Sample records for unresolved issues related

  1. National Technology Standards for K-12 Schools: A Case Study of Unresolved Issues in Public Relations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mullen, Carol A.; Kealy, William A.; Sullivan, Ashley

    2004-01-01

    This article addresses an important need--the dissemination of information relating to technology as a public relations tool--and the associated exigency for administrator and teacher technology training. Specifically, we identify the increased expectations for the performance of school leaders and teachers, as well as unresolved issues in public…

  2. Unfinished Business in Bereavement

    PubMed Central

    Klingspon, Kara L.; Holland, Jason M.; Neimeyer, Robert A.; Lichtenthal, Wendy G.

    2016-01-01

    Unfinished business (incomplete, unexpressed or unresolved relationship issues with the deceased) is frequently discussed as a risk factor for chronic and severe grief reactions. However, few empirical studies have examined this construct. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining the presence and severity of unfinished business as well as common themes of unfinished business reported in open-ended qualitative narratives among a sample of 224 bereaved individuals. In bivariate analyses, self-reported presence of unfinished business and the severity of distress due to unfinished business were both found to be associated with poorer bereavement outcomes. However, after controlling for potential confounds, distress related to unresolved issues with the deceased emerged as a more robust correlate of these outcomes. Qualitative responses were categorized, and the type of reported unfinished business was not significantly related to the degree of unfinished business distress or other bereavement outcomes. These findings provide preliminary justification for bereavement interventions that aim to ameliorate distress related to unresolved relational issues with the deceased. PMID:26057117

  3. Unfinished Business in Bereavement.

    PubMed

    Klingspon, Kara L; Holland, Jason M; Neimeyer, Robert A; Lichtenthal, Wendy G

    2015-01-01

    Unfinished business (incomplete, unexpressed or unresolved relationship issues with the deceased) is frequently discussed as a risk factor for chronic and severe grief reactions. However, few empirical studies have examined this construct. The present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by examining the presence and severity of unfinished business as well as common themes of unfinished business reported in open-ended qualitative narratives among a sample of 224 bereaved individuals. In bivariate analyses, self-reported presence of unfinished business and the severity of distress due to unfinished business were both found to be associated with poorer bereavement outcomes. However, after controlling for potential confounds, distress related to unresolved issues with the deceased emerged as a more robust correlate of these outcomes. Qualitative responses were categorized, and the type of reported unfinished business was not significantly related to the degree of unfinished business distress or other bereavement outcomes. These findings provide preliminary justification for bereavement interventions that aim to ameliorate distress related to unresolved relational issues with the deceased.

  4. Unresolved Technical Issues in Fair Interest Measurement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cole, Nancy S.

    The problem of sex differences in interest measurement involves many technical issues and procedures. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the technical problems involved in construction, scoring, and interpretation of interest measures as related to sex differences and to suggest guidelines within these technical issues which…

  5. Chemistry on the mesoscale: Modeling and measurement issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thompson, Anne; Pleim, John; Walcek, Christopher; Ching, Jason; Binkowski, Frank; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Dickerson, Russell; Pickering, Kenneth

    1993-01-01

    The topics covered include the following: Regional Acid Deposition Model (RADM) -- a coupled chemistry/mesoscale model; convection in RADM; unresolved issues for mesoscale modeling with chemistry -- nonprecipitating clouds; unresolved issues for mesoscale modeling with chemistry -- aerosols; tracer studies with Goddard Cumulus Ensemble Model (GCEM); field observations of trace gas transport in convection; and photochemical consequences of convection.

  6. Mathematical and Numerical Studies of Nonstandard Difference Equation Models of Differential Equations

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

    Mickens, Ronald E.

    2008-12-22

    This research examined the following items/issues: the NSFD methodology, technical achievements and applications, dissemination efforts and research related professional activities. Also a list of unresolved issues were identified that could form the basis for future research in the area of constructing and analyzing NSFD schemes for both ODE's and PDE's.

  7. Emotion theory and research: highlights, unanswered questions, and emerging issues.

    PubMed

    Izard, Carroll E

    2009-01-01

    Emotion feeling is a phase of neurobiological activity, the key component of emotions and emotion-cognition interactions. Emotion schemas, the most frequently occurring emotion experiences, are dynamic emotion-cognition interactions that may consist of momentary/situational responding or enduring traits of personality that emerge over developmental time. Emotions play a critical role in the evolution of consciousness and the operations of all mental processes. Types of emotion relate differentially to types or levels of consciousness. Unbridled imagination and the ability for sympathetic regulation of empathy may represent both potential gains and losses from the evolution and ontogeny of emotion processes and consciousness. Unresolved issues include psychology's neglect of levels of consciousness that are distinct from access or reflective consciousness and use of the term "unconscious mind" as a dumpster for all mental processes that are considered unreportable. The relation of memes and the mirror neuron system to empathy, sympathy, and cultural influences on the development of socioemotional skills are unresolved issues destined to attract future research.

  8. Emotion Theory and Research: Highlights, Unanswered Questions, and Emerging Issues

    PubMed Central

    Izard, Carroll E.

    2009-01-01

    Emotion feeling is a phase of neurobiological activity, the key component of emotions and emotion-cognition interactions. Emotion schemas, the most frequently occurring emotion experiences, are dynamic emotion-cognition interactions that may consist of momentary/ situational responding or enduring traits of personality that emerge over developmental time. Emotions play a critical role in the evolution of consciousness and the operations of all mental processes. Types of emotion relate differentially to types or levels of consciousness. Unbridled imagination and the ability for sympathetic regulation of empathy may represent both potential gains and losses from the evolution and ontogeny of emotion processes and consciousness. Unresolved issues include psychology’s neglect of levels of consciousness that are distinct from access or reflective consciousness and use of the term “unconscious mind” as a dumpster for all mental processes that are considered unreportable. The relation of memes and the mirror neuron system to empathy, sympathy, and cultural influences on the development of socioemotional skills are unresolved issues destined to attract future research. PMID:18729725

  9. Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation at 30: Unresolved Scientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reiss, Steven

    2005-01-01

    The undermining effect of extrinsic reward on intrinsic motivation remains unproven. The key unresolved issues are construct invalidity (all four definitions are unproved and two are illogical); measurement unreliability (the free-choice measure requires unreliable, subjective judgments to infer intrinsic motivation); inadequate experimental…

  10. Brain Responses to Filled Gaps

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hestvik, Arild; Maxfield, Nathan; Schwartz, Richard G.; Shafer, Valerie

    2007-01-01

    An unresolved issue in the study of sentence comprehension is whether the process of gap-filling is mediated by the construction of empty categories (traces), or whether the parser relates fillers directly to the associated verb's argument structure. We conducted an event-related potentials (ERP) study that used the violation paradigm to examine…

  11. Sickle red cell adhesion: many issues and some answers.

    PubMed

    Kaul, D K

    2008-01-01

    Among multiple pathologies associated with sickle cell disease, sickle red cell-endothelial interaction has been implicated as a potential initiating mechanism in vaso-occlusive events that characterize this disease. Vast literature exists on various aspects of sickle red cell adhesion, but many issues remain unresolved, especially pertaining to the role of sickle red cell heterogeneity, the relative role of multiple adhesion mechanisms and targets of antiadhesive therapy. This review briefly analyzes these issues.

  12. Immunogenicity and immune tolerance coagulation Factors VIII and IX.

    PubMed

    Rup, B

    2003-01-01

    Some of the major issues related to the development and control of antibodies that occur during treatment of haemophilia with replacement factors (Factor VIII and Factor IX) are reviewed. Information on analytical issues, immunogenicity, and immune tolerance may be applicable to the study of other therapeutic proteins. Conversely, new information obtained from evaluation of other therapeutic protein products may address issues that remain unresolved for Factor VIII and FIX replacement therapy.

  13. Oxytocin and the social brain: neural mechanisms and perspectives in human research.

    PubMed

    Kanat, Manuela; Heinrichs, Markus; Domes, Gregor

    2014-09-11

    The present paper summarizes functional imaging studies investigating the effects of intranasal oxytocin (OT) on brain responses to social stimuli. We aim to integrate previous research, point to unresolved issues and highlight perspectives for future studies. The studies so far have focused on identifying neural circuits underlying social information processing which are particularly sensitive to modulations by exogenous OT. Most consistently, stimulus-related responses of the amygdala and associated areas within the prefrontal and temporal cortices have been found to be modulated by OT administration. However, there are a number of unresolved issues related to the possible role of sex differences and hormonal status, genetic variability, and individual differences in socio-cognitive functioning. Future studies focusing on these open questions are expected to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the role of the central OT system in humans and may provide the basis for novel treatment approaches for mental disorders characterized by social deficits. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Oxytocin and Social Behav. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. 10 CFR 709.15 - Processing counterintelligence evaluation results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. 709.15... and Protection of National Security § 709.15 Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. (a) If... are significant unresolved issues, not exclusively related to polygraph examination results...

  15. 10 CFR 709.15 - Processing counterintelligence evaluation results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. 709.15... and Protection of National Security § 709.15 Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. (a) If... are significant unresolved issues, not exclusively related to polygraph examination results...

  16. 10 CFR 709.15 - Processing counterintelligence evaluation results.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. 709.15... and Protection of National Security § 709.15 Processing counterintelligence evaluation results. (a) If... are significant unresolved issues, not exclusively related to polygraph examination results...

  17. Artificial Intelligence for Command and Control

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-05-15

    complexity of information and are a very active current research area. Some of the important unresolved frame -related issues are control issues , such as...indepth analysis of the combat engineer’s decisio -mnaking activities. -Specificaly 3 combat engineers-stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina (307th...experience. The CETOOLS concept is potentially applicable in any decision- making environment, commercial or government, where plans for actions are

  18. Brain Networks for Working Memory and Factors of Intelligence Assessed in Males and Females with fMRI and DTI

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tang, C. Y.; Eaves, E. L.; Ng, J. C.; Carpenter, D. M.; Mai, X.; Schroeder, D. H.; Condon, C. A.; Colom, R.; Haier, R. J.

    2010-01-01

    Neuro-imaging studies of intelligence implicate the importance of a parietal-frontal network. One unresolved issue is whether this network underlies a general factor of intelligence ("g") or other specific cognitive factors. A second unresolved issue is whether males and females use different parts of this network. Here we obtained intelligence…

  19. Wynoochee Hydropower/Fish Hatchery: Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-09-30

    Unresolved Issues. There are no unresolved issues associated with the Wynoochee hydropower/fish hatchery plan. 4. Relationship to Environmental...Requirements.l/ The relationship of the Wynoochee hydropower/fish hatchery plan to environmental requirements is summarized in the following table...Implementation of the plan would I/The relationship of the satellite fish station to the environmental requirements is not included in this discussion. Compliance

  20. Androgyny as Trait and as Role: Unresolved Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spence, Janet T.

    In the late 1970's androgyny as a concept gained respectability, accompanied, however, by a backlash. Debate centered primarily on scientific grounds and both sides failed to define the concepts of masculinity, femininity and androgyny, including possible cultural relativity. Most empirical research on androgyny uses either the BSRI or the PAQ…

  1. Chocolate and cardiovascular health: is it too good to be true?

    PubMed

    Ariefdjohan, Merlin W; Savaiano, Dennis A

    2005-12-01

    Recent findings indicate that cocoa and chocolate, when processed appropriately, may contain relatively large amounts of flavonoids, particularly catechin and epicatechin. We review the benefits of these flavonoids, specifically with regard to cardiovascular health, and raise several unresolved issues that suggest the need for additional research and product development in this area.

  2. Safeguarding patient privacy in electronic healthcare in the USA: the legal view.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Diana; Passerini, Katia; Varshney, Upkar; Fjermestad, Jerry

    2008-01-01

    The conflict between the sweeping power of technology to access and assemble personal information and the ongoing concern about our privacy and security is ever increasing. While we gradually need higher electronic access to medical information, issues relating to patient privacy and reducing vulnerability to security breaches surmount. In this paper, we take a legal perspective and examine the existing patchwork of laws and obligations governing health information in the USA. The study finds that as Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) increase in scope and dissemination, privacy protections gradually decrease due to the shortcomings in the legal system. The contributions of this paper are (1) an overview of the legal EMR issues in the USA, and (2) the identification of the unresolved legal issues and how these will escalate when health information is transmitted over wireless networks. More specifically, the paper discusses federal and state government regulations such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and judicial intervention. Based on the legal overview, the unresolved challenges are identified and suggestions for future research are included.

  3. Space station human productivity study. Volume 4: Issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    The 305 Issues contained represent topics recommended for study in order to develop requirements in support of space station crew performance/productivity. The overall subject matter, space station elements affecting crew productivity, was organized into a coded subelement listing, which is included for the reader's reference. Each issue is numbered according to the 5-digit topical coding scheme. The requirements column on each Issue page shows a cross-reference to the unresolved requirement statement(s). Because topical overlaps were frequently encountered, many initial Issues were consolidated. Apparent gaps, therefore, may be accounted for by an Issue described within a related subelement. A glossary of abbreviations used throughout the study documentation is also included.

  4. Unresolved Childhood Sexual Abuse: Are Older Adults Affected?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allers, Christopher T.; And Others

    1992-01-01

    Presents case studies and discussions regarding 3 observed characteristics of unresolved childhood sexual abuse in adult survivors over 65 years of age. Specifically, chronic depression, elder abuse, and misdiagnosis of residual abuse trauma as dementia or mental illness are compared to parallel issues identified by researchers working with…

  5. NATO and Hybrid Conflict: Unresolved Issues from the Past or Unresolvable Threats of the Present?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-01

    order to strengthen the relationship between the UK and France, the Treaty of Dunkirk was signed in March 1947 expressing the Western European... Dunkirk Treaty was mainly a projection of European concerns about the reemergence of German aggression. The Rio Pact was more a representation of

  6. The Relationship between Psychological Well-Being and Perceived Wellness in Graduate-Level Counseling Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Michel; Martin, Magy; Martin, Don

    2013-01-01

    Research has established that individuals who provide personal therapy to others should have stable personal and professional lives, and possess a keen and accurate perception of wellness. Unfortunately, sometimes students pursuing careers in counseling and psychotherapy have unresolved psychological issues that, if unresolved, could later affect…

  7. Canadian Policy--First Nation Involvement in the Funding and the Politics of Post-Secondary Education: How Much Is Enough?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lanceley, Darlene

    For Canada Natives, the unresolved issue of postsecondary education as a treaty right is at the center of discord in relation to budget constraints. The government's fiduciary responsibilities have devolved to First Nations administration, which allows for greater tribal control over the economics of individual First Nations and jurisdiction for…

  8. Prospective Assessment of Neurocognition in Future Gulf-deployed and Gulf-nondeployed Military Personnel: A Pilot Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-02-01

    increased emotional distress but with advantaged simple reactiontime. Unit cohesion buffers the adverse effects of early life events on PTSD prior to...motor speed), and emotional (e.g., mood) behaviors thought to reflect neural integrity. Unresolved issues include whether subjective...including neurobehavioral and emotional functioning, (b) examine the impact of deployment-related stress and environmental exposures on

  9. Character Building or Subversive Consequences of Employment during High School: Causal Effects Based on Propensity Score Models for Categorical Treatments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagengast, Benjamin; Marsh, Herbert W.; Chiorri, Carlo; Hau, Kit-Tai

    2014-01-01

    The present study revisited the unresolved issue of the long-term effects of part-time working intensity during high school on students' achievement, participation in postsecondary education, time allocation, and work-related values and expectations. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (N = 14,654), the effects of part-time…

  10. Characterization and management of electrical noise in the new Australian military HF communication network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vyden, Bruce

    2000-03-01

    The Australian Defense Force's (ADF's) High Frequency (HF) communication network is soon to be replaced by a modernized system. Characterization of electrical noise at the receiver sites proposed for the new system is crucial to its performance. Consequently receiver site noise will be measured under the HF Modernization implementation contract that was awarded to Boeing Australia Ltd. Unfortunately the utility of the noise measurements is constrained by the uncertainties of both the ionosphere and atmosphere. This paper discusses some of the issues related to the methodology for measuring the noise and exposes some unresolved issues.

  11. Fundamental issues in the geology and geophysics of venus.

    PubMed

    Solomon, S C; Head, J W

    1991-04-12

    A number of important and currently unresolved issues in the global geology and geophysics of Venus will be addressable with the radar imaging, altimetry, and gravity measurements now forthcoming from the Magellan mission. Among these are the global volcanic flux and the rate of formation of new crust; the global heat flux and its regional variations; the relative importance of localized hot spots and linear centers of crustal spreading to crustal formation and tectonics; and the planform of mantle convection on Venus and the nature of the interactions among interior convective flow, near-surface deformation and magmatism.

  12. Space station human productivity study. Volume 5: Management plans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    The 67 Management Plans represent recommended study approaches for resolving 108 of the 305 Issues which were identified. Each study Management Plan is prepared in three formats: Management Plan Overview (lists the subsumed Issues, study background, and related overview information); Study Plan (details the study approach by tasks, lists special needs, and describes expected study products); Schedule-Task Flow (provides a time-lined schedule for the study tasks and resource requirements). The Management Relationships Matrix, included in this volume, shows the data input-output relationships among all recommended studies. A listing is also included which cross-references the unresolved requirements to Issues to management plans. A glossary of all abbreviations utilized is provided.

  13. Studying Diversity in Teacher Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ball, Arnetha, Ed.; Tyson, Cynthia A., Ed.

    2011-01-01

    "Studying Diversity in Teacher Education" is a collaborative effort by experts seeking to elucidate one of the most important issues facing education today. First, the volume examines historically persistent, yet unresolved issues in teacher education and presents research that is currently being done to address these issues. Second, it…

  14. Problems and Issues of Diversity in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naylor, Larry L., Ed.

    A number of social problems created by cultural diversity in the United States seem to defy resolution. The essays in this collection address some of these issues and are designed to initiate serious discussions on some of the most serious questions. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to American Cultural Diversity: Unresolved Questions, Issues,…

  15. Kohlberg and Gilligan: Duet or Duel?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jorgensen, Gunnar

    2006-01-01

    Most moral psychologists have come to accept two types of moral reasoning: Kohlberg's "justice" and Gilligan's "care", but there still seem to be some unresolved issues. By analysing and comparing Kohlberg's statement on some theoretical issues with some of Gilligan's statements in an interview in April 2003, I will look at some key issues in the…

  16. Eating disorders in adolescence: attachment issues from a developmental perspective

    PubMed Central

    Gander, Manuela; Sevecke, Kathrin; Buchheim, Anna

    2015-01-01

    In the present article we review findings from an emerging body of research on attachment issues in adolescents with eating disorders from a developmental perspective. Articles for inclusion in this review were identified from PsychINFO (1966–2013), Sciencedirect (1970–2013), Psychindex (1980–2013), and Pubmed (1980–2013). First, we will outline the crucial developmental changes in the attachment system and discuss how they might be related to the early onset of the disease. Then we will report on the major results from attachment studies using self-report and narrative instruments in that age group. Studies with a developmental approach on attachment will be analyzed in more detail. The high incidence of the unresolved attachment pattern in eating disorder samples is striking, especially for patients with anorexia nervosa. Interestingly, this predominance of the unresolved category was also found in their mothers. To date, these transgenerational aspects are still poorly understood and therefore represent an exciting research frontier. Future studies that include larger adolescent samples and provide a more detailed description including symptom severity and comorbidity would contribute to a better understanding of this complex and painful condition. PMID:26321974

  17. Psychological Constructivism in Therapy and Counseling: Some Unresolved Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kruglanski, Arie W.

    1988-01-01

    Responds to Mahoney and Lyddon's review of constructivism in previous article by discussing several major problems that should be resolved if constructivism is to become widely accepted alternative to prevalent rationalist therapies. Included are issues of authority, pathology, and intervention. (NB)

  18. Show me the money: the implications of Schedule H.

    PubMed

    Salinsky, Eileen

    2009-04-21

    Responding to policymakers' concerns, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) implemented significant new hospital community benefit reporting under Schedule H of its revised Form 990, the return used by tax-exempt organizations. This issue brief considers the policy implications of the quantitative and qualitative information that hospitals are now mandated to report through Schedule H, including the costs associated with charity care, bad debt, and the unreimbursed costs of Medicaid and Medicare. The paper examines unresolved issues related to the new reporting requirements, such as controversies regarding the scope of Schedule H, and considers the potential for these reports to influence IRS oversight activities, legislative action, and hospital policies and practices.

  19. Status of NO sub x control for coal-fired power plants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Teixeira, D. P.

    1978-01-01

    The status of technologies for controlling emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) from coal-fired power plants is reviewed. A discussion of current technology as well as future NOx control approaches is presented. Advanced combustion approaches are included as well as post-combustion alternatives such as catalytic and noncatalytic ammonia-bases systems and wet scrubbing. Special emphasis is given to unresolved development issues as they relate to practical applications on coal-fired power plants.

  20. Social Media Channels in Health Care Research and Rising Ethical Issues.

    PubMed

    Azer, Samy A

    2017-11-01

    Social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn have been used as tools in health care research, opening new horizons for research on health-related topics (e.g., the use of mobile social networking in weight loss programs). While there have been efforts to develop ethical guidelines for internet-related research, researchers still face unresolved ethical challenges. This article investigates some of the risks inherent in social media research and discusses how researchers should handle challenges related to confidentiality, privacy, and consent when social media tools are used in health-related research. © 2017 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

  1. Chronic hyperkalemia in non-dialysis CKD: controversial issues in nephrology practice.

    PubMed

    De Nicola, Luca; Di Lullo, Luca; Paoletti, Ernesto; Cupisti, Adamasco; Bianchi, Stefano

    2018-06-07

    Chronic hyperkalemia is a major complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD) that occurs frequently, heralds poor prognosis, and necessitates careful management by the nephrologist. Current strategies aimed at prevention and treatment of hyperkalemia are still suboptimal, as evidenced by the relatively high prevalence of hyperkalemia in patients under stable nephrology care, and even in the ideal setting of randomized trials where best treatment and monitoring are mandatory. The aim of this review was to identify and discuss a range of unresolved issues related to the management of chronic hyperkalemia in non-dialysis CKD. The following topics of clinical interest were addressed: diagnosis, relationship with main comorbidities of CKD, therapy with inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, efficacy of current dietary and pharmacological treatment, and the potential role of the new generation of potassium binders. Opinion-based answers are provided for each of these controversial issues.

  2. How does disclosing countertransference affect perceptions of the therapist and the session?

    PubMed

    Yeh, Yun-Jy; Hayes, Jeffrey A

    2011-12-01

    Therapist self-disclosure has been theorized and found to have both positive and negative effects. These effects depend, in part, on the nature of the disclosure. This study sought to examine the differential effects of therapist disclosures of more and less resolved countertransference issues on perceptions of therapists and therapy sessions. Using an analogue method, undergraduate participants (N = 116) were randomly assigned to watch one of two videos in which a therapist disclosed personal issues that were relatively resolved or relatively unresolved. As hypothesized, therapist disclosure of issues that were more resolved caused the therapist to be rated as more attractive and trustworthy and instilled greater hope than therapist disclosure of less resolved issues. The type of therapist disclosure, however, did not affect ratings of the expertness of the therapist, the depth or smoothness of the session, or the perceived universality between client and therapist. Implications of the results for the judicious use of self-disclosure are discussed.

  3. Current issues relating to psychosocial job strain and cardiovascular disease research.

    PubMed

    Theorell, T; Karasek, R A

    1996-01-01

    The authors comment on recent reviews of cardiovascular job strain research by P. L. Schnall and P. A. Landsbergis (1994), and by T. S. Kristensen (1995), which conclude that job strain as defined by the demand-control model (the combination of contributions of low job decision latitudes and high psychological job demands) is confirmed as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in a large majority of studies. Lack of social support at work appears to further increase risk. Several still-unresolved research questions are examined in light of recent studies: (a) methodological issues related to use of occupational aggregate estimations and occupational career aggregate assessments, use of standard scales for job analysis and recall bias issues in self-reporting; (b) confounding factors and differential strengths of association by subgroups in job strain-cardiovascular disease analyses with respect to social class, gender, and working hours; and (c) review of results of monitoring job strain-blood pressure associations and associated methodological issues.

  4. Extrinsic and intrinsic motivation at 30: Unresolved scientific issues.

    PubMed

    Reiss, Steven

    2005-01-01

    The undermining effect of extrinsic reward on intrinsic motivation remains unproven. The key unresolved issues are construct invalidity (all four definitions are unproved and two are illogical); measurement unreliability (the free-choice measure requires unreliable, subjective judgments to infer intrinsic motivation); inadequate experimental controls (negative affect and novelty, not cognitive evaluation, may explain "undermining" effects); and biased metareviews (studies with possible floor effects excluded, but those with possible ceiling effects included). Perhaps the greatest error with the undermining theory, however, is that it does not adequately recognize the multifaceted nature of intrinsic motivation (Reiss, 2004a). Advice to limit the use of applied behavior analysis based on "hidden" undermining effects is ideologically inspired and is unsupported by credible scientific evidence.

  5. Dispersed storage and generation case studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bahrami, K.; Stallkamp, J. A.; Walton, A.

    1980-01-01

    Three installations utilizing separate dispersed storage and generation (DSG) technologies were investigated. Each of the systems is described in costs and control. Selected institutional and environmental issues are discussed, including life cycle costs. No unresolved technical, environmental, or institutional problems were encountered in the installations. The wind and solar photovoltaic DSG were installed for test purposes, and appear to be presently uneconomical. However, a number of factors are decreasing the cost of DSG relative to conventional alternatives, and an increased DSG penetration level may be expected in the future.

  6. University Management Education and Research in Canada: Some Unresolved Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Zur-Muehlen, Max

    An historical overview of university management education and research in Canada is presented and issues relevant to the present status of management education and research opportunities are discussed. Management and administrative studies schools in Canada receive, on the average, about four percent of the operating budget of the university…

  7. Forces Affecting Educational Decisions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sullivan, Neil V.

    This speech begins with a discussion of broad social and political patterns and trends that are currently developing and continues to the specific unresolved social issues which will affect the nature and structure of educational systems. Those issues seen by the author is most likely to produce the greatest amount of activity are integration, the…

  8. The Challenges of Intersectionality: Researching Difference in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flintoff, A.; Fitzgerald, H.; Scraton, S.

    2008-01-01

    Researching the intersection of class, race, gender, sexuality and disability raises many issues for educational research. Indeed, Maynard (2002, 33) has recently argued that "difference is one of the most significant, yet unresolved, issues for feminist and social thinking at the beginning of the twentieth century". This paper reviews…

  9. 14 CFR 431.37 - Mission readiness.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... contingency abort plans and procedures, if any, as required under § 431.39; (vi) Unresolved safety issues.... (2) Procedures that ensure mission constraints, rules, contingency abort and emergency abort...

  10. 14 CFR 431.37 - Mission readiness.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... contingency abort plans and procedures, if any, as required under § 431.39; (vi) Unresolved safety issues.... (2) Procedures that ensure mission constraints, rules, contingency abort and emergency abort...

  11. 14 CFR 431.37 - Mission readiness.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... contingency abort plans and procedures, if any, as required under § 431.39; (vi) Unresolved safety issues.... (2) Procedures that ensure mission constraints, rules, contingency abort and emergency abort...

  12. 14 CFR 431.37 - Mission readiness.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... contingency abort plans and procedures, if any, as required under § 431.39; (vi) Unresolved safety issues.... (2) Procedures that ensure mission constraints, rules, contingency abort and emergency abort...

  13. 14 CFR 431.37 - Mission readiness.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... contingency abort plans and procedures, if any, as required under § 431.39; (vi) Unresolved safety issues.... (2) Procedures that ensure mission constraints, rules, contingency abort and emergency abort...

  14. Integrating positive psychology into health-related quality of life research.

    PubMed

    Park, Crystal L

    2015-07-01

    Positive psychology is an increasingly influential force in theory and research within psychology and many related fields, including behavioral medicine, sociology, and public health. This article aims to review the ways in which positive psychology and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) research currently interface and to suggest fruitful future directions. This article reviews the basic elements of positive psychology and provides an overview of conceptual and empirical links between positive psychology and HRQOL. The role of one central aspect of positive psychology (meaning) within HRQOL is highlighted, and unresolved issues (e.g., lack of definitional clarity) are discussed. Some research on HRQOL has taken a positive psychology perspective, demonstrating the usefulness of taking a positive psychology approach. However, many areas await integration. Once conceptual and methodological issues are resolved, positive psychology may profitably inform many aspects of HRQOL research and, perhaps, clinical interventions to promote HRQOL as well.

  15. A review on the current issues and barriers of Industrialised Building System (IBS) adoption in Malaysia’s construction industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amin, M. A. Mohd; Abas, N. H.; Shahidan, S.; Rahmat, M. H.; Suhaini, N. A.; Nagapan, S.; Rahim, R. Abdul

    2017-11-01

    Malaysia considers the construction industry as one of the main contributors to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, there are some unresolved issues arising from the ongoing and widespread adoption of the conventional method of construction such as the resultant fragmentation of the industry itself; delays in production and delivery time of unnecessary wastages and lack of sustainability practice. Malaysian Government has been continuously encouraging the industry to use, partly or if not wholly, the Industrialized Building System (IBS), which is considered to be an important part of sustainable construction initiative. IBS was introduced to Malaysia as the solution to issues related to dependencies of foreign workers, raising demand for affordable accommodations and improving image, quality and productivity of construction industry. However, the IBS adoption in Malaysia remains low. This paper presents the review of the current issues and barriers of IBS adoption in Malaysian construction industry.

  16. 15 CFR 971.300 - General.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... SERVICE DEEP SEABED MINING REGULATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL RECOVERY PERMITS Certification of Applications § 971... the pending unresolved issues, the efforts to resolve them, and an estimate of the time required to do...

  17. Equity in Education: Opportunities and Challenges In A Changing Sri Lanka

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sedere, Upali M.

    2010-01-01

    Equity is a major concern for all development actors. Although Sri Lanka has successfully addressed equity issues in education sector there are unresolved factors and variables those perpetuate inequity. There are emerging new equity issues those that Sri Lanka needs to address. The changing population dynamics and the huge middle class population…

  18. Unconscious Inhibition and Facilitation at the Objective Detection Threshold: Replicable and Qualitatively Different Unconscious Perceptual Effects

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snodgrass, Michael; Shevrin, Howard

    2006-01-01

    Although the veridicality of unconscious perception is increasingly accepted, core issues remain unresolved [Jack, A., & Shallice, T. (2001). Introspective physicalism as an approach to the science of consciousness. "Cognition, 79," 161-196], and sharp disagreement persists regarding fundamental methodological and theoretical issues. The most…

  19. The Thermodynamics of Black Holes.

    PubMed

    Wald, Robert M

    2001-01-01

    We review the present status of black hole thermodynamics. Our review includes discussion of classical black hole thermodynamics, Hawking radiation from black holes, the generalized second law, and the issue of entropy bounds. A brief survey also is given of approaches to the calculation of black hole entropy. We conclude with a discussion of some unresolved open issues.

  20. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  1. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  2. 13 CFR 130.700 - Suspension, termination and non-renewal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... the AA/SBDCs a written description of the unresolved issues, a summary of the positions of the District Office on the issues, and any supportive documentation. (5) The AA/SBDCs shall transmit a written... extension of time is mutually agreed upon by the recipient organization and the AA/SBDCs. (6) The AA/SBDCs...

  3. What do consumer surveys and experiments reveal and conceal about consumer preferences for genetically modified foods?

    PubMed

    Colson, Gregory; Rousu, Matthew C

    2013-01-01

    Assessing consumer perceptions and willingness to pay for genetically modified (GM) foods has been one of the most active areas of empirical research in agricultural economics. Researchers over the past 15 years have delivered well over 100 estimates of consumers' willingness to pay for GM foods using surveys and experimental methods. In this review, we explore a number of unresolved issues related to three questions that are critical when considering the sum of the individual contributions that constitute the evidence on consumer preferences for GM foods.

  4. Patchwork plagiarism--a jigsaw of stolen puzzle pieces.

    PubMed

    Supak Smolcić, Vesna; Bilić-Zulle, Lidija

    2013-01-01

    Plagiarism remains at the top in terms of interest to the scientific community. In its many vicious forms, patchwork plagiarism is characterized by numerous unresolved issues and often passes "below the radar" of editors and reviewers. The problem of detecting the complexity of misconduct has been partially resolved by plagiarism detection software. However, interpretation of relevant reports is not always obvious or easy. This article deals with plagiarism in general and patchwork plagiarism in particular, as well as related problems that editors must deal with to maintain the integrity of scientific journals.

  5. Archetype and object: primary deintegration and primary love in analytical play therapy with young children.

    PubMed

    Peery, J Craig

    2002-07-01

    Jungian and post-Jungian theory of the development of the child's psyche is reviewed. A discrimination between primary and secondary deintegration is suggested. Post-Freudian theory regarding primary object relations is integrated with the Jungian model. The two approaches can contribute synergistically to inform and advance play therapy with young children. Patients from widely diverse cultural backgrounds use their relationship with the therapist as a helpful person (object), and engage in archetypal material from the collective unconscious, to help them work on and through their unresolved emotional issues.

  6. Status of thermalhydraulic modelling and assessment: Open issues

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

    Bestion, D.; Barre, F.

    1997-07-01

    This paper presents the status of the physical modelling in present codes used for Nuclear Reactor Thermalhydraulics (TRAC, RELAP 5, CATHARE, ATHLET,...) and attempts to list the unresolved or partially resolved issues. First, the capabilities and limitations of present codes are presented. They are mainly known from a synthesis of the assessment calculations performed for both separate effect tests and integral effect tests. It is also interesting to list all the assumptions and simplifications which were made in the establishment of the system of equations and of the constitutive relations. Many of the present limitations are associated to physical situationsmore » where these assumptions are not valid. Then, recommendations are proposed to extend the capabilities of these codes.« less

  7. Expanding Horizons and Unresolved Conundrums: Language Testing and Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leung, Constant; Lewkowicz, Jo

    2006-01-01

    Since the last "TESOL Quarterly" commemorative issue 15 years ago, there have been too many important developments in language testing and assessment for all of them to be discussed in a single article. Therefore, this article focuses on issues that we believe are integrally linked to pedagogic and curriculum concerns of English language teaching.…

  8. Crunch Seen on Ed. Issues after Election

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein, Alyson

    2012-01-01

    From the White House to Capitol Hill, the winners in this week's elections won't have much time to savor their victories. Even as federal policymakers sort out the political landscape, the remainder of 2012 and the early months of 2013 are likely to be dominated by divisive, unresolved issues with broad consequences for K-12 and higher…

  9. Unresolved Loss, a Risk Factor for Offspring, Predicts Event-Related Potential Responses to Death-Related Imagery

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bahm, Naomi I. Gribneau; Simon-Thomas, Emiliana R.; Main, Mary; Hesse, Erik

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates whether individual differences in attachment status can be detected by electrophysiological responses to loss-themed pictures. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was used to identify discourse/reasoning lapses during the discussion of loss experiences via death that place speakers in the Unresolved/disorganized AAI…

  10. Advance of Nitrogen Removal in Constructed Wetland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Anbin; Chen, Hao; You, Shaohong

    2018-01-01

    Based on current literature, the article reviewed the mechanism and route of nitrogen removal, discussed the microbial species associated with nitrogen metabolism in constructed wetlands. Key unresolved issues were concluded for classical and novel nitrogen removal routes.

  11. Preterm birth, an unresolved issue.

    PubMed

    Belizán, Jose M; Hofmeyr, Justus; Buekens, Pierre; Salaria, Natasha

    2013-11-15

    Premature birth is the world's leading cause of neonatal mortality with worldwide estimates indicating 11.1% of all live births were preterm in 2010. Preterm birth rates are increasing in most countries with continual differences in survival rates amongst rich and poor countries. Preterm birth is currently an important unresolved global issue with research efforts focusing on uterine quiescence and activation, the 'omics' approaches and implementation science in order to reduce the incidence and increase survival rates of preterm babies. The journal Reproductive Health has published a supplement entitled Born Too Soon which addresses factors in the preconception and pregnancy period which may increase the risk of preterm birth and also outlines potential interventions which may reduce preterm birth rates and improve survival of preterm babies by as much as 84% annually. This is critical in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG 4) for child survival by 2015 and beyond.

  12. Confronting uncomfortable truths: receptivity and resistance to Aboriginal content in midwifery education.

    PubMed

    Thackrah, Rosalie D; Thompson, Sandra C

    2013-12-01

    The emotional responses of students undertaking a new, compulsory unit on Indigenous cultures and health were investigated as part of a broader study looking at culturally secure practice in midwifery education and service provision for Aboriginal women. Classroom observations were conducted on a first year midwifery cohort from July to October 2012 and students completed 'before and after' questionnaires. A spectrum of emotional responses was identified and found to be consistent with studies of medical student exposure to Aboriginal content. While stereotypes were challenged and perceptions altered as a result of the content, issues surrounding racism remained unresolved, with some students expressing dismay at the attitudes of their peers. This study confirmed the need for content on Aboriginal health and cultures to extend beyond one unit in a course. Learning and knowledge must be carefully integrated and developed to maximise understanding and ensure that unresolved issues are addressed.

  13. Chapter 3. A multidimensional model for narrative analysis of substance use-related dependency.

    PubMed

    Larsson, Sam; von Braun, Therese; Lilja, John

    2013-11-01

    This chapter examines the possibilities and limitations of using a narrative method as a framework within a multidimensional model for exploring and analyzing the use and misuse of alcohol and drugs. It is posited that a multidimensional model, based on narrative reasoning, can give a more detailed and specific understanding of substance users, who represent a heterogeneous population of people, and of substance use-related dependency problems. Such a model describes and analyses the drug-use related problems in a manner that provides holistic and important information and knowledge about the person by contextual and situation interaction processes which are involved in the use/misuse of alcohol and drugs. Tentative conclusions and unresolved critical issues are considered.

  14. Quasi parton distributions and the gradient flow

    DOE PAGES

    Monahan, Christopher; Orginos, Kostas

    2017-03-22

    We propose a new approach to determining quasi parton distribution functions (PDFs) from lattice quantum chromodynamics. By incorporating the gradient flow, this method guarantees that the lattice quasi PDFs are finite in the continuum limit and evades the thorny, and as yet unresolved, issue of the renormalization of quasi PDFs on the lattice. In the limit that the flow time is much smaller than the length scale set by the nucleon momentum, the moments of the smeared quasi PDF are proportional to those of the lightfront PDF. Finally, we use this relation to derive evolution equations for the matching kernelmore » that relates the smeared quasi PDF and the light-front PDF.« less

  15. Quasi parton distributions and the gradient flow

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

    Monahan, Christopher; Orginos, Kostas

    We propose a new approach to determining quasi parton distribution functions (PDFs) from lattice quantum chromodynamics. By incorporating the gradient flow, this method guarantees that the lattice quasi PDFs are finite in the continuum limit and evades the thorny, and as yet unresolved, issue of the renormalization of quasi PDFs on the lattice. In the limit that the flow time is much smaller than the length scale set by the nucleon momentum, the moments of the smeared quasi PDF are proportional to those of the lightfront PDF. Finally, we use this relation to derive evolution equations for the matching kernelmore » that relates the smeared quasi PDF and the light-front PDF.« less

  16. The Oxford Questions on the foundations of quantum physics

    PubMed Central

    Briggs, G. A. D.; Butterfield, J. N.; Zeilinger, A.

    2013-01-01

    The twentieth century saw two fundamental revolutions in physics—relativity and quantum. Daily use of these theories can numb the sense of wonder at their immense empirical success. Does their instrumental effectiveness stand on the rock of secure concepts or the sand of unresolved fundamentals? Does measuring a quantum system probe, or even create, reality or merely change belief? Must relativity and quantum theory just coexist or might we find a new theory which unifies the two? To bring such questions into sharper focus, we convened a conference on Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality. Some issues remain as controversial as ever, but some are being nudged by theory's secret weapon of experiment. PMID:24062626

  17. The Oxford Questions on the foundations of quantum physics.

    PubMed

    Briggs, G A D; Butterfield, J N; Zeilinger, A

    2013-09-08

    The twentieth century saw two fundamental revolutions in physics-relativity and quantum. Daily use of these theories can numb the sense of wonder at their immense empirical success. Does their instrumental effectiveness stand on the rock of secure concepts or the sand of unresolved fundamentals? Does measuring a quantum system probe, or even create, reality or merely change belief? Must relativity and quantum theory just coexist or might we find a new theory which unifies the two? To bring such questions into sharper focus, we convened a conference on Quantum Physics and the Nature of Reality. Some issues remain as controversial as ever, but some are being nudged by theory's secret weapon of experiment.

  18. Continuum and line spectra of degenerate dwarf X-ray sources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lamb, D. Q.

    1981-01-01

    Recent observations of X-ray sources are summarized. Unresolved issues concerning these sources are discussed and an outline of the kinds of X-ray observations that would best advance the understanding of these sources is presented.

  19. Medicine's Library Lifeline.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipman, Jean; Homan, Michael

    2003-01-01

    Discusses how librarians in the new role of "informationist" can help doctors and researches of medical information. Describes existing models of the informationist; potential benefits of working across professional boundaries outside the library; professional requirements; and unresolved issues for the new role, including potential…

  20. Neurocysticercosis: Diagnostic problems & current therapeutic strategies

    PubMed Central

    Rajshekhar, Vedantam

    2016-01-01

    Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common single cause of seizures/epilepsy in India and several other endemic countries throughout the world. It is also the most common parasitic disease of the brain caused by the cestode Taenia solium or pork tapeworm. The diagnosis of NCC and the tapeworm carrier (taeniasis) can be relatively inaccessible and expensive for most of the patients. In spite of the introduction of several new immunological tests, neuroimaging remains the main diagnostic test for NCC. The treatment of NCC is also mired in controversy although, there is emerging evidence that albendazole (a cysticidal drug) may be beneficial for patients by reducing the number of seizures and hastening the resolution of live cysts. Currently, there are several diagnostic and management issues which remain unresolved. This review will highlight some of these issues. PMID:28139530

  1. Status, sale and patenting of human genetic material: an international survey.

    PubMed

    Knoppers, B M

    1999-05-01

    Following a decade of debate, the European Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on July 6, 1998. The Directive constitutes a legal and social policy landmark in biotechnology, taking an explicit position on the contentious issue of the patentability of higher life forms. It fails, however, to provide definitive statements on the legal status of human genetic material or the possibility of personal financial gain in relation to such material. An overview of the international, regional and national positions (as found in laws and official policy statements) on the status, commodification and patentability of human genetic material indicates that, although the Directive represents a consolidation of opinions, many issues remain unresolved.

  2. The cognitive neuroscience of ageing.

    PubMed

    Grady, Cheryl

    2012-06-20

    The availability of neuroimaging technology has spurred a marked increase in the human cognitive neuroscience literature, including the study of cognitive ageing. Although there is a growing consensus that the ageing brain retains considerable plasticity of function, currently measured primarily by means of functional MRI, it is less clear how age differences in brain activity relate to cognitive performance. The field is also hampered by the complexity of the ageing process itself and the large number of factors that are influenced by age. In this Review, current trends and unresolved issues in the cognitive neuroscience of ageing are discussed.

  3. Patchwork plagiarism – a jigsaw of stolen puzzle pieces

    PubMed Central

    Smolčić, Vesna Šupak; Bilić-Zulle, Lidija

    2013-01-01

    Plagiarism remains at the top in terms of interest to the scientific community. In its many vicious forms, patchwork plagiarism is characterized by numerous unresolved issues and often passes “below the radar” of editors and reviewers. The problem of detecting the complexity of misconduct has been partially resolved by plagiarism detection software. However, interpretation of relevant reports is not always obvious or easy. This article deals with plagiarism in general and patchwork plagiarism in particular, as well as related problems that editors must deal with to maintain the integrity of scientific journals. PMID:23457762

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

    Hattrick-Simpers, Jason R.; Gregoire, John M.; Kusne, A. Gilad

    With their ability to rapidly elucidate composition-structure-property relationships, high-throughput experimental studies have revolutionized how materials are discovered, optimized, and commercialized. It is now possible to synthesize and characterize high-throughput libraries that systematically address thousands of individual cuts of fabrication parameter space. An unresolved issue remains transforming structural characterization data into phase mappings. This difficulty is related to the complex information present in diffraction and spectroscopic data and its variation with composition and processing. Here, we review the field of automated phase diagram attribution and discuss the impact that emerging computational approaches will have in the generation of phase diagrams andmore » beyond.« less

  5. A call for theory to support the use of causal-formative indicators: A commentary on Bollen and Diamantopoulos (2017).

    PubMed

    Hardin, Andrew

    2017-09-01

    In this issue, Bollen and Diamantopoulos (2017) defend causal-formative indicators against several common criticisms leveled by scholars who oppose their use. In doing so, the authors make several convincing assertions: Constructs exist independently from their measures; theory determines whether indicators cause or measure latent variables; and reflective and causal-formative indicators are both subject to interpretational confounding. However, despite being a well-reasoned, comprehensive defense of causal-formative indicators, no single article can address all of the issues associated with this debate. Thus, Bollen and Diamantopoulos leave a few fundamental issues unresolved. For example, how can researchers establish the reliability of indicators that may include measurement error? Moreover, how should researchers interpret disturbance terms that capture sources of influence related to both the empirical definition of the latent variable and to the theoretical definition of the construct? Relatedly, how should researchers reconcile the requirement for a census of causal-formative indicators with the knowledge that indicators are likely missing from the empirically estimated latent variable? This commentary develops 6 related research questions to draw attention to these fundamental issues, and to call for future research that can lead to the development of theory to guide the use of causal-formative indicators. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Scientific Results of the Nasa-sponsored Study Project on Mars: Evolution of Its Climate and Atmosphere

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Clifford, Stephen M.; Greeley, Ronald; Haberle, Robert M.

    1988-01-01

    The scientific highlights of the Mars: Evolution of its Climate and Atmosphere (MECA) study project are reviewed and some of the important issues in Martian climate research that remain unresolved are discussed.

  7. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the Intensive Care Unit: A Dialogue on Core Ethical Issues

    PubMed Central

    Goligher, Ewan C.; Ely, E. Wesley; Sulmasy, Daniel P.; Bakker, Jan; Raphael, John; Volandes, Angelo E.; Patel, Bhavesh M.; Payne, Kate; Hosie, Annmarie; Churchill, Larry; White, Douglas B.; Downar, James

    2016-01-01

    Objective Many patients are admitted to the intensive care unit at or near the end of their lives. Consequently, the increasingly common debate regarding physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia (PAS/E) holds implications for the practice of critical care medicine. The objective of this manuscript is to explore core ethical issues related to PAS/E from the perspective of healthcare professionals and ethicists on both sides of the debate. Synthesis We identified four issues highlighting the key areas of ethical tension central to evaluating PAS/E in medical practice: (1) the benefit or harm of death itself, (2) the relationship between PAS/E and withholding or withdrawing life support, (3) the morality of a physician deliberately causing death, and (4) the management of conscientious objection related to PAS/E in the critical care setting. We present areas of common ground as well as important unresolved differences. Conclusions We reached differing positions on the first three core ethical questions and achieved significant agreement on how critical care clinicians should manage conscientious objections related to PAS/E. The alternative positions presented in this paper may serve to promote open and informed dialogue within the critical care community. PMID:28098622

  8. Physician-Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia in the ICU: A Dialogue on Core Ethical Issues.

    PubMed

    Goligher, Ewan C; Ely, E Wesley; Sulmasy, Daniel P; Bakker, Jan; Raphael, John; Volandes, Angelo E; Patel, Bhavesh M; Payne, Kate; Hosie, Annmarie; Churchill, Larry; White, Douglas B; Downar, James

    2017-02-01

    Many patients are admitted to the ICU at or near the end of their lives. Consequently, the increasingly common debate regarding physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia holds implications for the practice of critical care medicine. The objective of this article is to explore core ethical issues related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia from the perspective of healthcare professionals and ethicists on both sides of the debate. We identified four issues highlighting the key areas of ethical tension central to evaluating physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in medical practice: 1) the benefit or harm of death itself, 2) the relationship between physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia and withholding or withdrawing life support, 3) the morality of a physician deliberately causing death, and 4) the management of conscientious objection related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia in the critical care setting. We present areas of common ground and important unresolved differences. We reached differing positions on the first three core ethical questions and achieved unanimity on how critical care clinicians should manage conscientious objections related to physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia. The alternative positions presented in this article may serve to promote open and informed dialogue within the critical care community.

  9. Components of the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stecker, Floyd W.; Venters, Tonia M.

    2011-01-01

    We present new theoretical estimates of the relative contributions of unresolved blazars and star-forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) and discuss constraints on the contributions from alternative mechanisms such as dark matter annihilation and truly diffuse gamma-ray production. We find that the Fermi source count data do not rule out a scenario in which the EGB is dominated by emission from unresolved blazars, though unresolved star-forming galaxies may also contribute significantly to the background, within order-of-magnitude uncertainties. In addition, we find that the spectrum of the unresolved star-forming galaxy contribution cannot explain the EGB spectrum found by EGRET at energies between 50 and 200 MeV, whereas the spectrum of unresolved flat spectrum radio quasars, when accounting for the energy-dependent effects of source confusion, could be consistent with the combined spectrum of the low-energy EGRET EGB measurements and the Fermi-Large Area Telescope EGB measurements.

  10. MODIFYING THE AVIAN REPRODUCTION TEST GUIDELINES FOR DETERMINING DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS

    EPA Science Inventory

    As a subgroup of the OECD Expert Group on Assessment of Endocrine Disrupting Effects in Birds, we reviewed unresolved methodological issues important for the development of a two-generation toxicity text, discussed advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches, and propo...

  11. Manipulating Color and Other Visual Information Influences Picture Naming at Different Levels of Processing: Evidence from Alzheimer Subjects and Normal Controls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zannino, Gian Daniele; Perri, Roberta; Salamone, Giovanna; Di Lorenzo, Concetta; Caltagirone, Carlo; Carlesimo, Giovanni A.

    2010-01-01

    There is now a large body of evidence suggesting that color and photographic detail exert an effect on recognition of visually presented familiar objects. However, an unresolved issue is whether these factors act at the visual, the semantic or lexical level of the recognition process. In the present study, we investigated this issue by having…

  12. Uncertainty and dispersion in air parcel trajectories near the tropical tropopause

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bergman, John; Jensen, Eric; Pfister, Leonhard; Bui, Thoapaul

    2016-04-01

    The Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) is important as the gateway to the stratosphere for chemical constituents produced at the Earth's surface. As such, understanding the processes that transport air through the upper tropical troposphere is important for a number of current scientific issues such as the impact of stratospheric water vapor on the global radiative budget and the depletion of ozone by both anthropogenically- and naturally-produced halocarbons. Compared to the lower troposphere, transport in the TTL is relatively unaffected by turbulent motion. Consequently, Lagrangian particle models are thought to provide reasonable estimates of parcel pathways through the TTL. However, there are complications that make trajectory analyses difficult to interpret; uncertainty in the wind data used to drive these calculations and trajectory dispersion being among the most important. These issues are examined using ensembles of backward air parcel trajectories that are initially tightly grouped near the tropical tropopause using three approaches: A Monte Carlo ensemble, in which different members use identical resolved wind fluctuations but different realizations of stochastic, multi-fractal simulations of unresolved winds, perturbed initial location ensembles, in which members use identical resolved wind fields but initial locations are displaced 2° in latitude and longitude, and a multi-model ensemble that uses identical initial conditions but different resolved wind fields and/or trajectory formulations. Comparisons among the approaches distinguish, to some degree, physical dispersion from that due to data uncertainty and the impact of unresolved wind fluctuations from that of resolved variability.

  13. Brain responses to filled gaps.

    PubMed

    Hestvik, Arild; Maxfield, Nathan; Schwartz, Richard G; Shafer, Valerie

    2007-03-01

    An unresolved issue in the study of sentence comprehension is whether the process of gap-filling is mediated by the construction of empty categories (traces), or whether the parser relates fillers directly to the associated verb's argument structure. We conducted an event-related potentials (ERP) study that used the violation paradigm to examine the time course and spatial distribution of brain responses to ungrammatically filled gaps. The results indicate that the earliest brain response to the violation is an early left anterior negativity (eLAN). This ERP indexes an early phase of pure syntactic structure building, temporally preceding ERPs that reflect semantic integration and argument structure satisfaction. The finding is interpreted as evidence that gap-filling is mediated by structurally predicted empty categories, rather than directly by argument structure operations.

  14. ISSUES IN DEVELOPING A TWO-GENERATION AVIAN TOXICITY TEST WITH JAPANESE QUAIL

    EPA Science Inventory

    As a subgroup of the OECD Expert Group on Assessment of Endocrine Disrupting Effects in Birds, we reviewed unresolved methodological issures important for the development of a two-generation toxicity test, discussed advantages and disadvantages of alternative approaches, and prop...

  15. Research projects lead by the USDA Cranberry Entomology Laboratory (CEL)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    1. Newly discovered native nematode species represent bio-insecticides (grad student project) a. Problems being addressed: Issues over flea beetle control; unresolved questions over pesticide use during bloom. b. Discoveries: at least two native nematodes species new to science have been discovered ...

  16. Planetary science and resource utilization at a lunar outpost - Chemical analytical facility requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taylor, Lawrence A.

    1992-01-01

    Unresolved issues of lunar geology are reviewed and the role of a lunar outpost in helping to address them is considered. Plans for in situ resource utilization of lunar materials are examined. Concepts for a lunar outpost are described.

  17. 7 CFR 1940.307 - Environmental responsibilities within the State Office.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... any unresolved or difficult environmental issues in a timely manner; and (3) Incorporate into projects... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Environmental responsibilities within the State Office..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) GENERAL Environmental Program § 1940...

  18. Delivery Issues in the Day Care Debate. Occasional Papers in Education: Paper No. 2 - Policy Studies of the Early Childhood Planning Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, Maureen

    The question of who should provide day care services is an unresolved issue in the current day care debate and a topic now on the national agenda because it is the common concern of a constellation of diverse, highly motivated interest groups. Motivation for extending day care in the United States stems from several factors: among these are the…

  19. Personal Health, Person-centred Health and Personalised Medicine - Concepts, Consumers, Confusion and Challenges in the Informatics World.

    PubMed

    Rigby, M

    2012-01-01

    To define and assess 'Consumer Health Informatics' and related emergent issues in an era of new media and of personalisation of care, and from this to define what actions need to be taken to optimise benefits and address risks. Definition of key concepts; review of health personalisation, emergent health information and communication technologies and knowledge sources available to citizens and social media; and identification of unresolved issues threatening optimal use of each. A structured review supported by citations and examples. Several new aspects of consumer health informatics are emerging, including new knowledge sources, feedback on treatments and care providers, on-line videos, and a new generation of patient experience sites including those which are for profit and seek to influence treatment paradigms. Not just the information usage, but also the potential social challenges and malicious abuses, are global issues, and also transcend the traditional health community and thus should be addressed in partnership with other global agencies.

  20. Light-Induced Capacitance Tunability in Ferroelectric Crystals.

    PubMed

    Páez-Margarit, David; Rubio-Marcos, Fernando; Ochoa, Diego A; Del Campo, Adolfo; Fernández, José F; García, José E

    2018-06-25

    The remote controlling of ferroic properties with light is nowadays a hot and highly appealing topic in materials science. Here, we shed light on some of the unresolved issues surrounding light-matter coupling in ferroelectrics. Our findings show that the capacitance and, consequently, its related intrinsic material property, i.e., the dielectric constant, can be reversibly adjusted through the light power control. High photodielectric performance is exhibited across a wide range of the visible light wavelength because of the wavelength-independence of the phenomenon. We have verified that this counterintuitive behavior can be strongly ascribed to the existence of "locally free charges" at domain wall.

  1. Cross-validation and hypothesis testing in neuroimaging: An irenic comment on the exchange between Friston and Lindquist et al.

    PubMed

    Reiss, Philip T

    2015-08-01

    The "ten ironic rules for statistical reviewers" presented by Friston (2012) prompted a rebuttal by Lindquist et al. (2013), which was followed by a rejoinder by Friston (2013). A key issue left unresolved in this discussion is the use of cross-validation to test the significance of predictive analyses. This note discusses the role that cross-validation-based and related hypothesis tests have come to play in modern data analyses, in neuroimaging and other fields. It is shown that such tests need not be suboptimal and can fill otherwise-unmet inferential needs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Controlling and policing substance use(rs).

    PubMed

    White, Tony

    2002-01-01

    Controlling drug use--a dynamic, global, politicalized process--is reviewed in terms of selected types of drugs, "natural levels" of drug demand and use, drug markets and the drug market environment, types of traffickers, illicit drug trade profits, approaches to drug control ("War on Drugs", "Zero Tolerance" programs and policies, "normalizing" and legalizing selected drugs), including UN's then relatively recent "Balanced Approach" and facets of drug law enforcement (drug prices and purity levels and values of drug seizures), including various rarely noted benefits to intervention programs and control agents. Unresolved issues and needed "tools" are noted while considering the implications of the first UN's World Drug Report data.

  3. 29 CFR 1691.10 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Section 1691.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... ASSISTANCE § 1691.10 Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 1691.9(b)(2) of this regulation, the...

  4. 29 CFR 1691.10 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Section 1691.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... ASSISTANCE § 1691.10 Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 1691.9(b)(2) of this regulation, the...

  5. 29 CFR 1691.10 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Section 1691.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... ASSISTANCE § 1691.10 Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 1691.9(b)(2) of this regulation, the...

  6. 29 CFR 1691.10 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Section 1691.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... ASSISTANCE § 1691.10 Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 1691.9(b)(2) of this regulation, the...

  7. 29 CFR 1691.10 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Section 1691.10 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION... ASSISTANCE § 1691.10 Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. (a) Upon EEOC's transmittal of a reasonable cause determination and notice of failure of conciliation under § 1691.9(b)(2) of this regulation, the...

  8. Molecular Phylogenetics and the Perennial Problem of Homology.

    PubMed

    Inkpen, S Andrew; Doolittle, W Ford

    2016-12-01

    The concept of homology has a long history, during much of which the issue has been how to reconcile similarity and common descent when these are not coextensive. Although thinking molecular phylogeneticists have learned not to say "percent homology," the problems are deeper than that and unresolved.

  9. The NII and the New World Trade Agreement.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smoot, Oliver

    1994-01-01

    Examines the relationship between the National Information Infrastructure (NII) and the new General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Topics discussed include the reduction or elimination of tariffs on NII products; protection of copyrighted works; unresolved trade issues, including the European telecommunications market; standards; and privacy and…

  10. Uterine influences on conceptus development in fertility-classified heifers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A major unresolved issue is how the uterus influences infertility and subfertility in cattle. Serial embryo transfer was previously used to classify heifers as high fertile (HF), subfertile (SF), or infertile (IF). To assess pregnancy loss in those animals, two in vivo produced embryos were transfer...

  11. Behavioral Assessment and Interventions in Youth Sports.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Ronald E.; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Discusses the use of behavioral assessment for both descriptive and program evaluation purposes. Notes the use of behavioral assessment to study coaching behaviors and their effects on young athletes. Operant and cognitive-behavioral interventions have proven effective in both athletic and psychosocial outcomes. Discusses unresolved issues and…

  12. Poetry as a Healing Experience for Teams.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bronson, Jim; Schaub, Nancy

    Experiential practitioners have the opportunity to help groups move to a higher level of functioning, getting beyond unresolved emotional issues and becoming more truthful, immediate, involved, and collaborative. This critical process takes place along a continuum from "staying safe and shallow" at one end to "going deep and…

  13. Change in attachment states of mind of women with binge-eating disorder.

    PubMed

    Maxwell, Hilary; Tasca, Giorgio A; Grenon, Renee; Ritchie, Kerri; Bissada, Hany; Balfour, Louise

    2017-11-01

    Insecure and unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind may impact affect regulation and interpersonal functioning that contribute to binge eating in women with binge-eating disorder (BED). Group psychological treatment may facilitate changes from insecure to secure and from unresolved-disorganized to non-unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind. This study used attachment theory to understand better the psychopathology of BED and co-morbid overweight status and to understand better the treatment response of patients with BED who receive group psychotherapy. Women with BED attended group psychodynamic interpersonal psychotherapy and completed the Adult Attachment Interview pretreatment and 6 months posttreatment. Matched samples of overweight women without BED and normal-weight women without BED completed the Adult Attachment Interview at 1 time point. Women with BED had significantly higher rates of preoccupied and unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind compared to normal-weight women without BED and had similar rates of insecure and unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind compared to overweight women without BED. Of the women with BED who had an insecure and/or unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind at pretreatment, about 60% demonstrated clinically relevant changes to secure and to non-unresolved/disorganized states of mind at 6 months post group psychodynamic interpersonal psychotherapy. Results indicated that some women with BED may benefit from interventions that help them regulate hyperactivated affect and create coherent narratives. Both women with BED and overweight women without BED may benefit from treatments that help them develop more adaptive affect regulation strategies related to unresolved/disorganized attachment states of mind. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. Bullying by Definition: An Examination of Definitional Components of Bullying

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldsmid, Susan; Howie, Pauline

    2014-01-01

    Lack of definitional consensus remains an important unresolved issue within bullying research. This study examined the ability of definitional variables to predict overall level of victimisation (distress, power inequity, and provocation as predictors) and bullying (intention to harm, power inequity, and provocation as predictors) in 246…

  15. Structured Ethical Reflection in Practitioner Inquiry: Theory, Pedagogy, and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stevens, Douglas M.; Brydon-Miller, Mary; Raider-Roth, Miriam

    2016-01-01

    Practitioner inquiry provides a powerful tool for improving practice and addressing critical issues in classrooms, schools, and broader communities. However, it also raises unique ethical challenges that often go unrecognized and unresolved. Structured Ethical Reflection (SER) provides teacher researchers with a process for identifying core values…

  16. Determination of Passing Scores on Certification Examinations: An Unresolved Issue.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Karni, Karen R.; Lofsness, Karen G.

    1985-01-01

    This study examined the results obtained from certification applicants and practitioners on a national certification examination for clinical laboratory scientists (medical technologists), using a modified Angoff procedure to establish the cut-off score. The major question of the investigation concerned whether the cut-off score was appropriate.…

  17. Student Personnel Administration and the Adult Learner: An Unresolved Issue.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Rollin J.

    The role of college student personnel administration in serving adult learners is considered. Historical trends in the student personnel function and the philosophy that student personnel workers are educators who create programs that contribute to the student's overall educational growth are examined. Changes for the student development personnel…

  18. 12 CFR 5.34 - Operating subsidiaries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... entity if: (A) The bank has the ability to control the management and operations of the subsidiary; (B... entity is a corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership; and (3) The bank: (i) Has the... analysis if the proposal is novel, unusually complex, or raises substantial unresolved legal issues. In...

  19. 12 CFR 5.34 - Operating subsidiaries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... entity if: (A) The bank has the ability to control the management and operations of the subsidiary; (B... entity is a corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership; and (3) The bank: (i) Has the... analysis if the proposal is novel, unusually complex, or raises substantial unresolved legal issues. In...

  20. 12 CFR 5.34 - Operating subsidiaries.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... entity if: (A) The bank has the ability to control the management and operations of the subsidiary; (B... entity is a corporation, limited liability company, or limited partnership; and (3) The bank: (i) Has the... analysis if the proposal is novel, unusually complex, or raises substantial unresolved legal issues. In...

  1. Mode(s) of action of arsenic-induced tumors and toxicity.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Although arsenic has long been known for its toxicity and carcinogenicity, it is unknown exactly how these adverse health effects ocurr. Three of the biggest unresolved issues in arsenic exposures and adverse health effects are (a) what is (are) the mode of action (MOA)(s) of ar...

  2. Accounting for sub-pixel variability of clouds and/or unresolved spectral variability, as needed, with generalized radiative transfer theory

    DOE PAGES

    Davis, Anthony B.; Xu, Feng; Collins, William D.

    2015-03-01

    Atmospheric hyperspectral VNIR sensing struggles with sub-pixel variability of clouds and limited spectral resolution mixing molecular lines. Our generalized radiative transfer model addresses both issues with new propagation kernels characterized by power-law decay in space.

  3. Sexuality and the Curriculum: The Politics and Practices of Sexuality Education. Critical Issues in the Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sears, James T., Ed.

    This book of essays explores the explicit and hidden curriculum of sexuality from kindergarten through college. The 15 interrelated essays challenge conventional assumptions regarding sexuality and the curriculum by applying non-traditional perspectives to traditionally unresolved problems while proposing specific curricular strategies and…

  4. Traumatic Brain Injury and Vocational Rehabilitation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corthell, David W., Ed.

    Intended to serve as a resource guide on traumatic brain injury for rehabilitation practitioners, the book's 10 chapters are grouped into sections which provide an introduction and examine aspects of evaluation, treatment and placement planning, and unresolved issues. Chapters have the following titles and authors: "Scope of the Problem" (Marilyn…

  5. "My Mom and Her Boyfriend Fuss": A Five-Minute RAP

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laursen, Erik K.; Whindleton, Kendra

    2012-01-01

    Unresolved issues from home often spill over into behavior problems at school. This article discusses the five-minute RAP techniques: (1) connect; (2) clarify; and (3) restore. The authors present a case study wherein this brief restorative intervention had been a successful alternative to punishment and exclusion.

  6. Advantages and Challenges of Radiative Liquid Lithium Divertor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ono, Masayuki

    2017-10-01

    Steady-state fusion power plant designs present major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both in steady-state and during transients. In addition to these concerns, there are the unresolved technology issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-free core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid Li divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid Li divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. It has been suggested that radiation-based liquid lithium (LL) divertor concepts with a modest Li-loop could provide a possible solution for the outstanding fusion reactor technology issues such as divertor heat flux mitigation and real time dust removal, while potentially improving the reactor plasma performance. Laboratory tests are also planned to investigate the Li-T recover efficiency and other relevant research topics of the RLLD. This work supported by DoE Contract No. DE-AC02-09CH11466.

  7. The future of microarray technology: networking the genome search.

    PubMed

    D'Ambrosio, C; Gatta, L; Bonini, S

    2005-10-01

    In recent years microarray technology has been increasingly used in both basic and clinical research, providing substantial information for a better understanding of genome-environment interactions responsible for diseases, as well as for their diagnosis and treatment. However, in genomic research using microarray technology there are several unresolved issues, including scientific, ethical and legal issues. Networks of excellence like GA(2)LEN may represent the best approach for teaching, cost reduction, data repositories, and functional studies implementation.

  8. Biotechnology patent challenged: ex-colleague seeks share of the credit.

    PubMed

    Budiansky, Stephen

    1982-11-25

    Dr. Robert Helling, supported by the University of Michigan, has decided to press a claim to co-ownership of two Cohen-Boyer genetic engineering patents assigned to Stanford and the University of California. This decision will likely delay further the issuing of the second patent, tentatively rejected by the Patent Office in part on the basis of Helling's unresolved role. It may also increase pressure for a re-examination of the first patent issued in 1980.

  9. A Comparison of Unresolved Versus Resolved Status and Its Relationship to Behaviour in Maltreated Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Webster, Linda; Hackett, Rachelle Kisst

    2007-01-01

    This exploratory investigation sought both to gain a better understanding of the mental representations of attachment in high-risk, maltreated adolescents and to explain how, if at all, unresolved attachment representations are related to behavioural maladjustment. Parent ratings, self-report ratings and attachment state of mind were obtained from…

  10. Work–Family Conflict and Health Among Working Parents: Potential Linkages for Family Studies and Social Neuroscience

    PubMed Central

    Grzywacz, Joseph G.; Smith, Amy M.

    2016-01-01

    In this paired article the authors review research on paid work, parenting, and health in order to isolate fundamental questions and issues that remain unaddressed. Next, consistent with the theme of this special issue, the authors introduce social neuroscience and highlight how this emerging multidisciplinary science offers substantial promise for advancing key unresolved issues in the paid work, parenting, and health literature. The article concludes with suggestions for promising areas of research wherein family scientists and social neuroscientists could build collaborative research to address gaps in the work–family literature. PMID:27840467

  11. Collins Center Update. Volume 15, Issue 3. April-June 2013

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-06-01

    and unresolved boundary issues with Mali, Niger , and Benin . Within this security environment the Burkinabe Armed Forces are working with the U.S...Analytical Exchanges at Collins Hall • Burkina Faso Military Strategy Review Phase II • Joint Land, Air and Sea Strategic Exercise (JLASS-EX) 2013...Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 2 C S L D Burkina Faso Military Strategy Review Phase II Prof. B.F. Griffard and Prof. Bert B. Tussing Center for Strategic

  12. Accountability as a Way Forward for Privacy Protection in the Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearson, Siani; Charlesworth, Andrew

    The issue of how to provide appropriate privacy protection for cloud computing is important, and as yet unresolved. In this paper we propose an approach in which procedural and technical solutions are co-designed to demonstrate accountability as a path forward to resolving jurisdictional privacy and security risks within the cloud.

  13. Contextual E-Learning Evaluation: A Preliminary Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voigt, Christian; Swatman, Paula M. C.

    2004-01-01

    The evaluation of solutions is a major unresolved issue for all those involved in e-learning. In this paper we illustrate the importance of context by means of a qualitative comparison of two e-learning prototype implementations--an action research case undertaken in conjunction with a major German insurance company; and a more experimental…

  14. Iterative Purification and Effect Size Use with Logistic Regression for Differential Item Functioning Detection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    French, Brian F.; Maller, Susan J.

    2007-01-01

    Two unresolved implementation issues with logistic regression (LR) for differential item functioning (DIF) detection include ability purification and effect size use. Purification is suggested to control inaccuracies in DIF detection as a result of DIF items in the ability estimate. Additionally, effect size use may be beneficial in controlling…

  15. Franchise competition in the electric utility industry

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

    Vince, C.A.; Fogel, J.C.

    Franchise competition is - and should be - an integral part of enhanced competition. It serves the traditional goal of encouraging lower costs through the threat of takeover or purchase. However, the issue of utility recovery for stranded costs stands as a major unresolved question affecting customers` ability to partake of this central aspect of competition.

  16. Special Education History, Current Status and Future: India

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Antony, Pavan John

    2013-01-01

    Education of all children in public schools, including those with disabilities, continues to be an unresolved issue in many countries around the globe. While education of all children is mandated by law and considered a basic human right in many countries, the current status of implementation varies. India, for example, is an ancient country that…

  17. Framing and Assessing Classroom Opportunity to Learn: The Case of Mexico

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jensen, Bryant; Pérez Martínez, María Guadalupe; Aguilar Escobar, Angélica

    2016-01-01

    Educational policy in Mexico and throughout Latin America is shifting focus from school access to school quality. Improving "quality" is often interpreted as enhancing student learning opportunities, but three issues remain unresolved: (a) what constitutes opportunity to learn (OTL) in classrooms; (b) how to assess classroom OTL (COTL);…

  18. Collaborative Reasoning: Language-Rich Discussions for English Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Jie; Dougherty Stahl, Katherine A.

    2012-01-01

    Collaborative Reasoning (CR) is a peer-led, small group discussion approach that aims to promote intellectual and personal engagement in elementary school classrooms. In CR, students read a text that raises an unresolved issue with multiple and competing points of view. Students are expected to take positions on a big question, support the…

  19. When Others' Performance Just Isn't Good Enough: Educational Leaders' Framing of Concerns in Private and Public

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sinnema, Claire E. L.; Le Fevre, Deidre; Robinson, Viviane M. J.; Pope, Denyse

    2013-01-01

    Effective instructional leadership demands that leaders address the inevitable problems and concerns that exist in any educational organization. Unfortunately, much evidence suggests that many important concerns, including teacher performance issues, continue to be unaddressed and unresolved. This article portrays the nature of concerns facing 77…

  20. The giant panda gut microbiome.

    PubMed

    Wei, Fuwen; Wang, Xiao; Wu, Qi

    2015-08-01

    Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are bamboo specialists that evolved from carnivores. Their gut microbiota probably aids in the digestion of cellulose and this is considered an example of gut microbiota adaptation to a bamboo diet. However, this issue remains unresolved and further functional and compositional studies are needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Idiosyncratic Genetic Specificity for Neurolinguistic Systems: A Cause of Atypical or Delayed Language Acquisition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamendella, John T.

    The diagnostic problem presented by children without obvious neurological, cognitive, genetic, emotional or environmental basis for their atypical or delayed language development is discussed. One unresolved issue is whether the deficits of such dysphasic children are linguistic or are more fundamental cognitive or perceptuomotor deficits. A…

  2. The Role of Broca's Area in Sentence Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rogalsky, Corianne; Hickok, Gregory

    2011-01-01

    The role of Broca's area in sentence processing has been debated for the last 30 years. A central and still unresolved issue is whether Broca's area plays a specific role in some aspect of syntactic processing (e.g., syntactic movement, hierarchical structure building) or whether it serves a more general function on which sentence processing…

  3. Learning How They Learn: A Review of the Literature on Learning Styles.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, Vicki A.

    The literature on learning styles is full of unresolved issues, both theoretical and practical. Early research into learning styles includes that of H. A. Witkin, who developed the Embedded Figures Test in the late 1960s. This test determines the "field dependence" or "field independence" of individuals, marking their global…

  4. Widening Access to Scottish Higher Education: Unresolved Issues and Future Challenges

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riddell, Sheila

    2016-01-01

    Despite the Scottish Government's frequent affirmation of its commitment to social justice principles, there has of late been a recognition of the need for firmer action to tackle the social class gap in higher education participation, reflecting wider social inequalities in Scotland. In a recent policy statement, Angela Constance, Cabinet…

  5. Causal Indicator Models: Unresolved Issues of Construction and Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    West, Stephen G.; Grimm, Kevin J.

    2014-01-01

    These authors agree with Bainter and Bollen that causal effects represents a useful measurement structure in some applications. The structure of the science of the measurement problem should determine the model; the measurement model should not determine the science. They also applaud Bainter and Bollen's important reminder that the full…

  6. The Influence of Management on the Cost of Fire Protection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donahue, Amy K.

    2004-01-01

    An important and unresolved issue central to the study of government performance is how the actions of managers and the nature of organizations affect the cost of public services. This paper presents an empirical analysis of fire departments that estimates the influence of managerial choices on per capita spending within a simultaneous public…

  7. Risk Management: the Economics and Mor ality of Safety Revisited

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, John

    The introduction to the proceedings of the Royal Academy of Engineering 2006 seminar on The Economics and Morality of Safety (RAEng 2006) concluded with a list of issues that were ‘worthy of further exploration’. I have reduced them to the following questions: Why do moral arguments about ‘rights’ persist unresolved?

  8. Tungsten dust remobilization under steady-state and transient plasma conditions

    DOE PAGES

    Ratynskaia, S.; Tolias, P.; De Angeli, M.; ...

    2016-11-22

    Remobilization is one of the most prominent unresolved fusion dust-relevant issues, strongly related to the lifetime of dust in plasma-wetted regions, the survivability of dust on hot plasma-facing surfaces and the formation of dust accumulation sites. A systematic cross-machine study has been initiated to investigate the remobilization of tungsten micron-size dust from tungsten surfaces implementing a newly developed technique based on controlled pre-adhesion by gas dynamics methods. It has been utilized in a number of devices and has provided new insights on remobilization under steady-state and transient conditions. In conclusion, the experiments are interpreted with contact mechanics theory and heatmore » conduction models.« less

  9. Perspective: Composition–structure–property mapping in high-throughput experiments: Turning data into knowledge

    DOE PAGES

    Hattrick-Simpers, Jason R.; Gregoire, John M.; Kusne, A. Gilad

    2016-05-26

    With their ability to rapidly elucidate composition-structure-property relationships, high-throughput experimental studies have revolutionized how materials are discovered, optimized, and commercialized. It is now possible to synthesize and characterize high-throughput libraries that systematically address thousands of individual cuts of fabrication parameter space. An unresolved issue remains transforming structural characterization data into phase mappings. This difficulty is related to the complex information present in diffraction and spectroscopic data and its variation with composition and processing. Here, we review the field of automated phase diagram attribution and discuss the impact that emerging computational approaches will have in the generation of phase diagrams andmore » beyond.« less

  10. Comparative analysis of chloroplast genomes of the genus Citrus and its close relatives.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xiaogang; Wu, Hongkun; Luo, Yan; Xi, Wanpeng; Zhou, Zhiqin

    2017-01-01

    The genus Citrus and its close relatives are economically and nutritionally important fruit trees. However, the huge controversy over the phylogeny of key wild species, as well as the genetic relationship between the cultivated species and their putative wild progenitors, remains unresolved. Comparative analyses of chloroplast (cp) genomes have been useful in resolving various phylogenetic issues. Thus far, the cp genomes of only two Citrus species have been sequenced. In this study, we sequenced six complete cp genomes, four belonging to the genus Citrus, and two belonging to the genera Fortunella and Poncirus, respectively. These newly sequenced genomes together with the two publicly available were used for comparative analyses of the genus Citrus and its close relatives. All eight cp genomes share similar basic structure, gene order and gene content. Phylogenetic analyses supported the monophyly of the three genera in the order Sapindales within the major clade Malvidae.

  11. Memory Retrieval Given Two Independent Cues: Cue Selection or Parallel Access?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rickard, Timothy C.; Bajic, Daniel

    2004-01-01

    A basic but unresolved issue in the study of memory retrieval is whether multiple independent cues can be used concurrently (i.e., in parallel) to recall a single, common response. A number of empirical results, as well as potentially applicable theories, suggest that retrieval can proceed in parallel, though Rickard (1997) set forth a model that…

  12. Working Memory in Children with Learning Disabilities in Reading versus Spelling: Searching for Overlapping and Specific Cognitive Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brandenburg, Janin; Klesczewski, Julia; Fischbach, Anne; Schuchardt, Kirsten; Büttner, Gerhard; Hasselhorn, Marcus

    2015-01-01

    In transparent orthographies like German, isolated learning disabilities in either reading or spelling are common and occur as often as a combined reading and spelling disability. However, most issues surrounding the cognitive causes of these isolated or combined literacy difficulties are yet unresolved. Recently, working memory dysfunctions have…

  13. Cooperative Learning: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Grouping of Iranian EFL Learners in a Writing Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zamani, Mona

    2016-01-01

    One of the important aspects of learning and teaching through cooperation is the group composition or grouping "who with whom". An unresolved issue is that of the superiority of heterogeneity or homogeneity in the structure of the groups. The present study was an attempt to investigate the impact that homogeneous and heterogeneous…

  14. Differential Labeling of Mental Illness by Social Status: A New Look at an Old Problem

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thoits, Peggy A.

    2005-01-01

    Whether the higher rates of mental hospitalization and involuntary treatment for marginal social groups are due to differential labeling or simply to the occurrence of higher rates of disorder in these groups remains unresolved. I reexamine this issue with data from the National Comorbidity Survey (N = 5,877) that allow comparisons between…

  15. The U.S. draft guidance regarding population and individual bioequivalence approaches: comments by a research-based pharmaceutical company.

    PubMed

    Hauschke, D; Steinijans, V W

    2000-10-30

    Generally, the motivation for switching from average bioequivalence to population and/or individual bio-equivalence is well recognized in the light of certain limitations of the concept of average bioequivalence. However, this switch still results in unresolved issues which should be addressed before the regulatory guidance is finalized.

  16. Independent Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS): What Does CAS Measure?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kranzler, John H.; Keith, Timothy Z.

    1999-01-01

    Uses confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to address unresolved issues concerning the structure of the Cognitive Assessment System, a test of intelligence based upon the planning, attention, and simultaneous-successive (PASS) processes theory of human cognition. Results reveal that the CFA of the standardization data do not support use of the CAS…

  17. Invention versus Direct Instruction: For Some Content, It's a Tie

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chase, Catherine C.; Klahr, David

    2017-01-01

    An important, but as yet unresolved pedagogical question is whether discovery-oriented or direct instruction methods lead to greater learning and transfer. We address this issue in a study with 101 fourth and fifth grade students that contrasts two distinct instructional methods. One is a blend of discovery and direct instruction called…

  18. Revisiting the Energy Crisis: How Far Have We Come?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Feldman, David Lewis

    1995-01-01

    This article is a summary of discussions that took place at a symposium attended by scholars and policymakers on the legacy of the 1970s energy crisis. Examines enduring impacts and unresolved issues, the possibility of a future embargo-style crisis, and the future of energy policy. Discusses energy and environment in developing countries. (LZ)

  19. The Marginalisation of Indigenous Students within School Mathematics and the Math Wars: Seeking Resolutions within Ethical Spaces

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Gale L.; Chernoff, Egan J.

    2013-01-01

    In mathematics education, there are (at least) two seemingly disparate and unethical issues that have been allowed to continue unresolved for decades: the math wars (traditional versus reform teaching and learning of mathematics) and the marginalisation of Indigenous students within K-12 mathematics. Willie Ermine, an Indigenous scholar, has…

  20. Does Imagined Practice Help in Learning a Motor Skill?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Winters, Lynn; Reisberg, Daniel

    Several studies have shown an improvement in the performance of motor skills following imagined performance of the skill, or "mental practice." One unresolved issue has centered on whether the effect being observed is in fact a practice effect. As one alternative, the effect may be a simple instance of planning when to use a skill, or…

  1. Microbes are trophic analogues of arthropods, mammals, and fish: Isotopic fingerprinting unites ‘green’ and ‘brown’ food webs

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This work addresses a cross-cutting issue within the field of food-web ecology—the integration of the microbiome into trophic hierarchies. The nature and degree to which microbes may reconfigure the trophic identities of carnivore and omnivore groups have remained surprisingly unresolved. This means...

  2. The Construct Validity of HPAT-Ireland for the Selection of Medical Students: Unresolved Issues and Future Research Implications

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Maureen E.; O'Flynn, Siun

    2017-01-01

    Aptitude tests are widely used in selection. However, despite certain advantages their use remains controversial. This paper aims to critically appraise five sources of evidence for the construct validity of the Health Professions Admission Test (HPAT)-Ireland, an aptitude test used for selecting undergraduate medical students. The objectives are…

  3. Cost Issues Unresolved in Chicago

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sawchuk, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    Chicago teachers voted last week to suspend a 7-day-old strike, sending some 350,000 students back to the classroom and paving the way for the teaching force to vote on a tentative contract. But for many in the Windy City, the contract has raised another potentially tall hurdle: how the cash-strapped district will manage to pay for it. District…

  4. Distractor Repetitions Retrieve Previous Responses and Previous Targets: Experimental Dissociations of Distractor-Response and Distractor-Target Bindings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giesen, Carina; Rothermund, Klaus

    2014-01-01

    Even an irrelevant distractor stimulus is integrated into event files. Subsequently repeating the distractor triggers retrieval of the event file; however, an unresolved issue concerns the question of "what" is retrieved by the distractor. While recent studies predominantly assume that the distractor retrieves the previous response, it…

  5. Health Professionals' Views of Communication: Implications for Assessing Performance on a Health-Specific English Language Test

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Elder, Cathie; Pill, John; Woodward-Kron, Robyn; McNamara, Tim; Manias, Elizabeth; Webb, Gillian; McColl, Geoff

    2012-01-01

    The gap between linguistic and professional criteria is a widely acknowledged but unresolved issue in the teaching and assessment of languages for specific purposes (LSP). In the teaching of professional writing, language experts and workplace professionals have been characterized as living worlds apart with respect to their views of…

  6. Family Interaction in the Newborn Period: Some Findings, Some Observations, and Some Unresolved Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parke, Ross D.

    This paper presents two studies which explored the manner in which the father interacts with his newborn infant and compared paternal and maternal interaction patterns. In contrast to earlier studies, a direct observational approach was employed that permitted a detailed specification of father behaviors in the presence of the newborn. In the…

  7. Care at End of Life Influences Grief: A Nationwide Long-Term Follow-Up among Young Adults Who Lost a Brother or Sister to Childhood Cancer.

    PubMed

    Lövgren, Malin; Sveen, Josefin; Nyberg, Tommy; Eilegård Wallin, Alexandra; Prigerson, Holly G; Steineck, Gunnar; Kreicbergs, Ulrika

    2018-02-01

    A majority of cancer-bereaved siblings report long-term unresolved grief, thus it is important to identify factors that may contribute to resolving their grief. To identify modifiable or avoidable family and care-related factors associated with unresolved grief among siblings two to nine years post loss. This is a nationwide Swedish postal survey. Study-specific questions and the standardized instrument Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Primary outcome was unresolved grief, and family and care-related factors were used as predictors. Cancer-bereaved sibling (N = 174) who lost a brother/sister to childhood cancer during 2000-2007 in Sweden (participation rate 73%). Seventy-three were males and 101 females. The age of the siblings at time of loss was 12-25 years and at the time of the survey between 19 and 33 years. Several predictors for unresolved grief were identified: siblings' perception that it was not a peaceful death [odds ratio (OR): 9.86, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.39-40.65], limited information given to siblings the last month of life (OR: 5.96, 95% CI: 1.87-13.68), information about the impending death communicated the day before it occurred (OR: 2.73, 95% CI: 1.02-7.33), siblings' avoidance of the doctors (OR: 3.22, 95% CI: 0.75-13.76), and lack of communication with family (OR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.01-8.04) and people outside the family about death (OR: 5.07, 95% CI: 1.64-15.70). Depressive symptoms (OR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.12-1.45) and time since loss (two to four years: OR: 10.36, 95% CI: 2.87-37.48 and five to seven years: OR: 8.36, 95% CI: 2.36-29.57) also predicted unresolved grief. Together, these predictors explained 54% of the variance of unresolved grief. Siblings' perception that it was not a peaceful death and poor communication with family, friends, and healthcare increased the risk for unresolved grief among the siblings.

  8. Cardiometabolic risk in polycystic ovary syndrome.

    PubMed

    Bajuk Studen, Katica; Pfeifer, Marija

    2018-05-29

    Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common disorder in women of reproductive age. Besides hyperandrogenism, oligomenorrhea and fertility issues, it is associated with a high prevalence of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular risk factors. Several genetic polymorphisms have been identified for possible associations with cardiometabolic derangements in PCOS. Different PCOS phenotypes differ significantly in their cardiometabolic risk which is worsening with severity of androgen excess. Due to methodological difficulties longer time-scale data about cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in PCOS and about possible beneficial effects of different treatment interventions is missing leaving many issues regarding cardiovascular risk unresolved.

  9. Mood & alcohol-related attentional biases: New considerations for gender differences and reliability of the visual-probe task.

    PubMed

    Emery, Noah N; Simons, Jeffrey S

    2015-11-01

    Alcohol-related attentional biases are positively associated with drinking history and may represent a mechanism by which alcohol use behavior is maintained over time. This study was designed to address two unresolved issues regarding alcohol-related attention biases. Specifically, this study tested whether acute changes in positive and negative mood increase attentional biases toward alcohol cues and whether coping and enhancement drinking motives moderate these effects. Participants were 100 college students aged 18-25, who drank alcohol at least once in the last 90 days. In a 2 × 3 mixed design, participants were randomized to one of three mood conditions (neutral, negative, or positive) and completed visual-probe tasks pre- and post-mood-induction. Attentional biases toward alcohol cues were significantly associated with alcohol consumption among men, but not women. Although the mood manipulation was highly successful, attentional biases did not vary as a function of mood condition and hypothesized moderating effects of drinking motives were not significant. The largely null findings of the experiment are discussed in light of the fact that the visual probe task had poor reliability. Issues related to the reliability of visual-probe task are discussed, as more research is needed to evaluate and improve the psychometrics of this method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. What can we learn from fitness landscapes?

    PubMed

    Hartl, Daniel L

    2014-10-01

    A combinatorially complete data set consists of studies of all possible combinations of a set of mutant sites in a gene or mutant alleles in a genome. Among the most robust conclusions from these studies is that epistasis between beneficial mutations often shows a pattern of diminishing returns, in which favorable mutations are less fit when combined than would be expected. Another robust inference is that the number of adaptive evolutionary paths is often limited to a relatively small fraction of the theoretical possibilities, owing largely to sign epistasis requiring evolutionary steps that would entail a decrease in fitness. Here we summarize these and other results while also examining issues that remain unresolved and future directions that seem promising. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Ethics in American health 1: ethical approaches to health policy.

    PubMed

    Ruger, Jennifer Prah

    2008-10-01

    I trace the evolution of ethical approaches to health policy in the United States and examine a number of critical unresolved issues pertaining to the current set of frameworks. Several themes emerge. First, fair procedures claim more attention than substantive and procedural principles. Second, in the case of public deliberation, more focus has been placed on factors such as procedural mechanisms than on understanding how individuals and groups value different aspects of health and agree on health-related decisions. Third, the nation needs workable frameworks to guide collective choices about valuable social ends and their trade-offs; purely procedural strategies are limited in illuminating overarching health policy and ethics questions. There is a need to integrate consequential and procedural approaches to health ethics and policy.

  12. Reconsidering reflexivity: introducing the case for intellectual entrepreneurship.

    PubMed

    Cutcliffe, John R

    2003-01-01

    In this article, the author reconsiders reflexivity and attempts to examine some unresolved issues by drawing particular attention to the relationship between reflexivity and certain related phenomena/processes: the researcher's a priori knowledge, values, beliefs; empathy within qualitative research; the presence and influence of the researcher's tacit knowledge, and May's "magic" in method. Given the limitations of some reflexive activity identified in this article, the author introduces the case for greater intellectual entrepreneurship within the context of qualitative research. He suggests that excessive emphasis on reflexive activity might inhibit intellectual entrepreneurship. Wherein intellectual entrepreneurship implies a conscious and deliberate attempt on the part of academics to explore the world of ideas boldly; to take more risks in theory development and to move away from being timid researchers.

  13. Setting the stage for habitable planets.

    PubMed

    Gonzalez, Guillermo

    2014-02-21

    Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present review focuses on recent research that bears on this topic and includes discussions of processes occurring in astrophysical, geophysical and climatic contexts, as well as the temporal evolution of planetary habitability. Special attention is given to recent observations of exoplanets and their host stars and the theories proposed to explain the observed trends. Recent theories about the early evolution of the Solar System and how they relate to its habitability are also summarized. Unresolved issues requiring additional research are pointed out, and a framework is provided for estimating the number of habitable planets in the Universe.

  14. Healthcare decisions: a review of children's involvement.

    PubMed

    Baston, Jenny

    2008-04-01

    Children's rights, their ability to consent to treatment and their involvement in healthcare decisions have received considerable attention in recent years. There is some evidence to suggest that when children are involved in the decision-making process, they retain a sense of control over their situation. However there are still unresolved issues related to a child's right to decide and nurses may be confused about the extent to which children can and should be involved in decision-making. A code of practice for involving children in decisions was first suggested in 2001 and there is still a need for a consistent, structured and robust method of ensuring that children are included in the decision-making process at all stages of their health care.

  15. Setting the Stage for Habitable Planets

    PubMed Central

    Gonzalez, Guillermo

    2014-01-01

    Our understanding of the processes that are relevant to the formation and maintenance of habitable planetary systems is advancing at a rapid pace, both from observation and theory. The present review focuses on recent research that bears on this topic and includes discussions of processes occurring in astrophysical, geophysical and climatic contexts, as well as the temporal evolution of planetary habitability. Special attention is given to recent observations of exoplanets and their host stars and the theories proposed to explain the observed trends. Recent theories about the early evolution of the Solar System and how they relate to its habitability are also summarized. Unresolved issues requiring additional research are pointed out, and a framework is provided for estimating the number of habitable planets in the Universe. PMID:25370028

  16. On the possibility of a place code for the low pitch of high-frequency complex tonesa

    PubMed Central

    Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten; Oxenham, Andrew J.

    2012-01-01

    Harmonics are considered unresolved when they interact with neighboring harmonics and cannot be heard out separately. Several studies have suggested that the pitch derived from unresolved harmonics is coded via temporal fine-structure cues emerging from their peripheral interactions. Such conclusions rely on the assumption that the components of complex tones with harmonic ranks down to at least 9 were indeed unresolved. The present study tested this assumption via three different measures: (1) the effects of relative component phase on pitch matches, (2) the effects of dichotic presentation on pitch matches, and (3) listeners' ability to hear out the individual components. No effects of relative component phase or dichotic presentation on pitch matches were found in the tested conditions. Large individual differences were found in listeners' ability to hear out individual components. Overall, the results are consistent with the coding of individual harmonic frequencies, based on the tonotopic activity pattern or phase locking to individual harmonics, rather than with temporal coding of single-channel interactions. However, they are also consistent with more general temporal theories of pitch involving the across-channel summation of information from resolved and/or unresolved harmonics. Simulations of auditory-nerve responses to the stimuli suggest potential benefits to a spatiotemporal mechanism. PMID:23231119

  17. Comparing Pleasure and Pain: The Fundamental Mathematical Equivalence of Reward Gain and Shock Reduction under Variable Interval Schedules

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mallpress, Dave E. W.; Fawcett, Tim W.; McNamara, John M.; Houston, Alasdair I.

    2012-01-01

    The relationship between positive and negative reinforcement and the symmetry of Thorndike's law of effect are unresolved issues in operant psychology. Here we show that, for a given pattern of responding on variable interval (VI) schedules with the same programmed rate of food rewards (positive reinforcement VI) or electric shocks (negative…

  18. Equity for Cities in School Finance Reform: A Case for an "Equal Educational Offering" Standard in Public Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silard, John; And Others

    In this study, focus is upon the question of the standard for educational expenditure rather than on the alternative taxing methods for securing school district funding equalization. Chapter I begins by examining the major issues vital to urban education which the "Serrano" principle leaves unresolved. Then in Chapter II, particular elements of…

  19. Unresolved Issues and New Challenges in Teaching English to Young Learners: The Case of South Korea

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garton, Sue

    2014-01-01

    The introduction of languages, especially English, into the primary curriculum around the world has been one of the major language-in-education policy developments in recent years. In countries where English has been compulsory for a number of years, the question arises as to what extent the numerous and well-documented challenges faced by the…

  20. Balancing Communities, Cultures, and Conflict: Lessons Learned From the East Ramapo School District Legal Battle

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ober, Patrick; Decker, Janet R.

    2016-01-01

    This case illustrates why future school leaders must be prepared to handle complex legal and political issues that commonly arise in school districts today. We discuss a long-standing and unresolved legal battle between a Hasidic Jewish community and the public school district in East Ramapo, New York. In particular, we examine the difficulties…

  1. Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the solar wind

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matthaeus, W. H.; Goldstein, M. L.

    1983-01-01

    Recent work in describing the solar wind as an MHD turbulent fluid has shown that the magnetic fluctuations are adequately described as time stationary and to some extent as spatially homogeneous. Spectra of the three rugged invariants of incompressible MHD are the principal quantities used to characterize the velocity and magnetic field fluctuations. Unresolved issues concerning the existence of actively developing turbulence are discussed.

  2. The Oedipus Complex as Observed in Work with Couples and Their Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Lisa

    2004-01-01

    In work with couples where there is a child referred to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, there are opportunities to observe and to work with unresolved Oedipal issues brought by the parents to the task of creating a family. These conflicts can be seen enacted by the child or children, either internally or externally. Examples are…

  3. Teaching Mathematical Problem-Solving with the Brain in Mind: How Can Opening a Closed Problem Help?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ambrus, András

    2014-01-01

    In the international literature, increasing numbers of articles and books are published about teaching and learning, with the brain in mind. For a long time, I have been sceptical about this question. However, seeing many unresolved issues in the teaching and learning of mathematics, I slowly started to study the relevant literature and have…

  4. Department of the Army Cost Analysis Manual

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-05-01

    SECTION I - AUTOMATED COST ESTIMATING INTEGRATED TOOLS ( ACEIT ) ................................................................179 SECTION II - AUTOMATED...Management & Comptroller) endorsed the Automated Cost Estimating Integrated Tools ( ACEIT ) model and since it is widely used to prepare POEs, CCAs and...CRB IPT (in ACEIT ) will be the basis for information contained in the CAB. Any remaining unresolved issues from the IPT process will be raised at the

  5. An Overview of School Dropout in Central America: Unresolved Issues and New Challenges for Education Progress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adelman, Melissa A.; Székely, Miguel

    2017-01-01

    School dropout is a growing concern in Central America, and in Latin America as a whole, because of its consequences for economic productivity, the inclusiveness of growth, social cohesion, and increasing youth risks. This paper utilizes more than two decades of household survey data to construct a systematic overview of school dropout at the…

  6. Thyrotropin receptor mutations and thyroid hyperfunctioning adenomas ten years after their first discovery: unresolved questions.

    PubMed

    Arturi, F; Scarpelli, D; Coco, A; Sacco, R; Bruno, R; Filetti, S; Russo, D

    2003-04-01

    Ten years after the first description of activating mutations in the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene in sporadic autonomous hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas, there is general agreement in assigning a major pathogenic role of this genetic abnormality, acting via the constitutive activation of the cAMP pathway, in both the growth and functional characteristic of these tumours. From the beginning, however, the pathophysiological and clinical relevance of somatic TSHR mutations has been debated and some arguments still exist against a fully causative role of these mutations and the practical value of detecting these mutations for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of thyroid hot nodules. Some major issues will be examined herein, including (a) the frequency of TSHR alterations in various reports showing that the genetic abnormality underlying the pathogenesis of a substantial subset of thyroid tumours has yet to be identified; (b) the limitations of the present experimental models, which suggest greater caution in the interpretation of in vitro results; (c) the still unresolved question of absence of genotype-phenotype correlation. Clarification of these issues may hopefully provide new and useful tools for improving the clinical management of this disease.

  7. The infant incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit: unresolved issues and future developments.

    PubMed

    Antonucci, Roberto; Porcella, Annalisa; Fanos, Vassilios

    2009-01-01

    Since the 19th century, devices termed incubators were developed to maintain thermal stability in low birth weight (LBW) and sick newborns, thus improving their chances of survival. Remarkable progress has been made in the production of infant incubators, which are currently highly technological devices. However, they still need to be improved in many aspects. Regarding the temperature and humidity control, future incubators should minimize heat loss from the neonate and eddies around him/her. An unresolved issue is exposure to high noise levels in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Strategies aimed at modifying the behavior of NICU personnel, along with structural improvements in incubator design, are required to reduce noise exposure. Light environment should be taken into consideration in designing new models of incubators. In fact, ambient NICU illumination may cause visual pathway sequelae or possibly retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), while premature exposure to continuous lighting may adversely affect the rest-activity patterns of the newborn. Accordingly, both the use of incubator covers and circadian lighting in the NICU might attenuate these effects. The impact of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) on infant health is still unclear. However, future incubators should be designed to minimize the EMF exposure of the newborn.

  8. Vitamin D supplementation for osteoporosis in older adults: can we make it help better?

    PubMed

    Dong, C-H; Gao, Q-M; Wang, Z-M; Wang, A-M; Zhen, P

    2016-11-01

    With the increase of the average age of our population, the incidence of diseases specific for older adults has been increasing. One of such diseases is osteoporosis. The true incidence of osteoporosis is unknown. But the estimates indicate that this disease affects wide proportions of the population, ranging in millions or even ten millions in large countries like the United States. As this poses a significant burden on the health care system, interventions that could prevent or treat this condition are in the focus of clinical research. Vitamin D, the determinant of bone health, has been tested in clinical studies as the agent to treat osteoporosis. Despite the progress, there is still some controversy about the targeted blood levels of vitamin D, most efficient way to supplement this vitamin, and clinical efficacy of this supplementation in the elderly.In the present review, we will highlight the metabolism of vitamin D and the aforementioned unresolved issues, as well as review the recent interventional studies on vitamin D supplementation. In the present review, we will highlight the metabolism of vitamin D and the aforementioned unresolved issues, as well as review the recent interventional studies on vitamin D supplementation.

  9. Binary Systems and the Initial Mass Function

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Malkov, O. Yu.

    2017-07-01

    In the present paper we discuss advantages and disadvantages of binary stars, which are important for star formation history determination. We show that to make definite conclusions of the initial mass function shape, it is necessary to study binary population well enough to correct the luminosity function for unresolved binaries; to construct the mass-luminosity relation based on wide binaries data, and to separate observational mass functions of primaries, of secondaries, and of unresolved binaries.

  10. Molecular epidemiology of tuberculosis: achievements and challenges to current knowledge.

    PubMed Central

    Murray, Megan; Nardell, Edward

    2002-01-01

    Over the past 10 years, molecular methods have become available with which to strain-type Mycobacterium tuberculosis. They have allowed researchers to study certain important but previously unresolved issues in the epidemiology of tuberculosis (TB). For example, some unsuspected microepidemics have been revealed and it has been shown that the relative contribution of recently acquired disease to the TB burden in many settings is far greater than had been thought. These findings have led to the strengthening of TB control. Other research has demonstrated the existence and described the frequency of exogenous reinfection in areas of high incidence. Much recent work has focused on the phenotypic variation among strains and has evaluated the relative transmissibility, virulence, and immunogenicity of different lineages of the organism. We summarize the recent achievements in TB epidemiology associated with the introduction of DNA fingerprinting techniques, and consider the implications of this technology for the design and analysis of epidemiological studies. PMID:12132006

  11. Midcingulate Motor Map and Feedback Detection: Converging Data from Humans and Monkeys

    PubMed Central

    Procyk, Emmanuel; Wilson, Charles R. E.; Stoll, Frederic M.; Faraut, Maïlys C. M.; Petrides, Michael; Amiez, Céline

    2016-01-01

    The functional and anatomical organization of the cingulate cortex across primate species is the subject of considerable and often confusing debate. The functions attributed to the midcingulate cortex (MCC) embrace, among others, feedback processing, pain, salience, action-reward association, premotor functions, and conflict monitoring. This multiplicity of functional concepts suggests either unresolved separation of functional contributions or integration and convergence. We here provide evidence from recent experiments in humans and from a meta-analysis of monkey data that MCC feedback-related activity is generated in the rostral cingulate premotor area by specific body maps directly related to the modality of feedback. As such, we argue for an embodied mechanism for adaptation and exploration in MCC. We propose arguments and precise tools to resolve the origins of performance monitoring signals in the medial frontal cortex, and to progress on issues regarding homology between human and nonhuman primate cingulate cortex. PMID:25217467

  12. The use of fault reporting of medical equipment to identify latent design flaws.

    PubMed

    Flewwelling, C J; Easty, A C; Vicente, K J; Cafazzo, J A

    2014-10-01

    Poor device design that fails to adequately account for user needs, cognition, and behavior is often responsible for use errors resulting in adverse events. This poor device design is also often latent, and could be responsible for "No Fault Found" (NFF) reporting, in which medical devices sent for repair by clinical users are found to be operating as intended. Unresolved NFF reports may contribute to incident under reporting, clinical user frustration, and biomedical engineering technologist inefficacy. This study uses human factors engineering methods to investigate the relationship between NFF reporting frequency and device usability. An analysis of medical equipment maintenance data was conducted to identify devices with a high NFF reporting frequency. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews and heuristic evaluations were performed in order to identify potential usability issues. Finally, usability testing was conducted in order to validate that latent usability related design faults result in a higher frequency of NFF reporting. The analysis of medical equipment maintenance data identified six devices with a high NFF reporting frequency. Semi-structured interviews, heuristic evaluations and usability testing revealed that usability issues caused a significant portion of the NFF reports. Other factors suspected to contribute to increased NFF reporting include accessory issues, intermittent faults and environmental issues. Usability testing conducted on three of the devices revealed 23 latent usability related design faults. These findings demonstrate that latent usability related design faults manifest themselves as an increase in NFF reporting and that devices containing usability related design faults can be identified through an analysis of medical equipment maintenance data. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Implicit Learning in the Crowd: Investigating the Role of Awareness in the Acquisition of L2 Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kerz, Elma; Wiechmann, Daniel; Riedel, Florian B.

    2017-01-01

    A growing field of research has made use of a semiartificial language paradigm to investigate the role of awareness in L2 acquisition. A central and empirically still unresolved issue in this field concerns the possibility of learning implicitly, that is, without intention to learn and without awareness of what has been learned. Up until now,…

  14. Exercise Ventilatory Limitation: The Role Of Expiratory Flow Limitation

    PubMed Central

    Babb, Tony G.

    2012-01-01

    Ventilatory limitation to exercise remains an important unresolved clinical issue; as a result, many individuals misinterpret the effects of expiratory flow limitation as an all-or-nothing phenomenon. Expiratory flow limitation is not all-or-none; approaching maximal expiratory flow can have important effects not only on ventilatory capacity but also on breathing mechanics, ventilatory control, and possibly exertional dyspnea and exercise intolerance. PMID:23038244

  15. The Effectiveness of Instructor Personalized and Formative Feedback Provided by Instructor in an Online Setting: Some Unresolved Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Planar, Dolors; Moya, Soledad

    2016-01-01

    Formative feedback has great potential for teaching and learning in online undergraduate programmes. There is a large number of courses where the main source of feedback is provided by the instructor. This is particularly seen in subjects where assessments are designed based on specific activities which are the same for all students, and where the…

  16. Diabetic Cardiomyopathy: Bench to Bedside

    PubMed Central

    Schilling, Joel D.; Mann, Douglas L.

    2012-01-01

    The study of diabetic cardiomyopathy (diabetic CM) is an area of significant interest given the strong association between diabetes and the risk of heart failure. Many unanswered questions remain regarding the clinical definition and pathogenesis of this metabolic cardiomyopathy. This article reviews the current understanding of diabetic CM with a particular emphasis on the unresolved issues that have limited translation of scientific discovery to patient bedside. PMID:22999244

  17. Mean Length of Utterance in Children with Specific Language Impairment and in Younger Control Children Shows Concurrent Validity and Stable and Parallel Growth Trajectories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rice, Mabel L.; Redmond, Sean M.; Hoffman, Lesa

    2006-01-01

    Purpose: Although mean length of utterance (MLU) is a useful benchmark in studies of children with specific language impairment (SLI), some empirical and interpretive issues are unresolved. The authors report on 2 studies examining, respectively, the concurrent validity and temporal stability of MLU equivalency between children with SLI and…

  18. Teacher Collaboration Praxis: Conflicts, Borders, and Ideologies from a Micropolitical Perspective (La práctica colaborativa entre docentes: conflictos, fronteras e ideologías desde una perspectiva micropolítica)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keranen, Nancy; Encinas Prudencio, Fátima

    2014-01-01

    This paper looks at a feature of teacher collaboration within Achinstein's (2002) micropolitics of collaboration but from an intrapersonal perspective. Results discussed feature issues of conflict, borders, and ideologies within each participating teacher rather than between teachers. Unresolved or unacknowledged intrapersonal conflict might lead…

  19. Use of the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System in the formulation of a case of an adolescent refugee with PTSD.

    PubMed

    Gander, Manuela; Diamond, Diana; Buchheim, Anna; Sevecke, Kathrin

    2018-03-16

    Forced displacements and their psychosocial consequences in adolescent refugees and their families have received increasing attention in recent years. Although supportive family relations play a key role in buffering the impact of traumatization in adolescents, parental ability to provide such is often subject to extreme pressure. Under conditions of forced dislocation and fear, maladaptive interpersonal strategies in the parent-child relationships may develop, contributing to the onset of psychopathology. We explore new aspects of attachment-related issues for the understanding and treatment of adolescent refugees who have experienced multiple traumas in their childhood. We used a multimethod assessment battery including the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), the Structured Clinical Interview, the Youth Self Report and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale in an adolescent boy with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our subject was an adolescent refugee from the Middle East who demonstrated an unresolved attachment when confronted with loss and fear. His responses on the AAP evoked aspects of insecure-unresolved attachment, including his belief that it is not safe to trust in attachment figures, his limited access to traumatic attachment experiences, his impaired ability to take concrete actions when dealing with threatening attachment situations and the unintentional role-reversal shed new light on our understanding of his traumatic experiences, family functioning and psychopathological symptoms. Our results demonstrate the utility of the AAP in an adolescent refugee with PTSD by expanding our knowledge of a diverse range of experiences across the interpersonal, cognitive, cultural and developmental contexts that formed the basis for an individualized treatment plan.

  20. Corallite skeletal morphological variation in Hawaiian Porites lobata

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tisthammer, Kaho H.; Richmond, Robert H.

    2018-06-01

    Due to their high morphological plasticity and complex evolutionary history, the species boundaries of many reef-building corals are poorly understood. The skeletal structures of corals have traditionally been used for species identification, but these structures can be highly variable, and currently we lack knowledge regarding the extent of morphological variation within species. Porites species are notorious for their taxonomic difficulties, both morphologically and genetically, and currently there are several unresolved species complexes in the Pacific. Despite its ubiquitous presence and broad use in coral research, Porites lobata belongs to one such unresolved species complex. To understand the degree of intraspecific variation in skeletal morphology, 120 corallites from the Hawaiian P. lobata were examined. A subset of samples from two genetically differentiated populations from contrasting high- and low-stress environments in Maunalua Bay, Hawaii, were then quantitatively analyzed using multivariate morphometrics. Our observations revealed high intraspecific variation in corallite morphology, as well as significant morphological differences between the two populations of P. lobata. Additionally, significant correlation was found between the morphological and genetic distances calculated from approximately 18,000 loci generated from restriction site-associated DNA sequencing. The unique morphological characters observed from the genetically differentiated population under environmental stress suggest that these characters may have adaptive values, but how such traits relate to fitness and how much plasticity they can exhibit remain to be determined by future studies. Relatively simple morphometric analyses used in our study can be useful in clarifying the existing ambiguity in skeletal architecture, thus contributing to resolving species issues in corals.

  1. Heart Failure: From Research to Clinical Practice.

    PubMed

    Islam, Md Shahidul

    2018-01-01

    "Heart failure: from research to clinical practice", a collection of selected reviews, which comes out also as a book, covers essentially all important aspects of heart failure, including the pathogenesis, clinical features, biomarkers, imaging techniques, medical treatment and surgical treatments, use of pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators, and palliative care. The reviews include essential background information, state of the art, critical and in-depth analysis, and directions for future researches for elucidation of the unresolved issues. Everyone interested in heart failure is expected to find this compilation helpful for a deeper understanding of some of the complex issues.

  2. Pilot workload and fatigue: A critical survey of concepts and assessment techniques

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gartner, W. B.; Murphy, M. R.

    1976-01-01

    The principal unresolved issues in conceptualizing and measuring pilot workload and fatigue are discussed. These issues are seen as limiting the development of more useful working concepts and techniques and their application to systems engineering and management activities. A conceptual analysis of pilot workload and fatigue, an overview and critique of approaches to the assessment of these phenomena, and a discussion of current trends in the management of unwanted workload and fatigue effects are presented. Refinements and innovations in assessment methods are recommended for enhancing the practical significance of workload and fatigue studies.

  3. Volunteering by older adults and risk of mortality: a meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Okun, Morris A; Yeung, Ellen WanHeung; Brown, Stephanie

    2013-06-01

    Organizational volunteering has been touted as an effective strategy for older adults to help themselves while helping others. Extending previous reviews, we carried out a meta-analysis of the relation between organizational volunteering by late-middle-aged and older adults (minimum age = 55 years old) and risk of mortality. We focused on unadjusted effect sizes (i.e., bivariate relations), adjusted effect sizes (i.e., controlling for other variables such as health), and interaction effect sizes (e.g., the joint effect of volunteering and religiosity). For unadjusted effect sizes, on average, volunteering reduced mortality risk by 47%, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 38% to 55%. For adjusted effect sizes, on average, volunteering reduced mortality risk by 24%, with a 95% confidence interval ranging from 16% to 31%. For interaction effect sizes, we found preliminary support that as public religiosity increases, the inverse relation between volunteering and mortality risk becomes stronger. The discussion identifies several unresolved issues and directions for future research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

  4. Surface changes in the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the last millennium

    PubMed Central

    Wanamaker, Alan D.; Butler, Paul G.; Scourse, James D.; Heinemeier, Jan; Eiríksson, Jón; Knudsen, Karen Luise; Richardson, Christopher A.

    2012-01-01

    Despite numerous investigations, the dynamical origins of the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age remain uncertain. A major unresolved issue relating to internal climate dynamics is the mode and tempo of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation variability, and the significance of decadal-to-centennial scale changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation strength in regulating the climate of the last millennium. Here we use the time-constrained high-resolution local radiocarbon reservoir age offset derived from an absolutely dated annually resolved shell chronology spanning the past 1,350 years, to reconstruct changes in surface ocean circulation and climate. The water mass tracer data presented here from the North Icelandic shelf, combined with previously published data from the Arctic and subtropical Atlantic, show that surface Atlantic meridional overturning circulation dynamics likely amplified the relatively warm conditions during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the relatively cool conditions during the Little Ice Age within the North Atlantic sector. PMID:22692542

  5. Surface changes in the North Atlantic meridional overturning circulation during the last millennium.

    PubMed

    Wanamaker, Alan D; Butler, Paul G; Scourse, James D; Heinemeier, Jan; Eiríksson, Jón; Knudsen, Karen Luise; Richardson, Christopher A

    2012-06-12

    Despite numerous investigations, the dynamical origins of the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age remain uncertain. A major unresolved issue relating to internal climate dynamics is the mode and tempo of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation variability, and the significance of decadal-to-centennial scale changes in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation strength in regulating the climate of the last millennium. Here we use the time-constrained high-resolution local radiocarbon reservoir age offset derived from an absolutely dated annually resolved shell chronology spanning the past 1,350 years, to reconstruct changes in surface ocean circulation and climate. The water mass tracer data presented here from the North Icelandic shelf, combined with previously published data from the Arctic and subtropical Atlantic, show that surface Atlantic meridional overturning circulation dynamics likely amplified the relatively warm conditions during the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the relatively cool conditions during the Little Ice Age within the North Atlantic sector.

  6. The generalized accessibility and spectral gap of lower hybrid waves in tokamaks

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

    Takahashi, Hironori

    1994-03-01

    The generalized accessibility of lower hybrid waves, primarily in the current drive regime of tokamak plasmas, which may include shifting, either upward or downward, of the parallel refractive index (n{sub {parallel}}), is investigated, based upon a cold plasma dispersion relation and various geometrical constraint (G.C.) relations imposed on the behavior of n{sub {parallel}}. It is shown that n{sub {parallel}} upshifting can be bounded and insufficient to bridge a large spectral gap to cause wave damping, depending upon whether the G.C. relation allows the oblique resonance to occur. The traditional n{sub {parallel}} upshifting mechanism caused by the pitch angle of magneticmore » field lines is shown to lead to contradictions with experimental observations. An upshifting mechanism brought about by the density gradient along field lines is proposed, which is not inconsistent with experimental observations, and provides plausible explanations to some unresolved issues of lower hybrid wave theory, including generation of {open_quote}seed electrons.{close_quote}« less

  7. Identifying ethical issues of the Department of the Army civilian and Army Nurse Corps certified registered nurse anesthetists.

    PubMed

    Jenkins, Constance L; Elliott, Aaron R; Harris, Janet R

    2006-08-01

    The purposes of this study were to identify the ethical issues Department of the Army civilian and Army Nurse Corps certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) encountered in their anesthesia practice and how disturbed they were by these issues. This descriptive study used a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of Army Nurse Corps officers and Department of the Army civilian registered nurses (N = 5,293). The CRNA subset (n = 97) was obtained from questionnaires that indicated a primary practice setting as anesthesia. The most frequently occurring ethical issue identified was conflict in the nurse-physician relationship, whereas the most disturbing issue was working with incompetent/impaired colleagues. Unresolved ethical conflicts can negatively influence the nurses' morale, leading to avoidance of the issue and contributing to burnout. Identifying the ethical issues and disturbance level experienced by CRNAs should contribute to the development of an ethics education program that addresses issues encountered in CRNA practice.

  8. Ethics in American Health 1: Ethical Approaches to Health Policy

    PubMed Central

    2008-01-01

    I trace the evolution of ethical approaches to health policy in the United States and examine a number of critical unresolved issues pertaining to the current set of frameworks. Several themes emerge. First, fair procedures claim more attention than substantive and procedural principles. Second, in the case of public deliberation, more focus has been placed on factors such as procedural mechanisms than on understanding how individuals and groups value different aspects of health and agree on health-related decisions. Third, the nation needs workable frameworks to guide collective choices about valuable social ends and their trade-offs; purely procedural strategies are limited in illuminating overarching health policy and ethics questions. There is a need to integrate consequential and procedural approaches to health ethics and policy. PMID:18703449

  9. New measures of mental state and behavior based on data collected from sensors, smartphones, and the Internet.

    PubMed

    Glenn, Tasha; Monteith, Scott

    2014-12-01

    With the rapid and ubiquitous acceptance of new technologies, algorithms will be used to estimate new measures of mental state and behavior based on digital data. The algorithms will analyze data collected from sensors in smartphones and wearable technology, and data collected from Internet and smartphone usage and activities. In the future, new medical measures that assist with the screening, diagnosis, and monitoring of psychiatric disorders will be available despite unresolved reliability, usability, and privacy issues. At the same time, similar non-medical commercial measures of mental state are being developed primarily for targeted advertising. There are societal and ethical implications related to the use of these measures of mental state and behavior for both medical and non-medical purposes.

  10. Protecting the Rights of School Children with Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Wood, James M.

    2013-01-01

    School children with diabetes are facing increasing difficulties in receiving care during the school day. Despite theexistence of federal statutes ensuring their rights to a free, appropriate public education, many school districts throughout the country do little, if anything, to ensure that their condition is treated throughout the school day. The chronic shortage of school nurses has resulted in hardships on families, relatives, and friends to ensure that care, including insulin, is timely and appropriately provided. While many states have taken measures to provide care by unlicensed trained volunteers, efforts to accomplish this in California have resulted in prolonged litigation. A variety of nursing organizations oppose all efforts to train unlicensed volunteers, arguing that such is not permitted by California law. The issue is unresolved and currently pending in the California Supreme Court. PMID:23566990

  11. Successful Treatment of Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia in a 10-Year-Catatonic Patient by Augmentation of Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Mei-Jung; Huang, Shiau-Shian; Juang, Kai-Dih; Chan, Chin-Hong

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Although catatonia is a well defined syndrome, the treatment of chronic catatonia remains an unresolved issue. Here, we report a successful treatment of a 30-year-old patient with treatment-resistant catatonic schizophrenia in 10 years by augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). We present a 30-year-old man with treatment-resistant catatonic schizophrenia who failed to respond to the treatment of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics for 10 years. He markedly improved after taking SSRIs. Now, he does not hold odd postures and begins to talk and show more facial expressions. We postulate that the therapeutic effect is related to the enhancement of 5-HT neurotransmission. SSRIs can be a considerable choice to treat chronic catatonia. PMID:25929916

  12. Successful treatment of treatment-resistant schizophrenia in a 10-year-catatonic patient by augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: a case report.

    PubMed

    Chen, Mei-Jung; Huang, Shiau-Shian; Juang, Kai-Dih; Chan, Chin-Hong

    2015-05-01

    Although catatonia is a well defined syndrome, the treatment of chronic catatonia remains an unresolved issue. Here, we report a successful treatment of a 30-year-old patient with treatment-resistant catatonic schizophrenia in 10 years by augmentation of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).We present a 30-year-old man with treatment-resistant catatonic schizophrenia who failed to respond to the treatment of benzodiazepines and antipsychotics for 10 years. He markedly improved after taking SSRIs. Now, he does not hold odd postures and begins to talk and show more facial expressions.We postulate that the therapeutic effect is related to the enhancement of 5-HT neurotransmission. SSRIs can be a considerable choice to treat chronic catatonia.

  13. Individual Differences, Intelligence, and Behavior Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Williams, Ben; Myerson, Joel; Hale, Sandra

    2008-01-01

    Despite its avowed goal of understanding individual behavior, the field of behavior analysis has largely ignored the determinants of consistent differences in level of performance among individuals. The present article discusses major findings in the study of individual differences in intelligence from the conceptual framework of a functional analysis of behavior. In addition to general intelligence, we discuss three other major aspects of behavior in which individuals differ: speed of processing, working memory, and the learning of three-term contingencies. Despite recent progress in our understanding of the relations among these aspects of behavior, numerous issues remain unresolved. Researchers need to determine which learning tasks predict individual differences in intelligence and which do not, and then identify the specific characteristics of these tasks that make such prediction possible. PMID:18831127

  14. Unresolved mourning, supernatural beliefs and dissociation: a mediation analysis.

    PubMed

    Thomson, Paula; Jaque, S Victoria

    2014-01-01

    Unresolved mourning is marked by disorganized behavior and states of mind. In this study, we speculated that pathological dissociation would mediate the effects of unresolved mourning on supernatural beliefs. This hypothesis was determined based on findings that indicate an association between higher levels of dissociation, stronger beliefs in the supernatural and unresolved mourning. We examined two groups of participants, one classified as non-unresolved (non-U) (n = 56) and the other as unresolved (n = 26) (U) with respect to past loss/trauma as measured by the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI). Two self-report instruments were administered to measure supernatural beliefs and dissociation. As hypothesized, the multivariate analysis of variance indicated mean differences between the two groups. The unresolved group had greater belief in the supernatural and more pathological dissociative processes. The mediation analysis demonstrated that pathological dissociation fully mediated the effects of unresolved mourning on supernatural beliefs.

  15. Integrative dimensions of psychotherapy training.

    PubMed

    Greben, Daniel H

    2004-04-01

    This paper investigates the influence of integrative factors on psychotherapy education. The broad relevance of integrative psychotherapy to residency training and continuing mental health education is discussed. Following a review of the existing literature on the education of integrative psychotherapists, the article systematically examines the integrative and pedagogic issues to be considered in planning psychotherapy training informed by integrative principles. The integrative issues are organized into 5 categories: attitudinal set, knowledge base, clinical techniques and skills, developmental tasks and challenges, and systemic institutional factors. The educational issues can be divided into 4 categories: content, format and process, sequence, and faculty development. Brief descriptions of actual educational interventions illustrate the implementation of such ideas. Specific recommendations are made regarding the development of integrative educational initiatives and future study of unresolved questions.

  16. Bigeye Bomb: Unresolved Development Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-08-11

    the lethal agent formed inside the Bigeye bomb) at the purity or equivalent- biotoxicity level required by the Test and Eval- uation Master Plan (TEMP...during the 5 through 30-second period after mixing starts, with- out specifying either wheit the required purity or equivalent biotoxicity level should...revision of the purity or equivalent biotoxicity requirement. However, we believe that a bomb that produces lethal agent at the required purity level for 1

  17. Calcium in the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis: EMAS clinical guide.

    PubMed

    Cano, Antonio; Chedraui, Peter; Goulis, Dimitrios G; Lopes, Patrice; Mishra, Gita; Mueck, Alfred; Senturk, Levent M; Simoncini, Tommaso; Stevenson, John C; Stute, Petra; Tuomikoski, Pauliina; Rees, Margaret; Lambrinoudaki, Irene

    2018-01-01

    Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a highly prevalent disease. Prevention through lifestyle measures includes an adequate calcium intake. Despite the guidance provided by scientific societies and governmental bodies worldwide, many issues remain unresolved. To provide evidence regarding the impact of calcium intake on the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis and critically appraise current guidelines. Literature review and consensus of expert opinion. The recommended daily intake of calcium varies between 700 and 1200mg of elemental calcium, depending on the endorsing source. Although calcium can be derived either from the diet or supplements, the former source is preferred. Intake below the recommended amount may increase fragility fracture risk; however, there is no consistent evidence that calcium supplementation at, or above, recommended levels reduces risk. The addition of vitamin D may minimally reduce fractures, mainly among institutionalised people. Excessive intake of calcium, defined as higher than 2000mg/day, can be potentially harmful. Some studies demonstrated harm even at lower dosages. An increased risk for cardiovascular events, urolithiasis and even fractures has been found in association with excessive calcium intake, but this issue remains unresolved. In conclusion, an adequate intake of calcium is recommended for general bone health. Excessive calcium intake seems of no benefit, and could possibly be harmful. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. High-rise housing in the city of Samara: the first steps on the path to sustainable development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vavilova, Tatiana Ya.; Makeeva, Elena Yu.

    2018-03-01

    This paper outlines theoretical background of high-rise housing and discusses its design experience. It particularly focuses on environmental, social and economic aspects which are among crucial sustainable development issues. The authors dwell upon the implementation of innovative solutions that meet principles and goals of sustainable development and take construction objects built in Samara (which is one of the largest metropolises in Russia) as an example. The research also investigates the quality of project designs and reveals techniques corresponding to the "green standards". It considers the issues of practicing high-rise building construction in specific urban conditions and identifies unresolved architectural problems.

  19. Auditory subliminal stimulation: a re-examination.

    PubMed

    Urban, M J

    1992-04-01

    Unconscious or subliminal perception has historically been a thorny issue in psychology. It has been the subject of debate and experimentation since the turn of the century. While psychologists now agree that the phenomenon of visual subliminal stimulation is real, disagreement continues over the effects of such stimulation as well as to its existence in other sensory modalities, notably the auditory. The present paper provides an overview of unresolved issues in auditory subliminal stimulation which explains much of the difficulty that has been encountered in experimental work in this area. A context is proposed for considering the effects of auditory subliminal stimulation and an overview of current investigations in this field is provided.

  20. [Attachment Representation and Emotion Regulation in Patients with Burnout Syndrome].

    PubMed

    Söllner, Wolfgang; Behringer, Johanna; Böhme, Stephanie; Stein, Barbara; Reiner, Iris; Spangler, Gottfried

    2016-06-01

    Burnout describes a syndrome of exhaustion resulting from insufficient coping with work-related distress. We investigated if patients that are being clinically treated for burnout show insecure and unresolved attachment representation more often compared with healthy controls. 50 out of 60 consecutive burnout patients participated in the study. Mental representation of attachment was measured by using the Adult Attachment Interview. Additionally, we administered the Self Report Questionnaire to Assess Emotional Experience and Emotion Regulation and several burnout specific questionnaires. A population sample was used as control group. Burnout patients were classified as insecurely attached significantly more often than controls. Unresolved attachment status concerning loss or trauma was found significantly more often within the burnout sample. Patients with insecure attachment representation reported a lower subjective significance of work. Patients with avoidant insecure attachment showed more depersonalisation. Patients with unresolved loss/trauma reported less social support. They showed more passive-negative emotion experience and emotion regulation characterized by externalization. The results of the study suggest that an insecure or unresolved attachment representation might constitute an intrapersonal risk factor for the development of burnout syndrome. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. Waiting for Brandon: How Readers Respond to Small Mysteries

    PubMed Central

    Gerrig, Richard J.; Love, Jessica; McKoon, Gail

    2009-01-01

    When readers experience narratives they often encounter small mysteries—questions that a text raises that are not immediately settled. In our experiments, participants read stories that introduced characters by proper names (e.g., “It’s just that Brandon hasn’t called in so long”). Resolved versions of the stories specified the functions those characters’ assumed in their narrative worlds with respect to the other characters (e.g., Brandon was identified as the speaker’s grandson); unresolved versions of the stories did not immediately provide that information. We predicted that characters whose functions were still unresolved would remain relatively accessible in the discourse representations. We tested that prediction in Experiments 1 and 2 by asking participants to indicate whether a name (e.g., Brandon) had appeared in the story. Participants responded most swiftly when the characters remained unresolved. In the latter experiments, we demonstrated that the presence of an unresolved character disrupted processing of information that followed that character’s introduction (Experiment 3) but not information that preceded that introduction (Experiment 4). These results support the general importance of providing a theoretical account of readers’ responses to narrative mysteries. PMID:20046984

  2. Unresolved legal questions in cross-border health care in Europe: liability and data protection.

    PubMed

    van der Molen, I N; Commers, M J

    2013-11-01

    Directive 2011/24/EU was designed to clarify the rights of EU citizens in evaluating, accessing and obtaining reimbursement for cross-border care. Based on three regional case studies, the authors attempted to assess the added value of the Directive in helping clarify issues in to two key areas that have been identified as barriers to cross-border care: liability and data protection. Qualitative case study employing secondary data sources including research of jurisprudence, that set up a Legal framework as a base to investigate liability and data protection in the context of cross-border projects. By means of three case studies that have tackled liability and data protection hurdles in cross-border care implementation, this article attempts to provide insight into legal certainty and uncertainty regarding cross-border care in Europe. The case studies reveal that the Directive has not resolved core uncertainties related to liability and data protection issues within cross-border health care. Some issues related to the practice of cross-border health care in Europe have been further clarified by the Directive and some direction has been given to possible solutions for issues connected to liability and data protection. Directive 2011/24/EU is clearly a transposition of existing regulations on data protection and ECJ case law, plus a set of additional, mostly, voluntary rules that might enhance regional border cooperation. Therefore, as shown in the case studies, a practical and case by case approach is still necessary in designing and providing cross-border care. © 2013 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A Scopus-Based Analysis of Publication Activity in Kazakhstan from 2010 to 2015: Positive Trends, Concerns, and Possible Solutions.

    PubMed

    Yessirkepov, Marlen; Nurmashev, Bekaidar; Anartayeva, Mariya

    2015-12-01

    The article analyzes the publication activity of scientific authors from Kazakhstan based on Scopus and SCImago Journal & Country Rank data from 2010 to 2015. The number of indexed multidisciplinary and medical articles from the country has been steadily growing from 2011 onward and this can be due to the adoption of the new Law on Science in that year. Several regulatory legal acts have been issued in recent years aimed at improving the quality of local journals and the international recognition of academic degrees and titles. Publication activity of scientific authors from Kazakhstan was found to be higher than that from other countries in the Central Asian region. However, there are still many unresolved issues related to the English language barrier, lack of indexing status of local journals, and poor topical education on science writing and editing. As such, the number of articles published in 'predatory' journals remains sizable, and there are concerns over authors' negligence and plagiarism. The global solution to the discussed problems may be achieved by educating researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors.

  4. A Scopus-Based Analysis of Publication Activity in Kazakhstan from 2010 to 2015: Positive Trends, Concerns, and Possible Solutions

    PubMed Central

    Nurmashev, Bekaidar; Anartayeva, Mariya

    2015-01-01

    The article analyzes the publication activity of scientific authors from Kazakhstan based on Scopus and SCImago Journal & Country Rank data from 2010 to 2015. The number of indexed multidisciplinary and medical articles from the country has been steadily growing from 2011 onward and this can be due to the adoption of the new Law on Science in that year. Several regulatory legal acts have been issued in recent years aimed at improving the quality of local journals and the international recognition of academic degrees and titles. Publication activity of scientific authors from Kazakhstan was found to be higher than that from other countries in the Central Asian region. However, there are still many unresolved issues related to the English language barrier, lack of indexing status of local journals, and poor topical education on science writing and editing. As such, the number of articles published in 'predatory' journals remains sizable, and there are concerns over authors' negligence and plagiarism. The global solution to the discussed problems may be achieved by educating researchers, authors, reviewers, and editors. PMID:26713071

  5. On Retirement of Physicians

    PubMed Central

    Levy, Roy

    1986-01-01

    This article takes a look at retirement in general, and the implications for physicians in particular. The recent application of the principles in the Canadian Charter of Rights has raised some unresolved issues for those doctors with contractual employment. They may no longer have mandatory retirement at age 65. Problems can and do arise when self-employed physicians defer retirement from active practice indefinitely. The evaluation of older physicians' competence is explored, and some suggestions offered. PMID:21267269

  6. Unresolved Galaxy Classifier for ESA/Gaia mission: Support Vector Machines approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bellas-Velidis, Ioannis; Kontizas, Mary; Dapergolas, Anastasios; Livanou, Evdokia; Kontizas, Evangelos; Karampelas, Antonios

    A software package Unresolved Galaxy Classifier (UGC) is being developed for the ground-based pipeline of ESA's Gaia mission. It aims to provide an automated taxonomic classification and specific parameters estimation analyzing Gaia BP/RP instrument low-dispersion spectra of unresolved galaxies. The UGC algorithm is based on a supervised learning technique, the Support Vector Machines (SVM). The software is implemented in Java as two separate modules. An offline learning module provides functions for SVM-models training. Once trained, the set of models can be repeatedly applied to unknown galaxy spectra by the pipeline's application module. A library of galaxy models synthetic spectra, simulated for the BP/RP instrument, is used to train and test the modules. Science tests show a very good classification performance of UGC and relatively good regression performance, except for some of the parameters. Possible approaches to improve the performance are discussed.

  7. Seeking the chemical roots of darwinism: bridging between chemistry and biology.

    PubMed

    Pross, Addy

    2009-08-24

    Chemistry and biology are intimately connected sciences yet the chemistry-biology interface remains problematic and central issues regarding the very essence of living systems remain unresolved. In this essay we build on a kinetic theory of replicating systems that encompasses the idea that there are two distinct kinds of stability in nature-thermodynamic stability, associated with "regular" chemical systems, and dynamic kinetic stability, associated with replicating systems. That fundamental distinction is utilized to bridge between chemistry and biology by demonstrating that within the parallel world of replicating systems there is a second law analogue to the second law of thermodynamics, and that Darwinian theory may, through scientific reductionism, be related to that second law analogue. Possible implications of these ideas to the origin of life problem and the relationship between chemical emergence and biological evolution are discussed.

  8. Strong fields and neutral particle magnetic moment dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Formanek, Martin; Evans, Stefan; Rafelski, Johann; Steinmetz, Andrew; Yang, Cheng-Tao

    2018-07-01

    Interaction of magnetic moment of point particles with external electromagnetic fields experiences unresolved theoretical and experimental discrepancies. In this work we point out several issues within relativistic quantum mechanics and QED and we describe effects related to a new covariant classical model of magnetic moment dynamics. Using this framework we explore the invariant acceleration experienced by neutral particles coupled to an external plane wave field through the magnetic moment: we study the case of ultrarelativistic Dirac neutrinos with magnetic moment in the range of 10‑11 to 10‑20 μ B; and we address the case of slowly moving neutrons. We explore how critical accelerations for neutrinos can be experimentally achieved in laser pulse interactions. The radiation of accelerated neutrinos can serve as an important test distinguishing between Majorana and Dirac nature of neutrinos.

  9. Value reprioritization in psychoanalysis.

    PubMed

    Horowitz, Mardi J

    2009-12-01

    As psychoanalysts, we sometimes seem to regard values as radioactive materials that must be handled with heavy lead gloves. But the gloves should not be so thick that they interfere with the goal of sorting out values. Reasons for our hesitation to deal with issues related to values may include real disagreements with the morals of a patient, a fear of evoking unproductive and negative emotional states, and our own unresolved conflicts about value dilemmas. Psychoanalytic technique should at times include clear verbal statements of values. By being explicit about what is often implicit, we can help our patients in their work of ameliorating harsh, primitive, and critical attitudes and to self-own rules, principles, and codes of conduct. A patient with reprioritized personal values may then function with heightened interpersonal compassion, kindness, and cooperation, gaining in return love, intimacy, respect, and self-esteem.

  10. Protecting the rights of school children with diabetes.

    PubMed

    Wood, James M

    2013-03-01

    School children with diabetes are facing increasing difficulties in receiving care during the school day. Despite theexistence of federal statutes ensuring their rights to a free, appropriate public education, many school districts throughout the country do little, if anything, to ensure that their condition is treated throughout the school day. The chronic shortage of school nurses has resulted in hardships on families, relatives, and friends to ensure that care, including insulin, is timely and appropriately provided. While many states have taken measures to provide care by unlicensed trained volunteers, efforts to accomplish this in California have resulted in prolonged litigation. A variety of nursing organizations oppose all efforts to train unlicensed volunteers, arguing that such is not permitted by California law. The issue is unresolved and currently pending in the California Supreme Court. © 2013 Diabetes Technology Society.

  11. Relationship between time management in construction industry and project management performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nasir, Najuwa; Nawi, Mohd Nasrun Mohd; Radzuan, Kamaruddin

    2016-08-01

    Nowadays, construction industry particularly in Malaysia struggle in achieving status of eminent time management for construction project. Project managers have a great responsibility to keep the project success under time of project completion. However, studies shows that delays especially in Malaysian construction industry still unresolved due to weakness in managing the project. In addition, quality of time management on construction projects is generally poor. Due to the progressively extended delays issue, time performance becomes an important subject to be explored to investigate delay factors. The method of this study is review of literature towards issues in construction industry which affecting time performance of project in general by focusing towards process involved for project management. Based on study, it was found that knowledge, commitment, cooperation are the main criteria as an overall to manage the project into a smooth process during project execution until completion. It can be concluded that, the strength between project manager and team members in these main criteria while conducting the project towards good time performance is highly needed. However, there is lack of establishment towards factors of poor time performance which strongly related with project management. Hence, this study has been conducted to establish factors of poor time performance and its relations with project management.

  12. Hispanic Older Adult Health & Longevity in the United States: Current Patterns & Concerns for the Future.

    PubMed

    Hummer, Robert A; Hayward, Mark D

    2015-01-01

    The Hispanic population aged sixty-five and over - the most socioeconomically disadvantaged subset of America's elderly - is projected to quintuple between 2012 and 2050. While current longevity patterns for Hispanics relative to whites are favorable, old-age functioning and disability patterns for Hispanics are unfavorable and have serious implications for caregivers; families; and local, state, and federal governments. Troubling signs for the future Hispanic population (which are shared to varying degrees with other vulnerable groups) include the unresolved legal status of unauthorized immigrants, continued low levels of insurance coverage even after health care reform, some unfavorable trends in health behaviors, and continued disadvantages in educational attainment and income relative to whites. We urge policy-makers to deal with these potentially problematic health and well-being issues. Not doing so could have detrimental consequences for the future of the Hispanic population as well as other at-risk groups and, by extension, the U.S. elderly population as a whole.

  13. Midcingulate Motor Map and Feedback Detection: Converging Data from Humans and Monkeys.

    PubMed

    Procyk, Emmanuel; Wilson, Charles R E; Stoll, Frederic M; Faraut, Maïlys C M; Petrides, Michael; Amiez, Céline

    2016-02-01

    The functional and anatomical organization of the cingulate cortex across primate species is the subject of considerable and often confusing debate. The functions attributed to the midcingulate cortex (MCC) embrace, among others, feedback processing, pain, salience, action-reward association, premotor functions, and conflict monitoring. This multiplicity of functional concepts suggests either unresolved separation of functional contributions or integration and convergence. We here provide evidence from recent experiments in humans and from a meta-analysis of monkey data that MCC feedback-related activity is generated in the rostral cingulate premotor area by specific body maps directly related to the modality of feedback. As such, we argue for an embodied mechanism for adaptation and exploration in MCC. We propose arguments and precise tools to resolve the origins of performance monitoring signals in the medial frontal cortex, and to progress on issues regarding homology between human and nonhuman primate cingulate cortex. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Contact engineering for 2D materials and devices.

    PubMed

    Schulman, Daniel S; Arnold, Andrew J; Das, Saptarshi

    2018-05-08

    Over the past decade, the field of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials has surged, promising a new platform for studying diverse physical phenomena that are scientifically intriguing and technologically relevant. Contacts are the communication links between these 2D materials and the three-dimensional world for probing and harnessing their exquisite electronic properties. However, fundamental challenges related to contacts often limit the ultimate performance and potential of 2D materials and devices. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the basic understanding and importance of contacts to 2D materials and various strategies for engineering and improving them. In particular, we elucidate the phenomenon of Fermi level pinning at the metal/2D contact interface, the Schottky versus Ohmic nature of the contacts and various contact engineering approaches including interlayer contacts, phase engineered contacts, and basal versus edge plane contacts, among others. Finally, we also discuss some of the relatively under-addressed and unresolved issues, such as contact scaling, and conclude with a future outlook.

  15. When Can Clades Be Potentially Resolved with Morphology?

    PubMed Central

    Bapst, David W.

    2013-01-01

    Morphology-based phylogenetic analyses are the only option for reconstructing relationships among extinct lineages, but often find support for conflicting hypotheses of relationships. The resulting lack of phylogenetic resolution is generally explained in terms of data quality and methodological issues, such as character selection. A previous suggestion is that sampling ancestral morphotaxa or sampling multiple taxa descended from a long-lived, unchanging lineage can also yield clades which have no opportunity to share synapomorphies. This lack of character information leads to a lack of ‘intrinsic’ resolution, an issue that cannot be solved with additional morphological data. It is unclear how often we should expect clades to be intrinsically resolvable in realistic circumstances, as intrinsic resolution must increase as taxonomic sampling decreases. Using branching simulations, I quantify intrinsic resolution across several models of morphological differentiation and taxonomic sampling. Intrinsically unresolvable clades are found to be relatively frequent in simulations of both extinct and living taxa under realistic sampling scenarios, implying that intrinsic resolution is an issue for morphology-based analyses of phylogeny. Simulations which vary the rates of sampling and differentiation were tested for their agreement to observed distributions of durations from well-sampled fossil records and also having high intrinsic resolution. This combination only occurs in those datasets when differentiation and sampling rates are both unrealistically high relative to branching and extinction rates. Thus, the poor phylogenetic resolution occasionally observed in morphological phylogenetics may result from a lack of intrinsic resolvability within groups. PMID:23638034

  16. Absolute versus relative intensity of physical activity in a dose-response context.

    PubMed

    Shephard, R J

    2001-06-01

    To examine the importance of relative versus absolute intensities of physical activity in the context of population health. A standard computer-search of the literature was supplemented by review of extensive personal files. Consensus reports (Category D Evidence) have commonly recommended moderate rather than hard physical activity in the context of population health. Much of the available literature provides Category C Evidence. It has often confounded issues of relative intensity with absolute intensity or total weekly dose of exercise. In terms of cardiovascular health, there is some evidence for a threshold intensity of effort, perhaps as high as 6 METs, in addition to a minimum volume of physical activity. Decreases in blood pressure and prevention of stroke seem best achieved by moderate rather than high relative intensities of physical activity. Many aspects of metabolic health depend on the total volume of activity; moderate relative intensities of effort are more effective in mobilizing body fat, but harder relative intensities may help to increase energy expenditures postexercise. Hard relative intensities seem needed to augment bone density, but this may reflect an associated increase in volume of activity. Hard relative intensities of exercise induce a transient immunosuppression. The optimal intensity of effort, relative or absolute, for protection against various types of cancer remains unresolved. Acute effects of exercise on mood state also require further study; long-term benefits seem associated with a moderate rather than a hard relative intensity of effort. The importance of relative versus absolute intensity of effort depends on the desired health outcome, and many issues remain to be resolved. Progress will depend on more precise epidemiological methods of assessing energy expenditures and studies that equate total energy expenditures between differing relative intensities. There is a need to focus on gains in quality-adjusted life expectancy.

  17. New Gravity Wave Treatments for GISS Climate Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geller, Marvin A.; Zhou, Tiehan; Ruedy, Reto; Aleinov, Igor; Nazarenko, Larissa; Tausnev, Nikolai L.; Sun, Shan; Kelley, Maxwell; Cheng, Ye

    2011-01-01

    Previous versions of GISS climate models have either used formulations of Rayleigh drag to represent unresolved gravity wave interactions with the model-resolved flow or have included a rather complicated treatment of unresolved gravity waves that, while being climate interactive, involved the specification of a relatively large number of parameters that were not well constrained by observations and also was computationally very expensive. Here, the authors introduce a relatively simple and computationally efficient specification of unresolved orographic and nonorographic gravity waves and their interaction with the resolved flow. Comparisons of the GISS model winds and temperatures with no gravity wave parameterization; with only orographic gravity wave parameterization; and with both orographic and nonorographic gravity wave parameterizations are shown to illustrate how the zonal mean winds and temperatures converge toward observations. The authors also show that the specifications of orographic and nonorographic gravity waves must be different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Then results are presented where the nonorographic gravity wave sources are specified to represent sources from convection in the intertropical convergence zone and spontaneous emission from jet imbalances. Finally, a strategy to include these effects in a climate-dependent manner is suggested.

  18. New Gravity Wave Treatments for GISS Climate Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geller, Marvin A.; Zhou, Tiehan; Ruedy, Reto; Aleinov, Igor; Nazarenko, Larissa; Tausnev, Nikolai L.; Sun, Shan; Kelley, Maxwell; Cheng, Ye

    2010-01-01

    Previous versions of GISS climate models have either used formulations of Rayleigh drag to represent unresolved gravity wave interactions with the model resolved flow or have included a rather complicated treatment of unresolved gravity waves that, while being climate interactive, involved the specification of a relatively large number of parameters that were not well constrained by observations and also was computationally very expensive. Here, we introduce a relatively simple and computationally efficient specification of unresolved orographic and non-orographic gravity waves and their interaction with the resolved flow. We show comparisons of the GISS model winds and temperatures with no gravity wave parametrization; with only orographic gravity wave parameterization; and with both orographic and non-orographic gravity wave parameterizations to illustrate how the zonal mean winds and temperatures converge toward observations. We also show that the specifications of orographic and nonorographic gravity waves must be different in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. We then show results where the non-orographic gravity wave sources are specified to represent sources from convection in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and spontaneous emission from jet imbalances. Finally, we suggest a strategy to include these effects in a climate dependent manner.

  19. MCNP/X TRANSPORT IN THE TABULAR REGIME

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

    HUGHES, H. GRADY

    2007-01-08

    The authors review the transport capabilities of the MCNP and MCNPX Monte Carlo codes in the energy regimes in which tabular transport data are available. Giving special attention to neutron tables, they emphasize the measures taken to improve the treatment of a variety of difficult aspects of the transport problem, including unresolved resonances, thermal issues, and the availability of suitable cross sections sets. They also briefly touch on the current situation in regard to photon, electron, and proton transport tables.

  20. Shock and Awe. Achieving Rapid Dominance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1996-09-01

    par- adox of the issue of planning for a long - versus -short war in a nuclear world remained unresolved. 4 Shock and AweMobilization, as in World War...world and are likely to remain so for a long time to come. Why then, many will ask, should we examine and even propose major excursions and...after battle. Today, x we believe that an unusual opportunity exists to determine whether or not this long -sought strategic goal of affecting the

  1. Understanding Cultural Landmines in the Balkans: How the Land and Its History Have Kept a People at War

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-10-01

    property , forcible eviction of entire villages, widespread rape and torture, and massacres of innocent women, children, and the elderly BALKANS-1 6...and Italy also have unresolved issues dating from World War II over property and ethnic minority rights. Serbia and Montenegro also dispute Croatia’s...positions (Jayne, 1910). Dating from the Ottoman occupation, Moslem nobles and landlords held all land other than gardens and residential properties

  2. The P-38 Lightning Aircraft: Lessons Learned for Future Weapon Systems Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-04-01

    PMBOK TEL \\ u.s. WER List of ~cronyms iv Brake Horse Power Design-Build Team District of Columbia Department of Defense Department of...record. Despite unresolved issues like the flap and brake system problems and limited test hours, on 11 February 1939, Lieutenant Kelsey flew the XP-38...engine, giving the P-3 8 engines a 1425 brake horse power (BHP)22 rating. However, limitations of the integral wing leading edge intercoolers23 could

  3. Interactions Between Structure and Processing that Control Moisture Uptake in High-Performance Polycyanurates (Briefing Charts)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-24

    distribution is unlimited.  . Interactions Between Structure and Processing that Control Moisture Uptake in High-Performance Polycyanurates Presenter: Dr...Edwards AFB, CA 4 California State University, Long Beach, CA 90840 2 Outline: Basic Studies of Moisture Uptake in Cyanate Ester Networks • Background...Motivation • SOTA Theories of Moisture Uptake in Thermosetting Networks • New Tools and New Discoveries • Unresolved Issues and Ways to Address Them

  4. A rederivation of the conformal anomaly for spin-{\\frac{1}{2}}

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Godazgar, Hadi; Nicolai, Hermann

    2018-05-01

    We rederive the conformal anomaly for spin- fermions by a genuine Feynman graph calculation, which has not been available so far. Although our calculation merely confirms a result that has been known for a long time, the derivation is new, and thus furnishes a method to investigate more complicated cases (in particular concerning the significance of the quantum trace of the stress tensor in non-conformal theories) where there remain several outstanding and unresolved issues.

  5. Implementing advanced nurse practitioner roles in acute care: an evaluation of organizational change.

    PubMed

    Cummings, Greta G; Fraser, Kim; Tarlier, Denise S

    2003-03-01

    Medical shortages are seen as the driving force behind the recent implementation of the advanced nurse practitioner (ANP) role in some Canadian hospitals. The authors analyzed the implementation of the ANP role in one tertiary care teaching hospital from the organizational change perspective. Despite successful implementation, issues of role definition, scope of practice boundaries, and staff reactions remain unresolved. Recommendations are discussed for implementing ANP roles in other acute care facilities.

  6. A biologic perspective on sexual orientation.

    PubMed

    Pillard, R C; Bailey, J M

    1995-03-01

    Sexual orientation may be defined as the sustained erotic attraction to members of one's own gender, the opposite gender, or both--homosexual, heterosexual, or bisexual, respectively. Interest in sexual orientation is as old as the science of psychology, yet many fundamental issues remain unresolved. This article reviews research in the development and psychopathology of sexual orientation as well as the results of family and twin studies. Research in genetic linkage, sex hormones, and brain differences also is discussed.

  7. The Image of the 1967 War in Israeli History Textbooks as Test Case: Studying an Active Past in a Protracted Regional Conflict

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yogev, Esther

    2012-01-01

    This article seeks to shed light on the dilemma facing history education in regions beset by a protracted, and as yet unresolved ethno-political conflict. The article will examine this issue by means of a unique test case that observes a dramatic war event in Israeli textbooks. The event in question is the Six-Day War of 1967 and the study of its…

  8. How Do Individuals Develop Alcohol Use Disorder After Bariatric Surgery? A Grounded Theory Exploration.

    PubMed

    Yoder, Ruth; MacNeela, Padraig; Conway, Ronan; Heary, Caroline

    2018-03-01

    Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for severe obesity. However, following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery, a small minority of patients develop new-onset alcohol use disorder (AUD), the aetiology of which is poorly understood. The aim is to construct a theory to explain the development of AUD among a sample of individuals who reported problematic drinking following RYGB. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight RYGB patients diagnosed with AUD attending a multi-disciplinary outpatient weight management service at a public hospital in the Republic of Ireland. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to analyse interview transcripts. Participants' main concern was identified as 'unresolved psychological issues' which were managed by 'external coping mechanisms', namely, 'eating to cope'. After RYGB, comfort eating was no longer possible to the same extent. Following a 'honeymoon period', participants' need for an external coping mechanism resurfaced. 'Filling the void' provides a framework to explain how participants managed the symptoms of their unresolved psychological issues through 'behavioural substitution', that is, drinking alcohol instead of eating. The theoretical framework of 'filling the void' adds to contemporary research that conceptualises AUD behavioural substitution as 'addiction transfer' by describing the process by which the phenomenon occurs as well as the characteristics of participants. The clinical implication of this research is to advocate for a reshaping of treatment of RYGB patients, with increased psychological input following surgery.

  9. The ethics of human volunteer studies involving experimental exposure to pesticides: unanswered dilemmas

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    The controversy about the use of data from human volunteer studies involving experimental exposure to pesticides as part of regulatory risk assessment has been widely discussed, but the complex and interrelated scientific and ethical issues remain largely unresolved. This discussion paper, generated by authors who comprised a workgroup of the ICOH Scientific Committee on Rural Health, reviews the use of human experimental studies in regulatory risk assessment for pesticides with a view to advancing the debate as to when, if ever, such studies might be ethically justifiable. The discussion is based on three elements: (a) a review of discussion papers on the topic of human testing of pesticides and the positions adopted by regulatory agencies in developed countries; (b) an analysis of published and unpublished studies involving human testing with pesticides, both in the peer-reviewed literature and in the JMPR database; and (c) application of an ethical analysis to the problem. The paper identifies areas of agreement which include general principles that may provide a starting point on which to base criteria for judgements as to the ethical acceptability of such studies. However, the paper also highlights ongoing unresolved differences of opinion inherent in ethical analysis of contentious issues, which we propose should form a starting point for further debate and the development of guidelines to achieve better resolution of this matter. PMID:20718963

  10. Impulse control disorders in Parkinson's disease: crossroads between neurology, psychiatry and neuroscience.

    PubMed

    Bugalho, Paulo; Oliveira-Maia, Albino J

    2013-01-01

    Non-motor symptoms contribute significantly to Parkinson's disease (PD) related disability. Impulse control disorders (ICDs) have been recently added to the behavioural spectrum of PD-related non-motor symptoms. Such behaviours are characterized by an inappropriate drive to conduct repetitive behaviours that are usually socially inadequate or result in harmful consequences. Parkinson disease impulse control disorders (PD-ICDs) have raised significant interest in the scientific and medical community, not only because of their incapacitating nature, but also because they may represent a valid model of ICDs beyond PD and a means to study the physiology of drive, impulse control and compulsive actions in the normal brain. In this review, we discuss some unresolved issues regarding PD-ICDs, including the association with psychiatric co-morbidities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and with dopamine related side effects, such as hallucinations and dyskinesias; the relationship with executive cognitive dysfunction; and the neural underpinnings of ICDs in PD. We also discuss the contribution of neuroscience studies based on animal-models towards a mechanistic explanation of the development of PD-ICDs, specifically regarding corticostriatal control of goal directed and habitual actions.

  11. Attachment theory: progress and future directions.

    PubMed

    Fearon, R M Pasco; Roisman, Glenn I

    2017-06-01

    Attachment is a key subfield in the area of parenting and parent-child relationships research. In this brief overview, we summarise what we consider to be the state-of-the-art of attachment research, focusing primarily on the nature and significance of attachment in infancy and early childhood. We review 4 major topics that are central issues in the scientific literature on attachment: (1) the role of the environment in the development of attachment, (2) the intergenerational transmission of patterns of attachment, (3) the stability of attachment patterns through early adulthood, and (4) the role of attachment in adjustment and maladjustment. We conclude by highlighting several critical unresolved issues and priorities for future research. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  12. Effects of metric change on safety in the workplace for selected occupations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lefande, J. M.; Pokorney, J. L.

    1982-04-01

    The study assesses the potential safety issues of metric conversion in the workplace. A purposive sample of 35 occupations based on injury and illnesses indexes were assessed. After an analysis of workforce population, hazard analysis and measurement sensitivity of the occupations, jobs were analyzed to identify potential safety hazards by industrial hygienists, safety engineers and academia. The study's major findings were as follows: No metric hazard experience was identified. An increased exposure might occur when particular jobs and their job tasks are going the transition from customary measurement to metric measurement. Well planned metric change programs reduce hazard potential. Metric safety issues are unresolved in the aviation industry.

  13. Coherent versus noncoherent signaling for satellite-aided mobile communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davarian, F.; Sumida, J.

    1986-01-01

    The use of coherent versus noncoherent communications is an unresolved issue for the mobile satellite community. Should one select the more robust but less efficient noncoherent strategy for communications over satellite-aided mobile channels, or does the introduction of a space platform in the mobile link improve signal stability (both amplitude and phase) such that conventional coherent schemes become attractive? This publication tries to answer some of the questions by discussing the results from experiments using a coherent QPSK receiver. The issues discussed include items such as the measured performance in Rician fading, the link error floor in a fading environment, etc. The results are compared and contrasted with that of a noncoherent limiter/discriminator FM receiver.

  14. From Cases to Capacity? A Critical Reflection on the Role of ‘Ethical Dilemmas’ in the Development of Dual-Use Governance

    PubMed Central

    Edwards, Brett; Revill, James; Bezuidenhout, Louise

    2016-01-01

    The dual-use issue is often framed as a series of paralyzing ‘dilemmas’ facing the scientific community as well as institutions which support innovation. While this conceptualization of the dual-use issue can be useful in certain contexts (such as in awareness-raising and as part of educational activities directed at the scientific community) its usefulness is more limited when reflecting on the governance and politics of the dual-use issue. Within this paper, key shortcomings of the dilemma framing are outlined. It is argued that many of the issues raised in the most recent debates about ‘dual-use’ bird flu research remain unresolved. This includes questions about the trajectories of certain lines of research, as well as broader trends in the practice and governance of science. This leads to difficult questions about current approaches to the dual-use issue within the US, as well as internationally. PMID:23703451

  15. An Image-based Micro-continuum Pore-scale Model for Gas Transport in Organic-rich Shale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, B.; Tchelepi, H.

    2017-12-01

    Gas production from unconventional source rocks, such as ultra-tight shales, has increased significantly over the past decade. However, due to the extremely small pores ( 1-100 nm) and the strong material heterogeneity, gas flow in shale is still not well understood and poses challenges for predictive field-scale simulations. In recent years, digital rock analysis has been applied to understand shale gas transport at the pore-scale. An issue with rock images (e.g. FIB-SEM, nano-/micro-CT images) is the so-called "cutoff length", i.e., pores and heterogeneities below the resolution cannot be resolved, which leads to two length scales (resolved features and unresolved sub-resolution features) that are challenging for flow simulations. Here we develop a micro-continuum model, modified from the classic Darcy-Brinkman-Stokes framework, that can naturally couple the resolved pores and the unresolved nano-porous regions. In the resolved pores, gas flow is modeled with Stokes equation. In the unresolved regions where the pore sizes are below the image resolution, we develop an apparent permeability model considering non-Darcy flow at the nanoscale including slip flow, Knudsen diffusion, adsorption/desorption, surface diffusion, and real gas effect. The end result is a micro-continuum pore-scale model that can simulate gas transport in 3D reconstructed shale images. The model has been implemented in the open-source simulation platform OpenFOAM. In this paper, we present case studies to demonstrate the applicability of the model, where we use 3D segmented FIB-SEM and nano-CT shale images that include four material constituents: organic matter, clay, granular mineral, and pore. In addition to the pore structure and the distribution of the material constituents, we populate the model with experimental measurements (e.g. size distribution of the sub-resolution pores from nitrogen adsorption) and parameters from the literature and identify the relative importance of different physics on gas production. Overall, the micro-continuum model provides a novel tool for digital rock analysis of organic-rich shale.

  16. The effects of scattering on the relative LPI performance of optical and mm-wave systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oetting, John; Hampton, Jerry

    1988-01-01

    Previous results comparing the LPI performance of optical and millimeter-wave satellite systems is extended to include the effects of scattering on optical LPI performance. The LPI figure of merit used to compare the two media is the circular equivalent vulnerability radius (CEVR). The CEVR is calculated for typical optical and spread spectrum millimeter-wave systems, and the LPI performance tradeoffs available with each medium are compared. Attention is given to the possibility that light will be scattered into the interceptor's FOV and thereby enable detection in geometries in which interception of the main beam is impossible. The effects of daytime vs. nighttime operation of the optical LPI system are also considered. Some illustrative results for the case of a ground-to-space uplink to a low earth orbit satellite are presented, along with some conclusions and unresolved issues for further study.

  17. SWCD: a sliding window and self-regulated learning-based background updating method for change detection in videos

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Işık, Şahin; Özkan, Kemal; Günal, Serkan; Gerek, Ömer Nezih

    2018-03-01

    Change detection with background subtraction process remains to be an unresolved issue and attracts research interest due to challenges encountered on static and dynamic scenes. The key challenge is about how to update dynamically changing backgrounds from frames with an adaptive and self-regulated feedback mechanism. In order to achieve this, we present an effective change detection algorithm for pixelwise changes. A sliding window approach combined with dynamic control of update parameters is introduced for updating background frames, which we called sliding window-based change detection. Comprehensive experiments on related test videos show that the integrated algorithm yields good objective and subjective performance by overcoming illumination variations, camera jitters, and intermittent object motions. It is argued that the obtained method makes a fair alternative in most types of foreground extraction scenarios; unlike case-specific methods, which normally fail for their nonconsidered scenarios.

  18. The clinical role of the nurse teacher: a review of the dispute.

    PubMed

    Lee, D T

    1996-06-01

    Although clinical education has been acknowledged as being the 'heart' of all nursing education programmes, the role of the nurse teacher in relation to the clinical learning experience of the student nurse is an area of long-standing confusion and dispute. This unresolved problem has led to the lack of a concerted effort in the provision of educational input in the clinical area and the quality of patient care is indirectly being affected. This paper presents a comprehensive review of this dispute, with an attempt to unravel how the debate could be moved forward. It is found that the clinical role of the nurse teacher appears to be implicit and 'hidden', resulting in a wide difference in the interpretation of the extent, purpose and nature of that role. The controversies surrounding these issues were then traced and possible directions for future research are outlined.

  19. Physics opportunities with meson beams

    DOE PAGES

    Briscoe, William J.; Doring, Michael; Haberzettl, Helmut; ...

    2015-10-20

    Over the past two decades, meson photo- and electro-production data of unprecedented quality and quantity have been measured at electromagnetic facilities worldwide. By contrast, the meson-beam data for the same hadronic final states are mostly outdated and largely of poor quality, or even nonexistent, and thus provide inadequate input to help interpret, analyze, and exploit the full potential of the new electromagnetic data. To reap the full benefit of the high-precision electromagnetic data, new high-statistics data from measurements with meson beams, with good angle and energy coverage for a wide range of reactions, are critically needed to advance our knowledgemore » in baryon and meson spectroscopy and other related areas of hadron physics. To address this situation, a state of-the-art meson-beam facility needs to be constructed. Furthermore, the present paper summarizes unresolved issues in hadron physics and outlines the vast opportunities and advances that only become possible with such a facility.« less

  20. Physics opportunities with meson beams

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Briscoe, William J.; Döring, Michael; Haberzettl, Helmut; Manley, D. Mark; Naruki, Megumi; Strakovsky, Igor I.; Swanson, Eric S.

    2015-10-01

    Over the past two decades, meson photo- and electroproduction data of unprecedented quality and quantity have been measured at electromagnetic facilities worldwide. By contrast, the meson-beam data for the same hadronic final states are mostly outdated and largely of poor quality, or even non-existent, and thus provide inadequate input to help interpret, analyze, and exploit the full potential of the new electromagnetic data. To reap the full benefit of the high-precision electromagnetic data, new high-statistics data from measurements with meson beams, with good angle and energy coverage for a wide range of reactions, are critically needed to advance our knowledge in baryon and meson spectroscopy and other related areas of hadron physics. To address this situation, a state-of-the-art meson-beam facility needs to be constructed. The present paper summarizes unresolved issues in hadron physics and outlines the vast opportunities and advances that only become possible with such a facility.

  1. Informed consent as an ethical requirement in clinical trials: an old, but still unresolved issue. An observational study to evaluate patient's informed consent comprehension.

    PubMed

    Sanchini, Virginia; Reni, Michele; Calori, Giliola; Riva, Elisabetta; Reichlin, Massimo

    2014-04-01

    We explored the comprehension of the informed consent in 77 cancer patients previously enrolled in randomised phase II or phase III clinical trials, between March and July 2011, at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milano. We asked participants to complete an ad hoc questionnaire and analysed their answers. Sixty-two per cent of the patients understood the purpose and nature of the trial they were participating in; 44% understood the study procedures and 40% correctly listed at least one of the major risks or complications related to their participation in the trial. We identified three factors associated with comprehension of the informed consent: age, education and type of tumour/investigator team. We suggest several possible improvements of how to obtain informed consent that will increase patient awareness, as well as the validity and effectiveness of the clinical trials.

  2. Memory: Enduring Traces of Perceptual and Reflective Attention

    PubMed Central

    Chun, Marvin M.; Johnson, Marcia K.

    2011-01-01

    Attention and memory are typically studied as separate topics, but they are highly intertwined. Here we discuss the relation between memory and two fundamental types of attention: perceptual and reflective. Memory is the persisting consequence of cognitive activities initiated by and/or focused on external information from the environment (perceptual attention) and initiated by and/or focused on internal mental representations (reflective attention). We consider three key questions for advancing a cognitive neuroscience of attention and memory: To what extent do perception and reflection share representational areas? To what extent are the control processes that select, maintain, and manipulate perceptual and reflective information subserved by common areas and networks? During perception and reflection, to what extent are common areas responsible for binding features together to create complex, episodic memories and for reviving them later? Considering similarities and differences in perceptual and reflective attention helps integrate a broad range of findings and raises important unresolved issues. PMID:22099456

  3. Cell-based therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis

    PubMed Central

    Scolding, Neil J; Pasquini, Marcelo; Reingold, Stephen C; Cohen, Jeffrey A; Atkins, Harold; Banwell, Brenda; Bar-Or, Amit; Bebo, Bruce; Bowen, James; Burt, Richard; Calabresi, Peter; Cohen, Jeffrey; Comi, Giancarlo; Connick, Peter; Cross, Anne; Cutter, Gary; Derfuss, Tobias; Ffrench-Constant, Charles; Freedman, Mark; Galipeau, Jacques; Goldman, Myla; Goldman, Steven; Goodman, Andrew; Green, Ari; Griffith, Linda; Hartung, Hans-Peter; Hemmer, Bernhard; Hyun, Insoo; Iacobaeus, Ellen; Inglese, Matilde; Jubelt, Burk; Karussis, Dimitrios; Küry, Patrick; Landsman, Douglas; Laule, Cornelia; Liblau, Roland; Mancardi, Giovanni; Ann Marrie, Ruth; Miller, Aaron; Miller, Robert; Miller, David; Mowry, Ellen; Muraro, Paolo; Nash, Richard; Ontaneda, Daniel; Pasquini, Marcelo; Pelletier, Daniel; Peruzzotti-Jametti, Luca; Pluchino, Stefano; Racke, Michael; Reingold, Stephen; Rice, Claire; Ringdén, Olle; Rovira, Alex; Saccardi, Riccardo; Sadiq, Saud; Sarantopoulos, Stefanie; Savitz, Sean; Scolding, Neil; Soelberg Sorensen, Per; Pia Sormani, Maria; Stuve, Olaf; Tesar, Paul; Thompson, Alan; Trojano, Maria; Uccelli, Antonio; Uitdehaag, Bernard; Utz, Ursula; Vukusic, Sandra; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Wilkins, Alastair

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The availability of multiple disease-modifying medications with regulatory approval to treat multiple sclerosis illustrates the substantial progress made in therapy of the disease. However, all are only partially effective in preventing inflammatory tissue damage in the central nervous system and none directly promotes repair. Cell-based therapies, including immunoablation followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal and related stem cell transplantation, pharmacologic manipulation of endogenous stem cells to enhance their reparative capabilities, and transplantation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, have generated substantial interest as novel therapeutic strategies for immune modulation, neuroprotection, or repair of the damaged central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Each approach has potential advantages but also safety concerns and unresolved questions. Moreover, clinical trials of cell-based therapies present several unique methodological and ethical issues. We summarize here the status of cell-based therapies to treat multiple sclerosis and make consensus recommendations for future research and clinical trials. PMID:29053779

  4. [Prevention of allergic diseases in childhood: from theory to reality].

    PubMed

    2016-06-01

    Allergic diseases have an increasing worldwide prevalence and a great impact on the health related costs. The research is focused on the study of etiological and risk factors of allergic diseases that can potentially be modified with primary, secondary and tertiary prevention strategies. Many of these measures do not have a definitively proven effect taking place in a controlled context different to what happens in real life. This paper aims to review the latest evidence on prevention of allergic diseases considering certainties and unresolved issues and focuses mainly on environmental, dietary, pharmacological and immunological preventive strategies for different levels of prevention. It is imperative to have a better understanding of genetic and environmental factors that cause allergic diseases to optimize preventive measures that are effective in reversing the increasing trend in the prevalence of allergic illnesses in childhood. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría.

  5. A core review of temperature regimens and neuroprotection during cardiopulmonary bypass: does rewarming rate matter?

    PubMed

    Grigore, Alina M; Murray, Catherine Friederich; Ramakrishna, Harish; Djaiani, George

    2009-12-01

    Despite a half century of research and the implementation of various risk-reduction strategies among clinicians and basic scientists, patients continue to experience strokes and cognitive dysfunction related to the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) for cardiac surgery. One strategy to reduce these detrimental effects has been the use of hypothermia. Although numerous studies have addressed the issue, the question of whether the use of hypothermia during CPB attenuates the impact of central nervous system consequences remains unresolved. However, data clearly demonstrate that hyperthermia is to be avoided in the perioperative period, necessitating careful rewarming strategies if hypothermia is used during CPB. Selecting and understanding the impact of the temperature-monitoring site is important to accurately estimate cerebral temperature and to avoid inadvertent surges in brain temperature. In this article, we review the literature regarding the impact of hypothermia and rewarming rates during cardiac surgery.

  6. Biological Activation of Inert Ceramics: Recent Advances Using Tailored Self-Assembled Monolayers on Implant Ceramic Surfaces

    PubMed Central

    Böke, Frederik; Schickle, Karolina; Fischer, Horst

    2014-01-01

    High-strength ceramics as materials for medical implants have a long, research-intensive history. Yet, especially on applications where the ceramic components are in direct contact with the surrounding tissue, an unresolved issue is its inherent property of biological inertness. To combat this, several strategies have been investigated over the last couple of years. One promising approach investigates the technique of Self-Assembled Monolayers (SAM) and subsequent chemical functionalization to create a biologically active tissue-facing surface layer. Implementation of this would have a beneficial impact on several fields in modern implant medicine such as hip and knee arthroplasty, dental applications and related fields. This review aims to give a summarizing overview of the latest advances in this recently emerging field, along with thorough introductions of the underlying mechanism of SAMs and surface cell attachment mechanics on the cell side. PMID:28788687

  7. Agent based model of effects of task allocation strategies in flat organizations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sobkowicz, Pawel

    2016-09-01

    A common practice in many organizations is to pile the work on the best performers. It is easy to implement by the management and, despite the apparent injustice, appears to be working in many situations. In our work we present a simple agent based model, constructed to simulate this practice and to analyze conditions under which the overall efficiency of the organization (for example measured by the backlog of unresolved issues) breaks down, due to the cumulative effect of the individual overloads. The model confirms that the strategy mentioned above is, indeed, rational: it leads to better global results than an alternative one, using equal workload distribution among all workers. The presented analyses focus on the behavior of the organizations close to the limit of the maximum total throughput and provide results for the growth of the unprocessed backlog in several situations, as well as suggestions related to avoiding such buildup.

  8. The structural changes in the bone tissue and regional lymph nodes when using bone cement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhukov, D. V.; Zajdman, A. M.; Prohorenko, V. M.; Ustikova, N. V.

    2017-09-01

    In orthopedics bone cement is used to replace defects. However, it is known that it possesses toxic properties, due to its composition monomer methyl methacrylate. There are some unresolved issues, in particular its local action, not investigated reaction of the immune system to respond to any fluctuations of endoecological equilibrium. All this helps to explain not only the intraoperative complications such as acute heart and lung failure, but also many deferred pathological processes, complications in the postoperative period.

  9. Blueprint for Change: Research on Child and Adolescent Mental Health. Report of the National Advisory Mental Health Council's Workgroup on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Intervention Development and Deployment. Executive Summary and Recommendations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Inst. of Mental Health (DHHS), Bethesda, MD.

    Much has been learned about the identification and treatment of mental illness in children, but issues remain unresolved. Many of the traditional service models do not meet the needs of today's children. There is a shortage of evidence-based treatment and much of the evidence that does exist is not being used. Key findings in neuroscience,…

  10. DWI at MR Enterography for Evaluating Bowel Inflammation in Crohn Disease.

    PubMed

    Park, Seong Ho

    2016-07-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review regarding DWI enterography used for evaluating Crohn disease and to summarize the relevant evidence. Active bowel inflammation in Crohn disease causes restricted diffusion on MR enterography with DWI. Enterographic DWI to evaluate Crohn disease is increasingly drawing attention for both academic research and clinical practice and has shown potential as a quantitative tool for assessing bowel inflammation. DWI enterography also has multiple unresolved issues and limitations.

  11. A Review: Advances on Absorption of Heavy Metals in the Waste Water by Biochar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hao; Xie, Anbin; You, Shaohong

    2018-01-01

    Biochar as a new type of adsorbent, its physical and chemical characteristics and adsorption of heavy metal has been widely studied. Based on the current studies, the article reviewed the main characteristics of biochar, its influencing factors (preparation temperature, feed stocks, functional group et.) on adsorption of heavy metals in water and its mechanism of adsorption (ion exchange adsorption, complexation, precipitation sedimentation et.). Briefly summarize unresolved issues for potential applications of biochar in the future.

  12. Conversion of Low Quality Waste Heat to Electric Power with Small-Scale Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) Engine/Generator Technology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-06-01

    Allan Robichaux, DPW PWD GTMO and the management and staff of the GTMO on site contractor , Centerra. Page Intentionally Left Blank ii Table of...operations and maintenance contractor to ensure that data transfers are completed as required. Figure 4 shows the location of the ORC installation on MUSE...this issue with telephone support from CRM’s controls contractor (Winn-Marion, W-M); however, the problem remained unresolved as of Sept. 1 when

  13. Research on the cognitively impaired: lessons and warnings from the emergency research debate.

    PubMed

    Karlawish, J H; Sachs, G A

    1997-04-01

    To demonstrate that the recent events in emergency research have broad implications for the conduct of human subjects research with the cognitively impaired. This essay illustrates the similarities between the two kinds of research and suggests how understanding these similarities might help to resolve issues in human subjects research on the cognitively impaired. A review of pertinent journal articles, books, regulations, and court cases. The emergency research controversy resulted in large part because of conflicting interpretations of arguably inadequate research regulations. The proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations include advance informed consent, a broad role for family in approving a subject's participation, replacement of a threshold of permissible risk, called minimal risk, with a more sensible balancing of risks and benefits, and a role for the community in research approval. The current state of research on the cognitively impaired suggests that many of the same problems exist now that existed in emergency research before the FDA issued its proposed regulations. The ongoing case of T.D. et al. vs N.Y. State Office of Mental Health suggest that unless steps are taken similar to those taken in emergency research, much of clinical research on the cognitively impaired could cease. Representatives of the government, medicine, and the public must recognize the unresolved issues and inadequate regulations relating to research on the cognitively impaired. The proposed FDA regulations for emergency research may provide guidance for a settlement of these issues.

  14. Neuronal basis of speech comprehension.

    PubMed

    Specht, Karsten

    2014-01-01

    Verbal communication does not rely only on the simple perception of auditory signals. It is rather a parallel and integrative processing of linguistic and non-linguistic information, involving temporal and frontal areas in particular. This review describes the inherent complexity of auditory speech comprehension from a functional-neuroanatomical perspective. The review is divided into two parts. In the first part, structural and functional asymmetry of language relevant structures will be discus. The second part of the review will discuss recent neuroimaging studies, which coherently demonstrate that speech comprehension processes rely on a hierarchical network involving the temporal, parietal, and frontal lobes. Further, the results support the dual-stream model for speech comprehension, with a dorsal stream for auditory-motor integration, and a ventral stream for extracting meaning but also the processing of sentences and narratives. Specific patterns of functional asymmetry between the left and right hemisphere can also be demonstrated. The review article concludes with a discussion on interactions between the dorsal and ventral streams, particularly the involvement of motor related areas in speech perception processes, and outlines some remaining unresolved issues. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Human Auditory Neuroimaging. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Advanced Technology Composite Fuselage-Structural Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, T. H.; Minguet, P. J.; Flynn, B. W.; Carbery, D. J.; Swanson, G. D.; Ilcewicz, L. B.

    1997-01-01

    Boeing is studying the technologies associated with the application of composite materials to commercial transport fuselage structure under the NASA-sponsored contracts for Advanced Technology Composite Aircraft Structures (ATCAS) and Materials Development Omnibus Contract (MDOC). This report addresses the program activities related to structural performance of the selected concepts, including both the design development and subsequent detailed evaluation. Design criteria were developed to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and typical company objectives. Accurate analysis methods were selected and/or developed where practical, and conservative approaches were used where significant approximations were necessary. Design sizing activities supported subsequent development by providing representative design configurations for structural evaluation and by identifying the critical performance issues. Significant program efforts were directed towards assessing structural performance predictive capability. The structural database collected to perform this assessment was intimately linked to the manufacturing scale-up activities to ensure inclusion of manufacturing-induced performance traits. Mechanical tests were conducted to support the development and critical evaluation of analysis methods addressing internal loads, stability, ultimate strength, attachment and splice strength, and damage tolerance. Unresolved aspects of these performance issues were identified as part of the assessments, providing direction for future development.

  16. Neuroprotective properties of citicoline: facts, doubts and unresolved issues.

    PubMed

    Grieb, Pawel

    2014-03-01

    Citicoline is the generic name of the pharmaceutical substance that chemically is cytidine-5'-diphosphocholine (CDP-choline), which is identical to the natural intracellular precursor of phospholipid phosphatidylcholine. Following injection or ingestion, citicoline is believed to undergo quick hydrolysis and dephosphorylation to yield cytidine and choline, which then enter the brain separately and are used to resynthesize CDP-choline inside brain cells. Neuroprotective activity of citicoline has been repeatedly shown in preclinical models of brain ischaemia and trauma, but two recent, large, pivotal clinical trials have revealed no benefits in ischaemic stroke and traumatic brain injury. However, the substance seems to be beneficial in some slowly advancing neurodegenerative disorders such as glaucoma and mild vascular cognitive impairment. This paper critically discusses issues related to the clinical pharmacology of citicoline, including its pharmacokinetics/biotransformation and pharmacodynamics/mode of action. It is concluded that at present, there is no adequate description of the mechanism(s) of the pharmacological actions of this substance. The possibility should be considered and tested that, in spite of apparently fast catabolism, the intact citicoline molecule or the phosphorylated intermediate products of its hydrolysis, cytidine monophosphate and phosphocholine, are pharmacologically active.

  17. Empirical population and public health ethics: A review and critical analysis to advance robust empirical-normative inquiry.

    PubMed

    Knight, Rod

    2016-05-01

    The field of population and public health ethics (PPHE) has yet to fully embrace the generation of evidence as an important project. This article reviews the philosophical debates related to the 'empirical turn' in clinical bioethics, and critically analyses how PPHE has and can engage with the philosophical implications of generating empirical data within the task of normative inquiry. A set of five conceptual and theoretical issues pertaining to population health that are unresolved and could potentially benefit from empirical PPHE approaches to normative inquiry are discussed. Each issue differs from traditional empirical bioethical approaches, in that they emphasize (1) concerns related to the population, (2) 'upstream' policy-relevant health interventions - within and outside of the health care system and (3) the prevention of illness and disease. Within each theoretical issue, a conceptual example from population and public health approaches to HIV prevention and health promotion is interrogated. Based on the review and critical analysis, this article concludes that empirical-normative approaches to population and public health ethics would be most usefully pursued as an iterative project (rather than as a linear project), in which the normative informs the empirical questions to be asked and new empirical evidence constantly directs conceptualizations of what constitutes morally robust public health practices. Finally, a conceptualization of an empirical population and public health ethics is advanced in order to open up new interdisciplinary 'spaces', in which empirical and normative approaches to ethical inquiry are transparently (and ethically) integrated. © The Author(s) 2015.

  18. Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned.

    PubMed

    Ryan, Charlotte

    2018-01-01

    In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.

  19. X-ray fluorescence microscopy artefacts in elemental maps of topologically complex samples: Analytical observations, simulation and a map correction method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Billè, Fulvio; Kourousias, George; Luchinat, Enrico; Kiskinova, Maya; Gianoncelli, Alessandra

    2016-08-01

    XRF spectroscopy is among the most widely used non-destructive techniques for elemental analysis. Despite the known angular dependence of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), topological artefacts remain an unresolved issue when using X-ray micro- or nano-probes. In this work we investigate the origin of the artefacts in XRF imaging of topologically complex samples, which are unresolved problems in studies of organic matter due to the limited travel distances of low energy XRF emission from the light elements. In particular we mapped Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293T) cells. The exemplary results with biological samples, obtained with a soft X-ray scanning microscope installed at a synchrotron facility were used for testing a mathematical model based on detector response simulations, and for proposing an artefact correction method based on directional derivatives. Despite the peculiar and specific application, the methodology can be easily extended to hard X-rays and to set-ups with multi-array detector systems when the dimensions of surface reliefs are in the order of the probing beam size.

  20. Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time.

    PubMed

    Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

    2015-12-17

    Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective.

  1. Time Perspective and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Age-Related Subjective Passage of Time

    PubMed Central

    Wittmann, Marc; Rudolph, Tina; Linares Gutierrez, Damisela; Winkler, Isabell

    2015-01-01

    Hardly any empirical work exists concerning the relationship between the intra-individually stable time perspective relating to the past, present, and future and the subjective speed of time passing in everyday life. Moreover, studies consistently show that the subjective passage of time over the period of the last ten years speeds up as we get older. Modulating variables influencing this phenomenon are still unknown. To investigate these two unresolved issues, we conducted an online survey with n = 423 participants ranging in age between 17 and 81 assessing trait time perspective of the past, present, and future, and relating these subscales with a battery of measures pertaining to the subjective passage of time. Moreover, the subjective passage of time as an age-dependent variable was probed in relationship to emotion awareness, appraisal and regulation. Results show how present hedonism is linked with having fewer routines in life and a faster passage of the last week; the past negative perspective is related to time pressure, time expansion and more routine; a pronounced future perspective is related to a general faster passage of time. Importantly, increased emotion regulation and a balanced time perspective are related to a slower passage of the last ten years. These novel findings are discussed within models of time perception and the time perspective. PMID:26694439

  2. Ethical and Clinical Considerations at the Intersection of Functional Neuroimaging and Disorders of Consciousness.

    PubMed

    Byram, Adrian C; Lee, Grace; Owen, Adrian M; Ribary, Urs; Stoessl, A Jon; Townson, Andrea; Illes, Judy

    2016-10-01

    Recent neuroimaging research on disorders of consciousness provides direct evidence of covert consciousness otherwise not detected clinically in a subset of severely brain-injured patients. These findings have motivated strategic development of binary communication paradigms, from which researchers interpret voluntary modulations in brain activity to glean information about patients' residual cognitive functions and emotions. The discovery of such responsiveness raises ethical and legal issues concerning the exercise of autonomy and capacity for decisionmaking on matters such as healthcare, involvement in research, and end of life. These advances have generated demands for access to the technology against a complex background of continued scientific advancement, questions about just allocation of healthcare resources, and unresolved legal issues. Interviews with professionals whose work is relevant to patients with disorders of consciousness reveal priorities concerning further basic research, legal and policy issues, and clinical considerations.

  3. Addendum report to atmospheric science facility pallet-only mode space transportation system payload feasibility study, volume 3, revision A

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1976-01-01

    The feasibility of accomplishing selected atmospheric science mission using a pallet-only mode was studied. Certain unresolved issues were identified. The first issue was that of assuring that the on-board computer facility was adequate to process scientific data, control subsystems such as instrument pointing, provide mission operational program capability, and accomplish display and control. The second issue evolved from an investigation of the availability of existing substitute instruments that could be used instead of the prime instrumentation where the development tests and schedules are incompatible with the realistic budgets and shuttle vehicle schedules. Some effort was expended on identifying candidate substitute instruments, and the performance, cost, and development schedule trade-offs found during that effort were significant enough to warrant a follow-on investigation. This addendum documents the results of that follow-on effort, as it applies to the Atmospheric Sciences Facility.

  4. Patterns of Drug Distribution: Implications and Issues#

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Bruce D.

    2007-01-01

    This article delineates various patterns of illicit sales of drugs, especially at the retail (and near-retail) level, addressing a variety of central issues about drug sales and distribution documented during the past 30 years, including: a) the links between drug consumption and drug distribution activities; b) the various distribution roles; c) various levels of the distribution hierarchy; d) types of retail and wholesale markets; e) the association of drug distribution with nondrug associated criminality and violence. The article also will address the implications of drug distribution: whether various public policies such as supply reduction and source interdiction affect illicit drug markets, and how policing strategies and various law enforcement strategies can influence the involvement of individual participation in drug distribution activities. The overlooked contribution of treatment for “drug abuse” to reducing drug sales and distribution activities also will be considered as will other critical unresolved issues. PMID:14582578

  5. Patterns of drug distribution: implications and issues.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Bruce D

    2003-01-01

    This article delineates various patterns of illicit sales of drugs, especially at the retail (and near-retail) level, addressing a variety of central issues about drug sales and distribution documented during the past 30 years. including: a) the links between drug consumption and drug distribution activities; b) the various distribution roles; c) various levels of the distribution hierarchy; d) types of retail and wholesale markets; e) the association of drug distribution with nondrug associated criminality and violence. The article also will address the implications of drug distribution: whether various public policies such as supply reduction and source interdiction affect illicit drug markets, and how policing strategies and various law enforcement strategies can influence the involvement of individual participation in drug distribution activities. The overlooked contribution of treatment for "drug abuse" to reducing drug sales and distribution activities also will be considered as will other critical unresolved issues.

  6. Unresolved pain in children: a relational ethics perspective.

    PubMed

    Olmstead, Deborah L; Scott, Shannon D; Austin, Wendy J

    2010-11-01

    It is considered the right of children to have their pain managed effectively. Yet, despite extensive research findings, policy guidelines and practice standard recommendations for the optimal management of paediatric pain, clinical practices remain inadequate. Empirical evidence definitively shows that unrelieved pain in children has only harmful consequences, with no benefits. Contributing factors identified in this undermanaged pain include the significant role of nurses. Nursing attitudes and beliefs about children's pain experiences, the relationships nurses share with children who are suffering, and knowledge deficits in pain management practices are all shown to impact unresolved pain in children. In this article, a relational ethics perspective is used to explore the need for nurses to engage in authentic relationships with children who are experiencing pain, and to use evidence-based practices to manage that pain in order for this indefensible suffering of children to end.

  7. Survey of beaver-related restoration practices in rangeland streams of the western USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pilliod, David S.; Rohde, Ashley T.; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R; Dunham, Jason B.; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E.; Hausner, Mark B.; Huntington, Justin L.; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  8. Survey of Beaver-related Restoration Practices in Rangeland Streams of the Western USA.

    PubMed

    Pilliod, David S; Rohde, Ashley T; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R; Dunham, Jason B; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E; Hausner, Mark B; Huntington, Justin L; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  9. Survey of Beaver-related Restoration Practices in Rangeland Streams of the Western USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pilliod, David S.; Rohde, Ashley T.; Charnley, Susan; Davee, Rachael R.; Dunham, Jason B.; Gosnell, Hannah; Grant, Gordon E.; Hausner, Mark B.; Huntington, Justin L.; Nash, Caroline

    2018-01-01

    Poor condition of many streams and concerns about future droughts in the arid and semi-arid western USA have motivated novel restoration strategies aimed at accelerating recovery and increasing water resources. Translocation of beavers into formerly occupied habitats, restoration activities encouraging beaver recolonization, and instream structures mimicking the effects of beaver dams are restoration alternatives that have recently gained popularity because of their potential socioeconomic and ecological benefits. However, beaver dams and dam-like structures also harbor a history of social conflict. Hence, we identified a need to assess the use of beaver-related restoration projects in western rangelands to increase awareness and accountability, and identify gaps in scientific knowledge. We inventoried 97 projects implemented by 32 organizations, most in the last 10 years. We found that beaver-related stream restoration projects undertaken mostly involved the relocation of nuisance beavers. The most common goal was to store water, either with beaver dams or artificial structures. Beavers were often moved without regard to genetics, disease, or potential conflicts with nearby landowners. Few projects included post-implementation monitoring or planned for longer term issues, such as what happens when beavers abandon a site or when beaver dams or structures breach. Human dimensions were rarely considered and water rights and other issues were mostly unresolved or addressed through ad-hoc agreements. We conclude that the practice and implementation of beaver-related restoration has outpaced research on its efficacy and best practices. Further scientific research is necessary, especially research that informs the establishment of clear guidelines for best practices.

  10. From Unresolved Anger to Sadness: Identifying Physiological Correlates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rochman, Daniel; Diamond, Gary M.

    2008-01-01

    This study was designed to identify physiological correlates of unresolved anger and sadness, and the shift between these emotions, in a context similar to that of emotion-focused, experiential psychotherapy. Twenty-seven university students reporting unresolved anger toward an attachment figure were induced to experience and express unresolved…

  11. A Structural Approach to Unresolved Mourning in Single Parent Family Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fulmer, Richard H.

    1983-01-01

    Considers the mother's depression as a special problem in therapy of single-parent families, resulting from unresolved mourning maintained by the family system. Offers reasons why the single-parent family's structure seems inherently vulnerable to unresolved mourning. Suggests techniques of Structural Family Therapy to facilitate mourning in such…

  12. Moving towards causality in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: overview of neural and genetic mechanisms

    PubMed Central

    Gallo, Eduardo F; Posner, Jonathan

    2016-01-01

    Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by developmentally inappropriate levels of inattention and hyperactivity or impulsivity. The heterogeneity of its clinical manifestations and the differential responses to treatment and varied prognoses have long suggested myriad underlying causes. Over the past decade, clinical and basic research efforts have uncovered many behavioural and neurobiological alterations associated with ADHD, from genes to higher order neural networks. Here, we review the neurobiology of ADHD by focusing on neural circuits implicated in the disorder and discuss how abnormalities in circuitry relate to symptom presentation and treatment. We summarise the literature on genetic variants that are potentially related to the development of ADHD, and how these, in turn, might affect circuit function and relevant behaviours. Whether these underlying neurobiological factors are causally related to symptom presentation remains unresolved. Therefore, we assess efforts aimed at disentangling issues of causality, and showcase the shifting research landscape towards endophenotype refinement in clinical and preclinical settings. Furthermore, we review approaches being developed to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of this complex disorder including the use of animal models, neuromodulation, and pharmaco-imaging studies. PMID:27183902

  13. The ethics of human gene transfer.

    PubMed

    Kimmelman, Jonathan

    2008-03-01

    Almost 20 years since the first gene-transfer trial was carried out in humans, the field has made significant advances towards clinical application. Nevertheless, it continues to face numerous unresolved ethical challenges--among them are the question of when to initiate human testing, the acceptability of germline modification and whether the technique should be applied to the enhancement of traits. Although such issues have precedents in other medical contexts, they take on a different character in gene transfer, in part because of the scientific uncertainty and the social context of innovation.

  14. The Most Critical Unresolved Issues Associated with Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Substance Use

    PubMed Central

    Unger, Jennifer B.

    2015-01-01

    This paper discusses the limitations of previous research on race, ethnicity, culture, and substance use. The study offers the following recommendations for future research in this area: (1) move beyond simple comparisons of mutually exclusive groups, (2) focus on the meaning of an ethnic label to the individual, (3) consider the complex interactions between an individual’s cultural identity and the cultural context, (4) understand and acknowledge the researcher’s inherent biases, and (5) translate research findings into practice and policy change. PMID:22217334

  15. [Transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer - just a fashion trend?].

    PubMed

    Kala, Z; Skrovina, M; Procházka, V; Grolich, T; Klos, K

    2014-12-01

    Transanal total mesorectal excision performed using equipment for transanal minimally invasive surgery is an innovative surgical technique introduced to facilitate this procedure and to reach better oncosurgical outcomes in patients with low rectal cancer. This article presents a brief summary of guidelines for treatment of patients with low rectal carcinoma. Up-to-date information about the principles of this new method, its modifications and contemporary indications is presented. Based on their own experience and literature resources, the authors inform about the advantages, limitations and unresolved issues of minimally invasive transanal mesorectal excision.

  16. The pulmonary physician in critical care * 4: Nosocomial pneumonia.

    PubMed

    Ewig, S; Bauer, T; Torres, A

    2002-04-01

    Much progress has been made in the understanding of nosocomial pneumonia but important issues in diagnosis and treatment remain unresolved. The controversy over diagnostic tools should be closed. Instead, every effort should be made to increase our ability to make valid clinical predictions about the presence of ventilator associated pneumonia and to establish criteria to guide restricting empirical antimicrobial treatment without causing patient harm. More emphasis must be put on local infection control measures such as routine surveillance of pathogens, definition of controlled policies of antimicrobial treatment, and effective implementation of strategies of prevention.

  17. Analyses of group sequential clinical trials.

    PubMed

    Koepcke, W

    1989-12-01

    In the first part of this article the methodology of group sequential plans is reviewed. After introducing the basic definition of such plans the main properties are shown. At the end of this section three different plans (Pocock, O'Brien-Fleming, Koepcke) are compared. In the second part of the article some unresolved issues and recent developments in the application of group sequential methods to long-term controlled clinical trials are discussed. These include deviation from the assumptions, life table methods, multiple-arm clinical trials, multiple outcome measures, and confidence intervals.

  18. INFERRING THE CORONAL DENSITY IRREGULARITY FROM EUV SPECTRA

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

    Hahn, M.; Savin, D. W., E-mail: mhahn@astro.columbia.edu

    2016-09-20

    Understanding the density structure of the solar corona is important for modeling both coronal heating and the solar wind. Direct measurements are difficult because of line-of-sight integration and possible unresolved structures. We present a new method for quantifying such structures using density-sensitive extreme ultraviolet line intensities to derive a density irregularity parameter, a relative measure of the amount of structure along the line of sight. We also present a simple model to relate the inferred irregularities to physical quantities, such as the filling factor and density contrast. For quiet-Sun regions and interplume regions of coronal holes, we find a densitymore » contrast of at least a factor of 3–10 and corresponding filling factors of about 10%–20%. Our results are in rough agreement with other estimates of the density structures in these regions. The irregularity diagnostic provides a useful relative measure of unresolved structure in various regions of the corona.« less

  19. 77 FR 42788 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-20

    ... Unresolved Account Balances in the Exchange's Online Comparison System July 16, 2012. Pursuant to Section 19... assigning the contra party to unresolved account balances in the Exchange's Online Comparison System. The... maker (``DMM'') unit as the contra party for any unresolved omnibus account balances in the Exchange's...

  20. Human-tissue-related inventions: ownership and intellectual property rights in international collaborative research in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Andanda, P A

    2008-03-01

    There are complex unresolved ethical, legal and social issues related to the use of human tissues obtained in the course of research or diagnostic procedures and retained for further use in research. The question of intellectual property rights over commercially viable products or procedures that are derived from these samples and the suitability or otherwise of participants relinquishing their rights to the samples needs urgent attention. The complexity of these matters lies in the fact that the relationship between intellectual property rights and ownership or rights pertaining to the samples on which the intellectual property right is based may either be overlooked or taken for granted. What equally makes the matter complex is that samples may be obtained from participants in developing countries and exported to developed countries for analysis and research. It is important for research ethics committees to tread carefully when reviewing research protocols that raise such issues for purposes of ensuring that appropriate benefit sharing agreements, particularly with developing countries, are in place. This paper attempts to analyse the key questions related to ownership and intellectual property rights in commercially viable products derived from human tissue samples. Patent law is used as a point of reference as opposed to other forms of intellectual property rights such as industrial designs because it is the right that most inventors apply for in respect of human tissue-related inventions. The key questions are formulated following a systematic analysis of peer reviewed journal articles that have reported original investigations into relevant issues in this field. Most of the cases and reported studies that are referred to in this paper do not directly deal with HIV/AIDS research but the underlying principles are helpful in HIV/AIDS research as well. Pertinent questions, which members of ethics review committees should focus on in this regard are discussed and suggestions on appropriate approaches to the issues are proposed in the form of specific questions that an ethics review committee should consider. Specific recommendations regarding areas for further research and action are equally proposed.

  1. How couples manage interracial and intercultural differences: implications for clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Seshadri, Gita; Knudson-Martin, Carmen

    2013-01-01

    This study focused on how couples managed their interracial and intercultural differences. To understand their experiences, a qualitative grounded theory analysis was used (n=17). Analysis revealed that couples experienced most issues as cultural issues; race only occurred during their interactions with "others." They appeared to organize their responses according to four relationship structures: Integrated, Singularly Assimilated, Coexisting, and Unresolved. Couples in each of these structures managed daily process through four sets of relationship strategies: (a) creating a "we," (b) framing differences, (c) emotional maintenance, and (d) positioning in relationship to familial and societal context. These findings are a step toward a strength-based and research-informed education and clinical interventions for this population. Video Abstract. © 2012 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

  2. The patient who believes and the analyst who does not (1).

    PubMed

    Lijtmaer, Ruth M

    2009-01-01

    A patient's religious beliefs and practices challenge the clinical experience and self-knowledge of the analyst owing to a great complexity of factors, and often take the form of the analyst's resistances and countertransference reactions to spiritual and religious issues. The analyst's feelings about the patient's encounters with religion and other forms of healing experiences may result in impasses and communication breakdown for a variety of reasons. These reasons include the analyst's own unresolved issues around her role as a psychoanalyst-which incorporates in some way psychoanalysis's views of religious belief-and these old conflicts may be irritated by the religious themes expressed by the patient. Vignettes from the treatments of two patients provide examples of the analyst's countertransference conflicts, particularly envy in the case of a therapist who is an atheist.

  3. [Empowerment and health promotion programming].

    PubMed

    Laverack, G

    2008-12-01

    Health promotion often presents a tension between "bottom up" and "top down" programming. "Bottom-up" is associated with community empowerment and begins on issues of concern to particular groups or individuals and regards an increase in overall control as an important element of the health outcome. "Top-down" is associated with disease prevention efforts and begins by seeking to involve beneficiaries on issues defined by health agencies. It regards improvements in health behaviours or bio-medical indicators as the important outcome and community empowerment is viewed simply as a means to the end of health behaviour change. The tension between these two approaches is not unresolvable, and this article presents a framework, the "parallel-track", intended to assist health promotion practitioners to systematically accommodate community empowerment goals within "top-down" health programming.

  4. Perception of the pitch of unresolved harmonics by 3- and 7-month-old human infants.

    PubMed

    Lau, Bonnie K; Werner, Lynne A

    2014-08-01

    Three-month-olds discriminate resolved harmonic complexes on the basis of missing fundamental (MF) pitch. In view of reported difficulty in discriminating unresolved complexes at 7 months and striking changes in the organization of the auditory system during early infancy, infants' ability to discriminate unresolved complexes is of some interest. This study investigated the ability of 3-month-olds, 7-month-olds, and adults to discriminate the pitch of unresolved harmonic complexes using an observer-based method. Stimuli were MF complexes bandpass filtered with a -12 dB/octave slope, combined in random phase, presented at 70 dB sound pressure level (SPL) for 650 ms with a 50 ms rise/fall with a pink noise at 65 dB SPL. The conditions were (1) "LOW" unresolved harmonics (2500-4500 Hz) based on MFs of 160 and 200 Hz and (2) "HIGH" unresolved harmonics (4000-6000 Hz) based on MFs of 190 and 200 Hz. To demonstrate MF discrimination, participants had to ignore spectral changes in complexes with the same fundamental and respond only when the fundamental changed. Nearly all infants tested categorized complexes by MF pitch suggesting discrimination of pitch extracted from unresolved harmonics by 3 months. Adults also categorized the complexes by MF pitch, although musically trained adults were more successful than musically untrained adults.

  5. Improve Governance for Charters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Chester E., Jr.; Manno, Bruno V.; Wright, Brandon L.

    2017-01-01

    With 25 years of experience, the charter sector has had enough time to experience a host of unanticipated and unresolved problems related to the complex ways in which charter school governance relates to school leadership. The time has come for the sector to revisit some fundamental decisions about how charter schools and networks are governed,…

  6. Depression and HIV risk behavior practices among at risk women.

    PubMed

    Klein, Hugh; Elifson, Kirk W; Sterk, Claire E

    2008-01-01

    In this study, we examined the relationship between depression and HIV-related risk behavior practices in a sample of 250 at risk, predominantly African American women living in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Interviews were conducted between August 1997 and August 2000. Street outreach efforts were used to identify potential study participants, with further expansion of the sample via targeted sampling and ethnographic mapping procedures. Our conceptual model hypothesized a relationship between depression and HIV risk in which depression and condom-related attitudes were construed as intervening (or mediating) variables. A multivariate analysis was used to determine the relationship between depression and women's risk behaviors. The results showed that depression was a key-mediating variable, having its primary influence on women's risky practices through its impact upon their attitudes toward using condoms. Factors associated with depression, included religiosity, closeness of family relationships, financial problems, childhood maltreatment experiences, and drug-related problems. The implications of these findings for prevention and intervention efforts are: (1) heightening faith community involvement and religious participation to decrease depression; (2) working with women whose familial bonds are in need of strengthening to combat depression; (3) providing mental health and counseling services to women who were emotionally and/or sexually abused during their formative years seems to help these women to recover from unresolved issues that may be fueling depression; (4) assisting at risk women who need training in money management issues to minimize their risk for depression; and (5) helping women drug abusers to receive treatment for their drug problems to combat their depression and lower their HIV risk.

  7. Comparing the incomparable? A systematic review of competing techniques for converting descriptive measures of health status into QALY-weights.

    PubMed

    Mortimer, Duncan; Segal, Leonie

    2008-01-01

    Algorithms for converting descriptive measures of health status into quality-adjusted life year (QALY)--weights are now widely available, and their application in economic evaluation is increasingly commonplace. The objective of this study is to describe and compare existing conversion algorithms and to highlight issues bearing on the derivation and interpretation of the QALY-weights so obtained. Systematic review of algorithms for converting descriptive measures of health status into QALY-weights. The review identified a substantial body of literature comprising 46 derivation studies and 16 studies that provided evidence or commentary on the validity of conversion algorithms. Conversion algorithms were derived using 1 of 4 techniques: 1) transfer to utility regression, 2) response mapping, 3) effect size translation, and 4) "revaluing" outcome measures using preference-based scaling techniques. Although these techniques differ in their methodological/theoretical tradition, data requirements, and ease of derivation and application, the available evidence suggests that the sensitivity and validity of derived QALY-weights may be more dependent on the coverage and sensitivity of measures and the disease area/patient group under evaluation than on the technique used in derivation. Despite the recent proliferation of conversion algorithms, a number of questions bearing on the derivation and interpretation of derived QALY-weights remain unresolved. These unresolved issues suggest directions for future research in this area. In the meantime, analysts seeking guidance in selecting derived QALY-weights should consider the validity and feasibility of each conversion algorithm in the disease area and patient group under evaluation rather than restricting their choice to weights from a particular derivation technique.

  8. The nature of conflict in palliative care: A qualitative exploration of the experiences of staff and family members.

    PubMed

    François, Karemah; Lobb, Elizabeth; Barclay, Sarah; Forbat, Liz

    2017-08-01

    Conflict is a significant and recurring problem in healthcare. This study aimed to understand staff and relatives' perspectives on the characteristics of conflict and serious disagreement in adult palliative care, including triggers, risk factors and the impact on themselves and clinical care. Qualitative study of 25 staff and seven bereaved relatives using individual interviews, recruited from a multidisciplinary specialist palliative care setting in Australia. Data were analysed thematically. Communication was frequently cited as a cause of conflict. Further, different understandings regarding disease process, syringe drivers and providing nutrition/hydration caused conflict. Staff applied empathy to moderate their responses to conflict. Relatives' reactions to conflict followed a trend of anger/frustration followed by explanations or justifications of the conflict. Relatives identified systemic rather than interpersonal issues as triggering conflict. The data illustrate connections with conflict literature in other clinical areas, but also points of convergence such as the compassion shown by both families and staff, and the identification of systemic rather than always individual causes. Family meetings may fruitfully be applied to prevent and de-escalate conflict. Clinical audits may be useful to identify and provide support to families where there may be unresolved conflict impacting grief process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. What's what in auditory cortices?

    PubMed

    Retsa, Chrysa; Matusz, Pawel J; Schnupp, Jan W H; Murray, Micah M

    2018-08-01

    Distinct anatomical and functional pathways are postulated for analysing a sound's object-related ('what') and space-related ('where') information. It remains unresolved to which extent distinct or overlapping neural resources subserve specific object-related dimensions (i.e. who is speaking and what is being said can both be derived from the same acoustic input). To address this issue, we recorded high-density auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) while participants selectively attended and discriminated sounds according to their pitch, speaker identity, uttered syllable ('what' dimensions) or their location ('where'). Sound acoustics were held constant across blocks; the only manipulation involved the sound dimension that participants had to attend to. The task-relevant dimension was varied across blocks. AEPs from healthy participants were analysed within an electrical neuroimaging framework to differentiate modulations in response strength from modulations in response topography; the latter of which forcibly follow from changes in the configuration of underlying sources. There were no behavioural differences in discrimination of sounds across the 4 feature dimensions. As early as 90ms post-stimulus onset, AEP topographies differed across 'what' conditions, supporting a functional sub-segregation within the auditory 'what' pathway. This study characterises the spatio-temporal dynamics of segregated, yet parallel, processing of multiple sound object-related feature dimensions when selective attention is directed to them. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Global-scale Ionospheric Outflow: Major Processes and Unresolved Problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liemohn, M. W.; Welling, D. T.; Ilie, R.; Khazanov, G. V.; Jahn, J. M.; Zou, S.; Ganushkina, N. Y.; Valek, P. W.; Elliott, H. A.; Gilchrist, B. E.; Hoegy, W. R.; Glocer, A.

    2016-12-01

    Outflow from the ionosphere is a major source of plasma to the magnetosphere. Its presence, especially that of ions heavier than He+, mass loads the magnetosphere and changes reconnection rates, current system configurations, plasma wave excitation and wave-particle interactions. It even impacts the propagation of information. We present a brief overview of the major processes and scientific history of this field. There are still major gaps, however, in our understanding of the global-scale nature of ionospheric outflow. We discuss these unresolved problems highlighting the leading questions still outstanding on this topic. First and foremost, since the measurements of ionospheric outflow have largely come from individual satellites and sounding rockets, the processes are best known on the local level, while the spatial distribution of outflow has never been simultaneously measured on more global scales. The spatial coherence and correlation of outflow across time and space have not been quantified. Furthermore, the composition of the outflow is often only measured at a coarse level of H+, He+, and O+, neglecting other species such as N+ or moleculars. However, resolving O+ from N+, as is customary in planetary research, aids in revealing the physics and altitude dependence of the energization processes in the ionosphere. Similarly, fine-resolution velocity space measurements of ionospheric outflow have been limited, yet such observations can also reveal energization processes driving the outflow. A final unresolved issue to mention is magnetically conjugate outflow and the full extent of hemispherically asymmetric outflow fluxes or fluence. Each of these open questions have substantial ramifications for magnetospheric physics; their resolution could yield sweeping changes in our understanding of nonlinear feedback and cross-scale physical interactions, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, and geospace system-level science.

  11. Juvenile sex offenders compared to non-sex offenders: a review of the literature 1995-2005.

    PubMed

    van Wijk, Anton; Vermeiren, Robert; Loeber, Rolf; 't Hart-Kerkhoffs, Lisette; Doreleijers, Theo; Bullens, Ruud

    2006-10-01

    An unresolved but clinically important issue in the literature on juvenile delinquency is to what extent juvenile sex offenders resemble non-sex offenders with respect to individual, familial, and environmental characteristics. The current article reviewed published studies (1995-2005) comparing sex offenders with non-sex offenders. The 17 articles meeting the inclusion criteria suggest that differences exist between sex offenders and non-sex offenders on personality characteristics, behavioral problems, history of sexual abuse, nonsexual offending, and peer functioning. Inconsistent results were found for demographic factors, family functioning and background, antisocial attitudes, and intellectual and neurological functioning. Although it is likely that sex offenders can be differentiated from nonsex offenders on a number of characteristics, caution is warranted because of methodological differences between studies and small samples size. Also, studies show that sex offenders are a heterogeneous group. Further research should take into account this heterogeneity by including sex offenders from clearly circumscribed groups and investigating characteristics specifically related to sexual behavior.

  12. Recent progress in advanced optical materials based on gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12)

    PubMed Central

    Li, Ji-Guang; Sakka, Yoshio

    2015-01-01

    This review article summarizes the recent achievements in stabilization of the metastable lattice of gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12, GAG) and the related developments of advanced optical materials, including down-conversion phosphors, up-conversion phosphors, transparent ceramics, and single crystals. Whenever possible, the materials are compared with their better known YAG and LuAG counterparts to demonstrate the merits of the GAG host. It is shown that novel emission features and significantly improved luminescence can be attained for a number of phosphor systems with the more covalent GAG lattice and the efficient energy transfer from Gd3+ to the activator. Ce3+ doped GAG-based single crystals and transparent ceramics are also shown to simultaneously possess the advantages of high theoretical density, fast scintillation decay, and high light yields, and hold great potential as scintillators for a wide range of applications. The unresolved issues are also pointed out. PMID:27877750

  13. Memory: enduring traces of perceptual and reflective attention.

    PubMed

    Chun, Marvin M; Johnson, Marcia K

    2011-11-17

    Attention and memory are typically studied as separate topics, but they are highly intertwined. Here we discuss the relation between memory and two fundamental types of attention: perceptual and reflective. Memory is the persisting consequence of cognitive activities initiated by and/or focused on external information from the environment (perceptual attention) and initiated by and/or focused on internal mental representations (reflective attention). We consider three key questions for advancing a cognitive neuroscience of attention and memory: to what extent do perception and reflection share representational areas? To what extent are the control processes that select, maintain, and manipulate perceptual and reflective information subserved by common areas and networks? During perception and reflection, to what extent are common areas responsible for binding features together to create complex, episodic memories and for reviving them later? Considering similarities and differences in perceptual and reflective attention helps integrate a broad range of findings and raises important unresolved issues. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Fertility preservation in women after the cancer.

    PubMed

    Lappi, Michela; Borini, Andrea

    2012-01-01

    Thanks to the recent advances in cancer care, more and more young women can survive but suffer from infertility as a result of cancer treatment that had to be submitted. There are a variety of methods to preserve fertility, as chemoprotection, ovariopexy, and some assisted reproductive technologies, although some of these are promising but still highly experimental techniques. Cryopreservation of embryos for example is already established, while the oocyte banking is still considered an experimental practice. Many experiments have been conducted around the world on the cryopreservation of ovarian tissue and maturation of ovarian follicles, in an attempt to demonstrate its potential use in fertility preservation. Although in recent years there has been major improvements in the preservation of ovarian tissue, there are still many unresolved technical issues related to these procedures. In this chapter we examine the recent evidence of the pathophysiology of chemotherapy / radiotherapy-induced gonadal toxicity, and recent data regarding the indications and results of the techniques used to preserve fertility in women with cancer.

  15. Psychometrics of the Iowa and Berlin Gambling Tasks: Unresolved Issues With Reliability and Validity for Risk Taking.

    PubMed

    Schmitz, Florian; Kunina-Habenicht, Olga; Hildebrandt, Andrea; Oberauer, Klaus; Wilhelm, Oliver

    2018-01-01

    The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) is one of the most prominent paradigms employed for the assessment of risk taking in the laboratory, and it was shown to distinguish between various patient groups and controls. The present study was conducted to test the psychometric characteristics of the original IGT and of a new gambling task variant for assessing individual differences. Two studies were conducted with adults of the general population ( n = 220) and with adolescents ( n = 389). Participants were also tested on multiple measures of working memory capacity, fluid intelligence, personality traits associated with risk-taking behavior, and self-reported risk taking in various domains. Both gambling tasks had only moderate retest reliability within the same session. Moderate relations were obtained with cognitive ability. However, card selections in the gambling tasks were not correlated with personality or risk taking. These findings point to limitations of IGT type gambling tasks for the assessment of individual differences in risky decision making.

  16. Cell-based therapeutic strategies for multiple sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Scolding, Neil J; Pasquini, Marcelo; Reingold, Stephen C; Cohen, Jeffrey A

    2017-11-01

    The availability of multiple disease-modifying medications with regulatory approval to treat multiple sclerosis illustrates the substantial progress made in therapy of the disease. However, all are only partially effective in preventing inflammatory tissue damage in the central nervous system and none directly promotes repair. Cell-based therapies, including immunoablation followed by autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, mesenchymal and related stem cell transplantation, pharmacologic manipulation of endogenous stem cells to enhance their reparative capabilities, and transplantation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, have generated substantial interest as novel therapeutic strategies for immune modulation, neuroprotection, or repair of the damaged central nervous system in multiple sclerosis. Each approach has potential advantages but also safety concerns and unresolved questions. Moreover, clinical trials of cell-based therapies present several unique methodological and ethical issues. We summarize here the status of cell-based therapies to treat multiple sclerosis and make consensus recommendations for future research and clinical trials. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain.

  17. Resilience as Regulation of Developmental and Family Processes

    PubMed Central

    MacPhee, David; Lunkenheimer, Erika; Riggs, Nathaniel

    2015-01-01

    Resilience can be defined as establishing equilibrium subsequent to disturbances to a system caused by significant adversity. When families experience adversity or transitions, multiple regulatory processes may be involved in establishing equilibrium, including adaptability, regulation of negative affect, and effective problem-solving skills. The authors’ resilience-as-regulation perspective integrates insights about the regulation of individual development with processes that regulate family systems. This middle-range theory of family resilience focuses on regulatory processes across levels that are involved in adaptation: whole-family systems such as routines and sense of coherence; coregulation of dyads involving emotion regulation, structuring, and reciprocal influences between social partners; and individual self-regulation. Insights about resilience-as-regulation are then applied to family-strengthening interventions that are designed to promote adaptation to adversity. Unresolved issues are discussed in relation to resilience-as-regulation in families, in particular how risk exposure is assessed, interrelations among family regulatory mechanisms, and how families scaffold the development of children’s resilience. PMID:26568647

  18. Mind-wandering and negative mood: does one thing really lead to another?

    PubMed

    Poerio, Giulia L; Totterdell, Peter; Miles, Eleanor

    2013-12-01

    Mind-wandering is closely connected with negative mood. Whether negative mood is a cause or consequence of mind-wandering remains an important, unresolved, issue. We sought to clarify the direction of this relationship by measuring mood before and after mind-wandering. We also measured the affective content, time-orientation and relevance of mind-wandering to current concerns to explore whether the link between mind-wandering and negative mood might be explained by these characteristics. A novel experience-sampling technique with smartphone application prompted participants to answer questions about mind-wandering and mood across 7 days. While sadness tended to precede mind-wandering, mind-wandering itself was not associated with later mood and only predicted feeling worse if its content was negative. We also found prior sadness predicted retrospective mind-wandering, and prior negative mood predicted mind-wandering to current concerns. Our findings provide new insight into how mood and mind-wandering relate but suggest mind-wandering is not inherently detrimental to well-being. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Cold Water Vapor in the Barnard 5 Molecular Cloud

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wirstrom, E. S.; Charnley, S. B.; Persson, C. M.; Buckle, J. V.; Cordiner, M. A.; Takakuwa, S.

    2014-01-01

    After more than 30 yr of investigations, the nature of gas-grain interactions at low temperatures remains an unresolved issue in astrochemistry. Water ice is the dominant ice found in cold molecular clouds; however, there is only one region where cold ((is) approximately 10 K) water vapor has been detected-L1544. This study aims to shed light on ice desorption mechanisms under cold cloud conditions by expanding the sample. The clumpy distribution of methanol in dark clouds testifies to transient desorption processes at work-likely to also disrupt water ice mantles. Therefore, the Herschel HIFI instrument was used to search for cold water in a small sample of prominent methanol emission peaks. We report detections of the ground-state transition of o-H2O (J = 110-101) at 556.9360 GHz toward two positions in the cold molecular cloud, Barnard 5. The relative abundances of methanol and water gas support a desorption mechanism which disrupts the outer ice mantle layers, rather than causing complete mantle removal.

  20. Cell-Type-Specific Transcriptome Analysis in the Drosophila Mushroom Body Reveals Memory-Related Changes in Gene Expression.

    PubMed

    Crocker, Amanda; Guan, Xiao-Juan; Murphy, Coleen T; Murthy, Mala

    2016-05-17

    Learning and memory formation in Drosophila rely on a network of neurons in the mushroom bodies (MBs). Whereas numerous studies have delineated roles for individual cell types within this network in aspects of learning or memory, whether or not these cells can also be distinguished by the genes they express remains unresolved. In addition, the changes in gene expression that accompany long-term memory formation within the MBs have not yet been studied by neuron type. Here, we address both issues by performing RNA sequencing on single cell types (harvested via patch pipets) within the MB. We discover that the expression of genes that encode cell surface receptors is sufficient to identify cell types and that a subset of these genes, required for sensory transduction in peripheral sensory neurons, is not only expressed within individual neurons of the MB in the central brain, but is also critical for memory formation. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Neural circuits and mechanisms involved in Pavlovian fear conditioning: A critical review

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jeansok J.; Jung, Min Whan

    2015-01-01

    Pavlovian or classical fear conditioning is recognized as a model system to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms of learning and memory in the mammalian brain and to understand the root of fear-related disorders in humans. In recent decades, important progress has been made in delineating the essential neural circuitry and cellular–molecular mechanisms of fear conditioning. Converging lines of evidence indicate that the amygdala is necessarily involved in the acquisition, storage and expression of conditioned fear memory, and long-term potentiation (LTP) in the lateral nucleus of the amygdala is often proposed as the underlying synaptic mechanism of associative fear memory. Recent studies further implicate the prefrontal cortex–amygdala interaction in the extinction (or inhibition) of conditioned fear. Despite these advances, there are unresolved issues and findings that challenge the validity and sufficiency of the current amygdalar LTP hypothesis of fear conditioning. The purpose of this review is to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of evidence indicating that fear conditioning depend crucially upon the amygdalar circuit and plasticity. PMID:16120461

  2. Pollen dispersal by catapult: Experiments of Lyman J. Briggs on the flower of mountain laurel

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nimmo, John R.; Hermann, Paula M.; Kirkham, M.B.; Landa, Edward R.

    2014-01-01

    The flower of Kalmia latifolia L. employs a catapult mechanism that flings its pollen to considerable distances. Physicist Lyman J. Briggs investigated this phenomenon in the 1950s after retiring as longtime director of the National Bureau of Standards, attempting to explain how hydromechanical effects inside the flower’s stamen could make it possible. Briggs’s unfinished manuscript implies that liquid under negative pressure generates stress, which, superimposed on the stress generated from the flower’s growth habit, results in force adequate to propel the pollen as observed. With new data and biophysical understanding to supplement Briggs’s experimental results and research notes, we show that his postulated negative-pressure mechanism did not play the exclusive and crucial role that he credited to it, though his revisited investigation sheds light on various related processes. Important issues concerning the development and reproductive function of Kalmia flowers remain unresolved, highlighting the need for further biophysical advances.

  3. Toxicology and the biological role of methanol and ethanol: Current view.

    PubMed

    Pohanka, Miroslav

    2016-03-01

    Alcohol variants such as ethanol and methanol are simple organic compounds widely used in foods, pharmaceuticals, chemical synthesis, etc. Both are becoming an emerging health problem; abuse of ethanol containing beverages can lead to disparate health problems and methanol is highly toxic and unfit for consumption. This review summarizes the basic knowledge about ethanol and methanol toxicity, the effect mechanism on the body, the current care of poisoned individuals and the implication of alcohols in the development of diseases. Alcohol related dementia, stroke, metabolic syndrome and hepatitis are discussed as well. Besides ethanol, methanol toxicity and its biodegradation pathways are addressed. The impact of ethanol and methanol on the body is shown as case reports, along with a discussion on the possible implication of alcohol in Alzheimer's disease and antidotal therapy for methanol poisoning. The role of ethanol in cancer and degenerative disorders seems to be underestimated given the current knowledge. Treatment in case of poisoning is another issue that remains unresolved even though effective protocols and drugs exist.

  4. Pithy Review on Routing Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks and Least Routing Time Opportunistic Technique in WSN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Salman Arafath, Mohammed; Rahman Khan, Khaleel Ur; Sunitha, K. V. N.

    2018-01-01

    Nowadays due to most of the telecommunication standard development organizations focusing on using device-to-device communication so that they can provide proximity-based services and add-on services on top of the available cellular infrastructure. An Oppnets and wireless sensor network play a prominent role here. Routing in these networks plays a significant role in fields such as traffic management, packet delivery etc. Routing is a prodigious research area with diverse unresolved issues. This paper firstly focuses on the importance of Opportunistic routing and its concept then focus is shifted to prime aspect i.e. on packet reception ratio which is one of the highest QoS Awareness parameters. This paper discusses the two important functions of routing in wireless sensor networks (WSN) namely route selection using least routing time algorithm (LRTA) and data forwarding using clustering technique. Finally, the simulation result reveals that LRTA performs relatively better than the existing system in terms of average packet reception ratio and connectivity.

  5. Unresolved issues in the management of chronic stable angina.

    PubMed

    Camm, A John; Manolis, Athanasios; Ambrosio, Giuseppe; Daly, Caroline; Komajda, Michel; Lopez de Sa, Esteban; Lopez-Sendon, Jose Luis; Mugelli, Alessandro; Muggli, Franco; Tamargo, Juan

    2015-12-15

    Chronic stable angina is a common and progressive disease which has a major impact on patient quality of life and imposes a high financial and medical burden on society. Given the range of agents now available, optimal medical therapy - which according to guidelines is the preferred option in the majority of patients with low-risk disease - offers the opportunity for effective control. However, recent studies suggest that management remains suboptimal in up to a third of patients and that physicians often underestimate the extent to which angina continues to limit patients' lives. A higher frequency of angina also relates directly to increased healthcare costs. These factors suggest the need for the development and implementation of appropriate guidelines, for tools to encourage the regular, systematic assessment of the management of chronic stable angina patients, and for improved means of communication between doctors and patients. Neither physicians nor their patients need to accept that a certain level of angina symptoms is unavoidable. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  6. Recent progress in advanced optical materials based on gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ji-Guang; Sakka, Yoshio

    2015-02-01

    This review article summarizes the recent achievements in stabilization of the metastable lattice of gadolinium aluminate garnet (Gd3Al5O12, GAG) and the related developments of advanced optical materials, including down-conversion phosphors, up-conversion phosphors, transparent ceramics, and single crystals. Whenever possible, the materials are compared with their better known YAG and LuAG counterparts to demonstrate the merits of the GAG host. It is shown that novel emission features and significantly improved luminescence can be attained for a number of phosphor systems with the more covalent GAG lattice and the efficient energy transfer from Gd3+ to the activator. Ce3+ doped GAG-based single crystals and transparent ceramics are also shown to simultaneously possess the advantages of high theoretical density, fast scintillation decay, and high light yields, and hold great potential as scintillators for a wide range of applications. The unresolved issues are also pointed out.

  7. Radiation Safety Issues in High Altitude Commercial Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, John W.; Cucinotta, Francis A.; Shinn, Judy L.

    1995-01-01

    The development of a global economy makes the outlook for high speed commercial intercontinental flight feasible, and the development of various configurations operating from 20 to 30 km have been proposed. In addition to the still unresolved issues relating to current commercial operations (12-16 km), the higher dose rates associated with the higher operating altitudes makes il imperative that the uncertainties in the atmospheric radiation environment and the associated health risks be re-examined. Atmospheric radiation associated with the galactic cosmic rays forms a background level which may, under some circumstances, exceed newly recommended allowable exposure limits proposed on the basis of recent evaluations of the A -bomb survivor data (due to increased risk coefficients). These larger risk coefficients, within the context of the methodology for estimating exposure limits, are resulting in exceedingly low estimated allowable exposure limits which may impact even present day flight operations and was the reason for the CEC workshop in Luxembourg (1990). At higher operating altitudes, solar particles events can produce exposures many orders of magnitude above background levels and pose significant health risks to the most sensitive individuals (such as during pregnancy). In this case the appropriate quality factors are undefined, and some evidence exists which indicates that the quality factor for stochastic effects is a substantial underestimate.

  8. Methods in field chronobiology.

    PubMed

    Dominoni, Davide M; Åkesson, Susanne; Klaassen, Raymond; Spoelstra, Kamiel; Bulla, Martin

    2017-11-19

    Chronobiological research has seen a continuous development of novel approaches and techniques to measure rhythmicity at different levels of biological organization from locomotor activity (e.g. migratory restlessness) to physiology (e.g. temperature and hormone rhythms, and relatively recently also in genes, proteins and metabolites). However, the methodological advancements in this field have been mostly and sometimes exclusively used only in indoor laboratory settings. In parallel, there has been an unprecedented and rapid improvement in our ability to track animals and their behaviour in the wild. However, while the spatial analysis of tracking data is widespread, its temporal aspect is largely unexplored. Here, we review the tools that are available or have potential to record rhythms in the wild animals with emphasis on currently overlooked approaches and monitoring systems. We then demonstrate, in three question-driven case studies, how the integration of traditional and newer approaches can help answer novel chronobiological questions in free-living animals. Finally, we highlight unresolved issues in field chronobiology that may benefit from technological development in the future. As most of the studies in the field are descriptive, the future challenge lies in applying the diverse technologies to experimental set-ups in the wild.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wild clocks: integrating chronobiology and ecology to understand timekeeping in free-living animals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  9. State of the Art, Unresolved Issues, and Future Research Directions in the Fight against Hepatitis C Virus: Perspectives for Screening, Diagnostics of Resistances, and Immunization

    PubMed Central

    Ansaldi, Filippo

    2016-01-01

    Hepatitis C virus (HCV) still represents a major public health threat, with a dramatic burden from both epidemiological and clinical points of view. New generation of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs) has been recently introduced in clinical practice promising to cure HCV and to overcome the issues related to the interferon-based therapies. However, the emergence of drug resistance and the suboptimal activity of DAAs therapies against diverse HCV genotypes have been observed, determining treatment failure and hampering an effective control of HCV spread worldwide. Moreover, these treatments remain poorly accessible, particularly in low-income countries. Finally, effective screening strategy is crucial to early identifying and treating all HCV chronically infected patients. For all these reasons, even though new drugs may contribute to impacting HCV spread worldwide a preventive HCV vaccine remains a cornerstone in the road to significantly reduce the HCV spread globally, with the ultimate goal of its eradication. Advances in molecular vaccinology, together with a strong financial, political, and societal support, will enable reaching this fundamental success in the coming years. In this comprehensive review, the state of the art about these major topics in the fight against HCV and the future of research in these fields are discussed. PMID:27843956

  10. The Public/Private Partnership behind the Cash and Counseling Demonstration and Evaluation: Its Origins, Challenges, and Unresolved Issues

    PubMed Central

    Knickman, James R; Stone, Robyn I

    2007-01-01

    objective To discuss why and how the Cash and Counseling Demonstration came to be designed, implemented, and evaluated through a partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Principal Findings This public/private partnership was created by two colleagues who were motivated by the need for funding to conduct a large-scale demonstration and evaluation, the prestige that both organizations brought to the project, the ability to draw on both organizations' experience and expertise, and the potential to maximize flexibility in the design and implementation of the demonstration. The partnership, which has lasted over a decade and has supported two generations of Cash and Counseling programs, overcame several challenges including getting approval for the project through their respective bureaucracies, managing the decision making process and the ongoing program across the two organizations, dealing with leadership and staff turnover, and reaching consensus on how to apportion credit for the success of the program. Several unresolved issues remain, including how the program gets operationalized within each state, how case management is addressed within the context of a consumer-directed model like Cash and Counseling, how quality is assured in this type of program, and how the Internal Revenue Service views and treats Cash and Counseling and other consumer-directed programs. Conclusion This public/private partnership is an illustration of how public dollars can be leveraged effectively to examine a pressing policy issue and to produce information that can be translated into better policy and practice. The ASPE/RWJF collaboration made it possible to develop, test, and expand a policy-oriented demonstration project that has become a pivotal strategy in most states' efforts to build their home and community-based service systems. PMID:17244288

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

    Philippacopoulos, A.J.; Shaukat, S.K.; Chokshi, N.C.

    During the first quarter of 1988, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) prepared a proposed Revision 2 to the NUREG-0800 Standard Review Plan (SRP) Sections 2.5.2 (Vibratory Ground Motion), 3.7.1 (Seismic Design Parameters), 3.7.2 (Seismic Systems Analysis) and 3.7.3 (Seismic Subsystem Analysis). The proposed Revision 2 to the SRP was a result of many years' work carried out by the NRC and the nuclear industry on the Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-40: ''Seismic Design Criteria.'' The background material related to NRC's efforts for resolving the A-40 issue is described in NUREG-1233. In June 1988, the proposed Revision 2 of the SRPmore » was issued by NRC for public review and comments. Comments were received from Sargent and Lundy Engineers, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Stevenson and Associates, Duke Power Company, General Electric Company and Electric Power Research Institute. In September 1988, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and its consultants (C.J. Costantino, R.P. Kennedy, J. Stevenson, M. Shinozuka and A.S. Veletsos) were requested to carry out a review of the comments received from the above six organizations. The objective of this review was to assist the NRC staff with the evaluation and resolution of the public comments. This review was initiated during October 1988 and it was completed on January 1989. As a result of this review, a set of modifications to the above mentioned sections of the SRP were recommended by BNL and its consultants. This paper summarizes the recommended modifications. 4 refs.« less

  12. Treating people with intercurrent infection in HIV prevention trials. Report from a WHO/UNAIDS consultation, Geneva 17-18th July 2003.

    PubMed

    2004-10-21

    While broad agreement now exists among sponsors of HIV prevention trials that antiretroviral therapy (ART) and a clinical care package should be provided to those who become infected during the conduct of a trial, certain practical issues remain unresolved, including Who should pay for ART? How long should ART be provided for? Does treatment extend outside of ART? What else should be included in the standard of care package and who should pay for it? Who should provide treatment and care? This report summarizes the discussions from a consultation held in Geneva (17-18 July 2003) organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The group discussed issues related to the various types of HIV prevention trials covered - vaccines, microbicides, behavioural - the ethics and legal rational for providing treatment and care as well as relevant economic issues and developments around scale-up of treatment and care in middle- and lower-income countries. Also discussed were policies of certain research agencies, countries and international funding agencies. The implementation of the conclusions which came out of these discussions on the treatment and care for people who become infected during HIV prevention trials requires the active participation of members of the research community, funders of research, local and national governments and industry as well as the individuals or communities participating in the trials.

  13. Automatic streak endpoint localization from the cornerness metric

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sease, Brad; Flewelling, Brien; Black, Jonathan

    2017-05-01

    Streaked point sources are a common occurrence when imaging unresolved space objects from both ground- and space-based platforms. Effective localization of streak endpoints is a key component of traditional techniques in space situational awareness related to orbit estimation and attitude determination. To further that goal, this paper derives a general detection and localization method for streak endpoints based on the cornerness metric. Corners detection involves searching an image for strong bi-directional gradients. These locations typically correspond to robust structural features in an image. In the case of unresolved imagery, regions with a high cornerness score correspond directly to the endpoints of streaks. This paper explores three approaches for global extraction of streak endpoints and applies them to an attitude and rate estimation routine.

  14. 'Long-Cell Action' Corrosion: A Basic Mechanism Hidden Behind Components Degradation Issues in Nuclear Power Plants

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

    Genn Saji

    2006-07-01

    In spite of industries' effort over the last 40 years, corrosion-related issues continue to be one of the largest unresolved problems for nuclear power plants worldwide. There are several types of strange corrosion phenomena from the point of view of our current understanding of corrosion science established in other fields. Some of these are IGSCC, PWSCC, AOA, and FAC (Erosion-Corrosion). Through studying and coping with diverse corrosion phenomena, the author believes that they share a common basis with respect to the assumed corrosion mechanism (e.g., 'local cell action' hypothesis). In general, local cell action is rarely severe since it producesmore » a fairly uniform corrosion. The 'long cell action' that transports electrons through structures far beyond the region of local cell corrosion activities has been identified as a basic mechanism in soil corrosion. If this mechanism is assumed in nuclear power plants, the structure becomes anodic in the area where the potential is less positive and cathodic where this potential is more positive. Metallic ions generated at anodic corrosion sites are transported to remote cathodic sites through the circulation of water and deposits as corrosion products. The SCC, FAC (E-C) and PWSCC occur in the anodic sites as the structure itself acts as a short-circuiting conductor between the two sites, the action is similar to a galvanic cell but in a very large scale. This situation is the same as a battery that has been short-circuited at the terminals. No apparent external potential difference exists between the two electrodes, but an electrochemical reaction is still taking place inside the battery cell with a large internal short current. In this example what is important is the potential difference between the local coolant and the surface of the structural material. Long cell action corrosion is likely enhancing the local cell action's anodic corrosion activities, such as SCC, FAC/E-C, and PWSCC. It tends to be more hazardous because of its localized nature compared with the local cell action corrosion. There exist various mechanisms (electrochemical cell configurations) that induce such potential differences, including: ionic concentration, aeration, temperature, flow velocity, radiation and corrosion potentials. In this paper, the author will discuss these potential differences and their relevance to the un-resolved corrosion issues in nuclear power plants. Due to the importance of this potential mechanism the author is calling for further verification experiments as a joint international project. (author)« less

  15. Unresolved Attachment Status and Trauma-Related Symptomatology in Maltreated Adolescents: An Examination of Cognitive Mediators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Joubert, David; Webster, Linda; Hackett, Rachelle Kisst

    2012-01-01

    Attachment Theory has received increasing interest as a framework allowing for a more refined understanding of the potential consequences of early relational trauma on psychological and social adjustment. Research has provided support for the role of disorganized attachment, both as a sequela of traumatic experiences and as a risk factor for…

  16. Effects of watershed land use and geomorphology on stream low flows during severe drought conditions in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia and North Carolina

    EPA Science Inventory

    Watershed land use and topographic variability influence stream low flows, yet their interactions and relative influence remain unresolved. Our objective was to assess the relative influences of land use and watershed geomorphic characteristics on low flow variability in the sour...

  17. Results of arthroscopic treatment in unresolved Osgood-Schlatter disease in athletes.

    PubMed

    Circi, Esra; Beyzadeoglu, Tahsin

    2017-02-01

    In this study we aimed to determine outcomes following arthroscopic ossicle excision in athletes with unresolved Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD). Arthroscopy was performed on 11 patients (11 knees) with OSD between September 2008 and November 2014. Surgical treatment inclusion criteria were determined as: failure of conservative treatment; isolated pain over the tibial tubercle and distal patellar tendon; pain limiting sporting performance at a competitive level. All patients had a documented history of OSD; the mean duration of persistent pain over the tibial tubercle was 15.5 months. The mean age was 23 years. The mean follow-up period was 66.1 months. The mean latency in returning to sports related training activities after the surgery was 6.7 weeks. The mean Kujala patello-femoral score improved from 82.9 points pre-operatively, to 98.5 points at the final follow-up (p < 0.01). The mean Lysholm knee scale score was 87.5 points in the pre-operative period, increasing to a score of 96.9 points at final follow-up (p < 0.01). The mean Tegner activity level score was 7.5 in the pre-operative period, increasing to 8.5 post-operatively (p < 0.01). We investigated the functional outcomes after arthroscopic treatment of unresolved OSD in athletes. All athletes with OSD showed satisfactory functional recovery following arthroscopic treatment. All patients were able to return to the same level of athletic activity. Arthroscopic surgery for unresolved OSD has the major advantage of faster recovery and avoiding damage to the patellar tendon.

  18. Vertebrate Reservoirs of Arboviruses: Myth, Synonym of Amplifier, or Reality?

    PubMed Central

    Kuno, Goro; Mackenzie, John S.; Plyusnin, Alexander; Gubler, Duane J.

    2017-01-01

    The rapid succession of the pandemic of arbovirus diseases, such as dengue, West Nile fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever, has intensified research on these and other arbovirus diseases worldwide. Investigating the unique mode of vector-borne transmission requires a clear understanding of the roles of vertebrates. One major obstacle to this understanding is the ambiguity of the arbovirus definition originally established by the World Health Organization. The paucity of pertinent information on arbovirus transmission at the time contributed to the notion that vertebrates played the role of reservoir in the arbovirus transmission cycle. Because this notion is a salient feature of the arbovirus definition, it is important to reexamine its validity. This review addresses controversial issues concerning vertebrate reservoirs and their role in arbovirus persistence in nature, examines the genesis of the problem from a historical perspective, discusses various unresolved issues from multiple points of view, assesses the present status of the notion in light of current knowledge, and provides options for a solution to resolve the issue. PMID:28703771

  19. Vertebrate Reservoirs of Arboviruses: Myth, Synonym of Amplifier, or Reality?

    PubMed

    Kuno, Goro; Mackenzie, John S; Junglen, Sandra; Hubálek, Zdeněk; Plyusnin, Alexander; Gubler, Duane J

    2017-07-13

    The rapid succession of the pandemic of arbovirus diseases, such as dengue, West Nile fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever, has intensified research on these and other arbovirus diseases worldwide. Investigating the unique mode of vector-borne transmission requires a clear understanding of the roles of vertebrates. One major obstacle to this understanding is the ambiguity of the arbovirus definition originally established by the World Health Organization. The paucity of pertinent information on arbovirus transmission at the time contributed to the notion that vertebrates played the role of reservoir in the arbovirus transmission cycle. Because this notion is a salient feature of the arbovirus definition, it is important to reexamine its validity. This review addresses controversial issues concerning vertebrate reservoirs and their role in arbovirus persistence in nature, examines the genesis of the problem from a historical perspective, discusses various unresolved issues from multiple points of view, assesses the present status of the notion in light of current knowledge, and provides options for a solution to resolve the issue.

  20. Conflict management: a primer for doctors in training.

    PubMed

    Saltman, D C; O'Dea, N A; Kidd, M R

    2006-01-01

    Conflict in the health arena is a growing concern and is well recognised for doctors in training. Its most extreme expression, workplace violence is on the increase. There is evidence that many conflicts remain unsatisfactorily resolved or unresolved, and result in ongoing issues for staff morale. This paper describes the nature of conflict in the health care system and identifies the difference between conflict and disagreement. Using a conflict resolution model, strategies for dealing with conflict as it arises are explored and tips are provided on how to effectively manage conflict to a satisfactory resolution for all parties.

  1. Advances in molecular-based diagnostics in meeting crop biosecurity and phytosanitary issues.

    PubMed

    Schaad, Norman W; Frederick, Reid D; Shaw, Joe; Schneider, William L; Hickson, Robert; Petrillo, Michael D; Luster, Douglas G

    2003-01-01

    Awareness of crop biosecurity and phytosanitation has been heightened since 9/11 and the unresolved anthrax releases in October 2001. Crops are highly vulnerable to accidental or deliberate introductions of crop pathogens from outside U.S. borders. Strategic thinking about protection against deliberate or accidental release of a plant pathogen is an urgent priority. Rapid detection will be the key to success. This review summarizes recent progress in the development of rapid real-time PCR protocols and evaluates their effectiveness in a proposed nationwide network of diagnostic laboratories that will facilitate rapid diagnostics and improved communication.

  2. Neutron star binaries, pulsars and burst sources

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lamb, F. K.

    1981-01-01

    Unresolved issues involving neutron star binaries, pulsars, and burst sources are described. Attention is drawn to the types of observations most likely to resolve them. Many of these observations are likely to be carried out during the next decade by one or more missions that have been approved or proposed. Flux measurements with an imaging detector and broad-band spectroscopic studies in the energy range 30-150 keV are discussed. The need for soft X-ray and X-ray observations with an instrument which has arcminute angular resolution and an effective area substantially greater than of ROSAT or EXOSAT is also discussed.

  3. Conflict management: a primer for doctors in training

    PubMed Central

    Saltman, D C; O'Dea, N A; Kidd, M R

    2006-01-01

    Conflict in the health arena is a growing concern and is well recognised for doctors in training. Its most extreme expression, workplace violence is on the increase. There is evidence that many conflicts remain unsatisfactorily resolved or unresolved, and result in ongoing issues for staff morale. This paper describes the nature of conflict in the health care system and identifies the difference between conflict and disagreement. Using a conflict resolution model, strategies for dealing with conflict as it arises are explored and tips are provided on how to effectively manage conflict to a satisfactory resolution for all parties. PMID:16397073

  4. Genes, cells, and biobanks: Yes, there’s still a consent problem

    PubMed Central

    Murdoch, Blake

    2017-01-01

    From a research perspective, the interest in biobanking continues to intensify. Governments and industry have invested heavily in biobanks, as exemplified by initiatives like the United Kingdom Biobank and United States' Precision Medicine Initiative. But despite this enthusiasm, many profound legal and ethical challenges remain unresolved. Indeed, there continues to be disagreements about how best to obtain consent and the degree and nature of control that research participants retain over donated samples and health information. Emerging social trends—including concerns about commercialization and perceived rights of continuing control (“biorights”)—seem likely to intensify these issues. PMID:28742850

  5. Multigrid techniques for unstructured meshes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mavriplis, D. J.

    1995-01-01

    An overview of current multigrid techniques for unstructured meshes is given. The basic principles of the multigrid approach are first outlined. Application of these principles to unstructured mesh problems is then described, illustrating various different approaches, and giving examples of practical applications. Advanced multigrid topics, such as the use of algebraic multigrid methods, and the combination of multigrid techniques with adaptive meshing strategies are dealt with in subsequent sections. These represent current areas of research, and the unresolved issues are discussed. The presentation is organized in an educational manner, for readers familiar with computational fluid dynamics, wishing to learn more about current unstructured mesh techniques.

  6. Staubli TX-90XL robot qualification at the LLIHE.

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

    Covert, Timothy Todd

    The Light Initiated High Explosive (LIHE) Facility uses a robotic arm to spray explosive material onto test items for impulse tests. In 2007, the decision was made to replace the existing PUMA 760 robot with the Staubli TX-90XL. A qualification plan was developed and implemented to verify the safe operating conditions and failure modes of the new system. The robot satisfied the safety requirements established in the qualification plan. A performance issue described in this report remains unresolved at the time of this publication. The final readiness review concluded the qualification of this robot at the LIHE facility.

  7. The Impact of Unresolved Turbulence on the Escape Fraction of Lyman Continuum Photons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Safarzadeh, M.; Scannapieco, E.

    2016-11-01

    We investigate the relation between the turbulent Mach number ({ M }) and the escape fraction of Lyman continuum photons ({f}{esc}) in high-redshift galaxies. Approximating the turbulence as isothermal and isotropic, we show that the increase in the variance in column densities from { M }=1 to { M }=10 causes {f}{esc} to increase by ≈ 25%, and the increase from { M }=1 to { M }=20 causes {f}{esc} to increases by ≈ 50% for a medium with opacity τ ≈ 1. At a fixed Mach number, the correction factor for escape fraction relative to a constant column density case scales exponentially with the opacity in the cell, which has a large impact for simulated star-forming regions. Furthermore, in simulations of isotropic turbulence with full atomic/ionic cooling and chemistry, the fraction of HI drops by a factor of ≈ 2.5 at { M }≈ 10 even when the mean temperature is ≈ 5× {10}3 {{K}}. If turbulence is unresolved, these effects together enhance {f}{esc} by a factor \\gt 3 at Mach numbers above 10. Such Mach numbers are common at high redshifts where vigorous turbulence is driven by supernovae, gravitational instabilities, and merger activity, as shown both by numerical simulations and observations. These results, if implemented in the current hydrodynamical cosmological simulations to account for unresolved turbulence, can boost the theoretical predictions of the Lyman Continuum photon escape fraction and further constrain the sources of reionization.

  8. Maternal Resolution of Grief After Preterm Birth: Implications for Infant Attachment Security

    PubMed Central

    Clements, Melissa; Poehlmann, Julie

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: This study explored the association between mothers' unresolved grief regarding their infant's preterm birth and infant-mother attachment security. We hypothesized that mothers with unresolved grief would be more likely to have insecurely attached infants at 16 months and that this association would be partially mediated by maternal interaction quality. METHODS: This longitudinal study focused on 74 preterm infants (age of <36 weeks) and their mothers who were part of a larger study of high-risk infants. The present analysis included assessment of neonatal and socioeconomic risks at NICU discharge; maternal depression, Reaction to Preterm Birth Interview findings, and quality of parenting at a postterm age of 9 months; and infant-mother attachment at postterm age of 16 months. Associations among findings of grief resolution with the Reaction to Preterm Birth Interview, quality of parenting interactions, and attachment security were explored by using relative risk ratios and logistic and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: The relative risk of developing insecure attachment when mothers had unresolved grief was 1.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.03–2.44). Controlling for covariates (adjusted odds ratio: 2.94), maternal feelings of resolved grief regarding the preterm birth experience were associated with secure infant-mother attachment at 16 months. Maternal grief resolution and interaction quality were independent predictors of attachment security. CONCLUSION: Maternal grief resolution regarding the experience of preterm birth and the quality of maternal interactions have important implications for emerging attachment security for infants born prematurely. PMID:21242223

  9. Maternal resolution of grief after preterm birth: implications for infant attachment security.

    PubMed

    Shah, Prachi E; Clements, Melissa; Poehlmann, Julie

    2011-02-01

    This study explored the association between mothers' unresolved grief regarding their infant's preterm birth and infant-mother attachment security. We hypothesized that mothers with unresolved grief would be more likely to have insecurely attached infants at 16 months and that this association would be partially mediated by maternal interaction quality. This longitudinal study focused on 74 preterm infants (age of <36 weeks) and their mothers who were part of a larger study of high-risk infants. The present analysis included assessment of neonatal and socioeconomic risks at NICU discharge; maternal depression, Reaction to Preterm Birth Interview findings, and quality of parenting at a postterm age of 9 months; and infant-mother attachment at postterm age of 16 months. Associations among findings of grief resolution with the Reaction to Preterm Birth Interview, quality of parenting interactions, and attachment security were explored by using relative risk ratios and logistic and multivariate regression models. The relative risk of developing insecure attachment when mothers had unresolved grief was 1.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.44). Controlling for covariates (adjusted odds ratio: 2.94), maternal feelings of resolved grief regarding the preterm birth experience were associated with secure infant-mother attachment at 16 months. Maternal grief resolution and interaction quality were independent predictors of attachment security. Maternal grief resolution regarding the experience of preterm birth and the quality of maternal interactions have important implications for emerging attachment security for infants born prematurely.

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

    PubMed

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

    2016-03-01

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

  11. The marginalisation of Indigenous students within school mathematics and the math wars: seeking resolutions within ethical spaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, Gale L.; Chernoff, Egan J.

    2013-03-01

    In mathematics education, there are (at least) two seemingly disparate and unethical issues that have been allowed to continue unresolved for decades: the math wars (traditional versus reform teaching and learning of mathematics) and the marginalisation of Indigenous students within K-12 mathematics. Willie Ermine, an Indigenous scholar, has proposed the use of ethical spaces to explore and analyse occurrences of unethical situations arising between the "intersection of Indigenous law and Canadian Legal systems" (Ermine, Indigenous Law Journal 6(1):193-203, 2007). This paper brings Ermine's notion of ethical spaces to the field of mathematics education research as the theoretical framework for analysing the aforementioned issues. The result of this analysis is a potential single theoretical resolution to both dilemmas that can also serve as a significant factor in the processes of decolonisation.

  12. FITTING NONLINEAR ORDINARY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION MODELS WITH RANDOM EFFECTS AND UNKNOWN INITIAL CONDITIONS USING THE STOCHASTIC APPROXIMATION EXPECTATION–MAXIMIZATION (SAEM) ALGORITHM

    PubMed Central

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

    2014-01-01

    The past decade has evidenced the increased prevalence of irregularly spaced longitudinal data in social sciences. Clearly lacking, however, are modeling tools that allow researchers to fit dynamic models to irregularly spaced data, particularly data that show nonlinearity and heterogeneity in dynamical structures. We consider the issue of fitting multivariate nonlinear differential equation models with random effects and unknown initial conditions to irregularly spaced data. A stochastic approximation expectation–maximization algorithm is proposed and its performance is evaluated using a benchmark nonlinear dynamical systems model, namely, the Van der Pol oscillator equations. The empirical utility of the proposed technique is illustrated using a set of 24-h ambulatory cardiovascular data from 168 men and women. Pertinent methodological challenges and unresolved issues are discussed. PMID:25416456

  13. Can temporal fine structure represent the fundamental frequency of unresolved harmonics?

    PubMed

    Oxenham, Andrew J; Micheyl, Christophe; Keebler, Michael V

    2009-04-01

    At least two modes of pitch perception exist: in one, the fundamental frequency (F0) of harmonic complex tones is estimated using the temporal fine structure (TFS) of individual low-order resolved harmonics; in the other, F0 is derived from the temporal envelope of high-order unresolved harmonics that interact in the auditory periphery. Pitch is typically more accurate in the former than in the latter mode. Another possibility is that pitch can sometimes be coded via the TFS from unresolved harmonics. A recent study supporting this third possibility [Moore et al. (2006a). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 480-490] based its conclusion on a condition where phase interaction effects (implying unresolved harmonics) accompanied accurate F0 discrimination (implying TFS processing). The present study tests whether these results were influenced by audible distortion products. Experiment 1 replicated the original results, obtained using a low-level background noise. However, experiments 2-4 found no evidence for the use of TFS cues with unresolved harmonics when the background noise level was raised, or the stimulus level was lowered, to render distortion inaudible. Experiment 5 measured the presence and phase dependence of audible distortion products. The results provide no evidence that TFS cues are used to code the F0 of unresolved harmonics.

  14. Unresolved trauma in mothers: intergenerational effects and the role of reorganization

    PubMed Central

    Iyengar, Udita; Kim, Sohye; Martinez, Sheila; Fonagy, Peter; Strathearn, Lane

    2014-01-01

    A mother's unresolved trauma may interfere with her ability to sensitively respond to her infant, thus affecting the development of attachment in her own child, and potentially contributing to the intergenerational transmission of trauma. One novel construct within the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation (DMM) coding of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) is “reorganization,” a process whereby speakers are actively changing their understanding of past and present experiences and moving toward attachment security. We conducted a study of mothers with unresolved trauma, exploring their own attachment classification, attachment outcomes of their children, and the potential effects of reorganization on child attachment. Forty-seven first-time mothers participated in the AAI during pregnancy, and returned with their child at 11 months to assess child attachment using the Strange Situation Procedure. Mothers with and without unresolved trauma were compared. We found that mothers with unresolved trauma had insecure attachment themselves and were more likely to have infants with insecure attachment. However, the one exception was that all of the mothers with unresolved trauma who were reorganizing toward secure attachment had infants with secure attachment. These preliminary findings suggest that mothers who are reorganizing may be able to more sensitively respond to their child's cues, contributing to the development of secure attachment. While our results need to be replicated in a larger cohort, this study is the first to explore the construct of reorganization and its potential relationship with child attachment. If confirmed in future studies, it may provide clinical insight into the intergenerational transmission of insecure attachment within the context of unresolved trauma. PMID:25225490

  15. Cash transfers for HIV prevention: considering their potential.

    PubMed

    Heise, Lori; Lutz, Brian; Ranganathan, Meghna; Watts, Charlotte

    2013-08-23

    Cash payments to vulnerable households and/or individuals have increasingly garnered attention as a means to reduce poverty, improve health and achieve other development-related outcomes. Recent evidence from Malawi and Tanzania suggests that cash transfers can impact HIV-related behaviours and outcomes and, therefore, could serve as an important addition to HIV prevention efforts. This article reviews the current evidence on cash transfers for HIV prevention and suggests unresolved questions for further research. Gaps include (1) understanding more about the mechanisms and pathways through which cash transfers affect HIV-related outcomes; (2) addressing key operational questions, including the potential feasibility and the costs and benefits of different models of transfers and conditionality; and (3) evaluating and enhancing the wider impacts of cash transfers on health and development. Ongoing and future studies should build on current findings to unpack unresolved questions and to collect additional evidence on the multiple impacts of transfers in different settings. Furthermore, in order to address questions on sustainability, cash transfer programmes need to be integrated with other sectors and programmes that address structural factors such as education and programming to promote gender equality and address HIV.

  16. Neural sensitivity to sex steroids predicts individual differences in aggression: implications for behavioural evolution.

    PubMed

    Rosvall, K A; Bergeon Burns, C M; Barske, J; Goodson, J L; Schlinger, B A; Sengelaub, D R; Ketterson, E D

    2012-09-07

    Testosterone (T) regulates many traits related to fitness, including aggression. However, individual variation in aggressiveness does not always relate to circulating T, suggesting that behavioural variation may be more closely related to neural sensitivity to steroids, though this issue remains unresolved. To assess the relative importance of circulating T and neural steroid sensitivity in predicting behaviour, we measured aggressiveness during staged intrusions in free-living male and female dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). We compared aggressiveness to plasma T levels and to the abundance of androgen receptor (AR), aromatase (AROM) and oestrogen receptor alpha (ORα) mRNA in behaviourally relevant brain areas (avian medial amygdala, hypothalamus and song control regions). We also asked whether patterns of covariation among behaviour and endocrine parameters differed in males and females, anticipating that circulating T may be a better predictor of behaviour in males than in females. We found that circulating T related to aggressiveness only in males, but that gene expression for ORα, AR and AROM covaried with individual differences in aggressiveness in both sexes. These findings are among the first to show that individual variation in neural gene expression for three major sex steroid-processing molecules predicts individual variation in aggressiveness in both sexes in nature. The results have broad implications for our understanding of the mechanisms by which aggressive behaviour may evolve.

  17. Ethics, policy, and educational issues in genetic testing.

    PubMed

    Williams, Janet K; Skirton, Heather; Masny, Agnes

    2006-01-01

    Analyze ethics, public policy, and education issues that arise in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) when genomic information acquired as a result of genetic testing is introduced into healthcare services. Priorities in the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Research Program include privacy, integration of genetic services into clinical health care, and educational preparation of the nursing workforce. These constructs are used to examine health policies in the US and UK, and professional interactions of individuals and families with healthcare providers. Individual, family, and societal goals may conflict with current healthcare practices and policies when genetic testing is done. Current health policies do not fully address these concerns. Unresolved issues include protection of privacy of individuals while considering genetic information needs of family members, determination of appropriate monitoring of genetic tests, addressing genetic healthcare discrepancies, and assuring appropriate nursing workforce preparation. Introduction of genetic testing into health care requires that providers are knowledgeable regarding ethical, policy, and practice issues in order to minimize risk for harm, protect the rights of individuals and families, and consider societal context in the management of genetic test results. Understanding of these issues is a component of genetic nursing competency that must be addressed at all levels of nursing education.

  18. Development and preliminary validation of a self-report measure of psychopathic personality traits in noncriminal populations.

    PubMed

    Lilienfeld, S O; Andrews, B P

    1996-06-01

    Research on psychopathology has been hindered by persisting difficulties and controversies regarding its assessment. The primary goals of this set of studies were to (a) develop, and initiate the construct validation of, a self-report measure that assesses the major personality traits of psychopathy in noncriminal populations and (b) clarify the nature of these traits via an exploratory approach to test construction. This measure, the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI), was developed by writing items to assess a large number of personality domains relevant to psychopathy and performing successive item-level factor analyses and revisions on three undergraduate samples. The PPI total score and its eight subscales were found to possess satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In four studies with undergraduates, the PPI and its subscales exhibited a promising pattern of convergent and discriminant validity with self-report, psychiatric interview, observer rating, and family history data. In addition, the PPI total score demonstrated incremental validity relative to several commonly used self-report psychopathy-related measures. Future construct validation studies, unresolved conceptual issues regarding the assessment of psychopathy, and potential research uses of the PPI are outlined.

  19. The Dual Challenges of Generality and Specificity When Developing Environmental DNA Markers for Species and Subspecies of Oncorhynchus.

    PubMed

    Wilcox, Taylor M; Carim, Kellie J; McKelvey, Kevin S; Young, Michael K; Schwartz, Michael K

    2015-01-01

    Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is a powerful tool for detecting invasive and native aquatic species. Often, species of conservation interest co-occur with other, closely related taxa. Here, we developed qPCR (quantitative PCR) markers which distinguish westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewsi), Yellowstone cutthroat trout (O. clarkii bouvieri), and rainbow trout (O. mykiss), which are of conservation interest both as native species and as invasive species across each other's native ranges. We found that local polymorphisms within westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout posed a challenge to designing assays that are generally applicable across the range of these widely-distributed species. Further, poorly-resolved taxonomies of Yellowstone cutthroat trout and Bonneville cutthroat trout (O. c. utah) prevented design of an assay that distinguishes these recognized taxa. The issues of intraspecific polymorphism and unresolved taxonomy for eDNA assay design addressed in this study are likely to be general problems for closely-related taxa. Prior to field application, we recommend that future studies sample populations and test assays more broadly than has been typical of published eDNA assays to date.

  20. The role of both parents’ attachment pattern in understanding childhood obesity

    PubMed Central

    Mazzeschi, Claudia; Pazzagli, Chiara; Laghezza, Loredana; Radi, Giulia; Battistini, Dalila; De Feo, Pierpaolo

    2014-01-01

    Within the research area on the determinants of childhood obesity, a relatively new approach is the use of attachment theory to explore the mechanisms underlying children’s obesity risk, especially considered as emotion regulation strategies in parent–child relationship. Few are the empirical researches that have addressed this issue. The empirical investigations have used self-report measures to assess adult attachment. In attachment studies, the use of interview methods and/or performance-based instruments is advised to evaluate the entire range of possible adult attachment patterns and comprehensively explain the emotional strategies, correlates, and consequences of individual differences in attachment system functioning. The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which both parents’ attachment patterns serve as self-regulative mechanisms related to childhood overweight/obesity by the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP) in a sample of 44 mothers and fathers of children referred for obesity. Insecure attachment was found as a risk factor both for mothers and fathers. Also unresolved/disorganization was found to play a significant role in childhood obesity. The role of father’s attachment was explored and findings suggested considering it in etiology and treatment of childhood obesity. PMID:25120507

  1. 29 CFR 1690.308 - Notice of unresolved disputes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES ON... of the EEOC and the agency involved would be ineffective in achieving a resolution of the dispute. Before using the disputes resolution mechanism, the EEOC or the initiating agency must have fully...

  2. 29 CFR 1690.308 - Notice of unresolved disputes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES ON... of the EEOC and the agency involved would be ineffective in achieving a resolution of the dispute. Before using the disputes resolution mechanism, the EEOC or the initiating agency must have fully...

  3. 29 CFR 1690.308 - Notice of unresolved disputes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES ON... of the EEOC and the agency involved would be ineffective in achieving a resolution of the dispute. Before using the disputes resolution mechanism, the EEOC or the initiating agency must have fully...

  4. 29 CFR 1690.308 - Notice of unresolved disputes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES ON... of the EEOC and the agency involved would be ineffective in achieving a resolution of the dispute. Before using the disputes resolution mechanism, the EEOC or the initiating agency must have fully...

  5. 29 CFR 1690.308 - Notice of unresolved disputes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PROCEDURES ON... of the EEOC and the agency involved would be ineffective in achieving a resolution of the dispute. Before using the disputes resolution mechanism, the EEOC or the initiating agency must have fully...

  6. Understanding Children’s Emotional Processes and Behavioral Strategies in the Context of Marital Conflict

    PubMed Central

    Koss, Kalsea J.; George, Melissa R. W.; Bergman, Kathleen N.; Cummings, E. Mark; Davies, Patrick T.; Cicchetti, Dante

    2011-01-01

    Marital conflict is a distressing context in which children must regulate their emotion and behavior, however, the associations between the multidimensionality of conflict and children’s regulatory processes needs to be examined. The current study examined differences in children’s (n = 207; M = 8.02 years) emotions (mad, sad, scared, and happy) and behavioral strategies to regulate conflict exposure during resolved, unresolved, escalating, and child-rearing marital conflict vignettes. Children’s cortisol levels were assessed in relation to child-rearing and resolved conflict vignettes. Anger and sadness were associated with escalating and child-rearing conflicts; fearfulness was related to escalating and unresolved conflicts. Children’s happiness was associated with resolution. Anger was associated with children’s strategies to stop conflict; whereas, sadness was associated with monitoring and avoidant strategies. Cortisol recovery moderated the link between fearfulness and behavioral regulation. These results highlight the importance of children’s emotions and regulatory processes in understanding the impact of marital conflict. PMID:21397249

  7. Error due to unresolved scales in estimation problems for atmospheric data assimilation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Janjic, Tijana

    The error arising due to unresolved scales in data assimilation procedures is examined. The problem of estimating the projection of the state of a passive scalar undergoing advection at a sequence of times is considered. The projection belongs to a finite- dimensional function space and is defined on the continuum. Using the continuum projection of the state of a passive scalar, a mathematical definition is obtained for the error arising due to the presence, in the continuum system, of scales unresolved by the discrete dynamical model. This error affects the estimation procedure through point observations that include the unresolved scales. In this work, two approximate methods for taking into account the error due to unresolved scales and the resulting correlations are developed and employed in the estimation procedure. The resulting formulas resemble the Schmidt-Kalman filter and the usual discrete Kalman filter, respectively. For this reason, the newly developed filters are called the Schmidt-Kalman filter and the traditional filter. In order to test the assimilation methods, a two- dimensional advection model with nonstationary spectrum was developed for passive scalar transport in the atmosphere. An analytical solution on the sphere was found depicting the model dynamics evolution. Using this analytical solution the model error is avoided, and the error due to unresolved scales is the only error left in the estimation problem. It is demonstrated that the traditional and the Schmidt- Kalman filter work well provided the exact covariance function of the unresolved scales is known. However, this requirement is not satisfied in practice, and the covariance function must be modeled. The Schmidt-Kalman filter cannot be computed in practice without further approximations. Therefore, the traditional filter is better suited for practical use. Also, the traditional filter does not require modeling of the full covariance function of the unresolved scales, but only modeling of the covariance matrix obtained by evaluating the covariance function at the observation points. We first assumed that this covariance matrix is stationary and that the unresolved scales are not correlated between the observation points, i.e., the matrix is diagonal, and that the values along the diagonal are constant. Tests with these assumptions were unsuccessful, indicating that a more sophisticated model of the covariance is needed for assimilation of data with nonstationary spectrum. A new method for modeling the covariance matrix based on an extended set of modeling assumptions is proposed. First, it is assumed that the covariance matrix is diagonal, that is, that the unresolved scales are not correlated between the observation points. It is postulated that the values on the diagonal depend on a wavenumber that is characteristic for the unresolved part of the spectrum. It is further postulated that this characteristic wavenumber can be diagnosed from the observations and from the estimate of the projection of the state that is being estimated. It is demonstrated that the new method successfully overcomes previously encountered difficulties.

  8. Army-NASA aircrew/aircraft integration program. Phase 5: A3I Man-Machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) software concept document

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Banda, Carolyn; Bushnell, David; Chen, Scott; Chiu, Alex; Neukom, Christian; Nishimura, Sayuri; Prevost, Michael; Shankar, Renuka; Staveland, Lowell; Smith, Greg

    1992-01-01

    This is the Software Concept Document for the Man-machine Integration Design and Analysis System (MIDAS) being developed as part of Phase V of the Army-NASA Aircrew/Aircraft Integration (A3I) Progam. The approach taken in this program since its inception in 1984 is that of incremental development with clearly defined phases. Phase 1 began in 1984 and subsequent phases have progressed at approximately 10-16 month intervals. Each phase of development consists of planning, setting requirements, preliminary design, detailed design, implementation, testing, demonstration and documentation. Phase 5 began with an off-site planning meeting in November, 1990. It is expected that Phase 5 development will be complete and ready for demonstration to invited visitors from industry, government and academia in May, 1992. This document, produced during the preliminary design period of Phase 5, is intended to record the top level design concept for MIDAS as it is currently conceived. This document has two main objectives: (1) to inform interested readers of the goals of the MIDAS Phase 5 development period, and (2) to serve as the initial version of the MIDAS design document which will be continuously updated as the design evolves. Since this document is written fairly early in the design period, many design issues still remain unresolved. Some of the unresolved issues are mentioned later in this document in the sections on specific components. Readers are cautioned that this is not a final design document and that, as the design of MIDAS matures, some of the design ideas recorded in this document will change. The final design will be documented in a detailed design document published after the demonstrations.

  9. Spatially unresolved SED fitting can underestimate galaxy masses: a solution to the missing mass problem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sorba, Robert; Sawicki, Marcin

    2018-05-01

    We perform spatially resolved, pixel-by-pixel Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fitting on galaxies up to z ˜ 2.5 in the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field (XDF). Comparing stellar mass estimates from spatially resolved and spatially unresolved photometry we find that unresolved masses can be systematically underestimated by factors of up to 5. The ratio of the unresolved to resolved mass measurement depends on the galaxy's specific star formation rate (sSFR): at low sSFRs the bias is small, but above sSFR ˜ 10-9.5 yr-1 the discrepancy increases rapidly such that galaxies with sSFRs ˜ 10-8 yr-1 have unresolved mass estimates of only one-half to one-fifth of the resolved value. This result indicates that stellar masses estimated from spatially unresolved data sets need to be systematically corrected, in some cases by large amounts, and we provide an analytic prescription for applying this correction. We show that correcting stellar mass measurements for this bias changes the normalization and slope of the star-forming main sequence and reduces its intrinsic width; most dramatically, correcting for the mass bias increases the stellar mass density of the Universe at high redshift and can resolve the long-standing discrepancy between the directly measured cosmic SFR density at z ≳ 1 and that inferred from stellar mass densities (`the missing mass problem').

  10. Liquid lithium loop system to solve challenging technology issues for fusion power plant

    DOE PAGES

    Ono, Masayuki; Majeski, Richard P.; Jaworski, Michael A.; ...

    2017-07-12

    Here, steady-state fusion power plant designs present major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both in steady-state and during transients. In addition to these concerns, there are the unresolved technology issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiation-based liquid lithium (LL) divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues, while potentially improving reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peakmore » heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-free core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced or non-coronal Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. To maintain the LL purity in a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned. We examined two key technology issues: 1) dust or solid particle removal and 2) real time recovery of tritium from LL while keeping the tritium inventory level to an acceptable level. By running the LL-loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to the outside where the dust / impurities can be removed by relatively simple dust filter, cold trap and/or centrifugal separation systems. With ~ 1 l/sec LL flow, even a small 0.1% dust content by weight (or 0.5 g per sec) suggests that the LL-loop could carry away nearly 16 tons of dust per year. In a 1 GW-electric (or ~ 3 GW fusion power) fusion power plant, about 0.5 g / sec of tritium is needed to maintain the fusion fuel cycle assuming ~ 1 % fusion burn efficiency. It appears feasible to recover tritium (T) in real time from LL while maintaining an acceptable T inventory level. Laboratory tests are being conducted to investigate T recovery feasibility with the surface cold trap (SCT) concept.« less

  11. Liquid lithium loop system to solve challenging technology issues for fusion power plant

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

    Ono, Masayuki; Majeski, Richard P.; Jaworski, Michael A.

    Here, steady-state fusion power plant designs present major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both in steady-state and during transients. In addition to these concerns, there are the unresolved technology issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiation-based liquid lithium (LL) divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues, while potentially improving reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peakmore » heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-free core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced or non-coronal Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. To maintain the LL purity in a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned. We examined two key technology issues: 1) dust or solid particle removal and 2) real time recovery of tritium from LL while keeping the tritium inventory level to an acceptable level. By running the LL-loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to the outside where the dust / impurities can be removed by relatively simple dust filter, cold trap and/or centrifugal separation systems. With ~ 1 l/sec LL flow, even a small 0.1% dust content by weight (or 0.5 g per sec) suggests that the LL-loop could carry away nearly 16 tons of dust per year. In a 1 GW-electric (or ~ 3 GW fusion power) fusion power plant, about 0.5 g / sec of tritium is needed to maintain the fusion fuel cycle assuming ~ 1 % fusion burn efficiency. It appears feasible to recover tritium (T) in real time from LL while maintaining an acceptable T inventory level. Laboratory tests are being conducted to investigate T recovery feasibility with the surface cold trap (SCT) concept.« less

  12. Liquid lithium loop system to solve challenging technology issues for fusion power plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ono, M.; Majeski, R.; Jaworski, M. A.; Hirooka, Y.; Kaita, R.; Gray, T. K.; Maingi, R.; Skinner, C. H.; Christenson, M.; Ruzic, D. N.

    2017-11-01

    Steady-state fusion power plant designs present major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both in steady-state and during transients. In addition to these concerns, there are the unresolved technology issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiation-based liquid lithium (LL) divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues, while potentially improving reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-free core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept, taking advantage of the enhanced or non-coronal Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. To maintain the LL purity in a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~1 l s-1 is envisioned. We examined two key technology issues: (1) dust or solid particle removal and (2) real time recovery of tritium from LL while keeping the tritium inventory level to an acceptable level. By running the LL-loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to the outside where the dust/impurities can be removed by relatively simple dust filter, cold trap and/or centrifugal separation systems. With ~1 l s-1 LL flow, even a small 0.1% dust content by weight (or 0.5 g s-1) suggests that the LL-loop could carry away nearly 16 tons of dust per year. In a 1 GW-electric (or ~3 GW fusion power) fusion power plant, about 0.5 g s-1 of tritium is needed to maintain the fusion fuel cycle assuming ~1% fusion burn efficiency. It appears feasible to recover tritium (T) in real time from LL while maintaining an acceptable T inventory level. Laboratory tests are being conducted to investigate T recovery feasibility with the surface cold trap concept.

  13. A Circumstellar Disk around HD 169142 in the Mid-Infrared (N-Band)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Okamoto, Yoshiko Kataza; Kataza, Hirokazu; Honda, M.; Yamashita, T.; Fujiyoshi, T.; Miyata, T.; Sako, S.; Fujiwara, H.; Sakon, I.; Fukagawa, M.; Momose, M.; Onaka, T.

    2017-07-01

    The Herbig Ae star HD 169142 is one of the objects that show complex structure, such as multiple (innermost, middle, and outer) disks, gaps, and unresolved sources. We made N-band (8-13 μm) observations of HD 169142 with the Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrometer on the 8.2 m Subaru Telescope. The images are spatially resolved out to an ˜1″ radius in all the observed bands. We made a simple disk model composed of an unresolved central source (representing the innermost disk/halo) and the ring at a radius r ˜ 25 au (corresponding to the inner wall or edge of a middle disk at ˜25-40 au). The radial intensity profile within the central region (≲0.″3 or ≲ 40 au) is well reproduced by the model. Furthermore, we subtracted the model image from the observed one to search for additional structures. In the model-subtracted images, we found an unresolved west source separated by 17.0 ± 2.9 au in the direction of position angle 260° ± 5° from the original emission peak, which is supposed to correspond to the position of the central star, and a bright east arc located at r ˜ 60 au. The west source is different from the L‧-band unresolved source recently found in coronagraphic observations. It could be a structure related to planet formation in the disk, such as a circumplanetary disk or clumpy disk structure. The east arc corresponds to the inner wall or edge of the outer disk. Based on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

  14. Characterization of Sound Radiation by Unresolved Scales of Motion in Computational Aeroacoustics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rubinstein, Robert; Zhou, Ye

    1999-01-01

    Evaluation of the sound sources in a high Reynolds number turbulent flow requires time-accurate resolution of an extremely large number of scales of motion. Direct numerical simulations will therefore remain infeasible for the forseeable future: although current large eddy simulation methods can resolve the largest scales of motion accurately the, they must leave some scales of motion unresolved. A priori studies show that acoustic power can be underestimated significantly if the contribution of these unresolved scales is simply neglected. In this paper, the problem of evaluating the sound radiation properties of the unresolved, subgrid-scale motions is approached in the spirit of the simplest subgrid stress models: the unresolved velocity field is treated as isotropic turbulence with statistical descriptors, evaluated from the resolved field. The theory of isotropic turbulence is applied to derive formulas for the total power and the power spectral density of the sound radiated by a filtered velocity field. These quantities are compared with the corresponding quantities for the unfiltered field for a range of filter widths and Reynolds numbers.

  15. The American Indian Holocaust: healing historical unresolved grief.

    PubMed

    Brave Heart, M Y; DeBruyn, L M

    1998-01-01

    American Indians experienced massive losses of lives, land, and culture from European contact and colonization resulting in a long legacy of chronic trauma and unresolved grief across generations. This phenomenon, labeled historical unresolved grief, contributes to the current social pathology of high rates of suicide, homicide, domestic violence, child abuse, alcoholism and other social problems among American Indians. The present paper describes the concept of historical unresolved grief and historical trauma among American Indians, outlining the historical as well as present social and political forces which exacerbate it. The abundant literature on Jewish Holocaust survivors and their children is used to delineate the intergenerational transmission of trauma, grief, and the survivor's child complex. Interventions based on traditional American Indian ceremonies and modern western treatment modalities for grieving and healing of those losses are described.

  16. The sigh of the oppressed: The palliative effects of ideology are stronger for people living in highly unequal neighbourhoods.

    PubMed

    Sengupta, Nikhil K; Greaves, Lara M; Osborne, Danny; Sibley, Chris G

    2017-09-01

    Ideologies that legitimize status hierarchies are associated with increased well-being. However, which ideologies have 'palliative effects', why they have these effects, and whether these effects extend to low-status groups remain unresolved issues. This study aimed to address these issues by testing the effects of the ideology of Symbolic Prejudice on well-being among low- and high-status ethnic groups (4,519 Europeans and 1,091 Māori) nested within 1,437 regions in New Zealand. Results showed that Symbolic Prejudice predicted increased well-being for both groups, but that this relationship was stronger for those living in highly unequal neighbourhoods. This suggests that it is precisely those who have the strongest need to justify inequality that accrue the most psychological benefit from subscribing to legitimizing ideologies. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  17. The nitrogen-vacancy colour centre in diamond

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doherty, Marcus W.; Manson, Neil B.; Delaney, Paul; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Hollenberg, Lloyd C. L.

    2013-07-01

    The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centre in diamond is an important physical system for emergent quantum technologies, including quantum metrology, information processing and communications, as well as for various nanotechnologies, such as biological and sub-diffraction limit imaging, and for tests of entanglement in quantum mechanics. Given this array of existing and potential applications and the almost 50 years of NV research, one would expect that the physics of the centre is well understood, however, the study of the NV centre has proved challenging, with many early assertions now believed false and many remaining issues yet to be resolved. This review represents the first time that the key empirical and ab initio results have been extracted from the extensive NV literature and assembled into one consistent picture of the current understanding of the centre. As a result, the key unresolved issues concerning the NV centre are identified and the possible avenues for their resolution are examined.

  18. Specific issues in living donor kidney transplantation: ABO - incompatibility.

    PubMed

    Thaiss, Friedrich

    2009-12-29

    Pre-emptive living kidney transplantation is the best choice of therapy to treat patients with advanced renal insufficiency. Unfortunately in up to one third of all cases kidney donation was refused due to blood group incompatibility. Limitations in donor availability for kidney transplantation therefore require that ABO-incompatible transplantation is safely established. This has changed when a new protocol was introduced in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2001. Almost 400 ABO-incompatible transplantations have since been performed in more than 20 centers with this protocol in Europe. ABO-incompatible living kidney transplantation can now be offered to our patients with advanced kidney disease as a safe procedure. To get more insight into the role ABO-incompatible organ transplantation might play in the near future transplantation centers currently involved in these processes should share their data to answer the unresolved issues we are concerned. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Unresolved issues in excimer laser corneal surgery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trokel, Stephen L.

    1991-06-01

    More than one hundred fifty clinical excimer laser units designed for corneal surgery have been developed and sold commercially. Manufacturers include Meditec Lasers in Germany, Summit Engineering, Taunton Technologies, and Visx in the United States, and Synthelabo in France. Furthermore a number of prototypes have been built in the USSR and other countries which are being investigated for their clinical use. While in the United States and Canada, substantial regulation of these devices has limited their distribution and use, sales in other parts of the world have been restricted only by market forces. Early clinical successes have created an enthusiasm for this new technology. In spite of this, substantial technical issues remain uncertain and have not been carefully studied. Indeed we have accepted certain parameters for on an almost serendipitous, empirical basis. It is a proper time to pause and consider the bases for these laser techniques.

  20. End of FY2014 Report - Filter Measurement System for Nuclear Material Storage Canisters (Including Altitude Correction for Filter Pressure Drop)

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

    Moore, Murray E.; Reeves, Kirk Patrick

    2015-02-24

    Two LANL FTS (Filter Test System ) devices for nuclear material storage canisters are fully operational. One is located in PF-4 ( i.e. the TA-55 FTS) while the other is located at the Radiation Protection Division’s Aerosol Engineering Facility ( i.e. the TA-3 FTS). The systems are functionally equivalent , with the TA-3 FTS being the test-bed for new additions and for resolving any issues found in the TA-55 FTS. There is currently one unresolved issue regarding the TA-55 FTS device. The canister lid clamp does not give a leak tight seal when testing the 1 QT (quart) or 2more » QT SAVY lids. An adapter plate is being developed that will ensure a correct test configuration when the 1 or 2 QT SAVY lid s are being tested .« less

  1. Highlights of the study of energy release in flares

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rust, D. M.; Batchelor, D. A.

    1987-01-01

    From February 26 to March 1, 1979, 32 solar flare investigators attended a workshop at Cambridge, MA to define objectives and devise a scientific program for the study of energy release in flares (SERF) during the coming solar maximum. Herein, some major results of the ensuing five-year effort to observe and understand the flare energy release process and its effects (energetic particle production, coronal and chromospheric heating, electromagnetic radiations, and mass motions and ejections) are reviewed. The central issue - what processes store and release the energy liberated in flares - remains unresolved except in the most general terms (e.g., it is generally agreed that the energy is stored in sheared or stressed magnetic fields and released by field annihilation during some MHD instability). Resolving that issue is still one of the most important goals in solar physics, but the advances during the SERF program have brought it closer.

  2. Association of Pesticide Exposure with Neurologic Dysfunction and Disease

    PubMed Central

    Kamel, Freya; Hoppin, Jane A.

    2004-01-01

    Poisoning by acute high-level exposure to certain pesticides has well-known neurotoxic effects, but whether chronic exposure to moderate levels of pesticides is also neurotoxic is more controversial. Most studies of moderate pesticide exposure have found increased prevalence of neurologic symptoms and changes in neurobehavioral performance, reflecting cognitive and psychomotor dysfunction. There is less evidence that moderate exposure is related to deficits in sensory or motor function or peripheral nerve conduction, but fewer studies have considered these outcomes. It is possible that the most sensitive manifestation of pesticide neurotoxicity is a general malaise lacking in specificity and related to mild cognitive dysfunction, similar to that described for Gulf War syndrome. Most studies have focused on organophosphate insecticides, but some found neuro-toxic effects from other pesticides, including fungicides, fumigants, and organochlorine and carbamate insecticides. Pesticide exposure may also be associated with increased risk of Parkinson disease; several classes of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, have been implicated. Studies of other neurodegenerative diseases are limited and inconclusive. Future studies will need to improve assessment of pesticide exposure in individuals and consider the role of genetic susceptibility. More studies of pesticides other than organophosphates are needed. Major unresolved issues include the relative importance of acute and chronic exposure, the effect of moderate exposure in the absence of poisoning, and the relationship of pesticide-related neurotoxicity to neurodegenerative disease. PMID:15198914

  3. Ensemble Kalman filters for dynamical systems with unresolved turbulence

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

    Grooms, Ian, E-mail: grooms@cims.nyu.edu; Lee, Yoonsang; Majda, Andrew J.

    Ensemble Kalman filters are developed for turbulent dynamical systems where the forecast model does not resolve all the active scales of motion. Coarse-resolution models are intended to predict the large-scale part of the true dynamics, but observations invariably include contributions from both the resolved large scales and the unresolved small scales. The error due to the contribution of unresolved scales to the observations, called ‘representation’ or ‘representativeness’ error, is often included as part of the observation error, in addition to the raw measurement error, when estimating the large-scale part of the system. It is here shown how stochastic superparameterization (amore » multiscale method for subgridscale parameterization) can be used to provide estimates of the statistics of the unresolved scales. In addition, a new framework is developed wherein small-scale statistics can be used to estimate both the resolved and unresolved components of the solution. The one-dimensional test problem from dispersive wave turbulence used here is computationally tractable yet is particularly difficult for filtering because of the non-Gaussian extreme event statistics and substantial small scale turbulence: a shallow energy spectrum proportional to k{sup −5/6} (where k is the wavenumber) results in two-thirds of the climatological variance being carried by the unresolved small scales. Because the unresolved scales contain so much energy, filters that ignore the representation error fail utterly to provide meaningful estimates of the system state. Inclusion of a time-independent climatological estimate of the representation error in a standard framework leads to inaccurate estimates of the large-scale part of the signal; accurate estimates of the large scales are only achieved by using stochastic superparameterization to provide evolving, large-scale dependent predictions of the small-scale statistics. Again, because the unresolved scales contain so much energy, even an accurate estimate of the large-scale part of the system does not provide an accurate estimate of the true state. By providing simultaneous estimates of both the large- and small-scale parts of the solution, the new framework is able to provide accurate estimates of the true system state.« less

  4. CO activation pathways and the mechanism of Fischer–Tropsch synthesis

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

    Ojeda, Manuel; Nabar, Rahul P.; Nilekar, Anand U.

    2010-06-15

    Unresolved mechanistic details of monomer formation in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) and of its oxygen rejection routes are addressed here by combining kinetic and theoretical analyses of elementary steps on representative Fe and Co surfaces saturated with chemisorbed CO. These studies provide experimental and theoretical evidence for hydrogen-assisted CO activation as the predominant kinetically-relevant step on Fe and Co catalysts at conditions typical of FTS practice. H2 and CO kinetic effects on FTS rates and oxygen rejection selectivity (as H2O or CO2) and density functional theory estimates of activation barriers and binding energies are consistent with H-assisted CO dissociation, but notmore » with the previously accepted kinetic relevance of direct CO dissociation and chemisorbed carbon hydrogenation elementary steps. H-assisted CO dissociation removes O-atoms as H2O, while direct dissociation forms chemisorbed oxygen atoms that desorb as CO2. Direct CO dissociation routes are minor contributors to monomer formation on Fe and may become favored at high temperatures on alkali-promoted catalysts, but not on Co catalysts, which remove oxygen predominantly as H2O because of the preponderance of Hassisted CO dissociation routes. The merging of experiment and theory led to the clarification of persistent mechanistic issues previously unresolved by separate experimental and theoretical inquiries.« less

  5. The Role of Attention in Item-Item Binding in Visual Working Memory

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peterson, Dwight J.; Naveh-Benjamin, Moshe

    2017-01-01

    An important yet unresolved question regarding visual working memory (VWM) relates to whether or not binding processes within VWM require additional attentional resources compared with processing solely the individual components comprising these bindings. Previous findings indicate that binding of surface features (e.g., colored shapes) within VWM…

  6. Publication analysis of the contact lens field: what are the current topics of interest?

    PubMed

    Cardona, Genís; Sanz, Joan P

    2015-01-01

    To determine the main current research interests of scientists working in the contact lens field. All articles published in the 2011 issues of all journals included in the Journal Citation Reports subject category Ophthalmology were inspected to expose those papers related to the contact lens field. Information regarding source journal was obtained and authorship details were recorded to determine the top most prolific authors, institutions and countries. A comprehensive list of key words was compiled to generate a two-dimensional term map in which the frequency of occurrence of a particular term is defined by label size and the distance between two terms is an indication of the relatedness of these terms, based on their co-occurrences within groups of key words. Clusters of related terms were also identified. Visual examination of all articles uncovered a total of 156 papers, published in 28 different journals. Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, Eye & Contact Lens and Optometry and Vision Science had 27 articles each. The most prolific authors and institutions revealed the predominance of countries with long research tradition in the contact lens field. Ten different word clusters or areas of interest were identified, including both traditional, yet unresolved issues (e.g., comfort or dry eye), and the latest research efforts (e.g., myopia control). These findings, which revealed contact lenses to be a fertile area of research, may be of relevance to new researchers as well as to those interested in exploring the latest research trends in this scientific discipline. Copyright © 2013 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  7. Ebola epidemic of 2014-2015: unresolved ethical issues.

    PubMed

    Garbuglia, Anna Rosa

    2016-01-01

    Some ethical aspects of the management of the Ebola epidemic in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone which started in January 2014, have been questionable. First, as regards the prevention of the spread of the virus, the necessary epidemiological investigations on the origin of the infection were not carried out adequately and this did not help to curb the spread of the disease. A disparity has been observed between the western and African countries' access to the treatment of patients; this infringes on the principle of equality. This paper also focuses on how the Global Public Goods for Health principle was not fully respected in the management of the epidemic.

  8. Intermittent fasting and cardiovascular disease: current evidence and unresolved questions.

    PubMed

    Tinsley, Grant M; Horne, Benjamin D

    2018-01-01

    Intermittent fasting has produced a variety of beneficial health effects in animal models, although high-quality research in humans has been limited. This special report examines current evidences for intermittent fasting in humans, discusses issues that require further examination, and recommends new research that can improve the knowledge base in this emerging research area. While potentially useful for health improvement, intermittent fasting requires further study prior to widespread implementation for health purposes. Randomized, longer-term studies are needed to determine whether using intermittent fasting as a lifestyle rather than a diet is feasible and beneficial for the health of some members of the human population.

  9. Magnetotail Reconnection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petrukovich, A.; Artemyev, A.; Nakamura, R.

    Reconnection is the key process responsible for the magnetotail dynamics. Driven reconnection in the distant tail is not sufficient to support global magnetospheric convection and the near Earth neutral line spontaneously forms to restore the balance. Mechanisms of initiation of such near-Earth magnetotail reconnection still represent one of major unresolved issues in space physics. We review the progress in this topic during the last decade. Recent theoretical advances suggest several variants of overcoming the famous tearing stability problem. Multipoint spacecraft observations reveal detailed structure of pre-onset current sheet of and reconnection zone down to ion larmor scale, supporting the importance of unstable state development through internal magnetotail reconfiguration.

  10. From experimental systems to evolutionary biology: an impossible journey?

    PubMed

    Morange, Michel

    2013-01-01

    The historical approach to the sciences has undergone a sea change during recent decades. Maybe the major contribution of Hans-Jörg Rheinberger to this movement was his demonstration of the importance of experimental systems, and of their transformations, in the development of the sciences. To describe these transformations, Hans-Jörg borrows metaphors from evolutionary biology. I want to argue that evolutionary biologists can find in these recent historical studies plenty of models and concepts to address unresolved issues in their discipline. At a time when transdisciplinarity is highly praised, it is useful to provide a precise description of the obstacles that have so far prevented this exchange.

  11. Methodological considerations in service use assessment for children and youth with mental health conditions; issues for economic evaluation.

    PubMed

    Woolderink, M; Lynch, F L; van Asselt, A D I; Beecham, J; Evers, S M A A; Paulus, A T G; van Schayck, C P

    2015-05-01

    Economic evaluations are increasingly used in decision-making. Accurate measurement of service use is critical to economic evaluation. This qualitative study, based on expert interviews, aims to identify best approaches to service use measurement for child mental health conditions, and to identify problems in current methods. Results suggest considerable agreement on strengths (e.g., availability of accurate instruments to measure service use) and weaknesses, (e.g., lack of unit prices for services outside the health sector) or alternative approaches to service use measurement. Experts also identified some unresolved problems, for example the lack of uniform definitions for some mental health services.

  12. Knowledge-based approach for generating target system specifications from a domain model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gomaa, Hassan; Kerschberg, Larry; Sugumaran, Vijayan

    1992-01-01

    Several institutions in industry and academia are pursuing research efforts in domain modeling to address unresolved issues in software reuse. To demonstrate the concepts of domain modeling and software reuse, a prototype software engineering environment is being developed at George Mason University to support the creation of domain models and the generation of target system specifications. This prototype environment, which is application domain independent, consists of an integrated set of commercial off-the-shelf software tools and custom-developed software tools. This paper describes the knowledge-based tool that was developed as part of the environment to generate target system specifications from a domain model.

  13. On the linguistic status of ‘agreement’ in sign languages

    PubMed Central

    LILLO-MARTIN, DIANE; MEIER, RICHARD P.

    2013-01-01

    In signed languages, the arguments of verbs can be marked by a system of verbal modification that has been termed “agreement” (more neutrally, “directionality”). Fundamental issues regarding directionality remain unresolved and the phenomenon has characteristics that call into question its analysis as agreement. We conclude that directionality marks person in American Sign Language, and the ways person marking interacts with syntactic phenomena are largely analogous to morpho-syntactic properties of familiar agreement systems. Overall, signed languages provide a crucial test for how gestural and linguistic mechanisms can jointly contribute to the satisfaction of fundamental aspects of linguistic structure. PMID:23495262

  14. The object and the dream: Mark Rothko.

    PubMed

    Turco, Ronald

    2002-01-01

    An exploration of unconscious determinants provides useful insights in considering Mark Rothko's creativity and behavioral characteristics. A basic focus is the issue of childhood loss and unresolved grief. The studies of Martha Wolfenstein on preadolescent and childhood parent loss are paramount in considering Rothko the man. Rothko, as a result of early losses, was predisposed to recurrent depressions and bouts of anger which created difficulties in his intimate relationships. Rothko evidenced a lifelong mistrust of male authority figures which may also account for his antipathy toward psychoanalysis. His psychological life was complicated by his experiences of institutionalized anti-Semitism which further diminished his trust in others.

  15. Role of attentional tags in working memory-driven attentional capture.

    PubMed

    Kuo, Chun-Yu; Chao, Hsuan-Fu

    2014-08-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated that the contents of working memory capture attention when performing a visual search task. However, it remains an intriguing and unresolved question whether all kinds of items stored in working memory capture attention. The present study investigated this issue by manipulating the attentional tags (target or distractor) associated with information maintained in working memory. The results showed that working memory-driven attentional capture is a flexible process, and that attentional tags associated with items stored in working memory do modulate attentional capture. When items were tagged as a target, they automatically captured attention; however, when items were tagged as a distractor, attentional capture was reduced.

  16. Single realization stochastic FDTD for weak scattering waves in biological random media.

    PubMed

    Tan, Tengmeng; Taflove, Allen; Backman, Vadim

    2013-02-01

    This paper introduces an iterative scheme to overcome the unresolved issues presented in S-FDTD (stochastic finite-difference time-domain) for obtaining ensemble average field values recently reported by Smith and Furse in an attempt to replace the brute force multiple-realization also known as Monte-Carlo approach with a single-realization scheme. Our formulation is particularly useful for studying light interactions with biological cells and tissues having sub-wavelength scale features. Numerical results demonstrate that such a small scale variation can be effectively modeled with a random medium problem which when simulated with the proposed S-FDTD indeed produces a very accurate result.

  17. Single realization stochastic FDTD for weak scattering waves in biological random media

    PubMed Central

    Tan, Tengmeng; Taflove, Allen; Backman, Vadim

    2015-01-01

    This paper introduces an iterative scheme to overcome the unresolved issues presented in S-FDTD (stochastic finite-difference time-domain) for obtaining ensemble average field values recently reported by Smith and Furse in an attempt to replace the brute force multiple-realization also known as Monte-Carlo approach with a single-realization scheme. Our formulation is particularly useful for studying light interactions with biological cells and tissues having sub-wavelength scale features. Numerical results demonstrate that such a small scale variation can be effectively modeled with a random medium problem which when simulated with the proposed S-FDTD indeed produces a very accurate result. PMID:27158153

  18. Resource utilization in home health care: results of a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Trisolini, M G; Thomas, C P; Cashman, S B; Payne, S M

    1994-01-01

    Resource utilization in home health care has become an issue of concern due to rising costs and recent initiatives to develop prospective payment systems for home health care. A number of issues remain unresolved for the development of prospective reimbursement in this sector, including the types of variables to be included as payment variables and appropriate measures of resource use. This study supplements previous work on home health case-mix by analyzing the factors affecting one aspect of resource use for skilled nursing visits--visit length--and explores the usefulness of several specially collected variables which are not routinely available in administrative records. A data collection instrument was developed with a focus group of skilled nurses, identifying a range of variables hypothesized to affect visit length. Five categories of variables were studied using multiple regression analysis: provider-related; patient's socio-economic status; patient's clinical status; patient's support services; and visit-specific. The final regression model identifies 9 variables which significantly affect visit time. Five of the 9 are visit-specific variables, a significant finding since these are not routinely collected. Case-mix systems which include visit time as a measure of resource use will need to investigate visit-specific variables, as this study indicates they could have the largest influence on visit time. Two other types of resources used in home health care, supplies and security drivers, were also investigated in less detail.

  19. Macro- and microscale fluid flow systems for endothelial cell biology.

    PubMed

    Young, Edmond W K; Simmons, Craig A

    2010-01-21

    Recent advances in microfluidics have brought forth new tools for studying flow-induced effects on mammalian cells, with important applications in cardiovascular, bone and cancer biology. The plethora of microscale systems developed to date demonstrate the flexibility of microfluidic designs, and showcase advantages of the microscale that are simply not available at the macroscale. However, the majority of these systems will likely not achieve widespread use in the biological laboratory due to their complexity and lack of user-friendliness. To gain widespread acceptance in the biological research community, microfluidics engineers must understand the needs of cell biologists, while biologists must be made aware of available technology. This review provides a critical evaluation of cell culture flow (CCF) systems used to study the effects of mechanical forces on endothelial cells (ECs) in vitro. To help understand the need for various designs of CCF systems, we first briefly summarize main properties of ECs and their native environments. Basic principles of various macro- and microscale systems are described and evaluated. New opportunities are uncovered for developing technologies that have potential to both improve efficiency of experimentation as well as answer important biological questions that otherwise cannot be tackled with existing systems. Finally, we discuss some of the unresolved issues related to microfluidic cell culture, suggest possible avenues of investigation that could resolve these issues, and provide an outlook for the future of microfluidics in biological research.

  20. Unresolved issues in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency: Need for safer conditioning and reduced late effects

    PubMed Central

    Horn, Biljana; Cowan, Morton J.

    2017-01-01

    In this review we discuss recent outcomes of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) for patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), including survival, T- and B-cell reconstitution, and late effects, particularly those related to genotype, use of conditioning regimen, and use of alternative donors. We identify the following issues that require additional data, which can be obtained through cooperative studies: outcomes of patients with SCID who did not receive conditioning before alternative donor HCT; outcomes of patients with SCID who did not receive graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis after T cell–replete HCT; late effects of HCT for patients with SCID, including neurocognitive outcomes, growth, and development; and their relationship to genotype and use of alkylating agents for conditioning. Careful follow-up of outcomes of all newborns receiving diagnoses based on newborn screening programs for SCID is essential because data are scarce on the effects of conditioning regimens in very young patients. A consensus on the definition of T- and B-cell recovery, criteria for additional “boosts,” pharmacokinetic data of chemotherapy agents used in young children, and uniformity of the use of various chemotherapy agents are needed to compare results among institutions. Finally, development of new nontoxic conditioning regimens for HCT that can be safely used in very young children is required. PMID:23622119

  1. Attachment stability and the emergence of unresolved representations during adolescence.

    PubMed

    Aikins, Julie Wargo; Howes, Carollee; Hamilton, Claire

    2009-09-01

    This 15-year longitudinal study examined the stability of attachment representations from infancy to adolescence and investigated the emergence of unresolved representations during adolescence in a sample of 47 16-year-olds. Attachment was assessed at 12 months using the Strange Situation Procedure, at 4 years using the modified Strange Situation Procedure, and again at 16 years with the Adult Attachment Projective (AAP). The emergence of unresolved classifications in adolescence (AAP) was associated with higher rates of negative life events, low levels of early mother-child relationship security (an aggregate measure of the 12-month and 4-year measures), negative teacher-child relationship experiences in middle childhood, and low early adolescent friendship quality. The results support the growing body of evidence suggesting that changes in attachment are lawful, while adding to the growing understanding of the emergence of unresolved attachment representations.

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

    Ono, M.; Jaworski, M. A.; Kaita, R.

    Steady-state fusion reactor operation presents major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both steady-state and transients. In addition to those issues, there are unresolved issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiative liquid lithium divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues while potentially improving the reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-freemore » core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. It was estimated that only a few moles/sec of lithium injection would be needed to significantly reduce the divertor heat flux in a tokamak fusion power plant. By operating at lower temperatures ≤ 500°C than the first wall ~ 600 – 700°C, the LL-covered divertor chamber wall surfaces can serve as an effective particle pump, as impurities generally migrate toward lower temperature LL divertor surfaces. To maintain the LL purity, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned to sustain the steady-state operation of a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant. By running the Li loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to outside where the dust / impurities are removed by relatively simple filter and cold/hot trap systems. Using a cold trap system, it can recover in tritium (T) in real time from LL at a rate of ~ 0.5 g / sec needed to sustain the fusion reaction while minimizing the T inventory issue. With an expected T fraction of ≤ 0.7 %, an acceptable level of T inventory can be achieved. In NSTX-U, preparations are now underway to elucidate the physics of Li plasma interactions with a number of Li application tools and Li radiation spectroscopic instruments. The NSTX-U Li evaporator which provides Li coating over the lower divertor plate, can offer important information on the RLLD concept, and the Li granule injector will test some of the key physics issue on the ARLLD concept. A LL-loop is also being prepared off line for prototyping future use on NSTX-U.« less

  3. Survey on Security Issues in Cloud Computing and Associated Mitigation Techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhadauria, Rohit; Sanyal, Sugata

    2012-06-01

    Cloud Computing holds the potential to eliminate the requirements for setting up of high-cost computing infrastructure for IT-based solutions and services that the industry uses. It promises to provide a flexible IT architecture, accessible through internet for lightweight portable devices. This would allow multi-fold increase in the capacity or capabilities of the existing and new software. In a cloud computing environment, the entire data reside over a set of networked resources, enabling the data to be accessed through virtual machines. Since these data-centers may lie in any corner of the world beyond the reach and control of users, there are multifarious security and privacy challenges that need to be understood and taken care of. Also, one can never deny the possibility of a server breakdown that has been witnessed, rather quite often in the recent times. There are various issues that need to be dealt with respect to security and privacy in a cloud computing scenario. This extensive survey paper aims to elaborate and analyze the numerous unresolved issues threatening the cloud computing adoption and diffusion affecting the various stake-holders linked to it.

  4. State-Space Analysis of Granger-Geweke Causality Measures with Application to fMRI.

    PubMed

    Solo, Victor

    2016-05-01

    The recent interest in the dynamics of networks and the advent, across a range of applications, of measuring modalities that operate on different temporal scales have put the spotlight on some significant gaps in the theory of multivariate time series. Fundamental to the description of network dynamics is the direction of interaction between nodes, accompanied by a measure of the strength of such interactions. Granger causality and its associated frequency domain strength measures (GEMs) (due to Geweke) provide a framework for the formulation and analysis of these issues. In pursuing this setup, three significant unresolved issues emerge. First, computing GEMs involves computing submodels of vector time series models, for which reliable methods do not exist. Second, the impact of filtering on GEMs has never been definitively established. Third, the impact of downsampling on GEMs has never been established. In this work, using state-space methods, we resolve all these issues and illustrate the results with some simulations. Our analysis is motivated by some problems in (fMRI) brain imaging, to which we apply it, but it is of general applicability.

  5. State-Space Analysis of Granger-Geweke Causality Measures with Application to fMRI

    PubMed Central

    Solo, Victor

    2017-01-01

    The recent interest in the dynamics of networks and the advent, across a range of applications, of measuring modalities that operate on different temporal scales have put the spotlight on some significant gaps in the theory of multivariate time series. Fundamental to the description of network dynamics is the direction of interaction between nodes, accompanied by a measure of the strength of such interactions. Granger causality and its associated frequency domain strength measures (GEMs) (due to Geweke) provide a framework for the formulation and analysis of these issues. In pursuing this setup, three significant unresolved issues emerge. First, computing GEMs involves computing submodels of vector time series models, for which reliable methods do not exist. Second, the impact of filtering on GEMs has never been definitively established. Third, the impact of downsampling on GEMs has never been established. In this work, using state-space methods, we resolve all these issues and illustrate the results with some simulations. Our analysis is motivated by some problems in (fMRI) brain imaging, to which we apply it, but it is of general applicability. PMID:26942749

  6. miR-34a: Multiple Opposing Targets and One Destiny in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Yacoub, Radwa Alaa; Fawzy, Injie Omar; Assal, Reem Amr; Hosny, Karim Adel; Zekri, Abdel-Rahman Nabawy; Esmat, Gamal; El Tayebi, Hend Mohamed; Abdelaziz, Ahmed Ihab

    2016-12-28

    Background and Aims: The role of miR-34a in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial and several unresolved issues remain, including its expression pattern and relevance to tumor etiology, tumor stage and prognosis, and finally, its impact on apoptosis. Methods: miR-34a expression was assessed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced non-metastatic HCC tissues by RT-Q-PCR. Huh-7 cells were transfected with miR-34a mimics and the impact of miR-34a was examined on 84 pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic genes using PCR array; its net effect was tested on cell viability via MTT assay. Results: miR-34a expression was up-regulated in HCC tissues. Moreover, miR-34a induced a large set of pro-apoptotic/anti-apoptotic genes, with a net result of triggering apoptosis and repressing cell viability. Conclusions: HCC-related differential expression of miR-34a could be etiology-based or stage-specific, and low expression of miR-34a may predict poor prognosis. This study's findings also emphasize the role of miR-34a in apoptosis.

  7. Impact of Virtual Environments on Sensorimotor Coordination and User Safety

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harm, Deborah L.; Taylor, Laura C.; Kennedy, Robert S.; Reschke, Millard F.

    2011-01-01

    One critical unresolved issue related to the safe use of virtual environments (VEs) is maladaptive sensorimotor coordination following exposure to VEs. Moving visual displays used in VEs, especially in the absence of concordant vestibular signals leads to adaptive responses during VE exposure, but maladaptive responses following return to the normal environment. In the current set of investigations, we examined the effect of HMD and dome VE displays on eye-head-hand coordination, gaze holding and postural equilibrium. Subjects (61) performed a navigation and a pick and place task. Further, we compared 30 min and 60 min exposures across 3 days (each separated by 1 day). A subset of these results will be presented. In general, we found significant decrements in all three measures following exposure to the VEs. In addition, we found that these disturbances generally recovered within 1-2 hrs and decreased across days. These findings suggest the need for post-VE monitoring of sensorimotor coordination and for developing a set of recommendations for users concerning activities that are safe to engage in following use of a VE.

  8. Frequency spectrum of transepithelial potential difference reveals transport-related oscillations.

    PubMed

    Montalbetti, Nicolás; Fischbarg, Jorge

    2009-09-16

    How epithelia transport fluid is a fundamental issue that is unresolved. Explanations offered include molecular engines, local transcellular osmosis, local paracellular osmosis, and paracellular fluid transport. On the basis of experimental and theoretical work done on corneal endothelium, a fluid transporting epithelium, we suggest electroosmotic coupling at the level of the intercellular junctions driven by the transendothelial electrical potential difference as an explanation of paracellular fluid transport. We collect frequency spectra of that potential difference in real-time. For what we believe is the first time for any epithelium, we report that, unexpectedly, the potential difference displays oscillations at many characteristic frequencies. We also show that on both stimulating cell activity and inhibiting ion transport mechanisms, there are corresponding changes in the oscillations amplitudes that mirror changes known previously in rates of fluid transport. We believe these findings provide a novel tool to study the kinetics of electrogenic elements such as channels and transporters, which from this evidence would give rise to current oscillations with characteristic periods going from 150 ms to 8 s.

  9. Periodization in Team Sport Games - A Review of Current Knowledge and Modern Trends in Competitive Sports

    PubMed Central

    Lyakh, Vladimir; Bujas, Przemysław; Witkowski, Zbigniew; Zając, Tomasz; Litkowycz, Ryszard; Banyś, Damian

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The main goal of this study was to present a review of current knowledge and modern trends in periodization of the training process in team sports. The research objectives were: an analysis of various aspects of periodization of the annual training cycle for elite athletes practicing team sport games, an attempt to determine both the examined and unexamined issues related with periodization of training as well as to indicate directions for further research, and finally, presentation of different training loads and competitions in micro-, meso- and macrocycles. The research consisted of the analysis and generalization of the bibliography, methods of monitoring training and competition loads of the Polish national U17 female soccer team in the seasons 2011/2012 and 2012/2013, as well as of the female basketball division one club in the season 2014/2015. Findings of the present study indicate resolved as well as unresolved aspects of annual training cycle periodization in team sport games and provide information on the types of training and competitive workload planning in micro-, meso- and macrocycles.

  10. Iron Homeostasis in Peripheral Nervous System, Still a Black Box?

    PubMed Central

    Taveggia, Carla

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Significance: Iron is the most abundant transition metal in biology and an essential cofactor for many cellular enzymes. Iron homeostasis impairment is also a component of peripheral neuropathies. Recent Advances: During the past years, much effort has been paid to understand the molecular mechanism involved in maintaining systemic iron homeostasis in mammals. This has been stimulated by the evidence that iron dyshomeostasis is an initial cause of several disorders, including genetic and sporadic neurodegenerative disorders. Critical Issues: However, very little has been done to investigate the physiological role of iron in peripheral nervous system (PNS), despite the development of suitable cellular and animal models. Future Directions: To stimulate research on iron metabolism and peripheral neuropathy, we provide a summary of the knowledge on iron homeostasis in the PNS, on its transport across the blood–nerve barrier, its involvement in myelination, and we identify unresolved questions. Furthermore, we comment on the role of iron in iron-related disorder with peripheral component, in demyelinating and metabolic peripheral neuropathies. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 21, 634–648. PMID:24409826

  11. Fatigue crack initiation of magnesium alloys under elastic stress amplitudes: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, B. J.; Xu, D. K.; Wang, S. D.; Han, E. H.

    2017-12-01

    The most advantageous property of magnesium (Mg) alloys is their density, which is lower compared with traditional metallic materials. Mg alloys, considered the lightest metallic structural material among others, have great potential for applications as secondary load components in the transportation and aerospace industries. The fatigue evaluation of Mg alloys under elastic stress amplitudes is very important in ensuring their service safety and reliability. Given their hexagonal close packed structure, the fatigue crack initiation of Mg and its alloys is closely related to the deformation mechanisms of twinning and basal slips. However, for Mg alloys with shrinkage porosities and inclusions, fatigue cracks will preferentially initiate at these defects, remarkably reducing the fatigue lifetime. In this paper, some fundamental aspects about the fatigue crack initiation mechanisms of Mg alloys are reviewed, including the 3 followings: 1) Fatigue crack initiation of as-cast Mg alloys, 2) influence of microstructure on fatigue crack initiation of wrought Mg alloys, and 3) the effect of heat treatment on fatigue initiation mechanisms. Moreover, some unresolved issues and future target on the fatigue crack initiation mechanism of Mg alloys are also described.

  12. Shadows amid sunshine: regulating financial conflicts in medical research.

    PubMed

    Saver, Richard S

    2014-02-01

    Under brand new rules implementing the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (Sunshine Act), a wide range of financial relationships, including many research-related payments, between industry, physicians, and teaching hospitals will be publicly disclosed through comprehensive, standardized payment reporting. The Sunshine Act represents the latest in a series of regulatory attempts to address financial conflicts of interest that may bias research conduct and threaten subject safety. This article summarizes the major aspects of the Sunshine Act affecting medical research, how it interacts with existing laws and policies, and identifies important unresolved issues and implementation challenges that still lie ahead with the rollout of the legislation underway. The Sunshine Act primarily depends on disclosure as a regulatory tool. As such, its long-term impact remains open to question. Disclosure in this context may have limited utility given, among other reasons, uncertainty about who the intended recipients are and their ability to use the information effectively. Apart from the insufficiency of transparency, this article further explores how proportionality, fairness, and accountability considerations make optimal regulation of financial conflicts in medical research quite challenging.

  13. Methamphetamine use and dependence in vulnerable female populations.

    PubMed

    Kittirattanapaiboon, Phunnapa; Srikosai, Soontaree; Wittayanookulluk, Apisak

    2017-07-01

    The study reviews recent publications on methamphetamine use and dependence women in term of their epidemic, physical health impact, psychosocial impacts, and also in the identified vulnerable issues. Studies of vulnerable populations of women are wide ranging and include sex workers, sexual minorities, homeless, psychiatric patients, suburban women, and pregnant women, in which amphetamine type stimulants (ATSs) are the most commonly reported illicit drug used among them. The prenatal exposure of ATS demonstrated the small for gestational age and low birth weight; however, more research is needed on long-term studies of methamphetamine-exposed children. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is commonly reported by female methamphetamine users as perpetrators and victims. However, statistics and gendered power dynamics suggest that methamphetamine-related IPV indicates a higher chance of femicide. Methamphetamine-abusing women often have unresolved childhood trauma and are introduced to ATS through families or partners. Vulnerable populations of women at risk of methamphetamine abuse and dependence. Impacts on their physical and mental health, IPV, and pregnancy have been reported continuing, which guide that empowering and holistic substance abuse are necessary for specific group.

  14. Should patients with self-inflicted illness receive lower priority in access to healthcare resources? Mapping out the debate.

    PubMed

    Sharkey, Kerith; Gillam, Lynn

    2010-11-01

    The distribution of scarce healthcare resources is an increasingly important issue due to factors such as expensive 'high tech' medicine, longer life expectancies and the rising prevalence of chronic illness. Furthermore, in the current healthcare context lifestyle-related factors such as high blood pressure, tobacco use and obesity are believed to contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. As such, this paper focuses on an ongoing debate in the academic literature regarding the role of responsibility for illness in healthcare resource allocation: should patients with self-caused illness receive lower priority in access to healthcare resources? This paper critically describes the lower priority debate's 12 key arguments and maps out their relationships. This analysis reveals that most arguments have been refuted and that the debate has stalled and remains unresolved. In conclusion, we suggest progression could be achieved by inviting multidisciplinary input from a range of stakeholders for the development of evidence-based critical evaluations of existing arguments and the development of novel arguments, including the outstanding rebuttals.

  15. Residents' diverse perspectives of the impact of neighbourhood renewal on quality of life and physical activity engagement: Improvements but unresolved issues

    PubMed Central

    Coulson, J.C.; Fox, K.R.; Lawlor, D.A.; Trayers, T.

    2011-01-01

    Few studies have been published on the reactions of residents to modifications of their residential landscape. We explored residents' experiences of home zone remodelling and construction of a new cycle-walkway in a deprived neighbourhood with a particular focus on aspects of quality of life and physical activity participation. Focus groups (n=5 groups, 21 individuals) were used to investigate residents' perceptions of the effects of neighbourhood change on their lives. Consultation by planners was received positively. Several aspects of the neighbourhood were perceived to have improved, including spatial aesthetics, lighting and streetscape planting. However, influence on physical activity was minimal. Car-focused behaviour and ownership remained dominant, and safety related concerns limited behavioural choices. Residents highlighted many socio-environmental challenges that remained such as sense of neighbourhood safety, poor public transport provision, people's parking behaviour locally, and problem neighbours, and these tended to dominate conversations. Infrastructural intervention may be one important part of multi-layered solutions to improved neighbourhood life. PMID:21145277

  16. The Subthalamic Nucleus, Limbic Function, and Impulse Control.

    PubMed

    Rossi, P Justin; Gunduz, Aysegul; Okun, Michael S

    2015-12-01

    It has been well documented that deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) to address some of the disabling motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) can evoke unintended effects, especially on non-motor behavior. This observation has catalyzed more than a decade of research concentrated on establishing trends and identifying potential mechanisms for these non-motor effects. While many issues remain unresolved, the collective result of many research studies and clinical observations has been a general recognition of the role of the STN in mediating limbic function. In particular, the STN has been implicated in impulse control and the related construct of valence processing. A better understanding of STN involvement in these phenomena could have important implications for treating impulse control disorders (ICDs). ICDs affect up to 40% of PD patients on dopamine agonist therapy and approximately 15% of PD patients overall. ICDs have been reported to be associated with STN DBS. In this paper we will focus on impulse control and review pre-clinical, clinical, behavioral, imaging, and electrophysiological studies pertaining to the limbic function of the STN.

  17. Duration of protective immunity conferred by maternal tetanus toxoid immunization: further evidence from Matlab, Bangladesh.

    PubMed Central

    Koenig, M A; Roy, N C; McElrath, T; Shahidullah, M; Wojtyniak, B

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: Although maternal tetanus immunization has been shown to be highly effective in the prevention of neonatal tetanus, unresolved questions remain concerning the required minimum number of doses and the resulting duration of effective immunity. This study examined the duration of effective immunity against neonatal tetanus provided by maternal tetanus immunization. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind cholera vaccine trial of 41,571 children and nonpregnant adult women carried out in 1974 in the Matlab comparison area of rural Bangladesh provided a unique opportunity to address dose and immunity issues. RESULTS: Children of women who received either 1 or 2 injections of tetanus toxoid experienced 4- to 14-day mortality levels consistently lower than those of children of unimmunized mothers. Analysis of neonatal-tetanus-related mortality showed that 2 injections of tetanus toxoid provided significant protection for subsequent durations of up to 12 or 13 years. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that a limited-dose regimen of maternal tetanus toxoid provides significant and extended protection against the risk of neonatal tetanus death. PMID:9618617

  18. Fulleropyrrolidinium Iodide As an Efficient Electron Transport Layer for Air-Stable Planar Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jiabin; Yu, Xuegong; Xie, Jiangsheng; Li, Chang-Zhi; Zhang, Yunhai; Xu, Dikai; Tang, Zeguo; Cui, Can; Yang, Deren

    2016-12-21

    Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have attracted great attention in recent years. But there are still a lot of unresolved issues related to the perovskite solar cells such as the phenomenon of anomalous hysteresis characteristics and long-term stability of the devices. Here, we developed a simple three-layered efficient perovskite device by replacing the commonly employed PCBM electrical transport layer with an ultrathin fulleropyrrolidinium iodide (C 60 -bis) in an inverted p-i-n architecture. The devices with an ultrathin C 60 -bis electronic transport layer yield an average power conversion efficiency of 13.5% and a maximum efficiency of 15.15%. Steady-state photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) measurements show that the high performance is attributed to the efficient blocking of holes and high extraction efficiency of electrons by C 60 -bis, due to a favorable energy level alignment between the CH 3 NH 3 PbI 3 and the Ag electrodes. The hysteresis effect and stability of our perovskite solar cells with C 60 -bis become better under indoor humidity conditions.

  19. Use of near infrared correlation spectroscopy for quantitation of surface iron, absorbed water and stored electronic energy in a suite of Mars soil analog materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coyne, Lelia M.; Banin, Amos; Carle, Glenn; Orenberg, James; Scattergood, Thomas

    1989-01-01

    A number of questions concerning the surface mineralogy and the history of water on Mars remain unresolved using the Viking analyses and Earth-based telescopic data. Identification and quantitation of iron-bearing clays on Mars would elucidate these outstanding issues. Near infrared correlation analysis, a method typically applied to qualitative and quantitative analysis of individual constituents of multicomponent mixtures, is adapted here to selection of distinctive features of a small, highly homologous series of Fe/Ca-exchanged montmorillonites and several kalinites. Independently determined measures of surface iron, relative humidity and stored electronic energy were used as constituent data for linear regression of the constituent vs. reflectance data throughout the spectral region 0.68 to 2.5 micrometers. High correlations were found in appropriate regions for all three constituents, though that with stored energy is still considered tenuous. Quantitation was improved using 1st and 2nd derivative spectra. High resolution data over a broad spectral range would be required to quantitatively identify iron-bearing clays by remotely sensed reflectance.

  20. Structural variation discovery in the cancer genome using next generation sequencing: Computational solutions and perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Biao; Conroy, Jeffrey M.; Morrison, Carl D.; Odunsi, Adekunle O.; Qin, Maochun; Wei, Lei; Trump, Donald L.; Johnson, Candace S.; Liu, Song; Wang, Jianmin

    2015-01-01

    Somatic Structural Variations (SVs) are a complex collection of chromosomal mutations that could directly contribute to carcinogenesis. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology has emerged as the primary means of interrogating the SVs of the cancer genome in recent investigations. Sophisticated computational methods are required to accurately identify the SV events and delineate their breakpoints from the massive amounts of reads generated by a NGS experiment. In this review, we provide an overview of current analytic tools used for SV detection in NGS-based cancer studies. We summarize the features of common SV groups and the primary types of NGS signatures that can be used in SV detection methods. We discuss the principles and key similarities and differences of existing computational programs and comment on unresolved issues related to this research field. The aim of this article is to provide a practical guide of relevant concepts, computational methods, software tools and important factors for analyzing and interpreting NGS data for the detection of SVs in the cancer genome. PMID:25849937

  1. Evidence for Unresolved Exoplanet-hosting Binaries in Gaia DR2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, Daniel F.

    2018-05-01

    This note describes an effort to detect additional stellar sources in known transiting exoplanet (TEP) systems, which are unresolved or barely resolved in the Gaia Data Release 2 (DR2) catalogue. The presence of multiple unresolved stars in photometric and spectroscopic observations of a transiting planetary system biases measurements of the planet's radius, mass, and atmospheric conditions. In addition to the effect on individual planetary systems, the presence of unresolved stars across the sample of known exoplanets biases our overall understanding of planetary systems, due to the systematic underestimation of both masses and radii. This work uses the Astrometric Goodness of Fit in the Along-Scan direction (GOF_AL) and the Astrometric Excess Noise as indicators of poorly-resolved binaries. Many known close binaries in the exoplanet host star sample have highly significant GOF_AL and Astrometric Excess Noise values, such as WASP-20AB with Astrometric Excess Noise significant at $4720\\sigma$ and GOF_AL=124.

  2. Review of first trial responses in balance control: influence of vestibular loss and Parkinson's disease.

    PubMed

    Allum, J H J; Tang, K-S; Carpenter, M G; Oude Nijhuis, L B; Bloem, B R

    2011-04-01

    The reaction to an unexpected balance disturbance is unpracticed, often startling and frequently associated with falls. This everyday situation can be reproduced in an experimental setting by exposing standing humans to sudden, unexpected and controlled movements of a support surface. In this review, we focus on the responses to the very first balance perturbation, the so-called first trial reactions (FTRs). Detailed analysis of FTRs may have important implications, both for clinical practice (providing new insights into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying accidental falls in real life) and for understanding human physiology (what triggers and mediates these FTRs, and what is the relation to startle responses?). Several aspects of the FTRs have become clear. FTRs are characterized by an exaggerated postural reaction, with large EMG responses and co-contracting muscles in multiple body segments. This balance reaction is associated with marked postural instability (greater body sway to the perturbation). When the same perturbation is repeated, the size of the postural response habituates and the instability disappears. Other issues about FTRs remain largely unresolved, and these are addressed here. First, the functional role of FTRs is discussed. It appears that FTRs produce primarily increased trunk flexion during the multi-segmental response to postural perturbations, thus producing instability. Second, we consider which sensory signals trigger and modulate FTRs, placing specific emphasis on the role of vestibular signals. Surprisingly, vestibular signals appear to have no triggering role, but vestibular loss leads to excessive upper body FTRs due to loss of the normal modulatory influence. Third, we address the question whether startle-like responses are contributing to FTRs triggered by proprioceptive signals. We explain why this issue is still unresolved, mainly because of methodological difficulties involved in separating FTRs from 'pure' startle responses. Fourth, we review new work about the influence of perturbation direction on FTRs. Recent work from our group shows that the largest FTRs are obtained for toe-up support surface rotations which perturb the COM in the posterior direction. This direction corresponds to the directional preponderance for falls seen both in the balance laboratory and in daily life. Finally, we briefly touch upon clinical diagnostic issues, addressing whether FTRs (as opposed to habituated responses) could provide a more ecologically valid perspective of postural instability in patients compared to healthy subjects. We conclude that FTRs are an important source of information about human balance performance, both in health and disease. Future studies should no longer discard FTRs, but routinely include these in their analyses. Particular emphasis should be placed on the link between FTRs and everyday balance performance (including falls), and on the possible role played by startle reactions in triggering or modulating FTRs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Operational Design Applied: Reframing Counterdrug Support to Law Enforcement in Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-08

    56 TxJCDTF Environmental Frame–Strategic Guidance ...................................................62 TxJCDTF...illegal immigration and drug-related violence remain unresolved. Evidence of this includes legislative efforts of the states expanding “proof of...BACRIMS,” former Colombian Narco-paramilitaries that have reorganized as criminal drug trafficking gangs. BACRIMS are believed to be responsible

  4. School Improvement in High-Capacity Schools: Educational Leadership and Living-Systems Ontology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Coral; Sackney, Larry

    2016-01-01

    Although school improvement continues to present as an unresolved educational problem, the required changes are relatively straightforward. Essentially, schools need to be retooled with students' experiences and high-quality instruction at the center of the design. In this article, we present the findings of research into the leadership of…

  5. Multiple polyploidy events in the early radiation of nodulating and non-nodulating legumes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Unresolved questions about evolution of the large and diverse legume family include the timing of polyploidy (whole-genome duplication; WGDs) relative to the origin of the major lineages within the Fabaceae and to the origin of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Previous work has established that a WGD af...

  6. Effects of Watershed Land Use and Geomorphology on Stream Baseflows In the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, NC and GA

    EPA Science Inventory

    While it has been shown in many settings that both human land use and natural topographic variability influence stream baseflows, their interactions and relative influences have remained unresolved. Our objective was to determine the influence of human land use and watershed geo...

  7. Issues in energy finance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Khokher, Zeigham Islam

    As opposed to the well developed and understood equity markets, the energy markets are still in their infancy. The explosion of contracts, of both the primary and derivative types, are testament both to the existing size and the untapped growth potential of this exciting industry. However, because of its relative youth many basic issues in the energy markets remain unresolved. This thesis introduces some interesting questions and provides insights into these issues. Thematically, the chapters of this thesis are linked by an emphasis on valuation and risk management decisions. A contribution of this thesis is to show that subtle differences between the endogenous price process in our general equilibrium setting and the exogenous processes considered in earlier papers can generate significant differences in both financial and real option values. In addition to these valuation concerns there has been much debate about the corporate risk management function. Finance theory suggests that a value maximizing corporation should either be indifferent to hedging or, in the presence of certain imperfections, it should completely hedge all exposures. Both these extremes contradict empirical evidence. We show that existing corporate hedging behaviour is best explained in light of both physical market imperfections and directional predictions on future prices. While these speculative motives may arise from corporate hubris or genuine informational advantages, we argue that it would be difficult to implement private information in the absence of noise traders. Related to the risk management decision is the existence of futures risk premia. These premia have been thought to be cause by covariance with priced factors or due to the hedging demands of consumers and producers. This thesis argues that inventories serve as a signal of available quantity, which coupled with consumers fears regarding stockouts can induce a positive relationship between premia and inventories. In conclusion, we test this relationship using natural gas storage and futures price data and show empirical support for our hypothesis.

  8. Brainstem auditory responses to resolved and unresolved harmonics of a synthetic vowel in quiet and noise.

    PubMed

    Laroche, Marilyn; Dajani, Hilmi R; Prévost, François; Marcoux, André M

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated speech auditory brainstem responses (speech ABR) with variants of a synthetic vowel in quiet and in background noise. Its objectives were to study the noise robustness of the brainstem response at the fundamental frequency F0 and at the first formant F1, evaluate how the resolved/unresolved harmonics regions in speech contribute to the response at F0, and investigate the origin of the response at F0 to resolved and unresolved harmonics in speech. In total, 18 normal-hearing subjects (11 women, aged 18-33 years) participated in this study. Speech ABRs were recorded using variants of a 300 msec formant-synthesized /a/ vowel in quiet and in white noise. The first experiment employed three variants containing the first three formants F1 to F3, F1 only, and F2 and F3 only with relative formant levels following those reported in the literature. The second experiment employed three variants containing F1 only, F2 only, and F3 only, with the formants equalized to the same level and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) maintained at -5 dB. Overall response latency was estimated, and the amplitude and local SNR of the envelope following response at F0 and of the frequency following response at F1 were compared for the different stimulus variants in quiet and in noise. The response at F0 was more robust to noise than that at F1. There were no statistically significant differences in the response at F0 caused by the three stimulus variants in both experiments in quiet. However, the response at F0 with the variant dominated by resolved harmonics was more robust to noise than the response at F0 with the stimulus variants dominated by unresolved harmonics. The latencies of the responses in all cases were very similar in quiet, but the responses at F0 due to resolved and unresolved harmonics combined nonlinearly when both were present in the stimulus. Speech ABR has been suggested as a marker of central auditory processing. The results of this study support earlier work on the differential susceptibility to noise of the F0 and F1 components of the evoked response. In the case of F0, the results support the view that in speech, the pitch of resolved harmonics and that of unresolved harmonics are processed in different but interacting pathways that converge in the upper brainstem. Pitch plays an important role in speech perception, and speech ABR can offer a window into the neural extraction of the pitch of speech and how it may change with hearing impairment.

  9. Liquid lithium applications for solving challenging fusion reactor issues and NSTX-U contributions

    DOE PAGES

    Ono, M.; Jaworski, M. A.; Kaita, R.; ...

    2016-08-05

    Steady-state fusion reactor operation presents major divertor technology challenges, including high divertor heat flux both steady-state and transients. In addition to those issues, there are unresolved issues of long term dust accumulation and associated tritium inventory and safety issues. It has been suggested that radiative liquid lithium divertor concepts with a modest lithium-loop could provide a possible solution for these outstanding fusion reactor technology issues while potentially improving the reactor plasma performance. The application of lithium (Li) in NSTX resulted in improved H-mode confinement, H-mode power threshold reduction, and reduction in the divertor peak heat flux while maintaining essentially Li-freemore » core plasma operation even during H-modes. These promising results in NSTX and related modeling calculations motivated the radiative liquid lithium divertor (RLLD) concept and its variant, the active liquid lithium divertor concept (ARLLD), taking advantage of the enhanced Li radiation in relatively poorly confined divertor plasmas. It was estimated that only a few moles/sec of lithium injection would be needed to significantly reduce the divertor heat flux in a tokamak fusion power plant. By operating at lower temperatures ≤ 500°C than the first wall ~ 600 – 700°C, the LL-covered divertor chamber wall surfaces can serve as an effective particle pump, as impurities generally migrate toward lower temperature LL divertor surfaces. To maintain the LL purity, a closed LL loop system with a modest circulating capacity of ~ 1 liter/second (l/sec) is envisioned to sustain the steady-state operation of a 1 GW-electric class fusion power plant. By running the Li loop continuously, it can carry the dust particles and impurities generated in the vacuum vessel to outside where the dust / impurities are removed by relatively simple filter and cold/hot trap systems. Using a cold trap system, it can recover in tritium (T) in real time from LL at a rate of ~ 0.5 g / sec needed to sustain the fusion reaction while minimizing the T inventory issue. With an expected T fraction of ≤ 0.7 %, an acceptable level of T inventory can be achieved. In NSTX-U, preparations are now underway to elucidate the physics of Li plasma interactions with a number of Li application tools and Li radiation spectroscopic instruments. The NSTX-U Li evaporator which provides Li coating over the lower divertor plate, can offer important information on the RLLD concept, and the Li granule injector will test some of the key physics issue on the ARLLD concept. A LL-loop is also being prepared off line for prototyping future use on NSTX-U.« less

  10. A case of woman abuse: gender ideologies, power paradoxes, and unresolved conflict.

    PubMed

    Rosen, K H; Bird, K

    1996-09-01

    This paper describes some of the complex individual and relationship processes that occurred in an intimate relationship where love and violence coexisted. It presents a longitudinal, qualitative study of a premarital relationship in which the man had been repeatedly violent towards his female partner. It describes how gender role ideologies, the distribution of power between partners, and unresolved conflict are related to each other and to the emergence of violence and maintenance of couple bonds. A grounded theory approach was used to collect and analyze data for this single case and qualitative study in which both partners were interviewed several times each over the course of 1.5 years. Overall, it was found that intimate relationships that become contexts for expressions of love and violence are indeed complex, and the flexibility to consider the complexities that are involved provide a context for developing creative solutions.

  11. Exploring the psychological and somatic impact of identity theft.

    PubMed

    Sharp, Tracy; Shreve-Neiger, Andrea; Fremouw, William; Kane, John; Hutton, Shawn

    2004-01-01

    Identity theft is a new and growing form of white-collar crime. This exploratory study examined the psychological and somatic impact of identity theft and coping methods utilized by victims. Thirty-seven victims of identity theft participated in regional victim focus groups. Participants completed a victim impact questionnaire designed by the authors and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). The majority of participants expressed an increase in maladaptive psychological and somatic symptoms post victimization. Results on the BSI indicated that identity theft victims with unresolved cases, in contrast to those with resolved cases, were more likely to have clinically elevated scores when compared with a normative sample. Relatively similar coping mechanisms were utilized across victims. The results from this study suggest that victims of identity theft do have increased psychological and physical distress, and for those whose cases remain unresolved, distress is maintained over time.

  12. 28 CFR 42.610 - Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Agency enforcement of unresolved complaints. 42.610 Section 42.610 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE NONDISCRIMINATION; EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY; POLICIES AND PROCEDURES Procedures for Complaints of Employment Discrimination Filed...

  13. The Nature of the Unresolved Extragalactic Cosmic Soft X-Ray Background

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cappelluti, N.; Ranalli, P.; Roncarelli, M.; Arevalo, P.; Zamorani, G.; Comastri, A.; Gilli, R.; Rovilos, E.; Vignali, C.; Allevato, V.; hide

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we investigate the power spectrum of the unresolved 0.5-2 keV cosmic X-ray background (CXB) with deep Chandra 4-Msec (Ms) observations in the Chandra Deep Field South (CDFS). We measured a signal that, on scales >30 arcsec, is significantly higher than the shot noise and is increasing with angular scale. We interpreted this signal as the joint contribution of clustered undetected sources like active galactic nuclei (AGN), galaxies and the intergalactic medium (IGM). The power of unresolved cosmic source fluctuations accounts for approximately 12 per cent of the 0.5-2 keV extragalactic CXB. Overall, our modelling predicts that approximately 20 per cent of the unresolved CXB flux is produced by low-luminosity AGN, approximately 25 per cent by galaxies and approximately 55 per cent by the IGM. We do not find any direct evidence of the so-called 'warm hot intergalactic medium' (i.e. matter with 10(exp 5) less than T less than 10(exp 7) K and density contrast delta less than 1000), but we estimated that it could produce about 1/7 of the unresolved CXB. We placed an upper limit on the space density of postulated X-ray-emitting early black holes at z greater than 7.5 and compared it with supermassive black hole evolution models.

  14. Microwave-induced resistance oscillations on a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas: Exact waveform, absorption/reflection and temperature damping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Studenikin, S. A.; Potemski, M.; Sachrajda, A.; Hilke, M.; Pfeiffer, L. N.; West, K. W.

    2005-06-01

    In this work we address experimentally a number of unresolved issues related to microwave induced resistance oscillations (MIROs) leading to the zero-resistance states observed recently on 2D electron gases in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. We stress the importance of the electrodynamic effects detected in both reflection and absorption experiments, although they are not revealed in transport experiments on very high mobility samples. We also study the exact waveform of MIROs and their damping due to temperature. A simple equation is given, which can be considered as phenomenological, which describes precisely the experimental MIROs waveform. The waveform depends only on a single parameter—the width of the Landau levels, which is related to the quantum lifetime. A very good correlation was found between the temperature dependencies of the quantum lifetime from MIROs and the transport scattering time from the electron mobility with a ratio τtr/τq≃20 . It is found that the prefactor in the equation for MIROs decays as 1/T2 with the temperature which can be explained within the distribution function model suggested by Dmitriev . The results are compared with measurements of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations down to 30mK on the same sample.

  15. Invention Versus Direct Instruction: For Some Content, It's a Tie

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chase, Catherine C.; Klahr, David

    2017-12-01

    An important, but as yet unresolved pedagogical question is whether discovery-oriented or direct instruction methods lead to greater learning and transfer. We address this issue in a study with 101 fourth and fifth grade students that contrasts two distinct instructional methods. One is a blend of discovery and direct instruction called Invent-then-Tell (IT), and the other is a version of direct instruction called Tell-then-Practice (TP). The relative effectiveness of these methods is compared in the context of learning a critical inquiry skill—the control-of-variables strategy. Previous research has demonstrated the success of IT over TP for teaching deep domain structures, while other research has demonstrated the superiority of direct instruction for teaching simple experimental design, a domain-general inquiry skill. In the present study, students in both conditions made equally large gains on an immediate assessment of their application and conceptual understanding of experimental design, and they also performed similarly on a test of far transfer. These results were fairly consistent across school populations with various levels of prior achievement and socioeconomic status. Findings suggest that broad claims about the relative effectiveness of these two distinct methods should be conditionalized by particular instructional contexts, such as the type of knowledge being taught.

  16. Countertransference and its implementation in the treatment of a Hispanic adolescent boy.

    PubMed

    Muñoz, J A

    1986-05-01

    The literature on the psychotherapeutic treatment of Puerto Rican and Hispanic Americans primarily focuses on unique cultural characteristics that may affect the initial transference reaction. Cultural values and beliefs related to authoritarianism (Muñoz 1981), dependency (Bluestone and Vela 1982), espiritismo (Comas-Diaz 1981), etc., have been identified as important in shaping initial expectations and attitudes toward psychotherapy. Therapists have been advised to become familiar with and sensitive to such characteristics and their manifestations and to be honest with themselves and patients about their prejudices (Sue et al. 1981). Otherwise countertransference is not discussed in depth. The following case presentation of an intellectually gifted Puerto Rican boy, Regalado, will illustrate some of the countertransference problems, such as overidentification, class differences, and unresolved conflicts about minority group membership, which have been identified as disruptive to the therapeutic process (Griffith 1977). It is generally agreed that one must be more active in the treatment of minorities or poor people. Maduro (1982) recommends that in working with Latinos, dream analysis be consistently related to sociocultural issues and that the healthy or creative aspects of the unconscious be emphasized. He also recommends a warm and personal attitude and active participation in communicating and interacting with the patient.

  17. Harmony hurts: participation and silent conflict at an Indonesian fish pond.

    PubMed

    Tam, Chui-Ling

    2006-07-01

    Participatory environmental and resource management is premised on open communication to reach consensus. However, deliberate and open communication cannot adequately address silent conflict. This begs two questions. First, how is the existence of covert communication and silent conflict to be recognized and addressed? Second, how are the wider social relations and traditions that encompass communication and conflict to be described and explained? These questions revolve around communicative power. Communication of environmental knowledge is deeply embedded in social power structures, with direct implications for participatory resource planning and implementation. Ethnographic research conducted at a failed community-managed fish farming project in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia shows that a culture of harmony and respect for authority can silence environmental conflict in the hierarchical "community." Three propositions are offered. First, communication amnesia and exclusion jeopardize participation. Second, cultures of harmony and silent conflict shape planning processes and outcomes. Third, the weak use manipulation and communication strategy to acquire a "voice" while preserving harmony. These propositions address five unresolved issues in participatory resource management: analysis of groups, contextuality, social relationships, nonparticipants, and informal communication. Power, tradition, and social networks affect the valuing of knowledge relative to the power of different individuals and institutions to communicate priorities, values, and needs. These factors are critical to the inclusion of both participants and nonparticipants.

  18. Asteroid-Meteorite Links: The Vesta Conundrum(s)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pieters, C. M.; Binzel, R.; Bogard, D.; Hiroi, T.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Nyquist, L.; Rivkin, A.; Takeda, H.

    2006-01-01

    Although a direct link between the HED meteorites and the asteroid 4 Vesta is generally acknowledged, several issues continue to be actively examined that tie Vesta to early processes in the solar system. Vesta is no longer the only basaltic asteroid in the Main belt. In addition to the Vestoids of the Vesta family, the small asteroid Magnya is basaltic but appears to be unrelated to Vesta. Similarly, diversity now identified in the collection of basaltic meteorites requires more than one basaltic parent body, consistent with the abundance of differentiated parent bodies implied by iron meteorites. The timing of the formation of the Vestoids (and presumably the large crater at the south pole of Vesta) is unresolved. Peaks in Ar-Ar dates of eucrites suggest this impact event could be related to a possible late heavy bombardment at least 3.5 Gyr ago. On the other hand, the optically fresh appearance of both Vesta and the Vestoids requires either a relatively recent resurfacing event or that their surfaces do not weather in the same manner thought to occur on other asteroids such as the ordinary chondrite parent body. Diversity across the surface of Vesta has been observed with HST and there are hints of compositional variations (possibly involving minor olivine) in near-infrared spectra.

  19. Large-scale outflows in luminous QSOs revisited. The impact of beam smearing on AGN feedback efficiencies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Husemann, B.; Scharwächter, J.; Bennert, V. N.; Mainieri, V.; Woo, J.-H.; Kakkad, D.

    2016-10-01

    Context. Feedback from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is thought to play an important role in quenching star formation in galaxies. However, the efficiency with which AGN dissipate their radiative energy into the ambient medium remains strongly debated. Aims: Enormous observational efforts have been made to constrain the energetics of AGN feedback by mapping the kinematics of the ionized gas on kpc scale. We study how the observed kinematics and inferred energetics are affected by beam smearing of a bright unresolved narrow-line region (NLR) due to seeing. Methods: We re-analyse optical integral-field spectroscopy of a sample of twelve luminous unobscured quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) (0.4

  20. For Richer, for Poorer: Money as a Topic of Marital Conflict in the Home

    PubMed Central

    Papp, Lauren M.; Cummings, E. Mark; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C.

    2011-01-01

    Guided by a family stress perspective, we examined the hypothesis that discussing money would be associated with the handling of marital conflict in the home. Analyses were based on dyadic hierarchical linear modeling of 100 husbands’ and 100 wives’ diary reports of 748 conflict instances. Contrary to findings from previous laboratory-based surveys, spouses did not rate money as the most frequent source of marital conflict in the home. However, compared to non-money issues, marital conflicts about money were more pervasive, problematic, and recurrent, and remained unresolved, despite including more attempts at problem solving. Implications for professionals who assist couples in managing their relationships and family finances are discussed. PMID:22162622

  1. Tornadogenesis via squall line and supercell interaction revisited - The 15 November 1989 Huntsville tornado

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodman, Steven J.; Knupp, Kevin R.

    1990-01-01

    A case study analyzing the environmental setting and storm system morphology that provides observational evidence of a mechanism involving the interaction of a gust front with a preexisting mesocyclone is presented. This case serves to reemphasize the existence of a high conditional probability of tornado occurrence, given the merger of a gust front (or storm outflow) with a moderate to strong thunderstorm ahead of it. The resultant data serve to illustrate some important unresolved issues relevant to the severe weather warning system that involve the present and planned local warning and network radars, and future algorithms that might intelligently integrate other data sources and models with the radar data.

  2. History of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

    PubMed

    Hessel, Eugene A

    2015-06-01

    The development of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), thereby permitting open-heart surgery, is one of the most important advances in medicine in the 20th century. Many currently practicing cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiac surgeons, and perfusionists are unaware of how recently it came into use (60 years) and how much the practice of CPB has changed during its short existence. In this paper, the development of CPB and the many changes and progress that has taken place over this brief period of time, making it a remarkably safe endeavor, are reviewed. The many as yet unresolved questions are also identified, which sets the stage for the other papers in this issue of this journal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Thermal, dynamic and compositional aspects of the core-forming Earth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stevenson, D. J.

    1985-01-01

    Core formation is the most important and singular differentiation event in the history of a terrestrial planet. It almost certainly involved the downward migration of a partially or wholly molten iron alloy through a silicate and oxide mantle, and was contemporaneous with accretion. Several important, unresolved issues which have implications for mantle and core geochemistry, the thermal history of the Earth, and the origin of geomagnetism are addressed: whether the early Earth was molten; whether core formation involved low or high pressure geochemistry, or both; early Earth mantle homogenization; whether equilibration established between core forming material and the mantle through which it migrated; and how much iron is stranded and unable to reach the core.

  4. For Richer, for Poorer: Money as a Topic of Marital Conflict in the Home.

    PubMed

    Papp, Lauren M; Cummings, E Mark; Goeke-Morey, Marcie C

    2009-02-01

    Guided by a family stress perspective, we examined the hypothesis that discussing money would be associated with the handling of marital conflict in the home. Analyses were based on dyadic hierarchical linear modeling of 100 husbands' and 100 wives' diary reports of 748 conflict instances. Contrary to findings from previous laboratory-based surveys, spouses did not rate money as the most frequent source of marital conflict in the home. However, compared to non-money issues, marital conflicts about money were more pervasive, problematic, and recurrent, and remained unresolved, despite including more attempts at problem solving. Implications for professionals who assist couples in managing their relationships and family finances are discussed.

  5. Multijunction cells for concentrators: Technology prospects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ferber, R. R. (Compiler); Costogue, E. N. (Compiler); Shimada, K. (Compiler)

    1984-01-01

    Development of high-efficiency multijunction solar cells for concentrator applications is a key step in achieving the goals of the U.S. Department of Energy National Photovoltaics Program. This report summarizes findings of an issue study conducted by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photovoltaic Analysis and Integration Center, with the assistance of the Solar Energy Research Institute and Sandia National laboratoies, which surveyed multijunction cell research for concentrators undertaken by federal agencies and by private industry. The team evaluated the potentials of research activities sponsored by DOE and by corporate funding to achieve projected high-efficiency goals and developed summary statements regarding industry expectations. Recommendations are made for the direction of future work to address specific unresolved aspects of multijunction cell technology.

  6. USMC Ground Surveillance Robot (GSR): Lessons Learned

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harmon, S. Y.

    1987-02-01

    This paper describes the design of an autonomous vehicle and the lessons learned during the implementation of that complex robot. The major problems encountered to which solutions were found include sensor processing bandwidth limitations, coordination of the interactions between major subsystems, sensor data fusion and system knowledge representation. Those problems remaining unresolved include system complexity management, the lack of powerful system monitoring and debugging tools, exploratory implementation of a complex system and safety and testing issues. Many of these problems arose from working with underdeveloped and continuously evolving technology and will probably be resolved as the technological resources mature and stabilize. Unfortunately, other problems will continue to plague developers throughout the evolution of autonomous system technology.

  7. Pediatric surgeons and anesthesiologists expand the dialogue on the neurotoxicity question, rationale for early and delayed surgeries, and practice changes while awaiting definitive evidence.

    PubMed

    Byrne, Mary W; Casale, Pasquale; Garzon, Maria; Hyman, Joshua E; Lin, Albert Y; Lynch, Lisa R; Schleien, Charles L; Stylianos, Steven

    2014-10-01

    The Pediatric Anesthesia NeuroDevelopment Assessment team at Columbia University Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology convened its fourth biennial Symposium to address unresolved issues concerning potential neurotoxic effects of anesthetic agents and sedatives on young children and to assess study findings to date. Dialogue initiated at the third Symposium was continued between anesthesiologists, researchers, and a panel of expert pediatric surgeons representing general surgery and dermatology, orthopedic, and urology specialties. The panel explored the need to balance benefits of early surgery using improved technologies against potential anesthetic risks, practice changes while awaiting definitive answers, and importance of continued interprofessional dialogue.

  8. Wind shear detection. Forward-looking sensor technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bracalente, E. M. (Compiler); Delnore, V. E. (Compiler)

    1987-01-01

    A meeting took place at NASA Langley Research Center in February 1987 to discuss the development and eventual use of forward-looking remote sensors for the detection and avoidance of wind shear by aircraft. The participants represented industry, academia, and government. The meeting was structured to provide first a review of the current FAA and NASA wind shear programs, then to define what really happens to the airplane, and finally to give technology updates on the various types of forward-looking sensors. This document is intended to informally record the essence of the technology updates (represented here through unedited duplication of the vugraphs used), and the floor discussion following each presentation. Also given are key issues remaining unresolved.

  9. Simulation of the human-telerobot interface on the Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stuart, Mark A.; Smith, Randy L.

    1993-01-01

    Many issues remain unresolved concerning the components of the human-telerobot interface presented in this work. It is critical that these components be optimally designed and arranged to ensure, not only that the overall system's goals are met, but but that the intended end-user has been optimally accommodated. With sufficient testing and evaluation throughout the development cycle, the selection of the components to use in the final telerobotic system can promote efficient, error-free performance. It is recommended that whole-system simulation with full-scale mockups be used to help design the human-telerobot interface. It is contended that the use of simulation can facilitate this design and evaluation process.

  10. Detecting unresolved binary stars in Euclid VIS images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuntzer, T.; Courbin, F.

    2017-10-01

    Measuring a weak gravitational lensing signal to the level required by the next generation of space-based surveys demands exquisite reconstruction of the point-spread function (PSF). However, unresolved binary stars can significantly distort the PSF shape. In an effort to mitigate this bias, we aim at detecting unresolved binaries in realistic Euclid stellar populations. We tested methods in numerical experiments where (I) the PSF shape is known to Euclid requirements across the field of view; and (II) the PSF shape is unknown. We drew simulated catalogues of PSF shapes for this proof-of-concept paper. Following the Euclid survey plan, the objects were observed four times. We propose three methods to detect unresolved binary stars. The detection is based on the systematic and correlated biases between exposures of the same object. One method is a simple correlation analysis, while the two others use supervised machine-learning algorithms (random forest and artificial neural network). In both experiments, we demonstrate the ability of our methods to detect unresolved binary stars in simulated catalogues. The performance depends on the level of prior knowledge of the PSF shape and the shape measurement errors. Good detection performances are observed in both experiments. Full complexity, in terms of the images and the survey design, is not included, but key aspects of a more mature pipeline are discussed. Finding unresolved binaries in objects used for PSF reconstruction increases the quality of the PSF determination at arbitrary positions. We show, using different approaches, that we are able to detect at least binary stars that are most damaging for the PSF reconstruction process. The code corresponding to the algorithms used in this work and all scripts to reproduce the results are publicly available from a GitHub repository accessible via http://lastro.epfl.ch/software

  11. A brief exegesis of End Triassic Extinction issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whiteside, J. H.; Grice, K.; Fox, C.; Kent, D. V.; Olsen, P. E.; Irmis, R. B.

    2017-12-01

    Recent reports of environmental proxy records through the end-Triassic extinction (ETE), in some cases coupled with high-resolution geochronologic data, provide new insights into cause and effect. For example, the emplacement of vast volumes of basalt in the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) are temporally associated with carbon isotopic excursions (CIEs), indications of widespread oceanic euxinia, distinct regional and perhaps very abrupt global sea level change, massive changes in atmospheric CO2, and the proliferation of "disaster" species, both on land and ocean. In the least, these indicate major disruptions in how the Earth works. However some striking and critical issues remain unresolved at a very basic level. Most important are the uncertainties in the stratigraphic relationships of marine extinctions to the various environmental proxy sections, particularly the GSSP for the base Hettangian in Austria, and the UK sections (notably St. Audrie's Bay). Here, the sequence of sporomorph and marine "invertebrate" turnover occurs in different order relative to the proxy record and lithostratigraphy. Thus the sequence of environmental events are, at present, of uncertain relationship to the extinction. Second, it is unclear what processes the various CIEs reflect in different environments; the canonical initial isotopic excursion in the UK, demonstrably correlatable over a huge area, was recorded in a lake in a restricted basin, unlike the isotopic data from surrounding marine strata. Could some CIEs in non-marine basins be diagenetic in nature, caused by the contact effects of overlying basalts? Finally, how does the clear and dramatic tropical non-marine record of the ETE, precisely located relative to the CAMP, relate to the marine record of the ETE, particularly at higher latitudes, where continental biotic turnover is not nearly as dramatic? Do these records correlate in a sufficiently tight temporal interval such that causation can be inferred? These issues can be resolved by: 1) finding biologically-independent proxies of time, such as the magnetic polarity chron E23r in the marine and high latitude realms; and 2) appropriately designed resampling efforts in the marine sections to determine the position and magnitude of the ETE.

  12. Isolation and characterization of a hydrocarbonoclastic bacterial enrichment from total petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sediments: potential candidates for bioaugmentation in bio-based processes.

    PubMed

    Di Gregorio, Simona; Siracusa, Giovanna; Becarelli, Simone; Mariotti, Lorenzo; Gentini, Alessandro; Lorenzi, Roberto

    2016-06-01

    Seven hydrocarbonoclastic new bacterial isolates were isolated from dredged sediments of a river estuary in Italy. The sediments were contaminated by shipyard activities since decades, mainly ascribable to the exploitation of diesel oil as the fuel for recreational and commercial navigation of watercrafts. The bacterial isolates were able to utilize diesel oil as sole carbon source. Their metabolic capacities were evaluated by GC-MS analysis, with reference to the depletion of both the normal and branched alkanes, the nC18 fatty acid methyl ester and the unresolved complex mixture of organic compounds. They were taxonomically identified as different species of Stenotrophomonas and Pseudomonas spp. by the combination of amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA) and repetitive sequence-based PCR (REP-PCR) analysis. The metabolic activities of interest were analyzed both in relation to the single bacterial strains and to the combination of the latter as a multibacterial species system. After 6 days of incubation in mineral medium with diesel oil as sole carbon source, the Stenotrophomonas sp. M1 strain depleted 43-46 % of Cn-alkane from C28 up to C30, 70 % of the nC18 fatty acid methyl ester and the 46 % of the unresolved complex mixture of organic compounds. On the other hand, the Pseudomonas sp. NM1 strain depleted the 76 % of the nC18 fatty acid methyl ester, the 50 % of the unresolved complex mixture of organic compounds. The bacterial multispecies system was able to completely deplete Cn-alkane from C28 up to C30 and to deplete the 95 % of the unresolved complex mixture of organic compounds. The isolates, either as single strains and as a bacterial multispecies system, were proposed as candidates for bioaugmentation in bio-based processes for the decontamination of dredged sediments.

  13. Studying the ICM in clusters of galaxies via surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kolodzig, Alexander; Gilfanov, Marat; Hütsi, Gert; Sunyaev, Rashid

    2018-02-01

    We study surface brightness fluctuations of the cosmic X-ray background (CXB) using Chandra data of XBOOTES. After masking out resolved sources we compute the power spectrum of fluctuations of the unresolved CXB for angular scales from {≈ } 2 arcsec to ≈3°. The non-trivial large-scale structure (LSS) signal dominates over the shot noise of unresolved point sources on angular scales above {˜ } 1 arcmin and is produced mainly by the intracluster medium (ICM) of unresolved clusters and groups of galaxies, as shown in our previous publication. The shot-noise-subtracted power spectrum of CXB fluctuations has a power-law shape with the slope of Γ = 0.96 ± 0.06. Their energy spectrum is well described by the redshifted emission spectrum of optically thin plasma with the best-fitting temperature of T ≈ 1.3 keV and the best-fitting redshift of z ≈ 0.40. These numbers are in good agreement with theoretical expectations based on the X-ray luminosity function and scaling relations of clusters. From these values we estimate the typical mass and luminosity of the objects responsible for CXB fluctuations, M500 ∼ 1013.6 M⊙ h-1 and L0.5-2.0 keV ∼ 1042.5 erg s-1. On the other hand, the flux-weighted mean temperature and redshift of resolved clusters are T ≈ 2.4 keV and z ≈ 0.23 confirming that fluctuations of unresolved CXB are caused by cooler (i.e. less massive) and more distant clusters, as expected. We show that the power spectrum shape is sensitive to the ICM structure all the way to the outskirts, out to ∼few × R500. We also searched for possible contribution of the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) to the observed CXB fluctuations. Our results underline the significant diagnostic potential of the CXB fluctuation analysis in studying the ICM structure in clusters.

  14. Autonomy and Task Performance: Explaining the Impact of Grades on Intrinsic Motivation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pulfrey, Caroline; Darnon, Celine; Butera, Fabrizio

    2013-01-01

    The use of grades to motivate constitutes an unresolved theoretical controversy. In 2 experiments carried out with different age groups and academic tracks, a standard-grade condition was compared with a condition in which differential scoring engendered higher grades and with a no-grade condition. The relative power of task performance and task…

  15. Consultation in Schools: Helping Staff and Pupils with Unresolved Loss and Mourning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maltby, Jane

    2008-01-01

    This paper describes how an application of psychodynamic principles and techniques in a school setting can open up perspectives and insights into aspects of loss and mourning, which result in the personal and professional growth of individuals. It discusses applied psychoanalytic work in relation to its clinical base in the consulting room, in…

  16. Arousing Primary Vulnerable Emotions in the Context of Unresolved Anger: "Speaking about" versus "Speaking to"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Diamond, Gary M.; Rochman, Daniel; Amir, Ofer

    2010-01-01

    Arousing and processing primary vulnerable emotions is a core change mechanism across a wide range of psychotherapies and clinical populations. This study examined the utility of 2 emotion-focused interventions--relational reframes and empty-chair enactments--in terms of arousing primary sadness associated with loss and longing among individuals…

  17. Neural Processing of What and Who Information in Speech

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chandrasekaran, Bharath; Chan, Alice H. D.; Wong, Patrick C. M.

    2011-01-01

    Human speech is composed of two types of information, related to content (lexical information, i.e., "what" is being said [e.g., words]) and to the speaker (indexical information, i.e., "who" is talking [e.g., voices]). The extent to which lexical versus indexical information is represented separately or integrally in the brain is unresolved. In…

  18. Extreme differences in population structure and genetic diversity for three invasive congeners: knotweeds in western North America

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Japanese, giant, and the hybrid Bohemian knotweeds (Fallopia japonica, F. sachalinensis and F. x bohemica) have invaded the western USA and Canada, as well as other regions of the world. The distribution of these species in western North America, and their mode of invasion, is relatively unresolved....

  19. Carbon limitation leads to suppression of first year oak seedlings beneath evergreen understory shrubs in Southern Appalachian hardwood forests

    Treesearch

    Colin M. Beier; Jonathan L. Horton; John F. Walker; Barton D. Clinton; Erik T. Nilsen

    2005-01-01

    Inhibition of canopy tree recruitment beneath thickets of the evergreen shrubs Rhododendron maximum L. and Kalmia latifolia L. has long been observed in South Appalachian forests, yet the mechanisms of this process remain unresolved. We present a first-year account of suppression of oak seedlings in relation to ...

  20. Differentiating Three Conceptualisations of the Relationship between Positive Development and Psychopathology during the Transition to Adulthood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Meredith; Sanson, Ann; Hawkins, Mary T.; Toumbourou, John W.; Letcher, Primrose; Frydenberg, Erica

    2011-01-01

    The transition to adulthood is characterised by both great potential for positive change and a relatively high incidence of problem outcomes. A multidimensional model of positive development during the transition to adulthood (at 19-20 years) has recently been proposed. However, an unresolved question regarding the nature of positive development…

  1. Modelling turbulent boundary layer flow over fractal-like multiscale terrain using large-eddy simulations and analytical tools.

    PubMed

    Yang, X I A; Meneveau, C

    2017-04-13

    In recent years, there has been growing interest in large-eddy simulation (LES) modelling of atmospheric boundary layers interacting with arrays of wind turbines on complex terrain. However, such terrain typically contains geometric features and roughness elements reaching down to small scales that typically cannot be resolved numerically. Thus subgrid-scale models for the unresolved features of the bottom roughness are needed for LES. Such knowledge is also required to model the effects of the ground surface 'underneath' a wind farm. Here we adapt a dynamic approach to determine subgrid-scale roughness parametrizations and apply it for the case of rough surfaces composed of cuboidal elements with broad size distributions, containing many scales. We first investigate the flow response to ground roughness of a few scales. LES with the dynamic roughness model which accounts for the drag of unresolved roughness is shown to provide resolution-independent results for the mean velocity distribution. Moreover, we develop an analytical roughness model that accounts for the sheltering effects of large-scale on small-scale roughness elements. Taking into account the shading effect, constraints from fundamental conservation laws, and assumptions of geometric self-similarity, the analytical roughness model is shown to provide analytical predictions that agree well with roughness parameters determined from LES.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wind energy in complex terrains'. © 2017 The Author(s).

  2. Explicit Global Simulation of Gravity Waves up to the Lower Thermosphere

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Becker, E.

    2016-12-01

    At least for short-term simulations, middle atmosphere general circulation models (GCMs) can be run with sufficiently high resolution in order to describe a good part of the gravity wave spectrum explicitly. Nevertheless, the parameterization of unresolved dynamical scales remains an issue, especially when the scales of parameterized gravity waves (GWs) and resolved GWs become comparable. In addition, turbulent diffusion must always be parameterized along with other subgrid-scale dynamics. A practical solution to the combined closure problem for GWs and turbulent diffusion is to dispense with a parameterization of GWs, apply a high spatial resolution, and to represent the unresolved scales by a macro-turbulent diffusion scheme that gives rise to wave damping in a self-consistent fashion. This is the approach of a few GCMs that extend from the surface to the lower thermosphere and simulate a realistic GW drag and summer-to-winter-pole residual circulation in the upper mesosphere. In this study we describe a new version of the Kuehlungsborn Mechanistic general Circulation Model (KMCM), which includes explicit (though idealized) computations of radiative transfer and the tropospheric moisture cycle. Particular emphasis is spent on 1) the turbulent diffusion scheme, 2) the attenuation of resolved GWs at critical levels, 3) the generation of GWs in the middle atmosphere from body forces, and 4) GW-tidal interactions (including the energy deposition of GWs and tides).

  3. Searching for Unresolved Binary Brown Dwarfs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Albretsen, Jacob; Stephens, Denise

    2007-10-01

    There are currently L and T brown dwarfs (BDs) with errors in their classification of +/- 1 to 2 spectra types. Metallicity and gravitational differences have accounted for some of these discrepancies, and recent studies have shown unresolved binary BDs may offer some explanation as well. However limitations in technology and resources often make it difficult to clearly resolve an object that may be binary in nature. Stephens and Noll (2006) identified statistically strong binary source candidates from Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) that were apparently unresolved using model point-spread functions for single and binary sources. The HST archive contains numerous observations of BDs using the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) that have never been rigorously analyzed for binary properties. Using methods developed by Stephens and Noll (2006), BD observations from the HST data archive are being analyzed for possible unresolved binaries. Preliminary results will be presented. This technique will identify potential candidates for future observations to determine orbital information.

  4. Strengthening institutional and organizational capacity for social health protection of the informal sector in lesser-developed countries: a study of policy barriers and opportunities in Cambodia.

    PubMed

    Annear, Peter Leslie; Ahmed, Shakil; Ros, Chhun Eang; Ir, Por

    2013-11-01

    Reaching out to the poor and the informal sector is a major challenge for achieving universal coverage in lesser-developed countries. In Cambodia, extensive coverage by health equity funds for the poor has created the opportunity to consolidate various non-government health financing schemes under the government's proposed social health protection structure. This paper identifies the main policy and operational challenges to strengthening existing arrangements for the poor and the informal sector, and considers policy options to address these barriers. Conducted in conjunction with the Cambodian Ministry of Health in 2011-12, the study reviewed policy documents and collected qualitative data through 18 semi-structured key informant interviews with government, non-government and donor officials. Data were analysed using the Organizational Assessment for Improving and Strengthening Health Financing conceptual framework. We found that a significant shortfall related to institutional, organisational and health financing issues resulted in fragmentation and constrained the implementation of social health protection schemes, including health equity funds, community-based health insurance, vouchers and others. Key documents proposed the establishment of a national structure for the unification of the informal-sector schemes but left unresolved issues related to structure, institutional capacity and the third-party status of the national agency. This study adds to the evidence base on appropriate and effective institutional and organizational arrangements for social health protection in the informal sector in developing countries. Among the key lessons are: the need to expand the fiscal space for health care; a commitment to equity; specific measures to protect the poor; building national capacity for administration of universal coverage; and working within the specific national context. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Untangling Slab Dynamics Using 3-D Numerical and Analytical Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holt, A. F.; Royden, L.; Becker, T. W.

    2016-12-01

    Increasingly sophisticated numerical models have enabled us to make significant strides in identifying the key controls on how subducting slabs deform. For example, 3-D models have demonstrated that subducting plate width, and the related strength of toroidal flow around the plate edge, exerts a strong control on both the curvature and the rate of migration of the trench. However, the results of numerical subduction models can be difficult to interpret, and many first order dynamics issues remain at least partially unresolved. Such issues include the dominant controls on trench migration, the interdependence of asthenospheric pressure and slab dynamics, and how nearby slabs influence each other's dynamics. We augment 3-D, dynamically evolving finite element models with simple, analytical force-balance models to distill the physics associated with subduction into more manageable parts. We demonstrate that for single, isolated subducting slabs much of the complexity of our fully numerical models can be encapsulated by simple analytical expressions. Rates of subduction and slab dip correlate strongly with the asthenospheric pressure difference across the subducting slab. For double subduction, an additional slab gives rise to more complex mantle pressure and flow fields, and significantly extends the range of plate kinematics (e.g., convergence rate, trench migration rate) beyond those present in single slab models. Despite these additional complexities, we show that much of the dynamics of such multi-slab systems can be understood using the physics illuminated by our single slab study, and that a force-balance method can be used to relate intra-plate stress to viscous pressure in the asthenosphere and coupling forces at plate boundaries. This method has promise for rapid modeling of large systems of subduction zones on a global scale.

  6. Experiment Evaluation of Bifurcation in Sands

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Alshibi, Khalid A.; Sture, Stein

    2000-01-01

    The basic principles of bifurcation analysis have been established by several investigators, however several issues remain unresolved, specifically how do stress level, grain size distribution, and boundary conditions affect general bifurcation phenomena in pressure sensitive and dilatant materials. General geometrical and kinematics conditions for moving surfaces of discontinuity was derived and applied to problems of instability of solids. In 1962, the theoretical framework of bifurcation by studying the acceleration waves in elasto-plastic (J2) solids were presented. Bifurcation analysis for more specific forms of constitutive behavior was examined by studying localization in pressure-sensitive, dilatant materials, however, analyses were restricted to plane deformation states only. Bifurcation analyses were presented and applied to predict shear band formations in sand under plane strain condition. The properties of discontinuous bifurcation solutions for elastic-plastic solids under axisymmetric and plane strain loading conditions were studied. The study focused on theory, but also references and comparisons to experiments were made. The current paper includes a presentation of a summary of bifurcation analyses for biaxial and triaxial (axisymmetric) loading conditions. The Coulomb model is implemented using incremental piecewise scheme to predict the constitutive relations and shear band inclination angles. Then, a comprehensive evaluation of bifurcation phenomena is presented based on data from triaxial experiments performed under microgravity conditions aboard the Space Shuttle under very low effective confining pressure (0.05 to 1.30 kPa), in which very high peak friction angles (47 to 75 degrees) and dilatancy angles (30 to 31 degrees) were measured. The evaluation will be extended to include biaxial experiments performed on the same material under low (10 kPa) and moderate (100 kPa) confining pressures. A comparison between the behavior under biaxial and triaxial loading conditions will be presented, and related issues concerning influence of confining pressure will be discussed.

  7. Classification of spatially unresolved objects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nalepka, R. F.; Horwitz, H. M.; Hyde, P. D.; Morgenstern, J. P.

    1972-01-01

    A proportion estimation technique for classification of multispectral scanner images is reported that uses data point averaging to extract and compute estimated proportions for a single average data point to classify spatial unresolved areas. Example extraction calculations of spectral signatures for bare soil, weeds, alfalfa, and barley prove quite accurate.

  8. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of Unresolved Complex Mixture in PM2.5 of Bakersfield, CA.

    EPA Science Inventory

    The 2010 CalNex (California Nexus) field experiment offered an opportunity for detailed characterization of atmospheric particulate carbon composition and sources in Bakersfield, CA. In the current study, the authors describe and employ a new protocol for reporting unresolved com...

  9. Approach to the hemodialysis patient with an abnormal serum bicarbonate concentration.

    PubMed

    Lisawat, Panupong; Gennari, F John

    2014-07-01

    We present a patient receiving hemodialysis with a persistently high serum bicarbonate concentration to illustrate the evaluation and management issues for patients with both high (>25 mEq/L) and low (<20 mEq/L) pretreatment values. Patients with high serum bicarbonate concentrations typically are malnourished and have low rates of endogenous acid production. Evaluation should begin with assessment of whether an acute and potentially reversible cause of metabolic alkalosis is present. If not, management should be directed at treating malnutrition. By contrast, patients with low predialysis serum bicarbonate concentrations, in the absence of an acute and reversible cause, may benefit from increasing the level by an adjustment in dialysate bicarbonate concentration. However, the level at which one should intervene and to what extent serum bicarbonate concentration should be increased are unresolved issues. Whether such an intervention will reduce mortality risk has not been determined. Copyright © 2014 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Signal Transduction: From the Atomic Age to the Post-Genomic Era

    PubMed Central

    Thorner, Jeremy; Hunter, Tony; Cantley, Lewis C.; Sever, Richard

    2014-01-01

    We have come a long way in the 55 years since Edmond Fischer and the late Edwin Krebs discovered that the activity of glycogen phosphorylase is regulated by reversible protein phosphorylation. Many of the fundamental molecular mechanisms that operate in biological signaling have since been characterized and the vast web of interconnected pathways that make up the cellular signaling network has been mapped in considerable detail. Nonetheless, it is important to consider how fast this field is still moving and the issues at the current boundaries of our understanding. One must also appreciate what experimental strategies have allowed us to attain our present level of knowledge. We summarize here some key issues (both conceptual and methodological), raise unresolved questions, discuss potential pitfalls, and highlight areas in which our understanding is still rudimentary. We hope these wide-ranging ruminations will be useful to investigators who carry studies of signal transduction forward during the rest of the 21st century. PMID:25359498

  11. The brain-computer interface cycle.

    PubMed

    van Gerven, Marcel; Farquhar, Jason; Schaefer, Rebecca; Vlek, Rutger; Geuze, Jeroen; Nijholt, Anton; Ramsey, Nick; Haselager, Pim; Vuurpijl, Louis; Gielen, Stan; Desain, Peter

    2009-08-01

    Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have attracted much attention recently, triggered by new scientific progress in understanding brain function and by impressive applications. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the various steps in the BCI cycle, i.e., the loop from the measurement of brain activity, classification of data, feedback to the subject and the effect of feedback on brain activity. In this article we will review the critical steps of the BCI cycle, the present issues and state-of-the-art results. Moreover, we will develop a vision on how recently obtained results may contribute to new insights in neurocognition and, in particular, in the neural representation of perceived stimuli, intended actions and emotions. Now is the right time to explore what can be gained by embracing real-time, online BCI and by adding it to the set of experimental tools already available to the cognitive neuroscientist. We close by pointing out some unresolved issues and present our view on how BCI could become an important new tool for probing human cognition.

  12. Remaining uncertainties in the use of Rn-222 as a quantitative tracer of submarine groundwater discharge

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burnett, W.C.; Santos, I.R.; Weinstein, Y.; Swarzenski, P.W.; Herut, B.

    2007-01-01

    Research performed in many locations over the past decade has shown that radon is an effective tracer for quantifying submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). The technique works because both fresh and saline groundwaters acquire radon from the subterranean environment and display activities that are typically orders of magnitude greater than those found in coastal seawaters. However, some uncertainties and unanswered problems remain. We focus here on three components of the mass balance, each of which has some unresolved issues: (1) End-member radon - what to do if groundwater Rn measurements are highly variable? (2) Atmospheric evasion -do the standard gas exchange equations work under high-energy coastal mixing scenarios? And (3) "mixing" losses - are there other significant radon losses (e.g. recharge of coastal waters into the aquifer) besides those attributed to mixing with lower-activity waters offshore? We address these issues using data sets collected from several different types of coastal environment. Copyright ?? 2007 IAHS Press.

  13. Strategies for longitudinal neuroimaging studies of overt language production.

    PubMed

    Meltzer, Jed A; Postman-Caucheteux, Whitney A; McArdle, Joseph J; Braun, Allen R

    2009-08-15

    Longitudinal fMRI studies of language production are of interest for evaluating recovery from post-stroke aphasia, but numerous methodological issues remain unresolved, particularly regarding strategies for evaluating single subjects at multiple timepoints. To address these issues, we studied overt picture naming in eleven healthy subjects, scanned four times each at one-month intervals. To evaluate the natural variability present across repeated sessions, repeated scans were directly contrasted in a unified statistical framework on a per-voxel basis. The effect of stimulus familiarity was evaluated using explicitly overtrained pictures, novel pictures, and untrained pictures that were repeated across sessions. For untrained pictures, we found that activation declined across multiple sessions, equally for both novel and repeated stimuli. Thus, no repetition priming for individual stimuli at one-month intervals was found, but rather a general effect of task habituation was present. Using a set of overtrained pictures identical in each session, no decline was found, but activation was minimized and produced less consistent patterns across participants, as measured by intra-class correlation coefficients. Subtraction of a baseline task, in which subjects produced a stereotyped utterance to scrambled pictures, resulted in specific activations in the left inferior frontal gyrus and other language areas for untrained items, while overlearned stimuli relative to pseudo pictures activated only the fusiform gyrus and supplementary motor area. These findings indicate that longitudinal fMRI is an effective means of detecting changes in neural activation magnitude over time, as long as the effect of task habituation is taken into account.

  14. From Systems Understanding to Personalized Medicine: Lessons and Recommendations Based on a Multidisciplinary and Translational Analysis of COPD.

    PubMed

    Roca, Josep; Cano, Isaac; Gomez-Cabrero, David; Tegnér, Jesper

    2016-01-01

    Systems medicine, using and adapting methods and approaches as developed within systems biology, promises to be essential in ongoing efforts of realizing and implementing personalized medicine in clinical practice and research. Here we review and critically assess these opportunities and challenges using our work on COPD as a case study. We find that there are significant unresolved biomedical challenges in how to unravel complex multifactorial components in disease initiation and progression producing different clinical phenotypes. Yet, while such a systems understanding of COPD is necessary, there are other auxiliary challenges that need to be addressed in concert with a systems analysis of COPD. These include information and communication technology (ICT)-related issues such as data harmonization, systematic handling of knowledge, computational modeling, and importantly their translation and support of clinical practice. For example, clinical decision-support systems need a seamless integration with new models and knowledge as systems analysis of COPD continues to develop. Our experience with clinical implementation of systems medicine targeting COPD highlights the need for a change of management including design of appropriate business models and adoption of ICT providing and supporting organizational interoperability among professional teams across healthcare tiers, working around the patient. In conclusion, in our hands the scope and efforts of systems medicine need to concurrently consider these aspects of clinical implementation, which inherently drives the selection of the most relevant and urgent issues and methods that need further development in a systems analysis of disease.

  15. Hand-transmitted vibration and biodynamic response of the human hand-arm: a critical review.

    PubMed

    Dong, R G; Rakheja, S; Schopper, A W; Han, B; Smutz, W P

    2001-01-01

    Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) has been associated with prolonged exposure to vibration transmitted to the human hand-arm system from hand-held power tools, vibrating machines, or hand-held vibrating workpieces. The biodynamic response of the human hand and arm to hand transmitted vibration (HTV) forms an essential basis for effective evaluations of exposures, vibration-attenuation mechanisms, and potential injury mechanisms. The biodynamic response to HTV and its relationship to HAVS are critically reviewed and discussed to highlight the advances and the need for further research. In view of its strong dependence on the nature of HTV and the lack of general agreement on the characteristics of HTV, the reported studies are first reviewed to enhance an understanding of HTV and related issues. The characteristics of HTV and relevant unresolved issues are discussed on the basis of measured data, proposed standards, and measurement methods, while the need for further developments in measurement systems is emphasized. The studies on biodynamic response and their findings are grouped into four categories based on the methodology used and the objective. These include studies on (1) through-the-hand-arm response, expressed in terms of vibration transmissibility; (2) to-the-hand response, expressed in terms of the force-motion relationship of the hand-arm system; (3) to-the-hand biodynamic response function, expressed in terms of vibration energy absorption; and (4) computer modeling of the biodynamic response characteristics.

  16. Microbial Cellulose Utilization: Fundamentals and Biotechnology

    PubMed Central

    Lynd, Lee R.; Weimer, Paul J.; van Zyl, Willem H.; Pretorius, Isak S.

    2002-01-01

    Fundamental features of microbial cellulose utilization are examined at successively higher levels of aggregation encompassing the structure and composition of cellulosic biomass, taxonomic diversity, cellulase enzyme systems, molecular biology of cellulase enzymes, physiology of cellulolytic microorganisms, ecological aspects of cellulase-degrading communities, and rate-limiting factors in nature. The methodological basis for studying microbial cellulose utilization is considered relative to quantification of cells and enzymes in the presence of solid substrates as well as apparatus and analysis for cellulose-grown continuous cultures. Quantitative description of cellulose hydrolysis is addressed with respect to adsorption of cellulase enzymes, rates of enzymatic hydrolysis, bioenergetics of microbial cellulose utilization, kinetics of microbial cellulose utilization, and contrasting features compared to soluble substrate kinetics. A biological perspective on processing cellulosic biomass is presented, including features of pretreated substrates and alternative process configurations. Organism development is considered for “consolidated bioprocessing” (CBP), in which the production of cellulolytic enzymes, hydrolysis of biomass, and fermentation of resulting sugars to desired products occur in one step. Two organism development strategies for CBP are examined: (i) improve product yield and tolerance in microorganisms able to utilize cellulose, or (ii) express a heterologous system for cellulose hydrolysis and utilization in microorganisms that exhibit high product yield and tolerance. A concluding discussion identifies unresolved issues pertaining to microbial cellulose utilization, suggests approaches by which such issues might be resolved, and contrasts a microbially oriented cellulose hydrolysis paradigm to the more conventional enzymatically oriented paradigm in both fundamental and applied contexts. PMID:12209002

  17. Partitioning of Pd Between Fe-S-C and Mantle Liquids at High Pressure and Temperature: Implications for Core Formation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Righter, K.; Humayun, M.; Danielson, L.

    2007-01-01

    One of the most elusive geochemical aspects of the early Earth has been explaining the near chondritic relative abundances of the highly siderophile elements (HSE; Au, Re and the platinum group elements) in Earth's primitive upper mantle (PUM). Perhaps they were delivered to the Earth after core formation, by late addition of carbonaceous chondrite material. However, the recognition that many moderately siderophile elements can be explained by high pressure and temperature (PT) metal-silicate equilibrium, leads to the question whether high PT equilibrium can also explain the HSE concentrations. Answers to this question have been slowed by experimental difficulties (nugget effect and very low solubilities). But two different perspectives have emerged from recent studies. One perspective is that D(M/S) for HSE at high PT are not low enough to explain terrestrial mantle depletions of these elements (for Pd and Pt). A second perspective is D(M/S) are reduced substantially at high PT and even low enough to explain terrestrial mantle depletions (for Au and Pt). Issues complicating interpretation of all experiments include use of MgO- and FeO-free silicate melts, and S-free and FeNi metal-free systems. In addition, conclusions for Pt rest on an interpretation that the tiny metallic nuggets plaguing many such experiments, were formed upon quench. There is not agreement on this issue, and the general question of HSE solubility at high PT remains unresolved

  18. The American Indian Holocaust: Healing Historical Unresolved Grief.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brave Heart, Maria Yellow Horse; DeBruyn, Lemyra M.

    1998-01-01

    Argues for the existence of historical unresolved grief among American Indians. Outlines the historical legacy of war, genocide, and boarding schools resulting in intergenerational trauma and a host of associated social problems. Suggests healing strategies that integrate modern and traditional approaches to healing at the individual, family, and…

  19. Proceedings of the Hydrokinetic and Wave Energy Technologies Technical and Environmental Issues Workshop

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

    None

    2006-03-01

    Renewable energy technologies offer the promise of non-polluting alternatives to fossil and nuclear-fueled power plants to meet growing demand for electrical energy. Two emerging categories of renewable energy technologies, hydrokinetic and wave energy conversion devices, offer ways to tap the energy of moving water without impoundment (dams) or diversion required by many conventional hydroelectric facilities. These technologies include devices designed for deployment in natural streams, tidal estuaries, ocean currents, and constructed waterways, as well as devices designed to capture the energy of ocean waves. On October 26-28, 2005, 54 representatives from government, non-governmental organizations, and private business met to (1)more » identify the varieties of hydrokinetic energy and wave technology devices, their stages of development, and the projected cost to bring each to market; (2) identify where these technologies can best operate; (3) identify the potential environmental issues associated with these technologies and possible mitigation measures; (4) develop a list of research needs and/or practical solutions to address unresolved environmental issues. These workshop proceedings include detailed summaries of the 24 presentations made and the discussions that followed.« less

  20. Controls on valley width in mountainous landscapes: the role of landsliding and implications for salmonid habitat

    Treesearch

    C. May; J. Roering; L.S. Eaton; K.M. Burnett

    2013-01-01

    A fundamental yet unresolved question in fluvial geomorphology is what controls the width of valleys in mountainous terrain. Establishing a predictive relation for valley floor width is critical for realizing links between aquatic ecology and geomorphology because the most productive riverine habitats often occur in low-gradient streams with broad floodplains. Working...

  1. In Response to Yasukuni: The Curious Approach the Chinese and South Korean Governments Take Toward an Unresolved Link to the Past

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-06-01

    Cumings summarizes the general atmospherics of 1950s South Korea well: “South Korea in the 1950s was a terribly depressing place, where extreme...Japan relations. Firstly, 1969 marked the centennial of the Yasukuni Shrine. In June, the rightist faction of the LDP introduced a Yasukuni Shrine

  2. Effects of Watershed Land Use and Geomorphology on Stream Low Flows During Severe Drought Conditions in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains, Georgia and North Carolina, United States

    EPA Science Inventory

    Land use and physiographic variability influence stream low flows, yet their interactions and relative influence remain unresolved. Our objective was to assess the influence of land use and watershed geomorphic characteristics on low-flow variability in the southern Blue Ridge Mo...

  3. Selenoprotein W depletion induces a p53- and p21-dependent delay in cell cycle progression in RWPE-1 prostate epithelial cells

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The anticancer activity of selenium (Se) has been demonstrated in myriad animal and in vitro studies, yet the mechanisms remain obscure. The relative importance of small selenium compounds versus selenoproteins in the cancer-protective activity of Se is unresolved, but the main form of Se in animal ...

  4. New Frontiers in Characterization of Sub-Catalog Microseismicity: Utilizing Inter-Event Waveform Cross Correlation for Estimating Precise Locations, Magnitudes, and Focal Mechanisms of Tiny Earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ellsworth, W. L.; Shelly, D. R.; Hardebeck, J.; Hill, D. P.

    2017-12-01

    Microseismicity often conveys the most direct information about active processes in the earth's subsurface. However, routine network processing typically leaves most earthquakes uncharacterized. These "sub-catalog" events can provide critical clues to ongoing processes in the source region. To address this issue, we have developed waveform-based processing that leverages the existing routine catalog of earthquakes to detect and characterize "sub-catalog" events (those absent in routine catalogs). By correlating waveforms of cataloged events with the continuous data stream, we 1) identify events with similar waveform signatures in the continuous data across multiple stations, 2) precisely measure relative time lags across these stations for both P- and S-wave time windows, and 3) estimate the relative polarity between events by the sign of the peak absolute value correlations and its height above the secondary peak. When combined, these inter-event comparisons yield robust measurements, which enable sensitive event detection, relative relocation, and relative magnitude estimation. The most recent addition, focal mechanisms derived from correlation-based relative polarities, addresses a significant shortcoming in microseismicity analyses (see Shelly et al., JGR, 2016). Depending on the application, we can characterize 2-10 times as many events as included in the initial catalog. This technique is particularly well suited for compact zones of active seismicity such as seismic swarms. Application to a 2014 swarm in Long Valley Caldera, California, illuminates complex patterns of faulting that would have otherwise remained obscured. The prevalence of such features in other environments remains an important, as yet unresolved, question.

  5. Development of an Art Psychotherapy Model for the Prevention and Treatment of Unresolved Grief during Midlife.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turetsky, Cheryl J.; Hays, Ronald E.

    2003-01-01

    Presents an integrated model as an appropriate intervention to enable mourning and creativity and thus help in the prevention and treatment of unresolved grief in midlife. Two examples of this model in art-psychotherapy group treatment are provided. (Contains 53 references, 1 table, and 2 figures.) (GCP)

  6. Unresolved Attachment, PTSD, and Dissociation in Women with Childhood Abuse Histories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stovall-McClough, K. Chase; Cloitre, Marylene

    2006-01-01

    The primary objective of this study was to examine unresolved trauma as assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview and current psychiatric symptoms, focusing on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dissociation, in a group of adult female childhood abuse survivors. The authors examined psychiatric symptoms and attachment representations in a…

  7. Observation of Unresolved Features in the Microwave Sky

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kowitt, M. S.; Cheng, E. S.; Cottingham, D. A.; Fixsen, D. J.; Silverberg, R. F.; Inman, C. A.; Meyer, S. S.; Puchalla, J. L.; Ruhl, J. E.; Page, L. A.

    1994-12-01

    We report on the detection of unresolved features in broadband observations from 5.6 to 22.5 cm(-1) with a 0\\fdg5 beam by the Medium Scale Anisotropy Measurement (Cheng et al. 1994, ApJ, 422, L37). Spectra for the features will be presented, along with a discussion of their possible origin.

  8. 47 CFR 73.810 - Third adjacent channel complaint and license modification procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... LPFM station's remedial efforts. (d) In the event that the number of unresolved complaints plus the... interference is traceable to the LPFM station. (e) If the number of unresolved and disputed complaints exceeds...) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Low Power FM Broadcast Stations (LPFM) § 73.810 Third...

  9. 47 CFR 73.810 - Third adjacent channel complaint and license modification procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... LPFM station's remedial efforts. (d) In the event that the number of unresolved complaints plus the... interference is traceable to the LPFM station. (e) If the number of unresolved and disputed complaints exceeds...) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Low Power FM Broadcast Stations (LPFM) § 73.810 Third...

  10. 47 CFR 73.810 - Third adjacent channel complaint and license modification procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... LPFM station's remedial efforts. (d) In the event that the number of unresolved complaints plus the... interference is traceable to the LPFM station. (e) If the number of unresolved and disputed complaints exceeds...) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES RADIO BROADCAST SERVICES Low Power FM Broadcast Stations (LPFM) § 73.810 Third...

  11. Speckle imaging of active galactic nuclei: NGC 1068 and NGC 4151

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebstein, Steven Michael

    High resolution images of NGC 1068 and NGC 4151 in the 5007 A line and the nearby continuum produced from data taken with the PAPA photon counting imaging detector using the technique of speckle imaging are presented. The images show an unresolved core of 5007 A emission in the middle of an extended emission region. The extended emission tends to lie alongside the subarcsecond radio structure. In NGC 4151, the extended emission comes from a nearly linear structure extending on both sides of the unresolved core. In NGC 1068, the extended emission is concentrated in lobes lying to the unresolved core but the emission is concentrated in lobes lying to either side of the major axis. The continuum of NGC 4151 is spatially unresolved. The continuum of NGC 1068 is extended approx. 1 in to the SW of the center of the 5007 A emission. Certain aspects of the PAPA detector are discussed, including the variable threshold discriminators that track the image intensifier pulse height and the camera artifacts. The data processing is described in detail.

  12. New Theoretical Estimates of the Contribution of Unresolved Star-Forming Galaxies to the Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Background (EGB) as Measured by EGRET and the Fermi-LAT

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Venters, Tonia M.

    2011-01-01

    We present new theoretical estimates of the contribution of unresolved star-forming galaxies to the extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGB) as measured by EGRET and the Fermi-LAT. We employ several methods for determining the star-forming galaxy contribution the the EGB, including a method positing a correlation between the gamma-ray luminosity of a galaxy and its rate of star formation as calculated from the total infrared luminosity, and a method that makes use of a model of the evolution of the galaxy gas mass with cosmic time. We find that depending on the model, unresolved star-forming galaxies could contribute significantly to the EGB as measured by the Fermi-LAT at energies between approx. 300 MeV and approx. few GeV. However, the overall spectrum of unresolved star-forming galaxies can explain neither the EGRET EGB spectrum at energies between 50 and 200 MeV nor the Fermi-LAT EGB spectrum at energies above approx. few GeV.

  13. A "fair innings" between the sexes: are men being treated inequitably?

    PubMed

    Tsuchiya, Aki; Williams, Alan

    2005-01-01

    In most modern developed communities, women are known to live longer than men. A less known fact is that in many statistics reporting differences in life expectancy between socio-economic classes, on average women in the worst-off social class live as long as men in the best-off social class, if not longer. It is true that women tend to have higher morbidity, or lower health-related quality of life, especially at advanced age, but this female disadvantage does not offset the life expectancy advantage sufficiently to lead to the conclusion that men and women enjoy comparable lifetime health prospects in these communities. Although there is much public and policy discussion about the inequity of health inequalities between the social classes, there is relatively little discussion about such inequalities between the sexes. The paper first discusses the applicability of the fair innings argument to the issue of inequality in health between the sexes. It critically examines six arguments concerning why inequality in health between the sexes may or may not be an inequity. Next, special attention is given to the argument that it is wrong to judge the fairness or unfairness of health inequalities in isolation, but that this judgement should be made only after considering other inequalities relevant to overall human well-being, many of which are believed to work to the disadvantage of women. An analytical framework based on the Gender-related Development Index (a supplementary index to the Human Development Index) is taken as a starting point, to address the issue of health and overall well-being. But this is found wanting, and suggestions are made as to how its conceptual and empirical properties could be improved. Meanwhile we conclude that a prima facie case has been made that the current distribution of health in most countries does not give men a "fair innings", but the broader question about general well-being remains unresolved.

  14. Fistulizing Crohn's disease: Diagnosis and management.

    PubMed

    Gecse, Krisztina; Khanna, Reena; Stoker, Jaap; Jenkins, John T; Gabe, Simon; Hahnloser, Dieter; D'Haens, Geert

    2013-06-01

    Fistulizing Crohn's disease represents an evolving, yet unresolved, issue for multidisciplinary management. Perianal fistulas are the most frequent findings in fistulizing Crohn's disease. While enterocutaneous fistulas are rare, they are associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Detailed evaluation of the fistula tract by advanced imaging techniques is required to determine the most suitable management options. The fundamentals of perianal fistula management are to evaluate the complexity of the fistula tract, and exclude proctitis and associated abscess. The main goals of the treatment are abscess drainage, which is mandatory, before initiating immunosuppressive medical therapy, resolution of fistula discharge, preservation of continence and, in the long term, avoidance of proctectomy with permanent stoma. The management of enterocutaneous fistulas comprises of sepsis control, skin care, nutritional optimization and, if needed, delayed surgery.

  15. Artificial organs: recent progress in artificial hearing and vision.

    PubMed

    Ifukube, Tohru

    2009-01-01

    Artificial sensory organs are a prosthetic means of sending visual or auditory information to the brain by electrical stimulation of the optic or auditory nerves to assist visually impaired or hearing-impaired people. However, clinical application of artificial sensory organs, except for cochlear implants, is still a trial-and-error process. This is because how and where the information transmitted to the brain is processed is still unknown, and also because changes in brain function (plasticity) remain unknown, even though brain plasticity plays an important role in meaningful interpretation of new sensory stimuli. This article discusses some basic unresolved issues and potential solutions in the development of artificial sensory organs such as cochlear implants, brainstem implants, artificial vision, and artificial retinas.

  16. Care of the Chronically Ill at Home: An Unresolved Dilemma in Health Policy for the United States

    PubMed Central

    Buhler-Wilkerson, Karen

    2007-01-01

    The problems of caring for patients with disabling illnesses who neither get well nor die are not new. Such patients have always required assistance at home from family, benevolent volunteers, or paid caregivers. Despite two centuries of experimentation, however, no agreement exists concerning the balance between the public and private resources to be allocated through state funding, private insurance, and family contributions for the daily and routine care at home for chronically ill persons of all ages. This article examines these issues and the unavoidable tensions between fiscal reality and legitimate need. It also uses historical and policy analyses to explain why home care has never become the cornerstone for caring for the chronically ill. PMID:18070332

  17. Novel Tactile Sensor Technology and Smart Tactile Sensing Systems: A Review

    PubMed Central

    Ge, Chang; Wang, Z. Jane; Cretu, Edmond; Li, Xiaoou

    2017-01-01

    During the last decades, smart tactile sensing systems based on different sensing techniques have been developed due to their high potential in industry and biomedical engineering. However, smart tactile sensing technologies and systems are still in their infancy, as many technological and system issues remain unresolved and require strong interdisciplinary efforts to address them. This paper provides an overview of smart tactile sensing systems, with a focus on signal processing technologies used to interpret the measured information from tactile sensors and/or sensors for other sensory modalities. The tactile sensing transduction and principles, fabrication and structures are also discussed with their merits and demerits. Finally, the challenges that tactile sensing technology needs to overcome are highlighted. PMID:29149080

  18. ECASTAR: Energy conservation. An assessment of systems, technologies and requirements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    A methodology was presented for a systems approach to energy conservation actions and their potentials and impacts in the United States. Constraints affecting the approach were ranked, and the most important ones are the present economic and technical conditions. The following unresolved issues were identified: consumptive lifestyles vs. conservation ethic, environmental standards vs. energy conservation, capital availability, decentralization and vertical integration vs. centralization, fuel rich regions vs. fuel poor regions, supply vs. end use conservation, life cycle costing vs. initial cost, mandatory savings vs. voluntary savings, labor intensive vs. capital intensive, price control vs. free market. The following recommendations were made: provide action/impact assessment, establish regional energy centers, improve technology articulation with government, design total energy systems, utilize existing systems approach expertise.

  19. Stationarity: Wanted dead or alive?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lins, Larry F.; Cohn, Timothy A.

    2011-01-01

    Aligning engineering practice with natural process behavior would appear, on its face, to be a prudent and reasonable course of action. However, if we do not understand the long-term characteristics of hydroclimatic processes, how does one find the prudent and reasonable course needed for water management? We consider this question in light of three aspects of existing and unresolved issues affecting hydroclimatic variability and statistical inference: Hurst-Kolmogorov phenomena; the complications long-term persistence introduces with respect to statistical understanding; and the dependence of process understanding on arbitrary sampling choices. These problems are not easily addressed. In such circumstances, humility may be more important than physics; a simple model with well-understood flaws may be preferable to a sophisticated model whose correspondence to reality is uncertain.

  20. Unresolved versus resolved: testing the validity of young simple stellar population models with VLT/MUSE observations of NGC 3603

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuncarayakti, H.; Galbany, L.; Anderson, J. P.; Krühler, T.; Hamuy, M.

    2016-09-01

    Context. Stellar populations are the building blocks of galaxies, including the Milky Way. The majority, if not all, extragalactic studies are entangled with the use of stellar population models given the unresolved nature of their observation. Extragalactic systems contain multiple stellar populations with complex star formation histories. However, studies of these systems are mainly based upon the principles of simple stellar populations (SSP). Hence, it is critical to examine the validity of SSP models. Aims: This work aims to empirically test the validity of SSP models. This is done by comparing SSP models against observations of spatially resolved young stellar population in the determination of its physical properties, that is, age and metallicity. Methods: Integral field spectroscopy of a young stellar cluster in the Milky Way, NGC 3603, was used to study the properties of the cluster as both a resolved and unresolved stellar population. The unresolved stellar population was analysed using the Hα equivalent width as an age indicator and the ratio of strong emission lines to infer metallicity. In addition, spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting using STARLIGHT was used to infer these properties from the integrated spectrum. Independently, the resolved stellar population was analysed using the colour-magnitude diagram (CMD) to determine age and metallicity. As the SSP model represents the unresolved stellar population, the derived age and metallicity were tested to determine whether they agree with those derived from resolved stars. Results: The age and metallicity estimate of NGC 3603 derived from integrated spectroscopy are confirmed to be within the range of those derived from the CMD of the resolved stellar population, including other estimates found in the literature. The result from this pilot study supports the reliability of SSP models for studying unresolved young stellar populations. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programme 60.A-9344.

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