from ancient time to the present. Our story of the bacterium starts just before the identification of the dysentery bacillus by Kiyoshi Shiga in 1898 and follows the scientific discoveries and principal scientists who contributed to the elucidation of Shigella pathogenesis in the first 100 years. Over the past century, Shigella has proved to be an outstanding model of an invasive bacterial pathogen and has served as a paradigm for the study of other bacterial pathogens. In addition to invasion of epithelial cells, some of those shared virulence traits include toxin production, multiple-antibiotic resistance, virulence genes encoded on plasmids and bacteriophages, global regulation of virulence genes, pathogenicity islands, intracellular motility, remodeling of host cytoskeleton, inflammation/polymorphonuclear leukocyte signaling, apoptosis induction/inhibition, and "black holes" and antivirulence genes. While there is still much to learn from studying Shigella pathogenesis, what we have learned so far has also contributed greatly to our broader understanding of bacterial pathogenesis.

Evaluation of Reconstructed Remote Sensing Time Series Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rivera-Camacho, J.; Didan, K.; Barreto-munoz, A.; Yitayew, M.

2011-12-01

Vegetation phenology is the study of vegetation state, function and change over time and is directly linked to the carbon cycle and an integrative measure of climate change impacts. Field observations of phenology can address some questions associated with phenology and climate change, but they are not effective at estimating and understanding large scale change in biome seasonality. Synoptic remote sensing has emerged as a practical tool for studying the land surface vegetation over large spatial and temporal scales. However, the presence of clouds, noise, inadequate processing algorithms result in poor quality data that needs to be discarded. Discarded data is so prevalent sometimes that up to 80% of the spatial and temporal coverage is missing which inhibits the proper study of vegetation phenology. To improve these data records gap filling techniques are employed. The purpose is to accurately reconstruct the VI time series profile, while preserving as much of the original data to support accurate land surface vegetation characterization. Some methods use complex Fourier Transform (FT) functions, Gaussian fitting models, or Piecewise techniques, while others are based on simpler linear interpolation. The impact of these gap filling methods on the resulting record is yet to be fully explored and characterized. In this project, we devised a new hybrid gap filling technique based on finding the seasonally variable per-pixel optimum composite period and then filling the remaining gaps with a simple local interpolation using the Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) approach. The method is further constrained by a moving window long term average to minimize the biases that may result from over- or under-fitting. This method was applied to a 30-year sensor independent Vegetation Index ESDR from AHRR and MODIS records. To understand the impact of this gap filling technique, we performed statistical analyses to determine the error and uncertainty associated with estimating the start of season, length of season and integrated VI signal over the growing season (proxy of Gross Primary Productivity, or Carbon). Our preliminary results indicate that the time series is sensitive to the gap filling technique, particularly over areas prone to residual cloud noise and/or areas subject to long period of snow cover. This has a direct impact on the growing season characterization by making the season shorter (up to 4 weeks) and the start of the season later (up to 2 weeks). The seasonal summation of VI becomes then smaller (13%) with a direct impact on the carbon budget estimation. Another important finding is that special attention must be paid to data filtering, since this will impact the residual noise/signal in the input data and will subsequently impact the gap filling outcome.

Desire to Be Underweight: Exploratory Study on a Weight Loss App Community and User Perceptions of the Impact on Disordered Eating Behaviors

PubMed Central

Reddy, Madhu C; Booth, Kayla M; Kvasny, Lynette; Blair, Johnna L; Li, Victor; Poole, Erika S

2017-01-01

Background Mobile health (mHealth) apps for weight loss (weight loss apps) can be useful diet and exercise tools for individuals in need of losing weight. Most studies view weight loss app users as these types of individuals, but not all users have the same needs. In fact, users with disordered eating behaviors who desire to be underweight are also utilizing weight loss apps; however, few studies give a sense of the prevalence of these users in weight loss app communities and their perceptions of weight loss apps in relation to disordered eating behaviors. Objective The aim of this study was to provide an analysis of users’ body mass indices (BMIs) in a weight loss app community and examples of how users with underweight BMI goals perceive the impact of the app on disordered eating behaviors. Methods We focused on two aspects of a weight loss app (DropPounds): profile data and forum posts, and we moved from a broader picture of the community to a narrower focus on users’ perceptions. We analyzed profile data to better understand the goal BMIs of all users, highlighting the prevalence of users with underweight BMI goals. Then we explored how users with a desire to be underweight discussed the weight loss app’s impact on disordered eating behaviors. Results We found three main results: (1) no user (regardless of start BMI) starts with a weight gain goal, and most users want to lose weight; (2) 6.78% (1261/18,601) of the community want to be underweight, and most identify as female; (3) users with underweight BMI goals tend to view the app as positive, especially for reducing bingeing; however, some acknowledge its role in exacerbating disordered eating behaviors. Conclusions These findings are important for our understanding of the different types of users who utilize weight loss apps, the perceptions of weight loss apps related to disordered eating, and how weight loss apps may impact users with a desire to be underweight. Whereas these users had underweight goals, they often view the app as helpful in reducing disordered eating behaviors, which led to additional questions. Therefore, future research is needed. PMID:29025694

Therapeutic hypothermia following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest; does it start in the emergency department?

PubMed

Galloway, R; Sherren, P B

2010-12-01

The use of therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest is a well-practised treatment modality in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, recent evidence points to advantages in starting the cooling process as soon as possible after the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). There are no data on implementation of this treatment in the emergency department. A telephone survey was conducted of the 233 emergency departments in the UK. The most senior available clinician was asked if, in cases where they have a patient with a ROSC after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, would therapeutic hypothermia be started in the emergency department. Of the 233 hospitals called, 230 responded, of which 35% would start cooling in the emergency department. Of this 35%, over half (56%) said the decision to start cooling was made by the emergency physician before consultation with the ICU. Also, of the 35% who would begin cooling in the emergency department, 55% would cool only for ventricular fibrillation/ventricular tachycardia, 66% would monitor temperature centrally, and 14% would use specialised cooling equipment. There is often a delay in getting patients to ICU from the emergency department, and thus the decision not to start cooling in the emergency department may impact significantly on patient outcome. The dissemination of these data may persuade emergency physicians that starting treatment in the emergency department is an appropriate and justifiable decision that is becoming a more accepted practice throughout the UK.

Assessment of Program Impact Through First Grade, Volume I: The Context, Conceptual Approach and Methods of the Evaluation. An Evaluation of Project Developmental Continuity. Interim Report X.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosario, Jose; And Others

This volume is the first of a series reporting evaluation findings on the impact of Project Developmental Continuity (PDC) on institutions, classroom staff, parents and children from the time the children entered Head Start through the first grade. PDC was begun in 1974 with the purpose of ensuring that disadvantaged children receive continuous…

Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Or Is It? The Impact of the War on Children in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, Diane E.; Van Hoorn, Judith

2009-01-01

The war in Afghanistan began in October 2001 and the war in Iraq began in March 2003. After each war started, discussions addressed how it might be affecting American children and how adults could talk to children about it. In this article, the authors discuss the impact of the war on children in the United States. The authors believe that the war…

The Deterministic Mine Burial Prediction System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-12

or below the water-line, initial linear and angular velocities, and fall angle relative to the mine’s axis of symmetry. Other input data needed...c. Run_DMBP.m: start-up MATLAB script for the program 2. C:\\DMBP\\DMBP_src: This directory contains source code, geotechnical databases, and...approved for public release). b. \\Impact_35: The IMPACT35 model c. \\MakeTPARfiles: scripts for creating wave height and wave period input data from

Following electron impact excitation of single (N, O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si) atom L subshells ionization cross section calculations by using Lotz's equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydinol, Mahmut

2017-02-01

L shell and L subshells ionization cross sections σL and σLi (i = 1, 2, 3) following electron impact on (N,O, F, Ne, Na, Mg, Al, Si) atoms calculated. By using Lotz' equation for nonrelativistic cases in Matlab σL and σLi cross section values obtained for ten electron impact(Eo) values in the range of ELi

Electric Utility Phase I Acid Rain Compliance Strategies for the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

EIA Publications

1994-01-01

The Acid Rain Program is divided into two time periods; Phase I, from 1995 through 1999, and Phase II, starting in 2000. Phase I mostly affects power plants that are the largest sources of SO2 and NOx . Phase II affects virtually all electric power producers, including utilities and nonutilities. This report is a study of the effects of compliance with Phase I regulations on the costs and operations of electric utilities, but does not address any Phase II impacts.

Disrupted by disaster: shared experiences of student registered nurse anesthetists affected by hurricane Katrina.

PubMed

Geisz-Everson, Marjorie A; Bennett, Marsha J; Dodd-McCue, Diane; Biddle, Chuck

2012-01-01

The purpose of this focused ethnography was to describe the shared experiences of student registered nurse anesthetists (SRNAs) whose senior year of education and training was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina, as well as to determine the storm's psychosocial impact on them. A convenience sample of 10 former SRNAs participated in focus groups that were audiorecorded, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed. Three major themes emerged from the study: Seriousness of Urgency, Managing Uncertainty, and Stability Equaled Relief. The themes represented how the SRNAs appraised and coped with the stressful events surrounding Hurricane Katrina. The psychosocial impact of Hurricane Katrina on the SRNAs resulted mainly in temporary increased alcohol consumption and short-term anxiety. One person started smoking. The results of this study should serve as a guide to formulate policies regarding the education of SRNAs during and immediately after a disaster and to provide a framework for future disaster studies regarding SRNAs. Copyright 2012, SLACK Incorporated.

The value and impact of information provided through library services for patient care: developing guidance for best practice.

PubMed

Weightman, Alison; Urquhart, Christine; Spink, Siân; Thomas, Rhian

2009-03-01

Previous impact tool-kits for UK health libraries required updating to reflect recent evidence and changes in library services. The National Knowledge Service funded development of updated guidance. Survey tools were developed based on previous impact studies and a systematic review. The resulting draft questionnaire survey was tested at four sites, and the interview schedule was investigated in a fifth area. A literature search in ASSIA, Google Scholar, INTUTE, LISA, LISTA, SCIRUS, Social Sciences Citation Index (Web of Knowledge), and the major UK University and National Libraries Catalogue (COPAC), identified ways to improve response rates. Other expert advice contributed to the guidance. The resulting guidance contains evidence-based advice and a planning pathway for conducting an impact survey as a service audit. The survey tools (critical incident questionnaire and interview schedule) are available online. The evidence-based advice recommends personalizing the request, assuring confidentiality, and using follow-up reminders. Questionnaires should be brief, and small incentives, such as a lottery draw should be considered. Bias is minimized if the survey is conducted and analysed by independent researchers. The guidance is a starting point for a pragmatic survey to assess the impact of health library services.

Move Over, Richard Simmons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liebler, Scott

1999-01-01

Evaluated a daily exercise program to determine the impact on Head Start children's physical fitness. Found that children in treatment programs improved in strength, balance, endurance, and enthusiasm. Children in comparison programs showed little physical improvement. Parent components of the program included workshops, newsletters, activity…

Black carbon emissions in gasoline exhaust and a reduction alternative with a gasoline particulate filter.

PubMed

Chan, Tak W; Meloche, Eric; Kubsh, Joseph; Brezny, Rasto

2014-05-20

Black carbon (BC) mass and solid particle number emissions were obtained from two pairs of gasoline direct injection (GDI) vehicles and port fuel injection (PFI) vehicles over the U.S. Federal Test Procedure 75 (FTP-75) and US06 Supplemental Federal Test Procedure (US06) drive cycles on gasoline and 10% by volume blended ethanol (E10). BC solid particles were emitted mostly during cold-start from all GDI and PFI vehicles. The reduction in ambient temperature had significant impacts on BC mass and solid particle number emissions, but larger impacts were observed on the PFI vehicles than the GDI vehicles. Over the FTP-75 phase 1 (cold-start) drive cycle, the BC mass emissions from the two GDI vehicles at 0 °F (-18 °C) varied from 57 to 143 mg/mi, which was higher than the emissions at 72 °F (22 °C; 12-29 mg/mi) by a factor of 5. For the two PFI vehicles, the BC mass emissions over the FTP-75 phase 1 drive cycle at 0 °F varied from 111 to 162 mg/mi, higher by a factor of 44-72 when compared to the BC emissions of 2-4 mg/mi at 72 °F. The use of a gasoline particulate filter (GPF) reduced BC emissions from the selected GDI vehicle by 73-88% at various ambient temperatures over the FTP-75 phase 1 drive cycle. The ambient temperature had less of an impact on particle emissions for a warmed-up engine. Over the US06 drive cycle, the GPF reduced BC mass emissions from the GDI vehicle by 59-80% at various temperatures. E10 had limited impact on BC emissions from the selected GDI and PFI vehicles during hot-starts. E10 was found to reduce BC emissions from the GDI vehicle by 15% at standard temperature and by 75% at 19 °F (-7 °C).

Breast-feeding trends and the breast-feeding promotion programme in the Philippines.

PubMed

Williamson, N E

1990-03-01

Breastfeeding (BF) duration and incidence have declined in the Philippines since 1973, particularly among urban, better-educated and higher income groups. As more and more women move into these modern groups, BF may continue to decline, making attempts to decrease fertility more difficult. The National Movement for the Promotion of Breastfeeding (NMPB) seeks to overcome the declines by encouraging a wide range of BF promotion activities including improving hospital practices and implementing a 5-year plan. In 1988, the 2nd 5 years of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund support for BF promotion started as part of a program to strengthen health services for child survival. Also in 1988, the Ministry of Health directed private hospitals to have rooming-in. In 1984, BF promotion messages began in the mass media. In 1983, NMPB was set up. The NMPB is housed in the Department of Public Health and has 30 member agencies: 14 governmental organizations and 25 nongovernmental agencies/institutions. From 1982-84 a longitudinal study on decision making regrading infant feeding practices was started. A hospital-based BF promotion program was started in the city of Baguio in the 70s. "Rooming-in" is required in government facilities, but there is a need for education programs for women so that they will continue their healthy practices at home. Challenges of the Philippines BF promotion program corner 4 areas: 1) health facilities; 2) information, education, and communication; 3) training; and 4) outreach. Research activities for the future include: 1) continued monitoring of patterns and trends of BF, including evaluation of the 1988 national survey; 2) analysis of the impact of "rooming-in" programs; 3) studies on the cost effectiveness of different strategies for increasing BF incidence and length and modifying BF practices and beliefs; 4) testing of strategies for helping working women to breastfeed; 5) research on obstacles to BF in private hospitals; and 6) studies on the nature and timing of starting contraception among BF women.

Helping Head Start Parents Promote Their Children’s Kindergarten Adjustment: The REDI Parent Program

PubMed Central

Bierman, Karen L.; Welsh, Janet A.; Heinrichs, Brenda S.; Nix, Robert L.; Mathis, Erin T.

2015-01-01

Head Start enhances school readiness during preschool, but effects diminish after children transition into kindergarten. Designed to promote sustained gains, the REDI (Research-based Developmentally Informed) Parent program (REDI-P) provided home visits before and after the kindergarten transition, giving parents evidence-based learning games, interactive stories, and guided pretend play to use with their children. To evaluate impact, 200 4-year-old children in Head Start REDI classrooms were randomly assigned to REDI-P or a comparison condition (mail-home math games). Beyond the effects of the classroom program, REDI-P promoted significant improvements in child literacy skills, academic performance, self-directed learning, and social competence, demonstrating the utility of the approach in promoting gains in cognitive and social-emotional skills evident after the transition into kindergarten. PMID:26494108

Research in space commercialization, technology transfer, and communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Research and internship programs in technology transfer, space commercialization, and information and communications policy are described. The intern's activities are reviewed. On-campus research involved work on the costs of conventional telephone technology in rural areas, an investigation of the lag between the start of a research and development project and the development of new technology, using NASA patent and patent waiver data, studies of the financial impact and economic prospects of a space operation center, a study of the accuracy of expert forecasts of uncertain quantities and a report on frequency coordination in the fixed and fixed satellite services at 4 and 6 GHz.

Mouse Models Applied to the Research of Pharmacological Treatments in Asthma.

PubMed

Marqués-García, Fernando; Marcos-Vadillo, Elena

2016-01-01

Models developed for the study of asthma mechanisms can be used to investigate new compounds with pharmacological activity against this disease. The increasing number of compounds requires a preclinical evaluation before starting the application in humans. Preclinical evaluation in animal models reduces the number of clinical trials positively impacting in the cost and in safety. In this chapter, three protocols for the study of drugs are shown: a model to investigate corticoids as a classical treatment of asthma; a protocol to test the effects of retinoic acid (RA) on asthma; and a mouse model to test new therapies in asthma as monoclonal antibodies.

A Study on Standard Competition with Network Effect Based on Evolutionary Game Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ye; Wang, Bingdong; Li, Kangning

Owing to networks widespread in modern society, standard competition with network effect is now endowed with new connotation. This paper aims to study the impact of network effect on standard competition; it is organized in the mode of "introduction-model setup-equilibrium analysis-conclusion". Starting from a well-structured model of evolutionary game, it is then extended to a dynamic analysis. This article proves both theoretically and empirically that whether or not a standard can lead the market trends depends on the utility it would bring, and the author also discusses some advisable strategies revolving around the two factors of initial position and border break.

Impact of training on pharmacists' counseling of patients starting antidepressant therapy.

PubMed

Liekens, Sophie; Vandael, Eline; Roter, Debra; Larson, Susan; Smits, Tim; Laekeman, Gert; Foulon, Veerle

2014-01-01

To measure the impact of a one-day depression-related training program on pharmacists' counseling of unannounced "mystery shoppers" (MS) starting antidepressant therapy. Clustered RCT pharmacies; intervention group pharmacists received communication skills training related to depression (n=21); control pharmacists did not (n=19). Eight months after training, the 40 community pharmacies were visited by MS with a first prescription for antidepressants. The pharmacy interactions were recorded and analyzed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate the impact of training on pharmacy interactions and MS evaluations of the pharmacists' skills and attitudes. Interactions of intervention group pharmacists were significantly longer and consisted of more education and counseling statements about lifestyle and psychosocial concerns. Intervention group pharmacists asked more questions about medical condition and therapeutic regimen, as well as socioemotional concerns. MS gave more socioemotional information to intervention group pharmacists and were more positive in their assessment of these pharmacists' skills and attitudes (p values<0.05). Pharmacist training in depression care can positively affect the quality of patient care. Postgraduate training in depression related services is a worthwhile approach to improve the quality of pharmaceutical care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Cycling Costs in Western Wind and Solar Integration Study

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

Jordan, G.; Venkataraman, S.

The Western Wind and Solar Integration Study (WWSIS) examined the impact of up to 30% penetration of variable renewable generation on the Western Electricity Coordinating Council system. Although start-up costs and higher operating costs because of part-load operation of thermal generators were included in the analysis, further investigation of additional costs associated with thermal unit cycling was deemed worthwhile. These additional cycling costs can be attributed to increases in capital as well as operations and maintenance costs because of wear and tear associated with increased unit cycling. This analysis examines the additional cycling costs of the thermal fleet by leveragingmore » the results of WWSIS Phase 1 study.« less

The impact of personal relevance on emotion processing: evidence from event-related potentials and pupillary responses

PubMed Central

Ruthmann, Katja; Schacht, Annekathrin

2017-01-01

Abstract Emotional stimuli attract attention and lead to increased activity in the visual cortex. The present study investigated the impact of personal relevance on emotion processing by presenting emotional words within sentences that referred to participants’ significant others or to unknown agents. In event-related potentials, personal relevance increased visual cortex activity within 100 ms after stimulus onset and the amplitudes of the Late Positive Complex (LPC). Moreover, personally relevant contexts gave rise to augmented pupillary responses and higher arousal ratings, suggesting a general boost of attention and arousal. Finally, personal relevance increased emotion-related ERP effects starting around 200 ms after word onset; effects for negative words compared to neutral words were prolonged in duration. Source localizations of these interactions revealed activations in prefrontal regions, in the visual cortex and in the fusiform gyrus. Taken together, these results demonstrate the high impact of personal relevance on reading in general and on emotion processing in particular. PMID:28541505

On the Impact of Anomalous Noise Events on Road Traffic Noise Mapping in Urban and Suburban Environments.

PubMed

Orga, Ferran; Alías, Francesc; Alsina-Pagès, Rosa Ma

2017-12-23

Noise pollution is a critical factor affecting public health, the relationship between road traffic noise (RTN) and several diseases in urban areas being especially disturbing. The Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC and the CNOSSOS-EU framework are the main instruments of the European Union to identify and combat noise pollution, requiring Member States to compose and publish noise maps and noise management action plans every five years. Nowadays, the noise maps are starting to be tailored by means of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN). In order to exclusively monitor the impact of RTN on the well-being of citizens through WASN-based approaches, those noise sources unrelated to RTN denoted as Anomalous Noise Events (ANEs) should be removed from the noise map generation. This paper introduces an analysis methodology considering both Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and duration of ANEs to evaluate their impact on the A-weighted equivalent RTN level calculation for different integration times. The experiments conducted on 9 h of real-life data from the WASN-based DYNAMAP project show that both individual high-impact events and aggregated medium-impact events bias significantly the equivalent noise levels of the RTN map, making any derived study about public health impact inaccurate.

On the Impact of Anomalous Noise Events on Road Traffic Noise Mapping in Urban and Suburban Environments

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Noise pollution is a critical factor affecting public health, the relationship between road traffic noise (RTN) and several diseases in urban areas being especially disturbing. The Environmental Noise Directive 2002/49/EC and the CNOSSOS-EU framework are the main instruments of the European Union to identify and combat noise pollution, requiring Member States to compose and publish noise maps and noise management action plans every five years. Nowadays, the noise maps are starting to be tailored by means of Wireless Acoustic Sensor Networks (WASN). In order to exclusively monitor the impact of RTN on the well-being of citizens through WASN-based approaches, those noise sources unrelated to RTN denoted as Anomalous Noise Events (ANEs) should be removed from the noise map generation. This paper introduces an analysis methodology considering both Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and duration of ANEs to evaluate their impact on the A-weighted equivalent RTN level calculation for different integration times. The experiments conducted on 9 h of real-life data from the WASN-based DYNAMAP project show that both individual high-impact events and aggregated medium-impact events bias significantly the equivalent noise levels of the RTN map, making any derived study about public health impact inaccurate. PMID:29295492

Spatiotemporal variability of hydrometeorological extremes and their impacts in the Jihlava region in the 1650-1880 period

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolak, Lukas; Brazdil, Rudolf; Chroma, Katerina; Valasek, Hubert; Reznickova, Ladislava

2017-04-01

Different documentary evidence (taxation records, chronicles, insurance reports etc.) and secondary sources (peer-reviewed papers, historical literature, newspapers) are used for reconstruction of hydrometeorological extremes (HMEs) in the former Jihlava region in the 1651-1880 period. The study describes the system of tax alleviation in Moravia, presents assessment of the impacts of HMEs with regard to physical-geographical characteristic of area studied, presents up to now non-utilized documentary evidence (early fire and hail damage insurance claims) and application of the new methodological approaches for the analysis of HMEs impacts. During the period studied more than 500 HMEs were analysed for the 19 estates (past basic economic units) in the region. Thunderstorm in 1651 in Rančířov (the Jihlava estate), which caused damage on the fields and meadows, is the first recorded extreme event. Downpours causing flash floods and hailstorms are the most frequently recorded natural disasters. Together with floods, droughts, windstorms, blizzards, late frosts and lightning strikes starting fires caused enormous damage as well. The impacts of HMEs are classified into three categories: impacts on agricultural production, material property and the socio-economic impacts. Natural disasters became the reasons of losses of human lives, property, supplies and farming equipment. HMEs caused damage to fields and meadows, depletion of livestock and triggered the secondary consequences as lack of seeds and finance, high prices, indebtedness, poverty and deterioration in field fertility. The results are discussed with respect to uncertainties associated with documentary evidences and their spatiotemporal distribution. The paper shows that particularly archival records, preserved in the Moravian Land Archives in Brno and other district archives, represent a unique source of data contributing to the better understanding of extreme events and their impacts in the past.

Waves, Plumes and Bubbles from Jupiter Comet Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palotai, Csaba J.; Sankar, Ramanakumar; McCabe, Tyler; Korycansky, Donald

2017-10-01

We present results from our numerical simulations of jovian comet impacts that investigate various phases of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) and the 2009 impacts into Jupiter's atmosphere. Our work includes a linked series of observationally constrained, three-dimensional radiative-hydrodynamic simulations to model the impact, plume blowout, plume flight/splash, and wave-propagation phases of those impact events. Studying these stages using a single model is challenging because the spatial and temporal scales and the temperature range of those phases may differ by orders of magnitudes (Harrington et al. 2004). In our simulations we model subsequent phases starting with the interpolation of the results of previous simulations onto a new, larger grid that is optimized for capturing all key physics of the relevant phenomena while maintaining computational efficiency. This enables us to carry out end-to-end simulations that require no ad-hoc initial conditions. In this work, we focus on the waves generated by various phenomena during the impact event and study the temporal evolution of their position and speed. In particular, we investigate the shocks generated by the impactor during atmospheric entry, the expansion of the ejected plume and the ascent of the hot bubble of material from terminal depth. These results are compared to the observed characteristics of the expanding SL9 rings (Hammel et al. 1995). Additionally, we present results from our sensitivity tests that focus on studying the differences in the ejecta plume generation using various impactor parameters (e.g., impact angle, impactor size, material, etc.). These simulations are used to explain various phenomena related to the SL9 event and to constrain the characteristics of the unknown 2009 impactor body. This research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant AST-1627409.

Impact of high temperature stress on floret fertility and individual grain weight of grain sorghum: sensitive stages and thresholds for temperature and duration

PubMed Central

Prasad, P. V. V.; Djanaguiraman, Maduraimuthu; Perumal, Ramasamy; Ciampitti, Ignacio A.

2015-01-01

Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] yield formation is severely affected by high temperature stress during reproductive stages. This study pursues to (i) identify the growth stage(s) most sensitive to high temperature stress during reproductive development, (ii) determine threshold temperature and duration of high temperature stress that decreases floret fertility and individual grain weight, and (iii) quantify impact of high daytime temperature during floret development, flowering and grain filling on reproductive traits and grain yield under field conditions. Periods between 10 and 5 d before anthesis; and between 5 d before- and 5 d after-anthesis were most sensitive to high temperatures causing maximum decreases in floret fertility. Mean daily temperatures >25°C quadratically decreased floret fertility (reaching 0% at 37°C) when imposed at the start of panicle emergence. Temperatures ranging from 25 to 37°C quadratically decreased individual grain weight when imposed at the start of grain filling. Both floret fertility and individual grain weights decreased quadratically with increasing duration (0–35 d or 49 d during floret development or grain filling stage, respectively) of high temperature stress. In field conditions, imposition of temperature stress (using heat tents) during floret development or grain filling stage also decreased floret fertility, individual grain weight, and grain weight per panicle. PMID:26500664

Impact of IrRu Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts on Pt Nanostructured Thin Films under Start-Up/Shutdown Cycling

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

Cullen, David A; More, Karren Leslie; Atanasoska, Liliana

Electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods have been utilized to study the role of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in mitigating degradation arising from start-up/shutdown events. Pt nanostructured thin films (NSTF) were coated with a Ru0.1Ir0.9 OER catalyst at loadings ranging from 1 to 10 g/cm2 and submitted to 5,000 potential cycles within a membrane electrode assembly. Analysis of the as-deposited catalyst showed that Ir and Ru coating is primarily metallic, and further evidence is provided to support the previously reported interaction between Ru and the perylene-red support. Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopymore » were used to observe the impact of the OER catalysts on Pt dissolution and migration through the membrane. Elemental mapping showed a high percentage of the Ir catalyst was maintained on the NSTF whisker surfaces following testing. The presence of the OER catalysts greatly reduced the smoothing of the Pt NSTF whiskers, which has been correlated with Pt dissolution and losses in electrochemically active surface area. The dissolution of both Ir and Pt led to the formation of IrPt nanoparticle clusters in the membrane close to the cathode, as well as the formation of a Pt band deeper in the membrane.« less

Load assumptions for the landing impact of seaplanes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taub, Josef

1931-01-01

The formula for the impact of floats must include the enlargement factor itself as well as the type of enlargement. The latter is preferably characterized by the change in surface loading. It is shown that the enlargement of a small seaplane generally results in a changed float (or boat) loading as well as wing loading. The conditions of starting stipulate the retention of the float loading when changing from single-float (boat) to twin-float arrangement. This contingency is followed by an increased impact factor in the twin-float type against the otherwise equivalent single-float type.

Is child labor harmful? The impact of working earlier in life on adult earnings.

PubMed

Emerson, Patrick M; Souza, André Portela

2011-01-01

This paper explores the question: is working as a child harmful to an individual in terms of adult outcomes in earnings? Although this is an extremely important question, little is known about the effect of child labor on adult outcomes. Estimations of an instrumental variables earnings model on data from Brazil show that child labor has a large negative impact on adult earnings for male children even when controlling for schooling and that the negative impact of starting to work as a child reverses at around ages 12–14.

Drought Characterisation Using Ground and Remote Sensing Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hore, Sudipta Kumar; Werner, Micha; Maskey, Shreedhar

2016-04-01

The North-West of Bangladesh is frequently affected by drought, which may have profound impacts to different water related sectors. The characterisation and identification of drought is, however, challenging. Despite several standard drought indices being available it is important that indicators proposed in support of an effective drought management are related to the impacts drought may have. In this study we present the characterisation of drought in the districts of Rajshahi and Rangpur in North-Western Bangladesh. Drought indicators were developed using available temperature, precipitation, river discharge and groundwater level data, as well as from remotely sensed NDVI data. We compare these indicators to records of drought impacts to agriculture, fisheries and migration collected from relevant organisations, as well as through interviews with key stakeholders, key informants, and community leaders. The analysis shows that droughts occur frequently, with nine occurrences in the last 42 years, as found using common meteorological drought indicators. NDVI data corroborated these events, despite being only available from 2001. The agricultural sector was adversely impacted in all events, with impacts correlated to drought severity. Impacts to the fisheries sector were, however, reported only three times, though impacts to fisheries are less well recorded. Interestingly, the good relationship between meteorological drought indicators and agricultural impacts weakens in the last decade. This appears to be due to the intensification of irrigation using groundwater, with the declining groundwater levels found in Rajshahi district suggesting overexploitation of the resource, and the increasing importance of groundwater drought indicators. The study reveals the drought indicators that are important to the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and also tentative threshold values at which drought start to impact these sectors. Such sector relevant drought indicators, as well as appropriate thresholds, can be useful in drought identification and management.

Impact of foot-and-mouth disease on milk production on a large-scale dairy farm in Kenya.

PubMed

Lyons, Nicholas A; Alexander, Neal; Stärk, Katharina D C; Dulu, Thomas D; Sumption, Keith J; James, Andrew D; Rushton, Jonathan; Fine, Paul E M

2015-06-15

The economic impact of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been poorly characterised particularly in endemic settings where such knowledge is important for decision-making on disease control with limited resources. In order to address this, a study was designed using individual animal data from a large-scale dairy farm in Kenya to estimate the impact of an FMD outbreak due to serotype SAT2 virus on milk yield. Daily milk yields from 218 mainly European-breed cattle that were lactating during the 29-day outbreak period were considered in the analysis. At the herd level, the average daily yields decreased from around 20 to 13kg per cow, recovering approximately 2 months after the commencement of the outbreak. Generalised estimating equations (GEE) and an autoregressive correlation matrix were used to compare yields of reported clinical FMD cases and non-cases. No difference was found between reported clinical and non-clinical cases suggesting inaccurate case recording, poor sensitivity of the case definition and subclinical infections being present. To further investigate the impact of FMD, yields were predicted for each individual animal based on historic data from the same herd using a similar GEE approach. For cattle lactating during the outbreak, comparisons were made between actual and predicted yields from the commencement of the outbreak to 305 days lactation using a linear regression model. Animals produced significantly less than predicted if in parity 2 or greater and between 0 and 50 days in milk (DIM) at the start of the outbreak period. The maximum effect was seen among animals in parity ≥4 and between 0 and 50 DIM at the start of the outbreak, producing on average 688.7kg (95%CI 395.5, 981.8) less milk than predicted for their remaining lactation, representing an average 15% reduction in the 305 day production for these animals. Generalisation of the results requires caution as the majority of Kenyan milk is produced in smallholder farms. However, such farms use similar genetics and feeding practices to the study farm, and such systems are increasingly important in the supply of milk globally. These results make an important and unique contribution to the evidence base on FMD impact among dairy cattle in an endemic setting. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of long-term erythrocytapheresis on growth and peak height velocity of children with sickle cell disease.

PubMed

Bavle, Abhishek; Raj, Ashok; Kong, Maiying; Bertolone, Salvatore

2014-11-01

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) lag in weight and height and have a delayed growth spurt compared to normal children. We studied the effect of long-term erythrocytapheresis (LTE) on the growth of children with SCD and the age at which they attained peak height velocity. A retrospective chart review was performed recording weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) measurements of 36 patients with SCD who received LTE every 3-5 weeks for an average duration of 5 years. The z-scores for weight, height, and BMI of these patients were compared with that of patients with SCD from the Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD) and a sub-set of 64 controls matched for age, sex, and initial growth parameter z-scores at the start of LTE. The z-scores for all parameters improved significantly for our patients on LTE compared to match controls from CSSCD and the entire pediatric CSSCD cohort (P-value: <0.01). Peak height velocity was achieved 2 months earlier for females (P-value: 0.94) and 11 months earlier for males (P-value: 0.02), who started LTE before 14 years of age, compared to matched CSSCD controls. The study subjects who had not been on regular simple transfusions prior to starting LTE had a mean serum ferritin of 681 ng/ml after LTE for an average duration of 63 months. LTE improves the growth of children with SCD without the risk of iron overload. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Usability and Acceptability of a Mobile Comprehensive HIV Prevention App for Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Sullivan, Patrick S; Driggers, Robert; Stekler, Joanne D; Siegler, Aaron; Goldenberg, Tamar; McDougal, Sarah J; Caucutt, Jason; Jones, Jeb; Stephenson, Rob

2017-03-09

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the group most impacted by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic and the only subgroup in the United States among which new HIV diagnoses are not decreasing. To achieve the US National HIV/AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) Strategy goals of reducing new diagnoses by 25%, high (eg, 30-50%) coverage of multiple HIV prevention interventions is needed in both urban and rural areas. Mobile phone "apps" are an important channel through which prevention services could be provided at scale and at low marginal cost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usability and acceptability of a theory-based Android mobile phone app for HIV prevention. The app included self-assessment tools; prevention recommendations; commodity (condoms, HIV self-tests) ordering; reminders to MSM for basic HIV prevention services, HIV testing, condom use, screening for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and nonoccupational postexposure prophylaxis (nPEP); and prevention and treatment provider locators. The study recruited HIV-negative, Android-using MSM in Atlanta and Seattle who were asked to use the app for 4 months and complete a post-use survey. We measured the use of the app and its features, ordering of commodities, self-report of establishing an HIV testing plan, being HIV tested in the community, and starting PrEP or using nPEP. Usability was assessed using the system usability scale (SUS). A total of 121 MSM were enrolled (59.5%, 72/121 from Atlanta; 40.5%, 49/121 from Seattle). Median age was 28. Nearly half (48.8%, 59/121) were nonwhite, and most (85.9%, 104/121) were gay-identified. Most had tested for HIV in the past (85.1%, 103/121), and 52 (43.0%, 52/121) had a plan to test for HIV regularly. Men used the app for an average of 17.7 minutes over the first 4 months. Over the 4-month period, over half ordered condoms (63.6%, 77/121) and HIV test kits (52.8%, 64/121) on the app. Eight of 86 (9%) PrEP-eligible MSM started PrEP during the 4-month period; of those, 6 of the 8 reported that the app influenced their decision to start PrEP. The mean SUS was 73 (above average). A theory-based mobile phone app was acceptable to MSM and was rated as having above-average usability. Most men used the commodity-ordering features of the app during the 4-month evaluation period, and nearly 1 in 10 PrEP-eligible men started PrEP, with most attributing their decision to start PrEP in part to the app. A broader, randomized controlled study of the impact of the app on uptake of prevention behaviors for MSM is warranted. ©Patrick S Sullivan, Robert Driggers, Joanne D Stekler, Aaron J Siegler, Tamar Goldenberg, Sarah J McDougal, Jason Caucutt, Jeb Jones, Rob Stephenson. Originally published in JMIR Mhealth and Uhealth (http://mhealth.jmir.org), 09.03.2017.

The Impact of Future World Events on Iranians’ Social Health: A Qualitative Futurology

PubMed Central

DAMARI, Behzad; HAJIAN, Maryam; MINAEE, Farima; RIAZI-ISFAHANI, Sahand

2016-01-01

Background: Social health is a dimension of health affected and interacts with other dimensions. Considering the rate of world changes, foresighting the influence of future events and possible trends on social health could bring about advantageous information for social policy makers. Methods: This is a qualitative study of futurology with cross impact analysis approach. After studying possible trends and events in future, they were categorized in four domains including population, resources, climate changes, and globalization and 12 groups of events; and they were used to design a questionnaire. It was given to experts and their opinions were collected through depth interviews between May 2013 and Sep 2013. Results: Analysis of experts’ opinions reveals that future trends in four main potential domains may have some positive and more negative impacts on Iranians’ social health. Conclusion: The global “resource challenge” is the most important incoming event, considering to the four domains of global events and its final and potential effects will be the increase of inequalities leading to social threat. Since inequalities are considered the most important risk factor of health in the societies, the solution for dispel the impact of world trends on Iranians’ social health is managing the crisis of inequalities which is started with fore sighting and adopting preventive strategies in all four domains. PMID:27648424

Impact and collisional processes in the solar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ahrens, Thomas J.; Gazis, C.; Pepin, R.; Becker, R.; Cronin, R.; Tyburczy, J.; Tingle, T.; Duffy, T.; Rowan, L.

1991-01-01

As impact cratered terrains have been successively recognized on certain planets and planetary satellites, it has become clear that impact processes are important to the understanding of the accretion and evolution of all solid planets. The noble gases in the normalized atmospheric inventories of the planets and the normalized gas content of meteorites are grossly similar, but demonstrate differences from each other which are not understood. In order to study shock devolatilization of the candidate carrier phases which are principally thought to be carbonaceous or hydrocarbons in planetesimals, experiments were conducted on noble gase implantation in various carbons: carbon black, activated charcoal, graphite, and carbon glass. These were candidate starting materials for impact devolatilization experiments. Initial experiments were conducted on vitreous amorphous carbon samples which were synthesized under vapor saturated conditions using argon as the pressurizing medium. An amino acid and surface analysis by laser ionization analyses were performed on three samples of shocked Murchison meteorite. A first study was completed in which a series of shock loading experiments on a porous limestone and on a non-porous gabbro in one and three dimensions were performed. Also a series of recovery experiments were conducted in which shocked molten basalt a 1700 C is encapsulated in molybdenum containers and shock recovered from up to 6 GPa pressures.

A Very Low Geno2pheno False Positive Rate Is Associated with Poor Viro-Immunological Response in Drug-Naïve Patients Starting a First-Line HAART

PubMed Central

Armenia, Daniele; Soulie, Cathia; Di Carlo, Domenico; Fabeni, Lavinia; Gori, Caterina; Forbici, Federica; Svicher, Valentina; Bertoli, Ada; Sarmati, Loredana; Giuliani, Massimo; Latini, Alessandra; Boumis, Evangelo; Zaccarelli, Mauro; Bellagamba, Rita; Andreoni, Massimo; Marcelin, Anne-Geneviève; Calvez, Vincent; Antinori, Andrea; Ceccherini-Silberstein, Francesca; Perno, Carlo-Federico; Santoro, Maria Mercedes

2014-01-01

Background We previously found that a very low geno2pheno false positive rate (FPR ≤2%) defines a viral population associated with low CD4 cell count and the highest amount of X4-quasispecies. In this study, we aimed at evaluating whether FPR ≤2% might impact on the viro-immunological response in HIV-1 infected patients starting a first-line HAART. Methods The analysis was performed on 305 HIV-1 B subtype infected drug-naïve patients who started their first-line HAART. Baseline FPR (%) values were stratified according to the following ranges: ≤2; 2–5; 5–10; 10–20; 20–60; >60. The impact of genotypically-inferred tropism on the time to achieve immunological reconstitution (a CD4 cell count gain from HAART initiation ≥150 cells/mm3) and on the time to achieve virological success (the first HIV-RNA measurement <50 copies/mL from HAART initiation) was evaluated by survival analyses. Results Overall, at therapy start, 27% of patients had FPR ≤10 (6%, FPR ≤2; 7%, FPR 2–5; 14%, FPR 5–10). By 12 months of therapy the rate of immunological reconstitution was overall 75.5%, and it was significantly lower for FPR ≤2 (54.1%) in comparison to other FPR ranks (78.8%, FPR 2–5; 77.5%, FPR 5–10; 71.7%, FPR 10–20; 81.8%, FPR 20–60; 75.1%, FPR >60; p = 0.008). The overall proportion of patients achieving virological success was 95.5% by 12 months of therapy. Multivariable Cox analyses showed that patients having pre-HAART FPR ≤2% had a significant lower relative adjusted hazard [95% C.I.] both to achieve immunological reconstitution (0.37 [0.20–0.71], p = 0.003) and to achieve virological success (0.50 [0.26–0.94], p = 0.031) than those with pre-HAART FPR >60%. Conclusions Beyond the genotypically-inferred tropism determination, FPR ≤2% predicts both a poor immunological reconstitution and a lower virological response in drug-naïve patients who started their first-line therapy. This parameter could be useful to identify patients potentially with less chance of achieving adequate immunological reconstitution and virological undetectability. PMID:25153969

Analysis of capacity and traffic operations impacts of the World Trade Bridge in Laredo

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-01

Project 0-1800 pioneered the use of modern micro-simulation software to analyze the complex procedures involved in international border crossings. The animated models simulate the entire southbound commercial traffic flow, starting with U.S. Customs ...

Depressive symptoms and hazardous/harmful alcohol use are prevalent and correlate with stigma among TB-HIV patients in Lesotho.

PubMed

Hayes-Larson, E; Hirsch-Moverman, Y; Saito, S; Frederix, K; Pitt, B; Maama-Maime, L; Howard, A A

2017-11-01

Limited data exist on the prevalence and correlates, including stigma, of mental health conditions, including depressive symptoms and alcohol use, among patients co-infected with tuberculosis (TB) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa, despite their negative impact on health outcomes. To assess the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms and hazardous/harmful alcohol use among TB-HIV patients in the Start TB patients on ART and Retain on Treatment (START) study. START, a mixed-methods cluster-randomized trial, evaluated a combination intervention package vs. standard of care (SOC) to improve treatment outcomes in TB-HIV co-infected patients in Lesotho. Moderate/severe depressive symptoms and hazardous/harmful alcohol use were measured using baseline questionnaire data collected from April 2013 to March 2015. Demographic, psychosocial, and TB- and HIV-related knowledge and attitudes, including stigma, were assessed for association with both conditions using generalized linear mixed models. Among 371 participants, 29.8% reported moderate/severe depressive symptoms, and 24.7% reported hazardous/harmful alcohol use; 7% reported both. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with less education, more difficulty understanding written medical information, non-disclosure of TB, greater TB stigma, and the SOC study arm. Hazardous/harmful alcohol use was significantly associated with male sex, as well as greater TB and external HIV stigma. Prevalence of depressive symptoms and hazardous/harmful alcohol use were high, suggesting a need for routine screening for, and treatment of, mental health disorders in TB-HIV patients.

Parents' views on toilet training: a cross-sectional study in Flanders.

PubMed

Van Aggelpoel, Tinne; De Wachter, Stefan; Van Hal, Guido; Van der Cruyssen, Kelly; Neels, Hedwig; Vermandel, Alexandra

2018-05-11

The goals of this research were to investigate parents' perceptions of toilet training and their beliefs and views on how to toilet train children. Questionnaires were provided to parents of healthy children, aged 18-72 months, who were or had just finished toilet training. There were 928 questionnaires returned (38% response rate). After correcting for age compliance with the range stated in the study, 832 parents remained. The data confirm a postponement of the age at which children start to potty train and the age at which they are toilet training. Fifty per cent (n=401) of the parents start because the child will soon be attending nursery school and only 27% (n=226) start toilet training because their child shows certain readiness signs. The latter group will significantly end toilet training sooner. Constipation is common and varies considerably in its severity, the complaint should not be ignored. No significant relationship between toilet training and the general family situation - parental status, working status or educational level - was found, suggesting that these factors do not have a significant impact. Proper education of parents in toilet training and readiness signs could reduce the uncertainties that exist. In that way, toilet training could be carried out more efficiently and at the right time for the child. ©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

The cold driver: Cold stress while driving results in dangerous behavior.

PubMed

Morris, Drew M; Pilcher, June J

2016-10-01

Cool vehicle cabin temperatures can induce short-term non-hypothermic cold stress. The current study created a cold condition to examine the impact of cold stress on driving behavior. Forty-four participants drove a high-fidelity driving simulator during a thermal neutral or local torso cooled condition. Participants performed additional tasks to assess attention, psychomotor vigilance, and manual dexterity. Skin temperature was significantly lower in the cold condition while internal temperature was unaffected. Participants who had higher subjective ratings of cold followed lead vehicles closer and started to brake later. Participants in the cold condition followed the lead car 22% (0.82s) closer and started braking 20% (2.35s) later when approaching a stop sign during the car-following task. No change in attention, psychomotor vigilance, or dexterity was observed. The current results suggest that cold environmental conditions can contribute to dangerous driving behaviors. Measures of cold perception were also shown to predict changes in driving behavior. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structure stabilization in starch-quinoa bran doughs: The role of water availability and gelatinization.

PubMed

Föste, Maike; Jekle, Mario; Becker, Thomas

2017-10-15

Bran is a promising ingredient for nutritional fortification in starch-based dough systems. However its incorporation is a technological challenge favoring a shift in dough functionality. The objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of bran on baking performance independent of dough firmness and start of gelatinization. Therefore, corn starch was replaced by quinoa bran (10% to 50%) and water addition (80-110g/100g flour) was standardized on a fixed complex shear modulus (G*) and start of gelatinization (T Onset ) based on a corn starch reference dough. A destabilizing effect by bran particles was counteracted in corn starch dough by adjusting the water content up to 110 g/100g flour. Moreover, a negative correlation between T Onset and loaf volume was determined (r=- 0.9042), thus an early T Onset should be aspired in order to prevent gas release and to stabilize corn starch- quinoa bran dough. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.