Descriptive study of external employee assistance program providers (EAP) in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Muto, Takashi; Haruyama, Yasuo; Higashi, Toshiaki

2012-01-01

The mental health problems of employees have become a major occupational health issue in Japan. External employee assistance program providers (EAP) have become important in mental health care for workers, but their activities are poorly documented. This descriptive study was undertaken to clarify the status and future tasks of EAP in Japan. The subjects were all EAP (n=27) registered in the Japanese Chapter of Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The questionnaire survey was conducted in January 2007. We received 13 replies, a response rate of 54.2%. Most EAP provided seminars, stress checks, stress management, counseling, and support for a return to work. The number of EAP contracted with small-scale enterprises was small. EAP communicated infrequently with companies. To promote the use of EAP, their advertising, education and training of staff, accumulation of scientific evidence, development of an official certification system for staff, and improvement of contents of EAP services were cited.

The Staphyloccous aureus Eap protein activates expression of proinflammatory cytokines.

Science.gov (United States)

Scriba, Thomas J; Sierro, Sophie; Brown, Eric L; Phillips, Rodney E; Sewell, Andrew K; Massey, Ruth C

2008-05-01

The extracellular adhesion protein (Eap) secreted by the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus is known to have several effects on human immunity. We have recently added to knowledge of these roles by demonstrating that Eap enhances interactions between major histocompatibility complex molecules and human leukocytes. Several studies have indicated that Eap can induce cytokine production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). To date, there has been no rigorous attempt to identify the breadth of cytokines produced by Eap stimulation or to identify the cell subsets that respond. Here, we demonstrate that Eap induces the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) by CD14(+) leukocytes (monocytes and macrophages) within direct ex vivo PBMC populations (note that granulocytes are also CD14(+) but are largely depleted from PBMC preparations). Anti-intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (CD54) antibodies inhibited this induction and implicated a role for this known Eap binding protein in cellular activation. IL-6 and TNF-alpha secretion by murine cells exposed to Eap was also observed. The activation of CD14(+) cells by Eap suggests that it could play a significant role in both septic shock and fever, two of the major pathological features of S. aureus infections.

eap Gene as novel target for specific identification of Staphylococcus aureus.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Muzaffar; von Eiff, Christof; Sinha, Bhanu; Joost, Insa; Herrmann, Mathias; Peters, Georg; Becker, Karsten

2008-02-01

The cell surface-associated extracellular adherence protein (Eap) mediates adherence of Staphylococcus aureus to host extracellular matrix components and inhibits inflammation, wound healing, and angiogenesis. A well-characterized collection of S. aureus and non-S. aureus staphylococcal isolates (n = 813) was tested for the presence of the Eap-encoding gene (eap) by PCR to investigate the use of the eap gene as a specific diagnostic tool for identification of S. aureus. Whereas all 597 S. aureus isolates were eap positive, this gene was not detectable in 216 non-S. aureus staphylococcal isolates comprising 47 different species and subspecies of coagulase-negative staphylococci and non-S. aureus coagulase-positive or coagulase-variable staphylococci. Furthermore, non-S. aureus isolates did not express Eap homologs, as verified on the transcriptional and protein levels. Based on these data, the sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed PCR targeting the eap gene were both 100%. Thus, the unique occurrence of Eap in S. aureus offers a promising tool particularly suitable for molecular diagnostics of this pathogen.

The Costs of an Enhanced Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

French, Michael T.; Dunlap, Laura J.; Zarkin, Gary A.; Karuntzos, Georgia T.

1998-01-01

This study estimates the economic costs of an enhanced Employee Assistance Program (EAP) intervention at a large midwestern EAP that serves 90 worksites. Results specify developmental and implementation costs and provide benchmark cost estimated for other EAPs that may be considering enhanced services. (SLD)

Nonnegative definite EAP and ODF estimation via a unified multi-shell HARDI reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jian; Jiang, Tianzi; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

In High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI), Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) and Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) are two important Probability Density Functions (PDFs) which reflect the water diffusion and fiber orientations. Spherical Polar Fourier Imaging (SPFI) is a recent model-free multi-shell HARDI method which estimates both EAP and ODF from the diffusion signals with multiple b values. As physical PDFs, ODFs and EAPs are nonnegative definite respectively in their domains S2 and R3. However, existing ODF/EAP estimation methods like SPFI seldom consider this natural constraint. Although some works considered the nonnegative constraint on the given discrete samples of ODF/EAP, the estimated ODF/EAP is not guaranteed to be nonnegative definite in the whole continuous domain. The Riemannian framework for ODFs and EAPs has been proposed via the square root parameterization based on pre-estimated ODFs and EAPs by other methods like SPFI. However, there is no work on how to estimate the square root of ODF/EAP called as the wavefuntion directly from diffusion signals. In this paper, based on the Riemannian framework for ODFs/EAPs and Spherical Polar Fourier (SPF) basis representation, we propose a unified model-free multi-shell HARDI method, named as Square Root Parameterized Estimation (SRPE), to simultaneously estimate both the wavefunction of EAPs and the nonnegative definite ODFs and EAPs from diffusion signals. The experiments on synthetic data and real data showed SRPE is more robust to noise and has better EAP reconstruction than SPFI, especially for EAP profiles at large radius.

EMPLOYER CHOICES IN EAP DESIGN AND WORKSITE SERVICES.

Science.gov (United States)

McCann, Bernard; Azzone, Vanessa; Merrick, Elizabeth L; Hiatt, Deirdre; Hodgkin, Dominic; Horgan, Constance M

2010-01-01

In today's complex private healthcare market, employers have varied preferences for particular features of behavioral health products such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Factors which may influence these preferences include: establishment size, type of organization, industry, workplace substance abuse regulations, and structure of health insurance benefits. This study of 103 large employer purchasers from a single managed behavioral healthcare organization investigated the impact of such variables on the EAP features that employers select to provide to workers and their families. Our findings indicate that for this group of employers, preferences for the type and delivery mode of EAP counseling services are fairly universal, while number of sessions provided and choices for EAP-provided worksite activities are much more varied, and may be more reflective of the diverse characteristics, organizational missions and workplace culture found among larger employers in the US.

Wirelessly Controllable Inflated Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Reflectors

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chang, Zensheu; Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea

2005-01-01

Inflatable membrane reflectors are attractive for deployable, large aperture, lightweight optical and microwave systems in micro-gravity space environment. However, any fabrication flaw or temperature variation may results in significant aberration of the surface. Even for a perfectly fabricated inflatable membrane mirror with uniform thickness, theory shows it will form a Hencky curve surface but a desired parabolic or spherical surface. Precision control of the surfaceshape of extremely flexible membrane structures is a critical challenge for the success of this technology. Wirelessly controllable inflated reflectors made of electroactive polymers (EAP) are proposed in this paper. A finite element model was configured to predict the behavior of the inflatable EAP membranes under pre-strains, pressures and distributed electric charges on the surface. To explore the controllability of the inflatable EAP reflectors, an iteration algorism was developed to find the required electric actuation for correcting the aberration of the Hencky curve to the desired parabolic curve. The correction capability of the reflectors with available EAP materials was explored numerically and is presented in this paper.

Honing EAP Learners' Public Speaking Skills by Analyzing TED Talks

Science.gov (United States)

Leopold, Lisa

2016-01-01

Despite the importance of public speaking skills for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students' academic and professional success, few EAP textbooks incorporate authentic, professional speech models. Thus, many EAP instructors have turned to TED talks for dynamic speech models. Yet a single TED talk may be too long for viewing in class and may…

Self-Disclosure as a Predictor of EAP Supervisory Utilization

Science.gov (United States)

Donohoe, Timothy L.; Johnson, James T.; Taquino, Maurice A.

1999-01-01

The value of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPS) has been cited in a variety of published papers and articles. An important managerial element relative to the assessment and referral of troubled employees has been supervisory training. There has been numerous studies highlighting the various factors and circumstances associated with supervisory behavior and EAP referrals. The inclusion of emotional awareness factors in EAP supervisory utilization has not been thoroughly investigated, although frequently found in the literature as a training and development objective for managers in business and education. The present study sought to determine what role supervisory denial and anxiety avoidance plays in confrontation of troubled employees and if admission of specific, internal emotional events is a characteristic among EAP utilizing supervisors.

EAP and LLNP Students: Common Problems and Strategies

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Thi Minh Phuong

2010-01-01

As English learners originate from many cultural and language backgrounds, they come to class with different circumstances. This paper examines the backgrounds, common problems and solutions for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students and Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Programme (LLNP) students. EAP students are from Meridian International…

Optimizing Depression Care: Opportunities for the EAP.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreuch, Tony J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-05-01

Depression is a major workplace concern with significant impact on employee productivity, attendance and “presenteeism” and often affects the company bottom line in areas such as cost impact, employee morale, worker turnover and affected families. However, despite the frequent challenge of depression in the workplace, EAPs are often not well-equipped to fully address these employees. Often, the individual will either be directed to a 24 hour call center or seen briefly onsite by an EAP professional and referred to a treating provider without a full assessment or comprehensive approach. Diagnostic practices may be informal without use of validated tools and without a full assessment of risk or identification of appropriate level of care. However, the EAP may be ideally placed within an organization to have a significant positive impact on this condition. This article will summarize my recommendations regarding EAP strategies for optimizing assessment and care for employees who are struggling with depression. I will also briefly review a working model for the assessment and treatment of depression that we have developed at my company using best practices and a collaborative model for tracking outcomes.

Extracellular adherence protein (Eap) from Staphylococcus aureus does not function as a superantigen.

Science.gov (United States)

Haggar, A; Flock, J-I; Norrby-Teglund, A

2010-08-01

Extracellular adherence protein (Eap) from Staphylococcus aureus has been reported to have strong anti-inflammatory properties, which make Eap a potential anti-inflammatory agent. However, Eap has also been demonstrated to trigger T-cell activation and to share structural homology with superantigens. In this study, we focused on whether Eap fulfilled the definition criteria for a superantigen. We demonstrate that T-cell activation by Eap is dependent on both major histocompatibility complex class II and intercellular adhesion molecule type 1, that cellular processing is required for Eap to elicit T-cell proliferation, and that the kinetics of proliferation resemble the profile of a conventional antigen and not that of a superantigen.

The Staphylococcus aureus extracellular adherence protein (Eap) adopts an elongated but structured conformation in solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammel, Michal; Nemecek, Daniel; Keightley, J Andrew; Thomas, George J; Geisbrecht, Brian V

2007-12-01

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus participates in a wide range of protein-protein interactions that facilitate the initiation and dissemination of Staphylococcal disease. In this report, we describe the use of a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the solution structure of full-length Eap. In contrast to previous reports suggesting that a six-domain isoform of Eap undergoes multimerization, sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation data revealed that a four-domain isoform of Eap is a monomer in solution. In vitro proteolysis and solution small angle X-ray scattering studies both indicate that Eap adopts an extended conformation in solution, where the linkers connecting sequential EAP modules are solvent exposed. Construction of a low-resolution model of full-length Eap using a combination of ab initio deconvolution of the SAXS data and rigid body modeling of the EAP domain crystal structure suggests that full-length Eap may present several unique concave surfaces capable of participating in ligand binding. These results also raise the possibility that such surfaces may be held together by additional interactions between adjacent EAP modules. This hypothesis is supported by a comparative Raman spectroscopic analysis of full-length Eap and a stoichiometric solution of the individual EAP modules, which indicates the presence of additional secondary structure and a greater extent of hydrogen/deuterium exchange protection in full-length Eap. Our results provide the first insight into the solution structure of full-length Eap and an experimental basis for interpreting the EAP domain crystal structures within the context of the full-length molecule. They also lay a foundation for future studies into the structural and molecular bases of Eap-mediated protein-protein interactions with its many ligands.

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus acts as a proliferation and migration repressing factor that alters the cell morphology of keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenbeis, Janina; Peisker, Henrik; Backes, Christian S; Bur, Stephanie; Hölters, Sebastian; Thewes, Nicolas; Greiner, Markus; Junker, Christian; Schwarz, Eva C; Hoth, Markus; Junker, Kerstin; Preissner, Klaus T; Jacobs, Karin; Herrmann, Mathias; Bischoff, Markus

2017-02-01

Staphyloccocus aureus is a major human pathogen and a common cause for superficial and deep seated wound infections. The pathogen is equipped with a large arsenal of virulence factors, which facilitate attachment to various eukaryotic cell structures and modulate the host immune response. One of these factors is the extracellular adherence protein Eap, a member of the "secretable expanded repertoire adhesive molecules" (SERAM) protein family that possesses adhesive and immune modulatory properties. The secreted protein was previously shown to impair wound healing by interfering with host defense and neovascularization. However, its impact on keratinocyte proliferation and migration, two major steps in the re-epithelialization process of wounds, is not known. Here, we report that Eap affects the proliferation and migration capacities of keratinocytes by altering their morphology and adhesive properties. In particular, treatment of non-confluent HaCaT cell cultures with Eap resulted in cell morphology changes as well as a significant reduction in cell proliferation and migration. Eap-treated HaCaT cells changed their appearance from an oblong via a trapezoid to an astral-like shape, accompanied by decreases in cell volume and cell stiffness, and exhibited significantly increased cell adhesion. Eap had a similar influence on endothelial and cancer cells, indicative for a general effect of Eap on eukaryotic cell morphology and functions. Specifically, Eap was found to interfere with growth factor-stimulated activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway that is known to be responsible for cell shape modulation, induction of proliferation and migration of epithelial cells. Western blot analyses revealed that Eap blocked the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (Erk1/2) in keratinocyte growth factor (KGF)-stimulated HaCaT cells. Together, these data add another antagonistic mechanism of Eap in wound healing, whereby the

A place for marriage and family services in employee assistance programs (EAPs): a survey of EAP client problems and needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Shumway, Sterling T; Wampler, Richard S; Dersch, Charette; Arredondo, Rudy

2004-01-01

Marriage and family services have not been widely recognized as part of employee assistance programs (EAP), although family and relational problems are widely cited as sources of problems on the job. EAP clients (N = 800, 97% self-referred) indicated how much family, psychological/emotional, drug, alcohol, employment-related, legal, and medical problems troubled them and the need for services in each area. Psychological/emotional (66%) and family (65%) problem areas frequently were rated "considerable" or "extreme." Both areas were rated as "considerable" or "extreme" by 48.6% of participants. In view of the evidence that marriage and family services can be effective with both family and psychological/emotional problems, professionals who are competent to provide such services have much to offer EAP programs.

Progress toward EAP actuators for biomimetic social robots

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, D.

2013-04-01

Social robotics and artificial intelligence have progressed steadily in recent years, appearing in a variety of useful applications and products as well as breakthrough research. However, limitations in conventional motors continue to limit the possibilities of bio-inspired robotics. Such motors are needed for locomotion, grasping and manipulation, and social expressions and gestures. EAP actuators, being more like biological muscle in key regards, could revolutionize the hardware for such robots, if made robust, powerful, and manufacturable at reasonable prices. The author presents a survey of the progress and opportunities for EAP actuators in these fields, and discusses the latest work of his team in developing and manufacturing social robots that could benefit from EAP actuators.

Final quality of life and safety data for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treated with cabazitaxel in the UK Early Access Programme (EAP) (NCT01254279).

Science.gov (United States)

Bahl, Amit; Masson, Susan; Malik, Zafar; Birtle, Alison J; Sundar, Santhanam; Jones, Rob J; James, Nicholas D; Mason, Malcolm D; Kumar, Satish; Bottomley, David; Lydon, Anna; Chowdhury, Simon; Wylie, James; de Bono, Johann S

2015-12-01

To compile the safety profile and quality of life (QoL) data for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with cabazitaxel in the UK Early Access Programme (UK EAP). A total of 112 patients participated at 12 UK cancer centres. All had mCRPC with disease progression during or after docetaxel. Patients received cabazitaxel 25 mg/m(2) every 3 weeks with prednisolone 10 mg daily for up to 10 cycles. Safety assessments were performed before each cycle and QoL was recorded at alternate cycles using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS). The safety profile was compiled after completion of the UK EAP and QoL measures were analysed to record trends. No formal statistical analysis was carried out. The incidences of neutropenic sepsis (6.3%), grade 3 and 4 diarrhoea (4.5%) and grade 3 and 4 cardiac toxicity (0%) were low. Neutropenic sepsis episodes, though low, occurred only in patients who did not receive prophylactic granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. There were trends towards improved VAS and EQ-5D-3L pain scores during treatment. The UK EAP experience indicates that cabazitaxel might improve QoL in mCRPC and represents an advance and a useful addition to the armamentarium of treatment for patients whose disease has progressed during or after docetaxel. In view of the potential toxicity, careful patient selection is important. © 2015 The Authors BJU International © 2015 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

EAP Service Use in a Managed Behavioral Health Care Organization: From the Employee Perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth L; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M; McCann, Bernard

2011-01-01

Contemporary employee assistance program (EAP) services are typically provided in broad-brush programs delivered by large external vendors in a network model. Yet research has not kept pace with EAP evolution, including in terms of how EAP clients themselves view services. We surveyed a random sample of EAP service users from a national provider (361 respondents). About one-third of respondents reported getting help for workplace issues. Most learned about the EAP through employer communications such as the company website. The large majority reported that the EAP helped them "a lot" or "some," suggesting they valued this benefit.

What Do We Want EAP Teaching Materials for?

Science.gov (United States)

Harwood, Nigel

2005-01-01

This paper explores the various anti-textbook arguments in the literature to determine their relevance to the field of EAP. I distinguish between what I call a "strong" and a "weak" anti-textbook line, then review the corpus-based studies which compare the language EAP textbooks teach with corpora of the language academic writers use. After…

EAP Service Use in a Managed Behavioral Health Care Organization: From the Employee Perspective

OpenAIRE

Merrick, Elizabeth L.; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M.; McCann, Bernard

2011-01-01

Contemporary employee assistance program (EAP) services are typically provided in broad-brush programs delivered by large external vendors in a network model. Yet research has not kept pace with EAP evolution, including in terms of how EAP clients themselves view services. We surveyed a random sample of EAP service users from a national provider (361 respondents). About one-third of respondents reported getting help for workplace issues. Most learned about the EAP through employer communicati...

1H, 15N, and 13C resonance assignments of the third domain from the S. aureus innate immune evasion protein Eap.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Alvaro I; Ploscariu, Nicoleta T; Geisbrecht, Brian V; Prakash, Om

2018-04-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a widespread and persistent pathogen of humans and livestock. The bacterium expresses a wide variety of virulence proteins, many of which serve to disrupt the host's innate immune system from recognizing and clearing bacteria with optimal efficiency. The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) is a multidomain protein that participates in various protein-protein interactions that inhibit the innate immune response, including both the complement system (Woehl et al in J Immunol 193:6161-6171, 2014) and Neutrophil Serine Proteases (NSPs) (Stapels et al in Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111:13187-13192, 2014). The third domain of Eap, Eap3, is an ~ 11 kDa protein that was recently shown to bind complement component C4b (Woehl et al in Protein Sci 26:1595-1608, 2017) and therefore play an essential role in inhibiting the classical and lectin pathways of complement (Woehl et al in J Immunol 193:6161-6171, 2014). Since structural characterization of Eap3 is still incomplete, we acquired a series of 2D and 3D NMR spectra of Eap3 in solution. Here we report the backbone and side-chain 1 H, 15 N, and 13 C resonance assignments of Eap3 and its predicted secondary structure via the TALOS-N server. The assignment data have been deposited in the BMRB data bank under accession number 27087.

EAP's Response to Personal Stress and Productivity: Implications for Occupational Social Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramanathan, Chathapuram S.

1992-01-01

Used pretest-posttest design to investigate influence of employee assistance program (EAP) on employee stress and productivity at time of initial contact with EAP and two and four months later. Findings from 47 employees who used EAP services revealed that, although personal stress and employee productivity were related, employee assistance…

Iranian English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Stakeholders' Attitudes toward Using the Internet in EAP Courses for Civil Engineering Students: Promises and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Atai, Mahmood Reza; Dashtestani, Reza

2013-01-01

English for academic purposes (EAP) has established itself as a considerable part of English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction in Iranian universities. Considering the Internet as a major educational source in EAP reading courses, it is highly important that the stakeholders have positive attitudes toward it and be aware of promises and…

Transfer Climate and EAP Education: Students Perceptions of Challenges to Learning Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

James, Mark Andrew

2010-01-01

This study examined the applicability of the construct transfer climate in EAP education. In an EAP setting, transfer climate can be viewed as the support for learning transfer from an EAP course that students perceive in mainstream academic courses. The research question was as follows: What can a transfer climate perspective reveal about…

Beyond Needs Analysis: Soft Systems Methodology for Meaningful Collaboration in EAP Course Design

Science.gov (United States)

Tajino, Akira; James, Robert; Kijima, Kyoichi

2005-01-01

Designing an EAP course requires collaboration among various concerned stakeholders, including students, subject teachers, institutional administrators and EAP teachers themselves. While needs analysis is often considered fundamental to EAP, alternative research methodologies may be required to facilitate meaningful collaboration between these…

Fostering Transformative Practitioners for Critical EAP: Possibilities and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Brian

2009-01-01

In this article, I explore the often difficult transfer of theory to practice in respect to promoting the conceptual role of transformative intellectual/practitioner through a pre-service "social issues project" for future EAP and ESL teachers. Following an examination of more established role options in EAP (e.g. technician, reflective…

The Impact of EAP Study on the Academic Experiences of International Postgraduate Students in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Terraschke, Agnes; Wahid, Ridwan

2011-01-01

EAP courses usually not only aim to improve students' level of English but also to convey useful academic study skills and introduce students to the common genres of their discipline. These are extra skills and information other international students do not have ready access to. Yet, few studies have focused on how the academic experiences of…

The Spatial Politics of Gender in EAP Classroom Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Appleby, Roslyn

2009-01-01

This paper explores some of the challenges faced by EAP teachers as they address gender issues that arise when teaching in a non-Western cultural context. It draws on interviews with four Australian teachers regarding their experiences in delivering EAP programs in East Timor as part of an international aid effort, and focuses on critical…

A Case for Faculty Involvement in EAP Placement Testing

Science.gov (United States)

James, Cindy; Templeman, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

The EAP placement procedure at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) involves multiple measures to assess the language skills of incoming students, some of which are facilitated and all of which are assessed by ESL faculty. In order to determine the effectiveness of this comprehensive EAP placement process and the effect of the faculty factor, a…

Refreshable Braille displays using EAP actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2010-04-01

Refreshable Braille can help visually impaired persons benefit from the growing advances in computer technology. The development of such displays in a full screen form is a great challenge due to the need to pack many actuators in small area without interferences. In recent years, various displays using actuators such as piezoelectric stacks have become available in commercial form but most of them are limited to one line Braille code. Researchers in the field of electroactive polymers (EAP) investigated methods of using these materials to form full screen displays. This manuscript reviews the state of the art of producing refreshable Braille displays using EAP-based actuators.

Refreshable Braille Displays Using EAP Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2010-01-01

Refreshable Braille can help visually impaired persons benefit from the growing advances in computer technology. The development of such displays in a full screen form is a great challenge due to the need to pack many actuators in small area without interferences. In recent years, various displays using actuators such as piezoelectric stacks have become available in commercial form but most of them are limited to one line Braille code. Researchers in the field of electroactive polymers (EAP) investigated methods of using these materials to form full screen displays. This manuscript reviews the state of the art of producing refreshable Braille displays using EAP-based actuators..

sae is essential for expression of the staphylococcal adhesins Eap and Emp.

Science.gov (United States)

Harraghy, Niamh; Kormanec, Jan; Wolz, Christiane; Homerova, Dagmar; Goerke, Christiane; Ohlsen, Knut; Qazi, Saara; Hill, Philip; Herrmann, Mathias

2005-06-01

Eap and Emp are two Staphylococcus aureus adhesins initially described as extracellular matrix binding proteins. Eap has since emerged as being important in adherence to and invasion of eukaryotic cells, as well as being described as an immunomodulator and virulence factor in chronic infections. This paper describes the mapping of the transcription start point of the eap and emp promoters. Moreover, using reporter-gene assays and real-time PCR in defined regulatory mutants, environmental conditions and global regulators affecting expression of eap and emp were investigated. Marked differences were found in expression of eap and emp between strain Newman and the 8325 derivatives SH1000 and 8325-4. Moreover, both genes were repressed in the presence of glucose. Analysis of expression of both genes in various regulatory mutants revealed that sarA and agr were involved in their regulation, but the data suggested that there were additional regulators of both genes. In a sae mutant, expression of both genes was severely repressed. sae expression was also reduced in the presence of glucose, suggesting that repression of eap and emp in glucose-containing medium may, in part, be a consequence of a decrease in expression of sae.

EAP artificial muscle actuators for bio-inspired intelligent social robotics (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, David F.

2017-04-01

Bio-inspired intelligent robots are coming of age in both research and industry, propelling market growth for robots and A.I. However, conventional motors limit bio-inspired robotics. EAP actuators and sensors could improve the simplicity, compliance, physical scaling, and offer bio-inspired advantages in robotic locomotion, grasping and manipulation, and social expressions. For EAP actuators to realize their transformative potential, further innovations are needed: the actuators must be robust, fast, powerful, manufacturable, and affordable. This presentation surveys progress, opportunities, and challenges in the author's latest work in social robots and EAP actuators, and proposes a roadmap for EAP actuators in bio-inspired intelligent robotics.

Bionic Humans Using EAP as Artificial Muscles Reality and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoseph Bar-Cohen

2008-11-01

Full Text Available For many years, the idea of a human with bionic muscles immediately conjures up science fiction images of a TV series superhuman character that was implanted with bionic muscles and portrayed with strength and speed far superior to any normal human. As fantastic as this idea may seem, recent developments in electroactive polymers (EAP may one day make such bionics possible. Polymers that exhibit large displacement in response to stimulation that is other than electrical signal were known for many years. Initially, EAP received relatively little attention due to their limited actuation capability. However, in the recent years, the view of the EAP materials has changed due to the introduction of effective new materials that significantly surpassed the capability of the widely used piezoelectric polymer, PVDF. As this technology continues to evolve, novel mechanisms that are biologically inspired are expected to emerge. EAP materials can potentially provide actuation with lifelike response and more flexible configurations. While further improvements in performance and robustness are still needed, there already have been several reported successes. In recognition of the need for cooperation in this multidisciplinary field, the author initiated and organized a series of international forums that are leading to a growing number of research and development projects and to great advances in the field. In 1999, he challenged the worldwide science and engineering community of EAP experts to develop a robotic arm that is actuated by artificial muscles to win a wrestling match against a human opponent. In this paper, the field of EAP as artificial muscles will be reviewed covering the state of the art, the challenges and the vision for the progress in future years.

Expanding Access to Insurance by the Poor : Policy, Regulation and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Expanding Access to Insurance by the Poor : Policy, Regulation and Supervision of Micro Insurance. This project aims to facilitate poor people's access to insurance products and services as a means of addressing their vulnerability to risk. It will do so by carrying out case studies in five countries. Potential candidates ...

Model-free and analytical EAP reconstruction via spherical polar Fourier diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Jian; Ghosh, Aurobrata; Jiang, Tianzi; Deriche, Rachid

2010-01-01

How to estimate the diffusion Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) from the DWI signals in q-space is an open problem in diffusion MRI field. Many methods were proposed to estimate the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF) that is used to describe the fiber direction. However, ODF is just one of the features of the EAP. Compared with ODF, EAP has the full information about the diffusion process which reflects the complex tissue micro-structure. Diffusion Orientation Transform (DOT) and Diffusion Spectrum Imaging (DSI) are two important methods to estimate the EAP from the signal. However, DOT is based on mono-exponential assumption and DSI needs a lot of samplings and very large b values. In this paper, we propose Spherical Polar Fourier Imaging (SPFI), a novel model-free fast robust analytical EAP reconstruction method, which almost does not need any assumption of data and does not need too many samplings. SPFI naturally combines the DWI signals with different b-values. It is an analytical linear transformation from the q-space signal to the EAP profile represented by Spherical Harmonics (SH). We validated the proposed methods in synthetic data, phantom data and real data. It works well in all experiments, especially for the data with low SNR, low anisotropy, and non-exponential decay.

Fast and Analytical EAP Approximation from a 4th-Order Tensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Aurobrata; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

Generalized diffusion tensor imaging (GDTI) was developed to model complex apparent diffusivity coefficient (ADC) using higher-order tensors (HOTs) and to overcome the inherent single-peak shortcoming of DTI. However, the geometry of a complex ADC profile does not correspond to the underlying structure of fibers. This tissue geometry can be inferred from the shape of the ensemble average propagator (EAP). Though interesting methods for estimating a positive ADC using 4th-order diffusion tensors were developed, GDTI in general was overtaken by other approaches, for example, the orientation distribution function (ODF), since it is considerably difficult to recuperate the EAP from a HOT model of the ADC in GDTI. In this paper, we present a novel closed-form approximation of the EAP using Hermite polynomials from a modified HOT model of the original GDTI-ADC. Since the solution is analytical, it is fast, differentiable, and the approximation converges well to the true EAP. This method also makes the effort of computing a positive ADC worthwhile, since now both the ADC and the EAP can be used and have closed forms. We demonstrate our approach with 4th-order tensors on synthetic data and in vivo human data.

Integrating CALL into an Iranian EAP Course: Constraints and Affordances

Science.gov (United States)

Mehran, Parisa; Alizadeh, Mehrasa

2015-01-01

Iranian universities have recently displayed a growing interest in integrating Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) into teaching/learning English. The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) context, however, is not keeping pace with the current changes since EAP courses are strictly text-based and exam-oriented, and little research has thus…

Exploring Teacher Beliefs in Teaching EAP at Low Proficiency Levels

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Olwyn

2012-01-01

Teaching English for Academic Purposes (EAP) requires teachers experienced in Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) to acquire additional skills, abilities and approaches. Beliefs about CLT teaching may not be appropriate for teaching EAP, especially to low level learners. Making teachers aware of their beliefs is the first step in helping them to…

Evaluate Your EAP: Can It Help Support Employee Rights Legislation?

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Katherine C.

1997-01-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are emerging as an efficient way to address employee rights, particularly in light of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act. Well-managed EAPs help maintain a healthy, motivated, productive workforce, show effort to provide reasonable accommodation of employee needs, and may…

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators for future humanlike robots

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2009-03-01

Human-like robots are increasingly becoming an engineering reality thanks to recent technology advances. These robots, which are inspired greatly by science fiction, were originated from the desire to reproduce the human appearance, functions and intelligence and they may become our household appliance or even companion. The development of such robots is greatly supported by emerging biologically inspired technologies. Potentially, electroactive polymer (EAP) materials are offering actuation capabilities that allow emulating the action of our natural muscles for making such machines perform lifelike. There are many technical issues related to making such robots including the need for EAP materials that can operate as effective actuators. Beside the technology challenges these robots also raise concerns that need to be addressed prior to forming super capable robots. These include the need to prevent accidents, deliberate harm, or their use in crimes. In this paper, the potential EAP actuators and the challenges that these robots may pose will be reviewed.

Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuators for Future Humanlike Robots

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2009-01-01

Human-like robots are increasingly becoming an engineering reality thanks to recent technology advances. These robots, which are inspired greatly by science fiction, were originated from the desire to reproduce the human appearance, functions and intelligence and they may become our household appliance or even companion. The development of such robots is greatly supported by emerging biologically inspired technologies. Potentially, electroactive polymer (EAP) materials are offering actuation capabilities that allow emulating the action of our natural muscles for making such machines perform lifelike. There are many technical issues related to making such robots including the need for EAP materials that can operate as effective actuators. Beside the technology challenges these robots also raise concerns that need to be addressed prior to forming super capable robots. These include the need to prevent accidents, deliberate harm, or their use in crimes. In this paper, the potential EAP actuators and the challenges that these robots may pose will be reviewed.

IL17 Mediates Pelvic Pain in Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis (EAP.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen F Murphy

Full Text Available Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS is the most common form of prostatitis, accounting for 90-95% of all diagnoses. It is a complex multi-symptom syndrome with unknown etiology and limited effective treatments. Previous investigations highlight roles for inflammatory mediators in disease progression by correlating levels of cytokines and chemokines with patient reported symptom scores. It is hypothesized that alteration of adaptive immune mechanisms results in autoimmunity and subsequent development of pain. Mouse models of CPPS have been developed to delineate these immune mechanisms driving pain in humans. Using the experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP in C57BL/6 mice model of CPPS we examined the role of CD4+T-cell subsets in the development and maintenance of prostate pain, by tactile allodynia behavioral testing and flow cytometry. In tandem with increased CD4+IL17A+ T-cells upon EAP induction, prophylactic treatment with an anti-IL17 antibody one-day prior to EAP induction prevented the onset of pelvic pain. Therapeutic blockade of IL17 did not reverse pain symptoms indicating that IL17 is essential for development but not maintenance of chronic pain in EAP. Furthermore we identified a cytokine, IL7, to be associated with increased symptom severity in CPPS patients and is increased in patient prostatic secretions and the prostates of EAP mice. IL7 is fundamental to development of IL17 producing cells and plays a role in maturation of auto-reactive T-cells, it is also associated with autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes. More recently a growing body of research has pointed to IL17's role in development of neuropathic and chronic pain. This report presents novel data on the role of CD4+IL17+ T-cells in development and maintenance of pain in EAP and CPPS.

IL17 Mediates Pelvic Pain in Experimental Autoimmune Prostatitis (EAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Stephen F; Schaeffer, Anthony J; Done, Joseph; Wong, Larry; Bell-Cohn, Ashlee; Roman, Kenny; Cashy, John; Ohlhausen, Michelle; Thumbikat, Praveen

2015-01-01

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is the most common form of prostatitis, accounting for 90-95% of all diagnoses. It is a complex multi-symptom syndrome with unknown etiology and limited effective treatments. Previous investigations highlight roles for inflammatory mediators in disease progression by correlating levels of cytokines and chemokines with patient reported symptom scores. It is hypothesized that alteration of adaptive immune mechanisms results in autoimmunity and subsequent development of pain. Mouse models of CPPS have been developed to delineate these immune mechanisms driving pain in humans. Using the experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) in C57BL/6 mice model of CPPS we examined the role of CD4+T-cell subsets in the development and maintenance of prostate pain, by tactile allodynia behavioral testing and flow cytometry. In tandem with increased CD4+IL17A+ T-cells upon EAP induction, prophylactic treatment with an anti-IL17 antibody one-day prior to EAP induction prevented the onset of pelvic pain. Therapeutic blockade of IL17 did not reverse pain symptoms indicating that IL17 is essential for development but not maintenance of chronic pain in EAP. Furthermore we identified a cytokine, IL7, to be associated with increased symptom severity in CPPS patients and is increased in patient prostatic secretions and the prostates of EAP mice. IL7 is fundamental to development of IL17 producing cells and plays a role in maturation of auto-reactive T-cells, it is also associated with autoimmune disorders including multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes. More recently a growing body of research has pointed to IL17's role in development of neuropathic and chronic pain. This report presents novel data on the role of CD4+IL17+ T-cells in development and maintenance of pain in EAP and CPPS.

The crystal structures of EAP domains from Staphylococcus aureus reveal an unexpected homology to bacterial superantigens.

Science.gov (United States)

Geisbrecht, Brian V; Hamaoka, Brent Y; Perman, Benjamin; Zemla, Adam; Leahy, Daniel J

2005-04-29

The Eap (extracellular adherence protein) of Staphylococcus aureus functions as a secreted virulence factor by mediating interactions between the bacterial cell surface and several extracellular host proteins. Eap proteins from different Staphylococcal strains consist of four to six tandem repeats of a structurally uncharacterized domain (EAP domain). We have determined the three-dimensional structures of three different EAP domains to 1.8, 2.2, and 1.35 A resolution, respectively. These structures reveal a core fold that is comprised of an alpha-helix lying diagonally across a five-stranded, mixed beta-sheet. Comparison of EAP domains with known structures reveals an unexpected homology with the C-terminal domain of bacterial superantigens. Examination of the structure of the superantigen SEC2 bound to the beta-chain of a T-cell receptor suggests a possible ligand-binding site within the EAP domain (Fields, B. A., Malchiodi, E. L., Li, H., Ysern, X., Stauffacher, C. V., Schlievert, P. M., Karjalainen, K., and Mariuzza, R. (1996) Nature 384, 188-192). These results provide the first structural characterization of EAP domains, relate EAP domains to a large class of bacterial toxins, and will guide the design of future experiments to analyze EAP domain structure/function relationships.

Fast and Analytical EAP Approximation from a 4th-Order Tensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurobrata Ghosh

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Generalized diffusion tensor imaging (GDTI was developed to model complex apparent diffusivity coefficient (ADC using higher-order tensors (HOTs and to overcome the inherent single-peak shortcoming of DTI. However, the geometry of a complex ADC profile does not correspond to the underlying structure of fibers. This tissue geometry can be inferred from the shape of the ensemble average propagator (EAP. Though interesting methods for estimating a positive ADC using 4th-order diffusion tensors were developed, GDTI in general was overtaken by other approaches, for example, the orientation distribution function (ODF, since it is considerably difficult to recuperate the EAP from a HOT model of the ADC in GDTI. In this paper, we present a novel closed-form approximation of the EAP using Hermite polynomials from a modified HOT model of the original GDTI-ADC. Since the solution is analytical, it is fast, differentiable, and the approximation converges well to the true EAP. This method also makes the effort of computing a positive ADC worthwhile, since now both the ADC and the EAP can be used and have closed forms. We demonstrate our approach with 4th-order tensors on synthetic data and in vivo human data.

On the impact of self-clearing on electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Saad; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Lanagan, Michael T.

2017-10-01

Electroactive polymer (EAP)-based actuators have large potential for a wide array of applications; however, their practical implementation is still a challenge because of the requirement of high driving voltage, which most often leads to premature defect-driven electrical breakdown. Polymer-based capacitors have the ability to clear defects with partial electrical breakdown and subsequent removal of a localized electrode section near the defect. In this study, this process, which is known as self-clearing, is adopted for EAP technologies. We report a methodical approach to self-clear an EAP, more specifically P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer, to delay premature defect-driven electrical breakdown of the terpolymer actuators at high operating electric fields. Breakdown results show that electrical breakdown strength is improved up to 18% in comparison to a control sample after self-clearing. Furthermore, the electromechanical performance in terms of blocked force and free displacement of P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer-based bending actuators are examined after self-clearing and precleared samples show improved blocked force, free displacement and maximum sustainable electric field compared to control samples. The study demonstrates that controlled self-clearing of EAPs improves the breakdown limit and reliability of the EAP actuators for practical applications without impeding their electromechanical performance.

Controllable Curved Mirrors Made from Single-Layer EAP Films

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart

2004-01-01

A document proposes that lightweight, deployable, large-aperture, controllable curved mirrors made of reflectively coated thin electroactive-polymer (EAP) films be developed for use in spaceborne microwave and optical systems. In these mirrors, the EAP films would serve as both structures and actuators. EAPs that are potentially suitable for such use include piezoelectric, electrostrictive, ferroelectric, and dielectric polymers. These materials exhibit strains proportional to the squares of applied electric fields. Utilizing this phenomenon, a curved mirror according to the proposal could be made from a flat film, upon which a nonuniform electrostatic potential (decreasing from the center toward the edge) would be imposed to obtain a required curvature. The effect would be analogous to that of an old-fashioned metalworking practice in which a flat metal sheet is made into a bowl by hammering it repeatedly, the frequency of hammer blows decreasing with distance from the center. In operation, the nonuniform electrostatic potential could be imposed by use of an electron gun. Calculations have shown that by use of a single- layer film made of a currently available EAP, it would be possible to control the focal length of a 2-m-diameter mirror from infinity to 1.25 m.

Strategic positioning of EAP in South African workplaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. G. Matlhape

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Two phenomena are having a profound effect on management and industry in the 21st century. The first one is the increasing rate and depth of competition locally, regionally, and globally, and the consequent increase in focus on achieving competitiveness by companies. The second phenomenon is the increasing appreciation of the importance of employees in assisting the company to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors. Employee Assistance Programmes have been used as part of the business strategy to enhance employee functioning, loyalty, and performance in organisations around the world for a good part of the 20th century. In South Africa this service did not gain much momentum until the 1980. Despite the growth of EAP in South Africa, however, in most cases it still remains on the periphery of real business activities and is often regarded as a "nice to have" rather than as a business imperative. The location of EAP within a company is very important in determining its impact within the organisation. Because of EAPs capacity to impact on both individual employees and the organisation as its primary client, it has potential to make a great impact in organisations' business processes, where these interface with individual output and wellbeing. A service-profit-chain model was introduced as a link between employee satisfaction and company profitability. This article gives an in-depth focus on EAP and the important role it can play in achieving employee satisfaction.

Discourse Itineraries in an EAP Classroom: A Collaborative Critical Literacy Praxis

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Christian Wai

2010-01-01

This classroom ethnography documents the developing critical literacy pedagogy of an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) instructor over the course of several terms. My research, which involved extensive collaboration with the EAP instructor, explores how specific classroom practices and discourses are enacted and mediated through dialogic…

The role of the EAP in the identification and treatment of substance abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, R M

1998-12-01

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are cost-effective strategies for employers to contain the substantial direct and indirect costs of substance abuse in the workplace. EAPs offer prevention, early detection, assessment of referral, and after-care programs to help stem the enormous costs of substance abuse in the workplace. Most effective employer substance abuse programs integrate drug-testing and EAP services to ensure a well coordinated, cost-effective program.

INVESTIGATING THE PERCEIVED NEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS LEARNING EAP

OpenAIRE

Dedy Setiawan

2009-01-01

Abstract: The perceived needs of students learning EAP were analysed u-sing a questionnaire which investigated the subjects’ preference for particular topics and various modes of learning in relation to both the target and present situation. The target situation in the questionnaire was represented by items concerning study skills; while items concerning the present situation were oriented to the contents of the EAP course and its methodology and activities. The findings provide evidence fo...

An EAP Program and Students' Success at a Canadian University

Science.gov (United States)

Keefe, Karin; Shi, Ling

2017-01-01

Many universities have instituted intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programs to support international students. This qualitative study used interviews to gain insights into the experiences of 8 non-native English speaking (NNES) students who completed an EAP program before they enrolled in disciplinary courses at a Canadian university.…

Teaching Writing within the Disciplines: A Viable Approach for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Instructors

Science.gov (United States)

Leopold, Lisa

2011-01-01

This case study of an adjunct-model English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing course linked to a policy-analysis course describes an effective approach for putting "specificity" into practice in EAP curriculum design. The rationale for interdisciplinary collaboration, the positive learning outcomes from the EAP writing course, the…

EAP recordings in ineraid patients--correlations with psychophysical measures and possible implications for patient fitting.

Science.gov (United States)

Zimmerling, Martin J; Hochmair, Erwin S

2002-04-01

Objective measurements can be helpful for cochlear implant fitting of difficult populations, as for example very young children. One method, the recording of the electrically evoked compound action potential (EAP), measures the nerve recruitment in the cochlea in response to stimulation through the implant. For coding strategies implemented at a moderate stimulation rate of 250 pps per channel, useful correlations between EAP data and psychophysical data have been already found. With new systems running at higher rates, it is important to check these correlations again. This study investigates the correlations between psychophysical data and EAP measures calculated from EAP amplitude growth functions. EAP data were recorded in 12 Ineraid subjects. Additionally, behavioral thresholds (THR) and maximum acceptable loudness levels (MAL) were determined for stimulation rates of 80 pps and 2,020 pps for each electrode. Useful correlations between EAP data and psychophysical data were found at the low stimulation rate (80 pps). However, at the higher stimulation rate (2,020 pps) correlations were not significant. They were improved substantially, however, by introducing a factor that corrected for disparities due to temporal integration. Incorporation of this factor, which controls for the influence of the stimulation rate on the threshold, improved the correlations between EAP measures recorded at 80 pps and psychophysical MALs measured at 2,020 pps to better than r = 0.70. EAP data as such can only be used to predict behavioral THRs or MCLs at low stimulation rates. To cope with temporal integration effects at higher stimulation rates, EAP data must be rate corrected. The introduction of a threshold-rate-factor is a promising way to achieve that goal. Further investigations need to be performed.

Antibody response to the extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus in healthy and infected individuals.

Science.gov (United States)

Joost, Insa; Jacob, Susanne; Utermöhlen, Olaf; Schubert, Uwe; Patti, Joseph M; Ong, Mei-Fang; Gross, Jürgen; Justinger, Christoph; Renno, Jörg H; Preissner, Klaus T; Bischoff, Markus; Herrmann, Mathias

2011-06-01

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) from Staphylococcus aureus has been suggested as a vaccine candidate and for therapeutic use due to its immunomodulating and antiangiogenic properties; however, little is known about anti-Eap antibodies in humans. We determined anti-Eap antibody titers by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot and measured serum samples from 92 patients with proven S. aureus infections and 93 healthy controls. The functionality of antibodies was assessed by a phagocytosis assay using Eap-coated fluorescent microspheres. Antibodies were detected in all human samples, but not in mice. Patients showed significantly higher titers than controls [immunoglobulin M (IgM), P=0.007; IgG, PEap alone was sufficient to promote phagocytosis by peripheral blood mononuclear cell and granulocytes that was moderately enhanced in the presence of human serum, but no correlation was found with the levels of anti-Eap antibodies. Anti-Eap antibodies are prevalent in all tested humans and correlate with the severity of S. aureus infection; however, they do not seem to provide protection against invasive infections. Before considering Eap for therapy or as a vaccine candidate, further studies are warranted to assess the impact of the interference between Eap and its specific antibodies. © 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

EAP: Employee Assistance Programs in the Public Schools. Reference & Resource Series.

Science.gov (United States)

Hacker, Carol

Employee assistance programs (EAP's) have been set up by many businesses and organizations to help employees resolve their personal problems so they can maintain or resume an acceptable job performance level. So far, only a few public school districts have considered or implemented such programs. This monograph examines EAP's in general and…

The feasibility of an EAP in the school environment

OpenAIRE

2008-01-01

M.A. Employee assistance program (EAP) is one service model that are designed to assist troubled employees in the workplace. Its feasibility has been experienced in many different contexts. However, the school is somewhat neglected in this respect, and few EAP’s are known to exist in the school system. This study will contribute to the introduction of EAP’s within the school environment because EAP is perceived as only applicable on the companies and organisations. The goal of the study is...

Insertional inactivation of Eap in Staphylococcus aureus strain Newman confers reduced staphylococcal binding to fibroblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Muzaffar; Haggar, Axana; Heilmann, Christine; Peters, Georg; Flock, Jan-Ingmar; Herrmann, Mathias

2002-06-01

To initiate invasive infection, Staphylococcus aureus must adhere to host substrates, such as the extracellular matrix or eukaryotic cells, by virtue of different surface proteins (adhesins). Recently, we identified a 60-kDa cell-secreted extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of S. aureus strain Newman with broad-spectrum binding characteristics (M. Palma, A. Haggar, and J. I. Flock, J. Bacteriol. 181:2840-2845, 1999), and we have molecularly confirmed Eap to be an analogue of the previously identified major histocompatibility complex class II analog protein (Map) (M. Hussain, K. Becker, C. von Eiff, G. Peter, and M. Herrmann, Clin. Diagn. Lab. Immunol. 8:1281-1286, 2001). Previous analyses of the Eap/Map function performed with purified protein did not allow dissection of its precise role in the complex situation of the staphylococcal whole cell presenting several secreted and wall-bound adhesins. Therefore, the role of Eap was investigated by constructing a stable eap::ermB deletion in strain Newman and by complementation of the mutant. Patterns of extracted cell surface proteins analyzed both by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by Western ligand assays with various adhesive matrix molecules clearly confirmed the absence of Eap in the mutant. However, binding and adhesion tests using whole staphylococcal cells demonstrated that both the parent and mutant strains bound equally well to fibronectin- and fibrinogen-coated surfaces, possibly due to their recognition by other staphylococcal adhesins. Furthermore, Eap mediated staphylococcal agglutination of both wild-type and mutant cells. In contrast, the mutant adhered to a significantly lesser extent to cultured fibroblasts (P Eap, whereas preimmune serum was not active. In conclusion, Eap may contribute to pathogenicity by promoting adhesion of whole staphylococcal cells to complex eukaryotic substrates.

What lies beneath? Diffusion EAP-based study of brain tissue microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

Zucchelli, Mauro; Brusini, Lorenza; Andrés Méndez, C; Daducci, Alessandro; Granziera, Cristina; Menegaz, Gloria

2016-08-01

Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance signals convey information about tissue microstructure and cytoarchitecture. In the last years, many models have been proposed for recovering the diffusion signal and extracting information to constitute new families of numerical indices. Two main categories of reconstruction models can be identified in diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (DMRI): ensemble average propagator (EAP) models and compartmental models. From both, descriptors can be derived for elucidating the underlying microstructural architecture. While compartmental models indices directly quantify the fraction of different cell compartments in each voxel, EAP-derived indices are only a derivative measure and the effect of the different microstructural configurations on the indices is still unclear. In this paper, we analyze three EAP indices calculated using the 3D Simple Harmonic Oscillator based Reconstruction and Estimation (3D-SHORE) model and estimate their changes with respect to the principal microstructural configurations. We take advantage of the state of the art simulations to quantify the variations of the indices with the simulation parameters. Analysis of in-vivo data correlates the EAP indices with the microstructural parameters obtained from the Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) model as a pseudo ground truth for brain data. Results show that the EAP derived indices convey information on the tissue microstructure and that their combined values directly reflect the configuration of the different compartments in each voxel. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Androids: application of EAP as artificial muscles to entertainment industry

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, D.; Pioggia, G.; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; de Rossi, D.

2001-01-01

The classic movie Metropolis (1926), which is nowadays considered a cinema milestone, has shown the possibility to build robots called androids that are science and fiction run together to realize a dream: the human-like robot. In that movie, Dr. Rotwang transforms a simple and cold calculating robot into the body of a beautiful woman. Robots have often been depicted as metal creatures with cold steel bodies, but there is no reason why metals should be the only kind of material for construction of robots. The authors examined the issues related to applying electroactive polymers materials (EAP) to the entertainment industry. EAP are offering attractive characteristics with the potential to produce more realistic models of living creatures at significantly lower cost. This paper seeks to elucidate how EAP might infiltrate and ultimately revolutionize entertainment, showing some applicative examples.

Academic Literacies: Providing a Space for the Socio-Political Dynamics of EAP

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Joan

2012-01-01

This article highlights the potential of academic literacies as a theoretical framework for EAP, encompassing not only work on texts, but the wider, socio-political, geopolitical, and institutional contexts and practices in and with which EAP operates. An academic literacies approach foregrounds social practices, and one particular practice, that…

The possible physical mechanism for the EAP-SR co-action

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Zhiqiang; Feng, Guolin; Dogar, Muhammad Mubashar; Huang, Gang

2017-11-01

The anomalous characteristics of summer precipitation and atmospheric circulation in the East Asia-West Pacific Region (EA-WP) associated with the co-action of East Asia/Pacific teleconnection-Silk Road teleconnection (EAP-SR) are investigated in this study. The compositions of EAP-SR phase anomalies can be expressed as pattern I (+ +), pattern II (+ -), pattern III (- -), and pattern IV (- +) using EAP and SR indices. It is found that the spatial distribution of summer precipitation anomalies in EA-WP corresponding to pattern I (III) shows a tripole structure in the meridional direction and a zonal dipole structure in the subtropical region, while pattern II (IV) presents a tripole pattern in meridional direction with compressed and continuous anomalies in the zonal direction over the subtropical region. The similar meridional and zonal structures are also found in the geopotential height anomalies at 500-hPa, as well as wind anomalies and moisture convergence at 850-hPa. Finally, a schematic mechanism for the EAP-SR co-action upon the summer precipitation in EA-WP is built: (1) Pattern I (III) exhibits that the negative (positive) sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies over tropical East Pacific may cause the enhanced (weakened) convective activity dominating the West Pacific, trigger the positive (negative) EAP teleconnection and produce more (less) precipitation. Besides, the negative (positive) SST anomalies over the Indonesia Maritime Continent (IMC) may further weaken (strengthen) anomalous downward (upward) motion over the South China Sea (SCS), cause negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies at the middle troposphere and surrounding regions through the function of the tropical Hadley circulation. Then the negative (positive) geopotential height anomalies could motivate the positive (negative) EAP teleconnection through the northward propagation of wave-activity perturbation. Meanwhile, a positive (negative) geopotential height anomalous pattern

Expanding Access to Pro-Poor Energy Services in Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eleri, Ewah Otu; Ugwu, Okechukwu; Onuvae, Precious

2012-10-15

Nigeria experiences a remarkable paradox -- the abundance of energy resources and widespread energy poverty. Only about 40% of the population has access to the country’s grid electricity. About 72% of the population depends on traditional fuelwood for cooking. Despite this, government financing of energy services that benefits majority of Nigeria’s population has been grossly inadequate. Private sector investments and donor support have not fared better. This paper examines the current level of energy poverty in Nigeria. It analyses the level of government, private sector and donor funding for energy services that benefit the poor. It further reviews international best practices in expanding access for pro poor energy services. The paper finds a significant decline in political interest for expanding electricity services to rural areas. Even though ambitious policy reforms have commenced, agreed programmes are not implemented effectively. Not only are investments in rural electrification in decline, there is no history of annual budgeting for cooking energy programmes. The paper recommends a number of action points for expanding access to energy services that benefit the poor. These include the development and launching of a new national rural electrification strategy; establishment of a national cooking energy programme; and the development of clear policy incentives to support private sector investment in energy services for the poor. It calls on the Nigerian Central Bank of Nigeria to set aside 10% of the existing power intervention fund for pro poor energy financing; and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission to establish a clear framework for the utilization of the Consumer Assistance Fund. Other recommendations include the use of a proportion of the Ecological Fund to finance cooking energy; establishment of a donor’s platform on pro poor energy; and the mobilization of civil society in providing community-level energy services.

The Staphylococcus aureus extracellular adherence protein (Eap) adopts an elongated but structured conformation in solution

OpenAIRE

Hammel, Michal; Němeček, Daniel; Keightley, J. Andrew; Thomas, George J.; Geisbrecht, Brian V.

2007-01-01

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus participates in a wide range of protein–protein interactions that facilitate the initiation and dissemination of Staphylococcal disease. In this report, we describe the use of a multidisciplinary approach to characterize the solution structure of full-length Eap. In contrast to previous reports suggesting that a six-domain isoform of Eap undergoes multimerization, sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation data r...

Anisotropic D-EAP Electrodes and their Application in Spring Roll Actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Xiaomeng

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) exhibit shape change when subjected to an electric field. They are lightweight, soft, and inexpensive, while they are easy to process, shape, and tune to offer a broad range of mechanical and electrical properties. Dielectric electroactive polymers (DEAP) constitute a class of EAPs with great potential. D-EAPs consist of physically or chemically cross-linked macromolecular networks and are mechanically isotopic. Therefore, in most actuator applications that require directional electromechanical response, it is necessary to use other complex means to direct the stress/strain in the preferred direction. In this work, a simple carbon nanotube (CNT) based electrode for D-EAP actuators is demonstrated that vastly improves directional strain response originating from the mechanical anisotropy of the electrode material. Using this novel approach, the mechanical anisotropy, defined as the ratio of initial modulus in fiber direction and that in cross-fiber direction, of the CNT electroded VHB actuators, ranges from 7.9 to 11.2. Hence, the CNT-VHB flat film actuators show high directed linear actuation strain in cross-fiber direction of greater than 25% meanwhile almost no strain in fiber direction at a relatively low electric field (120 V mum-1). The morphology of the CNT sheets has critical influence on their mechanical properties and resultant actuator performance. The results demonstrate the efficacy of microcombing and selective laser etching processes to improve the CNT fiber alignment to produce pure unidirectional strain of 33% at a relatively moderate electric field. Unidirectional D-EAP composite laminates using polyurethane and polyamide monofilaments are also employed in spring roll actuators to investigate their directional mechanical and electromechanical properties. While CNT electroded D-EAP spring roll actuators were found to have about the same performance as actuators with carbon grease electrodes (6.5% strain in CNT

The Effective Use of EAPs: Retrenchment Leads to Emphasis on Helping Troubled Employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Pogue, Gregory

1994-01-01

During a period of retrenchment, colleges and universities are increasingly developing employee assistance programs (EAPs) to help personnel cope with personal and work-related problems. Successful EAPs have top management commitment, have written policies and procedure, focus on employee performance, provide professional assistance, involve the…

HORIZONTAL OBJECTIVES OF EU PROGRAMMES AND THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT FOR EAP MEMBERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Teodora MANOLESCU

2016-10-01

Full Text Available As the Eastern Partnership (EaP was founded in 2009, between European Union (EU and six countries from Eastern Europe, its main goal was to create adequate conditions for economic integration, social and regional development of the EaP country members. Based on the same principles as the EU was built, international law and fundamental values (e.g. human rights, freedom, democracy, rule of law, sustainable development and also good governance, the EaP was regularly analysed and renewed (once every two years in order to better respond to the needs of Eastern European countries. Even so, while the economic context was especially considered, there are still some actions to be undertaken with regards to socio-cultural factors. Therefore the aim of the paper is to analyse the socio-cultural context of the six Eastern European EaP members (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in order to make recommendations regarding their absorption capacity when integrating the horizontal EU objectives into the funding neighbourhood instruments. Our main research question is: what is the right approach for developing operational funding programmes (individual/bilateral or partnership/multilateral participations for EaP members: is it by maintaining the EU horizontal objective or by adapting these objectives from the beginning considering the socio-cultural context?

Expanding Access with Satellite-Enabled Distance Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qi Wang

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Education and training became increasingly critical for citizens of every nation during the last century, and that paradigm will be no less true, throughout the 21st Century. As the world progresses fully into an information society, access to information and to a knowledge-based work force is a precondition for any country to remain competitive. Education, and increasingly distant education (DE, plays a vital role in turning human resources into knowledge workers. Information and communications technologies (ICT have provided new ways to educate and to disseminate information that is crucial for creating these competitive, knowledge-based work forces. Modern DE, enabled by ICT-based networks and the Internet tools, offers great advantages that are leveling the global playing field, in terms of providing access and opportunities for specialized training and education. Using satellite technology in DE may be imperative to developing countries, where the majority of their populations are scattered in rural and remote areas. Where the traditional brick and mortar classrooms cannot easily reach, satellite-powered DE systems can. Through literature review and rational analysis, this paper examines how satellite-assisted DE systems expand education access.

Beliefs on Learning and Teaching Language Components: The Case of Iranian EAP and EFL Learners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gholamreza Parsi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The present study intended to investigate the possible difference between EAP and EFL learners’ beliefs concerning learning and teaching of language components, namely, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. Furthermore, this study examined the association between EAP and EFL learners’ beliefs and their language components’ development. To this end, 231 undergraduate EAP (117 and EFL (114 learners at Ferdowsi University took part in the study by completing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire adapted from Simon and Taverniers (2011. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the experts’ judgment and factor analysis. Moreover using Cronbach alpha coefficient the questionnaire was found acceptably reliable (α=0.88. Furthermore, for language components’ development, the EAP learners’ scores in English course and EFL learners’ average scores in their Basic English courses were taken into account. The results of an Independent Samples t-test revealed that there existed a statistically significant difference between EAP and EFL learners’ beliefs on learning and teaching language components. Furthermore, the results of Pearson correlation coefficients indicated a statistically significant positive association between EFL learners’ beliefs and their language components’ development, however no statistically significant correlation was found between EAP learners’ beliefs and their language components’ development.

The cellular RNA-binding protein EAP recognizes a conserved stem-loop in the Epstein-Barr virus small RNA EBER 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Toczyski, D P; Steitz, J A

1993-01-01

EAP (EBER-associated protein) is an abundant, 15-kDa cellular RNA-binding protein which associates with certain herpesvirus small RNAs. We have raised polyclonal anti-EAP antibodies against a glutathione S-transferase-EAP fusion protein. Analysis of the RNA precipitated by these antibodies from Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)- or herpesvirus papio (HVP)-infected cells shows that > 95% of EBER 1 (EBV-encoded RNA 1) and the majority of HVP 1 (an HVP small RNA homologous to EBER 1) are associated with EAP. RNase protection experiments performed on native EBER 1 particles with affinity-purified anti-EAP antibodies demonstrate that EAP binds a stem-loop structure (stem-loop 3) of EBER 1. Since bacterially expressed glutathione S-transferase-EAP fusion protein binds EBER 1, we conclude that EAP binding is independent of any other cellular or viral protein. Detailed mutational analyses of stem-loop 3 suggest that EAP recognizes the majority of the nucleotides in this hairpin, interacting with both single-stranded and double-stranded regions in a sequence-specific manner. Binding studies utilizing EBER 1 deletion mutants suggest that there may also be a second, weaker EAP-binding site on stem-loop 4 of EBER 1. These data and the fact that stem-loop 3 represents the most highly conserved region between EBER 1 and HVP 1 suggest that EAP binding is a critical aspect of EBER 1 and HVP 1 function. Images PMID:8380232

Teachers' Voice vs. Students' Voice: A Needs Analysis Approach to English for Acadmic Purposes (EAP) in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Eslami, Zohreh R.

2010-01-01

EAP plays a highly important role in countries where English is used mainly for academic purposes. However, EAP programs have been developed without conducting a systematic needs analysis from both the students' and instructors' perspective. The purpose of this study is to describe the perception that EAP students and instructors have of the…

The extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of Staphylococcus aureus inhibits wound healing by interfering with host defense and repair mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Athanasopoulos, Athanasios N; Economopoulou, Matina; Orlova, Valeria V; Sobke, Astrid; Schneider, Darius; Weber, Holger; Augustin, Hellmut G; Eming, Sabine A; Schubert, Uwe; Linn, Thomas; Nawroth, Peter P; Hussain, Muzaffar; Hammes, Hans-Peter; Herrmann, Mathias; Preissner, Klaus T; Chavakis, Triantafyllos

2006-04-01

Staphylococcus aureus is a major human pathogen interfering with host-cell functions. Impaired wound healing is often observed in S aureus-infected wounds, yet, the underlying mechanisms are poorly defined. Here, we identify the extracellular adherence protein (Eap) of S aureus to be responsible for impaired wound healing. In a mouse wound-healing model wound closure was inhibited in the presence of wild-type S aureus and this effect was reversible when the wounds were incubated with an isogenic Eap-deficient strain. Isolated Eap also delayed wound closure. In the presence of Eap, recruitment of inflammatory cells to the wound site as well as neovascularization of the wound were prevented. In vitro, Eap significantly reduced intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1)-dependent leukocyte-endothelial interactions and diminished the consequent activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB) in leukocytes associated with a decrease in expression of tissue factor. Moreover, Eap blocked alphav-integrin-mediated endothelial-cell migration and capillary tube formation, and neovascularization in matrigels in vivo. Collectively, the potent anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic properties of Eap provide an underlying mechanism that may explain the impaired wound healing in S aureus-infected wounds. Eap may also serve as a lead compound for new anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic therapies in several pathologies.

21 CFR 312.305 - Requirements for all expanded access uses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... options; (iii) The criteria for patient selection or, for an individual patient, a description of the... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Requirements for all expanded access uses. 312.305 Section 312.305 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES...

Extracting quantitative measures from EAP: a small clinical study using BFOR.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinbor, A Pasha; Chung, Moo K; Wu, Yu-Chien; Fleming, John O; Field, Aaron S; Alexander, Andrew L

2012-01-01

The ensemble average propagator (EAP) describes the 3D average diffusion process of water molecules, capturing both its radial and angular contents, and hence providing rich information about complex tissue microstructure properties. Bessel Fourier orientation reconstruction (BFOR) is one of several analytical, non-Cartesian EAP reconstruction schemes employing multiple shell acquisitions that have recently been proposed. Such modeling bases have not yet been fully exploited in the extraction of rotationally invariant q-space indices that describe the degree of diffusion anisotropy/restrictivity. Such quantitative measures include the zero-displacement probability (P(o)), mean squared displacement (MSD), q-space inverse variance (QIV), and generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA), and all are simply scalar features of the EAP. In this study, a general relationship between MSD and q-space diffusion signal is derived and an EAP-based definition of GFA is introduced. A significant part of the paper is dedicated to utilizing BFOR in a clinical dataset, comprised of 5 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and 4 healthy controls, to estimate P(o), MSD, QIV, and GFA of corpus callosum, and specifically, to see if such indices can detect changes between normal appearing white matter (NAWM) and healthy white matter (WM). Although the sample size is small, this study is a proof of concept that can be extended to larger sample sizes in the future.

The anchorless adhesin Eap (extracellular adherence protein) from Staphylococcus aureus selectively recognizes extracellular matrix aggregates but binds promiscuously to monomeric matrix macromolecules

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hansen, Uwe; Hussain, Muzaffar; Villone, Daniela; Herrmann, Mathias; Robenek, Horst; Peters, Georg; Sinha, Bhanu; Bruckner, Peter

Besides a number of cell wall-anchored adhesins, the majority of Staphylococcus aureus strains produce anchorless, cell wall-associated proteins, such as Eap (extracellular adherence protein). Eap contains four to six tandem repeat (EAP)-domains. Eap mediates diverse biological functions, including

Counseling and the Bystander-Equity Model of Supervisory Helping Behavior: Directions for EAP Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstein, Lawrence H.; Bayer, Gregory A.

1991-01-01

Discusses contribution of Bystander-Equity Model of Supervisory Helping Behavior to pursuit of employee assistance program (EAP) research based on traditions of field of counseling. Offers structure for pursuing empirical and applied activities in EAP settings. Encourages counseling researchers and practitioners to respond to challenge of working…

A study of metalized electrode self-clearing in electroactive polymer (EAP) based actuators

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Saad; Ounaies, Zoubeida

2016-04-01

Electroactive polymer (EAP) based technologies have shown promise in areas such as artificial muscles, actuator, aerospace, medical and soft robotics. Still challenges remain such as low induced forces and defects-driven electrical breakdown, which impede the practical implementation of this technology. Multilayered or stacked configuration can address the low induced force issue whereas self-clearing can be a technique to improve breakdown limit of EAP based actuators. Self-clearing refers to the partial local breakdown of dielectric medium due to the presence of impurities, which in turn results in the evaporation of some of the metalized electrode. After this evaporation, the impurity is cleared and any current path would be safely cut off, which means the actuator continues to perform. It is a widely studied concept in the capacitor community, while it has not been studied much for EAP technologies. In this paper we report a systematic approach to precondition a silver-metalized electroactive polymer (EAP), more specifically P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) terpolymer, using self-clearing concept. First, we show improvement in the dielectric breakdown strength of EAP based unimorph actuators after pre-clearing the impurities using low electric field (lower than dielectric breakdown of the terpolymer). Inspired by this improvement, we used Weibull statistics to systematically estimate the self-clearing/ preconditioning field needed to clear the defects. Then electrical breakdown experiments are conducted with and without preconditioning the samples to investigate its effect on the breakdown strength of the sample.

Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuation of Mechanisms and Robotic Devices

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Y.; Leary, S.; Harrison, J.; Smith, J.

1999-01-01

Actuators are responsible to the operative capability of manipulation systems and robots. In recent years, electroactive polymers (EAP) have emerged as potential alternative to conventional actuators.

Computer Literacy in Learning Academic English: Iranian EAP Students' and Instructors' Attitudes and Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Alavi, Seyed Mohammad; Borzabadi, Davood; Dashtestani, Reza

2016-01-01

This study aimed to analyze perceptions of Iranian English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students on their computer literacy levels. A total of 641 undergraduate students of civil engineering and 34 EAP instructors participated in the study. Data collection instruments included questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Findings confirmed that…

Integrated employee assistance program/managed behavioral health care benefits: relationship with access and client characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S; Hodgkin, Dominic; Horgan, Constance M; Hiatt, Deirdre; McCann, Bernard; Azzone, Vanessa; Zolotusky, Galina; Ritter, Grant; Reif, Sharon; McGuire, Thomas G

2009-11-01

This study examined service user characteristics and determinants of access for enrollees in integrated EAP/behavioral health versus standard managed behavioral health care plans. A national managed behavioral health care organization's claims data from 2004 were used. Integrated plan service users were more likely to be employees rather than dependents, and to be diagnosed with adjustment disorder. Logistic regression analyses found greater likelihood in integrated plans of accessing behavioral health services (OR 1.20, CI 1.17-1.24), and substance abuse services specifically (OR 1.23, CI 1.06-1.43). Results are consistent with the concept that EAP benefits may increase access and address problems earlier.

The anchorless adhesin Eap (extracellular adherence protein) from Staphylococcus aureus selectively recognizes extracellular matrix aggregates but binds promiscuously to monomeric matrix macromolecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansen, Uwe; Hussain, Muzaffar; Villone, Daniela; Herrmann, Mathias; Robenek, Horst; Peters, Georg; Sinha, Bhanu; Bruckner, Peter

2006-05-01

Besides a number of cell wall-anchored adhesins, the majority of Staphylococcus aureus strains produce anchorless, cell wall-associated proteins, such as Eap (extracellular adherence protein). Eap contains four to six tandem repeat (EAP)-domains. Eap mediates diverse biological functions, including adherence and immunomodulation, thus contributing to S. aureus pathogenesis. Eap binding to host macromolecules is unusually promiscuous and includes matrix or matricellular proteins as well as plasma proteins. The structural basis of this promiscuity is poorly understood. Here, we show that in spite of the preferential location of the binding epitopes within triple helical regions in some collagens there is a striking specificity of Eap binding to different collagen types. Collagen I, but not collagen II, is a binding substrate in monomolecular form. However, collagen I is virtually unrecognized by Eap when incorporated into banded fibrils. By contrast, microfibrils containing collagen VI as well as basement membrane-associated networks containing collagen IV, or aggregates containing fibronectin bound Eap as effectively as the monomeric proteins. Therefore, Eap-binding to extracellular matrix ligands is promiscuous at the molecular level but not indiscriminate with respect to supramolecular structures containing the same macromolecules. In addition, Eap bound to banded fibrils after their partial disintegration by matrix-degrading proteinases, including matrix metalloproteinase 1. Therefore, adherence to matrix suprastructures by S. aureus can be supported by inflammatory reactions.

Access to Investigational Drugs: FDA Expanded Access Programs or "Right-to-Try" Legislation?

Science.gov (United States)

Holbein, M E Blair; Berglund, Jelena P; Weatherwax, Kevin; Gerber, David E; Adamo, Joan E

2015-10-01

The Food and Drug Administration Expanded Access (EA) program and "Right-to-Try" legislation aim to provide seriously ill patients who have no other comparable treatment options to gain access to investigational drugs and biological agents. Physicians and institutions need to understand these programs to respond to questions and requests for access. FDA EA programs and state and federal legislative efforts to provide investigational products to patients by circumventing FDA regulations were summarized and compared. The FDA EA program includes Single Patient-Investigational New Drug (SP-IND), Emergency SP-IND, Intermediate Sized Population IND, and Treatment IND. Approval rates for all categories exceed 99%. Approval requires FDA and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and cooperation of the pharmaceutical partner is essential. "Right-to-Try" legislation bypasses some of these steps, but provides no regulatory or safety oversight. The FDA EA program is a reasonable option for patients for whom all other therapeutic interventions have failed. The SP-IND not only provides patient access to new drugs, but also maintains a balance between immediacy and necessary patient protection. Rather than circumventing existing FDA regulations through proposed legislation, it seems more judicious to provide the knowledge and means to meet the EA requirements. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Examining the Use of Web-Based Tests for Testing Academic Vocabulary in EAP Instruction

Science.gov (United States)

Dashtestani, Reza

2015-01-01

Interest in Web-based and computer-assisted language testing is growing in the field of English for academic purposes (EAP). In this study, four groups of undergraduate EAP students (n = 120), each group consisted of 30 students, were randomly selected from four different disciplines, i.e. biology, political sciences, psychology, and law. The four…

Beliefs on Learning and Teaching Language Components: The Case of Iranian EAP and EFL Learners

Science.gov (United States)

Parsi, Gholamreza

2017-01-01

The present study intended to investigate the possible difference between EAP and EFL learners' beliefs concerning learning and teaching of language components, namely, vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar. Furthermore, this study examined the association between EAP and EFL learners' beliefs and their language components' development. To this…

Receptivity to Learner-Driven Feedback in EAP

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, Clare

2017-01-01

There is still debate surrounding what constitutes the most effective feedback on EFL learners' writing, particularly in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) settings. Unanswered questions are found in the literature on topics such as the best formats for feedback, the role of technology, authors' authority over written texts, and ways of helping…

EAP actuators aid the quest for the 'Holy Braille' of tactile displays

Science.gov (United States)

Runyan, Noel; Blazie, Deane

2010-04-01

The authors present the worldwide need for electronic Braille displays to promote literacy among the blind. The use of of EAP's to produce Braille displays is encouraged and detailed descriptions of the technology of Braille are presented. Prior art is covered since the early 1950's through present day displays based mostly on piezoelectric technologies. EAP's offer the promise of the "Holy Braille", the ability to display a full page of Braille electronically. Details on "how not to make a Braille display" are covered in prior art.

Interaction between the Staphylococcus aureus extracellular adherence protein Eap and its subdomains with platelets.

Science.gov (United States)

Palankar, Raghavendra; Binsker, Ulrike; Haracska, Bianca; Wesche, Jan; Greinacher, Andreas; Hammerschmidt, Sven

2018-04-18

S. aureus associated bacteremia can lead to severe infections with high risk of mortality (e.g. sepsis, infective endocarditis). Many virulence factors and adhesins of S. aureus are known to directly interact with platelets. Extracellular adherence protein, Eap, one of the most important virulence factors in S. aureus mediated infections is a multi-tandem domain protein and has been shown to interact with almost all cell types in the human circulatory system. By using amine reactive fluorescent N-hydroxysuccinimidyl (NHS)-ester dyes and by direct detection with primary fluorescently conjugated anti-histidine (His-tag) antibodies against detect N-terminal His6, we show Eap subdomain Eap D 3 D 4 specifically interacts and rapidly activates human platelets. Furthermore, we validate our finding by using site directed directional immobilization of Eap D 3 D 4 through N-terminal His 6 on nickel (II)-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) functionalized bacteriomimetic microbead arrays to visualize real-time platelet activation through calcium release assay. These methods offer an easily adoptable protocols for screening of S.aureus derived virulence factors and adhesins with platelets. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Access to Investigational Drugs: FDA Expanded Access Programs or “Right‐to‐Try” Legislation?

Science.gov (United States)

Berglund, Jelena P.; Weatherwax, Kevin; Gerber, David E.; Adamo, Joan E.

2015-01-01

Abstract Purpose The Food and Drug Administration Expanded Access (EA) program and “Right‐to‐Try” legislation aim to provide seriously ill patients who have no other comparable treatment options to gain access to investigational drugs and biological agents. Physicians and institutions need to understand these programs to respond to questions and requests for access. Methods FDA EA programs and state and federal legislative efforts to provide investigational products to patients by circumventing FDA regulations were summarized and compared. Results The FDA EA program includes Single Patient‐Investigational New Drug (SP‐IND), Emergency SP‐IND, Intermediate Sized Population IND, and Treatment IND. Approval rates for all categories exceed 99%. Approval requires FDA and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and cooperation of the pharmaceutical partner is essential. “Right‐to‐Try” legislation bypasses some of these steps, but provides no regulatory or safety oversight. Conclusion The FDA EA program is a reasonable option for patients for whom all other therapeutic interventions have failed. The SP‐IND not only provides patient access to new drugs, but also maintains a balance between immediacy and necessary patient protection. Rather than circumventing existing FDA regulations through proposed legislation, it seems more judicious to provide the knowledge and means to meet the EA requirements. PMID:25588691

EAP viewpoint on unpublished data from paediatric clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrier, L; Illy, K; Valiulis, A; Wyder, C; Stiris, T

2018-02-01

European children and paediatricians rely heavily on the fair, complete and timely publication of data obtained from paediatric randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Selective publication and reporting of paediatric RCTs is common practice. Industry-sponsored trials are more likely to remain unpublished, and take longer to get published compared with trials sponsored by others. However, also academic sponsors contribute to inefficiencies in publishing clinical data. Publication bias violates the ethical obligation that investigators have towards study participants, leads to considerable inefficiencies in research and a waste of financial and human resources, and has the potential to distort evidence for treatment approaches. The European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP) therefore actively supports initiatives that increase the public dissemination of paediatric clinical trial data. The EAP will raise awareness about the guidelines for Good Publication Practice among European paediatricians and subspecialty societies.

The structure of EAP-groups and self-autopermutable subgroups.

Science.gov (United States)

Housieni, Shima; Moghaddam, Mohammad Reza Rajabzadeh

2014-01-01

A subgroup H of a given group G is said to be autopermutable, if HH(α) = H(α)H for all α ∈ Aut(G). We also call H a self-autopermutable subgroup of G, when HH(α) = H(α)H implies that H(α) = H. Moreover, G is said to be EAP-group, if every subgroup of G is autopermutable. One notes that if α runs over the inner automorphisms of the group, one obtains the notions of conjugate-permutability, self-conjugate-permutability, and ECP-groups, which were studied by Foguel in 1997, Li and Meng in 2007, and Xu and Zhang in 2005, respectively. In the present paper, we determine the structure of a finite EAP-group when its centre is of index 4 in G. We also show that self-autopermutability and characteristic properties are equivalent for nilpotent groups.

Exploring Reading Comprehension Needs of Iranian EAP Students of Health Information Management (HIM): A Triangulated Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Atai, Mahmood Reza; Nazari, Ogholgol

2011-01-01

Discipline-based English for Academic Purposes (EAP) reading programs in Iran are designed to fill the gap between the students' general English reading competence and their ability to read authentic discipline-specific texts. This study attempted to assess target and present reading comprehension needs of EAP students of Health Information…

Biophysical modelling of phytoplankton communities from first principles using two-layered spheres: Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) model

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Robertson Lain, L

2014-07-01

Full Text Available (PFT) analysis. To these ends, an initial validation of a new model of Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) is presented here. This paper makes a first order comparison of two prominent phytoplankton Inherent Optical Property (IOP) models with the EAP...

EAP Curriculum Alignment and Social Acculturation: Student Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

Tweedie, M. Gregory; Kim, Marcia

2015-01-01

The role of English as a second language (ESL) teachers and instruction as factors in student social and psychological acculturation is widely acknowledged. However, the function of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) is less well known in this regard, because research has focused largely on academic acculturation. This qualitative study…

The Impact of Expanding Access to Early Childhood Education Services in Rural Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brinkman, S.A.; Hasan, A.; Jung, H.; Kinnell, A.; Pradhan, M.

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effects of an intervention that expanded access to low-cost, government-sponsored, community-based playgroups in rural Indonesia. Instrumental variables and difference-in-differences models indicate that while the intervention raised enrollment rates and durations of

The impact of expanding access to early childhood education services in rural Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brinkman, Sally Anne; Hasan, Amer; Jung, Haeil; Kinnell, Angela; Pradhan, M.P.

2017-01-01

This paper examines the effects of an intervention that expanded access to low-cost, government-sponsored, community-based playgroups in rural Indonesia. Instrumental variables and difference-in-differences models indicate that while the intervention raised enrollment rates and durations of

PANATIKI: A Network Access Control Implementation Based on PANA for IoT Devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio F. Gomez Skarmeta

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Internet of Things (IoT networks are the pillar of recent novel scenarios, such as smart cities or e-healthcare applications. Among other challenges, these networks cover the deployment and interaction of small devices with constrained capabilities and Internet protocol (IP-based networking connectivity. These constrained devices usually require connection to the Internet to exchange information (e.g., management or sensing data or access network services. However, only authenticated and authorized devices can, in general, establish this connection. The so-called authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA services are in charge of performing these tasks on the Internet. Thus, it is necessary to deploy protocols that allow constrained devices to verify their credentials against AAA infrastructures. The Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA has been standardized by the Internet engineering task force (IETF to carry the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP, which provides flexible authentication upon the presence of AAA. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first deep study of the feasibility of EAP/PANA for network access control in constrained devices. We provide light-weight versions and implementations of these protocols to fit them into constrained devices. These versions have been designed to reduce the impact in standard specifications. The goal of this work is two-fold: (1 to demonstrate the feasibility of EAP/PANA in IoT devices; (2 to provide the scientific community with the first light-weight interoperable implementation of EAP/PANA for constrained devices in the Contiki operating system (Contiki OS, called PANATIKI. The paper also shows a testbed, simulations and experimental results obtained from real and simulated constrained devices.

PANATIKI: a network access control implementation based on PANA for IoT devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno Sanchez, Pedro; Marin Lopez, Rafa; Gomez Skarmeta, Antonio F

2013-11-01

Internet of Things (IoT) networks are the pillar of recent novel scenarios, such as smart cities or e-healthcare applications. Among other challenges, these networks cover the deployment and interaction of small devices with constrained capabilities and Internet protocol (IP)-based networking connectivity. These constrained devices usually require connection to the Internet to exchange information (e.g., management or sensing data) or access network services. However, only authenticated and authorized devices can, in general, establish this connection. The so-called authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) services are in charge of performing these tasks on the Internet. Thus, it is necessary to deploy protocols that allow constrained devices to verify their credentials against AAA infrastructures. The Protocol for Carrying Authentication for Network Access (PANA) has been standardized by the Internet engineering task force (IETF) to carry the Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), which provides flexible authentication upon the presence of AAA. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first deep study of the feasibility of EAP/PANA for network access control in constrained devices. We provide light-weight versions and implementations of these protocols to fit them into constrained devices. These versions have been designed to reduce the impact in standard specifications. The goal of this work is two-fold: (1) to demonstrate the feasibility of EAP/PANA in IoT devices; (2) to provide the scientific community with the first light-weight interoperable implementation of EAP/PANA for constrained devices in the Contiki operating system (Contiki OS), called PANATIKI. The paper also shows a testbed, simulations and experimental results obtained from real and simulated constrained devices.

Directions for Development of the Field of Electroactive Polymer (EAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2011-01-01

In last few years, the rate of development and advances in the field of EAP has accelerated significantly and it is increasingly getting closer to the point of finding them used in commercial products. Substantial development has been reported in the understanding of their drive mechanisms and the parameters that control their electro-activation behavior. Further, efforts are being made to develop mass production techniques with greatly improved actuation capability and operation durability. The recent efforts to develop energy harvesting techniques, haptic interfacing (including refreshable braille displays), and toys are further increasing the likelihood of finding niches for these materials. In this paper, the author sought to examine the potential directions for the future development of the field of EAP in relation to the state-of-the-art.

Strain-specific induction of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP) in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Christopher M; Flies, Dallas B; Mosse, Claudio A; Parwani, Anil; Hipkiss, Edward L; Drake, Charles G

2013-05-01

Prostatitis, a clinical syndrome characterized by pelvic pain and inflammation, is common in adult males. Although several induced and spontaneous murine models of prostatitis have been explored, the role of genetic background on induction has not been well-defined. Using a standard methodology for the induction of experimental autoimmune prostatitis (EAP), we investigated both acute and chronic inflammation on several murine genetic backgrounds. In our colony, nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice evinced spontaneous prostatitis that was not augmented by immunization with rat prostate extract (RPE). In contrast, the standard laboratory strain Balb/c developed chronic inflammation in response to RPE immunization. Development of EAP in other strains was variable. These data suggest that Balb/c mice injected with RPE may provide a useful model for chronic prostatic inflammation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of EAP follow-up on prevention of relapse among substance abuse clients.

Science.gov (United States)

Foote, A; Erfurt, J C

1991-05-01

Clients entering an employee assistance program (EAP) of a large manufacturing plant in 1985 who were assessed as having an alcohol or drug abuse problem (N = 325) were randomized into an experimental "special follow-up" group and a control "regular care" group. The regular care group received follow-up only as needed (following the usual practice of the EAP), while a follow-up counselor was hired to make routine contacts with the special follow-up group. Study intake continued through 1985, and follow-up continued through the end of 1986. Data collected on study subjects included EAP participation data, absenteeism, number of hospitalizations, health care claims paid and disability claims paid. The major study hypothesis was that EAP clients randomly allocated to special follow-up would show better results than regular care clients (i.e., would have fewer relapses, better job attendance and lower health benefit utilization during the follow-up year). The follow-up intervention was incompletely implemented due to a variety of organizational problems. Differences between the two groups on the six outcome measures were not statistically significant, although clients in the special follow-up group did show better results than clients in the regular care group on the three measures related to substance abuse. Differences on these three measures were marginally significant in regression analyses after controlling for the effects of number of follow-up visits, age, race and chronicity.

Promoting Reflection on Science, Technology, and Society among Engineering Students through an EAP Online Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Arno-Macia, Elisabet; Rueda-Ramos, Carmen

2011-01-01

With the new European framework, as EAP lecturers in an engineering college, we are reappraising our teaching and the position of our courses. From the perspective of engineering education in the 21st century, we believe that EAP teaching can focus not only on language and communication needs, but also on developing critical thinking about science…

Analysis of physical characteristics of the target and blanket of energy amplifier prototype (EAP-80)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yefimov, Ye.; Zemskov, Ye.; Rachkova, D.; Chekunov, V.; Vecchi, Marcello

2002-01-01

The paper presents the results of neutronics analysis of EAP-80 facility using LAHET (LCS) code. Comparison has been made with the results obtained in some other research centers. There is significant discrepancy in determination of the reference values. Conclusion has been made on that code validation requires experimental data obtained in subcritical facilities, which are close to EAP-80 facility in terms of composition and proton beam parameters. (authors)

An Analysis of Curriculum Renewal in EAP Context

Science.gov (United States)

Yurekli, Aynur

2012-01-01

This study aims at describing the new approach to English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teaching based on the results of the curriculum renewal conducted for the freshman "Academic Skills in English" courses (ENG 101 and ENG 102) with reference to the Faculty of Computer Sciences. The study is based on the results of the needs analysis…

Human-like robots as platforms for electroactive polymers (EAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2008-03-01

Human-like robots, which have been a science fiction for many years, are increasingly becoming an engineering reality thanks to many technology advances in recent years. Humans have always sought to imitate the human appearance, functions and intelligence and as the capability progresses they may become our household appliance or even companion. Biomimetic technologies are increasingly becoming common tools to support the development of such robots. As artificial muscles, electroactive polymers (EAP) are offering important actuation capability for making such machines lifelike. The current limitations of EAP are hampering the possibilities that can be adapted in such robots but progress is continually being made. As opposed to other human made machines and devices, this technology raises various questions and concerns that need to be addressed. These include the need to prevent accidents, deliberate harm, or their use in crimes. In this paper the state-of-the-art and the challenges will be reviewed.

Students,Teachers, and Differing Assumptions : Working with Resistance to EAP in an Intensive English Program

OpenAIRE

Stephen, Shrader

2013-01-01

English for academic purposes (EAP)courses provide advanced language study useful for students preparing to study abroad; however, students in Japan, even when likely to study abroad, sometimes resist EAP. This article reports on an activity set designed to unearth students' beliefs about coursework in regular (non-language) classes in the United States. Furthermore, the activities serve as a lead in to a class discussion of the teacher'sundergraduate experiences in the United States. Before ...

A 2-year cohort study on the impact of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) on depression and suicidal thoughts in male Japanese workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakao, Mutsuhiro; Nishikitani, Mariko; Shima, Satoru; Yano, Eiji

2007-11-01

Depression and suicide-related behaviours are important issues for workers, and the number of Japanese companies contracting with the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to promote employees' mental health has recently increased. However, no longitudinal studies have reported that the EAP maintains or improves the overall level of depression among employees qualitatively. Thus, we attempted to assess the impact of the EAP on depression and suicide-related behaviours in the workplace. A cohort study was conducted on 283 male Japanese employees aged 22-38 years at a Japanese information-technology company introducing the EAP. Because the privacy policy of the EAP service made it difficult to perform a randomised design in the workplace, 22 men working at an affiliated company without the EAP were used as a reference group. All the subjects completed the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D) and Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) consisting of job demands, control, and social support before the EAP was introduced to establish a baseline and after 2 years. In the EAP group, the total HAM-D scores significantly decreased after the 2-year study period (P=0.0011); the changes in the scores of the five HAM-D items (i.e., suicidal thoughts, agitation, psychomotor retardation, guilt, and depressed mood) were significant. Specifically, 19 (86%) of the 22 workers with a positive response to the suicidal thoughts item (i.e., score >or= 1) at baseline reported that they no longer had suicidal thoughts (i.e., score=0) after the 2 year study period. No significant changes were observed in the reference group. The three JCQ scores were not significantly different between the baseline and after the 2 year study period in both groups. Although further studies are needed, EAPs may be a promising strategy for maintaining the good mental health of workers.

Reading and Writing as Academic Literacy in EAP Program of Indonesian Leaners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Imroatus Solikhah

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigates academic literacy imposed in reading and writing for academic purposes in the EAP program. This study uses descriptive design elaborating data from curriculum documents and interviews.  Involving 45 participants from IAIN Surakarta and Veteran University, data were analyzed using constant-comparison and inductive analysis tecniques. The study diseovers that academic literacy is prominent to serve and recently it has been the growing learning outcomes universities should provide besides discipline and experise. Academic literacy in EAP program is embedded into academic vocabulary, grammar, reading and writing for academic purposes.  Consequently, academic literacy should be incurred in the curriculum, syllabus, aims and objectives, and teaching materials.

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon remnants by biological activators in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bergueiro, J. R.; Luengo, M. C.; Socias, S.; Perez, F.; Laseca, D. [Universidad de las Islas Baleares, Palma de Mallorca (Spain); Perez-Navarro, A.; Morales, N. [Universidad Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid (Spain)

1997-10-01

Degradation of highly weathered hydrocarbon mixtures resulting from an accidental spill in an oil refinery was studied, using BIOLEN IG 30 as the degradation agent microorganism, and INIPOL EAP 22 as the biodegradation accelerator. Results show that BIOLEN IG 30 is able to degrade highly weathered hydrocarbons at 20 degrees C, in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22. BIOLEN IG 30 is also able to degrade the total ionic and anionic dispersants in FINASOL OSR 51 (a dispersant), even in the absence of a biodegradation accelerator. 10 refs., 7 tabs., 3 figs.

Biodegradation of hydrocarbon remnants by biological activators in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergueiro, J. R.; Luengo, M. C.; Socias, S.; Perez, F.; Laseca, D.; Perez-Navarro, A.; Morales, N.

1997-01-01

Degradation of highly weathered hydrocarbon mixtures resulting from an accidental spill in an oil refinery was studied, using BIOLEN IG 30 as the degradation agent microorganism, and INIPOL EAP 22 as the biodegradation accelerator. Results show that BIOLEN IG 30 is able to degrade highly weathered hydrocarbons at 20 degrees C, in the presence of INIPOL EAP 22. BIOLEN IG 30 is also able to degrade the total ionic and anionic dispersants in FINASOL OSR 51 (a dispersant), even in the absence of a biodegradation accelerator. 10 refs., 7 tabs., 3 figs

The challenges that employees who abuse substances experience when returning to work after completion of employee assistance programme (EAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Soeker, Shaheed; Matimba, Tandokazi; Machingura, Last; Msimango, Henry; Moswaane, Bobo; Tom, Sinazo

2015-01-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are responsible for helping employees cope with problems such as: mental distress, alcoholism and other drug dependencies, marital and financial difficulties--in short, the whole host of personal and family troubles endemic to the human condition. The study explored the challenges that employees who abuse substances experience when returning to work after the completion of an employee assistance program. The study used a qualitative exploratory descriptive research design. Three male participants and two key informants participated in the study. One semi structured interview was conducted with each one of the participants and one semi structured interview with the key informants. Four themes emerged: 1) Loss of one's worker role identity, 2) Negative influences of the community continues to effect the success of EAP, 3) EAP as a vehicle for change and, 4) Healthy occupations strengthen EAP. This study portrayed the following: how substance abuse effect the worker role of individuals employed in the open labor market, the challenges and facilitators experienced by employees who abuse substances when returning to their previous work roles and how occupation based interventions can be incorporated in EAP programs. Occupational therapists could use the health promotion approach, work simplification, energy conservation techniques and ergonomic analysis techniques.

Effects of CLIL on EAP Learners: Based on Sample Analysis of Doctoral Students of Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guizhen Gao

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In Europe most studies of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL focus on language knowledge and language skills and most studies of CLIL are carried out in primary schools and secondary schools. As for the implementation of CLIL in China, most studies are done theoretically and are carried out among undergraduates. CLIL is mainly applied in the teaching and learning of general English rather than in the teaching and learning of English for Academic Purpose (EAP. In order to have a better understanding of the effect of CLIL on EAP learners, a sample analysis is undertaken among doctoral students of science. Two kinds of instruments are adopted in this paper to conduct both quantitative and qualitative study, including two questionnaires and a series of classroom observations. The study obtains the following findings: Firstly, as CLIL is effective due to its dual-focus, it is possible to implement CLIL in EAP teaching and learning. Secondly, class activities such as group work, pair work, class presentations as well as task-based course activities such as translation, paper writing, paper analysis and rewriting practice play an important role in motivating the participants to integrate discipline content and language. Besides, the four factors of CLIL which include content, communication, culture and cognition are attached great importance to by learners. Finally, the increasing ability to integrate content and language as well as the thinking patterns and cultural awareness in EAP writing greatly contributes to the participants’ further academic researches.

Implementing long-term EAP follow-up with clients and family members to help prevent relapse-With implications for primary prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Foote, A; Googins, B; Moriarty, M; Sandonato, C; Nadolski, J; Jefferson, C

1994-12-01

This paper reports on a study in progress which involves (a) regular post-treatment contact by employee assistance program (EAP) staff with employees who seek help through the EAP, and (b) contact with a family member or other support person designated by the employee. The contacts are designed to provide support for maintenance of therapeutic gains, assistance in adjusting to current life situations, and early identification and prevention of relapse. The study will evaluate the process of initiating these contacts and will examine their effectiveness at reducing relapse. Factors associated with implementing these services in an EAP context are discussed.

A Promising Tool for Helping Vulnerable Workers? An Exploration of the Use of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) to Help Low-Wage Workers on College Campuses

Science.gov (United States)

Hahn, Andrew B.

2005-01-01

Employee assistance programs, or EAPs, are an employee benefit designed to help workers meet their work and family needs. However, questions have been raised about the design, utilization, and scale of services that EAPs make possible for low-wage workers. This article explores whether on college campuses an EAP benefit can simultaneously meet the…

Diagnosing EAP Writing Ability Using the Reduced Reparameterized Unified Model

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Youn-Hee

2011-01-01

Despite the increasing interest in and need for test information for use in instructional practice and student learning, there have been few attempts to systematically link a diagnostic approach to English for academic purposes (EAP) writing instruction and assessment. In response to this need for research, this study examined the extent to which…

Impaired Job Performance and Critical Incidents: Factors Influencing Supervisory EAP Referrals.

Science.gov (United States)

Harley, David A.

Relatively little empirical research has been done on the supervisory referral of employees to employee assistance programs (EAPs). Inclusion of constructive confrontation (supervisory referral) into program standards and its continued promotion as a "central strategy" of program theory and operation calls for critical investigation of…

Survival analysis to explore the characteristics of employee assistance program (EAP) referrals that remain employed.

Science.gov (United States)

Macdonald, S; Albert, W; Maynard, M; French, P

1989-02-01

This study examined characteristics of referrals to employee assistance programs (EAP) associated with subsequent termination of employment. As well, relationships between characteristics of the referrals and program characteristics were explored. Longitudinal data were collected at several time periods for 163 referrals to EAPs from five organizations. Survival analysis was conducted to determine which variables were associated with termination of employment. Females, cohabitating couples, and employees who worked for the organization for 5 or more years were most likely to remain employed. One interesting finding was that people with alcohol problems were significantly more likely to be formal referrals.

Bimonthly 24 h infusion of high-dose 5-fluorouracil vs EAP regimen in patients with advanced gastric cancer. A randomized phase II study.

Science.gov (United States)

Popov, I P; Jelić, S B; Krivokapić, Z V; Jezdić, S D; Pesko, P M; Micev, M T; Babić, D R

2008-01-01

To investigate the activity and toxicity of high dose (HD) infusional 5-FU in comparison to EAP regimen as first-line chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Histologically confirmed measurable advanced gastric cancer, age EAP arm: doxorubicin (40 mg/m(2)), etoposide (360 mg/m(2)), and cisplatin (80 mg/m(2)) every 28 d; HD 5-FU arm: 5-FU 2.6 g/m(2) 24 h infusion, biweekly. Sixty patients were randomized. Patient characteristics (arms EAP/HD 5-FU): Median age 57/55 yr, median PS 1/1, LAD (patients) 3/8, M1 (patients) 27/22. Median number of cycles (range): EAP arm 4 (2-8), HD 5-FU arm 2 (1-8). Worst toxicity per cycle (grade 3 and 4 in%): Neutropenia 20/3, thrombocytopenia 9/0, anemia 9/13, diarrhea 3/10, nausea 17/7, vomiting 10/0 for EAP and HD 5-FU arms, respectively. All patients were eligible for response in both arms. Confirmed response rate (95%CI): EAP arm 34% [16-50%]/HD 5-FU arm 10% (0-21%), no change: 46/40%, progression of disease: 20/50, respectively. Overall survival (range): EAP arm A 7 mo [3-27], HD 5-FU arm 6 mo (4-25). Infusional HD 5-FU showed a low incidence of severe toxicity. But given the low efficacy of 5-FU in the dosage we applied in the study, it cannot be recommended as a single treatment for further studies. Assessment of higher dose intensity and/or dose density of 5-FU, with introduction of other active drugs in combination, could be an option for further studies.

The Margins as "Third Space": EAP Teacher Professionalism in Canadian Universities

Science.gov (United States)

MacDonald, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Teachers of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) in the Canadian university setting often experience professional marginalization in terms of lack of status, clarity of mandate, or administrative home within their institutions. Despite having broadly benefited the ESL/EAL sector in Canada, traditional trait-focused professionalization efforts have…

Investing in Our Children: A Plan to Expand Access to Preschool and Child Care

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cynthia G.; Cooper, Donna; Herman, Juliana; Lazarín, Melissa; Linden, Michael; Post, Sasha; Tanden, Neera

2013-01-01

This issue brief presents a plan to expand educational opportunities and care for children ages 0-5 years old by investing significant federal dollars to: (1) Make high-quality preschool universally accessible to all 3- and 4-year-old children; and (2) Enable more lower-income families to afford child care for children ages 0-3 years old. These…

Mapping the transcription start points of the Staphylococcus aureus eap, emp, and vwb promoters reveals a conserved octanucleotide sequence that is essential for expression of these genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Harraghy, Niamh; Homerova, Dagmar; Herrmann, Mathias; Kormanec, Jan

2008-01-01

Mapping the transcription start points of the eap, emp, and vwb promoters revealed a conserved octanucleotide sequence (COS). Deleting this sequence abolished the expression of eap, emp, and vwb. However, electrophoretic mobility shift assays gave no evidence that this sequence was a binding site for SarA or SaeR, known regulators of eap and emp.

Bessel Fourier orientation reconstruction: an analytical EAP reconstruction using multiple shell acquisitions in diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinbor, Ameer Pasha; Chung, Moo K; Wu, Yu-Chien; Alexander, Andrew L

2011-01-01

The estimation of the ensemble average propagator (EAP) directly from q-space DWI signals is an open problem in diffusion MRI. Diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) is one common technique to compute the EAP directly from the diffusion signal, but it is burdened by the large sampling required. Recently, several analytical EAP reconstruction schemes for multiple q-shell acquisitions have been proposed. One, in particular, is Diffusion Propagator Imaging (DPI) which is based on the Laplace's equation estimation of diffusion signal for each shell acquisition. Viewed intuitively in terms of the heat equation, the DPI solution is obtained when the heat distribution between temperatuere measurements at each shell is at steady state. We propose a generalized extension of DPI, Bessel Fourier Orientation Reconstruction (BFOR), whose solution is based on heat equation estimation of the diffusion signal for each shell acquisition. That is, the heat distribution between shell measurements is no longer at steady state. In addition to being analytical, the BFOR solution also includes an intrinsic exponential smootheing term. We illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method by showing results on both synthetic and real MR datasets.

Investigating the Application of Needs Analysis on EAP Business Administration Materials

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Saifalislam Abdalla Hajahmed

2016-01-01

This study is conducted to investigate the application of needs analysis in developing EAP materials for business administration students in two Sudanese universities. The subjects are 2 head departments of English language. To collect data, the researcher uses interview and content analysis. The study adopts the descriptive approach. The data of…

A New Outlook on EAP Literacies: General and Specific English Territories

Science.gov (United States)

Zohrabi, Mohammad

2010-01-01

In designing an EAP (English for Academic Purposes) course it is necessary that we consider several factors: students' objectives, needs, levels and interests, course and institution's goals, and availability of resources. In this paper it is strived to elucidate the differences between EGP (English for General purposes) and ESP (English for…

Various design approaches to achieve electric field-driven segmented folding actuation of electroactive polymer (EAP) sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Saad; Hong, Jonathan; Zhang, Wei; Kopatz, Jessica; Ounaies, Zoubeida; Frecker, Mary

2018-03-01

Electroactive polymer (EAPs) based technologies have shown promise in areas such as artificial muscles, aerospace, medical and soft robotics. In this work, we demonstrate ways to harness on-demand segmented folding actuation from pure bending of relaxor-ferroelectric P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) based films, using various design approaches, such as `stiffener' and `notch' based approaches. The in-plane actuation of the P(VDF-TrFE-CTFE) is converted into bending actuation using unimorph configurations, where one passive substrate layer is attached to the active polymer. First, we experimentally show that placement of thin metal strips as stiffener in between active EAPs and passive substrates leads to segmented actuation as opposed to pure bending actuation; stiffeners made of different materials, such as nickel, copper and aluminum, are studied which reveals that a higher Young's modulus favors more pronounced segmented actuation. Second, notched samples are prepared by mounting passive substrate patches of various materials on top of the passive layers of the unimorph EAP actuators. Effect of notch materials, size of the notches and position of the notches on the folding actuation are studied. The motion of the human finger inspires a finger-like biomimetic actuator, which is realized by assigning multiple notches on the structure; finite element analysis (FEA) is also performed using COMSOL Multiphysics software for the notched finger actuator. Finally, a versatile soft-gripper is developed using the notched approach to demonstrate the capability of a properly designed EAP actuator to hold objects of various sizes and shapes.

Surfactant protein A (SP-A)-mediated clearance of Staphylococcus aureus involves binding of SP-A to the staphylococcal adhesin eap and the macrophage receptors SP-A receptor 210 and scavenger receptor class A.

Science.gov (United States)

Sever-Chroneos, Zvjezdana; Krupa, Agnieszka; Davis, Jeremy; Hasan, Misbah; Yang, Ching-Hui; Szeliga, Jacek; Herrmann, Mathias; Hussain, Muzafar; Geisbrecht, Brian V; Kobzik, Lester; Chroneos, Zissis C

2011-02-11

Staphylococcus aureus causes life-threatening pneumonia in hospitals and deadly superinfection during viral influenza. The current study investigated the role of surfactant protein A (SP-A) in opsonization and clearance of S. aureus. Previous studies showed that SP-A mediates phagocytosis via the SP-A receptor 210 (SP-R210). Here, we show that SP-R210 mediates binding and control of SP-A-opsonized S. aureus by macrophages. We determined that SP-A binds S. aureus through the extracellular adhesin Eap. Consequently, SP-A enhanced macrophage uptake of Eap-expressing (Eap(+)) but not Eap-deficient (Eap(-)) S. aureus. In a reciprocal fashion, SP-A failed to enhance uptake of Eap(+) S. aureus in peritoneal Raw264.7 macrophages with a dominant negative mutation (SP-R210(DN)) blocking surface expression of SP-R210. Accordingly, WT mice cleared infection with Eap(+) but succumbed to sublethal infection with Eap- S. aureus. However, SP-R210(DN) cells compensated by increasing non-opsonic phagocytosis of Eap(+) S. aureus via the scavenger receptor scavenger receptor class A (SR-A), while non-opsonic uptake of Eap(-) S. aureus was impaired. Macrophages express two isoforms: SP-R210(L) and SP-R210(S). The results show that WT alveolar macrophages are distinguished by expression of SP-R210(L), whereas SR-A(-/-) alveolar macrophages are deficient in SP-R210(L) expressing only SP-R210(S). Accordingly, SR-A(-/-) mice were highly susceptible to both Eap(+) and Eap(-) S. aureus. The lungs of susceptible mice generated abnormal inflammatory responses that were associated with impaired killing and persistence of S. aureus infection in the lung. In conclusion, alveolar macrophage SP-R210(L) mediates recognition and killing of SP-A-opsonized S. aureus in vivo, coordinating inflammatory responses and resolution of S. aureus pneumonia through interaction with SR-A.

Reading sources in English to write a literature review in a romance language: a genre-based eap course in a masters program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iliana Martínez

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This article describes a genre-based, field-specific EAP course offered in a Latin American university to Master’s candidates of veterinary science who are in the process of writing literature reviews for their dissertations. As their dissertations are expected to be novel contributions, the writers need to have access to scientific information in English, although the final product will be produced in their native Romance language, Spanish. To meet this need, we capitalized on the advantages of the context, particularly the common L1 background and the field homogeneity of the course group, thus allowing for specific instruction.

Platform based design of EAP transducers in Danfoss PolyPower A/S

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sarban, Rahimullah; Guðlaugsson, Tómas Vignir

2013-01-01

satisfying a variety of different market segments. Platform based approach has the primary benefit of being cost efficient and short lead time to market when new products emerges. Products development based on EAP technology is challenging both technologically as well as from production and processing point...

Reading and Writing as Academic Literacy in EAP Program of Indonesian Leaners

Science.gov (United States)

Solikhah, Imroatus

2015-01-01

This study investigates academic literacy imposed in reading and writing for academic purposes in the EAP program. This study uses descriptive design elaborating data from curriculum documents and interviews. Involving 45 participants from IAIN Surakarta and Veteran University, data were analyzed using constant-comparison and inductive analysis…

Influence of micro- and nanofillers on electro-mechanical performance of silicone EAPs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bejenariu, Anca Gabriela; Daugaard, Anders Egede; Skov, Anne Ladegaard

to increase the overall permittivity of the silicone networks. The effect of particle size and particle size distribution on the electrical and viscoelastic properties is investigated. The aim of the paper is to find the right filler and the appropriate concentration for a suitable EAP material...

Electro-Active Polymers (EAPs: A Promising Route to Design Bio-Organic/Bioinspired Platforms with on Demand Functionalities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Guarino

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Through recent discoveries and new knowledge among correlations between molecular biology and materials science, it is a growing interest to design new biomaterials able to interact—i.e., to influence, to guide or to detect—with cells and their surrounding microenvironments, in order to better control biological phenomena. In this context, electro-active polymers (EAPs are showing great promise as biomaterials acting as an interface between electronics and biology. This is ascribable to the highly tunability of chemical/physical properties which confer them different conductive properties for various applicative uses (i.e., molecular targeting, biosensors, biocompatible scaffolds. This review article is divided into three parts: the first one is an overview on EAPs to introduce basic conductivity mechanisms and their classification. The second one is focused on the description of most common processes used to manipulate EAPs in the form of two-dimensional (2D and three-dimensional (3D materials. The last part addresses their use in current applications in different biomedical research areas including tissue engineering, biosensors and molecular delivery.

The Pronunciation Component in Teaching EAP in Cameroonian Universities: Some Proposals

Science.gov (United States)

Safotso, Gilbert Tagne

2016-01-01

In Cameroonian universities, EAP is generally seen as a marginalised unit, and its teaching is abandoned to part-time secondary school teachers, or doctorate students who have little or no knowledge of the subject. Most of the time, these teachers do not know the real objective of the subject, and do not master it. In some universities, each…

Parametric dictionary learning for modeling EAP and ODF in diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlet, Sylvain; Caruyer, Emmanuel; Deriche, Rachid

2012-01-01

In this work, we propose an original and efficient approach to exploit the ability of Compressed Sensing (CS) to recover diffusion MRI (dMRI) signals from a limited number of samples while efficiently recovering important diffusion features such as the ensemble average propagator (EAP) and the orientation distribution function (ODF). Some attempts to sparsely represent the diffusion signal have already been performed. However and contrarly to what has been presented in CS dMRI, in this work we propose and advocate the use of a well adapted learned dictionary and show that it leads to a sparser signal estimation as well as to an efficient reconstruction of very important diffusion features. We first propose to learn and design a sparse and parametric dictionary from a set of training diffusion data. Then, we propose a framework to analytically estimate in closed form two important diffusion features: the EAP and the ODF. Various experiments on synthetic, phantom and human brain data have been carried out and promising results with reduced number of atoms have been obtained on diffusion signal reconstruction, thus illustrating the added value of our method over state-of-the-art SHORE and SPF based approaches.

Improving Students' Report Writing Quality in an EAP Context: Group versus Individual

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Holi Ibrahim Holi

2012-01-01

This paper looks into report writing quality on both individual and group bases in an EAP context. A total of 100 EFL students at post foundation level in a University College in Oman, and 15 EFL teachers were selected randomly. Questionnaires were administered to investigate their perceptions and experiences with report writing quality on…

Reflections on the GUN CONTROL Simulation: Pedagogical Implications for EAP Writing Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Salies, Tania Gastao

2007-01-01

This article critically reflects on the GUN CONTROL simulation (Salies, 1994a) by retaking ideas advanced by Salies (2002) and applying them to the context of English for Academic Purposes (EAP) writing classes in Brazil. It examines how controlled practice relates to learners' performance on the first draft in a simulation-based content unit…

Expanded access to naloxone among firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical technicians in Massachusetts.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Corey S; Ruiz, Sarah; Glynn, Patrick; Picariello, Gerald; Walley, Alexander Y

2014-08-01

Naloxone is a medication that reverses respiratory depression from opioid overdose if given in time. Paramedics routinely administer naloxone to opioid overdose victims in the prehospital setting, and many states are moving to increase access to the medication. Several jurisdictions have expanded naloxone administration authority to nonparamedic first responders, and others are considering that step. We report here on policy change in Massachusetts, where several communities have equipped emergency medical technicians, law enforcement officers, and firefighters with naloxone.

EAP-based critical incident stress management: utilization of a practice-based assessment of incident severity level in responding to workplace trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

DeFraia, Gary S

2013-01-01

Central to the field of trauma psychology is assessment of the impact of critical incidents on individuals, as measured by individual symptoms of stress. Accordingly, the trauma literature reflects a proliferation of clinical impact of event scales. Workplace incidents however, affect not only individual employees, but also work organizations, requiring a multi-level response. Critical incident stress management (CISM) is the most prevalent multi-level incident response strategy utilized by organizations, often through specialized CISM units operating within their employee assistance programs (EAPs). While EAP-based CISM units seeks to support both individuals and organizations, studies focused on individual stress dominate the literature, mirroring assessment scales that tend to emphasize clinical as opposed to organizational practice. This research contributes to less-prevalent studies exploring incident characteristics as disruptive to organizations, rather than clinical symptoms as disruptive to individuals. To measure incident disruption, an EAP-based CISM unit developed a critical incident severity scale. By analyzing this unit's extensive practice database, this exploratory study examines how critical incident severity level varies among various types of incidents. Employing the methodology of clinical data mining, this practice-based research generates evidence-informed practice recommendations in the areas of EAP-based CISM intake assessment, organizational consultation and incident response planning.

A Study of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices of Adult ESOL and EAP Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, Christy M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how frequently adult education English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers in Florida used specific culturally responsive teaching practices and how important they believed those practices were to their teaching. Using Ginsberg and Wlodkowski's…

75 FR 11189 - Expanded Access to Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-10

... viral hepatitis and from 70 to 90 percent of all cases of hepatocellular carcinoma. An estimated 3.2...] Expanded Access to Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection in... hepatitis C (CHC) infection in patients with unmet medical need. This public hearing is being held to obtain...

The Multimodalities of Globalization: Teaching a YouTube Video in an EAP Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Christian W.

2012-01-01

This article examines the ways in which a multimodal text--a YouTube video on globalization and business--was mediated in two English for Academic Purposes (EAP) classrooms, and how these mediations shaped the instructor's and her students' meaning-making in specific ways. I first explore the complex multimodal discourses involved with this…

Constraining the parameters of the EAP sea ice rheology from satellite observations and discrete element model

Science.gov (United States)

Tsamados, Michel; Heorton, Harry; Feltham, Daniel; Muir, Alan; Baker, Steven

2016-04-01

The new elastic-plastic anisotropic (EAP) rheology that explicitly accounts for the sub-continuum anisotropy of the sea ice cover has been implemented into the latest version of the Los Alamos sea ice model CICE. The EAP rheology is widely used in the climate modeling scientific community (i.e. CPOM stand alone, RASM high resolution regional ice-ocean model, MetOffice fully coupled model). Early results from sensitivity studies (Tsamados et al, 2013) have shown the potential for an improved representation of the observed main sea ice characteristics with a substantial change of the spatial distribution of ice thickness and ice drift relative to model runs with the reference visco-plastic (VP) rheology. The model contains one new prognostic variable, the local structure tensor, which quantifies the degree of anisotropy of the sea ice, and two parameters that set the time scale of the evolution of this tensor. Observations from high resolution satellite SAR imagery as well as numerical simulation results from a discrete element model (DEM, see Wilchinsky, 2010) have shown that these individual floes can organize under external wind and thermal forcing to form an emergent isotropic sea ice state (via thermodynamic healing, thermal cracking) or an anisotropic sea ice state (via Coulombic failure lines due to shear rupture). In this work we use for the first time in the context of sea ice research a mathematical metric, the Tensorial Minkowski functionals (Schroeder-Turk, 2010), to measure quantitatively the degree of anisotropy and alignment of the sea ice at different scales. We apply the methodology on the GlobICE Envisat satellite deformation product (www.globice.info), on a prototype modified version of GlobICE applied on Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery and on the DEM ice floe aggregates. By comparing these independent measurements of the sea ice anisotropy as well as its temporal evolution against the EAP model we are able to constrain the

Policies to Spur Energy Access. Executive Summary; Volume 1, Engaging the Private Sector in Expanding Access to Electricity; Volume 2, Case Studies to Public-Private Models to Finance Decentralized Electricity Access

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walters, Terri [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Rai, Neha [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Esterly, Sean [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Cox, Sadie [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Reber, Tim [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Muzammil, Maliha [Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom); Mahmood, Tasfiq [International Center for Climate Change and Development, Baridhara (Bangladesh); Kaur, Nanki [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Tesfaye, Lidya [Echnoserve Consulting (Ethiopia); Mamuye, Simret [Echnoserve Consulting (Ethiopia); Knuckles, James [Univ. of London (England). Cass Business School; Morris, Ellen [Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); de Been, Merijn [Delft Univ. of Technology (Netherlands); Steinbach, Dave [International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), London (England); Acharya, Sunil [Digo Bikas Inst. (Nepal); Chhetri, Raju Pandit [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bhushal, Ramesh [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-09-01

Government policy is one of the most important factors in engaging the private sector in providing universal access to electricity. In particular, the private sector is well positioned to provide decentralized electricity products and services. While policy uncertainty and regulatory barriers can keep enterprises and investors from engaging in the market, targeted policies can create opportunities to leverage private investment and skills to expand electricity access. However, creating a sustainable market requires policies beyond traditional electricity regulation. The report reviews the range of policy issues that impact the development and expansion of a market for decentralized electricity services from establishing an enabling policy environment to catalyzing finance, building human capacity, and integrating energy access with development programs. The case studies in this report show that robust policy frameworks--addressing a wide range of market issues--can lead to rapid transformation in energy access. The report highlights examples of these policies in action Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Mali, Mexico, and Nepal.

Biomimetic actuators using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2006-01-01

Evolution has resolved many of nature's challenges leading to lasting solutions with maximal performance and effective use of resources. Nature's inventions have always inspired human achievements leading to effective materials, structures, tools, mechanisms, processes, algorithms, methods, systems and many other benefits. The field of mimicking nature is known as Biomimetics and one of its topics includes electroactive polymers that gain the moniker artificial muscles. Integrating EAP with embedded sensors, self-repair and many other capabilities that are used in composite materials can add greatly to the capability of smart biomimetic systems. Such development would enable fascinating possibilities potentially turning science fiction ideas into engineering reality.

Biologically Inspired Technology Using Electroactive Polymers (EAP)

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2006-01-01

Evolution allowed nature to introduce highly effective biological mechanisms that are incredible inspiration for innovation. Humans have always made efforts to imitate nature's inventions and we are increasingly making advances that it becomes significantly easier to imitate, copy, and adapt biological methods, processes and systems. This brought us to the ability to create technology that is far beyond the simple mimicking of nature. Having better tools to understand and to implement nature's principles we are now equipped like never before to be inspired by nature and to employ our tools in far superior ways. Effectively, by bio-inspiration we can have a better view and value of nature capability while studying its models to learn what can be extracted, copied or adapted. Using electroactive polymers (EAP) as artificial muscles is adding an important element to the development of biologically inspired technologies.

We strongly support childhood immunisation-statement from the European Academy of Paediatrics (EAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Dornbusch, Hans Juergen; Hadjipanayis, Adamos; Del Torso, Stefano; Mercier, Jean-Christophe; Wyder, Corinne; Schrier, Lenneke; Ross-Russell, Robert; Stiris, Tom; Ludvigsson, Jonas F

2017-05-01

The eradication of smallpox and the elimination of several other infectious diseases from much of the world has provided convincing evidence that vaccines are among the most effective interventions for promoting health. The current scepticism about immunisation among members of the new US administration carries a risk of decreasing immunisation rates also in Europe. While only a small minority of the population are strongly anti-vaccine, their public activities have significantly influenced an uncertainty among the general population about both the safety of and the necessity for vaccination. Therefore, the EAP calls for greater publically available, scientifically supported information on vaccination, particularly targeted at health care providers, for the further development of electronically based immunisation information systems (IIS). We further call on all European countries to work together both in legislative and public health arenas in order to increase vaccination coverage among the paediatric population. In the interest of children and their parents, the EAP expresses its strong support for childhood immunisation and recommended vaccination schedules. We are prepared to work with governments and media and share the extensive evidence demonstrating the effectiveness and safety of vaccines.

Doing more for less: identifying opportunities to expand public sector access to safe abortion in South Africa through budget impact analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lince-Deroche, Naomi; Harries, Jane; Constant, Deborah; Morroni, Chelsea; Pleaner, Melanie; Fetters, Tamara; Grossman, Daniel; Blanchard, Kelly; Sinanovic, Edina

2018-02-01

To estimate the costs of public-sector abortion provision in South Africa and to explore the potential for expanding access at reduced cost by changing the mix of technologies used. We conducted a budget impact analysis using public sector abortion statistics and published cost data. We estimated the total costs to the public health service over 10 years, starting in South Africa's financial year 2016/17, given four scenarios: (1) holding service provision constant, (2) expanding public sector provision, (3) changing the abortion technologies used (i.e. the method mix), and (4) expansion plus changing the method mix. The public sector performed an estimated 20% of the expected total number of abortions in 2016/17; 26% and 54% of all abortions were performed illegally or in the private sector respectively. Costs were lowest in scenarios where method mix shifting occurred. Holding the proportion of abortions performed in the public-sector constant, shifting to more cost-effective service provision (more first-trimester services with more medication abortion and using the combined regimen for medical induction in the second trimester) could result in savings of $28.1 million in the public health service over the 10-year period. Expanding public sector provision through elimination of unsafe abortions would require an additional $192.5 million. South Africa can provide more safe abortions for less money in the public sector through shifting the methods provided. More research is needed to understand whether the cost of expanding access could be offset by savings from averting costs of managing unsafe abortions. South Africa can provide more safe abortions for less money in the public sector through shifting to more first-trimester methods, including more medication abortion, and shifting to a combined mifepristone plus misoprostol regimen for second trimester medical induction. Expanding access in addition to method mix changes would require additional funds. Copyright

The Construction of EAP Textbooks in Chinese Context from the Perspective of Eco-Education Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Dali, Ning

2017-01-01

The increase of international exchange in education triggers strong demand for learning English language skills in various academic disciplines among Chinese students, which brings up a wide implementation of EAP (English for academic purposes) learning in universities in China. However, the teaching and learning result do not seem to be as…

Changing International Student and Business Staff Perceptions of In-Sessional EAP: Using the CEM Model

Science.gov (United States)

Sloan, Diane; Porter, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

This article addresses the question of whether the existing approach to EAP delivery implemented at the University of Northumbria is supporting the learning needs of the international student body. In addressing this the article documents the background, research and preliminary findings relating to provision of an in-sessional English for…

The gefitinib long-term responder (LTR)--a cancer stem-like cell story? Insights from molecular analyses of German long-term responders treated in the IRESSA expanded access program (EAP).

Science.gov (United States)

Gottschling, Sandra; Herpel, Esther; Eberhardt, Wilfried E E; Heigener, David F; Fischer, Jürgen R; Köhne, Claus-Henning; Kortsik, Cornelius; Kuhnt, Thomas; Muley, Thomas; Meister, Michael; Bischoff, Helge G; Klein, Peter; Moldenhauer, Ines; Schnabel, Philipp A; Thomas, Michael; Penzel, Roland

2012-07-01

In selected patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) the EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) gefitinib (IRESSA) shows response rates of ≥ 70% and a significant prolongation of progression free survival (PFS). However, cogent biomarkers predicting long-term response to EGFR-TKIs are yet lacking. Cancer stem-like cells (CSC) are thought to play a pivotal role in tumor regeneration and appear to be influenced by the EGFR-pathway. This makes them a promising candidate for predicting long-term response to EGFR-TKIs. We analyzed pre-therapeutic tissue specimens of a rare and specific subset of previously treated German patients with advanced NSCLC who experienced ≥ 3 year response to gefitinib within the International IRESSA EAP. 11/20 identified long-term responders (LTRs) had appropriate tissue specimens available. Those were analyzed for EGFR and k-ras (Kirsten rat sarcoma) mutations, EGFR and c-met (met proto-oncogene) amplifications and protein expression of EGFR, E-cadherin/vimentin and the CSC antigens CD133 and BCRP1 (breast cancer resistance protein 1). The results were compared to primary resistant patients (RPs) and intermediate responders (IRs) showing a median response of 8.6 months. Each group consisted of 6 women and 5 men, with 1 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 10 adenocarcinoma (AC). Along the LTRs, all but the SCC had EGFR mutations, whereas the RPs had no EGFR, but k-ras mutations in 5/11 cases. 8/11 IRs had EGFR and 3/11 k-ras mutations, of which 2 occurred concomitantly. One patient of each group had an EGFR and/or c-met amplification. EGFR and E-cadherin/vimentin expression was not different between the groups, whereas CD133 was expressed only in 4/10 LTRs and BCRP1 predominantly in responders. The LTRs showed a substantially longer mean PFS to previous therapies, a substantially lower number of metastatic sites and almost exclusively pulmonary or pleural metastasis. LTRs display established

Vocabulary Learning Strategies Used by EAP Learners: The Case of the Students of Social Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Haghi, Eshrat Bazarmaj; Pasand, Parastou Gholami

2013-01-01

The significance of using language learning strategies in general and vocabulary learning strategies in particular is quite clear to both language learners and language specialists. Being familiar with and making use of a range of different vocabulary learning strategies is a great aid for EAP learners in dealing with unknown words. The present…

Understanding Test-Takers' Perceptions of Difficulty in EAP Vocabulary Tests: The Role of Experiential Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Oruç Ertürk, Nesrin; Mumford, Simon E.

2017-01-01

This study, conducted by two researchers who were also multiple-choice question (MCQ) test item writers at a private English-medium university in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context, was designed to shed light on the factors that influence test-takers' perceptions of difficulty in English for academic purposes (EAP) vocabulary, with the…

Moderating Top-Down Policy Impact and Supporting EAP Curricular Renewal: Exploring the Potential of Diagnostic Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Janna D.

2009-01-01

A Canadian university required a new admissions policy in order to increase the fairness of procedures for second language (L2) international students, admitted provisionally to the university with mandatory language course requirements. This necessitated reform of the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) curriculum, but there was no agreement…

Expanding Medicaid Access without Expanding Medicaid: Why Did Some Nonexpansion States Continue the Primary Care Fee Bump?

Science.gov (United States)

Wilk, Adam S; Evans, Leigh C; Jones, David K

2018-02-01

Six states that have rejected the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Medicaid expansion nonetheless extended the primary care "fee bump," by which the federal government increased Medicaid fees for primary care services up to 100 percent of Medicare fees during 2013-14. We conducted semistructured interviews with leaders in five of these states, as well as in three comparison states, to examine why they would continue a provision of the ACA that moderately expands access at significant state expense while rejecting the expansion and its large federal match, focusing on relevant economic, political, and procedural factors. We found that fee bump extension proposals were more successful where they were dissociated from major national policy debates, actionable with the input of relatively few stakeholder entities, and well aligned with preexisting policy-making structures and decision trends. Republican proposals to cap or reduce federal funding for Medicaid, if enacted, would compel states to contain program costs. In this context, states' established decision-making processes for updating Medicaid fee schedules, which we elucidate in this study, may shape the future of the Medicaid program. Copyright © 2018 by Duke University Press 2018.

JASPAR 2014: an extensively expanded and updated open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathelier, Anthony; Zhao, Xiaobei; Zhang, Allen W; Parcy, François; Worsley-Hunt, Rebecca; Arenillas, David J; Buchman, Sorana; Chen, Chih-yu; Chou, Alice; Ienasescu, Hans; Lim, Jonathan; Shyr, Casper; Tan, Ge; Zhou, Michelle; Lenhard, Boris; Sandelin, Albin; Wasserman, Wyeth W

2014-01-01

JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) is the largest open-access database of matrix-based nucleotide profiles describing the binding preference of transcription factors from multiple species. The fifth major release greatly expands the heart of JASPAR-the JASPAR CORE subcollection, which contains curated, non-redundant profiles-with 135 new curated profiles (74 in vertebrates, 8 in Drosophila melanogaster, 10 in Caenorhabditis elegans and 43 in Arabidopsis thaliana; a 30% increase in total) and 43 older updated profiles (36 in vertebrates, 3 in D. melanogaster and 4 in A. thaliana; a 9% update in total). The new and updated profiles are mainly derived from published chromatin immunoprecipitation-seq experimental datasets. In addition, the web interface has been enhanced with advanced capabilities in browsing, searching and subsetting. Finally, the new JASPAR release is accompanied by a new BioPython package, a new R tool package and a new R/Bioconductor data package to facilitate access for both manual and automated methods.

Particle physicists want to expand open access

CERN Multimedia

Kaiser, Jocelyn

2006-01-01

"Particle physicists have come up with a novel way to promote free, immediate access to journal articles. Led by CERN, the giant lab near Geneva, Switzerland, thay want to raise at lesat $6 million a year to begin buying open access to all published papers in their field." (1/2 page)

Particle physicists want to expand open access

CERN Multimedia

Kaiser, Jocelyn

2006-01-01

"Particle physicists have come up with a novel way to promote free, immediate access to journal articles. Led by CERN, the gian lab near Geneva, Switzerland, they want to raise at least $6 million a year to begin buying open access to all published papers in their field." (1 page)

Managing Profound Suffering at the End-of-Life: Should expanding access to continuous deep sedation be the priority?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirby, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that in addressing and managing profound suffering at the end-of-life, the priority should not be the legalization of physician-assisted suicide or voluntary active euthanasia in jurisdictions where these practices are not currently available. Rather, concerted efforts should be made by society and the healthcare provider community to expand patient access to proportionate distress-relieving sedation and continuous deep sedation.

The effect of employee assistance plan benefits on the use of outpatient behavioral health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgkin, Dominic; Merrick, Elizabeth L; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M; McGuire, Thomas G

2010-12-01

Nearly half of all US workers have access to an employee assistance plan (EAP). At the same time, most large US employers also purchase health benefits for their employees, and these benefits packages typically include behavioral health services. There is some potential overlap in services covered by the EAP and the health plan, and some employers choose to purchase the two jointly as an 'integrated product'. It is not clear whether EAP services substitute for outpatient behavioral health care services covered by the health plan. To evaluate how the number of EAP visits covered affects the use of regular outpatient behavioral health care (number of visits, and total spending), in an integrated product setting. Analysis of claims, eligibility and benefits data for 26,464 users of behavioral health care for the year 2005. For both EAP and regular behavioral health care, the individuals were enrolled with Managed Health Network (MHN), a large national specialty insurance plan. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the determinants of the number of regular outpatient visits, and spending for regular outpatient care. To address skewness in the dependent variables, the estimation used generalized linear models with a log link. A limited instrumental variable analysis was used to test for endogeneity of the number of EAP visits covered. Nearly half the enrollees in this sample were in employer plans that allowed 4-5 EAP visits per treatment episode, and 31% were allowed 3 EAP visits per year. Having an EAP visit allowance of 4-5 sessions per episode predicts fewer regular outpatient visits, compared with having an allowance of 3 sessions per year. More generous EAP allowances also reduce payments for outpatient care, with one exception. Greater availability of EAP benefits appears to reduce utilization of regular outpatient care, supporting the idea that the two types of care are to some extent perceived as substitutes. One limitation of this

THE EAP: A FAILURE OF THE EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY OR SHARING A POWER BALANCE IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nona TATIASHVILI

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The present paper analyses achievements and challenges of the EaP in the prism of EU-Russia asymmetric energy interdependence, as the major factor affecting the successful implementation of the Eastern partnership. To identify whether energy interdependence is the main sphere of interest in the EaP neighbourhood, where EU-Russia common interests intersect in one point or is it a sharing a power balance in “common neighbourhood”?. The research paper reviews major policy documents of the ENP/EaP, in order to analyze to what extent is policy coherent/incoherent towards partner countries. Moreover, the paper evaluates the European neighbourhood external policy instruments (the ENP/EaP from the perspective of three prioritised countries of the Eastern partnership: Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, including the analysis of the effectiveness of proposed incentives under the ENP/EaP, as sufficient instruments for successful implementation of the Eastern partnership, in the presence of unpredictable external veto player.

Pre and Post Test Evaluations of Students in the Needs-Analysis Based EAP Course at Undergraduate Level

Science.gov (United States)

Nafissi, Zohreh; Rezaeipanah, Fariba; Monsefi, Roya

2017-01-01

Iran's education system is exam-based and to gain admission to universities at undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels, candidates have to sit a competitive examination. For this reason, developing an EAP course which prepares the candidates for these examinations is of crucial importance. The present study attempted to develop an EAP…

Processfolio: Uniting Academic Literacies and Critical Emancipatory Action Research for Practitioner-Led Inquiry into EAP Writing Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Jayne

2017-01-01

This article reports on the design and implementation of an alternative form of writing assessment in a UK English for Academic Purposes (EAP) pre-sessional course. The assessment, termed processfolio, was a response to research inquiry into how writing assessment in a local context negated student agency and inculcated disempowering models of…

Promises to keep. An evaluator's perspective on employee assistance programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, W C; Smythe, P C; Brook, R C

1985-01-01

This paper presents a critical review of the rapidly expanding literature concerning employee assistance programs (EAPs). Several essential features of EAPs are identified and the assumptions underlying these components are examined. The latter section of this report offers some tentative suggestions for correcting this situation so that the EAP movement will no longer suffer from the lack of a firm database upon which to build more coherent and defensible theories and programs.

Biophysical modelling of phytoplankton communities from first principles using two-layered spheres: Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) model.

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson Lain, L; Bernard, S; Evers-King, H

2014-07-14

There is a pressing need for improved bio-optical models of high biomass waters as eutrophication of coastal and inland waters becomes an increasing problem. Seasonal boom conditions in the Southern Benguela and persistent harmful algal production in various inland waters in Southern Africa present valuable opportunities for the development of such modelling capabilities. The phytoplankton-dominated signal of these waters additionally addresses an increased interest in Phytoplankton Functional Type (PFT) analysis. To these ends, an initial validation of a new model of Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) is presented here. This paper makes a first order comparison of two prominent phytoplankton Inherent Optical Property (IOP) models with the EAP model, which places emphasis on explicit bio-physical modelling of the phytoplankton population as a holistic determinant of inherent optical properties. This emphasis is shown to have an impact on the ability to retrieve the detailed phytoplankton spectral scattering information necessary for PFT applications and to successfully simulate reflectance across wide ranges of physical environments, biomass, and assemblage characteristics.

Diagnosing the EAP needs of Turkish medical students: A longitudinal critical needs analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neslihan Önder Özdemir

2014-10-01

Full Text Available This study uses a longitudinal critical needs analysis to diagnose the English for academic purposes (EAP needs of Turkish medical students seeking proficiency in medical English and contribute to needs analysis methodology. The data were collected from medical students and specialists. To obtain valid and reliable information about medical students’ needs, three types of instruments were used: ethnographic methods, including sustained observation and participation in a research setting; reflective journals; and a questionnaire and in-depth interview. The questionnaire design was based on essays collected from the students during their study, and the items were constructed from the students’ own words. To the best of my knowledge, this study is the first attempt in the literature to triangulate both methods and data with a focus on critical pedagogy to diagnose EAP needs. The findings are the result of the triangulation of data and methodology to ensure the reliability and validity of the findings. A total of 525 subjects participated in the research (186 participants in the pilot study and 339 participants in the main study. The findings revealed medical students’ expectations of their English for specific purposes (ESP instructor, students’ shortcomings, and the problems and strategies they use while learning medical English. The interview data analysis sought to determine whether higher education students can be a reliable source to consult for their own educational needs in higher education. The methodology followed here can be replicated in other mainstream classrooms.

Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (Tell): An Update and a Principled Framework for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Chau, Juliana; Lee, Alfred

2014-01-01

The range and number of technologies currently available have yielded both opportunities and challenges for language educators. This study aims to review recent technology-enhanced language learning (TeLL) research, and to examine their potential relevance to EAP pedagogy, curricula, assessment and instruction. The results of this study show TeLL…

Expanded Access Protocol (EAP) Using the CliniMACS® Device for Pediatric Haplocompatible Donor Stem Cell Transplant

Science.gov (United States)

2017-11-22

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Chronic Myeloid Leukemia; Myelodysplastic Syndrome; Lymphomas; Bone Marrow Failure; Hemoglobinopathy; Immune Deficiency; Osteopetrosis; Cytopenias; Leukocyte Disorders; Anemia Due to Intrinsic Red Cell Abnormality

Code-Expanded Random Access for Machine-Type Communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kiilerich Pratas, Nuno; Thomsen, Henning; Stefanovic, Cedomir

2012-01-01

Abstract—The random access methods used for support of machine-type communications (MTC) in current cellular standards are derivatives of traditional framed slotted ALOHA and therefore do not support high user loads efficiently. Motivated by the random access method employed in LTE, we propose...

Safety and efficacy results of the advanced renal cell carcinoma sorafenib expanded access program in North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Stadler, Walter M; Figlin, Robert A; McDermott, David F; Dutcher, Janice P; Knox, Jennifer J; Miller, Wilson H; Hainsworth, John D; Henderson, Charles A; George, Jeffrey R; Hajdenberg, Julio; Kindwall-Keller, Tamila L; Ernstoff, Marc S; Drabkin, Harry A; Curti, Brendan D; Chu, Luis; Ryan, Christopher W; Hotte, Sebastien J; Xia, Chenghua; Cupit, Lisa; Bukowski, Ronald M

2010-03-01

The Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma Sorafenib (ARCCS) program made sorafenib available to patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) before regulatory approval. In this nonrandomized, open-label expanded access program, 2504 patients from the United States and Canada were treated with oral sorafenib 400 mg twice daily. Safety and efficacy were explored overall and in subgroups of patients including those with no prior therapy, nonclear cell (nonclear cell) RCC, brain metastases, prior bevacizumab treatment, and elderly patients. Sorafenib was approved for RCC 6 months after study initiation, at which time patients with no prior therapy or with nonclear cell RCC could enroll in an extension protocol for continued assessment for a period of 6 months. The most common grade > or =2 drug-related adverse events were hand-foot skin reaction (18%), rash (14%), hypertension (12%), and fatigue (11%). In the 1891 patients evaluable for response, complete response was observed in 1 patient, partial response in 67 patients (4%), and stable disease for at least 8 weeks in 1511 patients (80%). Median progression-free survival in the extension population was 36 weeks (95% confidence interval [CI], 33-45 weeks; censorship rate, 56%); median overall survival in the entire population was 50 weeks (95% CI, 46-52 weeks; censorship rate, 63%). The efficacy and safety results were similar across the subgroups. Sorafenib 400 mg twice daily demonstrated activity and a clinically acceptable toxicity profile in all patient subsets enrolled in the ARCCS expanded access program (clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00111020).

[Employee assistance program].

Science.gov (United States)

Shima, Satoru; Tanaka, Katsutoshi; Ohba, Sayo

2002-03-01

Recently the EAP has received much attention in Japan. The first EAP service in the US was conducted by employees who had recovered from alcohol problems. In the early days EAP providers focused on addiction, but mainly after 1980 they expanded their service areas to include mental health, marital problems, legal problems and financial problems. In Japan the EAP was first received attention as a counseling resource outside the workplace where employees could seek professional help confidentially, but the main reasons why this system now interests employers are as a risk-management tool and an outsourcing of mental health services, since the growing number of mental health cases in the workplace has been a big issue for employers. Two movements have also contributed to more recognition of the EAP: one is guidelines on compensation for mental health cases in the workplace and the other is guidelines on mental health promotion in the workplace. There are four types of EAP systems: internal EAP, external EAP, combination EAP, and consortium EAP. EAP core technology consists of 8 functions including problem identification, Crisis intervention, Short-term intervention, Consultation with work organization leader. The literature on cost-benefit analysis of the EAP is very limited. Although the available data suggest that the EAP is highly cost-effective, further studies are needed with the sufficient statistical quality. In Japan the most important issues in the EAP are the standardization and quality assurance of EAP services. For this purpose development of a good educational system for EAP professionals is needed.

Impact of Employee Assistance Services on Depression, Anxiety, and Risky Alcohol Use: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Melissa K; Pampel, Fred C; Wood, Randi C; Nunes, Ana P

2016-07-01

To test the impact of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) on reducing employee depression, anxiety, and risky alcohol use, and whether improvements in clinical symptoms lead to improved work outcomes. The study used a prospective, quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching. Participants (n = 344) came from 20 areas of state government. EAP (n = 156) and non-EAP (n = 188) employees were matched on baseline demographic, psychosocial, and work-related characteristics that differentiate EAP from non-EAP users. Follow-up surveys were collected 2 to 12 months later (M = 6.0). EAP significantly reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety, but not at-risk alcohol use. EAP reductions in depression and anxiety mediated EAP-based reductions in absenteeism and presenteeism. EAPs provide easy-to-access work-based services that are effective at improving employee mental health.

Enhancement of actinide incineration and transmutation rates in Ads EAP-80 reactor core with MOX PuO2 and UO2 fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaltcheva-Kouzminava, S.; Kuzminov, V.; Vecchi, M.

2001-01-01

Neutronics calculations of the accelerator driven reactor core EAP-80 with UO 2 and PuO 2 MOX fuel elements and Pb-Bi coolant are presented in this paper. Monte Carlo optimisation computations of several schemes of the EAP-80 core with different types of fuel assemblies containing burnable absorber B4 C or H 2 Zr zirconium hydride moderator were performed with the purpose to enhance the plutonium and actinide incineration rate. In the first scheme the reactor core contains burnable absorber B4 C arranged in the cladding of fuel elements with high enrichment of plutonium (up to 45%). In the second scheme H2 Zr zirconium hydride moderated zones were located in fuel elements with low enrichment (∼20%). In both schemes the incineration rate of plutonium is about two times higher than in the reference EAP-80 core and at the same time the power density distribution remains significantly unchanged compared to the reference core. A hybrid core containing two fuel zones one of which is the inner fuel region with UO 2 and PuO 2 high enrichment plutonium fuel and the second one is the outer region with fuel elements containing zirconium hydride layer was also considered. Evolution of neutronics parameters and actinide transmutation rates during the fuel burn-up is presented. Calculations were performed using the MCNP-4B code and the SCALE 4.3 computational system. (author)

Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Materials and Actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, Lenore; Schramm, David; Meixler, Lewis D.; Gentile, Charles A.; Ascione, George; Tilson, Carl; Pagdon, Kelsey

2010-01-01

Ras Labs produces electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple, and now contract (new development) with low electric input. In addition, Ras Labs produces EAP materials that quickly contract and expand, repeatedly, by reversing the polarity of the electric input. These recent developments are important attributes in the field of electroactivity because of the ability of contraction and contraction-expansion to produce biomimetric motion. The mechanism of contraction is not well understood. Radionuclide-labeled experiments were conducted to determine the mechanisms during contraction of these EAPs.

EFL Teachers’ Beliefs and Pedagogy in the EAP-oriented Reform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanhua Yu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This research reports a two-year EAP-oriented teaching reform at Shanghai Dianji University by analyzing the pedagogy of three English teachers. The study examines what happens to the three teachers’ pedagogy when the Shanghai Municipal Educational Commission promotes new methodologies, that is, task-based learning and content-based instruction which seem to be in conflict with their traditional pedagogy. This research adopted quantitative methods (questionnaire combined with qualitative methods (interviews and classroom observation and demonstrated how they reconcile their pedagogy with the promoted methodology in a situated context constrained by college culture, college authorities’ expectation, students’ expectations and the availability of resources. The study reveals the dynamic nature of pedagogy under the effect of teachers’ beliefs as well as the interplay of teachers’ beliefs and classroom practice, which is in contrast with the image of teachers of English as pure disseminators of grammatical knowledge, bounded by textbooks.

Description and application of the EAP computer program for calculating life-cycle energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of household consumption items

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Benders, R.M.J.; Wilting, H.C.; Kramer, K.J.; Moll, H.C.

2001-01-01

Focusing on reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, a life-cycle-based analysis tool has been developed. The energy analysis program (EAP) is a computer program for determining energy use and greenhouse gas emissions related to household consumption items, using a hybrid calculation

DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION SYSTEM STRATEGIES AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN PRINGSEWU BY USING METHODOLOGY ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE PLANNING (EAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Khumaidi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The development of information systems and information technology requires planning to complement the direction of the college strategy. Planning is constructed by defining data, application and technology architectures in the use of information to support business processes and then architectural design to identify needs and create architectural schemes and make plans for their implementation. Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP is a method of data quality planning approach oriented to business needs and how the implementation of the architecture is done in such a way in an effort to support business turnover and achievement of Vision and Mission and the goal of strategic development of SI and IT at college private high. The result of this research is to get the blueprint resulting from Enterprise Architecture Planning (EAP methodology which will be used as a guide for making blueprint in the form of data architecture, application architecture and technology architecture in strategy development Information system and information technology as a whole on High private sector especially in Pringsewu

Biophysical modelling of phytoplankton communities from first principles using two-layered spheres: Equivalent Algal Populations (EAP) model: erratum.

Science.gov (United States)

Lain, Lisl Robertson; Bernard, Stewart; Matthews, Mark W

2016-11-28

We regret that the Rrs spectra shown for the EAP modelled high biomass validation in Fig. 7 [Opt. Express, 22, 16745 (2014)] are incorrect. They are corrected here. The closest match of modelled to measured effective diameter is for a generalised 16 μm dinoflagellate population and not a 12 μm one as previously stated. These corrections do not affect the discussion or the conclusions of the paper.

EAP course design within a context of institutional change and cross-disciplinary collaboration: Factors shaping the creating of ‘writing for commerce’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackson, Fiona

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Many reports of needs analysis and curriculum design of EAP courses focus largely on the immediate pedagogic context and ensuing decision making and materials design processes of the course designers. This paper explores the process of curriculum design from the perspectives of both debates and developments within the field of language and literacy education, and the impact of international, national and institutional shifts in higher education on one course design process within one South African university. The paper explores the realities of institutional and disciplinary histories and changes that impacted on the design of an EAP course for a linguistically, culturally and racially diverse group of first-year commerce students. The intricacies of creating such a course as an inter-disciplinary school, rather than departmental, project are explored and briefly evaluated. The key principles underpinning the course design are explained. The paper concludes with consideration of why the collaborative inter-disciplinary project has faded, although the course has continued successfully.

Health and wellness trends in the oil and gas sector : insights from the Shepell-fgi Research Group

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-07-01

This report discussed health and wellness trends in the oil and gas sector in relation to employee assistance program (EAP) data. The data were derived from oil and gas client organizations across Canada for 2008, and represented a population base of 14,685 employees. The data demonstrated that EAP utilization in the petroleum industry increased by approximately 5 per cent from 2006 to 2008. The sector's utilization was 34 per cent higher than the Canadian norm in 2006, and 40 per cent higher than in 2007 and 2008. Females used the EAP to a greater extent than males. A higher proportion of the spouses of workers accessed EAP than the national norm. Employees accessed EAP for assistance with work-life issues; family support services; and substance abuse interventions. Weight management and dietary consultations in relation to disease control were also of concern within the sector. A 66 per cent increase in childcare issues was noted, as well as a 148 per cent increase in eldercare issues, and a 112 per cent increase in addiction issues. The findings indicated that the EAP is being effectively communicated as a relevant and accessible tool. As the industry continues to develop in remote regions, new services and resources will be required to retain existing workforces and attract new employees. Prevention-focused training and services and program for at-risk groups are needed to ensure that employee health and productivity is maintained. 1 tab., 4 figs.

Traditions of the Sun, One Model for Expanding Audience Access

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, I.; Paglierani, R.

2006-12-01

The Internet is a powerful tool with which to expand audience access, bringing students, teachers and the public to places and resources they might not otherwise visit or make use of. We will present Traditions of the Sun, an experiential Web site that invites exploration of the world's ancient observatories with special emphasis on Chaco Culture National Historic Park in the Four Corners region of the US and several sites in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Traditions of the Sun includes resources in English and Spanish along with a unique trilingual on-line book, "Traditions of the Sun, A Photographic Journal," containing explanatory text in Yucatec Maya as well. Traditions of the Sun offers rich opportunities for virtual visits to ancient sites used for solar observing while learning about current NASA research on the Sun and indigenous solar practices within a larger historical and cultural context. The site contains hundreds of photographs, historic images and rich multimedia to help tell the story of the Sun-Earth Connection. Visitors to the site can zoom in on the great Mayan cities of Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Dzibilchaltun, and Mayapan to learn about Mayan astronomy, history, culture, and science. They can also visit Chaco Canyon to watch sunrise over Pueblo Bonito on the summer solstice, take a virtual reality tour of the great kiva at Casa Rinconada or see panoramic vistas from Fajada Butte, an area which, for preservation purposes, is restricted to the public. Traditions of the Sun provides one model of how exploration and discovery can come to life for both formal and informal audiences via the Internet. Traditions of the Sun is a collaborative project between NASA's Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum, the National Park Service, Instituto National de Antropologia e Historia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and Ideum.

Health and federal budgetary effects of increasing access to antiretroviral medications for HIV by expanding Medicaid.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, J G; Haile, B; Kates, J; Chang, S

2001-09-01

OBJECTIVES. This study modeled the health and federal fiscal effects of expanding Medicaid for HIV-infected people to improve access to highly active antiretroviral therapy. A disease state model of the US HIV epidemic, with and without Medicaid expansion, was used. Eligibility required a CD4 cell count less than 500/mm3 or viral load greater than 10,000, absent or inadequate medication insurance, and annual income less than $10,000. Two benefits were modeled, "full" and "limited" (medications, outpatient care). Federal spending for Medicaid, Medicare, AIDS Drug Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income, and Social Security Disability Insurance were assessed. An estimated 38,000 individuals would enroll in a Medicaid HIV expansion. Over 5 years, expansion would prevent an estimated 13,000 AIDS diagnoses and 2600 deaths and add 5,816 years of life. Net federal costs for all programs are $739 million (full benefits) and $480 million (limited benefits); for Medicaid alone, the costs are $1.43 and $1.17 billion, respectively. Results were sensitive to awareness of serostatus, highly active antiretroviral therapy cost, and participation rate. Strategies for federal cost neutrality include Medicaid HIV drug price reductions as low as 9% and private insurance buy-ins. Expansion of the Medicaid eligibility to increase access to antiretroviral therapy would have substantial health benefits at affordable costs.

The importance of a sub-region on chromosome 19q13.3 for prognosis of multiple myeloma patients after high-dose treatment and stem cell support: a linkage disequilibrium mapping in RAI and CD3EAP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vangsted, Annette Juul; Klausen, Tobias Wirenfeldt; Gimsing, Peter

2011-01-01

The gene RAI was originally described as an inhibitor of RelA/p65 subunit of nuclear factor ¿B (NF-¿B). Here, we analyse the association between genetic variation in the genes RAI and CD3EAP and outcome of 348 myeloma patients treated with high-dose treatment (HDT), 146 patients treated with inte......The gene RAI was originally described as an inhibitor of RelA/p65 subunit of nuclear factor ¿B (NF-¿B). Here, we analyse the association between genetic variation in the genes RAI and CD3EAP and outcome of 348 myeloma patients treated with high-dose treatment (HDT), 146 patients treated...... with interferon-a (INF-a) as maintenance treatment, 177 patients treated with thalidomide, and 74 patients treated with bortezomib at relapse and address if the effects of polymorphisms in CD3EAP and RAI are modified by a functional polymorphism in NF¿B1. By linkage disequilibrium mapping, we found that variant...... alleles of several polymorphisms in a sub-region of 19q13.3 spanning the regions RAI-intron1-1 to RAI intron1-3 and the region exon1 to exon3-6 in CD3EAP were associated with prolonged time-to-treatment failure (TTF; p¿=¿0.003) and overall survival (OS; p¿=¿0.02). Haplotype analyses revealed that none...

The importance of a sub-region on chromosome 19q13.3 for prognosis of multiple myeloma patients after high-dose treatment and stem cell support: a linkage disequilibrium mapping in RAI and CD3EAP

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vangsted, Annette J.; Klausen, Tobias Wirenfeldt; Gimsing, Peter

2011-01-01

The gene RAI was originally described as an inhibitor of RelA/p65 subunit of nuclear factor κB (NF–κB). Here, we analyse the association between genetic variation in the genes RAI and CD3EAP and outcome of 348 myeloma patients treated with high-dose treatment (HDT), 146 patients treated with inte......The gene RAI was originally described as an inhibitor of RelA/p65 subunit of nuclear factor κB (NF–κB). Here, we analyse the association between genetic variation in the genes RAI and CD3EAP and outcome of 348 myeloma patients treated with high-dose treatment (HDT), 146 patients treated...... with interferon-α (INF-α) as maintenance treatment, 177 patients treated with thalidomide, and 74 patients treated with bortezomib at relapse and address if the effects of polymorphisms in CD3EAP and RAI are modified by a functional polymorphism in NFКB1. By linkage disequilibrium mapping, we found that variant...... alleles of several polymorphisms in a sub-region of 19q13.3 spanning the regions RAI-intron1-1 to RAI intron1-3 and the region exon1 to exon3–6 in CD3EAP were associated with prolonged time-to-treatment failure (TTF; p = 0.003) and overall survival (OS; p = 0.02). Haplotype analyses revealed that none...

Code-expanded radio access protocol for machine-to-machine communications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Henning; Kiilerich Pratas, Nuno; Stefanovic, Cedomir

2013-01-01

The random access methods used for support of machine-to-machine, also referred to as Machine-Type Communications, in current cellular standards are derivatives of traditional framed slotted ALOHA and therefore do not support high user loads efficiently. We propose an approach that is motivated b...... subframes and orthogonal preambles, the amount of available contention resources is drastically increased, enabling the massive support of Machine-Type Communication users that is beyond the reach of current systems.......The random access methods used for support of machine-to-machine, also referred to as Machine-Type Communications, in current cellular standards are derivatives of traditional framed slotted ALOHA and therefore do not support high user loads efficiently. We propose an approach that is motivated...... by the random access method employed in LTE, which significantly increases the amount of contention resources without increasing the system resources, such as contention subframes and preambles. This is accomplished by a logical, rather than physical, extension of the access method in which the available system...

Expanding the repertoire of microsatellite markers for polymorphism studies in Indian accessions of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek).

Science.gov (United States)

Shrivastava, Divya; Verma, Priyanka; Bhatia, Sabhyata

2014-09-01

Limited availability of validated, polymorphic microsatellite markers in mung bean (Vigna radiata), an important food legume of India, has been a major hurdle towards its improvement and higher yield. The present study was undertaken in order to develop a new set of microsatellite markers and utilize them for the analysis of genetic diversity within mung bean accessions from India. A GA/CT enriched library was constructed from V. radiata which resulted in 1,250 putative recombinant clones of which 850 were sequenced. SSR motifs were identified and their flanking sequences were utilized to design 328 SSR primer pairs. Of these, 48 SSR markers were employed for assessing genetic diversity among 76 mung bean accessions from various geographical locations in India. Two hundred and thirty four alleles with an average of 4.85 alleles per locus were detected at 48 loci. The polymorphic information content (PIC) per locus varied from 0.1 to 0.88 (average: 0.49 per locus). The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.40 to 0.95 and 0.40 to 0.81 respectively. Based on Jaccard's similarity matrix, a dendrogram was constructed using the unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) analysis which revealed that one accession from Bundi, Rajasthan was clustered out separately while remaining accessions were grouped into two major clusters. The markers generated in this study will help in expanding the repertoire of the available SSR markers thereby facilitating analysis of genetic diversity, molecular mapping and ultimately broadening the scope for genetic improvement of this legume.

CRITICAL INCIDENTS AND CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT (CISM – AN EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME (EAP PERSPECTIVE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terblanche, Lourie

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Employees are increasingly becoming victims of critical incidents. From a systems theory point of view, it is necessary to acknowledge the impact of critical incidents not only on the personal life of the employee, but on the workplace itself. Employees respond differently to critical incidents, which makes it even more complicated when this reaches the point of requiring therapeutic intervention. The most common response to critical incidents may be the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD and/or depression. This reality requires management – through the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP – to be able to effectively deal with such critical incidents.

Professional Access 2013 programming

CERN Document Server

Hennig, Teresa; Hepworth, George; Yudovich, Dagi (Doug)

2013-01-01

Authoritative and comprehensive coverage for building Access 2013 Solutions Access, the most popular database system in the world, just opened a new frontier in the Cloud. Access 2013 provides significant new features for building robust line-of-business solutions for web, client and integrated environments.  This book was written by a team of Microsoft Access MVPs, with consulting and editing by Access experts, MVPs and members of the Microsoft Access team. It gives you the information and examples to expand your areas of expertise and immediately start to develop and upgrade projects. Exp

AtomDB: Expanding an Accessible and Accurate Atomic Database for X-ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Randall

Since its inception in 2001, the AtomDB has become the standard repository of accurate and accessible atomic data for the X-ray astrophysics community, including laboratory astrophysicists, observers, and modelers. Modern calculations of collisional excitation rates now exist - and are in AtomDB - for all abundant ions in a hot plasma. AtomDB has expanded beyond providing just a collisional model, and now also contains photoionization data from XSTAR as well as a charge exchange model, amongst others. However, building and maintaining an accurate and complete database that can fully exploit the diagnostic potential of high-resolution X-ray spectra requires further work. The Hitomi results, sadly limited as they were, demonstrated the urgent need for the best possible wavelength and rate data, not merely for the strongest lines but for the diagnostic features that may have 1% or less of the flux of the strong lines. In particular, incorporation of weak but powerfully diagnostic satellite lines will be crucial to understanding the spectra expected from upcoming deep observations with Chandra and XMM-Newton, as well as the XARM and Athena satellites. Beyond incorporating this new data, a number of groups, both experimental and theoretical, have begun to produce data with errors and/or sensitivity estimates. We plan to use this to create statistically meaningful spectral errors on collisional plasmas, providing practical uncertainties together with model spectra. We propose to continue to (1) engage the X-ray astrophysics community regarding their issues and needs, notably by a critical comparison with other related databases and tools, (2) enhance AtomDB to incorporate a large number of satellite lines as well as updated wavelengths with error estimates, (3) continue to update the AtomDB with the latest calculations and laboratory measurements, in particular velocity-dependent charge exchange rates, and (4) enhance existing tools, and create new ones as needed to

OPACs: The User and Subject Access.

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Elizabeth

1985-01-01

This survey of the literature reveals user and professional opinions of changes in subject access features available for online public access catalogs. Highlights include expanded access to fields already incorporated into traditional MARC record, access to context of the record, and design of the user interface. Twenty-four references are cited.…

Expanding global access to radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Atun, Rifat; Jaffray, David A; Barton, Michael B; Bray, Freddie; Baumann, Michael; Vikram, Bhadrasain; Hanna, Timothy P; Knaul, Felicia M; Lievens, Yolande; Lui, Tracey Y M; Milosevic, Michael; O'Sullivan, Brian; Rodin, Danielle L; Rosenblatt, Eduardo; Van Dyk, Jacob; Yap, Mei Ling; Zubizarreta, Eduardo; Gospodarowicz, Mary

2015-09-01

Radiotherapy is a critical and inseparable component of comprehensive cancer treatment and care. For many of the most common cancers in low-income and middle-income countries, radiotherapy is essential for effective treatment. In high-income countries, radiotherapy is used in more than half of all cases of cancer to cure localised disease, palliate symptoms, and control disease in incurable cancers. Yet, in planning and building treatment capacity for cancer, radiotherapy is frequently the last resource to be considered. Consequently, worldwide access to radiotherapy is unacceptably low. We present a new body of evidence that quantifies the worldwide coverage of radiotherapy services by country. We show the shortfall in access to radiotherapy by country and globally for 2015-35 based on current and projected need, and show substantial health and economic benefits to investing in radiotherapy. The cost of scaling up radiotherapy in the nominal model in 2015-35 is US$26·6 billion in low-income countries, $62·6 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $94·8 billion in upper-middle-income countries, which amounts to $184·0 billion across all low-income and middle-income countries. In the efficiency model the costs were lower: $14·1 billion in low-income, $33·3 billion in lower-middle-income, and $49·4 billion in upper-middle-income countries-a total of $96·8 billion. Scale-up of radiotherapy capacity in 2015-35 from current levels could lead to saving of 26·9 million life-years in low-income and middle-income countries over the lifetime of the patients who received treatment. The economic benefits of investment in radiotherapy are very substantial. Using the nominal cost model could produce a net benefit of $278·1 billion in 2015-35 ($265·2 million in low-income countries, $38·5 billion in lower-middle-income countries, and $239·3 billion in upper-middle-income countries). Investment in the efficiency model would produce in the same period an even

Expanding the Enzyme Universe: Accessing Non-Natural Reactions by Mechanism-Guided Directed Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Renata, Hans; Wang, Z. Jane

2015-01-01

High selectivities and exquisite control over reaction outcomes entice chemists to use biocatalysts in organic synthesis. However, many useful reactions are not accessible because they are not in nature’s known repertoire. We will use this review to outline an evolutionary approach to engineering enzymes to catalyze reactions not found in nature. We begin with examples of how nature has discovered new catalytic functions and how such evolutionary progressions have been recapitulated in the laboratory starting from extant enzymes. We then examine non-native enzyme activities that have been discovered and exploited for chemical synthesis, emphasizing reactions that do not have natural counterparts. The new functions have mechanistic parallels to the native reaction mechanisms that often manifest as catalytic promiscuity and the ability to convert from one function to the other with minimal mutation. We present examples of how non-natural activities have been improved by directed evolution, mimicking the process used by nature to create new catalysts. Examples of new enzyme functions include epoxide opening reactions with non-natural nucleophiles catalyzed by a laboratory-evolved halohydrin dehalogenase, cyclopropanation and other carbene transfer reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450 variants, and non-natural modes of cyclization by a modified terpene synthase. Lastly, we describe discoveries of non-native catalytic functions that may provide future opportunities for expanding the enzyme universe. PMID:25649694

The official's perception of EAP services in the Department of Correctional Services in the Potchefstroom Correctional Centre / Loretta Blanche Lodewyk

OpenAIRE

Lodewyk, Loretta Blanche

2012-01-01

An Employee Assistance Programme is a tool any organization can use or implement to assist in the identification and treatment of the troubled employee, whilst keeping the employee motivated. Employees will get professional counselling to help them resolve personal or work-related problems which can have a dramatic impact on their work performance. This will spiral down to low productivity within any organization. It must be noted that the EAP is rendering short term counsel...

Integrated employee assistance program/managed behavioral health plan utilization by persons with substance use disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth S Levy; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M; Greenfield, Shelly F; McCann, Bernard

2011-04-01

New federal parity and health reform legislation, promising increased behavioral health care access and a focus on prevention, has heightened interest in employee assistance programs (EAPs). This study investigated service utilization by persons with a primary substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis in a managed behavioral health care (MBHC) organization's integrated EAP/MBHC product (N = 1,158). In 2004, 25.0% of clients used the EAP first for new treatment episodes. After initial EAP utilization, 44.4% received no additional formal services through the plan, and 40.4% received regular outpatient services. Overall, outpatient care, intensive outpatient/day treatment, and inpatient/residential detoxification were most common. About half of the clients had co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses. Mental health service utilization was extensive. Findings suggest that for service users with primary SUD diagnoses in an integrated EAP/MBHC product, the EAP benefit plays a key role at the front end of treatment and is often only one component of treatment episodes. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of Employee Assistance Programs use on healthcare utilization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarkin, G A; Bray, J W; Qi, J

2000-04-01

To estimate the effect of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) use on healthcare utilization as measured by health claims. A unique data set that combines individual-level information on EAP utilization, demographic information, and health insurance claims from 1991 to 1995 for all employees of a large midwestern employer. Using "fixed-effect" econometric models that control for unobserved differences between individuals' propensities to use healthcare resources and the EAP, we perform our analyses in two steps. First, for those employees who visited the EAP, we test whether post-EAP claims differ from pre-EAP claims. Second, we combine claims data of individuals who went to an EAP with those of individuals who did not use an EAP to test whether differences in utilization exist between EAP users and nonusers. From the EAP we obtained the date of first EAP contact for all employees who used the service, and from the company's human resources department we obtained limited demographic data on all employees. We obtained healthcare utilization claims data on all employees and their dependents from the company's two healthcare plans: a fee-for-service (FFS) plan and a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan. We found that going to an EAP substantially increases both the probability of an alcohol, drug abuse, or mental health (ADM) claim and the number of ADM claims in the same quarter as EAP contact. The increased probability of an ADM claim persists for approximately 11 quarters after the initial contact, while the increased ADM charges persist for approximately six quarters after the initial EAP contact. Our results strongly suggest that the EAP is able to identify behavioral and other health problems that may affect workplace performance and prompt EAP users to access ADM and other healthcare. Consistent with the stated goals of many EAPs, including the one examined in this study, this process should improve individuals' health, family functioning, and workplace

Crowdfunding and the Expansion of Access to Startup Capital

OpenAIRE

Kurt Stanberry; Forrest Aven

2014-01-01

This paper analyzes recent developments in crowdfunding, a new financing technique to improve access to capital. The United States Congress and President Obama, in a rare show of bipartisan action, passed the JOBS Act in 2012 (the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act). The law is designed to stimulate economic growth and expand job creation by improving access to public capital markets for emerging growth companies. Furthermore, the US is not the only nation attempting to expand access to capi...

Data Basin: Expanding Access to Conservation Data, Tools, and People

Science.gov (United States)

Comendant, T.; Strittholt, J.; Frost, P.; Ward, B. C.; Bachelet, D. M.; Osborne-Gowey, J.

2009-12-01

Mapping and spatial analysis are a fundamental part of problem solving in conservation science, yet spatial data are widely scattered, difficult to locate, and often unavailable. Valuable time and resources are wasted locating and gaining access to important biological, cultural, and economic datasets, scientific analysis, and experts. As conservation problems become more serious and the demand to solve them grows more urgent, a new way to connect science and practice is needed. To meet this need, an open-access, web tool called Data Basin (www.databasin.org) has been created by the Conservation Biology Institute in partnership with ESRI and the Wilburforce Foundation. Users of Data Basin can gain quick access to datasets, experts, groups, and tools to help solve real-world problems. Individuals and organizations can perform essential tasks such as exploring and downloading from a vast library of conservation datasets, uploading existing datasets, connecting to other external data sources, create groups, and produce customized maps that can be easily shared. Data Basin encourages sharing and publishing, but also provides privacy and security for sensitive information when needed. Users can publish projects within Data Basin to tell more complete and rich stories of discovery and solutions. Projects are an ideal way to publish collections of datasets, maps and other information on the internet to reach wider audiences. Data Basin also houses individual centers that provide direct access to data, maps, and experts focused on specific geographic areas or conservation topics. Current centers being developed include the Boreal Information Centre, the Data Basin Climate Center, and proposed Aquatic and Forest Conservation Centers.

Do Hospitals Support Second Victims? Collective Insights From Patient Safety Leaders in Maryland.

Science.gov (United States)

Edrees, Hanan H; Morlock, Laura; Wu, Albert W

2017-09-01

Second victims-defined as health care providers who are emotionally traumatized after a patient adverse event-may not receive needed emotional support. Although most health care organizations have an employee assistance program (EAP), second victims may be reluctant to access this service because of worries about confidentiality. A study was conducted to describe the extent to which organizational support for second victims is perceived as desirable by patient safety officers in acute care hospitals in Maryland and to identify existing support programs. Semistructured interviews (using existing and newly developed questions) were conducted with 43 patient safety representatives from 38 of the 46 acute care hospitals in Maryland (83% response rate). All but one of the responding hospitals offered EAP services to their employees, but there were gaps in the services provided related to timeliness, EAP staff's ability to relate to clinical providers, and physical accessibility. There were no valid measures in place to assess the effectiveness of EAP services. Participants identified a need for peer support, both for the second victim and potentially for individuals who provide that support. Six (16%) of the 38 hospitals had second victim support programs, which varied in structure, accessibility, and outcomes, while an additional 5 hospitals (13%) were developing such a program. Patient safety officers thought their organizations should reevaluate the support currently provided by their EAPs, and consider additional peer support mechanisms. Future research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. Copyright © 2017 The Joint Commission. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mobility and conflict: persistent challenges in expanding access to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study explores into mobility patterns and prevalence of conflict as determinants of access to and retention in education. The assessment has been carried out in two educationally underprivileged pastoralist districts of south Omo. Ethnographic visits, key informants interview and focus group discussion were the major ...

HIV testing practices of South African township MSM in the era of expanded access to ART.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandfort, Theo G M; Knox, Justin; Collier, Kate L; Lane, Tim; Reddy, Vasu

2015-03-01

While men who have sex with men (MSM) in Africa are at high risk for HIV infection, few of those already infected know their status. Effectively promoting frequent HIV testing-of increasing importance with the expanding accessibility of antiretroviral treatment-requires an understanding of the testing practices in this population. To understand men's HIV testing practices, including their behavior, experiences, and perceptions, we conducted in-depth interviews with 81 black South African MSM (ages 20-39), purposively recruited from four townships. Many men in the sample had tested for HIV. While ever having tested seemed to facilitate repeat testing, men still expressed a high level of discomfort with testing. It was common to test after having engaged in risky behavior, thus increasing anxiety about testing that was already present. Fear that they might test HIV positive caused some men to avoid testing until they were clearly sick, and others to avoid testing completely. HIV testing may increase in this population if it becomes a routine practice, instead of being driven by anxiety-inducing incidents. Mobilization through social support might facilitate frequent testing while education about current treatment options is needed.

The Challenges of Listening to Academic Lectures for EAP Learners and the Impact of Metacognition on Academic Lecture Listening Comprehension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Rahimirad

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Academic listening skill is an indispensable necessity for English for academic purposes (EAP students in English-medium universities and also critical for their future success in comprehending conference lectures. But due to the specific nature of such academic lectures, nonnative students all too often face challenges in getting a full command of this task. This study investigates the challenges of listening to academic lectures and the impact of related metacognitive strategies on academic lecture listening comprehension on a group of Iranian learners in an EAP workshop. Fifteen academic staff who took part in two intact classes at the University of Qom, Iran, were randomly assigned to treatment (N = 8 and control (N = 7 groups. The treatment group received 16 hr of metacognitive strategy instruction based on the models proposed by Vandergrift during academic listening instruction, while the control group was just exposed to academic lectures with no explicit strategy instruction. The academic listening sections of the British International English Language Testing System (IELTS were utilized to measure the listening comprehension of both groups before and after the treatment. The results of the data analysis determined that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in the listening posttest. The interviews before and after the treatment revealed details of challenges in academic lecture comprehension and also shed light on the perception of the learners regarding metacognitive strategy instruction and the frequency of main metacognitive strategies used in comprehending academic lectures.

Exogenous vs Endogenous Growth in the EU’s EaP and Central Asian Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharipov Ilkhom

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this paper is to determine and analyse the factors that affected economic growth in the EU’s Eastern Partnership and Central Asian countries in the 2000-2015 period. Economic growth is one of the main targets of economic policy of any country and influenced by various determinants. Of particular interest is the endogenous and exogenous nature of these factors. Having classified these factors into exogenous and endogenous ones, we examined and determined the significance and robustness of various factors influencing the economic growth in these countries, like investment, human capital, research and development, economic policies and macroeconomic conditions, openness to trade, geography, political factors and others. Correlation and factor analysis showed significance and strong association of GDP per capita with physical, human capital, and R&D in EaP countries and with natural resources and active population share in Central Asian countries.

Expanding Access to Insurance by the Poor : Policy, Regulation and ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

This project aims to facilitate poor people's access to insurance products and ... Potential candidates include China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Mali and South ... IDRC congratulates first cohort of Women in Climate Change Science Fellows.

Sorafenib-Regorafenib Sequential Therapy in Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Single-Institute Experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueshima, Kazuomi; Nishida, Naoshi; Kudo, Masatoshi

2017-01-01

Previously, no therapeutic agent has been known to improve the overall survival compared with placebo in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), who have progressed after sorafenib. In this patient population, regorafenib was first demonstrated to confer a survival benefit in the RESORCE trial, and subsequently it was approved as a second-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC. An open-label expanded access program (EAP) of regorafenib was implemented for compassionate use. We investigated the efficacy and safety of regorafenib based on our experience of the RESORCE trial and the EAP. Data from 5 patients from the RESORCE trial and 6 from the EAP were analyzed retrospectively. All patients had tolerated prior sorafenib and were progressing during sorafenib treatment. The median progression-free survival was 9.2 months (95% CI 2.3-16.1). One patient achieved a partial response and 7 achieved stable disease. The objective response rate was 9.1%, and the disease control rate was 72.7%. No treatment-associated mortalities were observed. Grade 3 hypophosphatemia was observed in 2 patients, grade 2 anorexia was observed in 5 patients, and grade 3 neutropenia was observed in 2 patients. Grade 2 and grade 3 thrombocytopenia were observed in 2 and 3 patients, respectively. All treatment-related adverse events were improved by reduction or interruption of regorafenib. Five patients showed decreased serum albumin levels. Sorafenib and regorafenib sequential therapy presents a safe and effective treatment option for patients with advanced HCC. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Design and Implementation of English for Academic Purpose Online Learning System Based on Browser/Server Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Gong

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Today, with the rapid development of the information age, the education reform tends to be internationalized. The tertiary-level EFL education in colleges and universities has also changed its original model with focuses on cultivating gen-eral-purpose linguistic skills to one on students' English for Academic Purpose (EAP. EAP English instruction has been vigorously popularized in research-based universities. To achieve the informationized and standardized management for EAP English instruction work in the universities, in this paper, we design and develop a EAP English online learning system with B / S as the system develop-ment framework by which the system's overall functions are designed. MySQL is chosen as a database development tool used to implement the main object mod-ule, while JSP technology is used to support the cross-platform mechanism in order to access to diversified data sources. It is proved by the test on system op-eration that this system features operability, easy to use and maintain, and enables to meet the needs of university students for EAP English learning and teaching management, improves the students’ EAP English learning model and efficiency.

The effectiveness of the Expanded Public Works Programme on job ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effectiveness of the Expanded Public Works Programme on job creation: a look at a South African ... Open Access DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT ... This paper reports of a study that examined how the eThekwini Municipality's EPWP has been ...

Open Access e-books come into play

CERN Multimedia

Tullio Basaglia

2015-01-01

According to the Directory of Open Access Journals, more than 10,000 journals are available on an open access (OA) basis. Building on this success, e-books are also now becoming available under this popular publishing scheme, proving that open access is steadily gaining momentum in scholarly scientific communication.   The economic model is largely inspired by well-established experience in the publishing of articles, and several publishers have expanded their OA programmes to include books. Today, negotiations with such publishers make it possible for books to be available with an appropriate licence, according to which the authors retain copyright while the content can be freely shared and reused, provided the author is credited appropriately. The introduction of e-books, in addition to expanding the diffusion of the written word and the relevant content, helps avoid the costs of the production and distribution of paper books that result in high prices for titles, making them accessible only to li...

EAP application to artificial tactile feel display of virtual reality

Science.gov (United States)

Konyo, Masashi; Tadokoro, Satoshi; Takamori, Toshi; Oguro, Keisuke

2001-07-01

A tactile feel display device for virtual reality was developed using Nafion-Platinum composite type EAP actuator (known as IPMC or ICPF). Conventional tactile displays can hardly express tactile human feeling of the fine touch of the surface of a cloth, because their mechanisms cannot excite minute distributed stimuli on human skin. We propose a new ciliary device using ICPF actuators. The ICPF has sufficient softness, utilizing the passive material property, that complex control is not required. The low drive voltage is safe enough for the touch of fingers. Its simple operation mechanism allows miniaturization for practical equipments. The developed device was designed with a number of cilia consisting of ICPF actuators, where a cilium is 2 mm wide and 5 mm long. An ICPF membrane is cut into pectination, and only the cilium part is plated and has a function of an actuator. An inclined configuration of the cilia produces variety of stimuli to human skin controlling frequencies. We tried to display both pressure and vibration at the same time using modulated low and high frequencies. The result clearly shows that over 80% of the subjects sensed some special tactile feeling. A comparison with real material samples shows that this display can present a subtle distinction of tactile feeling of cloth, especially like a towel and denim.

The case for expanding the definition of 'key populations' to include ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The case for expanding the definition of 'key populations' to include high-risk groups in the general population ... South African Medical Journal ... to formal housing and services, access to higher education, and broad economic transformation.

Students' profile as autonomous learners in an Internet-based EAP course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonia Soler Cervera

2005-04-01

Full Text Available This study aims to find out to what extent university students are able to develop learner autonomy through an EAP course delivered through the Internet. The course, oriented to the use of Internet resources for language learning, was designed specifically to foster learner autonomy. Based on a previous exploratory study (Arnó et al. 2003, this research seeks to refine the profile of the autonomous learner initially developed and to discover which specific actions and attitudes related to learner autonomy are found in students’ behaviour. Thus, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, we carried out an analysis of the autonomous behaviour displayed by students when using different Internet resources through activities designed to foster learner autonomy. This study has allowed us to outline the profile of autonomous learners in a virtual classroom, with students who are able to take the initiative and make decisions on the organization and management of their learning process. Focusing on the connection between making the most of the Internet and developing students’ autonomy, our ultimate aim is to point to ways in which students may be encouraged to become more autonomous and explore the role that the Internet may play in helping us attain this objective.

Synthetic biology to access and expand nature’s chemical diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Smanski, Michael J.; Zhou, Hui; Claesen, Jan; Shen, Ben; Fischbach, Michael; Voigt, Christopher A.

2016-01-01

Bacterial genomes encode the biosynthetic potential to produce hundreds of thousands of complex molecules with diverse applications, from medicine to agriculture and materials. Economically accessing the potential encoded within sequenced genomes promises to reinvigorate waning drug discovery pipelines and provide novel routes to intricate chemicals. This is a tremendous undertaking, as the pathways often comprise dozens of genes spanning as much as 100+ kiliobases of DNA, are controlled by complex regulatory networks, and the most interesting molecules are made by non-model organisms. Advances in synthetic biology address these issues, including DNA construction technologies, genetic parts for precision expression control, synthetic regulatory circuits, computer aided design, and multiplexed genome engineering. Collectively, these technologies are moving towards an era when chemicals can be accessed en mass based on sequence information alone. This will enable the harnessing of metagenomic data and massive strain banks for high-throughput molecular discovery and, ultimately, the ability to forward design pathways to complex chemicals not found in nature. PMID:26876034

Expanding access to off-grid rural electrification in Africa: An analysis of community-based micro-grids in Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Kirubi, Charles Gathu

lead to elite capture. Experiences from different micro-grid settings illustrate the manner in which a coincidence of interest between the elites and the rest of members and access to external support can create incentives and mechanisms to enable community-wide access to scarce services, hence mitigating elite capture. Moreover, access to external support was found to increase the likelihood of participation for the relatively poor households. The policy-relevant message from this research is two-fold. In rural areas with suitable sites for micro-hydro power, the potential for community micro-grids appear considerable to the extent that this option would seem to represent "the road not taken" as far as policies and initiatives aimed at expanding RE are concerned in Kenya and other African countries with comparable settings. However, local participatory initiatives not complimented by external technical assistance run a considerable risk of locking rural households into relatively more costly and poor-quality services. By taking advantage of existing and/or building a dense network of local organizations, including micro-finance agencies, the government and development partners can make available to local communities the necessary support---financial, technical or regulatory---essential for efficient design of micro-grids in addition to facilitating equitable distribution of electricity benefits.

Use of spring-roll EAP actuator applied as end-effector of a hyper-redundant robot

Science.gov (United States)

Errico, Gianmarco; Fava, Victor; Resta, Ferruccio; Ripamonti, Francesco

2015-04-01

This paper presents a hyper-redundant continuous robot used to perform work in places which humans can not reach. This type of robot is generally a bio-inspired solution, it is composed by a lot of flexible segments driven by multiple actuators and its dynamics is described by a lot degrees of freedom. In this paper a model composed of some rigid links connected to each other by revolution joint is presented. In each link a torsional spring is added in order to simulate the resistant torque between the links and the interactions among the cables and the robot during the relative rotation. Moreover a type of EAP actuator, called spring roll, is used as the end-effector of the robot. Through a suitable sensor, such as a camera, the spring roll allows to track a target and it closes the control loop on the robot to follow it.

76 FR 56499 - Financial Access Activities; Comment Request.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-13

... development of sustainable financial services and products related to accounts? Are there opportunities for... Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), to expand access to mainstream financial... develop and provide account products and services that are appropriate and accessible for low- and...

Polymorphisms in the genes ERCC2, XRCC3 and CD3EAP influence treatment outcome in multiple myeloma patients undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vangsted, Annette; Gimsing, Peter; Klausen, Tobias W

2007-01-01

) of polymorphism in the DNA repair genes ERCC1, ERCC2 and XRCC3, and in the apoptotic genes PPP1R13L and CD3EAP in 348 patients with multiple myeloma undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation. Carriers of the variant C-allele of ERCC2 K751Q, the variant T-allele of XRCC3 T241M and the variant A...... the outcome for patients treated with autologous stem cell transplantation. Udgivelsesdato: 2007-Mar-1...

ExpandED Options: Learning beyond High School Walls

Science.gov (United States)

ExpandED Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

Through ExpandED Options by TASC, New York City high school students get academic credit for learning career-related skills that lead to paid summer jobs. Too many high school students--including those most likely to drop out--are bored or see classroom learning as irrelevant. ExpandED Options students live the connection between mastering new…

Augmentation of Virtual Space Physics Observatory Services to Expand Data Access Capabilities, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Aquilent, Inc. proposes to support the effort of Virtual Space Physics Observatory (VSPO) by developing services to expand the VSPO search capabilities, developing...

Solid expandable systems put deepwater targets within reach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Roca, Eduardo [Enventure Global Technology L.L.C., Houston, TX (United States). Latin America; Fristch, Jerry [Enventure Global Technology L.L.C., Houston, TX (United States)

2008-07-01

Enabling technologies that take drilling operations to deeper objectives have made a significant impact on the practicality of many projects, especially deep water offshore targets. Increasing vertical depth and lateral reach requires adequate hole size to attain the desired objectives of the well bore. Solid expandable technology can maintain and retain hole size to address both the physical limitations and the economic feasibility of deep water operations. With each and every casing point, the potential for adequate hole size at total depth (TD) decreases. Solid expandable open hole liners and single-diameter systems reduce and eliminate, respectively, the well bore tapering that dictates hole size at TD and subsequent completion size. Successful mitigation of this tapering, whether through the entire well bore or through select zones, enables operators to gain access to previously unreachable reserves. Solid expandable systems have proven to be reliable and effective with over 1,000 installations in a myriad of conditions and environments worldwide. To date, over 115 of those applications have been in deep water environments. The current operating envelope for solid expandable systems include the deepest installation at {approx}28,750 ft (8,763 m) and the longest at 6,867 ft (2,083 m) in water depth over 3,150 ft (960 m). This record-length application consisted of an open hole liner installed and expanded in a single run. This paper will discuss the effectiveness of solid expandable systems in deep water operations and how the technology brings value to offshore projects especially when planned into the initial design. Case histories will be used to further illustrate the features, advantages, and benefits of expandable technology. In addition, this paper will examine the state of the solid expandable technology and its continuing evolution to provide even more drilling solutions. (author)

What is access – finding the nearest possible vantage point?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gaborit, Liv Stoltze

Access is an issue often discussed in prison research. These discussions often revolve around the issue of getting permission to enter prisons or certain areas of prisons. This paper argues for expanding the ways we think about access....

DESIGNING EAP MATERIALS BASED ON INTERCULTURAL CORPUS ANALYSES: THE CASE OF LOGICAL MARKERS IN RESEARCH ARTICLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Mur Dueñas

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The ultimate aim of intercultural analyses in English for Academic Purposes is to help non-native scholars function successfully in the international disciplinary community in English. The aim of this paper is to show how corpus-based intercultural analyses can be useful to design EAP materials on a particular metadiscourse category, logical markers, in research article writing. The paper first describes the analysis carried out of additive, contrastive and consecutive logical markers in a corpus of research articles in English and in Spanish in a particular discipline, Business Management. Differences were found in their frequency and also in the use of each of the sub-categories. Then, five activities designed on the basis of these results are presented. They are aimed at raising Spanish Business scholars' awareness of the specific uses and pragmatic function of frequent logical markers in international research articles in English.

Pediatric vascular access

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donaldson, James S.

2006-01-01

Pediatric interventional radiologists are ideally suited to provide vascular access services to children because of inherent safety advantages and higher success from using image-guided techniques. The performance of vascular access procedures has become routine at many adult interventional radiology practices, but this service is not as widely developed at pediatric institutions. Although interventional radiologists at some children's hospitals offer full-service vascular access, there is little or none at others. Developing and maintaining a pediatric vascular access service is a challenge. Interventionalists skilled in performing such procedures are limited at pediatric institutions, and institutional support from clerical staff, nursing staff, and technologists might not be sufficiently available to fulfill the needs of such a service. There must also be a strong commitment by all members of the team to support such a demanding service. There is a slippery slope of expected services that becomes steeper and steeper as the vascular access service grows. This review is intended primarily as general education for pediatric radiologists learning vascular access techniques. Additionally, the pediatric or adult interventional radiologist seeking to expand services might find helpful tips. The article also provides education for the diagnostic radiologist who routinely interprets radiographs containing vascular access devices. (orig.)

Tissue Expander Overfilling: Achieving New Dimensions of Customization in Breast Reconstruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Treiser, Matthew D; Lahair, Tracy; Carty, Matthew J

2016-02-01

Overfill of tissue expanders is a commonly used modality to achieve customized dimensions in breast reconstruction. Little formal study of the dynamics of hyperexpansion of these devices has been performed to date, however. Overfill trials were performed using both Natrelle 133 MV and Mentor 8200 tissue expanders of indicated capacities ranging from 250 to 800 mL. Each expander was initially filled to its indicated capacity with normal water and then injected in regular increments to 400% overfill. Measurements of each expander's width, height, and projection were made at indicated capacity and with each successive incremental overfill injection, and these results were then recorded, collated, and analyzed. Over the first 50% overfill, all expanders demonstrated a logarithmic increase in projection (mean increase, 143 ± 9%) while maintaining essentially stable base dimensions. Overfill levels in excess of 50% were accompanied by linear increases in height, width, and projection, during which projection approached, but never equaled, base dimensions. Stress versus strain analyses demonstrated nonlinear biomechanical dynamics during the first 50% overfill, followed by standard elastic dynamics up to 400% overfill. At no point during the study, did expander tensions outstrip elastic properties, thereby explaining the lack of device rupture. Through overfilling, tunable geometries of tissue expanders can be accessed that may provide for increasing customization of reconstructions, particularly at overfill volumes up to 50% over indicated capacity. This study should serve to guide tissue expander selection and fill volumes that surgeons may implement in obtaining ideal reconstructed breast shapes.

Developing a Holistic Approach for E-Learning Accessibility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Kelly

2004-10-01

Full Text Available The importance of accessibility to digital resources is now widely acknowledged. The W3C WAI has played a significant role in promoting the importance of accessibility and developing a framework for accessible Web resources. The accessibility of e-learning provides additional challenges that may not be faced when providing access to other Web resources. The authors argue that there is a need for a more sophisticated model for addressing e-learning accessibility which takes into account the usability of e-learning, pedagogic issues and student learning styles in addition to technical and resource issues. The authors expand on these issues and propose a holistic model for the development of accessible e-learning resources.

Technology for People, Not Disabilities: Ensuring Access and Inclusion

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Alan; Ferri, Beth A.

2012-01-01

The potential of technology to connect people and provide access to education, commerce, employment and entertainment has never been greater or more rapidly changing. Communication technologies and new media promise to "revolutionize our lives" by breaking down barriers and expanding access for disabled people. Yet, it is also true that technology…

Italian Nivolumab Expanded Access Program in Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients: Results in Never-Smokers and EGFR-Mutant Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Garassino, Marina Chiara; Gelibter, Alain Jonathan; Grossi, Francesco; Chiari, Rita; Soto Parra, Hector; Cascinu, Stefano; Cognetti, Francesco; Turci, Daniele; Blasi, Livio; Bengala, Carmelo; Mini, Enrico; Baldini, Editta; Quadrini, Silvia; Ceresoli, Giovanni Luca; Antonelli, Paola; Vasile, Enrico; Pinto, Carmine; Fasola, Gianpiero; Galetta, Domenico; Macerelli, Marianna; Giannarelli, Diana; Lo Russo, Giuseppe; de Marinis, Filippo

2018-05-03

Nivolumab is the first checkpoint inhibitor approved for the treatment of nonsquamous NSCLC. We report results from the nivolumab Italian expanded access program focusing on never-smokers and patients with EGFR-mutant nonsqamous NSCLC. Nivolumab (3 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks) was administered upon physicians' request to patients who had relapsed after one or more prior systemic treatments for stage IIIB/IV nonsquamous NSCLC. Efficacy and safety were evaluated in patients who received at least one dose of nivolumab. Of 1588 patients with nonsquamous NSCLC, 305 (19.2%) were never-smokers. EGFR status was available for 1395 patients. Of the 102 patients (6.4%) with EGFR mutation-positive tumors, 51 (50%) were never-smokers. The objective response rate was significantly higher in patients with wild-type EGFR than patients with EGFR-mutant tumors (19.6% versus 8.8% [p = 0.007]), in former and current smokers than in never-smokers (21.5% versus 9.2% [p = 0.0001]), and in never-smokers with wild-type EGFR than in never-smokers with mutant EGFR (11.0% versus 1.9% [p = 0.04]). There was no significant difference in objective response rate between smokers with wild-type EGFR and smokers with mutant EGFR (22.0% versus 20.6%). There was no statistically significant difference in median progression-free survival or in median overall survival. The median overall survival times were 11 months in patients with EGFR wild-type tumors versus 8.3 months in patients with EGFR-mutant tumors, 11.6 months in smokers versus 10.0 months in never-smokers, 11.0 months in never-smokers with EGFR wild-type tumors versus 5.6 months in never-smokers with EGFR-mutant tumors, and 14.1 months in smokers with EGFR-mutant tumors versus 11.3 months in smokers with EGFR wild-type tumors. The data on the Italian expanded access program in populations with nonsquamous NSCLC suggest that subgroups of patients could benefit differently from nivolumab according to their EGFR mutational status and

Policy principles for expanding financial access: report of the CGD task force on access to financial services

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Claessens, S.; Honohan, P.; Rojas-Suarez, L.

2009-01-01

Despite the rapid growth in finance worldwide over the past quarter-century — now interrupted by the global financial crisis — many low-income households and small firms remain excluded from access to many financial services, especially in developing countries. While traditionally seen by many

Escala de Preferências por Objetos Ocupacionais: relações com a Escala de Aconselhamento Profissional (EAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Regina Gioconda de Andrade

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The process of career guidance implies knowledge of the individual and the labor market in order to facilitate decision making. The one of the challenges for specialists in the field is the development of tools which bring together the Psychological Assessment and Vocational Guidance. The amount of Brazilian instruments that propose to assess the interest in scientific standards considered adequate is scarce. The goal of this study was to examine relationships between the instruments Scale Preferences Objects for Occupational ( EPOOc and Professional Counseling Scale ( EAP . The sample consisted of 553 participants, aged 19 to 52 years, several courses at a private university in the state of São Paulo. The results showed, in general, that the activities in courses associated with the preference for using objects in related professions. It is suggested that further studies with diverse samples and the use of other instruments further research.

Pore-expanded SBA-15 sulfonic acid silicas for biodiesel synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Dacquin, J P; Lee, A F; Pirez, C; Wilson, K

2012-01-07

Here we present the first application of pore-expanded SBA-15 in heterogeneous catalysis. Pore expansion over the range 6-14 nm confers a striking activity enhancement towards fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) synthesis from triglycerides (TAG), and free fatty acid (FFA), attributed to improved mass transport and acid site accessibility. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

Continuous diffusion signal, EAP and ODF estimation via Compressive Sensing in diffusion MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Merlet, Sylvain L; Deriche, Rachid

2013-07-01

In this paper, we exploit the ability of Compressed Sensing (CS) to recover the whole 3D Diffusion MRI (dMRI) signal from a limited number of samples while efficiently recovering important diffusion features such as the Ensemble Average Propagator (EAP) and the Orientation Distribution Function (ODF). Some attempts to use CS in estimating diffusion signals have been done recently. However, this was mainly an experimental insight of CS capabilities in dMRI and the CS theory has not been fully exploited. In this work, we also propose to study the impact of the sparsity, the incoherence and the RIP property on the reconstruction of diffusion signals. We show that an efficient use of the CS theory enables to drastically reduce the number of measurements commonly used in dMRI acquisitions. Only 20-30 measurements, optimally spread on several b-value shells, are shown to be necessary, which is less than previous attempts to recover the diffusion signal using CS. This opens an attractive perspective to measure the diffusion signals in white matter within a reduced acquisition time and shows that CS holds great promise and opens new and exciting perspectives in diffusion MRI (dMRI). Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tissue expander infections in children: look beyond the expander pocket.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, A C; Davison, S P; Manders, E K

1999-11-01

Infection of the expander pocket is the most common complication encountered with soft-tissue expansion. It is usually due to direct inoculation with skin flora either at the time of expander insertion or from extrusion of the device. The authors report two cases of infection of tissue expanders in which the children had concomitant infected sites distant from the prosthesis. Etiological bacteria of common pediatric infections like otitis media and pharyngitis were cultured from the infected expander pocket, raising suspicion that translocation of the organism to the expander had occurred. Aggressive antibiotic treatment, removal of the prosthesis, and flap advancement is advocated.

76 FR 76158 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; RCRA Expanded...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-06

... contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available..., including through the use of appropriate automated electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection... as State, local, or Tribal governments. Title: RCRA Expanded Public Participation. ICR numbers: EPA...

Access to Experimental Cancer Drugs

Science.gov (United States)

An experimental drug has been tested in the lab and with animals and approved for testing in people by the FDA, but can’t yet be advertised, sold, or prescribed. Experimental drugs may be available through clinical trials or expanded access programs - learn more about these programs and how to talk to your doctor.

Realising Equality in Access to HIV Treatment for Vulnerable and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article examines the relevance of the concept of equality in improving access to HIV treatment for vulnerable and marginalised groups in Africa. The article argues that though modest achievements have been made in expanding access to HIV treatment for those in need in Africa, this expansion has concentrated on the ...

Induction of continuous expanding infrarenal aortic aneurysms in a large porcine animal model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kloster, Brian Ozeraitis; Lund, Lars; Lindholt, Jes S.

2015-01-01

BackgroundA large animal model with a continuous expanding infrarenal aortic aneurysm gives access to a more realistic AAA model with anatomy and physiology similar to humans, and thus allows for new experimental research in the natural history and treatment options of the disease. Methods10 pigs...

The Economic Effects of Croatia's Accession to the EU

OpenAIRE

Lejour, Arjan Marcel; Mervar, Andrea; Verweij, Gerard

2008-01-01

We explore the economic implications of Croatia's possible accession to the European Union. We focus on two main changes associated with the EU-membership: accession to the internal European Market and institutional reforms in Croatia triggered by the EU-membership. GDP per capita in Croatia is estimated to rise by about 1.1 percent as a result of accession to the internal market. In particular the textile and wearing apparel sectors expand. If Croatia succeeds in reforming its domestic insti...

Paying attention to identity in advanced EAP writing class

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Camps

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The present article discusses how students in the advanced EAP (English as a foreign language writing course at a private university in Mexico City become aware of choosing different identities in a written assignment, and how this decision can help them deal with the course requirements. After addressing the issue of identity in class and carrying out activities to develop social identities, and collecting samples of their writing, the students were questioned about their decision of projecting their identities in their papers in order to find out whether the understanding of the importance of identity in academic writing and its projection in their written essays would facilitate its writing. In addition, it was deemed interesting to learn about whether they found it easier to meet the demands and conventions of that particular essay by being aware of the possibilities of constructing their identities.Este artigo discute de que forma alunos de um curso de produção de textos em LE, em uma univeridade particular na Cidade do México, se dão conta da escolha de diferentes identidades em uma atividade de escrita e como essa decisão pode auxiliá-los com relação à demanda do curso. Depois de abordar a questão da identidade em sala, de propor atividades com o propósito de desenvolver identidades sociais e de coletar uma amostragem de textos, os alunos foram questionados sobre a decisão de projetarem suas identidades nos textos, com o objetivo de descobrir se a compreensão da importância da identidade na redação acadêmica e a projeção dessa identidade nos textos facilitaria a escrita. Além disso, foi interessante avaliar se eles encontraram dificuldades de atender às exigências e convenções do texto em questão, ao estarem conscientes das possibilidades de construção de suas próprias identidades nesse mesmo texto.

The role of writing in an EAP reading course

OpenAIRE

大東, 真理

2007-01-01

今日、大学においては教育改革の名のもとにカリキュラム改革が進められ、実用目的の英語を内容とする科目が各大学の教育課程に登場している。一方、基礎的な英語の力を養うためのリーディングやライティングをおろそかにしてよいはずはなく、特に1、2年次の基礎教育においては実際にこれらの技能を中心としたカリキュラム編成を行っている大学が多い。そこで本稿では、大学の専門教育につながる学術目的の英語(EAP)への準備段階となる、また、中・高の英語教育ともつながりを持つ英語学習について考察した。読解の授業の中でリーディングとライティングを相互に関連させた活動を行い、相互にどのような結果を生み出すか、そしてより効果的な学習環境を実現するためにはどのような課題に取り組む必要があるかということについて考察した。...

Shadow Libraries: Access to Knowledge in Global Higher Education ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2018-05-04

May 4, 2018 ... Shadow Libraries: Access to Knowledge in Global Higher Education ... that are emerging in middle- and low-income countries as opportunities for higher education expand but funding for materials shrinks. ... Innovation.

Open access to transmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keith, D.M.

1996-01-01

For the past 12 to 15 years, the US electric power and energy industry and its federal regulators have been going through a prolonged exercise leading to opening up the national interconnected transmission grid for all qualified wholesale users to have open and equal access. The debates have been painful in a sense that not all parties - especially some of the transmission system owning utilities - believe that the concept of Open Access is achievable, due to technical constraints on the systems. The present Open Access activity is limited to wholesales transaction under the federal jurisdiction, but several states are either experimenting with or considering retail wheeling. In fact, the FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission - has already expanded its view to embrace retail transmission, if the retail transaction involves the use of the interstate transmission systems which are under FERC's jurisdiction. This paper delves into some of the results of the technical cost and pricing analysis for open access. The statutes and resulting regulations are not addressed herein. (author). 1 fig

Expanded Endonasal Endoscopic Approach for Resection of an Infrasellar Craniopharyngioma.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou-Al-Shaar, Hussam; Blitz, Ari M; Rodriguez, Fausto J; Ishii, Masaru; Gallia, Gary L

2016-11-01

Craniopharyngiomas are uncommon benign locally aggressive epithelial tumors mostly located in the sellar and suprasellar regions. An infrasellar origin of these tumors is rare. The authors report a 22-year-old male patient with a purely infrasellar adamantinomatous craniopharyngioma centered in the nasopharynx with extension into the posterior nasal septum, sphenoid sinus, and clivus. Gross total resection was achieved using an expanded endonasal endoscopic transethmoidal, transsphenoidal, transpterygoid, and transclival approach. Follow-up at one year demonstrated no evidence of disease recurrence. Infrasellar craniopharyngioma should be included in the differential diagnosis of sinonasal masses even in the absence of sellar extension. Expanded endonasal endoscopic approaches provide excellent access to and visualization of such lesions and may obviate the need for postoperative radiotherapy when gross total resection is achieved. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expandable stents.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesbitt, J C; Carrasco, H

1996-05-01

Expandable metallic stents are effective in selected patients with malignant or benign airway stenoses. When used for malignant lesions, the primary purpose of the stent is to improve the quality of life; stents are usually chosen for palliation of symptoms in recognition of the low likelihood of success for other therapy. For patients with benign stenoses, the stents provide a permanent source of structural support to alleviate the narrowed segment. The advantages of the expandable metallic stents are as follows: (1) they can be inserted through an endotracheal tube or under local anesthesia with relative simplicity under fluoroscopic guidance; (2) they do not impair the drainage of sputum because ciliary movement is not interrupted; (3) over a period of a few weeks, the meshwork is gradually covered with mucosa as the stent becomes incorporated into the airway wall; (4) ventilation usually is not impaired if the metallic mesh stent covers another nonstenosed bronchus, because the interstices of the stent are nonobstructive; and (5) they are dynamic and continue to expand over time, particularly if concurrent treatment achieves an effect on the lesion that caused stenosis. Disadvantages of the expandable stent include (1) they often are only temporarily effective for tracheobronchial stenosis due to intraluminal tumor or granulation tissue, both of which can grow between the wires; (2) they are considered permanent stents because removal is difficult; and (3) they can be poorly positioned during placement or can become displaced by progressive migration after placement, and they cannot be repositioned. A relative contraindication to insertion is an inflammatory process or infection that can predispose to granulation formation, particularly at the points of maximal contact pressure of the stent to the airway mucosa. In the presence of inflammation, it may be better to use a silicone prosthesis until the inflammatory process subsides and fibrosis occurs. Granulation

MoodHacker Mobile Web App With Email for Adults to Self-Manage Mild-to-Moderate Depression: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Birney, Amelia J; Gunn, Rebecca; Russell, Jeremy K; Ary, Dennis V

2016-01-26

-up calls to subjects reporting current suicidal ideation and/or severe depression symptoms. At 6-week follow-up, significant effects were found on depression, behavioral activation, negative thoughts, knowledge, work productivity, work absence, and workplace distress. MoodHacker yielded significant effects on depression symptoms, work productivity, work absence, and workplace distress for those who reported access to an EAP, but no significant effects on these outcome measures for those without EAP access. Participants in the treatment arm used the MoodHacker app an average of 16.0 times (SD 13.3), totaling an average of 1.3 hours (SD 1.3) of use between pretest and 6-week follow-up. Significant effects on work absence in those with EAP access persisted at 10-week follow-up. This randomized effectiveness trial found that the MoodHacker app produced significant effects on depression symptoms (partial eta(2) = .021) among employed adults at 6-week follow-up when compared to subjects with access to relevant depression Internet sites. The app had stronger effects for individuals with access to an EAP (partial eta(2) = .093). For all users, the MoodHacker program also yielded greater improvement on work absence, as well as the mediating factors of behavioral activation, negative thoughts, and knowledge of depression self-care. Significant effects were maintained at 10-week follow-up for work absence. General attenuation of effects at 10-week follow-up underscores the importance of extending program contacts to maintain user engagement. This study suggests that light-touch, CBT-based mobile interventions like MoodHacker may be appropriate for implementation within EAPs and similar environments. In addition, it seems likely that supporting MoodHacker users with guidance from counselors may improve effectiveness for those who seek in-person support. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02335554; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02335554 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6dGXKWjWE).

What Expands in an Expanding Universe?

Science.gov (United States)

Pacheco, José A De Freitas

2015-01-01

In the present investigation, the possible effects of the expansion of the Universe on systems bonded either by gravitational or electromagnetic forces, are reconsidered. It will be shown that the acceleration (positive or negative) of the expanding background, is the determinant factor affecting planetary orbits and atomic sizes. In the presently accepted cosmology (ΛCDM) all bonded systems are expanding at a decreasing rate that tends to be zero as the universe enters in a de Sitter phase. It is worth mentioning that the estimated expansion rates are rather small and they can be neglected for all practical purposes.

What Expands in an Expanding Universe?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JOSÉ A. DE FREITAS PACHECO

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT In the present investigation, the possible effects of the expansion of the Universe on systems bonded either by gravitational or electromagnetic forces, are reconsidered. It will be shown that the acceleration (positive or negative of the expanding background, is the determinant factor affecting planetary orbits and atomic sizes. In the presently accepted cosmology (ΛCDM all bonded systems are expanding at a decreasing rate that tends to be zero as the universe enters in a de Sitter phase. It is worth mentioning that the estimated expansion rates are rather small and they can be neglected for all practical purposes.

Long-term implications of observing an expanding cosmological civilization

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, S. Jay

2018-01-01

Suppose that advanced civilizations, separated by a cosmological distance and time, wish to maximize their access to cosmic resources by rapidly expanding into the universe. How does the presence of one limit the expansionistic ambitions of another, and what sort of boundary forms between their expanding domains? We describe a general scenario for any expansion speed, separation distance and time. We then specialize to a question of particular interest: What are the future prospects for a young and ambitious civilization if they can observe the presence of another at a cosmological distance? We treat cases involving the observation of one or two expanding domains. In the single-observation case, we find that almost any plausible detection will limit one's future cosmic expansion to some extent. Also, practical technological limits to expansion speed (well below the speed of light) play an interesting role. If a domain is visible at the time one embarks on cosmic expansion, higher practical limits to expansion speed are beneficial only up to a certain point. Beyond this point, a higher speed limit means that gains in the ability to expand are more than offset by the first-mover advantage of the observed domain. In the case of two visible domains, it is possible to be `trapped' by them if the practical speed limit is high enough and their angular separation in the sky is large enough, i.e. one's expansion in any direction will terminate at a boundary with the two visible civilizations. Detection at an extreme cosmological distance has surprisingly little mitigating effect on our conclusions.

Ad Hoc Access Gateway Selection Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Jie, Liu

With the continuous development of mobile communication technology, Ad Hoc access network has become a hot research, Ad Hoc access network nodes can be used to expand capacity of multi-hop communication range of mobile communication system, even business adjacent to the community, improve edge data rates. For mobile nodes in Ad Hoc network to internet, internet communications in the peer nodes must be achieved through the gateway. Therefore, the key Ad Hoc Access Networks will focus on the discovery gateway, as well as gateway selection in the case of multi-gateway and handover problems between different gateways. This paper considers the mobile node and the gateway, based on the average number of hops from an average access time and the stability of routes, improved gateway selection algorithm were proposed. An improved gateway selection algorithm, which mainly considers the algorithm can improve the access time of Ad Hoc nodes and the continuity of communication between the gateways, were proposed. This can improve the quality of communication across the network.

Expanding subjectivities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundgaard Andersen, Linda; Soldz, Stephen

2012-01-01

A major theme in recent psychoanalytic thinking concerns the use of therapist subjectivity, especially “countertransference,” in understanding patients. This thinking converges with and expands developments in qualitative research regarding the use of researcher subjectivity as a tool......-Saxon and continental traditions, this special issue provides examples of the use of researcher subjectivity, informed by psychoanalytic thinking, in expanding research understanding....

Expanding access to pain care for frail, older people in primary care: a cross-sectional study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muntinga, M.E.; Jansen, A.P.D.; Schellevis, F.G.; Nijpels, G.

2016-01-01

Background: Although untreated pain has a negative impact on quality of life and health outcomes, research has shown that older people do not always have access to adequate pain care. Practice nurse-led, comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) may increase access to tailored pain care for frail,

Induction of continuous expanding infrarenal aortic aneurysms in a large porcine animal model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kloster, Brian Ozeraitis; Lund, Lars; Lindholt, Jes S.

2015-01-01

frequent complication was a neurological deficit in the lower limbs. ConclusionIn pigs it’s possible to induce continuous expanding AAA’s based upon proteolytic degradation and pathological flow, resembling the real life dynamics of human aneurysms. Because the lumbars are preserved, it’s also a potential......BackgroundA large animal model with a continuous expanding infrarenal aortic aneurysm gives access to a more realistic AAA model with anatomy and physiology similar to humans, and thus allows for new experimental research in the natural history and treatment options of the disease. Methods10 pigs......, hereafter the pigs were euthanized for inspection and AAA wall sampling for histological analysis. ResultsIn group A, all pigs developed continuous expanding AAA’s with a mean increase in AP-diameter to 16.26 ± 0.93 mm equivalent to a 57% increase. In group B the AP-diameters increased to 11.33 ± 0.13 mm...

Expanding Pharmacists' Scope of Practice to Include Immunization in Nova Scotia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beth O'Reilly

2017-07-01

Full Text Available On 10 December 2010 An Act to Amend Chapter 36 of the Acts of 2001, the Pharmacy Act (Bill 7 received Royal Assent in Nova Scotia, including an amendment that enabled an expanded scope of pharmacy practice. Expanding pharmacists' scope of practice came about from recommendations by various federal and provincial government bodies as an attempt to improve accessibility to health care and decrease costs. In 2013, pharmacists in Nova Scotia began administering the influenza vaccine as part of the publicly funded program in attempts to improve vaccine coverage rates. Preliminary evaluation in Nova Scotia has shown an increase in influenza vaccination coverage. Although pharmacist administration of influenza vaccination may improve vaccination coverage and reduce demand on physician time, there may be tension created among the professions, which needs to be addressed and managed.

Modern energy access to all in rural India: An integrated implementation strategy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balachandra, P.

2011-01-01

Expanding energy access to the rural population of India presents a critical challenge for its government. The presence of 364 million people without access to electricity and 726 million who rely on biomass for cooking indicate both the failure of past policies and programs, and the need for a radical redesign of the current system. We propose an integrated implementation framework with recommendations for adopting business principles with innovative institutional, regulatory, financing and delivery mechanisms. The framework entails establishment of rural energy access authorities and energy access funds, both at the national and regional levels, to be empowered with enabling regulatory policies, capital resources and the support of multi-stakeholder partnership. These institutions are expected to design, lead, manage and monitor the rural energy interventions. At the other end, trained entrepreneurs would be expected to establish bioenergy-based micro-enterprises that will produce and distribute energy carriers to rural households at an affordable cost. The ESCOs will function as intermediaries between these enterprises and the international carbon market both in aggregating carbon credits and in trading them under CDM. If implemented, such a program could address the challenges of rural energy empowerment by creating access to modern energy carriers and climate change mitigation. - Highlights: ► Expanding rural energy access in India is critical with majority lacking access to modern energy. ► Innovative and integrated implementation strategy for achieving universal rural energy access. ► Design of an integrated rural energy policy and proposal for new institutional mechanism. ► Establishing rural energy access authorities and energy access funds as supporting mechanisms. ► Bioenergy-based micro-enterprises for delivering energy services at an affordable cost.

Research of Ad Hoc Networks Access Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Ma

With the continuous development of mobile communication technology, Ad Hoc access network has become a hot research, Ad Hoc access network nodes can be used to expand capacity of multi-hop communication range of mobile communication system, even business adjacent to the community, improve edge data rates. When the ad hoc network is the access network of the internet, the gateway discovery protocol is very important to choose the most appropriate gateway to guarantee the connectivity between ad hoc network and IP based fixed networks. The paper proposes a QoS gateway discovery protocol which uses the time delay and stable route to the gateway selection conditions. And according to the gateway discovery protocol, it also proposes a fast handover scheme which can decrease the handover time and improve the handover efficiency.

Building the Case: Changing Consumer Perceptions of the Value of Expanded Community Pharmacist Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Steckowych, Kathryn; Smith, Marie; Spiggle, Susan; Stevens, Andrew; Li, Hao

2018-01-01

The role of the community pharmacist has traditionally been a medication dispenser; however, community pharmacists' responsibilities must expand to include more direct patient care services in order to transform primary care practice. Use case-based scenarios to (1) determine factors that contribute to positive and negative consumer perceptions of expanded community pharmacist patient care roles, (2) identify facilitators and barriers that contribute to consumer perceptions of the value of expanded community pharmacist patient care services, and (3) develop a successful approach and strategies for increasing consumer advocacy for the value of expanded community pharmacist patient care services. Two consumer focus groups used scenario-based guided discussions and Likert scale questionnaires to elicit consumer reactions, facilitators, and barriers to expanded community pharmacist services. Convenience, timeliness, and accessibility were common positive reactions across all 3 scenarios. Team approach to care and trust were viewed as major facilitators. Participant concerns included uncertainty about pharmacist training and qualifications, privacy, pharmacists' limited bandwidth to accept new tasks, and potential increased patient costs. Common barriers to service uptake included a lack of insurance payment and physician preference to provide the services. Consumer unfamiliarity with non-traditional community pharmacist services is likely an influencer of consumers' hesitancy to utilize such services; therefore, an opportunity exists to engage consumers and advocacy organizations in supporting expanded community pharmacist roles. This study can inform consumers, advocates, community pharmacists, primary care providers, and community-based organizations on methods to shape consumer perceptions on the value of community pharmacist expanded services.

Expanding Thurston maps

CERN Document Server

Bonk, Mario

2017-01-01

This monograph is devoted to the study of the dynamics of expanding Thurston maps under iteration. A Thurston map is a branched covering map on a two-dimensional topological sphere such that each critical point of the map has a finite orbit under iteration. It is called expanding if, roughly speaking, preimages of a fine open cover of the underlying sphere under iterates of the map become finer and finer as the order of the iterate increases. Every expanding Thurston map gives rise to a fractal space, called its visual sphere. Many dynamical properties of the map are encoded in the geometry of this visual sphere. For example, an expanding Thurston map is topologically conjugate to a rational map if and only if its visual sphere is quasisymmetrically equivalent to the Riemann sphere. This relation between dynamics and fractal geometry is the main focus for the investigations in this work.

Reasons to temper enthusiasm about open access nursing journals.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, Gideon

2017-04-01

Open access is a relatively new phenomenon within nursing science. Several papers from various nursing journals have been published recently on the disadvantages of the traditional model of purchasing proprietary fee-based databases to access scholarly information. Just few nursing scholars are less optimistic about the possible benefits of open access nursing journals. A critical reflection on the merits and pitfalls of open access journals along insights from the literature and personal opinion. Two arguments are discussed, providing justification for tempering enthusiasm about open access journals. First, only research groups with sufficient financial resources can publish in open access journals. Second, open access has conflicting incentives, where the aim is to expand production at the expense of publishing quality articles; a business model that fits well into a neoliberal discourse. There are valid reasons to criticise the traditional publishers for the excessive costs of a single article, therefore preventing the dissemination of scholarly nursing information. On the contrary, the business model of open access publishers is no less imbued with the neoliberal tendency of lining the pockets.

LEARNING MODEL OF SCHOOL-BASED ANTI BULLYING INTERVENTION IN EAP (ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES SETTINGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ririn Ambarini

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Bilingual learning can be integrated in any subjects in school. One of the subject is Guidance and Couseling subject that provides opportunities for students to develop their social skills and communication. Today, the phenomenon of bullying often occurs in every aspect of life, and one of them is in educational institutions such as schools. School should be a place to establish a positive attitude and character, but the fact the school becomes the scene of bullying practices. The research question is how the bilingual learning of school-based anti bullying intervension integrated with Guidance and Counseling materials by using English for Academic Purposes settings is. This qualitative study used descriptive qualitative method that aims to understand the process and the outcome of bilingual learning process from the viewpoint or perspective of the participants. This research takes the view that since people are instruments, the objects of the research together with the researcher herself, their active involvement in the process is the key to any sustainable efforts. This research is aslo supposed to identify the students‘ understanding of the school-based anti bullying materials that are implemented in EAP settings. The impact of thus program implementation is certainly expected as the strategies to minimize the impacts that will occur in bullying behavior by the integration of anti-bullying bilingual learning model through guidance and counseling materials.

An evaluation of substance misuse treatment providers used by an employee assistance program.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, N A

1992-05-01

Structural measures of access, continuity, and quality of substance misuse treatment services were compared in 30 fee-for-service (FFS) facilities and nine health maintenance organizations (HMOs). Probit models related effects of the provider system (FFS or HMO) and the system's structural characteristics to 243 employees' access to and outcomes from treatment. Access was decreased in Independent Practice Association (IPA)/network HMOs and in all facilities which did not employ an addictionologist or provide coordinated treatment services. When bivariate correlations were examined, both use of copayments and imposing limits to the levels of treatment covered were negatively related to access, while a facility's provision of ongoing professional development was positively associated with access. These correlations did not remain significant in the multivariate probits. Receiving treatment in a staff model HMO and facing limits to the levels of treatment covered were negatively associated with attaining sufficient progress, while receiving treatment in a facility which provided ongoing professional development was positively related to progress: these effects did not remain significant in multivariate analyses. Implications for employee assistance program (EAP) staff in their role as case managers and for EAP staff and employers in their shared role as purchasers of treatment are discussed.

On-line atomic data access

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, D.R. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Nash, J.K. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

1996-04-01

The need for atomic data is one which continues to expand in a wide variety of applications including fusion energy, astrophysics, laser- produced plasma research, and plasma processing. Modern computer database and communications technology nables this data to be placed on-line and obtained by users of the Internet. Presented here is a summary of the observations and conclusions regarding such on-line atomic data access derived from a forum held at the Tenth APS Topical Conference on Atomic Processes in Plasmas.

Expanding access to naloxone for family members: The Massachusetts experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagley, Sarah M; Forman, Leah S; Ruiz, Sarah; Cranston, Kevin; Walley, Alexander Y

2018-05-01

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution Program provides overdose education and naloxone rescue kits to people at risk for overdose and bystanders, including family members. Using Massachusetts Department of Public Health data, the aims are to: (i) describe characteristics of family members who receive naloxone; (ii) identify where family members obtain naloxone; and (iii) describe characteristics of rescues by family members. We conducted a retrospective review using program enrollee information collected on a standardised form between 2008 and 2015. We calculated descriptive statistics, including demographics, current substance use, enrolment location, history of witnessed overdoses and rescue attempt characteristics. We conducted a stratified analysis comparing family members who used drugs with those who did not. Family members were 27% of total program enrollees (n = 10 883/40 801). Family members who reported substance use (n = 4679) were 35.6 years (mean), 50.6% female, 76.3% non-Hispanic white, 75.6% had witnessed an overdose, and they obtained naloxone most frequently at HIV prevention programs. Family members who did not report substance use (n = 6148) were 49.2 years (mean), 73.8% female, 87.9% non-Hispanic white, 35.3% had witnessed an overdose, and they obtained naloxone most frequently at community meetings. Family members were responsible for 20% (n = 860/4373) of the total rescue attempts. The Massachusetts experience demonstrates that family members can be active participants in responding to the overdose epidemic by rescuing family members and others. Targeted intervention strategies for families should be included in efforts to expand overdose education and naloxone in Massachusetts. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Comparison of self-expandable and balloon-expanding stents for hybrid ductal stenting in hypoplastic left heart complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Goreczny, Sebastian; Qureshi, Shakeel A; Rosenthal, Eric; Krasemann, Thomas; Nassar, Mohamed S; Anderson, David R; Morgan, Gareth J

2017-07-01

We aimed to compare the procedural and mid-term performance of a specifically designed self-expanding stent with balloon-expandable stents in patients undergoing hybrid palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome and its variants. The lack of specifically designed stents has led to off-label use of coronary, biliary, or peripheral stents in the neonatal ductus arteriosus. Recently, a self-expanding stent, specifically designed for use in hypoplastic left heart syndrome, has become available. We carried out a retrospective cohort comparison of 69 neonates who underwent hybrid ductal stenting with balloon-expandable and self-expanding stents from December, 2005 to July, 2014. In total, 43 balloon-expandable stents were implanted in 41 neonates and more recently 47 self-expanding stents in 28 neonates. In the balloon-expandable stents group, stent-related complications occurred in nine patients (22%), compared with one patient in the self-expanding stent group (4%). During follow-up, percutaneous re-intervention related to the ductal stent was performed in five patients (17%) in the balloon-expandable stent group and seven patients (28%) in self-expanding stents group. Hybrid ductal stenting with self-expanding stents produced favourable results when compared with the results obtained with balloon-expandable stents. Immediate additional interventions and follow-up re-interventions were similar in both groups with complications more common in those with balloon-expandable stents.

Access Based Cost Estimation for Beddown Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

2006-03-23

logic. This research expands upon the existing research by using Visual Basic for Applications ( VBA ) to further customize and streamline the...methods with the use of VBA . Calculations are completed in either underlying Form VBA code or through global modules accessible throughout the...query and SQL referencing. Attempts were made where possible to align data structures with possible external sources to minimize import errors and

International assistance and cooperation for access to essential medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Mok, Emily A

2010-06-15

Access to essential medicines is a critical problem that plagues many developing countries. With a daunting number of domestic constraints - technologically, economically, and otherwise - developing countries are faced with a steep uphill battle to meet the human rights obligation of providing essential medicines immediately. To meet these challenges, the international human rights obligations of international assistance and cooperation can play a key role to help developing countries fulfill the need for access to essential medicines. This article seeks to highlight and expand upon the current understanding of international assistance and cooperation for access to essential medicines through a review of obligations identified in international human rights law and a synthesis of official guidance provided on the matter.

Access to Schooling in a Post-Apartheid South Africa: Linking Concepts to Context

Science.gov (United States)

Fataar, Aslam

1997-07-01

This paper focuses on the policy issue of expanding schooling in a post-apartheid South Africa. The Project of placing about two million children of school-going age in school is viewed as central to the rebuilding of South Africa. The paper argues that this project should be located within the peculiar history of this country's educational underdevelopment. Challenging the constraining influence of the New Right context should be central in conceptualising the provision of expanded school access. Access policy should be based on a notion of educational development that is linked to the overall socioeconomic development of this society. The view is promoted in this paper that a policy of quantitative expansion of schooling should not ignore the quality of such schooling.

Pharmacy clients' attitudes to expanded pharmacist prescribing and the role of agency theory on involved stakeholders.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery; Sunderland, Bruce

2011-02-01

To examine the views of regular pharmacy clients on pharmacist prescribing and employ agency theory in considering the relationship between the stakeholders involved. Computer assisted telephone interviews were conducted with 400 pharmacy clients recruited around Australia. Potential respondents were identified using a random number generation function in Microsoft Excel. Data were analysed with SPSS version 17 using one-way analysis of variance, principal component analysis and linear regression. The relationships between the main stakeholders involved were explored using agency theory. A total of 1153 answered calls recruited 400 consenting pharmacy clients. Most respondents (71%) trusted pharmacists adopting an expanded role in prescribing, however the majority (66%) supported this only after a diagnosis had been made by a doctor. Those who accepted pharmacist diagnosing and prescribing preferred that this was limited to pain management and antibiotics. Most respondents (64%) considered that expanded pharmacist prescribing would improve their access to prescription medicines, although those over 65 years of age were less supportive than younger respondents. Factors which contributed positively to clients' perception of trust in an expanded prescribing role for pharmacists were identified, and improved access to medicines was found to be the strongest predictor (P Agency theory would conceptualize the introduction of pharmacist prescribers, as disrupting the principal (patient) agent (doctor) relationship. Its introduction would best be facilitated by careful change management. © 2011 The Authors. IJPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Newly available technologies present expanding opportunities for scientific and technical information exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Tolzman, Jean M.

1993-01-01

The potential for expanded communication among researchers, scholars, and students is supported by growth in the capabilities for electronic communication as well as expanding access to various forms of electronic interchange and computing capabilities. Increased possibilities for information exchange, collegial dialogue, collaboration, and access to remote resources exist as high-speed networks, increasingly powerful workstations, and large, multi-user computational facilities are more frequently linked and more commonly available. Numerous writers speak of the telecommunications revolution and its impact on the development and dissemination of knowledge and learning. One author offers the phrase 'Scholarly skywriting' to represent a new form of scientific communication that he envisions using electronic networks. In the United States (U.S.), researchers associated with the National Science Foundation (NSF) are exploring 'nationwide collaboratories' and 'digital collaboration.' Research supported by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) points to a future where workstations with built-in audio, video monitors, and screen sharing protocols are used to support collaborations with colleagues located throughout the world. Instruments and sensors located worldwide will produce data streams that will be brought together, analyzed, and distributed as new findings. Researchers will have access to machines that can supply domain-specific information in addition to locator and directory assistance. New forms of electronic journals will emerge and provide opportunities for researchers and scientists to exchange information electronically and interactively in a range of structures and formats. Ultimately, the wide-scale use of these technologies in the dissemination of research results and the stimulation of collegial dialogue will change the way we represent and express our knowledge of the world. A new paradigm will evolve--perhaps a truly worldwide

Community Impact of Pharmacy-Randomized Intervention to Improve Access to Syringes and Services for Injection Drug Users

Science.gov (United States)

Crawford, Natalie D.; Amesty, Silvia; Rivera, Alexis V.; Harripersaud, Katherine; Turner, Alezandria; Fuller, Crystal M.

2014-01-01

Objectives: In an effort to reduce HIV transmission among injection drug users (IDUs), New York State deregulated pharmacy syringe sales in 2001 through the Expanded Syringe Access Program by removing the requirement of a prescription. With evidence suggesting pharmacists' ability to expand their public health role, a structural, pharmacy-based…

Two Types of Expanding Lie Algebra and New Expanding Integrable Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Huanhe; Yang Jiming; Wang Hui

2010-01-01

From a new Lie algebra proposed by Zhang, two expanding Lie algebras and its corresponding loop algebras are obtained. Two expanding integrable systems are produced with the help of the generalized zero curvature equation. One of them has complex Hamiltion structure with the help of generalized Tu formula (GTM). (general)

Employee Attitudes toward an Internal Employee Assistance Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlow, Kirk C.

1998-01-01

Surveys employees (N=16,603) who had used a large multinational company's employee assistance program (EAP), adult dependents who had used the EAP, employees who had not used the EAP, and adult dependents who had not used the EAP. Findings indicate that EAP users viewed the EAP more positively than nonusers. (Author/MKA)

2015 Relaunch as Open Access Pediatric Neurology Briefs

OpenAIRE

Millichap, John J.; Millichap, J. Gordon

2015-01-01

Pediatric Neurology Briefs (PNB) has been published monthly since 1987 as a continuing education service designed to expedite and facilitate review of current medical literature concerning pediatric neurology. In 2015, PNB is relaunched as an open access, peer-reviewed, journal with an expanded editorial board.  PNB has a new website and content management system capable of organizing peer-review and providing improved...

Self-Access Learning in Medical English (ME

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pop Anişoara

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Individual learning is a pre-requisite of formal ME credit allocation in higher education (HE, albeit this may be hard to document and quantify. Edmodo-enhanced self-access learning can be customized to accommodate different learning styles, form basic learning skills and field-specific subskills, extend and expand the students’ medical language use, while also meeting the desiderata of independent curriculum-stipulated learning that can thus be exploited and demonstrated. The paper will reflect on the design of ME multimedia assignments as well as the quantitative and qualitative results, motivation and attitude of a group of medical students working on Edmodo self-access ME learning as part of a class research project for two years.

Providing Internet Access to the Ohio Career Information System for All Residents: A Feasibility Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Morgan V.

Expanded Internet access to the Ohio Career Information System (OCIS) would provide adults in Ohio who need to or wish to make career changes with the best available information about occupations, education and training programs, and financial aid. In order to determine the feasibility of improving access without cost to users, an advisory group,…

Expander for Thin-Wall Tubing

Science.gov (United States)

Pessin, R.

1983-01-01

Tool locally expands small-diameter tubes. Tube expander locally expands and deforms tube: Compressive lateral stress induced in elastomeric sleeve by squeezing axially between two metal tool parts. Adaptable to situations in which tube must have small bulge for mechanical support or flow control.

Predicting likelihood of seeking help through the employee assistance program among salaried and union hourly employees.

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, W; Grube, J W; Ames, G M

1998-03-01

This research investigated belief, social support and background predictors of employee likelihood to use an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for a drinking problem. An anonymous cross-sectional survey was administered in the home. Bivariate analyses and simultaneous equations path analysis were used to explore a model of EAP use. Survey and ethnographic research were conducted in a unionized heavy machinery manufacturing plant in the central states of the United States. A random sample of 852 hourly and salaried employees was selected. In addition to background variables, measures included: likelihood of going to an EAP for a drinking problem, belief the EAP can help, social support for the EAP from co-workers/others, belief that EAP use will harm employment, and supervisor encourages the EAP for potential drinking problems. Belief in EAP efficacy directly increased the likelihood of going to an EAP. Greater perceived social support and supervisor encouragement increased the likelihood of going to an EAP both directly and indirectly through perceived EAP efficacy. Black and union hourly employees were more likely to say they would use an EAP. Males and those who reported drinking during working hours were less likely to say they would use an EAP for a drinking problem. EAP beliefs and social support have significant effects on likelihood to go to an EAP for a drinking problem. EAPs may wish to focus their efforts on creating an environment where there is social support from coworkers and encouragement from supervisors for using EAP services. Union networks and team members have an important role to play in addition to conventional supervisor intervention.

In Vitro Comparison of Self-Expanding Versus Balloon-Expandable Stents in a Human Ex Vivo Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenacher, Lars; Rohde, Stefan; Gaenger, Ellen; Deutsch, Jochen; Kauffmann, Guenter W.; Richter, Goetz M.

2006-01-01

The objective was to compare the radial strength and expansile precision of self-expanding stents and balloon-expandable stents in a human cadaver bifurcation model. Seven different self-expanding (LUMINEXX, JOSTENT SelfX, JOSTENT SelfX hrf, Sinus-Repo, Sinus SuperFlex, Easy Wallstent, SMART) and four different balloon-expandable stent models (Palmaz, Sinus Stent, SAXX Medium, JOSTENT peripheral), each type 10 stents (total n = 110 stents) were implanted into the common iliac arteries of human cadaver corpses. The maximum stent diameter was 10 mm for all models. After stent implantation, the specimens were filled with silicone caoutchouc. After 24 h, the vascular walls including the stents were removed from the hardened casts. Diameters were taken and the weight of the cast cylinders was measured in air and in purified water to calculate the volume of the bodies (according to Archimedes Law) as a relative but precise degree for the radial strength of the implanted stents. The cylindrical casts of the self-expanding stents showed lower mean diameters (8.2 ± 1.0 mm) and mean volumes (0.60 ± 0.14 ml/cm) than in the balloon-expandable stent group (10.1 ± 0.3 mm and 0.71 ± 0.04 ml/cm, respectively; p < 0.01). The nominal maximum diameter of 10 mm was not achieved in any of the self-expanding stents, but this was achieved in more than 70% (29/40) of the balloon-expandable stent specimens (p < 0.05). The variation between achieved volumes was significantly larger in self-expanding (range: 0.23-0.78 ml/cm) than in balloon-expandable stents (range: 0.66-0.81 ml/cm; p < 0.05). Self-expanding stents presented considerably lower radial expansion force and lower degree of precision than balloon-expandable stents

Employing human rights frameworks to realize access to an HIV cure.

Science.gov (United States)

Meier, Benjamin Mason; Gelpi, Adriane; Kavanagh, Matthew M; Forman, Lisa; Amon, Joseph J

2015-01-01

The scale of the HIV pandemic - and the stigma, discrimination and violence that surrounded its sudden emergence - catalyzed a public health response that expanded human rights in principle and practice. In the absence of effective treatment, human rights activists initially sought to protect individuals at high risk of HIV infection. With advances in antiretroviral therapy, activists expanded their efforts under international law, advocating under the human right to health for individual access to treatment. As a clinical cure comes within reach, human rights obligations will continue to play a key role in political and programmatic decision-making. Building upon the evolving development and implementation of the human right to health in the global response to HIV, we outline a human rights research agenda to prepare for HIV cure access, investigating the role of human rights law in framing 1) resource allocation, 2) international obligations, 3) intellectual property and 4) freedom from coercion. The right to health is widely recognized as central to governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental responses to the pandemic and critical both to addressing vulnerability to infection and to ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. While the advent of an HIV cure will raise new obligations for policymakers in implementing the right to health, the resolution of past debates surrounding HIV prevention and treatment may inform claims for universal access.

Aiding troubled employees: the prevalence, cost, and characteristics of employee assistance programs in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwell, T D; Steele, P; French, M T; Potter, F J; Rodman, N F; Zarkin, G A

1996-06-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are job-based programs designed to identify and assist troubled employees. This study determines the prevalence, cost, and characteristics of these programs in the United States by worksite size, industry, and census region. A stratified national probability sample of more than 6400 private, nonagricultural US worksites with 50 or more full-time employees was contacted with a computer-assisted telephone interviewing protocol. More than 3200 worksites responded and were eligible, with a response rate of 90%. Approximately 33% of all private, nonagricultural worksites with 50 or more full-time employees currently offer EAP services to their employees, an 8.9% increase over 1985. These programs are more likely to be found in larger worksites and in the communications/utilities/transportation industries. The most popular model is an external provider, and the median annual cost per eligible employee for internal and external programs was $21.83 and $18.09, respectively. EAPs are becoming a more prevalent point of access to health care for workers with personal problems such as substance abuse, family problems, or emotional distress.

The extent of problematic alcohol and other drug use within selected South African workplaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Harker Burnhams, Nadine; Dada, Siphokazi; Linda, Betty; Myers, Bronwyn; Parry, Charles

2013-09-30

The use of alcohol and other drugs (AODs) in the workplace has a major impact on the health and productivity of the workforce globally. Yet information on this issue is limited in South Africa (SA). To describe the nature and extent of AOD problems in selected workplace settings in SA. Secondary data analysis was conducted on a large dataset compiled by an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) service provider in SA. As part of an EAP risk audit, assessments for AOD-related problems were completed for each employee accessing EAP services (n=10 428) between 2005 and 2011. Data on the socio-demographic profiles, AOD use and impact of AOD use on the work performance of employees were analysed. Findings indicate that employed men are more likely to experience alcohol-related problems than women, the latter demonstrating a higher percentage of drug-related problems. The majority of referrals to the EAPs emanate from the public, industrial and financial sectors. AOD-related problems were also found to significantly impact on employee work performance. The study begins to address the knowledge gap on the extent of AOD use in SA workplaces and points to the need for further investigations into the exact nature of AOD use. In addition, the study highlights the need for intervention programmes and policies suited to the workplace.

Alcohol & drug abuse: Revisiting employee assistance programs and substance use problems in the workplace: key issues and a research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth S Levy; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M; McCann, Bernard

2007-10-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda that includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identification; further study of EAPs' effects on outcomes, such as productivity and work group outcomes; examination of the relationship between EAPs and other workplace resources; further examination of influences on EAP utilization; and development and testing of EAP performance measures.

Helping Farmers Access Farmland: New Jersey's New Land Link Website

Science.gov (United States)

Schilling, Brian J.; Marxen, Lucas J.; Everett, Jeffrey C.; Miller, Camille L.; Kimmel, David A.; Cook, Justine C.

2015-01-01

Access to land is a common obstacle for beginning farmers and established farmers seeking to expand their operations. Particularly in urban-influenced areas, leasing farmland is often more financially feasible than fee ownership. Locating available land or the right leasing situation, however, can be difficult. NJ Land Link (http://njlandlink.org)…

Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Levine, Hermine Zagat

1985-01-01

The author reports company responses to a questionnaire concerning employee assistance programs (EAP). Answers concern EAP structure, staff training, use of outside consultant, services provided by EAPs, program administration, employee confidence in EAPs, advertising the program, program philosophy, problems encountered by EAP users, coverage and…

Microbial Biofilms and Breast Tissue Expanders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melissa J. Karau

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We previously developed and validated a vortexing-sonication technique for detection of biofilm bacteria on the surface of explanted prosthetic joints. Herein, we evaluated this technique for diagnosis of infected breast tissue expanders and used it to assess colonization of breast tissue expanders. From April 2008 to December 2011, we studied 328 breast tissue expanders at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. Of seven clinically infected breast tissue expanders, six (85.7% had positive cultures, one of which grew Propionibacterium species. Fifty-two of 321 breast tissue expanders (16.2%, 95% CI, 12.3–20.7% without clinical evidence of infection also had positive cultures, 45 growing Propionibacterium species and ten coagulase-negative staphylococci. While vortexing-sonication can detect clinically infected breast tissue expanders, 16 percent of breast tissue expanders appear to be asymptomatically colonized with normal skin flora, most commonly, Propionibacterium species.

Emulation of Equal Open Access and Competition Creation in the Wireline Telecommunications Local and Last Mile Market Segments

Science.gov (United States)

Van Epps, Daniel L.

2013-01-01

Expanded telecommunications was deemed a serious need for end users. The "Local Market" and "Last Mile" market segments have largely consolidated into "natural utilities". Competition and access problems occur if new providers enter the local market and desire competitive access and service to end users. Local and…

JASPAR 2010: the greatly expanded open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Portales-Casamar, Elodie; Thongjuea, Supat; Kwon, Andrew T

2009-01-01

JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) is the leading open-access database of matrix profiles describing the DNA-binding patterns of transcription factors (TFs) and other proteins interacting with DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Its fourth major release is the largest expansion of the core database...... to an active research community. As binding models are refined by newer data, the JASPAR database now uses versioning of matrices: in this release, 12% of the older models were updated to improved versions. Classification of TF families has been improved by adopting a new DNA-binding domain nomenclature...

Effect of egg albumen protein addition on physicochemical properties and nanostructure of gelatin from fish skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Luyun; Feng, Jianhui; Peng, Xichun; Regenstein, Joe M; Li, Xiuxia; Li, Jianrong; Zhao, Wei

2016-12-01

The physicochemical properties and nanostructure of mixtures of egg albumen protein (EAP) and gelatin from under-utilised grass carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ) skins were studied. The gelatin with 1% EAP had an acceptable gel strength. The addition of 5% EAP significantly increased the melting and gelling temperatures of gelatin gels. Additionally, the colour turned white and the crystallinity was higher in gelatin gels with gradient concentrations of EAP (1, 3, and 5%). Gelatin with 5% EAP had the highest G' values while gelatin with 1% EAP had the lowest G' values. Atomic force microscopy showed the heterogeneous nanostructure of fish gelatin, and a simple coacervate with a homogeneous distribution was only observed with the addition of 1% EAP, indicating interaction between gelatin and EAP. These results showed that EAP effect fish gelatin's physicochemical and nanostructure properties and has potential applications in foods and pharmaceuticals.

Financing low carbon energy access in Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gujba, Haruna; Thorne, Steve; Mulugetta, Yacob; Rai, Kavita; Sokona, Youba

2012-01-01

Modern energy access in Africa is critical to meeting a wide range of developmental challenges including poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Despite having a huge amount and variety of energy resources, modern energy access in the continent is abysmal, especially Sub-Saharan Africa. Only about 31% of the Sub-Saharan African population have access to electricity while traditional biomass energy accounts for over 80% of energy consumption in many Sub-Saharan African countries. With energy use per capita among the lowest in the world, there is no doubt that Africa will need to increase its energy consumption to drive economic growth and human development. Africa also faces a severe threat from global climate change with vulnerabilities in several key areas or sectors in the continent including agriculture, water supply, energy, etc. Low carbon development provides opportunities for African countries to improve and expand access to modern energy services while also building low-emission and climate-resilient economies. However, access to finance from different sources will be critical in achieving these objectives. This paper sets out to explore the financial instruments available for low carbon energy access in Africa including the opportunities, markets and risks in low carbon energy investments in the continent. - Highlights: ► Access to finance will be critical to achieving low carbon energy access in Africa. ► Domestic finance will be important in leveraging private finance. ► Private sector participation in modern and clean energy in Africa is still low. ► Many financing mechanisms exist for low carbon energy access in Africa. ► The right institutional frameworks are critical to achieving low carbon energy access in Africa.

2015 Relaunch as Open Access Pediatric Neurology Briefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Millichap, John J; Millichap, J Gordon

2015-01-01

Pediatric Neurology Briefs (PNB) has been published monthly since 1987 as a continuing education service designed to expedite and facilitate review of current medical literature concerning pediatric neurology. In 2015, PNB is relaunched as an open access, peer-reviewed, journal with an expanded editorial board. PNB has a new website and content management system capable of organizing peer-review and providing improved indexing, DOI assignment, and online full-text article view. Digitization of back issues, archiving, and inclusion in PubMed are future goals. The new online open access PNB aims to reach more physicians, researchers, and other healthcare providers with highlights of the latest advances in pediatric neurology and commentaries by specialists in the field.

Insurance + Access ≠ Health Care: Typology of Barriers to Health Care Access for Low-Income Families

Science.gov (United States)

DeVoe, Jennifer E.; Baez, Alia; Angier, Heather; Krois, Lisa; Edlund, Christine; Carney, Patricia A.

2007-01-01

PURPOSE Public health insurance programs have expanded coverage for the poor, and family physicians provide essential services to these vulnerable populations. Despite these efforts, many Americans do not have access to basic medical care. This study was designed to identify barriers faced by low-income parents when accessing health care for their children and how insurance status affects their reporting of these barriers. METHODS A mixed methods analysis was undertaken using 722 responses to an open-ended question on a health care access survey instrument that asked low-income Oregon families, “Is there anything else you would like to tell us?” Themes were identified using immersion/crystallization techniques. Pertinent demographic attributes were used to conduct matrix coded queries. RESULTS Families reported 3 major barriers: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to services, and unaffordable costs. Disproportionate reporting of these themes was most notable based on insurance status. A higher percentage of uninsured parents (87%) reported experiencing difficulties obtaining insurance coverage compared with 40% of those with insurance. Few of the uninsured expressed concerns about access to services or health care costs (19%). Access concerns were the most common among publicly insured families, and costs were more often mentioned by families with private insurance. Families made a clear distinction between insurance and access, and having one or both elements did not assure care. Our analyses uncovered a 3-part typology of barriers to health care for low-income families. CONCLUSIONS Barriers to health care can be insurmountable for low-income families, even those with insurance coverage. Patients who do not seek care in a family medicine clinic are not necessarily getting their care elsewhere. PMID:18025488

Improving Information Access through Technology: A Plan for Louisiana's Public Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaques, Thomas F.

Strengthening technology in Louisiana's public libraries will support equitable and convenient access to electronic information resources for all citizens at library sites, in homes, and in business. The plan presented in this document is intended to enhance and expand technology in the state's public libraries. After discussion of the crucial…

42 CFR 405.718 - Expedited appeals process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Part A § 405.718 Expedited appeals process. (a) Conditions for use of expedited appeals process (EAP). A party may use the EAP to request court review in place of an administrative law judge (ALJ..., with the request for the EAP. (b) Content of the request for EAP. The request for the EAP: (1) Alleges...

42 CFR 405.853 - Expedited appeals process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

....853 Expedited appeals process. (a) Conditions for use of expedited appeals process (EAP). A party may use the EAP set forth in § 405.718 of this chapter to request court review in place of the ALJ hearing... the request for an EAP. (b) Content of the request for EAP. The request for an EAP: (1) Alleges that...

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

Science.gov (United States)

Othman, A.; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A.; Ain, M. F.

2015-03-01

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed.

Bigelow Expandable Activity Module Project

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) project is a NASA-industry partnership with Bigelow Aerospace (BA) that has developing the first human-rated expandable...

[Comparison of two access portals of an employee assistance program at an insurance corporation targeted to reduce stress levels of employees].

Science.gov (United States)

Burnus, M; Benner, V; Kirchner, D; Drabik, A; Stock, St

2012-03-01

Support programmes for stress reduction were offered independently in two departments (650 employees in total) of an insurance group. Both departments, referred to as comparison group 1 and 2 (CG1 and CG2), offered an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) featuring individual consultations. The employees were addressed through different channels of communication, such as staff meetings, superiors and email. In CG1, a staff adviser additionally called on all employees at their workplace and showed them a brief relaxing technique in order to raise awareness of stress reduction. By contacting employees personally it was also intended to reduce the inhibition threshold for the following individual talks. In CG2 individual talks were done face-to-face, whereas CG1 used telephone counselling. By using the new access channel with an additional personal contact at the workplace, an above average percentage of employees in CG1 could be motivated to participate in the following talks. The rate of participants was five times as high as in CG1, with lower costs for the consultation in each case.

Revisiting Employee Assistance Programs and Substance Use Problems in the Workplace: Key Issues and a Research Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S.; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M.; McCann, Bernard

2012-01-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda at includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identification; further study of EAPs’ effects on outcomes, such as productivity and work group outcomes; examination of the relationship between EAPs and other workplace resources; further examination of influences on EAP utilization; and development and testing of EAP performance measures. PMID:17914000

From an Appraisal of Iranian ESP Courses to Curriculum Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Khodi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The applicability of second language instruction to various situations including academic settings provides great opportunities for students and researchers to access fresh sources of knowledge. This is extended to the majority of Iranian students receiving courses such as English for Specific Purposes (ESP and English for Academic Purposes (EAP who may not find instruction compatible with their needs and aspirations. The present study intends to provide an insight into the current status of ESP and EAP courses within the Iranian context. To this end, 120 male and female university postgraduate students majoring in various non-English fields were selected and given a survey questionnaire to report on their needs and on the quality of the language courses presented to them. The results of the statistical analysis showed that 44.2 % of students believe that listening comprehension is the most required skill followed by reading, speaking and writing skills at 41.7%, 39.2% and 17% of frequency respectively. Meanwhile, the most satisfying ESP and EAP skills currently presented at universities were found to be listening, speaking and reading, in order of preference. In fact, it seems that the current instructional trend ought to be discontinued or modified in various ways. Finally, a comprehensive analytical analysis of the needs and components of each skill has been provided, discussing the potential of the current research for improving ESP and EAP instruction inside Iran.

Helium turbo-expander with an alternator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Yoshitane

1980-01-01

Study was made on a helium turbo-expander, the heart of helium refrigerator systems, in order to develop a system which satisfies the required conditions. A helium turbo-expander with externally pressurized helium gas bearings at the temperature of liquid nitrogen and an alternator as a brake have been employed. The essential difference between a helium turbo-expander and a nitrogen turbo-expander was clarified. The gas bearing lubricated with nitrogen at room temperature and the gas bearing lubricated with helium at low temperature were tested. The flow rate of helium in a helium refrigerator for a large superconducting magnet is comparatively small, therefore a helium turbine must be small, but the standard for large turbine design can be applied to such small turbine. Using the alternator as a brake, the turbo-expander was easily controllable electrically. The prototype turbo-expander was made, and the liquefaction test with it and MHD power generation test were carried out. (Kako, I.)

Maintenance of access as demand for substance use disorder treatment grows.

Science.gov (United States)

Frakt, Austin B; Trafton, Jodie; Pizer, Steven D

2015-08-01

Due to the Affordable Care Act and other recent laws and regulations, funding for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment is on the rise. In the 2000s, the Veterans Health Administration (VA) implemented several initiatives that increased funding for SUD treatment during a period of growth in demand for it. A key question is whether access to and intensity of treatment kept pace or declined. Using VA SUD treatment funding data and patient-level records to construct performance measures, we studied the relationship between funding and access during the VA expansion. Overall, we observed an increase in access to and intensity of VA SUD care associated with increased funding. The VA was able to increase funding for and expand the population to which it offered SUD treatment without diminishing internal access and intensity. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Materials and Actuators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lenore Rasmussen, David Schramm, Paul Rasmussen, Kevin Mullaly, Ras Labs, LLC, Intelligent Materials for Prosthetics & Automation, Lewis D. Meixler, Daniel Pearlman and Alice Kirk

2011-05-23

Ras Labs produces contractile electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple, and contract (new development) with low electric input. In addition, Ras Labs produces EAP materials that quickly contract and expand, repeatedly, by reversing the polarity of the electric input, which can be cycled. This phenomenon was explored using molecular modeling, followed by experimentation. Applied voltage step functions were also investigated. High voltage steps followed by low voltage steps produced a larger contraction followed by a smaller contraction. Actuator control by simply adjusting the electric input is extremely useful for biomimetic applications. Muscles are able to partially contract. If muscles could only completely contract, nobody could hold an egg, for example, without breaking it. A combination of high and low voltage step functions could produce gross motor function and fine manipulation within the same actuator unit. Plasma treated electrodes with various geometries were investigated as a means of providing for more durable actuation.

Open Access Scholarly Publications as OER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Terry Anderson

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the rationale, common practices, challenges, and some personal anecdotes from a journal editor on the production, use, and re-use of peer-reviewed scholarly articles as open educational resources (OER. The scholarly and professional discourse related to open educational resources has largely focused on open learning objects, courseware, and textbooks. However, especially in graduate education, articles published in scholarly journals are often a major component of the course content in formal education. In addition, open access journal articles are critical to expanding access to knowledge by scholars in the developing world and in fostering citizen science, by which everyone has access to the latest academic information and research results. In this article, I highlight some of the challenges, economic models, and evidence for quality of open access journal content and look at new affordances provided by the Net for enhanced functionality, access, and distribution.In the 17 years since I graduated with a doctorate degree, the climate and acceptance of open access publishing has almost reversed itself. I recall a conversation with my PhD supervisor in which he argued that publishing online was not a viable option as the product would not have permanency, scholarly recognition, or the prestige of a paper publication. His comments reflect the confusion between online resources and those described as open access, but as well illustrate the change in academic acceptance and use of open access products during the past decade. The evolution from paper to online production and consumption is a disruptive technology in which much lower cost and increased accessibility of online work opens the product to a completely new group of potential users. In the case of OER these consumers are primarily students, but certainly access to scholars from all parts of the globe and the availability to support citizen science (Silvertown, 2009

Expanding P450 catalytic reaction space through evolution and engineering

Science.gov (United States)

McIntosh, John A.; Farwell, Christopher C.; Arnold, Frances H.

2014-01-01

Advances in protein and metabolic engineering have led to wider use of enzymes to synthesize important molecules. However, many desirable transformations are not catalyzed by any known enzyme, driving interest in understanding how new enzymes can be created. The cytochrome P450 enzyme family, whose members participate in xenobiotic metabolism and natural products biosynthesis, catalyzes an impressive range of difficult chemical reactions that continues to grow as new enzymes are characterized. Recent work has revealed that P450-derived enzymes can also catalyze useful reactions previously accessible only to synthetic chemistry. The evolution and engineering of these enzymes provides an excellent case study for how to genetically encode new chemistry and expand biology’s reaction space. PMID:24658056

Interactive Exploration for Continuously Expanding Neuron Databases.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhongyu; Metaxas, Dimitris N; Lu, Aidong; Zhang, Shaoting

2017-02-15

This paper proposes a novel framework to help biologists explore and analyze neurons based on retrieval of data from neuron morphological databases. In recent years, the continuously expanding neuron databases provide a rich source of information to associate neuronal morphologies with their functional properties. We design a coarse-to-fine framework for efficient and effective data retrieval from large-scale neuron databases. In the coarse-level, for efficiency in large-scale, we employ a binary coding method to compress morphological features into binary codes of tens of bits. Short binary codes allow for real-time similarity searching in Hamming space. Because the neuron databases are continuously expanding, it is inefficient to re-train the binary coding model from scratch when adding new neurons. To solve this problem, we extend binary coding with online updating schemes, which only considers the newly added neurons and update the model on-the-fly, without accessing the whole neuron databases. In the fine-grained level, we introduce domain experts/users in the framework, which can give relevance feedback for the binary coding based retrieval results. This interactive strategy can improve the retrieval performance through re-ranking the above coarse results, where we design a new similarity measure and take the feedback into account. Our framework is validated on more than 17,000 neuron cells, showing promising retrieval accuracy and efficiency. Moreover, we demonstrate its use case in assisting biologists to identify and explore unknown neurons. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, A.; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A.; Ain, M. F.

2015-01-01

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed

Silicon microfabricated beam expander

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Othman, A., E-mail: aliman@ppinang.uitm.edu.my; Ibrahim, M. N.; Hamzah, I. H.; Sulaiman, A. A. [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Ain, M. F. [School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300,Nibong Tebal, Pulau Pinang (Malaysia)

2015-03-30

The feasibility design and development methods of silicon microfabricated beam expander are described. Silicon bulk micromachining fabrication technology is used in producing features of the structure. A high-precision complex 3-D shape of the expander can be formed by exploiting the predictable anisotropic wet etching characteristics of single-crystal silicon in aqueous Potassium-Hydroxide (KOH) solution. The beam-expander consist of two elements, a micromachined silicon reflector chamber and micro-Fresnel zone plate. The micro-Fresnel element is patterned using lithographic methods. The reflector chamber element has a depth of 40 µm, a diameter of 15 mm and gold-coated surfaces. The impact on the depth, diameter of the chamber and absorption for improved performance are discussed.

Presentation of the paper “Open access repositories as channel of publication scientific grey literature”

OpenAIRE

Ferreras Fernández, Tránsito; García-Peñalvo, Francisco José; Merlo Vega, José Antonio

2015-01-01

This is the presentation of the paper entitled “Open access repositories as channel of publication scientific grey literature” in the TEEM 2015 International Conference held in Porto (Portugal) in October 7-9, 2015. In this paper we describe how the open access repositories are valid channels for the publication of scientific grey literature. Technological development facilitates the communication of scientific knowledge, allowing expand distribution channels and significantly reducing tra...

Employee assistance program services for intimate partner violence and client satisfaction with these services.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollack, Keshia M; McKay, Tasseli; Cumminskey, Chris; Clinton-Sherrod, A Monique; Lindquist, Christine H; Lasater, Beth M; Walters, Jennifer L Hardison; Krotki, Karol; Grisso, Jeane Ann

2010-08-01

To describe intimate partner violence (IPV) services available through employee assistance programs (EAPs) and determine women's satisfaction with these services. A mixed-methods study consisting of semistructured telephone interviews with 28 EAPs about IPV-related services and a national web-based survey of 1765 women regarding their interactions with EAPs when seeking IPV-related assistance. Data were collected in the fall of 2008. EAPs provide fairly extensive services to individuals experiencing IPV. Satisfaction with EAP services for IPV was significantly associated with annual income and the type of help received from the EAP, but not with type of IPV experienced. EAP representatives described challenges with accurately identifying IPV victims and women expressed concerns with confidentiality. Future efforts to enhance the ability of EAPs to respond effectively to IPV should address confidentially and strengthen how IPV-related assistance is delivered.

Enabling innovations in energy access: An African perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agbemabiese, Lawrence; Nkomo, Jabavu; Sokona, Youba

2012-01-01

Conventional energy technologies and deployment approaches cannot be relied upon to eliminate energy poverty in Africa. Innovations in energy access are necessary. Previous attempts at introducing and scaling up innovative solutions do not sufficiently address dynamic and structural determinants of success. This limits their actual performance as scalable drivers of innovations in technology, policy and institutions. Using technological innovation systems theory, we demonstrate a practical approach to assess the sustainability of innovations in energy access, and develop a framework to guide energy policy makers, clean energy entrepreneurs and energy-development researchers. - Highlights: ► Innovative technologies and policies are needed to expand energy access. ► TIS approach can guide the formulation and deployment of sustainable energy innovations. ► Learning by exploring and doing are the keys to entrepreneurial success. ► Lack of infrastructure and institutional frameworks are major barriers to innovations. ► Government intervention is needed to eliminate barriers to innovations.

Impacts of extension access and cooperative membership on technology adoption and household welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

Wossen, Tesfamicheal; Abdoulaye, Tahirou; Alene, Arega; Haile, Mekbib G; Feleke, Shiferaw; Olanrewaju, Adetunji; Manyong, Victor

2017-08-01

This paper examines the impacts of access to extension services and cooperative membership on technology adoption, asset ownership and poverty using household-level data from rural Nigeria. Using different matching techniques and endogenous switching regression approach, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have a positive and statistically significant effect on technology adoption and household welfare. Moreover, we find that both extension access and cooperative membership have heterogeneous impacts. In particular, we find evidence of a positive selection as the average treatment effects of extension access and cooperative membership are higher for farmers with the highest propensity to access extension and cooperative services. The impact of extension services on poverty reduction and of cooperatives on technology adoption is significantly stronger for smallholders with access to formal credit than for those without access. This implies that expanding rural financial markets can maximize the potential positive impacts of extension and cooperative services on farmers' productivity and welfare.

Retrograde Tibiopedal Access as a Bail-Out Procedure for Endovascular Intervention Complications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed Amro

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Retrograde pedal access has been well described in the literature as a secondary approach for limb salvage in critical limb ischemia (CLI patients. In this manuscript we are presenting a case where retrograde tibiopedal access has been used as a bail-out procedure for the management of superficial femoral artery (SFA intervention complications. Procedure/Technique. After development of a perforation while trying to cross the totally occluded mid SFA using the conventional CFA access, we were able to cross the mid SFA lesion after accessing the posterior tibial artery in a retrograde fashion and delivered a self-expanding stent which created a flap that sealed the perforation without the need for covered stent. Conclusion. Retrograde tibiopedal access is a safe and effective approach for delivery of stents from the distal approach and so can be used as a bail-out technique for SFA perforation.

A post-mortem of the Vilnius Summit: not yet a 'Thessaloniki moment' for the Eastern Partnership

OpenAIRE

Kostanyan, Hrant; Blockmans, Steven

2013-01-01

In assessing the third Eastern Partnership (EaP) Summit at Vilnius on November 28-29th, this CEPS Commentary concludes that the event fell far short of its initial ambition to define the geopolitical finalité of EU-EaP relations by projecting a path towards future accession to the EU for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.

Insurance + access not equal to health care: typology of barriers to health care access for low-income families.

Science.gov (United States)

Devoe, Jennifer E; Baez, Alia; Angier, Heather; Krois, Lisa; Edlund, Christine; Carney, Patricia A

2007-01-01

Public health insurance programs have expanded coverage for the poor, and family physicians provide essential services to these vulnerable populations. Despite these efforts, many Americans do not have access to basic medical care. This study was designed to identify barriers faced by low-income parents when accessing health care for their children and how insurance status affects their reporting of these barriers. A mixed methods analysis was undertaken using 722 responses to an open-ended question on a health care access survey instrument that asked low-income Oregon families, "Is there anything else you would like to tell us?" Themes were identified using immersion/crystallization techniques. Pertinent demographic attributes were used to conduct matrix coded queries. Families reported 3 major barriers: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to services, and unaffordable costs. Disproportionate reporting of these themes was most notable based on insurance status. A higher percentage of uninsured parents (87%) reported experiencing difficulties obtaining insurance coverage compared with 40% of those with insurance. Few of the uninsured expressed concerns about access to services or health care costs (19%). Access concerns were the most common among publicly insured families, and costs were more often mentioned by families with private insurance. Families made a clear distinction between insurance and access, and having one or both elements did not assure care. Our analyses uncovered a 3-part typology of barriers to health care for low-income families. Barriers to health care can be insurmountable for low-income families, even those with insurance coverage. Patients who do not seek care in a family medicine clinic are not necessarily getting their care elsewhere.

Approaches used by employee assistance programs to address perpetration of intimate partner violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Jennifer L Hardison; Pollack, Keshia M; Clinton-Sherrod, Monique; Lindquist, Christine H; McKay, Tasseli; Lasater, Beth M

2012-01-01

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are workplace resources available to employees with problems impacting work performance. EAPs are well-positioned to address intimate partner violence (IPV), a major public health problem with workplace impacts. A purposeful sample of 28 EAPs across the United States was surveyed to identify policies and programs to address IPV, including perpetration. Most EAPs did not report having standardized approaches for addressing IPV perpetration. EAPs also described significant barriers to identifying IPV perpetrators, with the majority relying on self-disclosure on the part of the perpetrator when contacting the EAP. These results suggest that many EAPs--even when interacting with employees who present with issues known to correlate with IPV--are missing a potential opportunity to assess and intervene with IPV perpetrators.

Sierra Stars Observatory Network: An Accessible Global Network

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Richard; Beshore, Edward

2011-03-01

The Sierra Stars Observatory Network (SSON) is a unique partnership among professional observatories that provides its users with affordable high-quality calibrated image data. SSON comprises observatories in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and is in the process of expanding to a truly global network capable of covering the entire sky 24 hours a day in the near future. The goal of SSON is to serve the needs of science-based projects and programs. Colleges, universities, institutions, and individuals use SSON for their education and research projects. The mission of SSON is to promote and expand the use of its facilities among the thousands of colleges and schools worldwide that do not have access to professional-quality automated observatory systems to use for astronomy education and research. With appropriate leadership and guidance educators can use SSON to help teach astronomy and do meaningful scientific projects. The relatively small cost of using SSON for this type of work makes it affordable and accessible for educators to start using immediately. Remote observatory services like SSON need to evolve to better support education and research initiatives of colleges, institutions and individual investigators. To meet these needs, SSON is developing a sophisticated interactive scheduling system to integrate among the nodes of the observatory network. This will enable more dynamic observations, including immediate priority interrupts, acquiring moving objects using ephemeris data, and more.

Expander Codes

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 10; Issue 1. Expander Codes - The Sipser–Spielman Construction. Priti Shankar. General Article Volume 10 ... Author Affiliations. Priti Shankar1. Department of Computer Science and Automation, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore 560 012, India.

75 FR 5409 - Interim Final Rules Under the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-02

... use disorder counseling sessions offered through an employee assistance program (EAP). Generally, the provision of mental health or substance use disorder benefits by an EAP in addition to the benefits offered.... However, requiring participants to exhaust the EAP benefits--making the EAP a gatekeeper--before an...

The expanding universe: an introduction

OpenAIRE

Pössel, Markus

2017-01-01

An introduction to the physics and mathematics of the expanding universe, using no more than high-school level / undergraduate mathematics. Covered are the basics of scale factor expansion, the dynamics of the expanding universe, various distance concepts and the generalized redshift-luminosity relation, among other topics.

Direct access to INIS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheludev, I.S.; Romanenko, A.G.

1981-01-01

Librarians, researchers, and information specialists throughout the world now have the opportunity for direct access to coverage of almost 95% of the world's literature dealing with the peaceful uses of atomic energy and nuclear science. This opportunity has been provided by the International Nuclear Information System (INIS) of the IAEA. INIS, with the voluntary collaboration of more than 60 of the Agency's Member States, maintains a comprehensive, computer-resident data-base, containing the bibliographic details plus informative abstracts of the bulk of the world's literature on nuclear science and technology. Since this data-base is growing at a rate of 75,000 items per year, and already contains more than 500,000 items, it is obviously important to be able to search this collection conveniently and efficiently. The usefulness of this ability is enhanced when other data-bases on related subjects are made available on an information network. During the early 1970s, on-line interrogation of large bibliographic data-bases became the accepted method for searching this type of information resource. Direct interaction between the searcher and the data-base provides quick feed-back resulting in improved literature listings for launching research and development projects. On-line access enables organizations which cannot store a large data-base on their own computer to expand the information resources at their command. Because of these advantages, INIS undertook to extend to interested Member States on-line access to its data-base in Vienna

High-Capacity Hybrid Optical Fiber-Wireless Communications Links in Access Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pang, Xiaodan

of broadband services access. To realize the seamless convergence between the two network segments, the lower capacity of wireless systems need to be increased to match the continuously increasing bandwidth of fiber-optic systems. The research works included in this thesis are devoted to experimental...... investigations of photonic-wireless links with record high capacities to fulfill the requirements of next generation hybrid optical fiber-wireless access networks. The main contributions of this thesis have expanded the state-of-the-art in two main areas: high speed millimeter-wave (mm-wave) communication links......Integration between fiber-optic and wireless communications systems in the "last mile" access networks is currently considered as a promising solution for both service providers and users, in terms of minimizing deployment cost, shortening upgrading period and increasing mobility and flexibility...

Levels of substance use and willingness to use the Employee Assistance Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, G Shawn; Lehman, Wayne E K

2003-01-01

Individuals with drinking and drug problems may become particularly reluctant to seek help. To remove barriers to services, more needs to be understood about factors that influence help-seeking decisions. It was hypothesized that certain social psychological influences (attitudes, group cohesion, trust in management) might buffer a reluctance to use services provided by an external Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A random sampling of municipal employees (n = 793) completed anonymous questionnaires that assessed willingness to use the EAP, individual drinking and drug use, attitudes toward policy, work group cohesion, and trust in management. Data from the questionnaires were analyzed with multivariate regression analyses to examine the interacting effects of substance abuse and proposed moderators (gender, race, awareness of the EAP, perceptions of policy, cohesion) on willingness to use the EAP. The results demonstrated that although substance abusers were less willing to use the EAP than were nonusers, substance abusers who were aware of the EAP, who had favorable attitudes toward policy, and who did not tolerate coworker substance abuse were as willing to use the EAP as were nonusers. The results also showed that employees with greater awareness of the EAP, support for policy, and perceptions of work group cohesion reported significantly greater willingness to use the EAP than did employees with relatively less awareness of the EAP, policy support, and cohesion. Workplace prevention efforts that are designed to increase the use of EAP services should intentionally target the workplace environment and social context. Creating the awareness and favorability of the EAP, policy, and work group cohesion might buffer substance abusers' reluctance to seek help.

Environmental Assessment Expanded Ponnequin Wind Energy Project Weld County, Colorado

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

N/A

1999-03-02

The U.S.Department of Energy (DOE) has considered a proposal from the State of Colorado, Office of Energy Conservation (OEC), for funding construction of the Expanded Ponnequin Wind Project in Weld County, Colorado. OEC plans to enter into a contracting arrangement with Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCO) for the completion of these activities. PSCo, along with its subcontractors and business partners, are jointly developing the Expanded Ponnequin Wind Project. DOE completed an environmental assessment of the original proposed project in August 1997. Since then, the geographic scope and the design of the project changed, necessitating additional review of the project under the National Environmental Policy Act. The project now calls for the possible construction of up to 48 wind turbines on State and private lands. PSCo and its partners have initiated construction of the project on private land in Weld County, Colorado. A substation, access road and some wind turbines have been installed. However, to date, DOE has not provided any funding for these activities. DOE, through its Commercialization Ventures Program, has solicited applications for financial assistance from state energy offices, in a teaming arrangement with private-sector organizations, for projects that will accelerate the commercialization of emerging renewable energy technologies. The Commercialization Ventures Program was established by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technology Competitiveness Act of 1989 (P.L. 101-218) as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-486). The Program seeks to assist entry into the marketplace of newly emerging renewable energy technologies, or of innovative applications of existing technologies. In short, an emerging renewable energy technology is one which has already proven viable but which has had little or no operational experience. The Program is managed by the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The

Compact Extensible Authentication Protocol for the Internet of Things: Enabling Scalable and Efficient Security Commissioning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Piotr Pawlowski

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Internet of Things security is one of the most challenging parts of the domain. Combining strong cryptography and lifelong security with highly constrained devices under conditions of limited energy consumption and no maintenance time is extremely difficult task. This paper presents an approach that combines authentication and bootstrapping protocol (TEPANOM with Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP framework optimized for the IEEE 802.15.4 networks. The solution achieves significant reduction of network resource usage. Additionally, by application of EAP header compacting approach, further network usage savings have been reached. The EAP-TEPANOM solution has achieved substantial reduction of 42% in the number of transferred packets and 35% reduction of the transferred data. By application of EAP header compaction, it has been possible to achieve up to 80% smaller EAP header. That comprises further reduction of transferred data for 3.84% for the EAP-TEPANOM method and 10% for the EAP-TLS-ECDSA based methods. The results have placed the EAP-TEPANOM method as one of the most lightweight EAP methods from ones that have been tested throughout this research, making it feasible for large scale deployments scenarios of IoT.

A Rapidly Expanding Bose-Einstein Condensate: An Expanding Universe in the Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Eckel, S.; Kumar, A.; Jacobson, T.; Spielman, I. B.; Campbell, G. K.

2018-04-01

We study the dynamics of a supersonically expanding, ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate both experimentally and theoretically. The expansion redshifts long-wavelength excitations, as in an expanding universe. After expansion, energy in the radial mode leads to the production of bulk topological excitations—solitons and vortices—driving the production of a large number of azimuthal phonons and, at late times, causing stochastic persistent currents. These complex nonlinear dynamics, fueled by the energy stored coherently in one mode, are reminiscent of a type of "preheating" that may have taken place at the end of inflation.

Job Satisfaction among Employee Assistance Professionals: A National Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweeney, Anthony P.; Hohenshil, Thomas H.; Fortune, Jimmie C.

2002-01-01

Study examines job satisfaction in a national sample of employee assistance program (EAP) professionals. Data were collected from 210 EAP professionals through mailed surveys. Results indicate that respondents employed by external EAP organizations were more satisfied with their jobs than those who were employed by internal EAPs. (Contains 20…

Organizational Hierarchy, Employee Status, and Use of Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerstein, Lawrence; And Others

1993-01-01

Examined role of organizational hierarchy and staff status in number of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) referrals made by potential helpers and relationship of these variables to personal EAP use among 157 supervisors and 232 employees. Supervisors suggested more EAP referrals than did employees. Middle level staff received EAP services more…

Adaptation of AMO-FBMC-OQAM in optical access network for accommodating asynchronous multiple access in OFDM-based uplink transmission

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Sun-Young; Jung, Sang-Min; Han, Sang-Kook

2015-01-01

Exponentially expanding various applications in company with proliferation of mobile devices make mobile traffic exploded annually. For future access network, bandwidth efficient and asynchronous signals converged transmission technique is required in optical network to meet a huge bandwidth demand, while integrating various services and satisfying multiple access in perceived network resource. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is highly bandwidth efficient parallel transmission technique based on orthogonal subcarriers. OFDM has been widely studied in wired-/wireless communication and became a Long term evolution (LTE) standard. Consequently, OFDM also has been actively researched in optical network. However, OFDM is vulnerable frequency and phase offset essentially because of its sinc-shaped side lobes, therefore tight synchronism is necessary to maintain orthogonality. Moreover, redundant cyclic prefix (CP) is required in dispersive channel. Additionally, side lobes act as interference among users in multiple access. Thus, it practically hinders from supporting integration of various services and multiple access based on OFDM optical transmission In this paper, adaptively modulated optical filter bank multicarrier system with offset QAM (AMO-FBMC-OQAM) is introduced and experimentally investigated in uplink optical transmission to relax multiple access interference (MAI), while improving bandwidth efficiency. Side lobes are effectively suppressed by using FBMC, therefore the system becomes robust to path difference and imbalance among optical network units (ONUs), which increase bandwidth efficiency by reducing redundancy. In comparison with OFDM, a signal performance and an efficiency of frequency utilization are improved in the same experimental condition. It enables optical network to effectively support heterogeneous services and multiple access.

Steady Impact Factor Growth for MDPI Open Access Journals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Thiesen

2012-09-01

Full Text Available For the past three years MDPI has announced the newly released impact factors for its Open Access journals by the means of an annual editorial [1–3]. In 2012 we are—once again—pleased to report that the growth of the impact factors of MDPI’s Open Access journals continues. This year’s edition of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR, which is published annually by Thomson Reuters, includes 10 journals published by MDPI, including three that have received their first official Impact Factors—International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH, Materials and Nutrients. Table 1 reports the latest Impact Factors for 2011. Figure 1 graphically depicts the evolution of the Impact Factors for four MDPI open access journals that have received Impact Factors in the past. Table 2 reports the ranking of the MDPI journals within the subject categories of the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE.

A Review of Research Methods Used to Examine Employee Assistance Program Delivery Options.

Science.gov (United States)

Csiernik, Rick

1995-01-01

This review of literature on Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) focuses on EAP delivery options. More than half of the 48 studies reviewed used a case study approach. EAPs provided by on-staff professionals were the most frequently discussed delivery option, although this is not the most dominant form of EAP provision. (SLD)

Employee assistance programs: a workplace resource to address intimate partner violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollack, Keshia M; Austin, Whitney; Grisso, Jeane Ann

2010-04-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health problem with significant impact on the workplace. Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are a confidential benefit to assist employees and their families with a variety of problems that may negatively affect their job performance. The purpose of this systematic review is to study the extant literature to identify articles that have explored the role of EAPs in addressing IPV. We searched Medline, PsychINFO, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) for English-language papers that have explored how EAPs can address IPV. Articles published through 2008 were included. Our review yielded nine articles, mostly from EAP-centered journals. Nearly all of the studies were published before the year 2000 and primarily describe the need for EAPs to be more engaged in preventing violence against women. Most of the studies were commentaries, often using case reports to support recommendations on how EAPs could address IPV. Results from the two intervention studies revealed close connections between EAP clients being treated for alcoholism and IPV perpetration and the effectiveness of a standardized tool to identify EAP clients experiencing IPV. Research in this area is in its infancy, and more studies are needed to inform the formulation of evidence-based policies and programs that guide the role of EAPs in addressing IPV. The lack of research on how EAPs address IPV is alarming, as many employers state that they often refer employees affected by IPV to the EAP for assistance.

A Rapidly Expanding Bose-Einstein Condensate: An Expanding Universe in the Lab

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Eckel

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We study the dynamics of a supersonically expanding, ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate both experimentally and theoretically. The expansion redshifts long-wavelength excitations, as in an expanding universe. After expansion, energy in the radial mode leads to the production of bulk topological excitations—solitons and vortices—driving the production of a large number of azimuthal phonons and, at late times, causing stochastic persistent currents. These complex nonlinear dynamics, fueled by the energy stored coherently in one mode, are reminiscent of a type of “preheating” that may have taken place at the end of inflation.

Evaluation of an employee assistance program.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadolski, J N; Sandonato, C E

1987-01-01

The objective of the EAP effectiveness study was to determine the effectiveness of the EAP counseling services. The results demonstrate that employees who received help from the company's EAP subsequently improved their work performance. Although these results cannot be generalized to other EAPs, the results are encouraging and point toward a need for more research in this area.

Electroactive polymer actuators as artificial muscles: are they ready for bioinspired applications?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpi, Federico; Kornbluh, Roy; Sommer-Larsen, Peter; Alici, Gursel

2011-01-01

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators are electrically responsive materials that have several characteristics in common with natural muscles. Thus, they are being studied as 'artificial muscles' for a variety of biomimetic motion applications. EAP materials are commonly classified into two major families: ionic EAPs, activated by an electrically induced transport of ions and/or solvent, and electronic EAPs, activated by electrostatic forces. Although several EAP materials and their properties have been known for many decades, they have found very limited applications. Such a trend has changed recently as a result of an effective synergy of at least three main factors: key scientific breakthroughs being achieved in some of the existing EAP technologies; unprecedented electromechanical properties being discovered in materials previously developed for different purposes; and higher concentration of efforts for industrial exploitation. As an outcome, after several years of basic research, today the EAP field is just starting to undergo transition from academia into commercialization, with significant investments from large companies. This paper presents a brief overview on the full range of EAP actuator types and the most significant areas of interest for applications. It is hoped that this overview can instruct the reader on how EAPs can enable bioinspired motion systems.

HIPAA's Individual Right of Access to Genomic Data: Reconciling Safety and Civil Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Barbara J

2018-01-04

In 2014, the United States granted individuals a right of access to their own laboratory test results, including genomic data. Many observers feel that this right is in tension with regulatory and bioethical standards designed to protect the safety of people who undergo genomic testing. This commentary attributes this tension to growing pains within an expanding federal regulatory program for genetic and genomic testing. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 expanded the regulatory agenda to encompass civil rights and consumer safety. The individual access right, as it applies to genomic data, is best understood as a civil-rights regulation. Competing regulatory objectives-safety and civil rights-were not successfully integrated during the initial rollout of genomic civil-rights regulations after 2008. Federal law clarifies how to prioritize safety and civil rights when the two come into conflict, although with careful policy design, the two need not collide. This commentary opens a dialog about possible solutions to advance safety and civil rights together. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Expanding Universe: Dark Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lincoln, Don [Fermilab; Nord, Brian [Fermilab

2014-09-01

In 1998, observations of distant supernovae led physicists that not only was the universe expanding, but the expansion was speeding up. In this article, we describe the evidence for an expanding universe and describe what physicists and cosmologists have learned in the intervening years. The target audience for this article is high school physics teachers and college physics professors at teaching institutions.

75 FR 80851 - Records Schedules; Availability and Request for Comments

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-23

... Affairs (EAP/P), including press guidance files, speaker biographies, public remarks by EAP officials, and Voice of America editorials submitted to EAP/P for comment. 14. Department of Transportation, Federal...

Design and validation of new genotypic tools for easy and reliable estimation of HIV tropism before using CCR5 antagonists.

Science.gov (United States)

Poveda, Eva; Seclén, Eduardo; González, María del Mar; García, Federico; Chueca, Natalia; Aguilera, Antonio; Rodríguez, Jose Javier; González-Lahoz, Juan; Soriano, Vincent

2009-05-01

Genotypic tools may allow easier and less expensive estimation of HIV tropism before prescription of CCR5 antagonists compared with the Trofile assay (Monogram Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA). Paired genotypic and Trofile results were compared in plasma samples derived from the maraviroc expanded access programme (EAP) in Europe. A new genotypic approach was built to improve the sensitivity to detect X4 variants based on an optimization of the webPSSM algorithm. Then, the new tool was validated in specimens from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial, a multicentre study conducted in Spain to assess the prevalence of R5 variants in treatment-experienced HIV patients. A total of 266 specimens from the maraviroc EAP were tested. Overall geno/pheno concordance was above 72%. A high specificity was generally seen for the detection of X4 variants using genotypic tools (ranging from 58% to 95%), while sensitivity was low (ranging from 31% to 76%). The PSSM score was then optimized to enhance the sensitivity to detect X4 variants changing the original threshold for R5 categorization. The new PSSM algorithms, PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4), considered as X4 all V3 scoring values above -8 or -6.4, respectively, increasing the sensitivity to detect X4 variants up to 80%. The new algorithms were then validated in 148 specimens derived from patients included in the ALLEGRO trial. The sensitivity/specificity to detect X4 variants was 93%/69% for PSSM(X4R5-8) and 93%/70% for PSSM(SINSI-6.4). PSSM(X4R5-8) and PSSM(SINSI-6.4) may confidently assist therapeutic decisions for using CCR5 antagonists in HIV patients, providing an easier and rapid estimation of tropism in clinical samples.

Screw expander for light duty diesel engines

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

Preliminary selection and sizing of a positive displacement screw compressor-expander subsystem for a light-duty adiabatic diesel engine; development of a mathematical model to describe overall efficiencies for the screw compressor and expander; simulation of operation to establish overall efficiency for a range of design parameters and at given engine operating points; simulation to establish potential net power output at light-duty diesel operating points; analytical determination of mass moments of inertia for the rotors and inertia of the compressor-expander subsystem; and preparation of engineering layout drawings of the compressor and expander are discussed. As a result of this work, it was concluded that the screw compressor and expander designed for light-duty diesel engine applications are viable alternatives to turbo-compound systems, with acceptable efficiencies for both units, and only a moderate effect on the transient response.

Open Access Journal Policies: A Systematic Analysis of Radiology Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayan, Anand; Lobner, Katie; Fritz, Jan

2018-02-01

The open access movement has pushed for greater access to scientific knowledge by expanding access to scientific journal articles. There is limited information about the extent to which open access policies have been adopted by radiology journals. We performed a systematic analysis to ascertain the proportion of radiology journals with open access options. A search was performed with the assistance of a clinical informationist. Full and mixed English-language diagnostic and interventional radiology Web of Science journals (impact factors > 1.0) were included. Nuclear medicine, radiation oncology, physics, and solicitation-only journals were excluded. Primary outcome was open access option (yes or no) with additional outcomes including presence or absence of embargo, complete or partial copyright transfer, publication fees, and self-archiving policies. Secondary outcomes included journal citations, journal impact factors, immediacy, Eigenfactor, and article influence scores. Independent double readings were performed with differences resolved by consensus, supplemented by contacting editorial staff at each journal. In all, 125 journals were identified; review yielded 49 journals (39%, mean impact factor of 2.61). Thirty-six of the journals had open access options (73.4%), and four journals were exclusively open access (8.2%). Twelve-month embargoes were most commonly cited (90.6%) with 28.6% of journals stating that they did not require a complete transfer of copyright. Prices for open access options ranged from $750 to $4,000 (median $3,000). No statistically significant differences were found in journal impact measures comparing journals with open access options to journals without open access options. Diagnostic and interventional radiology journals have widely adopted open access options with a few radiology journals being exclusively open access. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AccessMedicine – eine perfekte Lernunterlage für das Medizinstudium / AccessMedicine – a perfect learning aid for the medical curriculum (Product Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schmalstieg, Burhard

2008-09-01

Full Text Available AccessMedicine (http://www.accessmedicine.com/features.aspx is an innovative online resource that provides students, residents, clinicians, researchers, and other health professionals with access to more than 50 medical book titles, updated content, thousands of photos and illustrations, interactive self-assessment, case files, diagnostic tools, a comprehensive search platform, and the possibility to download content to mobile devices. Updated frequently and expanded continuously, AccessMedicine provides fast and direct access to the information necessary for completing evaluations, diagnoses and case management decisions, as well as pursuing research or medical education. The newly designed homepage reflects the diversity of AccessMedicine users, allowing individuals to customize their own view of the site through their personal profile. Now users can decide whether they prefer a rich view of available features, a comprehensive list of McGraw-Hill's leading medical textbooks or a powerful advanced search interface as their homepage with a top-level tabbed navigation, semantic search engine, and recent updates and enhancements available on all views. Following an interview with university professor Dr. Richard März from the Medical University Vienna, department for Research and International Relations and Special Unit for Medical Education. Interview was carried out by Mr. Burkhard Schmalstieg, Senior Sales Executive for McGraw-Hill.

Factors that influence the use and perceptions of employee assistance programs at six worksites.

Science.gov (United States)

French, M T; Dunlap, L J; Roman, P M; Steele, P D

1997-10-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) have gained significant importance in contemporary worksites. This article uses data from 6 case studies to examine several research questions regarding the relationship between worker demographic (e.g., gender, job tenure, and marital status), substance use, and workplace policies and the actual and potential use of the company EAP. Unlike in most of the existing literature, the authors did not find that gender, marital status, or job dissatisfaction are statistically related to actual or potential EAP use at most worksites. However, job tenure and some substance use behaviors were related to actual EAP use in a positive and statistically significant way. Another important finding, underlying the credible integration of EAPs into worksite culture, is the positive and robust relationship between employee trust and confidence in the EAP and actual use. The results of our study both reinforce some long-established principles in the EAP field and encourage further consideration of other beliefs.

Expanding the enzyme universe: accessing non-natural reactions by mechanism-guided directed evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Renata, Hans; Wang, Z Jane; Arnold, Frances H

2015-03-09

High selectivity and exquisite control over the outcome of reactions entice chemists to use biocatalysts in organic synthesis. However, many useful reactions are not accessible because they are not in nature's known repertoire. In this Review, we outline an evolutionary approach to engineering enzymes to catalyze reactions not found in nature. We begin with examples of how nature has discovered new catalytic functions and how such evolutionary progression has been recapitulated in the laboratory starting from extant enzymes. We then examine non-native enzyme activities that have been exploited for chemical synthesis, with an emphasis on reactions that do not have natural counterparts. Non-natural activities can be improved by directed evolution, thus mimicking the process used by nature to create new catalysts. Finally, we describe the discovery of non-native catalytic functions that may provide future opportunities for the expansion of the enzyme universe. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Characterization of Sugar Concentration Among Edible Podded Accessions in the USDA Phaseolus vulgaris Germplasm Collection

Science.gov (United States)

The objective is to gain knowledge regarding variation in sugar and flavor content among a sample of dry bean and green pod-type accessions from the USDA Phaseolus Germplasm Core Collection, Pullman, WA. The results could be used to market product quality and offer unique opportunities to expand ma...

The impact of employee assistance services on workplace outcomes: Results of a prospective, quasi-experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, Melissa K; Pampel, Fred C; Wood, Randi C; Nunes, Ana P

2017-04-01

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) are widely used to help employees experiencing personal or work-related difficulties that impact work productivity. However, rigorous research on the effectiveness of programs to improve work-related outcomes is lacking. The current study represents a major advance in EAP research by using a prospective, quasi-experimental design with a large and diverse employee base. Using propensity scores calculated from demographic, social, work-related, and psychological variables collected on baseline surveys, we matched 156 employees receiving EAP to 188 non-EAP employees. Follow-up surveys were collected from 2 to 12 months post-baseline (M = 6.0). At follow-up, EAP employees had significantly greater reductions in absenteeism (b = -.596, p = .001) and presenteeism (b = -.217, p = .038), but not workplace distress (b = -.079, p = .448), than did non-EAP employees. Tests of moderation of baseline alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and productivity indicate that for the most part, the program works equally well for all groups. However, EAP did more to reduce absenteeism for those who began with lower severity of depression and anxiety at baseline. Results provide the scientific rigor needed to demonstrate EAP impact on improved work outcomes. In the first study of its kind, findings confirm the value of EAPs to help employees address personal and work-related concerns that are affecting job performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Employee assistance program services for alcohol and other drug problems: implications for increased identification and engagement in treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Jodi M; Sacco, Paul

2012-01-01

Fourteen million U.S. workers meet the diagnostic criteria for substance dependence, costing millions in lost productivity. Prior research suggests that employees who follow through with their Employee Assistance Program's (EAP) recommendations are more likely to participate and remain engaged in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment programs. This study identified rates of lifetime EAP service use for AOD problems and compared adults who reported using EAP services for AOD problems with those who used services other than EAP. Researchers analyzed a subset of participants from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions who reported having received help for an AOD problem (NESARC, 2001-2002). Statistical analyses tested for differences in sociodemographic variables, lifetime mental health and substance abuse disorders, and health disability between EAP services users and users of other types of services. Among adults who sought services for AOD problems (n= 2,272), 7.58% (n= 166) reported using EAP services for these problems at some point during their lives. Major depressive disorder (lifetime), a drug use disorder (lifetime), and Black race/ethnicity were associated with a greater likelihood that someone would seek EAP services for help with their AOD problem. Results provide a foundation for researchers to understand who uses EAP services for AOD problems. Health and mental health professionals should increase their knowledge of EAP services to improve continuity of care for employees with AOD problems. EAPs are in a unique position to reach out to vulnerable employees in the workplace and engage them in treatment. Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Employed women with alcohol problems who seek help from employee assistance programs. Description and comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Blum, T C; Roman, P M; Harwood, E M

1995-01-01

After a brief description of employee assistance programs (EAP), we present data collected from 6,400 employees from 84 worksites who used the services of EAPs, a portion of whom were assessed by the EAP as having alcohol-related problems and/or received scores on the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) indicative of a potential alcohol-related problem. In addition, data were collected at intake from the EAP administrators, and employment status of the employee clients was assessed 18 to 24 months later. These data indicate that EAPs are effective in sustaining the employment of most women with alcohol-related problems who seek services from EAPs and that EAPs' goal of early intervention is especially realized among women with alcohol problems. Other conclusions include: women with alcohol problems do not enter EAPs through routes that are strikingly different from those of men; many of the gender differences that are revealed are associated with job status differences; employed women with alcohol problems are detached from nuclear families, with markedly low rates of current marriage; even when married, spouses are less likely to play a role in the referral of women with alcohol problems than the spouses of the men; and, there is no clear indication that women are the target of any form of discrimination in the process of EAP utilization. However, women are considerably more likely to have less adequate insurance coverage, according to the EAP administrators' assessment reported at client intake, than their male counterparts, leading to treatment choices that may be less than appropriate.

Revisiting Employee Assistance Programs and Substance Use Problems in the Workplace: Key Issues and a Research Agenda

OpenAIRE

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S.; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M.; McCann, Bernard

2007-01-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda at includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identificatio...

Employee assistance programs: a worldwide perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, K M; O'Donnell, W J; Bennett, A A; von Vietinghoff-Scheel, K

1997-08-01

Once limited to U.S. corporations, employee assistance programs (EAPs) are now spreading around the world. The authors review global EAP trends and identify similarities and differences among EAPs in North America, Europe, Central and South America, the Asia-Pacific region, and the Caribbean. Through affiliations between international professional associations and services to multinational corporations, the EAP field is quietly creating globalized behavioral health services.

Integration of mental health resources in a primary care setting leads to increased provider satisfaction and patient access.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickers, Kristin S; Ridgeway, Jennifer L; Hathaway, Julie C; Egginton, Jason S; Kaderlik, Angela B; Katzelnick, David J

2013-01-01

This evaluation assessed the opinions and experiences of primary care providers and their support staff before and after implementation of expanded on-site mental health services and related system changes in a primary care clinic. Individual semistructured interviews, which contained a combination of open-ended questions and rating scales, were used to elicit opinions about mental health services before on-site system and resource changes occurred and repeated following changes that were intended to improve access to on-site mental health care. In the first set of interviews, prior to expanding mental health services, primary care providers and support staff were generally dissatisfied with the availability and scheduling of on-site mental health care. Patients were often referred outside the primary care clinic for mental health treatment, to the detriment of communication and coordinated care. Follow-up interviews conducted after expansion of mental health services, scheduling refinements and other system changes revealed improved provider satisfaction in treatment access and coordination of care. Providers appreciated immediate and on-site social worker availability to triage mental health needs and help access care, and on-site treatment was viewed as important for remaining informed about patient care the primary care providers are not delivering directly. Expanding integrated mental health services resulted in increased staff and provider satisfaction. Our evaluation identified key components of satisfaction, including on-site collaboration and assistance triaging patient needs. The sustainability of integrated models of care requires additional study. © 2013.

Open Educational Resources and the Opportunities for Expanding Open and Distance Learning (OERS-ODL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jameson Mbale

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Distance learning (DL was a teaching modality which utilized technology to deliver teaching to students who were not physically present such as in a traditional classroom setting. DL was not constrained by geographic considerations and therefore offered unique opportunities to expand educational access. The University of Namibia (UNAM and International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH partnered to examine DL at UNAM, to assess strengths and weaknesses, and to make recommendations for improvement. The primary method used in this assessment was interviews with staff at centers and units engaged in Distance Learning at UNAM. It was analyzed how interactions vary between instructor and learner, among learners, and between learners and learning resources. DL at UNAM was categorized into five approaches including: 1 Outreach, 2 Print-based, 3 Computer based, 4 Internet-based, and 5 Digital Video Conferencing (DVC. All-in-all, a strategy of “starting small” was envisaged to allow individual instructors to voluntarily use collaborative software such as Google Groups to enhance print-based instruction and progressively expand DL at UNAM.

A-coupled-expanding and distributional chaos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Cholsan; Ju, Hyonhui; Chen, Minghao; Raith, Peter

2015-01-01

The concept of A-coupled-expanding maps is one of the more natural and useful ideas generalized from the horseshoe map which is commonly known as a criterion of chaos. It is well known that distributional chaos is one of the concepts which reflect strong chaotic behavior. In this paper, we focus on the relationship between A-coupled-expanding and distributional chaos. We prove two theorems which give sufficient conditions for a strictly A-coupled-expanding map to be distributionally chaotic in the senses of two kinds, where A is an m × m irreducible transition matrix

Employee assistance programs: an employer's guide to emerging liability issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Parliman, G C; Edwards, E L

1992-01-01

Increasing numbers of employers are implementing employee assistance programs (EAPs) designed to assist employees with personal issues that affect their work performance. Studies show that EAPs can dramatically increase employee productivity, but the benefits from EAPs have been accompanied by a less welcome development: lawsuits filed against employers by employees who allege that they suffered harm in the course of obtaining services through their employers' EAPs. Although the potential for liability will always exist, the employer that adheres to certain guidelines will be able to minimize its risk and make its EAP well worth the investment.

Energy harvesting with Di-Electro Active Polymers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Due, Jens; Munk-Nielsen, Stig; Nielsen, Rasmus Ørndrup

2010-01-01

This article presents a way of using Di-Electro Active Polymers (D-EAPs) for harvesting mechanical energy sources. The article describes the basics of energy harvesting with D-EAPs, and an electrical model of a D-EAP is suggested. This leads to a converter design which is able to extract...... the electrical energy harvested by the D-EAP. This converter is simulated and realized. Through experimental results both the model of the DEAP and the converter are verified. It is found that it is possible to harvest energy with a D-EAP and build a converter that can extract the harvested energy....

Employee assistance programs in the new millennium.

Science.gov (United States)

Masi, Dale A

2005-01-01

This article presents an overall view of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). Beginning with the history, this article describes various models and essential ingredients of EAPs. It then discusses current trends including integration with Work/Life, web-based services, EAP accreditation, and the growth of international programs. Several issues are discussed including the need for licensing done nationally rather than by states and the effect the lack of substance abuse and brief counseling education has had on the delivery of EAP services. Future directions for EAPs emphasize the importance of quality assurance and the development of performance measurements, performance guarantees, and outcome measurements. The formation of the Alliance for Employee Assistance Advancement, an organization of organizations, completes the description and shows a new direction for EAPs in the next millennium.

The role of tablets in accessing information throughout undergraduate medical education in Botswana.

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Rachel E; Kebaetse, Masego B; Holmes, John H; Littman-Quinn, Ryan; Ketshogileng, Dineo; Antwi, Cynthia; Kovarik, Carrie; Nkomazana, Oathokwa

2016-04-01

Mobile learning (mLearning) uses wireless networks and mobile devices to expand physician trainees' and healthcare providers' access to and exchange of medical information. Opportunities to increase implementation and expand use of mobile devices to support health care information access and delivery in Africa are vast, but the rapid growth of mLearning has caused project implementation to outpace objective measurement of impact. This study makes a contribution to the existing body of literature regarding mLearning implementation in Africa through its focus on the use of smart devices (tablets) in undergraduate medical education and medical students' perceptions of the effects on their learning environment. The population of this prospective mixed-methods study consisted of 82 undergraduate medical students (45 third year and 37 fourth year) at the University of Botswana Faculty of Medicine. They received tablets in the earliest phase of the mLearning project implementation (between November 2012 and January 2013), when they were in the third and fourth year of their medical training. Usage of the tablets was assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively, through both application usage tracking and focus groups. Based on application usage data and coding and analysis of focus group discussions, undergraduate medical students indicated that tablets were useful in their medical education, allowing them continual access to information and opportunities for communication. Participants noted that the primary barrier to use of tablets was the lack of mobile cellular Internet beyond the Wi-Fi zones at the training sites. Moreover, participants offered suggestions for improvements to the implementation process. Even in resource-limited settings where Internet access can be unreliable and intermittent, the adoption of tablets can have benefits to medical education by providing consistent access to extensive and current medical information resources. This study highlights

Stability of expanded plasma focus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soliman, H.M.

1994-01-01

In this study, the stabilization of the expanded plasma focus formed by 4.5 kJ plasma focus device of Mather type by magnetic field is presented. The experimental results of the induced axial magnetic field and electric probe measurements of the expanded plasma focus show that, the plasma consists of three plasmoids, electron temperature measurements off the plasmoids at a point close to the muzzle are 26 eV, 30 eV and 27 eV respectively and the electron densities are 6.6 x 10 14 , 6.1 x 10 14 / cm 3 respectively. The presence of external axial magnetic field (B 2 = 1.6 kg) at the mid distance between the breech and the muzzle has a less effect on the stability of expanded focus and it causes a restriction for the plasma motion. the electron temperature of the three plasmoids are found to increase in that case by 23%, 18.5% respectively. When this axial magnetic field is applied at the muzzle end, it leads to a more stable expanded plasma focus which consists mainly of one plasmoid with electron temperature of 39 eV and density of 3.4 x 10 14 / cm 3 . 5 figs

The ARAC client system: network-based access to ARAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leach, M J; Sumikawa, D; Webster, C

1999-01-01

The ARAC Client System allows users (such as emergency managers and first responders) with commonly available desktop and laptop computers to utilize the central ARAC system over the Internet or any other communications link using Internet protocols. Providing cost-effective fast access to the central ARAC system greatly expands the availability of the ARAC capability. The ARAC Client system consists of (1) local client applications running on the remote user's computer, and (2) ''site servers'' that provide secure access to selected central ARAC system capabilities and run on a scalable number of dedicated workstations residing at the central facility. The remote client applications allow users to describe a real or potential them-bio event, electronically sends this information to the central ARAC system which performs model calculations, and quickly receive and visualize the resulting graphical products. The site servers will support simultaneous access to ARAC capabilities by multiple users. The ARAC Client system is based on object-oriented client/server and distributed computing technologies using CORBA and Java, and consists of a large number of interacting components

Expanding/Extending English: Interdisciplinarity and Internationalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleishman, Avrom

1994-01-01

Discusses the recent efforts to expand literary studies into numerous allied fields and the possible effects that such attempts toward interdisciplinarity and internationalism might have. Warns against possible negative consequences of interdisciplinary approaches. Calls for an expanded view of English as a field of study. (HB)

Patterns of Student Enrolment and Attrition in Australian Open Access Online Education: A Preliminary Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Greenland, Steven J.; Moore, Catherine

2014-01-01

Swinburne University of Technology has experienced tremendous growth in open access online learning and as such is typical of the many Australian institutions that have ventured into online tertiary education. While research in online education continues to expand, comparatively little investigates students' enrolment and attrition. This research…

Geothermal ORC Systems Using Large Screw Expanders

OpenAIRE

Biederman, Tim R.; Brasz, Joost J.

2014-01-01

Geothermal ORC Systems using Large Screw Expanders Tim Biederman Cyrq Energy Abstract This paper describes a low-temperature Organic Rankine Cycle Power Recovery system with a screw expander a derivative of developed of Kaishan's line of screw compressors, as its power unit. The screw expander design is a modified version of its existing refrigeration compressor used on water-cooled chillers. Starting the ORC development program with existing refrigeration screw compre...

Data Rescue in Collaboration with Federal Open Access Efforts

Science.gov (United States)

Avila, R.

2017-12-01

The recent calls to rescue scientific data is a real opportunity to collaborate with federal agencies which have been spending years managing research data and making it secure. The 2013 memos from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Office of Management and Budget have spurred innovation across federal agencies to make publicly funded data accessible. Now is the time for stakeholders to take advantage of the groundwork laid by federal government, support the work to expand data sharing, thereby encouraging open science.

Factors leading to tracheobronchial self-expandable metallic stent fracture.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Fu-Tsai; Lin, Shu-Min; Chen, Hao-Cheng; Chou, Chun-Liang; Yu, Chih-Teng; Liu, Chien-Ying; Wang, Chun-Hua; Lin, Horng-Chyuan; Huang, Chien-Da; Kuo, Han-Pin

2008-11-01

This retrospective study was to determine factors that contribute to self-expandable metallic stent fracture in patients with tracheobronchial disease. From 2001 to 2006, 139 patients (age, 62.1 +/- 15.4 years; range, 23-87 years) with benign (n = 62) and malignant (n = 77) tracheobronchial disease received 192 Ultraflex (Boston Scientific, Natick, Mass) self-expandable metallic stents (98 in patients with benign disease and 94 in patients with malignant disease). Seventeen fractured self-expandable metallic stents were found; the incidence was 12.2% (17/139 patients) among patients with tracheobronchial disease. Tortuous airway (odds ratio, 4.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-18.34; P = .04) independently predicted self-expandable metallic stent fracture. Most self-expandable metallic stent fractures (64.7%, 11/17) were detected 500 to 1000 days after self-expandable metallic stent implantation. Clinical presentations for patients with fractured self-expandable metallic stents included dyspnea exacerbation (70.6%, 12/17) and cough (23.5%, 4/17). Self-expandable metallic stent fracture is not uncommon in patients with tracheobronchial disease. Tortuous airway is an independent predictor for it. Although management of the fractured self-expandable metallic stent in our study was feasible and safe, self-expandable metallic stents should be restricted to a more select population.

Neutrinos in an expanding Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wigmans, Richard

2015-01-01

The Universe contains several billion neutrinos for each nucleon. In this paper, we follow the history of these relic neutrinos as the Universe expanded. At present, their typical velocity is a few hundred km/s and, therefore, their spectra are affected by gravitational forces. This may have led to a phenomenon that could explain two of todays great mysteries: The large-scale structure of the Universe and the increasing rate at which it expands. (paper)

Expanding Notions of Digital Access: Parents' Negotiation of School-Based Technology Initiatives in New Immigrant Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Noguerón-Liu, Silvia

2017-01-01

Initiatives to integrate technology in schools are continuously increasing, with efforts to bridge the "homework gap" and provide technology access in low-income households. However, it is critical to include nondominant parents in technology adoption decisions in order to avoid mirroring past patterns of inequality in home-school…

Free-piston reciprocating cryogenic expander utilizing phase controller

Science.gov (United States)

Cha, Jeongmin; Park, Jiho; Kim, Kyungjoong; Jeong, Sangkwon

2017-02-01

In a free-piston expander which eliminates mechanical linkages, a prescribed behaviour of the free-piston movement is the key to an expander performance. In this paper, we have proposed an idea of reducing complexity of the free-piston expander. It is to replace both multiple solenoid valves and reservoirs that are indispensable in a previous machine with a combination of a single orifice-reservoir assembly. It functions as a phase controller like that of a pulse tube refrigerator so that it generates time-delay of pressure variation between the warm-end and the reservoir resulting in the intended expansion of the cold-end volume down to the pre-set reservoir pressure. The modeling of this unique free-piston reciprocating expander utilizing phase controller is developed to understand and predict the performance of the new-type expander. Additionally, the operating parameters are analysed at the specified conditions to enable one to develop a more efficient free-piston type cryogenic expander.

Action potential propagation recorded from single axonal arbors using multi-electrode arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Tovar, Kenneth R; Bridges, Daniel C; Wu, Bian; Randall, Connor; Audouard, Morgane; Jang, Jiwon; Hansma, Paul K; Kosik, Kenneth S

2018-04-11

We report the presence of co-occurring extracellular action potentials (eAPs) from cultured mouse hippocampal neurons among groups of planar electrodes on multi-electrode arrays (MEAs). The invariant sequences of eAPs among co-active electrode groups, repeated co-occurrences and short inter-electrode latencies are consistent with action potential propagation in unmyelinated axons. Repeated eAP co-detection by multiple electrodes was widespread in all our data records. Co-detection of eAPs confirms they result from the same neuron and allows these eAPs to be isolated from all other spikes independently of spike sorting algorithms. We averaged co-occurring events and revealed additional electrodes with eAPs that would otherwise be below detection threshold. We used these eAP cohorts to explore the temperature sensitivity of action potential propagation and the relationship between voltage-gated sodium channel density and propagation velocity. The sequence of eAPs among co-active electrodes 'fingerprints' neurons giving rise to these events and identifies them within neuronal ensembles. We used this property and the non-invasive nature of extracellular recording to monitor changes in excitability at multiple points in single axonal arbors simultaneously over several hours, demonstrating independence of axonal segments. Over several weeks, we recorded changes in inter-electrode propagation latencies and ongoing changes in excitability in different regions of single axonal arbors. Our work illustrates how repeated eAP co-occurrences can be used to extract physiological data from single axons with low electrode density MEAs. However, repeated eAP co-occurrences leads to over-sampling spikes from single neurons and thus can confound traditional spike-train analysis.

Enhancing Ocean Research Data Access

Science.gov (United States)

Chandler, Cynthia; Groman, Robert; Shepherd, Adam; Allison, Molly; Arko, Robert; Chen, Yu; Fox, Peter; Glover, David; Hitzler, Pascal; Leadbetter, Adam; Narock, Thomas; West, Patrick; Wiebe, Peter

2014-05-01

The Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO) works in partnership with ocean science investigators to publish data from research projects funded by the Biological and Chemical Oceanography Sections and the Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Organisms & Ecosystems Program at the U.S. National Science Foundation. Since 2006, researchers have been contributing data to the BCO-DMO data system, and it has developed into a rich repository of data from ocean, coastal and Great Lakes research programs. While the ultimate goal of the BCO-DMO is to ensure preservation of NSF funded project data and to provide open access to those data, achievement of those goals is attained through a series of related phases that benefits from active collaboration and cooperation with a large community of research scientists as well as curators of data and information at complementary data repositories. The BCO-DMO is just one of many intermediate data management centers created to facilitate long-term preservation of data and improve access to ocean research data. Through partnerships with other data management professionals and active involvement in local and global initiatives, BCO-DMO staff members are working to enhance access to ocean research data available from the online BCO-DMO data system. Continuing efforts in use of controlled vocabulary terms, development of ontology design patterns and publication of content as Linked Open Data are contributing to improved discovery and availability of BCO-DMO curated data and increased interoperability of related content available from distributed repositories. We will demonstrate how Semantic Web technologies (e.g. RDF/XML, SKOS, OWL and SPARQL) have been integrated into BCO-DMO data access and delivery systems to better serve the ocean research community and to contribute to an expanding global knowledge network.

Information Management and Employee Assistance Program Imperatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Bickerton, Richard

1987-01-01

The ALMACA Clearinghouse for Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Information collects and disseminates EAP-specific data to provide subscribers with information to maintain their own competence and to improve upon the understanding and use of EAP practices and procedures. (JOW)

Theoretical Study on Nano-Catalyst Burn Rate

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-26

the adsorbed system EAP +surface and the adsorption state, with a positive value of Eads being thermodynamically favorable: Eads = (Esurface + EAP ... EAP +surface, (1) The interaction between the TiO2 surfaces and the AP molecules has been analyzed by

U.S. physicians' views on financing options to expand health insurance coverage: a national survey.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Danny; Woolhandler, Steffie; Bose-Kolanu, Anjali; Germann, Antonio; Bor, David H; Himmelstein, David U

2009-04-01

Physician opinion can influence the prospects for health care reform, yet there are few recent data on physician views on reform proposals or access to medical care in the United States. To assess physician views on financing options for expanding health care coverage and on access to health care. Nationally representative mail survey conducted between March 2007 and October 2007 of U.S. physicians engaged in direct patient care. Rated support for reform options including financial incentives to induce individuals to purchase health insurance and single-payer national health insurance; rated views of several dimensions of access to care. 1,675 of 3,300 physicians responded (50.8%). Only 9% of physicians preferred the current employer-based financing system. Forty-nine percent favored either tax incentives or penalties to encourage the purchase of medical insurance, and 42% preferred a government-run, taxpayer-financed single-payer national health insurance program. The majority of respondents believed that all Americans should receive needed medical care regardless of ability to pay (89%); 33% believed that the uninsured currently have access to needed care. Nearly one fifth of respondents (19.3%) believed that even the insured lack access to needed care. Views about access were independently associated with support for single-payer national health insurance. The vast majority of physicians surveyed supported a change in the health care financing system. While a plurality support the use of financial incentives, a substantial proportion support single payer national health insurance. These findings challenge the perception that fundamental restructuring of the U.S. health care financing system receives little acceptance by physicians.

New generation expandable sand screens

OpenAIRE

Syltøy, Christer

2014-01-01

Master's thesis in Petroleum engineering This thesis aims to give a general insight into sand control and various sorts of sand control measures and applications of sand control tools. Special focus will be given to expandable sand screens – a technology which came about in the late 1990’s through the use of flexible, expandable tubulars as base pipe in sand screens. More specifically Darcy’s Hydraulic Endurance Screens, a compliant sand screen system using hydraulic activation, and the fu...

Barriers to electronic access and delivery of educational information in resource constrained public schools: a case of Greater Tubatse Municipality

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Pholotho, T

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are capable of expanding access to quality education, educational resources and provide teachers with new skills. Nevertheless, a majority of rural public schools have limited ICTs, mainly due...

Medicaid expansion and access to care among cancer survivors: a baseline overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarazi, Wafa W; Bradley, Cathy J; Harless, David W; Bear, Harry D; Sabik, Lindsay M

2016-06-01

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act facilitates access to care among vulnerable populations, but 21 states have not yet expanded the program. Medicaid expansions may provide increased access to care for cancer survivors, a growing population with chronic conditions. We compare access to health care services among cancer survivors living in non-expansion states to those living in expansion states, prior to Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. We use the 2012 and 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to estimate multiple logistic regression models to compare inability to see a doctor because of cost, having a personal doctor, and receiving an annual checkup in the past year between cancer survivors who lived in non-expansion states and survivors who lived in expansion states. Cancer survivors in non-expansion states had statistically significantly lower odds of having a personal doctor (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.76, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.63-0.92, p Medicaid could potentially leave many cancer survivors with limited access to routine care. Existing disparities in access to care are likely to widen between cancer survivors in Medicaid non-expansion and expansion states.

The effects of mandatory health insurance on equity in access to outpatient care in Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hidayat, Budi; Thabrany, Hasbullah; Dong, Hengjin; Sauerborn, Rainer

2004-09-01

This paper examines the effects of mandatory health insurance on access and equity in access to public and private outpatient care in Indonesia. Data from the second round of the 1997 Indonesian Family Life Survey were used. We adopted the concentration index as a measure of equity, and this was calculated from actual data and from predicted probability of outpatient-care use saved from a multinomial logit regression. The study found that a mandatory insurance scheme for civil servants (Askes) had a strongly positive impact on access to public outpatient care, while a mandatory insurance scheme for private employees (Jamsostek) had a positive impact on access to both public and private outpatient care. The greatest effects of Jamsostek were observed amongst poor beneficiaries. A substantial increase in access will be gained by expanding insurance to the whole population. However, neither Askes nor Jamsostek had a positive impact on equity. Policy implications are discussed.

Open DOAR the Directory of Open Access Repositories

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2005-01-01

The last year has seen wide-spread growth in the idea of using open access repositories as a part of a research institution's accepted infrastructure. Policy development from institutions and funding bodies has also supported the growth of the repository network. The next stage of expansion will be in the provision of services and cross-repository facilities and resources. Of course, it is hoped that these will then establish a feed-back loop to encourage repository population and further repository establishment, as the potential of open access to research materials is realised. The growth of repositories has been organic, with a variety of different repositories based in departments, institutions, funding agencies or subject communities, with a range of content, both in type and subject. Existing repositories are expanding their holdings, from eprints to associated research data-sets, or with learning objects and multimedia material. This presentation will look at the development of the Directory of Open Ac...

Understanding access to healthcare among Indigenous peoples: A comparative analysis of biomedical and postcolonial perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Horrill, Tara; McMillan, Diana E; Schultz, Annette S H; Thompson, Genevieve

2018-03-25

As nursing professionals, we believe access to healthcare is fundamental to health and that it is a determinant of health. Therefore, evidence suggesting access to healthcare is problematic for many Indigenous peoples is concerning. While biomedical perspectives underlie our current understanding of access, considering alternate perspectives could expand our awareness of and ability to address this issue. In this paper, we critique how access to healthcare is understood through a biomedical lens, how a postcolonial theoretical lens can extend that understanding, and the subsequent implications this alternative view raises for the nursing profession. Drawing on peer-reviewed published and gray literature concerning healthcare access and Indigenous peoples to inform this critique, we focus on the underlying theoretical lens shaping our current understanding of access. A postcolonial analysis provides a way of understanding healthcare as a social space and social relationship, presenting a unique perspective on access to healthcare. The novelty of this finding is of particular importance for the profession of nursing, as we are well situated to influence these social aspects, improving access to healthcare services broadly, and among Indigenous peoples specifically. © 2018 The Authors Nursing Inquiry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

EDITORIAL: Electroactive polymer materials

Science.gov (United States)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Kim, Kwang J.; Ryeol Choi, Hyouk; Madden, John D. W.

2007-04-01

Imitating nature's mechanisms offers enormous potential for the improvement of our lives and the tools we use. This field of the study and imitation of, and inspiration from, nature's methods, designs and processes is known as biomimetics. Artificial muscles, i.e. electroactive polymers (EAPs), are one of the emerging technologies enabling biomimetics. Polymers that can be stimulated to change shape or size have been known for many years. The activation mechanisms of such polymers include electrical, chemical, pneumatic, optical and magnetic. Electrical excitation is one of the most attractive stimulators able to produce elastic deformation in polymers. The convenience and practicality of electrical stimulation and the continual improvement in capabilities make EAP materials some of the most attractive among activatable polymers (Bar-Cohen Y (ed) 2004 Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuators as Artificial Muscles—Reality, Potential and Challenges 2nd edn, vol PM136 (Bellingham, WA: SPIE Press) pp 1-765). As polymers, EAP materials offer many appealing characteristics that include low weight, fracture tolerance and pliability. Furthermore, they can be configured into almost any conceivable shape and their properties can be tailored to suit a broad range of requirements. These capabilities and the significant change of shape or size under electrical stimulation while being able to endure many cycles of actuation are inspiring many potential possibilities for EAP materials among engineers and scientists in many different disciplines. Practitioners in biomimetics are particularly excited about these materials since they can be used to mimic the movements of animals and insects. Potentially, mechanisms actuated by EAPs will enable engineers to create devices previously imaginable only in science fiction. For many years EAP materials received relatively little attention due to their poor actuation capability and the small number of available materials. In the last fifteen

Preparing marriage and family therapy students to become employee assistance professionals*.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, T A; Salts, C J; Smith, C W

1989-10-01

While the number of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) has grown tremendously, opportunities for marriage and family therapists in EAP settings have not been adequately described. This paper addresses issues pertinent to training Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) students to develop the skills needed to become EAP professionals. Qualifications for becoming an EAP professional are described and suggestions are made as to how these skills may be taught within the framework of an academically based MFT training program.

Cost of employee assistance programs: comparison of national estimates from 1993 and 1995.

Science.gov (United States)

French, M T; Zarkin, G A; Bray, J W; Hartwell, T D

1999-02-01

The cost and financing of mental health services is gaining increasing importance with the spread of managed care and cost-cutting measures throughout the health care system. The delivery of mental health services through structured employee assistance programs (EAPs) could be undermined by revised health insurance contracts and cutbacks in employer-provided benefits at the workplace. This study uses two recently completed national surveys of EAPs to estimate the costs of providing EAP services during 1993 and 1995. EAP costs are determined by program type, worksite size, industry, and region. In addition, information on program services is reported to determine the most common types and categories of services and whether service delivery changes have occurred between 1993 and 1995. The results of this study will be useful to EAP managers, mental health administrators, and mental health services researchers who are interested in the delivery and costs of EAP services.

Workplace substance abuse prevention and help seeking: comparing team-oriented and informational training.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, J B; Lehman, W E

2001-07-01

Employees fail to seek help for alcohol or drug (AOD) abuse because of unhealthy work climates, stigma, and distrust in Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). To address such problems, the authors randomly assigned groups of municipal employees (N = 260) to 2 types of training: a 4-hr informational review of EAPs and policy and an 8-hr training that embedded messages about AOD reduction in the context of team building and stress management. Pre- and posttraining and 6-month follow-up surveys assessed change. Group privacy regulation, EAP trust, help seeking, and peer encouragement increased for team training. Stigma of substance users decreased for information training. EAP/policy knowledge increased for both groups. A control group showed little change. Help seeking and peer encouragement also predicted EAP utilization. Integrating both team and informational training may be the most effective for improving help seeking and EAP utilization.

Expanding rural access to mental health care through online postgraduate nurse practitioner education.

Science.gov (United States)

Kverno, Karan; Kozeniewski, Kate

2016-12-01

Workforce shortages in mental health care are especially relevant to rural communities. People often turn to their primary care providers for mental healthcare services, yet primary care providers indicate that more education is needed to fill this role. Rural primary care nurse practitioners (NPs) are ideal candidates for educational enhancement. Online programs allow NPs to continue living and working in their communities while developing the competencies to provide comprehensive and integrated mental healthcare services. This article presents a review of current online postgraduate psychiatric mental health NP (PMHNP) options. Website descriptions of online PMHNP programs were located using keywords: PMHNP or psychiatric nurse practitioner, postgraduate or post-master's, and distance or online. Across the United States, 15 online postgraduate certificate programs were located that are designed for primary care NPs seeking additional PMHNP specialization. For rural primary care NPs who are ready, willing, and able, a postgraduate PMHNP specialty certificate can be obtained online in as few as three to four semesters. The expected outcome is a cadre of dually credentialed NPs capable of functioning in an integrated role and of increasing rural access to comprehensive mental healthcare services. ©2016 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Partition expanders

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Gavinsky, Dmitry; Pudlák, Pavel

2017-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 3 (2017), s. 378-395 ISSN 1432-4350 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP202/12/G061 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : expanders * pseudorandomness * communication complexity Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics OBOR OECD: Computer sciences, information science, bioinformathics (hardware development to be 2.2, social aspect to be 5.8) Impact factor: 0.645, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00224-016-9738-5

Energizing Africa : Achievements and Lessons from the Africa Renewable Energy and Access Program Phase I

OpenAIRE

World Bank Group

2015-01-01

Access to energy and economic development go hand in hand. Improving electricity supply and distribution boosts economic growth, creates jobs, and expands the reach of educational and health services. It can also empower women, providing income-generating opportunities and enabling them to spend their time more productively. Unfortunately, more than 589 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa...

Frequency and Effect of Access-Related Vascular Injury and Subsequent Vascular Intervention After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dencker, Ditte; Taudorf, Mikkel; Luk, N H Vincent

2016-01-01

patients underwent TAVR and 333 patients (94%) were treated by true percutaneous transfemoral approach. Of this latter group, 83 patients (25%) had an access-related vascular injury that was managed by the use of a covered self-expanding stent (n = 49), balloon angioplasty (n = 33), or by surgical...

Researching contexts, practices and pedagogies in English for academic purposes

CERN Document Server

Blaj-Ward, L

2014-01-01

This book is a point of reference for EAP professionals planning to conduct or commission research into learning, teaching, professional development or quality assurance in EAP. It draws on academic and professional debates to inspire further research and practical initiatives to enhance EAP provision.

State Employee Assistance Programs: Organization and Services.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Donna R.

1985-01-01

Describes a study conducted to determine how many state governments had established employee assistance programs (EAPs). Results concerned how state EAPs are organized, services provided, cost of programs, what dollars or productive benefits were calculated, and what problems have been encountered by state EAPs. (CT)

Flow boiling in expanding microchannels

CERN Document Server

Alam, Tamanna

2017-01-01

This Brief presents an up to date summary of details of the flow boiling heat transfer, pressure drop and instability characteristics; two phase flow patterns of expanding microchannels. Results obtained from the different expanding microscale geometries are presented for comparison and addition to that, comparison with literatures is also performed. Finally, parametric studies are performed and presented in the brief. The findings from this study could help in understanding the complex microscale flow boiling behavior and aid in the design and implementation of reliable compact heat sinks for practical applications.

Aortic annulus eccentricity before and after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: Comparison of balloon-expandable and self-expanding prostheses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuhbaeck, Annika; Weingartner, Christina; Arnold, Martin; Schmid, Jasmin; Pflederer, Tobias; Marwan, Mohamed; Rixe, Johannes; Nef, Holger; Schneider, Christian; Lell, Michael; Uder, Michael; Ensminger, Stephan; Feyrer, Richard; Weyand, Michael; Achenbach, Stephan

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Post-implant geometry of catheter-based aortic valve prostheses is influenced by aortic valve calcification. • Balloon-expandable prostheses are more circular as compared to self-expanding prostheses. • The impact of post-implant geometry on valve function needs to be investigated. - Abstract: Introduction: The geometry of the aortic annulus and implanted transcatheter aortic valve prosthesis might influence valve function. We investigated the influence of valve type and aortic valve calcification on post-implant geometry of catheter-based aortic valve prostheses. Methods: Eighty consecutive patients with severe aortic valve stenosis (mean age 82 ± 6 years) underwent computed tomography before and after TAVI. Aortic annulus diameters were determined. Influence of prosthesis type and degree of aortic valve calcification on post-implant eccentricity were analysed. Results: Aortic annulus eccentricity was reduced in patients after TAVI (0.21 ± 0.06 vs. 0.08 ± 0.06, p < 0.0001). Post-TAVI eccentricity was significantly lower in 65 patients following implantation of a balloon-expandable prosthesis as compared to 15 patients who received a self-expanding prosthesis (0.06 ± 0.05 vs. 0.15 ± 0.07, p < 0.0001), even though the extent of aortic valve calcification was not different. After TAVI, patients with a higher calcium amount retained a significantly higher eccentricity compared to patients with lower amounts of calcium. Conclusions: Patients undergoing TAVI with a balloon-expandable prosthesis show a more circular shape of the implanted prosthesis as compared to patients with a self-expanding prosthesis. Eccentricity of the deployed prosthesis is affected by the extent of aortic valve calcification

Optical Code-Division Multiple-Access and Wavelength Division Multiplexing: Hybrid Scheme Review

OpenAIRE

P. Susthitha Menon; Sahbudin Shaari; Isaac A.M. Ashour; Hesham A. Bakarman

2012-01-01

Problem statement: Hybrid Optical Code-Division Multiple-Access (OCDMA) and Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) have flourished as successful schemes for expanding the transmission capacity as well as enhancing the security for OCDMA. However, a comprehensive review related to this hybrid system are lacking currently. Approach: The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on OCDMA-WDM overlay systems, including our hybrid approach of one-dimensional coding of SAC OCDMA with WDM si...

Confidentiality and the employee assistance program professional.

Science.gov (United States)

Mistretta, E F; Inlow, L B

1991-02-01

During the last two decades EAPs have offered employees confidential assessment, counseling, and referral. Many occupational health nurses have taken on the role of EAP professional or function as the liaison between the EAP counselor and the employee. The occupational health nurse involved in any EAP issue must adhere to the standards of confidentiality. The federal and state laws, company policy, and professional codes of ethics regarding these clients must be clearly understood, especially related to the issue of confidentiality.

Expanding Rural Access to Renewable Energy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sovacool, Benjamin

2013-01-01

megawatts (MW) of grid-connected mini-hydro capacity, 574 kilowatts (kW) of off-grid village hydroelectric systems serving 2,897 households, and a 3MW grid-connected wind farm from 1997 to 2002. By the end of 2004, two years after the ESDP’s close, the Sri Lankan renewable energy industry boasted more than...... 40 mini-hydro developers, 10 registered solar companies, 22 registered village hydro developers and 12 village hydro equipment suppliers compared to less than three of each before the ESDP began. This study explores the dynamics of the ESDP, and investigates its structure, benefits, challenges...

The Organization as Client: Broadening the Concept of Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Googins, Bradley; Davidson, Bruce N.

1993-01-01

Notes that many employee assistance programs (EAPs) are broadening their function to address rapidly changing human and social issues of environments in which they operate, refocusing practice to include organization as the client. Discusses traditional EAP practice, evolution of EAPs, changes confronting corporations, and alternative model in…

Entropy in an expanding universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frautschi, S.

1982-01-01

The question of how the observed evolution of organized structures from initial chaos in the expanding universe can be reconciled with the laws of statistical mechanics is studied, with emphasis on effects of the expansion and gravity. Some major sources of entropy increase are listed. An expanding causal region is defined in which the entropy, though increasing, tends to fall further and further behind its maximum possible value, thus allowing for the development of order. The related questions of whether entropy will continue increasing without limit in the future, and whether such increase in the form of Hawking radiation or radiation from positronium might enable life to maintain itself permanently, are considered. Attempts to find a scheme for preserving life based on solid structures fail because events such as quantum tunneling recurrently disorganize matter on a very long but fixed time scale, whereas all energy sources slow down progressively in an expanding universe. However, there remains hope that other modes of life capable of maintaining themselves permanently can be found

Injustice in Access to Health Information: The Difference between Health Professionals and Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Ashrafi-rizi

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The role of information is undeniable in promoting public health (1-3. “Access to health information for all” was the slogan of the World Health Organization in 2004 (4. The proving of this slogan requires access to health information by beneficiaries (health professionals and patients. Access to health information by specialists as partly been achieved, but access to health information for patients and their families is considered low (5-7, which could have adverse effects. Health professionals have quick and easy access to information through libraries and medical information centers, participation in seminars, exchange of scientific information with other professionals, as well as identifying ways to effectively access to health information, but patients and their families do not have access to such facilities and capabilities. Therefore, patients and their families are faced with a phenomenon known as “inequity in access to health information” and the continuation of the injustice leads to health information poverty. Thus, the main question now is what we should do? It seems that the government needs to develop a national policy in the field of health information and it is the most important step. In the next step, the government should expand the concept production via using potentials of different organizations like public media (TV and Radio, health ministry and press and increase the access of patients to health information in the easy language (level of health information between health professionals and patients is different.

Managing Employee Assistance Programmes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidenberg, Olive C.; Cordery, John L.

1990-01-01

Interviews with 20 branch managers and 20 accountants in an Australian bank determined factors influencing the success of an employee assistance program (EAP). It was found that policies requiring supervisors to act against normal managerial practice doom EAPs to failure. Organizational analysis to integrate the EAP within existing organizational…

School Employee Assistance Programs in New York State.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, R. Craig

1986-01-01

The article reports on the following aspects of employee assistance programs (EAPs), which are designed to counter employee personal problems that could impair work performance: 1) administrative views on EAPs; 2) district ratings of EAPs; 3) funding; 4) types of problems handled; and 5) success of the programs. (PS)

JASPAR 2010: the greatly expanded open-access database of transcription factor binding profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Portales-Casamar, Elodie; Thongjuea, Supat; Kwon, Andrew T.; Arenillas, David; Zhao, Xiaobei; Valen, Eivind; Yusuf, Dimas; Lenhard, Boris; Wasserman, Wyeth W.; Sandelin, Albin

2010-01-01

JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net) is the leading open-access database of matrix profiles describing the DNA-binding patterns of transcription factors (TFs) and other proteins interacting with DNA in a sequence-specific manner. Its fourth major release is the largest expansion of the core database to date: the database now holds 457 non-redundant, curated profiles. The new entries include the first batch of profiles derived from ChIP-seq and ChIP-chip whole-genome binding experiments, and 177 yeast TF binding profiles. The introduction of a yeast division brings the convenience of JASPAR to an active research community. As binding models are refined by newer data, the JASPAR database now uses versioning of matrices: in this release, 12% of the older models were updated to improved versions. Classification of TF families has been improved by adopting a new DNA-binding domain nomenclature. A curated catalog of mammalian TFs is provided, extending the use of the JASPAR profiles to additional TFs belonging to the same structural family. The changes in the database set the system ready for more rapid acquisition of new high-throughput data sources. Additionally, three new special collections provide matrix profile data produced by recent alternative high-throughput approaches. PMID:19906716

Electromechanically active polymer transducers: research in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carpi, Federico; Graz, Ingrid; Jager, Edwin

2013-01-01

Smart materials and structures based on electromechanically active polymers (EAPs) represent a fast growing and stimulating field of research and development. EAPs are materials capable of changing dimensions and/or shape in response to suitable electrical stimuli. They are commonly classified...... usages from the micro- to the macro-scale, spanning several disciplines, such as mechatronics, robotics, automation, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, haptics, fluidics, optics and acoustics. Currently, the EAP field is just undergoing its initial transition from academic research...... worldwide. The rapid expansion of the EAP field in Europe, where it historically has strong roots, has stimulated the creation of the 'European Scientific Network for Artificial Muscles—ESNAM', entirely focused on EAPs and gathering the most active research institutes, as well as key industrial developers...

Employee assistance programs: a primer for buyer and seller.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, K

1988-06-01

A growing number of firms in private industry now sponsor or contract with groups of mental health professionals to provide employee assistance programs (EAPs). Factors that have influenced the increasing demand for EAPs include corporations' humanitarian concern for employees with mental health problems, a desire to contain rising health costs and reduce corporate losses, and the need for effective supervisory systems for managing troubled employees. To assist corporate consumers in judging the quality of EAP services and to guide mental health practitioners who wish to enter the EAP field, criteria are provided for evaluating the following aspects of EAP programs: policy development, employee orientation, supervisor training, availability during nonbusiness hours, assessment and diagnostic services, crisis counseling, referral, quality assurance, program evaluation, and cost.

Neonatal Screening: Some Ethical Issues of Expanding Spectrum for Genetically Determined Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Deryabina

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers philosophical questions of neonatal screening technology. The main focus is on ethical and methodological issues that inevitably arise when expanding the number of scanned nosologies and applying genetic research methods. Questions concerning the existing discrepancy between technical capacity and the practical level of healthcare delivery and the probabilistic nature of results obtained by molecular testing are analyzed in terms of methodology. Access to information about the DNA-testing of newborns and the linkage between neonatal screening and prenatal diagnostics are among the most topical ethical problems raised within this article. One of the purposes of this article is to draw the attention of the public — especially it concerns current and prospective parents and volunteer organizations — to these contemporary problems.

Public Sector Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Donna R.; Verlinde, Beverly

This document discusses employee assistance programs (EAPs), programs which have been developed to help employees deal with personal problems that seriously affect job performance. It reviews literature which specifically addresses EAPs in the public sector, noting that there are no exact figures on how many public entities have EAPs. Previous…

Designing the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) as a service: Prioritising patients over administrative logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McKnight, J.; Holt, D. B.

2014-01-01

-the-ground problems that mothers face in trying to vaccinate their children, while instead prioritising administrative processes. Our ethnographic analysis of 83 mothers who had not vaccinated their children reveals key barriers to vaccination from a 'customer' perspective. While mothers value vaccination......Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) vaccination rates remain well below herd immunity in regions of many countries despite huge international resources devoted to both financing and access. We draw upon service marketing theory, organisational sociology, development anthropology and cultural...... specific service problems from the mother's perspective and points towards simple service innovations that could improve vaccination rates in regions that have poor uptake....

Structures of Adnectin/Protein Complexes Reveal an Expanded Binding Footprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramamurthy, Vidhyashankar; Krystek, Jr., Stanley R.; Bush, Alexander; Wei, Anzhi; Emanuel, Stuart L.; Gupta, Ruchira Das; Janjua, Ahsen; Cheng, Lin; Murdock, Melissa; Abramczyk, Bozena; Cohen, Daniel; Lin, Zheng; Morin, Paul; Davis, Jonathan H.; Dabritz, Michael; McLaughlin, Douglas C.; Russo, Katie A.; Chao, Ginger; Wright, Martin C.; Jenny, Victoria A.; Engle, Linda J.; Furfine, Eric; Sheriff, Steven (BMS)

2014-10-02

Adnectins are targeted biologics derived from the tenth type III domain of human fibronectin ({sup 10}Fn3), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Target-specific binders are selected from libraries generated by diversifying the three {sup 10}Fn3 loops that are analogous to the complementarity determining regions of antibodies. The crystal structures of two Adnectins were determined, each in complex with its therapeutic target, EGFR or IL-23. Both Adnectins bind different epitopes than those bound by known monoclonal antibodies. Molecular modeling suggests that some of these epitopes might not be accessible to antibodies because of the size and concave shape of the antibody combining site. In addition to interactions from the Adnectin diversified loops, residues from the N terminus and/or the {beta} strands interact with the target proteins in both complexes. Alanine-scanning mutagenesis confirmed the calculated binding energies of these {beta} strand interactions, indicating that these nonloop residues can expand the available binding footprint.

The severity of retinal degeneration in Rp1h gene-targeted mice is dependent on genetic background.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qin; Saveliev, Alexei; Pierce, Eric A

2009-04-01

The severity of disease in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) can vary significantly, even among patients with the same primary mutations. It is hypothesized that modifier genes play important roles in determining the severity of RP, including the retinitis pigmentosa 1 (RP1) form of disease. To investigate the basis of variation in disease expression for RP1 disease, the authors generated congenic mice with a gene-targeted retinitis pigmentosa 1 homolog (Rp1h) allele (Rp1h(tm1Eap)) on several different genetic backgrounds and analyzed their retinal phenotypes. The Rp1h(tm1Eap) allele was placed onto the C57BL/6J, DBA1/J, and A/J backgrounds. Retinal function of the resultant congenic mice was evaluated using electroretinographic analyses. Retinal structure and ultrastructure were evaluated using light and electron microscopy. Rp1h protein location was determined with immunofluorescence microscopy. Analysis of the retinal phenotype of incipient congenic (N6) B6.129S-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap), DBA.129S(B6)-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap), and A.129S(B6)-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) mice at 1 year of age showed retinal degeneration only in the A.129S(B6)-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) mice. Further analyses revealed that the photoreceptors of the fully congenic A.129S(B6)-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) mice show evidence of degeneration at 6 months of age and are almost completely lost by 18 months of age. In contrast, the photoreceptor cells in the fully congenic B6.129S-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) mice remain healthy up to 18 months. The severity of the retinal degeneration caused by the Rp1h(tm1Eap) allele is notably dependent on genetic background. The development and characterization of the B6.129S-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) and A.129S(B6)-Rp1h(+/tm1Eap) congenic mouse lines will facilitate identification of sequence alterations in genes that modify the severity of RP1 disease.

Novel power MOSFET-based expander for high frequency ultrasound systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Hojong; Shung, K Kirk

2014-01-01

The function of an expander is to obstruct the noise signal transmitted by the pulser so that it does not pass into the transducer or receive electronics, where it can produce undesirable ring-down in an ultrasound imaging application. The most common type is a diode-based expander, which is essentially a simple diode-pair, is widely used in pulse-echo measurements and imaging applications because of its simple architecture. However, diode-based expanders may degrade the performance of ultrasonic transducers and electronic components on the receiving and transmitting sides of the ultrasound systems, respectively. Since they are non-linear devices, they cause excessive signal attenuation and noise at higher frequencies and voltages. In this paper, a new type of expander that utilizes power MOSFET components, which we call a power MOSFET-based expander, is introduced and evaluated for use in high frequency ultrasound imaging systems. The performance of a power MOSFET-based expander was evaluated relative to a diode-based expander by comparing the noise figure (NF), insertion loss (IL), total harmonic distortion (THD), response time (RT), electrical impedance (EI) and dynamic power consumption (DPC). The results showed that the power MOSFET-based expander provided better NF (0.76 dB), IL (-0.3 dB) and THD (-62.9 dB), and faster RT (82 ns) than did the diode-based expander (NF (2.6 dB), IL (-1.4 dB), THD (-56.0 dB) and RT (119 ns)) at 70 MHz. The -6 dB bandwidth and the peak-to-peak voltage of the echo signal received by the transducer using the power MOSFET-based expander improved by 17.4% and 240% compared to the diode-based expander, respectively. The new power MOSFET-based expander was shown to yield lower NF, IL and THD, faster RT and lower ring down than the diode-based expander at the expense of higher dynamic power consumption. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Employee assistance programmes as mechanism for enhancing performance at Emfuleni Local Municipality / Stilalla Paulus Mosia

OpenAIRE

Mosia, Stilalla Paulus

2007-01-01

The role of local government is to ensure that all citizens have access to the basic services. Thus, the Emfuleni Local Municipality has the Constitutional obligation to provide an effective and efficient people-centered administration that will ensure quality and sustainable service delivery. The Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) tends to have a culture of non-performance or low service delivery which is prevalent amongst employees or personnel. Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is the ...

Origin and dynamics of expanding neutral hydrogen supershells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolesnik, I.G.; Silich, S.A.

1987-01-01

The evolutionary model of expanding supershells regulated by induced star formation is proposed. It is suggested that giant expanding shells are formed n superclouds at late evolutionary stage of star complexes. To understand the dynamics of the most huge supershells it is necessary to take into account that expanding shells can trigger star formation in cold dense pre-exosting cloudlets. Efficiency of induced star formation must be less than one percent to fit observational properties of supershells

Bessel Fourier Orientation Reconstruction (BFOR): An Analytical Diffusion Propagator Reconstruction for Hybrid Diffusion Imaging and Computation of q-Space Indices

Science.gov (United States)

Hosseinbor, A. Pasha; Chung, Moo K.; Wu, Yu-Chien; Alexander, Andrew L.

2012-01-01

The ensemble average propagator (EAP) describes the 3D average diffusion process of water molecules, capturing both its radial and angular contents. The EAP can thus provide richer information about complex tissue microstructure properties than the orientation distribution function (ODF), an angular feature of the EAP. Recently, several analytical EAP reconstruction schemes for multiple q-shell acquisitions have been proposed, such as diffusion propagator imaging (DPI) and spherical polar Fourier imaging (SPFI). In this study, a new analytical EAP reconstruction method is proposed, called Bessel Fourier orientation reconstruction (BFOR), whose solution is based on heat equation estimation of the diffusion signal for each shell acquisition, and is validated on both synthetic and real datasets. A significant portion of the paper is dedicated to comparing BFOR, SPFI, and DPI using hybrid, non-Cartesian sampling for multiple b-value acquisitions. Ways to mitigate the effects of Gibbs ringing on EAP reconstruction are also explored. In addition to analytical EAP reconstruction, the aforementioned modeling bases can be used to obtain rotationally invariant q-space indices of potential clinical value, an avenue which has not yet been thoroughly explored. Three such measures are computed: zero-displacement probability (Po), mean squared displacement (MSD), and generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA). PMID:22963853

Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Materials and Actuators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rasmussen, Lenore; Erickson, Carl J.; Meixler, Lewis D.; Ascione, George; Gentile, Charles A.; Tilson, Carl; Bernasek, Stephen L.; Abelev, Esta

2010-02-19

Ras Labs produces electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple and now contract (new development) with low electric input. This is an important attribute because of the ability of contraction to produce life-like motion. The mechanism of contraction is not well understood. Radionuclide-labeled experiments were conducted to follow the movement of electrolytes and water in these EAPs when activated. Extreme temperature experiments were performed on the contractile EAPs with very favorable results. One of the biggest challenges in developing these actuators, however, is the electrode-EAP interface because of the pronounced movement of the EAP. Plasma treatments of metallic electrodes were investigated in order to improve the attachment of the embedded electrodes to the EAP material. Surface analysis, adhesive testing, and mechanical testing were conducted to test metal surfaces and metal-polymer interfaces. The nitrogen plasma treatment of titanium produced a strong metal-polymer interface; however, oxygen plasma treatment of both stainless steel and titanium produced even stronger metal-polymer interfaces. Plasma treatment of the electrodes allows for the embedded electrodes and the EAP material of the actuator to work and move as a unit, with no detachment, by significantly improving the metal-polymer interface.

Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Polymeric Materials and Actuators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rasmussen, Lenore; Erickson, Carl J.; Meixler, Lewis D.; Ascione, George; Gentile, Charles A.; Tilson, Charles; Bernasek, Stephen L.; Abelev, Esta

2009-06-16

Ras Labs produces electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple and now contract (new development) with low electric input. This is an important attribute because of the ability of contraction to produce life-like motion. The mechanism of contraction is not well understood. Radionuclide-labeled experiments were conducted to follow the movement of electrolytes and water in these EAPs when activated. Extreme temperature experiments were performed on the contractile EAPs with very favorable results. One of the biggest challenges in developing these actuators, however, is the electrode-EAP interface because of the pronounced movement of the EAP. Plasma treatments of metallic electrodes were investigated in order to improve the attachment of the embedded electrodes to the EAP material. Surface analysis, adhesive testing, and mechanical testing were conducted to test metal surfaces and metal-polymer interfaces. The nitrogen plasma treatment of titanium produced a strong metal-polymer interface; however, oxygen plasma treatment of both stainless steel and titanium produced even stronger metal-polymer interfaces. Plasma treatment of the electrodes allows for the embedded electrodes and the EAP material of the actuator to work and move as a unit, with no detachment, by significantly improving the metal-polymer interface.

Considerations for Electroactive Polymeric Materials and Actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, Lenore; Erickson, Carl J.; Meixler, Lewis D.; Ascione, George; Gentile, Charles A.; Tilson, Carl; Bernasek, Stephen L.; Abelev, Esta

2010-01-01

Ras Labs produces electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple and now contract (new development) with low electric input. This is an important attribute because of the ability of contraction to produce life-like motion. The mechanism of contraction is not well understood. Radionuclide-labeled experiments were conducted to follow the movement of electrolytes and water in these EAPs when activated. Extreme temperature experiments were performed on the contractile EAPs with very favorable results. One of the biggest challenges in developing these actuators, however, is the electrode-EAP interface because of the pronounced movement of the EAP. Plasma treatments of metallic electrodes were investigated in order to improve the attachment of the embedded electrodes to the EAP material. Surface analysis, adhesive testing, and mechanical testing were conducted to test metal surfaces and metal-polymer interfaces. The nitrogen plasma treatment of titanium produced a strong metal-polymer interface; however, oxygen plasma treatment of both stainless steel and titanium produced even stronger metal-polymer interfaces. Plasma treatment of the electrodes allows for the embedded electrodes and the EAP material of the actuator to work and move as a unit, with no detachment, by significantly improving the metal-polymer interface.

Considerations for Contractile Electroactive Polymeric Materials and Actuators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, L.; Erickson, Carl J.; Meixler, Lewis D.; Ascione, G.; Gentile, Charles A.; Tilson, C.; Bernasek, Stephen L.; Abelev, E.

2009-01-01

Ras Labs produces electroactive polymer (EAP) based materials and actuators that bend, swell, ripple and now contract (new development) with low electric input. This is an important attribute because of the ability of contraction to produce life-like motion. The mechanism of contraction is not well understood. Radionuclide-labeled experiments were conducted to follow the movement of electrolytes and water in these EAPs when activated. Extreme temperature experiments were performed on the contractile EAPs with very favorable results. One of the biggest challenges in developing these actuators, however, is the electrode-EAP interface because of the pronounced movement of the EAP. Plasma treatments of metallic electrodes were investigated in order to improve the attachment of the embedded electrodes to the EAP material. Surface analysis, adhesive testing, and mechanical testing were conducted to test metal surfaces and metal-polymer interfaces. The nitrogen plasma treatment of titanium produced a strong metal-polymer interface; however, oxygen plasma treatment of both stainless steel and titanium produced even stronger metal-polymer interfaces. Plasma treatment of the electrodes allows for the embedded electrodes and the EAP material of the actuator to work and move as a unit, with no detachment, by significantly improving the metal-polymer interface

A Report of Employee Assistance Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Saint Louis Public Schools, MO.

The evaluation of employee assistance program (EAP) providers was designed to provide information necessary to the selection of an EAP provider for the Saint Louis Public Schools, Missouri. The most widely recognized functions of an EAP are to provide a confidential consultation to individuals with personal problems and to serve as a management…

Employee assistance programs: a preventive, cost-effective benefit.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, G S; Gard, L H; Heffernan, W R

1998-01-01

Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) provide a much-needed service to the employees of corporations. In these times of reduced benefits and diminished community resources, EAPs can dramatically compensate for those shortages. This article will explore the role of an EAP, the models of service available, and the selection process for choosing a program.

Employee Assistance Programs in Higher Education. Alcohol, Mental Health and Professional Development Programming for Faculty and Staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoreson, Richard W., Ed.; Hosokawa, Elizabeth P., Ed.

The promotion of employee assistance programs (EAP) in higher education is considered in 24 chapters, with an emphasis on enhancing resources and the academic environment for faculty and staff. Seven topical areas are addressed: history of EAP; characteristics of higher education; alcoholism and other risks in the academic life-style; EAP models…

Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of expanding harm reduction and antiretroviral therapy in a mixed HIV epidemic: a modeling analysis for Ukraine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabina S Alistar

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Injection drug use (IDU and heterosexual virus transmission both contribute to the growing mixed HIV epidemics in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. In Ukraine-chosen in this study as a representative country-IDU-related risk behaviors cause half of new infections, but few injection drug users (IDUs receive methadone substitution therapy. Only 10% of eligible individuals receive antiretroviral therapy (ART. The appropriate resource allocation between these programs has not been studied. We estimated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of strategies for expanding methadone substitution therapy programs and ART in mixed HIV epidemics, using Ukraine as a case study.We developed a dynamic compartmental model of the HIV epidemic in a population of non-IDUs, IDUs using opiates, and IDUs on methadone substitution therapy, stratified by HIV status, and populated it with data from the Ukraine. We considered interventions expanding methadone substitution therapy, increasing access to ART, or both. We measured health care costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs, HIV prevalence, infections averted, and incremental cost-effectiveness. Without incremental interventions, HIV prevalence reached 67.2% (IDUs and 0.88% (non-IDUs after 20 years. Offering methadone substitution therapy to 25% of IDUs reduced prevalence most effectively (to 53.1% IDUs, 0.80% non-IDUs, and was most cost-effective, averting 4,700 infections and adding 76,000 QALYs compared with no intervention at US$530/QALY gained. Expanding both ART (80% coverage of those eligible for ART according to WHO criteria and methadone substitution therapy (25% coverage was the next most cost-effective strategy, adding 105,000 QALYs at US$1,120/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy and averting 8,300 infections versus no intervention. Expanding only ART (80% coverage added 38,000 QALYs at US$2,240/QALY gained versus the methadone substitution therapy-only strategy, and

Seal-less cryogenic expander

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faria, L.E.; Christopher, E.H.

1987-01-01

In an expander for use in a split Stirling cycle refrigeration system of the type wherein a displacer moves with reciprocating motion inside an expander housing, and wherein a plunger force and a regenerator force are formed on the displacer, the plunger force cyclically varying and having a time of minimum and maximum plunger force amplitude, and the regenerator force cyclically varying and having a time of minimum and maximum regenerator force amplitude, the improvement is described comprising: (a) means for maintaining displacer forces, such that the maximum plunger force amplitude is substantially equal to the maximum regenerator force amplitude; and (b) means for adjusting a time difference, the time difference being the time between the time of maximum plunger force and the time of maximum regenerator force such that a measure of the cooling power of the refrigeration system is maximized

Expanding the Operational Use of Total Lightning Ahead of GOES-R

Science.gov (United States)

Stano, Geoffrey T.; Wood, Lance; Garner, Tim; Nunez, Roland; Kann, Deirdre; Reynolds, James; Rydell, Nezette; Cox, Rob; Bobb, William R.

2015-01-01

NASA's Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center (SPoRT) has been transitioning real-time total lightning observations from ground-based lightning mapping arrays since 2003. This initial effort was with the local Weather Forecast Offices (WFO) that could use the North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA). These early collaborations established a strong interest in the use of total lightning for WFO operations. In particular the focus started with warning decision support, but has since expanded to include impact-based decision support and lightning safety. SPoRT has used its experience to establish connections with new lightning mapping arrays as they become available. The GOES-R / JPSS Visiting Scientist Program has enabled SPoRT to conduct visits to new partners and expand the number of operational users with access to total lightning observations. In early 2014, SPoRT conducted the most recent visiting scientist trips to meet with forecast offices that will used the Colorado, Houston, and Langmuir Lab (New Mexico) lightning mapping arrays. In addition, SPoRT met with the corresponding Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) to expand collaborations with the aviation community. These visits were an opportunity to learn about the forecast needs of each office visited as well as to provide on-site training for the use of total lightning, setting the stage for a real-time assessment during May-July 2014. With five lightning mapping arrays covering multiple geographic locations, the 2014 assessment has demonstrated numerous uses of total lightning in varying situations. Several highlights include a much broader use of total lightning for impact-based decision support ranging from airport weather warnings, supporting fire crews, and protecting large outdoor events. The inclusion of the CWSUs has broadened the operational scope of total lightning, demonstrating how these data can support air traffic management, particularly in the Terminal Radar Approach

Semiclassical expanding discrete space-times

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cobb, W.K.; Smalley, L.L.

1981-01-01

Given the close ties between general relativity and geometry one might reasonably expect that quantum effects associated with gravitation might also be tied to the geometry of space-time, namely, to some sort of discreteness in space-time itself. In particular it is supposed that space-time consists of a discrete lattice of points rather than the usual continuum. Since astronomical evidence seems to suggest that the universe is expanding, the lattice must also expand. Some of the implications of such a model are that the proton should presently be stable, and the universe should be closed although the mechanism for closure is quantum mechanical. (author)

Patterns of Service Use in Two Types of Managed Behavioral Health Care Plan

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth Levy; Hodgkin, Dominic; Hiatt, Deirdre; Horgan, Constance M.; Azzone, Vanessa; McCann, Bernard; Ritter, Grant; Zolotusky, Galina; McGuire, Thomas G.; Reif, Sharon

2009-01-01

Objective To describe service use patterns by level of care in two managed care products: employee assistance program (EAP) combined with behavioral health benefits, and standard behavioral health benefits. Methods This is a cross-sectional analysis of administrative data for 2004 from a national managed behavioral health care organization (MBHO). Utilization of 11 specific service categories was compared across products. The weighted sample reflected exact matching on sociodemographics (N= 710,014 unweighted; 286,750 weighted). Results In the EAP/behavioral health product,, the proportion of enrollees with outpatient mental health and substance abuse office visits (including EAP) was higher (pEAP/behavioral health and standard behavioral health care products had distinct utilization patterns in this large MBHO. In particular, greater use of certain outpatient services was observed within the EAP/behavioral health product. PMID:20044425

Guest Editorial Introduction to the focused Section on electroactive Polymer Mechatronics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Carpi, Federico; Kornbluh, Roy; Sommer-Larsen, Peter

2011-01-01

Mechatronic devices and systems based on so-called electroactive polymers (EAPs) represent a fast-growing and promising scientific field of research and development. EAPs consist of materials capable of changing dimensions and/or shape in response to suitable electrical stimuli. These polymers show...... unique properties, such as sizable electrically driven active strains or stresses, high mechanical flexibility, lowdensity, structural simplicity, ease of processing and scalability, no acoustic noise, and, in most cases, low costs. EAPs are today studied for applications that so far have been......, this Focused Section collects together a selection of papers dealing with a number of topics related to science and technology of EAPs. Following a brief introduction to the field, this Editorial provides an overview on papers dealing with EAPs published in previous issues of this journal, introduces...

Refrigeration generation using expander-generator units

Science.gov (United States)

Klimenko, A. V.; Agababov, V. S.; Koryagin, A. V.; Baidakova, Yu. O.

2016-05-01

The problems of using the expander-generator unit (EGU) to generate refrigeration, along with electricity were considered. It is shown that, on the level of the temperatures of refrigeration flows using the EGU, one can provide the refrigeration supply of the different consumers: ventilation and air conditioning plants and industrial refrigerators and freezers. The analysis of influence of process parameters on the cooling power of the EGU, which depends on the parameters of the gas expansion process in the expander and temperatures of cooled environment, was carried out. The schematic diagram of refrigeration generation plant based on EGU is presented. The features and advantages of EGU to generate refrigeration compared with thermotransformer of steam compressive and absorption types were shown, namely: there is no need to use the energy generated by burning fuel to operate the EGU; beneficial use of the heat delivered to gas from the flow being cooled in equipment operating on gas; energy production along with refrigeration generation, which makes it possible to create, using EGU, the trigeneration plants without using the energy power equipment. It is shown that the level of the temperatures of refrigeration flows, which can be obtained by using the EGU on existing technological decompression stations of the transported gas, allows providing the refrigeration supply of various consumers. The information that the refrigeration capacity of an expander-generator unit not only depends on the parameters of the process of expansion of gas flowing in the expander (flow rate, temperatures and pressures at the inlet and outlet) but it is also determined by the temperature needed for a consumer and the initial temperature of the flow of the refrigeration-carrier being cooled. The conclusion was made that the expander-generator units can be used to create trigeneration plants both at major power plants and at small energy.

Modeling Deficits From Early Auditory Information Processing to Psychosocial Functioning in Schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Michael L; Green, Michael F; Hellemann, Gerhard; Sugar, Catherine A; Tarasenko, Melissa; Calkins, Monica E; Greenwood, Tiffany A; Gur, Raquel E; Gur, Ruben C; Lazzeroni, Laura C; Nuechterlein, Keith H; Radant, Allen D; Seidman, Larry J; Shiluk, Alexandra L; Siever, Larry J; Silverman, Jeremy M; Sprock, Joyce; Stone, William S; Swerdlow, Neal R; Tsuang, Debby W; Tsuang, Ming T; Turetsky, Bruce I; Braff, David L; Light, Gregory A

2017-01-01

Neurophysiologic measures of early auditory information processing (EAP) are used as endophenotypes in genomic studies and biomarkers in clinical intervention studies. Research in schizophrenia has established correlations among measures of EAP, cognition, clinical symptoms, and functional outcome. Clarifying these associations by determining the pathways through which deficits in EAP affect functioning would suggest when and where to therapeutically intervene. To characterize the pathways from EAP to outcome and to estimate the extent to which enhancement of basic information processing might improve cognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia. Cross-sectional data were analyzed using structural equation modeling to examine the associations among EAP, cognition, negative symptoms, and functional outcome. Participants were recruited from the community at 5 geographically distributed laboratories as part of the Consortium on the Genetics of Schizophrenia 2 from July 1, 2010, through January 31, 2014. This well-characterized cohort of 1415 patients with schizophrenia underwent EAP, cognitive, and thorough clinical and functional assessment. Mismatch negativity, P3a, and reorienting negativity were used to measure EAP. Cognition was measured by the Letter Number Span test and scales from the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition, the Wechsler Memory Scale-Third Edition, and the Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery. Negative symptoms were measured by the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms. Functional outcome was measured by the Role Functioning Scale. Participants included 1415 unrelated outpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (mean [SD] age, 46 [11] years; 979 males [69.2%] and 619 white [43.7%]). Early auditory information processing had a direct effect on cognition (β = 0.37, P model in which EAP deficits lead to poor functional outcome via impaired cognition and increased negative symptoms

News from the Library: Scientific American and Nature increasingly accessible online!

CERN Multimedia

CERN Library

2011-01-01

Since a few weeks, the CERN Library has been offering online access to "Scientific American" and "Nature" within a longer timespan. This is part of a long-term plan to extend our e-collections in order to include prestigious scientific journals from the beginning of publication.   CERN users can browse and read the complete archives of "Scientific American" since 1845. Among the many interesting articles now readable online, you can find Einstein's account of research on a generalized theory of gravitation. A small, though important addition to the Library's online collections: "Nature" online is now reaching back to 1987. You can now read online the "Nature" news column reporting about the first anti-atom discovered at CERN. We plan to further expand online access to "Nature", but in the meantime you can rely on the Library's paper collection...

News from the Library: Scientific American and Nature increasingly accessible online!

CERN Multimedia

CERN Library

2012-01-01

Since a few weeks, the CERN Library has been offering online access to "Scientific American" and "Nature" within a longer timespan. This is part of a long-term plan to extend our e-collections in order to include prestigious scientific journals from the beginning of publication.   CERN users can browse and read the complete archives of "Scientific American" since 1845. Among the many interesting articles now readable online, you can find Einstein's account of research on a generalized theory of gravitation. A small, though important addition to the Library's online collections: "Nature" online is now reaching back to 1987. You can now read online the "Nature" news column reporting about the first anti-atom discovered at CERN. We plan to further expand online access to "Nature", but in the meantime you can rely on the Library's paper collection...

Second Generation Self-Inflating Tissue Expanders: A Two-Year Experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamal Omran Al Madani

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Tissue expansion is a well-established surgical technique that produces an additional amount of normal skin to cover a defect. This technique is appealing because the skin quality and color are from the patient’s own. The widely used injectable expanders are of great reliability but carry the disadvantage of being painful during injection and most of the time require multiple clinic visits. So the idea of self-inflation became attractive and hydrogel expanders were developed and became widely known for being painless during clinic visit and decrease number of visits. The first generation expanders were modified by adding an enclosing plastic shell to decrease the unopposed expansion that occurred in the first generation expanders, which lead to pressure necrosis of the skin flaps. This made it an attractive option for tissue expansion in children and some adult patients. Patients, Materials, and Methods. Charts of 17 patients were retrospectively reviewed, all of them had second generation self-inflating expanders implanted over a 2-year period for one of two purposes, the treatment of giant nevi or burn scars. Results. Fifteen patients were females and 2 were males. The indication was large burn scar in 14 cases (14/17, in which 47/55 expanders were implanted, and giant nevus in 3/17 cases in which 8/55 expanders were implanted. Extrusion of the expander occurred in 8/55 expanders (14.5%, which occurred in 6/14 patients. The highest percentage of extrusion occurred in the neck in which two out of three expanders extruded; otherwise this complication does not seem to be related to the indication, gender, nor age of the patients. It seems to be that it is technical in nature. The patients did not have to get any injections to fill the tissue expanders, which made the expansion process less painful and more convenient. Conclusion. This seems to be currently the largest published review in which second generation expanders were used

Endovascular repair of arterial iliac vessel wall lesions with a self-expandable nitinol stent graft system.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Birger Mensel

Full Text Available To assess the therapeutic outcome after endovascular repair of iliac arterial lesions (IALs using a self-expandable Nitinol stent graft system.Between July 2006 and March 2013, 16 patients (13 males, mean age: 68 years with a self-expandable Nitinol stent graft. A total of 19 lesions were treated: nine true aneurysms, two anastomotic aneurysms, two dissections, one arteriovenous fistula, two type 1B endoleaks after endovascular aneurysm repair, one pseudoaneurysm, and two perforations after angioplasty. Pre-, intra-, and postinterventional imaging studies and the medical records were analyzed for technical and clinical success and postinterventional complications.The primary technical and clinical success rate was 81.3% (13/16 patients and 75.0% (12/16, respectively. Two patients had technical failure due to persistent type 1A endoleak and another patient due to acute stent graft thrombosis. One patient showed severe stent graft kinking on the first postinterventional day. In two patients, a second intervention was performed. The secondary technical and clinical success rate was 87.5% (14/16 and 93.8% (15/16. The minor complication rate was 6.3% (patient with painful hematoma at the access site. The major complication rate was 6.3% (patient with ipsilateral deep vein thrombosis. During median follow-up of 22.4 months, an infection of the aneurysm sac in one patient and a stent graft thrombosis in another patient were observed.Endovascular repair of various IALs with a self-expandable Nitinol stent graft is safe and effective.

Types of Open Access Publishers in Scopus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Solomon

2013-05-01

Full Text Available This study assessed characteristics of publishers who published 2010 open access (OA journals indexed in Scopus. Publishers were categorized into six types; professional, society, university, scholar/researcher, government, and other organizations. Type of publisher was broken down by number of journals/articles published in 2010, funding model, location, discipline and whether the journal was born or converted to OA. Universities and societies accounted for 50% of the journals and 43% of the articles published. Professional publisher accounted for a third of the journals and 42% of the articles. With the exception of professional and scholar/researcher publishers, most journals were originally subscription journals that made at least their digital version freely available. Arts, humanities and social science journals are largely published by societies and universities outside the major publishing countries. Professional OA publishing is most common in biomedicine, mathematics, the sciences and engineering. Approximately a quarter of the journals are hosted on national/international platforms, in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia largely published by universities and societies without the need for publishing fees. This type of collaboration between governments, universities and/or societies may be an effective means of expanding open access publications.

Improving access to emergency contraceptive pills.

Science.gov (United States)

1999-09-01

This article focuses on the accessibility of emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs). The ECPs are safe, simple, and effective contraceptive agent that can reduce a woman's chance of becoming pregnant by 75%. It works by preventing or delaying ovulation, interfering with fertilization, or blocking implantation of a fertilized egg, depending on when in the menstrual cycle the pills are taken. The Population Council takes a multifaceted approach to expanding access to and knowledge on emergency contraception. Studies on innovations in service delivery are being conducted. In Mexico, one-tenth of women aged 13-55 who reported being raped during the 9-month study were counseled about ECPs. Results showed that pregnancies from reported rapes declined from 9.8% to 7.4% during the study. In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, practitioners approved of the use of emergency contraception and desired more accurate knowledge so that they could provide it effectively. Moreover, in Zambia, researchers found out that giving women packages of ECPs in advance greatly reduced the length of time between having unprotected intercourse and beginning ECP treatment. Council researchers have also addressed the safety of offering ECPs without prescription. They have collaborated with leaders in the health care industry to increase method availability.

Atividade antimicrobiana de extratos hidroalcoolicos das folhas de alecrim- pimenta, aroeira, barbatimão, erva baleeira e do farelo da casca de pequi Antimicrobial activity of hydroalcoholic extracts from rosemary, peppertree, barbatimão and erva baleeira leaves and from pequi peel meal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucinéia de Pinho

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Avaliou-se o perfil fitoquímico de extratos hidroalcoólicos padrão (EAPs, obtidos a partir das folhas de alecrim-pimenta (Lippia sidoides, aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva, barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens, erva baleeira (Cordia verbenacea e do farelo da casca do fruto do pequi (Caryocar brasiliense e a atividade antimicrobiana de diferentes concentrações desses EAPs contra Staphylococcus aureus e Escherichia coli. Após coleta e identificação, as folhas das plantas e cascas do pequi foram usadas para preparação dos EAPs e submetidas a rastreamento fitoquímico. A atividade antimicrobiana dos EAPs em diferentes diluições (200, 300, 400 e 500mg mL-1 foi testada pela técnica de difusão em ágar. O rastreamento fitoquímico detectou componentes com potencial antimicrobiano em todos os EAPs. Nos testes de difusão em ágar, os extratos de aroeira (≥200mg mL-1, barbatimão (≥300mg mL-1 e erva-baleeira (≥400mg mL-1 inibiram o crescimento de S. aureus, mas não de E. coli. Os EAPs não mostraram atividade sobre E.coli, todavia as folhas de aroeira, barbatimão e erva-baleeira evidenciaram potencial para inibir o crescimento de S. aureus. O uso das folhas e cascas dessas espécies vegetais pode constituir-se numa alternativa sustentável, viável e acessível para tratamento antimicrobiano.This study evaluated the phytochemical profile of standardized hydroalcoholic extracts (EAPs obtained from leafs of rosemary (Lippia sidoides, peppertree (Myracrodruon urundeuva, barbatimão (Stryphnodendron adstringens, erva baleeira (Cordia verbenacea and from the meal of pequi fruit peel (Caryocar brasiliense and the activity of different levels of these EAPs against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. After collection and identification of the species, plant leaves and pequi peel were separated to prepare the EAPs. The EAPs underwent phytochemical screening. The antimicrobial activity of the EAPs at different dilutions (200, 300

Strength analysis of expandable tubulars for well applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguiar, A.C.C. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil); Fonseca, C.E. [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Netto, T.A. [Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE)

2008-07-01

Solid expandable tube technology has many advantages when compared to conventional wells. The expansion of tubes in situ allows developing reserves in many of the challenging scenarios found in oil industry, as pre-salt layer, HPHT wells, deep reservoirs, or ultra-deep water. Besides, this procedure has good compatibility with directional and horizontal wells and facilitates side-tracks operations. Although the expansion of tubes is very attractive, a better understanding of its influence on the tube mechanical strength is necessary. In this work, experimental tests and numerical analyses were performed in order to determine the effect of parameters such as diameter-to-thickness ratio and expansion rate on the collapse resistance of expandable tubes. An experimental apparatus was designed and built to reproduce full-scale tube expansion. Three 2 meter long specimens were expanded 10% their original diameters and subjected to hydrostatic pressure inside a vessel until collapse. Three non-expanded tubes were also tested for comparison. At the same time, non-linear numerical models were developed using the finite element method. After calibration, they were used to further analyze the mechanical behavior of solid expandable tubes and the influence of expansion on its resistance against collapse. (author)

An Isothermal Steam Expander for an Industrial Steam Supplying System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen-Kuang Lin

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Steam is an essential medium used in the industrial process. To ensure steam quality, small and middle scale boilers are often adopted. However, because a higher steam pressure (compared to the necessary steam pressure is generated, the boiler’s steam pressure will be reduced via a pressure regulator before the steam is directed through the process. Unfortunately, pressure is somewhat wasted during the reducing process. Therefore, in order to promote energy efficiency, a pressure regulator is replaced by a steam expander. With this steam expander, the pressure will be transformed into mechanical energy and extracted during the expansion process. A new type of isothermal steam expander for an industrial steam supplying system will be presented in the paper. The isothermal steam expander will improve the energy efficiency of a traditional steam expander by replacing the isentropic process with an isothermal expansion process. With this, steam condensation will decrease, energy will increase, and steam quality will be improved. Moreover, the mathematical model of the isothermal steam expander will be established by using the Schmidt theory, the same principle used to analyze Stirling engines. Consequently, by verifying the correctness of the theoretical model for the isothermal steam expander using experimental data, a prototype of 100 c.c. isothermal steam expander is constructed.

Development of mechanically expanded gelatin-AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers for vascular tissue engineering by radiation-based techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Jin Oh; Jeong, Sung In; Seo, Da Eun; Park, Jong Seok; Gwon, Hui Jeong; Ahn, Sung Jun; Lim, Youn Mook [Advanced Radiation Technology Institute, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Jeongeup (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Young Min [Dept. of Bioengineering, Division of Applied Chemical and Bio Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-12-15

Vascular tissue engineering has been accessed to mimic the natural composition of the blood vessel containing inmate, media, and adventitia layers. We fabricated mechanically expanded PLLA/PLCL nanofibers using electrospinning and UTM. The pore size of the meshes was increased the gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers (203.30±49.62 microns) than PLLA/PLCL nanofibers (59.99±8.66 microns) after mechanical expansion. To increase the cell adhesion and proliferation, we introduced carboxyl group, and gelatin was conjugated on them. The properties of the PLLA/PLCL nanofibers were analyzed with SEM, ATR-FTIR, TBO staining, and water contact angle measurement, general cell responses on the PLLA/PLCL nanofibers such as adhesion, proliferation, and infiltration were also investigated using smooth muscle cell (SMC). During the SMC culture, the initial viability of the cells was significantly increased on the gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers, and infiltration of the cells was also enhanced on them. Therefore, gelatin immobilized AAc-PLLA/PLCL nanofibers and mechanically expanded meshes may be a good tool for vascular tissue engineering application.

Numerical modelling of multi-vane expander operating conditions in ORC system

Science.gov (United States)

Rak, Józef; Błasiak, Przemysław; Kolasiński, Piotr

2017-11-01

Multi-vane expanders are positive displacement volumetric machines which are nowadays considered for application in micro-power domestic ORC systems as promising alternative to micro turbines and other volumetric expanders. The multi-vane expander features very simple design, low gas flow capacity, low expansion ratios, an advantageous ratio of the power output to the external dimensions and are insensitive to the negative influence of the gas-liquid mixture expansion. Moreover, the multi-vane expander can be easily hermetically sealed, which is one of the key issues in the ORC system design. A literature review indicates that issues concerning the application of multi-vane expanders in such systems, especially related to operating of multi-vane expander with different low-boiling working fluids, are innovative, not fully scientifically described and have the potential for practical implementation. In this paper the results of numerical investigations on multi-vane expander operating conditions are presented. The analyses were performed on three-dimensional numerical model of the expander in ANSYS CFX software. The numerical model of the expander was validated using the data obtained from the experiment carried out on a lab test-stand. Then a series of computational analysis were performed using expanders' numerical model in order to determine its operating conditions under various flow conditions of different working fluids.

Economic Effects of Russia’s Trade Liberalization: Russia’s WTO Accession and FTAs with EU and Korea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chang-Soo Lee

2008-06-01

Full Text Available This paper estimates the economic impacts of the various liberalization scenarios of Russia (accession to the WTO, Russia-EU FTA, and Korea-Russia FTA using GTAP recursive dynamic and capital accumulation models. To compare liberalization gains from goods liberalization with those from goods-and-services liberalization, the original GTAP database is adjusted by inputting Australian sectoral indices as barriers in the service trade. The major findings and implications of this paper are as follows. First, without simultaneous improvement of market institutions, Russia's liberalization gains from its accession to the WTO are not so great. Second, the inclusion of the services sector in addition to the goods sector in the WTO liberalization scenarios does not greatly expand Russia's economic benefits from trade. This is quite different from the case of China's accession to the WTO. Third, Russia's liberalization gains from the Russia-EU FTA are not so great, either. This result is in contrast to that of CEEC's accession to the EU, where the CEEC enjoys large gaThis paper estimates the economic impacts of the various liberalization scenarios of Russia (accession to the WTO, Russia-EU FTA, and Korea-Russia FTA using GTAP recursive dynamic and capital accumulation models. To compare liberalization gains from goods liberalization with those from goods-and-services liberalization, the original GTAP database is adjusted by inputting Australian sectoral indices as barriers in the service trade. The major findings and implications of this paper are as follows. First, without simultaneous improvement of market institutions, Russia's liberalization gains from its accession to the WTO are not so great. Second, the inclusion of the services sector in addition to the goods sector in the WTO liberalization scenarios does not greatly expand Russia's economic benefits from trade. This is quite different from the case of China's accession to the WTO. Third, Russia

Expanding the Strained Alkyne Toolbox: Generation and Utility of Oxygen-Containing Strained Alkynes.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Tejas K; Medina, Jose M; Garg, Neil K

2016-04-13

We report synthetic methodology that permits access to two oxacyclic strained intermediates, the 4,5-benzofuranyne and the 3,4-oxacyclohexyne. In situ trapping of these intermediates affords an array of heterocyclic scaffolds by the formation of one or more new C-C or C-heteroatom bonds. Experimentally determined regioselectivities were consistent with predictions made using the distortion/interaction model and were also found to be greater compared to selectivities seen in the case of trapping experiments of the corresponding N-containing intermediates. These studies demonstrate the synthetic versatility of oxacyclic arynes and alkynes for the synthesis of functionalized heterocycles, while further expanding the scope of the distortion/interaction model. Moreover, these efforts underscore the value of harnessing strained heterocyclic intermediates as a unique approach to building polycyclic heteroatom-containing frameworks.

A review of integrating electroactive polymers as responsive systems for specialized drug delivery applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Pillay, Viness; Tsai, Tong-Sheng; Choonara, Yahya E; du Toit, Lisa C; Kumar, Pradeep; Modi, Girish; Naidoo, Dinesh; Tomar, Lomas K; Tyagi, Charu; Ndesendo, Valence M K

2014-06-01

Electroactive polymers (EAPs) are promising candidate materials for the design of drug delivery technologies, especially in conditions where an "on-off" drug release mechanism is required. To achieve this, EAPs such as polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, ethylene vinyl acetate, and polyethylene may be blended into responsive hydrogels in conjunction with the desired drug to obtain a patient-controlled drug release system. The "on-off" drug release mechanism can be achieved through the environmental-responsive nature of the interpenetrating hydrogel-EAP complex via (i) charged ions initiated diffusion of drug molecules; (ii) conformational changes that occur during redox switching of EAPs; or (iii) electroerosion. These release mechanisms are not exhaustive and new release mechanisms are still under investigation. Therefore, this review seeks to provide a concise incursion and critical overview of EAPs and responsive hydrogels as a strategy for advanced drug delivery, for example, controlled release of neurotransmitters, sulfosalicyclic acid from cross-linked hydrogel, and vaccine delivery. The review further discusses techniques such as linear sweep voltammetry, cyclic voltammetry, impedance spectroscopy, and chronoamperometry for the determination of the redox capability of EAPs. The future implications of the hydrogel-EAP composites include, but not limited to, application toward biosensors, DNA hybridizations, microsurgical tools, and miniature bioreactors and may be utilized to their full potential in the form of injectable devices as nanorobots or nanobiosensors. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characteristics of an external employee assistance programme in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Muto, Takashi; Fujimori, Yuiko; Suzuki, Keiko

2004-12-01

Mental health care is now a major occupational health issue in Japan. Although realizing effective use of external employee assistance programmes (EAPs) has been identified as crucial for mental health care, few scientific papers describe or analyse the characteristics of EAPs in Japan. This study sought to clarify the characteristics of an external EAP in Japan. The characteristics of an external EAP were clarified in terms of programme description and utilization. A total of 10,260 counselling sessions from 1996 to 2000 were used for utilization analysis. The EAP studied had contracts with 133 organizations, half of which were health insurance societies. The EAP provided employees and family members with free, confidential counselling. Annual mean utilization rate per 1000 individuals increased from 1.3 in 1996 to 2.7 in 2000. Less than one-third of counselling sessions were for work-related mental health issues, and male users (30%) consulted significantly more often than female users (14%) for such problems. Among men, career development issues were most common, while job dissatisfaction was highest among women. Absenteeism, depression and fatigue were the most frequently observed problems in both sexes. EAP use in Japan is rising. The majority of its use is for non-work-related health issues. Male users were more likely to consult for work-related mental health problems.

Closing the gap: the potential of Christian Health Associations in expanding access to family planning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren VanEnk

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Recognizing the health impact of timing and spacing pregnancies, the Sustainable Development Goals call for increased access to family planning globally. While faith-based organizations in Africa provide a significant proportion of health services, family planning service delivery has been limited. This evaluation seeks to assess the effectiveness of implementing a systems approach in strengthening the capacity of Christian Health Associations to provide family planning and increase uptake in their communities.From January 2014 to September 2015, the capacity of three Christian Health Associations in East Africa—Caritas Rwanda, Uganda Catholic Medical Bureau, and Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau—was strengthened with the aims of improving access to women with unmet need and harmonizing faith-based service delivery contributions with their national family planning programs. The key components of this systems approach to family planning included training, supervision, commodity availability, family planning promotion, data collection, and creating a supportive environment. Community-based provision of family planning, including fertility awareness methods, was introduced across intervention sites for the first time. Five hundred forty-seven facility- and community-based providers were trained in family planning, and 393,964 people were reached with family planning information. Uptake of family planning grew substantially in Year 1 (12,691 and Year 2 (19,485 across all Christian Health Associations as compared to the baseline year (3,551. Cumulatively, 32,176 clients took up a method during the intervention, and 43 percent of clients received this service at the community level. According to a provider competency checklist, facility- and community-based providers were able to adequately counsel clients on new fertility awareness methods. Integration of Christian Health Associations into the national family planning strategy improved through

Toward Proper Authentication Methods in Electronic Medical Record Access Compliant to HIPAA and C.I.A. Triangle.

Science.gov (United States)

Tipton, Stephen J; Forkey, Sara; Choi, Young B

2016-04-01

This paper examines various methods encompassing the authentication of users in accessing Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). From a methodological perspective, multiple authentication methods have been researched from both a desktop and mobile accessibility perspective. Each method is investigated at a high level, along with comparative analyses, as well as real world examples. The projected outcome of this examination is a better understanding of the sophistication required in protecting the vital privacy constraints of an individual's Protected Health Information (PHI). In understanding the implications of protecting healthcare data in today's technological world, the scope of this paper is to grasp an overview of confidentiality as it pertains to information security. In addressing this topic, a high level overview of the three goals of information security are examined; in particular, the goal of confidentiality is the primary focus. Expanding upon the goal of confidentiality, healthcare accessibility legal aspects are considered, with a focus upon the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). With the primary focus of this examination being access to EMRs, the paper will consider two types of accessibility of concern: access from a physician, or group of physicians; and access from an individual patient.

Expanded-bed chromatography in primary protein purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Anspach, F B; Curbelo, D; Hartmann, R; Garke, G; Deckwer, W D

1999-12-31

Chromatography in stable expanded beds enables proteins to be recovered directly from cultivations of microorganisms or cells and preparations of disrupted cells, without the need for prior removal of suspended solids. The general performance of an expanded bed is comparable to a packed bed owing to reduced mixing of the adsorbent particles in the column. However, optimal operating conditions are more restricted than in a packed bed due to the dependence of bed expansion on the size and density of the adsorbent particles as well as the viscosity and density of the feedstock. The feedstock composition may become the most limiting restriction owing to interactions of adsorbent particles with cell surfaces, DNA and other substances, leading to their aggregation and consequently to bed instabilities and channeling. Despite these difficulties, expanded-bed chromatography has found widespread applications in the large scale purification of proteins from mammalian cell and microbial feedstocks in industrial bioprocessing. The basics and implementation of expanded-bed chromatography, its advantages as well as problems encountered in the use of this technique for the direct extraction of proteins from unclarified feedstocks are addressed.

First order phase transition of expanding matter and its fragmentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chikazumi, Shinpei; Iwamoto, Akira

2002-01-01

Using an expanding matter model with a Lennard-Jones potential, the instability of the expanding system is investigated. The pressure, the temperature, and the density fluctuations are calculated as functions of density during the time evolution of the expanding matter, which are compared to the coexistence curve calculated by the Gibbs ensemble. The expanding matter undergoes the first order phase transition in the limit of the quasistatic expansion. The resultant fragment mass distributions are also investigated. (author)

Expanding the Impact of Photogrammetric Topography Through Improved Data Archiving and Access

Science.gov (United States)

Crosby, C. J.; Arrowsmith, R.; Nandigam, V.

2016-12-01

Centimeter to decimeter-scale 2.5 to 3D sampling of the Earth surface topography coupled with the potential for photorealistic coloring of point clouds and texture mapping of meshes enables a wide range of science applications. Not only is the configuration and state of the surface as imaged valuable, but repeat surveys enable quantification of topographic change (erosion, deposition, and displacement) caused by various geologic processes. We are in an era of ubiquitous point clouds which come from both active sources such as laser scanners and radar as well as passive scene reconstruction via structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry. With the decreasing costs of high-resolution topography (HRT) data collection, via methods such as SfM, the number of researchers collecting these data is increasing. These "long-tail" topographic data are of modest size but great value, and challenges exist to making them widely discoverable, shared, annotated, cited, managed and archived. Presently, there are no central repositories or services to support storage and curation of these datasets. The NSF funded OpenTopography (OT) employs cyberinfrastructure including large-scale data management, high-performance computing, and service-oriented architectures, to provide efficient online access to large HRT (mostly lidar) datasets, metadata, and processing tools. With over 200 datasets and 12,000 registered users, OT is well positioned to provide curation for community collected photogrammetric topographic data. OT is developing a "Community DataSpace", a service built on a low cost storage cloud (e.g. AWS S3) to make it easy for researchers to upload, curate, annotate and distribute their datasets. The system's ingestion workflow will extract metadata from data uploaded; validate it; assign a digital object identifier (DOI); and create a searchable catalog entry, before publishing via the OT portal. The OT Community DataSpace will enable wider discovery and utilization of these HRT

Grazing incidence beam expander

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akkapeddi, P.R.; Glenn, P.; Fuschetto, A.; Appert, Q.; Viswanathan, V.K.

1985-01-01

A Grazing Incidence Beam Expander (GIBE) telescope is being designed and fabricated to be used as an equivalent end mirror in a long laser resonator cavity. The design requirements for this GIBE flow down from a generic Free Electron Laser (FEL) resonator. The nature of the FEL gain volume (a thin, pencil-like, on-axis region) dictates that the output beam be very small. Such a thin beam with the high power levels characteristic of FELs would have to travel perhaps hundreds of meters or more before expanding enough to allow reflection from cooled mirrors. A GIBE, on the other hand, would allow placing these optics closer to the gain region and thus reduces the cavity lengths substantially. Results are presented relating to optical and mechanical design, alignment sensitivity analysis, radius of curvature analysis, laser cavity stability analysis of a linear stable concentric laser cavity with a GIBE. Fabrication details of the GIBE are also given.

The Expanded Large Scale Gap Test

Science.gov (United States)

1987-03-01

NSWC TR 86-32 DTIC THE EXPANDED LARGE SCALE GAP TEST BY T. P. LIDDIARD D. PRICE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT ’ ~MARCH 1987 Ap~proved for public...arises, to reduce the spread in the LSGT 50% gap value.) The worst charges, such as those with the highest or lowest densities, the largest re-pressed...Arlington, VA 22217 PE 62314N INS3A 1 RJ14E31 7R4TBK 11 TITLE (Include Security CIlmsilficatiorn The Expanded Large Scale Gap Test . 12. PEIRSONAL AUTHOR() T

Employee assistance programs in the upstream petroleum industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crutcher, R.A.; Yip, R.Y.; Young, M.R.

1991-01-01

This paper is a descriptive overview of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) in the upstream Canadian petroleum industry. The authors review current EAP models within the occupational health setting and the Canadian health care context. This article also explores the challenging issues of EAP's emergent functions in workplace substance abuse programs, its changing role in organizational effectiveness and its professional identity

Numerical modelling of multi-vane expander operating conditions in ORC system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rak Józef

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Multi-vane expanders are positive displacement volumetric machines which are nowadays considered for application in micro-power domestic ORC systems as promising alternative to micro turbines and other volumetric expanders. The multi-vane expander features very simple design, low gas flow capacity, low expansion ratios, an advantageous ratio of the power output to the external dimensions and are insensitive to the negative influence of the gas-liquid mixture expansion. Moreover, the multi-vane expander can be easily hermetically sealed, which is one of the key issues in the ORC system design. A literature review indicates that issues concerning the application of multi-vane expanders in such systems, especially related to operating of multi-vane expander with different low-boiling working fluids, are innovative, not fully scientifically described and have the potential for practical implementation. In this paper the results of numerical investigations on multi-vane expander operating conditions are presented. The analyses were performed on three-dimensional numerical model of the expander in ANSYS CFX software. The numerical model of the expander was validated using the data obtained from the experiment carried out on a lab test-stand. Then a series of computational analysis were performed using expanders' numerical model in order to determine its operating conditions under various flow conditions of different working fluids.

Mobile access to the Internet: from personal bubble to satellites

Science.gov (United States)

Gerla, Mario

2001-10-01

Mobile, wireless access and networking has emerged in the last few years as one of the most important directions of Internet growth. The popularity of mobile, and, more generally, nomadic Internet access is due to many enabling factors including: (a) emergence of meaningful applications tailored to the individual on the move; (b) small form factor and long battery life; (c) efficient middleware designed to support mobility; and, (d) efficient wireless networking technologies. A key player in the mobile Internet access is the nomad, i.e. the individual equipped with various computing and I/O gadgets (cellular phone, earphones, GPS navigator, palm pilot, beeper, portable scanner, digital camera, etc.). These devices form his/her Personal Area Network or PAN or personal bubble. The connectivity within the bubble is wireless (using for example a low cost, low power wireless LAN such as Bluetooth). The bubble can expand and contract dynamically depending on needs. It may temporarily include sensors and actuators as the nomad walks into a new environment. In this paper, we identify the need for the interconnection of the PAN with other wireless networks in order to achieve costeffective mobile access to the Internet. We will overview some key networking technologies required to support the PAN (eg, Bluetooth). We will also discuss an emerging technology, Ad Hoc wireless networking which is the natural complement of the PAN in sparsely populated areas. Finally, we will identify the need for intelligent routers to assist the mobile user in the selection of the best Internet access strategy.

The Adolescent "Expanded Medical Home": School-Based Health Centers Partner with a Primary Care Clinic to Improve Population Health and Mitigate Social Determinants of Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Riley, Margaret; Laurie, Anna R; Plegue, Melissa A; Richarson, Caroline R

2016-01-01

Access to high-quality health care is a crucial social determinant of health. We describe the implementation of an "expanded medical home" partnering a primary care practice (the Ypsilanti Health Center [YHC]) with local school-based health centers (the Regional Alliance for Healthy Schools [RAHS]), and to assess whether this model improves access to and quality of care for shared patients. Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, we define the steps in, barriers to, and facilitating factors in implementing the expanded medical home model. Visits and quality measures were assessed for patients seen by YHC only versus YHC/RAHS at baseline and during the intervention. At baseline, patients seen at YHC/RAHS had higher compliance with most quality metrics compared with those seen at YHC only. The proportion of shared patients significantly increased because of the intervention (P partnership between primary care physicians and school-based health centers increases the number of shared high-risk adolescent patients. Shared patients have improved compliance with quality measures, which may lead to long-term improved health equity. © Copyright 2016 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Selective Access to Heterocyclic Sulfonamides and Sulfonyl Fluorides via a Parallel Medicinal Chemistry Enabled Method.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Joseph W; Chenard, Lois; Young, Joseph M

2015-11-09

A sulfur-functionalized aminoacrolein derivative is used for the efficient and selective synthesis of heterocyclic sulfonyl chlorides, sulfonyl fluorides, and sulfonamides. The development of a 3-step parallel medicinal chemistry (PMC) protocol for the synthesis of pyrazole-4-sulfonamides effectively demonstrates the utility of this reagent. This reactivity was expanded to provide rapid access to other heterocyclic sulfonyl fluorides, including pyrimidines and pyridines, whose corresponding sulfonyl chlorides lack suitable chemical stability.

Employee Assistance Program Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Gettleman, Alan G.; McGuire, William

1999-01-01

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) officers, as well as personnel in other disciplines from eight NASA Centers, attended this breakout session. Ms. Brenda Blair, MA, CEAP, a guest speaker at the conference, also attended as a consultant. Representatives from the NASA Centers introduced themselves and spoke briefly about their programs. In a discussion related to the conference theme on benchmarking, quality control issues within the EAP community and adequate documentation of cases were addressed. Disposition and provision for quality assurance checks for EAP providers in single person offices were also discussed. Ms. Blair presented methods for consulting with other NASA personnel in single person EAP offices as a quality control measure. EAP intervention in critical incidents was discussed. The question of whether EAP assistance is an asset or a potential liability in those situations was addressed. Suggestions were made of topics for future EAP video-teleconference topics. A program on EAP ethics was planned for a September video teleconference. Each person was asked to provide intake forms they use to Mr. Gettleman or Ms. Blair. Ms. Blair said she would review the forms to ensure that adequate notification is provided to the client for confidentiality. She would also review them to ensure they have adequate limits of confidentiality--a topic for future video teleconferencing. Mr. Gettleman described the NASA initiative to reduce stresses in the workplace, and the activities of an ad-hoc EAP group that will make recommendations to NASA senior management. Alternative training methods were discussed for reaching target audiences such as employees at risk, supervisors, and others. Pfc. David A. Pendleton, Victim Assistance Coordinator, U.S. Capitol Police. U.S. House of Representatives made a special presentation. Pfc. Pendleton was on duty during the tragic shooting of two Federal guards at the U.S. Capitol. He related the events immediately after the incident. He

Extracellular polysaccharides purified from Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 (Polycan) inhibit dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Hyung-Rae; Park, Dong-Chan; Jung, Go-Woon

2018-01-01

The present study assessed the beneficial skeletal muscle-preserving effects of extracellular polysaccharides from Aureobasidium pullulans SM-2001 (Polycan) (EAP) on dexamethasone (DEXA)-induced catabolic muscle atrophy in mice. To investigate whether EAP prevented catabolic DEXA-induced muscle atrophy, and to examine its mechanisms of action, EAP (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) was administered orally, once a day for 24 days. EAP treatment was initiated 2 weeks prior to DEXA treatment (1 mg/kg, once a day for 10 days) in mice. Body weight alterations, serum biochemistry, calf thickness, calf muscle strength, gastrocnemius muscle thickness and weight, gastrocnemius muscle antioxidant defense parameters, gastrocnemius muscle mRNA expression, histology and histomorphometry were subsequently assessed. After 24 days, DEXA control mice exhibited muscle atrophy according to all criteria indices. However, these muscle atrophy symptoms were significantly inhibited by oral treatment with all three doses of EAP. Regarding possible mechanisms of action, EAP exhibited favorable ameliorating effects on DEXA-induced catabolic muscle atrophy via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; these effects were mediated by modulation of the expression of genes involved in muscle protein synthesis (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, adenosine A1 receptor and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 4) and degradation (atrogin-1, muscle RING-finger protein-1, myostatin and sirtuin 1). Therefore, these results indicated that EAP may be helpful in improving muscle atrophies of various etiologies. EAP at 400 mg/kg exhibited favorable muscle protective effects against DEXA-induced catabolic muscle atrophy, comparable with the effects of oxymetholone (50 mg/kg), which has been used to treat various muscle disorders. PMID:29138805

An empirical application of regional security complex theory on eastern partnership region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludmila STUPARU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Eastern Partnership (EaP is a very dynamic region. If a year ago the EaP was seen as an authentic and vibrant „laboratory” of democracy building, overcoming the remains of the totalitarian state and putting the basis of a free and pluralist society, nowadays the Eastern Partnership is seen as an „out-dated” approach of the EU. However, Eastern Partnership is visible on European political arena and the big powers (USA, Russia and the EU pay attention more and more to the evolution of EaP countries. Moreover, it seems to be a confrontation between Russia and Western powers regarding the political and geopolitical orientation of EaP countries. Kremlin tries actively to stop the efforts of the EaP to close to the EU and on the other side, the EU as well as the USA encourage EaP countries to implement reforms in order to build their democracy. This paper aims to analyse the Eastern Partnership in terms of security complex, trying to argue that Eastern Partnership countries at this phase don’t form a Regional Security Complex and the EU and USA should rethink its approach towards this region.

Accelerating access to energy services: Way forward

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman

2017-03-01

Full Text Available As nearly a fifth of the world's population still lives without access to electricity and double that number with no access to modern cooking technologies, both public and private sector players have invested resources in developing infrastructure to address this energy gap. While there have been exceptional cases like China, Vietnam and Brazil, where the public sector led grid expansion achieved incredible gains in expanding access as to electricity, the general trend over the years in most developing countries has demonstrated that both public and private led approaches have been unsuccessful in independently yielding the desired acceleration and continuity to deliver universal energy access. Despite the inherent benefits of both public and private sector led initiatives, typical systemic inefficiencies and inadequate capacities in both approaches prevent them from fully addressing the principal objective of facilitating energy access for the poor in the long term. Also, even if required investments were adequately capitalized, with the current population growth rate continually outpacing the rate of interventions, the number of people who remained energy poor 15 years hence, would still be the same. Thus, not only is there is a need for providing energy access to the existing population mass, but an equal need to do it fast enough to truly reduce the number of energy poor across the globe. An alternative approach therefore needs to be explored that juxtaposes the social welfare objectives of public sector led initiatives with the enterprise development and growth objectives of the private sector, to support the creation of an enabling ecosystem and a viable value chain that successfully and effectively delivers energy solutions to the last mile. Such a pro-poor hybrid model will essentially address the inefficiencies and inadequacies of both public and private approaches and capitalize on their strengths through a complementary mix of social

Treating addictive behaviors in the employee assistance program: implications for brief interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Karen K; Neighbors, Clayton; Marlatt, G Alan

2004-12-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are widely available to assist employees with a variety of problems. This research examined factors related to utilization and outcome by individuals with addictive behaviors (ABs) versus other problem areas. The specific aims of this study were to evaluate referral source and treatment outcome by gender and presenting problem. The sample included 3890 men and women who attended the EAP for a variety of concerns. Men were less likely than women to self-refer and more likely to be mandated to the EAP. Men were also much more likely to present with ABs. Relative to clients presenting with other issues, individuals with ABs were less likely to self-refer, have their problems resolved in the EAP, and were seen for fewer sessions. These results suggest that EAPs may be well suited for implementation of brief interventions (BIs) that have been empirically supported in other contexts.

Implementing and expanding HIV testing in immigrant populations in Europe: Comparing guideline's recommendations and expert's opinions.

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez-Del Arco, Débora; Monge, Susana; Rivero-Montesdeoca, Yaiza; Burns, Fiona; Noori, Teymur; Del Amo, Julia

2017-01-01

Immigrant populations, especially those from endemic countries, living in the European Union (EU) suffer a disproportionate burden of HIV, delayed diagnosis and poorer access to antiretroviral treatment. While International Organisations are developing recommendations aimed at increasing the uptake of HIV testing, the feasibility and real outcomes of these measures remain unexplored. The aim of this review was, firstly to identify the recommendations of the main International Organisations (IO) on HIV testing in immigrants. Secondly, to describe the challenges for implementing and expanding HIV testing and counselling interventions targeting immigrants by interviewing key informants. The importance of HIV testing in immigrants is discussed, along with the appropriateness of universal HIV testing approaches vs most at risk targeted approaches. Also addressed is, pre- and post-HIV test counselling characteristics and community initiatives suitable to reach this population and, finally the legal issues regarding access to treatment for illegal immigrants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.

Health promotion through employee assistance programs: a role for occupational therapists.

Science.gov (United States)

Maynard, M

1986-11-01

Health promotion is predicted to have a major impact on occupational therapy practice. Keeping people well and promoting a healthy life-style will be the focus for the future. Many companies and agencies are taking the lead by instituting employee assistance programs (EAPs). With the de-emphasis on long-term hospital care, many occupational therapists will be seeking employment with community health programs. This paper advocates a role for occupational therapists in health promotion and disease prevention in an EAP. A description of EAPs and the contributions that occupational therapists can make to these programs is offered. Practice and education considerations for occupational therapists' roles in EAPs are provided.

Employee assistance programs: history and program description.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilbert, B

1994-10-01

1. The history and development of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can be traced back to the 1800s. There are currently over 10,000 EAPs in the United States. 2. Standards for program accreditation and counselor certification have been established for EAPs. The "core technology of Employee Assistance Programs" includes identification of behavioural problems based on job performance issues, expert consultation with supervisors, appropriate use of constructive confrontation, microlinkages with treatment providers and resources, macrolinkages between providers, resources, and work organizations, focus on substance abuse, and evaluation of employee success based on job performance. 3. Some EAPs take a broad brush approach, and incorporate health promotion and managed care functions.

Conference Offers Girls Opportunity to Expand Career Horizons

Science.gov (United States)

Offers Girls Opportunity to Expand Career Horizons For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs Golden, Colo., Feb. 11, 1997 -- Expanding Your Horizons, a conference for girls grades 6 - 9 and Employed Women, Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver, King Soopers, McDonalds, the TCI Adult Program and the

NASA Plan for Increasing Access to the Results of Scientific Research

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

This plan is issued in response to the Executive Office of the President's February 22, 2013, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, "Increasing Access to the Results of Federally Funded Scientific Research." Through this memorandum, OSTP directed all agencies with more than $100 million in annual research and development expenditures to prepare a plan for improving the public's access to the results of federally funded research. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) invests on the order of $3 billion annually in fundamental and applied research and technology development1 across a broad range of topics, including space and Earth sciences, life and physical sciences, human health, aeronautics, and technology. Promoting the full and open sharing of data with research communities, private industry, academia, and the general public is one of NASA's longstanding core values. For example, NASA's space and suborbital mission personnel routinely process, archive, and distribute their data to researchers around the globe. This plan expands the breadth of NASA's open-access culture to include data and publications for all of the scientific research that the Agency sponsors.

Development of cryogenic free-piston reciprocating expander utilizing phase controller

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cha, Jeong Min; Park, Ji Ho; Kim, Kyung Joong; Jeong, Sang Kwon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-06-15

A free-piston reciprocating expander is a device which operates without any mechanical linkage to a stationary part. Since the motion of the floating piston is only controlled by the pressure difference at two ends of the piston, this kind of expander may indispensably require a sophisticated active control system equipped with multiple valves and reservoirs. In this paper, we have suggested a novel design that can further reduce complexity of the previously developed cryogenic free-piston expander configuration. It is a simple replacement of both multiple valves and reservoirs by a combination of an orifice valve and a reservoir. The functional characteristic of the integrated orifice-reservoir configuration is similar to that of a phase controller applied in a pulse tube refrigerator so that we designate the one as a phase controller. Depending on the orifice valve size in the phase controller, the different PV work which affects the expander performance is generated. The numerical model of this unique free-piston reciprocating expander utilizing a phase controller is established to understand and analyze quantitatively the performance variation of the expander under different valve timing and orifice valve size. The room temperature experiments are carried out to examine the performance of this newly developed cryogenic expander.

Development of cryogenic free-piston reciprocating expander utilizing phase controller

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Jeong Min; Park, Ji Ho; Kim, Kyung Joong; Jeong, Sang Kwon

2016-01-01

A free-piston reciprocating expander is a device which operates without any mechanical linkage to a stationary part. Since the motion of the floating piston is only controlled by the pressure difference at two ends of the piston, this kind of expander may indispensably require a sophisticated active control system equipped with multiple valves and reservoirs. In this paper, we have suggested a novel design that can further reduce complexity of the previously developed cryogenic free-piston expander configuration. It is a simple replacement of both multiple valves and reservoirs by a combination of an orifice valve and a reservoir. The functional characteristic of the integrated orifice-reservoir configuration is similar to that of a phase controller applied in a pulse tube refrigerator so that we designate the one as a phase controller. Depending on the orifice valve size in the phase controller, the different PV work which affects the expander performance is generated. The numerical model of this unique free-piston reciprocating expander utilizing a phase controller is established to understand and analyze quantitatively the performance variation of the expander under different valve timing and orifice valve size. The room temperature experiments are carried out to examine the performance of this newly developed cryogenic expander

Crystallization degree change of expanded graphite by milling and annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang Qunwei; Wu Jihuai; Sun Hui; Fang Shijun

2009-01-01

Expanded graphite was ball milled with a planetary mill in air atmosphere, and subsequently thermal annealed. The samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that in the milling initial stage (less than 12 h), the crystallization degree of the expanded graphite declined gradually, but after milling more than 16 h, a recrystallization of the expanded graphite toke place, and ordered nanoscale expanded graphite was formed gradually. In the annealing initial stage, the non-crystallization of the graphite occurred, but, beyond an annealing time, recrystallizations of the graphite arise. Higher annealing temperature supported the recrystallization. The milled and annealed expanded graphite still preserved the crystalline structure as raw material and hold high thermal stability.

GENETIC DIVERSITY OF WILD AND CULTIVATED Mucuna pruriens (L. DC. ACCESSIONS ANALYZED USING THIRTY MORPHO-AGRONOMICAL CHARACTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N Sathyanarayana

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Genetic diversity and relatedness among 31 wild and 9 cultivated Mucuna pruriens accessions collected from diverse eco-climatic regions in India were evaluated using 30 morpho-agronomical characters. The experiments were carried by growing the plants in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD in four replications for two seasons. The results of PCA for 22 quantitative and 8 qualitative characters indicated that the first two PCs together explained 65.18% and 67.50% of the total variation respectively, which were drawn across a range of traits. Cluster analysis demonstrated on the whole high morphological diversity (63.05% amongst wild and cultivated accessions and low diversity (36.95% within cultivated accessions. Analysis of six yield traits based on LSD5% values revealed distinct genotypes under each category which are of potential value in breeding programs. Low morphological diversity within cultivated accessions emphasizes the need for expanding its genetic base in India.

Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death: Automated External Defibrillators in Ohio High Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Lear, Aaron; Hoang, Minh-Ha; Zyzanski, Stephen J

2015-10-01

Ohio passed legislation in 2004 for optional public funding of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in all Ohio high schools. To report occurrences of sudden cardiac arrest in which AEDs were used in Ohio high schools and to evaluate the adherence of Ohio high schools with AEDs to state law and published guidelines on AEDs and emergency action plans (EAPs) in schools. Cross-sectional survey. Web-based survey. A total of 264 of 827 schools that were members of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. We surveyed schools on AED use, AED maintenance, and EAPs. Twenty-five episodes of AED deployment at 22 schools over an 11-year period were reported; 8 (32%) involved students and 17 (68%) involved adults. The reported survival rate was 60% (n = 15). Most events (n = 20, 80%) in both students and adults occurred at or near athletic facilities. The annual use rate of AEDs was 0.7%. Fifty-three percent (n = 140) of schools reported having an EAP in place for episodes of cardiac arrest. Of the schools with EAPs, 57% (n = 80) reported having rehearsed them. Our data supported the placement of AEDs in high schools given the frequency of use for sudden cardiac arrest and the survival rate reported. They also suggested the need for increased awareness of recommendations for EAPs and the need to formulate and practice EAPs. School EAPs should emphasize planning for events in the vicinity of athletic facilities.

"Se on yksi kanava" - EAP:stä muodostetut sosiaaliset representaatiot

OpenAIRE

Tervonen, Leena

2003-01-01

Endast sammandrag. Inbundna avhandlingar kan sökas i Helka-databasen (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Elektroniska kopior av avhandlingar finns antingen öppet på nätet eller endast tillgängliga i bibliotekets avhandlingsterminaler. Only abstract. Paper copies of master’s theses are listed in the Helka database (http://www.helsinki.fi/helka). Electronic copies of master’s theses are either available as open access or only on thesis terminals in the Helsinki University Library. Vain tiivi...

New York: Expanding Time, Increasing Opportunities for Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Tiffany D.

2014-01-01

New York is poised to take an important step to improve student achievement by expanding learning time for students attending high-poverty, low-performing schools. Recent district- and state-level investments in expanded learning time--a promising strategy to close achievement and opportunity gaps--will give students more time to learn core…

Innovative isothermal oil-free co-rotating scroll compressor–expander for energy storage with first expander tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iglesias, A.; Favrat, D.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Doing a new concept of small scale compressed air energy storage. • Presenting a new working process of scroll machinery. • Updating a thermodynamic model of scroll compressor that take into account water injection. • Updating a mathematical model of volumetric loses that take into account sealing effect of liquid water. • Encouraging results to investigate more deeply this new concept. - Abstract: The development of an efficient isothermal turbine and compressor is essential for the realization of a small-scale compressed air energy storage (CAES). This article presents the theoretical development of an oil-free co-rotating scroll air compressor and turbine working with water injection to make the operations of expansion and compression as isothermal as possible. First experimental results in expander mode are shown. The theoretical performance is predicted with the help of a mathematical model using the equations of energy and mass conservation and the equation of state. This model takes into account the effects of water injection and volumetric losses. The experimental prototype is an oil-free scroll air compressor with the distinctive feature of having two mobile involutes working in synchronized co-rotation one relative to another. The prime-mover is an electric motor driving the two scrolls with two synchronizing belts. Water injection in the housing intends to provide a quasi-isothermal compression. The same device is used as an isothermal expander by supplying high-pressure air with water when it rotates backwards in expander mode, the electric motor acting then as a generator. Expected improvements to a standard scroll compressor and expander are a better volumetric efficiency and a greater power density due to a higher rotational speed of the scrolls, thanks to their symmetrical masses. The isothermal processes increase also the overall performance

Electroactive polymers for sensing

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Electromechanical coupling in electroactive polymers (EAPs) has been widely applied for actuation and is also being increasingly investigated for sensing chemical and mechanical stimuli. EAPs are a unique class of materials, with low-moduli high-strain capabilities and the ability to conform to surfaces of different shapes. These features make them attractive for applications such as wearable sensors and interfacing with soft tissues. Here, we review the major types of EAPs and their sensing mechanisms. These are divided into two classes depending on the main type of charge carrier: ionic EAPs (such as conducting polymers and ionic polymer–metal composites) and electronic EAPs (such as dielectric elastomers, liquid-crystal polymers and piezoelectric polymers). This review is intended to serve as an introduction to the mechanisms of these materials and as a first step in material selection for both researchers and designers of flexible/bendable devices, biocompatible sensors or even robotic tactile sensing units. PMID:27499846

English as a lingua franca in higher education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Björkman, Beyza

2011-01-01

The last decade has brought a number of changes for higher education in continental Europe and elsewhere, a major one being the increasing use of English as a lingua franca (ELF) as the medium of instruction. With this change, EAP is faced with a new group of learners who will need to use...... it predominantly in ELF settings to communicate with speakers from other first language backgrounds. This overview paper first discusses the changes that have taken place in the field of EAP in terms of student body, followed by an outline of the main findings of research carried out on ELF. These changes...... and the results of recent ELF research have important implications for EAP instruction and testing. It is argued here that EAP needs to be modified accordingly to cater for the needs of this group. These revolve around the two major issues: norms and standards for spoken English and target use. If the aim of EAP...

Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy for adolescents experiencing depression and/or anxiety: A therapist's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Kaitlyn; Buultjens, Melissa; Monfries, Melissa; Karimi, Leila

2017-01-01

Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) are thought to overcome some of the limitations of traditional therapies as they do not rely exclusively on language as a medium for change. One such Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) approach involves horses as a therapeutic medium. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) comprises a collaborative effort between a licensed therapist and a horse professional working with clients to address treatment goals. The purpose of the present Australian-based qualitative study was to examine EAP facilitators' perspectives on the biospychosocial benefits and therapeutic outcomes of EAP for adolescents experiencing depression and/or anxiety. The findings suggest a range of improvements within adolescent clients, including increases in confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness, as well as a decrease in undesirable behaviours. The effectiveness of the therapy was thought to be due to the experiential nature of involving horses in therapy. The lack of understanding in the wider community about EAP was seen as a barrier to recognition and acceptance of EAP as a valid therapeutic intervention.

Employee assistance programs, drug testing, and workplace injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Waehrer, Geetha M; Miller, Ted R; Hendrie, Delia; Galvin, Deborah M

2016-06-01

Little is known about the effects of employee assistance programs (EAPs) on occupational injuries. Multivariate regressions probed a unique data set that linked establishment information about workplace anti-drug programs in 1988 with occupational injury rates for 1405 establishments. EAPs were associated with a significant reduction in both no-lost-work and lost-work injuries, especially in the manufacturing and transportation, communication and public utilities industries (TCPU). Lost-work injuries were more responsive to specific EAP characteristics, with lower rates associated with EAPs staffed by company employees (most likely onsite). Telephone hotline services were associated with reduced rates of lost-work injuries in manufacturing and TCPU. Drug testing was associated with reductions in the rate of minor injuries with no lost work, but had no significant relationship with lost-work injuries. This associational study suggests that EAPs, especially ones that are company-staffed and ones that include telephone hotlines, may prevent workplace injuries. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Formal intervention in employee health: comparisons of the nature and structure of employee assistance programs and health promotion programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, P M; Blum, T C

1988-01-01

Health promotion programs (HPP) and employee assistance programs (EAP) are compared in terms of their structure and process. Two common themes are extracted: a belief that both are beneficial to both employers and employees, and a sense of 'mission'. The technology of HPP and EAP are examined and compared. EAPs' stimulation from Federal funding is contrasted with the more indigenous roots of HPPs. Examination of empirical data comparing organizations with EAPs which have and have not adopted HPPs indicate the former tend to be somewhat more 'caring' toward employees. An examination of program ingredients indicates much greater commonality of structural and processual ingredients within EAPs as compared to HPPs. The extent to which each program type has become more 'populist' in orientation and the implications of these changes for program technology are considered. Finally the paper describes differences in program evaluation stemming from target group definitions in the two types of programs.

The relationship between employer health insurance characteristics and the provision of employee assistance programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarkin, G A; Garfinkel, S A

1994-01-01

Workplace drug and alcohol abuse imposes substantial costs on employers. In response, employers have implemented a variety of programs to decrease substance abuse in the workplace, including drug testing, health and wellness programs, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). This paper focuses on the relationship between enterprises' organizational and health insurance characteristics and the firms' decisions to provide EAPs. Using data from the 1989 Survey of Health Insurance Plans (SHIP), sponsored by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), we estimated the prevalence of EAPs by selected organizational and health insurance characteristics for those firms that offer health insurance to their workers. In addition, we estimated logistic models of the enterprises' decisions to provide EAPs as functions of the extent of state substance abuse and mental health insurance mandates, state-level demographic variables, and organizational and health insurance characteristics. Our results suggest that state mandates and demographic variables, as well as organizational and health insurance characteristics, are important explanatory variables of enterprises' decisions to provide EAPs.

Electromechanically active polymer transducers: research in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Carpi, Federico; Graz, Ingrid; Jager, Edwin; Ladegaard Skov, Anne; Vidal, Frédéric

2013-10-01

Smart materials and structures based on electromechanically active polymers (EAPs) represent a fast growing and stimulating field of research and development. EAPs are materials capable of changing dimensions and/or shape in response to suitable electrical stimuli. They are commonly classified in two major families: ionic EAPs (activated by an electrically induced transport of ions and/or solvent) and electronic EAPs (activated by electrostatic forces). These polymers show interesting properties, such as sizable active strains and/or stresses in response to electrical driving, high mechanical flexibility, low density, structural simplicity, ease of processing and scalability, no acoustic noise and, in most cases, low costs. Since many of these characteristics can also describe natural muscle tissues from an engineering standpoint, it is not surprising that EAP transducers are sometimes also referred to as 'muscle-like smart materials' or 'artificial muscles'. They are used not only to generate motion, but also to sense or harvest energy from it. In particular, EAP electromechanical transducers are studied for applications that can benefit from their 'biomimetic' characteristics, with possible usages from the micro- to the macro-scale, spanning several disciplines, such as mechatronics, robotics, automation, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, haptics, fluidics, optics and acoustics. Currently, the EAP field is just undergoing its initial transition from academic research into commercialization, with companies starting to invest in this technology and the first products appearing on the market. This focus issue is intentionally aimed at gathering contributions from the most influential European groups working in the EAP field. In fact, today Europe hosts the broadest EAP community worldwide. The rapid expansion of the EAP field in Europe, where it historically has strong roots, has stimulated the creation of the 'European Scientific Network for Artificial

AstroCom NYC: Expanding the Partnership

Science.gov (United States)

Paglione, Timothy; Ford, Saavik; Agueros, Marcel A.; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Robbins, Dennis

2015-01-01

AstroCom NYC is an undergraduate mentoring program designed to improve urban minority student access to opportunities in astrophysical research by greatly enhancing partnerships between research astronomers in New York City (City University of New York - an MSI, American Museum of Natural History, and Columbia). AstroCom NYC provides centralized, personalized mentoring as well as financial and academic support, to CUNY undergraduates throughout their studies, plus the resources and opportunities to further CUNY faculty research with students. The goal is that students' residency at AMNH helps them build a sense of belonging in the field, and readies and inspires them for graduate study. AstroCom NYC provides a rigorous Methods of Scientific Research course developed specifically to this purpose, a laptop, research and career mentors, outreach activities, scholarships and stipends, Metrocards, and regular assessment for maximum effectiveness. Stipends in part alleviate the burdens at home typical for CUNY students so they may concentrate on their academic success. AMNH serves as the central hub for our faculty and students, who are otherwise dispersed among all five boroughs of the City. For our second cohort, we dramatically improved the application and screening process, implemented a number of tools to evaluate their potential for grad school, and began growing a network of potential hosts for summer internships around NY State and the US. We review these implementations and outcomes, as well as plans for Year 3, when we expect many of our current students to compete for external summer REUs, and after greatly expanding the program reach through a NASA community college initiative.

Expanding the Game Design Space

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Lasse Juel; Majgaard, Gunver

2016-01-01

This article considers game design research in educational settings. Its focus is on how undergraduate students – particularly engineering students – learn computer game design. From observations conducted during our game design courses we have developed a model of expanded game design space...... layer establishes correspondence between formal elements of computer games and the structure of problem-based creativity. It addresses how game design challenges should be formulated and how creative solutions can be measured. The fourth and final layer demonstrates how clear framing can act....... It encapsulates the entire development process from the first ideas to the final game with emphasis on game design thinking. Our model of expanded game design space consists of four separate – yet interconnected – layers in the process of game development. The first layer addresses the importance of framing...

Self-expanding/shrinking structures by 4D printing

Science.gov (United States)

Bodaghi, M.; Damanpack, A. R.; Liao, W. H.

2016-10-01

The aim of this paper is to create adaptive structures capable of self-expanding and self-shrinking by means of four-dimensional printing technology. An actuator unit is designed and fabricated directly by printing fibers of shape memory polymers (SMPs) in flexible beams with different arrangements. Experiments are conducted to determine thermo-mechanical material properties of the fabricated part revealing that the printing process introduced a strong anisotropy into the printed parts. The feasibility of the actuator unit with self-expanding and self-shrinking features is demonstrated experimentally. A phenomenological constitutive model together with analytical closed-form solutions are developed to replicate thermo-mechanical behaviors of SMPs. Governing equations of equilibrium are developed for printed structures based on the non-linear Green-Lagrange strain tensor and solved implementing a finite element method along with an iterative incremental Newton-Raphson scheme. The material-structural model is then applied to digitally design and print SMP adaptive lattices in planar and tubular shapes comprising a periodic arrangement of SMP actuator units that expand and then recover their original shape automatically. Numerical and experimental results reveal that the proposed planar lattice as meta-materials can be employed for plane actuators with self-expanding/shrinking features or as structural switches providing two different dynamic characteristics. It is also shown that the proposed tubular lattice with a self-expanding/shrinking mechanism can serve as tubular stents and grippers for bio-medical or piping applications.

Access to essential medicines in Pakistan: policy and health systems research concerns.