Current state and future direction of computer systems at NASA Langley Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, James L. (Editor); Tucker, Jerry H. (Editor)

1992-01-01

Computer systems have advanced at a rate unmatched by any other area of technology. As performance has dramatically increased there has been an equally dramatic reduction in cost. This constant cost performance improvement has precipitated the pervasiveness of computer systems into virtually all areas of technology. This improvement is due primarily to advances in microelectronics. Most people are now convinced that the new generation of supercomputers will be built using a large number (possibly thousands) of high performance microprocessors. Although the spectacular improvements in computer systems have come about because of these hardware advances, there has also been a steady improvement in software techniques. In an effort to understand how these hardware and software advances will effect research at NASA LaRC, the Computer Systems Technical Committee drafted this white paper to examine the current state and possible future directions of computer systems at the Center. This paper discusses selected important areas of computer systems including real-time systems, embedded systems, high performance computing, distributed computing networks, data acquisition systems, artificial intelligence, and visualization.

Lujan Center upgrade for cold moderators: current design and future options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferguson, P. D.; Russell, G. J.; Pitcher, E. J.

1997-09-01

The upgraded Lujan Center target system is designed to be a split target with two tiers of moderators. The original suite of four moderators serving twelve flight paths has been optimized and an additional pair of moderators, one water and one LH 2 , have been added in a new upper moderator tier serving four additional flight paths. The upper moderators are partially coupled and viewed in backscattering geometry, as opposed to the decoupled moderators in the existing Lujan Center target system, which are viewed in transmission geometry. Fabrication of this new target system is currently in progress and installation is expected in 1998. The decoupling scheme for the upper moderator tier is documented. The neutronic performance of the two cold moderators is presented in the form of time and energy spectra with comparisons to the existing Lujan Center LH 2 moderator. Neutronic performance of a partially-coupled flux trap LH 2 moderator is also presented.

Teachers' professional development needs and current practices at the Alexander Science Center School

Science.gov (United States)

Gargus, Gerald Vincent

This investigation represents an in-depth understanding of teacher professional development at the Alexander Science Center School, a dependent charter museum school established through a partnership between the California Science Center and Los Angeles Unified School District. Three methods of data collection were used. A survey was distributed and collected from the school's teachers, resulting in a prioritized list of teacher professional development needs, as well as a summary of teachers' opinions about the school's existing professional development program. In addition, six key stakeholders in the school's professional development program were interviewed for the study. Finally, documents related to the school's professional development program were analyzed. Data collected from the interviews and documents were used to develop an understand various components of the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program. Teachers identified seven areas that had a high-priority for future professional development including developing skills far working with below-grade-level students, improving the analytical skills of student in mathematics, working with English Language Learners, improving students' overall reading ability levels, developing teachers' content-area knowledge for science, integrating science across the curriculum, and incorporating hands-on activity-based learning strategies to teach science. Professional development needs identified by Alexander Science Center School teachers were categorized based on their focus on content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, or curricular knowledge. Analysis of data collected through interviews and documents revealed that the Alexander Science Center School's professional development program consisted of six venues for providing professional development for teachers including weekly "banked time" sessions taking place within the standard school day, grade-level meetings, teacher support

Understanding current causes of women's underrepresentation in science.

Science.gov (United States)

Ceci, Stephen J; Williams, Wendy M

2011-02-22

Explanations for women's underrepresentation in math-intensive fields of science often focus on sex discrimination in grant and manuscript reviewing, interviewing, and hiring. Claims that women scientists suffer discrimination in these arenas rest on a set of studies undergirding policies and programs aimed at remediation. More recent and robust empiricism, however, fails to support assertions of discrimination in these domains. To better understand women's underrepresentation in math-intensive fields and its causes, we reprise claims of discrimination and their evidentiary bases. Based on a review of the past 20 y of data, we suggest that some of these claims are no longer valid and, if uncritically accepted as current causes of women's lack of progress, can delay or prevent understanding of contemporary determinants of women's underrepresentation. We conclude that differential gendered outcomes in the real world result from differences in resources attributable to choices, whether free or constrained, and that such choices could be influenced and better informed through education if resources were so directed. Thus, the ongoing focus on sex discrimination in reviewing, interviewing, and hiring represents costly, misplaced effort: Society is engaged in the present in solving problems of the past, rather than in addressing meaningful limitations deterring women's participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics careers today. Addressing today's causes of underrepresentation requires focusing on education and policy changes that will make institutions responsive to differing biological realities of the sexes. Finally, we suggest potential avenues of intervention to increase gender fairness that accord with current, as opposed to historical, findings.

Mathematics and science teachers' understanding and practices of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives ... school level understand and implement learner-centered pedagogy. ... prove that teachers' knowledge and skills as regard learner-centred pedagogical ...

Current NDT activities at Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ekinci, S.

2004-01-01

Nondestructive testing (NDT) activities at Cekmece Nuclear Research and Training Center (CNAEM) has been initiated in the Industrial Application Department of the Center which was established in 1976 as the Radioisotope Applications Group for Industry. The Department started its first NDT activity with industrial radiography. The NDT activities have been developed by the support of various national (State Planning Organization (DPT)) and international (IAEA and UNDP) projects. Today, there are five basic NDT techniques (radiography, ultrasonic, magnetic particle, liquid penetrant and eddy current) used in the Industrial Application Department. The Department arranges routinely NDT qualification courses according to ISO 9712 and TS EN 473 standards for level 1 and 2 for Turkish Industry. It also carries out national DPT and IAEA Technical Co-operation projects and gives NDT services in the laboratory and in the field. Digital radiography and digital ultrasonic techniques are being used in advanced NDT applications. This paper describes the NDT activities of CNAEM. (author)

Current standards of neuropsychological assessment in epilepsy surgery centers across Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Vogt, Viola Lara; Äikiä, Marja; Del Barrio, Antonio; Boon, Paul; Borbély, Csaba; Bran, Ema; Braun, Kees; Carette, Evelien; Clark, Maria; Cross, Judith Helen; Dimova, Petia; Fabo, Daniel; Foroglou, Nikolaos; Francione, Stefano; Gersamia, Anna; Gil-Nagel, Antonio; Guekht, Alla; Harrison, Sue; Hecimovic, Hrvoje; Heminghyt, Einar; Hirsch, Edouard; Javurkova, Alena; Kälviäinen, Reetta; Kavan, Nicole; Kelemen, Anna; Kimiskidis, Vasilios K; Kirschner, Margarita; Kleitz, Catherine; Kobulashvili, Teia; Kosmidis, Mary H; Kurtish, Selin Yagci; Lesourd, Mathieu; Ljunggren, Sofia; Lossius, Morten Ingvar; Malmgren, Kristina; Mameniskiené, Ruta; Martin-Sanfilippo, Patricia; Marusic, Petr; Miatton, Marijke; Özkara, Çiğdem; Pelle, Federica; Rubboli, Guido; Rudebeck, Sarah; Ryvlin, Philippe; van Schooneveld, Monique; Schmid, Elisabeth; Schmidt, Pia-Magdalena; Seeck, Margitta; Steinhoff, Bernhard J; Shavel-Jessop, Sara; Tarta-Arsene, Oana; Trinka, Eugen; Viggedal, Gerd; Wendling, Anne-Sophie; Witt, Juri-Alexander; Helmstaedter, Christoph

2017-03-01

We explored the current practice with respect to the neuropsychological assessment of surgical epilepsy patients in European epilepsy centers, with the aim of harmonizing and establishing common standards. Twenty-six epilepsy centers and members of "E-PILEPSY" (a European pilot network of reference centers in refractory epilepsy and epilepsy surgery), were asked to report the status of neuropsychological assessment in adults and children via two different surveys. There was a consensus among these centers regarding the role of neuropsychology in the presurgical workup. Strong agreement was found on indications (localization, epileptic dysfunctions, adverse drugs effects, and postoperative monitoring) and the domains to be evaluated (memory, attention, executive functions, language, visuospatial skills, intelligence, depression, anxiety, and quality of life). Although 186 different tests are in use throughout these European centers, a core group of tests reflecting a moderate level of agreement could be discerned. Variability exists with regard to indications, protocols, and paradigms for the assessment of hemispheric language dominance. For the tests in use, little published evidence of clinical validity in epilepsy was provided. Participants in the survey reported a need for improvement concerning the validity of the tests, tools for the assessment of everyday functioning and accelerated forgetting, national norms, and test co-normalization. Based on the present survey, we documented a consensus regarding the indications and principles of neuropsychological testing. Despite the variety of tests in use, the survey indicated that there may be a core set of tests chosen based on experience, as well as on published evidence. By combining these findings with the results of an ongoing systematic literature review, we aim for a battery that can be recommended for the use across epilepsy surgical centers in Europe. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 International League

Current neurotrauma treatment practice in secondary medical service centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suehiro, Eiichi; Yoshino, Hiroko; Koizumi, Hiroyasu; Yoneda, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Michiyasu

2011-01-01

Despite neurotrauma treatment practices comprising a significant amount of neurosurgical work for secondary medical service centers, little attention has been placed on neurotrauma cases and evaluation of current neurotrauma treatment practices is limited. Therefore we investigated current neurotrauma practices in our hospital located in a Japanese suburban city. We analyzed 439 patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) admitted to our hospital between April 2004 and October 2010. Patients were divided into three groups based on the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission: mild TBI (GCS 14-15) in 252 patients (57.4%), moderate TBI (GCS 9-13) in 116 patients (26.4%), and severe TBI (GCS 3-8) in 71 patients (16.2%). Age, gender, alcohol consumption, cause of injury, cranial CT findings, neurosurgical procedure, length of hospital stay, and clinical outcome were analyzed. The average age of the patients was 59.2 years old. Male patients comprised 65%. Alcohol consumption was reported in 81 cases (18.5%), most of them with moderate TBI. Fall (208 cases, 47.4%) was the most frequent cause of injury, followed by traffic accident (115 cases, 26.2%) and high fall (73 cases, 16.6%). Acute subdural hematoma (174 cases, 39.6%) was most frequently seen in cranial CT findings on admission, which significantly increased with severity. A neurosurgical procedure was performed for 70 cases (15.9%), of which 15 (6.0%) were mild TBI and 18 (15.5%) were moderate TBI. The average hospital stay was 20.8 days, which significantly increased with severity. The overall rate of favorable outcome was 82.7%, and mortality was 8.2%; outcome deteriorated with severity. Some mild and moderate TBI cases had deteriorated and required surgery or resulted in death. These findings suggest that cautious treatment is necessary even in mild to moderate TBI cases which are often encountered in secondary medical service centers. (author)

The Current State of Poison Control Centers in Pakistan and the Need for Capacity Building

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadeem Khan

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Chemical exposure is a major health problem globally. Poison control centers (PCCs play a leading role both in developed and developing countries in the prevention and control of poisonous chemical exposures. In this study, we aimed to assess the current state of PCCs in Pakistan and highlight capacity building needs in these centers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of the two registered PCCs was done during August – December 2011. Necessary services of the PCCs were evaluated and the data were recorded on a predesigned checklist. Results: Both PCCs are affiliated to a tertiary care hospital. Clinical services to poisoned patients were available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Information on common local products was available to poison center staff. Both centers were involved in undergraduate and post graduate teaching. Telephone poison information service was not available in either of centers. There was a limited capacity for qualitative and analytical toxicology. Common antidotes were available. There were limited surveillance activities to capture toxic risks existing in the community and also a deficiency was observed in chemical disaster planning. Conclusion: PCCs in Pakistan need capacity building for specialized training in toxicology, toxicovigilance, chemical disaster planning, analytical laboratory tests and telephone service for consultation in poisoning cases.   How to cite this article: Khan NU, Mir MU, Khan UR, Khan AR, Ara J, Raja K, et al. The Current State of Poison Control Centers in Pakistan and the Need for Capacity Building. Asia Pac J Med Toxicol 2014;3:31-5.

From the Margins to the Center: Recommendations for Current and Aspiring Educational Leaders

Science.gov (United States)

Nolan, Tina R.

2009-01-01

Tina Nolan presents a call to action for current and future leaders to assume a new role as change leaders for the museum education profession. This article puts forth a series of recommendations and strategies for repositioning museum educators from the margins of their institutions to the center. Included among these recommendations are…

Current status of Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taniguchi, Masaki

2000-01-01

The Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center is a common facility for both research and education in the field of synchrotron radiation science. The role of the center is to promote original research, training of young scientists, international exchange and cooperative research with neighbouring universities, public organizations and industries. (author)

Current understanding of mdig/MINA in human cancers.

Science.gov (United States)

Thakur, Chitra; Chen, Fei

2015-07-01

Mineral dust-induced gene, mdig has recently been identified and is known to be overexpressed in a majority of human cancers and holds predictive power in the poor prognosis of the disease. Mdig is an environmentally expressed gene that is involved in cell proliferation, neoplastic transformation and immune regulation. With the advancement in deciphering the prognostic role of mdig in human cancers, our understanding on how mdig renders a normal cell to undergo malignant transformation is still very limited. This article reviews the current knowledge of the mdig gene in context to human neoplasias and its relation to the clinico-pathologic factors predicting the outcome of the disease in patients. It also emphasizes on the promising role of mdig that can serve as a potential candidate for biomarker discovery and as a therapeutic target in inflammation and cancers. Considering the recent advances in understanding the underlying mechanisms of tumor formation, more preclinical and clinical research is required to validate the potential of using mdig as a novel biological target of therapeutic and diagnostic value. Expression level of mdig influences the prognosis of several human cancers especially cancers of the breast and lung. Evaluation of mdig in cancers can offer novel biomarker with potential therapeutic interventions for the early assessment of cancer development in patients.

Current use of imaging and electromagnetic source localization procedures in epilepsy surgery centers across Europe.

Science.gov (United States)

Mouthaan, Brian E; Rados, Matea; Barsi, Péter; Boon, Paul; Carmichael, David W; Carrette, Evelien; Craiu, Dana; Cross, J Helen; Diehl, Beate; Dimova, Petia; Fabo, Daniel; Francione, Stefano; Gaskin, Vladislav; Gil-Nagel, Antonio; Grigoreva, Elena; Guekht, Alla; Hirsch, Edouard; Hecimovic, Hrvoje; Helmstaedter, Christoph; Jung, Julien; Kalviainen, Reetta; Kelemen, Anna; Kimiskidis, Vasilios; Kobulashvili, Teia; Krsek, Pavel; Kuchukhidze, Giorgi; Larsson, Pål G; Leitinger, Markus; Lossius, Morten I; Luzin, Roman; Malmgren, Kristina; Mameniskiene, Ruta; Marusic, Petr; Metin, Baris; Özkara, Cigdem; Pecina, Hrvoje; Quesada, Carlos M; Rugg-Gunn, Fergus; Rydenhag, Bertil; Ryvlin, Philippe; Scholly, Julia; Seeck, Margitta; Staack, Anke M; Steinhoff, Bernhard J; Stepanov, Valentin; Tarta-Arsene, Oana; Trinka, Eugen; Uzan, Mustafa; Vogt, Viola L; Vos, Sjoerd B; Vulliémoz, Serge; Huiskamp, Geertjan; Leijten, Frans S S; Van Eijsden, Pieter; Braun, Kees P J

2016-05-01

In 2014 the European Union-funded E-PILEPSY project was launched to improve awareness of, and accessibility to, epilepsy surgery across Europe. We aimed to investigate the current use of neuroimaging, electromagnetic source localization, and imaging postprocessing procedures in participating centers. A survey on the clinical use of imaging, electromagnetic source localization, and postprocessing methods in epilepsy surgery candidates was distributed among the 25 centers of the consortium. A descriptive analysis was performed, and results were compared to existing guidelines and recommendations. Response rate was 96%. Standard epilepsy magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols are acquired at 3 Tesla by 15 centers and at 1.5 Tesla by 9 centers. Three centers perform 3T MRI only if indicated. Twenty-six different MRI sequences were reported. Six centers follow all guideline-recommended MRI sequences with the proposed slice orientation and slice thickness or voxel size. Additional sequences are used by 22 centers. MRI postprocessing methods are used in 16 centers. Interictal positron emission tomography (PET) is available in 22 centers; all using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Seventeen centers perform PET postprocessing. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) is used by 19 centers, of which 15 perform postprocessing. Four centers perform neither PET nor SPECT in children. Seven centers apply magnetoencephalography (MEG) source localization, and nine apply electroencephalography (EEG) source localization. Fourteen combinations of inverse methods and volume conduction models are used. We report a large variation in the presurgical diagnostic workup among epilepsy surgery centers across Europe. This diversity underscores the need for high-quality systematic reviews, evidence-based recommendations, and harmonization of available diagnostic presurgical methods. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

Current understanding of organically bound tritium (OBT) in the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, S B; Baglan, N; Davis, P A

2013-12-01

It has become increasingly recognized that organically bound tritium (OBT) is the more significant tritium fraction with respect to understanding tritium behaviour in the environment. There are many different terms associated with OBT; such as total OBT, exchangeable OBT, non-exchangeable OBT, soluble OBT, insoluble OBT, tritiated organics, and buried tritium, etc. A simple classification is required to clarify understanding within the tritium research community. Unlike for tritiated water (HTO), the environmental quantification and behaviour of OBT are not well known. Tritiated water cannot bio-accumulate in the environment. However, it is not clear whether or not this is the case for OBT. Even though OBT can be detected in terrestrial biological materials, aquatic biological materials and soil samples, its behaviour is still in question. In order to evaluate the radiation dose from OBT accurately, further study will be required to understand OBT measurements and determine OBT fate in the environment. The relationship between OBT speciation and the OBT/HTO ratio in environmental samples will be useful in this regard, providing information on the previous tritium exposure conditions in the environment and the current tritium dynamics. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Climate Prediction Center - Outlooks: Current UV Index Forecast Map

Science.gov (United States)

Weather Service NWS logo - Click to go to the NWS home page Climate Prediction Center Home Site Map News Service NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction Climate Prediction Center 5830 University Research Court College Park, Maryland 20740 Page Author: Climate Prediction Center Internet Team Disclaimer

Fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) phenomena in reactor safety. Current understanding and future research needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Speis, T.P. [Maryland Univ., College Park, MD (United States); Basu, S.

1998-01-01

This paper gives an account of the current understanding of fuel-coolant interaction (FCI) phenomena in the context of reactor safety. With increased emphasis on accident management and with emerging in-vessel core melt retention strategies for advanced light water reactor (ALWR) designs, recent interest in FCI has broadened to include an evaluation of potential threats to the integrity of reactor vessel lower head and ex-vessel structural support, as well as the role of FCI in debris quenching and coolability. The current understanding of FCI with regard to these issues is discussed, and future research needs to address the issues from a risk perspective are identified. (author)

Data center networks topologies, architectures and fault-tolerance characteristics

CERN Document Server

Liu, Yang; Veeraraghavan, Malathi; Lin, Dong; Hamdi, Mounir

2013-01-01

This SpringerBrief presents a survey of data center network designs and topologies and compares several properties in order to highlight their advantages and disadvantages. The brief also explores several routing protocols designed for these topologies and compares the basic algorithms to establish connections, the techniques used to gain better performance, and the mechanisms for fault-tolerance. Readers will be equipped to understand how current research on data center networks enables the design of future architectures that can improve performance and dependability of data centers. This con

Current Capabilities and Capacity of Ebola Treatment Centers in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Herstein, Jocelyn J; Biddinger, Paul D; Kraft, Colleen S; Saiman, Lisa; Gibbs, Shawn G; Le, Aurora B; Smith, Philip W; Hewlett, Angela L; Lowe, John J

2016-03-01

To describe current Ebola treatment center (ETC) locations, their capacity to care for Ebola virus disease patients, and infection control infrastructure features. A 19-question survey was distributed electronically in April 2015. Responses were collected via email by June 2015 and analyzed in an electronic spreadsheet. The survey was sent to and completed by site representatives of each ETC. The survey was sent to all 55 ETCs; 47 (85%) responded. Of the 47 responding ETCs, there are 84 isolation beds available for adults and 91 for children; of these pediatric beds, 35 (38%) are in children's hospitals. In total, the simultaneous capacity of the 47 reporting ETCs is 121 beds. On the basis of the current US census, there are 0.38 beds per million population. Most ETCs have negative pressure isolation rooms, anterooms, and a process for category A waste sterilization, although only 11 facilities (23%) have the capability to sterilize infectious waste on site. Facilities developed ETCs on the basis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance, but specific capabilities are not mandated at this present time. Owing to the complex and costly nature of Ebola virus disease treatment and variability in capabilities from facility to facility, in conjunction with the lack of regulations, nationwide capacity in specialized facilities is limited. Further assessments should determine whether ETCs can adapt to safely manage other highly infectious disease threats.

Understanding the risk factors of trauma center closures: do financial pressure and community characteristics matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yu-Chu; Hsia, Renee Y; Kuzma, Kristen

2009-09-01

We analyze whether hazard rates of shutting down trauma centers are higher due to financial pressures or in areas with vulnerable populations (such as minorities or the poor). This is a retrospective study of all hospitals with trauma center services in urban areas in the continental US between 1990 and 2005, identified from the American Hospital Association Annual Surveys. These data were linked with Medicare cost reports, and supplemented with other sources, including the Area Resource File. We analyze the hazard rates of trauma center closures among several dimensions of risk factors using discrete-time proportional hazard models. The number of trauma center closures increased from 1990 to 2005, with a total of 339 during this period. The hazard rate of closing trauma centers in hospitals with a negative profit margin is 1.38 times higher than those hospitals without the negative profit margin (P lower hazard of shutting down trauma centers (ratio: 0.58, P penetration face a higher hazard of trauma center closure (ratio: 2.06, P < 0.01). Finally, hospitals in areas with higher shares of minorities face a higher risk of trauma center closure (ratio: 1.69, P < 0.01). Medicaid load and uninsured populations, however, are not risk factors for higher rates of closure after we control for other financial and community characteristics. Our findings give an indication on how the current proposals to cut public spending could exacerbate the trauma closure particularly among areas with high shares of minorities. In addition, given the negative effect of health maintenance organizations on trauma center survival, the growth of Medicaid managed care population should be monitored. Finally, high shares of Medicaid or uninsurance by themselves are not independent risk factors for higher closure as long as financial pressures are mitigated. Targeted policy interventions and further research on the causes, are needed to address these systems-level disparities.

Understanding and Predicting Social Media Use Among Community Health Center Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background The use of social media by health care organizations is growing and provides Web-based tools to connect patients, caregivers, and providers. Objective The aim was to determine the use and factors predicting the use of social media for health care–related purposes among medically underserved primary care patients. Methods A cross-sectional survey was administered to 444 patients of a federally qualified community health center. Results Community health center patients preferred that their providers use email, cell phones for texting, and Facebook and cell phone apps for sharing health information. Significantly more Hispanic than white patients believed their providers should use Facebook (P=.001), YouTube (P=.01), and Twitter (P=.04) for sharing health information. Use and intentions to use social media for health-related purposes were significantly higher for those patients with higher subjective norm scores. Conclusions Understanding use and factors predicting use can increase adoption and utilization of social media for health care–related purposes among underserved patients in community health centers. PMID:25427823

Current Situation of Treatment for Anaphylaxis in a Japanese Pediatric Emergency Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Ninchoji, Takeshi; Iwatani, Sota; Nishiyama, Masahiro; Kamiyoshi, Naohiro; Taniguchi-Ikeda, Mariko; Morisada, Naoya; Ishibashi, Kazuto; Iijima, Kazumoto; Ishida, Akihito; Morioka, Ichiro

2018-04-01

Anaphylaxis is a systemic allergic reaction that sometimes requires prompt treatment with intramuscular adrenaline. The aim of the study was to investigate the current situation regarding anaphylaxis treatment in a representative pediatric primary emergency facility in Japan. We retrospectively examined the medical records dating from April 2011 through March 2014 from Kobe Children's Primary Emergency Medical Center, where general pediatricians work on a part-time basis. Clinical characteristics and current treatments for patients with anaphylaxis who presented to the facility were investigated. Furthermore, we compared the clinical characteristics between anaphylaxis patients given intramuscular adrenaline and those not given it. During the study period, 217 patients were diagnosed with anaphylaxis. The median Sampson grade at the time of visit was 2, and 90 patients (41%) were grade 4 or higher. No patients received self-intramuscular injected adrenaline before arrival at our emergency medical center because none of the patients had been prescribed it. Further treatment during the visit was provided to 128 patients (59%), with only 17 (8%) receiving intramuscular adrenaline. Patients given intramuscular adrenaline had significantly lower peripheral saturation of oxygen at the visit (P = 0.025) and more frequent transfer to a referral hospital (P < 0.001) than those not given intramuscular adrenaline. Education for Japanese pediatric practitioners and patients is warranted, because no patients used self-intramuscular injected adrenaline as a prehospital treatment for anaphylaxis, and only severely affected patients who needed oxygen therapy or hospitalization received intramuscular adrenaline in a pediatric primary emergency setting.

Current State of Agile User-Centered Design: A Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Zahid; Slany, Wolfgang; Holzinger, Andreas

Agile software development methods are quite popular nowadays and are being adopted at an increasing rate in the industry every year. However, these methods are still lacking usability awareness in their development lifecycle, and the integration of usability/User-Centered Design (UCD) into agile methods is not adequately addressed. This paper presents the preliminary results of a recently conducted online survey regarding the current state of the integration of agile methods and usability/UCD. A world wide response of 92 practitioners was received. The results show that the majority of practitioners perceive that the integration of agile methods with usability/UCD has added value to their adopted processes and to their teams; has resulted in the improvement of usability and quality of the product developed; and has increased the satisfaction of the end-users of the product developed. The top most used HCI techniques are low-fidelity prototyping, conceptual designs, observational studies of users, usability expert evaluations, field studies, personas, rapid iterative testing, and laboratory usability testing.

Current understanding of magnetic storms: Storm-substorm relationships

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamide, Y.; Gonzalez, W.D.; Baumjohann, W.; Daglis, I.A.; Grande, M.; Joselyn, J.A.; Singer, H.J.; McPherron, R.L.; Phillips, J.L.; Reeves, E.G.; Rostoker, G.; Sharma, A.S.; Tsurutani, B.T.

1998-01-01

This paper attempts to summarize the current understanding of the storm/substorm relationship by clearing up a considerable amount of controversy and by addressing the question of how solar wind energy is deposited into and is dissipated in the constituent elements that are critical to magnetospheric and ionospheric processes during magnetic storms. (1) Four mechanisms are identified and discussed as the primary causes of enhanced electric fields in the interplanetary medium responsible for geomagnetic storms. It is pointed out that in reality, these four mechanisms, which are not mutually exclusive, but interdependent, interact differently from event to event. Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) are found to be the primary phenomena responsible for the main phase of geomagnetic storms. The other two mechanisms, i.e., HILDCAA (high-intensity, long-duration, continuous auroral electrojet activity) and the so-called Russell-McPherron effect, work to make the ICME and CIR phenomena more geoeffective. The solar cycle dependence of the various sources in creating magnetic storms has yet to be quantitatively understood. (2) A serious controversy exists as to whether the successive occurrence of intense substorms plays a direct role in the energization of ring current particles or whether the enhanced electric field associated with southward IMF enhances the effect of substorm expansions. While most of the Dst variance during magnetic storms can be solely reproduced by changes in the large-scale electric field in the solar wind and the residuals are uncorrelated with substorms, recent satellite observations of the ring current constituents during the main phase of magnetic storms show the importance of ionospheric ions. This implies that ionospheric ions, which are associated with the frequent occurrence of intense substorms, are accelerated upward along magnetic field lines, contributing to the energy density of the

STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING AND CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING IN LEARNING INTODUCTION TO LITERATURE TO IMPROVE THE STUDENTS MORALITY AND MULTICULTURAL VALUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siminto Siminto

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Previously the paradigm change was done from the teacher centered to the student centered in teaching learning process. It was expected to be able to encourage the students to be involved in building their knowledge, attitude, and character. Besides that, English learners did not understand about the native culture and morality values to the language that they are learning. Cross cultural understanding knowledge is very useful to improve the students‘ ability in recognizing the dissimilarity culture and live together in the middle of the dissimilarity culture. This research was based on the qualitative research principle. The research type used was qualitative study by using action research design. Subject of this research was the fourth semester students who have programmed Introduction to Literature in English Study Program at Palangkaraya State Islamic Institute in academic year 2014/2015, consisted of two learning group. Based on the research findings, by implementing of student-centered learning and cross cultural understanding, it showed that they can increase: (1 the students‘ readiness, being active, seriousness in analyzing English literature text; (2 the students‘ performance in doing of tasks given to each students to be able to share their understanding about English literature text to the other students; (3 the students‘ learning quality, academic achievement, interest, response in learning of Introduction to Literature related to literature text analysis concept mastering; (4 the students‘ morality and multicultural values. It could be seen from the students‘ study result, literature text analysis result, and the students‘ character.

Cosmic gamma-ray background radiation. Current understandings and problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inoue, Yoshiyuki

2015-01-01

The cosmic gamma-ray background radiation is one of the most fundamental observables in the gamma-ray band. Although the origin of the cosmic gamma-ray background radiation has been a mystery for a long time, the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope has recently measured it at 0.1-820 GeV and revealed that the cosmic GeV gamma-ray background is composed of blazars, radio galaxies, and star-forming galaxies. However, Fermi still leaves the following questions. Those are dark matter contribution, origins of the cosmic MeV gamma-ray background, and the connection to the IceCube TeV-PeV neutrino events. In this proceeding, I will review the current understandings of the cosmic gamma-ray background and discuss future prospects of cosmic gamma-ray background radiation studies. (author)

Crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes

KAUST Repository

Wilson, S. K.; Adjeroud, M.; Bellwood, D. R.; Berumen, Michael L.; Booth, D.; Bozec, Y.-M.; Chabanet, P.; Cheal, A.; Cinner, J.; Depczynski, M.; Feary, D. A.; Gagliano, M.; Graham, N. A. J.; Halford, A. R.; Halpern, B. S.; Harborne, A. R.; Hoey, A. S.; Holbrook, S. J.; Jones, G. P.; Kulbiki, M.; Letourneur, Y.; De Loma, T. L.; McClanahan, T.; McCormick, M. I.; Meekan, M. G.; Mumby, P. J.; Munday, P. L.; Ohman, M. C.; Pratchett, M. S.; Riegl, B.; Sano, M.; Schmitt, R. J.; Syms, C.

2010-01-01

Expert opinion was canvassed to identify crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. Scientists that had published three or more papers on the effects of climate and environmental factors on reef

Location of radiotherapy centers: An exploratory geographic analysis for Belgium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotteels, C.; Peeters, D.; Coucke, P.A.; Thomas, I.

2012-01-01

Purpose. - The distance between the patient's home and a radiotherapy department may represent a hurdle for the patient and influence treatment choice. Therefore, it is necessary to check whether the geographical distribution of radiotherapy centers is in accordance with cancer incidence, taking also into account the cost of travelling to the radiotherapy department. The objective of this study is double; first, to map the current locations of radiotherapy centers across the country and second, to evaluate the observed spatial disparities with appropriate tools. Materials and methods. - A model of operational research (P-median) is used to suggest the optimal locations and allocations and to compare them with the current situation. This is an exploratory study with simple inputs. It helps to better understand the current geographical distribution of radiotherapy centers in Belgium as well as its possible limitations. Results-conclusion. - It appears that the current situation is on the average acceptable in terms of accessibility to the service and that the method presents huge potentialities for decision making so as to yield a spatial system that is both efficient and equitable. (authors)

Condition for the occurrence of phase slip centers in superconducting nanowires under applied current or voltage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Michotte, S.; Mátéfi-Tempfli, Stefan; Piraux, L.

2004-01-01

Experimental results on the phase slip process in superconducting lead nanowires are presented under two different experimental conditions: constant applied current or constant voltage. Based on these experiments we established a simple model which gives us the condition of the appearance of phase...... slip centers in a quasi-one-dimensional wire. The competition between two relaxations times (relaxation time of the absolute value of the order parameter τ and relaxation time of the phase of the order parameter in the phase slip center τ) governs the phase slip process. Phase slips, as periodic...... oscillations in time of the order parameter, are only possible if the gradient of the phase grows faster than the value of the order parameter in the phase slip center, or equivalently if τ≤ τ....

Understanding Preschool Teachers’ Emotional Support as a Function of Center Climate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine M. Zinsser

2014-11-01

Full Text Available There is great emphasis recently on improving the quality of early childhood education in the United States. Within quality rating improvement systems, classroom quality is often reported at the center or program levels. Yet little is known about teaching quality at the center level or the influence of center characteristics on teaching quality. Specifically, this study examines the extent to which the quality of emotional support provided by the teacher is associated with characteristics of the center (e.g., prior turnover rates and center director (e.g., education, management practices. Findings from Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES 2009 data indicated that emotional support dimensions were differentially predicted by characteristics of the center and the director, including prior teacher turnover rate and director job satisfaction. However, highly regulated indicators of center quality (e.g., student:teacher ratio did not substantially explain emotional support.

Boxes, Boosts, and Energy Duality: Understanding the Galactic-Center Gamma-Ray Excess through Dynamical Dark Matter

CERN Document Server

Boddy, Kimberly K.

2017-03-28

Many models currently exist which attempt to interpret the excess of gamma rays emanating from the Galactic Center in terms of annihilating or decaying dark matter. These models typically exhibit a variety of complicated cascade mechanisms for photon production, leading to a non-trivial kinematics which obscures the physics of the underlying dark sector. In this paper, by contrast, we observe that the spectrum of the gamma-ray excess may actually exhibit an intriguing "energy-duality" invariance under $E_\\gamma \\rightarrow E_\\ast^2/E_\\gamma$ for some $E_\\ast$. As we shall discuss, such an energy duality points back to a remarkably simple alternative kinematics which in turn is realized naturally within the Dynamical Dark Matter framework. Observation of this energy duality could therefore provide considerable information about the properties of the dark sector from which the Galactic-Center gamma-ray excess might arise, and highlights the importance of acquiring more complete data for the Galactic-Center exce...

Energy efficient data centers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tschudi, William; Xu, Tengfang; Sartor, Dale; Koomey, Jon; Nordman, Bruce; Sezgen, Osman

2004-03-30

Data Center facilities, prevalent in many industries and institutions are essential to California's economy. Energy intensive data centers are crucial to California's industries, and many other institutions (such as universities) in the state, and they play an important role in the constantly evolving communications industry. To better understand the impact of the energy requirements and energy efficiency improvement potential in these facilities, the California Energy Commission's PIER Industrial Program initiated this project with two primary focus areas: First, to characterize current data center electricity use; and secondly, to develop a research ''roadmap'' defining and prioritizing possible future public interest research and deployment efforts that would improve energy efficiency. Although there are many opinions concerning the energy intensity of data centers and the aggregate effect on California's electrical power systems, there is very little publicly available information. Through this project, actual energy consumption at its end use was measured in a number of data centers. This benchmark data was documented in case study reports, along with site-specific energy efficiency recommendations. Additionally, other data center energy benchmarks were obtained through synergistic projects, prior PG&E studies, and industry contacts. In total, energy benchmarks for sixteen data centers were obtained. For this project, a broad definition of ''data center'' was adopted which included internet hosting, corporate, institutional, governmental, educational and other miscellaneous data centers. Typically these facilities require specialized infrastructure to provide high quality power and cooling for IT equipment. All of these data center types were considered in the development of an estimate of the total power consumption in California. Finally, a research ''roadmap'' was developed

What do we mean by Human-Centered Design of Life-Critical Systems?

Science.gov (United States)

Boy, Guy A

2012-01-01

Human-centered design is not a new approach to design. Aerospace is a good example of a life-critical systems domain where participatory design was fully integrated, involving experimental test pilots and design engineers as well as many other actors of the aerospace engineering community. This paper provides six topics that are currently part of the requirements of the Ph.D. Program in Human-Centered Design of the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT.) This Human-Centered Design program offers principles, methods and tools that support human-centered sustainable products such as mission or process control environments, cockpits and hospital operating rooms. It supports education and training of design thinkers who are natural leaders, and understand complex relationships among technology, organizations and people. We all need to understand what we want to do with technology, how we should organize ourselves to a better life and finally find out whom we are and have become. Human-centered design is being developed for all these reasons and issues.

Current understanding of the human microbiome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilbert, Jack A.; Blaser, Martin J.; Caporaso, J. Gregory; Jansson, Janet K.; Lynch, Susan V.; Knight, Rob

2018-04-10

Our understanding of the link between the human microbiome and disease, including obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis and autism, is rapidly expanding. Improvements in the throughput and accuracy of DNA sequencing of the genomes of microbial communities associated with human samples, complemented by analysis of transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes and immunomes, and mechanistic experiments in model systems, have vastly improved our ability to understand the structure and function of the microbiome in both diseased and healthy states. However, many challenges remain. In this Review we focus on studies in humans to describe these challenges, and propose strategies that leverage existing knowledge to move rapidly from correlation to causation, and ultimately to translation.

Survey on current hydrotherapy use among North American burn centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Davison, Peter G; Loiselle, Frederick B; Nickerson, Duncan

2010-01-01

The authors have reviewed hydrotherapy practices in North American burn centers and described the epidemiology of hydrotherapy-associated nosocomial infections. A web-based survey was distributed to the directors of all burn care facilities listed by the American Burn Association. Questions addressed aspects of practice, including the method, additives, disposable liners, decontamination practices, nosocomial pathogens, and perceptions regarding the "ideal" method of hydrotherapy. The response rate was 44%, 59 of 142 centers, or 827 of 1900 beds. Hydrotherapy is regularly used by 83% of centers. Among these centers, 10% use exclusively immersion hydrotherapy (IH), 54% use exclusively shower cart hydrotherapy (SCH), and 35% use a combination of IH and SCH. Disposable liners are used at 80% of centers. Tap water alone is used by 51% of centers, 27% add detergent, 16% chlorhexidine, and 7% povidone-iodine. The majority of centers (57%) do not routinely culture their hydrotherapy equipment, 20% culture weekly, 7% monthly, and 17% less than once per month. Directors believe that Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant S. aureus are the most common nosocomial pathogens, followed by Acinetobacter species and Candida albicans. The relative frequency of occurrence of the first three pathogens did not vary with regard to the hydrotherapy method used. Given the opportunity to redesign, 45% of burn unit directors would implement SCH only, 42% a combination of SCH and IH, 2% exclusively IH, and 11% no hydrotherapy or bedside irrigation only. The prevalence of hydrotherapy use at North American burn centers has decreased since 1990 (83% vs 95%), yet continues to be used at the majority of centers. The use of IH has also declined (55% vs 81%). The trend away from the exclusive use of IH will likely continue, because more centers incorporate showering methods.

The ability of current micro-velocity models to represent center-limb line profiles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.C.; Testerman, L.

1975-01-01

Results are presented on the ability of microturbulences, LTE line formation and a homogeneous thermal model to realistically represent the center-limb variation of temporally and spacially averaged solar line profiles. Three somewhat similar semi-empirical thermal models have been used in combination with five current microturbulence models which cover the gamut of homogeneous-isotropic to nonhomogeneous-anisotropic. From high resolution photoelectric data for (lambdalambda 5000-6000 at five μ-values(1,0.63,0.4,0.25,0.16) obtained at KPNO, were selected 17 Fe I and 5 Fe II line profiles to be unblended and symmetrized for study. An iterative scheme has been developed to calculate theoretical profiles for the various combination of models and compare them to the observed profile using the abundance at each limb position and the magnitude of the pressure broadening at the center of the disc as parameters. It was found that a microturbulence model, for which the radial and tangential components increase into deeper layers with xisub(tan)>xisub(rad), produces a reasonable good center-limb fit for lines less than 100mA. However for lines stronger than 140mA, microturbulence models with no depth dependence produce the best match between theory and observation. Thus there is reason to question the uniqueness of the microturbulence concept. (Auth.)

Current understanding of multi-species biofilms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yang, Liang; Liu, Yang; Wu, Hong

2011-01-01

every year worldwide to deal with damage to equipment, contaminations of products, energy losses, and infections in human beings resulted from microbial biofilms. Microorganisms compete, cooperate, and communicate with each other in multi-species biofilms. Understanding the mechanisms of multi......Direct observation of a wide range of natural microorganisms has revealed the fact that the majority of microbes persist as surface-attached communities surrounded by matrix materials, called biofilms. Biofilms can be formed by a single bacterial strain. However, most natural biofilms are actually......-species biofilm formation will facilitate the development of methods for combating bacterial biofilms in clinical, environmental, industrial, and agricultural areas. The most recent advances in the understanding of multi-species biofilms are summarized and discussed in the review....

Room Temperature Magnetic Determination of the Current Center Line for the ITER TF Coils

CERN Document Server

Lerch, Philippe; Buzio, Marco; Negrazus, Marco; Baynham, Elwyn; Sanfilippo, Stephane; Foussat, Arnaud

2014-01-01

The ITER tokamak includes 18 superconducting D-shaped toroidal field (IT) coils. Unavoidable shape deformations as well as assembly errors will lead to field errors, which can be modeled with the knowledge of the current center line (CCL). Accurate survey during the entire manufacturing and assembly process, including transfer of survey points, is complex. In order to increase the level of confidence, a room temperature magnetic measurement of the CCL on assembled and closed winding packs is foreseen, prior to insertion into their cold case. In this contribution, we discuss the principle of the CCL determination and present a low frequency ac measurement system under development at PSI, within an ITER framework contract. The largest current allowed to flow in the TF coil at room temperature and the precision requirements for the determination of the CCL loci of the coil are hard boundaries. Eddy currents in the radial plates, the winding pack enclosures, and possibly from iron in the reinforced concrete floor...

Changing the batch system in a Tier 1 computing center: why and how

Science.gov (United States)

Chierici, Andrea; Dal Pra, Stefano

2014-06-01

At the Italian Tierl Center at CNAF we are evaluating the possibility to change the current production batch system. This activity is motivated mainly because we are looking for a more flexible licensing model as well as to avoid vendor lock-in. We performed a technology tracking exercise and among many possible solutions we chose to evaluate Grid Engine as an alternative because its adoption is increasing in the HEPiX community and because it's supported by the EMI middleware that we currently use on our computing farm. Another INFN site evaluated Slurm and we will compare our results in order to understand pros and cons of the two solutions. We will present the results of our evaluation of Grid Engine, in order to understand if it can fit the requirements of a Tier 1 center, compared to the solution we adopted long ago. We performed a survey and a critical re-evaluation of our farming infrastructure: many production softwares (accounting and monitoring on top of all) rely on our current solution and changing it required us to write new wrappers and adapt the infrastructure to the new system. We believe the results of this investigation can be very useful to other Tier-ls and Tier-2s centers in a similar situation, where the effort of switching may appear too hard to stand. We will provide guidelines in order to understand how difficult this operation can be and how long the change may take.

Antibody Affinity Maturation in Fishes—Our Current Understanding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brad G. Magor

2015-07-01

Full Text Available It has long been believed that fish lack antibody affinity maturation, in part because they were thought to lack germinal centers. Recent research done on sharks and bony fishes indicates that these early vertebrates are able to affinity mature their antibodies. This article reviews the functionality of the fish homologue of the immunoglobulin (Ig mutator enzyme activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID. We also consider the protein and molecular evidence for Ig somatic hypermutation and antibody affinity maturation. In the context of recent evidence for a putative proto-germinal center in fishes we propose some possible reasons that observed affinity maturation in fishes often seems lacking and propose future work that might shed further light on this process in fishes.

The Comparison between Teacher Centered and Student Centered Educational Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Anvar

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Various approaches to learning are suggested & practiced. The traditional medical education were more teacher centered oriented . In this method the students’ involvement in the process of learning is not remarkable, but the new approach to medical education supports the students involvement. This study evaluated the various method of lecturing considering students involvements.Methods: One hundred two first year medical and nursing students involved in this study and their opinion about these two methods of learning were obtained by filling of a questionnaire. The subject of the lectures was “general psychology” which was carried out 50% by the students and 50% by the teacher. The statistical analysis was carried out by SPSS program.Results: Considering students opinion in student-centered method the various aspect of learning such as mutual understanding, use of textbooks and references were significantly increased , whereasother aspects of learning such as self esteem, study time, innovation, and study attitude though were improved, but were not significant as compared with teacher centered method. In teacher-centeredmethod the understanding of the subjects was significantly increased .Other aspects of learning such as motivation and concentration were improved but not significantly as compared with studentcentered method.Conclusion: As the result showed student centered method was favored in several aspects of learning while in teacher centered method only understanding of the subject was better . Careful choice of teaching method to provide a comprehensive learning experience should take into account these differences.Key words: TEACHER CENTERED, STUDENT CENTERED, LEARNING

The treatment process of understanding scientific texts: A necessity in the current Cuban university

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanet María Guerra Santana

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This work has as main purpose to emphasize the need for treatment of the process of understanding scientific texts in the university today, for the development of science and technology has placed at the forefront in every race the problem of processing scientific information. The ability to produce scientific texts has been somewhat spontaneity in the curriculum of professional training in Cuban university, which has resulted in some professionals do not yet have linguistic, discursive and strategic " tools " best to communicate the style of science, hence the study of the process of understanding of scientific texts in undergraduate currently constitute a need in our universities.

Pressure ulcers: Current understanding and newer modalities of treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surajit Bhattacharya

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article reviews the mechanism, symptoms, causes, severity, diagnosis, prevention and present recommendations for surgical as well as non-surgical management of pressure ulcers. Particular focus has been placed on the current understandings and the newer modalities for the treatment of pressure ulcers. The paper also covers the role of nutrition and pressure-release devices such as cushions and mattresses as a part of the treatment algorithm for preventing and quick healing process of these wounds. Pressure ulcers develop primarily from pressure and shear; are progressive in nature and most frequently found in bedridden, chair bound or immobile people. They often develop in people who have been hospitalised for a long time generally for a different problem and increase the overall time as well as cost of hospitalisation that have detrimental effects on patient′s quality of life. Loss of sensation compounds the problem manifold, and failure of reactive hyperaemia cycle of the pressure prone area remains the most important aetiopathology. Pressure ulcers are largely preventable in nature, and their management depends on their severity. The available literature about severity of pressure ulcers, their classification and medical care protocols have been described in this paper. The present treatment options include various approaches of cleaning the wound, debridement, optimised dressings, role of antibiotics and reconstructive surgery. The newer treatment options such as negative pressure wound therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cell therapy have been discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of current and newer methods have also been described.

Pressure ulcers: Current understanding and newer modalities of treatment

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Surajit; Mishra, R. K.

2015-01-01

This article reviews the mechanism, symptoms, causes, severity, diagnosis, prevention and present recommendations for surgical as well as non-surgical management of pressure ulcers. Particular focus has been placed on the current understandings and the newer modalities for the treatment of pressure ulcers. The paper also covers the role of nutrition and pressure-release devices such as cushions and mattresses as a part of the treatment algorithm for preventing and quick healing process of these wounds. Pressure ulcers develop primarily from pressure and shear; are progressive in nature and most frequently found in bedridden, chair bound or immobile people. They often develop in people who have been hospitalised for a long time generally for a different problem and increase the overall time as well as cost of hospitalisation that have detrimental effects on patient's quality of life. Loss of sensation compounds the problem manifold, and failure of reactive hyperaemia cycle of the pressure prone area remains the most important aetiopathology. Pressure ulcers are largely preventable in nature, and their management depends on their severity. The available literature about severity of pressure ulcers, their classification and medical care protocols have been described in this paper. The present treatment options include various approaches of cleaning the wound, debridement, optimised dressings, role of antibiotics and reconstructive surgery. The newer treatment options such as negative pressure wound therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, cell therapy have been discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of current and newer methods have also been described. PMID:25991879

E-Center: A Collaborative Platform for Wide Area Network Users

Science.gov (United States)

Grigoriev, M.; DeMar, P.; Tierney, B.; Lake, A.; Metzger, J.; Frey, M.; Calyam, P.

2012-12-01

The E-Center is a social collaborative web-based platform for assisting network users in understanding network conditions across network paths of interest to them. It is designed to give a user the necessary tools to isolate, identify, and resolve network performance-related problems. E-Center provides network path information on a link-by-link level, as well as from an end-to-end perspective. In addition to providing current and recent network path data, E-Center is intended to provide a social media environment for them to share issues, ideas, concerns, and problems. The product has a modular design that accommodates integration of other network services that make use of the same network path and performance data.

E-center: A collaborative platform for wide area network users

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grigoriev, M. [Fermilab; DeMar, P. [Fermilab; Tierney, B. [LBL, Berkeley; Lake, A. [LBL, Berkeley; Metzger, J. [LBL, Berkeley; Frey, M. [Bucknell U.; Calyam, P. [Ohio State U.

2012-01-01

The E-Center is a social collaborative web-based platform for assisting network users in understanding network conditions across network paths of interest to them. It is designed to give a user the necessary tools to isolate, identify, and resolve network performance-related problems. E-Center provides network path information on a link-by-link level, as well as from an end-to-end perspective. In addition to providing current and recent network path data, E-Center is intended to provide a social media environment for them to share issues, ideas, concerns, and problems. The product has a modular design that accommodates integration of other network services that make use of the same network path and performance data.

Multiple attachments and group psychotherapy: implications for college counseling centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Marmarosh, Cheri L

2009-10-01

A large body of literature has supported the application of attachment theory to the understanding of college student development and the process of individual psychotherapy. Despite group treatment being one of the major methods of intervention in college counseling centers, there has been very little research guided by attachment theory that has been applied to the area of group psychotherapy. Many current assessment instruments used in college counseling centers can be supported with attachment theory, and many group therapy interventions are aimed at facilitating secure working models of self, other, and groups. This paper explores the importance of personal and group attachments in group psychotherapy and specifically addresses implications for clinical training and research in university counseling centers.

E-Center: A Collaborative Platform for Wide Area Network Users

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigoriev, M; DeMar, P; Tierney, B; Lake, A; Metzger, J; Frey, M; Calyam, P

2012-01-01

The E-Center is a social collaborative web-based platform for assisting network users in understanding network conditions across network paths of interest to them. It is designed to give a user the necessary tools to isolate, identify, and resolve network performance-related problems. E-Center provides network path information on a link-by-link level, as well as from an end-to-end perspective. In addition to providing current and recent network path data, E-Center is intended to provide a social media environment for them to share issues, ideas, concerns, and problems. The product has a modular design that accommodates integration of other network services that make use of the same network path and performance data.

Manifesto for the current understanding and management of traumatic brain injury-induced hypopituitarism.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tanriverdi, F

2011-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced hypopituitarism remains a relevant medical problem, because it may affect a significant proportion of the population. In the last decade important studies have been published investigating pituitary dysfunction after TBI. Recently, a group of experts gathered and revisited the topic of TBI-induced hypopituitarism. During the 2-day meeting, the main issues of this topic were presented and discussed, and current understanding and management of TBI-induced hypopituitarism are summarized here.

Manifesto for the current understanding and management of traumatic brain injury-induced hypopituitarism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tanriverdi, F; Agha, A; Aimaretti, G

2011-01-01

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)-induced hypopituitarism remains a relevant medical problem, because it may affect a significant proportion of the population. In the last decade important studies have been published investigating pituitary dysfunction after TBI. Recently, a group of experts gathered...... and revisited the topic of TBI-induced hypopituitarism. During the 2-day meeting, the main issues of this topic were presented and discussed, and current understanding and management of TBI-induced hypopituitarism are summarized here....

Nurse-midwives in federally funded health centers: understanding federal program requirements and benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Martha

2012-01-01

Midwives are working in federally funded health centers in increasing numbers. Health centers provide primary and preventive health care to almost 20 million people and are located in every US state and territory. While health centers serve the entire community, they also serve as a safety net for low-income and uninsured individuals. In 2010, 93% of health center patients had incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, and 38% were uninsured. Health centers, including community health centers, migrant health centers, health care for the homeless programs, and public housing primary care programs, receive grant funding and enjoy other benefits due to status as federal grantees and designation as federally qualified health centers. Clinicians working in health centers are also eligible for financial and professional benefits because of their willingness to serve vulnerable populations and work in underserved areas. Midwives, midwifery students, and faculty working in, or interacting with, health centers need to be aware of the regulations that health centers must comply with in order to qualify for and maintain federal funding. This article provides an overview of health center regulations and policies affecting midwives, including health center program requirements, scope of project policy, provider credentialing and privileging, Federal Tort Claims Act malpractice coverage, the 340B Drug Pricing Program, and National Health Service Corps scholarship and loan repayment programs. © 2012 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Current nanoscience and nanoengineering at the Center for ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CeNSE) at the University of ... molecular electronics, nanotube FETs), nanotem-plates for electronics and gas sensors ... This paper provides glimpses of this research and future directions.

Current Understanding and Future Directions for Vocal Fold Mechanobiology

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Nicole Y.K.; Heris, Hossein K.; Mongeau, Luc

2013-01-01

The vocal folds, which are located in the larynx, are the main organ of voice production for human communication. The vocal folds are under continuous biomechanical stress similar to other mechanically active organs, such as the heart, lungs, tendons and muscles. During speech and singing, the vocal folds oscillate at frequencies ranging from 20 Hz to 3 kHz with amplitudes of a few millimeters. The biomechanical stress associated with accumulated phonation is believed to alter vocal fold cell activity and tissue structure in many ways. Excessive phonatory stress can damage tissue structure and induce a cell-mediated inflammatory response, resulting in a pathological vocal fold lesion. On the other hand, phonatory stress is one major factor in the maturation of the vocal folds into a specialized tri-layer structure. One specific form of vocal fold oscillation, which involves low impact and large amplitude excursion, is prescribed therapeutically for patients with mild vocal fold injuries. Although biomechanical forces affect vocal fold physiology and pathology, there is little understanding of how mechanical forces regulate these processes at the cellular and molecular level. Research into vocal fold mechanobiology has burgeoned over the past several years. Vocal fold bioreactors are being developed in several laboratories to provide a biomimic environment that allows the systematic manipulation of physical and biological factors on the cells of interest in vitro. Computer models have been used to simulate the integrated response of cells and proteins as a function of phonation stress. The purpose of this paper is to review current research on the mechanobiology of the vocal folds as it relates to growth, pathogenesis and treatment as well as to propose specific research directions that will advance our understanding of this subject. PMID:24812638

Relationship between Added Sugars Consumption and Chronic Disease Risk Factors: Current Understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Rippe, James M; Angelopoulos, Theodore J

2016-11-04

Added sugars are a controversial and hotly debated topic. Consumption of added sugars has been implicated in increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as cognitive decline and even some cancers. Support for these putative associations has been challenged, however, on a variety of fronts. The purpose of the current review is to summarize high impact evidence including systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs), in an attempt to provide an overview of current evidence related to added sugars and health considerations. This paper is an extension of a symposium held at the Experimental Biology 2015 conference entitled "Sweeteners and Health: Current Understandings, Controversies, Recent Research Findings and Directions for Future Research". We conclude based on high quality evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT), systematic reviews and meta-analyses of cohort studies that singling out added sugars as unique culprits for metabolically based diseases such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease appears inconsistent with modern, high quality evidence and is very unlikely to yield health benefits. While it is prudent to consume added sugars in moderation, the reduction of these components of the diet without other reductions of caloric sources seems unlikely to achieve any meaningful benefit.

From product centered design to value centered design: understanding the value-system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Randmaa, Merili; Howard, Thomas J.; Otto, T.

Product design has focused on different parameters through history- design for usability, design for manufacturing, design for assembly etc. Today, as the products get bundled with service, it is important to interconnect product, service and business model design to create synergy effect and offer...... more value for the customer for less eford. Value and understanding the value-system needs to be in the focus of business strategy. Value can be created, exchanged and perceived. It can be tangible (physical products, money) or intangible (information, experience, relationships, service). Creating...... value is usually a co-creation process, where customers, suppliers and manufacturers all have their part. This paper describes a paradigm shift towards value-based thinking and proposes a new methodology for understanding and analysing the value system....

Understanding the molecular mechanism of pulse current charging for stable lithium-metal batteries

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qi; Tan, Shen; Li, Linlin; Lu, Yingying; He, Yi

2017-01-01

High energy and safe electrochemical storage are critical components in multiple emerging fields of technologies. Rechargeable lithium-metal batteries are considered to be promising alternatives for current lithium-ion batteries, leading to as much as a 10-fold improvement in anode storage capacity (from 372 to 3860 mAh g−1). One of the major challenges for commercializing lithium-metal batteries is the reliability and safety issue, which is often associated with uneven lithium electrodeposition (lithium dendrites) during the charging stage of the battery cycling process. We report that stable lithium-metal batteries can be achieved by simply charging cells with square-wave pulse current. We investigated the effects of charging period and frequency as well as the mechanisms that govern this process at the molecular level. Molecular simulations were performed to study the diffusion and the solvation structure of lithium cations (Li+) in bulk electrolyte. The model predicts that loose association between cations and anions can enhance the transport of Li+ and eventually stabilize the lithium electrodeposition. We also performed galvanostatic measurements to evaluate the cycling behavior and cell lifetime under pulsed electric field and found that the cell lifetime can be more than doubled using certain pulse current waveforms. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrate that the effectiveness of pulse current charging on dendrite suppression can be optimized by choosing proper time- and frequency-dependent pulses. This work provides a molecular basis for understanding the mechanisms of pulse current charging to mitigating lithium dendrites and designing pulse current waveforms for stable lithium-metal batteries. PMID:28776039

The current state of public understanding of nanotechnology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waldron, Anna M; Spencer, Douglas; Batt, Carl A

2006-01-01

The growing importance of nanotechnology in industry and society has not been accompanied by a widespread understanding of the subject among the general public. Simple questions to initially probe the smallest thing that people can see and can think of reveals a divide in the understanding of the general public. A survey of 1500 individuals ranging in age from 6 to 74 has revealed a lack of knowledge of nanotechnology and especially a lack of understanding of the context of nanotechnology in the world that is too small to see. Survey findings are corroborated by in-depth interviews with 400 adults in studies of nanoscience literacy commisioned by University of California, Berkeley and Cornell in 2002 and 2004, respectively. In general, with the exception of 14-28 year olds, over 60% of respondents say they have never heard of nano or nanotechnology. The results suggest that the general public, especially middle-school children, has no firm foundation to understand nanotechnology and likely will continue to be equally impressed by credible scientific information as well as pure fictional accounts of nanotechnology

The current state of public understanding of nanotechnology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waldron, Anna M [Cornell University, Nanobiotechnology Center (United States)], E-mail: amw37@cornell.edu; Spencer, Douglas [Edu, Inc. (United States); Batt, Carl A [Cornell University (United States)

2006-10-15

The growing importance of nanotechnology in industry and society has not been accompanied by a widespread understanding of the subject among the general public. Simple questions to initially probe the smallest thing that people can see and can think of reveals a divide in the understanding of the general public. A survey of 1500 individuals ranging in age from 6 to 74 has revealed a lack of knowledge of nanotechnology and especially a lack of understanding of the context of nanotechnology in the world that is too small to see. Survey findings are corroborated by in-depth interviews with 400 adults in studies of nanoscience literacy commisioned by University of California, Berkeley and Cornell in 2002 and 2004, respectively. In general, with the exception of 14-28 year olds, over 60% of respondents say they have never heard of nano or nanotechnology. The results suggest that the general public, especially middle-school children, has no firm foundation to understand nanotechnology and likely will continue to be equally impressed by credible scientific information as well as pure fictional accounts of nanotechnology.

Understanding Return on Investment for Data Center Consolidation

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

Channel over Ethernet FDCCI Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative GAO Government Accountability Office GDA Government Directed Actions GIG ...to judge how each stakeholder group will benefit from it. Such measures as lower risk, greater control, better economies of scale, better utilization...NMS product by Kratos Networks called Neural Star to manage the Global Information Grid ( GIG ) (Kratos, 2013). DISA uses Neural Star as the primary

Current understanding of interactions between nanoparticles and the immune system.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrovolskaia, Marina A; Shurin, Michael; Shvedova, Anna A

2016-05-15

The delivery of drugs, antigens, and imaging agents benefits from using nanotechnology-based carriers. The successful translation of nanoformulations to the clinic involves thorough assessment of their safety profiles, which, among other end-points, includes evaluation of immunotoxicity. The past decade of research focusing on nanoparticle interaction with the immune system has been fruitful in terms of understanding the basics of nanoparticle immunocompatibility, developing a bioanalytical infrastructure to screen for nanoparticle-mediated immune reactions, beginning to uncover the mechanisms of nanoparticle immunotoxicity, and utilizing current knowledge about the structure-activity relationship between nanoparticles' physicochemical properties and their effects on the immune system to guide safe drug delivery. In the present review, we focus on the most prominent pieces of the nanoparticle-immune system puzzle and discuss the achievements, disappointments, and lessons learned over the past 15years of research on the immunotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fundamental understanding of matter: an engineering viewpoint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullingford, H.S.; Cort, G.E.

1980-01-01

Fundamental understanding of matter is a continuous process that should produce physical data for use by engineers and scientists in their work. Lack of fundamental property data in any engineering endeavor cannot be mitigated by theoretical work that is not confirmed by physical experiments. An engineering viewpoint will be presented to justify the need for understanding of matter. Examples will be given in the energy engineering field to outline the importance of further understanding of material and fluid properties and behavior. Cases will be cited to show the effects of various data bases in energy, mass, and momentum transfer. The status of fundamental data sources will be discussed in terms of data centers, new areas of engineering, and the progress in measurement techniques. Conclusions and recommendations will be outlined to improve the current situation faced by engineers in carrying out their work. 4 figures

Using transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) to understand cognitive processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, Robert M G; Cosman, Josh D; Fukuda, Keisuke; Woodman, Geoffrey F

2017-01-01

Noninvasive brain stimulation methods are becoming increasingly common tools in the kit of the cognitive scientist. In particular, transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) is showing great promise as a tool to causally manipulate the brain and understand how information is processed. The popularity of this method of brain stimulation is based on the fact that it is safe, inexpensive, its effects are long lasting, and you can increase the likelihood that neurons will fire near one electrode and decrease the likelihood that neurons will fire near another. However, this method of manipulating the brain to draw causal inferences is not without complication. Because tDCS methods continue to be refined and are not yet standardized, there are reports in the literature that show some striking inconsistencies. Primary among the complications of the technique is that the tDCS method uses two or more electrodes to pass current and all of these electrodes will have effects on the tissue underneath them. In this tutorial, we will share what we have learned about using tDCS to manipulate how the brain perceives, attends, remembers, and responds to information from our environment. Our goal is to provide a starting point for new users of tDCS and spur discussion of the standardization of methods to enhance replicability.

Dhat syndrome: Evolution of concept, current understanding, and need of an integrated approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sujita Kumar Kar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Dhat syndrome has often been construed as a culture-bound sexual neurosis of the Indian subcontinent. Symptoms similar to that of Dhat syndrome has been described in other cultures across different time periods. The present paper looks at the evolution of the concept of Dhat syndrome in India. The review also takes an overview of the current understanding of this syndrome in terms of nosological status as a distinct entity and its "culture-bound" status. The narrative finally attempts to discuss the integrated approach for the treatment of this disorder.

A synopsis on current practice in the diagnosis and management of patients with Turner syndrome in Turkey: A survey of 18 pediatric endocrinology centers*

Science.gov (United States)

Uçar, Ahmet; Abacı, Ayhan; Pirgon, Özgür; Dündar, Bumin; Tütüncüler, Filiz; Çatlı, Gönül; Anık, Ahmet; Kılınç Uğurlu, Aylin; Büyükgebiz, Atilla

2018-04-27

A comprehensive survey was conducted courtesy of the Turkish Turner study group to evaluate the shortcomings of clinical care in patients with Turner syndrome (TS) in Turkey. A structured questionnaire prepared by the Turner study group in Turkey, which covers relevant aspects of the care of patients with TS, was sent to all pediatric endocrinology centers. Eighteen centers (41%) returned the questionnaire. In the majority of the centers, diagnostic genetic testing, screening for Y chromosomal material, protocols regarding the timing and posology of growth hormone (GH) and estrogen, thrombophilia screening, fertility information, and screening for glucose intolerance, thyroid, and coeliac diseases in patients with TS were in line with the current consensus. Thirteen centers (72.2%) performed GH stimulation tests. Only four centers (22.2%) used oxandrolone in patients with TS with very short stature. The majority of the centers relied on bone age and breast development to assess estrogen adequacy, though together with variable combinations of oestrogen surrogates. Two centers (11.1%) reported performing serum estradiol measurements. Eight centers (44.4% ) routinely conducted cardiac/thoracic aorta magnetic resonance imaging. Screening for hearing, dental, and ophthalmologic problems were performed by thirteen (72.2%), six (33.3%), and ten (55.6 %) centers, respectively. Psychiatric assessments were made by four centers (22.2%) at diagnosis, with only one center (5.6% ) requiring annual reassessments. Although we found some conformity between the current consensus and practice of the participating centers in Turkey regarding TS, further improvements are mandatory in the multi-disciplinary approach to address co-morbidities, which if unrecognized, may be associated with reduced quality of life, and even mortality.

Current understanding in pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tess McPherson

2016-01-01

Full Text Available There have been advances in our understanding of the complex pathogenesis of atopic eczema over the past few decades. This article examines the multiple factors which are implicated in this process.

Genomics:GTL Bioenergy Research Centers White Paper

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mansfield, Betty Kay [ORNL; Alton, Anita Jean [ORNL; Andrews, Shirley H [ORNL; Bownas, Jennifer Lynn [ORNL; Casey, Denise [ORNL; Martin, Sheryl A [ORNL; Mills, Marissa [ORNL; Nylander, Kim [ORNL; Wyrick, Judy M [ORNL; Drell, Dr. Daniel [Office of Science, Department of Energy; Weatherwax, Sharlene [U.S. Department of Energy; Carruthers, Julie [U.S. Department of Energy

2006-08-01

capabilities, but it is only a first step. Other advances include the growing number of high-throughput techniques for protein production and characterization; a range of new instrumentation for observing proteins and other cell constituents; the rapid growth of commercially available reagents for protein production; a new generation of high-intensity light sources that provide precision imaging on the nanoscale and allow observation of molecular interactions in ultrafast time intervals; major advances in computational capability; and the continually increasing numbers of these instruments and technologies within the national laboratory infrastructure, at universities, and in private industry. All these developments expand our ability to elucidate mechanisms present in living cells, but much more remains to be done. The Centers are designed to accomplish GTL program objectives more rapidly, more effectively, and at reduced cost by concentrating appropriate technologies and scientific expertise, from genome sequence to an integrated systems understanding of the pathways and internal structures of microbes and plants most relevant to developing bioenergy compounds. The Centers will seek to understand the principles underlying the structural and functional design of selected microbial, plant, and molecular systems. This will be accomplished by building technological pathways linking the genome-determined components in an organism with bioenergy-relevant cellular systems that can be characterized sufficiently to generate realistic options for biofuel development. In addition, especially in addressing what are believed to be nearer-term approaches to renewable energy (e.g., producing cellulosic ethanol cost-effectively and energy-efficiently), the Center research team must understand in depth the current industrial-level roadblocks and bottlenecks (see section, GTL's Vision for Biological Energy Alternatives, below). For the Centers, and indeed the entire BER effort, to be

The Trauma Center Organizational Culture Survey: development and conduction.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Matthew L; Wehbe-Janek, Hania; Subacius, Haris; Pinto, Ruxandra; Nathens, Avery B

2015-01-01

The Trauma Center Organizational Culture Survey (TRACCS) instrument was developed to assess organizational culture of trauma centers enrolled in the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Program (ACS TQIP). The objective is to provide evidence on the psychometric properties of the factors of TRACCS and describe the current organizational culture of TQIP-enrolled trauma centers. A cross-sectional study was conducted by surveying a sampling of employees at 174 TQIP-enrolled trauma centers. Data collection was preceded by multistep survey development. Psychometric properties were assessed by an exploratory factor analysis (construct validity) and the item-total correlations and Cronbach alpha were calculated (internal reliability). Statistical outcomes of the survey responses were measured by descriptive statistics and mixed effect models. The response rate for trauma center participation in the study was 78.7% (n = 137). The factor analysis resulted in 16 items clustered into three factors as described: opportunity, pride, and diversity, trauma center leadership, and employee respect and recognition. TRACCS was found to be highly reliable with a Cronbach alpha of 0.90 in addition to the three factors (0.91, 0.90, and 0.85). Considerable variability of TRACCS overall and factor score among hospitals was measured, with the largest interhospital deviations among trauma center leadership. More than 80% of the variability in the responses occurred within rather than between hospitals. TRACCS was developed as a reliable tool for measuring trauma center organizational culture. Relationships between TQIP outcomes and measured organizational culture are under investigation. Trauma centers could apply TRACCS to better understand current organizational culture and how change tools can impact culture and subsequent patient and process outcomes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mean centering helps alleviate "micro" but not "macro" multicollinearity.

Science.gov (United States)

Iacobucci, Dawn; Schneider, Matthew J; Popovich, Deidre L; Bakamitsos, Georgios A

2016-12-01

There seems to be confusion among researchers regarding whether it is good practice to center variables at their means prior to calculating a product term to estimate an interaction in a multiple regression model. Many researchers use mean centered variables because they believe it's the thing to do or because reviewers ask them to, without quite understanding why. Adding to the confusion is the fact that there is also a perspective in the literature that mean centering does not reduce multicollinearity. In this article, we clarify the issues and reconcile the discrepancy. We distinguish between "micro" and "macro" definitions of multicollinearity and show how both sides of such a debate can be correct. To do so, we use proofs, an illustrative dataset, and a Monte Carlo simulation to show the precise effects of mean centering on both individual correlation coefficients as well as overall model indices. We hope to contribute to the literature by clarifying the issues, reconciling the two perspectives, and quelling the current confusion regarding whether and how mean centering can be a useful practice.

Pediatric Rotavirus Gastroenteritis: A 2 year Analysis to Understand Current Prevalence in Mumbai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vidya Nerurkar

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Many studies have established the high prevalence of paediatric Rotavirus gastroenteritis in India. The importance of rapid diagnosis of rotavirus infection has also been stressed upon, to initiate prompt rehydration therapy and prevent unnecessary use of antibiotics .We undertook a retrospective analysis of 327 paediatric stool specimens to understand the current prevalence and seasonal distribution of cases in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. Overall Rotavirus positivity rate was 37.9 %, with peak positivity in winter seasons. Infections were more common upto 2 years of age. Incidence of bacterial and parasitic coinfections was low.

Understanding the Occurrence and Transport of Current-use Pesticides in the San Francisco Estuary Watershed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathryn Kuivila

2008-10-01

Full Text Available The occurrence and potential effects of current-use pesticides are of concern in the San Francisco Estuary watershed but our understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of contamination is limited. This paper summarizes almost two decades of historical data and uses it to describe our current knowledge of the processes controlling the occurrence of current-use pesticides in the watershed. Monitoring studies analyze fewer than half of the pesticides applied in the watershed and most of our knowledge is about inputs of dissolved pesticides in the upper watershed. The four major seasonal patterns of riverine inputs of pesticides to the estuary can be identified by usage and transport mechanism. Dormant spray insecticides applied to orchards and herbicides applied to a variety of crops are transported by rainfall during the winter. Alfalfa pesticides are detected following rainfall and irrigation return flow in the spring, and rice pesticides are detected following release of rice field water in the summer. Irrigation return flows transport a variety of herbicides during the summer. In addition, pesticides applied on Delta islands can cause elevated pesticide concentrations in localized areas. Although not as well characterized, urban creeks appear to have their own patterns of insecticide concentrations causing toxicity throughout most of the year. Current-use pesticides have also been detected on suspended and bed sediments throughout the watershed but limited data make it difficult to determine occurrence patterns. Data gaps include the lack of analysis of many pesticides (or degradates, changing pesticide use, limited information on pesticide transport within the Delta, and an incomplete understanding of the transport and persistence of sediment-associated pesticides. Future monitoring programs should be designed to address these data gaps.

The impact of managed care and current governmental policies on an urban academic health care center.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, J L; Peterson, D J; Muehlstedt, S G; Zera, R T; West, M A; Bubrick, M P

2001-10-01

Managed care and governmental policies have restructured hospital reimbursement. We examined reimbursement trends in trauma care to assess the impact of this market driven change on an urban academic health center. Patients injured between January 1997 and December 1999 were analyzed for Injury Severity Score (ISS), length of hospital stay, hospital cost, payer, and reimbursement. Between 1997 and 1999, the volume of patients with an ISS less than 9 increased and length of stay decreased. In addition, overall cost, payment, and profit margin increased. Commercially insured patients accounted for this margin increase, because the margins of managed care and government insured patients experienced double-digit decreases. Patients with ISS of 9 or greater also experienced a volume increase and a reduction in length of stay; however, costs within this group increased greater than payments, thereby reducing profit margin. Whereas commercially insured patients maintained their margin, managed care and government insured patients did not (double- and triple-digit decreases). Managed care and current governmental policies have a negative impact on urban academic health center reimbursement. Commercial insurers subsidize not only the uninsured but also the government insured and managed care patients as well. National awareness of this issue and policy action are paramount to urban academic health centers and may also benefit commercial insurers.

Current construction status of Korea Wolsong Nuclear Environment Management Center (low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facility)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Yasuo

2010-01-01

Through the RANDEC delegation tour to Korea in Nov. 2009, we have earned new information on recent development of the radioactive waste management in Korea. In this report, we will introduce such development in Korea, focusing on the current construction status of Korean LILW (low and intermediate level radioactive waste) disposal site, now called, Wolsong Nuclear Environment Management Center. (author)

Emergency nurses' current practices and understanding of family presence during CPR.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Madden, Eilis

2012-02-03

PURPOSE: To examine emergency nurses\\' current practices and understanding of family presence during CPR in the emergency department, Cork University Hospital, Republic of Ireland. METHOD: A quantitative descriptive design was used in the study. A questionnaire developed by ENA was distributed to emergency nurses working in a level I trauma emergency department at Cork University Hospital. The total sample number was 90, including all emergency nurses with at least 6 months\\' emergency nursing experience. RESULTS: Emergency nurses often took families to the bedside during resuscitation efforts (58.9%) or would do so if the opportunity arose (17.8%). A high percentage (74.4%) of respondents would prefer a written policy allowing the option of family presence during CPR. The most significant barrier to family witnessed resuscitation (FWR) was conflicts occurring within the emergency team. The most significant facilitator to FWR was a greater understanding of health care professionals on the benefits of FWR to patients and families, indicating the need for educational development. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study and previously published studies indicate the need for development of written polices and guidelines on the practice to meet the needs of patients, families, and staff by providing consistent, safe, and caring practices for all involved in the resuscitation process. Recommendations of the study include the development of a written policy and an educational programme on the safe implementation and practices of FWR.

Current understanding of the sequence of events. Overview of current understanding of accident progression at Fukushima Dai-ichi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gulliford, Jim

2013-01-01

An overview of the main sequence of events, particularly the evolution of the cores in Units 1-3 was given. The presentation is based on information provided by Dr Okajima of JAEA to the June 2012 Nuclear Science Committee meeting. During the accident, conditions at the plant were such that operators were initially unable to obtain instruments readouts from the control panel and hence could not know what condition the reactors were in. (Reactor Power, Pressure, Temperature, Water height and flow rate, etc.). Subsequently, as electrical power supplies were gradually restored more data became available. In addition to the reactor data, other information from off-site measurements and from measuring stations inside the site boundary is now available, particularly for radiation dose rates in air. These types of information, combined with detailed knowledge of the plant design and operations history up to the time of the accident are being used to construct detailed computer models which simulate the behaviour of the reactor core, pressure vessel and containment during the accident sequence. This combination of detailed design/operating data, limited measured data during the accident and computer modelling allows us to construct a fairly clear picture of the accident progression. The main sequence of events (common to Units 1, 2 and 3) is summarised. The OECD/NEA is currently coordinating an international benchmark study of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi known as the BSAF Project. The objectives of this activity are to analyse and evaluate the accident progression and improve severe accident (SA) analysis methods and models. The project provides valuable additional (and corrected) data from plant measurements as well as an improved understanding of the role played by the fuel and cladding design. Based on (limited) plant data and extensive modelling analysis, we have a detailed qualitative description of the Fukushima-Daiichi accident. Further analyses of the type

Motor unit recruitment for dynamic tasks: current understanding and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodson-Tole, Emma F; Wakeling, James M

2009-01-01

Skeletal muscle contains many muscle fibres that are functionally grouped into motor units. For any motor task there are many possible combinations of motor units that could be recruited and it has been proposed that a simple rule, the 'size principle', governs the selection of motor units recruited for different contractions. Motor units can be characterised by their different contractile, energetic and fatigue properties and it is important that the selection of motor units recruited for given movements allows units with the appropriate properties to be activated. Here we review what is currently understood about motor unit recruitment patterns, and assess how different recruitment patterns are more or less appropriate for different movement tasks. During natural movements the motor unit recruitment patterns vary (not always holding to the size principle) and it is proposed that motor unit recruitment is likely related to the mechanical function of the muscles. Many factors such as mechanics, sensory feedback, and central control influence recruitment patterns and consequently an integrative approach (rather than reductionist) is required to understand how recruitment is controlled during different movement tasks. Currently, the best way to achieve this is through in vivo studies that relate recruitment to mechanics and behaviour. Various methods for determining motor unit recruitment patterns are discussed, in particular the recent wavelet-analysis approaches that have allowed motor unit recruitment to be assessed during natural movements. Directions for future studies into motor recruitment within and between functional task groups and muscle compartments are suggested.

A mother cell-to-forespore channel: current understanding and future challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

Crawshaw, Adam D; Serrano, Mónica; Stanley, Will A; Henriques, Adriano O; Salgado, Paula S

2014-09-01

Formation of endospores allows some bacteria to survive extreme nutrient limitation. The resulting dormant cell, the spore, persists in the environment and is highly resistant to physical and chemical stresses. During spore formation, cells divide asymmetrically and the mother cell engulfs the developing spore, encasing it within a double membrane and isolating it from the medium. Communication between mother cell and isolated forespore involves a specialised connection system that allows nurturing of the forespore and continued macromolecular synthesis, required to finalise spore maturation. Here, we review current understanding of this feeding channel formed by a forespore protein, SpoIIQ, and a mother cell protein, SpoIIIAH, in the model organism Bacillus subtilis and the important human pathogen Clostridium difficile. We also analyse the presence of this channel across endospore-forming bacteria and highlight the main questions still remaining. © 2014 The Authors FEMS Microbiology Letters published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

Current multiple sclerosis treatments have improved our understanding of MS autoimmune pathogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Roland; Sospedra, Mireia; Rosito, Maria; Engelhardt, Britta

2016-09-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) in young adults. When MS is not treated, it leads to irreversible and severe disability. The etiology of MS and its pathogenesis are not fully understood. The recent discovery that MS-associated genetic variants code for molecules related to the function of specific immune cell subsets is consistent with the concept of MS as a prototypic, T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease targeting the CNS. While the therapeutic efficacy of the currently available immunomodulatory therapies further strengthen this concept, differences observed in responses to MS treatment as well as additional clinical and imaging observations have also shown that the autoimmune pathogenesis underlying MS is much more complex than previously thought. There is therefore an unmet need for continued detailed phenotypic and functional analysis of disease-relevant adaptive immune cells and tissues directly derived from MS patients to unravel the immune etiology of MS in its entire complexity. In this review, we will discuss the currently available MS treatment options and approved drugs, including how they have contributed to the understanding of the immune pathology of this autoimmune disease. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The users centered design of a new digital fluorometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farias, Marcos S.; Santos, Isaac J.A.L. dos; Grecco, Claudio H.S.; Pedrosa, Paulo S.; Colthurst, Carlos M.; Szabo, Andre P.

2009-01-01

The fluorometer is the equipment used in chemical analysis laboratories, research institutes and nuclear fuel cycle companies. This equipment measures an unknown amount of uranium in ores, rivers, etc. The fluorometer functioning is based on the uranium fluorescence when submitted to the ultraviolet radiation incidence. The fluorescence is measured by an electronic optic system with optics filters, photomultiplier tube, and a current amplifier. The user centered design involves the user in the product development in all phases of the design process. Users are not simply consulted at the beginning of the design process and evaluated the system at the end; they are treated as partners throughout the design process. The user centered design emphasizes the needs and abilities of the users and improves the usability of the equipment. The activity centered design emphasizes the development of the equipment with a deep understanding of the users activities and of the current work practices of the users. The aim of this paper is to present a methodological framework that contributes to the design and evaluation of a new digital fluorometer towards an approach related to the users and their activities. This methodological framework includes users-based testing, interviews, questionnaires, human factors standards and guidelines, the users activity analysis and users satisfaction questionnaire. (author)

Proceedings of RIKEN BNL Research Center Workshop: Understanding QGP through Spectral Functions and Euclidean Correlators (Volume 89)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mocsy, A.; Petreczky, P.

2008-01-01

In the past two decades, one of the most important goals of the nuclear physics community has been the production and characterization of the new state of matter--Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). Understanding how properties of hadrons change in medium, particularly, the bound state of a very heavy quark and its antiquark, known as quarkonium, as well as determining the transport coefficients is crucial for identifying the properties of QGP and for the understanding of the experimental data from RHIC. On April 23rd, more than sixty physicists from twenty-seven institutions gathered for this three-day topical workshop held at BNL to discuss how to understand the properties of the new state of matter obtained in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions (particularly at RHIC-BNL) through spectral functions. In-medium properties of the different particle species and the transport properties of the medium are encoded in spectral functions. The former could yield important signatures of deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration at high temperatures and densities, while the later are crucial for the understanding of the dynamics of ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions. Participants at the workshop are experts in various areas of spectral function studies. The workshop encouraged direct exchange of scientific information among experts, as well as between the younger and the more established scientists. The workshops success is evident from the coherent picture that developed of the current understanding of transport properties and in-medium particle properties, illustrated in the current proceedings. The following pages show calculations of meson spectral functions in lattice QCD, as well as implications of these for quarkonia melting/survival in the quark gluon plasma; Lattice calculations of the transport coefficients (shear and bulk viscosities, electric conductivity); Calculation of spectral functions and transport coefficients in field theories using weak coupling

Modelling Monsoons: Understanding and Predicting Current and Future Behaviour

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turner, A; Sperber, K R; Slingo, J M; Meehl, G A; Mechoso, C R; Kimoto, M; Giannini, A

2008-09-16

including, but not limited to, the Mei-Yu/Baiu sudden onset and withdrawal, low-level jet orientation and variability, and orographic forced rainfall. Under anthropogenic climate change many competing factors complicate making robust projections of monsoon changes. Without aerosol effects, increased land-sea temperature contrast suggests strengthened monsoon circulation due to climate change. However, increased aerosol emissions will reflect more solar radiation back to space, which may temper or even reduce the strength of monsoon circulations compared to the present day. A more comprehensive assessment is needed of the impact of black carbon aerosols, which may modulate that of other anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Precipitation may behave independently from the circulation under warming conditions in which an increased atmospheric moisture loading, based purely on thermodynamic considerations, could result in increased monsoon rainfall under climate change. The challenge to improve model parameterizations and include more complex processes and feedbacks pushes computing resources to their limit, thus requiring continuous upgrades of computational infrastructure to ensure progress in understanding and predicting the current and future behavior of monsoons.

Energy Frontier Research Center, Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, Todd R.

2011-01-01

The Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, has funded the INL as one of the Energy Frontier Research Centers in the area of material science of nuclear fuels. This document is the required annual report to the Office of Science that outlines the accomplishments for the period of May 2010 through April 2011. The aim of the Center for Material Science of Nuclear Fuels (CMSNF) is to establish the foundation for predictive understanding of the effects of irradiation-induced defects on thermal transport in oxide nuclear fuels. The science driver of the center's investigation is to understand how complex defect and microstructures affect phonon mediated thermal transport in UO2, and achieve this understanding for the particular case of irradiation-induced defects and microstructures. The center's research thus includes modeling and measurement of thermal transport in oxide fuels with different levels of impurities, lattice disorder and irradiation-induced microstructure, as well as theoretical and experimental investigation of the evolution of disorder, stoichiometry and microstructure in nuclear fuel under irradiation. With the premise that thermal transport in irradiated UO2 is a phonon-mediated energy transport process in a crystalline material with defects and microstructure, a step-by-step approach will be utilized to understand the effects of types of defects and microstructures on the collective phonon dynamics in irradiated UO2. Our efforts under the thermal transport thrust involved both measurement of diffusive phonon transport (an approach that integrates over the entire phonon spectrum) and spectroscopic measurements of phonon attenuation/lifetime and phonon dispersion. Our distinct experimental efforts dovetail with our modeling effort involving atomistic simulation of phonon transport and prediction of lattice thermal conductivity using the Boltzmann transport framework.

Large-eddy-simulation approach in understanding flow structures of 2D turbulent density currents over sloping surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Nayamatullah, M.; Rao Pillalamarri, Narasimha; Bhaganagar, Kiran

2018-04-01

A numerical investigation was performed to understand the flow dynamics of 2D density currents over sloping surfaces. Large eddy simulation was conducted for lock-exchange (L-E) release currents and overflows. 2D Navier-Stokes equations were solved using the Boussinesq approximation. The effects of the lock aspect-ratio (height/length of lock), slope, and Reynolds number on the flow structures and turbulence mixing have been analyzed. Results have confirmed buoyancy within the head of the two-dimensional currents is not conserved which contradicts the classical thermal theory. The lock aspect-ratio dictates the fraction of initial buoyancy which is carried by the head of the current at the beginning of the slumping (horizontal) and accelerating phase (over a slope), which has important implications on turbulence kinetic energy production, and hence mixing in the current. For L-E flows over a slope, increasing slope angle enhances the turbulence production. Increasing slope results in shear reversal within the density current resulting in shear-instabilities. Differences in turbulence production mechanisms and flow structures exist between the L-E and constant-flux release currents resulting in significant differences in the flow characteristics between different releases.

PACS strategy for imaging centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedel, Victoria; Zdanowicz, Mark

2004-01-01

Picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) have been available in imaging centers for many years, but they often were less functional, were not well integrated into patient information systems, and lacked the network backbone to implement a system. As modalities are replaced and technology improves, the ability and time for an imaging center to acquire, integrate, and utilize PACS has arrived. However, each imaging center must determine why it should invest in PACS. A business plan is the fundamental need. Each imaging center must understand its target market, growth rate, and staffing plans. Additional considerations lie in current and future modality availability, the need for offsite delivery of images and reports, and the potential need for remote transmission of images. These issues must be identified and prioritized. A multidisciplinary team is essential. The most successful PACS implementation begins with complete involvement from all levels. The team should be comprised of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, set of performance goals, and approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. The team must jointly decide on the project's objectives. These objectives fall under 4 categories: clinical, service, financial, and performance. PACS must be considered a tool to help accomplish each objective. The imaging center must determine its top priorities, then translate them into a technology "wish list." The center can then list those pieces of technology that are most important and prioritize them. There are even more considerations for connecting multiple imaging centers. The team must create a comprehensive request for proposal (RFP) and determine the vendors that will receive the document. Once the RFP responses have been received and the vendor has been selected, an effective training plan must be executed. Training plans should be competency-based, ensuring comfort and competency among all staff. Upon

Energy Materials Center at Cornell: Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abruña, Héctor [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Mutolo, Paul F [Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

2015-01-02

The mission of the Energy Materials Center at Cornell (emc²) was to achieve a detailed understanding, via a combination of synthesis of new materials, experimental and computational approaches, of how the nature, structure, and dynamics of nanostructured interfaces affect energy conversion and storage with emphasis on fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors. Our research on these systems was organized around a full system strategy for; the development and improved performance of materials for both electrodes at which storage or conversion occurs; understanding their internal interfaces, such as SEI layers in batteries and electrocatalyst supports in fuel cells, and methods for structuring them to enable high mass transport as well as high ionic and electronic conductivity; development of ion-conducting electrolytes for batteries and fuel cells (separately) and other separator components, as needed; and development of methods for the characterization of these systems under operating conditions (operando methods) Generally, our work took industry and DOE report findings of current materials as a point of departure to focus on novel material sets for improved performance. In addition, some of our work focused on studying existing materials, for example observing battery solvent degradation, fuel cell catalyst coarsening or monitoring lithium dendrite growth, employing in operando methods developed within the center.

Self-consistent neutral point current and fields from single particle dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, R.F. Jr.

1988-01-01

In order to begin to build a global model of the magnetotail-auroral region interaction, it is of interest to understand the role of neutral points as potential centers of particle energization in the tail. In this paper, the single particle current is calculated near a magnetic neutral point with magnetotail properties. This is balanced with the Ampere's law current producing the magnetic field to obtain the self-consistent electric field for the problem. Also calculated is the current-electric field relationship and, in the regime where this relation is linear, an effective conductivity. Results for these macroscopic quantities are surprisingly similar to the values calculated for a constant normal field current sheet geometry. Application to magnetotail modeling is discussed. 11 references

Current understanding of interactions between nanoparticles and the immune system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobrovolskaia, Marina A.; Shurin, Michael; Shvedova, Anna A.

2016-01-01

The delivery of drugs, antigens, and imaging agents benefits from using nanotechnology-based carriers. The successful translation of nanoformulations to the clinic involves thorough assessment of their safety profiles, which, among other end-points, includes evaluation of immunotoxicity. The past decade of research focusing on nanoparticle interaction with the immune system has been fruitful in terms of understanding the basics of nanoparticle immunocompatibility, developing a bioanalytical infrastructure to screen for nanoparticle-mediated immune reactions, beginning to uncover the mechanisms of nanoparticle immunotoxicity, and utilizing current knowledge about the structure–activity relationship between nanoparticles' physicochemical properties and their effects on the immune system to guide safe drug delivery. In the present review, we focus on the most prominent pieces of the nanoparticle–immune system puzzle and discuss the achievements, disappointments, and lessons learned over the past 15 years of research on the immunotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials. - Graphical abstract: API — active pharmaceutical ingredient; NP — nanoparticles; PCP — physicochemical properties, CARPA — complement activation-related pseudoallergy, ICH — International Conference on Harmonization. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Achievements, disappointments and lessons learned over past decade are reviewed. • Areas in focus include characterization, immunotoxicity and utility in drug delivery. • Future direction focusing on mechanistic immunotoxicity studies is proposed.

Current understanding of interactions between nanoparticles and the immune system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobrovolskaia, Marina A., E-mail: marina@mail.nih.gov [Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NCI at Frederick, Frederick, MD 21702 (United States); Shurin, Michael [Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Department of Immunology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (United States); Shvedova, Anna A., E-mail: ats1@cdc.gov [Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV 26505 (United States); Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506 (United States)

2016-05-15

The delivery of drugs, antigens, and imaging agents benefits from using nanotechnology-based carriers. The successful translation of nanoformulations to the clinic involves thorough assessment of their safety profiles, which, among other end-points, includes evaluation of immunotoxicity. The past decade of research focusing on nanoparticle interaction with the immune system has been fruitful in terms of understanding the basics of nanoparticle immunocompatibility, developing a bioanalytical infrastructure to screen for nanoparticle-mediated immune reactions, beginning to uncover the mechanisms of nanoparticle immunotoxicity, and utilizing current knowledge about the structure–activity relationship between nanoparticles' physicochemical properties and their effects on the immune system to guide safe drug delivery. In the present review, we focus on the most prominent pieces of the nanoparticle–immune system puzzle and discuss the achievements, disappointments, and lessons learned over the past 15 years of research on the immunotoxicity of engineered nanomaterials. - Graphical abstract: API — active pharmaceutical ingredient; NP — nanoparticles; PCP — physicochemical properties, CARPA — complement activation-related pseudoallergy, ICH — International Conference on Harmonization. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Achievements, disappointments and lessons learned over past decade are reviewed. • Areas in focus include characterization, immunotoxicity and utility in drug delivery. • Future direction focusing on mechanistic immunotoxicity studies is proposed.

Starting a sleep center.

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Lawrence J; Valentine, Paul S

2010-05-01

The demand for sleep medicine services has grown tremendously during the last decade and will likely continue. To date, growth in demand has been met by growth in the number of new sleep centers. The need for more new centers will be dependent on market drivers that include increasing regulatory requirements, personnel shortages, integration of home sleep testing, changes in reimbursement, a shift in emphasis from diagnostics to treatment, and an increased consumer focus on sleep. The decision to open a new center should be based on understanding the market dynamics, completing a market analysis, and developing a business plan. The business plan should include an overview of the facility, a personnel and organizational structure, an evaluation of the business environment, a financial plan, a description of services provided, and a strategy for obtaining, managing, and extending a referral base. Implementation of the business plan and successful operation require ongoing planning and monitoring of operational parameters. The need for new sleep centers will likely continue, but the shifting market dynamics indicate a greater need for understanding the marketplace and careful planning.

Internet gaming addiction: current perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuss, Daria J

2013-01-01

In the 2000s, online games became popular, while studies of Internet gaming addiction emerged, outlining the negative consequences of excessive gaming, its prevalence, and associated risk factors. The establishment of specialized treatment centers in South-East Asia, the US, and Europe reflects the growing need for professional help. It is argued that only by understanding the appeal of Internet gaming, its context, and neurobiologic correlates can the phenomenon of Internet gaming addiction be understood comprehensively. The aim of this review is to provide an insight into current perspectives on Internet gaming addiction using a holistic approach, taking into consideration the mass appeal of online games, the context of Internet gaming addiction, and associated neuroimaging findings, as well as the current diagnostic framework adopted by the American Psychiatric Association. The cited research indicates that the individual's context is a significant factor that marks the dividing line between excessive gaming and gaming addiction, and the game context can gain particular importance for players, depending on their life situation and gaming preferences. Moreover, the cultural context is significant because it embeds the gamer in a community with shared beliefs and practices, endowing their gaming with particular meaning. The cited neuroimaging studies indicate that Internet gaming addiction shares similarities with other addictions, including substance dependence, at the molecular, neurocircuitry, and behavioral levels. The findings provide support for the current perspective of understanding Internet gaming addiction from a disease framework. The benefits of an Internet gaming addiction diagnosis include reliability across research, destigmatization of individuals, development of efficacious treatments, and the creation of an incentive for public health care and insurance providers. The holistic approach adopted here not only highlights empirical research that

An Overview of Science Challenges Pertaining to our Understanding of Extreme Geomagnetically Induced Currents. Chapter 8

Science.gov (United States)

Ngwira, Chigomezyo M.; Pulkkinen, Antti A.

2018-01-01

Vulnerability of man-made infrastructure to Earth-directed space weather events is a serious concern for today's technology-dependent society. Space weather-driven geomagnetically induced currents (GICs) can disrupt operation of extended electrically conducting technological systems. The threat of adverse impacts on critical technological infrastructure, like power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and communication networks, has sparked renewed interest in extreme space weather. Because extreme space weather events have low occurrence rate but potentially high impact, this presents a major challenge for our understanding of extreme GIC activity. In this chapter, we discuss some of the key science challenges pertaining to our understanding of extreme events. In addition, we present an overview of GICs including highlights of severe impacts over the last 80 years and recent U.S. Federal actions relevant to this community.

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Your Diagnosis Research Understanding Cancer Prognosis Oncologist Anthony L. Back, M.D., a national expert on doctor- ... Centered Approach View this video on YouTube. Anthony L. Back, M.D., coaches other oncologists about how ...

Internet gaming addiction: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuss DJ

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Daria J KussPsychology Research and Behavior Management, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UKAbstract: In the 2000s, online games became popular, while studies of Internet gaming addiction emerged, outlining the negative consequences of excessive gaming, its prevalence, and associated risk factors. The establishment of specialized treatment centers in South-East Asia, the US, and Europe reflects the growing need for professional help. It is argued that only by understanding the appeal of Internet gaming, its context, and neurobiologic correlates can the phenomenon of Internet gaming addiction be understood comprehensively. The aim of this review is to provide an insight into current perspectives on Internet gaming addiction using a holistic approach, taking into consideration the mass appeal of online games, the context of Internet gaming addiction, and associated neuroimaging findings, as well as the current diagnostic framework adopted by the American Psychiatric Association. The cited research indicates that the individual's context is a significant factor that marks the dividing line between excessive gaming and gaming addiction, and the game context can gain particular importance for players, depending on their life situation and gaming preferences. Moreover, the cultural context is significant because it embeds the gamer in a community with shared beliefs and practices, endowing their gaming with particular meaning. The cited neuroimaging studies indicate that Internet gaming addiction shares similarities with other addictions, including substance dependence, at the molecular, neurocircuitry, and behavioral levels. The findings provide support for the current perspective of understanding Internet gaming addiction from a disease framework. The benefits of an Internet gaming addiction diagnosis include reliability across research, destigmatization of individuals, development of efficacious treatments, and the creation of an incentive

User-centered design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baik, Joo Hyun; Kim, Hyeong Heon

2008-01-01

The simplification philosophy, as an example, that both of EPRI-URD and EUR emphasize is treated mostly for the cost reduction of the nuclear power plants, but not for the simplification of the structure of user's tasks, which is one of the principles of user-centered design. A user-centered design is a philosophy based on the needs and interests of the user, with an emphasis on making products usable and understandable. However, the nuclear power plants offered these days by which the predominant reactor vendors are hardly user-centered but still designer-centered or technology-centered in viewpoint of fulfilling user requirements. The main goal of user-centered design is that user requirements are elicited correctly, reflected properly into the system requirements, and verified thoroughly by the tests. Starting from the user requirements throughout to the final test, each requirement should be traceable. That's why requirement traceability is a key to the user-centered design, and main theme of a requirement management program, which is suggested to be added into EPRI-URD and EUR in the section of Design Process. (author)

Current Condition of Michigan Curriculum Materials Centers and Collections in Academic Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Kohrman, Rita

2015-01-01

A 2005 sabbatical study revealed 24 unique curriculum materials centers or collections (CMCs) in Michigan colleges or universities. The focus of the study was to investigate the number, characteristics, and quality of these centers and collections supporting education faculty and students. A follow up 2014 study asked how or if the Michigan…

Depairing critical current achieved in superconducting thin films with through-thickness arrays of artificial pinning centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinner, Rafael B; Wimbush, Stuart C; MacManus-Driscoll, Judith L; Blamire, Mark G; Robinson, Adam P

2011-01-01

Large area arrays of through-thickness nanoscale pores have been milled into superconducting Nb thin films via a process utilizing anodized aluminum oxide thin film templates. These pores act as artificial flux pinning centers, increasing the superconducting critical current, J c , of the Nb films. By optimizing the process conditions including anodization time, pore size and milling time, J c values approaching and in some cases matching the Ginzburg-Landau depairing current of 30 MA cm -2 at 5 K have been achieved-a J c enhancement over as-deposited films of more than 50 times. In the field dependence of J c , a matching field corresponding to the areal pore density has also been clearly observed. The effect of backfilling the pores with magnetic material has then been investigated. While backfilling with Co has been successfully achieved, the effect of the magnetic material on J c has been found to be largely detrimental compared to voids, although a distinct influence of the magnetic material in producing a hysteretic J c versus applied field behavior has been observed. This behavior has been tested for compatibility with currently proposed models of magnetic pinning and found to be most closely explained by a model describing the magnetic attraction between the flux vortices and the magnetic inclusions.

Two-phase unsaturated flow at Yucca Mountain, Nevada - A Report on Current Understanding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruess, K.

1998-01-01

The U.S. civilian nuclear waste program is unique in its focus on disposal of high-level wastes in the unsaturated zone (UZ), above the water table. The potential repository site currently under investigation is located in a semi-arid region of the southwestern U.S. at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The geology of the site consists of layered sequences of faulted, fractured, and bedded tuffs. The groundwater table is approximately 600 m beneath the land surface, while the proposed repository horizon is at a nominal depth of approximately 375 m. In this kind of environment, two-phase flow is not just a localized perturbation to natural conditions, as in the saturated zone, but is the predominant mode of water and gas flow. The purpose of this report is to review the current understanding of gas and water flow, and mass transport, in the unique hydrogeologic environment of Yucca Mountain. Characteristics of the Yucca Mountain site are examined, and concepts and mathematical modeling approaches are described for variably saturated flow in thick unsaturated zones of fractured rock. The paper includes a brief summary of the disposal concept and repository design, as developed by a team of engineering contractors to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), with strong participation from the DOE National Laboratories

Transcription factors and plant response to drought stress: Current understanding and future directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohit Joshi

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Increasing vulnerability of plants to a variety of stresses such as drought, salt and extreme temperatures poses a global threat to sustained growth and productivity of major crops. Of these stresses, drought represents a considerable threat to plant growth and development. In view of this, developing staple food cultivars with improved drought tolerance emerges as the most sustainable solution towards improving crop productivity in a scenario of climate change. In parallel, unraveling the genetic architecture and the targeted identification of molecular networks using modern OMICS analyses, that can underpin drought tolerance mechanisms, is urgently required. Importantly, integrated studies intending to elucidate complex mechanisms can bridge the gap existing in our current knowledge about drought stress tolerance in plants. It is now well established that drought tolerance is regulated by several genes, including transcription factors (TFs that enable plants to withstand unfavorable conditions, and these remain potential genomic candidates for their wide application in crop breeding. These TFs represent the key molecular switches orchestrating the regulation of plant developmental processes in response to a variety of stresses. The current review aims to offer a deeper understanding of TFs engaged in regulating plant’s response under drought stress and to devise potential strategies to improve plant tolerance against drought.

Review: Animal model and the current understanding of molecule dynamics of adipogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, C F; Duarte, M S; Guimarães, S E F; Verardo, L L; Wei, S; Du, M; Jiang, Z; Bergen, W G; Hausman, G J; Fernyhough-Culver, M; Albrecht, E; Dodson, M V

2016-06-01

Among several potential animal models that can be used for adipogenic studies, Wagyu cattle is the one that presents unique molecular mechanisms underlying the deposit of substantial amounts of intramuscular fat. As such, this review is focused on current knowledge of such mechanisms related to adipose tissue deposition using Wagyu cattle as model. So abundant is the lipid accumulation in the skeletal muscles of these animals that in many cases, the muscle cross-sectional area appears more white (adipose tissue) than red (muscle fibers). This enhanced marbling accumulation is morphologically similar to that seen in numerous skeletal muscle dysfunctions, disease states and myopathies; this might indicate cross-similar mechanisms between such dysfunctions and fat deposition in Wagyu breed. Animal models can be used not only for a better understanding of fat deposition in livestock, but also as models to an increased comprehension on molecular mechanisms behind human conditions. This revision underlies some of the complex molecular processes of fat deposition in animals.

Gulf War Syndrome: a review of current knowledge and understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Minshall, D

2014-01-01

The 1991 Persian Gulf War was a resounding military success for coalition forces, who liberated Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion. The medical legacy we have from the conflict is the poorly understood, yet remarkable, phenomenon of Gulf War Syndrome, which surfaced soon after. Epidemiological research has proven beyond doubt that Gulf War veterans report a wide variety of symptoms, in excess of appropriately matched control subjects, and experience worse general health. Numerous toxic environmental hazards have been suggested as causes of Gulf War Syndrome, yet exhaustive scientific study has failed to provide conclusive proof of any link. No novel or recognised disease has been found to account for the symptomatic burden of veterans, and the optimal treatment remains uncertain. This understanding can be added to from an anthropological perspective, where the narratives of those afflicted provide further insight. The nature of military life was changing at the time of the Gulf War, challenging the identity and beliefs of some veterans and causing socio-cultural distress. The symptomatic presentation of Gulf War Syndrome can be considered an articulation of this disharmony. Gulf War Syndrome can also be considered within the group of post-combat disorders such as shellshock, the like of which have occurred after major wars in the last century. With the current withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Defence Medical Services (DMS) should heed the lessons of history.

User-Centered Evaluation of Visual Analytics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholtz, Jean C.

2017-10-01

visual analytics. A history of analysis and analysis techniques and problems is provided as well as an introduction to user-centered evaluation and various evaluation techniques for readers from different disciplines. The understanding of these techniques is imperative if we wish to support analysis in the visual analytics software we develop. Currently the evaluations that are conducted and published for visual analytics software are very informal and consist mainly of comments from users or potential users. Our goal is to help researchers in visual analytics to conduct more formal user-centered evaluations. While these are time-consuming and expensive to carryout, the outcomes of these studies will have a defining impact on the field of visual analytics and help point the direction for future features and visualizations to incorporate. While many researchers view work in user-centered evaluation as a less-than-exciting area to work, the opposite is true. First of all, the goal is user-centered evaluation is to help visual analytics software developers, researchers, and designers improve their solutions and discover creative ways to better accommodate their users. Working with the users is extremely rewarding as well. While we use the term “users” in almost all situations there are a wide variety of users that all need to be accommodated. Moreover, the domains that use visual analytics are varied and expanding. Just understanding the complexities of a number of these domains is exciting. Researchers are trying out different visualizations and interactions as well. And of course, the size and variety of data are expanding rapidly. User-centered evaluation in this context is rapidly changing. There are no standard processes and metrics and thus those of us working on user-centered evaluation must be creative in our work with both the users and with the researchers and developers.

Understanding Falls Risk and Impacts in Chinese American Older Patients at a Community Health Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Susan; Duong, Thomas; Ieong, Liss; Quach, Thu

2017-08-01

While falls are highly prevalent and costly for older adults, little is known about falls for Asian Americans. Using a custom, evidence-based, bilingual fall risk assessment and management tool, our study examined the prevalence of falls among older Chinese-speaking patients at a community health center. We identified the risks for falls and explored an association of fall risk with emergency room (ER) and hospital use in this population. The setting was at a community health center in Oakland, CA. Participants included 839 older Asian American adults (ages 65-80 years) who spoke Cantonese/Mandarin. Primary care clinic staff administered a fall risk assessment and management tool at the time of clinic visits to assess patients' risk factors for falls. Of the total, 173 (20.6%) reported having fallen in the past year, with women comprising a majority (71.7%). 362 patients in the cohort (43.1%) reported fear of falling. For the subset of Medicaid managed care patients (n = 455, 54.3% of total) for whom we were able to obtain ER and hospital utilization data, 31 patients (14.5%) who reported a fall risk had an ER/hospital episode compared to 15 (6.2%) of those who did not self-report fall risks (statistically significant, p cultural competence to focus on Asian American older adults, can help establish the prevalence of falls in this understudied population and effectively identify those at higher risk for falls and subsequent ER/hospital utilization. More research is needed to understand the risk and impacts of falls in understudied populations and identify ways to prevent these costly falls.

Call Center Capacity Planning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Thomas Bang

in order to relate the results to the service levels used in call centers. Furthermore, the generic nature of the approximation is demonstrated by applying it to a system incorporating a dynamic priority scheme. In the last paper Optimization of overflow policies in call centers, overflows between agent......The main topics of the thesis are theoretical and applied queueing theory within a call center setting. Call centers have in recent years become the main means of communication between customers and companies, and between citizens and public institutions. The extensively computerized infrastructure...... in modern call centers allows for a high level of customization, but also induces complicated operational processes. The size of the industry together with the complex and labor intensive nature of large call centers motivates the research carried out to understand the underlying processes. The customizable...

Consumer Travel Behaviors and Transport Carbon Emissions: A Comparative Study of Commercial Centers in Shenyang, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Li

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Current literature highlights the role of commercial centers in cities in generating shopping trips and transport carbon emissions. However, the influence of the characteristics of commercial centers on consumer travel behavior and transport carbon emissions is not well understood. This study addresses this knowledge gap by examining shopping trips to eight commercial centers in Shenyang, China, and the CO2 emissions of these trips. We found that the locations and types of commercial centers strongly influence CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions per trip to commercial centers in the suburbs of Shenyang were on average 6.94% and 26.92% higher than those to commercial centers in the urban core and the inner city, respectively. CO2 emissions induced by wholesale centers were nearly three times higher than the lowest CO2 emissions of commercial centers in the inner city. These empirical results enhance our understanding of shopping-related transport carbon emissions and highlight the importance of optimizing urban space structure, in particular, the layout of commercial centers.

Research on operation and maintenance support system adaptive to human recognition and understanding in human-centered plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Numano, Masayoshi; Matsuoka, Takeshi; Mitomo, N.

2004-01-01

As a human-centered plant, advanced nuclear power plant needs appropriate role sharing between human and mobile intelligent agents. Human-machine cooperation for plant operation and maintenance activities is also required with an advanced interface. Plant's maintenance is programmed using mobile robots working under the radiation environments instead of human beings. Operation and maintenance support system adaptive to human recognition and understanding should be developed to establish adequate human and machine interface so as to induce human capabilities to the full and enable human to take responsibility for plan's operation. Plant's operation and maintenance can be cooperative activities between human and intelligent automonous agents having surveillance and control functions. Infrastructure of multi-agent simulation system for the support system has been investigated and developed based on work plans derived from the scheduler. (T. Tanaka)

[Pain care in Austrian health care centers: Questionnaire study on the current status of Austrian pain clinics].

Science.gov (United States)

Szilagyi, I-S; Bornemann-Cimenti, H; Messerer, B; Vittinghoff, M; Sandner-Kiesling, A

2015-12-01

Pain clinics provide interdisciplinary therapy to treat chronic pain patients and to increase the return-to-work rate. In recent years and due to increased economic pressure in health care, a change in the management of pain in Austrian health care centers has been observed. For the analysis of the current situation, two surveys addressing all Austrian pain clinics were performed. In total, 133 heads of Austrian Anesthesia Departments were interviewed online and personally. The data from the first interview were confirmed by an additional telephone survey that was performed by one anesthetist per Austrian state (n = 9). Currently, 44 Austrian pain clinics are active. During the last 5 years, 9 pain clinics closed. Adding the current active pain clinics together, they represent a total of 17.5 full-time-operated clinics. The most common reasons for closing the pain clinics were lack of personnel (47%), lack of time resources (26%), lack of space resources (11%), and financial difficulties (11%). A reduction of >50% of operating hours during the last 3 years was reported by 9 hospitals. The reasons for not running a pain clinic were lack of personnel (36%), lack of time (25%) and department too small (16%). Estimates between actual and required clinics indicate that 49.5 full-time-operating pain clinics are lacking in Austria, resulting in 74% of the Austrian chronic pain patients not receiving interdisciplinary pain management. Our survey confirmed the closure of 9 pain clinics during the last 5 years due to lack of personnel and time. Pain clinics appear to provide the simplest economic saving potential. This development is a major concern. Although running a pain clinic seems to be expensive at the first sight, it reduces pain, sick leave, complications, and potential legal issues against health care centers, while simultaneously increasing the hospital's competitiveness. Our results show that 74% of Austrian chronic pain patients do not have access to an

Vitamin D nutrition in pregnancy: current opinion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dawodu A

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Adekunle Dawodu,1 Henry Akinbi21Global Health Center, 2Neonatology and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USAAbstract: There is increasing interest in vitamin D nutrition during pregnancy because of widespread reports of a high prevalence of low vitamin D status in pregnant women. While vitamin D is important for calcium and phosphorus homeostasis and for bone health, it also plays important roles in many other physiologic functions in the body. Consistent with the expanded role of vitamin D, recent observational studies have demonstrated that low vitamin D status in pregnancy is associated with multiple potential adverse maternal, fetal, and infant outcomes and contributes to low vitamin D status in infants at birth. Therefore, an overview of the current understanding of vitamin D nutrition in pregnancy and a review of the results of studies to optimize vitamin D status during pregnancy and in the offspring is of public health importance and timely.Keywords: vitamin D, pregnancy, neonate

Current status of quality evaluation of nursing care through director review and reflection from the Nursing Quality Control Centers

OpenAIRE

Duan, Xia; Shi, Yan

2014-01-01

Background: The quality evaluation of nursing care is a key link in medical quality management. It is important and worth studying for the nursing supervisors to know the disadvantages during the process of quality evaluation of nursing care and then to improve the whole nursing quality. This study was to provide director insight on the current status of quality evaluation of nursing care from Nursing Quality Control Centers (NQCCs). Material and Methods: This qualitative study used a sample ...

Effect of a superconducting coil as a fault current limiter on current density distribution in BSCCO tape after an over-current pulse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tallouli, M; Yamaguchi, S.; Shyshkin, O.

2017-01-01

The development of power transmission lines based on long-length high temperature superconducting (HTS) tapes is complicated and technically challenging task. A serious problem for transmission line operation could become HTS power cable damage due to over-current pulse conditions. To avoid the cable damage in any urgent case the superconducting coil technology, i.e. superconductor fault current limiter (SFCL) is required. Comprehensive understanding of the current density characteristics of HTS tapes in both cases, either after pure over-current pulse or after over-current pulse limited by SFCL, is needed to restart or to continue the operation of the power transmission line. Moreover, current density distribution along and across the HTS tape provides us with the sufficient information about the quality of the tape performance in different current feeding regimes. In present paper we examine BSCCO HTS tape under two current feeding regimes. The first one is 100A feeding preceded by 900A over-current pulse. In this case none of tape protection was used. The second scenario is similar to the fist one but SFCL is used to limit an over-current value. For both scenarios after the pulse is gone and the current feeding is set up at 100A we scan magnetic field above the tape by means of Hall probe sensor. Then the feeding is turned of and the magnetic field scanning is repeated. Using the inverse problem numerical solver we calculate the corresponding direct and permanent current density distributions during the feeding and after switch off. It is demonstrated that in the absence of SFCL the current distribution is highly peaked at the tape center. At the same time the current distribution in the experiment with SFCL is similar to that observed under normal current feeding condition. The current peaking in the first case is explained by the effect of an opposite electric field induced at the tape edges during the overcurrent pulse decay, and by degradation of

An Overview of the Current Understanding of Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Fermi Era

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, P. N.; Guiriec, Sylvain

2011-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the Universe, and their origin as well as mechanism are the focus of intense research and debate. More than three decades since their serendipitous discovery, followed by several breakthroughs from space-borne and ground-based observations, they remain one of the most interesting astrophysical phenomena yet to be completely understood. Since the launch of Fermi with its unprecedented energy band width spanning seven decades, the study of gamma-ray burst research has entered a new phase. Here we review the current theoretical understanding and observational highlights of gamma-ray burst astronomy and point out some of the potential promises of multi-wavelength observations in view of the upcoming ground based observational facilities .

Review of current activities to model and measure the orbital debris environment in low-earth orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, R. C.

A very active orbital debris program is currently being pursued at the NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC), with projects designed to better define the current environment, to project future environments, to model the processes contributing to or constraining the growth of debris in the environment, and to gather supporting data needed to improve the understanding of the orbital debris problem and the hazard it presents to spacecraft. This paper is a review of the activity being conducted at JSC, by NASA, Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company, and other support contractors, and presents a review of current activity, results of current research, and a discussion of directions for future development.

Understanding Lustre Internals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Feiyi [ORNL; Oral, H Sarp [ORNL; Shipman, Galen M [ORNL; Drokin, Oleg [ORNL; Wang, Di [ORNL; Huang, He [ORNL

2009-04-01

Lustre was initiated and funded, almost a decade ago, by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration laboratories to address the need for an open source, highly-scalable, high-performance parallel filesystem on by then present and future supercomputing platforms. Throughout the last decade, it was deployed over numerous medium-to-large-scale supercomputing platforms and clusters, and it performed and met the expectations of the Lustre user community. As it stands at the time of writing this document, according to the Top500 list, 15 of the top 30 supercomputers in the world use Lustre filesystem. This report aims to present a streamlined overview on how Lustre works internally at reasonable details including relevant data structures, APIs, protocols and algorithms involved for Lustre version 1.6 source code base. More importantly, it tries to explain how various components interconnect with each other and function as a system. Portions of this report are based on discussions with Oak Ridge National Laboratory Lustre Center of Excellence team members and portions of it are based on our own understanding of how the code works. We, as the authors team bare all responsibilities for all errors and omissions in this document. We can only hope it helps current and future Lustre users and Lustre code developers as much as it helped us understanding the Lustre source code and its internal workings.

Impact of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Management Information System (PROMIS) upon the Design and Operation of Multi-center Clinical Trials: a Qualitative Research Study

OpenAIRE

Eisenstein, Eric L.; Diener, Lawrence W.; Nahm, Meredith; Weinfurt, Kevin P.

2010-01-01

New technologies may be required to integrate the National Institutes of Health’s Patient Reported Outcome Management Information System (PROMIS) into multi-center clinical trials. To better understand this need, we identified likely PROMIS reporting formats, developed a multi-center clinical trial process model, and identified gaps between current capabilities and those necessary for PROMIS. These results were evaluated by key trial constituencies. Issues reported by principal investigators ...

Understanding the cancer cell phenotype beyond the limitations of current omics analyses.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno-Sánchez, Rafael; Saavedra, Emma; Gallardo-Pérez, Juan Carlos; Rumjanek, Franklin D; Rodríguez-Enríquez, Sara

2016-01-01

Efforts to understand the mechanistic principles driving cancer metabolism and proliferation have been lately governed by genomic, transcriptomic and proteomic studies. This paper analyzes the caveats of these approaches. As molecular biology's central dogma proposes a unidirectional flux of information from genes to mRNA to proteins, it has frequently been assumed that monitoring the changes in the gene sequences and in mRNA and protein contents is sufficient to explain complex cellular processes. Such a stance commonly disregards that post-translational modifications can alter the protein function/activity and also that regulatory mechanisms enter into action, to coordinate the protein activities of pathways/cellular processes, in order to keep the cellular homeostasis. Hence, the actual protein activities (as enzymes/transporters/receptors) and their regulatory mechanisms ultimately dictate the final outcomes of a pathway/cellular process. In this regard, it is here documented that the mRNA levels of many metabolic enzymes and transcriptional factors have no correlation with the respective protein contents and activities. The validity of current clinical mRNA-based tests and proposed metabolite biomarkers for cancer detection/prognosis is also discussed. Therefore, it is proposed that, to achieve a thorough understanding of the modifications undergone by proliferating cancer cells, it is mandatory to experimentally analyze the cellular processes at the functional level. This could be achieved (a) locally, by examining the actual protein activities in the cell and their kinetic properties (or at least kinetically characterize the most controlling steps of the pathway/cellular process); (b) systemically, by analyzing the main fluxes of the pathway/cellular process, and how they are modulated by metabolites, all which should contribute to comprehending the regulatory mechanisms that have been altered in cancer cells. By adopting a more holistic approach it may

Internet gaming addiction: current perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Kuss, Daria J

2013-01-01

In the 2000s, online games became popular, while studies of Internet gaming addiction emerged, outlining the negative consequences of excessive gaming, its prevalence, and associated risk factors. The establishment of specialized treatment centers in South-East Asia, the US, and Europe reflects the growing need for professional help. It is argued that only by understanding the appeal of Internet gaming, its context, and neurobiologic correlates can the phenomenon of Internet gaming addiction be understood comprehensively. The aim of this review is to provide an insight into current perspectives on Internet gaming addiction using a holistic approach, taking into consideration the mass appeal of online games, the context of Internet gaming addiction, and associated neuroimaging findings, as well as the current diagnostic framework adopted by the American Psychiatric Association. The cited research indicates that the individual’s context is a significant factor that marks the dividing line between excessive gaming and gaming addiction, and the game context can gain particular importance for players, depending on their life situation and gaming preferences. Moreover, the cultural context is significant because it embeds the gamer in a community with shared beliefs and practices, endowing their gaming with particular meaning. The cited neuroimaging studies indicate that Internet gaming addiction shares similarities with other addictions, including substance dependence, at the molecular, neurocircuitry, and behavioral levels. The findings provide support for the current perspective of understanding Internet gaming addiction from a disease framework. The benefits of an Internet gaming addiction diagnosis include reliability across research, destigmatization of individuals, development of efficacious treatments, and the creation of an incentive for public health care and insurance providers. The holistic approach adopted here not only highlights empirical research that

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Centers Advisory Boards & Review Groups Budget & Appropriations Current Year Budget Annual Plan & Budget Proposal Congressional Justification NCI ... using statistics that researchers have collected over many years about people with the same type of cancer. ...

Understanding Cancer Prognosis

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... NCI Directors NCI Organization Advisory Boards and Review Groups Budget & Appropriations About the Annual Plan & Budget Proposal ... NCI Organization Divisions, Offices & Centers Advisory Boards & Review Groups Budget & Appropriations Current Year Budget Annual Plan & Budget ...

Understanding the Great Depression: Lessons for Current Policy

OpenAIRE

Stephen G. Cecchetti

1997-01-01

Over the four years beginning in the summer of 1929, financial markets, labor markets and goods markets all virtually ceased to function. Throughout this, the government policymaking apparatus seemed helpless. Since the end of the Great Depression, macroeconomists have labored diligently in an effort to understand the circumstances that led to the wholesale collapse of the economy. What lessons can we draw from our study of these events? In this essay, I argue that the Federal Reserve played ...

NIDDK international conference report on diabetes and depression: current understanding and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Richard I G; de Groot, Mary; Lucki, Irwin; Hunter, Christine M; Sartorius, Norman; Golden, Sherita H

2014-08-01

Comorbid diabetes and depression are a major clinical challenge as the outcomes of each condition are worsened by the other. This article is based on the presentations and discussions during an international meeting on diabetes and depression convened by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and the Dialogue on Diabetes and Depression. While the psychological burden of diabetes may contribute to depression in some cases, this explanation does not sufficiently explain the relationship between these two conditions. Shared biological and behavioral mechanisms, such as hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, inflammation, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disturbance, inactive lifestyle, poor dietary habits, and environmental and cultural risk factors, are important to consider in understanding the link between depression and diabetes. Both individual psychological and pharmacological depression treatments are effective in people with diabetes, but the current range of treatment options is limited and has shown mixed effects on glycemic outcomes. More research is needed to understand what factors contribute to individual differences in vulnerability, treatment response, and resilience to depression and metabolic disorders across the life course and how best to provide care for people with comorbid diabetes and depression in different health care settings. Training programs are needed to create a cross-disciplinary workforce that can work in different models of care for comorbid conditions. © 2014 by the American Diabetes Association. Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered.

Crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes

KAUST Repository

Wilson, S. K.

2010-02-26

Expert opinion was canvassed to identify crucial knowledge gaps in current understanding of climate change impacts on coral reef fishes. Scientists that had published three or more papers on the effects of climate and environmental factors on reef fishes were invited to submit five questions that, if addressed, would improve our understanding of climate change effects on coral reef fishes. Thirty-three scientists provided 155 questions, and 32 scientists scored these questions in terms of: (i) identifying a knowledge gap, (ii) achievability, (iii) applicability to a broad spectrum of species and reef habitats, and (iv) priority. Forty-two per cent of the questions related to habitat associations and community dynamics of fish, reflecting the established effects and immediate concern relating to climate-induced coral loss and habitat degradation. However, there were also questions on fish demographics, physiology, behaviour and management, all of which could be potentially affected by climate change. Irrespective of their individual expertise and background, scientists scored questions from different topics similarly, suggesting limited bias and recognition of a need for greater interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Presented here are the 53 highest-scoring unique questions. These questions should act as a guide for future research, providing a basis for better assessment and management of climate change impacts on coral reefs and associated fish communities.

Current Status of Yongbyon Nuclear Complex

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hwang, Yong Soo [Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The DPRK has developed Yongbyon Nuclear Complex in Figure 1 since 1960's. Currently it is composed of the reactor facility, fuel fabrication facility including the enrichment center, and the radiochemistry center. Even though many facilities are not modern and economic in the western standards, Yongbyon Nuclear Complex is fully equipped with the entire life cycle of the nuclear installation. The key facilities have been added step by step. For example, the DPRK's nuclear reactor fleet started with the 2 MW IRT-2000 reactor in the middle of 80's. It started with a small scale radioactive isotope separation center nearby. But nowadays the DPRK is constructing a much more larger isotope separation center in the vicinity of its enrichment center along with a potential new UF6 conversion center. The general description over Yongbyon Nuclear Complex is given in this paper. More detailed context of the current status of the center will be discussed in the main symposium purely based on the open source information study.

Know the Facts: Understand Concussion

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2010-03-17

This podcast discusses concussions and provides information to help people better understand concussion.  Created: 3/17/2010 by National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC).   Date Released: 3/17/2010.

Handbook on data centers

CERN Document Server

Khan, Samee Ullah

2015-01-01

This handbook offers a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art research achievements in the field of data centers. Contributions from international, leading researchers and scholars offer topics in cloud computing, virtualization in data centers, energy efficient data centers, and next generation data center architecture.  It also comprises current research trends in emerging areas, such as data security, data protection management, and network resource management in data centers. Specific attention is devoted to industry needs associated with the challenges faced by data centers, such as various power, cooling, floor space, and associated environmental health and safety issues, while still working to support growth without disrupting quality of service. The contributions cut across various IT data technology domains as a single source to discuss the interdependencies that need to be supported to enable a virtualized, next-generation, energy efficient, economical, and environmentally friendly data cente...

[Medical centers--methods, purpose and benefits].

Science.gov (United States)

Schrappe, Matthias

2007-01-01

The German hospital sector is characterized by a profound deficit in organizational integration. The implementation of centers as one way to improve the situation is complicated by the heterogeneity of the concept and understanding of the term "center". The author proposes to distinguish between functional, divisional and process-oriented centers. In German hospitals where the transition from functional to divisional organization is under way matrix elements can be expected to be introduced into organizational practice. Process-oriented centers like breast centers represent matrix components by simultaneously applying functional and process-oriented perspectives. Matrix components map the complexity of clinical structures, but increase coordination and management load and should be applied only to a limited number of care processes.

[Patient-centered care. Improvement of communication between university medical centers and general practitioners for patients in neuro-oncology].

Science.gov (United States)

Renovanz, M; Keric, N; Richter, C; Gutenberg, A; Giese, A

2015-12-01

Communication between university medical centers and general practitioners (GP) is becoming increasingly more important in supportive patient care. A survey among GPs was performed with the primary objective to assess their opinion on current workflow and communication between GPs and the university medical center. The GPs were asked to score (grades 1-6) their opinion on the current interdisciplinary workflow in the care of patients with brain tumors, thereby rating communication between a university medical center in general and the neuro-oncology outpatient center in particular. Questionnaires were sent to1000 GPs and the response rate was 15 %. The mean scored evaluation of the university medical center in general was 2.62 and of the neuro-oncological outpatient clinic 2.28 (range 1-6). The most often mentioned issues to be improved were easier/early telephone information (44 %) and a constantly available contact person (49 %). Interestingly, > 60 % of the GPs indicated they would support web-based tumor boards for interdisciplinary and palliative neuro-oncological care. As interdisciplinary care for neuro-oncology patients is an essential part of therapy, improvement of communication between GPs and university medical centers is indispensable. Integrating currently available electronic platforms under data protection aspects into neuro-oncological palliative care could be an interesting tool in order to establish healthcare networks and could find acceptance with GPs.

76 FR 17139 - Health Center Program

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-28

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of Noncompetitive... Improvement Project (CIP) from Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Centers (SVCMC) of New York, current grantee...

Benefits Analysis of Multi-Center Dynamic Weather Routes

Science.gov (United States)

Sheth, Kapil; McNally, David; Morando, Alexander; Clymer, Alexis; Lock, Jennifer; Petersen, Julien

2014-01-01

Dynamic weather routes are flight plan corrections that can provide airborne flights more than user-specified minutes of flying-time savings, compared to their current flight plan. These routes are computed from the aircraft's current location to a flight plan fix downstream (within a predefined limit region), while avoiding forecasted convective weather regions. The Dynamic Weather Routes automation has been continuously running with live air traffic data for a field evaluation at the American Airlines Integrated Operations Center in Fort Worth, TX since July 31, 2012, where flights within the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center are evaluated for time savings. This paper extends the methodology to all Centers in United States and presents benefits analysis of Dynamic Weather Routes automation, if it was implemented in multiple airspace Centers individually and concurrently. The current computation of dynamic weather routes requires a limit rectangle so that a downstream capture fix can be selected, preventing very large route changes spanning several Centers. In this paper, first, a method of computing a limit polygon (as opposed to a rectangle used for Fort Worth Center) is described for each of the 20 Centers in the National Airspace System. The Future ATM Concepts Evaluation Tool, a nationwide simulation and analysis tool, is used for this purpose. After a comparison of results with the Center-based Dynamic Weather Routes automation in Fort Worth Center, results are presented for 11 Centers in the contiguous United States. These Centers are generally most impacted by convective weather. A breakdown of individual Center and airline savings is presented and the results indicate an overall average savings of about 10 minutes of flying time are obtained per flight.

The many "Disguises" of patient-centered communication: Problems of conceptualization and measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Street, Richard L

2017-11-01

To critically examine different approaches to the measurement of patient-centered communication. Provides a critique of 7 different measures of patient-centered communication with respect to differences in their assumptions about what constitutes patient-centeredness and in their approaches to measurement. The measures differed significantly with regard to whether the measure captured behavior (what the interactants did) or judgment (how well the behavior was performed), focused on the individual clinician or on the interaction as a whole, and on who makes the assessment (participant or observer). A multidimensional framework for developing patient-centered communication measures is presented that encompasses the patient's perspective and participation, the biopsychosocial context of the patient's health, the clinician-patient relationship, quality of information-exchange, shared understanding, and shared, evidence-based decision-making. The state of measurement of the patient-centered communication construct lacks coherence, in part because current measures were developed either void of a conceptual framework or from very different theoretical perspectives. Assessment of patients' experiences with quality of communication in medical encounters should drill down into specific domains of patient-centeredness. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Establishing a national research center on day care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellegaard, Tomas

The paper presents and discusses the current formation of a national research center on ECEC. The center is currently being established. It is partly funded by the Danish union of early childhood and youth educators. It is based on cooperation between a number of Danish universities and this nati...... current new public management policies. However there is also more conflicting issues that emerge in this enterprise – especially on interests, practice relevance and knowledge paradigms....

Current titles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-07-01

This booklet is published for those interested in current research being conducted at the National Center for Electron Microscopy. The NCEM is a DOE-designated national user facility and is available at no charge to qualified researchers. Access is controlled by an external steering committee. Interested researchers may contact Gretchen Hermes at (510) 486-5006 or address below for a User`s Guide. Copies of available papers can be ordered from: Theda Crawford National Center for Electron Microscopy, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, One Cyclotron Rd., MS72, Berkeley, California, USA 94720.

Concierge and Second-Opinion Radiology: Review of Current Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikh, Shehbaz; Bafana, Rounak; Halabi, Safwan S

2016-01-01

Radiology's core assets include the production, interpretation, and distribution of quality imaging studies. Second-opinion services and concierge practices in radiology aim to augment traditional services by providing patient-centered and physician-centered care, respectively. Patient centeredness enhances patients' understanding and comfort with their radiology tests and procedures and allows them to make better decisions about their health care. As the fee-for-service paradigm shifts to value-based care models, radiology practices have begun to diversify imaging service delivery and communication to coincide with the American College of Radiology Imaging 3.0 campaign. Physician-centered consultation allows for communication of evidence-based guidelines to assist referring physicians and other providers in making the most appropriate imaging or treatment decision for a specific clinical condition. There are disparate practice models and payment schema for the various second-opinion and concierge practices. This review article explores the current state and payment models of second-opinion and concierge practices in radiology. This review also includes a discussion on the benefits, roadblocks, and ethical issues that surround these novel types of practices. Copyright © 2015 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Current Understanding of Acute Bovine Liver Disease in Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Read

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Acute bovine liver disease (ABLD is a hepatotoxicity principally of cattle which occurs in southern regions of Australia. Severely affected animals undergo rapid clinical progression with mortalities often occurring prior to the recognition of clinical signs. Less severely affected animals develop photosensitization and a proportion can develop liver failure. The characteristic histopathological lesion in acute fatal cases is severe, with acute necrosis of periportal hepatocytes with hemorrhage into the necrotic areas. Currently there are a small number of toxins that are known to cause periportal necrosis in cattle, although none of these have so far been linked to ABLD. Furthermore, ABLD has frequently been associated with the presence of rough dog’s tail grass (Cynosurus echinatus and Drechslera spp. fungi in the pasture system, but it is currently unknown if these are etiological factors. Much of the knowledge about ABLD is contained within case reports, with very little experimental research investigating the specific cause(s. This review provides an overview of the current and most recently published knowledge of ABLD. It also draws on wider research and unpublished reports to suggest possible fungi and mycotoxins that may give rise to ABLD.

buffer Layer Growth, the Thickness Dependence of Jc in Coated Conductors, Local Identification of Current Limiting Mechanisms and Participation in the Wire Development Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larbalestier, David; Hellstron, Eric; Abraimov, Dmytro

2011-12-17

The primary thrusts of our work were to provide critical understanding of how best to enhance the current-carrying capacity of coated conductors. These include the deconstruction of Jc as a function of fim thickness, the growth of in situ films incorporating strong pinning centers and the use of a suite of position-sensitive tools that enable location and analysis of key areas where current-limiting occurs.

Engagement: Looking beyond the mirror to understand action understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Vasudevi; Uithol, Sebo

2016-03-01

In this paper, we argue that the current focus on mirroring as the route to explaining the development of action understanding is misleading and problematic. It facilitates a fundamentally spectatorial stance, ignoring engagement and dialogue; it focuses on similarity between self and other and neglects difference; and it succumbs to the static terminology of mechanism rather than a dynamic language of process. Contrary to this view, dialogic exchanges are evident from the start of life, revealing infants' ability to engage with and respond appropriately to actions that are outside their own motor repertoire. We suggest that engagement rather than mirroring better accounts for many current findings in action understanding. The neurological evidence to date shows that action perception involves a process of continuous synchronization and change, suggesting that it might be more fruitful for research and theory to look beyond mirroring and instead adopt dynamic processual explanations of action understanding within interaction. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

The current status of emergency operations at a high-volume cancer center.

Science.gov (United States)

Komori, Koji; Kimura, Kenya; Kinoshita, Takashi; Ito, Seiji; Abe, Tetsuya; Senda, Yoshiki; Misawa, Kazunari; Ito, Yuichi; Uemura, Norihisa; Natsume, Seiji; Kawai, Ryosuke; Kawakami, Jiro; Asano, Tomonari; Iwata, Yoshinori; Kurahashi, Shintaro; Tsutsuyama, Masayuki; Shigeyoshi, Itaru; Shimizu, Yasuhiro

2014-01-01

This study aimed to assess the pathogenic causes, clinical conditions, surgical procedures, in-hospital mortality, and operative death associated with emergency operations at a high-volume cancer center. Although many reports have described the contents, operative procedures, and prognosis of elective surgeries in high-volume cancer centers, emergency operations have not been studied in sufficient detail. We retrospectively enrolled 28 consecutive patients who underwent emergency surgery. Cases involving operative complications were excluded. The following surgical procedures were performed during emergency operations: closure in 3 cases (10.7%), diversion in 22 cases (78.6%), ileus treatment in 2 cases (7.1%), and hemostasis in 1 case (3.6%). Closure alone was performed only once for peritonitis. Diversion was performed in 17 cases (77.3%) of peritonitis, 4 cases (18.2%) of stenosis of the gastrointestinal tract, and 1 case (4.5%) of bleeding. There was a significant overall difference (P = 0.001). The frequency of emergency operations was very low at a high-volume cancer center. However, the recent shift in treatment approaches toward nonoperative techniques may enhance the status of emergency surgical procedures. The results presented in this study will help prepare for emergency situations and resolve them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Centenarian offspring: a model for understanding longevity.

Science.gov (United States)

Balistreri, Carmela Rita; Candore, Giuseppina; Accardi, Giulia; Buffa, Silvio; Bulati, Matteo; Martorana, Adriana; Colonna-Romano, Giuseppina; Lio, Domenico; Caruso, Calogero

2014-01-01

A main objective of current medical research is to improve the life quality of elderly people as priority of the continuous increase of ageing population. This phenomenon implies several medical, economic and social problems because of dramatic increase in number of non autonomous individuals affected by various pathologies. Accordingly, the research interest is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms involved in determining the positive ageing phenotype, i.e. the centenarian phenotype. In achieving this goal the choice of an appropriate study models is fundamental. Centenarians have been used as an optimal model for successful ageing. However, this model shows several limitations, i.e. the selection of appropriate controls and the use itself of the centenarians as a suitable model for healthy ageing. Thus, the interest has been centered on centenarian offspring, healthy elderly people. They may represent a model for understanding exceptional longevity for the following reasons: they exhibit a protective genetic background, cardiovascular and immunological profile, as well as a reduced rate of cognitive decline than age-matched people without centenarian relatives. Several of these aspects are summarized in this review based on the literature and the results of our studies.

vCenter troubleshooting

CERN Document Server

Mills, Chuck

2015-01-01

The book is designed for the competent vCenter administrator or anyone who is responsible for the vSphere environment. It can be used as a guide by vSphere architects and VMware consultants for a successful vSphere solution. You should have good knowledge and an understanding of core elements and applications of the vSphere environment.

Agent-Centered Decision Making in Normal and Abnormal Cognition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goldberg, Elkhonon

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Much of human cognition is “agent-centered,” subjective, and in that sense relative, directed at deciding, “What is best for me”. This is very different from “veridical” cognition, directed at finding an objectively correct solution inherent in the task and independent of the agent. The frontal lobes in particular are central to agent-centered decision making. Yet very little is available in the arsenal of cognitive paradigms used in the cognitive neuroscience research and in clinical neuropsychology test design to examine “agent-centered” decision making. Current paradigms and tests used to measure decision making clinically and experimentally are veridical in nature and as such miss the essence of “agent-centered” cognition. The dearth of “agent-centered” cognitive paradigms severely limits our ability to understand fully the function and dysfunction of the frontal lobes. The Cognitive Bias Task (CBT is an agent-centered paradigm designed to fill this gap. CBT has been used as a cognitive activation task in fMRI, SPECT, and EEG, as well as in studies of normal development, addiction, dementia, focal lesions, and schizophrenia. This resulted in a range of findings that eluded more traditional “veridical” paradigms and are reviewed here.

Review of the current understanding of the potential for containment failure from in-vessel steam explosions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-06-01

A group of experts was convened to review the current understanding of the potential for containment failure from in-vessel steam explosions during core meltdown accidents in LWRs. The Steam Explosion Review Group (SERG) was requested to provide assessments of: (1) the conditional probability of containment failure due to a steam explosion, (2) a Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) report entitled ''An Uncertainty Study of PWR Steam Explosions,'' NUREG/CR-3369, (3) a SNL proposed steam explosion research program. This report summarizes the results of the deliberations of the review group. It also presents the detailed response of each individual member to each of the issues. The consensus of the SERG is that the occurrence of a steam explosion of sufficient energetics which could lead to alpha-mode containment failure has a low probability. The SERG members disagreed with the methodology used in NUREG/CR-3369 for the purpose of establishing the uncertainty in the probability of containment failure by a steam explosion. A consensus was reached among SERG members on the need for a continuing steam explosion research program which would improve our understanding of certain aspects of steam explosion phenomenology

Marine phospholipids: The current understanding of their oxidation mechanisms and potential uses for food fortification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Henna Fung Sieng; Nielsen, Nina Skall; Baron, Caroline P.

2017-01-01

reactions, namely, Strecker aldehydes, pyrroles, oxypolymers, and other impurities that may positively or negatively affect the oxidative stability and quality of marine PL. This review was undertaken to provide the industry and academia with an overview of the current understanding of the quality changes......There is a growing interest in using marine phospholipids (PL) as ingredient for food fortification due to their numerous health benefits. However, the use of marine PL for food fortification is a challenge due to the complex nature of the degradation products that are formed during the handling...... and storage of marine PL. For example, nonenzymatic browning reactions may occur between lipid oxidation products and primary amine group from phosphatidylethanolamine or amino acid residues that are present inmarine PL. Therefore, marine PL contain products from nonenzymatic browning and lipid oxidation...

Finding Your Voice: Talent Development Centers and the Academic Talent Search

Science.gov (United States)

Rushneck, Amy S.

2012-01-01

Talent Development Centers are just one of many tools every family, teacher, and gifted advocate should have in their tool box. To understand the importance of Talent Development Centers, it is essential to also understand the Academic Talent Search Program. Talent Search participants who obtain scores comparable to college-bound high school…

Arctic hydroclimate variability during the last 2000 years: current understanding and research challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Linderholm, Hans W.; Nicolle, Marie; Francus, Pierre; Gajewski, Konrad; Helama, Samuli; Korhola, Atte; Solomina, Olga; Yu, Zicheng; Zhang, Peng; D'Andrea, William J.; Debret, Maxime; Divine, Dmitry V.; Gunnarson, Björn E.; Loader, Neil J.; Massei, Nicolas; Seftigen, Kristina; Thomas, Elizabeth K.; Werner, Johannes; Andersson, Sofia; Berntsson, Annika; Luoto, Tomi P.; Nevalainen, Liisa; Saarni, Saija; Väliranta, Minna

2018-04-01

Reanalysis data show an increasing trend in Arctic precipitation over the 20th century, but changes are not homogenous across seasons or space. The observed hydroclimate changes are expected to continue and possibly accelerate in the coming century, not only affecting pan-Arctic natural ecosystems and human activities, but also lower latitudes through the atmospheric and ocean circulations. However, a lack of spatiotemporal observational data makes reliable quantification of Arctic hydroclimate change difficult, especially in a long-term context. To understand Arctic hydroclimate and its variability prior to the instrumental record, climate proxy records are needed. The purpose of this review is to summarise the current understanding of Arctic hydroclimate during the past 2000 years. First, the paper reviews the main natural archives and proxies used to infer past hydroclimate variations in this remote region and outlines the difficulty of disentangling the moisture from the temperature signal in these records. Second, a comparison of two sets of hydroclimate records covering the Common Era from two data-rich regions, North America and Fennoscandia, reveals inter- and intra-regional differences. Third, building on earlier work, this paper shows the potential for providing a high-resolution hydroclimate reconstruction for the Arctic and a comparison with last-millennium simulations from fully coupled climate models. In general, hydroclimate proxies and simulations indicate that the Medieval Climate Anomaly tends to have been wetter than the Little Ice Age (LIA), but there are large regional differences. However, the regional coverage of the proxy data is inadequate, with distinct data gaps in most of Eurasia and parts of North America, making robust assessments for the whole Arctic impossible at present. To fully assess pan-Arctic hydroclimate variability for the last 2 millennia, additional proxy records are required.

United States Data Center Energy Usage Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shehabi, Arman [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Smith, Sarah [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sartor, Dale [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Brown, Richard [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Herrlin, Magnus [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Koomey, Jonathan [Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Masanet, Eric [Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States); Horner, Nathaniel [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Azevedo, Inês [Carnegie Mellon Univ., Pittsburgh, PA (United States); Lintner, William [Dept. of Energy (DOE), Washington DC (United States)

2016-06-01

This report estimates historical data center electricity consumption back to 2000, relying on previous studies and historical shipment data, and forecasts consumption out to 2020 based on new trends and the most recent data available. Figure ES-1 provides an estimate of total U.S. data center electricity use (servers, storage, network equipment, and infrastructure) from 2000-2020. In 2014, data centers in the U.S. consumed an estimated 70 billion kWh, representing about 1.8% of total U.S. electricity consumption. Current study results show data center electricity consumption increased by about 4% from 2010-2014, a large shift from the 24% percent increase estimated from 2005-2010 and the nearly 90% increase estimated from 2000-2005. Energy use is expected to continue slightly increasing in the near future, increasing 4% from 2014-2020, the same rate as the past five years. Based on current trend estimates, U.S. data centers are projected to consume approximately 73 billion kWh in 2020.

Unit mechanisms of fission gas release: Current understanding and future needs

Science.gov (United States)

Tonks, Michael; Andersson, David; Devanathan, Ram; Dubourg, Roland; El-Azab, Anter; Freyss, Michel; Iglesias, Fernando; Kulacsy, Katalin; Pastore, Giovanni; Phillpot, Simon R.; Welland, Michael

2018-06-01

Gaseous fission product transport and release has a large impact on fuel performance, degrading fuel and gap properties. While gaseous fission product behavior has been investigated with bulk reactor experiments and simplified analytical models, recent improvements in experimental and modeling approaches at the atomistic and mesoscales are beginning to reveal new understanding of the unit mechanisms that define fission product behavior. Here, existing research on the basic mechanisms of fission gas release during normal reactor operation are summarized and critical areas where work is needed are identified. This basic understanding of the fission gas behavior mechanisms has the potential to revolutionize our ability to predict fission product behavior and to design fuels with improved performance. In addition, this work can serve as a model on how a coupled experimental and modeling approach can be applied to understand the unit mechanisms behind other critical behaviors in reactor materials.

My Place or Yours: Theorizing Eclectic Writing Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossini, Carol

None of the theories that inform writing center work--Freudian theory, cognitivism, feminism, postmodernism, current-traditionalism, expressivism, social constructionism, and family systems theory--offer an adequate basis for writing center work. Even when Stephen North proposed "The Idea of a Writing Center" in 1984 (still considered to…

National Center for Mathematics and Science - who we are

Science.gov (United States)

Massachusetts-Dartmouth Expertise Areas Classroom discourse Sociocultural theory in mathematics teacher education The learnability of new ideas, such as complexity, chaos and nonlinear systems Center Research students' mathematical understanding Program evaluation Curriculum theory and reform Center Research

Understanding Alzheimer's

Science.gov (United States)

... Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Understanding Alzheimer's Past Issues / Fall 2007 Table of Contents For ... and brain scans. No treatment so far stops Alzheimer's. However, for some in the disease's early and ...

On the Way of Educational Reform: Thai High School Physics Teachers' Conceptions of the Student-Centered Approach and Their Perceptions of Their Classroom Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Chaumklang, Kawin

During the past two decades, the student-centered approach has been widely promoted and accepted by the educational community as one of the most effective instructional approaches. It has been continually developed and revised to match our current understanding of how humans learn (American Psychological Association, 1997). It is based upon the belief that students should take responsibility for their own learning. Thus, curriculum, instruction, and assessment should be carefully designed to stimulate, facilitate, and accelerate students' learning as much as possible. In order to do so, the teacher needs to take the following factors into consideration: students' cognitive structures, metacognitive and regulative skills, motivation and affective states, developmental and individual differences, and social supports. However, the term student-centered has been defined and described by researchers and scholars in many different ways. Little is known about how practicing teachers conceptualize this term and how they perceive their classroom practices in relation to these conceptions. The purpose of this study was to utilize a qualitative multiple-case study approach to investigate teachers' conceptions of the student-centered approach and their perceptions of their classroom practices. Four Thai high school physics teachers, who were considered products of the current student-centered educational reform movement in Thailand, participated in this study. Data were collected for one learning unit (three to eight weeks) through classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and document analysis. The data analysis revealed that teachers' conceptions of student-centered curriculum, instruction, and assessment had three common characteristics: (a) students' active participation; (b) special emphasis on students' background knowledge, understanding, motivation, affective states, and learning capability; and (c) benefits to students. The results also indicated that there

Understanding Mott's law from scaling of variable-range-hopping currents and intrinsic current fluctuations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pasveer, W.F.; Michels, M.A.J.

2006-01-01

We have used the master equation to simulate variable-range hopping (VRH) of charges in a strongly disordered d-dimensional energy landscape (d=1,2,3). The current distribution over hopping distances and hopping energies gives a clear insight into the difference between hops that occur most

The efficacy of student-centered instruction in supporting science learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Granger, E M; Bevis, T H; Saka, Y; Southerland, S A; Sampson, V; Tate, R L

2012-10-05

Transforming science learning through student-centered instruction that engages students in a variety of scientific practices is central to national science-teaching reform efforts. Our study employed a large-scale, randomized-cluster experimental design to compare the effects of student-centered and teacher-centered approaches on elementary school students' understanding of space-science concepts. Data included measures of student characteristics and learning and teacher characteristics and fidelity to the instructional approach. Results reveal that learning outcomes were higher for students enrolled in classrooms engaging in scientific practices through a student-centered approach; two moderators were identified. A statistical search for potential causal mechanisms for the observed outcomes uncovered two potential mediators: students' understanding of models and evidence and the self-efficacy of teachers.

Energy Frontier Research Centers: Science for Our Nation's Energy Future, September 2016

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2016-09-01

As world demand for energy rapidly expands, transforming the way energy is collected, stored, and used has become a defining challenge of the 21st century. At its heart, this challenge is a scientific one, inspiring the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES) to establish the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) program in 2009. The EFRCs represent a unique approach, bringing together creative, multidisciplinary scientific teams to perform energy-relevant basic research with a complexity beyond the scope of single-investigator projects. These centers take full advantage of powerful new tools for characterizing, understanding, modeling, and manipulating matter from atomic to macroscopic length scales. They also train the next-generation scientific workforce by attracting talented students and postdoctoral researchers interested in energy science. The EFRCs have collectively demonstrated the potential to substantially advance the scientific understanding underpinning transformational energy technologies. Both a BES Committee of Visitors and a Secretary of Energy Advisory Board Task Force have found the EFRC program to be highly successful in meeting its goals. The scientific output from the EFRCs is impressive, and many centers have reported that their results are already impacting both technology research and industry. This report on the EFRC program includes selected highlights from the initial 46 EFRCs and the current 36 EFRCs.

Cloud data centers and cost modeling a complete guide to planning, designing and building a cloud data center

CERN Document Server

Wu, Caesar

2015-01-01

Cloud Data Centers and Cost Modeling establishes a framework for strategic decision-makers to facilitate the development of cloud data centers. Just as building a house requires a clear understanding of the blueprints, architecture, and costs of the project; building a cloud-based data center requires similar knowledge. The authors take a theoretical and practical approach, starting with the key questions to help uncover needs and clarify project scope. They then demonstrate probability tools to test and support decisions, and provide processes that resolve key issues. After laying a foundati

Innate immune responses against foot-and-mouth disease virus: current understanding and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Summerfield, Artur; Guzylack-Piriou, Laurence; Harwood, Lisa; McCullough, Kenneth C

2009-03-15

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) represents one of the most economically important diseases of farm animals. The basis for the threat caused by this virus is the high speed of replication, short incubation time, high contagiousness, and high mutation rate resulting in constant antigenic changes. Thus, although protective immune responses against FMD virus (FMDV) can be efficacious, the rapidity of virus replication and spread can outpace immune defence development and overrun the immune system. FMDV can also evade innate immune responses through its ability to shut down cellular protein synthesis, including IFN type I, in susceptible epithelial cells. This is important for virus evolution, as FMDV is quite sensitive to the action of IFN. Despite this, innate immune responses are probably induced in vivo, although detailed studies on this subject are lacking. Accordingly, this interaction of FMDV with cells of the innate immune system is of particular interest. Dendritic cells (DC) can be infected by FMDV and support viral RNA replication, and viral protein synthesis but the latter is inefficient or abortive, leading most often to incomplete replication and progeny virus release. As a result DC can be activated, and particularly in the case of plasmacytoid DC (pDC), this is manifest in terms of IFN-alpha release. Our current state of knowledge on innate immune responses induced by FMDV is still only at a relatively early stage of understanding. As we progress, the investigations in this area will help to improve the design of current vaccines and the development of novel control strategies against FMD.

CCR Magazines | Center for Cancer Research

Science.gov (United States)

The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) has two magazines, MILESTONES and LANDMARKS, that highlight our annual advances and top contributions to the understanding, detection, treatment and prevention of cancer over the years.

Promoting Physical Understanding through Peer Mentoring

Science.gov (United States)

Nossal, S. M.; Huesmann, A.; Hooper, E.; Moore, C.; Watson, L.; Trestrail, A.; Weber, J.; Timbie, P.; Jacob, A.

2015-12-01

The Physics Learning Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a supportive learning community for students studying introductory physics, as well as teaching and leadership experience for undergraduate Peer Mentor Tutors who receive extensive training and supervision. Many of our Peer Tutors were former Physics Learning Center participants. A central goal of the Physics Learning Center is to address achievement/equity gaps (e.g. race, gender, socio-economic status, disability, age, transfer status, etc.) for undergraduate students pursuing majors and coursework in STEM fields. Students meet twice a week in small learning teams of 3-8 students, facilitated by a trained Peer Mentor Tutor or staff member. These active learning teams focus on discussing core physical concepts and practicing problem-solving. The weekly training of the tutors addresses both teaching and mentoring issues in science education such as helping students to build confidence, strategies for assessing student understanding, and fostering a growth mindset. A second weekly training meeting addresses common misconceptions and strategies for teaching specific physics topics. For non-science majors we have a small Peer Mentor Tutor program for Physics in the Arts. We will discuss the Physics Learning Center's approaches to promoting inclusion, understanding, and confidence for both our participants and Peer Mentor Tutors, as well as examples from the geosciences that can be used to illustrate introductory physics concepts.

Current Challenge in Consumer Health Informatics: Bridging the Gap between Access to Information and Information Understanding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurence Alpay

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The number of health-related websites has proliferated over the past few years. Health information consumers confront a myriad of health related resources on the internet that have varying levels of quality and are not always easy to comprehend. There is thus a need to help health information consumers to bridge the gap between access to information and information understanding—i.e. to help consumers understand health related web-based resources so that they can act upon it. At the same time health information consumers are becoming not only more involved in their own health care but also more information technology minded. One way to address this issue is to provide consumers with tailored information that is contextualized and personalized e.g. directly relevant and easily comprehensible to the person’s own health situation. This paper presents a current trend in Consumer Health Informatics which focuses on theory-based design and development of contextualized and personalized tools to allow the evolving consumer with varying backgrounds and interests to use online health information efficiently. The proposed approach uses a theoretical framework of communication in order to support the consumer’s capacity to understand health-related web-based resources.

Student-Centered Teaching Meets New Media: Concept and Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Holzinger

2002-10-01

Full Text Available There exists empirical evidence proving that students who are given the freedom to explore areas based on their personal interests, and who are accompanied in their learning by a supportive, understanding facilitator, not only achieve superior academic results but also develop socially and grow personally. However, pure Student-Centered Teaching is more demanding in terms of communication, organization, as well as the provision of learning material. Thus, the basic idea underlying our paradigm is to combine Student-Centered Teaching with eLearning in order to exploit the advantages of the two approaches. We refer to this combined style as Student-Centered eLearning (SCeL. Strongly simplified, the computer takes over the task of providing information, while presence phases can be used for giving the content more meaning by means of transparent, open, respectful and empathic interactions within the group. Our case study indicates that Student-Centered eLearning has the potential of reducing the increased demands of Student-Centered Teaching in the long run, while fully retaining all its benefits, such as deeper learning processes, personal growth, social skills, and a higher degree of flexibility. Furthermore, the maturity for life-long learning is cultivated. In this paper we introduce our concept and derive first hypotheses on the conditions under which our paradigm appears most effective. While potential continuations of our studies are manifold, we intend to employ SCeL in the course of the new curriculum of the medical faculty of GrazUniversity where a Virtual Medical Campus (http://vmc.uni-graz.at is currently being developed.

Integrative medicine and patient-centered care.

Science.gov (United States)

Maizes, Victoria; Rakel, David; Niemiec, Catherine

2009-01-01

Integrative medicine has emerged as a potential solution to the American healthcare crisis. It provides care that is patient centered, healing oriented, emphasizes the therapeutic relationship, and uses therapeutic approaches originating from conventional and alternative medicine. Initially driven by consumer demand, the attention integrative medicine places on understanding whole persons and assisting with lifestyle change is now being recognized as a strategy to address the epidemic of chronic diseases bankrupting our economy. This paper defines integrative medicine and its principles, describes the history of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in American healthcare, and discusses the current state and desired future of integrative medical practice. The importance of patient-centered care, patient empowerment, behavior change, continuity of care, outcomes research, and the challenges to successful integration are discussed. The authors suggest a model for an integrative healthcare system grounded in team-based care. A primary health partner who knows the patient well, is able to addresses mind, body, and spiritual needs, and coordinates care with the help of a team of practitioners is at the centerpiece. Collectively, the team can meet all the health needs of the particular patient and forms the patient-centered medical home. The paper culminates with 10 recommendations directed to key actors to facilitate the systemic changes needed for a functional healthcare delivery system. Recommendations include creating financial incentives aligned with health promotion and prevention. Insurers are requested to consider the total costs of care, the potential cost effectiveness of lifestyle approaches and CAM modalities, and the value of longer office visits to develop a therapeutic relationship and stimulate behavioral change. Outcomes research to track the effectiveness of integrative models must be funded, as well as feedback and dissemination strategies

Final Technical Report for the Energy Frontier Research Center Understanding Charge Separation and Transfer at Interfaces in Energy Materials (EFRC:CST)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vanden Bout, David A. [Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)

2015-09-14

Our EFRC was founded with the vision of creating a broadly collaborative and synergistic program that would lead to major breakthroughs in the molecular-level understanding of the critical interfacial charge separation and charge transfer (CST) processes that underpin the function of candidate materials for organic photovoltaic (OPV) and electrical-energy-storage (EES) applications. Research in these energy contexts shares an imposing challenge: How can we understand charge separation and transfer mechanisms in the presence of immense materials complexity that spans multiple length scales? To address this challenge, our 50-member Center undertook a total of 28 coordinated research projects aimed at unraveling the CST mechanisms that occur at interfaces in these nanostructured materials. This rigorous multi-year study of CST interfaces has greatly illuminated our understanding of early-timescale processes (e.g., exciton generation and dissociation dynamics at OPV heterojunctions; control of Li+-ion charging kinetics by surface chemistry) occurring in the immediate vicinity of interfaces. Program outcomes included: training of 72 graduate student and postdoctoral energy researchers at 5 institutions and spanning 7 academic disciplines in science and engineering; publication of 94 peer-reviewed journal articles; and dissemination of research outcomes via 340 conference, poster and other presentations. Major scientific outcomes included: implementation of a hierarchical strategy for understanding the electronic communication mechanisms and ultimate fate of charge carriers in bulk heterojunction OPV materials; systematic investigation of ion-coupled electron transfer processes in model Li-ion battery electrode/electrolyte systems; and the development and implementation of 14 unique technologies and instrumentation capabilities to aid in probing sub-ensemble charge separation and transfer mechanisms.

The Soviet center of astronomical data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dluzhnevskaya, O.B.

1982-01-01

On the basis of the current French-Soviet cooperation in science and technology, the Astronomical Council of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences and the Strasbourg Center signed in 1977 an agreement on setting up the Soviet Center of Astronomical Data as its filial branch. The Soviet Center was created on the basis of a computation center at the Zvenigorod station of the Astronomical Council of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, which had already had considerable experience of working with stellar catalogues. In 1979 the Center was equipped with a EC-1033 computer. In 1978-1979 the Soviet Center of Astronomical Data (C.A.D.) received from Strasbourg 96 of the most important catalogues. By September 1981 the list of catalogues available at the Soviet Center has reached 140 catalogues some of which are described. (Auth.)

A Summary of Proposed Changes to the Current ICARTT Format Standards and their Implications to Future Airborne Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Northup, Emily; Benson Early, Amanda; Beach, Aubrey; Wang, Dali; Kusterer, John; Quam, Brandi; Chen, Gao

2015-01-01

The Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) at NASA Langley Research Center is responsible for the ingest, archive, and distribution of NASA Earth Science data in the areas of radiation budget, clouds, aerosols, and tropospheric chemistry. The ASDC specializes in atmospheric data that is important to understanding the causes and processes of global climate change and the consequences of human activities on the climate. The ASDC currently supports more than 44 projects and has over 1,700 archived data sets, which increase daily. ASDC customers include scientists, researchers, federal, state, and local governments, academia, industry, and application users, the remote sensing community, and the general public.

LANSCE beam current limiter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallegos, F.R.

1996-01-01

The Radiation Security System (RSS) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) provides personnel protection from prompt radiation due to accelerated beam. Active instrumentation, such as the Beam Current Limiter, is a component of the RSS. The current limiter is designed to limit the average current in a beam line below a specific level, thus minimizing the maximum current available for a beam spill accident. The beam current limiter is a self-contained, electrically isolated toroidal beam transformer which continuously monitors beam current. It is designed as fail-safe instrumentation. The design philosophy, hardware design, operation, and limitations of the device are described

Understanding Statin Use in America and Gaps in Patient Education (USAGE): an internet-based survey of 10,138 current and former statin users.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Jerome D; Brinton, Eliot A; Ito, Matthew K; Jacobson, Terry A

2012-01-01

Statins substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and are generally well-tolerated. Despite this, many patients discontinue therapy. A better understanding of the characteristics of current and former statin users may be helpful for formulating strategies to improve long-term adherence. The Understanding Statin Use in America and Gaps in Education (USAGE) survey assessed the attitudes, beliefs, practices, and behavior of current and former statin users. Individuals 18 years or older who reported a history of high cholesterol and current or former statin use were identified within a registered consumer panel cohort in the United States and invited to participate in an Internet survey. Of the 10,138 respondents, 8918 (88%) were current statin users and 1220 (12%) were former users. Participants (mean age 61 years) were predominantly white (92%), female (61%), of middle income (median $44,504/yr), and had health insurance (93%). Among current users, 95% took a statin alone, and 70% had not missed a dose in the past month. Although ∼70% reported that their physicians had explained the importance of cholesterol levels for their heart health former users were less satisfied with the discussions (65% vs. 83%, P users, respectively (P users was cost (32%) and the primary reason for discontinuation was side effects (62%). This survey provides important insights into behavior and attitudes among current and former statin users and the results suggest that more effective dialogue between healthcare providers and patients may increase persistence of statin use, particularly when the patient has concerns about side effects and drug costs. Copyright © 2012 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

User-centered design and the development of patient decision aids: protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Witteman, Holly O; Dansokho, Selma Chipenda; Colquhoun, Heather; Coulter, Angela; Dugas, Michèle; Fagerlin, Angela; Giguere, Anik Mc; Glouberman, Sholom; Haslett, Lynne; Hoffman, Aubri; Ivers, Noah; Légaré, France; Légaré, Jean; Levin, Carrie; Lopez, Karli; Montori, Victor M; Provencher, Thierry; Renaud, Jean-Sébastien; Sparling, Kerri; Stacey, Dawn; Vaisson, Gratianne; Volk, Robert J; Witteman, William

2015-01-26

Providing patient-centered care requires that patients partner in their personal health-care decisions to the full extent desired. Patient decision aids facilitate processes of shared decision-making between patients and their clinicians by presenting relevant scientific information in balanced, understandable ways, helping clarify patients' goals, and guiding decision-making processes. Although international standards stipulate that patients and clinicians should be involved in decision aid development, little is known about how such involvement currently occurs, let alone best practices. This systematic review consisting of three interlinked subreviews seeks to describe current practices of user involvement in the development of patient decision aids, compare these to practices of user-centered design, and identify promising strategies. A research team that includes patient and clinician representatives, decision aid developers, and systematic review method experts will guide this review according to the Cochrane Handbook and PRISMA reporting guidelines. A medical librarian will hand search key references and use a peer-reviewed search strategy to search MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, the ACM library, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. We will identify articles across all languages and years describing the development or evaluation of a patient decision aid, or the application of user-centered design or human-centered design to tools intended for patient use. Two independent reviewers will assess article eligibility and extract data into a matrix using a structured pilot-tested form based on a conceptual framework of user-centered design. We will synthesize evidence to describe how research teams have included users in their development process and compare these practices to user-centered design methods. If data permit, we will develop a measure of the user-centeredness of development processes and identify practices that are likely

Current understanding of SEP acceleration and propagation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klecker, B

2013-01-01

The solar energetic particle (SEP) populations of electrons and ions are highly variable in space and time, in intensity, energy, and composition. Over the last ∼20 years advanced instrumentation onboard many spacecraft (e.g. ACE, Coronas, GOES, Hinode, RHESSI, SAMPEX, SDO, SOHO, STEREO, TRACE, Ulysses, Yokoh, to name a few) extended our ability to explore the characteristics of solar energetic particles by in-situ measurements in interplanetary space and by observing their source characteristics near the Sun by remote-sensing observation of electromagnetic emission over a wide frequency range. These measurements provide crucial information for understanding the sources of the particle populations and the acceleration and propagation processes involved. We are now able to measure intensity-time profiles and anisotropies, energy spectra, elemental and isotopic abundances, and the ionic charge of particles over an extended energy range of 0.01 to several 100 MeV/nuc and for a large dynamic range of particle intensities. Furthermore, multi-spacecraft in-situ observations at different solar longitudes and latitudes provide new insight into the acceleration and propagation processes of SEPs near the Sun and in interplanetary space. In this paper we present an overview of SEP observations, their implications for SEP acceleration and propagation processes, and discuss open questions.

Climate change 101 : understanding and responding to global climate change

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

To inform the climate change dialogue, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the Pew Center on the States have developed a series of brief reports entitled Climate Change 101: Understanding and Responding to Global Climate Change. These reports...

Transfusion-related acute lung injury: Current understanding and preventive strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vlaar, A. P. J.

2012-01-01

Transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI) is the most serious complication of transfusion medicine. TRALI is defined as the onset of acute hypoxia within 6 hours of a blood transfusion in the absence of hydrostatic pulmonary oedema. The past decades have resulted in a better understanding of the

A Comparative Analysis of Patient Access Modes at Wilford Hall United States Air Force Medical Center and Selected Civilian Medical Centers

Science.gov (United States)

1983-12-01

In A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PATIENT ACCESS MODES AT WILFORD HALL UNITED STATES AIR FORCE MEDICAL CENTER N AND SELECTED CIVILIAN MEDICAL CENTERS0 N...current patient access modes at WHMC and several civilian medical centers of comparable size. This project has pursued the subject of patient access in...selected civilian medical centers which are comparable to WHMC in size, specialty mix, workload, and mission, providing responsive and efficient patient

Accessibility, location, and employment center growth.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between accessibility and the : growth of employment centers in order to improve our understanding of how transportation : investments influence the spatial organization of metropolitan area...

Unit mechanisms of fission gas release: Current understanding and future needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonks, Michael; Andersson, David; Devanathan, Ram; Dubourg, Roland; El-Azab, Anter; Freyss, Michel; Iglesias, Fernando; Kulacsy, Katalin; Pastore, Giovanni; Phillpot, Simon R.; Welland, Michael

2018-06-01

Gaseous fission product transport and release has a large impact on fuel performance, degrading fuel properties and, once the gas is released into the gap between the fuel and cladding, lowering gap thermal conductivity and increasing gap pressure. While gaseous fission product behavior has been investigated with bulk reactor experiments and simplified analytical models, recent improvements in experimental and modeling approaches at the atomistic and mesoscales are being applied to provide unprecedented understanding of the unit mechanisms that define the fission product behavior. In this article, existing research on the basic mechanisms behind the various stages of fission gas release during normal reactor operation are summarized and critical areas where experimental and simulation work is needed are identified. This basic understanding of the fission gas behavior mechanisms has the potential to revolutionize our ability to predict fission product behavior during reactor operation and to design fuels that have improved fission product retention. In addition, this work can serve as a model on how a coupled experimental and modeling approach can be applied to understand the unit mechanisms behind other critical behaviors in reactor materials.

Scenarios, personas and user stories: user-centered evidence-based design representations of communicable disease investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Anne M; Reeder, Blaine; Ramey, Judith

2013-08-01

Despite years of effort and millions of dollars spent to create unified electronic communicable disease reporting systems, the goal remains elusive. A major barrier has been a lack of understanding by system designers of communicable disease (CD) work and the public health workers who perform this work. This study reports on the application of user-centered design representations, traditionally used for improving interface design, to translate the complex CD work identified through ethnographic studies to guide designers and developers of CD systems. The purpose of this work is to: (1) better understand public health practitioners and their information workflow with respect to CD monitoring and control at a local health agency, and (2) to develop evidence-based design representations that model this CD work to inform the design of future disease surveillance systems. We performed extensive onsite semi-structured interviews, targeted work shadowing and a focus group to characterize local health agency CD workflow. Informed by principles of design ethnography and user-centered design we created persona, scenarios and user stories to accurately represent the user to system designers. We sought to convey to designers the key findings from ethnographic studies: (1) public health CD work is mobile and episodic, in contrast to current CD reporting systems, which are stationary and fixed, (2) health agency efforts are focused on CD investigation and response rather than reporting and (3) current CD information systems must conform to public health workflow to ensure their usefulness. In an effort to illustrate our findings to designers, we developed three contemporary design-support representations: persona, scenario, and user story. Through application of user-centered design principles, we were able to create design representations that illustrate complex public health communicable disease workflow and key user characteristics to inform the design of CD information

Conversion of gas into stars in the Galactic center

Science.gov (United States)

Longmore, S. N.

2014-05-01

The star formation rate in the central 500 pc of the Milky Way is lower by a factor of > 10 than expected for the substantial amount of dense gas it contains, which challenges current star formation theories. I discuss which physical mechanisms could be causing this observation and put forward a self-consistent cycle of star formation in the Galactic center, in which the plausible star formation inhibitors are combined. Their ubiquity suggests that the perception of a lowered central SFR should be a common phenomenon in other galaxies with direct implications for galactic star formation and also potentially supermassive black hole growth. I then describe a scenario to explain the presence of super star clusters in the Galactic center environment, in which their formation is triggered by gas streams passing close to the minimum of the global Galactic gravitational potential at the location of the central supermassive black hole, Sgr A*. If this triggering mechanism can be verified, we can use the known time interval since closest approach to Sgr A* to study the physics of stellar mass assembly in an extreme environment as a function of absolute time. I outline the first results from detailed numerical simulations testing this scenario. Finally, I describe a study showing that in terms of the baryonic composition, kinematics, and densities, the gas in the Galactic center is indistinguishable from high-redshift clouds and galaxies. As such, the Galactic center clouds may be used as a template to understand the evolution (and possibly the life cycle) of high-redshift clouds and galaxies.

Current ecological understanding of fungal-like pathogens of fish: what lies beneath?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodolphe Elie Gozlan

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Despite increasingly sophisticated microbiological techniques, and long after the first discovery of microbes, basic knowledge is still lacking to fully appreciate the ecological importance of microbial parasites in fish. This is likely due to the nature of their habitats as many species of fish suffer from living beneath turbid water away from easy recording. However, fishes represent key ecosystem services for millions of people around the world and the absence of a functional ecological understanding of viruses, prokaryotes, and small eukaryotes in the maintenance of fish populations and of their diversity represents an inherent barrier to aquatic conservation and food security. Among recent emerging infectious diseases responsible for severe population declines in plant and animal taxa, fungal and fungal-like microbes have emerged as significant contributors. Here, we review the current knowledge gaps of fungal and fungal-like parasites and pathogens in fish and put them into an ecological perspective with direct implications for the monitoring of fungal fish pathogens in the wild, their phylogeography as well as their associated ecological impact on fish populations. With increasing fish movement around the world for farming, releases into the wild for sport fishing and human-driven habitat changes, it is expected, along with improved environmental monitoring of fungal and fungal-like infections, that the full extent of the impact of these pathogens on wild fish populations will soon emerge as a major threat to freshwater biodiversity.

Energy Frontier Research Center, Center for Materials Science of Nuclear Fuels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Todd R. Allen, Director

2011-04-01

The Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, has funded the INL as one of the Energy Frontier Research Centers in the area of material science of nuclear fuels. This document is the required annual report to the Office of Science that outlines the accomplishments for the period of May 2010 through April 2011. The aim of the Center for Material Science of Nuclear Fuels (CMSNF) is to establish the foundation for predictive understanding of the effects of irradiation-induced defects on thermal transport in oxide nuclear fuels. The science driver of the center’s investigation is to understand how complex defect and microstructures affect phonon mediated thermal transport in UO2, and achieve this understanding for the particular case of irradiation-induced defects and microstructures. The center’s research thus includes modeling and measurement of thermal transport in oxide fuels with different levels of impurities, lattice disorder and irradiation-induced microstructure, as well as theoretical and experimental investigation of the evolution of disorder, stoichiometry and microstructure in nuclear fuel under irradiation. With the premise that thermal transport in irradiated UO2 is a phonon-mediated energy transport process in a crystalline material with defects and microstructure, a step-by-step approach will be utilized to understand the effects of types of defects and microstructures on the collective phonon dynamics in irradiated UO2. Our efforts under the thermal transport thrust involved both measurement of diffusive phonon transport (an approach that integrates over the entire phonon spectrum) and spectroscopic measurements of phonon attenuation/lifetime and phonon dispersion. Our distinct experimental efforts dovetail with our modeling effort involving atomistic simulation of phonon transport and prediction of lattice thermal conductivity using the Boltzmann transport framework.

Design of fuel cell powered data centers for sufficient reliability and availability

Science.gov (United States)

Ritchie, Alexa J.; Brouwer, Jacob

2018-04-01

It is challenging to design a sufficiently reliable fuel cell electrical system for use in data centers, which require 99.9999% uptime. Such a system could lower emissions and increase data center efficiency, but the reliability and availability of such a system must be analyzed and understood. Currently, extensive backup equipment is used to ensure electricity availability. The proposed design alternative uses multiple fuel cell systems each supporting a small number of servers to eliminate backup power equipment provided the fuel cell design has sufficient reliability and availability. Potential system designs are explored for the entire data center and for individual fuel cells. Reliability block diagram analysis of the fuel cell systems was accomplished to understand the reliability of the systems without repair or redundant technologies. From this analysis, it was apparent that redundant components would be necessary. A program was written in MATLAB to show that the desired system reliability could be achieved by a combination of parallel components, regardless of the number of additional components needed. Having shown that the desired reliability was achievable through some combination of components, a dynamic programming analysis was undertaken to assess the ideal allocation of parallel components.

Current Titles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Various

2006-06-01

This booklet is published for those interested in current research being conducted at the National Center for Electron Microscopy. The NCEM is a DOE-designated national user facility and is available at no charge to qualified researchers. Access is controlled by an external steering committee. Interested researchers may contact Jane Cavlina, Administrator, at 510/486-6036.

Data center networks and network architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Esaki, Hiroshi

2014-02-01

This paper discusses and proposes the architectural framework, which is for data center networks. The data center networks require new technical challenges, and it would be good opportunity to change the functions, which are not need in current and future networks. Based on the observation and consideration on data center networks, this paper proposes; (i) Broadcast-free layer 2 network (i.e., emulation of broadcast at the end-node), (ii) Full-mesh point-to-point pipes, and (iii) IRIDES (Invitation Routing aDvertisement for path Engineering System).

Enhancing atmospheric mercury research in China to improve the current understanding of the global mercury cycle: the need for urgent and closely coordinated efforts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ci, Zhijia; Zhang, Xiaoshan; Wang, Zhangwei

2012-06-05

The current understanding of the global mercury (Hg) cycle remains uncertain because Hg behavior in the environment is very complicated. The special property of Hg causes the atmosphere to be the most important medium for worldwide dispersion and transformation. The source and fate of atmospheric Hg and its interaction with the surface environment are the essential topics in the global Hg cycle. Recent declining measurement trends of Hg in the atmosphere are in apparent conflict with the increasing trends in global anthropogenic Hg emissions. As the single largest country contributor of anthropogenic Hg emission, China's role in the global Hg cycle will become more and more important in the context of the decreasing man-made Hg emission from developed regions. However, much less Hg information in China is available. As a global pollutant which undergoes long-range transport and is persistence in the environment, increasing Hg knowledge in China could not only promote the Hg regulation in this country but also improve the understanding of the fundamental of the global Hg cycle and further push the abatement of this toxin on a global scale. Then the atmospheric Hg research in China may be a breakthrough for improving the current understanding of the global Hg cycle. However, due to the complex behavior of Hg in the atmosphere, a deeper understanding of the atmospheric Hg cycle in China needs greater cooperation across fields.

Managing peri-implant bone loss: current understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Aljateeli, Manar; Fu, Jia-Hui; Wang, Hom-Lay

2012-05-01

With the improved macro- and micro-designs, dental implants enjoy a high survival rate. However, peri-implant bone loss has recently emerged to be the focus of implant therapy. As such, researchers and clinicians are in need of finding predictable techniques to treat peri-implant bone loss and stop its progression. Literature search on the currently available treatment modalities was performed and a brief description of each modality was provided. Numerous techniques have been proposed and none has been shown to be superior and effective in managing peri-implant bone loss. This may be because of the complex of etiological factors acting on the implant-supported prosthesis hence the treatment approach has to be individually tailored. Due to the lack of high-level clinical evidence on the management of peri-implant bone loss, the authors, through a literature review, attempt to suggest a decision tree or guideline, based on sound periodontal surgical principles, to aid clinicians in managing peri-implantitis associated bone loss. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Teachers' Understanding of Algebraic Generalization

Science.gov (United States)

Hawthorne, Casey Wayne

Generalization has been identified as a cornerstone of algebraic thinking (e.g., Lee, 1996; Sfard, 1995) and is at the center of a rich conceptualization of K-8 algebra (Kaput, 2008; Smith, 2003). Moreover, mathematics teachers are being encouraged to use figural-pattern generalizing tasks as a basis of student-centered instruction, whereby teachers respond to and build upon the ideas that arise from students' explorations of these activities. Although more and more teachers are engaging their students in such generalizing tasks, little is known about teachers' understanding of generalization and their understanding of students' mathematical thinking in this domain. In this work, I addressed this gap, exploring the understanding of algebraic generalization of 4 exemplary 8th-grade teachers from multiple perspectives. A significant feature of this investigation is an examination of teachers' understanding of the generalization process, including the use of algebraic symbols. The research consisted of two phases. Phase I was an examination of the teachers' understandings of the underlying quantities and quantitative relationships represented by algebraic notation. In Phase II, I observed the instruction of 2 of these teachers. Using the lens of professional noticing of students' mathematical thinking, I explored the teachers' enacted knowledge of algebraic generalization, characterizing how it supported them to effectively respond to the needs and queries of their students. Results indicated that teachers predominantly see these figural patterns as enrichment activities, disconnected from course content. Furthermore, in my analysis, I identified conceptual difficulties teachers experienced when solving generalization tasks, in particular, connecting multiple symbolic representations with the quantities in the figures. Moreover, while the teachers strived to overcome the challenges of connecting different representations, they invoked both productive and unproductive

75 FR 9343 - Nomenclature Change Relating to the Network Distribution Center Transition

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-02

... (BMC) to network distribution centers (NDC), by replacing all text references to ``BMC'' with ``NDC..., references as follows: Current text Revised text Bulk Mail Center Network Distribution Center. BMC NDC. Destination Bulk Mail Center Destination Network Distribution Center. DBMC DNDC. Origin Bulk Mail Center...

Backward Design: Targeting Depth of Understanding for All Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Childre, Amy; Sands, Jennifer R.; Pope, Saundra Tanner

2009-01-01

Curriculum design is at the center of developing student ability to construct understanding. Without appropriately designed curriculum, instruction can be ineffective at scaffolding understanding. Often students with disabilities need more explicit instruction or guidance in applying their schema to new information. Thus, instruction must not only…

The 10th Anniversary Of Daejeon Environmental Technology Development Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-12-01

This book describes the Daejeon Environment Technology Development Center with pictures for ten years. It also introduces the purpose of the foundation and background of center, structure of the center, main project and role of the center, center logo, current situation of cost of project, research business for 10 years, business supporting the environmental corporate, environment education, public relations activity and vision and prospect of the Daejeon Environmental Technology Development Center.

Elliptic genera from multi-centers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaddam, Nava [Institute for Theoretical Physics and Center for Extreme Matter and Emergent Phenomena,Utrecht University, 3508 TD Utrecht (Netherlands)

2016-05-13

I show how elliptic genera for various Calabi-Yau threefolds may be understood from supergravity localization using the quantization of the phase space of certain multi-center configurations. I present a simple procedure that allows for the enumeration of all multi-center configurations contributing to the polar sector of the elliptic genera — explicitly verifying this in the cases of the quintic in ℙ{sup 4}, the sextic in Wℙ{sub (2,1,1,1,1)}, the octic in Wℙ{sub (4,1,1,1,1)} and the dectic in Wℙ{sub (5,2,1,1,1)}. With an input of the corresponding ‘single-center’ indices (Donaldson-Thomas invariants), the polar terms have been known to determine the elliptic genera completely. I argue that this multi-center approach to the low-lying spectrum of the elliptic genera is a stepping stone towards an understanding of the exact microscopic states that contribute to supersymmetric single center black hole entropy in N=2 supergravity.

Primary Pediatric Hypertension: Current Understanding and Emerging Concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiu, Andrew C; Bishop, Michael D; Asico, Laureano D; Jose, Pedro A; Villar, Van Anthony M

2017-09-01

The rising prevalence of primary pediatric hypertension and its tracking into adult hypertension point to the importance of determining its pathogenesis to gain insights into its current and emerging management. Considering that the intricate control of BP is governed by a myriad of anatomical, molecular biological, biochemical, and physiological systems, multiple genes are likely to influence an individual's BP and susceptibility to develop hypertension. The long-term regulation of BP rests on renal and non-renal mechanisms. One renal mechanism relates to sodium transport. The impaired renal sodium handling in primary hypertension and salt sensitivity may be caused by aberrant counter-regulatory natriuretic and anti-natriuretic pathways. The sympathetic nervous and renin-angiotensin-aldosterone systems are examples of antinatriuretic pathways. An important counter-regulatory natriuretic pathway is afforded by the renal autocrine/paracrine dopamine system, aberrations of which are involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension, including that associated with obesity. We present updates on the complex interactions of these two systems with dietary salt intake in relation to obesity, insulin resistance, inflammation, and oxidative stress. We review how insults during pregnancy such as maternal and paternal malnutrition, glucocorticoid exposure, infection, placental insufficiency, and treatments during the neonatal period have long-lasting effects in the regulation of renal function and BP. Moreover, these effects have sex differences. There is a need for early diagnosis, frequent monitoring, and timely management due to increasing evidence of premature target organ damage. Large controlled studies are needed to evaluate the long-term consequences of the treatment of elevated BP during childhood, especially to establish the validity of the current definition and treatment of pediatric hypertension.

Understanding preferences for type 2 diabetes mellitus self-management support through a patient-centered approach: a 2-phase mixed-methods study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Janice M S; Katic, Bozena J; Fitz-Randolph, Marcy; Jackson, Richard A; Chow, Wing; Mullins, C Daniel

2016-07-18

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who participate in diabetes management programs have been shown to have better glycemic control and slower disease progression, although program participation remains low. In the USA, increasing participation in diabetes management support programs may also directly impact provider reimbursement, as payments are increasingly based on patient-centered measures. However, little is known about factors that may enhance patient participation. This study aimed at further understanding what is important in diabetes management support from the patients' perspective and at assessing the utilization of various types of diabetes-management programs. A two-phase mixed-methods study was conducted of adult US members of PatientsLikeMe®, an online research network of patients. Phase 1 comprised qualitative interviews with 10 individuals to inform the online survey's contents, aided by literature review. During phase 2, this online survey was completed by 294 participants who reported on their diabetes goals and preferences for T2DM self-management support programs. The majority of the respondents were not participating in any program (65 %), but most had goals of improving diet (77 %), weight loss (71 %), and achieving stable blood glucose levels (71 %). Among those currently participating in programs, clinic, hospital-based, or other health-care professional programs were the most commonly used (51 %). The most preferred type of support was diet/weight-loss support (62 %), while doctors or nurses (61 %) and dietitians (55 %) were the most preferred sources of diabetes support. The low participation in diabetes self-management programs revealed in this study underscores the need for strategies to improve patient engagement. The results revealed support types and formats that patients with T2DM prefer and need. These findings may help improve patient engagement by guiding the future design of more effective diabetes management

Patient Understanding of Hypoglycemia in Tertiary Referral Centers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nan Hee Cho

2018-02-01

Full Text Available BackgroundHypoglycemia is an important complication in the treatment of patients with diabetes. We surveyed the insight by patients with diabetes into hypoglycemia, their hypoglycemia avoidance behavior, and their level of worry regarding hypoglycemia.MethodsA survey of patients with diabetes, who had visited seven tertiary referral centers in Daegu or Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, between June 2014 and June 2015, was conducted. The survey contained questions about personal history, symptoms, educational experience, self-management, and attitudes about hypoglycemia.ResultsOf 758 participants, 471 (62.1% had experienced hypoglycemia, and 250 (32.9% had experienced hypoglycemia at least once in the month immediately preceding the study. Two hundred and forty-two (31.8% of the participants had received hypoglycemia education at least once, but only 148 (19.4% knew the exact definition of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemic symptoms identified by the participants were dizziness (55.0%, sweating (53.8%, and tremor (40.8%. They mostly chose candy (62.1%, chocolate (37.7%, or juice (36.8% as food for recovering hypoglycemia. Participants who had experienced hypoglycemia had longer duration of diabetes and a higher proportion of insulin usage. The mean scores for hypoglycemia avoidance behavior and worry about hypoglycemia were 21.2±10.71 and 23.38±13.19, respectively. These scores tended to be higher for participants with higher than 8% of glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin use, and experience of emergency room visits.ConclusionMany patients had experienced hypoglycemia and worried about it. We recommend identifying patients that are anxious about hypoglycemia and educating them about what to do when they develop hypoglycemic symptoms, especially those who have a high risk of hypoglycemia.

Patient Understanding of Hypoglycemia in Tertiary Referral Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Nan Hee; Kim, Nam Kyung; Han, Eugene; Hong, Jun Hwa; Jeon, Eon Ju; Moon, Jun Sung; Seo, Mi Hae; Lee, Ji Eun; Seo, Hyun Ae; Kim, Mi Kyung; Kim, Hye Soon

2018-02-01

Hypoglycemia is an important complication in the treatment of patients with diabetes. We surveyed the insight by patients with diabetes into hypoglycemia, their hypoglycemia avoidance behavior, and their level of worry regarding hypoglycemia. A survey of patients with diabetes, who had visited seven tertiary referral centers in Daegu or Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, between June 2014 and June 2015, was conducted. The survey contained questions about personal history, symptoms, educational experience, self-management, and attitudes about hypoglycemia. Of 758 participants, 471 (62.1%) had experienced hypoglycemia, and 250 (32.9%) had experienced hypoglycemia at least once in the month immediately preceding the study. Two hundred and forty-two (31.8%) of the participants had received hypoglycemia education at least once, but only 148 (19.4%) knew the exact definition of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemic symptoms identified by the participants were dizziness (55.0%), sweating (53.8%), and tremor (40.8%). They mostly chose candy (62.1%), chocolate (37.7%), or juice (36.8%) as food for recovering hypoglycemia. Participants who had experienced hypoglycemia had longer duration of diabetes and a higher proportion of insulin usage. The mean scores for hypoglycemia avoidance behavior and worry about hypoglycemia were 21.2±10.71 and 23.38±13.19, respectively. These scores tended to be higher for participants with higher than 8% of glycosylated hemoglobin, insulin use, and experience of emergency room visits. Many patients had experienced hypoglycemia and worried about it. We recommend identifying patients that are anxious about hypoglycemia and educating them about what to do when they develop hypoglycemic symptoms, especially those who have a high risk of hypoglycemia. Copyright © 2018 Korean Diabetes Association

Carbon Dioxide Analysis Center and World Data Center-A for Atmospheric Trace Gases fiscal year 1997 annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burtis, M.D. [comp.; Cushman, R.M.; Boden, T.A.; Jones, S.B.; Kaiser, D.P.; Nelson, T.R.

1998-03-01

Fiscal year (FY) 1997 was another exciting and productive one for the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. During FY 1997, CDIAC launched the Quality Systems Science Center for the North American Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone (NARSTO). The purpose of NARSTO--a US-Canada-Mexico initiative of government agencies, industry, and the academic research community--is to improve the understanding of the formation and transport of tropospheric ozone.

Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Tanzi

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Empathy is a core feature of patient-centered care. It enables practitioners to better understand the patient and family concerns that are key to patient and family satisfaction, prevention of anxiety and depression, and provider empowerment. Current methods of teaching communication skills do not specifically focus on enhancing the ability to “stand in the patient's shoes” as a way of connecting with the patient and/or family experience and understanding feelings that may be a source of conflict with providers. In this paper, we present a model for deepening empathic understanding based upon action methods (role-reversal and doubling derived from psychodrama and sociodrama. We describe these techniques and illustrate how they can be used to identify hidden emotions and attitudes and reveal that which the patient and family member may be thinking or feeling but be afraid to say. Finally, we present data showing that these methods were valuable to participants in enhancing their professional experience and skills.

Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzi, Silvia; Biasco, Guido; Baile, Walter F.

2014-01-01

Empathy is a core feature of patient-centered care. It enables practitioners to better understand the patient and family concerns that are key to patient and family satisfaction, prevention of anxiety and depression, and provider empowerment. Current methods of teaching communication skills do not specifically focus on enhancing the ability to “stand in the patient's shoes” as a way of connecting with the patient and/or family experience and understanding feelings that may be a source of conflict with providers. In this paper, we present a model for deepening empathic understanding based upon action methods (role-reversal and doubling) derived from psychodrama and sociodrama. We describe these techniques and illustrate how they can be used to identify hidden emotions and attitudes and reveal that which the patient and family member may be thinking or feeling but be afraid to say. Finally, we present data showing that these methods were valuable to participants in enhancing their professional experience and skills. PMID:28725796

Enhancing the Empathic Connection: Using Action Methods to Understand Conflicts in End-of-Life Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzi, Silvia; Biasco, Guido; Baile, Walter F

2014-05-01

Empathy is a core feature of patient-centered care. It enables practitioners to better understand the patient and family concerns that are key to patient and family satisfaction, prevention of anxiety and depression, and provider empowerment. Current methods of teaching communication skills do not specifically focus on enhancing the ability to "stand in the patient's shoes" as a way of connecting with the patient and/or family experience and understanding feelings that may be a source of conflict with providers. In this paper, we present a model for deepening empathic understanding based upon action methods (role-reversal and doubling) derived from psychodrama and sociodrama. We describe these techniques and illustrate how they can be used to identify hidden emotions and attitudes and reveal that which the patient and family member may be thinking or feeling but be afraid to say. Finally, we present data showing that these methods were valuable to participants in enhancing their professional experience and skills.

[Patient-centered medicine for tuberculosis medical services].

Science.gov (United States)

Fujita, Akira; Narita, Tomoyo

2012-12-01

necessary patient information among the relevant parties. The regional care pathway was developed by the Tobu Public Health Center. It is currently being used by several other public health centers in Hiroshima. Utilization of these two pathways has resulted in improved adherence, treatment being offered at local clinics, shorter hospitalization and better treatment outcomes. 2. Patient-centered DOTS in Funabashi-city: Akiko UOZUMI (Funabashi-city Public Health Center) In Funabashi-city, all TB patients, including those with LTBI, are treated under DOTS which recognizes and tries to accommodate the various different needs of each individual patient. For example, various types of DOTS are offered, such as pharmacy-based DOTS and DOTS supported by caregivers of nursing homes. This enables public health nurses to take into consideration both the results of risk assessment and convenience for the patient, and choose DOTS which most effectively support the patient. Furthermore, DOTS in principle is offered face-to-face, so that DOTS providers may not only build relationship of trust with the patient, but also to collect and analyze the necessary information regarding the patient and respond timely when problems arise. Such effort has directly contributed to improved default and treatment rate. 3. Hospital DOTS and clinical path for the treatment of tuberculosis: Kentaro SAKASHITA, Akira FUJITA (Tokyo Metropolitan Tama Medical Center) We introduced a version of hospital DOTS at Tama Medical Center (formerly Fuchu Hospital) in 2004. As part of this three-stage version, patients are allowed to progress to the next stage if they meet the step-up criteria. Following the introduction of this hospital DOTS, the occurrence of drug administration-related incidents decreased and support for patient adherence became easier for health care workers than before. In 2006, we developed a clinical path based on this hospital DOTS with consistent eligibility criteria for patients. This clinical

Understanding Medical Words

Science.gov (United States)

... Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Understanding Medical Words Past Issues / Summer 2009 Table of Contents For ... Medicine that teaches you about many of the words related to your health care Do you have ...

The impact of capacitor bank inrush current on field emission current in vacuum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koochack-Zadeh, M.; Hinrichsen, V.; Smeets, R.P.P.; Lawall, A.

2010-01-01

Field emission current measurements during the recovery voltage are investigated to understand the origin of restrikes in vacuum interrupters in case of the interruption of capacitive loads. Measurement and analysis of very small field emission currents (0.01 - 1 mA) from the current zero crossing

FEMA Current Disaster Declarations -shp

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Homeland Security — This dataset lists the current Disaster Declarations in Shapefile. This data was compiled and distributed by FEMA Mapping and Analysis Center (MAC). Metadata file...

Theoretical model of gravitational perturbation of current collector axisymmetric flow field

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, John S.; Brown, Samuel H.; Sondergaard, Neal A.

1990-05-01

Some designs of liquid-metal current collectors in homopolar motors and generators are essentially rotating liquid-metal fluids in cylindrical channels with free surfaces and will, at critical rotational speeds, become unstable. An investigation at David Taylor Research Center is being performed to understand the role of gravity in modifying this ejection instability. Some gravitational effects can be theoretically treated by perturbation techniques on the axisymmetric base flow of the liquid metal. This leads to a modification of previously calculated critical-current-collector ejection values neglecting gravity effects. The purpose of this paper is to document the derivation of the mathematical model which determines the perturbation of the liquid-metal base flow due to gravitational effects. Since gravity is a small force compared with the centrifugal effects, the base flow solutions can be expanded in inverse powers of the Froude number and modified liquid-flow profiles can be determined as a function of the azimuthal angle. This model will be used in later work to theoretically study the effects of gravity on the ejection point of the current collector.

Experiments with eddy currents: the eddy current brake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Manuel I

2004-01-01

A moderate-cost experimental setup is presented to help students to understand some qualitative and quantitative aspects of eddy currents. The setup operates like an eddy current brake, a device commonly used in heavy vehicles to dissipate kinetic energy by generating eddy currents. A set of simple experiments is proposed to measure eddy current losses and to relate them to various relevant parameters. Typical results for each of the experiments are presented, and comparisons with theoretical predictions are included. The experiments, which are devoted to first-year undergraduate students, deal also with other pedagogically relevant topics in electricity and magnetism, such as basic laws, electrical measurement techniques, the sources of the magnetic field and others

NASA's engineering research centers and interdisciplinary education

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Gordon I.

1990-01-01

A new program of interactive education between NASA and the academic community aims to improve research and education, provide long-term, stable funding, and support cross-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research. The mission of NASA's Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology (OAET) is discussed and it is pointed out that the OAET conducts about 10 percent of its total R&D program at U.S. universities. Other NASA university-based programs are listed including the Office of Commercial Programs Centers for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS) and the National Space Grant program. The importance of university space engineering centers and the selection of the nine current centers are discussed. A detailed composite description is provided of the University Space Engineering Research Centers. Other specialized centers are described such as the Center for Space Construction, the Mars Mission Research Center, and the Center for Intelligent Robotic Systems for Space Exploration. Approaches to educational outreach are discussed.

Beyond consent--improving understanding in surgical patients.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Mulsow, Jürgen J W

2012-01-01

Little is known of the actual understanding that underlies patient choices with regard to their surgical treatment. This review explores current knowledge of patient understanding and techniques that may be used to improve this understanding.

Current stage of understanding and description of hadronic elastic diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Godizov, A. A. [Institute for High Energy Physics, 142281 Protvino (Russian Federation)

2013-04-15

Current situation with phenomenological description of high-energy nucleon-nucleon diffractive elastic scattering is reviewed. Comparison of various model predictions with the recent D0 and TOTEM data on the nucleon-nucleon differential cross-sections is presented.

PREFACE: Galactic Center Workshop 2006

Science.gov (United States)

Schödel, Rainer; Bower, Geoffrey C.; Muno, Michael P.; Nayakshin, Sergei; Ott, Thomas

2006-12-01

We are pleased to present the proceedings from the Galactic Center Workshop 2006—From the Center of the Milky Way to Nearby Low-Luminosity Galactic Nuclei. The conference took place in the Physikzentrum, Bad Honnef, Germany, on 18 to 22 April 2006. It is the third workshop of this kind, following the Galactic Center Workshops held 1998 in Tucson, Arizona, and 2002 in Kona, Hawaii. The center of the Milky Way is the only galactic nucleus of a fairly common spiral galaxy that can be observed in great detail. With a distance of roughly 8 kpc, the resolution that can currently be achieved is of the order 40 mpc/8000 AU in the X-ray domain, 2 mpc/400 AU in the near-infrared, and 0.01 mpc/1 AU with VLBI in the millimeter domain. This is two to three orders of magnitude better than for any comparable nearby galaxy, making thus the center of the Milky Way thetemplate object for the general physical interpretation of the phenomena that can be observed in galactic nuclei. We recommend the summary article News from the year 2006 Galactic Centre workshopby Mark Morris and Sergei Nayakshin—who also gave the summary talk of the conference—to the reader in order to obtain a first, concise overview of the results presented at the workshop and some of the currently most exciting—and debated—developments in recent GC research. While the workshops held in 1998 and 2002 were dedicated solely to the center of the Milky Way, the field of view was widened in Bad Honnef to include nearby low-luminosity nuclei. This new feature followed the realization that not only the GC serves as a template for understanding extragalactic nuclei, but that the latter can also provide the context and broader statistical base for understanding the center of our Milky Way. This concerns especially the accretion and emission processes related to the Sagittarius A*, the manifestation of the super massive black hole in the GC, but also the surprising observation of great numbers of massive, young

Seeking Humanizing Care in Patient-Centered Care Process: A Grounded Theory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheraghi, Mohammad Ali; Esmaeili, Maryam; Salsali, Mahvash

Patient-centered care is both a goal in itself and a tool for enhancing health outcomes. The application of patient-centered care in health care services globally however is diverse. This article reports on a study that sought to introduce patient-centered care. The aim of this study is to explore the process of providing patient-centered care in critical care units. The study used a grounded theory method. Data were collected on 5 critical care units in Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Purposive and theoretical sampling directed the collection of data using 29 semistructured interviews with 27 participants (nurses, patients, and physician). Data obtained were analyzed according to the analysis stages of grounded theory and constant comparison to identify the concepts, context, and process of the study. The core category of this grounded theory is "humanizing care," which consisted of 4 interrelated phases, including patient acceptance, purposeful patient assessment and identification, understanding patients, and patient empowerment. A core category of humanizing care integrated the theory. Humanizing care was an outcome and process. Patient-centered care is a dynamic and multifaceted process provided according to the nurses' understanding of the concept. Patient-centered care does not involve repeating routine tasks; rather, it requires an all-embracing understanding of the patients and showing respect for their values, needs, and preferences.

Current research and development at the Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuesters, H.

1982-01-01

The Nuclear Research Center Karlsruhe (KfK) is funded to 90% by the Federal Republic of Germany and to 10% by the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg. Since its foundation in 1956 the main objective of the Center is research and development (R and D) in the aera of the nuclear technology and about 2/3 of the research capacity is now devoted to this field. Since 1960 a major activity of KfK is R and D work for the design of fast breeder reactors, including material research, physics, and safety investigations; a prototype of 300 MWe is under construction now in the lower Rhine Valley. For enrichment of 235 U fissile material KfK developed the separation nozzle process; its technical application is realized within an international contract between the Federal Republic of Germany and Brazil. Within the frame of the European Programme on fusion technology KfK develops and tests superconducting magnets for toroidal fusion systems; a smaller activity deals with research on inertial confinement fusion. A broad research programme is carried through for safety investigations of nuclear installations, especially for PWRs; this activity is supplemented by research and development in the field of nuclear materials' safeguards. Development of fast reactors has to initiate research for the reprocessing of spent fuel and waste disposal. In the pilot plant WAK spent fuel from LKWs is reprocessed; research especially tries e.g. to improve the PUREX-process by electrochemical means, vitrification of high active waste is another main activity. First studies are being performed now to clarify the necessary development for reprocessing fast reactor fuel. About 1/3 of the research capacity of KfK deals with fundamental research in nuclear physics, solid state physics, biology and studies on the impact of technology on environment. Promising new technologies as e.g. the replacement of gasoline by hydrogen cells as vehicle propulsion are investigated. (orig.)

COAGULOPATHY IN BETA-THALASSEMIA: CURRENT UNDERSTANDING AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Domenica Cappellini

2009-12-01

Full Text Available As the life expectancy of β-thalassemia patients has markedly improved over the last decade, several new complications are being recognized. The presence of a high incidence of thromboembolic events, mainly in thalassemia intermedia patients, has led to the identification of a hypercoagulable state in thalassemia. In this review, the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to hypercoagulability in thalassemia are highlighted, and the current clinical experience is summarized. Recommendations for thrombosis prophylaxis are also discussed.

Understanding Mechanical Design with Respect to Manufacturability

Science.gov (United States)

Mondell, Skyler

2010-01-01

At the NASA Prototype Development Laboratory in Kennedy Space Center, Fl, several projects concerning different areas of mechanical design were undertaken in order to better understand the relationship between mechanical design and manufacturabiIity. The assigned projects pertained specifically to the NASA Space Shuttle, Constellation, and Expendable Launch Vehicle programs. During the work term, mechanical design practices relating to manufacturing processes were learned and utilized in order to obtain an understanding of mechanical design with respect to manufacturability.

From STEM to STEAM: Toward a Human-Centered Education

Science.gov (United States)

Boy, Guy A.

2013-01-01

The 20th century was based on local linear engineering of complicated systems. We made cars, airplanes and chemical plants for example. The 21st century has opened a new basis for holistic non-linear design of complex systems, such as the Internet, air traffic management and nanotechnologies. Complexity, interconnectivity, interaction and communication are major attributes of our evolving society. But, more interestingly, we have started to understand that chaos theories may be more important than reductionism, to better understand and thrive on our planet. Systems need to be investigated and tested as wholes, which requires a cross-disciplinary approach and new conceptual principles and tools. Consequently, schools cannot continue to teach isolated disciplines based on simple reductionism. Science; Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) should be integrated together with the Arts1 to promote creativity together with rationalization, and move to STEAM (with an "A" for Arts). This new concept emphasizes the possibility of longer-term socio-technical futures instead of short-term financial predictions that currently lead to uncontrolled economies. Human-centered design (HCD) can contribute to improving STEAM education technologies, systems and practices. HCD not only provides tools and techniques to build useful and usable things, but also an integrated approach to learning by doing, expressing and critiquing, exploring possible futures, and understanding complex systems.

Executive Summary of the NHLBI Workshop Report: Leveraging Current Scientific Advancements to Understand Sarcoidosis Variability and Improve Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Maier, Lisa A; Crouser, Elliott D; Martin, William J; Eu, Jerry

2017-12-01

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that primarily affects the lung; it is associated with significant disparities, more commonly impacting those in the prime of their lives (age 20-50 yr, with a second peak after age 60 yr), black individuals, and women. However, the burden of disease, the ability to diagnose and prognose organ involvement and course, as well as specific treatment options, management options, and disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood. As a result, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute undertook a sarcoidosis workshop, "Leveraging Current Scientific Advancements to Understand Sarcoidosis Variability and Improve Outcomes," to help address these issues by defining the scientific and clinical priorities to improve sarcoidosis care. The overarching recommendations from this workshop are outlined in the following summary and detailed in the accompanying articles. The recommendations included establishing collaborations and networks to conduct research based on consensus definitions of disease phenotypes and standards of care, and to provide clinical outreach to areas with a burden of disease to improve care. These collaborative networks would also serve as the hub to conduct clinical trials of devastating phenotypes (e.g., cardiac, neurologic, and fibrotic disease) not only for treatment but to enhance our understanding of the burden of disease. In addition, the networks would be used to leverage state-of-the-art "omics" and systems biology research, as well as other studies to advance understanding of disease pathogenesis, and development of biomarkers and therapeutic targets, with a goal to translate this information to improve care of individuals with sarcoidosis.

Barriers and facilitators to implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision in community health centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Politi, Mary C; Estlund, Amy; Milne, Anne; Buckel, Christina M; Peipert, Jeffrey F; Madden, Tessa

2016-01-01

The Contraceptive CHOICE Project developed a patient-centered model for contraceptive provision including: (1) structured, evidence-based counseling; (2) staff and health care provider education; and (3) removal of barriers such as cost and multiple appointments to initiate contraception. In preparation for conducting a research study of the CHOICE model in three community health settings, we sought to identify potential barriers and facilitators to implementation. Using a semi-structured interview guide guided by a framework of implementation research, we conducted 31 qualitative interviews with female patients, staff, and health care providers assessing attitudes, beliefs, and barriers to receiving contraception. We also asked about current contraceptive provision and explored organizational practices relevant to implementing the CHOICE model. We used a grounded theory approach to identify major themes. Many participants felt that current contraceptive provision could be improved by the CHOICE model. Potential facilitators included agreement about the necessity for improved contraceptive knowledge among patients and staff; importance of patient-centered contraceptive counseling; and benefits to same-day insertion of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Potential barriers included misconceptions about contraception held by staff and providers; resistance to new practices; costs associated with LARC; and scheduling challenges required for same-day insertion of LARC. In addition to staff and provider training, implementing a patient-centered model of contraceptive provision needs to be supplemented by strategies to manage patient and system-level barriers. Community health center staff, providers, and patients support patient-centered contraceptive counseling to improve contraception provision if organizations can address these barriers.

Classification of simple current invariants

CERN Document Server

Gato-Rivera, Beatriz

1992-01-01

We summarize recent work on the classification of modular invariant partition functions that can be obtained with simple currents in theories with a center (Z_p)^k with p prime. New empirical results for other centers are also presented. Our observation that the total number of invariants is monodromy-independent for (Z_p)^k appears to be true in general as well. (Talk presented in the parallel session on string theory of the Lepton-Photon/EPS Conference, Geneva, 1991.)

DEVELOPMENT OF SIMULATION CENTER AND TRAINING PROGRAMMES IN IVANO-FRANKIVSK PERINATAL CENTER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoryana Kocherga

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Current system of medical education in Ukraine needs improvement and reforms in order to enhance the proficiency of doctors and paramedics. Training of practical/technical skills, communication, as well as teamwork skills is considerably important.The use of simulation techniques and methods in medical education is called simulation training in medicine. Medical skills are acquired through cognitive (knowledge and psychomotor (practice skills. The first medical simulation centers appeared in Ukraine in 2006 according to the order of the Ministry of Health Care of Ukraine.On June 20, 2013, a new simulation training center was opened in Ivano-Frankivsk on the base of Regional Perinatal Center. Similar medical simulation centers were opened in the second half of 2013 in Volyn and Vinnytsia regions under the Ukrainian-Swiss Mother and Child Health Programme, which started in the area of perinatology. Their goal is to improve the teamwork of all specialists involved in the process of delivery and neonatal intensive care,as well as to engage internship doctors and senior medical students in clinical skills training programmes.The use of simulation techniques and training programs offers a powerful platform to study and practice clinical reasoning behaviors and patterns.

Cryogenic high current discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meierovich, B.E.

1994-01-01

Z-pinches formed from frozen deuterium fibers by a rapidly rising current have enhanced stability and high neutron yield. The efforts to understand the enhanced stability and neutron yield on the basis of classical picture of Bennett equilibrium of the current channel has not given satisfactory results. The traditional approach does not take into account the essential difference between the frozen deuterium fiber Z-pinches and the usual Z-pinches such as exploding wires or classical gas-puffed Z-pinches. The very low temperature of the fiber atoms (10 K), together with the rapidly rising current, result in the coexistence of a high current channel with unionized fiber atoms for a substantial period of time. This phenomena lasts during the risetime. This approach takes into account the difference of the breakdown in a dielectric deuterium fiber and the breakdown in a metallic wire. This difference is essential to the understanding of specific features of cryogenic high current discharges. Z-pinches in frozen deuterium fibers should be considered as a qualitatively new phenomenon on the boundary of cryogenic and high current physics. It is a start of a new branch in plasma physics: the physics of cryogenic high current discharges

National Fire News- Current Wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

... 1 to 5) Current hours for the National Fire Information Center are (MST) 8:00 am - 4: ... for more information. June 15, 2018 Nationally, wildland fire activity remains about average for this time of ...

V color centers in electrolytically colored hydroxyl-doped sodium chloride crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu Hongen; Song Cuiying; Han Li

2006-01-01

Hydroxyl-doped sodium chloride crystals were successfully colored electrolytically by using pointed anode and flat cathode at various temperatures and under various electric field strengths. V 2 and V 3 color centers were produced in the colored crystals. Current-time curves for the electrolytic colorations were given, and activation energy for the V 2 and V 3 color center migration was determined. Production of the V 2 and V 3 color centers and formation of current zones for the electrolytic colorations of the hydroxyl-doped sodium chloride crystals are explained

Human-centered Computing: Toward a Human Revolution

OpenAIRE

Jaimes, Alejandro; Gatica-Perez, Daniel; Sebe, Nicu; Huang, Thomas S.

2007-01-01

Human-centered computing studies the design, development, and deployment of mixed-initiative human-computer systems. HCC is emerging from the convergence of multiple disciplines that are concerned both with understanding human beings and with the design of computational artifacts.

Understanding teachers’ professional learning goals from their current professional concerns

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Louws, Monika L.; Meirink, Jacobiene A.; van Veen, Klaas; van Driel, Jan H.

In the day-to-day workplace teachers direct their own learning, but little is known about what drives their decisions about what they would like to learn. These decisions are assumed to be influenced by teachers’ current professional concerns. Also, teachers in different professional life phases

[Work-family conflict in call center].

Science.gov (United States)

Ghislieri, Chiara; Ricotta, Simona; Colombo, Lara

2012-01-01

The working environment of call centers, which have seen a significant growth in recent years, has been the subject of several studies aiming at understanding its specific dynamics, with particular attention to the possible causes of stress and discomfort. Despite the fact that the work-family conflict is considered a source of stress responsible for undermining workers' well-being, and as such has been explored in many work environments, there is still very little research specific to call centers. This study had the following aims: to explore work-family conflict perceived by call-center operators taking account of any differences related to respondents'professional and personal characteristics; to understand which demands and resources can have an impact on work-family conflict in this context. The study was carried out on a sample of 898 call center operators in a telecommunications company through the administration of a self-reporting questionnaire. Data analysis included: t-test, one-way analysis of variance, linear correlations and multiple regressions. A higher perception of work-family conflict among workers having a full-time contract was observed compared to those having part-time contracts. Multiple regression analysis identified as sources of influence on work-family conflict: emotional dissonance, uneasiness due customer dissatisfaction, workload, avoidance coping and working hours. Work-family conflict in the context studied is not particularly critical: it is in part influenced by professional and personal characteristics of respondents and primarily caused by work demands. Managerial implications are discussed, especially referred to training activities.

Narrativity and enaction: the social nature of literary narrative understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Popova, Yanna B

2014-01-01

This paper proposes an understanding of literary narrative as a form of social cognition and situates the study of such narratives in relation to the new comprehensive approach to human cognition, enaction. The particular form of enactive cognition that narrative understanding is proposed to depend on is that of participatory sense-making, as developed in the work of Di Paolo and De Jaegher. Currently there is no consensus as to what makes a good literary narrative, how it is understood, and why it plays such an irreplaceable role in human experience. The proposal thus identifies a gap in the existing research on narrative by describing narrative as a form of intersubjective process of sense-making between two agents, a teller and a reader. It argues that making sense of narrative literature is an interactional process of co-constructing a story-world with a narrator. Such an understanding of narrative makes a decisive break with both text-centered approaches that have dominated both structuralist and early cognitivist study of narrative, as well as pragmatic communicative ones that view narrative as a form of linguistic implicature. The interactive experience that narrative affords and necessitates at the same time, I argue, serves to highlight the active yet cooperative and communal nature of human sociality, expressed in the many forms than human beings interact in, including literary ones.

Narrativity and Enaction: The Social Nature of Literary Narrative Understanding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanna B. Popova

2014-08-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes an understanding of literary narrative as a form of social cognition and situates the study of such narratives in relation to the new comprehensive approach to human cognition, enaction. The particular form of enactive cognition that narrative understanding is proposed to depend on is that of participatory sense-making, as developed in the work of Di Paolo and De Jaegher. Currently there is no consensus as to what makes a good literary narrative, how it is understood, and why it plays such an irreplaceable role in human experience. The proposal thus identifies a gap in the existing research on narrative by describing narrative as a form of intersubjective process of sense-making between two agents, a teller and a reader. It argues that making sense of narrative literature is an interactional process of co-constructing a story-world with a narrator. Such an understanding of narrative makes a decisive break with both text-centered approaches that have dominated both structuralist and early cognitivist study of narrative, as well as pragmatic communicative ones that view narrative as a form of linguistic implicature. The interactive experience that narrative affords and necessitates at the same time, I argue, serves to highlight the active yet cooperative and communal nature of human sociality, expressed in the many forms than human beings interact in, including literary ones.

International migration flows. Framework for understanding and current features.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colectivo IOÉ

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The present article aims to outline a framework for the understanding of the present international migratory flows as well as to outline their main traits. In order to do this, we first group together the different migratory flows produced since the sixteenth century up to the mid seventies in the twentieth  century, stopping then for a closer look at the present situation which register the impact of economic globalization, translating it into an increase of said flows and, above all, to their enormous diversification. To end, we make a brief balance of the present period and a critical evaluation on the meaning of one of the flows which attracts most attention, economic migrations south-north, because these are the ones which have the most impact on developed countries.

Current Understanding and Future Prospects of Host Selection, Acceptance, Discrimination, and Regulation of Phorid Fly Parasitoids That Attack Ants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaitlyn A. Mathis

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Phorid fly parasitoids (Diptera: Phoridae have evolved a diverse array of cues used to successfully parasitize their ant hosts. Successful parasitism often involves (a host habitat location, (b host location, (c host acceptance, (d host discrimination, and (e host regulation. In this paper we discuss our current understanding of how phorid flies use each of these steps to successfully parasitize ant hosts. We examine the wide variety of strategies and cues used by a multiple species of phorid flies within three separate genera that most commonly parasitize ants (Apocephalus, Pseudacteon, and Neodohrniphora and discuss future directions within this field of study.

Determinants of U.S. poison center utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Litovitz, Toby; Benson, Blaine E; Youniss, Jessica; Metz, Edward

2010-06-01

High poison center utilization has been associated with decreased emergency department usage and hospitalization rates. However, utilization requires awareness of the poison center. Penetrance, defined as the number of human poison exposures reported to a poison center per 1,000 population, has been used as a marker of poison center awareness. To identify factors that influence poison center penetrance to optimize the life- and cost-saving benefits of poison control centers. Human poison exposures that were reported to the National Poison Data System in 2001 were analyzed to identify and rank factors affecting poison center penetrance. Overall penetrance correlated with pediatric penetrance (R(2) = 0.75, p poison center that were already in or en route to a healthcare facility at the time of the call to the poison center (R(2) = 0.41, p poison center service populations were associated with lower penetrance (R(2) = 0.23, p poison center (multiple regression). Positive predictors included the percentage of the population younger than 5 years, the percentage of the adult population with a bachelor's degree, poison center certification, poison center educator FTEs (full time equivalents), Asian population percentage, and population density. The inverse correlation between pediatric penetrance and healthcare facility utilization supports prior observations of excessive healthcare utilization when a poison center is not called. Since race, language and distance are barriers to poison center utilization, and since healthcare utilization increases when poison center penetrance declines, low penetrance suggests a lack of awareness of the poison center rather than a low incidence of poisonings. Strategies to raise penetrance should be informed by an understanding of the barriers to utilization - language, Black/African American race, distance from the poison center, poverty, and lower education levels.

Patient-centered innovation in health care organizations: a conceptual framework and case study application.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Susan E; Conrad, Douglas A; Marcus-Smith, Miriam S; Reed, Peter; Watts, Carolyn

2013-01-01

Patient-centered innovation is spreading at the federal and state levels. A conceptual framework can help frame real-world examples and extract systematic learning from an array of innovative applications currently underway. The statutory, economic, and political environment in Washington State offers a special contextual laboratory for observing the interplay of these factors. We propose a framework for understanding the process of initiating patient-centered innovations-particularly innovations addressing patient-centered goals of improved access, continuity, communication and coordination, cultural competency, and family- and person-focused care over time. The framework to a case study of a provider organization in Washington State actively engaged in such innovations was applied in this article. We conducted a selective review of peer-reviewed evidence and theory regarding determinants of organizational change. On the basis of the literature review and the particular examples of patient-centric innovation, we developed a conceptual framework. Semistructured key informant interviews were conducted to illustrate the framework with concrete examples of patient-centered innovation. The primary determinants of initiating patient-centered innovation are (a) effective leadership, with the necessary technical and professional expertise and creative skills; (b) strong internal and external motivation to change; (c) clear and internally consistent organizational mission; (d) aligned organizational strategy; (e) robust organizational capability; and (f) continuous feedback and organizational learning. The internal hierarchy of actors is important in shaping patient-centered innovation. External financial incentives and government regulations also significantly shape innovation. Patient-centered care innovation is a complex process. A general framework that could help managers and executives organize their thoughts around innovation within their organization is presented.

Patient-centered medical home model: do school-based health centers fit the model?

Science.gov (United States)

Larson, Satu A; Chapman, Susan A

2013-01-01

School-based health centers (SBHCs) are an important component of health care reform. The SBHC model of care offers accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, and compassionate care to infants, children, and adolescents. These same elements comprise the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care being promoted by the Affordable Care Act with the hope of lowering health care costs by rewarding clinicians for primary care services. PCMH survey tools have been developed to help payers determine whether a clinician/site serves as a PCMH. Our concern is that current survey tools will be unable to capture how a SBHC may provide a medical home and therefore be denied needed funding. This article describes how SBHCs might meet the requirements of one PCMH tool. SBHC stakeholders need to advocate for the creation or modification of existing survey tools that allow the unique characteristics of SBHCs to qualify as PCMHs.

Current interruption transients calculation

CERN Document Server

Peelo, David F

2014-01-01

Provides an original, detailed and practical description of current interruption transients, origins, and the circuits involved, and how they can be calculated Current Interruption Transients Calculationis a comprehensive resource for the understanding, calculation and analysis of the transient recovery voltages (TRVs) and related re-ignition or re-striking transients associated with fault current interruption and the switching of inductive and capacitive load currents in circuits. This book provides an original, detailed and practical description of current interruption transients, origins,

Measurement of weak magnetic field of corrosion current of isolated corrosion center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. V. Bardin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A very small magnetic field of corrosion current, of the order of 10−4 Oe, generated by isolated zinc inclusion in a copper platelet placed in electrolyte has been measured for the first time with a highly sensitive giant magneto-impedance magnetometer. The total corrosion current of the inclusion is estimated comparing the measured magnetic field distribution with corresponding theoretical calculation. The estimated value of the total corrosion current turns out to be in reasonable agreement with that one obtained in the standard gravimetric measurement.

A phenomenological investigation of science center exhibition developers' expertise development

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Denise L.

The purpose of this study was to examine the exhibition developer role in the context of United States (U.S.) science centers, and more specifically, to investigate the way science center exhibition developers build their professional expertise. This research investigated how successfully practicing exhibition developers described their current practices, how they learned to be exhibition developers, and what factors were the most important to the developers in building their professional expertise. Qualitative data was gathered from 10 currently practicing exhibition developers from three science centers: the Exploratorium, San Francisco, California; the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois; and the Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota. In-depth, semistructured interviews were used to collect the data. The study embraced aspects of the phenomenological tradition and sought to derive a holistic understanding of the position and how expertise was built for it. The data were methodically coded and organized into themes prior to analysis. The data analysis found that the position consisted of numerous and varied activities, but the developers' primary roles were advocating for the visitor, storytelling, and mediating information and ideas. They conducted these activities in the context of a team and relied on an established exhibition planning process to guide their work. Developers described a process of learning exhibition development that was experiential in nature. Learning through daily practice was key, though they also consulted with mentors and relied on visitor studies to gauge the effectiveness of their work. They were adept at integrating prior knowledge gained from many aspects of their lives into their practice. The developers described several internal factors that contributed to their expertise development including the desire to help others, a natural curiosity about the world, a commitment to learning, and the ability to accept critique. They

A Case Study Documenting the Process by Which Biology Instructors Transition from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Teaching

Science.gov (United States)

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Hunt Rietschel, Carly

2016-01-01

In this study, we used a case study approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of the change process of two university instructors who were involved with redesigning a biology course. Given the hesitancy of many biology instructors to adopt evidence-based, learner-centered teaching methods, there is a critical need to understand how biology instructors transition from teacher-centered (i.e., lecture-based) instruction to teaching that focuses on the students. Using the innovation-decision model for change, we explored the motivation, decision-making, and reflective processes of the two instructors through two consecutive, large-enrollment biology course offerings. Our data reveal that the change process is somewhat unpredictable, requiring patience and persistence during inevitable challenges that arise for instructors and students. For example, the change process requires instructors to adopt a teacher-facilitator role as opposed to an expert role, to cover fewer course topics in greater depth, and to give students a degree of control over their own learning. Students must adjust to taking responsibility for their own learning, working collaboratively, and relinquishing the anonymity afforded by lecture-based teaching. We suggest implications for instructors wishing to change their teaching and administrators wishing to encourage adoption of learner-centered teaching at their institutions. PMID:27856550

Precision Joining Center

Science.gov (United States)

Powell, J. W.; Westphal, D. A.

1991-08-01

A workshop to obtain input from industry on the establishment of the Precision Joining Center (PJC) was held on July 10-12, 1991. The PJC is a center for training Joining Technologists in advanced joining techniques and concepts in order to promote the competitiveness of U.S. industry. The center will be established as part of the DOE Defense Programs Technology Commercialization Initiative, and operated by EG&G Rocky Flats in cooperation with the American Welding Society and the Colorado School of Mines Center for Welding and Joining Research. The overall objectives of the workshop were to validate the need for a Joining Technologists to fill the gap between the welding operator and the welding engineer, and to assure that the PJC will train individuals to satisfy that need. The consensus of the workshop participants was that the Joining Technologist is a necessary position in industry, and is currently used, with some variation, by many companies. It was agreed that the PJC core curriculum, as presented, would produce a Joining Technologist of value to industries that use precision joining techniques. The advantage of the PJC would be to train the Joining Technologist much more quickly and more completely. The proposed emphasis of the PJC curriculum on equipment intensive and hands-on training was judged to be essential.

Proposed Development of NASA Glenn Research Center's Aeronautical Network Research Simulator

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thanh C.; Kerczewski, Robert J.; Wargo, Chris A.; Kocin, Michael J.; Garcia, Manuel L.

2004-01-01

Accurate knowledge and understanding of data link traffic loads that will have an impact on the underlying communications infrastructure within the National Airspace System (NAS) is of paramount importance for planning, development and fielding of future airborne and ground-based communications systems. Attempting to better understand this impact, NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), through its contractor Computer Networks & Software, Inc. (CNS, Inc.), has developed an emulation and test facility known as the Virtual Aircraft and Controller (VAC) to study data link interactions and the capacity of the NAS to support Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) traffic. The drawback of the current VAC test bed is that it does not allow the test personnel and researchers to present a real world RF environment to a complex airborne or ground system. Fortunately, the United States Air Force and Navy Avionics Test Commands, through its contractor ViaSat, Inc., have developed the Joint Communications Simulator (JCS) to provide communications band test and simulation capability for the RF spectrum through 18 GHz including Communications, Navigation, and Identification and Surveillance functions. In this paper, we are proposing the development of a new and robust test bed that will leverage on the existing NASA GRC's VAC and the Air Force and Navy Commands JCS systems capabilities and functionalities. The proposed NASA Glenn Research Center's Aeronautical Networks Research Simulator (ANRS) will combine current Air Traffic Control applications and physical RF stimulation into an integrated system capable of emulating data transmission behaviors including propagation delay, physical protocol delay, transmission failure and channel interference. The ANRS will provide a simulation/stimulation tool and test bed environment that allow the researcher to predict the performance of various aeronautical network protocol standards and their associated waveforms under varying

Characterizing customers at medical center farmers' markets.

Science.gov (United States)

Kraschnewski, Jennifer L; George, Daniel R; Rovniak, Liza S; Monroe, Diana L; Fiordalis, Elizabeth; Bates, Erica

2014-08-01

Approximately 100 farmers' markets operate on medical center campuses. Although these venues can uniquely serve community health needs, little is known about customer characteristics and outreach efforts. Intercept survey of markets and market customers between August 2010 and October 2011 at three medical centers in different geographic regions of the US (Duke University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center) were conducted. Markets reported serving 180-2,000 customers per week and conducting preventive medicine education sessions and community health programs. Customers (n = 585) across markets were similar in sociodemographic characteristics--most were middle-aged, white, and female, who were employees of their respective medical center. Health behaviors of customers were similar to national data. The surveyed medical center farmers' markets currently serve mostly employees; however, markets have significant potential for community outreach efforts in preventive medicine. If farmers' markets can broaden their reach to more diverse populations, they may play an important role in contributing to community health.

New Emergency control center of Slovenske Elektrarne Bohunice NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecko, E.

2012-01-01

Emergency preparedness of nuclear power plant and operation assurance in case of a possible emergency calls to have devices for emergency response with equipment for rapid detection and continuous evaluation of anticipated events. Chief executive body designated to manage a nuclear power plant during major events is the emergency committee (EC). Emergency Committee is a part of the Emergency Response Organization (ERO). The following centers are on alert to ensure the activities of the ERO - Emergency Response office: - control room (CR) and emergency control room (ECR); - emergency management center (EMC); - Monitoring Centre (MC); - emergency backup control center (EBCC); - congregations of civil protection (CP) and CP shelters; - communications with warning and notification system (VARVYR). From a historical and practical point of view in the vicinity of Jaslovske Bohunice has been set up a joint emergency control center. The center was located on the territory of the former already inoperative V1 NPP. V1 NPP is currently integrated into the organizational structure of JAVYS. Operating Bohunice V2 NPP plant is a designated part of the Slovenske Elektrarne, a. s., whose majority owner is an Italian operator ENEL. In terms of various relevant factors, it was decided to build a new emergency management center on the territory of operating V2 NPP, meet the current standards.

Influence of size and shape of sub-micrometer light scattering centers in ZnO-assisted TiO2 photoanode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Trang T. T.; Mathews, Nripan; Lam, Yeng-Ming; Mhaisalkar, Subodh

2018-03-01

Sub-micrometer cavities have been incorporated in the TiO2 photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cell to enhance its optical property with light scattering effect. These are large pores of several hundred nanometers in size and scatter incident light due to the difference refraction index between the scattering center and the surrounding materials, according to Mie theory. The pores are created using polystyrene (PS) or zinc oxide (ZnO) templates reported previously which resulted in ellipsoidal and spherical shapes, respectively. The effect of size and shape of scattering center was modeled using a numerical analysis finite-difference time-domain (FDTD). The scattering cross-section was not affected significantly with different shapes if the total displacement volume of the scattering center is comparable. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the optical property with varying size of ZnO templates. Photovoltaic effect of dye-sensitized solar cells made from these ZnO-assisted films were investigated with incident-photon-to-current efficiency to understand the effect of scattering center size on the enhancement of absorption. With 380 nm macropores incorporated, the power conversion efficiency has increased by 11% mostly thanks to the improved current density, while 170 nm and 500 nm macropores samples did not have increment in sufficiently wide range of absorbing wavelengths.

Fetal Microchimerism in Cancer Protection and Promotion: Current Understanding in Dogs and the Implications for Human Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Jeffrey N

2015-05-01

Fetal microchimerism is the co-existence of small numbers of cells from genetically distinct individuals living within a mother's body following pregnancy. During pregnancy, bi-directional exchange of cells occurs resulting in maternal microchimerism and even sibling microchimerism in offspring. The presence of fetal microchimerism has been identified with lower frequency in patients with cancers such as breast and lymphoma and with higher frequency in patients with colon cancer and autoimmune diseases. Microchimeric cells have been identified in healing and healed tissues as well as normal and tumor tissues. This has led to the hypothesis that fetal microchimerism may play a protective role in some cancers and may provoke other cancers or autoimmune disease. The long periods of risk for these diseases make it a challenge to prospectively study this phenomenon in human populations. Dogs get similar cancers as humans, share our homes and environmental exposures, and live compressed life-spans, allowing easier prospective study of disease development. This review describes the current state of understanding of fetal microchimerism in humans and dogs and highlights the similarities of the common cancers mammary carcinoma, lymphoma, and colon cancer between the two species. Study of fetal microchimerism in dogs might hold the key to characterization of the type and function of microchimeric cells and their role in health and disease. Such an understanding could then be applied to preventing and treating disease in humans.

Proton Therapy Expansion Under Current United States Reimbursement Models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerstiens, John [Indiana University Health Proton Therapy Center, Bloomington, Indiana (United States); Johnstone, Peter A.S., E-mail: pajohnst@iupui.edu [Indiana University Health Proton Therapy Center, Bloomington, Indiana (United States); Department of Radiation Oncology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To determine whether all the existing and planned proton beam therapy (PBT) centers in the United States can survive on a local patient mix that is dictated by insurers, not by number of patients. Methods and Materials: We determined current and projected cancer rates for 10 major US metropolitan areas. Using published utilization rates, we calculated patient percentages who are candidates for PBT. Then, on the basis of current published insurer coverage policies, we applied our experience of what would be covered to determine the net number of patients for whom reimbursement is expected. Having determined the net number of covered patients, we applied our average beam delivery times to determine the total number of minutes needed to treat that patient over the course of their treatment. We then calculated our expected annual patient capacity per treatment room to determine the appropriate number of treatment rooms for the area. Results: The population of patients who will be both PBT candidates and will have treatments reimbursed by insurance is significantly smaller than the population who should receive PBT. Coverage decisions made by insurers reduce the number of PBT rooms that are economically viable. Conclusions: The expansion of PBT centers in the US is not sustainable under the current reimbursement model. Viability of new centers will be limited to those operating in larger regional metropolitan areas, and few metropolitan areas in the US can support multiple centers. In general, 1-room centers require captive (non–PBT-served) populations of approximately 1,000,000 lives to be economically viable, and a large center will require a population of >4,000,000 lives. In areas with smaller populations or where or a PBT center already exists, new centers require subsidy.

So You Want to Start a Peer Online Writing Center?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine Rosalia

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to share lessons learned in setting up three different peer online writing centers in three different contexts (EFL, Generation 1.5, and ESL. In each center the focus was on the language learner as a peer online writing advisor and their needs in maintaining centers “for and by” learners. Technology affordances and constraints for local contexts, which promote learner autonomy, are analyzed. The open-source platforms (Moodle, Drupal, and Google Apps are compared in terms of usability for peer writing center work, particularly centers where groups co-construct feedback for writers, asynchronously. This paper is useful for readers who would like a head start or deeper understanding of potential logistics and decision-making involved in establishing a peer online writing center within coursework and/or a self-access learning center.

Friction Stir Welding Development at NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Biliyar N.; Carter, Robert W.; Ding, Robert J.; Lawless, Kirby G.; Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.; Russell, Carolyn K.; Shah, Sandeep R.

2001-01-01

This paper presents an overview of friction stir welding (FSW) process development and applications at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). FSW process development started as a laboratory curiosity but soon found support from many users. The FSW process advanced very quickly and has found many applications both within and outside the aerospace industry. It is currently being adapted for joining key elements of the Space Shuttle External Tank for improved producibility and reliability. FSW process modeling is done to better understand and improve the process. Special tools have been developed to weld variable thickness materials including thin and thick materials. FSW is now being applied to higher temperature materials such as copper and to advanced materials such as metal matrix composites. FSW technology is being successfully transferred from MSFC laboratory to shop floors of many commercial companies.

Understanding the current state of infection preventionists through competency, role, and activity self-assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalp, Ericka L; Marx, James F; Davis, James

2017-06-01

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) MegaSurvey, administered in 2015, was completed by approximately 4,079 APIC members. The survey sought to gain a better understanding the current state of 4 components of infection prevention practice: demographic characteristics, compensation, organizational structure, and practice and competency. The data for this analysis come from the APIC MegaSurvey Practice and Competency domain. Descriptive statistics and χ 2 analyses were conducted to examine differences in infection preventionist (IP) competency, roles, and activity self-assessments. The majority of IPs self-assessed their competency as Proficient compared with Novice or Expert for each of the 8 IP core competency activities. Forty percent of IPs self-rated their competency as Expert in the Preventing/Controlling the Transmission of Infectious Agents/HAIs component. IPs reported Novice competency in Employee/Occupational Health (29%); Cleaning, Sterilization, Disinfection, and Asepsis (23%); and Education and Research categories (22%). Differences in self-rated competency among IPs by discipline type (public health, nurse, and laboratory) were identified. Differences in self-rated competency were identified for each of the 8 IP core competency activities. IPs report using various resource types to gain competency. Future research is needed to identify opportunities to increase competency levels in the weakest-rated competency activities. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Telling Stories about the Changing Landscape: One Center's Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, C. L., Jr.; Wilson, E. H.; Chadwick, C.; Dickson, D.

2016-12-01

Since its inception, the Center for Land Use Education and Research (CLEAR) at the University of Connecticut has had a strong applied research and public outreach focus. As a center that focuses on topics that virtually all have a geographic component, the intersection of Web and mapping technologies over the past decade has been an invaluable tool for communicating information. The primary target audience of this information is land use decision makers, who in New England are almost exclusively at the local (municipal) level and are often unpaid volunteers with little or no science background. Data-driven science communication focusing on this very worthy - and very needy - sector of the populace poses problems different from communicating with academic peers at one end of the spectrum, or the general public on the other end. The information must be understandable and accessible to non-technical users, yet specific and authoritative enough to inform decisions. CLEAR's approach to reaching this audience has evolved over the years in response to new internet and GIS technologies on the one hand, and internal deliberations on the other. A critical point was the 2004 public debut of the Center's Changing Landscape project, comprised of complex remotely-sensed land cover data: CLEAR principals decided to make the data publicly available via the Center website, but also to design a website to make the information accessible in as many ways, and for as many different audiences, as possible. This approach has had considerable success, as evidenced in the widespread use of the land cover information by communities, NGOs, federal and state agencies, and academia. Over the past several years, CLEAR has embraced the ESRI story map as a technological tool that embodies the Center's goal of "democratization" of science-based information through multifaceted accessibility. CLEAR's Story Map Gallery currently has six maps, covering a wide range of topics including the Changing

Current status of quality evaluation of nursing care through director review and reflection from the Nursing Quality Control Centers

Science.gov (United States)

Duan, Xia; Shi, Yan

2014-01-01

Background: The quality evaluation of nursing care is a key link in medical quality management. It is important and worth studying for the nursing supervisors to know the disadvantages during the process of quality evaluation of nursing care and then to improve the whole nursing quality. This study was to provide director insight on the current status of quality evaluation of nursing care from Nursing Quality Control Centers (NQCCs). Material and Methods: This qualitative study used a sample of 12 directors from NQCCs who were recruited from 12 provinces in China to evaluate the current status of quality evaluation of nursing care. Data were collected by in-depth interviews. Content analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Four themes emerged from the data: 1) lag of evaluation index; 2) limitations of evaluation content; 3) simplicity of evaluation method; 4) excessive emphasis on terminal quality. Conclusion: It is of great realistic significance to ameliorate nursing quality evaluation criteria, modify the evaluation content based on patient needs-oriented idea, adopt scientific evaluation method to evaluate nursing quality, and scientifically and reasonably draw horizontal comparisons of nursing quality between hospitals, as well as longitudinal comparisons of a hospital’s nursing quality. These methods mentioned above can all enhance a hospital’s core competitiveness and benefit more patients. PMID:25419427

Understanding energy loss in parallelly connected microbial fuel cells: Non-Faradaic current.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Junyeong; Sim, Junyoung; Feng, Yujie; Lee, Hyung-Sool

2016-03-01

In this work, the mechanisms of energy loss in parallel connection of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) is explored using two MFC units producing different open circuit voltage (OCV) and current. In open circuit mode, non-Faradaic current flows in low OCV unit, implying energy loss caused by different OCVs in parallelly stacked MFCs. In a stacked MFC in parallel under close circuit mode, it is confirmed that energy loss occurs until the working voltage in high OCV unit becomes identical to the other unit having low OCV. This result indicates that different voltage between individual MFC units can cause energy loss due to both non-Faradic and Faradaic current that flow from high voltage unit to low voltage unit even in parallelly stacked MFCs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current status of brachytherapy in Korea: a national survey of radiation oncologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Haeyoung; Kim, Joo Young; Kim, Juree; Park, Won; Kim, Young Seok; Kim, Hak Jae; Kim, Yong Bae

2016-07-01

The aim of the present study was to acquire information on brachytherapy resources in Korea through a national survey of radiation oncologists. Between October 2014 and January 2015, a questionnaire on the current status of brachytherapy was distributed to all 86 radiation oncology departments in Korea. The questionnaire was divided into sections querying general information on human resources, brachytherapy equipment, and suggestions for future directions of brachytherapy policy in Korea. The response rate of the survey was 88.3%. The average number of radiation oncologists per center was 2.3. At the time of survey, 28 centers (36.8%) provided brachytherapy to patients. Among the 28 brachytherapy centers, 15 (53.5%) were located in in the capital Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan areas. All brachytherapy centers had a high-dose rate system using (192)Ir (26 centers) or (60)Co (two centers). Among the 26 centers using (192)Ir sources, 11 treated fewer than 40 patients per year. In the two centers using (60)Co sources, the number of patients per year was 16 and 120, respectively. The most frequently cited difficulties in performing brachytherapy were cost related. A total of 21 centers had a plan to sustain the current brachytherapy system, and four centers noted plans to upgrade their brachytherapy system. Two centers stated that they were considering discontinuation of brachytherapy due to cost burdens of radioisotope source replacement. The present study illustrated the current status of brachytherapy in Korea. Financial difficulties were the major barriers to the practice of brachytherapy.

Impact of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Management Information System (PROMIS) upon the design and operation of multi-center clinical trials: a qualitative research study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenstein, Eric L; Diener, Lawrence W; Nahm, Meredith; Weinfurt, Kevin P

2011-12-01

New technologies may be required to integrate the National Institutes of Health's Patient Reported Outcome Management Information System (PROMIS) into multi-center clinical trials. To better understand this need, we identified likely PROMIS reporting formats, developed a multi-center clinical trial process model, and identified gaps between current capabilities and those necessary for PROMIS. These results were evaluated by key trial constituencies. Issues reported by principal investigators fell into two categories: acceptance by key regulators and the scientific community, and usability for researchers and clinicians. Issues reported by the coordinating center, participating sites, and study subjects were those faced when integrating new technologies into existing clinical trial systems. We then defined elements of a PROMIS Tool Kit required for integrating PROMIS into a multi-center clinical trial environment. The requirements identified in this study serve as a framework for future investigators in the design, development, implementation, and operation of PROMIS Tool Kit technologies.

Understanding Personal Change in a Women’s Faith-Based Transitional Center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariana Mishay Stone

2011-06-01

Full Text Available An impressive research literature has emerged that identifies linkages between religion and a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, and life events. We contribute to this literature by exploring how women undergoing difficult life circumstances—such as incarceration, drug and alcohol addiction, domestic violence, unemployment, and homelessness—use faith to cope with and change these circumstances. To address this issue we analyze semi-structured interviews with 40 residents of a faith-based transitional center for women in the Southern United States. The residents outline a narrative of change in which they distinguish between the “old self” and “new self.” The narratives also specify the role of religiosity in facilitating change, the creation of a faith-based identity, and the strategies used for maintaining change. We conclude with implications for faith-based treatment programs, local pastors and religious congregants involved in social outreach ministry, sociology of religion scholars, and policy makers.

Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism, and Occupational Therapy: A Search for Understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Christie D; Polatajko, H J

2016-01-01

Occupational therapists strive to be mindful, competent practitioners and continuously look for ways to improve practice. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has strong evidence of effectiveness in helping people with autism achieve goals, yet it does not seem to be implemented in occupational therapy practice. To better understand whether ABA could be an evidence-based option to expand occupational therapy practice, the authors conducted an iterative, multiphase investigation of relevant literature. Findings suggest that occupational therapists apply developmental and sensory approaches to autism treatment. The occupational therapy literature does not reflect any use of ABA despite its strong evidence base. Occupational therapists may currently avoid using ABA principles because of a perception that ABA is not client centered. ABA principles and occupational therapy are compatible, and the two could work synergistically. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Nuclear Data Center International Standard Towards TSO Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raja Murzaferi Raja Moktar; Mohd Fauzi Haris; Siti Nurbahyah Hamdan

2011-01-01

Nuclear Data Center is the main facility for Nuclear Malaysia Agency IT infrastructure comprising of main critical servers, research and operational data storage, HPC-clusters system and vital network core equipment. In recent years, international body such as TIA-Telecommunication Industry Association and Up time Institute have came out with proper international data center standards in order to ensure data center operation on achieving maximum operational up time and minimal downtime. The standard are currently being rated as tier level ranging from Data Center tier I up to tier IV, differentiate by facility standard and up time/ downtime percentage ratio. This paper will discuss Nuclear Data Center adopting international standards in supporting Nuclear Malaysia TSO initiative thus ensuring the critical core component of agency IT services availability and further more International standard recognitions. (author)

Understanding and applying open-path optical sensing data

Science.gov (United States)

Virag, Peter; Kricks, Robert J.

1999-02-01

During the last 10 years, open-path air monitors have evolved to yield reliable and effective measurements of single and multiple compounds on a real-time basis. To many individuals within the optical remote sensing community, the attributes of open-path and its the potential uses seem unlimited. Then why has the market has been stagnant for the last few years? The reason may center on how open-path information is applied and how well the end user understands that information. We constantly try to compare open-path data to risk/health or safety levels that are based for use at a single point and for a specific averaging period often far longer than a typical open-path data point. Often this approach is perceived as putting a square peg in a round hole. This perception may be well founded, as open-path data at times may need to go through extensive data manipulation and assumptions before it can be applied. This paper will review pervious open-path monitoring programs and their success in applying the data collected. We will also look at how open-path data is being currently used, some previous pitfalls in data use, alternate methods of data interpretation, and how open-path data can be best practically applied to fit current needs.

Hall Current Plasma Source Having a Center-Mounted or a Surface-Mounted Cathode

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Rafael A. (Inventor); Williams, John D. (Inventor); Moritz, Jr., Joel A. (Inventor); Farnell, Casey C. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

A miniature Hall current plasma source apparatus having magnetic shielding of the walls from ionized plasma, an integrated discharge channel and gas distributor, an instant-start hollow cathode mounted to the plasma source, and an externally mounted keeper, is described. The apparatus offers advantages over other Hall current plasma sources having similar power levels, including: lower mass, longer lifetime, lower part count including fewer power supplies, and the ability to be continuously adjustable to lower average power levels using pulsed operation and adjustment of the pulse duty cycle. The Hall current plasma source can provide propulsion for small spacecraft that either do not have sufficient power to accommodate a propulsion system or do not have available volume to incorporate the larger propulsion systems currently available. The present low-power Hall current plasma source can be used to provide energetic ions to assist the deposition of thin films in plasma processing applications.

Quasiparticle current in superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor junctions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tartakovskij, A.V.; Fistul', M.V.

1988-01-01

It is shown that the quasiparticle current in a superconductor-semiconductor-superconductor junction may significantly increase as a result of resonant passage of the quasiparticle along particular trajectories from periodically situated localized centers. A prediction of the theory is that with increasing junction resistance there should be a change from an excessive current to a insufficient current on the current-voltage characteristics (at high voltages). The effect of transparency of the boundaries on resonance tunneling in such junctions is also investigated

Rehabilitation centers in change: participatory methods for managing redesign and renovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahtinen, Marjaana; Nenonen, Suvi; Rasila, Heidi; Lehtelä, Jouni; Ruohomäki, Virpi; Reijula, Kari

2014-01-01

The aim of this article is to describe a set of participatory methods that we have either developed or modified for developing future work and service environments to better suit renewable rehabilitation processes. We discuss the methods in a larger framework of change process model and participatory design. Rehabilitation organizations are currently in transition; customer groups, financing, services, and the processes of rehabilitation centers are changing. The pressure for change challenges the centers to develop both their processes and facilities. There is a need for methods that support change management. Four participatory methods were developed: future workshop, change survey, multi-method assessment tool, and participatory design generator cards. They were tested and evaluated in three rehabilitation centers at the different phases of their change process. The developed methods were considered useful in creating a mutual understanding of the change goals between different stakeholders, providing a good picture of the work community's attitudes toward the change, forming an integrated overview of the built and perceived environment, inspiring new solutions, and supporting the management in steering the change process. The change process model described in this article serves as a practical framework that combined the viewpoints of organizational and facility development. However, participatory design continues to face challenges concerning communication between different stakeholders, and further development of the methods and processes is still needed. Intervention studies could provide data on the success factors that enhance the transformations in the rehabilitation sector. Design process, methodology, organizational transformation, planning, renovation.

A single-center experience and review of the literature: 64 cases of phyllodes tumors to better understand risk factors and disease management.

Science.gov (United States)

Lightner, Amy L; Shurell, Elizabeth; Dawson, Nicole; Omidvar, Yasaman; Foster, Nova

2015-03-01

Phyllodes tumors of the breast are rare fibroepithelial tumors that are characterized as benign, borderline, or malignant based on cellular characteristics such as stromal overgrowth and number of mitoses. Currently, there is a lack of consensus on risk factors and management of patients with phyllodes tumors, which has led to variation in treatment patterns as well as patient outcomes across many institutions. This study seeks to understand the clinicopathologic features, risk factors for local and metastatic recurrence, and clinical outcomes of patients with phyllodes tumors to better define optimal treatment patterns.

Rokkasho visitors center and the status of its activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, T.; Mochizuki, H.

1993-01-01

The Rokkasho Visitors Center was built as a base for furthering the understanding of a large number of people, mainly Aomori Prefecture residents, of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Project. The Center plays a key role in transmitting various information concerning the nuclear fuel cycle. The Visitors Center introduces in a simple manner the role and system of the nuclear fuel cycle by featuring various exhibits using electronics, graphic presentations and actual-size models. It also serves as a forum for communication with local communities and corporations. The Center has already attracted roughly 140 000 visitors in the year since its opening. Thus, it is fulfilling the objectives set in the beginning and giving shape to one form of nuclear energy public relations. (author)

77 FR 14707 - Vet Center Services

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-13

... assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, marital and family counseling for military-related... includes but is not limited to: psychosocial assessment, individual counseling, group counseling, marital... counseling currently provided in VA's Vet Centers to certain veterans of the Armed Forces and members of...

The role of history in understanding current South African attitudes to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Southern African Journal of Environmental Education. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 10 (1989) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Understanding your users a practical guide to user requirements methods, tools, and techniques

CERN Document Server

Baxter, Kathy

2005-01-01

Today many companies are employing a user-centered design (UCD) process, but for most companies, usability begins and ends with the usability test. Although usability testing is a critical part of an effective user-centered life cycle, it is only one component of the UCD process. This book is focused on the requirements gathering stage, which often receives less attention than usability testing, but is equally as important. Understanding user requirements is critical to the development of a successful product. Understanding Your Users is an easy to read, easy to implement, how-to guide on

Current Understanding and Remaining Challenges in Modeling Long-Term Degradation of Borosilicate Nuclear Waste Glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vienna, John D.; Ryan, Joseph V.; Gin, Stephane; Inagaki, Yaohiro

2013-01-01

Chemical durability is not a single material property that can be uniquely measured. Instead it is the response to a host of coupled material and environmental processes whose rates are estimated by a combination of theory, experiment, and modeling. High-level nuclear waste (HLW) glass is perhaps the most studied of any material yet there remain significant technical gaps regarding their chemical durability. The phenomena affecting the long-term performance of HLW glasses in their disposal environment include surface reactions, transport properties to and from the reacting glass surface, and ion exchange between the solid glass and the surrounding solution and alteration products. The rates of these processes are strongly influenced and are coupled through the solution chemistry, which is in turn influenced by the reacting glass and also by reaction with the near-field materials and precipitation of alteration products. Therefore, those processes must be understood sufficiently well to estimate or bound the performance of HLW glass in its disposal environment over geologic time-scales. This article summarizes the current state of understanding of surface reactions, transport properties, and ion exchange along with the near-field materials and alteration products influences on solution chemistry and glass reaction rates. Also summarized are the remaining technical gaps along with recommended approaches to fill those technical gaps

University of Washington Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The theme of the University of Washington based Center for Child Environmental Health Risks Research (CHC) is understanding the biochemical, molecular and exposure...

The Lederman Science Center: Past, Present, Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bardeen, Marjorie G.; /Fermilab

2011-11-01

For 30 years, Fermilab has offered K-12 education programs, building bridges between the Lab and the community. The Lederman Science Center is our home. We host field trips and tours, visit schools, offer classes and professional development workshops, host special events, support internships and have a strong web presence. We develop programs based on identified needs, offer programs with peer-leaders and improve programs from participant feedback. For some we create interest; for others we build understanding and develop relationships, engaging participants in scientific exploration. We explain how we created the Center, its programs, and what the future holds.

SDN Data Center Performance Evaluation of Torus and Hypercube Interconnecting Schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andrus, Bogdan-Mihai; Vegas Olmos, Juan José; Mehmeri, Victor

2015-01-01

— By measuring throughput, delay, loss-rate and jitter, we present how SDN framework yields a 45% performance increase in highly interconnected topologies like torus and hypercube compared to current Layer2 switching technologies, applied to data center architectures......— By measuring throughput, delay, loss-rate and jitter, we present how SDN framework yields a 45% performance increase in highly interconnected topologies like torus and hypercube compared to current Layer2 switching technologies, applied to data center architectures...

Marketing the academic medical center group practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Eudes, J A; Divis, K L

1992-01-01

From a marketing perspective, there are many differences between private and academic medical center (AMC) group practices. Given the growing competition between the two, write John Eudes and Kathy Divis, it is important for the AMC group practice to understand and use these differences to develop a competitive market advantage.

Entangling separate nitrogen-vacancy centers in a scalable fashion via coupling to microtoroidal resonators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Qiong; Yang Wanli; Feng Mang; Du Jiangfeng

2011-01-01

We propose a potentially practical scheme to entangle negatively charged nitrogen-vacancy (N-V) centers in distant diamonds. Each diamond is supposed to be fixed on the exterior surface of a microtoroidal resonator, and the single-photon input-output process - a currently available technique - could entangle separate N-V centers in a scalable fashion. The feasibility of our scheme and the experimental challenge are discussed by considering currently available techniques for qualified N-V centers and cavities.

Treatment Seeking and Ebola Community Care Centers in Sierra Leone: A Qualitative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Simone E; O'Reilly, Marion; Frith-Powell, Jack; Umar Kargbo, Alpha; Byrne, Daniel; Niederberger, Eva

2017-01-01

Ebola Treatment Units were able to provide only 60% of necessary treatment beds in Sierra Leone. As a result, the Government of Sierra Leone decided to construct Community Care Centers. These were intended to increase treatment-seeking behavior and reduce the community-level spread of Ebola by facilitating access to care closer to communities. Through qualitative data collection in 3 districts, this study seeks to understand the perceived impact that proximity to such Centers had on treatment-seeking behavior. Feedback from community members and Community Health Volunteers indicates that proximity to treatment reduced fears, especially those arising from the use of ambulances, lack of familiarity with medical Centers, and loss of contact with family members taken for treatment. Participants report that having a Center close to their home enables them to walk to treatment and witness survivors being discharged. Living close to Centers also enables communities to be involved in their design and daily operation, helping to build trust in them as acceptable treatment facilities. Further research is required to understand the appropriate design, operation, and epidemiological impact of Centers. Further investigation should incorporate the effect of an outbreak's severity and the stage (duration) of the outbreak on potential acceptance of Centers.

Current status of PIE activities in O-arai Engineering Center of JNC on FBR MOX fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Shin-ichi; Osaka, Masahiko; Namekawa, Takashi; Itoh, Masahiko

2003-01-01

Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) is now totally promoting the development of commercialized fast reactors to realize stable supply of energy in future. One of the important items is to develop high-performance fuel. For this purpose, it is essential to carry out post-irradiation examinations (PIE) for evaluation of irradiated fuel performance and also to establish the PIE technology. This paper describes the current status of PIE results including its technology in O-arai Engineering Center of JNC. The facilities have been operating safely and successfully since the 1960's. Obtained PIE data were reflected to the design and operation of the experimental fast reactor JOYO, the prototype fast reactor MONJU and future fast reactors. The core modification from the breeding core (MK-I) to the irradiation core (MK-II) of JOYO was performed in 1982. Irradiation tests of fuels and materials in MK-II core started in 1982. At PIE facilities in OEC, 65 of driver fuels, fuel irradiation test rigs, material irradiation test rigs and several other components were examined related to JOYO MK-II core operation, and thus a lot of aspects were accumulated for irradiated fuel behaviors. As topical activities of these PIE techniques, burnup measurement and analytical technique for Minor Actinides (MA), such as neptunium and americium were described here. (author)

Distribution of specialized care centers in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Henry E; Yealy, Donald M

2012-11-01

As a recommended strategy for optimally managing critical illness, regionalization of care involves matching the needs of the target population with available hospital resources. The national supply and characteristics of hospitals providing specialized critical care services is currently unknown. We seek to characterize the current distribution of specialized care centers in the United States. Using public data linked with the American Hospital Association directory and US Census, we identified US general acute hospitals providing specialized care for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (≥40 annual primary percutaneous coronary interventions reported in Medicare Hospital Compare), stroke (The Joint Commission certified stroke centers), trauma (American College of Surgeons or state-designated, adult or pediatric, level I or II), and pediatric critical care (presence of a pediatric ICU) services. We determined the characteristics and state-level distribution and density of specialized care centers (centers per state and centers per state population). Among 4,931 acute care hospitals in the United States, 1,325 (26.9%) provided one of the 4 defined specialized care services, including 574 STEMI, 763 stroke, 508 trauma, and 457 pediatric critical care centers. Approximately half of the 1,325 hospitals provided 2 or more specialized services, and one fifth provided 3 or 4 specialized services. There was variation in the number of each type of specialized care center in each state: STEMI median 7 interquartile range (IQR 2 to 14), stroke 8 (IQR 3 to 17), trauma 6 (IQR 3 to 11), pediatric specialized care 6 (IQR 3 to 11). Similarly, there was variation in the number of each type of specialized care center per population: STEMI median 1 center per 585,135 persons (IQR 418,729 to 696,143), stroke 1 center per 412,188 persons (IQR 321,604 to 572,387), trauma 1 center per 610,589 persons (IQR 406,192 to 917,588), and pediatric critical care 1 center per 665

Health science center faculty attitudes towards interprofessional education and teamwork.

Science.gov (United States)

Gary, Jodie C; Gosselin, Kevin; Bentley, Regina

2018-03-01

The attitudes of faculty towards interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork impact the education of health professions education (HPE) students. This paper reports on a study evaluating attitudes from health professions educators towards IPE and teamwork at one academic health science center (HSC) where modest IPE initiatives have commenced. Drawing from the results of a previous investigation, this study was conducted to examine current attitudes of the faculty responsible for the training of future healthcare professionals. Survey data were collected to evaluate attitudes from HSC faculty, dentistry, nursing, medicine, pharmacy and public health. In general, positive HSC faculty attitudes towards interprofessional learning, education, and teamwork were significantly predicted by those affiliated with the component of nursing. Faculty development aimed at changing attitudes and increasing understanding of IPE and teamwork are critical. Results of this study serve as an underpinning to leverage strengths and evaluate weakness in initiating IPE.

Hospitalization in Parkinson disease: a survey of National Parkinson Foundation Centers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Chou, K.L.; Zamudio, J.; Schmidt, P.; Price, C.C.; Parashos, S.A.; Bloem, B.R.; Lyons, K.E.; Christine, C.W.; Pahwa, R.; Bodis-Wollner, I.; Oertel, W.H.; Suchowersky, O.; Aminoff, M.J.; Malaty, I.A.; Friedman, J.H.; Okun, M.S.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To explore current practices and opinions regarding hospital management of Parkinson disease (PD) patients in specialized PD Centers. METHODS: Fifty-one out of 54 National Parkinson Foundation (NPF) Centers worldwide completed an online survey regarding hospitalization of PD patients.

NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC)

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeffery R.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the purpose, potential members and participants of the NASA Human Health and Performance Center (NHHPC). Included in the overview is a brief description of the administration and current activities of the NHHPC.

Characterizing customers at medical center farmers’ markets1

Science.gov (United States)

Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.; George, Daniel R.; Rovniak, Liza S.; Monroe, Diana L.; Fiordalis, Elizabeth; Bates, Erica

2014-01-01

Approximately 100 farmers’ markets operate on medical center campuses. Although these venues can uniquely serve community health needs, little is known about customer characteristics and outreach efforts. Intercept survey of markets and market customers between August 2010-October 2011 at three medical centers in different geographic regions of the US: Duke University Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic, and Penn State Hershey Medical Center were conducted. Markets reported serving 180–2000 customers per week and conducting preventive medicine education sessions and community health programs. Customers (n=585) across markets were similar in sociodemographic characteristics – most were middle-aged, white, and female, who were employees of their respective medical center. Health behaviors of customers were similar to national data. The surveyed medical center farmers’ markets currently serve mostly employees; however, markets have significant potential for community outreach efforts in preventive medicine. If farmers’ markets can broaden their reach to more diverse populations, they may play an important role in contributing to community health. PMID:24421001

Bimodal Programming: A Survey of Current Clinical Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Siburt, Hannah W; Holmes, Alice E

2015-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the current clinical practice in approaches to bimodal programming in the United States. To be specific, if clinicians are recommending bimodal stimulation, who programs the hearing aid in the bimodal condition, and what method is used for programming the hearing aid? An 11-question online survey was created and sent via email to a comprehensive list of cochlear implant programming centers in the United States. The survey was sent to 360 recipients. Respondents in this study represented a diverse group of clinical settings (response rate: 26%). Results indicate little agreement about who programs the hearing aids, when they are programmed, and how they are programmed in the bimodal condition. Analysis of small versus large implant centers indicated small centers are less likely to add a device to the contralateral ear. Although a growing number of cochlear implant recipients choose to wear a hearing aid on the contralateral ear, there is inconsistency in the current clinical approach to bimodal programming. These survey results provide evidence of large variability in the current bimodal programming practices and indicate a need for more structured clinical recommendations and programming approaches.

Human factors implications of vehicle automation: Current understanding and future directions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merat, N.; de Waard, Dick

2014-01-01

Advances in vehicle-based technology are currently progressing at an ever- increasing rate and innovations in this area are no longer restricted to Original Equipment Manufacturers or the automotive industry, with service providers such as Google and a number of research institutes in Europe and

Magnetic Particle inspection by DC and AC magnetization current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Zhong Soo; Kim, Goo Hwa

1996-01-01

Dry magnetic particle inspection was performed to detect the surface defects of the steel billets. The detectability was evaluated according to magnetizing current, temperature, and amount of the magnetic particles on material. We selected a certain set of steel compositions for target materials. Their magnetic properties are measured with B-H hysteresis graph. Results of the magnetic particle inspection(MPI) by direct magnetizing current was compared with results of the finite element method calculations, which were verified by measurement of the magnetic leakage flux above the surface of material. For square rod materials, the magnetic flux density at the corner was about 30% of that at the face center with sufficiently large direct magnetizing current, while it is about 70% with alternating magnetizing current. Alternating magnetizing current generates rather uniform magnetic flux density running from the center to the corner except for the region of about 10 mm extending from the corner.

Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington DC, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Sugarman, Julie; Fee, Molly; Donovan, Anne

2015-01-01

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a private, nonprofit organization with over 50 years' experience in the application of research on language and culture to educational and societal concerns. CAL carries out its mission to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture by engaging in a variety of projects in…

Current Technology Trends for School Library Media Specialists

OpenAIRE

Leticia Ekhaml; Joan Hubbard

2003-01-01

An overview of some of the current technology trends used in classroom instruction and school library media centers in provided in this article such as the use of handheld electronic organizers, CD recorders, digital video cameras, and interactive whiteboards. The article offers some suggestions or ideas on how to acquire new technologies to school library media centers that are low in budgetary funds.

Moving from Damage-Centered Research through Unsettling Reflexivity

Science.gov (United States)

Calderon, Dolores

2016-01-01

The author revisits autoethnographic work in order to examine how she unwittingly incorporated damage-centered (Tuck 2009) research approaches that reproduce settler colonial understandings of marginalized communities. The paper examines the reproduction of settler colonial knowledge in ethnographic research by unearthing the inherent surveillance…

Towards the Understanding of Induced Seismicity in Enhanced Geothermal Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gritto, Roland [Array Information Technology, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Dreger, Douglas [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Heidbach, Oliver [Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (Germany, German Research Center for Geosciences; Hutchings, Lawrence [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2014-08-29

This DOE funded project was a collaborative effort between Array Information Technology (AIT), the University of California at Berkeley (UCB), the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). It was also part of the European research project “GEISER”, an international collaboration with 11 European partners from six countries including universities, research centers and industry, with the goal to address and mitigate the problems associated with induced seismicity in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The goal of the current project was to develop a combination of techniques, which evaluate the relationship between enhanced geothermal operations and the induced stress changes and associated earthquakes throughout the reservoir and the surrounding country rock. The project addressed the following questions: how enhanced geothermal activity changes the local and regional stress field; whether these activities can induce medium sized seismicity M > 3; (if so) how these events are correlated to geothermal activity in space and time; what is the largest possible event and strongest ground motion, and hence the potential hazard associated with these activities. The development of appropriate technology to thoroughly investigate and address these questions required a number of datasets to provide the different physical measurements distributed in space and time. Because such a dataset did not yet exist for an EGS system in the United State, we used current and past data from The Geysers geothermal field in northern California, which has been in operation since the 1960s. The research addressed the need to understand the causal mechanisms of induced seismicity, and demonstrated the advantage of imaging the physical properties and temporal changes of the reservoir. The work helped to model the relationship between injection and production and medium sized magnitude events that have

The Center for Intercultural Formation, Cuernavaca, Mexico, its reports (1962-1967 and Illich’s critical understanding of mission in Latin America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno-Jofré, Rosa

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the Reports of the Center for Intercultural Formation (CIF, which were produced in Cuernavaca, Mexico, between 1962-1967 by the Centro de Investigaciones Culturales (Center for Cultural Research (CIC, and supported since 1963 by the Centro Intercultural de Documentación (Center for Intercultural Documentation (CIDOC (an offshoot of CIC. The network is placed within the historical conjuncture of the early 1960s and the alignment of the Vatican with the Alliance for Progress and its anti-communist developmentalist community projects. The core of the paper centers in the ‘illocutionary force’ (Quentin Skinner behind Illich’s responses to John XXIII’s call to congregations and lay Catholics for a renewed mission in Latin America. It addresses Illich’s resignification of the understanding of mission and missioner rooted in the Gospel, the notion of incarnation in the culture rather than missioners being agents of their culture, and missionary “poverty” as a virtue of the community worker. Illich’s radicalization of his critical discourse led to a confrontation with the Vatican in 1967 and 1968 after he published “The Seamy Side of Charity” and “The Vanishing Clergyman” in the last year, 1967, of the CIF Report. The conflict with the Vatican signaled Illich’s turn to educational, health and other issues moving away from a critique of the institutionalized Catholic Church.Este artículo examina los Reports del Center of Intercultural Formation (CIF que fueron elaborados en Cuernavaca, México, entre 1962 y 1967 por el Centro de Investigaciones Culturales (CIC, y producidos desde 1963 por el Centro Intercultural de Documentación constituido dentro del CIC. Esta red de centros es situada dentro de la coyuntura histórica del principio de los años sesenta y de la convergencia entre el Vaticano y la Alianza para el Progreso y sus proyectos comunitarios desarrollistas. El artículo se centra en la �

Photorefraction in crystals with nonstationary photovoltaic current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volk, T.R.; Astaf'ev, S.B.; Razumovskij, N.V.

1995-01-01

Effect of photovoltaic current nonstationary components, conditioned by nonstationary character of photovoltaic centers, on photorefractive properties of LiNbO 3 crystals is considered. Analytic expressions describing nonstationary photovoltaic current effect on kinetics of recording and optical erasure of photorefraction are obtained. A possibility of nonstationary photovoltaic current occurrence in crystals with multilevel charge transfer circuit is considered. Recording light pulse duration effect on photorefraction in LiNbO 3 is discussed. 25 refs., 8 figs

Digitalization influence on shopping centers strategic management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ioniţă Irene Mihaela

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Shopping centers are an important aspect of the extremely dynamic life of the 21st century consumer. Nowadays, worldwide, shopping centers represent significant multimillion euro investments, remarking themselves with bold architectures and structures and an individual brand image. Retail markets are currently under transformation by a confluence of new retailing technologies, dramatic shifts in the demographic profile and preferences of more affluent and educated shoppers. Part of the market share in modern retail moved to new forms of selling, which weakened the offer of some traditional retailers, while also creating opportunities for retailers to move and integrate their offerings with new digital tools (via electronic commerce, social commerce and mobile commerce. Meeting customer needs and increasing sales are the primary drivers behind retailers use of information systems and technology (IS/IT. New developments in IS/IT offer new opportunities and challenges for organizations and society. The current paper proposes to analyze the way digital media and information technology (computers and mobile devices influences the virtual and physical shopping experiences, and shopping centers management consequently. The need for communication & sales channels integration, the impact of new information technologies (IT’s, the growing role of social / digital media, the balance between personalization and privacy – all represent challenges retail industry needs to currently adapt to face digitalization. E-commerce is transforming both consumer behavior and retailing business models, by greatly expanding shopping convenience, selection and affordability.

Understanding how to maintain compliance in the current regulatory climate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bignell, D.T.; Burns, R.

1995-01-01

High level radioactive waste facilities must maintain compliance with all regulatory requirements, even those requirements that have been promulgated after the facility was placed into operation. Facilities must aggressively pursue compliance because environmental laws often impose strict liability for violations; therefore, an honest mistake is no defense. Radioactive waste management is constantly under the public microscope, particularly those facilities that handle high-level radioactive waste. The Savannah River Site has effectively met the challenges of regulatory compliance in its HLRW facilities and plans are being formulated to meet future regulatory requirements as well. Understanding, aggressively achieving, and clearly demonstrating compliance is essential for the continued operations of radioactive waste management facilities. This paper examines how HLRW facilities are impacted by regulatory requirements and how compliance in this difficult area is achieved and maintained

New Conceptual Frameworks for Writing Center Work

Science.gov (United States)

Grimm, Nancy M.

2009-01-01

This article presents the author's address for the International Writing Centers Association Conference in Las Vegas. The author's argument in this talk stresses the importance of paying attention to the conceptual frames writing tutors use to understand the world, their work, and the impact of their work on the world, and this attentiveness to…

Understanding Pregnancy and Birth Issues

Science.gov (United States)

... Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Understanding Pregnancy and Birth Issues Past Issues / Winter 2008 Table ... turn Javascript on. What is a High-Risk Pregnancy? All pregnancies involve a certain degree of risk ...

MSU-Northern Bio-Energy Center of Excellence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kegel, Greg [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States); Alcorn-Windy Boy, Jessica [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States); Abedin, Md. Joynal [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States); Maglinao, Randy [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)

2014-09-30

MSU-Northern established the Bio-Energy Center (the Center) into a Regional Research Center of Excellence to address the obstacles concerning biofuels, feedstock, quality, conversion process, economic viability and public awareness. The Center built its laboratories and expertise in order to research and support product development and commercialization for the bio-energy industry in our region. The Center wanted to support the regional agricultural based economy by researching biofuels based on feedstock’s that can be grown in our region in an environmentally responsible manner. We were also interested in any technology that will improve the emissions and fuel economy performance of heavy duty diesel engines. The Center had a three step approach to accomplish these goals: 1. Enhance the Center’s research and testing capabilities 2. Develop advanced biofuels from locally grown agricultural crops. 3. Educate and outreach for public understanding and acceptance of new technology. The Center was very successful in completing the tasks as outlined in the project plan. Key successes include discovering and patenting a new chemical conversion process for converting camelina oil to jet fuel, as well as promise in developing a heterogeneous Grubs catalyst to support the new chemical conversion process. The Center also successfully fragmented and deoxygenated naturally occurring lignin with a Ni-NHC catalyst, showing promise for further exploration of using lignin for fuels and fuel additives. This would create another value-added product for lignin that can be sourced from beetle kill trees or waste products from cellulose ethanol fuel facilities.

SciDAC Visualization and Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Joy, Kenneth I. [Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)

2014-09-14

This project focuses on leveraging scientific visualization and analytics software technology as an enabling technology for increasing scientific productivity and insight. Advances in computational technology have resulted in an "information big bang," which in turn has created a significant data understanding challenge. This challenge is widely acknowledged to be one of the primary bottlenecks in contemporary science. The vision for our Center is to respond directly to that challenge by adapting, extending, creating when necessary and deploying visualization and data understanding technologies for our science stakeholders. Using an organizational model as a Visualization and Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies (VACET), we are well positioned to be responsive to the needs of a diverse set of scientific stakeholders in a coordinated fashion using a range of visualization, mathematics, statistics, computer and computational science and data management technologies.

The autophagosome: current understanding of formation and maturation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mannack LVJC

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Lilith VJC Mannack, Jon D Lane Cell Biology Laboratories, School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK Abstract: Autophagy is an important and highly conserved catabolic process with roles in development, homeostasis, and cellular stress responses. It describes various distinct pathways for the delivery of cytoplasmic materials (including misfolded protein aggregates and some organelles to the lysosome for degradation and component recycling. The best understood form of autophagy (macroautophagy describes the de novo assembly, maturation, and trafficking of a unique double membrane-bound organelle – the autophagosomes – that sequesters cytoplasmic materials and ultimately merges with the lysosomal compartment to form a degradative autolysosome. To rapidly assemble such a structure in response to stimuli, cells express a family of dedicated autophagy-related (ATG gene products that act sequentially to control membrane events leading first to the nucleation of an isolation membrane or phagophore, followed by phagophore expansion, and sealing to form an autophagosome that traffics to – and ultimately fuses with – the lysosome. These molecules are activated in response to upstream signaling pathways (notably, the mechanistic target of rapamycin [mTOR] pathway, and comprise protein and lipid kinases, putative membrane coats, and unique ubiquitin-like conjugation systems. In concert, a barrage of accessory proteins involved in various membrane trafficking pathways focused on the endosomal compartment are co-opted at the assembly site to facilitate autophagosome biogenesis. Understanding the integrated pathways that coordinate autophagosome assembly at the molecular level will be crucial if we are to realize the potential for autophagy manipulation in future disease therapies. Keywords: autophagy, ATG proteins, lysosome, phagophore, omegasome, autolysosome, membrane trafficking, ULK1, mTOR, PI(3 kinase, PI3P, LIR motif

Understanding Teachers' Professional Learning Goals from Their Current Professional Concerns

Science.gov (United States)

Louws, Monika L.; Meirink, Jacobiene A.; van Veen, Klaas; van Driel, Jan H.

2018-01-01

In the day-to-day workplace teachers direct their own learning, but little is known about what drives their decisions about what they would like to learn. These decisions are assumed to be influenced by teachers' current professional concerns. Also, teachers in different professional life phases have different reasons for engaging in professional…

Characteristics of medical teachers using student-centered teaching methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kyong-Jee; Hwang, Jee-Young

2017-09-01

This study investigated characteristics of medical teachers who have adopted student-centered teaching methods into their teaching. A 24-item questionnaire consisted of respondent backgrounds, his or her use of student-centered teaching methods, and awareness of the school's educational objectives and curricular principles was administered of faculty members at a private medical school in Korea. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were conducted to compare faculty use of student-centered approaches across different backgrounds and awareness of curricular principles. Overall response rate was 70% (N=140/200), approximately 25% (n=34) of whom were using student-centered teaching methods. Distributions in the faculty use of student-centered teaching methods were significantly higher among basic sciences faculty (versus clinical sciences faculty), with teaching experiences of over 10 years (versus less than 10 years), and who were aware of the school's educational objectives and curricular principles. Our study indicates differences in medical faculty's practice of student-centered teaching across disciplines, teaching experiences, and their understanding of the school's educational objectives curricular principles. These findings have implications for faculty development and institutional support to better promote faculty use of student-centered teaching approaches.

High-Tech Playground: Cultural Center Journey Expands Student Horizons of Faith and Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Colleen Curry

2003-01-01

Discusses how the John Paul II Cultural Center is an example of how Catholic educators have begun taking advantage of new teaching resources to help students understand their personal faith. Center contains hands-on and interactive journey to learning about Catholicism and the faiths of other people. (MZ)

Current Technology Trends for School Library Media Specialists

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leticia Ekhaml

2003-03-01

Full Text Available An overview of some of the current technology trends used in classroom instruction and school library media centers in provided in this article such as the use of handheld electronic organizers, CD recorders, digital video cameras, and interactive whiteboards. The article offers some suggestions or ideas on how to acquire new technologies to school library media centers that are low in budgetary funds.

Health care employee perceptions of patient-centered care.

Science.gov (United States)

Balbale, Salva Najib; Turcios, Stephanie; LaVela, Sherri L

2015-03-01

Given the importance of health care employees in the delivery of patient-centered care, understanding their unique perspectives is essential for quality improvement. The purpose of this study was to use photovoice to evaluate perceptions and experiences around patient-centered care among U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) health care employees. We asked participants to take photographs of salient features in their environment related to patient-centered care. We used the photographs to facilitate dialogue during follow-up interviews. Twelve VA health care employees across two VA sites participated in the project. Although most participants felt satisfied with their work environment and experiences at the VA, they identified several areas for improvement. These included a need for more employee health and wellness initiatives and a need for enhanced opportunities for training and professional growth. Application of photovoice enabled us to learn about employees' unique perspectives around patient-centered care while engaging them in an evaluation of care delivery. © The Author(s) 2014.

Optical properties of implanted Xe color centers in diamond

Science.gov (United States)

Sandstrom, Russell; Ke, Li; Martin, Aiden; Wang, Ziyu; Kianinia, Mehran; Green, Ben; Gao, Wei-bo; Aharonovich, Igor

2018-03-01

Optical properties of color centers in diamond have been the subject of intense research due to their promising applications in quantum photonics. In this work we study the optical properties of Xe related color centers implanted into nitrogen rich (type IIA) and an ultrapure, electronic grade diamond. The Xe defect has two zero phonon lines at ∼794 nm and 811 nm, which can be effectively excited using both green and red excitation, however, its emission in the nitrogen rich diamond is brighter. Near resonant excitation is performed at cryogenic temperatures and luminescence is probed under strong magnetic field. Our results are important towards the understanding of the Xe related defect and other near infrared color centers in diamond.

Stern-Center Potsdam; Stern-Center Potsdam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

1999-07-01

The ''Stern-Center Potsdam'' is a star-shaped shopping mall in the city center. [German] Das Stern-Center in Potsdam bietet als Einkaufszentrum vor den Toren Berlins Platz fuer eine Vielzahl von Geschaeften. Die sternfoermige Gebaeudestruktur des Centers bildet den Mittelpunkt des Stadtviertels 'Am Stern'. (orig.)

Sexual Violence Screening Practices of Student Health Centers Located on Universities in Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Halstead, Valerie; Williams, Jessica R.; Gattamorta, Karina; Gonzalez-Guarda, Rosa

2017-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe current sexual violence screening practices of student health centers located on universities in Florida. Participants: Institutional level data was collected from 33 student health centers from November 2015 through January 2016. The student health centers were located on public or private…

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy: an update on the current understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Addington, James; Freimer, Miriam

2016-01-01

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy is a common side effect of selected chemotherapeutic agents. Previous work has suggested that patients often under report the symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and physicians fail to recognize the presence of such symptoms in a timely fashion. The precise pathophysiology that underlies chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, in both the acute and the chronic phase, remains complex and appears to be medication specific. Recent work has begun to demonstrate and further clarify potential pathophysiological processes that predispose and, ultimately, lead to the development of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. There is increasing evidence that the pathway to neuropathy varies with each agent. With a clearer understanding of how these agents affect the peripheral nervous system, more targeted treatments can be developed in order to optimize treatment and prevent long-term side effects.

Top 10 Research Questions Related to Teaching Games for Understanding.

Science.gov (United States)

Memmert, Daniel; Almond, Len; Bunker, David; Butler, Joy; Fasold, Frowin; Griffin, Linda; Hillmann, Wolfgang; Hüttermann, Stefanie; Klein-Soetebier, Timo; König, Stefan; Nopp, Stephan; Rathschlag, Marco; Schul, Karsten; Schwab, Sebastian; Thorpe, Rod; Furley, Philip

2015-01-01

In this article, we elaborate on 10 current research questions related to the "teaching games for understanding" (TGfU) approach with the objective of both developing the model itself and fostering game understanding, tactical decision making, and game-playing ability in invasion and net/wall games: (1) How can existing scientific approaches from different disciplines be used to enhance game play for beginners and proficient players? (2) How can state-of-the-art technology be integrated to game-play evaluations of beginners and proficient players by employing corresponding assessments? (4) How can complexity thinking be utilized to shape day-to-day physical education (PE) and coaching practices? (5) How can game making/designing be helpfully utilized for emergent learning? (6) How could purposeful game design create constraints that enable tactical understanding and skill development through adaptive learning and distributed cognition? (7) How can teacher/coach development programs benefit from game-centered approaches? (8) How can TGfU-related approaches be implemented in teacher or coach education with the goal of facilitating preservice and in-service teachers/coaches' learning to teach and thereby foster their professional development from novices to experienced practitioners? (9) Can the TGfU approach be considered a helpful model across different cultures? (10) Can physical/psychomotor, cognitive, affective/social, and cultural development be fostered via TGfU approaches? The answers to these questions are critical not only for the advancement of teaching and coaching in PE and sport-based clubs, but also for an in-depth discussion on new scientific avenues and technological tools.

Clinical quality performance in U.S. health centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Leiyu; Lebrun, Lydie A; Zhu, Jinsheng; Hayashi, Arthur S; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles A; Sripipatana, Alek; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

2012-12-01

To describe current clinical quality among the nation's community health centers and to examine health center characteristics associated with performance excellence. National data from the 2009 Uniform Data System. Health centers reviewed patient records and reported aggregate data to the Uniform Data System. Six measures were examined: first-trimester prenatal care, childhood immunization completion, Pap tests, low birth weight, controlled hypertension, and controlled diabetes. The top 25 percent performing centers were compared with lower performing (bottom 75 percent) centers on these measures. Logistic regressions were utilized to assess the impact of patient, provider, and institutional characteristics on health center performance. Clinical care and outcomes among health centers were generally comparable to national averages. For instance, 67 percent of pregnant patients received timely prenatal care (national = 68 percent), 69 percent of children achieved immunization completion (national = 67 percent), and 63 percent of hypertensive patients had blood pressure under control (national = 48 percent). Depending on the measure, centers with more uninsured patients were less likely to do well, while centers with more physicians and enabling service providers were more likely to do well. Health centers provide quality care at rates comparable to national averages. Performance may be improved by increasing insurance coverage among patients and increasing the ratios of physicians and enabling service providers to patients. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Acute care patient portals: a qualitative study of stakeholder perspectives on current practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Sarah A; Rozenblum, Ronen; Leung, Wai Yin; Morrison, Constance Rc; Stade, Diana L; McNally, Kelly; Bourie, Patricia Q; Massaro, Anthony; Bokser, Seth; Dwyer, Cindy; Greysen, Ryan S; Agarwal, Priyanka; Thornton, Kevin; Dalal, Anuj K

2017-04-01

To describe current practices and stakeholder perspectives of patient portals in the acute care setting. We aimed to: (1) identify key features, (2) recognize challenges, (3) understand current practices for design, configuration, and use, and (4) propose new directions for investigation and innovation. Mixed methods including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and site visits with stakeholders at leading academic medical centers. Thematic analyses to inform development of an explanatory model and recommendations. Site surveys were administered to 5 institutions. Thirty interviews/focus groups were conducted at 4 site visits that included a total of 84 participants. Ten themes regarding content and functionality, engagement and culture, and access and security were identified, from which an explanatory model of current practices was developed. Key features included clinical data, messaging, glossary, patient education, patient personalization and family engagement tools, and tiered displays. Four actionable recommendations were identified by group consensus. Design, development, and implementation of acute care patient portals should consider: (1) providing a single integrated experience across care settings, (2) humanizing the patient-clinician relationship via personalization tools, (3) providing equitable access, and (4) creating a clear organizational mission and strategy to achieve outcomes of interest. Portals should provide a single integrated experience across the inpatient and ambulatory settings. Core functionality includes tools that facilitate communication, personalize the patient, and deliver education to advance safe, coordinated, and dignified patient-centered care. Our findings can be used to inform a "road map" for future work related to acute care patient portals. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Assessing the integration of health center and community emergency preparedness and response planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Wineman, Nicole V; Braun, Barbara I; Barbera, Joseph A; Loeb, Jerod M

2007-11-01

To assess the state of health center integration into community preparedness, we undertook a national study of linkages between health centers and the emergency preparedness and response planning initiatives in their communities. The key objectives of this project were to gain a better understanding of existing linkages in a nationally representative sample of health centers, and identify health center demographic and experience factors that were associated with strong linkages. The objectives of the study were to gain a baseline understanding of existing health center linkages to community emergency preparedness and response systems and to identify factors that were associated with strong linkages. A 60-item questionnaire was mailed to the population of health centers supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration's Bureau of Primary Health Care in February 2005. Results were aggregated and a chi square analysis identified factors associated with stronger linkages. Overall performance on study-defined indicators of strong linkages was low: 34% had completed a hazard vulnerability analysis in collaboration with the community emergency management agency, 30% had their role documented in the community plan, and 24% participated in community-wide exercises. Stronger linkages were associated with experience responding to a disaster and a perception of high risk for experiencing a disaster. The potential for health centers to participate in an integrated response is not fully realized, and their absence from community-based planning leaves an already vulnerable population at greater risk. Community planners should be encouraged to include health centers in planning and response and centers should receive more targeted resources for community integration.

Understanding disruptions in tokamaksa)

Science.gov (United States)

Zakharov, Leonid E.; Galkin, Sergei A.; Gerasimov, Sergei N.; contributors, JET-EFDA

2012-05-01

This paper describes progress achieved since 2007 in understanding disruptions in tokamaks, when the effect of plasma current sharing with the wall was introduced into theory. As a result, the toroidal asymmetry of the plasma current measurements during vertical disruption event (VDE) on the Joint European Torus was explained. A new kind of plasma equilibria and mode coupling was introduced into theory, which can explain the duration of the external kink 1/1 mode during VDE. The paper presents first results of numerical simulations using a free boundary plasma model, relevant to disruptions.

ATHENA: Remote Sensing Science Center for Cultural Heritage in Cyprus

Science.gov (United States)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasiliki; Themistocleous, Kyriakos; Cuca, Branka; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-04-01

The Cultural Heritage (CH) sector, especially those of monuments and sites has always been facing a number of challenges from environmental pressure, pollution, human intervention from tourism to destruction by terrorism.Within this context, CH professionals are seeking to improve currently used methodologies, in order to better understand, protect and valorise the common European past and common identity. "ATHENA" H2020-TWINN-2015 project will seek to improve and expand the capabilities of the Cyprus University of Technology, involving professionals dealing with remote sensing technologies for supporting CH sector from the National Research Center of Italy (CNR) and German Aerospace Centre (DLR). The ATHENA centre will be devoted to the development, introduction and systematic use of advanced remote sensing science and technologies in the field of archaeology, built cultural heritage, their multi-temporal analysis and interpretation and the distant monitoring of their natural and anthropogenic environment in the area of Eastern Mediterranean.

Human-centered design of the human-system interfaces of medical equipment: thyroid uptake system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monteiro, Jonathan K.R.; Farias, Marcos S.; Santos, Isaac J.A. Luquetti; Monteiro, Beany G.

2013-01-01

Technology plays an important role in modern medical centers, making healthcare increasingly complex, relying on complex technical equipment. This technical complexity is particularly noticeable in the nuclear medicine. Poorly design human-system interfaces can increase the risks for human error. The human-centered approach emphasizes the development of the equipment with a deep understanding of the users activities, current work practices, needs and abilities of the users. An important concept of human-centered design is that the ease-of-use of the equipment can be ensured only if users are actively incorporated in all phases of the life cycle of design process. Representative groups of users are exposed to the equipment at various stages in development, in a variety of testing, evaluation and interviewing situations. The users feedback obtained is then used to refine the design, with the result serving as input to the next interaction of design process. The limits of the approach are that the users cannot address any particular future needs without prior experience or knowledge about the equipment operation. The aim of this paper is to present a methodological framework that contributes to the design of the human-system interfaces, through an approach related to the users and their activities. A case study is described in which the methodological framework is being applied in development of new human-system interfaces of the thyroid uptake system. (author)

Neoclassical MHD equilibria with ohmic current

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokuda, Shinji; Takeda, Tatsuoki; Okamoto, Masao.

1989-01-01

MHD equilibria of tokamak plasmas with neoclassical current effects (neoclassical conductivity and bootstrap current) were calculated self-consistently. Neoclassical effects on JFT-2M tokamak plasmas, sustained by ohmic currents, were studied. Bootstrap currents flow little for L-mode type equilibria because of low attainable values of poloidal beta, β J . H-mode type equilibria give bootstrap currents of 30% ohmic currents for β J attained by JFT-2M and 100% for β J ≥ 1.5, both of which are sufficient to change the current profiles and the resultant MHD equilibria. Neoclassical conductivity which has roughly half value of the classical Spitzer conductivity brings peaked ohmic current profiles to yield low safety factor at the magnetic axis. Neoclassical conductivity reduces the value of effective Z(Z eff ) which is necessary to give the observed one-turn voltage but it needs impurities accumulating at the center when such peaked current profiles are not observed. (author)

Oceanic Storm Characteristics off the Kennedy Space Center Coast

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, J. G.; Simpson, A. A.; Cummins, K. L.; Kiriazes, J. J.; Brown, R. G.; Mata, C. T.

2014-01-01

Natural cloud-to-ground lightning may behave differently depending on the characteristics of the attachment mediums, including the peak current (inferred from radiation fields) and the number of ground strike locations per flash. Existing literature has raised questions over the years on these characteristics of lightning over oceans, and the behaviors are not yet well understood. To investigate this we will obtain identical electric field observations over adjacent land and ocean regions during both clear air and thunderstorm periods. Oceanic observations will be obtained using a 3-meter NOAA buoy that has been instrumented with a Campbell Scientific electric field mill and New Mexico Techs slow antenna, to measure the electric fields aloft. We are currently obtaining measurements from this system on-shore at the Florida coast, to calibrate and better understand the behavior of the system in elevated-field environments. Sometime during winter 2013, this system will be moored 20NM off the coast of the Kennedy Space Center. Measurements from this system will be compared to the existing on-shore electric field mill suite of 31 sensors and a coastal slow antenna. Supporting observations will be provided by New Mexico Techs Lightning Mapping Array, the Eastern Range Cloud to Ground Lightning Surveillance System, and the National Lightning Detection Network. An existing network of high-speed cameras will be used to capture cloud-to-ground lightning strikes over the terrain regions to identify a valid data set for analysis. This on-going project will demonstrate the value of off-shore electric field measurements for safety-related decision making at KSC, and may improve our understanding of relative lightning risk to objects on the ground vs. ocean. This presentation will provide an overview of this new instrumentation, and a summary of our progress to date.

Western Gulf of Mexico June 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Jun_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico April 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Apr_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico November 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Nov_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico February 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Feb_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico March 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Mar_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico October 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999)[ocean_currents_wgom_Oct_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico May 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_May_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico July 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Jul_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Western Gulf of Mexico May 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_May_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico August 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Aug_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico October 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Oct_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico August 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Aug_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Western Gulf of Mexico April 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Apr_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico September 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Sep_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico January 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Jan_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico June 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Jun_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico July 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Jul_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico March 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Mar_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Western Gulf of Mexico September 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Sep_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Western Gulf of Mexico February 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Feb_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico December 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Dec_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico November 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Nov_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico January 1997 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_Jan_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Western Gulf of Mexico December 1994 Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_Dec_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Great aspirations: the postwar American college counseling center.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, Tom

2014-02-01

In the decade after World War II, psychologists, eager to bring the benefits of counseling to larger numbers, convinced hundreds of American colleges and universities to establish counseling centers. Inspired by the educational-vocational counseling center founded by psychologists at the University of Minnesota in 1932, Carl R. Rogers's "client-centered" methods of personal adjustment counseling, and the 400-plus college counseling centers created by the Veterans Administration to provide the educational-vocational counseling benefit promised to returning World War II servicemen under the 1944 GI Bill, these counseling psychologists created a new place to practice where important currents in psychology, higher education, and federal policy converged and where they attempted to integrate educational-vocational counseling with personal adjustment counseling based on techniques from psychotherapy. By the mid-1960s, half of America's colleges and universities had established counseling centers, and more than 90% offered students educational, vocational, and psychological counseling services, a great achievement of the first generation of counseling psychologists.

Current Understandings of the Research-Practice Gap From the Viewpoint of Complementary Medicine Academics: A Mixed-Method Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, Matthew J; Tucker, Basil

Research plays an important role in advancing health and healthcare. However, much research evidence is not reflected in contemporary complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice. Understanding and addressing the reasons for this research-practice gap may have positive implications for quality of care. To shed light on the gap between research and CAM practice. Descriptive cross-sectional, mixed-method study. A total of 126 senior CAM academics across Australasia, Europe, UK, and North America. Participants completed a 30-item online survey and a semi-structured interview; both of which explored the research-practice gap in CAM. A total of 43 (34%) academics completed the survey, with 29 (67%) respondents undergoing an interview. There was general agreement among respondents that CAM research should be informed by practice, and practice informed by research; however, most agreed that this did not reflect the current situation. Translational issues were perceived to be the primary reason for the research-practice gap in CAM. Suggested strategies for closing the gap focussed mostly around improving CAM student/practitioner education and training, and researcher-practitioner engagement and collaboration. Study findings point toward the presence of a research-practice gap in CAM, with several factors likely to be instrumental in sustaining this gap. Attention now needs to focus on understanding the views of CAM clinicians on this issue. Insights gained from this research will help inform the development of a multi-modal strategy that will effectively target the barriers to change in order to bring CAM research and practice closer together. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

How much electricity can we save by using direct current circuits in homes? Understanding the potential for electricity savings and assessing feasibility of a transition towards DC powered buildings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasgo, Brock; Azevedo, Inês Lima; Hendrickson, Chris

2016-01-01

Highlights: • DC distribution systems are analyzed using monitored appliance and solar PV data. • DC-distributed PV energy generates savings under real-world load and solar profiles. • Savings from direct-DC are generally not cost-effective in current markets. • Non-technical hurdles remain before DC can be widely adopted in US homes. - Abstract: Advances in semiconductor-based power electronics and growing direct current loads in buildings have led researchers to reconsider whether buildings should be wired with DC circuits to reduce power conversions and facilitate a transition to efficient DC appliances. The feasibility, energy savings, and economics of such systems have been assessed and proven in data centers and commercial buildings, but the outcomes are still uncertain for the residential sector. In this work, we assess the technical and economic feasibility of DC circuits using data for 120 traditionally-wired AC homes in Austin, Texas to understand the effect of highly variable demand profiles on DC-powered residences, using appliance-level use and solar generation data, and performing a Monte Carlo simulation to quantify costs and benefits. Results show site energy savings between 9% and 20% when solar PV is distributed to all home appliances. When battery storage for excess solar energy is considered, these savings increase to 14–25%. At present DC equipment prices, converting all equipment to DC causes levelized annual costs of electricity to homeowners to roughly double. However, by converting only homes’ air conditioning condensing units to DC, the costs of direct-DC are greatly reduced and home site energy savings of 7–16% are generated. In addition to quantifying savings, we find major nontechnical barriers to implementing direct-DC in homes. These include a lack of standards for such systems, a relatively small market for DC appliances and components, utility programs designed for AC power, and a workforce unfamiliar with DC

The Center is Everywhere

OpenAIRE

Weinberg, David H.

2012-01-01

"The Center is Everywhere" is a sculpture by Josiah McElheny, currently (through October 14, 2012) on exhibit at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. The sculpture is based on data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), using hundreds of glass crystals and lamps suspended from brass rods to represent the three-dimensional structure mapped by the SDSS through one of its 2000+ spectroscopic plugplates. This article describes the scientific ideas behind this sculpture, emphasizing the p...

NDE training activities at the EPRI NDE center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

The need for an industry-wide qualification for NDE personnel is becoming more evident in both in-service inspection and technical skills training. ASME Section XI requirements for the qualification and certification of visual, ultrasonic, and eddy current examines is one of the major areas being supported by training at the Center. The other major thrust is in response to the Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group and its recognition of the importance of the UT operator's accurately detecting, discriminating, and sizing intergranular stress corrosion cracks (IGSCC) in piping, and inspecting weld overlay repairs of these cracked pipes. In addition, the pressurized water reactor (PWR) utilities have recognized the importance of improved eddy current data analysis of steam generator tubing. The overall intent of the Center's training is to meet the most critical utility needs with quality training that can be used by the trainee's employer as a part of its certification of that individual. To do this, the Center has organized and activated a carefully maintained documentation and records system built around the Continuing Education Unit (CEU). To address the problem of the small supply of entry-level NDE personnel available to the utilities, the Center has developed, through its Human Resource Development, academic and utility co-op programs to generate guidelines and NDE teaching materials for high schools, technical schools, and universities

From the model of integral attention to the creation of centers of excellence in rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos-Moreno, Pedro; Castañeda, Oswaldo; Garro, Boris; Flores, Dennis; Sánchez, Guillermo; Castro, Carlos

2015-03-01

For the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the care of patients with chronic diseases currently experiences fragmentation in attention, generating poor performance of health services. Thus, comprehensive health care strategies arise to mitigate these problems; one of them are Centers of Excellence (CoEs), which aim to obtain high quality results in health from the adequate and minimum use of resources. The objective of this study was to describe the history and current context of the CoE in comprehensive care in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A systematic search of the literature terms (MeSH) was performed. The bases used were PubMed, Ebsco Host, Lilacs, Science Direct, Ovid, and Google (gray literature). The source of the information was evaluated to determine its quality. International standards focus the CoEs starting from comprehensive management of patients with RA and patient volume, continuous improvement, and quality of health care, constituting an interdisciplinary team. The REAL-PANLAR group suggested that the inclusion of the strategy "Treat to Target", and patient education improves patient conditions and understanding of the disease. RA is a prevalent and costly disease. The creation of comprehensive care centers of the CoE type is an initiative that improves the prognosis of RA. This document aims to encourage rheumatologists and scientific societies to structure CoE in an interdisciplinary endeavor.

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

. A wide variety of hybrid electric vehicle models is currently available. Although HEVs are often -go traffic), further improving fuel economy. Mild hybrid systems cannot power the vehicle using Hybrid Electric Vehicles to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Hybrid Electric

The Emerging Role of the Chief Research Informatics Officer in Academic Health Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez-Pinto, L Nelson; Mosa, Abu S M; Fultz-Hollis, Kate; Tachinardi, Umberto; Barnett, William K; Embi, Peter J

2017-08-16

The role of the Chief Research Informatics Officer (CRIO) is emerging in academic health centers to address the challenges clinical researchers face in the increasingly digitalized, data-intensive healthcare system. Most current CRIOs are the first officers in their institutions to hold that role. To date there is very little published information about this role and the individuals who serve it. To increase our understanding of the CRIO role, the leaders who serve it, and the factors associated with their success in their organizations. The Clinical Research Informatics Working Group of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) conducted a national survey of CRIOs in the United States and convened an expert panel of CRIOs to discuss their experience during the 2016 AMIA Annual Symposium. CRIOs come from diverse academic backgrounds. Most have advance training and extensive experience in biomedical informatics but the majority have been CRIOs for less than three years. CRIOs identify funding, data governance, and advancing data analytics as their major challenges. CRIOs play an important role in helping shape the future of clinical research, innovation, and data analytics in healthcare in their organizations. They share many of the same challenges and see the same opportunities for the future of the field. Better understanding the background and experience of current CRIOs can help define and develop the role in other organizations and enhance their influence in the field of research informatics.

Understanding intellectual disability through RASopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

San Martín, Alvaro; Pagani, Mario Rafael

2014-01-01

Intellectual disability, commonly known as mental retardation in the International Classification of Disease from World Health Organization, is the term that describes an intellectual and adaptive cognitive disability that begins in early life during the developmental period. Currently the term intellectual disability is the preferred one. Although our understanding of the physiological basis of learning and learning disability is poor, a general idea is that such condition is quite permanent. However, investigations in animal models suggest that learning disability can be functional in nature and as such reversible through pharmacology or appropriate learning paradigms. A fraction of the cases of intellectual disability is caused by point mutations or deletions in genes that encode for proteins of the RAS/MAP kinase signaling pathway known as RASopathies. Here we examined the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in this group of genetic disorders focusing in studies which provide evidence that intellectual disability is potentially treatable and curable. The evidence presented supports the idea that with the appropriate understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, intellectual disability could be treated pharmacologically and perhaps through specific mechanistic-based teaching strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding Game-Based Learning Cultures: Introduction to Special Issue

Science.gov (United States)

Engerman, Jason A.; Carr-Chellman, Alison

2017-01-01

This special issue expands our understanding of teaching and learning through video game play, with specific attention to culture. The issue gives insight into the ways educators, researchers, and developers should be discussing and designing for impactful learner-centered game-based learning experiences. The issue features forward-thinking…

Internet gaming addiction: current perspectives

OpenAIRE

Kuss, DJ

2013-01-01

Daria J KussPsychology Research and Behavior Management, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UKAbstract: In the 2000s, online games became popular, while studies of Internet gaming addiction emerged, outlining the negative consequences of excessive gaming, its prevalence, and associated risk factors. The establishment of specialized treatment centers in South-East Asia, the US, and Europe reflects the growing need for professional help. It is argued that only by understanding the appeal o...

Information sharing guidebook for transportation management centers, emergency operations centers, and fusion centers

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

This guidebook provides an overview of the mission and functions of transportation management centers, emergency operations centers, and fusion centers. The guidebook focuses on the types of information these centers produce and manage and how the sh...

Information sharing guidebook for transportation management centers, emergency operations centers, and fusion centers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-01

This guidebook provides an overview of the mission and functions of transportation management centers, emergency operations centers, and fusion centers. The guidebook focuses on the types of information these centers produce and manage and how the sh...

Interdisciplinary research center devoted to molecular environmental science opens

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, David J.

In October, a new research center opened at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. The center is the product of over a decade of ground-breaking interdisciplinary research in the Earth and related biological and chemical sciences at the university The center also responds to the British governments policy of investing in research infrastructure at key universities.The Williamson Research Centre, the first of its kind in Britain and among the first worldwide, is devoted to the emerging field of molecular environmental science. This field also aims to bring about a revolution in understanding of our environment. Though it may be a less violent revolution than some, perhaps, its potential is high for developments that could affect us all.

Targeting the androgen receptor in triple-negative breast cancer: current perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mina A

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Alain Mina,1 Rachel Yoder,2 Priyanka Sharma1 1Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Westwood, 2University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA Abstract: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC is an aggressive subtype associated with frequent recurrence and metastasis. Unlike hormone receptor-positive subtypes, treatment of TNBC is currently limited by the lack of clinically available targeted therapies. Androgen signaling is necessary for normal breast development, and its dysregulation has been implicated in breast tumorigenesis. In recent years, gene expression studies have identified a subset of TNBC that is enriched for androgen receptor (AR signaling. Interference with androgen signaling in TNBC is promising, and AR-inhibiting drugs have shown antitumorigenic activity in preclinical and proof of concept clinical studies. Recent advances in our understanding of androgenic signaling in TNBC, along with the identification of interacting pathways, are allowing development of the next generation of clinical trials with AR inhibitors. As novel AR-targeting agents are developed and evaluated in clinical trials, it is equally important to establish a robust set of biomarkers for identification of TNBC tumors that are most likely to respond to AR inhibition. Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, androgen signaling, targeted therapy, biomarkers, prognosis 

Current Understanding of the Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields.

Science.gov (United States)

Miah, Tayaba; Kamat, Deepak

2017-04-01

There has been an exponential increase in the use of electronic devices over the past few decades. This has led to increased exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF). Electric fields result from differences in voltage, whereas magnetic fields result from the flow of electric current. Higher-frequency waves of EMF have more energy than lower-frequency waves, and thus generally tend to be more harmful. An EMF activates cellular stress response and also causes breaks in DNA strands. There are many methodological barriers to effectively measuring the associations of EMF and childhood cancers. The consensus from multiple studies is that there is no causal role of extremely low-frequency EMFs in childhood cancers, including brain cancer. A recent study showed a link between EMF radiation and the development of malignant tumors in rats. In light of that study, the American Academy of Pediatrics set out new recommendations to decrease the adverse effects of cellphone exposure on children. [Pediatr Ann. 2017;46(4):e172-e174.]. Copyright 2017, SLACK Incorporated.

2009 Center for Army Leadership Annual Survey of Army Leadership (CASAL): Army Education

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

right time, handling pre- education attitudes, and tracking performance gains and career advantages related to academics.  Developing current, relevant...Army Leadership Technical Report 2010-2 2009 CENTER FOR ARMY LEADERSHIP ANNUAL SURVEY OF ARMY LEADERSHIP (CASAL): ARMY EDUCATION ...Joshua Hatfield ICF International John P. Steele Center for Army Leadership June 2010 The Center for Army Leadership An

Applied Physics Research at the Idaho Accelerator Center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Date, D. S.; Hunt, A. W.; Chouffani, K.; Wells, D. P.

2011-01-01

The Idaho Accelerator Center, founded in 1996 and based at Idaho State University, supports research, education, and high technology economic development in the United States. The research center currently has eight electron linear accelerators ranging in energy from 6 to 44 MeV with the latter linear accelerator capable of picosecond pulses, a 2 MeV positive-ion Van de Graaff, a 4 MV Nec tandem Pelletron, and a pulsed-power 8 k A, 10 MeV electron induction accelerator. Current research emphases include, accelerator physics research, accelerator based medical isotope production, active interrogation techniques for homeland security and nuclear nonproliferation applications, non destructive testing and materials science studies in support of industry as well as the development of advanced nuclear fuels, pure and applied radio-biology, and medical physics. This talk will highlight three of these areas including the production of the isotopes 99 Tc and 67 Cu for medical diagnostics and therapy, as well as two new technologies currently under development for nuclear safeguards and homeland security - namely laser Compton scattering and the polarized photofission of actinides

Citizen centered design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ingrid Mulder

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Today architecture has to design for rapidly changing futures, in a citizen-centered way. That is, architecture needs to embrace meaningful design. Societal challenges ask for a new paradigm in city-making, which combines top-down public management with bottom-up social innovation to reach meaningful design. The biggest challenge is indeed to embrace a new collaborative attitude, a participatory approach, and to have the proper infrastructure that supports this social fabric. Participatory design and transition management are future-oriented, address people and institutions. Only through understanding people in context and the corresponding dynamics, one is able to design for liveable and sustainable urban environments, embracing the human scale.

Assessment of PWR plutonium burners for nuclear energy centers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frankel, A.J.; Shapiro, N.L.

1976-06-01

The purpose of the study was to explore the performance and safety characteristics of PWR plutonium burners, to identify modifications to current PWR designs to enhance plutonium utilization, to study the problems of deploying plutonium burners at Nuclear Energy Centers, and to assess current industrial capability of the design and licensing of such reactors. A plutonium burner is defined to be a reactor which utilizes plutonium as the sole fissile addition to the natural or depleted uranium which comprises the greater part of the fuel mass. The results of the study and the design analyses performed during the development of C-E's System 80 plant indicate that the use of suitably designed plutonium burners at Nuclear Energy Centers is technically feasible

Individual-and Setting-Level Correlates of Secondary Traumatic Stress in Rape Crisis Center Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Dworkin, Emily R; Sorell, Nicole R; Allen, Nicole E

2016-02-01

Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is an issue of significant concern among providers who work with survivors of sexual assault. Although STS has been studied in relation to individual-level characteristics of a variety of types of trauma responders, less research has focused specifically on rape crisis centers as environments that might convey risk or protection from STS, and no research to knowledge has modeled setting-level variation in correlates of STS. The current study uses a sample of 164 staff members representing 40 rape crisis centers across a single Midwestern state to investigate the staff member-and agency-level correlates of STS. Results suggest that correlates exist at both levels of analysis. Younger age and greater severity of sexual assault history were statistically significant individual-level predictors of increased STS. Greater frequency of supervision was more strongly related to secondary stress for non-advocates than for advocates. At the setting level, lower levels of supervision and higher client loads agency-wide accounted for unique variance in staff members' STS. These findings suggest that characteristics of both providers and their settings are important to consider when understanding their STS. © The Author(s) 2014.

Multi-criteria clinical decision support: A primer on the use of multiple criteria decision making methods to promote evidence-based, patient-centered healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James G

2010-01-01

Current models of healthcare quality recommend that patient management decisions be evidence-based and patient-centered. Evidence-based decisions require a thorough understanding of current information regarding the natural history of disease and the anticipated outcomes of different management options. Patient-centered decisions incorporate patient preferences, values, and unique personal circumstances into the decision making process and actively involve both patients along with health care providers as much as possible. Fundamentally, therefore, evidence-based, patient-centered decisions are multi-dimensional and typically involve multiple decision makers.Advances in the decision sciences have led to the development of a number of multiple criteria decision making methods. These multi-criteria methods are designed to help people make better choices when faced with complex decisions involving several dimensions. They are especially helpful when there is a need to combine "hard data" with subjective preferences, to make trade-offs between desired outcomes, and to involve multiple decision makers. Evidence-based, patient-centered clinical decision making has all of these characteristics. This close match suggests that clinical decision support systems based on multi-criteria decision making techniques have the potential to enable patients and providers to carry out the tasks required to implement evidence-based, patient-centered care effectively and efficiently in clinical settings.The goal of this paper is to give readers a general introduction to the range of multi-criteria methods available and show how they could be used to support clinical decision-making. Methods discussed include the balance sheet, the even swap method, ordinal ranking methods, direct weighting methods, multi-attribute decision analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

UC Berkeley/Stanford Children’s Environment Health Center

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — The overall goal of this Center is to better understand the effects of exposure in the womb to air pollutants and airborne bacteria on newborn health, immune system...

Building an outpatient imaging center: A case study at genesis healthcare system, part 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanci, Jim

2006-01-01

In the second of 2 parts, this article will focus on process improvement projects utilizing a case study at Genesis HealthCare System located in Zanesville, OH. Operational efficiency is a key step in developing a freestanding diagnostic imaging center. The process improvement projects began with an Expert Improvement Session (EIS) on the scheduling process. An EIS session is a facilitated meeting that can last anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days. Its intention is to take a group of people involved with the problem or operational process and work to understand current failures or breakdowns in the process. Recommendations are jointly developed to overcome any current deficiencies, and a work plan is structured to create ownership over the changes. A total of 11 EIS sessions occurred over the course of this project, covering 5 sections: Scheduling/telephone call process, Pre-registration, Verification/pre-certification, MRI throughput, CT throughput. Following is a single example of a project focused on the process improvement efforts. All of the process improvement projects utilized a quasi methodology of "DMAIC" (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control).

Center for computation and visualization of geometric structures. [Annual], Progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-02-12

The mission of the Center is to establish a unified environment promoting research, education, and software and tool development. The work is centered on computing, interpreted in a broad sense to include the relevant theory, development of algorithms, and actual implementation. The research aspects of the Center are focused on geometry; correspondingly the computational aspects are focused on three (and higher) dimensional visualization. The educational aspects are likewise centered on computing and focused on geometry. A broader term than education is `communication` which encompasses the challenge of explaining to the world current research in mathematics, and specifically geometry.

Low Current Magnet

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

Because Goddard Space Flight Center needed a way to cool sensors aboard the AXAF, a low current superconducting magnet was developed under contract by Cryomagnetics, Inc. The magnet, now commercially available, reduced the rate of helium consumption, extending the lifetime of the AXAF's x-ray spectrometer. On Earth, it offers a way to reduce operating costs through smaller, less expensive power supplies and reduced use of coolant. The magnet has particular advantages for MRI systems, as it is safer and has lower maintenance requirements.

Development of indigenous irradiator - current progress and challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anwar A Rahman; Mohd Arif Hamzah; Muhd Nor Atan; Aznor Hassan; Fadil Ismail; Julia A Karim; Rosli Darmawan

2009-01-01

The development of indigenous irradiator is one of Prototype Development Center main project to support Nuclear Malaysia services. Three (3) projects have been identified and currently the status is in final stage of design. There are some issues and challenges encountered, which delayed the project progress. The paper will discuss the current progress of development and challenges faced in designing the irradiator. (Author)

KBTAC: EPRI's center to assist the nuclear industry to apply the knowledge-based technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, Chinglu; Naser, J.A.; Sun, B.K.H.

1993-01-01

The nuclear utility industry's complex engineering and procedure systems offer many opportunities for use of the knowledge-based technology such as expert systems and neural networks. The ability of expert systems to enhance human experts makes them an important tool in the areas of engineering, operations and maintenance. However, many current industry applications are research projects or turnkey systems supplied by vendors. These often do not impart to utility technical staff a clear understanding of the capabilities of knowledge-based systems (KBS). More importantly, simply using completed applications does not meet utilities' need to acquire the capabilities to build their own knowledge-based systems. Thus, EPRI is supporting its member utilities utilization of knowledge-based technology for power plant engineering, operations, and maintenance applications through the establishment of the Knowledge-Based Technology Application Center (KBTAC)

Understanding Molecular Conduction: Old Wine in a New Bottle?

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Avik

2007-03-01

Molecules provide an opportunity to test our understanding of fundamental non-equilibrium transport processes, as well as explore new device possibilities. We have developed a unified approach to nanoscale conduction, coupling bandstructure and electrostatics of the channel and contacts with a quantum kinetic theory of current flow. This allows us to describe molecular conduction at various levels of detail, -- from quantum corrected compact models, to semi-empirical models for quick physical insights, and `first-principles' calculations of current-voltage (I-V) characteristics with no adjustable parameters. Using this suite of tools, we can quantitatively explain various experimental I-Vs, including complex reconstructed silicon substrates. We find that conduction in most molecules is contact dominated, and limited by fundamental electrostatic and thermodynamic restrictions quite analogous to those faced by the silicon industry, barring a few interesting exceptions. The distinction between molecular and silicon electronics must therefore be probed at a more fundamental level. Ultra-short molecules are unique in that they possess large Coulomb energies as well as anomalous vibronic couplings with current flow -- in other words, strong non-equilibrium electron-electron and electron-phonon correlations. These effects yield prominent experimental signatures, but require a completely different modeling approach -- in fact, popular approaches to include correlation typically do not work for non-equilibrium. Molecules exhibit rich physics, including the ability to function both as weakly interacting current conduits (quantum wires) as well as strongly correlated charge storage centers (quantum dots). Theoretical treatment of the intermediate coupling regime is particularly challenging, with a large `fine structure constant' for transport that negates orthodox theories of Coulomb Blockade and phonon-assisted tunneling. It is in this regime that the scientific and

Intergenerational Learning at a Nature Center: Families Using Prior Experiences and Participation Frameworks to Understand Raptors

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; McClain, Lucy Richardson

2014-01-01

Using a sociocultural framework to approach intergenerational learning, this inquiry examines learning processes used by families during visits to one nature center. Data were collected from videotaped observations of families participating in an environmental education program and a follow-up task to draw the habitat of raptors. Based on a…

SciDAC visualization and analytics center for enabling technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bethel, E Wes; Johnson, Chris; Joy, Ken; Ahern, Sean; Pascucci, Valerio; Childs, Hank; Cohen, Jonathan; Duchaineau, Mark; Hamann, Bernd; Hansen, Charles; Laney, Dan; Lindstrom, Peter; Meredith, Jeremy; Ostrouchov, George; Parker, Steven; Silva, Claudio; Sanderson, Allen; Tricoche, Xavier

2007-01-01

The Visualization and Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies (VACET) focuses on leveraging scientific visualization and analytics software technology as an enabling technology for increasing scientific productivity and insight. Advances in computational technology have resulted in an 'information big bang,' which in turn has created a significant data understanding challenge. This challenge is widely acknowledged to be one of the primary bottlenecks in contemporary science. The vision of VACET is to adapt, extend, create when necessary, and deploy visual data analysis solutions that are responsive to the needs of DOE's computational and experimental scientists. Our center is engineered to be directly responsive to those needs and to deliver solutions for use in DOE's large open computing facilities. The research and development directly target data understanding problems provided by our scientific application stakeholders. VACET draws from a diverse set of visualization technology ranging from production quality applications and application frameworks to state-of-the-art algorithms for visualization, analysis, analytics, data manipulation, and data management

Observed eddy dissipation in the Agulhas Current

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Braby, L

2016-08-01

Full Text Available (negative) velocity anomalies propagate downstream in the Agulhas Current at 44 km/d (23 km/d). Many models are unable to represent these eddy dissipation processes, affecting our understanding of the Agulhas Current....

[Report from the Student Press Law Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Student Press Law Center, Washington, DC.

The Student Press Law Center serves as a national clearinghouse to collect, analyze, and distribute information on the First Amendment rights of student journalists and journalism teachers and on violations of these rights in high schools and colleges. This report details information concerning current censorship incidents: the investigation by…

Iowa Water Center | Iowa Water Center

Science.gov (United States)

Home Iowa State University Extension Iowa Water Center Submitted by mollyd on April 24, 2012 - 09 :42 Advancing the state of water knowledge and management The Iowa Water Center is a part of a nationwide network of university-based water centers created to encourage interdisciplinary water research

The 21st-Century Dental Curriculum: A Framework for Understanding Current Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassebaum, Denise K; Tedesco, Lisa A

2017-08-01

This article provides an overview of the emergence of professional education and academic dentistry, in particular into the comprehensive research university. The development of academic dentistry as a vital member of the academic health center at the research university and beyond is described. Summaries are provided of major studies and innovations in dental education models and curricula, ranging from the Gies report in 1926 to the 1995 Institute of Medicine study Dental Education at the Crossroads , the U.S. surgeon general's report on oral health in 2000, the Macy study report in 2008, and the American Dental Education Association Commission on Change and Innovation in Dental Education (ADEA CCI) series of articles published from 2005 to 2009. The article also tracks changes in number and institutional affiliation of U.S. dental schools. This article was written as part of the project "Advancing Dental Education in the 21 st Century."

The Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University

Science.gov (United States)

Flannery, Daniel J.; Singer, Mark I.

2015-01-01

Established in the year 2000, the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education is a multidisciplinary center located at a school of social work that engages in collaborative, community-based research and evaluation that spans multiple systems and disciplines. The Center currently occupies 4,200 sq. ft. with multiple offices and…

User-Centered Design through Learner-Centered Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Altay, Burçak

2014-01-01

This article initially demonstrates the parallels between the learner-centered approach in education and the user-centered approach in design disciplines. Afterward, a course on human factors that applies learner-centered methods to teach user-centered design is introduced. The focus is on three tasks to identify the application of theoretical and…

User-centered virtual environment design for virtual rehabilitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rizzo Albert A

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background As physical and cognitive rehabilitation protocols utilizing virtual environments transition from single applications to comprehensive rehabilitation programs there is a need for a new design cycle methodology. Current human-computer interaction designs focus on usability without benchmarking technology within a user-in-the-loop design cycle. The field of virtual rehabilitation is unique in that determining the efficacy of this genre of computer-aided therapies requires prior knowledge of technology issues that may confound patient outcome measures. Benchmarking the technology (e.g., displays or data gloves using healthy controls may provide a means of characterizing the "normal" performance range of the virtual rehabilitation system. This standard not only allows therapists to select appropriate technology for use with their patient populations, it also allows them to account for technology limitations when assessing treatment efficacy. Methods An overview of the proposed user-centered design cycle is given. Comparisons of two optical see-through head-worn displays provide an example of benchmarking techniques. Benchmarks were obtained using a novel vision test capable of measuring a user's stereoacuity while wearing different types of head-worn displays. Results from healthy participants who performed both virtual and real-world versions of the stereoacuity test are discussed with respect to virtual rehabilitation design. Results The user-centered design cycle argues for benchmarking to precede virtual environment construction, especially for therapeutic applications. Results from real-world testing illustrate the general limitations in stereoacuity attained when viewing content using a head-worn display. Further, the stereoacuity vision benchmark test highlights differences in user performance when utilizing a similar style of head-worn display. These results support the need for including benchmarks as a means of better

User-centered virtual environment design for virtual rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Fidopiastis, Cali M; Rizzo, Albert A; Rolland, Jannick P

2010-02-19

As physical and cognitive rehabilitation protocols utilizing virtual environments transition from single applications to comprehensive rehabilitation programs there is a need for a new design cycle methodology. Current human-computer interaction designs focus on usability without benchmarking technology within a user-in-the-loop design cycle. The field of virtual rehabilitation is unique in that determining the efficacy of this genre of computer-aided therapies requires prior knowledge of technology issues that may confound patient outcome measures. Benchmarking the technology (e.g., displays or data gloves) using healthy controls may provide a means of characterizing the "normal" performance range of the virtual rehabilitation system. This standard not only allows therapists to select appropriate technology for use with their patient populations, it also allows them to account for technology limitations when assessing treatment efficacy. An overview of the proposed user-centered design cycle is given. Comparisons of two optical see-through head-worn displays provide an example of benchmarking techniques. Benchmarks were obtained using a novel vision test capable of measuring a user's stereoacuity while wearing different types of head-worn displays. Results from healthy participants who performed both virtual and real-world versions of the stereoacuity test are discussed with respect to virtual rehabilitation design. The user-centered design cycle argues for benchmarking to precede virtual environment construction, especially for therapeutic applications. Results from real-world testing illustrate the general limitations in stereoacuity attained when viewing content using a head-worn display. Further, the stereoacuity vision benchmark test highlights differences in user performance when utilizing a similar style of head-worn display. These results support the need for including benchmarks as a means of better understanding user outcomes, especially for patient

Current results of the tandem mirror experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drake, R.P.

1980-01-01

The basic operating characteristics of the Tandem Mirror Experiment, (TMX) at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in the USA have been established. Tandem-mirror plasmas have been produced using neutral-beam-fueled end plugs and a gas-fueled center cell. An axial potential well between the end plugs has been measured. There is direct evidence that this potential well enhances the axial confinement of the center-cell ions. The observed densities and loss currents are consistent with preliminary studies of the particle sources and losses near the magnetic axis. The observed confinement is consistent with theory when plasma fluctuations are low. When the requirement of drift-cyclotron loss-cone mode stability is violated, the plasma fluctuations degrade the center-cell confinement

An Overview of Hydrologic Studies at Center for Forested Wetlands Research, USDA Forest Service

Science.gov (United States)

Devendra M. Amatya; Carl C. Trettin; R. Wayne Skaggs; Timothy J. Callahan; Ge Sun; Masato Miwa; John E. Parsons

2004-01-01

Managing forested wetland landscapes for water quality improvement and productivity requires a detailed understanding of functional linkages between ecohydrological processes and management practices. Studies are being conducted at Center for Forested Wetlands Research (CFWR), USDA Forest Service to understand the fundamental hydrologic and biogeochemical processes...

Recombination luminescence from H centers and conversion of H centers into I centers in alkali iodides

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berzina, B.J.

1981-01-01

The study is aimed at the search for H-plus-electron centers of luminescence and the investigation of the conversion of H- into I centers by the luminescence of H-plus-electron centers in alkali iodide crystals. KI, RbI and NaI crystals were studied at 12 K. H and F centers were created by irradiation with ultraviolet light corresponding to the absorption band of anion excitons. Then the excitation of electron centers by red light irradiation was followed. The spectra of stimulated recombination luminescence were studied. The luminescence of H-plus- electron centers had been observed and the conclusion was made that this center was formed on immobile H centers. In case of stable H centers the optically stimulated conversion of H centers into I centers occurs. The assumption is advanced on the spontaneous annihilation of near placed unstable F, H centers which leads to the creation of H-plus-electron luminescence centers and to the spontaneous H-I-centers conversion [ru

Current Account Adjustment: Some New Theory and Evidence

OpenAIRE

Jiandong Ju; Shang-Jin Wei

2007-01-01

This paper aims to provide a theory of current account adjustment that generalizes the textbook version of the intertemporal approach to current account and places domestic labor market institutions at the center stage. In general, in response to a shock, an economy adjusts through a combination of a change in the composition of goods trade (i.e., intra-temporal trade channel) and a change in the current account (i.e., intertemporal trade channel). The more rigid the labor market, the slower ...

Drinfeld currents of dynamical elliptic algebra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hou Boyu; Fan Heng; Yang Wenli; Cao Junpeng

2000-01-01

From the generalized Yang-Baxter relations RLL=LLR*, where R and R* are the dynamical R-matrix of A n-1 (1) type face model with the elliptic module shifted by the center of the algebra, using the Ding-Frenkel correspondence, the authors obtain the Drinfeld currents of dynamical elliptic algebra

The Phoenix Physician: defining a pathway toward leadership in patient-centered care.

Science.gov (United States)

Good, Robert G; Bulger, John B; Hasty, Robert T; Hubbard, Kevin P; Schwartz, Elliott R; Sutton, John R; Troutman, Monte E; Nelinson, Donald S

2012-08-01

Health care delivery has evolved in reaction to scientific and technological discoveries, emergent patient needs, and market forces. A current focus on patient-centered care has pointed to the need for the reallocation of resources to improve access to and delivery of efficient, cost-effective, quality care. In response to this need, primary care physicians will find themselves in a new role as team leader. The American College of Osteopathic Internists has developed the Phoenix Physician, a training program that will prepare primary care residents and practicing physicians for the changes in health care delivery and provide them with skills such as understanding the contributions of all team members (including an empowered and educated patient), evaluating and treating patients, and applying performance metrics and information technology to measure and improve patient care and satisfaction. Through the program, physicians will also develop personal leadership and communication skills.

Simple currents versus orbifolds with discrete torsion -- a complete classification

CERN Document Server

Kreuzer, M

1994-01-01

We give a complete classification of all simple current modular invariants, extending previous results for $(\\Zbf_p)^k$ to arbitrary centers. We obtain a simple explicit formula for the most general case. Using orbifold techniques to this end, we find a one-to-one correspondence between simple current invariants and subgroups of the center with discrete torsions. As a by-product, we prove the conjectured monodromy independence of the total number of such invariants. The orbifold approach works in a straightforward way for symmetries of odd order, but some modifications are required to deal with symmetries of even order. With these modifications the orbifold construction with discrete torsion is complete within the class of simple current invariants. Surprisingly, there are cases where discrete torsion is a necessity rather than a possibility.

Simple currents versus orbifolds with discrete torsion - a complete classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreuzer, M.; Schellekens, A.N.

1993-01-01

We give a complete classification of all simple current modular invariants, extending previous results for (Z p ) k to arbitrary centers. We obtain a simple explicit formula for the most general case. Using orbifold techniques to this end, we find a one-to-one correspondence between simple current invariants and subgroups of the center with discrete torsions. As a by-product, we prove the conjectured monodromy independence of the total number of such invariants. The orbifold approach works in a straightforward way for symmetries of odd order, but some modifications are required to deal with symmetries of even order. With these modifications the orbifold construction with discrete torsion is complete within the class of simple current invariants. Surprisingly, there are cases where discrete torsion is a necessity rather than a possibility. (orig.)

Improving access to care through the patient-centered medical home.

Science.gov (United States)

North, Stephen W; McElligot, James; Douglas, Gaye; Martin, Amanda

2014-02-01

School-based health centers (SBHCs) serve an essential role in providing access to high-quality, comprehensive care to underserved children and adolescents in more than 2,000 schools across the United States. SBHCs are an essential component of the health care safety net, and their role in the patient-centered medical home (PCMH) continues to evolve as both collaborating partners and, when fully functioning, independent PCMHs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) supports the use of SBHCs, citing the proven benefits and exciting potential as justification, but also offers caution and recommends a focus on communication within the community. Traditional "brick and mortar" SBHCs are more likely to be located in urban communities (54.2% urban versus 18.0% rural) and be in schools with more students, allowing for a greater return on investment. Current SBHCs are located in schools with an average population of 997 students. The need for a large school population to help an SBHC approach financial viability excludes children in rural communities who are more likely to attend a school with fewer than 500 students, be poor, and have difficulty accessing health care.2 The expansion of telehealth technologies allows the creation of solutions to decrease geographic barriers that have limited the growth of SBHCs in rural communities. Telehealth school-based health centers (tSBHCs) that exclusively provide services through telemedicine are operating and developing in communities where geographic barriers and financial challenges have prevented the establishment of brick and mortar SBHCs. TSBHCs are beginning to increase the number and variety of services they provide through the use of telehealth to include behavioral health, nutrition services, and pediatric specialists. Understanding the role of tSBHCs in the growth of the PCMH model is critical for using these tools to continue to improve child and adolescent health. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

NOS CO-OPS Active Currents Data, 6-Minute

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset has surface Active Currents data from NOAA NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). WARNING: These raw data have not...

Understanding Factors Affecting Primary School Teachers' Use of ICT for Student-Centered Education in Mongolia

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shengru; Yamaguchi, Shinobu; Takada, Jun-ichi

2018-01-01

The past two decades witnessed continuous uptake of ICT in education, and the importance of teachers' beliefs for adopting ICT in education was revealed in the context of educational change. In recent years, the Mongolian educational system has placed more emphasis on student-centered education and the use of ICT in teaching and learning. Teacher…

Information technology leadership in academic medical centers: a tale of four cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Friedman, C P

1999-07-01

Persons and groups within academic medical centers bring consistent and predictable viewpoints to planning and decision making. The varied professional and academic cultures of these individuals appear to account primarily for the diversity of their viewpoints. Understanding these professional cultures can help leaders achieve some predictability in the complex environments for which they are responsible. Leaders in information technology in particular, in order to be successful, must become part-time anthropologists, immersing themselves in the varied workplaces of their constituents to understand the work they do and the cultures that have grown up around this work. Only in this way will they be able to manage the challenges that arise continuously as the technology and the needs it can address change over time. In this article, the author briefly describes the concept of culture, portrays four specific professional cultures that typically coexist in academic medical centers, and argues that understanding these cultures is absolutely critical to effective management and use of information resources.

Organ acquisition cost centers Part I: medicare regulations--truth or consequence.

Science.gov (United States)

Abecassis, M

2006-12-01

Organ Acquisition Cost Centers (OACC) were designed to encourage and incentivize hospitals to provide transplantation services. The purpose of this article (Part I) is to familiarize transplant professionals and transplant center administrators with the regulations that govern OACC. An historical perspective of the evolution of these regulations is necessary to better understand the basic principles underlying this complex area of transplant finance. There is a wide variation in transplant center OACC reporting, suggesting under-reporting by some and overreporting by others. Correct reporting is essential since OACC are auditable. We have surveyed 13 audits by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of transplant center OACC in an attempt to identify trends in reporting practices by transplant centers that are not deemed acceptable by the OIG. We discuss these findings in the context of some basic definitions that refer specifically to cost accounting principles necessary for accurate reporting of OACC.

Understanding Breaks in Flare X-Ray Spectra: Evaluation of a Cospatial Collisional Return-current Model

Science.gov (United States)

Alaoui, Meriem; Holman, Gordon D.

2017-12-01

Hard X-ray (HXR) spectral breaks are explained in terms of a one-dimensional model with a cospatial return current. We study 19 flares observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager with strong spectral breaks at energies around a few deka-keV, which cannot be explained by isotropic albedo or non-uniform ionization alone. We identify these breaks at the HXR peak time, but we obtain 8 s cadence spectra of the entire impulsive phase. Electrons with an initially power-law distribution and a sharp low-energy cutoff lose energy through return-current losses until they reach the thick target, where they lose their remaining energy through collisions. Our main results are as follows. (1) The return-current collisional thick-target model provides acceptable fits for spectra with strong breaks. (2) Limits on the plasma resistivity are derived from the fitted potential drop and deduced electron-beam flux density, assuming the return current is a drift current in the ambient plasma. These resistivities are typically 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than the Spitzer resistivity at the fitted temperature, and provide a test for the adequacy of classical resistivity and the stability of the return current. (3) Using the upper limit of the low-energy cutoff, the return current is always stable to the generation of ion-acoustic and electrostatic ion-cyclotron instabilities when the electron temperature is nine times lower than the ion temperature. (4) In most cases, the return current is most likely primarily carried by runaway electrons from the tail of the thermal distribution rather than by the bulk drifting thermal electrons. For these cases, anomalous resistivity is not required.

Perception of risk and benefit in patient-centered communication and care

OpenAIRE

Hakim, Amin

2011-01-01

Amin HakimHealthcare Consulting, Staten Island, NY, USAAbstract: There has been an increase in the adoption of patient-centered communication and accountable care that has generated greater interest in understanding patient perception of risk and benefit (PPRB). Patients find complex medical information hard to understand, resulting in inaccurate conclusions. Health behavior models describe the processes that individuals use to arrive at decisions concerning their own care. Studies have shown...

Magnetic resonance imaging of athletic pubalgia and the sports hernia: current understanding and practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Waseem; Zoga, Adam C; Meyers, William C

2013-02-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become the standard imaging modality for activity-related groin pain. Lesions, including rectus abdominis/adductor aponeurosis injury and osteitis pubis, can be accurately identified and delineated in patients with clinical conditions termed athletic pubalgia, core injury, and sports hernia. A dedicated noncontrast athletic pubalgia MRI protocol is easy to implement and should be available at musculoskeletal MR imaging centers. This article will review pubic anatomy, imaging considerations, specific lesions, and common MRI findings encountered in the setting of musculoskeletal groin pain. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 33228 - Final Waiver and Extension of the Project Period for the National Dropout Prevention Center for...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-04

... the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students With Disabilities [Catalog of Federal Domestic... period enables the currently funded National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities... Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities. The Center was funded under the Technical...

Staff roster for 1979: National Center for Analysis of Energy Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

This publication is a compilation of resumes from the current staff of the National Center for Analysis of Energy Systems. The Center, founded in January 1976, is one of four areas within the Department of Energy and Environment at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The emphasis of programs at the Center is on energy policy and planning studies at the regional, national, and international levels, involving quantitative, interdisciplinary studies of the technological, economic, social, and environmental aspects of energy systems. To perform these studies the Center has assembled a staff of experts in the areas of science, technology, economics planning, health and safety, information systems, and quantitative analysis.

Pyroclastic Density Current Hazards in the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Brand, B. D.; Gravley, D.; Clarke, A. B.; Bloomberg, S. H.

2012-12-01

The most dangerous phenomena associated with phreatomagmatic eruptions are dilute pyroclastic density currents (PDCs). These are turbulent, ground-hugging sediment gravity currents that travel radially away from the explosive center at up to 100 m/s. The Auckland Volcanic Field (AVF), New Zealand, consists of approximately 50 eruptive centers, at least 39 of which have had explosive phreatomagmatic behaviour. A primary concern for future AVF eruptions is the impact of dilute PDCs in and around the Auckland area. We combine field observations from the Maungataketake tuff ring, which has one of the best exposures of dilute PDC deposits in the AVF, with a quantitative model for flow of and sedimentation from a radially-spreading, steady-state, depth-averaged dilute PDC (modified from Bursik and Woods, 1996 Bull Volcanol 58:175-193). The model allows us to explore the depositional mechanisms, macroscale current dynamics, and potential impact on societal infrastructure of dilute PDCs from a future AVF eruption. The lower portion of the Maungataketake tuff ring pyroclastic deposits contains trunks, limbs and fragments of Podocarp trees (strength of the wood, we calculate that dynamic pressures (Pdyn) of 10-75 kPa are necessary to topple trees of this size and composition. Thus the two main criteria for model success based on the field evidence include (a) Pdyn must be >10 kPa nearer than 0.9 km to the vent, and 35 kPa can be expected within 3 km from source, ensuring complete destruction of the area; Pdyn > 15 kPa up to 5 km from source, resulting in heavy structural damage to most buildings and near destruction of weaker buildings; and Pdyn <10 kPa at ~6 km from source, resulting in severe damage to weaker structures at least up to this distance. This exercise illustrates our ability to combine field measurements with numerical techniques to explore controlling parameters of dilute PDC dynamics. These tools can be used to understand and estimate the damage potential and

A Case Study Documenting the Process by Which Biology Instructors Transition from Teacher-Centered to Learner-Centered Teaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Marbach-Ad, Gili; Hunt Rietschel, Carly

2016-01-01

In this study, we used a case study approach to obtain an in-depth understanding of the change process of two university instructors who were involved with redesigning a biology course. Given the hesitancy of many biology instructors to adopt evidence-based, learner-centered teaching methods, there is a critical need to understand how biology instructors transition from teacher-centered (i.e., lecture-based) instruction to teaching that focuses on the students. Using the innovation-decision model for change, we explored the motivation, decision-making, and reflective processes of the two instructors through two consecutive, large-enrollment biology course offerings. Our data reveal that the change process is somewhat unpredictable, requiring patience and persistence during inevitable challenges that arise for instructors and students. For example, the change process requires instructors to adopt a teacher-facilitator role as opposed to an expert role, to cover fewer course topics in greater depth, and to give students a degree of control over their own learning. Students must adjust to taking responsibility for their own learning, working collaboratively, and relinquishing the anonymity afforded by lecture-based teaching. We suggest implications for instructors wishing to change their teaching and administrators wishing to encourage adoption of learner-centered teaching at their institutions. © 2016 G. Marbach-Ad and C. H. Rietschel. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

The VINEYARD project: Versatile Integrated Accelerator-based Heterogeneous Data Centers

OpenAIRE

Kachris, Christoforos; Soudris, Dimitrios; Gaydadjiev, Georgi; Nguyen, Huy-Nam

2016-01-01

Emerging applications like cloud computing and big data analytics have created the need for powerful centers hosting hundreds of thousands of servers. Currently, the data centers are based on general purpose processors that provide high flexibility but lacks the energy efficiency of customized accelerators. VINEYARD1 aims to develop novel servers based on programmable hardware accelerators. Furthermore, VINEYARD will develop an integrated framework for allowing end-users to seamlessly utilize...

Enhancing Reading Comprehension with Student-Centered iPad Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, Andria L.; Wold, Cheryl M.; Francom, Gregory M.

2017-01-01

Reading comprehension, or understanding the author's message, is a critical component of teaching literacy (Hougen and Smartt 2012). Student-centered activities using the iPad with the goal of improving reading comprehension in a fifth-grade classroom were implemented for this action research study. University teacher candidates guided fifth-grade…

Narrative History of the Resistance Screening Center: It’s Origins, Leadership and Partial List of Public Benefits and Scientific Contributions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol Young

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Forty years ago, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA Forest Service developed and currently operates the Resistance Screening Center near Asheville, North Carolina, as a service to both industry and university-based tree improvement programs and tree-seed exporting companies in the southern US, Mexico, and Central America. Seed lots from more than 15,000 selections of slash and loblolly pines have been evaluated for genetically-controlled resistance to fusiform rust and other diseases including pitch canker, dogwood anthracnose, and brown spot needle blight. The screening system uses a greenhouse-based artificial inoculation system with controlled density of inoculum from geographically diverse sources of the rust pathogen. Results are completed in 6–9 months and are reasonably well-correlated with field-based progeny tests. Operating costs of the Center are shared by both the USDA Forest Service and its clients. The technologically sophisticated methods and professional skills of the Center staff have been applied to facilitate and accelerate progress in region-wide timber production, scientific understanding of the fusiform rust pathosystem, and graduate education of forest geneticists and pathologists in universities.

SU-G-IeP2-05: Effect of Localizer Type and Patient Off-Centering On CT Radiation Dose with Use of Automatic Tube Current Modulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan, C; Sodickson, A; Hamberg, L

2016-01-01

Purpose: Apparent patient size in CT localizers varies with localizer type and patient positioning, resulting in variation in effective mAs as guided by Tube Current Modulation (TCM). Our aim was to investigate the effects of vertical off-centering on CTDI-vol when using different localizer types and TCM strengths. Methods: A CTDI body phantom was scanned using an abdominal protocol with three TCM strengths (Siemens Definition AS40, CAREDose4D; very weak, average, very strong). Data was acquired at 11 table height positions; with phantom center at isocenter and at 10 other positions between 142mm below and 53mm above. At each position, scans were acquired using 5 different localizer types: PA, AP, Lateral, PA+Lateral, and Lateral+PA. CTDI-vol was recorded for the 165 combinations of table height, localizer type, and TCM strength, and magnification factors measured from localizer images. Results: Magnification factors from AP and PA localizers ranged from 0.79–1.11 and 1.35–0.91, respectively from lowest to highest positions (highest with phantom located closest to X-ray tube), with a smaller impact when using Lateral, PA+Lateral, Lateral+PA localizer types, all of which behaved similarly. For an average TCM strength and PA localizer, CTDI-vol ranged from 75% higher to 12% lower than the isocenter value for the lowest to highest table positions, respectively. For table positions ranging from lowest to highest, CTDI-vol ranged from −23% to 17% for AP, from −8% to 0.3% for lateral and from −7% to 1% for a combination of PA and Lateral in either order. Similar behavior was found for different TCM strengths, but effects were more pronounced for very strong compared with very weak modulation strengths. Conclusion: Patient off-centering substantially impacts radiation dose, which depends on the amount of vertical offcentering and type of the localizer used. The combination of PA and Lateral localizers is most robust against effects of patient off-centering.

SU-G-IeP2-05: Effect of Localizer Type and Patient Off-Centering On CT Radiation Dose with Use of Automatic Tube Current Modulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan, C; Sodickson, A; Hamberg, L [Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: Apparent patient size in CT localizers varies with localizer type and patient positioning, resulting in variation in effective mAs as guided by Tube Current Modulation (TCM). Our aim was to investigate the effects of vertical off-centering on CTDI-vol when using different localizer types and TCM strengths. Methods: A CTDI body phantom was scanned using an abdominal protocol with three TCM strengths (Siemens Definition AS40, CAREDose4D; very weak, average, very strong). Data was acquired at 11 table height positions; with phantom center at isocenter and at 10 other positions between 142mm below and 53mm above. At each position, scans were acquired using 5 different localizer types: PA, AP, Lateral, PA+Lateral, and Lateral+PA. CTDI-vol was recorded for the 165 combinations of table height, localizer type, and TCM strength, and magnification factors measured from localizer images. Results: Magnification factors from AP and PA localizers ranged from 0.79–1.11 and 1.35–0.91, respectively from lowest to highest positions (highest with phantom located closest to X-ray tube), with a smaller impact when using Lateral, PA+Lateral, Lateral+PA localizer types, all of which behaved similarly. For an average TCM strength and PA localizer, CTDI-vol ranged from 75% higher to 12% lower than the isocenter value for the lowest to highest table positions, respectively. For table positions ranging from lowest to highest, CTDI-vol ranged from −23% to 17% for AP, from −8% to 0.3% for lateral and from −7% to 1% for a combination of PA and Lateral in either order. Similar behavior was found for different TCM strengths, but effects were more pronounced for very strong compared with very weak modulation strengths. Conclusion: Patient off-centering substantially impacts radiation dose, which depends on the amount of vertical offcentering and type of the localizer used. The combination of PA and Lateral localizers is most robust against effects of patient off-centering.

Current Status of Single-incision Laparoscopic Surgery

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Irfan; Ciancio, Fabio; Ferrara, Vincenzo

2012-01-01

Recent advances in minimally invasive surgery have centered on reducing the number of incisions required, which has led to the development of the single-incision laparoscopic technique. A panel of European single-incision laparoscopy experts met to discuss the current status of, and the future...

Lessons learned: mobile device encryption in the academic medical center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kusche, Kristopher P

2009-01-01

The academic medical center is faced with the unique challenge of meeting the multi-faceted needs of both a modern healthcare organization and an academic institution, The need for security to protect patient information must be balanced by the academic freedoms expected in the college setting. The Albany Medical Center, consisting of the Albany Medical College and the Albany Medical Center Hospital, was challenged with implementing a solution that would preserve the availability, integrity and confidentiality of business, patient and research data stored on mobile devices. To solve this problem, Albany Medical Center implemented a mobile encryption suite across the enterprise. Such an implementation comes with complexities, from performance across multiple generations of computers and operating systems, to diversity of application use mode and end user adoption, all of which requires thoughtful policy and standards creation, understanding of regulations, and a willingness and ability to work through such diverse needs.

What Are Cancer Centers Advertising to the Public? A Content Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Vater, Laura B.; Donohue, Julie M.; Arnold, Robert; White, Douglas B; Chu, Edward; Schenker, Yael

2015-01-01

Background Although critics have expressed concerns about cancer center advertising, the content of these advertisements has not been analyzed. Objective To characterize the informational and emotional content of cancer center advertisements. Design Systematic analysis of all cancer center advertisements in top U.S. consumer magazines (N=269) and television networks (N=44) in 2012. Measurements Using a standardized codebook, we assessed (1) types of clinical services promoted; (2) information provided about clinical services, including risks, benefits, and costs; (3) use of emotional advertising appeals; and (4) use of patient testimonials. Two investigators independently coded advertisements using ATLAS.ti. Kappa values ranged from 0.77 to 1.0. Results A total of 102 cancer centers placed 409 unique clinical advertisements in top media markets in 2012. Advertisements promoted treatments (88%) more often than screening (18%) or supportive services (13%; padvertised therapies were described more often than risks (27% vs. 2%; padvertisements mentioned insurance coverage or costs (5%). Emotional appeals were frequent (85%), most often evoking hope for survival (61%), describing cancer treatment as a fight or battle (41%), and evoking fear (30%). Nearly half of advertisements included patient testimonials, usually focused on survival or cure. Testimonials rarely included disclaimers (15%) and never described the results a typical patient might expect. Limitations Internet advertisements were not included. Conclusions Clinical advertisements by cancer centers frequently promote cancer therapy using emotional appeals that evoke hope and fear while rarely providing information about risks, benefits, or costs. Further work is needed to understand how these advertisements influence patient understanding and expectations of benefit from cancer treatments. PMID:24863081

Current challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies for the treatment of psoriasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Melissa B; Hill, Dane; Feldman, Steven R

2016-10-01

Psoriasis is a common skin disorder associated with physical, social, psychological and financial burden. Over the past two decades, advances in our understanding of pathogenesis and increased appreciation for the multifaceted burden of psoriasis has led to new treatment development and better patient outcomes. Yet, surveys demonstrate that many psoriasis patients are either undertreated or are dissatisfied with treatment. There are many barriers that need be overcome to optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction. This review covers the current challenges associated with each major psoriasis treatment strategy (topical, phototherapy, oral medications and biologics). It also reviews the challenges associated with the psychosocial aspects of the disease and how they affect treatment outcomes. Patient adherence, inconvenience, high costs, and drug toxicities are all discussed. Then, we review the emerging drug delivery strategies in topical, oral, and biologic therapy. By outlining current treatment challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies, we hope to highlight the deficits in psoriasis treatment and strategies for how to overcome them. Regardless of disease severity, clinicians should use a patient-centered approach. In all cases, we need to balance patients' psychosocial needs, treatment costs, convenience, and effectiveness with patients' preferences in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

A web-based database for EPR centers in semiconductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umeda, T.; Hagiwara, S.; Katagiri, M.; Mizuochi, N.; Isoya, J.

2006-01-01

We develop a web-based database system for electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) centers in semiconductors. This database is available to anyone at http://www.kc.tsukuba.ac.jp/div-media/epr/. It currently has more than 300 records of the spin-Hamiltonian parameters for major known EPR centers. One can upload own new records to the database or can use simulation tools powered by EPR-NMR(C). Here, we describe the features and objectives of this database, and mention some future plans

Understanding movement data and movement processes: current and emerging directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Schick, Robert S; Loarie, Scott R; Colchero, Fernando; Best, Benjamin D; Boustany, Andre; Conde, Dalia A; Halpin, Patrick N; Joppa, Lucas N; McClellan, Catherine M; Clark, James S

2008-12-01

Animal movement has been the focus on much theoretical and empirical work in ecology over the last 25 years. By studying the causes and consequences of individual movement, ecologists have gained greater insight into the behavior of individuals and the spatial dynamics of populations at increasingly higher levels of organization. In particular, ecologists have focused on the interaction between individuals and their environment in an effort to understand future impacts from habitat loss and climate change. Tools to examine this interaction have included: fractal analysis, first passage time, Lévy flights, multi-behavioral analysis, hidden markov models, and state-space models. Concurrent with the development of movement models has been an increase in the sophistication and availability of hierarchical bayesian models. In this review we bring these two threads together by using hierarchical structures as a framework for reviewing individual models. We synthesize emerging themes in movement ecology, and propose a new hierarchical model for animal movement that builds on these emerging themes. This model moves away from traditional random walks, and instead focuses inference on how moving animals with complex behavior interact with their landscape and make choices about its suitability.

LANSCE Beam Current Limiter (XL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gallegos, F.R.; Hall, M.J.

1997-01-01

The Radiation Security System (RSS) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) is an engineered safety system that provides personnel protection from prompt radiation due to accelerated proton beams. The Beam Current Limiter (XL), as an active component of the RSS, limits the maximum average current in a beamline, thus the current available for a beam spill accident. Exceeding the pre-set limit initiates action by the RSS to mitigate the hazard (insertion of beam stoppers in the low energy beam transport). The beam limiter is an electrically isolated, toroidal transformer and associated electronics. The device was designed to continuously monitor beamline currents independent of any external timing. Fail-safe operation was a prime consideration in its development. Fail-safe operation is defined as functioning as intended (due to redundant circuitry), functioning with a more sensitive fault threshold, or generating a fault condition. This report describes the design philosophy, hardware, implementation, operation, and limitations of the device

Symphony: A case study for exploring and describing design methods and guidelines for learner-centered design

Science.gov (United States)

Quintana, Christopher

Learner-centered design is an evolving software design perspective addressing the needs of learners---a specific audience trying to work in and understand new work practices in which they have a novice or naive understanding. Learner-centered design involves designing software that incorporates work support features (or scaffolding features) informed by social constructivist learning theories. By adopting a constructivist "learning by doing" perspective, scaffolds should support learners so they can mindfully engage in previously inaccessible work activity, which in turn allows those learners to progressively gain a better understanding of the new work. While there is an intuitive notion of "learner-centered design", there is less specific design information for developing learner-centered software. As a result, learner-centered software results from "educated guesses" and ad-hoc design approaches rather than from systematic design methods. Thus there is a need for specific design guidance to facilitate the development of learner-centered tools that help learners see the tasks, terminology, tools, etc. in the new work context and engage in that work. The research in this dissertation provides a more specific base of learner-centered design descriptions, methods, and guidelines to analyze work practices and design and evaluate scaffolds. The research approach involves using the development of Symphony---a scaffolded integrated tool environment for high-school students learning the work of computational science inquiry---as a case study to develop the learner-centered design approach. Symphony incorporates a variety of science tools with process scaffolding to support students in performing complex air pollution investigations. Six ninth-grade students used Symphony to investigate air quality questions for several weeks in an environmental science class. The student testing helped assess the effectiveness of the software scaffolding and in turn, the learner-centered

Residential Treatment Centers for Child Abuse

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serhat Nasiroglu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Every year millions of reports are being held and cases regarding those reports in courts are carrying on about abusement and omission against children . Abusement against children has been seen throughout of the history. Significant and permanent impacts can occur upon child abusement and neglect on victim children. It is important to know the psychological dynamics which have been lived by the children by the mental health professionalsto protect the children after the abusement report has been written. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and medications are being used commonly in the treatment of abusement cases. However in some cases it is necessary to send away the victims from environment, enable them to continue their education life, make sure that they are treated by the professional individuals in safe area. For this end there are many Residential Treatment Centers around the world. and ldquo;Oguz Kagan Koksal Social Care and Rehabilitation Center and rdquo; was established in Adana as the first Residential Treatment Center in Turkey. In this report the historical dimensions of the child abusement, the definition of it, its psychological dynamics, the psychological disorders caused by it, treatment approaches and residential treatment centers have been reviewed. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2014; 6(1.000: 67-78

The relationship among image, satisfaction and loyalty – innovative factor of competitiveness for shopping centers

OpenAIRE

Abrudan, Ioana-Nicoleta; Plaias, Ioan; Dabija, Dan-Cristian

2015-01-01

Currently, most markets are characterized by high competition among shopping centers. Under these circumstances, the evolution in the competitiveness and performance of the centers is increasingly linked to the success in the innovation of current activities, which is aimed at improving their image and increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The purpose of the present research is to study the influence of innovation activities through the image components on behavioural loyalty, mediate...

It is time to talk about people: a human-centered healthcare system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borgi Lea

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Examining vulnerabilities within our current healthcare system we propose borrowing two tools from the fields of engineering and design: a Reason's system approach 1 and b User-centered design 23. Both approaches are human-centered in that they consider common patterns of human behavior when analyzing systems to identify problems and generate solutions. This paper examines these two human-centered approaches in the context of healthcare. We argue that maintaining a human-centered orientation in clinical care, research, training, and governance is critical to the evolution of an effective and sustainable healthcare system.

FBR Plant Engineering Center annual report 2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-12-01

This annual report shows the last year's R and D activities of currently-reorganized FBR Plant Engineering Center, which was established on April 1, 2009. FBR Safety Technology Center was founded on April 1, 2013 by the consolidation of both the activities of 'former FBR Plant Engineering Center' and a portion of 'FBR Safety Evaluation Unit, Advanced Nuclear System Research and Development Directorate', especially concentrating on safety evaluations and analyses for severe accidents. As for FBR safety technology, it is necessary to continuously make an effort for compliance with new safety regulations in preparation for 'Monju' to restart, for safety enhancement evaluation and for safety technology upgrading. In this context, the new organization was founded in order to reinforce the safety evaluation capability, which will surely and steadily promote FBR safety-technology related activities. As a result, FBR Plant Engineering Center was abolished. This report summarizes the R and D activities at the former FBR Plant Engineering Center, aiming at contributing to the commercialization by using operation experiences and technology development results derived from the actual reactor 'Monju'. The activities are divided into five areas of operation-and-maintenance engineering, sodium engineering, reactor-core-and-fuel engineering, plant engineering, and safety engineering. This annual report is intended for a report of the activities of individual researcher in the center rather than that of the progress of the center as a whole. This will clarify the individual themes, progresses and problems of each researcher, which will, hopefully, facilitate communication with the outside researchers. (author)

Interaction Modeling at PROS Research Center

OpenAIRE

Panach , José ,; Aquino , Nathalie; PASTOR , Oscar

2011-01-01

Part 1: Long and Short Papers; International audience; This paper describes how the PROS Research Center deals with interaction in the context of a model-driven approach for the development of information systems. Interaction is specified in a conceptual model together with the structure and behavior of the system. Major achievements and current research challenges of PROS in the field of interaction modeling are presented.

Center Director Bridges visits Disability Awareness and Action working Group Technology Fair

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

Center Director Roy Bridges (standing, center) poses with members of the Disability Awareness and Action Working Group (DAAWG), which is holding the 1999 Technology Fair Oct. 20-21 at Kennedy Space Center. The Fair is highlighting vendors demonstrating mobility, hearing, vision and silent disability assistive technology. The purpose is to create an awareness of the types of technology currently available to assist people with various disabilities in the workplace. The theme is that of this year's National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 'Opening Doors to Ability.' Some of the vendors participating are Canine Companions for Independence, Goodwill Industries, Accessible Structures, Division of Blind Services, Space Coast Center for Independent Living, KSC Fitness Center and Delaware North Parks Services.

Friction Stir Welding Development at National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Marshall Space Flight Center

Science.gov (United States)

Bhat, Biliyar N.; Carter, Robert W.; Ding, Robert J.; Lawless, Kirby G.; Nunes, Arthur C., Jr.; Russell, Carolyn K.; Shah, Sandeep R.; Munafo, Paul M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This paper presents an over-view of friction stir welding (FSW) process development and applications at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). FSW process development started as a laboratory curiosity but soon found support from many users. The FSW process advanced very quickly and has found many applications both within and outside the aerospace industry. It is currently being adapted for joining key elements of the Space Shuttle External Tank for improved producibility and reliability. FSW process modeling is done to better understand and improve the process. Special tools have been developed to weld variable thickness materials including very thin and very thick materials. FSW is now being applied to higher temperature materials such as copper and to advanced materials such as metal matrix composites. FSW technology is being successfully transferred from MSFC laboratory to shop floors of many commercial companies.

Marshall Space Flight Center Technology Investments Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Tinker, Mike

2014-01-01

NASA is moving forward with prioritized technology investments that will support NASA's exploration and science missions, while benefiting other Government agencies and the U.S. aerospace enterprise. center dotThe plan provides the guidance for NASA's space technology investments during the next four years, within the context of a 20-year horizon center dotThis plan will help ensure that NASA develops technologies that enable its 4 goals to: 1.Sustain and extend human activities in space, 2.Explore the structure, origin, and evolution of the solar system, and search for life past and present, 3.Expand our understanding of the Earth and the universe and have a direct and measurable impact on how we work and live, and 4.Energize domestic space enterprise and extend benefits of space for the Nation.

Assessing Community Informatics: A Review of Methodological Approaches for Evaluating Community Networks and Community Technology Centers.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neil, Dara

2002-01-01

Analyzes the emerging community informatics evaluation literature to develop an understanding of the indicators used to gauge project impacts in community networks and community technology centers. The study finds that community networks and community technology center assessments fall into five key areas: strong democracy; social capital;…

Science to support the understanding of Ohio's water resources

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Kimberly; Kula, Stephanie; Bambach, Phil; Runkle, Donna

2012-01-01

Ohio’s water resources support a complex web of human activities and nature—clean and abundant water is needed for drinking, recreation, farming, and industry, as well as for fish and wildlife needs. The distribution of rainfall can cause floods and droughts, which affects streamflow, groundwater, water availability, water quality, recreation, and aquatic habitats. Ohio is bordered by the Ohio River and Lake Erie and has over 44,000 miles of streams and more than 60,000 lakes and ponds (State of Ohio, 1994). Nearly all the rural population obtain drinking water from groundwater sources. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, as well as universities, to furnish decisionmakers, policymakers, USGS scientists, and the general public with reliable scientific information and tools to assist them in management, stewardship, and use of Ohio’s natural resources. The diversity of scientific expertise among USGS personnel enables them to carry out large- and small-scale multidisciplinary studies. The USGS is unique among government organizations because it has neither regulatory nor developmental authority—its sole product is reliable, impartial, credible, relevant, and timely scientific information, equally accessible and available to everyone. The USGS Ohio Water Science Center provides reliable hydrologic and water-related ecological information to aid in the understanding of use and management of the Nation’s water resources, in general, and Ohio’s water resources, in particular. This fact sheet provides an overview of current (2012) or recently completed USGS studies and data activities pertaining to water resources in Ohio. More information regarding projects of the USGS Ohio Water Science Center is available at http://oh.water.usgs.gov/.

A Historical Analysis of Crane Mishaps at Kennedy Space Center

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfe, Crystal

2014-01-01

Cranes and hoists are widely used in many areas. Crane accidents and handling mishaps are responsible for injuries, costly equipment damage, and program delays. Most crane accidents are caused by preventable factors. Understanding these factors is critical when designing cranes and preparing lift plans. Analysis of previous accidents provides insight into current recommendations for crane safety. Cranes and hoists are used throughout Kennedy Space Center to lift everything from machine components to critical flight hardware. Unless they are trained crane operators, most NASA employees and contractors do not need to undergo specialized crane training and may not understand the safety issues surrounding the use of cranes and hoists. A single accident with a crane or hoist can injure or kill people, cause severe equipment damage, and delay or terminate a program. Handling mishaps can also have a significant impact on the program. Simple mistakes like bouncing or jarring a load, or moving the crane down when it should go up, can damage fragile flight hardware and cause major delays in processing. Hazardous commodities (high pressure gas, hypergolic propellants, and solid rocket motors) can cause life safety concerns for the workers performing the lifting operations. Most crane accidents are preventable with the correct training and understanding of potential hazards. Designing the crane with human factors taken into account can prevent many accidents. Engineers are also responsible for preparing lift plans where understanding the safety issues can prevent or mitigate potential accidents. Cranes are widely used across many areas of KSC. Failure of these cranes often leads to injury, high damage costs, and significant delays in program objectives. Following a basic set of principles and procedures during design, fabrication, testing, regular use, and maintenance can significantly minimize many of these failures. As the accident analysis shows, load drops are often caused

Dynamics of a longitudinal current during a magnetic storm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dolginov, S.Sh.; Zhuzgov, L.N.; Kosacheva, V.P.; Strunnikova, L.N.; Tyurmina, L.O.; Sharova, V.A.; Shkol'nikova, S.I.

1984-01-01

Results, investigating a spatial distribution and the structure of longitudinal currents during a magnetic storm at 18-19.09.81, are presented. It is shown that during the main phase of the storm the large-scale current system expands to the equator, and current density increases. Inside the current layer and to the pole of it there appears intensive small scale longitudinal l currents. During magnetic storm restopation phase the current system segregates into several pairs of opposite directed currents. During further decreasing of geomagnetic activity the large-scale current system is restored+ and its center is shifted to the pole, longitudinal current density being decreased. The invariant width of longitudinal currents is decreased, while the magnitude, Dsub(st), being increased, that is connected to the displacement of an auroral oval to the equator

Shape understanding system machine understanding and human understanding

CERN Document Server

Les, Zbigniew

2015-01-01

This is the third book presenting selected results of research on the further development of the shape understanding system (SUS) carried out by authors in the newly founded Queen Jadwiga Research Institute of Understanding. In this book the new term Machine Understanding is introduced referring to a new area of research aiming to investigate the possibility of building machines with the ability to understand. It is presented that SUS needs to some extent mimic human understanding and for this reason machines are evaluated according to the rules applied for the evaluation of human understanding. The book shows how to formulate problems and how it can be tested if the machine is able to solve these problems.    

LINKING CLASSROOM AND COMMUNITY: A THEORETICAL ALIGNMENT OF SERVICE LEARNING AND A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN METHODOLOGY IN CONTEMPORARY COMMUNICATION DESIGN EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anneli Bowie

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The current emphasis on social responsibility and community collaboration within higher education has led to an increased drive to include service learning in the curriculum. With its emphasis on mutually beneficial collaborations, service learning can be meaningful for both students and the community, but is challenging to manage successfully. From a design education perspective, it is interesting to note that contemporary design practice emphasises a similar approach known as a human-centered design, where users are considered and included throughout the design process. In considering both service learning and human-centred design as foundations for design pedagogy, various philosophical and methodological similarities are evident. The paper explores the relationship between a service learning community engagement approach and a human-centered design approach in contemporary communication design education. To this end, each approach is considered individually after which a joint frame of reference is presented. Butin’s service learning typology, namely the four Rs – respect, reciprocity, relevance and reflection – serves as a point of departure for the joint frame of reference. Lastly, the potential value and relevance of a combined understanding of service learning and human-centered design is considered.

Outpatient imaging center valuations: do you need a fair-market value analysis?

Science.gov (United States)

Koonsman, G S

2001-01-01

Typically, outpatient diagnostic imaging centers are formed as partnerships between radiologists, radiologists and hospitals, and/or radiologists and diagnostic imaging center management companies. As a result of these partnership structures, the question of equity valuation frequently arises. It is not only important to understand when an independent valuation would be required, but also what "type" of valuation needs to be performed. The type of valuation may vary based upon the use of the valuation. In partnerships that involve hospitals and physicians, the federal anti-kickback statutes (fraud and abuse laws) require that all transactions between referring physicians and hospitals be consummated at fair-market value. In addition, tax-exempt hospitals that enter into partnerships with physicians are required to enter into those transactions at fair-market value or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Fair-market value is also typically the standard of value that all partnerships strive to conduct equity transactions with shareholders. Qualifications required by those who perform independent fair-market value opinions include: Proper business valuation training and focus on valuations as a primary business Focus on the healthcare industry and specifically on the valuation of diagnostic imaging centers In order to perform a reasonable business valuation analysis, the appraiser must have access to a significant amount of financial, operational and legal information. The analyst must be able to understand the history of the imaging center as well as the projected future of the center. Ultimately, a valuation is a measurement of the estimated future cash flows of the center--risk adjusted--in order to quantify the present value of those cash flows.

The current state of the center for the creation and dissemination of new Japanese nursing science: The 21st century Center of Excellence at Chiba University School of Nursing

OpenAIRE

中村 伸枝; 石垣, 和子; 正木, 治恵; 宮崎, 美砂子; 山本, 則子

2006-01-01

Aim: The Center of Excellence for the Creation and Dissemination of a New Japanese Nursing Science at Chiba University School of Nursing is now in its third year of operation. This center aims to develop nursing science that is appropriate for Japanese culture and to internationally disseminate the importance of culturally based care. Our project seeks to systematically transform the art of nursing practise into a nursing science. Method: To date, multiple frameworks have been created through...

Wellness Centers in Slovenia: Tourists’ Profiles and Motivational Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milica Rančić

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Wellness and spa tourism has increasingly become an important economic and marketing strategy for hoteliers, resorts and tourist destinations to attract tourist visitations. Deep understanding of consumer profiles and their key motivations within this context is vital in order to sustain the growth of wellness and spa tourism business. This paper presents an exploratory study that seeks to understand the spa and wellness tourists’ motivation during their visits to spa and wellness service centers in Slovenia. The purpose of this research is to examine the characteristics of a healthy-living market segment and its motivational behavior to wellness facilities in Slovenia. The paper provides the broad understanding of wellness and spa tourists’ profiles in Slovenia and the key motivation factors

Centers of excellence in healthcare institutions: what they are and how to assemble them.

Science.gov (United States)

Elrod, James K; Fortenberry, John L

2017-07-11

Centers of excellence-specialized programs within healthcare institutions which supply exceptionally high concentrations of expertise and related resources centered on particular medical areas and delivered in a comprehensive, interdisciplinary fashion-afford many advantages for healthcare providers and the populations they serve. To achieve full value from centers of excellence, proper assembly is an absolute necessity, but guidance is somewhat limited. This effectively forces healthcare providers to pursue establishment largely via trial-and-error, diminishing opportunities for success. Successful development of a center of excellence first requires the acquisition of a detailed understanding of the delivery model and its benefits. Then, concerted actions must be taken on a particular series of administrative and clinical fronts, treating them in prescribed manners to afford synergies which yield an exceptionally high level of care. To reduce hardships associated with acquiring this rather elusive knowledge, remedy shortcomings in the literature, and potentially bolster community health broadly, this article presents information and insights gleaned from Willis-Knighton Health System's extensive experience assembling and operating centers of excellence. This work is intended to educate and enlighten, but most importantly, supply guidance which will permit healthcare establishments to replicate noted processes to realize their own centers of excellence. Centers of excellence have the ability to dramatically enhance the depth and breadth of healthcare services available in communities. Given the numerous mutual benefits afforded by this delivery model, it is hoped that the light shed by this article will help healthcare providers better understand centers of excellence and be more capable and confident in associated development initiatives, affording greater opportunities for themselves and their patient populations.

Development of Management, Child Development Centers Organization rule Local Government in Udon thani

OpenAIRE

Suriya Sukram; Chaiyot Ruangsuwan

2017-01-01

This research aims to study the composition and indications 1. The Child Development Centre under the local governments in UdonThani province 2. Study the current state and the desired operating child care centers under the jurisdiction of local governments in UdonThani province. 3. Develop the child development centers under the local governments in UdonThani province. The operation is divided. Phase one of the elements and indicators, the Child Development Center. By synthesi...

National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center, Version 2.0

Science.gov (United States)

O'Malley, R.; Fort, E.; Hartke-O'Berg, N.; Varela-Acevedo, E.; Padgett, Holly A.

2013-01-01

The mission of the USGS's National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) is to serve the scientific needs of managers of fish, wildlife, habitats, and ecosystems as they plan for a changing climate. DOI Climate Science Centers (CSCs) are management by NCCWSC and include this mission as a core responsibility, in line with the CSC mission to provide scientific support for climate-adaptation across a full range of natural and cultural resources. NCCWSC is a Science Center application designed in Drupal with the OMEGA theme. As a content management system, Drupal allows the science center to keep their website up-to-date with current publications, news, meetings and projects. OMEGA allows the site to be adaptive at different screen sizes and is developed on the 960 grid.

Evaluating nurse understanding and participation in the informed consent process.

Science.gov (United States)

Axson, Sydney A; Giordano, Nicholas A; Hermann, Robin M; Ulrich, Connie M

2017-01-01

Informed consent is fundamental to the autonomous decision-making of patients, yet much is still unknown about the process in the clinical setting. In an evolving healthcare landscape, nurses must be prepared to address patient understanding and participate in the informed consent process to better fulfill their well-established role as patient advocates. This study examines hospital-based nurses' experiences and understandings of the informed consent process. This qualitative descriptive study utilized a semi-structured interview approach identifying thematic concerns, experiences, and knowledge of informed consent across a selected population of clinically practicing nurses. Participants and research context: In all, 20 baccalaureate prepared registered nurses practicing in various clinical settings (i.e. critical care, oncology, medical/surgical) at a large northeastern academic medical center in the United States completed semi-structured interviews and a demographic survey. The mean age of participants was 36.6 years old, with a mean of 12.2 years of clinical experience. Ethical considerations: Participation in this study involved minimal risk and no invasive measures. This study received Institutional Review Board approval from the University of Pennsylvania. All participants voluntarily consented. The majority of participants (N = 19) believe patient safety is directly linked to patient comprehension of the informed consent process. However, when asked if nurses have a defined role in the informed consent process, nearly half did not agree (N = 9). Through this qualitative approach, three major nursing roles emerged: the nurse as a communicator, the nurse as an advocate, and the clerical role of the nurse. This investigation contributes to the foundation of ethical research that will better prepare nurses for patient engagement, advance current understanding of informed consent, and allow for future development of solutions. Nurses are at the forefront of

Theoretical approaches to natural language understanding

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1985-01-01

This book discusses the following: Computational Linguistics, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Cognitive Science and the current state of natural language understanding. Three topics form the focus for discussion; these topics include aspects of grammars, aspects of semantics/pragmatics, and knowledge representation.

Nuclear medicine: the Philippine Heart Center experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cancino, E.L.

1994-01-01

The following is a report of a three (3) months on-the-job training in Nuclear Medicine at the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Philippine Heart Center. The hospital has current generation nuclear medicine instruments with data processor and is capable of a full range of in vivo and in vitro procedures. Gamma camera is the principal instrument for imaging in nuclear medicine used in the Philippine Heart Center. Thyroid scanning procedure is being performed with these instruments. Also the cardiovascular procedures, the pulmonary, skeletal, renal and hepatobiliary procedures were being performed with the use of gamma camera. Special emphasis is on nuclear cardiology since the PHC attends primarily to cardiovascular patients. (auth.)

Radiation Environment at LEO in the frame of Space Monitoring Data Center at Moscow State University - recent, current and future missions

Science.gov (United States)

Myagkova, Irina; Kalegaev, Vladimir; Panasyuk, Mikhail; Svertilov, Sergey; Bogomolov, Vitaly; Bogomolov, Andrey; Barinova, Vera; Barinov, Oleg; Bobrovnikov, Sergey; Dolenko, Sergey; Mukhametdinova, Ludmila; Shiroky, Vladimir; Shugay, Julia

2016-04-01

Radiation Environment of Near-Earth space is one of the most important factors of space weather. Space Monitoring Data Center of Moscow State University provides operational control of radiation conditions at Low Earth's Orbits (LEO) of the near-Earth space using data of recent (Vernov, CORONAS series), current (Meteor-M, Electro-L series) and future (Lomonosov) space missions. Internet portal of Space Monitoring Data Center of Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Lomonosov Moscow State University (SINP MSU) http://swx.sinp.msu.ru/ provides possibilities to control and analyze the space radiation conditions in the real time mode together with the geomagnetic and solar activity including hard X-ray and gamma- emission of solar flares. Operational data obtained from space missions at L1, GEO and LEO and from the Earth's magnetic stations are used to represent radiation and geomagnetic state of near-Earth environment. The models of space environment that use space measurements from different orbits were created. Interactive analysis and operational neural network forecast services are based on these models. These systems can automatically generate alerts on particle fluxes enhancements above the threshold values, both for SEP and relativistic electrons of outer Earth's radiation belt using data from GEO and LEO as input. As an example of LEO data we consider data from Vernov mission, which was launched into solar-synchronous orbit (altitude 640 - 83 0 km, inclination 98.4°, orbital period about 100 min) on July 8, 2014 and began to receive scientific information since July 20, 2014. Vernov mission have provided studies of the Earth's radiation belt relativistic electron precipitation and its possible connection with atmosphere transient luminous events, as well as the solar hard X-ray and gamma-emission measurements. Radiation and electromagnetic environment monitoring in the near-Earth Space, which is very important for space weather study, was also realised

Estimation of a beam centering error in the JAERI AVF cyclotron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, M.; Okumura, S.; Arakawa, K.; Ishibori, I.; Matsumura, A.; Nakamura, N.; Nara, T.; Agematsu, T.; Tamura, H.; Karasawa, T.

1999-01-01

A method for estimating a beam centering error from a beam density distribution obtained by a single radial probe has been developed. Estimation of the centering error is based on an analysis of radial beam positions in the direction of the radial probe. Radial motion of a particle is described as betatron oscillation around an accelerated equilibrium orbit. By fitting the radial beam positions of several consecutive turns to an equation of the radial motion, not only amplitude of the centering error but also frequency of the radial betatron oscillation and energy gain per turn can be evaluated simultaneously. The estimated centering error amplitude was consistent with a result of an orbit simulation. This method was exceedingly helpful for minimizing the centering error of a 10 MeV proton beam during the early stages of acceleration. A well-centered beam was obtained by correcting the magnetic field with a first harmonic produced by two pairs of harmonic coils. In order to push back an orbit center to a magnet center, currents of the harmonic coils were optimized on the basis of the estimated centering error amplitude. (authors)

Danish User-Centered Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Lars Bo

2007-01-01

Danish User-centered Innovation Lab (DUCI lab) is a collaboration between faculty at Copenhagen Business School, Aarhus School of Business and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based at Copenhagen Business School. DUCI lab is a unique effort to understand the issues involved in user innovation...... processes, with particular emphasis on managing user driven innovation. The project takes advantage of CBS location in Denmark. Denmark has been at the forefront in creating policies that favor user driven innovation. CBS's location at the heart of one of the world's most vibrant user driven regions...... companies and on how such practices can be diffused broadly for the benefit of start-ups, SME's and other types of organizations....

Current situation of sexual and reproductive health of men deprived of liberty in the Institutional Care Center of San Jose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorita Rivas Fonseca

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to determine the current status of the issue of sexual and reproductive health ofthe prisoners Institutional Care Center (CAI of San Jose. It is a descriptive study. Through a strategic samplingdetermined the participation of 102 men. The information was obtained by applying a self-administeredquestionnaire with closed and open questions. As a result relevant to your socio-demographic profile, it appearsthat deprived of their liberty is a very heterogeneous group. As regards sexual and reproductive health, the firstconcept they relate to the prevention of disease and the second reproductive aspects, this shows limitations inknowledge on the topics, something that affects the daily life activities and self-care. It is concluded that researchby nurses Gyneco-obstetric in the deprived of liberty is almost null not only in the country but in the world,especially if it comes with the male population. In the case of CAI Prison, health care is not enough for thenumber of inmates who inhabit (overpopulation of almost 50%, this implies a deterioration in health and physicalcondition of these people, as well as sexual and reproductive health

The Oak Ridge Field Research Center : Advancing Scientific Understanding of the Transportation, Fate, and Remediation of Subsurface Contamination Sources and Plumes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David Watson

2005-01-01

Historical research, development, and testing of nuclear materials across this country resulted in subsurface contamination that has been identified at over 7,000 discrete sites across the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) complex. With the end of the Cold War threat, DOE has shifted its emphasis to remediation, decommissioning, and decontamination of the immense volumes of contaminated groundwater, sediments, and structures at its sites. DOE currently is responsible for remediating 1.7 trillion gallons of contaminated groundwater, an amount equal to approximately four times the daily U.S. water consumption, and 40 million cubic meters of contaminated soil, enough to fill approximately 17 professional sports stadiums.* DOE also sponsors research intended to improve or develop remediation technologies, especially for difficult, currently intractable contaminants or conditions. The Oak Ridge FRC is representative of some difficult sites, contaminants, and conditions. Buried wastes in contact with a shallow water table have created huge reservoirs of contamination. Rainfall patterns affect the water table level seasonally and over time. Further, the hydrogeology of the area, with its fractures and karst geology, affects the movement of contaminant plumes. Plumes have migrated long distances and to surface discharge points through ill-defined preferred flowpaths created by the fractures and karst conditions. From the standpoint of technical effectiveness, remediation options are limited, especially for contaminated groundwater. Moreover, current remediation practices for the source areas, such as capping, can affect coupled processes that, in turn, may affect the movement of subsurface contaminants in unknown ways. Research conducted at the FRC or with FRC samples therefore promotes understanding of the processes that influence the transport and fate of subsurface contaminants, the effectiveness and long-term consequences of extant remediation options, and the

Aligning business strategy of incubator center and tenants

Science.gov (United States)

Prasetyawan, Yudha; Agustiani, Elly; Jumayla, Sari

2017-06-01

Incubator center is developed to help a particular group of small business players to achieve the expected business growth. In this center, business players often called as tenants will get assistances in pertaining with space, professional network, marketing, investment or funding, and training to improve their business capability. There are three types of incubator center, namely universities that help their alumni or business people in their surrounded area, company that supports small business as the corporate social responsibility, and independent organizations that have specialties in the business development. Some might success in increasing the capacity of the tenants, while other can have difficulties to increase the simplest business capability, e.g., to define the production cost to measure the profit. This study was intended to propose a model to align the business strategy between incubator center and its tenants. The sales and profit growth are the main priorities for the tenants together with their business capability and sustainability. The proposed alignment model provides measurement tools that link the motivation of tenants for joining the incubation process with the mission of incubator center. The linkage covered the key performance indicators (KPI), steps to achieve the target and evaluation tools to improve the current handicaps. An experiment on 4 (four) diverse business fields of the tenants of an incubator center was performed to test the model. As a result, the increase of KPI of incubator center will simultaneously yield a higher value of the tenants' sales.

Perceptions of Smartphone User-Centered Mobile Health Tracking Apps Across Various Chronic Illness Populations: An Integrative Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Birkhoff, Susan D; Smeltzer, Suzanne C

2017-07-01

This integrative review presents a synthesis of the current qualitative research addressing the motivating factors, usability, and experiences of mobile health tracking applications (apps) across various chronic disease populations. Integrative review of the literature. Databases used to conduct this integrative review included: PubMed Plus, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar, Science Direct, and EBSCO megafile. The following search terms were used in all five databases: smartphone apps, apps, mHealth, eHealth, mobile health apps, health tracking apps, user-centered apps, wireless technology, engagement, qualitative, and usability. The initial literature review yielded 689 results. Once inclusion and exclusion criteria were employed, 11 studies met the criteria set forth for this review. The reviewed studies provided insight into users' perceptions, experiences, and motivations to incorporate smartphone mobile health apps into their daily lives when living with chronic illnesses. This review indicates the growing interest in user-centered mobile health tracking apps, but with little understanding of motivating factors that foster sustained app use. Mobile health tracking apps targeted to users with chronic conditions need to have a high level of usability in order to motivate users to sustain engagement with their mobile health tracking app. User-centered mobile health tracking app technology is being used with increasing frequency to potentially provide individualized support to chronic illness populations. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Supporting Multiple Programs and Projects at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Camiren L.

2014-01-01

With the conclusion of the shuttle program in 2011, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) had found itself at a crossroads for finding transportation of United States astronauts and experiments to space. The agency would eventually hand off the taxiing of American astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) that orbits in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) about 210 miles above the earth under the requirements of the Commercial Crew Program (CCP). By privatizing the round trip journey from Earth to the ISS, the space agency has been given the additional time to focus funding and resources to projects that operate beyond LEO; however, adding even more stress to the agency, the premature cancellation of the program that would succeed the Shuttle Program - The Constellation Program (CxP) -it would inevitably delay the goal to travel beyond LEO for a number of years. Enter the Space Launch System (SLS) and the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV). Currently, the SLS is under development at NASA's Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, while the Orion Capsule, built by government contractor Lockheed Martin Corporation, has been assembled and is currently under testing at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. In its current vision, SLS will take Orion and its crew to an asteroid that had been captured in an earlier mission in lunar orbit. Additionally, this vehicle and its configuration is NASA's transportation to Mars. Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center are currently working to test the ground systems that will facilitate the launch of Orion and the SLS within its Ground Services Development and Operations (GSDO) Program. Firing Room 1 in the Launch Control Center (LCC) has been refurbished and outfitted to support the SLS Program. In addition, the Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is the underlying control system for monitoring and launching manned launch vehicles. As NASA finds itself at a junction, so does all of its

Addressing Prediabetes in Childhood Obesity Treatment Programs: Support from Research and Current Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Grow, H. Mollie; Fernandez, Cristina; Lukasiewicz, Gloria J.; Rhodes, Erinn T.; Shaffer, Laura A.; Sweeney, Brooke; Woolford, Susan J.; Estrada, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prediabetes have increased in prevalence among overweight and obese children, with significant implications for long-term health. There is little published evidence on the best approaches to care of prediabetes among overweight youth or the current practices used across pediatric weight management programs. Methods: This article reviews the literature and summarizes current practices for screening, diagnosis, and treatment of prediabetes at childhood obesity treatment centers. Findings regarding current practice were based on responses to an online survey from 28 pediatric weight management programs at 25 children's hospitals in 2012. Based on the literature reviewed, and empiric data, consensus support statements on prediabetes care and T2DM prevention were developed among representatives of these 25 children's hospitals' obesity clinics. Results: The evidence reviewed demonstrates that current T2DM and prediabetes diagnostic parameters are derived from adult-based studies with little understanding of clinical outcomes among youth. Very limited evidence exists on preventing progression of prediabetes. Some evidence suggests that a significant proportion of obese youth with prediabetes will revert to normoglycemia without pharmacological management. Evidence supports lifestyle modification for children with prediabetes, but further study of specific lifestyle changes and pharmacological treatments is needed. Conclusion: Evidence to guide management of prediabetes in children is limited. Current practice patterns of pediatric weight management programs show areas of variability in practice, reflecting the limited evidence base. More research is needed to guide clinical care for overweight youth with prediabetes. PMID:25055134

Current understanding of microplastics in the environment: Occurrence, fate, risks, and what we should do.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jinping; Wang, Jundong; Cai, Liqi

2017-05-01

Microplastics pollution has been documented in the global environment, including at sea, in freshwater and in atmospheric fallout. Ingestion of microplastics by multiple kinds of organisms has been reported and has received increasing attention, because microplastics not only act as a source of toxic chemicals but also a sink for toxic chemicals. To better understand the great concerns about microplastics and associated toxic chemicals potential exposed to the organisms ingesting the debris, we should know more about the occurrence, fate, and risks of microplastics in the environment. What we should do depends on this better understanding. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:476-482. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

A Reliable, Non-Invasive Approach to Data Center Monitoring and Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moises Levy

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Recent standards, legislation, and best practices point to data center infrastructure management systems to control and monitor data center performance. This work presents an innovative approach to address some of the challenges that currently hinder data center management. It explains how monitoring and management systems should be envisioned and implemented. Key parameters associated with data center infrastructure and information technology equipment can be monitored in real-time across an entire facility using low-cost, low-power wireless sensors. Given the data centers’ mission critical nature, the system must be reliable and deployable through a non-invasive process. The need for the monitoring system is also presented through a feedback control systems perspective, which allows higher levels of automation. The data center monitoring and management system enables data gathering, analysis, and decision-making to improve performance, and to enhance asset utilization.

In silico optimization of critical currents in superconductors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimmel, Gregory; Sadovskyy, Ivan A.; Glatz, Andreas

2017-07-01

For many technological applications of superconductors the performance of a material is determined by the highest current it can carry losslessly-the critical current. In turn, the critical current can be controlled by adding nonsuperconducting defects in the superconductor matrix. Here we report on systematic comparison of different local and global optimization strategies to predict optimal structures of pinning centers leading to the highest possible critical currents. We demonstrate performance of these methods for a superconductor with randomly placed spherical, elliptical, and columnar defects.

Western Gulf of Mexico, June 1993 to June 1994 Average Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_wgom_AVG_MMS_1994

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the western...

Eastern Gulf of Mexico, February 1996 to June 1997 Average Ocean Currents, Geographic NAD83, MMS (1999) [ocean_currents_egom_AVG_MMS_1997

Data.gov (United States)

Louisiana Geographic Information Center — This is one data set of a data package consisting of thirteen point data sets that have as attributes the direction and velocity of ocean currents in the 'eastern'...

Nuclear Energy Center Site Survey, 1975. Part I. Summary and conclusions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The Nuclear Energy Center Site Survey is a study of a potential siting approach for projected power and fuel-cycle facilities that would cluster sizable groups of such facilities on a relatively small number of sites, as contrasted with current dispersed siting practices. Three basic types of nuclear energy centers (NECs) are considered: power-plant centers, involving ten to forty units of 1200-megawatt electric capacity each; fuel-cycle centers, involving fuel reprocessing plants, mixed-oxide fuel fabrication facilities, and high-level and transuranic radioactive waste management facilities, with a capacity corresponding to the fuel throughput of power plants with a total capacity of approximately 50,000 to 300,000 MWe; and combined centers, containing both power plants and fuel cycle facilities in representative possible combinations. Included among the principal issues considered in evaluation of feasibility of nuclear energy centers are dissipation of the waste heat from the power-generating facilities; transmission system design, reliability, and economics; radiological impact; and environmental impact

The Relationship and Understanding Between the Food we eat, Blood and Our Overall Health

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Irwin, Jennifer M

2005-01-01

This thesis examines how an integrative and preventative healing center is necessary for the wellness of our society and military personnel by understanding how food can react positively or negatively...

High bandwidth beam current monitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baltrusaitis, R.M.; Ekdahl, C.A.; Cooper, R.G.; Peterson, E.; Warn, C.E.

1993-01-01

A stripline directional coupler beam current monitor capable of measuring the time structure of a 30-ps electron beam bunch has been developed. The time response performance of the monitor compares very well with Cherenkov light produced in quartz by the electron beam. The four-pickup monitor is now used on a routine basis for measuring the beam duration, tuning for optimized beam bunching, and centering the bunch in the beam pipe

Current Understanding of Molecular Pathology and Treatment of Cardiomyopathy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tirsa L. E. van Westering

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD is a genetic muscle disorder caused by mutations in the Dmd gene resulting in the loss of the protein dystrophin. Patients do not only experience skeletal muscle degeneration, but also develop severe cardiomyopathy by their second decade, one of the main causes of death. The absence of dystrophin in the heart renders cardiomyocytes more sensitive to stretch-induced damage. Moreover, it pathologically alters intracellular calcium (Ca2+ concentration, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS localization and mitochondrial function and leads to inflammation and necrosis, all contributing to the development of cardiomyopathy. Current therapies only treat symptoms and therefore the need for targeting the genetic defect is immense. Several preclinical therapies are undergoing development, including utrophin up-regulation, stop codon read-through therapy, viral gene therapy, cell-based therapy and exon skipping. Some of these therapies are undergoing clinical trials, but these have predominantly focused on skeletal muscle correction. However, improving skeletal muscle function without addressing cardiac aspects of the disease may aggravate cardiomyopathy and therefore it is essential that preclinical and clinical focus include improving heart function. This review consolidates what is known regarding molecular pathology of the DMD heart, specifically focusing on intracellular Ca2+, nNOS and mitochondrial dysregulation. It briefly discusses the current treatment options and then elaborates on the preclinical therapeutic approaches currently under development to restore dystrophin thereby improving pathology, with a focus on the heart.

Are CH2O measurements in the marine boundary layer suitable for testing the current understanding of CH4 photooxidation?: A model study

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, V.; von Glasow, R.; Fischer, H.; Crutzen, P. J.

2002-02-01

On the basis of a data set collected during the Indian Ocean Experiment (INDOEX) campaign 1999, we investigated the formaldehyde (CH2O) budget in the southern Indian Ocean (SIO). With a photochemical box model we simulated the contribution of methane and nonmethane volatile organic compounds to the CH2O budget. To identify the reactions and model constraints that introduce the largest uncertainties in the modeled CH2O concentration, we carried out a local sensitivity analysis. Furthermore, a Monte Carlo method was used to assess the global error of the model predictions. According to this analysis the 2σ uncertainty in the modeled CH2O concentration is 49%. The deviation between observed (200 +/- 70 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) (2σ)) and modeled (224 +/- 110 pptv (2σ)) daily mean CH2O concentration is 12%. However, the combined errors of model and measurement are such that deviations as large as 65% are not significant at the 2σ level. Beyond the ``standard'' photochemistry we analyzed the impact of halogen and aerosol chemistry on the CH2O concentration and investigated the vertical distribution of CH2O in the marine boundary layer (MBL). Calculations with the Model of Chemistry Considering Aerosols indicate that, based on the current understanding, halogen chemistry and aerosol chemistry have no significant impact on the CH2O concentration under conditions encountered in the SIO. However, a detailed investigation including meteorological effects such as precipitation scavenging and convection reveals an uncertainty in state-of-the-art model predictions for CH2O in the MBL that is too large for a meaningful test of the current understanding of CH4 photooxidation.

Trends in the exchange current for hydrogen evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Bligaard, Thomas; Logadottir, Ashildur

2005-01-01

A density functional theory database of hydrogen chemisorption energies on close packed surfaces of a number of transition and noble metals is presented. The bond energies are used to understand the trends in the exchange current for hydrogen evolution. A volcano curve is obtained when measured...... exchange currents are plotted as a function of the calculated hydrogen adsorption energies and a simple kinetic model is developed to understand the origin of the volcano. The volcano curve is also consistent with Pt being the most efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution. (c) 2005...

Current understanding of treatment and management protocol for adult diabetic in-patients at a tertiary care hospital

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waki, N.; Memon, A.; Khan, M.O.; Masood, S.; Rouf, M.; Mirza, R.

2012-01-01

Objective: To assess the current understanding of treatment and management protocols for adult diabetic in-patients at a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted at the Civil Hospital Karachi from July to September 2009, involved 450 participants, who were interviewed through a well-structured questionnaire regarding the patient's demography, clinical features, past medical history, type of diabetes mellitus, duration, associated complications, and also involved patient notes for laboratory tests and management. SPSSv15.0 was used for descriptive analysis. Results: The study population of 450 diabetics had 144 (32%) males and 306 (68%) females. Of the total, 435 (96.7%) patients had type 2 diabetes. There were 231 (51%) patients using insulin, 168 (37.3%) oral hypoglycaemic drugs, and 51 (11.3%) using both. Among patients using insulin, regular insulin usage stood at 30% followed by a combination of regular insulin and NPH (26.7%) and NPH alone at 6%. The most popular drug used was metformin (27.3%) and the least used drug was glitazones (4%). In the study population, 73.3% patients controlled their diabetes with diet, and 24.7% with regular exercise. Conclusion: Majority of the study population had type 2 diabetes with a female preponderance. Insulin was prescribed for half the patients. Metformin was the most frequently used oral hypoglycaemic drug. (author)

A short review of our current understanding of the development of ring faults during collapse caldera formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adelina eGeyer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The term collapse caldera refers to those volcanic depressions resulting from the sinking of the chamber roof due to the rapid withdrawal of magma during the course of an eruption. During the last three decades, collapse caldera dynamics has been the focus of attention of numerous, theoretical, numerical and experimental studies. Nonetheless, even if there is a tendency to go for a general and comprehensive caldera dynamics model, some key aspects remain unclear, controversial or completely unsolved. This is the case of ring fault nucleation points and propagation and dip direction. Since direct information on calderas’ deeper structure comes mainly from partially eroded calderas or few witnessed collapses, ring faults layout at depth remains still uncertain. This has generated a strong debate over the detailed internal fault and fracture configuration of a caldera collapse and, in more detail, how ring faults initiate and propagate. We offer here a very short description of the main results obtained by those analogue and theoretical/mathematical models applied to the study of collapse caldera formation. We place special attention on those observations related to the nucleation and propagation of the collapse-controlling ring faults. This summary is relevant to understand the current state-of-the-art of this topic and it should be taken under consideration in future works dealing with collapse caldera dynamics.

Campus Health Centers' Lack of Information Regarding Providers: A Content Analysis of Division-I Campus Health Centers' Provider Websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Perrault, Evan K

2018-07-01

Campus health centers are a convenient, and usually affordable, location for college students to obtain health care. Staffed by licensed and trained professionals, these providers can generally offer similar levels of care that providers at off-campus clinics can deliver. Yet, previous research finds students may forgo this convenient, on-campus option partially because of a lack of knowledge regarding the quality of providers at these campus clinics. This study sought to examine where this information deficit may come from by analyzing campus health centers' online provider information. All Division-I colleges or universities with an on-campus health center, which had information on their websites about their providers (n = 294), had their providers' online information analyzed (n = 2,127 providers). Results revealed that schools commonly offer professional information (e.g., provider specialties, education), but very little about their providers outside of the medical context (e.g., hobbies) that would allow a prospective student patient to more easily relate. While 181 different kinds of credentials were provided next to providers' names (e.g., MD, PA-C, FNP-BC), only nine schools offered information to help students understand what these different credentials meant. Most schools had information about their providers within one-click of the homepage. Recommendations for improving online information about campus health center providers are offered.

"Folk" Understandings of Quality in UK Higher Hospitality Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Roy

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the evolution of "folk" understandings of quality in higher hospitality education and the consequent implications of these understandings for current quality concerns in the field. Design/methodology/approach: The paper combines a historical survey of the stated topic…

The Fernald Preserve Visitors Center The Fernald Experience-Revealing, Engaging, and Preserving

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Powell, J.; Griffiths, G.; Walpole, S.; Lutz, M.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management's public involvement activities at the Fernald, Ohio, site include continued communication about groundwater remediation, the management of legacy waste, and the future of the Fernald site. The completion of the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center, in August 2008, ensures that information continues to be readily available and effectively communicated to the public. A primary goal of the Visitors Center is to function as an informational and educational center within the surrounding community, with the information available at the Visitors Center serving as an institutional control. By offering information on a variety of topics, from the site's history to its current condition, the Visitors Center increases public awareness and helps prevent unsafe disturbances to and uses of the site. The Office of Legacy Management maintains and operates the Visitors Center, continues to solicit stakeholder opinion, and will periodically reevaluate the use of the Visitors Center and its programming. (authors)

The molecular biology of prostate cancer: current understanding and clinical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gandhi, Jason; Afridi, Adil; Vatsia, Sohrab; Joshi, Gargi; Joshi, Gunjan; Kaplan, Steven A; Smith, Noel L; Khan, Sardar Ali

2018-04-01

With continuous progress over the past few decades in understanding diagnosis, treatment, and genetics, much has been learned about the prostate cancer-diagnosed genome. A comprehensive MEDLINE® and Google scholar literature search was conducted using keyword variations relating to the genetics of prostate cancer such as chromosomal alterations, androgen receptor, castration-resistant, inheritance, polymorphisms, oncogenes, metastasis, biomarkers, and immunotherapy. Traditionally, androgen receptors (AR) have been the focus of research. Recently, identification of recurrent chromosomal alterations that lead to either multiplication of regions (gain-of-function) or deletion of regions (loss-of-function) has opened the door to greater genetic accessibility. These chromosomal aberrations lead to variation in copy number and gene expression. Some of these chromosomal alterations are inherited, while others undergo somatic mutations during disease progression. Inherited gene mutations that make one susceptible to prostate cancer have been identified with familial-linked studies. Somatic genes that progress tumorigenesis have also been identified. Research on the molecular biology of prostate cancer has characterized these genes into tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes. Additionally, genome-wide assay studies have identified many high-risk single-nucleotide polymorphisms recurrent throughout the prostate cancer-diagnosed genome. Castration-resistant prostate cancer is the most aggressive form of prostate cancer, and its research has elucidated many types of mutations associated with AR itself, including enhanced expression and amplification, point mutations, and alternative splicing. Understanding the molecular biology of prostate cancer has permitted more accurate identification using advanced biomarkers and therapy for aggressive forms using immunotherapy. An age-related disease, prostate cancer commands profound attention. With increasing life expectancy and the

VACET: Proposed SciDAC2 Visualization and Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bethel, W; Johnson, C; Hansen, C; Parker, S; Sanderson, A; Silva, C; Tricoche, X; Pascucci, V; Childs, H; Cohen, J; Duchaineau, M; Laney, D; Lindstrom, P; Ahern, S; Meredith, J; Ostrouchov, G; Joy, K; Hamann, B

2006-01-01

This project focuses on leveraging scientific visualization and analytics software technology as an enabling technology for increasing scientific productivity and insight. Advances in computational technology have resulted in an 'information big bang',' which in turn has created a significant data understanding challenge. This challenge is widely acknowledged to be one of the primary bottlenecks in contemporary science. The vision for our Center is to respond directly to that challenge by adapting, extending, creating when necessary and deploying visualization and data understanding technologies for our science stakeholders. Using an organizational model as a Visualization and Analytics Center for Enabling Technologies (VACET), we are well positioned to be responsive to the needs of a diverse set of scientific stakeholders in a coordinated fashion using a range of visualization, mathematics, statistics, computer and computational science and data management technologies

Understanding Time-driven Activity-based Costing.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharan, Alok D; Schroeder, Gregory D; West, Michael E; Vaccaro, Alexander R

2016-03-01

Transitioning to a value-based health care system will require providers to increasingly scrutinize their outcomes and costs. Although there has been a great deal of effort to understand outcomes, cost accounting in health care has been a greater challenge. Currently the cost accounting methods used by hospitals and providers are based off a fee-for-service system. As resources become increasingly scarce and the health care system attempts to understand which services provide the greatest value, it will be critically important to understand the true costs of delivering a service. An understanding of the true costs of a particular service will help providers make smarter decisions on how to allocate and utilize resources as well as determine which activities are nonvalue added. Achieving value will require providers to have a greater focus on accurate outcome data as well as better methods of cost accounting.

Current and Future Parts Management at NASA

Science.gov (United States)

Sampson, Michael J.

2011-01-01

This presentation provides a high level view of current and future electronic parts management at NASA. It describes a current perspective of the new human space flight direction that NASA is beginning to take and how that could influence parts management in the future. It provides an overview of current NASA electronic parts policy and how that is implemented at the NASA flight Centers. It also describes some of the technical challenges that lie ahead and suggests approaches for their mitigation. These challenges include: advanced packaging, obsolescence and counterfeits, the global supply chain and Commercial Crew, a new direction by which NASA will utilize commercial launch vehicles to get astronauts to the International Space Station.

Water Pollution Control Legislation in Israel: Understanding Implementation Processes from an Actor-Centered Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharon Hophmayer-Tokich

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In the State of Israel, advanced legislation for the management of scarce water resources, including legislation to prevent water pollution, were put in place in the early stages of the State’s formation. Despite that, on-going uncontrolled pollution has deteriorated the quality of water sources for decades, with the main source of pollution being untreated or partially treated domestic wastewater. This has been mainly the result of lack of enforcement of the existing laws. During the 1990s and onwards, a shift to forceful enforcement has been observed and wastewater treatment substantially improved. The paper analyzes the implementation processes of the pollution control legislations (the lack-of and the shift to forceful enforcement based on an actor-centered approach, using the contextual interaction theory.

Tribal engagement strategy of the South Central Climate Science Center, 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, William J.; Taylor, April; Winton, Kimberly T.

2014-01-01

The South Central Climate Science Center was established by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2012 to increase understanding of climate change and coordinate an effective response to climate-change effects on Native American tribes and natural and cultural resources that the Department manages. The eight regional Climate Science Centers of the U.S. Department of the Interior work closely with natural-resource management agencies, university researchers, and others such as tribes and private landowners on climate-change issues. The relatively large number of Native Americans in the south central United States and their special knowledge of changing ecosystems make working with tribes and tribal members on climate-change issues particularly important in this part of the Nation. This circular describes priorities of the South Central Climate Science Center and provides information about resources available from Climate Science Centers and partner agencies regarding climate change. The circular also describes how this Climate Science Center, tribes and tribal members, and others can collaborate to minimize potential harmful effects of climate change on human society and our surrounding ecosystems.

77 FR 35410 - Fogarty International Center 2013 Strategic Plan

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-13

... of this strategic planning process is to identify current and future needs and directions for global... 2013 Strategic Plan SUMMARY: The Fogarty International Center (FIC), National Institutes of Health (NIH) is updating its strategic plan. To anticipate and set priorities for global health research and...

High current induction linacs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barletta, W.; Faltens, A.; Henestroza, E.; Lee, E.

1994-07-01

Induction linacs are among the most powerful accelerators in existence. They have accelerated electron bunches of several kiloamperes, and are being investigated as drivers for heavy ion driven inertial confinement fusion (HIF), which requires peak beam currents of kiloamperes and average beam powers of some tens of megawatts. The requirement for waste transmutation with an 800 MeV proton or deuteron beam with an average current of 50 mA and an average power of 40 MW lies midway between the electron machines and the heavy ion machines in overall difficulty. Much of the technology and understanding of beam physics carries over from the previous machines to the new requirements. The induction linac allows use of a very large beam aperture, which may turn out to be crucial to reducing beam loss and machine activation from the beam halo. The major issues addressed here are transport of high intensity beams, availability of sources, efficiency of acceleration, and the state of the needed technology for the waste treatment application. Because of the transformer-like action of an induction core and the accompanying magnetizing current, induction linacs make the most economic sense and have the highest efficiencies with large beam currents. Based on present understanding of beam transport limits, induction core magnetizing current requirements, and pulse modulators, the efficiencies could be very high. The study of beam transport at high intensities has been the major activity of the HIF community. Beam transport and sources are limiting at low energies but are not significant constraints at the higher energies. As will be shown, the proton beams will be space-charge-dominated, for which the emittance has only a minor effect on the overall beam diameter but does determine the density falloff at the beam edge

Climate Change and Vector Borne Diseases on NASA Langley Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Stuart K.; DeYoung, Russell J.; Shepanek, Marc A.; Kamel, Ahmed

2014-01-01

Increasing global temperature, weather patterns with above average storm intensities, and higher sea levels have been identified as phenomena associated with global climate change. As a causal system, climate change could contribute to vector borne diseases in humans. Vectors of concern originate from the vicinity of Langley Research Center include mosquitos and ticks that transmit disease that originate regionally, nationwide, or from outside the US. Recognizing changing conditions, vector borne diseases propagate under climate change conditions, and understanding the conditions in which they may exist or propagate, presents opportunities for monitoring their progress and mitigating their potential impacts through communication, continued monitoring, and adaptation. Personnel comprise a direct and fundamental support to NASA mission success, continuous and improved understanding of climatic conditions, and the resulting consequence of disease from these conditions, helps to reduce risk in terrestrial space technologies, ground operations, and space research. This research addresses conditions which are attributed to climatic conditions which promote environmental conditions conducive to the increase of disease vectors. This investigation includes evaluation of local mosquito population count and rainfall data for statistical correlation and identification of planning recommendations unique to LaRC, other NASA Centers to assess adaptation approaches, Center-level planning strategies.

Inside the Black Box: The Case Review Process of an Elder Abuse Forensic Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Adria E; Wysong, Julia; DeLiema, Marguerite; Schwartz, Elizabeth L; Nichol, Michael B; Wilber, Kathleen H

2016-08-01

Preliminary evidence suggests that elder abuse forensic centers improve victim welfare by increasing necessary prosecutions and conservatorships and reducing the recurrence of protective service referrals. Center team members gather information and make decisions designed to protect clients and their assets, yet the collective process of how these case reviews are conducted remains unexamined. The purpose of this study is to present a model describing the interprofessional approach of investigation and response to financial exploitation (FE), a frequent and complex type of abuse of vulnerable adults. To develop an understanding of the case review process at the Los Angeles County Elder Abuse Forensic Center (Center), a quasi-Delphi field study approach was used involving direct observations of meetings, surveying team members, and review from the Center's Advisory Council. The goal of this iterative analysis was to understand the case review process for suspected FE in Los Angeles County. A process map of key forensic center elements was developed that may be useful for replication in other settings. The process map includes: (a) multidisciplinary data collection, (b) key decisions for consideration, and (c) strategic actions utilized by an interprofessional team focused on elder justice. Elder justice relies on a complex system of providers. Elder abuse forensic centers provide a process designed to efficiently address client safety, client welfare, and protection of assets. Study findings provide a process map that may help other communities replicate an established multidisciplinary team, one experienced with justice system outcomes designed to protect FE victims. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Center (GES DISC)

Science.gov (United States)