ACCENTUATION OF PERSONALITY TRAITS IN THE PATIENTS WITH GRANULOMATOUS LESIONS OF RESPIRATORY ORGANS IN CASE OF SARCOIDOSIS AND TUBERCULOSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Yu. Chernikov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available 404 sarcoidosis and 404 tuberculosis patients were examined in order to detect correlations between clinical manifestations, psychological adaptation and accentuation of personality traits and granulomatous lesions of respiratory organs in case of sarcoidosis and tuberculosis. All patients had subjective and objective examinations and answered the following questionnaires: Schmieschek questionnaire to identify accentuation of personality traits, clinical questionnaire to detect and evaluate neurotic disorders, Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale to detect the level of anxiety. It has been found out that sarcoidosis patients are characterized both by asymptomatic course of the disease as well as diverse clinical manifestations: pain syndrome, nodal fever, intoxication with expressed general fatigue, respiratory insufficiency. It is combined with stuck, pedant, cycloid, exalted, emotive accentuations of personality traits, with psychological maladaptation as per the scores of autonomic imbalance, neurotic depression, asthenia, with average high level of anxiety. The following is typical of tuberculosis patients: syndrome of bronchial tree lesions and respiratory insufficiency; distymny, demonstrative, excitable, exalted, anxiety-hypochondriac accentuations of personality traits, with psychological maladaptation as per the scores of autonomic imbalance, obsessive-phobic disorders and hysteria; average high level of anxiety. The strong correlation has been found between the degree of symptoms expression, level of anxiety and psychological maladaptation and the type of patient's accentuation of personality traits.

The effect of different accentuated eccentric load levels in eccentric-concentric loading contractions on acute neuromuscular, growth hormone and blood lactate responses during a hypertrophic protocol

OpenAIRE

Ojasto, Timo

2007-01-01

When accentuated load is applied during the eccentric (ECC) phase of eccentric-concentric (ECC-CON) contractions, it is defined as dynamic accentuated external resistance (DAER) exercise. This study monitored acute neuromuscular responses, growth hormone (GH) and blood lactate (La) concentrations to find out the most efficient ECC-CON loading strategy for muscle hypertrophy by employing various DAER resistances in the bench-press. Male subjects (age=32.4±4.3years, n=11) were assigned as subje...

True-3D accentuating of grids and streets in urban topographic maps enhances human object location memory.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Edler

Full Text Available Cognitive representations of learned map information are subject to systematic distortion errors. Map elements that divide a map surface into regions, such as content-related linear symbols (e.g. streets, rivers, railway systems or additional artificial layers (coordinate grids, provide an orientation pattern that can help users to reduce distortions in their mental representations. In recent years, the television industry has started to establish True-3D (autostereoscopic displays as mass media. These modern displays make it possible to watch dynamic and static images including depth illusions without additional devices, such as 3D glasses. In these images, visual details can be distributed over different positions along the depth axis. Some empirical studies of vision research provided first evidence that 3D stereoscopic content attracts higher attention and is processed faster. So far, the impact of True-3D accentuating has not yet been explored concerning spatial memory tasks and cartography. This paper reports the results of two empirical studies that focus on investigations whether True-3D accentuating of artificial, regular overlaying line features (i.e. grids and content-related, irregular line features (i.e. highways and main streets in official urban topographic maps (scale 1/10,000 further improves human object location memory performance. The memory performance is measured as both the percentage of correctly recalled object locations (hit rate and the mean distances of correctly recalled objects (spatial accuracy. It is shown that the True-3D accentuating of grids (depth offset: 5 cm significantly enhances the spatial accuracy of recalled map object locations, whereas the True-3D emphasis of streets significantly improves the hit rate of recalled map object locations. These results show the potential of True-3D displays for an improvement of the cognitive representation of learned cartographic information.

Comparative effects of cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibition, statin or ezetimibe on lipid factors: The ACCENTUATE trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Stephen J; Ray, Kausik K; Ballantyne, Christie M; Beacham, Lauren A; Miller, Debra L; Ruotolo, Giacomo; Nissen, Steven E; Riesmeyer, Jeffrey S

2017-06-01

The optimal approaches to management of patients treated with moderate statin doses on lipid parameters are unknown. The ACCENTUATE study aimed to compare the effects of adding the cholesteryl ester transfer protein inhibitor (CETP) evacetrapib, ezetimibe or increasing statin dose in atorvastatin-treated high-vascular risk patients on lipid parameters. 366 patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and/or diabetes were treated with atorvastatin 40 mg/day for 28 days prior to randomization to atorvastatin 40 mg plus evacetrapib 130 mg, atorvastatin 80 mg, atorvastatin 40 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg or atorvastatin 40 mg plus placebo, daily for 90 days at 64 centers in the United States. Lipid parameters, safety and tolerability were measured. Addition of evacetrapib significantly reduced LDL-C (-33%) compared with ezetimibe (-27%, p=0.045), increasing statin dose (-6%) and statin alone (0%, pstatin dose (pstatin dose, and p=0.004 vs. statin alone). Addition of evacetrapib to atorvastatin produced an increase in hsCRP compared with ezetimibe (p=0.02). While evacetrapib improved traditional atherogenic and putative protective lipid measures compared with ezetimibe and increasing statin dose in patients with ASCVD and/or diabetes, it also adversely affected novel atherogenic risk factors. These findings may contribute to the lack of clinical benefit observed in the ACCELERATE trial. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moderate ethanol administration accentuates cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction and mitochondrial injury in high fat diet-induced obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Fang; Lei, Yonghong; Wang, Qiurong; Esberg, Lucy B; Huang, Zaixing; Scott, Glenda I; Li, Xue; Ren, Jun

2015-03-18

Light to moderate drinking confers cardioprotection although it remains unclear with regards to the role of moderate drinking on cardiac function in obesity. This study was designed to examine the impact of moderate ethanol intake on myocardial function in high fat diet intake-induced obesity and the mechanism(s) involved with a focus on mitochondrial integrity. C57BL/6 mice were fed low or high fat diet for 16 weeks prior to ethanol challenge (1g/kg/d for 3 days). Cardiac contractile function, intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis, myocardial histology, and mitochondrial integrity [aconitase activity and the mitochondrial proteins SOD1, UCP-2 and PPARγ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α)] were assessed 24h after the final ethanol challenge. Fat diet intake compromised cardiomyocyte contractile and intracellular Ca(2+) properties (depressed peak shortening and maximal velocities of shortening/relengthening, prolonged duration of relengthening, dampened intracellular Ca(2+) rise and clearance without affecting duration of shortening). Although moderate ethanol challenge failed to alter cardiomyocyte mechanical property under low fat diet intake, it accentuated high fat diet intake-induced changes in cardiomyocyte contractile function and intracellular Ca(2+) handling. Moderate ethanol challenge failed to affect fat diet intake-induced cardiac hypertrophy as evidenced by H&E staining. High fat diet intake reduced myocardial aconitase activity, downregulated levels of mitochondrial protein UCP-2, PGC-1α, SOD1 and interrupted intracellular Ca(2+) regulatory proteins, the effect of which was augmented by moderate ethanol challenge. Neither high fat diet intake nor moderate ethanol challenge affected protein or mRNA levels as well as phosphorylation of Akt and GSK3β in mouse hearts. Taken together, our data revealed that moderate ethanol challenge accentuated high fat diet-induced cardiac contractile and intracellular Ca(2+) anomalies as well as mitochondrial injury. Copyright �

Books | Page 32 | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

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

... lives and livelihoods by supporting research that addresses critical international development issues. ... Economic, linguistic, and cultural differences accentuate this division. ... Book cover Diversity, Globalization, and the Ways of Nature.

The dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor vildagliptin does not accentuate glibenclamide-induced hypoglycemia but reduces glucose-induced glucagon-like peptide 1 and gastric inhibitory polypeptide secretion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

El-Ouaghlidi, Andrea; Rehring, Erika; Holst, Jens Juul

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase 4 by vildagliptin enhances the concentrations of the active form of the incretin hormones glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). The present study asked whether vildagliptin accentuates glibenclamide-induced hy...

Alcohol consumption and accentuated personality traits among young adults in Romania: a cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rada, Cornelia; Ispas, Alexandru Teodor

2016-10-27

Alcohol consumption (AC) has negative social and economic consequences, affects health, and can create dependence. As dependence is particularly difficult to cure, prevention is important. This study aimed to identify the frequency, quantity, occasions, reasons, type of AC, and correlation with accentuated personality traits among young adults in Romania. Participants were 1359 young adults aged 18-30 years (average age, 22.67 years; standard deviation [SD], 3.02 years) from urban environments including the main university centers. Several questionnaires covering issues such as health risk behavior (smoking, alcohol abuse, unprotected sex, sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy eating), aggression, personality, adaptability, cohesion, and communication were administered to participants between 2013 and 2014. Pearson's chi-square tests and z-tests were used for the analyses. Common reasons young adults first tried AC were curiosity (67.8 %), to be like peers (17.9 %), and adult influence (6.5 %). In terms of AC frequency, 72.5 % consumed alcohol only on special occasions/holidays, 19.4 % on weekends, 4.8 % three to four times per week, and 0.4 % on a daily basis. To overcome sexual/emotional inhibitions or for courage, 2.1 % of participants drank frequently and 23.5 % drank from time to time. AC most often occurred with a group of friends (62.3 %). For 9.7 % of participants, AC was a reason for poor concentration, or problems at work/school. At the time of interview, participants had consumed an average of 319.48 ml beer (SD, 1223.02 ml), 82.75 ml wine (SD, 385.39 ml) and 25.62 ml spirits (SD, 131.34 ml) in the previous week. AC was significantly higher in males (p aged 23-30 years (p socializing. AC also correlated with some accentuated personality traits. Therefore, public health education programs should be targeted for these categories.

Natural biological variation of white matter microstructure is accentuated in Huntington's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Sarah; Crawford, Helen; Seunarine, Kiran; Leavitt, Blair; Durr, Alexandra; Roos, Raymund A C; Scahill, Rachael I; Tabrizi, Sarah J; Rees, Geraint; Langbehn, Douglas; Orth, Michael

2018-04-22

Huntington's disease (HD) is a monogenic neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG-repeat expansion in the Huntingtin gene. Presence of this expansion signifies certainty of disease onset, but only partly explains age at which onset occurs. Genome-wide association studies have shown that naturally occurring genetic variability influences HD pathogenesis and disease onset. Investigating the influence of biological traits in the normal population, such as variability in white matter properties, on HD pathogenesis could provide a complementary approach to understanding disease modification. We have previously shown that while white matter diffusivity patterns in the left sensorimotor network were similar in controls and HD gene-carriers, they were more extreme in the HD group. We hypothesized that the influence of natural variation in diffusivity on effects of HD pathogenesis on white matter is not limited to the sensorimotor network but extends to cognitive, limbic, and visual networks. Using tractography, we investigated 32 bilateral pathways within HD-related networks, including motor, cognitive, and limbic, and examined diffusivity metrics using principal components analysis. We identified three independent patterns of diffusivity common to controls and HD gene-carriers that predicted HD status. The first pattern involved almost all tracts, the second was limited to sensorimotor tracts, and the third encompassed cognitive network tracts. Each diffusivity pattern was associated with network specific performance. The consistency in diffusivity patterns across both groups coupled with their association with disease status and task performance indicates that naturally-occurring patterns of diffusivity can become accentuated in the presence of the HD gene mutation to influence clinical brain function. © 2018 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Student Approaches to Learning and Studying. Research Monograph.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, John B.

A common thread in contemporary research in student learning refers to the ways in which students go about learning. A theory of learning is presented that accentuates the interaction between the person and the situation. Research evidence implies a form of meta-cognition called meta-learning, the awareness of students of their own learning…

Health | Page 5 | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

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But for too long, ICT and health system researchers have worked in isolation from one ... la pauvreté et l'appartenance à une basse caste accentuent ces obstacles. Des chercheurs de l'Indian Institute of Management Bangalore s'intéressent à ...

Class II malocclusion with accentuated occlusal plane inclination corrected with miniplate: a case report

Science.gov (United States)

Farret, Marcel Marchiori; Farret, Milton M. Benitez

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Introduction: A canted occlusal plane presents an unesthetic element of the smile. The correction of this asymmetry has been typically considered difficult by orthodontists, as it requires complex mechanics and may sometimes even require orthognathic surgery. Objective: This paper outlines the case of a 29-year-old woman with Class II malocclusion, pronounced midline deviation and accentuated occlusal plane inclination caused by mandibular deciduous molar ankylosis. Methods: The patient was treated with a miniplate used to provide anchorage in order to intrude maxillary teeth and extrude mandibular teeth on one side, thus eliminating asymmetry. Class II was corrected on the left side by means of distalization, anchored in the miniplate as well. On the right side, maxillary first premolar was extracted and molar relationship was kept in Class II, while canines were moved to Class I relationship. The patient received implant-prosthetic rehabilitation for maxillary left lateral incisor and mandibular left second premolar. Results: At the end of treatment, Class II was corrected, midlines were matched and the canted occlusal plane was totally corrected, thereby improving smile function and esthetics. PMID:27409658

Alcohol dehydrogenase accentuates ethanol-induced myocardial dysfunction and mitochondrial damage in mice: role of mitochondrial death pathway.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Guo

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Binge drinking and alcohol toxicity are often associated with myocardial dysfunction possibly due to accumulation of the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde although the underlying mechanism is unknown. This study was designed to examine the impact of accelerated ethanol metabolism on myocardial contractility, mitochondrial function and apoptosis using a murine model of cardiac-specific overexpression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH.ADH and wild-type FVB mice were acutely challenged with ethanol (3 g/kg/d, i.p. for 3 days. Myocardial contractility, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis (death receptor and mitochondrial pathways were examined.Ethanol led to reduced cardiac contractility, enlarged cardiomyocyte, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis, the effects of which were exaggerated by ADH transgene. In particular, ADH exacerbated mitochondrial dysfunction manifested as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and accumulation of mitochondrial O(2 (*-. Myocardium from ethanol-treated mice displayed enhanced Bax, Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression, the effect of which with the exception of Caspase-3 was augmented by ADH. ADH accentuated ethanol-induced increase in the mitochondrial death domain components pro-caspase-9 and cytochrome C in the cytoplasm. Neither ethanol nor ADH affected the expression of ANP, total pro-caspase-9, cytosolic and total pro-caspase-8, TNF-alpha, Fas receptor, Fas L and cytosolic AIF.Taken together, these data suggest that enhanced acetaldehyde production through ADH overexpression following acute ethanol exposure exacerbated ethanol-induced myocardial contractile dysfunction, cardiomyocyte enlargement, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis, indicating a pivotal role of ADH in ethanol-induced cardiac dysfunction possibly through mitochondrial death pathway of apoptosis.

Alcohol dehydrogenase accentuates ethanol-induced myocardial dysfunction and mitochondrial damage in mice: role of mitochondrial death pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Rui; Ren, Jun

2010-01-18

Binge drinking and alcohol toxicity are often associated with myocardial dysfunction possibly due to accumulation of the ethanol metabolite acetaldehyde although the underlying mechanism is unknown. This study was designed to examine the impact of accelerated ethanol metabolism on myocardial contractility, mitochondrial function and apoptosis using a murine model of cardiac-specific overexpression of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). ADH and wild-type FVB mice were acutely challenged with ethanol (3 g/kg/d, i.p.) for 3 days. Myocardial contractility, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis (death receptor and mitochondrial pathways) were examined. Ethanol led to reduced cardiac contractility, enlarged cardiomyocyte, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis, the effects of which were exaggerated by ADH transgene. In particular, ADH exacerbated mitochondrial dysfunction manifested as decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and accumulation of mitochondrial O(2) (*-). Myocardium from ethanol-treated mice displayed enhanced Bax, Caspase-3 and decreased Bcl-2 expression, the effect of which with the exception of Caspase-3 was augmented by ADH. ADH accentuated ethanol-induced increase in the mitochondrial death domain components pro-caspase-9 and cytochrome C in the cytoplasm. Neither ethanol nor ADH affected the expression of ANP, total pro-caspase-9, cytosolic and total pro-caspase-8, TNF-alpha, Fas receptor, Fas L and cytosolic AIF. Taken together, these data suggest that enhanced acetaldehyde production through ADH overexpression following acute ethanol exposure exacerbated ethanol-induced myocardial contractile dysfunction, cardiomyocyte enlargement, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis, indicating a pivotal role of ADH in ethanol-induced cardiac dysfunction possibly through mitochondrial death pathway of apoptosis.

Class II malocclusion with accentuated occlusal plane inclination corrected with miniplate: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel Marchiori Farret

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: A canted occlusal plane presents an unesthetic element of the smile. The correction of this asymmetry has been typically considered difficult by orthodontists, as it requires complex mechanics and may sometimes even require orthognathic surgery. Objective: This paper outlines the case of a 29-year-old woman with Class II malocclusion, pronounced midline deviation and accentuated occlusal plane inclination caused by mandibular deciduous molar ankylosis. Methods: The patient was treated with a miniplate used to provide anchorage in order to intrude maxillary teeth and extrude mandibular teeth on one side, thus eliminating asymmetry. Class II was corrected on the left side by means of distalization, anchored in the miniplate as well. On the right side, maxillary first premolar was extracted and molar relationship was kept in Class II, while canines were moved to Class I relationship. The patient received implant-prosthetic rehabilitation for maxillary left lateral incisor and mandibular left second premolar. Results: At the end of treatment, Class II was corrected, midlines were matched and the canted occlusal plane was totally corrected, thereby improving smile function and esthetics.

Cold stress accentuates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and contractile dysfunction: role of TRPV1/AMPK-mediated autophagy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Songhe; Xu, Dezhong

2013-12-06

Severe cold exposure and pressure overload are both known to prompt oxidative stress and pathological alterations in the heart although the interplay between the two remains elusive. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a nonselective cation channel activated in response to a variety of exogenous and endogenous physical and chemical stimuli including heat and capsaicin. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of cold exposure on pressure overload-induced cardiac pathological changes and the mechanism involved. Adult male C57 mice were subjected to abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) prior to exposure to cold temperature (4 °C) for 4 weeks. Cardiac geometry and function, levels of TRPV1, mitochondrial, and autophagy-associated proteins including AMPK, mTOR, LC3B, and P62 were evaluated. Sustained cold stress triggered cardiac hypertrophy, compromised depressed myocardial contractile capacity including lessened fractional shortening, peak shortening, and maximal velocity of shortening/relengthening, enhanced ROS production, and mitochondrial injury, the effects of which were negated by the TRPV1 antagonist SB366791. Western blot analysis revealed upregulated TRPV1 level and AMPK phosphorylation, enhanced ratio of LC3II/LC3I, and downregulated P62 following cold exposure. Cold exposure significantly augmented AAC-induced changes in TRPV1, phosphorylation of AMPK, LC3 isoform switch, and p62, the effects of which were negated by SB366791. In summary, these data suggest that cold exposure accentuates pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and contractile defect possibly through a TRPV1 and autophagy-dependent mechanism. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Accentuated Virchow-Robin spaces in the centrum semiovale in children with autistic disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, Katherine H; Shaw, J Bryant; Loveland, Katherine A; Pearson, Deborah A; Lane, David M; Hayman, L Anne

2004-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of abnormal Virchow-Robin (VR) spaces in children and adolescents with an autistic disorder (AD). An increased incidence of enlarged VR spaces in children has been reported in several developmental disorders. Sixteen children and adolescents (13 male, 3 female; mean age = 143.5 months; mean IQ = 95.1) with an AD, verified by use of standardized procedures (Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Revised), received cranial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sixteen children and adolescents (13 male, 3 female; mean age = 160.7 months; mean IQ = 111.6) without AD, as determined using the same procedures, were scanned as a comparison group. The MR scans were performed using a 1.5-T scanner. Two T1-weighted spoiled GRASS sequences (0.7-mm coronal thin-slice, 0-mm gap; 1.5-mm sagittal, 0-mm gap) and a complementary T2-weighted fast spin echo sequence (1.5-mm, 0-mm gap) were obtained. A neuroradiologist and a neurobiologist without clinical information determined the incidence of normal, accentuated, and/or dilated VR spaces. Seven of 16 subjects with AD (approximately 44%) had dilated VR spaces in the centrum semiovale. No grossly abnormal spaces were present in the control subjects. Unusually large VR spaces are seen in at most 22% to 27% of MR scans in children with tension headaches and other psychiatric disorders, suggesting that the incidence of spaces of this type is greater in AD than in other abnormal populations. The origin and significance of this phenomenon remain unknown.

Accentuated lines in the enamel of primary incisors from skeletal remains: A contribution to the explanation of early childhood mortality in a medieval population from Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Żądzińska, Elżbieta; Lorkiewicz, Wiesław; Kurek, Marta; Borowska-Strugińska, Beata

2015-07-01

Physiological disruptions resulting from an impoverished environment during the first years of life are of key importance for the health and biological status of individuals and populations. Studies of growth processes in archaeological populations point to the fact that the main causes of childhood mortality in the past are to be sought among extrinsic factors. Based on this assumption, one would expect random mortality of children, with the deceased individuals representing the entire subadult population. The purpose of this study is to explore whether differences in early childhood survival are reflected in differences in deciduous tooth enamel, which can provide an insight into the development of an individual during prenatal and perinatal ontogeny. Deciduous incisors were taken from 83 individuals aged 2.0-6.5 years from a medieval inhumation cemetery dated AD 1300-1600. Prenatal and postnatal enamel formation time, neonatal line width, and the number of accentuated lines were measured using an optical microscope. The significantly wider neonatal line and the higher frequency of accentuated lines in the enamel of the incisors of children who died at the age of 2-3 years suggest the occurrence of stronger or more frequent stress events in this group. These results indicate that in skeletal populations mortality was not exclusively determined by random external factors. Individuals predisposed by an unfavorable course of prenatal and perinatal growth were more likely to die in early childhood. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effects of Diet Soda on Gut Hormones in Youths With Diabetes

OpenAIRE

Brown, Rebecca J.; Walter, Mary; Rother, Kristina I.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE In patients with type 2 diabetes, but not type 1 diabetes, abnormal secretion of incretins in response to oral nutrients has been described. In healthy youths, we recently reported accentuated glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) secretion in response to a diet soda sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame-K. In this study, we examined the effect of diet soda on gut hormones in youths with diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Subjects aged 12?25 years with type 1 diabetes (n = 9) or type...

Contrast-induced nephrotoxicity: possible synergistic effect of stress hyperglycemia.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Donnell, David H

2010-07-01

Oxidative stress on the renal tubules has been implicated as a mechanism of injury in both stress hyperglycemia and contrast-induced nephrotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the combination of these effects has a synergistic effect on accentuating renal tubular apoptosis and therefore increasing the risk of contrast-induced nephrotoxicity.

Accentual mobility

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olander, Thomas Kristoffer

I baltiske og slaviske sprog findes i alle stammeklasser en type ord hvor accenten ligger på første stavelse i nogle former og på endelsen i andre, fx litausk nom. sg. galvà ‘hoved’, akk. gálva, gen. galvõs osv.; russisk nom. sg. golová ‘hoved’, akk. gólovu, gen. golový osv. Da de baltiske og sla...

Effects of Emotional Experience for Abstract Words in the Stroop Task

Science.gov (United States)

Siakaluk, Paul D.; Knol, Nathan; Pexman, Penny M.

2014-01-01

In this study, we examined the effects of emotional experience, a relatively new dimension of emotional knowledge that gauges the ease with which words evoke emotional experience, on abstract word processing in the Stroop task. In order to test the context-dependency of these effects, we accentuated the saliency of this dimension in Experiment 1A…

India | Page 91 | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

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

The India Infrastructure Report 2011 focuses on conflicts within the water ... 2016, presents severe statements about criminal justice systems in South Asia that turn ... la pauvreté et l'appartenance à une basse caste accentuent ces obstacles.

Is Safety in the Eye of the Beholder? Safeguards in Research With Adults With Intellectual Disability.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Katherine E; Conroy, Nicole E; Kim, Carolyn I; LoBraico, Emily J; Prather, Ellis M; Olick, Robert S

2016-12-01

Human subjects research has a core commitment to participant well-being. This obligation is accentuated for once exploited populations such as adults with intellectual disability. Yet we know little about the public's views on appropriate safeguards for this population. We surveyed adults with intellectual disability, family members and friends, disability service providers, researchers, and Institutional Review Board (IRB) members to compare views on safeguards. We found many points of convergence of views, particularly for decision-making and participation. One trend is that adults with intellectual disability perceive greater safety in being engaged directly in recruitment, and recruitment by specific individuals. Researchers and IRB members need to consider community views to facilitate the safe and respectful inclusion of adults with intellectual disability.

Does Impaired O2 Delivery During Exercise Accentuate Central and Peripheral Fatigue in Patients with Coexistent COPD-CHF?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mayron F. Oliveira

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Impairment in oxygen (O2 delivery to the central nervous system (brain and skeletal locomotor muscle during exercise has been associated with central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue in healthy humans. From a clinical perspective, impaired tissue O2 transport is a key pathophysiological mechanism shared by cardiopulmonary diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD and chronic heart failure (CHF. In addition to arterial hypoxemic conditions in COPD, there is growing evidence that cerebral and muscle blood flow and oxygenation can be reduced during exercise in both isolated COPD and CHF. Compromised cardiac output due to impaired cardiopulmonary function/interactions and blood flow redistribution to the overloaded respiratory muscles (i.e., ↑work of breathing may underpin these abnormalities. Unfortunately, COPD and CHF coexist in almost a third of elderly patients making these mechanisms potentially more relevant to exercise intolerance. In this context, it remains unknown whether decreased O2 delivery accentuates neuromuscular manifestations of central and peripheral fatigue in coexistent COPD-CHF. If this holds true, it is conceivable that delivering a low-density gas mixture (heliox through non-invasive positive pressure ventilation could ameliorate cardiopulmonary function/interactions and reduce the work of breathing during exercise in these patients. The major consequence would be increased O2 delivery to the brain and active muscles with potential benefits to exercise capacity (i.e., ↓central and peripheral neuromuscular fatigue, respectively. We therefore hypothesize that patients with coexistent COPD-CHF stop exercising prematurely due to impaired central motor drive and muscle contractility as the cardiorespiratory system fails to deliver sufficient O2 to simultaneously attend the metabolic demands of the brain and the active limb muscles.

Is adaptation of the word accentuation test of premorbid intelligence necessary for use among older, Spanish-speaking immigrants in the United States?

Science.gov (United States)

Schrauf, Robert W; Weintraub, Sandra; Navarro, Ellen

2006-05-01

Adaptations of the National Adult Reading Test (NART) for assessing premorbid intelligence in languages other than English requires (a) generating word-items that are rare and do not follow grapheme-to-phoneme mappings common in that language, and (b) subsequent validation against a cognitive battery normed on the population of interest. Such tests exist for Italy, France, Spain, and Argentina, all normed against national versions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Given the varieties of Spanish spoken in the United States, the adaptation of the Spanish Word Accentuation Test (WAT) requires re-validating the original word list, plus possible new items, against a cognitive battery that has been normed on Spanish-speakers from many countries. This study reports the generation of 55 additional words and revalidation in a sample of 80 older, Spanish-dominant immigrants. The Batería Woodcock-Muñoz Revisada (BWM-R), normed on Spanish speakers from six countries and five U.S. states, was used to establish criterion validity. The original WAT word list accounted for 77% of the variance in the BWM-R and 58% of the variance in Ravens Colored Progressive Matrices, suggesting that the unmodified list possesses adequate predictive validity as an indicator of intelligence. Regression equations are provided for estimating BWM-R and Ravens scores from WAT scores.

Process-Product Research: A Cornerstone in Educational Effectiveness Research

Science.gov (United States)

Creemers, Bert; Kyriakides, Leonidas

2015-01-01

This article links the contribution of process-product studies in developing the theoretical framework of educational effectiveness by pointing out the importance of teacher behavior in the classroom. The role that Jere Brophy played in this evolving research is described within the various phases of teacher effectiveness research. Process-product…

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism

OpenAIRE

Wildschut, T.; Van Horen, F.; Hart, C.

2015-01-01

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism). Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent). A prisoner’s dil...

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wildschut, Tim; van Horen, Femke; Hart, Claire

2015-01-01

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism). Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent). A prisoner's dilemma game experiment supported this prediction. Specifically, intergroup (compared to interindividual) interaction activated an injunctive ingroup-favoring norm, and accountability enhanced the influence of this norm on competitive behavior.

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual—Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim eWildschut

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism. Building on the notion that accountability enhances normative pressure, we hypothesized that the discontinuity effect would be larger when accountability is present (compared to absent. A prisoner’s dilemma game experiment supported this prediction. Specifically, intergroup (compared to interindividual interaction activated an injunctive ingroup-favoring norm, and accountability enhanced the influence of this norm on competitive behavior.

Trichostatin A accentuates doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy in cardiac myocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Karagiannis, Tom C; Lin, Ann J E; Ververis, Katherine; Chang, Lisa; Tang, Michelle M; Okabe, Jun; El-Osta, Assam

2010-10-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors represent a new class of anticancer therapeutics and the expectation is that they will be most effective when used in combination with conventional cancer therapies, such as the anthracycline, doxorubicin. The dose-limiting side effect of doxorubicin is severe cardiotoxicity and evaluation of the effects of combinations of the anthracycline with histone deacetylase inhibitors in relevant models is important. We used a well-established in vitro model of doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy to examine the effects of the prototypical histone deacetylase inhibitor, Trichostatin A. Our findings indicate that doxorubicin modulates the expression of the hypertrophy-associated genes, ventricular myosin light chain-2, the alpha isoform of myosin heavy chain and atrial natriuretic peptide, an effect which is augmented by Trichostatin A. Furthermore, we show that Trichostatin A amplifies doxorubicin-induced DNA double strand breaks, as assessed by γH2AX formation. More generally, our findings highlight the importance of investigating potential side effects that may be associated with emerging combination therapies for cancer.

Experience Effect in E-Learning Research

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Bing; Xu, WenXia; Ge, Jun

This study is a productivity review on the literature gleaned from SSCI, SCIE databases concerning experience in E-Learning research. The result indicates that the number of literature productions on experience effect in ELearning research is still growing from 2005. The main research development country is Croatia, and from the analysis of the publication year, the number of papers is increasing to the peaking in 2010. And the main source title is British Journal of Educational Technology. In addition the subject area concentrated on Education & Educational Research. Moreover the research focuses on are mainly survey research and empirical research, in order to explore experience effect in E-Learning research. Also the limitations and future research of these research were discussed, so that the direction for further research work can be exploited

Patterns of accentuated grey-white differentiation on diffusion-weighted imaging or the apparent diffusion coefficient maps in comatose survivors after global brain injury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, E.; Sohn, C.-H.; Chang, K.-H.; Chang, H.-W.; Lee, D.H.

2011-01-01

Aim: To determine what disease entities show accentuated grey-white differentiation of the cerebral hemisphere on diffusion-weighted images (DWI) or apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and whether there is a correlation between the different patterns and the cause of the brain injury. Methods and materials: The DWI and ADC maps of 19 patients with global brain injury were reviewed and evaluated to investigate whether there was a correlation between the different patterns seen on the DWI and ADC maps and the cause of global brain injury. The ADC values were measured for quantitative analysis. Results: There were three different patterns of ADC decrease: a predominant ADC decrease in only the cerebral cortex (n = 8; pattern I); an ADC decrease in both the cerebral cortex and white matter (WM) and a predominant decrease in the WM (n = 9; pattern II); and a predominant ADC decrease in only the WM (n = 3; pattern III). Conclusion: Pattern I is cerebral cortical injury, suggesting cortical laminar necrosis in hypoxic brain injury. Pattern II is cerebral cortical and WM injury, frequently seen in brain death, while pattern 3 is mainly WM injury, especially found in hypoglycaemic brain injury. It is likely that pattern I is decorticate injury and pattern II is decerebrate injury in hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.Patterns I and II are found in severe hypoxic brain injury, and pattern II is frequently shown in brain death, whereas pattern III was found in severe hypoglycaemic injury.

Trichostatin A accentuates doxorubicin-induced hypertrophy in cardiac myocytes

OpenAIRE

Karagiannis, Tom C; Lin, Ann JE; Ververis, Katherine; Chang, Lisa; Tang, Michelle M; Okabe, Jun; El-Osta, Assam

2010-01-01

Histone deacetylase inhibitors represent a new class of anticancer therapeutics and the expectation is that they will be most effective when used in combination with conventional cancer therapies, such as the anthracycline, doxorubicin. The dose-limiting side effect of doxorubicin is severe cardiotoxicity and evaluation of the effects of combinations of the anthracycline with histone deacetylase inhibitors in relevant models is important. We used a well-established in vitro model of doxorubic...

Accountability Accentuates Interindividual-Intergroup Discontinuity by Enforcing Parochialism

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wildschut, T.; Van Horen, F.; Hart, C.

2015-01-01

Interindividual-intergroup discontinuity is the tendency for relations between groups to be more competitive than relations between individuals. We examined whether the discontinuity effect arises in part because group members experience normative pressure to favor the ingroup (parochialism).

The effectiveness of anti-corruption policy: the Singapore experience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dinu MANOLE

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Corruption is a problem that needs to be dealt with in both the public and private sectors. Singapore has adopted a comprehensive approach in tackling corruption in both sectors for a long time. The anti‐ corruption successes of Singapore have encouraged the establishment of strong, centralized anti‐corruption agencies across the globe. In this article, it is accentuated the importance of the effectiveness of anti-corruption policy in the general context of public administration in Singapore.

Promoting an egalitarian approach to research with vulnerable populations of women.

Science.gov (United States)

Mkandawire-Valhmu, Lucy; Rice, Elizabeth; Bathum, Mary Elizabeth

2009-08-01

This paper is a presentation of issues that arise when conducting research with women from vulnerable populations. Conducting research with ethnic minority populations has accentuated the challenges inherent in research, particularly when the populations participating are considered 'vulnerable' due to additional variables such as low levels of income. The paper is based on the experiences of three authors using feminist methods in separate but similar research trajectories that include (a) low-income women in the Southern African country of Malawi, (b) women diagnosed with schizophrenia in the United States of America, and (c) rural, indigenous Aymara women of the highlands of Peru. The data forming the basis of this paper were collected over 3- to 6-month periods between 2005 and 2006. We examine the impact of the researcher's power on the research process. Our research provides examples that illuminate the limitations of informed consent in research with vulnerable populations of women. We offer critical questions about and recommendations for nursing and other health care researchers, both in the third world and the western world, regarding appropriate research methods with vulnerable populations: methods that acknowledge the oppressive realities of the participants, methods that deliberately avoid further marginalization of participants, and methods that have the potential to improve the life situations of the women who participate in our research. These examples show the need for new methods to ensure that participants in research understand their role and the benefits they may expect to receive from research.

Intellectual assets management and transfer in food science sector in Indian research and development organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Vikram; Chakraborty, Kajal

2016-05-01

In recent years, the food science sector has gained importance since the society is focusing on high-quality and safety foods. With a specific end goal to meet this societal need, the research and development organizations in India have adopted innovative technical and research processes, which gave more accentuation on intellectual assessment in food processing industry. The global Intellectual Property regime in food science sector had witnessed an increment in the number of patents filed and granted during 2006-2010. Ever since there has been a gradual increase in the number of patents applied mainly in food processing industries by research organizations related to food sciences, for example, those working under the aegis of ICAR and CSIR in India. In this study, a review has been done on the intellectual assets generated by ICAR and other national research organizations in India, in the food science sector. Emphasis has been given on the global relevance of these assets, modes of IP protection and technology transfer mechanisms followed by different public and private organizations.

Overview of radiation effects research in photonics

Science.gov (United States)

Webb, Robert C.; Cohn, Lewis M.; Taylor, Edward W.; Greenwell, Roger A.

1995-05-01

A brief overview of ongoing radiation effects research in photonics is presented focusing on integrated optic and acousto-optic components. A short summary of radiation-induced effects in electro-optic modulators, detector arrays, and other photonic technologies is presented along with extensive references. The coordinated radiation effects studies among researchers within the Tri-Service Organizations and international experimental teams are beginning to demonstrate consistent measurements of radiation-induced effects in photonic components and confirming earlier reported data. This paper will present an overview of these coordinated investigations and focus on key research being conducted with the AFMC Phillips Laboratory, Naval Research Laboratory, Defence Nuclear Agency, NATO Nuclear Effects Task Group, and the Tri-Service Photonics Coordinating Committee.

Radiation Effects Research Foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

The last day of March 1978 marked the completion of the first 3 years of operation of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. RERF was established on 1 April 1975 as successor to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission which had been in continuous operation since 1947. This record of the first 3 years of operation consists of selected reports and other documents prepared in the course of conducting the business of RERF and includes a brief history, a late radiation effects that might be conducted at RERF. The wisdom and thought given to the research program and its operation by the Scientific Council and the Board of Directors is reflected in the minutes of their meetings which are included in the Appendix. (Mori, K.)

Increasing insulin resistance accentuates the effect of triglyceride-associated loci on serum triglycerides during 5 years

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, Johanne M; Andersson, Ehm Astrid; Allin, Kristine H

2016-01-01

Blood concentrations of triglycerides are influenced by genetic factors as well as a number of environmental factors, including adiposity and glucose homeostasis. The aim was to investigate the association between a serum triglyceride weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) and changes in fasting serum...... triglyceride level over 5 years and to test whether the effect of the wGRS was modified by 5 year changes of adiposity, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors. A total of 3,474 nondiabetic individuals from the Danish Inter99 cohort participated in both the baseline and 5 year follow-up physical examinations...... and had information on the wGRS comprising 39 genetic variants. In a linear regression model adjusted for age, sex, and baseline serum triglyceride, the wGRS was associated with increased serum triglyceride levels over 5 years [per allele effect = 1.3% (1.0-1.6%); P = 1.0 × 10(-17)]. This triglyceride...

Frost Effects Research Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Full-scale study in controlled conditionsThe Frost Effects Research Facility (FERF) is the largest refrigerated warehouse in the United States that can be used for a...

COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ON THE FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS OF SHARES FROM COMPANIES LISTED ON BUCHAREST STOCK EXCHANGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela-Cristina Onica

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Upon passing to a market economy, it became necessary to find out information as accurate as possible regarding the risk of bankruptcy of a certain companyin the future, in order to determine the share of such a risk and the importance of the fundamental analysis within the prediction of the evolution of stock price. In spite of these, specialists say that this type of analysis, in relation to the technical analysis, in the context of the financial crisis, determined an accentuated decrease of the stock exchange indices on an international level. The paper deals with the results of the research and of a comparative study regarding the fundamental analysis of the shares of 6 companies listed on Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB.

Comparative effectiveness research for the clinician researcher: a framework for making a methodological design choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Cylie M; Skinner, Elizabeth H; James, Alicia M; Cook, Jill L; McPhail, Steven M; Haines, Terry P

2016-08-17

Comparative effectiveness research compares two active forms of treatment or usual care in comparison with usual care with an additional intervention element. These types of study are commonly conducted following a placebo or no active treatment trial. Research designs with a placebo or non-active treatment arm can be challenging for the clinician researcher when conducted within the healthcare environment with patients attending for treatment.A framework for conducting comparative effectiveness research is needed, particularly for interventions for which there are no strong regulatory requirements that must be met prior to their introduction into usual care. We argue for a broader use of comparative effectiveness research to achieve translatable real-world clinical research. These types of research design also affect the rapid uptake of evidence-based clinical practice within the healthcare setting.This framework includes questions to guide the clinician researcher into the most appropriate trial design to measure treatment effect. These questions include consideration given to current treatment provision during usual care, known treatment effectiveness, side effects of treatments, economic impact, and the setting in which the research is being undertaken.

Effective Teamwork Practical Lessons from Organizational Research

CERN Document Server

West, Michael A

2012-01-01

Updated to reflect the latest research evidence, the third edition of Effective Teamwork provides business managers with the necessary guidance and tools to build and maintain effective teamwork strategies. A new edition of a bestselling book on teamwork from an acknowledged leader in the fieldOffers a unique integration of rigorous research with practical guidance to develop effective leadership teamsFeatures new chapters on virtual teams and top management teams, plus contemporary themes of ethics and valuesUtilizes research based on positive psychology techniques

Transition to Parenthood and Susceptibility to Divorce: qualitative research of divorced young parents in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nataša Rijavec Klobučar

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Transition to parenthood is a vulnerable period for spouses and can consequently lead to the disintegration of their relationship. The purpose of this research was to examine the experience of this transition, circumstances and risk factors for divorce from the perspective of divorcees in Slovenia who divorced in the first year of their child’s life. On the basis of semi -structured interviews with 15 divorcees, the findings of studies examining changes after the birth of a child were confirmed. The results pointed to risk factors for marriage, such as uncertain relationship between spouses prior to the childbirth, permeable boundaries in relations with families of origin, lack of practical and emotional support, and unreal expectations. The child’s arrival accentuates unsolved issues from the past and brings additional vulnerability to the relationship. The findings of this research are a contribution to the development of preventive, educative and therapeutic programmes for couples in transition to parenthood.

Bridging research and practice: community-researcher partnerships for replicating effective interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotheram-Borus, M J; Rebchook, G M; Kelly, J A; Adams, J; Neumann, M S

2000-01-01

Long-term collaborations among researchers, staff and volunteers in community-based agencies, staff in institutional settings, and health advocates present challenges. Each group has different missions, procedures, attributes, and rewards. This article reviews areas of potential conflict and suggests strategies for coping with these challenges. During the replication of five effective HIV prevention interventions, strategies for maintaining mutually beneficial collaborations included selecting agencies with infrastructures that could support research-based interventions; obtaining letters of understanding that clarified roles, responsibilities, and time frames; and setting training schedules with opportunities for observing, practicing, becoming invested in, and repeatedly implementing the intervention. The process of implementing interventions highlighted educating funders of research and public health services about (a) the costs of disseminating interventions, (b) the need for innovation to new modalities and theories for delivering effective interventions, and (c) adopting strategies of marketing research and quality engineering when designing interventions.

Developing Effective Undergraduate Research Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Michael; Ilie, Carolina C.

2011-03-01

Undergraduate research is a valuable educational tool for students pursuing a degree in physics, but these experiences can become problematic and ineffective if not handled properly. Undergraduate research should be planned as an immersive learning experience in which the student has the opportunity to develop his/her skills in accordance with their interests. Effective undergraduate research experiences are marked by clear, measurable objectives and frequent student-professor collaboration. These objectives should reflect the long and short-term goals of the individual undergraduates, with a heightened focus on developing research skills for future use. 1. Seymour, E., Hunter, A.-B., Laursen, S. L. and DeAntoni, T. (2004), ``Establishing the benefits of research experiences for undergraduates in the sciences: First findings from a three-year study''. Science Education, 88: 493--534. 2. Behar-Horenstein, Linda S., Johnson, Melissa L. ``Enticing Students to Enter Into Undergraduate Research: The Instrumentality of an Undergraduate Course.'' Journal of College Science Teaching 39.3 (2010): 62-70.

Research on climate effects. Effects of climate changes. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, W.; Stein, G.

1991-01-01

Global changes affecting the earth are at the forefront of public interest, possibly caused by climate alterations amongst other things. The public expects appropriate measures from politics to successfully adapt to unavoidable climate changes. As well as an investigation into the causes of climatic changes and the corollaries between the different scientific phenomena, the effects on the economy and society must also be examined. The Federal Minister for Research and Technology aims to make a valuable German contribution to international Global Change Research with the focal point ''Effects of Climate Changes on the Ecological and Civil System''. The aim of the workshop was to give an outline of current scientific knowledge, sketch out research requirements and give recommendations on the focal point with regard to the BMFT. (orig.) [de

Challenging Ingrained Thoughts? The Joint Effect of Stereotypes and Awareness of Related Information on Pro-Environmental Behavior in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majid Ghorbani

2018-06-01

Full Text Available This research applies a positive stereotype perspective to test the effect of individuals’ choices between pro-environmental versus pro-safety behavior, while considering the role of media exposure. We test our hypotheses in China, where both food-safety and environment are major issues and are widely covered by the media and government reports. Based on a quasi-experiments and survey questionnaires focused on attitudes towards disposable chopsticks, we find that individuals form cognitive perceptions in ways that either have stronger positive environmental or safety stereotypes. Based on these stereotypes, they either believe that reusable chopsticks are more environmentally friendly or that disposable chopsticks are safer, each impacting individuals’ choices differently. In addition, awareness of information related to the environment augments the link between environmental stereotypes and pro-environmental behavior, while having no influence on the effect of safety stereotypes on pro-safety behavior. On the other hand, while awareness of safety-related information accentuates the link between safety-related stereotypes and pro-safety behavior, it has no impact on the effect of environmental stereotypes on pro-environmental behavior.

Effective and Sustainable Health Research Partnerships : a ...

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

IDRC frequently supports collaborative Canada-South research on subjects of vital ... to structure and manage Canada-South research partnerships more effectively. ... Africa, Latin America and Canada leading to region-specific working papers on ... for the Joint Canada-Israel Health Research Program 2018 competition.

Designing Effective Undergraduate Research Experiences

Science.gov (United States)

Severson, S.

2010-12-01

I present a model for designing student research internships that is informed by the best practices of the Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) Professional Development Program. The dual strands of the CfAO education program include: the preparation of early-career scientists and engineers in effective teaching; and changing the learning experiences of students (e.g., undergraduate interns) through inquiry-based "teaching laboratories." This paper will focus on the carry-over of these ideas into the design of laboratory research internships such as the CfAO Mainland internship program as well as NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) and senior-thesis or "capstone" research programs. Key ideas in maximizing student learning outcomes and generating productive research during internships include: defining explicit content, scientific process, and attitudinal goals for the project; assessment of student prior knowledge and experience, then following up with formative assessment throughout the project; setting reasonable goals with timetables and addressing motivation; and giving students ownership of the research by implementing aspects of the inquiry process within the internship.

Accentuated Factors of Handheld Computing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersson, Bo; Henningsson, Stefan

The recent years of rapid development of mobile technologies creates opportunities for new user-groups in the mobile workforce to take advantage of in-formation systems (IS). However, to apprehend and harness these opportunities for mobile IS it is crucial to fully understand the user group and t......, these two steps develop the framework towards a theoretical contribution as theory for describing handheld computing from a designer’s perspective. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were made and the tentative framework was elaborated and confirmed....

Low physical activity accentuates the effect of the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism on body fat accumulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Camilla H; Stender-Petersen, Kirstine L; Mogensen, Mette S

2008-01-01

(-16)). Furthermore, obesity-related quantitative traits such as body weight, waist circumference, fat mass, and fasting serum leptin levels were significantly elevated in A-allele carriers. An interaction between the FTO rs9939609 genotype and physical activity (P = 0.007) was found, where physically inactive...... homozygous risk A-allele carriers had a 1.95 +/- 0.3 kg/m(2) increase in BMI compared with homozygous T-allele carriers. CONCLUSIONS: We validate that variation in FTO is associated with type 2 diabetes when not adjusted for BMI and with an overall increase in body fat mass. Furthermore, low physical......OBJECTIVE: Three independent studies have shown that variation in the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene associates with BMI and obesity. In the present study, the effect of FTO variation on metabolic traits including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and related quantitative phenotypes...

Random effects models in clinical research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cleophas, T. J.; Zwinderman, A. H.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND: In clinical trials a fixed effects research model assumes that the patients selected for a specific treatment have the same true quantitative effect and that the differences observed are residual error. If, however, we have reasons to believe that certain patients respond differently

The Role of Effective Communication to Enhance Participation in Screening Mammography: A New Zealand Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margaret A. Brunton

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Changes in the organisation of health care have dominated policy initiatives over the past two decades in many countries. An increasing reliance on public health initiatives to prevent or detect disease early has resulted in an increase in programs that screen for cancer in the community. In turn, this accentuates the need to persuasively communicate the value of such initiatives to encourage continued participation. Merely placing screening programs into a community setting is not sufficient to ensure that adequate numbers will voluntarily participate regularly to achieve anticipated cost and mortality savings in the population. In this research the influence of managing communication in a public screening mammography program was investigated. The results revealed that significant opportunities were overlooked for reassurance and information during the physical mammography process. In turn, this highlights the influence of constraints imposed by the structure of the screening program and the resources allocated to the process. This research suggests that it is important to address multiple influences, including ethnic differences, when asking questions about the effectiveness of public health policy, particularly when considering the choices women make about ongoing participation in breast screening programs.

Media Effects: Theory and Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Valkenburg, Patti M; Peter, Jochen; Walther, Joseph B

2016-01-01

This review analyzes trends and commonalities among prominent theories of media effects. On the basis of exemplary meta-analyses of media effects and bibliometric studies of well-cited theories, we identify and discuss five features of media effects theories as well as their empirical support. Each of these features specifies the conditions under which media may produce effects on certain types of individuals. Our review ends with a discussion of media effects in newer media environments. This includes theories of computer-mediated communication, the development of which appears to share a similar pattern of reformulation from unidirectional, receiver-oriented views, to theories that recognize the transactional nature of communication. We conclude by outlining challenges and promising avenues for future research.

Research on Teaching and Educational Effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lorin W.

1986-01-01

This report focuses on current attempts by researchers to examine teacher effectiveness through the "task hypothesis," which asserts that effective teachers accomplish a large and diverse set of tasks--or discrete, goal-oriented units of work--in their classroom. After an introductory critique of past efforts to assess teacher "traits" or…

Stimulation of Research in Biomedicine. Role of Effective Contract.

Science.gov (United States)

Aleksandrova, N V; Shkolnikova, M A; Dlin, V V; Yugay, M T

Analysis of publication activity in the field of biomedicine shows insignificant input of Russia in the world scientific product. This is largely due to the lack of incentives for researchers. Article describes stimulation of researchers in Russia, compares it with foreign models, formulates main shortcomings of support and stimulation of research in Russia and introduces the concept of effective contract. Development of personnel motivation and stimulation of employees of scientific and research organizations in the field of health. As a successful experience the article describes the implementation of effective contract in Veltishev Research and Clinical Institute for Pediatrics where for years remuneration of researchers depended upon their positions without consideration of research results. Effective contract brought significant changes in the traditional system setting new performance and efficiency criteria. New evaluation system took into account publication activity, presentation activity, implementation of research results, raising scientific personnel, thesis work and income-generating activities. Introduction of effective contract already in the second year led to a rise in the number of foreign publications, publications in journals with impact factor of more than 2, the general increase in the number of articles in peer-reviewed journals with impact factor more than 0.3, the growth of the number of articles by 1 researcher, Hirsch index improving both by individual employees and the entire Institute, increase of grant activity and presentation activity at top-rated professional congresses. The growth of publication and presentation activities has been achieved at the reduction of research staff by 23%. From financial viewpoint effective contract resulted in the redistribution of resources in favour of more efficient researchers. The introduction of effective contract and increase of requirements for scientific output did not cause resistance of staff

Effects of blood products on inflammatory response in endothelial cells in vitro.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Urner

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Transfusing blood products may induce inflammatory reactions within the vascular compartment potentially leading to a systemic inflammatory response. Experiments were designed to assess the inflammatory potential of different blood products in an endothelial cell-based in vitro model and to compare baseline levels of potentially activating substances in transfusion products. METHODS: The inflammatory response from pre-activated (endotoxin-stimulated and non-activated endothelial cells as well as neutrophil endothelial transmigration in response to packed red blood cells (PRBC, platelet concentrates (PC and fresh frozen plasma (FFP was determined. Baseline inflammatory mediator and lipid concentrations in blood products were evaluated. RESULTS: Following incubation with all blood products, an increased inflammatory mediator release from endothelial cells was observed. Platelet concentrates, and to a lesser extent also FFP, caused the most pronounced response, which was accentuated in already pre-stimulated endothelial cells. Inflammatory response of endothelial cells as well as blood product-induced migration of neutrophils through the endothelium was in good agreement with the lipid content of the according blood product. CONCLUSION: Within the group of different blood transfusion products both PC and FFP have a high inflammatory potential with regard to activation of endothelial cells. Inflammation upon blood product exposure is strongly accentuated when endothelial cells are pre-injured. High lipid contents in the respective blood products goes along with an accentuated inflammatory reaction from endothelial cells.

DTA and DSC study on the effect of mechanical dispersion on poly(tetrafluorethylene properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dumitraşa Mihai

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Poly(tetrafluorethylene particles were obtained by mechanical processing of the formed polymer (Teflon bar. In order to assess the effect of mechanical wear on polymer properties, their melting and crystallization behaviour was investigated by DSC and DTA, and the results were compared to the ones obtained for the native polymer. An increase of the crystallinity degree and an accentuated decrease of the average molecular weight were found for the samples submitted to mechanical wear, as a result of mechanical degradation of the polymer

Factors influencing the effectiveness of research ethics committees.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuppli, C A; Fraser, D

2007-05-01

Research ethics committees - animal ethics committees (AECs) for animal-based research and institutional research boards (IRBs) for human subjects - have a key role in research governance, but there has been little study of the factors influencing their effectiveness. The objectives of this study were to examine how the effectiveness of a research ethics committee is influenced by committee composition and dynamics, recruitment of members, workload, participation level and member turnover. As a model, 28 members of AECs at four universities in western Canada were interviewed. Committees were selected to represent variation in the number and type of protocols reviewed, and participants were selected to include different types of committee members. We found that a bias towards institutional or scientific interests may result from (1) a preponderance of institutional and scientist members, (2) an intimidating atmosphere for community members and other minority members, (3) recruitment of community members who are affiliated with the institution and (4) members joining for reasons other than to fulfil the committee mandate. Thoroughness of protocol review may be influenced by heavy workloads, type of review process and lack of full committee participation. These results, together with results from the literature on research ethics committees, suggested potential ways to improve the effectiveness of research ethics committees.

GABAB Receptor Stimulation Accentuates the Locomotor Effects of Morphine in Mice Bred for Extreme Sensitivity to the Stimulant Effects of Ethanol

OpenAIRE

Holstein, Sarah E.; Phillips, Tamara J.

2006-01-01

Mice selectively bred for divergent sensitivity to the locomotor stimulant effects of ethanol (FAST and SLOW) also differ in their locomotor response to morphine. The GABAB receptor has been implicated in the mediation of locomotor stimulation to both ethanol and morphine, and a reduction in ethanol-induced stimulation has been found with the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen in FAST mice. We hypothesized that GABAB receptor activation would also attenuate the locomotor stimulant responses to m...

Preliminary Competencies for Comparative Effectiveness Research

OpenAIRE

Segal, Jodi B.; Kapoor, Wishwa; Carey, Timothy; Mitchell, Pamela H.; Murray, Michael D.; Saag, Kenneth G.; Schumock, Glen; Jonas, Daniel; Steinman, Michael; Weinberger, Morris; Filart, Rosemarie; Selker, Harry

2012-01-01

The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Workgroup for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) Education, Training, and Workforce Development identified a need to delineate the competencies that practitioners and users of CER for patient centered outcomes research, should acquire. With input from CTSA representatives and collaborators, we began by describing the workforce. We recognize the workforce that conduct CER and the end users who use CER to improve the health of individual...

Comparative effectiveness research and medical informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Avolio, Leonard W; Farwell, Wildon R; Fiore, Louis D

2010-12-01

As is the case for environmental, ecological, astronomical, and other sciences, medical practice and research finds itself in a tsunami of data. This data deluge, due primarily to the introduction of digitalization in routine medical care and medical research, affords the opportunity for improved patient care and scientific discovery. Medical informatics is the subdiscipline of medicine created to make greater use of information in order to improve healthcare. The 4 areas of medical informatics research (information access, structure, analysis, and interaction) are used as a framework to discuss the overlap in information needs of comparative effectiveness research and potential contributions of medical informatics. Examples of progress from the medical informatics literature and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System are provided. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Annual report of Radiation Effects Research Foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The Radiation Effects Research Foundation was established in April, 1975, as a private nonprofit Japanese Foundation supported equally by the Government of Japan through the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Government of the United States through the National Academy of Sciences under contract with the Energy Research and Development Administration. First, the messages from the chairman and the vice-chairman are described. In the annual report, the review of ABCC-RERF studies of atomic bomb survivors, the summary of research activities, the research projects, the technical report abstracts, the research papers published in Japanese and foreign journals, and the oral presentation and lectures, all from April 1, 1978, to March 31, 1979, are reported. Also the report from the Secretariat and the appendixes are given. The surveys and researches carried out in Hiroshima and Nagasaki have offered very valuable informations to the atomic bomb survivors. Many fears were eliminated, medical interests were given to the serious effects of the exposure to atomic bombs, and many things concerning the cancer induced by radiation were elucidated. The knowledges obtained will save many human lives in future by utilizing them for setting up the health and safety standard in the case of handling ionizing radiation. The progress in researches such as life span study, adult health study, pathology study, genetics program, special cancer program and so on is reported. (Kako, I.)

Antiproton radiation found effective in cancer research

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

"An international collaboration of scientists has completed the first ever antiproton beam experiments designed to reveal the biological effectiveness of antiproton radiation in terminating cells used for cancer research...PBar Labs assembled the collaboration at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva) to perform the measurements" (1 page).

Managing transboundary crises: Identifying building blocks of an effective response system.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ansell, C; Boin, R.A.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/161938876; Keller, A

2010-01-01

In recent years, crises have become increasingly transboundary in nature. This exploratory paper investigates whether and how the transboundary dimensions of crises such as pandemics, cyber attacks and prolonged critical infrastructure failure accentuate the challenges that public and private

Accentuate the Positive: Positive Sentiments and Status in Task Groups

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Alison J.; Lancianese, Donna A.

2007-01-01

We explore the capacity of positive sentiments, those enduring affective states one achieves when one likes another, to impact status structures. Do positive sentiments combine with existing aspects of interaction to create status hierarchies and potentially change the social order, or do they moderate the effects of extant structure by dampening…

The Audit of Principal Effectiveness: Instrumentation for Principalship Research. A Research Project Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, Jerry W.; Bowman, Michael L.

Using the literature and research on principal effectiveness as a foundation, the Audit of Principal Effectiveness was developed. Initially, 162 items forming 12 theoretical factors describing effective principal behavior were identified and sorted into two documents. The documents, each containing 81 items, were mailed to a total of 3,660…

Towards Building a Bridge between Community Engagement in Research (CEnR) and Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER).

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmed, Syed M; Nelson, David; Kissack, Anne; Franco, Zeno; Whittle, Jeff; Kotchen, Theodore; Meurer, John R; Morzinski, Jeffrey; Brandenburg, Terry

2015-04-01

A major national priority is establishing an effective infrastructure for translation of scientific discoveries into the community. Knowledge and practice continue to accelerate in health research yet healthcare recommendation adoption remains slow for practitioners, patients, and communities. Two areas of research placed in the later stages of the translational research spectrum, Community Engagement in Research and Comparative Effectiveness Research, are ideal for approaching this challenge collaboratively. The Clinical and Translational Science Institute of Southeastern Wisconsin convened academics and community-based organizations familiar with these fields of research in a 1-day workshop to establish an initial dialogue on similarities and differences with a goal of exploring ways to operationalize a collective effort. Participants represented four academic institutions and twelve other healthcare and community-based service organizations. Primary fields of study included community engaged research, comparative effectiveness research, psychology, clinical research, administration, nursing, public health, education, and other professionals. This initial report outlines the results of this diverse discussion and provides insights into the priorities, diverging issues, and areas for future examination and practice. Key discoveries reveal clear crosscutting issues, value in philosophical and provocative discussions among investigators, a need for practice and lessons learned, and bidirectional exchange with community representation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Research on radiation effect and radiation protection at JAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Kimiaki

2007-01-01

Researches on radiation effect and radiation protection at JAEA have been carried out in different sections. In recent years, the organizations were rearranged to attain better research circumstances, and new research programs started. At present, radiation effect studies focus on radiation effect mechanisms at atomic, molecular and cellular levels including simulation studies, and protection studies focus on dosimetry for conditions difficult to cover with currently used methods and data as well as the related basic studies. The outlines of the whole studies and also some descriptions on selected subjects will be given in this paper. (author)

Globalization and inequality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mills, Melinda

Globalization is increasingly linked to inequality, but with often divergent and polarized findings. Some researchers show that globalization accentuates inequality both within and between countries. Others maintain that these claims are patently incorrect, arguing that globalization has

Effect size calculation in meta-analyses of psychotherapy outcome research.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoyt, William T; Del Re, A C

2018-05-01

Meta-analysis of psychotherapy intervention research normally examines differences between treatment groups and some form of comparison group (e.g., wait list control; alternative treatment group). The effect of treatment is normally quantified as a standardized mean difference (SMD). We describe procedures for computing unbiased estimates of the population SMD from sample data (e.g., group Ms and SDs), and provide guidance about a number of complications that may arise related to effect size computation. These complications include (a) incomplete data in research reports; (b) use of baseline data in computing SMDs and estimating the population standard deviation (σ); (c) combining effect size data from studies using different research designs; and (d) appropriate techniques for analysis of data from studies providing multiple estimates of the effect of interest (i.e., dependent effect sizes). Clinical or Methodological Significance of this article: Meta-analysis is a set of techniques for producing valid summaries of existing research. The initial computational step for meta-analyses of research on intervention outcomes involves computing an effect size quantifying the change attributable to the intervention. We discuss common issues in the computation of effect sizes and provide recommended procedures to address them.

Strategies to Mitigate the Negative and Accentuate the Positive Impacts of International Service-Learning on Host Communities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shari Galiardi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available International service-learning can have a transformative effect on student participants, but little research has been done on the impact of these experiences on host communities. The authors make the case that an emphasis on intentional personal, cultural, and group preparation is imperative to have the best possible impact on both the student and host community. Overarching strategies include: 1 preparing students for their experience prior to departure from both an individual and group development perspective; 2 designing reflection activities and discussions that include members of the host community; 3 facilitating open conversations about equitable relationships, international perspectives of Americans, and potential negative effects the group could have on the host community; 4 providing opportunities for post-travel dialogue and personal action plans for re-engaging with the local community upon return. The authors draw from both theoretical frameworks and many years of experience traveling abroad with students to underpin the strategies outlined in this article. KEYWORDSservice-learning; group development; international

Qualitative Research and Community-Based Participatory Research: Considerations for Effective Dissemination in the Peer-Reviewed Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Grieb, Suzanne Dolwick; Eder, Milton Mickey; Smith, Katherine C; Calhoun, Karen; Tandon, Darius

2015-01-01

Qualitative research is appearing with increasing frequency in the public health and medical literature. Qualitative research in combination with a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach can be powerful. However little guidance is available on how to present qualitative research within a CBPR framework for peer-review publications. This article provides a brief overview of how qualitative research can advance CBPR partnerships and outlines practical guidelines for writing for publication about qualitative research within a CBPR framework to (1) guide partners with little experience publishing in peer-reviewed journals and/or (2) facilitate effective preparation of manuscripts grounded in qualitative research for peer-reviewed journals. We provide information regarding the specific benefits of qualitative inquiry in CBPR, tips for organizing the manuscript, questions to consider in preparing the manuscript, common mistakes in the presentation of qualitative research, and examples of peer-reviewed manuscripts presenting qualitative research conducted within a CBPR framework. Qualitative research approaches have tremendous potential to integrate community and researcher perspectives to inform community health research findings. Effective dissemination of CBPR informed qualitative research findings is crucial to advancing health disparities research.

COMPARATIVE EFFECTIVENESS RESEARCH AND ITS APPLICATION TO NURSING EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire Su-Yeon Park

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This in-depth integrative literature review aimed to investigate comparative effectiveness research (CER methodologies applicable to nursing research and to propose a CER design relevant to nursing education. Integration and synthesis were conducted from August 20 to December 15, 2013 and from October 20 to December 05, 2015 using electronic databases and refereed published books. The key words were “comparative effectiveness research,” “education,” “patient outcomes,” “effectiveness,” “cost-effectiveness,” and “efficiency.” All selected literatures were initially scrutinized by the principal investigator in terms of scientific rigor and then synthesized on an ongoing basis. CER methodologies in nursing research were presented to be significant in terms of enabling the distinctiveness of the nursing profession to stand out. Three CER methodologies applicable to nursing research—a Pragmatic Clinical Trial, Observational Comparative Effectiveness Research and Cost Effectiveness Research—revealed each of their distinguishable strengths and weaknesses compared to the Randomized Controlled Trial. For ethical considerations, the importance of ensuring “equipoise” was identified. Lastly, in a head to head comparison of two nursing education programs, a single blind, randomized crossover study design was proposed as a type of Pragmatic Clinical Trial utilizing cost-utility analysis. A mixed method Analysis of Covariance and a Doubly Multivariate Repeated Analysis of Covariance were suggested as relevant statistical analyses. Considering that CER is still inchoate in nursing research and nurse scientists’ endeavors to address the gap are urgent, this study is compelling in that it proposed a rigorous CER design not only directly applicable to nursing education, but also to other disciplines in education.

Time for atomic and molecular data bases is now (an overview of data management research at LLL)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hampel, V.E.; Henry, E.A.

1977-01-01

Two numerical data bases of atomic and molecular (A and M) data required for laser-induced fusion studies were created. One file contains primarily atomic energy levels and atomic transition data released by Charlotte E. Moore in NBS publications. The second file is based on the spectroscopic constants for more than 1000 molecular levels of approximately 160 heteronuclear diatomic molecules prepared by S. N. Suchard. Additional data bases are contemplated in support of the accelerating research activities in these fields. The present paucity of authenticated, computer-readable A and M data is not unlike that observed two decades ago in nuclear fission research. At that time, emphasis was also given to the accurate measurement of physical parameters and to reaction rates which eventually led to the ENDF/B series of evaluated neutron cross sections. Today, powerful computers have a more dominant role in modeling and predicting the results of promising experiments. Their effective use, however, depends more than ever before upon the availability of comprehensive and accurate files of A and M data. At the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL), these requirements are accentuated by the heavy reliance on computers. Also, trends are presently becoming apparent among users of the national computer network for Magnetic Fusion Energy, with its center at LLL, to coalesce organization-dependent data files into central data bases containing bibliographic information and numerical data as a common resource. The Data Management Research Project is collaborating with the National Bureau of Standards (NBS/NSRDS) to be able to respond to the emerging requirements. This should contribute to a ''Public Well'' of atomic and molecular data, unencumbered by legal or monetary constraints. 14 figures

Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance: Using Research and Data to Understand and Improve Educator Preparation and Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Regional Educational Laboratory Southwest, 2018

2018-01-01

Research shows that teachers affect student learning more than any other factor. The Educator Effectiveness Research Alliance, a collaborative partnership of educators, policymakers, and researchers, seeks to improve educator quality through research and analytic technical support. Initially focused on Texas, the alliance has expanded to include…

Research perspective: Time-of-day effects on noise annoyance

Science.gov (United States)

Fields, J. M.

1980-01-01

Some of the complications encountered in researching time-of-day effects on noise annoyance are reported. A conceptual framework for further research is provided. Some of the implications for the research methods that should be used are suggested.

Effects of Surgery and Proton Therapy on Cerebral White Matter of Craniopharyngioma Patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uh, Jinsoo, E-mail: jinsoo.uh@stjude.org [Department of Radiological Sciences, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Merchant, Thomas E. [Department of Radiological Sciences, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Li, Yimei; Li, Xingyu [Department of Biostatistics, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Sabin, Noah D. [Department of Radiological Sciences, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Indelicato, Daniel J. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida, Jacksonville, Florida (United States); Ogg, Robert J. [Department of Radiological Sciences, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Boop, Frederick A. [Semmes-Murphey Neurologic and Spine Institute, Memphis, Tennessee (United States); Jane, John A. [Department of Neurosurgery, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (United States); Hua, Chiaho [Department of Radiological Sciences, St Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee (United States)

2015-09-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine radiation dose effect on the structural integrity of cerebral white matter in craniopharyngioma patients receiving surgery and proton therapy. Methods and Materials: Fifty-one patients (2.1-19.3 years of age) with craniopharyngioma underwent surgery and proton therapy in a prospective therapeutic trial. Anatomical magnetic resonance images acquired after surgery but before proton therapy were inspected to identify white matter structures intersected by surgical corridors and catheter tracks. Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed to measure microstructural integrity changes in cerebral white matter. Fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI was statistically analyzed for 51 atlas-based white matter structures of the brain to determine radiation dose effect. FA in surgery-affected regions in the corpus callosum was compared to that in its intact counterpart to determine whether surgical defects affect radiation dose effect. Results: Surgical defects were seen most frequently in the corpus callosum because of transcallosal resection of tumors and insertion of ventricular or cyst catheters. Longitudinal DTI data indicated reductions in FA 3 months after therapy, which was followed by a recovery in most white matter structures. A greater FA reduction was correlated with a higher radiation dose in 20 white matter structures, indicating a radiation dose effect. The average FA in the surgery-affected regions before proton therapy was smaller (P=.0001) than that in their non–surgery-affected counterparts with more intensified subsequent reduction of FA (P=.0083) after therapy, suggesting that surgery accentuated the radiation dose effect. Conclusions: DTI data suggest that mild radiation dose effects occur in patients with craniopharyngioma receiving surgery and proton therapy. Surgical defects present at the time of proton therapy appear to accentuate the radiation dose effect longitudinally

Effects of Surgery and Proton Therapy on Cerebral White Matter of Craniopharyngioma Patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uh, Jinsoo; Merchant, Thomas E.; Li, Yimei; Li, Xingyu; Sabin, Noah D.; Indelicato, Daniel J.; Ogg, Robert J.; Boop, Frederick A.; Jane, John A.; Hua, Chiaho

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine radiation dose effect on the structural integrity of cerebral white matter in craniopharyngioma patients receiving surgery and proton therapy. Methods and Materials: Fifty-one patients (2.1-19.3 years of age) with craniopharyngioma underwent surgery and proton therapy in a prospective therapeutic trial. Anatomical magnetic resonance images acquired after surgery but before proton therapy were inspected to identify white matter structures intersected by surgical corridors and catheter tracks. Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed to measure microstructural integrity changes in cerebral white matter. Fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI was statistically analyzed for 51 atlas-based white matter structures of the brain to determine radiation dose effect. FA in surgery-affected regions in the corpus callosum was compared to that in its intact counterpart to determine whether surgical defects affect radiation dose effect. Results: Surgical defects were seen most frequently in the corpus callosum because of transcallosal resection of tumors and insertion of ventricular or cyst catheters. Longitudinal DTI data indicated reductions in FA 3 months after therapy, which was followed by a recovery in most white matter structures. A greater FA reduction was correlated with a higher radiation dose in 20 white matter structures, indicating a radiation dose effect. The average FA in the surgery-affected regions before proton therapy was smaller (P=.0001) than that in their non–surgery-affected counterparts with more intensified subsequent reduction of FA (P=.0083) after therapy, suggesting that surgery accentuated the radiation dose effect. Conclusions: DTI data suggest that mild radiation dose effects occur in patients with craniopharyngioma receiving surgery and proton therapy. Surgical defects present at the time of proton therapy appear to accentuate the radiation dose effect longitudinally

A descriptive study of effect-size reporting in research reviews.

Science.gov (United States)

Floyd, Judith A

2017-06-01

To describe effect-size reporting in research reviews completed in support of evidence-based practice in nursing. Many research reviews report nurses' critical appraisal of level, quality and overall strength of evidence available to address clinical questions. Several studies of research-review quality suggest effect-size information would be useful to include in these reviews, but none focused on reviewers' attention to effect sizes. Descriptive. One hundred and four reviews indexed in CINAHL as systematic reviews and published from July 2012-February 2014 were examined. Papers were required to be peer-reviewed, written in English, contain an abstract and have at least one nurse author. Reviews were excluded if they did not use critical appraisal methods to address evidence of correlation, prediction or effectiveness. Data from remaining papers (N = 73) were extracted by three or more independent coders using a structured coding form and detailed codebook. Data were stored, viewed and analysed using Microsoft Office Excel ® spreadsheet functions. Sixteen percent (n = 12) of the sample contained effect-size information. Of the 12, six included all the effect-size information recommended by APA guidelines. Independent of completeness of reporting, seven contained discussion of effect sizes in the paper, but none included effect-size information in abstracts. Research reviews available to practicing nurses often fail to include information needed to accurately assess how much improvement may result from implementation of evidence-based policies, programs, protocols or practices. Manuscript reviewers are urged to hold authors to APA standards for reporting/discussing effect-size information in both primary research reports and research reviews. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Domino Effects of Federal Research Funding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lanahan, Lauren; Graddy-Reed, Alexandra; Feldman, Maryann P

2016-01-01

The extent to which federal investment in research crowds out or decreases incentives for investment from other funding sources remains an open question. Scholarship on research funding has focused on the relationship between federal and industry or, more comprehensively, non-federal funding without disentangling the other sources of research support that include nonprofit organizations and state and local governments. This paper extends our understanding of academic research support by considering the relationships between federal and non-federal funding sources provided by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey. We examine whether federal research investment serves as a complement or substitute for state and local government, nonprofit, and industry research investment using the population of research-active academic science fields at U.S. doctoral granting institutions. We use a system of two equations that instruments with prior levels of both federal and non-federal funding sources and accounts for time-invariant academic institution-field effects through first differencing. We estimate that a 1% increase in federal research funding is associated with a 0.411% increase in nonprofit research funding, a 0.217% increase in state and local research funding, and a 0.468% increase in industry research funding, respectively. Results indicate that federal funding plays a fundamental role in inducing complementary investments from other funding sources, with impacts varying across academic division, research capacity, and institutional control.

Rytų aukštaičių vilniškių pakraštinių šnektų kirčiavimo ypatumai

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jolita Urbanavičienė

2011-12-01

Full Text Available ACCENTUATION PECULIARITIES OF PERIPHERAL SUBDIALECTS OF EAST HIGHLANDERS OF THE VILNIUS DIALECTSummaryThe paper sets out to overview the accentuation features of the Svirkos subdialect (Adutiškis parish, district of Švenčionys located in the area of frequent Lithuanian-Slavic contacts. The features include the relics of oxytone and barytone accentuation, columnal accentuation, the double-peaked and secondary stress types.The accentuation system of the Svirkos subdialect has been found to be rather close to other peripheral subdialects of the Vilnius dialect (Gervėčiai, Dieveniškės etc.. The parameters that help identify the closeness of the subdialects are as follows: 1 well-preserved barytone and oxytone accentuation patterns; 2 the impact of Slavic languages on prosody (violations of the Saussure-Fortunatov law, the stress placement is not related to the tone of the word, columnal accentuation. The author suggests that the double-peaked stress and the secondary phonological stress in northern dialects are stronger (in the area of the Utena dialect, whereas in southern dialects (southern highlanders weaker than in peripheral subdialects of the Vilnius dialect. Secondary non-phonological stresses, though optional, perform important functions: contribute to the rhythmic arrangement of the phrase (rhythmic stress, make up for the loss of ending or help preserve the full ending (morphemic stress. The accentuation systems of Vilnius dialect idioms are less different than their vocalisms.

The time for atomic and molecular data bases is now. An overview of data management research at LLL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hampel, V.E.; Henry, E.A.

1977-01-01

We have created two numerical data bases of atomic and molecular (A+M) data required for laser induced fusion studies. One file contains primarily atomic energy levels and atomic transition data released by Charlotte E. Moore in NBS publications. The second file is based on the spectroscopic constants for more than 1000 molecular levels of approximately 160 heteronuclear diatomic molecules prepared by S. N. Suchard. Additional data bases are contemplated in support of the accelerating research activities in these fields. The present paucity of authenticated, computer-readable A+M data is not unlike that observed two decades ago in nuclear fission research. At that time, emphasis was also given to the accurate measurement of physical parameters and to reaction rates which eventually led to the ENDF/B series of evaluated neutron cross sections. Today, powerful computers have a more dominant role in modeling and predicting the results of promising experiments. Their effective use, however, depends more than ever before upon the availability of comprehensive and accurate files of A+M data. At the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL), these requirements are accentuated by the heavy reliance on computers. Also, trends are presently becoming apparent among users of the national computer network for Magnetic Fusion Energy (MFE), with its center at LLL, to coalesce organization-dependent data files into central data bases containing bibliographic information and numerical data as a common resource. The Data Management Research Project (LLL/DMRP) is collaborating with the National Bureau of Standards (NBS/NSRDS) to be able to respond to the emerging requirements. This should contribute to a ''Public Well'' of atomic and molecular data, unencumbered by legal or monetary constraints. (author)

Cutting-edge technology for public health workforce training in comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas-Miranda, Abraham A; Nash, Michelle C; Salemi, Jason L; Mbah, Alfred K; Salihu, Hamisu M

2013-06-01

A critical mass of public health practitioners with expertise in analytic techniques and best practices in comparative effectiveness research is needed to fuel informed decisions and improve the quality of health care. The purpose of this case study is to describe the development and formative evaluation of a technology-enhanced comparative effectiveness research learning curriculum and to assess its potential utility to improve core comparative effectiveness research competencies among the public health workforce. Selected public health experts formed a multidisciplinary research collaborative and participated in the development and evaluation of a blended 15-week comprehensive e-comparative effectiveness research training program, which incorporated an array of health informatics technologies. Results indicate that research-based organizations can use a systematic, flexible, and rapid means of instructing their workforce using technology-enhanced authoring tools, learning management systems, survey research software, online communities of practice, and mobile communication for effective and creative comparative effectiveness research training of the public health workforce.

Compressibility effects on ideal and kinetic ballooning modes and elimination of finite Larmor radius stabilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotschenreuther, M.

1985-07-01

The dynamics of ideal and kinetic ballooning modes are considered analytically including parallel ion dynamics, but without electron dissipation. For ideal modes, parallel dynamics predominantly determine the growth rate when β is within approx.30% of the ideal threshold, resulting in a substantial reduction in growth rate. Compressibility also eliminates the stabilization effects of finite Larmor radius (FLR); FLR effects (when temperature gradients are neglected) can even increase the growth rate above the MHD value. Temperature gradients accentuate this by adding a new source of free energy independent of the MHD drive, in this region of ballooning coordinate corresponding in MHD to the continuum. Analytic dispersion relations are derived demonstrating the effects above; the formalism emphasizes the similarities between the ideal MHD and kinetic cases

[Basic research during residency in Israel: is change needed?].

Science.gov (United States)

Fishbain, Dana; Shoenfeld, Yehuda; Ashkenazi, Shai

2013-10-01

A six-month research period is a mandatory part of the residency training program in most basic specialties in Israel and is named: the "basic science period". This is the only period in an Israeli physician's medical career which is dedicated strictly to research, accentuating the importance of medical research to the quality of training and level of medicine in Israel. From another point of view, one may argue that in an era of shortage of physicians on the one hand and the dizzying rate of growth in medical knowledge on the other hand, every moment spent training in residency is precious, therefore, making the decision of whether to dedicate six months for research becomes ever more relevant. This question is currently raised for discussion once again by the Scientific Council of the Israeli Medical Association. The Scientific Council lately issued a call for comments sent to all Israeli physicians, asking their opinion on several key questions regarding basic science research. Learning the public's opinion will serve as a background for discussion. A total of 380 physicians responded to the call and specified their standpoint on the subject, among them heads of departments, units and clinics, senior physicians and residents. The findings pointed to strong support in maintaining the research period as part of residency training due to its importance to medical training and medicine, although half the respondents supported the use of various alternative formats for research together with the existing format. Those alternative format suggestions will be thoroughly reviewed. A smaller group of respondents supported allowing residents a choice between two tracks--with or without a research period, and only a few were in favor of canceling the research requirement altogether. The writers maintain that the "basic science period" of research during residency training is vital and its contribution to the high level of specialists and high level of medicine requires its

Asian Partnership for Avian Influenza Research : Effectiveness of ...

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

... Indonesia, Thailand and Viet Nam for collaboration on research and research capacity building in avian influenza prevention and control. This grant will allow APAIR to investigate the effectiveness of the measures employed by China, Thailand and Viet Nam and evaluate the factors contributing to their success or failure.

Japanese Suffixal Accentuation and Lexical Phonology.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsujimura, Natsuko

A study examined the applicability of the Ordering Hypothesis to Japanese suffixes. The hypothesis, which claims that affixes that trigger phonological rules (cyclical affixes) do not appear external to affixes that do not, is found to be an inappropriate assumption in Japanese. Examples in English and Chamorro support this finding. It is…

Long-Run Effects of Public-Private Research Joint Ventures:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Ulrich; Kuhn, Johan Moritz

Subsidized research joint ventures (RJVs) between public research institutions and industry have become increasingly popular in Europe and the US. We study the long-run effects of such a support scheme that has been maintained by the Danish government since 1995. To cope with identification...... problems we apply nearest neighbor caliper matching and conditional difference-in-difference estimation methods. Our main findings are that (i) program participation effects are instant for annual patent applications and last for three years, (ii) employment effects materialize first after one year...

Effects of aquaculture researchers' job characteristics on linkage ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study examined the effects of researchers' job characteristics on linkage activities in Nigeria due to the fact that many fish farmers have not been properly reached with technologies and the problem of poor fish production has been attributed to the weak linkages existing between research, extension and fish farmers.

Search Results | Page 822 | IDRC - International Development ...

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

Results 8211 - 8220 of 8491 ... Working with Indigenous Knowledge: A Guide for Researchers ... More than 30 years after many West African countries achieved their ... Economic, linguistic, and cultural differences accentuate this division. ... Water Management in Africa and the Middle East: Challenges and Opportunities.

Current research in Canada on biological effects of ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marko, A.M.

1980-05-01

A survey of current research in Canada on the biological effects of ionizing radiation has been compiled. The list of projects has been classified according to structure (organizational state of the test system) as well as according to the type of effects. Using several assumptions, ballpark estimates of expenditures on these activities have been made. Agencies funding these research activities have been tabulated and the break-down of research in government laboratories and in academic institutions has been designated. Wherever possible, comparisons have been made outlining differences or similarities that exist between the United States and Canada concerning biological radiation research. It has been concluded that relevant research in this area in Canada is inadequate. Wherever possible, strengths and weaknesses in radiation biology programs have been indicated. The most promising course for Canada to follow is to support adequately fundamental studies of the biological effects of radiation. (auth)

Establishing the infrastructure to conduct comparative effectiveness research toward the elimination of disparities: a community-based participatory research framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Danyell S; Dapic, Virna; Sultan, Dawood H; August, Euna M; Green, B Lee; Roetzheim, Richard; Rivers, Brian

2013-11-01

In Tampa, Florida, researchers have partnered with community- and faith-based organizations to create the Comparative Effectiveness Research for Eliminating Disparities (CERED) infrastructure. Grounded in community-based participatory research, CERED acts on multiple levels of society to enhance informed decision making (IDM) of prostate cancer screening among Black men. CERED investigators combined both comparative effectiveness research and community-based participatory research to design a trial examining the effectiveness of community health workers and a digitally enhanced patient decision aid to support IDM in community settings as compared with "usual care" for prostate cancer screening. In addition, CERED researchers synthesized evidence through the development of systematic literature reviews analyzing the effectiveness of community health workers in changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviors of African American adults toward cancer prevention and education. An additional systematic review analyzed chemoprevention agents for prostate cancer as an emerging technique. Both of these reviews, and the comparative effectiveness trial supporting the IDM process, add to CERED's goal of providing evidence to eliminate cancer health disparities.

Long-Run Effects of Public–Private Research Joint Ventures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaiser, Ulrich; Kuhn, Johan Moritz

2012-01-01

Subsidized research joint ventures (RJVs) between public research institutions and industry have become increasingly popular in Europe and the US. We study the long-run effects of such a support scheme that has been maintained by the Danish government since 1995. To cope with identification...... problems we apply nearest neighbor matching and conditional difference-in-difference estimation methods. Our main findings are that (i) program participation effects are instant for annual patent applications and last for three years, (ii) employment effects materialize first after one year and (iii...

The antinociceptive effects of Monechma ciliatum and changes in EEG waves following oral and intrathecal administration in rats

Science.gov (United States)

Meraiyebu, Ajibola B.; Adelaiye, Alexander B.; O, Odeh S.

2010-02-01

The research work was carried out to study the effect of Oral and Intrathecal Monechma Ciliatum on antinociception and EEG readings in Wistar Rats. Traditionally the extract is given to women in labour believed to reduce pain and ease parturition, though past works show that it has oesteogenic and oxytotic effects. The rats were divided into 5 major groups. Group 1 served as oral control group while groups 2 and 3 served as oral experimental groups and were treated with 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg monechma ciliatum respectively. Group 4 served as intrathecal control group treated with intrathecal dextrose and group 5 received 1000mg/kg Monechma Ciliatrum intrathecally. The antinociceptive effect was analysed using a Von Frey's aesthesiometer. Monechma Ciliatum showed significant antinociceptive effect both orally and intrathecally, although it had a greater effect orally and during the first 15 minutes of intrathecal administration. EEG readings were also taken for all the groups and there was a decrease in amplitude and an increase in frequency for high dose (1000mg/ml) experimental groups and the mid brain electrodes produced a change from theta waves (3.5 - 7 waves per second) to alpha waves (7.5 - 13 waves per second) as seen in relaxed persons and caused decreased amplitudes and change in distribution seen in beta waves. Properties similarly accentuated by sedativehypnotic drugs.

Geoscience Education Research Project: Student Benefits and Effective Design of a Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Kortz, Karen M.; van der Hoeven Kraft, Katrien J.

2016-01-01

Undergraduate research has been shown to be an effective practice for learning science. While this is a popular discussion topic, there are few full examples in the literature for introductory-level students. This paper describes the Geoscience Education Research Project, an innovative course-based research experience designed for…

Instrumentation and control activities at the electric power research institute to support computerized support systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naser, J.

1996-01-01

Most nuclear power plants in the United States are operating with their original analog I and C equipment. This equipment requires increasing maintenance efforts to sustain systems performance. Decreasing availability of replacement parts and support organization for analog technology accentuate obsolescence problems and resultant O and M cost increases. Modern technology, especially digital systems, offers improved functionality, performance, and reliability; solutions to obsolescence of equipment; reduction in O and M costs; and the potential to enhance safety. Digital systems, including computerized support systems, with their inherent advantages will be implemented only if reliable and cost-effective implementation and licensing acceptance is achieved and if the upgraded systems supports reduced power production costs. EPRI and its member utilities are working together under the Integrated I and C Upgrade Initiative to address I and C issues. (author). 23 refs

The Reincarnation of the Effective Schools Research: Rethinking the Literature on District Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Trujillo, Tina

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the district effectiveness literature. It begins by summarizing the school effectiveness research, the correlates of effective schools, and the conceptual and methodological characteristics of this field. It then describes the findings from a review of 50 studies of district effectiveness, the most…

Health effects of coal technologies: research needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-09-01

In this 1977 Environmental Message, President Carter directed the establishment of a joint program to identify the health and environmental problems associated with advanced energy technologies and to review the adequacy of present research programs. In response to the President's directive, representatives of three agencies formed the Federal Interagency Committee on the Health and Environmental Effects of Energy Technologies. This report was prepared by the Health Effects Working Group on Coal Technologies for the Committee. In this report, the major health-related problems associated with conventional coal mining, storage, transportation, and combustion, and with chemical coal cleaning, in situ gasification, fluidized bed combustion, magnetohydrodynamic combustion, cocombustion of coal-oil mixtures, and cocombustion of coal with municipal solid waste are identified. The report also contains recommended research required to address the identified problems.

Research on Corporal Punishment Effectiveness: Contributions and Limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Hapkiewicz, Walter G.

A review of research literature on corporal punishment reveals that the incidence of corporal punishment has increased over the last twenty years and that it is widely used in some local school districts. Because it is limited by ethical problems, research cannot answer many questions about the direct and indirect effects of corporal punishment.…

Effect of information sharing on research and teaching activities of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was designed to determine the effect of Information sharing on research and teaching activities of Academic Scientists in Federal Universities in the North- East Nigeria. Investigation was done on the activities of information sharing and the effect of information sharing on teaching and research activities. Survey ...

Effect size, confidence intervals and statistical power in psychological research.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Téllez A.

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Quantitative psychological research is focused on detecting the occurrence of certain population phenomena by analyzing data from a sample, and statistics is a particularly helpful mathematical tool that is used by researchers to evaluate hypotheses and make decisions to accept or reject such hypotheses. In this paper, the various statistical tools in psychological research are reviewed. The limitations of null hypothesis significance testing (NHST and the advantages of using effect size and its respective confidence intervals are explained, as the latter two measurements can provide important information about the results of a study. These measurements also can facilitate data interpretation and easily detect trivial effects, enabling researchers to make decisions in a more clinically relevant fashion. Moreover, it is recommended to establish an appropriate sample size by calculating the optimum statistical power at the moment that the research is designed. Psychological journal editors are encouraged to follow APA recommendations strictly and ask authors of original research studies to report the effect size, its confidence intervals, statistical power and, when required, any measure of clinical significance. Additionally, we must account for the teaching of statistics at the graduate level. At that level, students do not receive sufficient information concerning the importance of using different types of effect sizes and their confidence intervals according to the different types of research designs; instead, most of the information is focused on the various tools of NHST.

Resilience and stability of a pelagic marine ecosystem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindegren, Martin; Checkley, David M.; Ohman, Mark D.

2016-01-01

The accelerating loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide has accentuated a long-standing debate on the role of diversity in stabilizing ecological communities and has given rise to a field of research on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF). Although broad consensus has been...

Effective utilization and management of research reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muranaka, R [International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria). Div. of Research and Isotopes

1984-06-01

The problem of utilizing a research reactor effectively is closely related to its management and therefore should not be considered separately. Too often, attention has been focused on specific techniques and methods rather than on the overall programme of utilization, with the result that skills and equipment have been acquired without any active continuing programme of applications and services. The seminar reported here provided a forum for reactor managers, users, and operators to discuss their experience. At the invitation of the Government of Malaysia, it was held at the Asia Pacific Development Centre, Kuala Lumpur, from 7 to 11 November 1983. It was attended by about 50 participants from 19 Member States; it is hoped that a report on the seminar, including papers presented, can be published and thus reach a wider audience. Thirty-one lectures and contributions were presented at a total of seven sessions: Research reactor management; Radiation exposure and safety; Research reactor utilization (two sessions); PUSPATI Research Reactor Project Development; Core conversion to low-enriched uranium, and safeguards; Research reactor technology. In addition, a panel discussed the causes and resolutions of the under-utilization of research reactors.

Effective utilization and management of research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muranaka, R.

1984-01-01

The problem of utilizing a research reactor effectively is closely related to its management and therefore should not be considered separately. Too often, attention has been focused on specific techniques and methods rather than on the overall programme of utilization, with the result that skills and equipment have been acquired without any active continuing programme of applications and services. The seminar reported here provided a forum for reactor managers, users, and operators to discuss their experience. At the invitation of the Government of Malaysia, it was held at the Asia Pacific Development Centre, Kuala Lumpur, from 7 to 11 November 1983. It was attended by about 50 participants from 19 Member States; it is hoped that a report on the seminar, including papers presented, can be published and thus reach a wider audience. Thirty-one lectures and contributions were presented at a total of seven sessions: Research reactor management; Radiation exposure and safety; Research reactor utilization (two sessions); PUSPATI Research Reactor Project Development; Core conversion to low-enriched uranium, and safeguards; Research reactor technology. In addition, a panel discussed the causes and resolutions of the under-utilization of research reactors

Five challenges for the future of media-effects research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Valkenburg, P.M.; Peter, J.

2013-01-01

The past several decades have witnessed thousands of studies into the effects of media on children and adults. The effects sizes that are found in these studies are typically small to moderate, at best. In this article, we first compare the effect sizes found in media-effects research to those found

Effects of Disclosing Financial Interests on Attitudes Toward Clinical Research

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Mark A.; Dinan, Michaela A.; DePuy, Venita; Friedman, Joëlle Y.; Allsbrook, Jennifer S.; Sugarman, Jeremy

2008-01-01

Background The effects of disclosing financial interests to potential research participants are not well understood. Objective To examine the effects of financial interest disclosures on potential research participants’ attitudes toward clinical research. Design and Participants Computerized experiment conducted with 3,623 adults in the United States with either diabetes mellitus or asthma, grouped by lesser and greater severity. Respondents read a description of a hypothetical clinical trial relevant to their diagnosis that included a financial disclosure statement. Respondents received 1 of 5 disclosure statements. Measurements Willingness to participate in the hypothetical clinical trial, relative importance of information about the financial interest, change in trust after reading the disclosure statement, surprise regarding the financial interest, and perceived effect of the financial interest on the quality of the clinical trial. Results Willingness to participate in the hypothetical clinical trial did not differ substantially among the types of financial disclosures. Respondents viewed the disclosed information as less important than other factors in deciding to participate. Disclosures were associated with some respondents trusting the researchers less, although trust among some respondents increased. Most respondents were not surprised to learn of financial interests. Researchers owning equity were viewed as more troubling than researchers who were compensated for the costs of research through per capita payments. Conclusions Aside from a researcher holding an equity interest, the disclosure to potential research participants of financial interests in research, as recommended in recent policies, is unlikely to affect willingness to participate in research. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0590-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:18386101

Interpreting and Reporting Effect Sizes in Research Investigations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tapia, Martha; Marsh, George E., II

Since 1994, the American Psychological Association (APA) has advocated the inclusion of effect size indices in reporting research to elucidate the statistical significance of studies based on sample size. In 2001, the fifth edition of the APA "Publication Manual" stressed the importance of including an index of effect size to clarify…

Instrumental variable methods in comparative safety and effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookhart, M Alan; Rassen, Jeremy A; Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2010-06-01

Instrumental variable (IV) methods have been proposed as a potential approach to the common problem of uncontrolled confounding in comparative studies of medical interventions, but IV methods are unfamiliar to many researchers. The goal of this article is to provide a non-technical, practical introduction to IV methods for comparative safety and effectiveness research. We outline the principles and basic assumptions necessary for valid IV estimation, discuss how to interpret the results of an IV study, provide a review of instruments that have been used in comparative effectiveness research, and suggest some minimal reporting standards for an IV analysis. Finally, we offer our perspective of the role of IV estimation vis-à-vis more traditional approaches based on statistical modeling of the exposure or outcome. We anticipate that IV methods will be often underpowered for drug safety studies of very rare outcomes, but may be potentially useful in studies of intended effects where uncontrolled confounding may be substantial.

Hermeneutics in identity formation: Paul's use of Genesis in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Test

2010-08-06

Aug 6, 2010 ... culture including religious belief, custom and ritual that provoked .... members of a group, rather than in their individual capacity. ... threefold taxonomy of his research (perceptual accentuation, ... The strong sense of identity in a collectivist or group- ..... invitation for identification whilst the ethical dimension.

On the origin of turbulence in ionizing waves and in hydrodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krasa, J.; Rothhardt, L.

1984-01-01

Research of irregular (turbulent) ionizing waves is reviewed. Measuring techniques and analogies to fluid turbulence are accentuated. The irregular (turbulent) ionizing waves are recommended as a one-dimensional substrate for further basic studies on turbulence generation because of good accessability and ease of contactless measurement. (author)

Order effects in research on paranormal belief.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, R Thomas

2002-04-01

Measures of paranormal belief and emotional intelligence were given a group of 72 college students using Tobacyk's Revised Paranormal Belief Scale and Schutte, Malouff, Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden, and Dornheim's Emotional Intelligence Scale. Order effects indicated that participants who took the Paranormal Belief Scale first had lower emotional intelligence scores than those who took the Emotional Intelligence Scale first. The study demonstrates the importance of taking order effects into account when conducting research on paranormal belief.

Radiation Effects Research Foundation bibliography of published papers, 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This issue is the bibliography of the publication by the staffs of the Radiation Effects Research Institute (RERF) in 1989. Titles in original and English language with author names are enumerated. Indexes by research areas and by author name are also attached. (J.P.N.) 62 refs

Radiation Effects Research Foundation bibliography of published papers, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This issue is the bibliography of the publication by the staffs of the Radiation Effects Research Institute (RERF) in 1988. Titles in original and English language with author names are enumerated. Indeces by research areas and by author name are also attached. (J.P.N.) 99 refs

The use of research results for effective aging management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunther, W.E.; Taylor, J.H.

1989-01-01

The study of the degradation of structures, components, and systems due to aging is an important ongoing area of research in the nuclear industry. Efforts by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the utility industry, through organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), have produced substantial research results that can be used by inspectors and operators to effectively understand and manage the aging of nuclear power plants. One of the primary objectives of the NRC's Nuclear Plant Aging Research (NPAR) Program is to determine how aging affects the safety of nuclear power plants. This program uses operating experience, testing, and engineering analysis to identify failures caused by age-related degradation. Useful information on aging has also resulted from research being performed by the industry to support plant-life extension (PLEX). The EPRI program, for instance, is directed toward the resolution of issues related to materials and components. Degradation of equipment and systems due to aging can occur which, if unmitigated, could result in reduction of the nuclear power plant safety margin as the plant ages. This paper describes how aging research results may be used by plant operating management to effectively address the aging issue and by inspectors responsible for monitoring plant activities and programs

[Advance in researches on the effect of forest on hydrological process].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhiqiang; Yu, Xinxiao; Zhao, Yutao; Qin, Yongsheng

2003-01-01

According to the effects of forest on hydrological process, forest hydrology can be divided into three related aspects: experimental research on the effects of forest changing on hydrological process quantity and water quality; mechanism study on the effects of forest changing on hydrological cycle, and establishing and exploitating physical-based distributed forest hydrological model for resource management and engineering construction. Orientation experiment research can not only support the first-hand data for forest hydrological model, but also make clear the precipitation-runoff mechanisms. Research on runoff mechanisms can be valuable for the exploitation and improvement of physical based hydrological models. Moreover, the model can also improve the experimental and runoff mechanism researches. A review of above three aspects are summarized in this paper.

Air passenger transport and the greenhouse effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubert, M.

2004-11-01

The commercial aviation sector accounts for 2.5 % of total worldwide anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. Water vapour (H 2 O) and NO x emissions, the formation of condensation trails and increased formation of cirrus clouds due to altitude (indirect effects) also accentuate the greenhouse effect. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the effects apart from CO 2 emissions are relatively higher for aviation than for other human activities. For one tonne of CO 2 emissions, the radiative forcing of aviation is twice as important as other activities. On this basis, a Paris-New York return trip for one passenger on a charter flight corresponds to a quarter of the total climate impact caused by the annual consumption of a French person. Increased mobility and a rise in international tourism suggest that past trends in the growth of air passenger transport will continue. The improvements in energy efficiency achieved are seemingly not sufficient to prevent a significant increase in the impact of air transport on climate change. (author)

A Grounded Theory Approach in a Branding Context: Challenges and lessons learnt during the research process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Rindell, PhD.

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to discuss challenges and lessons learnt when conducting a classic grounded theory study in a marketing context. The paper focuses on two specific challenges that were met during a specific research process. The first challenge related to positioning the study, namely, specifying“what the study is a study of”. The second challenge concerned the choice between formal or substantive theory. Both challenges were accentuated as the emerged core category concerned a phenomenon that has caught less attention in marketing, that is, the temporal dimension in corporate images. By the temporal dimension in corporate images we mean that corporate images often have roots in earlier times through consumer memories. In other words, consumers are not tabula rasa, that is, blank sheets of paper on which communication messages can be printed. Rather, consumers have a pre-understanding of the company that works as an interpretation framework for company actions in the present. The lessons learnt from this research process can be summarized as “stay faithful to the data”, “write memos on issues you reflect upon although they might be in another substantial field” as they might become useful later, and, “look into thinking in other disciplines” as disciplines do not develop equally.

Which research is needed to support clinical decision-making on integrative medicine?- Can comparative effectiveness research close the gap?

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Claudia M; Huang, Wen-jing; Lao, Lixing; Bm, Berman

2012-10-01

In clinical research on complementary and integrative medicine, experts and scientists have often pursued a research agenda in spite of an incomplete understanding of the needs of end users. Consequently, the majority of previous clinical trials have mainly assessed the efficacy of interventions. Scant data is available on their effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) promises to support decision makers by generating evidence that compares the benefits and harms of the best care options. This evidence, more generalizable than the evidence generated by traditional randomized controlled trials (RCTs), is better suited to inform real-world care decisions. An emphasis on CER supports the development of the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Whereas in most areas of complementary and integrative medicine data on comparative effectiveness is scarce, available acupuncture research already contributes to CER evidence. This paper will introduce CER and make suggestions for future research.

The Idealized Cultural Identities Model on Help-Seeking and Child Sexual Abuse: A Conceptual Model for Contextualizing Perceptions and Experiences of South Asian Americans

Science.gov (United States)

Kanukollu, Shanta N.; Mahalingam, Ramaswami

2011-01-01

In this paper, we propose an interdisciplinary framework to study perceptions of child sexual abuse and help-seeking among South Asians living in the United States. We integrate research on social marginality, intersectionality, and cultural psychology to understand how marginalized social experience accentuates South Asian immigrants' desire to…

176: EVIDENCE-BASED AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SKILLS OF IRANIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

OpenAIRE

Mostafaei, Helia; Sadeghi-Ghyassi, Fatemeh; Mostafaei, Hadi

2017-01-01

Background and aims Recently, digital research is very popular in schools. The capacity of students to do an effective search is unclear which can lead to utilization of unacceptable evidence in their research. Aims To evaluate middle school students' effective search skills. Methods This survey was done during the summer school of Farzanegan talented students middle school. The self-administrated questionnaire studied 30 items about effective search and digital research skills of students. O...

A call for action: comparative effectiveness research in asthma

OpenAIRE

Krishnan, Jerry A.; Schatz, Michael X.; Apter, Andrea J.

2010-01-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has received considerable research attention in recent months, and efforts to promote CER are part of the newly enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In this paper, we define CER, how it complements traditional efficacy research in asthma, and discuss how CER can help provide the basis for rational decision-making about the care of individual patients with asthma and how best to deliver this care in real-world settings. We present informa...

Noncontact inspection laser system for characterization of piezoelectric samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jimenez, F.J.; Frutos, J. de

2004-01-01

In this work measurements on a piezoelectric sample in dynamic behavior were taken, in particular, around the frequencies of resonance for the sample where the nonlineal effects are accentuated. Dimension changes in the sample need to be studied as that will allow a more reliable characterization of the piezoelectric samples. The goal of this research is to develop an inspection system able to obtain measurements, using a noncontact laser displacement transducer, also able to visualize, in three-dimensional graphic environment, the displacement that takes place in a piezoelectric sample surface. In resonant mode, the vibration mode of the sample is visualized

Enabling Effective Problem-oriented Research for Sustainable Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Kueffer

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Environmental problems caused by human activities are increasing; biodiversity is disappearing at an unprecedented rate, soils are being irreversibly damaged, freshwater is increasingly in short supply, and the climate is changing. To reverse or even to reduce these trends will require a radical transformation in the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Just how this can be achieved within, at most, a few decades is unknown, but it is clear that academia must play a crucial role. Many believe, however, that academic institutions need to become more effective in helping societies move toward sustainability. We first synthesize current thinking about this crisis of research effectiveness. We argue that those involved in producing knowledge to solve societal problems face three particular challenges: the complexity of real-world sustainability problems, maintaining impartiality when expert knowledge is used in decision making, and ensuring the salience of the scientific knowledge for decision makers. We discuss three strategies to meet these challenges: conducting research in interdisciplinary teams, forming research partnerships with actors and experts from outside academia, and framing research questions with the aim of solving specific problems (problem orientation. However, we argue that implementing these strategies within academia will require both cultural and institutional change. We then use concepts from transition management to suggest how academic institutions can make the necessary changes. At the level of system optimization, we call for: quality criteria, career incentives, and funding schemes that reward not only disciplinary excellence but also achievements in inter-/transdisciplinary work; professional services and training through specialized centers that facilitate problem-oriented research and reciprocal knowledge exchange with society; and the integration of sustainability and inter

Theoretical research on color indirect effects

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, T. C.; Liao, Changjun; Liu, Songhao

1995-05-01

Color indirect effects (CIE) means the physiological and psychological effects of color resulting from color vision. In this paper, we study CIE from the viewpoints of the integrated western and Chinese traditional medicine and the time quantum theory established by C. Y. Liu et al., respectively, and then put forward the color-automatic-nervous-subsystem model that could color excites parasympathetic subsystem and hot color excites sympathetic subsystem. Our theory is in agreement with modern color vision theory, and moreover, it leads to the resolution of the conflict between the color code theory and the time code theory oncolor vision. For the latitude phenomena on athlete stars number and the average lifespan, we also discuss the possibility of UV vision. The applications of our theory lead to our succeeding in explaining a number of physiological and psychological effects of color, in explaining the effects of age on color vision, and in explaining the Chinese chromophototherapy. We also discuss its application to neuroimmunology. This research provides the foundation of the clinical applications of chromophototherapy.

IJS v10 n1.cdr

African Journals Online (AJOL)

De Don

2007-07-03

Jul 3, 2007 ... Floods are natural phenomenon, their magnitude and effect on cultural as well as the physical landscape ... protect, but they often simply accentuate downstream .... urbanization brought about constriction of the channel.

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise: Research in Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Maschke

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Research on systematic noise effects started in Germany back in the fifties with basic experimental studies on humans. As a result, noise was classified as a non-specific stressor, which could cause an ergotropic activation of the complete organism. In the light of this background research a hypothesis was proposed that long-term noise exposure could have an adverse effect on health. This hypothesis was further supported by animal studies. Since the sixties, the adverse effects of chronic road traffic noise exposure were further examined in humans with the help of epidemiological studies. More epidemiological aircraft noise studies followed in the 1970s and thereafter. The sample size was increased, relevant confounding factors were taken into account, and the exposure and health outcomes were investigated objectively and with higher quality measures. To date, more than 20 German epidemiological traffic noise studies have focused on noise-induced health effects, mainly on the cardiovascular system. In particular, the newer German noise studies demonstrate a clear association between residential exposure to traffic noise (particularly night noise and cardiovascular outcomes. Nevertheless, additional research is needed, particularly on vulnerable groups and multiple noise exposures. The epidemiological findings have still not been fully considered in German regulations, particularly for aircraft noise. The findings, however, were taken into account in national recommendations. The Federal Environment Agency recommends noise rating levels of 65 dB(A for the day and 55 dB(A for the night, as a short-term goal. In the medium term, noise rating levels of 60 / 50 (day, night should be reached and noise rating levels of 55 / 45 in the long run.

Beyond a good story: from Hawthorne Effect to reactivity in health professions education research.

Science.gov (United States)

Paradis, Elise; Sutkin, Gary

2017-01-01

Observational research is increasingly being used in health professions education (HPE) research, yet it is often criticised for being prone to observer effects (also known as the Hawthorne Effect), defined as a research participant's altered behaviour in response to being observed. This article explores this concern. First, this article briefly reviews the initial Hawthorne studies and the original formulation of the Hawthorne Effect, before turning to contemporary studies of the Hawthorne Effect in HPE and beyond. Second, using data from two observational studies (in the operating theatre and in the intensive care unit), this article investigates the Hawthorne Effect in HPE. Evidence of a Hawthorne Effect is scant, and amounts to little more than a good story. This is surprising given the foundational nature of the Hawthorne Studies in the social sciences and the prevalence of our concern with observer effects in HPE research. Moreover, the multiple and inconsistent uses of the Hawthorne Effect have left researchers without a coherent and helpful understanding of research participants' responses to observation. The authors' HPE research illustrates the complexity of observer effects in HPE, suggests that significant alteration of behaviour is unlikely in many research contexts, and shows how sustained contact with participants over time improves the quality of data collection. This article thus concludes with three recommendations: that researchers, editors and reviewers in the HPE community use the phrase 'participant reactivity' when considering the participant, observer and research question triad; that researchers invest in interpersonal relationships at their study site to mitigate the effects of altered behaviour; and that researchers use theory to make sense of participants' altered behaviour and use it as a window into the social world. The term 'participant reactivity' better reflects current scientific understandings of the research process and

Effectiveness-implementation hybrid designs: combining elements of clinical effectiveness and implementation research to enhance public health impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Curran, Geoffrey M; Bauer, Mark; Mittman, Brian; Pyne, Jeffrey M; Stetler, Cheryl

2012-03-01

This study proposes methods for blending design components of clinical effectiveness and implementation research. Such blending can provide benefits over pursuing these lines of research independently; for example, more rapid translational gains, more effective implementation strategies, and more useful information for decision makers. This study proposes a "hybrid effectiveness-implementation" typology, describes a rationale for their use, outlines the design decisions that must be faced, and provides several real-world examples. An effectiveness-implementation hybrid design is one that takes a dual focus a priori in assessing clinical effectiveness and implementation. We propose 3 hybrid types: (1) testing effects of a clinical intervention on relevant outcomes while observing and gathering information on implementation; (2) dual testing of clinical and implementation interventions/strategies; and (3) testing of an implementation strategy while observing and gathering information on the clinical intervention's impact on relevant outcomes. The hybrid typology proposed herein must be considered a construct still in evolution. Although traditional clinical effectiveness and implementation trials are likely to remain the most common approach to moving a clinical intervention through from efficacy research to public health impact, judicious use of the proposed hybrid designs could speed the translation of research findings into routine practice.

The application of microbeam in the research on radiation-induced bystander effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiong Jie; Han Ling

2002-01-01

There has been more and more attention to the phenomenon known as radiation-induced bystander effects, which will have a tremendous effect on the research in low -dose radiation biological effects. However, due to the stochastic nature of energy deposition and the random position of tracts, direct evidence for bystander effects and exact results of single particle interacts with a cell cannot be provided by using conventional broad-field irradiation. The availability of microbeam, especially the single particle microbeam in the world, whereby individual cells or precise location of cells can be irradiated with either a single or an exact number of particles provides a useful tool for the research on radiation-induced bystander effects. The author describes the radiation -induced bystander effect and the application of microbeam in the research on it

Measurement and evaluation of thermal effects in the intermixing zone at low power nuclear station outfall

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamath, P.R.; Gurg, R.P.; Bhat, I.S.; Vyas, P.V.

1978-01-01

Observations and evaluations of thermal effects in the lake near the RAPS-1 REACTOR, are reported. The coolant waters are drawn from the lake at a depth of 8-10 m below the surface and discharged through an open channel with a temperature rise of 10deg C. Temperature profiles and spread in the velocity of the outfall are mapped using in situ monitors. These studies show evidence of thermal stratification in the period following winter and the existence of a well established thermocline. Parasitism and eutrophication are also observed. The thermal effects are found to be accentuated by photosynthetic effects. Proposal to utilise waste heat for algal culture in the Kalpakkam nuclear site in South and mariculture (lobsters, prawns) in the heated effluents canal at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station near Bombay are discussed. (K.B.)

3,4-Methylenedioxypyrovalerone prevents while methylone enhances methamphetamine-induced damage to dopamine nerve endings: β-ketoamphetamine modulation of neurotoxicity by the dopamine transporter

Science.gov (United States)

Anneken, John H.; Angoa-Pérez, Mariana; Kuhn, Donald M.

2016-01-01

Methylone, 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV), and mephedrone are psychoactive ingredients of ‘bath salts’ and their abuse represents a growing public health care concern. These drugs are cathinone derivatives and are classified chemically as β-ketoamphetamines. Because of their close structural similarity to the amphetamines, methylone, MDPV, and mephedrone share most of their pharmacological, neurochemical, and behavioral properties. One point of divergence in their actions is the ability to cause damage to the CNS. Unlike methamphetamine, the β-ketoamphetamines do not damage dopamine (DA) nerve endings. However, mephedrone has been shown to significantly accentuate methamphetamine neurotoxicity. Bath salt formulations contain numerous different psychoactive ingredients, and individuals who abuse bath salts also coabuse other illicit drugs. Therefore, we have evaluated the effects of methylone, MDPV, mephedrone, and methamphetamine on DA nerve endings. The β-ketoamphetamines alone or in all possible two-drug combinations do not result in damage to DA nerve endings but do cause hyperthermia. MDPV completely protects against the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine while methylone accentuates it. Neither MDPV nor methylone attenuates the hyperthermic effects of methamphetamine. The potent neuroprotective effects of MDPV extend to amphetamine-, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-, and MPTP-induced neurotoxicity. These results indicate that β-ketoamphetamine drugs that are non-substrate blockers of the DA transporter (i.e., MDPV) protect against methamphetamine neurotoxicity, whereas those that are substrates for uptake by the DA transporter and which cause DA release (i.e., methylone, mephedrone) accentuate neurotoxicity. PMID:25626880

The effectiveness of domestic Scientific research on Iran development Indicators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahid Ehsani

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, research has growth Increasingly in Iran and, consequently, the country has risen dramatically in world rankings, based on the number of scientific documents. Meanwhile, research policy makers of different societies have concentrated, more and more, on "the effectiveness of researches" and today, their main concern is to ensure that researches are truly contributing to achieve development goals. The issue of "use of research to improve society" has also been emphasized by Iran high-ranking managers and consultants in superior governmental documents, implying their agreement on the importance and necessity of it. Experts' view about the necessity for science to play a fundamental role in the process of society improvement, research impact assessment specialists' models in which they directly emphasize on "promotion of development scale" as the research final expected effect, and the proven high correlation between scientific progress and economic development of societies, create a reasonable expectation that as a consequent of "remarkable progress in research", Iran has experienced a tangible improvement in other aspects and this improvement has been reflected in development indicators. This expectation leads to a question which has been the main reason for this study to be implemented. The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of Iran increasingly research growth in recent three decades on the country development. The study uses a Descriptive-Analytical method and valid secondary data have been the base of analyses. At first, the reliable development indicators for which data were available for a number of countries in an appropriate timeframe were selected. Next, the rank of Iran determined in any indicator among 215 countries (based on the number of countries in World Bank Web site. Then, the trend of Iran's research position was compared with the trend of Iran's position in terms of each development

Effectiveness of Human Research Protection Program Performance Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsan, Min-Fu; Nguyen, Yen

2017-10-01

We analyzed human research protection program performance metric data of all Department of Veterans Affairs research facilities obtained from 2010 to 2016. Among a total of 25 performance metrics, 21 (84%) showed improvement, four (16%) remained unchanged, and none deteriorated during the study period. The overall improvement from these 21 performance metrics was 81.1% ± 18.7% (mean ± SD), with a range of 30% to 100%. The four performance metrics that did not show improvement all had initial noncompliance/incidence rates of performance metrics that showed improvement ranged from 0.05% to 60%. However, of the 21 performance metrics that showed improvement, 10 had initial noncompliance/incidence rates of performance measurement is an effective tool in improving the performance of human research protection programs.

Annual report of Radiation Effects Research Foundation, April 1, 1989 - March 31, 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

This annual report summarizes the research activities of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in the fiscal year, 1989. Outcome of the work is presented, covering epidemiology, Adult Health Survey Program, cytogenetics, genetic biochemical survey, immunology, cytobiology, and statistics. Symposium entitled 'update information on effects of radiation', held on October 8, 1989, and the final workshop on 'aging', held on March 29-31, 1990, are outlined, accompanied by the other scientific lectures and campus study seminars. The report also includes research abstracts published by the Research Foundation staff. Bibliography of papers, published in scientific journals and presented in scientific meetings, is provided. Appendices give the proceedings of the aforementioned workshop on 'aging', the continuing research issues, and the personal list of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. (N.K.)

Online Reading: A Preliminary Study of the Impact of Integrated and Split-Attention Formats on L2 Students' Cognitive Load

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Shehri, Saleh; Gitsaki, Christina

2010-01-01

Cognitive load theory has been utilized by second language acquisition (SLA) researchers to account for differences in learner performance with regards to different learning tasks. Certain instructional designs were shown to have an impact on cognitive load and working memory, and this impact was found to be accentuated in a multimedia environment…

Information technology for clinical, translational and comparative effectiveness research. Findings from the section clinical research informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, C; Choquet, R

2013-01-01

To summarize advances of excellent current research in the new emerging field of Clinical Research Informatics. Synopsis of four key articles selected for the IMIA Yearbook 2013. The selection was performed by querying PubMed and Web of Science with predefined keywords. From the original set of 590 papers, a first subset of 461 articles which was in the scope of Clinical Research Informatics was refined into a second subset of 79 relevant articles from which 15 articles were retained for peer-review. The four selected articles exemplify current research efforts conducted in the areas of data representation and management in clinical trials, secondary use of EHR data for clinical research, information technology platforms for translational and comparative effectiveness research and implementation of privacy control. The selected articles not only illustrate how innovative information technology supports classically organized randomized controlled trials but also demonstrate that the long promised benefits of electronic health care data for research are becoming a reality through concrete platforms and projects.

A research agenda for helminth diseases of humans: the problem of helminthiases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Lustigman

Full Text Available A disproportionate burden of helminthiases in human populations occurs in marginalised, low-income, and resource-constrained regions of the world, with over 1 billion people in developing areas of sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Americas infected with one or more helminth species. The morbidity caused by such infections imposes a substantial burden of disease, contributing to a vicious circle of infection, poverty, decreased productivity, and inadequate socioeconomic development. Furthermore, helminth infection accentuates the morbidity of malaria and HIV/AIDS, and impairs vaccine efficacy. Polyparasitism is the norm in these populations, and infections tend to be persistent. Hence, there is a great need to reduce morbidity caused by helminth infections. However, major deficiencies exist in diagnostics and interventions, including vector control, drugs, and vaccines. Overcoming these deficiencies is hampered by major gaps in knowledge of helminth biology and transmission dynamics, platforms from which to help develop such tools. The Disease Reference Group on Helminths Infections (DRG4, established in 2009 by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR, was given the mandate to review helminthiases research and identify research priorities and gaps. In this review, we provide an overview of the forces driving the persistence of helminthiases as a public health problem despite the many control initiatives that have been put in place; identify the main obstacles that impede progress towards their control and elimination; and discuss recent advances, opportunities, and challenges for the understanding of the biology, epidemiology, and control of these infections. The helminth infections that will be discussed include: onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, soil-transmitted helminthiases, schistosomiasis, food-borne trematodiases, and taeniasis/cysticercosis.

The research program coordinator: an example of effective management.

Science.gov (United States)

Merry, Lisa; Gagnon, Anita J; Thomas, Julia

2010-01-01

Careers in clinical research management are increasingly common. Despite nurses' important role in clinical research, their status as research professionals is underrecognized. In this article, we describe the role of a "program coordinator" (PC) in the context of a complex research program on migration and reproductive health. The PC role expands beyond the usual role of a research coordinator because he or she is involved in all aspects of the program of research and his or her responsibilities include research, education, clinical, and administration components. He or she ensures optimal organization and continuity across several studies and ensures ethical and scientific standards are applied for each individual study. His or her clinical knowledge assures data are accurate and subjects are safe. In addition, he or she assists with applying for funding, the maintenance of research partnerships, and dissemination of research findings; he or she supports students' learning and completes all regulatory aspects related to the program of research. Key to the PC role is relationship building and the application of Good Clinical Practice principles. The advanced role of a PC also warrants opportunities for professional development and a competitive salary. A PC is an effective approach for research management and a natural role for professional nurse. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Accentuate the positive: nursing's challenge for 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, Graham

2016-12-14

Few of us will forget the momentous events of 2016 - a remarkable year on so many fronts. Brexit, a new prime minister and the election of Donald Trump as US president stand out as defining events, but there have also been less dramatic developments that will have a profound impact on the future of nursing.

Accentuated hyperparathyroidism in type II Bartter syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Landau, Daniel; Gurevich, Evgenia; Sinai-Treiman, Levana; Shalev, Hannah

2016-07-01

Bartter syndrome (BS) may be associated with different degrees of hypercalciuria, but marked parathyroid hormone (PTH) abnormalities have not been described. We compared clinical and laboratory data of patients with either ROMK-deficient type II BS (n = 14) or Barttin-deficient type IV BS (n = 20). Only BS-IV patients remained mildly hypokalemic in spite of a higher need for potassium supplementation. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was mildly decreased in only four BS-IV patients. Average PTH values were significantly higher in BS-II (160.6 ± 85.8 vs. 92.5 ± 48 pg/ml in BS-IV, p = 0.006). In both groups, there was a positive correlation between age and log(PTH). Levels of 25(OH) vitamin D were not different. Total serum calcium was lower (within normal limits) and age-related serum phosphate (Pi)-SDS was increased in BS-II (1.19 ± 0.71 vs. 0.01 ± 1.04 in BS-IV, p < 0.001). The GFR threshold for Pi reabsorption was higher in BS-II (5.63 ± 1.25 vs. 4.36 ± 0.98, p = 0.002). Spot urine calcium/creatinine ratio and nephrocalcinosis rate (100 vs. 16 %) were higher in the BS-II group. PTH, serum Pi levels, and urinary threshold for Pi reabsorption are significantly elevated in type II vs. type IV BS, suggesting a PTH resistance state. This may be a response to more severe long-standing hypercalciuria, leading to a higher rate of nephrocalcinosis in BS-II.

Translational educational research: a necessity for effective health-care improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

McGaghie, William C; Issenberg, S Barry; Cohen, Elaine R; Barsuk, Jeffrey H; Wayne, Diane B

2012-11-01

Medical education research contributes to translational science (TS) when its outcomes not only impact educational settings, but also downstream results, including better patient-care practices and improved patient outcomes. Simulation-based medical education (SBME) has demonstrated its role in achieving such distal results. Effective TS also encompasses implementation science, the science of health-care delivery. Educational, clinical, quality, and safety goals can only be achieved by thematic, sustained, and cumulative research programs, not isolated studies. Components of an SBME TS research program include motivated learners, curriculum grounded in evidence-based learning theory, educational resources, evaluation of downstream results, a productive research team, rigorous research methods, research resources, and health-care system acceptance and implementation. National research priorities are served from translational educational research. National funding priorities should endorse the contribution and value of translational education research.

Educational Effectiveness Research (EER): A State-of-the-Art Review

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, David; Sammons, Pam; De Fraine, Bieke; Van Damme, Jan; Townsend, Tony; Teddlie, Charles; Stringfield, Sam

2014-01-01

Research and scholarship into educational effectiveness research (EER) is comprehensively reviewed from the UK, The Netherlands, the US, Cyprus, Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, New Zealand, Australia, and other societies, dating from the field's origins in the 1970s. Issues include its history, methodological and theoretical advances, scientific…

Addressing the Research-to-Practice Gap in Autism Treatments: Applying an Effectiveness Research Model to the Picture Exchange Communication System

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Alissa L.

2011-01-01

Despite expansive improvements in both treatments and research, the majority of persons with autism use non-empirically supported interventions. One way to decrease the research-to-practice gap involves increasing the direct applicability of research findings to clinical settings. Effectiveness research achieves this goal by identifying treatments…

Are researcher development interventions, alone or in any combination, effective in improving researcher behavior? A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazmanian, Paul E; Coe, Antoinette B; Evans, Jessica A; Longo, Daniel R; Wright, Barbara A

2014-03-01

Academic institutions funded by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program of the National Institutes of Health were challenged recently by the Institute of Medicine to expand traditional mentoring of graduate and postdoctoral scholars to include training and continuing education for faculty, professional staff, and community partners. A systematic review was conducted to determine whether researcher development interventions, alone or in any combination, are effective in improving researcher behavior. PubMed, CINAHL, and Education Research Complete databases and select journals were searched for relevant articles published from January 2000 through October 2012. A total of 3,459 papers were identified, and 114 papers were retrieved for in-depth analysis. None included randomization. Twenty-two papers reported subjects with professional degrees, interventions, and outcomes. Interventions were meetings, outreach visits, colleague mediation, audit and feedback, and multifaceted interventions. Most studies reported multifaceted interventions (68.2%), often involving mentored learning experiences, and meetings. All studies reported a change in performance, including numbers of publications or grant applications. Nine studies reported changes in competence, including writing, presentation, or analytic skills, and performance in research practice (40.9%). Even as, the quality of evidence was weak to establish causal linkages between researcher development and improved researcher behavior, nearly all the projects (81.8%) received funding from governmental agencies, professional societies, or other organizations. Those who design researcher development activities and those who evaluate the programs are challenged to develop tools and conduct studies that measure the effectiveness, costs, and sustainability of researcher development in the CTSA Program.

San Joaquin Valley Aerosol Health Effects Research Center (SAHERC)

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — At the San Joaquin Valley Aerosol Health Effects Center, located at the University of California-Davis, researchers will investigate the properties of particles that...

An overview of methods for comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Anne-Marie; Wheeler, Stephanie B; Weinberger, Morris; Chen, Ronald C; Carpenter, William R

2014-01-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a broad category of outcomes research encompassing many different methods employed by researchers and clinicians from numerous disciplines. The goal of cancer-focused CER is to generate new knowledge to assist cancer stakeholders in making informed decisions that will improve health care and outcomes of both individuals and populations. There are numerous CER methods that may be used to examine specific questions, including randomized controlled trials, observational studies, systematic literature reviews, and decision sciences modeling. Each has its strengths and weaknesses. To both inform and serve as a reference for readers of this issue of Seminars in Radiation Oncology as well as the broader oncology community, we describe CER and several of the more commonly used approaches and analytical methods. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Stakeholder participation in comparative effectiveness research: defining a framework for effective engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Deverka, Patricia A; Lavallee, Danielle C; Desai, Priyanka J; Esmail, Laura C; Ramsey, Scott D; Veenstra, David L; Tunis, Sean R

2012-03-01

AIMS: Stakeholder engagement is fundamental to comparative effectiveness research (CER), but lacks consistent terminology. This paper aims to define stakeholder engagement and present a conceptual model for involving stakeholders in CER. MATERIALS #ENTITYSTARTX00026; METHODS: The definitions and model were developed from a literature search, expert input and experience with the Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Genomics, a proof-of-concept platform for stakeholder involvement in priority setting and CER study design. RESULTS: Definitions for stakeholder and stakeholder engagement reflect the target constituencies and their role in CER. The 'analytic-deliberative' conceptual model for stakeholder engagement illustrates the inputs, methods and outputs relevant to CER. The model differentiates methods at each stage of the project; depicts the relationship between components; and identifies outcome measures for evaluation of the process. CONCLUSION: While the definitions and model require testing before being broadly adopted, they are an important foundational step and will be useful for investigators, funders and stakeholder groups interested in contributing to CER.

Comparative effectiveness research: Challenges for medical journals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tovey David

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Editors from a number of medical journals lay out principles for journals considering publication of Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER. In order to encourage dissemination of this editorial, this article is freely available in PLoS Medicine and will be also published in Medical Decision Making, Croatian Medical Journal, The Cochrane Library, Trials, The American Journal of Managed Care, and Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.

Effects of plant phenols of performance of southern armyworm larvae.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindroth, R L; Peterson, S S

1988-03-01

We evaluated the effects of two classes of phenols on performance of penultimate instar southern armyworms, Spodoptera eridania. One class consisted of phenols containing a catechol (ortho-dihydroxybenzene) moiety and included chlorogenic acid, quercetin, rutin, and rhamnetin. A second group consisted of the phenolic glycoside salicin and its derivatives salicortin and tremulacin. The compounds were painted onto lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) leaves and fed to larvae for the duration of the fifth instar. Chlorogenic acid and rhamnetin had no deleterious effects; rutin and quercetin caused some mortality and rutin reduced growth rates by decreasing consumption and digestion efficiency. Results showed that ortho-dihydroxybenzene groups may be necessary, but are not sufficient for biological activity. Salicin did not affect larvae; salicortin and tremulacin reduced growth rates primarily by decreasing consumption. These two compounds also caused degenerative lesions in midgut tissues. The presence of a benzoyl ester group in tremulacin accentuates its toxicity, relative to that of salicortin.

A method for Effect Modifier Assessment in ergonomic intervention research – The EMA method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Winkel, Jørgen

2016-01-01

Introduction: Ergonomic intervention research includes studies in which researchers arrange (or follow) changes in working conditions to determine the effects in risk factors and/or health. Often this research takes place at workplaces and not in a controlled environment of a laboratory. The effe......Introduction: Ergonomic intervention research includes studies in which researchers arrange (or follow) changes in working conditions to determine the effects in risk factors and/or health. Often this research takes place at workplaces and not in a controlled environment of a laboratory...... of the literature revealed lack of or poor consideration of effect modifiers in ergonomic intervention research. We present a method that has been developed over the course of several years parallel to intervention studies in healthcare. Material and methods: The EMA method is a type of group interview including 3...... sources. Conclusion: The EMA method seems to offer a feasible procedure to obtain significant knowledge on potential effect modifiers in ergonomic intervention research. However, further development and validation is suggested....

Effect of Initial Conditions on Reproducibility of Scientific Research

Science.gov (United States)

Djulbegovic, Benjamin; Hozo, Iztok

2014-01-01

Background: It is estimated that about half of currently published research cannot be reproduced. Many reasons have been offered as explanations for failure to reproduce scientific research findings- from fraud to the issues related to design, conduct, analysis, or publishing scientific research. We also postulate a sensitive dependency on initial conditions by which small changes can result in the large differences in the research findings when attempted to be reproduced at later times. Methods: We employed a simple logistic regression equation to model the effect of covariates on the initial study findings. We then fed the input from the logistic equation into a logistic map function to model stability of the results in repeated experiments over time. We illustrate the approach by modeling effects of different factors on the choice of correct treatment. Results: We found that reproducibility of the study findings depended both on the initial values of all independent variables and the rate of change in the baseline conditions, the latter being more important. When the changes in the baseline conditions vary by about 3.5 to about 4 in between experiments, no research findings could be reproduced. However, when the rate of change between the experiments is ≤2.5 the results become highly predictable between the experiments. Conclusions: Many results cannot be reproduced because of the changes in the initial conditions between the experiments. Better control of the baseline conditions in-between the experiments may help improve reproducibility of scientific findings. PMID:25132705

[Which research is needed to support clinical decision-making on integrative medicine? Can comparative effectiveness research close the gap?].

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Claudia M; Huang, Wen-jing; Lao, Lixing; Berman, Brian M

2013-08-01

In clinical research on complementary and integrative medicine, experts and scientists have often pursued a research agenda in spite of an incomplete understanding of the needs of end users. Consequently, the majority of previous clinical trials have mainly assessed the efficacy of interventions. Scant data is available on their effectiveness. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) promises to support decision makers by generating evidence that compares the benefits and harms of best care options. This evidence, more generalizable than evidence generated by traditional randomized clinical trials (RCTs), is better suited to inform real-world care decisions. An emphasis on CER supports the development of the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Whereas in most areas of complementary and integrative medicine data on CER is scarce, available acupuncture research already contributes to CER evidence. This paper will introduce CER and make suggestions for future research.

Cost Effective Polymer Solar Cells Research and Education

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sun, Sam-Shajing [Norfolk State Univ, Norfolk, VA (United States)

2015-10-13

The technical or research objective of this project is to investigate and develop new polymers and polymer based optoelectronic devices for potentially cost effective (or cost competitive), durable, lightweight, flexible, and high efficiency solar energy conversion applications. The educational objective of this project includes training of future generation scientists, particularly young, under-represented minority scientists, working in the areas related to the emerging organic/polymer based solar energy technologies and related optoelectronic devices. Graduate and undergraduate students will be directly involved in scientific research addressing issues related to the development of polymer based solar cell technology.

Original Research Original Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

RAGHAVENDRA

To this effect, two basic research with these research ... In this area, Ho conducted a research on a topic “Effectiveness o .... questioning, making a list, clustering, preparing a scratch .... three data collection instruments by using quantitative and.

The influence of climatic conditions changes on grain yield in Winter Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittm.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ionuț RACZ

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is making out the influence of climatic changes on grain yield of winter triticale in relation with applied fertilizer. The influence of environmental conditions on growing and development of triticale plants depends of grow stages and their duration. During five experimental years (2010-2015 the climatic conditions were different year to year, with an accentuated heating trend, influencing plant phenology, accelerating or slowing down some important processes disturbing grain yield formation. The influence of drought is more accentuated by heating stress and prolonging of these conditions during the main phenological processes have a negative influence on plant growth or development with effect on the grain yield formation process.

Coupling and corona effects research plan for transmission lines. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bridges, J E; Formanek, V C

1976-06-01

Concern has arisen over the possible effects of electric and magnetic fields produced by EHV-UHV transmission lines. Past and ongoing research concerning the electric and magnetic field effects from EHV-UHV transmission lines was reviewed as it pertains to the following areas: (1) electromagnetic interference, (2) acoustic noise, (3) generation of gaseous effluents, and (4) safety considerations of induced voltages and currents. The intent of this review was to identify the short and long range research projects required to address these areas. The research plan identifies and gives priority to twenty programs in corona and coupling effects. In the case of the corona effects, a number of programs were recommended for acoustic noise and electromagnetic interference to delineate improved power line design criteria in terms of social, meteorological, geographical and cost constraints. Only one project is recommended in the case of ozone generation, because the results of comprehensive analyses, laboratory studies and field measurements have demonstrated that power lines do not contribute significant quantities of ozone. In the case of the coupling effects, a number of programs are recommended for HVAC transmission lines to improve the theoretically developed design guidelines by considering practical constraints. For HVDC transmission lines, programs are suggested to engender a better theoretical understanding and practical measurements capability for the coupling mechanisms of the dc electric and magnetic field with nearby objects. The interrelationship of the programs and their role in a long-term research plan is also discussed.

Nutritional and water effect on fluoride uptake and respiration of bean seedlings. [Phaseolus vulgaris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Applegate, H G; Adams, D F

1960-01-01

Bean plants (Phaseolus vulgaris) were grown in an atmosphere containing 2.0 +/- 0.21 g F /mT (1.6 ppb). The effect of N, P, K, Fe, and Ca deficiencies and the effect of osmotic pressures of 0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0 and 7.5 pounds on fluoride uptake and fluoride-mediated respiration were studied. The data showed that P deficient plants took up more fluoride than plants deficient in any of the other elements studied. Fluoride-mediated respiration was phosphorous dependent, however. Plants low in Fe or K showed increased uptake of fluoride. Nitrogen had no effect on fluoride uptake under the conditions of this experiment. Plants low in Fe showed inhibition of oxygen uptake. This inhibition was accentuated by fluoride. The interactions of N, K and Ca with fluoride on respiration were complex. Neither fluoride uptake nor fluoride-mediated respiration appeared to be linked directly to the water economy of the plants. 14 references, 6 tables.

Incredible Years parenting interventions: current effectiveness research and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Frances; Leijten, Patty

2017-06-01

The Incredible Years parenting intervention is a social learning theory-based programme for reducing children's conduct problems. Dozens of randomized trials, many by independent investigators, find consistent effects of Incredible Years on children's conduct problems across multiple countries and settings. However, in common with other interventions, these average effects hide much variability in the responses of individual children and families. Innovative moderator research is needed to enhance scientific understanding of why individual children and parents respond differently to intervention. Additionally, research is needed to test whether there are ways to make Incredible Years more effective and accessible for families and service providers, especially in low resource settings, by developing innovative delivery systems using new media, and by systematically testing for essential components of parenting interventions. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Biological effectiveness of neutrons: Research needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casarett, G.W.; Braby, L.A.; Broerse, J.J.; Elkind, M.M.; Goodhead, D.T.; Oleinick, N.L.

1994-02-01

The goal of this report was to provide a conceptual plan for a research program that would provide a basis for determining more precisely the biological effectiveness of neutron radiation with emphasis on endpoints relevant to the protection of human health. This report presents the findings of the experts for seven particular categories of scientific information on neutron biological effectiveness. Chapter 2 examines the radiobiological mechanisms underlying the assumptions used to estimate human risk from neutrons and other radiations. Chapter 3 discusses the qualitative and quantitative models used to organize and evaluate experimental observations and to provide extrapolations where direct observations cannot be made. Chapter 4 discusses the physical principles governing the interaction of radiation with biological systems and the importance of accurate dosimetry in evaluating radiation risk and reducing the uncertainty in the biological data. Chapter 5 deals with the chemical and molecular changes underlying cellular responses and the LET dependence of these changes. Chapter 6, in turn, discusses those cellular and genetic changes which lead to mutation or neoplastic transformation. Chapters 7 and 8 examine deterministic and stochastic effects, respectively, and the data required for the prediction of such effects at different organizational levels and for the extrapolation from experimental results in animals to risks for man. Gaps and uncertainties in this data are examined relative to data required for establishing radiation protection standards for neutrons and procedures for the effective and safe use of neutron and other high-LET radiation therapy

Biological effectiveness of neutrons: Research needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casarett, G.W.; Braby, L.A.; Broerse, J.J.; Elkind, M.M.; Goodhead, D.T.; Oleinick, N.L.

1994-02-01

The goal of this report was to provide a conceptual plan for a research program that would provide a basis for determining more precisely the biological effectiveness of neutron radiation with emphasis on endpoints relevant to the protection of human health. This report presents the findings of the experts for seven particular categories of scientific information on neutron biological effectiveness. Chapter 2 examines the radiobiological mechanisms underlying the assumptions used to estimate human risk from neutrons and other radiations. Chapter 3 discusses the qualitative and quantitative models used to organize and evaluate experimental observations and to provide extrapolations where direct observations cannot be made. Chapter 4 discusses the physical principles governing the interaction of radiation with biological systems and the importance of accurate dosimetry in evaluating radiation risk and reducing the uncertainty in the biological data. Chapter 5 deals with the chemical and molecular changes underlying cellular responses and the LET dependence of these changes. Chapter 6, in turn, discusses those cellular and genetic changes which lead to mutation or neoplastic transformation. Chapters 7 and 8 examine deterministic and stochastic effects, respectively, and the data required for the prediction of such effects at different organizational levels and for the extrapolation from experimental results in animals to risks for man. Gaps and uncertainties in this data are examined relative to data required for establishing radiation protection standards for neutrons and procedures for the effective and safe use of neutron and other high-LET radiation therapy.

Designing Effective Serious Games: Opportunities and Challenges for Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Bellotti

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Serious Games represent an acknowledged potential for instruction, because they are able to strongly motivate learners. They can also provide immersive environments where advanced users can practice knowledge and skills, also exploiting multimodal interaction. They can combine the effectiveness of computer processing and data storage, with high levels of attractiveness. Our work has investigated the state of the art research on SGs, starting from the cognitive aspects, that are necessary in order to root technological development and applications in sound theoretical foundations. The paper discusses some key aspects about SG design and exploitation: choice of components-off-the-shelf or from-scratch design, tools and methodologies for development or adaptation, intelligent tutoring, virtual coaches and affective learning, living worlds, game mechanics, Human-Computer Interaction. While several SGs have been developed, still the literature stresses a lack of significant, extensive user tests. Further research is necessary to investigate in greater detail the real effectiveness of the various types of SGs. The paper proposes several research questions - that range from requirements elicitation to design and from deployment to use and evaluation - to be answered in order to avoid technology pushing and drive technological research according to the requirements of the end-users and stakeholders. We believe that deepening the analysis about these issues is key to strengthen the foundations of SG research, for which we identify four major directions: definition of metrics and learning progress evaluation tools; methodologies and tools for designing games from various topics and for various users; computing and communication architectures; technologies that can enhance the overall system performance.

A method for Effect Modifier Assessment in ergonomic intervention research – The EMA method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Winkel, Jørgen

Purpose: Intervention research includes studies in which researchers arrange (or follow) changes in working conditions to determine the effects on risk factor, health and/or performance. Often this research takes place at workplaces and not in a controlled laboratory environment. Effects may thus...

A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Stuart G; Hayes, Tavis P; Brehaut, Jamie C; McDonald, Michael; Weijer, Charles; Saginur, Raphael; Fergusson, Dean

2015-01-01

To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review. We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction. Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial--randomised or otherwise--of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review. Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review.

The greenhouse effect: A summary of KEMA research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruijgrok, W.

1994-01-01

An overview of current research at KEMA in the field of the greenhouse effect and climatic change is presented. Project information regarding motivation, aim, planning and results is given. The projects are carried out within the framework of the so-called 'Collectieve Opdracht' (joint assignment) of the Dutch electric power generating utilities

The Effect of Holding a Research Chair on Scientists’ Impact

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mirnezami, S.R.; Beaudry, C.

2016-07-01

This paper examines the effect of holding Canada Research Chair (CRC) on a scientist’s number of citations as a measure of research impact, based on an econometric analysis with combined data on Quebec scientists’ funding and journal publication. Using Generalized Least Square (GLS) method for regression analysis, the results show that holding either tier-1 or tier- 2 of CRC significantly and positively results in conducting research with higher impact. This finding, however, does not necessarily imply that the others are the lesser scientists. (Author)

195 RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND SOCIAL INSTABILITY IN NIGERIA ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NGOZI

study is anchored upon is the Social Identity Theory. The study recommends ..... attracted much attention and worry today (and which is the main concern of the .... Burke & Stet, is the selective application of the accentuation effect, primarily to ...

Shedding light on research participation effects in behaviour change trials: a qualitative study examining research participant experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

MacNeill, Virginia; Foley, Marian; Quirk, Alan; McCambridge, Jim

2016-01-29

The sequence of events in a behaviour change trial involves interactions between research participants and the trial process. Taking part in such a study has the potential to influence the behaviour of the participant, and if it does, this can engender bias in trial outcomes. Since participants' experience has received scant attention, the aim of this study is thus to generate hypotheses about which aspects of the conduct of behaviour change trials might matter most to participants, and thus have potential to alter subsequent behaviours and bias trial outcomes Twenty participants were opportunistically screened for a health compromising behaviour (unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking or alcohol consumption) and recruited if eligible. Semi structured face to face interviews were conducted, after going through the usual processes involved in trial recruitment, baseline assessment and randomisation. Participants were given information on the contents of an intervention or control condition in a behaviour change trial, which was not actually implemented. Three months later they returned to reflect on these experiences and whether they had any effect on their behaviour during the intervening period. Data from the latter interview were analysed thematically using a modified grounded theory approach. The early processes of trial participation raised awareness of unhealthy behaviours, although most reported having had only fleeting intentions to change their behaviour as a result of taking part in this study, in the absence of interventions. However, careful examination of the accounts revealed evidence of subtle research participation effects, which varied according to the health behaviour, and its perceived social acceptability. Participants' relationships with the research study were viewed as somewhat important in stimulating thinking about whether and how to make lifestyle changes. These participants described no dramatic impacts attributable to taking part in

Old Wine in New Bottles? Researching Effective Schools in Developing Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Fertig, Michael

2000-01-01

Examines the current status of effective-schools research in the developing world and identifies underlying concerns, including effects of World Bank structural-adjustment policies. Posits a contextually related view of school effectiveness--the need to eschew "objective" checklists and gather different stakeholders' perceptions about…

Annual report of Radiation Effects Research Foundation, April 1, 1988 - March 31, 1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

This annual report summarizes the research activities of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in the fiscal year 1988. Outcome of the work is presented, covering the two major workshops for 'immunology' and for 'radiation-induced carcinogenesis' which were held in Hiroshima on November 28-29, 1988, and on March 16-18, 1989, respectively. Study meeting of 'medical radiation research program' and Japan-the U.S. joint meeting of 'DS 86' are reported, as well as the other scientific lectures and campus study seminars. Included are research abstracts published by the Research Foundation staff. The bibliography of papers, published in scientific journals and presented in scientific meetings, is provided. Appendices give the details of the aforementioned workshops, the continuing research issues, and the personnel list of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. (N.K.)

Enhancing Organizational Effectiveness in Research Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalafi, H.; Kojouri, N. Mataji; Sedghgooya, E.; Dabiri, J.; Ezzati, A.

2016-01-01

Bearing in mind even one simple definition of “organization” as a social unit of structured people working together in a managed manner to achieve some common goal which is the purpose of establishing that organization, we can understand the importance of the matter in achieving goals. Organization of the nuclear complex shall be considered, by all stakeholders not only in national scale but also in international relations and communities, as one of the most important pillars of the effective and reliable, safe and secure use of the nuclear technology. Effectiveness of the nuclear technology is obtained through a good, safe and secure technology, skilled and committed personnel who work well in interaction with technology and a good and established organization which conducts and regulates activities upon whole of the complex system via management and leadership in harmonised manner. Although, effectiveness of the nuclear complex is a complicate function of the above mentioned affecting factors, but a good organization besides solving its day to day business, can minimise the problems, resolve or eliminate unnecessary challenges and save resources and energies and help to identify issues and difficulties. Simply viewed, any organization has a theoretical base and consists of necessary elements. In order to be effective one organization first of all shall include good theoretical base, then armed with good instruments and then shall be run well. Enhancing the effectiveness of any organization can be achieved by enhancing any of the above mentioned elements individually or collectively in a harmonic way. For improving the Research Reactors effectiveness as a nuclear complex or facility in order to satisfactorily meet research and production needs, we must work in some different areas in parallel and simultaneously including technical, administrative, organizational and human resource issues. First we should identify and fix the real situation in all interested

Effects of high fat diet on the Basal activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in mice: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Auvinen, H E; Romijn, J A; Biermasz, N R; Havekes, L M; Smit, J W A; Rensen, P C N; Pereira, A M

2011-12-01

Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis activity is suggested to be involved in the pathophysiology of the metabolic syndrome. In diet-induced obesity mouse models, features of the metabolic syndrome are induced by feeding high fat diet. However, the models reveal conflicting results with respect to the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis activation. The aim of this review was to assess the effects of high fat feeding on the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis in mice. PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane database, and Science Direct were electronically searched and reviewed by 2 individual researchers. We included only original mouse studies reporting parameters of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis after high fat feeding, and at least 1 basal corticosterone level with a proper control group. Studies with adrenalectomized mice, transgenic animals only, high fat diet for less than 2 weeks, or other interventions besides high fat diet, were excluded. 20 studies were included. The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis evaluation was the primary research question in only 5 studies. Plasma corticosterone levels were unchanged in 40%, elevated in 30%, and decreased in 20% of the studies. The effects in the peripheral tissues and the central nervous system were also inconsistent. However, major differences were found between mouse strains, experimental conditions, and the content and duration of the diets. This systematic review demonstrates that the effects of high fat feeding on the basal activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis in mice are limited and inconclusive. Differences in experimental conditions hamper comparisons and accentuate the need for standardized evaluations to discern the effects of diet-induced obesity on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Dėl įvardžiuotinių būdvardžių kirčiavimo raidos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danguolė Mikulėnienė

2011-12-01

Full Text Available CONCERNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ACCENTUATION OF PRONOMINAL ADJECTIVESSummaryThe pronominal adjective accentuation is hypothesised this way: according to de Saussure’s law, the ictus was retracted both from the acute and circumflex syllables to the following acute syllable.

Open-Air Biowarfare Testing and the Evolution of Values

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

The United States and the United Kingdom ended outdoor biological warfare testing in populated areas nearly half a century ago. Yet, the conduct, health effects, and propriety of those tests remain controversial. The varied views reflect the limits of currently available test information and evolving societal values on research involving human subjects. Western political culture has changed since the early days of the American and British testing programs. People have become less reluctant to question authority, and institutional review boards must now pre-approve research involving human subjects. Further, the heightened stringency of laboratory containment has accentuated the safety gap between a confined test space and one without physical boundaries. All this makes it less likely that masses of people would again be unwittingly subjected to secret open-air biological warfare tests. PMID:27564984

A novel research design can aid disinvestment from existing health technologies with uncertain effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and/or safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, Terry; O'Brien, Lisa; McDermott, Fiona; Markham, Donna; Mitchell, Deb; Watterson, Dina; Skinner, Elizabeth

2014-02-01

Disinvestment is critical for ensuring the long-term sustainability of health-care services. Key barriers to disinvestment are heterogeneity between research and clinical settings, absence of evidence of effectiveness of some health technologies, and exposure of patients and organizations to risks and poor outcomes. We aimed to develop a feasible research design that can evaluate disinvestment in health technologies of uncertain effectiveness or cost-effectiveness. This article (1) establishes the need for disinvestment methodologies, (2) identifies the ethical concerns and feasibility constraints of conventional research designs for this issue, (3) describes the planning, implementation, and analytical framework for a novel disinvestment-specific study design, and (4) describes potential limitations in application of this design. The stepped-wedge, roll-in cluster randomized controlled trial can facilitate the disinvestment process, whereas generating evidence to determine whether the decision to disinvest was sound in the clinical environment. A noninferiority research paradigm may be applied to this methodology to demonstrate that the removal of a health technology does not adversely affect outcomes. This research design can be applied across multiple fields and will assist determination of whether specific health technologies are clinically effective, cost-effective, and safe. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review.

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Stuart G Nicholls

Full Text Available To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review.We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction.Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial--randomised or otherwise--of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review.Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review.

A Scoping Review of Empirical Research Relating to Quality and Effectiveness of Research Ethics Review

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholls, Stuart G.; Hayes, Tavis P.; Brehaut, Jamie C.; McDonald, Michael; Weijer, Charles; Saginur, Raphael; Fergusson, Dean

2015-01-01

Background To date there is no established consensus of assessment criteria for evaluating research ethics review. Methods We conducted a scoping review of empirical research assessing ethics review processes in order to identify common elements assessed, research foci, and research gaps to aid in the development of assessment criteria. Electronic searches of Ovid Medline, PsychInfo, and the Cochrane DSR, ACP Journal Club, DARE, CCTR, CMR, HTA, and NHSEED, were conducted. After de-duplication, 4234 titles and abstracts were reviewed. Altogether 4036 articles were excluded following screening of titles, abstracts and full text. A total of 198 articles included for final data extraction. Results Few studies originated from outside North America and Europe. No study reported using an underlying theory or framework of quality/effectiveness to guide study design or analyses. We did not identify any studies that had involved a controlled trial - randomised or otherwise – of ethics review procedures or processes. Studies varied substantially with respect to outcomes assessed, although tended to focus on structure and timeliness of ethics review. Discussion Our findings indicate a lack of consensus on appropriate assessment criteria, exemplified by the varied study outcomes identified, but also a fragmented body of research. To date research has been largely quantitative, with little attention given to stakeholder experiences, and is largely cross sectional. A lack of longitudinal research to date precludes analyses of change or assessment of quality improvement in ethics review. PMID:26225553

Fouling research and cleaning effect by sponge ball on condencer tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsumoto, S; Sano, A [Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Osaka (Japan); Minamoto, K; Mimura, K; Kyohara, S

1978-07-01

Systematic research has been performed to investigate the cleaning effect on condensers cooled by sea water. The test has been done for a year using the test condenser at the Kainan Power Station, Kansai Electric Power Company. The main purpose of this research was to see the effect of cleaning inner walls of condenser tubes with sponge balls on the prevention of adhesion of marine creatures such as barnacles and other shellfishes. As the test tubes, the aluminum-brass and titanium tubes with 25.4 mm diameter, 1.245 mm thickness and 170 mm length were used. Frequency of cleaning and flow rate were chosen as the variable parameters. The effect of seasons was also investigated. Major conclusions drawn from this research were as follows. (1) More adhesion of barnacles was observed at slower flow speed and in titanium tubes rather than aluminum brass tubes. (2) At the flow speed of 1 m/sec. cleaning frequency of more than twice a week was necessary to perfectly avoid the adhesion. (3) In summer, the adhesion was most intensive, whereas in winter, it was the least. (4) Barnacles were the most predominant organism. (5) Cleaning with sponge balls was effective.

NITARP: An Example of Effective Data-Based Research in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Orr, Laura; Rowe, Jamie L.; Lineberger, Howard; Duranko, Gary; Gorjian, Varoujan

2018-01-01

The use of data in the classroom is a core component of both project based learning and STEM based education. Authentic student driven research using real-world data is a primary focus of both teaching strategies. To make the educational outcome effective and long lasting, the type and quality of data used in the lessons is important. The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Project (NITARP) program encapsulates this in very meaningful ways by providing both teachers and students the opportunity to ask deep meaningful questions, collaborate with peers, and arrive at meaningful conclusions. Teachers trained in the use of scientific archives and the application of those archives for authentic research is critical for this type of learning to be successful.In this study we use the NITARP program as an example of effective STEM project based learning using archived scientific data. We explore the components of the program that are most effective, the effects on teacher competency and ease of use with students, and use in the classroom. For each area we also explore alternate sources of teacher support, data archives, and techniques for implementation in classrooms for various topics and skill levels.

Application of Hierarchical Linear Models/Linear Mixed-Effects Models in School Effectiveness Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ker, H. W.

2014-01-01

Multilevel data are very common in educational research. Hierarchical linear models/linear mixed-effects models (HLMs/LMEs) are often utilized to analyze multilevel data nowadays. This paper discusses the problems of utilizing ordinary regressions for modeling multilevel educational data, compare the data analytic results from three regression…

[Psychological research on the cognitive aspect of emotional processes in schizophrenia patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Kurek, N S

1988-01-01

Cognitive aspects of emotionality were psychologically investigated in 250 patients with continuous and paroxysmal progredient schizophrenia and differently pronounced defect. The control group consisted of 100 normal subjects. A set of 7 techniques was applied. In cases of the patient's defect accentuated, cognitive emotional disorder was marked with the emotions and emotiogenic situations underestimation in dealing with other people and cognitive activities. This underestimation was not a uniform one concerning to a larger extent the strong emotions in other subjects, patients' own positive emotions, success in individual problem solving and degree of success in cooperative performance. Weak emotions, negative ones and failure situations were underestimated to a lesser degree, as was the success rating in competitive paradigms.

176: EVIDENCE-BASED AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH SKILLS OF IRANIAN MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Science.gov (United States)

Mostafaei, Helia; Sadeghi-Ghyassi, Fatemeh; Mostafaei, Hadi

2017-01-01

Background and aims Recently, digital research is very popular in schools. The capacity of students to do an effective search is unclear which can lead to utilization of unacceptable evidence in their research. Aims To evaluate middle school students' effective search skills. Methods This survey was done during the summer school of Farzanegan talented students middle school. The self-administrated questionnaire studied 30 items about effective search and digital research skills of students. One hundred questionnaires were distributed in this summer school and students in the 7th and 8th grades filled the questionnaires. The administration of the questionnaire was counted as their concept. All data was analyzed at Excel 2013. Results Eighty percent of students including 67.5% of the seventh and 32.5% of the eighth grade students responded to the questionnaires respectively. Shockingly, 96.2% of students only googled and most of them (73.7%) type the topic of their research in Persian to start their research strategy. More than half of them (52.5) believed the result of their search is mostly or always correct and 66.2% of them copy-pasted their findings without any assessment. Surprisingly, only 27.5% of them have proposed that they had problem with appraising the evidence. The best sources of the students for finding the answer of their questions were: Wikipedia, telegram, TV, books, E-Books, YouTube, classmates, Facebook and student information websites, and EBSCO, accordingly. 76.2% acknowledged that internet has turned students into copy machines. Only 31.2% agreed their teachers taught them how to do effective research. Conclusion Most of the students were not familiar with valid sources of research evidence. Language barrier may limit their access to best evidence. Most students were not used to retrieving the evidence.

Identifying research priorities for effective retention strategies in clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Kearney, Anna; Daykin, Anne; Shaw, Alison R G; Lane, Athene J; Blazeby, Jane M; Clarke, Mike; Williamson, Paula; Gamble, Carrol

2017-08-31

The failure to retain patients or collect primary-outcome data is a common challenge for trials and reduces the statistical power and potentially introduces bias into the analysis. Identifying strategies to minimise missing data was the second highest methodological research priority in a Delphi survey of the Directors of UK Clinical Trial Units (CTUs) and is important to minimise waste in research. Our aim was to assess the current retention practices within the UK and priorities for future research to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to reduce attrition. Seventy-five chief investigators of NIHR Health Technology Assessment (HTA)-funded trials starting between 2009 and 2012 were surveyed to elicit their awareness about causes of missing data within their trial and recommended practices for improving retention. Forty-seven CTUs registered within the UKCRC network were surveyed separately to identify approaches and strategies being used to mitigate missing data across trials. Responses from the current practice surveys were used to inform a subsequent two-round Delphi survey with registered CTUs. A consensus list of retention research strategies was produced and ranked by priority. Fifty out of seventy-five (67%) chief investigators and 33/47 (70%) registered CTUs completed the current practice surveys. Seventy-eight percent of trialists were aware of retention challenges and implemented strategies at trial design. Patient-initiated withdrawal was the most common cause of missing data. Registered CTUs routinely used newsletters, timeline of participant visits, and telephone reminders to mitigate missing data. Whilst 36 out of 59 strategies presented had been formally or informally evaluated, some frequently used strategies, such as site initiation training, have had no research to inform practice. Thirty-five registered CTUs (74%) participated in the Delphi survey. Research into the effectiveness of site initiation training, frequency of patient contact

Educating to Tolerance: Effects of Communicating Social Psychology Research Findings

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Francesco La Barbera

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The effect of communicating social psychology research findings on ingroup bias in a classroom setting has been investigated. Two hundred and twenty one high school students either read or did not read a brief report about three classical social psychological studies, then completed evaluation scales for the ingroup and the outgroup. Participants’ motivation was manipulated, and the messages were different as regards the congruency between the content and participants’ actual intergroup experience. Results showed that communication exerted a significant effect in reducing ingroup bias for participants in the high motivation/high congruency condition, that is, the communication effect was moderated by the individual’s level of motivation and the content of the arguments proposed in the report. Practical implications of results for education work and stereotype change, limitations of the study, as well as possible directions for future research are discussed.

The policy debate over public investment in comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Rich, Eugene C

2009-06-01

Policy makers across the political spectrum, as well as many clinicians and physician professional associations, have proposed that better information on comparative clinical effectiveness should be a key element of any solution to the US health-care cost crisis. This superficial consensus hides intense disagreements over critical issues essential to any new public effort to promote more comparative effectiveness research (CER). This article reviews the background for these disputes, summarizes the different perspectives represented by policy makers and advocates, and offers a framework to aid both practicing and academic internists in understanding the key elements of the emerging debate. Regarding the fundamental question of "what is CER," disagreements rage over whether value or cost effectiveness should be a consideration, and how specific patient perspectives should be reflected in the development and the use of such research. The question of how to pay for CER invokes controversies over the role of the market in producing such information and the private (e.g., insurers and employers) versus public responsibility for its production. The financing debate further highlights the high stakes of comparative effectiveness research, and the risks of stakeholder interests subverting any public process. Accordingly there are a range of proposals for the federal government's role in prioritization, development, and dissemination of CER. The internal medicine community, with its long history of commitment to scientific medical practice and its leadership in evidence-based medicine, should have a strong interest and play an active role in this debate.

Labour Markets Trends, Financial Globalization and the current crisis in Developing Countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.E. van der Hoeven (Rolph)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe current wave of globalization has profound labour market effects, accentuated, in many cases, by the current financial and economic crisis. This paper reviews general labour market trends and country examples, arguing that the current globalization process makes labour’s position

Effect of decontamination on aging processes and considerations for life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diercks, D.R.

1987-10-01

The basis for a recently initiated program on the chemical decontamination of nuclear reactor components and the possible impact of decontamination on extended-life service is described. The incentives for extending plant life beyond the present 40-year limit are discussed, and the possible aging degradation processes that may be accentuated in extended-life service are described. Chemical decontamination processes for nuclear plant primary systems are summarized with respect to their corrosive effects on structural alloys, particularly those in the aged condition. Available experience with chemical cleaning processes for the secondary side of PWR steam generators is also briefly considered. Overall, no severe materials corrosion problems have been found that would preclude the use of these chemical processes, but concerns have been raised in several areas, particularly with respect to corrosion-related problems that may develop during extended service

The researches on the effects of low doses irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-02-01

All research conducted as part of 'Risc-Rad' and those conducted by actors in international programs on low doses allow progress in understanding mechanisms of carcinogenesis associated with irradiation. The data do not question the use in radiation protection, risk estimation models based on a linear increase of the risk with the dose of radiation. Nevertheless, they show that the nature of biological responses induced by low doses of radiation has differences with the responses induced by high doses of radiation. They also show the diversity of effects/dose relationships as the mechanism observed and the importance of genetic predisposition in the individual sensitivity to low doses of radiation. It is therefore essential to continue to bring new data to better understand the complex biological effects and their impact on the establishment of radiation protection standards. In addition, the results have often been at the cellular level. The diversity of responses induced by radiations is also a function of cell types observed, the aging of cells and tissue organization. It is essential to strengthen researches at the tissue and body level, involving in vitro and in vivo approaches while testing the hypothesis in epidemiology with a global approach to systems biology. Over the past four years, the collaboration between partners of 'Risc-Rad' using experimental biology approaches and those using mathematical modeling techniques aimed at developing a new model describing the carcinogenesis induced by low radiation doses. On an other hand, The High level expert group on European low dose risk research (H.L.E.G.) develop programmes in the area of low dose irradiation (Germany, Finland, France, Italy and United Kingdom). It proposed a structure of trans national government called M.E.L.O.D.I. ( multidisciplinary european low dose initiative). Its objective is to structure and integrate European research by gathering around a common programme of multidisciplinary

Contextual effects and psychological features influencing decoy options: A review and research agenda

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David Gonzalez-Prieto

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop future research proposals aiming to contribute the extant theory which explains decoy effects.Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, a review of the existing literature about decoy options and its interactions with contextual effects that could affect their performance is presented. Next, two research proposals are presented: the introduction of a double decoy choice set and the evaluation of decoy effect under different levels of cognitive effort in a purchasing process.Findings and Originality/value: For the research proposal concerning double decoy choice sets, different hypothesis are introduced based on the different theories aiming to explain the effect of simple decoy choice sets. This hypothesis predict different outcomes for the same experimental design, fact that could provide further support for at least one of the current explanations for decoy effects. Regarding the effect of decoy options under different levels of cognitive effort, implications for experimental design for sequential purchasing process are expected. Especially for those designed with complex options, with many steps or high number of options.Originality/value: Two new research proposal approaches are presented in order enhance the current theory. Moreover, both have managerial implications concerning the real usage of decoy options in reduced choice sets as well as in sequential purchasing processes.

Effective recruitment strategies in primary care research: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngune, Irene; Jiwa, Moyez; Dadich, Ann; Lotriet, Jaco; Sriram, Deepa

2012-01-01

Patient recruitment in primary care research is often a protracted and frustrating process, affecting project timeframes, budget and the dissemination of research findings. Yet, clear guidance on patient recruitment strategies in primary care research is limited. This paper addresses this issue through a systematic review. Articles were sourced from five academic databases - AustHealth, CINAHL, the Cochrane Methodology Group, EMBASE and PubMed/Medline; grey literature was also sourced from an academic library and the Primary Healthcare Research & Information Service (PHCRIS) website. Two reviewers independently screened the articles using the following criteria: (1) published in English, (2) reported empirical research, (3) focused on interventions designed to increase patient recruitment in primary care settings, and (4) reported patient recruitment in primary care settings. Sixty-six articles met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 23 specifically focused on recruitment strategies and included randomised trials (n = 7), systematic reviews (n = 8) and qualitative studies (n = 8). Of the remaining articles, 30 evaluated recruitment strategies, while 13 addressed the value of recruitment strategies using descriptive statistics and/or qualitative data. Among the 66 articles, primary care chiefly included general practice (n = 30); nursing and allied health services, multiple settings, as well as other community settings (n = 30); and pharmacy (n = 6). Effective recruitment strategies included the involvement of a discipline champion, simple patient eligibility criteria, patient incentives and organisational strategies that reduce practitioner workload. The most effective recruitment in primary care research requires practitioner involvement. The active participation of primary care practitioners in both the design and conduct of research helps to identify strategies that are congruent with the context in which patient care is delivered. This is reported to be the

Magical thinking and memory: distinctiveness effect for tv commercials with magical content.

Science.gov (United States)

Subbotsky, Eugene; Mathews, Jayne

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether memorizing advertised products of television advertisements with magical effects (i.e., talking animals, inanimate objects which turn into humans, objects that appear from thin air or instantly turn into other objects) is easier than memorizing products of advertisements without such effects, by testing immediate and delayed retention. Adolescents and adults viewed two films containing television advertisements and were asked to recall and recognize the films' characters, events, and advertised products. Film 1 included magical effects, but Film 2 did not. On a free-recall test, no differences in the number of items recalled were noted for the two films. On the immediate recognition test, adolescents, but not adults, showed significantly better recognition for the magical than the nonmagical film. When this test was repeated two weeks later, results were reversed: adults, but not adolescents, recognized a significantly larger number of items from the magical film than the nonmagical one. These results are interpreted to accentuate the role of magical thinking in cognitive processes.

Organizational Effectiveness = Corporate Performance? Why and How Two Research Traditions Need to be Merged

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Glunk, U.; Wilderom, C.P.M.

1996-01-01

Organizational effectiveness and corporate performance research seem to deal with the same core construct: organizational effectiveness/performance.However, both research traditions have produced separate bodies of literature and have developed different strengths and weaknesses.Organizational

Intense Ion Pulses for Radiation Effects Research

Science.gov (United States)

2017-04-01

induction linear accelerator that has been developed to deliver intense, up to 50 nC/pulse/mm2, sub-ns pulses of light ions with kinetic energy up to 1.2...II induction linear accelerator for intense ion beam pulses at Berkeley Lab. Figure 3. Helium current and integrated charge versus time at the...under contracts DE-AC02-205CH11231 and DE-AC52-07NA27344. JOURNAL OF RADIATION EFFECTS, Research and Engineering Vol. 35, No. 1, April 2017 158 INTENSE

Whole-ecosystem nitrogen effects research in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, T.J.

1993-01-01

There has been an enormous increase during the past few years in the amount of research being conducted in Europe on the effects of atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on aquatic, and especially terrestrial, ecosystems. Nitrogen deposition increases the emissions of N 2 O from forest soils and may decrease CH 4 uptake. Both increased N 2 O production and decreased CH 4 consumption would increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Thus there are important linkages between nitrogen deposition (and consequent ecosystem effects) and the release of greenhouse gases that have been implicated in potential global climate change. This paper summarises some of the European research that has been carried out in recent years. The experimental approach has shifted heavily into whole-ecosystem experimental manipulations, which are being conducted across gradients of atmospheric deposition and other environmental factors. Manipulations are focused primarily on coniferous forest ecosystems and involve increasing ambient deposition of sulfur and nitrogen; excluding ambient deposition via the construction of roofs over entire forested plots or catchments; and manipulating climatic factors, especially water availability. Experiments are designed to continue for long periods (i.e., 5-10 years) and are augmented by detailed, process-level studies at the manipulation sites. Results of the broad-scale and detailed studies are being used to build, test, and validate mathematical models that simulate nitrogen processing, nutrient cycling, and water regulation in coniferous forest ecosystems under varying depositional and climatic regimes. Ultimately, these models will be used to predict nitrogen saturation, estimate the critical loads of nitrogen for European forests, and specify emission controls needed to protect European forests and surface waters from the detrimental effects of excess nitrogen deposition. 19 refs., 1 fig., 2 photos

Shedding light on research participation effects in behaviour change trials: a qualitative study examining research participant experiences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virginia MacNeill

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The sequence of events in a behaviour change trial involves interactions between research participants and the trial process. Taking part in such a study has the potential to influence the behaviour of the participant, and if it does, this can engender bias in trial outcomes. Since participants’ experience has received scant attention, the aim of this study is thus to generate hypotheses about which aspects of the conduct of behaviour change trials might matter most to participants, and thus have potential to alter subsequent behaviours and bias trial outcomes Methods Twenty participants were opportunistically screened for a health compromising behaviour (unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking or alcohol consumption and recruited if eligible. Semi structured face to face interviews were conducted, after going through the usual processes involved in trial recruitment, baseline assessment and randomisation. Participants were given information on the contents of an intervention or control condition in a behaviour change trial, which was not actually implemented. Three months later they returned to reflect on these experiences and whether they had any effect on their behaviour during the intervening period. Data from the latter interview were analysed thematically using a modified grounded theory approach. Results The early processes of trial participation raised awareness of unhealthy behaviours, although most reported having had only fleeting intentions to change their behaviour as a result of taking part in this study, in the absence of interventions. However, careful examination of the accounts revealed evidence of subtle research participation effects, which varied according to the health behaviour, and its perceived social acceptability. Participants’ relationships with the research study were viewed as somewhat important in stimulating thinking about whether and how to make lifestyle changes. Conclusion These

Die onderwysbenadering van enkele neo-humanistiese pedagogiese denkers1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeannette Steyn

1990-03-01

Full Text Available After analysing the works of four American writers concerning education, the following conclusions were arrived at:There has been a move away from the accentuation of the rational, cognitive or reason of man to an accentuation of the irrational, affect or emotion of man. The reason for this movement is anthropological in the sense that it reacts against the technicalization and the scientification of man, which was brought about by the cognitive era of humanism. Accentuating the affective functions of man is the neo-humanist’s answer to the technicalized and scientiftcated estranged man. The aims of this article are to discuss the four neo-humanistic views of education and to answer the question whether a neo-humanistic view is anthropologically balanced. The conclusion was reached that a neo-humanistic view of education is anthropologically unbalanced or dual is tic. The accentuation of the affect or emotion of man leads to the minimization of the other functions of man.

The relationship between sociosexuality and aspects of body image in men and women: a structural equation modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Rammsayer, Thomas H; Troche, Stefan J

2013-10-01

The present study investigated the association between individual differences in sociosexual orientation and four aspects of body image in 156 male and 136 female students. While men were characterized by a less restricted sociosexual orientation, higher self-perceived physical attractiveness, and more pronounced self-rated physical assertiveness, women placed more emphasis on accentuation of body presentation. Structural equation modeling revealed significant positive relationships between sociosexual attitudes and physical attractiveness and accentuation of body presentation as well as between sociosexual behavior and physical attractiveness for the total sample. When introducing sex as a grouping variable, the attitudinal and behavioral components of sociosexuality were reliably related to both physical attractiveness and accentuation of body presentation as two aspects of body image in men, but not in women. Furthermore, our findings suggest that accentuation of body presentation represents a goal-directed behavior in men to increase the likelihood of having uncommitted sex but serves additional functions widely unrelated to unrestrictive sociosexual behavior in women.

Fouling research and cleaning effect by sponge ball on condencer tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumoto, Seizo; Sano, Akira; Minamoto, Kenju; Mimura, Keisuke; Kyohara, Shigeru.

1978-01-01

Systematic research has been performed to investigate the cleaning effect on condensers cooled by sea water. The test has been done for a year using the test condenser at the Kainan Power Station, Kansai Electric Power Company. The main purpose of this research was to see the effect of cleaning inner walls of condenser tubes with sponge balls on the prevention of adhesion of marine creatures such as barnacles and other shellfishes. As the test tubes, the aluminum-brass and titanium tubes with 25.4 mm diameter, 1.245 mm thickness and 170 mm length were used. Frequency of cleaning and flow rate were chosen as the variable parameters. The effect of seasons was also investigated. Major conclusions drawn from this research were as follows. (1) More adhesion of barnacles was observed at slower flow speed and in titanium tubes rather than aluminum brass tubes. (2) At the flow speed of 1 m/sec. cleaning frequency of more than twice a week was necessary to perfectly avoid the adhesion. (3) In summer, the adhesion was most intensive, whereas in winter, it was the least. (4) Barnacles were the most predominant organism. (5) Cleaning with sponge balls was effective. (Aoki, K.)

Reasons for Testing Mediation in the Absence of an Intervention Effect: A Research Imperative in Prevention and Intervention Research.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Rourke, Holly P; MacKinnon, David P

2018-03-01

Mediation models are used in prevention and intervention research to assess the mechanisms by which interventions influence outcomes. However, researchers may not investigate mediators in the absence of intervention effects on the primary outcome variable. There is emerging evidence that in some situations, tests of mediated effects can be statistically significant when the total intervention effect is not statistically significant. In addition, there are important conceptual and practical reasons for investigating mediation when the intervention effect is nonsignificant. This article discusses the conditions under which mediation may be present when an intervention effect does not have a statistically significant effect and why mediation should always be considered important. Mediation may be present in the following conditions: when the total and mediated effects are equal in value, when the mediated and direct effects have opposing signs, when mediated effects are equal across single and multiple-mediator models, and when specific mediated effects have opposing signs. Mediation should be conducted in every study because it provides the opportunity to test known and replicable mediators, to use mediators as an intervention manipulation check, and to address action and conceptual theory in intervention models. Mediators are central to intervention programs, and mediators should be investigated for the valuable information they provide about the success or failure of interventions.

75 FR 41867 - Request for Information on Development of an Inventory of Comparative Effectiveness Research

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-19

... Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, which defined CER as the: Conduct and... stakeholders; and assist in identifying priorities and gaps for future research. The goal is to routinize the... Comparative Effectiveness Research AGENCY: Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation...

Climate alters intraspecific variation in copepod effect traits through pond food webs.

Science.gov (United States)

Charette, Cristina; Derry, Alison M

2016-05-01

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are primarily generated by phytoplankton in aquatic ecosystems, and can limit the growth, development, and reproduction of higher consumers. Among the most critical of the EFAs are highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), which are only produced by certain groups of phytoplankton. Changing environmental conditions can alter phytoplankton community and fatty acid composition and affect the HUFA content of higher trophic levels. Almost no research has addressed intraspecific variation in HUFAs in zooplankton, nor intraspecific relationships of HUFAs with body size and fecundity. This is despite that intraspecific variation in HUFAs can exceed interspecific variation and that intraspecific trait variation in body size and fecundity is increasingly recognized to have an important role in food web ecology (effect traits). Our study addressed the relative influences of abiotic selection and food web effects associated with climate change on intraspecific differences and interrelationships between HUFA content, body size, and fecundity of freshwater copepods. We applied structural equation modeling and regression analyses to intraspecific variation in a dominant calanoid copepod, Leptodiatomus minutus, among a series of shallow north-temperate ponds. Climate-driven diurnal temperature fluctuations favored the coexistence of diversity of phytoplankton groups with different temperature optima and nutritive quality. This resulted in unexpected positive relationships between temperature, copepod DHA content and body size. Temperature correlated positively with diatom biovolume, and mediated relationships between copepod HUFA content and body size, and between copepod body size and fecundity. The presence of brook trout further accentuated these positive effects in warm ponds, likely through nutrient cycling and stimulation of phytoplankton resources. Climate change may have previously unrecognized positive effects on freshwater copepod DHA content

A CTSA Agenda to Advance Methods for Comparative Effectiveness Research

Science.gov (United States)

Helfand, Mark; Tunis, Sean; Whitlock, Evelyn P.; Pauker, Stephen G.; Basu, Anirban; Chilingerian, Jon; Harrell Jr., Frank E.; Meltzer, David O.; Montori, Victor M.; Shepard, Donald S.; Kent, David M.

2011-01-01

Abstract Clinical research needs to be more useful to patients, clinicians, and other decision makers. To meet this need, more research should focus on patient‐centered outcomes, compare viable alternatives, and be responsive to individual patients’ preferences, needs, pathobiology, settings, and values. These features, which make comparative effectiveness research (CER) fundamentally patient‐centered, challenge researchers to adopt or develop methods that improve the timeliness, relevance, and practical application of clinical studies. In this paper, we describe 10 priority areas that address 3 critical needs for research on patient‐centered outcomes (PCOR): (1) developing and testing trustworthy methods to identify and prioritize important questions for research; (2) improving the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical research studies; and (3) linking the process and outcomes of actual practice to priorities for research on patient‐centered outcomes. We argue that the National Institutes of Health, through its clinical and translational research program, should accelerate the development and refinement of methods for CER by linking a program of methods research to the broader portfolio of large, prospective clinical and health system studies it supports. Insights generated by this work should be of enormous value to PCORI and to the broad range of organizations that will be funding and implementing CER. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 188–198 PMID:21707950

A Critical Analysis of Research on the Overjustification Effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Berkay, Paul James

This document examined studies of the overjustification effect. Many studies examining the phenomenon were conducted during the 1970s; findings appeared to be accepted without qualification. It is unclear whether researchers conducted the studies with the proper methodologies and interpreted results correctly. Such factors included the type of…

Opposite effects of WR-2721 and WR-1065 on radiation-induced hypothermia: possible correlation with oxygen uptake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kandasamy, S.B.; Kumar, K.S.; Hunt, W.A.; Weiss, J.F.

1988-01-01

Ionizing radiation induces hypothermia in guinea pigs. While systemic injection of the radioprotectant S-2-(3-aminopropylamino)ethylphosphorothioic acid (WR-2721) did not block hyperthermia induced by exposure to 10 Gy of gamma radiation, central administration did attenuate it. The dephosphorylated metabolite of WR-2721, N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-1,3-diaminopropane (WR-1065), accentuated radiation-induced hypothermia by both routes of administration. In brain homogenates, oxygen uptake was inhibited by WR-2721 but elevated by WR-1065. These results suggest that the antagonism of radiation-induced hypothermia found only after central administration of WR-2721 is due to its direct actions and not to its dephosphorylated metabolite and that this effect may be correlated with the inhibition by WR-2721 of oxygen uptake

Factors associated with a continuous regular analgesic use - a population-based study of more than 45,000 Danish women and men 18-45 years of age

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hargreave, Marie; Andersen, Tina Veje; Nielsen, Ann

2010-01-01

Widespread use of and serious adverse effects associated with use of analgesics accentuates the need to consider factors related to analgesic use. The objective of this study was to describe continuous regular analgesics use and examine factors associated with a continuous regular analgesic use....

History of bystander effects research 1905-present; what is in a name?

Science.gov (United States)

Mothersill, Carmel; Rusin, Andrej; Fernandez-Palomo, Cristian; Seymour, Colin

2017-11-29

This review, which arose from a Radiation Research Society History symposium, traces the history of 'bystander effects' or 'indirect effects'(also known as 'abscopal effects', 'clastogenic effects' and more recently 'the secretosome'). In 1905, Murphy first drew attention to effects caused by the injection of irradiated cells into animals. In the present day, bystander effects are seen as part of the secretosome, where they coordinate responses to stressors at the tissue, organism, and population level. The review considers the history and also the reasons why this process of information exchange/communication appears to have been discovered and forgotten several times. The review then considers the evolution of our understanding of the mechanisms and what relevance these effects may have in radiation protection and radiotherapy. The authors conclude that the phenomenon currently described as a 'bystander effect' has been described under a variety of different names since 1905. However recent advances in biology have made it possible to investigate mechanisms and potential impacts more fully. This has led to the current upsurge in research into this effect of radiation.

The Advances in Research on the Pharmacological Effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zunting Pang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Fructus Ligustri Lucidi is a well-known invigorator in Chinese materia medica with hepatoprotective effect, anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, and so on. And oleanolic acids are the major pharmacologically active components in Fructus Ligustri Lucidi. So it has great value in medical health, and may be developed to a complementary and alternative medicine through further research. In this paper, the advances in research on pharmacological effects of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi were summarized by reviewing the recent related literature.

Building a Strategic Framework for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Complementary and Integrative Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia M. Witt

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The increasing burden of chronic diseases presents not only challenges to the knowledge and expertise of the professional medical community, but also highlights the need to improve the quality and relevance of clinical research in this domain. Many patients now turn to complementary and integrative medicine (CIM to treat their chronic illnesses; however, there is very little evidence to guide their decision-making in usual care. The following research recommendations were derived from a CIM Stakeholder Symposium on Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER: (1 CER studies should be made a priority in this field; (2 stakeholders should be engaged at every stage of the research; (3 CER study designs should highlight effectiveness over efficacy; (4 research questions should be well defined to enable the selection of an appropriate CER study design; (5 the CIM community should cultivate widely shared understandings, discourse, tools, and technologies to support the use and validity of CER methods; (6 Effectiveness Guidance Documents on methodological standards should be developed to shape future CER studies. CER is an emerging field and its development and impact must be reflected in future research strategies within CIM. This stakeholder symposium was a first step in providing systematic guidance for future CER in this field.

Stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness research: how will we measure success?

Science.gov (United States)

Lavallee, Danielle C; Williams, Carla J; Tambor, Ellen S; Deverka, Patricia A

2012-09-01

Stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness research continues to gain national attention. While various methods are used to gather stakeholder expertise and form recommendations, evaluation of the stakeholder experience is often missing. The lack of evaluation prohibits assessing how effective and meaningful engagement practices are for enhancing research efforts and limits the ability to identify areas for future improvement. We propose that an evaluation plan of engagement processes be developed before stakeholder involvement begins and be required as part of a request for proposal or research grant where stakeholder input is being sought. Furthermore, we recommend the inclusion of six meta-criteria that represent normative goals of multiple studies: respect, trust, legitimacy, fairness, competence and accountability. To aid in the development of future evaluations, we have developed definitions for and matched specific examples of measuring each meta-criterion to serve a guide for others in the field.

In vivo tyrosinase mini-gene transfer enhances killing effect of BNCT on amelanotic melanoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondoh, H.; Mishima, Y.; Hiratsuka, J.; Iwakura, M.

2000-01-01

Using accentuated melanogenesis principally occurring within melanoma cells, we have successfully treated human malignant melanoma (Mm) with 10 B-BPA BNCT. Despite this success, there are still remaining issues for poorly melanogenic Mm and further non-pigment cell tumors. We found the selective accumulation of 10 B-BPA to Mm is primarily due to the complex formation of BPA and melanin-monomers activity synthesized within Mm cells. Then, we succeeded in transferring the tyrosinase gene into amelanotic to substantially produce melanin monomers. These cells has demonstrated increased boron accumulation and enhanced killing effect of BNCT. Further, transfection of TRP-2 (DOPAchrome tautomerase) gene into poorly eumelanotic and slightly phenomelanotic Mm cells in culture cell systems also led to increased BPA accumulation. Thereafter, we studied in vivo gene transfer. We transferred the tyrosinase mini-gene by intra-tumor injection into poorly melanotic Mm proliferating subcutaneously in hamster skin, and performed BNCT. Compared to control tumors, gene-transferred tumors showed increased BPA accumulation leading to enhanced killing effect. (author)

Highly effective cystic fibrosis clinical research teams: critical success factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Retsch-Bogart, George Z; Van Dalfsen, Jill M; Marshall, Bruce C; George, Cynthia; Pilewski, Joseph M; Nelson, Eugene C; Goss, Christopher H; Ramsey, Bonnie W

2014-08-01

Bringing new therapies to patients with rare diseases depends in part on optimizing clinical trial conduct through efficient study start-up processes and rapid enrollment. Suboptimal execution of clinical trials in academic medical centers not only results in high cost to institutions and sponsors, but also delays the availability of new therapies. Addressing the factors that contribute to poor outcomes requires novel, systematic approaches tailored to the institution and disease under study. To use clinical trial performance metrics data analysis to select high-performing cystic fibrosis (CF) clinical research teams and then identify factors contributing to their success. Mixed-methods research, including semi-structured qualitative interviews of high-performing research teams. CF research teams at nine clinical centers from the CF Foundation Therapeutics Development Network. Survey of site characteristics, direct observation of team meetings and facilities, and semi-structured interviews with clinical research team members and institutional program managers and leaders in clinical research. Critical success factors noted at all nine high-performing centers were: 1) strong leadership, 2) established and effective communication within the research team and with the clinical care team, and 3) adequate staff. Other frequent characteristics included a mature culture of research, customer service orientation in interactions with study participants, shared efficient processes, continuous process improvement activities, and a businesslike approach to clinical research. Clinical research metrics allowed identification of high-performing clinical research teams. Site visits identified several critical factors leading to highly successful teams that may help other clinical research teams improve clinical trial performance.

The stress-buffering effects of hope on adjustment to multiple sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Madan, Sindia; Pakenham, Kenneth I

2014-12-01

Hope is an important resource for coping with chronic illness; however, the role of hope in adjusting to multiple sclerosis (MS) has been neglected, and the mechanisms by which hope exerts beneficial impacts are not well understood. This study aims to examine the direct and stress-moderating effects of dispositional hope and its components (agency and pathways) on adjustment to MS. A total of 296 people with MS completed questionnaires at time 1 at 12 months later and time 2. Focal predictors were stress, hope, agency and pathways, and the adjustment outcomes were anxiety, depression, positive affect, positive states of mind and life satisfaction. Results of regression analyses showed that as predicted, greater hope was associated with better adjustment after controlling for the effects of time 1 adjustment and relevant demographics and illness variables. However, these direct effects of hope were subsumed by stress-buffering effects. Regarding the hope components, the beneficial impacts of agency emerged via a direct effects mechanism, whereas the effects of pathways were evidenced via a moderating mechanism. Findings highlight hope as an important protective coping resource for coping with MS and accentuate the roles of both agency and pathways thinking and their different modes of influence in this process.

Work-Related Demands and Life Satisfaction: The Effects of Engagement and Disengagement among Employed and Long-Term Unemployed People

Science.gov (United States)

Korner, Astrid; Reitzle, Matthias; Silbereisen, Rainer K.

2012-01-01

Social change has accentuated various demands in people's work lives including, for instance, fears of being laid off, anticipated or experienced difficulties in finding a new and/or appropriate job or a lack of security in career planning. The present study on N=1751 employed, short-term unemployed, and long-term (greater than 12 months)…

Environmental effects research. Environmental Research Division annual report, January-December 1983. Part 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-12-01

The Terrestrial Ecology group continued its involvement in the National Crop Loss Assessment Network, and studies of O 3 effects on winter wheat and soybeans were completed. Experiments on O 3 x SO 2 interactions on soybeans were also performed. The Microcosms for Acid Rain Studies (MARS) project had its first full year of research and much information concerning acid rain impacts on soil-plant systems was collected. A study of the influence of temporal variations in rain acidity on soybean productivity was also initiated. The aquatic radiochemistry group continued measurements of the mobility of plutonium and americium at a disposal site at Los Alamos and initiated similar work at Hanford. Laboratory tracer experiments were carried out to study the adsorptive behavior of neptunium, the solubility limits of plutonium, and the influence of rare earth concentration on the sorption and redox behavior of plutonium. The soil-plant process group initiated several studies on the influence of mycorrhizae to host plants in disturbed and natural environments. Much of the past research has been concerned with understanding mycorrhizal fungi propagule dynamics as related to disturbances associated with energy extraction. Future research will be directed at understanding how below-ground symbiotic associations may increase the fitness of host plants. Emphasis is being placed on resource acquisition and compartmental strategies. Separate analytics have been indexed for EDB

Environmental effects research. Environmental Research Division annual report, January-December 1983. Part 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1984-12-01

The Terrestrial Ecology group continued its involvement in the National Crop Loss Assessment Network, and studies of O/sub 3/ effects on winter wheat and soybeans were completed. Experiments on O/sub 3/ x SO/sub 2/ interactions on soybeans were also performed. The Microcosms for Acid Rain Studies (MARS) project had its first full year of research and much information concerning acid rain impacts on soil-plant systems was collected. A study of the influence of temporal variations in rain acidity on soybean productivity was also initiated. The aquatic radiochemistry group continued measurements of the mobility of plutonium and americium at a disposal site at Los Alamos and initiated similar work at Hanford. Laboratory tracer experiments were carried out to study the adsorptive behavior of neptunium, the solubility limits of plutonium, and the influence of rare earth concentration on the sorption and redox behavior of plutonium. The soil-plant process group initiated several studies on the influence of mycorrhizae to host plants in disturbed and natural environments. Much of the past research has been concerned with understanding mycorrhizal fungi propagule dynamics as related to disturbances associated with energy extraction. Future research will be directed at understanding how below-ground symbiotic associations may increase the fitness of host plants. Emphasis is being placed on resource acquisition and compartmental strategies. Separate analytics have been indexed for EDB.

Exploring risk communication - results of a research project focussed on effectiveness evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Charrière, Marie; Bogaard, Thom; Junier, Sandra; Mostert, Erik

2016-04-01

The need for effective science communication and outreach efforts is widely acknowledged in the academic community. In the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, the importance of communication is clearly stressed, e.g. in the newly adopted Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (under the 1st priority of action: understanding disaster risk). Consequently, we see increasing risk communication activities. However, the effectiveness of these activities is rarely evaluated. To address this gap, several research activities were conducted in the context of the Marie Curie Initial Training Network "Changes", the results of which we will present and discuss. First, results of a literature review show, among others, that research on effectiveness is mainly focussed on the assessment of users' needs and their ability to understand the content, rather than on the final impact of the risk communication efforts. Moreover, lab-environment research is more often undertaken than assessment of real communication efforts. Second, a comparison between perceptions of risk managers and the general public of risk communication in a French Alps Valley highlighted a gap between the two groups in terms of amount of information needed (who wants more), the important topics to address (what) and the media to use (how). Third, interviews with developers of smartphone applications for disseminating avalanche risk information showed a variety of current practices and the absence of measurements of real their effectiveness. However, our analysis allowed identifying good practices that can be an inspiration for risk communication related to other hazards. Fourth, an exhibition has been set up following a collaborative approached based on stakeholder engagement. Using a pre/post-test design, the immediate impact of the exhibition, which aimed at increasing the risk awareness of the population (Ubaye Valley, France), was measured. The data obtained suggests that visiting the exhibition

En eaux troubles : accentuation des pressions climatiques et ...

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

informatique font partie des nombreuses grandes sociétés qui se sont installées dans cette ville tentaculaire. Or, les 10 millions d'habitants de Bengaluru, la multitude d'industries concurrentes, de même que les exploitations ...

National Emphysema Treatment Trial redux: accentuating the positive.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Pablo Gerardo; Kucharczuk, John Charles; Su, Stacey; Kaiser, Larry Robert; Cooper, Joel David

2010-09-01

Under the Freedom of Information Act, we obtained the follow-up data of the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) to determine the long-term outcome for "a heterogeneous distribution of emphysema with upper lobe predominance," postulated by the NETT hypothesis to be optimal candidates for lung volume reduction surgery. Using the NETT database, we identified patients with heterogeneous distribution of emphysema with upper lobe predominance and analyzed for the first time follow-up data for those receiving lung volume reduction surgery and those receiving medical management. Furthermore, we compared the results of the NETT reduction surgery group with a previously reported consecutive case series of 250 patients undergoing bilateral lung volume reduction surgery using similar selection criteria. Of the 1218 patients enrolled, 511 (42%) conformed to the NETT hypothesis selection criteria and received the randomly assigned surgical or medical treatment (surgical = 261; medical = 250). Lung volume reduction surgery resulted in a 5-year survival benefit (70% vs 60%; P = .02). Results at 3 years compared with baseline data favored surgical reduction in terms of residual volume reduction (25% vs 2%; P George Respiratory Questionnaire quality of life score (12 points vs 0 points; P < .001). For the 513 patients with a homogeneous pattern of emphysema randomized to surgical or medical treatment, lung volume reduction surgery produced no survival advantage and very limited functional benefit. Patients most likely to benefit from lung volume reduction surgery have heterogeneously distributed emphysema involving the upper lung zones predominantly. Such patients in the NETT trial had results nearly identical to those previously reported in a nonrandomized series of similar patients undergoing lung volume reduction surgery. 2010 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Director of EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL)

Science.gov (United States)

Dr. Wayne Cascio serves as Acting Director for the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD).

Helping fluid teams work: A research agenda for effective team adaptation in healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Bedwell, Wendy L; Ramsay, P Scott; Salas, Eduardo

2012-12-01

Although membership changes within teams are a common practice, research into this phenomenon is relatively nascent (Summers et al.; Acad Manag J 55:314-338, 2012). The small literature base, however, does provide insight into skills required for effective adaptation. The purpose of this effort is to provide a brief research synopsis, leading to research hypotheses about medical team training. By generalizing previous scientific findings regarding skills required for effective membership adaptation in different kinds of teams, we posit mechanisms whereby teamwork training might also support adaptation among medical teams (Burke et al.; Qual & Saf Health Care 13:i96-i104, 2004 and Salas et al.; Theor Issues Ergon Sci 8:381-394, 2007). We provide an overview of the membership change literature. Drawing upon literature from both within and outside of the medical domain, we suggest a framework and research propositions to aid in research efforts designed to determine the best content for helping to create adaptable medical teams through team training efforts. For effective adaptation, we suggest ad hoc teams should be trained on generalizable teamwork skills, to share just "enough" and the "right" information, to engage in shared leadership, and to shift from explicit to implicit coordination. Our overarching goal was to present what is known from the general research literature on successful team adaptation to membership changes, and to propose a research agenda to evaluate whether findings generalize to member changes in medical teams.

Progressing from programmatic to discovery research: a case example with the overjustification effect.

OpenAIRE

Roane, Henry S; Fisher, Wayne W; McDonough, Erin M

2003-01-01

Scientific research progresses along planned (programmatic research) and unplanned (discovery research) paths. In the current investigation, we attempted to conduct a single-case evaluation of the overjustification effect (i.e., programmatic research). Results of the initial analysis were contrary to the overjustification hypothesis in that removal of the reward contingency produced an increase in responding. Based on this unexpected finding, we conducted subsequent analyses to further evalua...

Are EM's communication tools effective? Evaluation research of two EM publications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wight, Evelyn; Gardner, Gene; Harvey, Tony

1992-01-01

As a reflection of its growing culture of openness, and in response to the public's need for accurate information about its activities, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) has increased the amount of information available to the public through communication tools such as brochures, fact sheets, and a travelling exhibit with an interactive computer display. Our involvement with this effort has been to design, develop, and critique booklets, brochures, fact sheets and other communication tools for EM. This paper presents an evaluation of the effectiveness of two communication tools we developed: the EM Booklet and the EM Fact Sheets. We measured effectiveness using non-parametric testing. This paper describes DOE's culture change, EM's communication tools and their context within DOE'S new open culture, our research, test methods and results, the significance of our research, and our plans for future research. (author)

Using the QUAIT Model to Effectively Teach Research Methods Curriculum to Master's-Level Students

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Nancy J.; Gitchel, Dent

2017-01-01

Purpose: To apply Slavin's model of effective instruction to teaching research methods to master's-level students. Methods: Barriers to the scientist-practitioner model (student research experience, confidence, and utility value pertaining to research methods as well as faculty research and pedagogical incompetencies) are discussed. Results: The…

Experimental Research of Machineless Energy Separation Effect Influenced by Shock Waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Popovich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents experimental research results of machineless energy separation effect with transversal ribs in supersonic channel. The energy separation effect assumes a physical division of the inlet flow into two or more flows, each having different stagnation temperature. Among well-known energy separation effects noted there are Ranque-Hilsch vortex tubes, Hartmann-Sprenger resonance tubes, pulsating tubes and some others.A working principle of device under study is based on thermal interaction between subsonic and supersonic gas flows through a heat-conducting division wall. This energy separation method was proposed by academician Leontiev and was patented in 1998. A number of references for PhD theses, articles, and conference proceedings devoted to the research of “Leontiev tube” have been mentioned in the paper. Efficiency factors for energy separation device performability have been analyzed in detail. The main attention was focused on the phenomenon of shock waves generation in supersonic channel of Leontiev tube.Experiment was carried out in the air prototype of energy separation device with supersonic flow Mach numbers 1.9 and 2.5, stagnation temperatures 40°С and 70°С, and for uni-flow and counter-flow air moving direction in subsonic and supersonic channels. Shock waves have been generated by means of circular ribs in supersonic channel of energy separation device. The research was carried out by means of infrared thermal imaging, thermocouples, total and static pressure probes, and modern National Insturments automation equipment. The work shows that shock waves have no negative influence on energy separation effect. A conclusion is made that unexpected shock wave generation in supersonic channel will not cause operability loss. It was gained that counter-flow regime is more efficient than uni-flow. Energy separation effect also appears to be higher with the rise of Mach number and flow initial stagnation temperature

A multi-tank storage facility to effect power control in the PBMR power cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matimba, T.A.D.; Krueger, D.L.W.; Mathews, E.H.

2007-01-01

This article presents the concept of a storage facility used to effect power control in South Africa's PBMR power cycle. The concept features a multiple number of storage vessels whose purpose is to contain the working medium, helium, as it is withdrawn from the PBMR's closed loop power cycle, at low energy demand. This helium is appropriately replenished to the power cycle as the energy demand increases. Helium mass transfer between the power cycle and the storage facility, henceforth known as the inventory control system (ICS), is carried out by way of the pressure differential that exists between these two systems. In presenting the ICS concept, emphasis is placed on storage effectiveness; hence the discussion in this paper is centred on those features which accentuate storage effectiveness, namely:- Storage vessel multiplicity; - Unique initial pressures for each vessel arranged in a cascaded manner; and - A heat sink placed in each vessel to provide thermal inertia. Having presented the concept, the objective is to qualitatively justify the presence of each of the above-mentioned features using thermodynamics as a basis

The Role of Affective and Cognitive Individual Differences in Social Perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, Antonio; Haddock, Geoffrey; Maio, Gregory R; Wolf, Lukas J; Alparone, Francesca R

2016-06-01

Three studies explored the connection between social perception processes and individual differences in the use of affective and cognitive information in relation to attitudes. Study 1 revealed that individuals high in need for affect (NFA) accentuated differences in evaluations of warm and cold traits, whereas individuals high in need for cognition (NFC) accentuated differences in evaluations of competent and incompetent traits. Study 2 revealed that individual differences in NFA predicted liking of warm or cold targets, whereas individual differences in NFC predicted perceptions of competent or incompetent targets. Furthermore, the effects of NFA and NFC were independent of structural bases and meta-bases of attitudes. Study 3 revealed that differences in the evaluation of warm and cold traits mediated the effects of NFA and NFC on liking of targets. The implications for social perception processes and for individual differences in affect-cognition are discussed. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Statistical Power in Evaluations That Investigate Effects on Multiple Outcomes: A Guide for Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Kristin E.

2016-01-01

In education research and in many other fields, researchers are often interested in testing the effectiveness of an intervention on multiple outcomes, for multiple subgroups, at multiple points in time, or across multiple treatment groups. The resulting multiplicity of statistical hypothesis tests can lead to spurious findings of effects. Multiple…

Cost-effective treatment for the couple with infertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Voorhis, B J; Syrop, C H

2000-12-01

Although the evaluation of cost-effective approaches to infertility treatment remains in its infancy, several important principles have emerged from the initial studies in this field. Currently, in treating couples with infertility without tubal disease or severe male-factor infertility, the most cost-effective approach is to start with IUI or superovulation-IUI treatments before resorting to IVF procedures. The woman's age and number of sperm present for insemination are significant factors influencing cost-effectiveness. The influence of certain diagnoses on the cost-effectiveness of infertility treatments requires further study. Even when accounting for the costs associated with multiple gestations and premature deliveries, the cost of IVF decreases within the range of other cost-effective medical procedures and decreases to less than the willingness to pay for these procedures. Indeed, for patients with severe tubal disease, IVF has been found to be more cost-effective than surgical repair. The cost-effectiveness of IVF will likely improve as success rates show continued improvements over the course of time. In addition, usefulness of embryo selection and practices to reduce the likelihood of high-order multiple pregnancies, without reductions in pregnancy rates, will significantly impact cost-effectiveness. The exclusion of infertility treatments from insurance plans is unfortunate and accentuates the importance of physicians understanding the economics of infertility treatment with costs that are often passed directly to the patient. The erroneous economic policies and judgments that have led to inequities in access to infertility health care should not be tolerated.

Perspectives of Egyptian research ethics committees regarding their effective functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Matar, Amal; Silverman, Henry

2013-02-01

The recent increase in research in the Middle East has been associated with the establishment of research ethics committees (RECs). Our aim was to obtain perspectives of RECs regarding the challenges that impede their effective functioning. We conducted in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. We transcribed and analyzed the interviews to uncover major themes and subthemes. We identified the following themes: membership composition; training needs of members; availability of human and capital resources; role of the national government; concerns with the informed consent process; government scrutiny of research; investigator-related issues; and concerns with transfer of biological samples to other countries. Our interview study revealed several barriers that need to be considered by appropriate stakeholders to enhance adequate functioning of RECs.

Analysis of the effect of transverse power distribution in an involute fuel plate with and without oxide film formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, R. S.

1998-01-01

Existing thermal hydraulics computer codes can account for variations in power and temperature in the axial and thickness directions but variations across the width of the plate cannot be accounted for. In the case of fuel plates in an annular core this can lead to significant errors which are accentuated by the presence of an oxide layer that builds up on the aluminum cladding with burnup. This paper uses a three dimensional SINDA model to account for the transverse variations in power. The effect of oxide thickness on these differences is studied in detail. Power distribution and fuel conductivity are also considered. The lower temperatures predicted with the SINDA model result in a greater margin to clad and fuel damage

Measuring societal effects of transdisciplinary research projects: design and application of an evaluation method.

Science.gov (United States)

Walter, Alexander I; Helgenberger, Sebastian; Wiek, Arnim; Scholz, Roland W

2007-11-01

Most Transdisciplinary Research (TdR) projects combine scientific research with the building of decision making capacity for the involved stakeholders. These projects usually deal with complex, societally relevant, real-world problems. This paper focuses on TdR projects, which integrate the knowledge of researchers and stakeholders in a collaborative transdisciplinary process through structured methods of mutual learning. Previous research on the evaluation of TdR has insufficiently explored the intended effects of transdisciplinary processes on the real world (societal effects). We developed an evaluation framework for assessing the societal effects of transdisciplinary processes. Outputs (measured as procedural and product-related involvement of the stakeholders), impacts (intermediate effects connecting outputs and outcomes) and outcomes (enhanced decision making capacity) are distinguished as three types of societal effects. Our model links outputs and outcomes of transdisciplinary processes via the impacts using a mediating variables approach. We applied this model in an ex post evaluation of a transdisciplinary process. 84 out of 188 agents participated in a survey. The results show significant mediation effects of the two impacts "network building" and "transformation knowledge". These results indicate an influence of a transdisciplinary process on the decision making capacity of stakeholders, especially through social network building and the generation of knowledge relevant for action.

Gender disparities in high-quality research revealed by Nature Index journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Bendels, Michael H K; Müller, Ruth; Brueggmann, Doerthe; Groneberg, David A

2018-01-01

The present study aims to elucidate the state of gender equality in high-quality research by analyzing the representation of female authorships in the last decade (from 2008 to 2016). Based on the Gendermetrics platform, 293,557 research articles from 54 journals listed in the Nature Index were considered covering the categories Life Science, Multidisciplinary, Earth & Environmental and Chemistry. The core method was the combined analysis of the proportion of female authorships and the female-to-male odds ratio for first, co- and last authorships. The distribution of prestigious authorships was measured by the Prestige Index. 29.8% of all authorships and 33.1% of the first, 31.8% of the co- and 18.1% of the last authorships were held by women. The corresponding female-to-male odds ratio is 1.19 (CI: 1.18-1.20) for first, 1.35 (CI: 1.34-1.36) for co- and 0.47 (CI: 0.46-0.48) for last authorships. Women are underrepresented at prestigious authorships compared to men (Prestige Index = -0.42). The underrepresentation accentuates in highly competitive articles attracting the highest citation rates, namely, articles with many authors and articles that were published in highest-impact journals. More specifically, a large negative correlation between the 5-Year-Impact-Factor of a journal and the female representation at prestigious authorships was revealed (r(52) = -.63, P authorships) and are underrepresented at productivity levels of more than 2 articles per author. Articles with female key authors are less frequently cited than articles with male key authors. The gender-specific differences in citation rates increase the more authors contribute to an article. Distinct differences at the journal, journal category, continent and country level were revealed. The prognosis for the next decades forecast a very slow harmonization of authorships odds between the two genders.

The association between bone turnover markers and kyphosis in community-dwelling older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniels-Davidson, Corinne R; Kritz-Silverstein, Donna; Huang, Mei-Hua; Laughlin, Gail A; Johnson, Sarah; Haapalahti, Jouko; Schneider, Diane L; Barrett-Connor, Elizabeth; Kado, Deborah M

2016-12-01

Hyperkyphosis, accentuated curvature of the thoracic spine, is often attributed to osteoporosis, yet its underlying pathophysiology is not well understood. Bone turnover markers (BTM) reflect the dynamic process of bone formation and resorption. This study examined the association between serum BTM levels and kyphosis in community-dwelling older adults. Between 2003 and 2006, 760 men and women in the Rancho Bernardo Study age 60 and older had blood drawn and kyphosis measured. Fasting serum was assayed for N-telopeptide (NTX) and procollagen type 1 n-terminal propeptide (P1NP), markers of bone resorption and formation, respectively. Participants requiring two or more 1.7 cm blocks under their head to achieve a neutral supine position were classified as having accentuated kyphosis. Analyses were stratified by sex and use of estrogen therapy (ET). Odds of accentuated kyphosis were calculated for each standard deviation increase in log-transformed BTM. Mean age was 75 years. Overall, 51% of 341 non-ET using women, 41% of 111 ET-using women, and 75% of 308 men had accentuated kyphosis. In adjusted models, higher P1NP and NTX were associated with decreased odds of accentuated kyphosis in non-ET using women (P1NP: OR = 0.78 [95% CI, 0.58-0.92]; NTX: OR = 0.68 [95% CI, 0.54-0.86]), but not in men or ET-using women ( p  > 0.05). The selective association of higher bone turnover with reduced odds of accentuated kyphosis in non-ET using women suggests that elevated BTM were associated with a lower likelihood of hyperkyphosis only in the low estrogen/high BTM environment characteristic of postmenopausal women who are not using ET.

From Grouping to Coupling: A New Perceptual Organization in Vision, Psychology, and Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Pinna, Baingio; Porcheddu, Daniele; Deiana, Katia

2016-01-01

In this work, perceptual organization has been studied with the same spirit and phenomenological methods used by Gestalt psychologists. This was accomplished through new conditions that cannot be explained in terms of the classical principles of grouping. Perceptual grouping represents the way through which our visual system builds integrated elements on the basis of the maximal homogeneity among the components of the stimulus pattern. Our results demonstrated the inconsistency of organization by grouping, and more importantly, the inconsistency of the principle of similarity. On the contrary, they suggested the unique role played by the principle of dissimilarity among elements that behaves like an accent or a visual emphasis within a whole. The principle of accentuation was here considered as imparting a directional structure to the elements and to the whole object thus creating new phenomena. The salience of the resulting phenomena reveals the supremacy of dissimilarity in relation to similarity and the fact that it belongs to a further organization dynamics that we called “coupling.” In biology, coupling and its principle of accentuation are very strongly related to disruptive camouflage. Moreover, they are source of sexual attraction. They advertise the presence and elicit species identification/communication. In human beings accentuation is needed to show ourselves to others, to understand the way we dress, choose, and create clothes or invent fashion, the way we change our body accentuating several parts and hiding some others, the way we use maquillage. The existence of maquillage itself is derived from the need to accentuate something with the purpose to increase sexual attraction, to exhibit physical strength and beauty, to show or hide social status (e.g., being the king, a warrior, a priest, etc.). Last but not least, accentuation plays a basic role also in making it easier or difficult to read and understand written words. PMID:27471483

The association between bone turnover markers and kyphosis in community-dwelling older adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corinne R. McDaniels-Davidson

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Hyperkyphosis, accentuated curvature of the thoracic spine, is often attributed to osteoporosis, yet its underlying pathophysiology is not well understood. Bone turnover markers (BTM reflect the dynamic process of bone formation and resorption. This study examined the association between serum BTM levels and kyphosis in community-dwelling older adults. Methods: Between 2003 and 2006, 760 men and women in the Rancho Bernardo Study age 60 and older had blood drawn and kyphosis measured. Fasting serum was assayed for N-telopeptide (NTX and procollagen type 1 n-terminal propeptide (P1NP, markers of bone resorption and formation, respectively. Participants requiring two or more 1.7 cm blocks under their head to achieve a neutral supine position were classified as having accentuated kyphosis. Analyses were stratified by sex and use of estrogen therapy (ET. Odds of accentuated kyphosis were calculated for each standard deviation increase in log-transformed BTM. Results: Mean age was 75 years. Overall, 51% of 341 non-ET using women, 41% of 111 ET-using women, and 75% of 308 men had accentuated kyphosis. In adjusted models, higher P1NP and NTX were associated with decreased odds of accentuated kyphosis in non-ET using women (P1NP: OR = 0.78 [95% CI, 0.58–0.92]; NTX: OR = 0.68 [95% CI, 0.54–0.86], but not in men or ET-using women (p > 0.05. Conclusions: The selective association of higher bone turnover with reduced odds of accentuated kyphosis in non-ET using women suggests that elevated BTM were associated with a lower likelihood of hyperkyphosis only in the low estrogen/high BTM environment characteristic of postmenopausal women who are not using ET. Keywords: Kyphosis, Hyperkyphosis, Bone turnover, Bone remodeling, P1NP, NTX

Cardiovascular effects of environmental noise: Research in Austria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Lercher

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cardiovascular effects of noise rank second in terms of disability-adjusted life year (DALYs after annoyance. Although research during the past decade has consolidated the available data base, the most recent meta-analysis still shows wide confidence intervals - indicating imprecise information for public health risk assessment. The alpine area of Tyrol in the Austrian part of the Alps has experienced a massive increase in car and heavy goods traffic (road and rail during the last 35 years. Over the past 25 years small-, middle-, and large-sized epidemiological health surveys have been conducted - mostly within the framework of environmental health impact assessments. By design, these studies have emphasized a contextually driven environmental stress perspective, where the adverse health effects on account of noise are studied in a broader framework of environmental health, susceptibility, and coping. Furthermore, innovative exposure assessment strategies have been implemented. This article reviews the existing knowledge from these studies over time, and presents the exposure-response curves, with and without interaction assessment, based on standardized re-analyses and discusses it in the light of past and current cardiovascular noise effects research. The findings support relevant moderation by age, gender, and family history in nearly all studies and suggest a strong need for consideration of non-linearity in the exposure-response analyses. On the other hand, air pollution has not played a relevant role as a moderator in the noise-hypertension or the noise-angina pectoris relationship. Finally, different noise modeling procedures can introduce variations in the exposure response curves, with substantive consequences for public health risk assessment of noise exposure.

Does Pressure Accentuate General Relativistic Gravitational Collapse and Formation of Trapped Surfaces?

Science.gov (United States)

Mitra, Abhas

2013-04-01

It is widely believed that though pressure resists gravitational collapse in Newtonian gravity, it aids the same in general relativity (GR) so that GR collapse should eventually be similar to the monotonous free fall case. But we show that, even in the context of radiationless adiabatic collapse of a perfect fluid, pressure tends to resist GR collapse in a manner which is more pronounced than the corresponding Newtonian case and formation of trapped surfaces is inhibited. In fact there are many works which show such collapse to rebound or become oscillatory implying a tug of war between attractive gravity and repulsive pressure gradient. Furthermore, for an imperfect fluid, the resistive effect of pressure could be significant due to likely dramatic increase of tangential pressure beyond the "photon sphere." Indeed, with inclusion of tangential pressure, in principle, there can be static objects with surface gravitational redshift z → ∞. Therefore, pressure can certainly oppose gravitational contraction in GR in a significant manner in contradiction to the idea of Roger Penrose that GR continued collapse must be unstoppable.

Employment of Questionnaire as Tool for Effective Business Research Outcome: Problems and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ADENIYI AKINGBADE WAIDI

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Questionnaire has to do with questions designed to gather information or data for analysis. Questionnaire has to be adequate, simple, focused and related to the subject which the research is set to achieve and to test the hypotheses and questions that are formulated for the study. But many questionnaires are constructed and administered without following proper guideline which hinders there end result. This paper assesses some of the guides for constructing questionnaire as well as it uses and the extent to which it enhanced manager’s access to reliable data and information. Descriptive method is employed for the study. Findings revealed that poor or badly prepared questionnaire produce questionnaire that does not provide effective results. Managers and researchers that use such questionnaire hardly achieve their organisational and research objectives. The need for good, well prepared and adequate questionnaire is exemplified by its being the primary tool for analytical research. The study recommends that questionnaire be properly prepared for effective research outcome.

Differences among consumer segments with regard to perceptions of comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Sunyna S; Frost, Sloane L

2014-11-01

To examine differences among health-related decision-making consumer segments with regard to knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors pertinent to comparative effectiveness research. Data were collected via an online survey from 603 adults with chronic conditions. Consumer segment was determined using a two-item tool. Active consumers (high skills and motivation) reported the highest levels of engagement in various behaviors. Passive consumers (low skills and motivation) reported the lowest levels of engagement in various behaviors. High-effort consumers (low skills, high motivation) reported more positive attitudes and opinions and more engagement in various behaviors than did complacent consumers (high skills, low motivation). Effective translation and dissemination of comparative effectiveness research will require the development of approaches tailored to consumers with varying levels of skills and motivation.

Improving Education through Research? From Effectiveness, Causality and Technology to Purpose, Complexity and Culture

Science.gov (United States)

Biesta, Gert

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on the role of research in the improvement of educational practice. I use the "10 Principles for Effective Pedagogy," which were formulated on the basis of research conducted in the UK's Teacher and Learning Research Programme as an example to highlight some common problems in the discussion about research and…

Short Communications/Kort mededelings

African Journals Online (AJOL)

habits. Beef cattle, unlike sheep, do not have a recovery phase during the annual reproductive cycle. Poor feeding conditions accentuate these problems. Early mating, on the ... kept in mind when economic overwintering programmes are formulated. .... The effects of age at first calving on the productive and reproductive ...

Air passenger transport and the greenhouse effect; Transport aerien de passagers et effet de serre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hubert, M

2004-11-01

The commercial aviation sector accounts for 2.5 % of total worldwide anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) emissions. Water vapour (H{sub 2}O) and NO{sub x} emissions, the formation of condensation trails and increased formation of cirrus clouds due to altitude (indirect effects) also accentuate the greenhouse effect. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the effects apart from CO{sub 2} emissions are relatively higher for aviation than for other human activities. For one tonne of CO{sub 2} emissions, the radiative forcing of aviation is twice as important as other activities. On this basis, a Paris-New York return trip for one passenger on a charter flight corresponds to a quarter of the total climate impact caused by the annual consumption of a French person. Increased mobility and a rise in international tourism suggest that past trends in the growth of air passenger transport will continue. The improvements in energy efficiency achieved are seemingly not sufficient to prevent a significant increase in the impact of air transport on climate change. (author)

Stakeholder Priorities for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Lindenauer, Peter K.; Au, David H.; Carson, Shannon S.; Lee, Todd A.; McBurnie, Mary Ann; Naureckas, Edward T.; Vollmer, William M.; Mularski, Richard A.

2013-01-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is intended to address the expressed needs of patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders. Representatives of 54 stakeholder groups with an interest in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) participated in workshops convened by the COPD Outcomes-based Network for Clinical Effectiveness and Research Translation (CONCERT) over a 2-year period. Year 1 focused on chronic care and care coordination. Year 2 focused on acute care and transitions in care between healthcare settings. Discussions and provisional voting were conducted via teleconferences and e-mail exchanges before the workshop. Final prioritization votes occurred after in-person discussions at the workshop. We used a modified Delphi approach to facilitate discussions and consensus building. To more easily quantify preferences and to evaluate the internal consistency of rankings, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was incorporated in Year 2. Results of preworkshop and final workshop voting often differed, suggesting that prioritization efforts relying solely on requests for topics from stakeholder groups without in-person discussion may provide different research priorities. Research priorities varied across stakeholder groups, but generally focused on studies to evaluate different approaches to healthcare delivery (e.g., spirometry for diagnosis and treatment, integrated healthcare strategies during transitions in care) rather than head-to-head comparisons of medications. This research agenda may help to inform groups intending to respond to CER funding opportunities in COPD. The methodologies used, detailed in the online supplement, may also help to inform prioritization efforts for CER in other health conditions. PMID:23155144

Effect of R&D Collaboration with Research Organizations on Innovation: The Mediation Effect of Environmental Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gun Jea Yu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to advance our understanding of corporate environmental performance by linking its antecedents and consequences. This study examined how collaboration with research organizations, as a proactive strategic decision, influences the environmental performance of firms, which in turn leads to innovation performance. Using the data collected from 597 Korean firms representing a cross-section of industries, we found that a firm’s collaboration with research organizations positively affected the firm’s environmental performance, which positively influenced its innovation performance. Furthermore, the results indicated a full mediation effect of environmental performance on the relationship between collaboration with research organizations and innovation performance. This study offers a more comprehensive understanding of corporate environmental performance and discusses implications for innovation performance. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

A method for analysing secondary economic effects generated by big research centres.

CERN Document Server

Bianchi-Streit, M.; Budde, R.; Reitz, H.; Sagnell, B.; Schmied, H.; Schorr, B.

Research activities in the natural sciences, and especially those in the field of pure research work as opposed to applied research, are being financially supported for various reasons, probably the least of which is the hope for a quick economic return. It has, nevertheless, been realised for a number of years that benefits of one sort or another may appear in various and sometimes unexpected ways, where these be— nefits are not the direct consequence of the applica— tion of a research result. They are rather to be com— pared with the well—known ”spin—off” effects obtained while pursuing the research work. An example may help to illustrate what is meant.

Effect of two Howard Hughes Medical Institute research training programs for medical students on the likelihood of pursuing research careers.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Di; Meyer, Roger E

2003-12-01

To assess the effect of Howard Hughes Medical Institute's (HHMI) two one-year research training programs for medical students on the awardees' research careers. Awardees of the HHMI Cloister Program who graduated between 1987 and 1995 and awardees of the HHMI Medical Fellows Program who graduated between 1991 and 1995 were compared with unsuccessful applicants to the programs and MD-PhD students who graduated during the same periods. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess research career outcomes while controlling for academic and demographic variables that could affect selection to the programs. Participation in both HHMI programs increased the likelihood of receiving National Institutes of Health postdoctoral support. Participation in the Cloister Program also increased the likelihood of receiving a faculty appointment with research responsibility at a medical school. In addition, awardees of the Medical Fellows Program were not significantly less likely than Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and non-MSTP MD-PhD program participants to receive a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral award, and awardees of the Cloister Program were not significantly less likely than non-MSTP MD-PhD students to receive a faculty appointment with research responsibility. Women and underrepresented minority students were proportionally represented among awardees of the two HHMI programs whereas they were relatively underrepresented in MD-PhD programs. The one-year intensive research training supported by the HHMI training programs appears to provide an effective imprinting experience on medical students' research careers and to be an attractive strategy for training physician-scientists.

Researching research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pais, Alexandre; Valero, Paola

2012-01-01

We discuss contemporary theories in mathematics education in order to do research on research. Our strategy consists of analysing discursively and ideologically recent key publications addressing the role of theory in mathematics education research. We examine how the field fabricates its object...... of research by deploying Foucault’s notion of bio-politics - mainly to address the object “learning” - and Žižek’s ideology critique - to address the object “mathematics”. These theories, which have already been used in the field to research teaching and learning, have a great potential to contribute...... to a reflexivity of research on its discourses and effects. Furthermore, they enable us to present a clear distinction between what has been called the sociopolitical turn in mathematics education research and what we call a positioning of mathematics education (research) practices in the Political....

Stakeholder assessment of comparative effectiveness research needs for Medicaid populations

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Michael A; Allen-Coleman, Cora; Farrell, Stephen F; Schneeweiss, Sebastian

2015-01-01

Patients, providers and policy-makers rely heavily on comparative effectiveness research (CER) when making complex, real-world medical decisions. In particular, Medicaid providers and policy-makers face unique challenges in decision-making because their program cares for traditionally underserved populations, especially children, pregnant women and people with mental illness. Because these patient populations have generally been underrepresented in research discussions, CER questions for these groups may be understudied. To address this problem, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality commissioned our team to work with Medicaid Medical Directors and other stakeholders to identify relevant CER questions. Through an iterative process of topic identification and refinement, we developed relevant, feasible and actionable questions based on issues affecting Medicaid programs nationwide. We describe challenges and limitations and provide recommendations for future stakeholder engagement. PMID:26388438

A Delphi study to establish national cost-effectiveness research priorities for positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robert, Glenn; Milne, Ruairidh

1999-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to determine the key cost-effectiveness research questions relating to positron emission tomography (PET) in the UK. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to establish the existing knowledge base relating to the cost-effectiveness of PET in the various conditions for which it has been proposed. A three-round postal Delphi study of relevant individuals was used to determine the key cost-effectiveness research questions relating to PET in the UK. The content and structure of the Delphi study was informed by the results of the literature review. Results: The most important cost-effectiveness research priorities for the National Health Service (NHS) relating to PET were in the clinical areas of lung cancer, breast cancer and the assessment of myocardial viability. Gamma camera PET using coincidence imaging was highlighted as a modality whose clinical role needed to be determined urgently. Conclusion: Underlying the cost-effectiveness research priorities which were established is the need for evidence that the use of the various PET modalities as a diagnostic technique will alter patient management as compared to existing diagnostic strategies. The findings of the project provide a contemporary overview of the potential role for PET in the NHS and will be relevant to other countries

What makes it work? Mapping effective game mechanics for health game user research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Folkerts, Jef

2014-01-01

Many research projects have assessed the possibility and effectiveness of implementing games as health interventions. Recent literature shows generally positive results in specific case studies. However we acknowledged that research projects in this field regularly seem to disregard the connection

Values Education as Holistic Development for All Sectors: Researching for Effective Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

Lovat, Terence; Clement, Neville; Dally, Kerry; Toomey, Ronald

2010-01-01

The paper argues that values education has moved from being associated most heavily with the religious agenda of faith schools to being central to updated research insights into effective pedagogy. As such, it represents a vital approach to education in any school setting. The paper draws on an array of values education research and practice in…

Gender effects in gaming research: a case for regression residuals?

Science.gov (United States)

Pfister, Roland

2011-10-01

Numerous recent studies have examined the impact of video gaming on various dependent variables, including the players' affective reactions, positive as well as detrimental cognitive effects, and real-world aggression. These target variables are typically analyzed as a function of game characteristics and player attributes-especially gender. However, findings on the uneven distribution of gaming experience between males and females, on the one hand, and the effect of gaming experience on several target variables, on the other hand, point at a possible confound when gaming experiments are analyzed with a standard analysis of variance. This study uses simulated data to exemplify analysis of regression residuals as a potentially beneficial data analysis strategy for such datasets. As the actual impact of gaming experience on each of the various dependent variables differs, the ultimate benefits of analysis of regression residuals entirely depend on the research question, but it offers a powerful statistical approach to video game research whenever gaming experience is a confounding factor.

Causality in Statistical Power: Isomorphic Properties of Measurement, Research Design, Effect Size, and Sample Size

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Eric Heidel

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Statistical power is the ability to detect a significant effect, given that the effect actually exists in a population. Like most statistical concepts, statistical power tends to induce cognitive dissonance in hepatology researchers. However, planning for statistical power by an a priori sample size calculation is of paramount importance when designing a research study. There are five specific empirical components that make up an a priori sample size calculation: the scale of measurement of the outcome, the research design, the magnitude of the effect size, the variance of the effect size, and the sample size. A framework grounded in the phenomenon of isomorphism, or interdependencies amongst different constructs with similar forms, will be presented to understand the isomorphic effects of decisions made on each of the five aforementioned components of statistical power.

Data sources for heart failure comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Xian, Ying; Hammill, Bradley G; Curtis, Lesley H

2013-01-01

Existing data sources for heart failure research offer advantages and disadvantages for CER. Clinical registries collect detailed information about disease presentation, treatment, and outcomes on a large number of patients and provide the "real-world" population that is the hallmark of CER. Data are not collected longitudinally, however, and follow-up is often limited. Large administrative datasets provide the broadest population coverage with longitudinal outcomes follow-up but lack clinical detail. Linking clinical registries with other databases to assess longitudinal outcomes holds great promise. The Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research recommends further efforts on longitudinal linking of administrative or EHR-based databases, patient registries, private sector databases (particularly those with commercially insured populations that are not covered under federal and state databases), and other relevant data sources containing pharmacy, laboratory, adverse events, and mortality information. Advancing the infrastructure to provide robust, scientific data resources for patient-centered CER must remain a priority. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practical guide to understanding Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER).

Science.gov (United States)

Neely, J Gail; Sharon, Jeffrey D; Graboyes, Evan M; Paniello, Randal C; Nussenbaum, Brian; Grindler, David J; Dassopoulos, Themistocles

2013-12-01

"Comparative effectiveness research" (CER) is not a new concept; however, recently it has been popularized as a method to develop scientifically sound actionable data by which patients, physicians, payers, and policymakers may make informed health care decisions. Fundamental to CER is that the comparative data are derived from large diverse populations of patients assembled from point-of-care general primary care practices and that measured outcomes include patient value judgments. The challenge is to obtain scientifically valid data to be acted upon by decision-making stakeholders with potentially quite diversely different agenda. The process requires very thoughtful research designs modulated by complex statistical and analytic methods. This article is composed of a guiding narrative with an extensive set of tables outlining many of the details required in performing and understanding CER. It ends with short discussions of three example papers, limitations of the method, and how a practicing physician may view such reports.

Descriptive Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wigram, Anthony Lewis

2003-01-01

Descriptive research is described by Lathom-Radocy and Radocy (1995) to include Survey research, ex post facto research, case studies and developmental studies. Descriptive research also includes a review of the literature in order to provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence of the effect...... starts will allow effect size calculations to be made in order to evaluate effect over time. Given the difficulties in undertaking controlled experimental studies in the creative arts therapies, descriptive research methods offer a way of quantifying effect through descriptive statistical analysis...

Annual report of Radiation Effects Research Foundation, April 1, 1993 - March 31, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

The circumstances that the move of the Hiroshima facilities is in the state of reservation due to the budget reduction of USA government are reported. As to the investigation and research activities, international cooperation has increased remarkably. The council resolved to request United Nations that it designates the Radiation Effects Research Foundation to the organ for inquiring about the effect of radiation on health and gives aid. The change of directors is reported. The research works in fiscal 1993 in Departments of Epidemiology, Pathological Epidemiology, Statistics, Clinical Research (in Hiroshima and Nagasaki), Genetic Biochemical Laboratory and Cell Genetics Laboratory of Genetics Department, Radiation Biology, Radiation Biology (in Nagasaki) are reported. The trend of the research works in fiscal 1994 in respective Departments is described. As to the plan of Research Information Center in fiscal 1994, the abolishment of large computer, the extension of PC network, data base management and the computer processing of office works are described. As to the plan of Research Information Center in fiscal 1995, the completion of the network connection of all computers, the expansion of the data base to input major source data sets, and the introduction of software so as to utilize and retrieve data easily are expected. The abstracts of new research plan papers and the manuscripts contributed to scientific journals are collected. (K.I.)

European macroeconomic imbalances at a sectorial level: Evidence from German and Spanish food industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Aznar

2018-02-01

Originality/value: The last decade has accentuated the macroeconomic differences, in terms of long term interest rates or levels of unemployment between the core of Europe, Germany, and the periphery, including countries like Spain. This research is one the first ones in analyzing how these differences are affecting financial performance and structural differences in a particular industry, that is one of the most important exporters of the European Union.

SaaS architecture and pricing models

OpenAIRE

Laatikainen, Gabriella; Ojala, Arto

2014-01-01

In the new era of computing, SaaS software with different architectural characteristics might be priced in different ways. Even though both pricing and architectural characteristics are responsible for the success of the offering; the relationship between architectural and pricing characteristics has not been studied before. The present study fills this gap by employing a multi-case research. The findings accentuate that flexible and well-designed architecture enables different pricing models...

Women in STEM: The Effect of Undergraduate Research on Persistence

Science.gov (United States)

Wilker, Jodi

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers constitutes a major issue in postsecondary science education. Perseverance of women in STEM is linked to a strong science identity. Experiential learning activities, such as undergraduate research, increase science identity and thus should help keep women in STEM. Most studies on research program development are from 4-year institutions, yet many women start at community colleges. The goal of this study was to fill this gap. Science identity and experiential learning theories provided the framework for this case study at a local institution (LECC). Semistructured interviews determined college science faculty and administrators perceptions of advantages and disadvantages of undergraduate research, the viability of developing a research program, and specific research options feasible for LECC. Transcripted data were analyzed through multiple rounds of coding yielding five themes: faculty perception of undergraduate research, authentic experiences, health technologies/nursing programs, LECC students career focus, and the unique culture at LECC. The most viable type of undergraduate research for LECC is course-based and of short timeframe. The project study advocates the use of citizen science (CS) studies in the classroom as they are relatively short-term and can take the place of lab sessions. The true benefit is that students perform authentic science by contributing to an actual scientific research project. CS projects can effect social change by developing science literate citizens, empowering faculty to create authentic learning experiences, and by sparking interest in science and directing women into STEM careers.

Focal F0 peak shape and sentence mode in Swedish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ambrazaitis, Gilbert; Buanzur, Tuarik C.; Niebuhr, Oliver

2015-01-01

Shape characteristics of rising-falling accentual F0 peaks of Stockholm Swedish Accent I words in narrow focus are studied in a corpus of 287 read sentences. The corpus includes statements and three types of polar questions. Results reveal a clear effect of sentence mode on the shape of the accen...

Good research practices for comparative effectiveness research: approaches to mitigate bias and confounding in the design of nonrandomized studies of treatment effects using secondary data sources: the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Good Research Practices for Retrospective Database Analysis Task Force Report--Part II.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Emily; Martin, Bradley C; Van Staa, Tjeerd; Garbe, Edeltraut; Siebert, Uwe; Johnson, Michael L

2009-01-01

The goal of comparative effectiveness analysis is to examine the relationship between two variables, treatment, or exposure and effectiveness or outcome. Unlike data obtained through randomized controlled trials, researchers face greater challenges with causal inference with observational studies. Recognizing these challenges, a task force was formed to develop a guidance document on methodological approaches to addresses these biases. The task force was commissioned and a Chair was selected by the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Board of Directors in October 2007. This report, the second of three reported in this issue of the Journal, discusses the inherent biases when using secondary data sources for comparative effectiveness analysis and provides methodological recommendations to help mitigate these biases. The task force report provides recommendations and tools for researchers to mitigate threats to validity from bias and confounding in measurement of exposure and outcome. Recommendations on design of study included: the need for data analysis plan with causal diagrams; detailed attention to classification bias in definition of exposure and clinical outcome; careful and appropriate use of restriction; extreme care to identify and control for confounding factors, including time-dependent confounding. Design of nonrandomized studies of comparative effectiveness face several daunting issues, including measurement of exposure and outcome challenged by misclassification and confounding. Use of causal diagrams and restriction are two techniques that can improve the theoretical basis for analyzing treatment effects in study populations of more homogeneity, with reduced loss of generalizability.

Effects of metformin, rosiglitazone and insulin on bone metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stage, Tore Bjerregaard; Christensen, Mette-Marie Hougaard; Jørgensen, Niklas Rye

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: Fracture risk is increased in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The pathophysiological mechanisms accentuating fracture risk in T2D are convoluted, incorporating factors such as hyperglycaemia, insulinopenia, and antidiabetic drugs. The objectives of this study were to assess...... treatment in 371 T2D patients. Participants were randomized to short or long-acting human insulin (non-blinded) and then further randomized to metformin + placebo, rosiglitazone + placebo, metformin + rosiglitazone or placebo + placebo (blinded). Fasting bone turnover markers (BTM) representing bone......-up of the trial were analysed in mixed-effects models that included adjustments for age, gender, BMI, renal function and repeated measures of HbA1c. RESULTS: BTMs increased from baseline to month 12 and remained higher at month 24, with CTX and PINP increasing 28.5% and 23.0% (all: p 

Action Research: Effective Marketing Strategies for a Blended University Program

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, Ruth Gannon; Ley, Kathryn

2008-01-01

This action research study investigated a marketing plan based on collaboration among a program faculty team and other organizational units for a graduate professional program. From its inception through the second year of operation, program enrollment increased due to the marketing plan based on an effective approach grounded in simple marketing…

Effects of marital conflict on children: recent advances and emerging themes in process-oriented research.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, E Mark; Davies, Patrick T

2002-01-01

The effects of marital conflict on children's adjustment are well documented. For the past decade research has increasingly focused on advancing a process-level understanding of these effects, that is, accounting for the particular responses and patterns embedded within specific contexts, histories, and developmental periods that account for children's outcomes over time. As a vehicle for presenting an update, this review follows the framework for process-oriented research initially proposed by Cummings and Cummings (1988), concentrating on recent research developments, and also considering new and emerging themes in this area of research. In this regard, areas of advancement include (a) greater articulation of the effects of specific context/stimulus characteristics of marital conflict, (b) progress in identifying the psychological response processes in children (e.g., cognitive, emotional, social, physiological) that are affected and their possible role in accounting for relations between marital conflict and child outcomes, (c) greater understanding of the role of child characteristics, family history, and other contextual factors, including effects on children due to interrelations between marital conflict and parenting, and (d) advances in the conceptualization of children's outcomes, including that effects may be more productively viewed as dynamic processes of functioning rather than simply clinical diagnoses. Understanding of the impact of marital conflict on children as a function of time-related processes remains a gap in a process-oriented conceptualization of effects. Based on this review, a revised model for a process-oriented approach on the effects of marital discord on children is proposed and suggestions are made for future research directions.

Effect of reduced enrichment on the fuel cycle for research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travelli, A.

1982-01-01

The new fuels developed by the RERTR Program and by other international programs for application in research reactors with reduced uranium enrichment (<20% EU) are discussed. It is shown that these fuels, combined with proper fuel-element design and fuel-management strategies, can provide at least the same core residence time as high-enrichment fuels in current use, and can frequently significantly extend it. The effect of enrichment reduction on other components of the research reactor fuel cycle, such as uranium and enrichment requirements, fuel fabrication, fuel shipment, and reprocessing are also briefly discussed with their economic implications. From a systematic comparison of HEU and LEU cores for the same reference research reactor, it is concluded that the new fuels have a potential for reducing the research reactor fuel cycle costs while reducing, at the same time, the uranium enrichment of the fuel

Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1972-01-01

Agriculture is the most important industry of the Sudan, and Gezira its major producing area. Gezira cotton earns most of the country's foreign exchange and the need to produce still more has led to intensification of production. The pressures created by this are accentuating old and creating new problems, thus putting strain on the technically good, but limited, resources of the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), which is responsible for most of the research on agricultural problems in the Sudan. The ARC therefore requested technical assistance from the IAEA to help with these studies. (author)

Efficacy and effectiveness of online cognitive behavioral treatment : a decade of interapy research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruwaard, Jeroen; Lange, Alfred; Schrieken, Bart; Emmelkamp, Paul

2011-01-01

Since 1996, researchers of the Interapy research group of the University of Amsterdam have been examining the effects of online cognitive behavioral treatment (online CBT). Over the years, the group conducted nine controlled trials of online CBT for a variety of mental health disorders, among a

Aflatoxin B(1) in affecting broiler's performance, immunity, and gastrointestinal tract: a review of history and contemporary issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Yunus, Agha W; Razzazi-Fazeli, E; Bohm, Josef

2011-06-01

Aflatoxin B(1) is a common contaminant of poultry feeds in tropical and subtropical climates. Research during the last five decades has well established the negative effects of the mycotoxin on health of poultry. However, the last ten years of relevant data have accentuated the potential of low levels of aflatoxin B(1) to deteriorate broiler performance. In this regard, any attempt to establish a dose-effect relationship between aflatoxin B(1) level and broiler performance is also complicated due to differences in types of broilers and length of exposure to the mycotoxin in different studies. Contrary to the prevalent notion regarding literature saturation with respect to aflatoxicosis of chicken, many areas of aflatoxicosis still need to be explored. Literature regarding effects of the mycotoxin on the gastrointestinal tract in this regard is particular scanty and non-conclusive. In addition to these issues, the metabolism of aflatoxin B(1) and recently proposed hypotheses regarding biphasic effects of the mycotoxin in broilers are briefly discussed.

Consensus of recommendations guiding comparative effectiveness research methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Morton, Jacob B; McConeghy, Robert; Heinrich, Kirstin; Gatto, Nicolle M; Caffrey, Aisling R

2016-12-01

Because of an increasing demand for quality comparative effectiveness research (CER), methods guidance documents have been published, such as those from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). Our objective was to identify CER methods guidance documents and compare them to produce a summary of important recommendations which could serve as a consensus of CER method recommendations. We conducted a systematic literature review to identify CER methods guidance documents published through 2014. Identified documents were analyzed for methods guidance recommendations. Individual recommendations were categorized to determine the degree of overlap. We identified nine methods guidance documents, which contained a total of 312 recommendations, 97% of which were present in two or more documents. All nine documents recommended transparency and adaptation for relevant stakeholders in the interpretation and dissemination of results. Other frequently shared CER methods recommendations included: study design and operational definitions should be developed a priori and allow for replication (n = 8 documents); focus on areas with gaps in current clinical knowledge that are relevant to decision-makers (n = 7); validity of measures, instruments, and data should be assessed and discussed (n = 7); outcomes, including benefits and harms, should be clinically meaningful, and objectively measured (n = 7). Assessment for and strategies to minimize bias (n = 6 documents), confounding (n = 6), and heterogeneity (n = 4) were also commonly shared recommendations between documents. We offer a field-consensus guide based on nine CER methods guidance documents that will aid researchers in designing CER studies and applying CER methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Effects of University-Industry Relationships and Academic Research on Scientific Performance: Synergy or Substitution?

Science.gov (United States)

Manjarres-Henriquez, Liney; Gutierrez-Gracia, Antonio; Carrion-Garcia, Andres; Vega-Jurado, Jaider

2009-01-01

This paper evaluates whether university-industry relationships (UIR) and academic research activities have complementary effects on the scientific production of university lecturers. The analysis is based on a case study of two Spanish universities. We find that the effects of R&D contracts with industry, and academic research activity on…

Research on the climatic effects of nuclear winter: Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickinson, R.E.

1986-01-01

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has undertaken a series of research efforts to develop and implement improvements to the Community Climate Model (CCM) needed to make the model more applicable to studies of the climatic effects of nuclear war. The development of the model improvements has reached a stage where implementation may proceed, and several of the developed routines are being incorporated into the next approved version of the CCM (CCM1). Formal documentation is being completed describing the specific model improvements that have been successfully implemented. This final report includes the series of annual proposals and progress reports that have guided the project

Research on the climatic effects of nuclear winter: Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dickinson, R.E.

1986-12-03

The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has undertaken a series of research efforts to develop and implement improvements to the Community Climate Model (CCM) needed to make the model more applicable to studies of the climatic effects of nuclear war. The development of the model improvements has reached a stage where implementation may proceed, and several of the developed routines are being incorporated into the next approved version of the CCM (CCM1). Formal documentation is being completed describing the specific model improvements that have been successfully implemented. This final report includes the series of annual proposals and progress reports that have guided the project.

Cumulative effects assessment in Canada: an agenda for action and research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peterson, E.B.; Chan, Y.-H.; Peterson, N.M.; Constable, G.A.; Caton, R.B.; Davis, C.S.; Wallace, R.R.; Yarranton, G.A.

1987-01-01

This review of cumulative environmental effects assessment in Canada identified 13 sets of issues that are considered to be of particular significance to Canadians over the next decade or two. They are: long-range transport of air pollutants; urban air quality and airshed saturation, mobilization of persistent or bioaccumulated substances, climatic modification, land occupation by man-made features, habitat alienation and fragmentation, soil losses, effects of agricultural chemicals, groundwater supply reduction and contamination, increased sediment, chemical and thermal loading of freshwater and marine habitats, accelerating rates of renewable resource harvesting, and long-term containment and disposal of toxic wastes. There is a diverse set of examples in which cumulative effects have been recognized and brought under control and management, and the scientific and institutional factors that promoted a successful approach are summarized. It was confirmed that there are well-defined limitations in the degree to which project referrals and project-specific environmental impact assessments can be adapted to manage cumulative effects successfully. In general, this review confirmed the hypothesis that current approaches for both scientific analyses and institutional arrangements to manage cumulative effects remain inadequately developed in Canada. To address this weakness, action is required on improving links between ecosystems, research, and management. Recommendations are made and a research agenda is presented. 171 refs., 5 figs., 2 tabs.

Douglas Hanahan: The daunting complexity of cancer: understanding the battlefield is a step towards winning the war

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2014-01-01

The Inaugural Grace-CERN Lecture The daunting complexity of cancer: understanding the battlefield is a step towards winning the war  Douglas Hanahan, Ph.D. Director, Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research (ISREC)  Professor of Molecular Oncology, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) Vice Director, Swiss Cancer Center Lausanne Synopsis (version francaise ci-dessous) Cancer is a disease with hundreds of variations, both in affected organs and in responses to different therapies.  Modern human cancer research is producing an avalanche of data about the distinctive genetic aberrations of its specific types, further accentuating the diversity and vast complexity of the disease. There is hope that elucidating its mechanisms will lead to more informed and more effective therapeutic strategies.  Understanding the enemy is paramount, and yet tumors arising in different organs can be so different as to de...

Effective implementation of research into practice: an overview of systematic reviews of the health literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Boaz, Annette; Baeza, Juan; Fraser, Alec

2011-06-22

The gap between research findings and clinical practice is well documented and a range of interventions has been developed to increase the implementation of research into clinical practice. A review of systematic reviews of the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase the use of research in clinical practice. A search for relevant systematic reviews was conducted of Medline and the Cochrane Database of Reviews 1998-2009. 13 systematic reviews containing 313 primary studies were included. Four strategy types are identified: audit and feedback; computerised decision support; opinion leaders; and multifaceted interventions. Nine of the reviews reported on multifaceted interventions. This review highlights the small effects of single interventions such as audit and feedback, computerised decision support and opinion leaders. Systematic reviews of multifaceted interventions claim an improvement in effectiveness over single interventions, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. This review found that a number of published systematic reviews fail to state whether the recommended practice change is based on the best available research evidence. This overview of systematic reviews updates the body of knowledge relating to the effectiveness of key mechanisms for improving clinical practice and service development. Multifaceted interventions are more likely to improve practice than single interventions such as audit and feedback. This review identified a small literature focusing explicitly on getting research evidence into clinical practice. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that primary studies and systematic reviews are precise about the extent to which the reported interventions focus on changing practice based on research evidence (as opposed to other information codified in guidelines and education materials).

Effect of swelling behavior of organoclays in styrene on flammability of polystyrene nanocomposites obtained through in situ incorporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timochenco, Licinia; Sayer, Claudia; Machado, Ricardo A.F.; Araujo, Pedro H.H.

2009-01-01

In this work the effect of the interaction between organoclays and styrene on the flammability of polystyrene/clay nanocomposites obtained through in-situ incorporation was investigated. The reactions were carried out in bulk polymerization. The interaction between organoclays and styrene was inferred by swelling of the organoclay in styrene. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction and Transmission Electron Microscopy. The heat release rate was obtained by Cone Calorimeter and the nanocomposites were tested through UL94 horizontal burn test. Thermogravimetric analysis were also performed. Results showed that intercalated and partially exfoliated nanocomposites were obtained depending on the swelling behavior of the organoclay in styrene. It was also observed an increase of the higher decomposition temperature and an accentuated decrease on the peak of heat release of the nanocomposites when comparing to the virgin polymer. No remarkable effect between the swelling behavior of the organoclay in styrene and the flammability properties was observed. (author)

Delayed immune mediated adverse effects to hyaluronic acid fillers: report of five cases and review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ora Bitterman-Deutsch

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Hyaluronic acid (HA fillers in cosmetic medicine have been considered relatively safe, though fillers used in European countries and throughout the world are not necessarily approved by the Food and Drug Administration. As their use continues to expand worldwide, physicians in a wide range of medical specialties are authorized to perform HA injections, including general medicine practitioners and even dentists. An increasing number of reports have appeared regarding side effects to these products. It is now known that reactions to Hyaluronic acid are related not only to technical faults of the injections, but also to immune responses, including delayed hypersensitivity and granulomatous reactions. Herein, we describe five cases treated by a variety of treatment modalities, all with delayed reactions to different brands of hyaluronic acid fillers. As there is currently no standardization of treatment options of adverse effects, these cases accentuate the debate regarding the approach to the individual patient and the possible need for pre-testing in patients with an atopic tendency.

[Research progress of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of total glucosides of peony in hepatoprotective effects].

Science.gov (United States)

Zuo, Zhi-Yan; Zhan, Shu-Yu; Huang, Xuan; Ding, Bao-Yue; Liu, Yu-Qian; Ruan, Yu-Er; Jiang, Ning-Hua

2017-10-01

Total glucosides of peony (TGP), containing the effective components of paeoniflorin (Pae), albiflorin (Alb) and so on, are effective parts of Radix Paeoniae Alba. And it possesses extensive pharmacological actions, one of which is hepatoprotective effect. In recent years, abundant of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics research of TGP in hepatoprotective effects have been performed. However, the relative medicine of TGP in hepatoprotective effect has not been developed for clinical application. In order to provide reference for the development and rational clinical application of TGP, the research progresses of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of TGP in hepatoprotective effect were summarized in this paper. Pharmacokinetics research has clarified the process of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of TGP in vivo, and liver injury disease can significantly influence its metabolic processes. Pharmacodynamics studies suggested that TGP can protect against acute liver injury, non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD), chronic liver fibrosis and liver cancer. However, the action mechanism and in vivo process about hepatoprotective effects of TGP have not been clearly revealed. How liver injury influences the metabolism of TGP and its integrated regulation through multiple targets need to be further studied. The combined pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics studies should be performed in favour of medicine development and clinical application of TGP in hepatoprotective effects. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Reconstruction of head-to-knee voxel model for Syrian adult male of average height and weight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bashira Taleb

2015-06-01

Conclusion: Comparisons with SAFs data of Zubal model accentuated the fact that the organ masses and the specific anatomy have a significant effect on SAFs. SyrMan model can be considered as the first model built in the Middle East region, and it is an important step toward the Syrian Reference Man.

Proton irradiation effects in oxide-confined vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, C.E.; Swift, G.M.; Guertin, S.; Schwank, J.R.; Armendariz, M.G.; Hash, G.L.; Choquette, K.D.

1999-01-01

Vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) diodes are employed as the emitter portion of opto-couplers that are used in space applications. Proton irradiation studies on VCSELs were performed at the Indiana University cyclotron facility. The beam energy was set at 192 MeV, the beam current was 200 nA that is equivalent to a flux of approximately 1*10 11 protons/cm 2 .s. We conclude that the oxide confined VCSELs examined in this study show more than sufficient radiation hardness for nearly all space applications. The observed proton-induced decreases in light output and the corresponding increases in laser threshold current can be explained in terms of proton-induced displacement damage which introduces non-radiative recombination centers in the active region of the lasers and causes a decrease in laser efficiency. These radiation effects accentuate the detrimental thermal effects observed at high currents. We also note that forward bias annealing is effective in these devices in producing at least partial recovery of the light output, and that this may be a viable hardness assurance technique during a flight mission. (A.C.)

Progressing from programmatic to discovery research: a case example with the overjustification effect.

Science.gov (United States)

Roane, Henry S; Fisher, Wayne W; McDonough, Erin M

2003-01-01

Scientific research progresses along planned (programmatic research) and unplanned (discovery research) paths. In the current investigation, we attempted to conduct a single-case evaluation of the overjustification effect (i.e., programmatic research). Results of the initial analysis were contrary to the overjustification hypothesis in that removal of the reward contingency produced an increase in responding. Based on this unexpected finding, we conducted subsequent analyses to further evaluate the mechanisms underlying these results (i.e., discovery research). Results of the additional analyses suggested that the reward contingency functioned as punishment (because the participant preferred the task to the rewards) and that withdrawal of the contingency produced punishment contrast.

Stakeholder engagement for comparative effectiveness research in cancer care: experience of the DEcIDE Cancer Consortium.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenberg, Caprice C; Wind, Jennifer K; Chang, George J; Chen, Ronald C; Schrag, Deborah

2013-03-01

Stakeholder input is a critical component of comparative effectiveness research. To ensure that the research activities of the Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions about Effectiveness (DEcIDE) Network, supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, translate into the greatest impact for everyday practice and policy-making in cancer, we were tasked with soliciting stakeholder input regarding priority areas in cancer-related comparative effectiveness research for the DEcIDE Cancer Consortium. Given the increasing emphasis on stakeholder engagement in research, many investigators are facing a similar task, yet there is limited literature to guide such efforts, particularly in cancer care. To help fill this gap, we present our approach to operationalizing stakeholder engagement and discuss it in the context of other recent developments in the area. We describe challenges encountered in convening stakeholders from multiple vantage points to prioritize topics and strategies used to mitigate these barriers. We offer several recommendations regarding how to best solicit stakeholder input to inform comparative effectiveness research in cancer care. These recommendations can inform other initiatives currently facing the challenges of engaging stakeholders in priority setting for cancer.

Supporting effective delivery: CSIR research on and advocacy of infrastructure management

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wall, K

2006-02-01

Full Text Available sets out issues of concern that arise when infrastructure management policies and practices do not meet acceptable standards, and it describes the research results. Finally, it summarises the plan and programme necessary to support effective delivery...

Parturition lines in modern human wisdom tooth roots: do they exist, can they be characterized and are they useful for retrospective determination of age at first reproduction and/or inter-birth intervals?

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, M Christopher; Elamin, Fadil

2014-01-01

Parturition lines have been described in the teeth of a number of animals, including primates, but never in modern humans. These accentuated lines in dentine are comprised of characteristic dark and light component zones. The aim of this study was to review the physiology underlying these lines and to ask if parturition lines exist in the third molar tooth roots of mothers known to have had one or more children during their teenage years. Brief retrospective oral medical obstetric histories were taken from four mothers and compared with histological estimates for the timing of accentuated markings visible in longitudinal ground sections of their wisdom teeth. Evidence of accentuated markings in M3 root dentine matched the age of the mother at the time their first child was born reasonably well. However, the dates calculated for inter-birth intervals did not match well. Parturition lines corresponding to childbirth during the teenage years can exist in human M3 roots, but may not always do so. Without a written medical history it would not be possible to say with confidence that an accentuated line in M3 root dentine was caused by stress, illness or was a parturition line.

Sex in advertising research: a review of content, effects, and functions of sexual information in consumer advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Reichert, Tom

2002-01-01

This article is a review of academic research on the content and effects of sexual information in advertising (i.e., sex in advertising). In addition to covering common types of sexual content analyzed in research, inquiry on processing and emotional response effects is reviewed. Several areas for continued research are identified, especially with regard to advertisers' use of sexual outcomes as reasons for using brands and the ability of sexual information to influence brand perceptions. This review has applicability to advertising and marketing research and practice, as well as to any area that employs sexual information for persuasive purposes (e.g., safer-sex social marketing campaigns). In addition, it is hoped that sex researchers will recognize and elaborate on the role of sexual response identified in this research to further inform advertising theory and effects research.

Measuring macro-level effects of the global economic recession on university-industry research cooperation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azagra-Caro, J.M.; Tijssen, R.J.W.; Yegros-Yegros, A.

2016-07-01

The 2007/2008 financial crisis, and ensuing economic recession, had a direct negative effect on university-industry research cooperation in the OECD countries and other economies – it diminished the number of university-industry co-authored research publications (UICs) during the period 2008-13 by 7%. It also changed the relationship between national business expenditure on R&D and UIC output levels. Before the recession the relationship was negative, but became positive during the years 2008-2013. The few countries where business expenditure on R&D increased during recession saw UIC numbers rise. This moderating effect of the recession applies only to ‘domestic UICs’, where universities cooperated with business companies located in the same country. Micro-level research is needed to assess the contributing effects on large university-industry R&D consortia on both domestic and international collaboration patterns. (Author)

Researches on bake effect on RF superconducting cavities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hao Jiankui; Zhao Kui; Zhu Feng

2005-01-01

The Q-slope at high gradient affects the performance of superconducting cavity greatly. Recent researches show that low temperature (100-150) degree C heat treatment (bake) has positive effects on the performance of superconducting cavities. A lot of cavity tests are analyzed based on bake treatment. The average gradient E acc,max and E acc at Q=1 x 10 10 are increased by more than 3.5 MV/m. Q at E acc,max is increased and the Q-slope is improved. Analysis on bake temperature shows that higher bake temperature leads to higher Q value. Comparison of BCP and EP cavities shows that at least 60-80 μm EP is needed for BCP surface. More than 10-15 μm removal of the surface by BCP will degrade the performance of an EP cavity. Oxygen diffusion model is used to illustrate bake effect. (authors)

Operational effectiveness of blended e-learning program for nursing research ethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Kap-Chul; Shin, Gisoo

2014-06-01

Since 2006, the Korean Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and the National Research Foundation of Korea have taken the lead in developing an institutional guideline for research ethics. The purpose was to identify the effectiveness of the Good Research Practice program, developed on a fund granted by the National Research Foundation of Korea, for nurses and nursing students whose knowledge and perception of research ethics were compared before and after the implementation of the Good Research Practice program. This study was conducted to compare the levels of knowledge and perception of research ethics in the participants before and after the program was implemented. The participants included 45 nurses and 69 nursing students from hospitals, colleges of nursing, and the Korean Nurses Association, located in Seoul, Korea. This study was approved by the Institutional Research Board in Korea. Based on the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation model, the Good Research Practice program was made up of a total of 30 h of the blended learning both online and off-line. The results of this study showed that there were statistically significant differences in both knowledge and perception of research ethics in nursing students and nurses before and after the program had been implemented. The concepts of professional nursing ethics, moral issues, and bioethics were often confused with one another and not clearly defined. Therefore, the concept and scope of bioethics, moral judgment, and overall nursing ethics should be well defined and conceptualized in the future. This study suggested integrating research ethics education in the nursing curriculum as a required course of study for nursing students and as part of the in-service training program for nurses in order to improve research ethics in nursing research in Korea. © The Author(s) 2013.

Ethics and Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities in Patient-Centered Comparative Effectiveness Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Sugarman, Jeremy

2016-04-01

The Affordable Care Act includes provisions for the conduct of large-scale, patient-centered comparative effectiveness research. Such efforts aim toward the laudable moral goal of having evidence to improve health care decision making. Nevertheless, these pragmatic clinical research efforts that typically pose minimal incremental risk and are enmeshed in routine care settings perhaps surprisingly encounter an array of ethics and regulatory challenges and opportunities for academic health centers. An emphasis on patient-centeredness forces an examination of the appropriateness of traditional methods used to protect the rights, interests, and welfare of participants. At the same time, meaningful collaboration with patients throughout the research process also necessitates ensuring that novel approaches to research (including recruitment and consent) entail necessary protections regarding such issues as privacy. As the scientific and logistical aspects of this research are being developed, substantial attention is being focused on the accompanying ethics and regulatory issues that have emerged, which should help to facilitate ethically appropriate research in a variety of contexts.

Maternal warmth and directiveness jointly moderate the etiology of childhood conduct problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexandra Burt, S; Klahr, Ashlea M; Neale, Michael C; Klump, Kelly L

2013-10-01

Prior studies exploring gene-environment interactions (GxE) in the development of youth conduct problems (CP) have focused almost exclusively on single-risk experiences, despite research indicating that the presence of other risk factors and or the absence of protective factors can accentuate the influence of a given risk factor on CP. The goal of the current study was to fill this gap in the literature, evaluating whether risky and protective aspects of parenting might combine to jointly moderate the etiology of CP. The sample consisted of 500 child twin pairs from the Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR). Child CP was assessed using multiple informant reports. Maternal warmth and directiveness were assessed via videotaped dyadic interactions between mothers and each of their twins. Biometric GxE analyses revealed that directiveness and warmth did appear to jointly moderate the etiology of CP. In particular, shared environmental influences were accentuated by colder, less directive or 'less engaged' mothering, whereas genetic influences were strongest when the child was experiencing warmer, more directive or 'more authoritative' mothering. Such findings serve to highlight the synergistic effects of risky and protective experiences on child outcomes. They also provide additional empirical support for the bioecological form of GxE, which postulates that, in some cases, genetic influences may be most strongly expressed in the presence of low-risk environments. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2013 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Paula; Ovseiko, Pavel V; Grant, Jonathan; Graham, Kathryn E A; Boukhris, Omar F; Dowd, Anne-Maree; Balling, Gert V; Christensen, Rikke N; Pollitt, Alexandra; Taylor, Mark; Sued, Omar; Hinrichs-Krapels, Saba; Solans-Domènech, Maite; Chorzempa, Heidi

2018-02-08

As governments, funding agencies and research organisations worldwide seek to maximise both the financial and non-financial returns on investment in research, the way the research process is organised and funded is becoming increasingly under scrutiny. There are growing demands and aspirations to measure research impact (beyond academic publications), to understand how science works, and to optimise its societal and economic impact. In response, a multidisciplinary practice called research impact assessment is rapidly developing. Given that the practice is still in its formative stage, systematised recommendations or accepted standards for practitioners (such as funders and those responsible for managing research projects) across countries or disciplines to guide research impact assessment are not yet available.In this statement, we propose initial guidelines for a rigorous and effective process of research impact assessment applicable to all research disciplines and oriented towards practice. This statement systematises expert knowledge and practitioner experience from designing and delivering the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA). It brings together insights from over 450 experts and practitioners from 34 countries, who participated in the school during its 5-year run (from 2013 to 2017) and shares a set of core values from the school's learning programme. These insights are distilled into ten-point guidelines, which relate to (1) context, (2) purpose, (3) stakeholders' needs, (4) stakeholder engagement, (5) conceptual frameworks, (6) methods and data sources, (7) indicators and metrics, (8) ethics and conflicts of interest, (9) communication, and (10) community of practice.The guidelines can help practitioners improve and standardise the process of research impact assessment, but they are by no means exhaustive and require evaluation and continuous improvement. The prima facie effectiveness of the guidelines is based on the systematised

Prūsų kalbos pirminių vardažodžių morfemų akcentinė galia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vytautas Rinkevičius

2011-12-01

Full Text Available THE ACCENTUAL POWER OF OLD PRUSSIAN PRIMARY NOMINAL MORPHEMESSummaryThe article presents the first attempt to describe the Old Prussian accentuation system based on the main principles of morphological accentology. It aims to distinguish accentual properties of morphemes that determine the placement of stress in primary (non-derived Old Prussian nouns. At least one accentual property of morphemes (roots and inflexions, i.e. accentual power (strong vs. weak, could be distinguished. Strong root morphemes are roots that remain stressed in all forms of a paradigm, while the weak ones are those that lack stress in at least one form. Thus nouns with strong roots (eg. grīkai, kaulei, crixtiānimans, rūkai, wijrai (wijrimans; kīrki, kurpi, mūti, rīki, tapali; most probably also uremmans, wirdemmans; also possibly kaāubri, strigli belong to the constant stem-stress class, while nouns with weak roots (eg. gallū, gennāmans, mensā, mergūmans, widdewū; semmē; also possibly waikammans, kermenes belong to the mobile stress class. Strong inflexional morphemes are those that are stressed in position after weak roots (eg. nom. sg. fem. -ā (-ū, -ē; nom. pl. masc. ai; dat. pl. -āmans (-ūmans, -amans, while the weak ones are never stressed (eg. acc. sg. -an, -in; -ans, -ins; also possibly nom. pl. of ā-, ē-, i-, u-stems, acc. pl. and dat. sg. of all flexional types and gen. sg. of ā-stem.

Electromyographic activity of the trunk extensor muscles: effect of varying hip position and lumbar posture during Roman chair exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, John M; Verna, Joe L; Manini, Todd M; Mooney, Vert; Graves, James E

2002-11-01

To evaluate the effect of hip position and lumbar posture on the surface electromyographic activity of the trunk extensors during Roman chair exercise. Descriptive, repeated measures. University-based musculoskeletal research laboratory. Twelve healthy volunteers (7 men, 5 women; age range, 18-35y) without a history of low back pain were recruited from a university setting. Not applicable. Surface electromyographic activity was recorded from the lumbar extensor, gluteal, and hamstring musculature during dynamic Roman chair exercise. For each muscle group, electromyographic activity (mV/rep) was compared among exercises with internal hip rotation and external hip rotation and among exercises by using a typical lumbar posture (nonbiphasic) and a posture that accentuated lumbar lordosis (biphasic). For the lumbar extensors, electromyographic activity during exercise was 18% greater with internal hip rotation than external hip rotation (Phamstrings, there was no difference in electromyographic activity between internal and external hip rotation or between biphasic and nonbiphasic postures (P >.05). The level of recruitment of the lumbar extensors can be modified during Roman chair exercise by altering hip position and lumbar posture. Clinicians can use these data to develop progressive exercise protocols for the lumbar extensors with a variety of resistance levels without the need for complex equipment. Copyright 2002 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

In vivo tyrosinase mini-gene transfer enhances killing effect of BNCT on amelanotic melanoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kondoh, H.; Mishima, Y. [Mishima Institute for Dermatological Research, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Hiratsuka, J. [Kawasaki Medical School, Dept. of Radiation Oncology, Kurashiki, Okayama (Japan); Iwakura, M. [Kobe Univ. (Japan). School of Medicine

2000-10-01

Using accentuated melanogenesis principally occurring within melanoma cells, we have successfully treated human malignant melanoma (Mm) with {sup 10}B-BPA BNCT. Despite this success, there are still remaining issues for poorly melanogenic Mm and further non-pigment cell tumors. We found the selective accumulation of {sup 10}B-BPA to Mm is primarily due to the complex formation of BPA and melanin-monomers activity synthesized within Mm cells. Then, we succeeded in transferring the tyrosinase gene into amelanotic to substantially produce melanin monomers. These cells has demonstrated increased boron accumulation and enhanced killing effect of BNCT. Further, transfection of TRP-2 (DOPAchrome tautomerase) gene into poorly eumelanotic and slightly phenomelanotic Mm cells in culture cell systems also led to increased BPA accumulation. Thereafter, we studied in vivo gene transfer. We transferred the tyrosinase mini-gene by intra-tumor injection into poorly melanotic Mm proliferating subcutaneously in hamster skin, and performed BNCT. Compared to control tumors, gene-transferred tumors showed increased BPA accumulation leading to enhanced killing effect. (author)

Evaluation of socio-economic effects of R and D results at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. 2. Socio-economic evaluation of the basic research at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), as a core organization devoted to comprehensive nuclear energy research, has steadily promoted various types of research and development (R and D) studies since its establishment in June 1956. Research activities are aimed at performing (1) R and D for nuclear energy, (2) the utilization and application of radiation-based technologies, and (3) the establishment of basic and fundamental research in the nuclear field. Last year, the socio-economic effects on items (1) and (2) were qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated. The quantitative evaluation of item (3) from the viewpoint of a socio-economic effect, however, calls for a different concept and methodology than previously used cost-benefit approach. Achievements obtained from the activities conducted over the last 10 years implied that socio-economics in basic research funded by the public could contribute to the (1) increase in useful intellectual stocks, (2) upbringing of highly skilled college graduates, (3) construction of new scientific facilities and creation of methodologies, (4) stimulation and promotion of social interrelations by networking, (5) increase of one's ability to solve scientific problems, and (6) establishment of venture companies. In this study, we focused on item (4) for the analysis because it assumed that the external economic effect has a link with the socio-economic effects accompanying the networking formation. For the criteria of socio-economic effects we assume that the external effect becomes significant in proportion to the width of networking and/or the magnitude of cooperation measured by numbers of co-writing studies between JAERI and the research bodies, namely private and governmental sectors and universities. Taking these criteria into consideration, the subsequent four items are prepared for quantitative study. They are (1) to clarify the basic research fields where JAERI has been established a significant effort to

From Brand Image Research to Teaching Assessment: Using a Projective Technique Borrowed from Marketing Research to Aid an Understanding of Teaching Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Boddy, Clive Roland

2004-01-01

This paper describes how a simple qualitative market research technique using a projective device called a bubble drawing can be used as a useful feedback device to gain an understanding of students' views of the teaching effectiveness of a market research lecture. Comparisons are made with feedback gained from teaching observations and insights…

Effective implementation of research into practice: an overview of systematic reviews of the health literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fraser Alec

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The gap between research findings and clinical practice is well documented and a range of interventions has been developed to increase the implementation of research into clinical practice. Findings A review of systematic reviews of the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase the use of research in clinical practice. A search for relevant systematic reviews was conducted of Medline and the Cochrane Database of Reviews 1998-2009. 13 systematic reviews containing 313 primary studies were included. Four strategy types are identified: audit and feedback; computerised decision support; opinion leaders; and multifaceted interventions. Nine of the reviews reported on multifaceted interventions. This review highlights the small effects of single interventions such as audit and feedback, computerised decision support and opinion leaders. Systematic reviews of multifaceted interventions claim an improvement in effectiveness over single interventions, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate. This review found that a number of published systematic reviews fail to state whether the recommended practice change is based on the best available research evidence. Conclusions This overview of systematic reviews updates the body of knowledge relating to the effectiveness of key mechanisms for improving clinical practice and service development. Multifaceted interventions are more likely to improve practice than single interventions such as audit and feedback. This review identified a small literature focusing explicitly on getting research evidence into clinical practice. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that primary studies and systematic reviews are precise about the extent to which the reported interventions focus on changing practice based on research evidence (as opposed to other information codified in guidelines and education materials.

Empowering global software development with business intelligence

OpenAIRE

Maté Morga, Alejandro; Trujillo Mondéjar, Juan Carlos; García, Félix; Serrano Martín, Manuel; Piattini, Mario

2016-01-01

Context: Global Software Development (GSD) allows companies to take advantage of talent spread across the world. Most research has been focused on the development aspect. However, little if any attention has been paid to the management of GSD projects. Studies report a lack of adequate support for management’s decisions made during software development, further accentuated in GSD since information is scattered throughout multiple factories, stored in different formats and standards. Objective...

The effectiveness of domestic Scientific research on Iran development Indicators

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Vahid Ehsani

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In recent decades, research has growth Increasingly in Iran and, consequently, the country has risen dramatically in world rankings, based on the number of scientific documents. The impressive growth of the number of Iran researches, research experts increasingly focus on "research impact", and repeated emphasize on the issue of "use of research to improve society" in Iran superior governmental documents, leaded some researchers to investigate "how much Iran researches are effective?" They showed that these researches have in general been ineffective. Therefore, their efficacy should be evaluated which is the main purpose of this study. In this regard, using the Descriptive-Analytical method and valid secondary data and statistics, the results of Citation Analysis of Iran research outcomes were compared with other countries. Central questions of this study were respectively about «the quality of Iran whole researches (1996-2014», «the quality of top researches (2005-2014», «comparing the quality of whole researches with quality of top researches», and «the quality of Iran's Persian (2011-2012 and English (2014 scientific journals». For this purpose, based on the reliable data from valid databases (Thomson Reuters, Scopus and ISC, the value and rank of Iran at different citation related indices were extracted or calculated. The results, including «few citations per paper (5/7 which is about half of the global average (10/3 and declining trend of Iran rank based on this index», «poor country rank based on the share of top papers in all documents (128», «small share of global citations (47.0%, despite a significant share in the world Scientific document (1/1%», «low h-index despite the large number of articles», «inappropriate position in the basis of self-citation (more than 50% in 2014 in addition to a declining trend», «few citations per paper (76/7 which is about half of the global average (144/9», «small share of global

Activities and future plans of the radiation effects research foundation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagataki, Shigenobu

2000-01-01

The Radiation Effects Research Foundation (RERF) was established in 1975 as a binational research foundation supported by Japan and the United States. It continues the work of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) which was established in 1974. ABCC-RERF studies focus on several fixed cohorts of survivors and their children: the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort (120,000 survivors); the In-Utero cohort (3,300 people born within 9 months of the bombings); the F 1 cohort (88,000 people born between mid-1946 and 1984), and the Adult Health Study (AHS) cohort (an ongoing clinical study of 17,000 LSS survivors and 1,100 people exposed in-utero). Epidemiological data have shown increased risks of leukemia and solid cancers by radiation exposure among the survivors. Excess leukemia risks, especially for children, were markedly elevated 5 to 10 years after exposure and have continued at reduced levels. Excess solid cancer rates became apparent within 10 years after exposure, increasing throughout life in rough proportion to background rates. For doses of interest in radiation protection excess leukemia risks exhibit an upward curving dose response pattern while the solid cancer excess appears to be linear by dose with no apparent threshold. In addition to malignancy, AHS data has shown dose-related increased risk for various non-malignant diseases; radiation cataracts, benign tumors of uterus, thyroid and parathyroid (hyperparathyroidism), and autoimmune thyroid diseases. Persons exposed in-utero exhibit a broad range of dose-related effects including delayed growth and development and higher rates of microcephaly. Studies of birth defects, chromosome aberrations, childhood mortality, and genetic variants of serum or erythrocyte proteins have provided no indication of heritable mutations in the F 1 cohort. Continued follow-up of survivors exposed as children (90% are still alive) is essential to understanding the temporal pattern of excess risks and lifetime risks, and may

Perspectives and opportunities for research in radiation effects on materials in the 1990's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansur, L.K.

1992-01-01

Needs for research in radiation effects on materials span a broad range, from investigations of fundamental mechanisms to requirements on irradiation parameters suitable for technological studies in no less than a dozen reactor systems and subsystems. In the 1970's, 1980's and again in 1990, workshops were convened to refocus attention on progress and needs in these areas. Critical review papers and smaller meetings have also considered more specialized questions and identified important needs. In the present report, one author's view of current status and desirable avenues for radiation effects research are presented. Issues are discussed covering point defect production and availability, considerations peculiar to widely different classes of materials and radiation effects phenomena, and irradiation conditions needed for current and planned reactor systems. Research recommendations cannot be made independently of the availability of experimental facilities. Needs in the latter area are reflected in the paper

Global comparative healthcare effectiveness research: Evaluating sustainable programmes in low & middle resource settings

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Rajesh Balkrishnan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The need to focus healthcare expenditures on innovative and sustainable health systems that efficiently use existing effective therapies are the major drivers stimulating Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER across the globe. Lack of adequate access and high cost of essential medicines and technologies in many countries increases morbidity and mortality and cost of care that forces people and families into poverty due to disability and out-of-pocket expenses. This review illustrates the potential of value-added global health care comparative effectiveness research in shaping health systems and health care delivery paradigms in the "global south". Enabling the development of effective CER systems globally paves the way for tangible local and regional definitions of equity in health care because CER fosters the sharing of critical assets, resources, skills, and capabilities and the development of collaborative of multi-sectorial frameworks to improve health outcomes and metrics globally.

Linking Research and Practice: Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary in the ESL Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Jihyun

2010-01-01

Vocabulary plays a pivotal role in the ESL classroom. Whereas a considerable amount of research has examined effective ESL vocabulary teaching and learning, missing are studies that provide examples of how to put various research findings into practice: that is, apply them to real texts including target vocabulary items. In order to close the gap…

Effect of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis on redox status in chronic renal failure patients: a comparative study

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Mekki Khedidja

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective To investigate the effects of hemodialysis (HD and periotoneal dialysis (PD on oxidative stress in chronic renal failure patients (CRF. Methods 20 HD patients (M/F: 8/12, 36 ± 12 years and 20 PD patients (M/F: 10/10, 40 ± 8 years were compared with 20 end stage renal failure patients (CRF (M/F: 4/16, 61 ± 13 years. Results Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS values were elevated in HD and decreased in PD compared to CRF (P 2 were decreased in HD and PD, compared to CRF (p 3 values between the three groups. Carbonyls were increased in HD (p Conclusion HD and PD aggravate oxidative stress generated by uremia. HD accentuates lipid and protein peroxidation, while PD aggravates protein oxidation. However, the activity of antioxidant enzymes was altered by both dialysis treatments.

Considerations in the selection of model substrates for microbiological effects research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Francis, A.J.; Rose, A.W.

1984-01-01

The physical and chemical characteristics of several energy residues have been briefly reviewed in order to select a model or representative substrate of basic research to determine the significance of anaerobic microbial dissolution and mobilization or immobilization of toxic trace elements under subsurface environmental conditions. The major factors which influence the dissolution and mobilization of trace metals have been critically examined, e.g., (i) effects on pH of leachates (pyrite oxidation), soluble acid, and basic compounds; (ii) effects on oxidation state of leachates (oxidation state of Fe, presence of organics); (iii) concentration of toxic inorganic species, and chemical form; (iv) surface area of waste particles; and (v) physical strength and particle size, with resulting effects on permeability of the substrate. Several major physical and chemical characteristics are common to energy-related residues yet each of these materials has a unique set of physical and chemical properties. The pros and cons of selecting a single model substrate for microbiological research were discussed at the Geochemical and Biochemical Working Group Meeting and use of the end-member concept was suggested. From the abundance, distribution, forms of trace metals present, and volume of these metal-containing residues disposed of in the subsurface environments, microbiological studies can be performed with coal beneficiation and coal gasification residues under a variety of subsurface environmental conditions, and results can be validated in the field. The basic scientific information obtained from this research can be applied to other materials of similar composition. 18 references, 3 figures, 7 tables

Research program on the biological effects of oil pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrett, R.T.

1991-12-01

A national research program on the biological effects of oil pollution (FOBO) was initiated by the Norwegian Ministry of Environment in October 1983 in the light of the increasing oil exploration and production activity in the North Sea and northern Norwegian waters. Ambitions were high and five main fields of research were suggested: Seabirds, fish (incl. salmon), marine mammals, the littoral zone and plankton. However, due to the lack of interest on the part of other potential financers, e.g. the Ministry of Fisheries and the oil companies, to participate, the four-year programme had to be limited to the following three topics: Seabirds around bruding colonies and at sea; Higher plants along the shoreline; The littoral zone. The program ran from the autumn of 1985 to the end of 1989 and this report summarizes the main results and conclusions of each project. 95 refs., 52 figs., 9 tabs

Critical research gaps and recommendations to inform research prioritisation for more effective prevention and improved outcomes in colorectal cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Lawler, Mark; Alsina, Deborah; Adams, Richard A; Anderson, Annie S; Brown, Gina; Fearnhead, Nicola S; Fenwick, Stephen W; Hochhauser, Daniel; Koelzer, Viktor H; McNair, Angus G K; Norton, Christine; Novelli, Marco R; Steele, Robert J C; Thomas, Anne L; Wilde, Lisa M; Wilson, Richard H

2018-01-01

Objective Colorectal cancer (CRC) leads to significant morbidity/mortality worldwide. Defining critical research gaps (RG), their prioritisation and resolution, could improve patient outcomes. Design RG analysis was conducted by a multidisciplinary panel of patients, clinicians and researchers (n=71). Eight working groups (WG) were constituted: discovery science; risk; prevention; early diagnosis and screening; pathology; curative treatment; stage IV disease; and living with and beyond CRC. A series of discussions led to development of draft papers by each WG, which were evaluated by a 20-strong patient panel. A final list of RGs and research recommendations (RR) was endorsed by all participants. Results Fifteen critical RGs are summarised below: RG1: Lack of realistic models that recapitulate tumour/tumour micro/macroenvironment; RG2: Insufficient evidence on precise contributions of genetic/environmental/lifestyle factors to CRC risk; RG3: Pressing need for prevention trials; RG4: Lack of integration of different prevention approaches; RG5: Lack of optimal strategies for CRC screening; RG6: Lack of effective triage systems for invasive investigations; RG7: Imprecise pathological assessment of CRC; RG8: Lack of qualified personnel in genomics, data sciences and digital pathology; RG9: Inadequate assessment/communication of risk, benefit and uncertainty of treatment choices; RG10: Need for novel technologies/interventions to improve curative outcomes; RG11: Lack of approaches that recognise molecular interplay between metastasising tumours and their microenvironment; RG12: Lack of reliable biomarkers to guide stage IV treatment; RG13: Need to increase understanding of health related quality of life (HRQOL) and promote residual symptom resolution; RG14: Lack of coordination of CRC research/funding; RG15: Lack of effective communication between relevant stakeholders. Conclusion Prioritising research activity and funding could have a significant impact on reducing CRC

Effective Governance and Hospital Boards Revisited: Reflections on 25 Years of Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Erwin, Cathleen O; Landry, Amy Yarbrough; Livingston, Avery C; Dias, Ashley

2018-01-01

This study reviews and synthesizes empirical research literature focusing on the relationship between boards of directors and organizational effectiveness of U.S. hospitals. The study examines literature published in scholarly journals during the period of 1991-2017. Fifty-one empirical articles were identified that met the study's inclusion criteria. A framework from the corporate governance and nonprofit governance literature is used to classify the articles according to level of analysis (individual actors, governing bodies, organizations, and networks, alliances and multiorganizational initiatives) and focus of research (formal structure and behavioral dynamics-including informal structures and processes). Results are discussed, emerging trends are identified, and recommendations are made for future research.

Research with School Students: Four Innovative Methods Used to Explore Effective Teaching

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Jessica Faye Heal

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This article outlines four research methods we’ve employed to enhance how students from low-income backgrounds engage in research exploring effective teaching. It firstly outlines the need to be innovative, drawing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and then moves on to explain two methods that scaffold a semi-structured interview, one child-led classroom tour and finally a creative ‘draw and tell’ approach. It argues that these methods are successful because they disrupt the researcher-participant power imbalance using the following techniques: Familiarity to the student, empowering the student to be an expert, and giving the student choice.

Factors Contributing to Research Team Effectiveness: Testing a Model of Team Effectiveness in an Academic Setting

Science.gov (United States)

Omar, Zoharah; Ahmad, Aminah

2014-01-01

Following the classic systems model of inputs, processes, and outputs, this study examined the influence of three input factors, team climate, work overload, and team leadership, on research project team effectiveness as measured by publication productivity, team member satisfaction, and job frustration. This study also examined the mediating…

Blast load effects research in dry and wet soil

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Ahmed, R

2014-09-01

Full Text Available stream_source_info Ahmed_2014_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt stream_content_type text/plain stream_size 904 Content-Encoding UTF-8 stream_name Ahmed_2014_ABSTRACT.pdf.txt Content-Type text/plain; charset=UTF-8 South African Ballistics... Organisation Conference, Zebra Country Lodge, Gauteng, South Africa, 29 September – 1 October 2014 BLAST LOAD EFFECTS RESEARCH IN DRY AND WET SOIL R Ahmed and ME Miyambo Landward Sciences, Defence Peace Safety and Security, CSIR, PO Box 395, Pretoria...

Research on the Effects of Rewards: Implications for Annual Merit Pay.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Richard R.

Some research suggests reduced cooperation and collaboration among college faculty may result when annual pay increments are based on merit evaluations. Various theories and principles have been put forward to explain these effects. The overjustification theory suggests that extrinsically presented rewards become more salient than one's intrinsic…

Facilitating comparative effectiveness research in cancer genomics: evaluating stakeholder perceptions of the engagement process.

Science.gov (United States)

Deverka, Patricia A; Lavallee, Danielle C; Desai, Priyanka J; Armstrong, Joanne; Gorman, Mark; Hole-Curry, Leah; O'Leary, James; Ruffner, B W; Watkins, John; Veenstra, David L; Baker, Laurence H; Unger, Joseph M; Ramsey, Scott D

2012-07-01

The Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Cancer Genomics completed a 2-year stakeholder-guided process for the prioritization of genomic tests for comparative effectiveness research studies. We sought to evaluate the effectiveness of engagement procedures in achieving project goals and to identify opportunities for future improvements. The evaluation included an online questionnaire, one-on-one telephone interviews and facilitated discussion. Responses to the online questionnaire were tabulated for descriptive purposes, while transcripts from key informant interviews were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. A total of 11 out of 13 stakeholders completed both the online questionnaire and interview process, while nine participated in the facilitated discussion. Eighty-nine percent of questionnaire items received overall ratings of agree or strongly agree; 11% of responses were rated as neutral with the exception of a single rating of disagreement with an item regarding the clarity of how stakeholder input was incorporated into project decisions. Recommendations for future improvement included developing standard recruitment practices, role descriptions and processes for improved communication with clinical and comparative effectiveness research investigators. Evaluation of the stakeholder engagement process provided constructive feedback for future improvements and should be routinely conducted to ensure maximal effectiveness of stakeholder involvement.

[Research advance in metabolism of effective ingredients from traditional Chinese medicines by probiotics].

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Cheng-En; Li, Hai-Long; He, Xiao-Ping; Zheng, Fen-Fen; Zhu, Hua-Liu; Liu, Liang-Feng; Du, Wei

2018-01-01

The pharmacological activity of active ingredients from Chinese medicine depends greatly on the microecological environment of probiotics in the human body. After effective ingredients from traditional Chinese medicines are metabolized or biotransformed by probiotics, their metabolites can increase pharmacological activity, and can be absorbed more easily to improve the bioavailability. Therefore, the combination of Chinese medicines with probiotics is the innovation point in R&D of functional food and Chinese medicines, and also a new thinking for the modernization of Chinese medicine.This review summarizes and analyses the research progress on metabolism effects of gut microbiota on Chinese medicines components, the regulating effect of effective ingredients from Chinese medicine on intestinal probiotics, the application status of probiotics in traditional Chinese medicines, and the main problems and prospects in the research and development of Chinese medicines products with probiotic, aiming to provide theoretical guidance and practical value for the fermentation engineering of Chinese herbal medicine. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

RESEARCH ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ADVERTISING CHANNELS AT VIITAMAA CARAVAN OY

OpenAIRE

Huumonen, Anna-Sofia

2012-01-01

The topic of this study is the effectiveness of advertising channels.The topic was chosen by the request of Viitamaa Caravan Oy. The company wants this study to give more information about the effectiveness of different advertising channels in their own advertising. Viitamaa Caravan Oy also wanted some insight into the fact how much money in the budget should be reserved for each channel. The research problem can be defined as: Which of the advertising channels already used in Viitamaa Carav...

Actual knowledge about some plants with radioprotective effect and about the research of possibilities their use

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skalka, J.

2004-01-01

Study was undertaken to refer to me importance of radiological protection of human and animal species, especially. After the crash of nuclear power station in Chernobyl, Ukraine, an enormous natural catastrophe. The world wide research programs are dedicated to vearch for plants with radioprotective effect. Apparently representing sea vegetation, brown algae, were considered to have a radioprotective effect just as a large amount of plants representing terrestrial flora. The direction of research programs in the world continues in identification of other unknown plants having radioprotective effect. We would like to direct our research interests in this direction and use enormous possibilities of our rich and various vegetation. (author)

Effect of salinity on the metabolism and osmoregulation of selected ontogenetic stages of an amazon population of Macrobrachium amazonicum shrimp (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)

OpenAIRE

Mazzarelli, CCM.; Santos, MR.; Amorim, RV.; Augusto, A.

2015-01-01

Probably as a function of their wide geographical distribution, the different population of Macrobrachium amazonicum shrimp may present distinct physiological, biochemical, reproductive, behavioral, and ecological patterns. These differences are so accentuated that the existence of allopatric speciation has been suggested, although initial studies indicate that the genetic variability of populations happen at an intraspecific level. Among the biological responses described for M. amazonicum p...

Course Level and the Relationship between Research Productivity and Teaching Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, Ivo J. M.

2008-01-01

The author examines the relationship between research productivity and teaching effectiveness using data from the Erasmus School of Economics. The initial findings indicate a positive overall relationship between the variables. A more detailed analysis reveals a sharp reversal in the nature of the relationship. Although the relationship is…

The Effects of Ability Grouping: A Meta-Analysis of Research Findings.

Science.gov (United States)

Noland, Theresa Koontz; Taylor, Bob L.

The study reported in this paper quantitatively integrated the recent research findings on ability grouping in order to generalize about these effects on student achievement and student self-concept. Meta-analysis was used to statistically integrate the empirical data. The relationships among various experimental variables including grade level,…

Recent progress in the field of non-auditory health effects of noise. Trends and research needs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kluizenaar, Y. de; Matsui, T.

2017-01-01

With the aim to identify recent research achievements, current trends in research, remaining gaps of knowledge and priority areas of future research in the field of non-auditory health effects of noise, recent research progress was reviewed. A search was performed in PubMed (search terms “noise AND

Assessment of Intellectual Capital in Joint-Stock Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rima Tamošiūnienė

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The evaluation of intellectual capital factors is an essential part for the management of joint-stock companies. Many authors indicate that successful intellectual capital management increases value added in joint-stock companies. Nevertheless, intellectual capital is a complex and challenging concept as there is still no clear guidance, what the intellectual capital features and its structural parts are. Theoretical research revealed that scientists accentuate various intellectual capital parts depending basically on the type of their research, on the level of the research (micro, mezzo, macro, variables they selected to investigate and similar. This research paper gives an insight what drivers can be increasing value added in joint-stock companies.

Stereotyping by Omission: Eliminate the Negative, Accentuate the Positive

Science.gov (United States)

Bergsieker, Hilary B.; Leslie, Lisa M.; Constantine, Vanessa S.; Fiske, Susan T.

2014-01-01

Communicators, motivated by strategic self-presentation, selectively underreport negative content in describing their impressions of individuals and stereotypes of groups, particularly for targets whom they view ambivalently with respect to warmth and competence. Communicators avoid overtly inaccurate descriptions, preferring to omit negative information and emphasize positive information about mixed individual targets (Study 1). With more public audiences, communicators increasingly prefer negativity omission to complete accuracy (Study 2), a process driven by self-presentation concerns (Study 3), and moderated by bidimensional ambivalence. Similarly, in an extension of the Princeton Trilogy studies, reported stereotypes of ethnic and national outgroups systematically omitted negative dimensions over 75 years—as anti-prejudice norms intensified—while neutral and positive stereotype dimensions remained constant (Study 4). Multiple assessment methods confirm this stereotyping-by-omission phenomenon (Study 5). Implications of negativity omission for innuendo and stereotype stagnation are discussed. PMID:22448889

Innovative look at dairy heifer rearing: Effect of prenatal and post-natal environment on later performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Eetvelde, M; Opsomer, G

2017-08-01

As heifer rearing is a costly investment, dairy farmers have been stimulated to maximize early growth of their calves, mainly by enhanced liquid feeding. However, the long-term effects of this "accelerated growth" are largely unknown. Studies recently performed at Ghent University indicate that in dairy cattle, certain maternal factors (such as young age and high milk yield) and environmental factors (such as high ambient temperatures) create a suboptimal environment for the developing foetus, altering the phenotype of the newborn calf. According to the "thrifty phenotype hypothesis," these metabolic alterations prepare the newborn for similar ("matching") conditions after birth, enhancing its survival during periods of limited feeding. Yet, when an abundance of nutrients is available in post-natal life (e.g., during periods of enhanced feeding), the "mismatch" between pre- and post-natal environment results in an early catch-up growth, with potential negative consequences. The aim of the article was to discuss this mismatch between pre- and post-natal environment in dairy calves. Previous studies, especially in human medicine, have shown catch-up growth to be associated with obesity, fertility problems, metabolic diseases and a reduced lifespan. Hence, we hypothesize that, by applying programs of accelerated growth, our current management system accentuates the mismatch between the pre- and post-natal environment in dairy calves. We can conclude that, although more research is necessary, the current findings point towards a more individual approach when rearing dairy heifers. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Supporting Imagers' VOICE: A National Training Program in Comparative Effectiveness Research and Big Data Analytics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Stella K; Rawson, James V; Recht, Michael P

2017-12-05

Provided methodologic training, more imagers can contribute to the evidence basis on improved health outcomes and value in diagnostic imaging. The Value of Imaging Through Comparative Effectiveness Research Program was developed to provide hands-on, practical training in five core areas for comparative effectiveness and big biomedical data research: decision analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, evidence synthesis, big data principles, and applications of big data analytics. The program's mixed format consists of web-based modules for asynchronous learning as well as in-person sessions for practical skills and group discussion. Seven diagnostic radiology subspecialties and cardiology are represented in the first group of program participants, showing the collective potential for greater depth of comparative effectiveness research in the imaging community. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research on sprout inhibition effect of refrigerated garlic by irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xuan; He Jianzhong; Li Ruijun

2005-01-01

This paper researches the sprout inhibition effect by irradiation on refrigerated garlic. The results shows that, the garlic is still in the period of dormancy within 7 days after taken out from the refrigerated warehouse, and irradiation have a good sprout inhibition effect on it. The irradiation dose is 40-90 Gy, the same as that of the post harvest irradiation treatment on garlic. Refrigerate the Zhongmu Garlic (at -2 degree C-0 degree C) until the middle ten days of February the next year, place it at the room temperature (10 degree C-15 degree C) for 1-7 days after taking it out of the warehouse, then use 60 Co γ-ray to irradiate it until the absorbed dose reaches 40-90 Gy, the sprout inhibition effect can be realized. The test also indicates that the deposited time after taking out of the refrigerated warehouse is crucial to the sprout inhibition effect of refrigerated garlic by irradiation. (authors)

Assessment of Teaching Effectiveness: Lack of Alignment between Instructors, Institutions, and Research Recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Charles; Turpen, Chandra; Dancy, Melissa; Chapman, Tricia

2014-01-01

Ideally, instructors and their institutions would have a shared set of metrics by which they determine teaching effectiveness. And, ideally, these metrics would overlap with research findings on measuring teaching effectiveness. Unfortunately, the current situation at most institutions is far from this ideal. As part of a larger interview study,…

Effect of the complementary anions on the balance of calcium and boron in soil and plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

El-Damaty, A; El-Hamid, W A; El-Sherbeni, A E; El-Mowelhi,; Hossein, M A

1974-05-01

Different calcium salts and varying levels of boron were used in pot experiments with broad beans. High solubility Ca salts produced relatively lower soil pH than very low solubility Ca salts. Low solubility Ca salts slightly promote B retention as long as they increased soil pH. High Ca content in beans and high Ca/B ratios in soil are produced by very soluble Ca salts. B content of the plants depends on the amount of Ca absorbed and the B level in the soil, irrespective of any other factors studied. The presence of some Ca salts masked Boron toxicity symptoms. CO/sub 3/ anions in calcareous soils may play a role in boron deficiency or toxicity. Application of nitrogenous fertilizers may reduce injurious effect of excessive B content in soil, unlike phosphate fertilizers which may accentuate the boron toxicity problem. 14 references, 1 table.

Introduction to the AJA research forum on aging and hearing: mechanisms and effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Paglialonga, Alessia; Grandori, Ferdinando

2013-12-01

PURPOSE This Research Forum, "Aging and Hearing: Mechanisms and Effects," highlights 6 contributions presented at the 2nd International Conference on Adult Hearing Screening (AHS 2012), held in Cernobbio (Lake Como, Italy) in June 2012. Overall, the articles in this Research Forum give insight into the causes, mechanisms, and consequences of auditory dysfunctions in adults, with particular focus on their implications for screening, assessment, and intervention.

A content analysis of thinspiration images and text posts on Tumblr.

Science.gov (United States)

Wick, Madeline R; Harriger, Jennifer A

2018-03-01

Thinspiration is content advocating extreme weight loss by means of images and/or text posts. While past content analyses have examined thinspiration content on social media and other websites, no research to date has examined thinspiration content on Tumblr. Over the course of a week, 222 images and text posts were collected after entering the keyword 'thinspiration' into the Tumblr search bar. These images were then rated on a variety of characteristics. The majority of thinspiration images included a thin woman adhering to culturally based beauty, often posing in a manner that accentuated her thinness or sexuality. The most common themes for thinspiration text posts included dieting/restraint, weight loss, food guilt, and body guilt. The thinspiration content on Tumblr appears to be consistent with that on other mediums. Future research should utilize experimental methods to examine the potential effects of consuming thinspiration content on Tumblr. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Falsification Testing of Instrumental Variables Methods for Comparative Effectiveness Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Pizer, Steven D

2016-04-01

To demonstrate how falsification tests can be used to evaluate instrumental variables methods applicable to a wide variety of comparative effectiveness research questions. Brief conceptual review of instrumental variables and falsification testing principles and techniques accompanied by an empirical application. Sample STATA code related to the empirical application is provided in the Appendix. Comparative long-term risks of sulfonylureas and thiazolidinediones for management of type 2 diabetes. Outcomes include mortality and hospitalization for an ambulatory care-sensitive condition. Prescribing pattern variations are used as instrumental variables. Falsification testing is an easily computed and powerful way to evaluate the validity of the key assumption underlying instrumental variables analysis. If falsification tests are used, instrumental variables techniques can help answer a multitude of important clinical questions. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Introducing Darwinism to Toronto's post-1887 reconstituted medical school.

Science.gov (United States)

Court, John P M

2011-01-01

Charles Darwin's scientific paradigm was largely welcomed in Canadian academic biology and medicine, while reaction among other faculty and laypeople ranged from interest to outrage. In 1874, Ramsay Wright, a Darwinian-era biologist from Edinburgh, was appointed to the University of Toronto's Chair of Natural History. Over his 38-year career Wright integrated the evolutionary perspective into medical and biology teaching without accentuating its controversial source. He also applied the emerging German experimental research model and laboratory technology. This study identifies five categories of scientific and personal influences upon Wright through archival research on biographical sources and his writings.

The phenomenological experience of dementia and user interface development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Peterson, Carrie Beth; Mitseva, Anelia; Mihovska, Albena D.

2009-01-01

This study follows the project ISISEMD through a phenomenological approach of investigating the experience of the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) for someone with dementia. The aim is to accentuate the Assistive Technology (AT) from the end user perspective. It proposes that older adults and those...... with dementia should no longer be an overlooked population, and how the HCI community can learn from their experiences to develop methods and design interfaces which truly benefit these individuals. Guidelines from previous research are incorporated along with eclectic, user-centered strategies as the interface...... designers for ISISEMD develop an appropriate and effective modality. The paper outlines the interconnected difficulties associated with the characteristics of older adults with mild dementia, which are important to be considered when introducing AT to that group of end users. It further presents clear...

75 FR 14131 - Effect on Propane Consumers of the Propane Education and Research Council's Operations, Market...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-24

... Propane Education and Research Council's Operations, Market Changes and Federal Programs AGENCY... Education and Research Council (PERC), in conjunction with the cumulative effects of market changes and... requirements under the Propane Education and Research Act of 1996 that established PERC and requires the...

Cellular Mechanism Underlying Hypothermia-Induced VT/VF in the Setting of Early Repolarization and the Protective Effect of Quinidine, Cilostazol and Milrinone

Science.gov (United States)

Gurabi, Zsolt; Koncz, István; Patocskai, Bence; Nesterenko, Vladislav V.; Antzelevitch, Charles

2014-01-01

Background Hypothermia has been reported to induce ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF) in patients with early repolarization (ER) pattern. This study examines the cellular mechanisms underlying VT/VF associated with hypothermia in an experimental model of ER syndrome (ERS) and examines the effectiveness of quinidine, cilostazol and milrinone to prevent hypothermia-induced arrhythmias. Method and Results Transmembrane action potentials (AP) were simultaneously recorded from 2 epicardial and 1 endocardial site of coronary-perfused canine left-ventricular wedge preparations, together with a pseudo-ECG. A combination of NS5806 (3–10 µM) and verapamil (1µM) was used to pharmacologically model the genetic mutations responsible for ERS. Acetylcholine (3µM) was used to simulate increased parasympathetic tone, which is known to promote ER. In control, lowering the temperature of the coronary perfusate to induce mild hypothermia (32°C-34°C) resulted in increased J wave area on the ECG and accentuated epicardial AP notch but no arrhythmic activity. In the setting of ER, hypothermia caused further accentuation of the epicardial AP notch, leading to loss of the AP dome at some sites but not others, thus creating the substrate for development of phase-2-reentry and VT/VF. Addition of the Ito antagonist quinidine (5 µM) or the phosphodiesterase III inhibitors cilostazol (10 µM) or milrinone (5 µM), diminished the ER manifestations and prevented the hypothermia-induced phase 2 reentry and VT/VF. Conclusions Hypothermia leads to VT/VF in the setting of ER by exaggerating repolarization abnormalities, leading to development of phase-2-reentry. Quinidine, cilostazol and milrinone suppress the hypothermia-induced VT/VF by reversing the repolarization abnormalities. PMID:24429494

PUMPED STORAGE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS: ASSESSMENT OF RESEARCH NEEDS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DH. Fickeisen

1979-09-01

Pumped storage hydroelectric systems convert large quantities of electrical energy to a form that may be stored and efficiently reconverted to electricity. Water is pumped from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during periods of low power demand. The stored water is then used to generate additional power when demand peaks. Since the basic requirements of the system are simple, the design of individual plants and their locations vary widely. These variations make assessment of the generic environmental impact of the pumped storage systems difficult. In addition, most studies have not examined the impacts of an operating plant comprehensively. Assessment of the environmental effects of development and operation of a pumped storage plant requires an extensive set of baseline information, which is deficient in several aspects at the present state of the art. Additional research is needed to: • identify species groups likely to survive and reproduce in pumped storage reservoirs, their relationships and habitat preferences, and the basis for their production; • characterize anticipated reservoir ecosystem community development and relate it to physical characteristics of pumped storage reservoirs; • define effects of plant design and operating parameters on transport of organisms through the pump/turbine facility, accounting for behavior of the organisms potentially impacted; • access the mortality rate of organisms likely to pass through pump-turbines; • identify the relative advantages and disadvantages of screening intake structures to prevent passage of large organisms through the plant; • assess the effects of currents and water withdrawal on migration and movement of aquatic species; • investigate the effects of fluctuating water levels on the littoral zone and riparian communities, effects of stranding on entrapment of fishes, and effects on fish spawning; and • review the applicability of water quality and ecosystem models to pumped storage

Culture of three-dimensional tissue model and its application in bystander-effect research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Ruqun; Xu An; Wu Lijun; Hu Burong

2012-01-01

Compared with the cultured monolayer (2D) cells, three-dimensional (3D) tissue could be more similar to the environment in vivo including the physical support, chemical factors, cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction and so on. With the development of three-dimensional cell culture techniques (TDCC), 3D tissue is widely used in the areas of bystander effect research. This review focuses on introducing the TDCC method and its application in bystander-effect research. First, the development process of 3D tissue culture method was introduced. Secondly, the induction of radiation induced bystander effects both in 2D cell and 3D tissue and its mechanisms were reviewed. Finally, because heavy ion (carbon ion beam) has been developed as a useful tool to cure solid cancer, and the 3D tissue model is an ideal material to study the damages on body after being irradiated and to understand the underlying mechanisms, future study about heavy ion radiation inducing bystander effect in 3D tissue was discussed. (authors)

Evaluating the potential economic effectiveness of scientific research in the area of geological exploration for oil and gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaynbaum, S Ya

1979-01-01

The category of ''potential effect'' is inherent to scientific developments in oil geology. This effect is associated with a quantity of labor in the sphere of scientific research which is embodied in the extracted information and stored until its complete use in production. The potential effect can be predicted. It is an indicator of economic effectiveness of scientific research. Distribution of the coefficient of creativity (innovation) for scientific research for geological exploration is suggested. The system of calculating the economic effect contains real stimuli for increasing economic efficiency. The most important of them are: establishment of the most promising trends for geological exploration which guarantee maximum increase in hydrocarbon reserves; decrease in net cost which will guarantee the obtaining of great profit; conducting of research on a higher level, in a large quantity of stages of work. This results in an increase in the percentage of participation of science in the production process, and this means, an increase in its economic effectiveness.

Power, effects, confidence, and significance: an investigation of statistical practices in nursing research.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaskin, Cadeyrn J; Happell, Brenda

2014-05-01

To (a) assess the statistical power of nursing research to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes; (b) estimate the experiment-wise Type I error rate in these studies; and (c) assess the extent to which (i) a priori power analyses, (ii) effect sizes (and interpretations thereof), and (iii) confidence intervals were reported. Statistical review. Papers published in the 2011 volumes of the 10 highest ranked nursing journals, based on their 5-year impact factors. Papers were assessed for statistical power, control of experiment-wise Type I error, reporting of a priori power analyses, reporting and interpretation of effect sizes, and reporting of confidence intervals. The analyses were based on 333 papers, from which 10,337 inferential statistics were identified. The median power to detect small, medium, and large effect sizes was .40 (interquartile range [IQR]=.24-.71), .98 (IQR=.85-1.00), and 1.00 (IQR=1.00-1.00), respectively. The median experiment-wise Type I error rate was .54 (IQR=.26-.80). A priori power analyses were reported in 28% of papers. Effect sizes were routinely reported for Spearman's rank correlations (100% of papers in which this test was used), Poisson regressions (100%), odds ratios (100%), Kendall's tau correlations (100%), Pearson's correlations (99%), logistic regressions (98%), structural equation modelling/confirmatory factor analyses/path analyses (97%), and linear regressions (83%), but were reported less often for two-proportion z tests (50%), analyses of variance/analyses of covariance/multivariate analyses of variance (18%), t tests (8%), Wilcoxon's tests (8%), Chi-squared tests (8%), and Fisher's exact tests (7%), and not reported for sign tests, Friedman's tests, McNemar's tests, multi-level models, and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Effect sizes were infrequently interpreted. Confidence intervals were reported in 28% of papers. The use, reporting, and interpretation of inferential statistics in nursing research need substantial

Critical research gaps and recommendations to inform research prioritisation for more effective prevention and improved outcomes in colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawler, Mark; Alsina, Deborah; Adams, Richard A; Anderson, Annie S; Brown, Gina; Fearnhead, Nicola S; Fenwick, Stephen W; Halloran, Stephen P; Hochhauser, Daniel; Hull, Mark A; Koelzer, Viktor H; McNair, Angus G K; Monahan, Kevin J; Näthke, Inke; Norton, Christine; Novelli, Marco R; Steele, Robert J C; Thomas, Anne L; Wilde, Lisa M; Wilson, Richard H; Tomlinson, Ian

2018-01-01

Colorectal cancer (CRC) leads to significant morbidity/mortality worldwide. Defining critical research gaps (RG), their prioritisation and resolution, could improve patient outcomes. RG analysis was conducted by a multidisciplinary panel of patients, clinicians and researchers (n=71). Eight working groups (WG) were constituted: discovery science; risk; prevention; early diagnosis and screening; pathology; curative treatment; stage IV disease; and living with and beyond CRC. A series of discussions led to development of draft papers by each WG, which were evaluated by a 20-strong patient panel. A final list of RGs and research recommendations (RR) was endorsed by all participants. Fifteen critical RGs are summarised below: RG1 : Lack of realistic models that recapitulate tumour/tumour micro/macroenvironment; RG2 : Insufficient evidence on precise contributions of genetic/environmental/lifestyle factors to CRC risk; RG3 : Pressing need for prevention trials; RG4 : Lack of integration of different prevention approaches; RG5 : Lack of optimal strategies for CRC screening; RG6 : Lack of effective triage systems for invasive investigations; RG7 : Imprecise pathological assessment of CRC; RG8 : Lack of qualified personnel in genomics, data sciences and digital pathology; RG9 : Inadequate assessment/communication of risk, benefit and uncertainty of treatment choices; RG10 : Need for novel technologies/interventions to improve curative outcomes; RG11 : Lack of approaches that recognise molecular interplay between metastasising tumours and their microenvironment; RG12 : Lack of reliable biomarkers to guide stage IV treatment; RG13 : Need to increase understanding of health related quality of life (HRQOL) and promote residual symptom resolution; RG14 : Lack of coordination of CRC research/funding; RG15 : Lack of effective communication between relevant stakeholders. Prioritising research activity and funding could have a significant impact on reducing CRC disease burden over

Ecological effects research related to oil spills and oil spill countermeasures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurand, D.

1992-01-01

The Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC) was created specifically to provide an improved response option for large marine oil spills in U.S. waters. As part of that capability, MSRC is committed to an extensive research and development program designed to improve the state-of-the-art for oil spill response. Within the mission, the goals of the Environmental Health Program are to ensure that ecological and human health effects of both oil and oil cleanup counter measures are well understood and that this information is made widely available for appropriate consideration in planning and implementing oil spill response efforts. This an applied program, and is intended to directly support the MSRC response mission. It does not include studies directly related to damage assessment, which is outside of the mission of MSRC. This paper focuses on the issues MSRC sees as critical in the area of ecological effects research, and addresses four topics: Why do we need to do more? What is it we hope to accomplish? What needs to be done? What is being planned or implemented?

Effective delayed neutron fraction and prompt neutron lifetime of Tehran research reactor mixed-core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lashkari, A.; Khalafi, H.; Kazeminejad, H.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Kinetic parameters of Tehran research reactor mixed-core have been calculated. ► Burn-up effect on TRR kinetics parameters has been studied. ► Replacement of LEU-CFE with HEU-CFE in the TRR core has been investigated. ► Results of each mixed core were compared to the reference core. ► Calculation of kinetic parameters are necessary for reactivity and power excursion transient analysis. - Abstract: In this work, kinetic parameters of Tehran research reactor (TRR) mixed cores have been calculated. The mixed core configurations are made by replacement of the low enriched uranium control fuel elements with highly enriched uranium control fuel elements in the reference core. The MTR P C package, a nuclear reactor analysis tool, is used to perform the analysis. Simulations were carried out to compute effective delayed neutron fraction and prompt neutron lifetime. Calculation of kinetic parameters is necessary for reactivity and power excursion transient analysis. The results of this research show that effective delayed neutron fraction decreases and prompt neutron lifetime increases with the fuels burn-up. Also, by increasing the number of highly enriched uranium control fuel elements in the reference core, the prompt neutron lifetime increases, but effective delayed neutron fraction does not show any considerable change

Increased scientific rigor will improve reliability of research and effectiveness of management

Science.gov (United States)

Sells, Sarah N.; Bassing, Sarah B.; Barker, Kristin J.; Forshee, Shannon C.; Keever, Allison; Goerz, James W.; Mitchell, Michael S.

2018-01-01

Rigorous science that produces reliable knowledge is critical to wildlife management because it increases accurate understanding of the natural world and informs management decisions effectively. Application of a rigorous scientific method based on hypothesis testing minimizes unreliable knowledge produced by research. To evaluate the prevalence of scientific rigor in wildlife research, we examined 24 issues of the Journal of Wildlife Management from August 2013 through July 2016. We found 43.9% of studies did not state or imply a priori hypotheses, which are necessary to produce reliable knowledge. We posit that this is due, at least in part, to a lack of common understanding of what rigorous science entails, how it produces more reliable knowledge than other forms of interpreting observations, and how research should be designed to maximize inferential strength and usefulness of application. Current primary literature does not provide succinct explanations of the logic behind a rigorous scientific method or readily applicable guidance for employing it, particularly in wildlife biology; we therefore synthesized an overview of the history, philosophy, and logic that define scientific rigor for biological studies. A rigorous scientific method includes 1) generating a research question from theory and prior observations, 2) developing hypotheses (i.e., plausible biological answers to the question), 3) formulating predictions (i.e., facts that must be true if the hypothesis is true), 4) designing and implementing research to collect data potentially consistent with predictions, 5) evaluating whether predictions are consistent with collected data, and 6) drawing inferences based on the evaluation. Explicitly testing a priori hypotheses reduces overall uncertainty by reducing the number of plausible biological explanations to only those that are logically well supported. Such research also draws inferences that are robust to idiosyncratic observations and

Research Paper: Effectiveness of Social Skills Training on Behavioral Problems in Adolescents with Intellectual Disability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abbas Nesayan

2016-07-01

Conclusion This research showed that social skills training were not significantly effective on behavioral problems in adolescents with intellectual disability. Although our results were not effective, research evidence shows that people with cognitive delays (such as intellectual disability require social skill training programs that include all of their academic, career, daily life, and social skills. As social skills learning plays a role in personal and social adjustment, it is necessary to pay more attention to these skills.

Notch and hydrogen effects on sensitized 21-6-9 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caskey, C.R. Jr.

1979-01-01

Type 21-6-9 stainless steel alloy is slightly notch sensitive in the solution annealed condition, a behavior that is aggravated by sensitization anneal at 920 0 K. The lower toughness of the sensitized alloy is a measure of microstructural embrittlement associated with carbide precipitation in grain boundaries. The tendency toward grain boundary fracture in the sensitized alloy is accentuated by stress concentration at the notch. Also, there is an increase in notch sensitivity when the alloy is tested in a high pressure (69 MPa) hydrogen environment, due to susceptibility of the grain boundaries to hydrogen embrittlement

Building a Foundation for Effective Technology Transfer through Integration with the Research Process : a Primer.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

This primer aims to increase the effectiveness of T2 activity in transportation by describing how T2 practices can be successfully integrated into : the research process to capture the potential real-world benefits of our communitys research inves...

Lessons from comparative effectiveness research methods development projects funded under the Recovery Act.

Science.gov (United States)

Zurovac, Jelena; Esposito, Dominick

2014-11-01

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) directed nearly US$29.2 million to comparative effectiveness research (CER) methods development. To help inform future CER methods investments, we describe the ARRA CER methods projects, identify barriers to this research and discuss the alignment of topics with published methods development priorities. We used several existing resources and held discussions with ARRA CER methods investigators. Although funded projects explored many identified priority topics, investigators noted that much work remains. For example, given the considerable investments in CER data infrastructure, the methods development field can benefit from additional efforts to educate researchers about the availability of new data sources and about how best to apply methods to match their research questions and data.

FARMERS MIGRATION AS THE ANSWER TO FACE THE COFFEE CRISIS: A RESEARCH IN THREE MUNICIPALITIES OF THE STATE OF PUEBLA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benito Ramírez Valverde y Adrián González Romo

2006-05-01

Full Text Available In Mexico, the great majority of the coffee producers ―mainly indigenous― live in poverty conditions. During the last years because of the coffee crisis, the conditions of poverty and marginalization are accentuated. Due this situation, the peasants look for alternatives for family survival, considering migration as an alternative. The purpose of this research is to analyze the existing relation between poverty, coffee production and migration, and the impact in the peasants family in three indigenous municipalities. For this research, 49 peasants of the municipalities of “San Felipe Tepatlán”, “Amixtlán and Hueytamalco” in “Sierra Norte” of “Puebla” were interviewed. The results show that the studied municipalities are under high conditions of marginalization. The level of schooling of the inhabitants is low and illiteracy is alarming. The producers of the region are small farm owners and the majority was organized (56.8 % and a great part (66.7% sell their coffee in the community. Results indicate that those who leave the community looking for jobs are mainly the sons and daughters; their main reason for migrating is their poor economic situation. In relation to the international migration, it was found that the number of people crossing the United States border looking for better is still low (4.7% thus, the future is predictable, if the crisis in the agricultural sector continues a greater number of inhabitants of rural area will emigrate towards the neighboring country, as an alternative to the rural crisis.

The role of the CNEA like organization of scientific and technological support to accentuate the nuclear security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

nuclear use, without excluding the private sector from said activity. l) Developing materials and manufacturing processes for fuel elements used in advanced cycles. ll) Developing basic and applied research programs in basic science of nuclear technology. m) Establishing cooperation programs, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, with third countries for the above mentioned basic and applied research programs, and for fusion technology research and development programs. n) Fostering and developing other studies and scientific applications for nuclear transmutations and reactions. n-tilde) Continuously updating the technical information on nuclear power plants and their various stages, and ensuring its optimum use. o) Establishing direct relations with other foreign institutions that share similar goals

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lecture Capture: Lessons Learned from an Undergraduate Political Research Class

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, James C.

2015-01-01

This article presents the results of a 4-year quasi-experimental study of the effectiveness of lecture capture in an undergraduate political research class. Students self-enrolled in either a traditional in-class lecture-discussion section or a fully online section of a required political research course. The class sessions from the in-class…

Good Research and Faculty Buy-in: 2 Keys to Effective Marketing

Science.gov (United States)

Blumenstyk, Goldie

2008-01-01

Effective marketing requires more than a sleek new logo. This article presents excerpts of an online discussion on the dos and don'ts of college marketing with Mary R. Stagaman, associate vice president for external relations at the University of Cincinnati. In this discussion, she noted that good research and faculty buy-in are the two keys to…

Predicting the effectiveness of road safety campaigns through alternative research designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Adamos, Giannis; Nathanail, Eftihia

2016-12-01

A large number of road safety communication campaigns have been designed and implemented in the recent years; however their explicit impact on driving behavior and road accident rates has been estimated in a rather low proportion. Based on the findings of the evaluation of three road safety communication campaigns addressing the issues of drinking and driving, seat belt usage, and driving fatigue, this paper applies different types of research designs (i.e., experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs), when estimating the effectiveness of road safety campaigns, implements a cross-design assessment, and conducts a cross-campaign evaluation. An integrated evaluation plan was developed, taking into account the structure of evaluation questions, the definition of measurable variables, the separation of the target audience into intervention (exposed to the campaign) and control (not exposed to the campaign) groups, the selection of alternative research designs, and the appropriate data collection methods and techniques. Evaluating the implementation of different research designs in estimating the effectiveness of road safety campaigns, results showed that the separate pre-post samples design demonstrated better predictability than other designs, especially in data obtained from the intervention group after the realization of the campaign. The more constructs that were added to the independent variables, the higher the values of the predictability were. The construct that most affects behavior is intention, whereas the rest of the constructs have a lower impact on behavior. This is particularly significant in the Health Belief Model (HBM). On the other hand, behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and descriptive norms, are significant parameters for predicting intention according to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The theoretical and applied implications of alternative research designs and their applicability in the evaluation of road safety

The Effect of Message Framing on African American Women's Intention to Participate in Health-Related Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Balls-Berry, Joyce E; Hayes, Sharonne; Parker, Monica; Halyard, Michele; Enders, Felicity; Albertie, Monica; Pinn, Vivian; Radecki Breitkopf, Carmen

2016-05-01

This study examined the effect of message framing on African American women's intention to participate in health-related research and actual registration in ResearchMatch (RM), a disease-neutral, national volunteer research registry. A community-engaged approach was used involving collaboration between an academic medical center and a volunteer service organization formed by professional women of color. A self-administered survey that contained an embedded message framing manipulation was distributed to more than 2,000 African American women attending the 2012 national assembly of The Links, Incorporated. A total of 391 surveys were completed (381 after exclusion: 187 containing the gain-framed message and 194 containing the loss-framed message). The majority (57%) of women expressed favorable intentions to participate in health-related research, and 21% subsequently enrolled in RM. The effect of message framing on intention was moderated by self-efficacy. There was no effect of message framing on RM registration; however, those with high self-efficacy were more than 2 times as likely as those with low self-efficacy to register as a potential study volunteer in RM (odds ratio = 2.62, 95% confidence interval [1.29, 5.33]). This investigation makes theoretical and practical contributions to the field of health communication and informs future strategies to meaningfully and effectively include women and minorities in health-related research.

Effect of short-term research training programs on medical students' attitudes toward aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeste, Dilip V; Avanzino, Julie; Depp, Colin A; Gawronska, Maja; Tu, Xin; Sewell, Daniel D; Huege, Steven F

2018-01-01

Strategies to build a larger workforce of physicians dedicated to research on aging are needed. One method to address this shortage of physician scientists in geriatrics is short-term training in aging research for early-stage medical students. The authors examined the effects of two summer research training programs, funded by the National Institutes of Health, on medical students' attitudes toward aging, using the Carolina Opinions on Care of Older Adults (COCOA). The programs combined mentored research, didactics, and some clinical exposure. In a sample of 134 participants, COCOA scores improved significantly after completion of the research training program. There was a significant interaction of gender, such that female students had higher baseline scores than males, but this gender difference in COCOA scores was attenuated following the program. Four of the six COCOA subscales showed significant improvement from baseline: early interest in geriatrics, empathy/compassion, attitudes toward geriatrics careers, and ageism.

STUDY CONSIDERING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND LIFE QUALITY IN ROMANIA IN THE CONTEXT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gheorghe Sebastian SÂRB

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The environmental protection represents an important subject in international debates, being accentuated by the alert rhythm of economic development and the higher demands of the current consumer generations. In general, it can be claimed that the most developed countries are producing the largest quantities of waste and pollutants and are consuming large quantities of energy and natural resources. The impact these countries have upon the natural environment is strong and destructive. Therefore, it can be remarked that the industrialization level is inversely proportional with the environmental state, which is getting worse by the year: reduced timbered areas, agricultural soil degradation, a thinner ozone layer, numerous extinct plant and animal species, accentuated greenhouse effect, etc. Affecting the natural environment has severe repercussions upon the quality of life, manifesting itself through water, soil and atmospheric pollution. These are the reasons why the authors of this paper are analysing, in the present study, the problems concerning the environmental protection and life quality.

Good and Bad Research Collaborations: Researchers' Views on Science and Ethics in Global Health Research.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Parker

Full Text Available There has been a dramatic rise in the scale and scope of collaborative global health research. A number of structural and scientific factors explain this growth and there has been much discussion of these in the literature. Little, if any, attention has been paid, however, to the factors identified by scientists and other research actors as important to successful research collaboration. This is surprising given that their decisions are likely to play a key role in the sustainability and effectiveness of global health research initiatives. In this paper, we report on qualitative research with leading scientists involved in major international research collaborations about their views on good and bad collaborations and the factors that inform their decision-making about joining and participating actively in research networks. We identify and discuss eight factors that researchers see as essential in judging the merits of active participation in global health research collaborations: opportunities for active involvement in cutting-edge, interesting science; effective leadership; competence of potential partners in and commitment to good scientific practice; capacity building; respect for the needs, interests and agendas of partners; opportunities for discussion and disagreement; trust and confidence; and, justice and fairness in collaboration. Our findings suggest that the sustainability and effectiveness of global health research collaborations has an important ethical or moral dimension for the research actors involved.

Good and Bad Research Collaborations: Researchers' Views on Science and Ethics in Global Health Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Michael; Kingori, Patricia

2016-01-01

There has been a dramatic rise in the scale and scope of collaborative global health research. A number of structural and scientific factors explain this growth and there has been much discussion of these in the literature. Little, if any, attention has been paid, however, to the factors identified by scientists and other research actors as important to successful research collaboration. This is surprising given that their decisions are likely to play a key role in the sustainability and effectiveness of global health research initiatives. In this paper, we report on qualitative research with leading scientists involved in major international research collaborations about their views on good and bad collaborations and the factors that inform their decision-making about joining and participating actively in research networks. We identify and discuss eight factors that researchers see as essential in judging the merits of active participation in global health research collaborations: opportunities for active involvement in cutting-edge, interesting science; effective leadership; competence of potential partners in and commitment to good scientific practice; capacity building; respect for the needs, interests and agendas of partners; opportunities for discussion and disagreement; trust and confidence; and, justice and fairness in collaboration. Our findings suggest that the sustainability and effectiveness of global health research collaborations has an important ethical or moral dimension for the research actors involved.

Research on nonlinearity effect of secondary electron multiplier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Xingjian; Liao Junsheng; Deng Dachao; Yu Chunrong; Yuan Li

2007-01-01

The nonlinearity of secondary electron multiplier (SEM) of a thermal ionization mass spectrometer has been researched by using UTB-500 uranium isotope reference material and multi-collecting technique. The results show that the nonlinearity effect of SEM exists in the whole ion counting range, and there is an extreme point of the nonlinearity when the ion counting rate is about 20000 cps. The deviation between measured value of the extreme point and the reference value of the reference sample can be up to 3%, and the nonlinearity obeys logarithm linearity law on both sides of extreme point. A kind of mathematics model of nonlinearity calibration has been put forward. Using this model, the nonlinearity of SEM of TIMS can be calibrated. (authors)

CYberinfrastructure for COmparative effectiveness REsearch (CYCORE): improving data from cancer clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Patrick, Kevin; Wolszon, Laura; Basen-Engquist, Karen M; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Prokhorov, Alex V; Barrera, Stephanie; Baru, Chaitan; Farcas, Emilia; Krueger, Ingolf; Palmer, Doug; Raab, Fred; Rios, Phil; Ziftci, Celal; Peterson, Susan

2011-03-01

Improved approaches and methodologies are needed to conduct comparative effectiveness research (CER) in oncology. While cancer therapies continue to emerge at a rapid pace, the review, synthesis, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions across clinical trials lag in comparison. Rigorous and systematic testing of competing therapies has been clouded by age-old problems: poor patient adherence, inability to objectively measure the environmental influences on health, lack of knowledge about patients' lifestyle behaviors that may affect cancer's progression and recurrence, and limited ability to compile and interpret the wide range of variables that must be considered in the cancer treatment. This lack of data integration limits the potential for patients and clinicians to engage in fully informed decision-making regarding cancer prevention, treatment, and survivorship care, and the translation of research results into mainstream medical care. Particularly important, as noted in a 2009 report on CER to the President and Congress, the limited focus on health behavior-change interventions was a major hindrance in this research landscape (DHHS 2009). This paper describes an initiative to improve CER for cancer by addressing several of these limitations. The Cyberinfrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CYCORE) project, informed by the National Science Foundation's 2007 report "Cyberinfrastructure Vision for 21(st) Century Discovery" has, as its central aim, the creation of a prototype for a user-friendly, open-source cyberinfrastructure (CI) that supports acquisition, storage, visualization, analysis, and sharing of data important for cancer-related CER. Although still under development, the process of gathering requirements for CYCORE has revealed new ways in which CI design can significantly improve the collection and analysis of a wide variety of data types, and has resulted in new and important partnerships among cancer researchers engaged in

Emergent Characteristics of Effective Cross-Cultural Research: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Christopher; Cottone, R. Rocco

2010-01-01

This article identifies characteristics of effective research done in cross-cultural environments; reviews the literature in the years following the publication of Oyserman, Coon, and Kemmelmeier's (2002) seminal article, challenging the basis for the description of cultures as individualistic or collectivistic; and summarizes major issues…

Media education.

Science.gov (United States)

Strasburger, Victor C

2010-11-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes that exposure to mass media (eg, television, movies, video and computer games, the Internet, music lyrics and videos, newspapers, magazines, books, advertising) presents health risks for children and adolescents but can provide benefits as well. Media education has the potential to reduce the harmful effects of media and accentuate the positive effects. By understanding and supporting media education, pediatricians can play an important role in reducing harmful effects of media on children and adolescents.

Study design elements for rigorous quasi-experimental comparative effectiveness research.

Science.gov (United States)

Maciejewski, Matthew L; Curtis, Lesley H; Dowd, Bryan

2013-03-01

Quasi-experiments are likely to be the workhorse study design used to generate evidence about the comparative effectiveness of alternative treatments, because of their feasibility, timeliness, affordability and external validity compared with randomized trials. In this review, we outline potential sources of discordance in results between quasi-experiments and experiments, review study design choices that can improve the internal validity of quasi-experiments, and outline innovative data linkage strategies that may be particularly useful in quasi-experimental comparative effectiveness research. There is an urgent need to resolve the debate about the evidentiary value of quasi-experiments since equal consideration of rigorous quasi-experiments will broaden the base of evidence that can be brought to bear in clinical decision-making and governmental policy-making.

[Individual psychological features in patients with computer game addiction suffering and predisposed persons].

Science.gov (United States)

Kardashian, R A

2018-01-01

To study personality characteristics in adolescents with computer game addiction. The study included students of grades 7 to 10 at the age of 12-17 years (14.6±2.4 years), their parents and school teachers. The results of a study showed the following combination in patients: 'genophilic' type of DPT with schizoid personality accentuation and 'projection' type of psychological protection, and 'dignitophilic' type of DPT with labile personality accentuation and 'denial' type of PP.

El multilateralismo estratégico en la política exterior de China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Florencia Rubiolo.

2010-07-01

Full Text Available In 1991, Qian Chen, then Minister of Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China, attended the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting. This event set the beginning of China's opening to multilateralism in the region. After the financial crisis of 1997, this trend became accentu-ated when Beijing took on a role that involved more leadership and initiative in multilateral bodies. In this article we are interested in exploring the role China plays in strategic multilateral regional initiatives.

Statistical Power in Evaluations That Investigate Effects on Multiple Outcomes: A Guide for Researchers

Science.gov (United States)

Porter, Kristin E.

2018-01-01

Researchers are often interested in testing the effectiveness of an intervention on multiple outcomes, for multiple subgroups, at multiple points in time, or across multiple treatment groups. The resulting multiplicity of statistical hypothesis tests can lead to spurious findings of effects. Multiple testing procedures (MTPs) are statistical…

Radiation Effects Research Foundation bibliography of published papers, 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

The bibliography lists the titles of a total of 75 papers published by members of the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in 1986 (three of them published in 1985). The papers cover; 'The central nervous system and in utero exposure to ionizing radiation', 'Future directions for biostatistics and cancer epidemiology in Japan', 'Passive smoking and lung cancer among Japanese women', 'Late effects of atomic bomb radiation on human immune response', 'Delayed effects of atomic bomb radiation to human cellular immune competence', 'Characterization of three electrophoretic variants of human erythrocyte triosephosphate isomerase found in Japanese', 'A follow-up study of clonal T-lymphocytes with chromosome aberrations in Hiroshima A-bomb survivors', 'Comments on recent cytogenetic findings at RERF', 'Cytogenetic 'rogue' cells; What is their frequency, origin, and evolutionary sinificance?', 'A parallel analysis of cancer mortality among atomic bomb survivors and patients with ankylosing spondylitis given X-ray therapy', 'Cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands', 'Analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes of atomic bomb survivors using monoclonal antibodies', 'Celluar immune competence of patients with lung cancer and other lung diseases. I. Analysis of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets using monoclonal antibodies', etc. (N.K.) 75 refs

Clinical Effectiveness of Statin Therapy After Ischemic Stroke: Primary Results From the Statin Therapeutic Area of the Patient-Centered Research Into Outcomes Stroke Patients Prefer and Effectiveness Research (PROSPER) Study.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Emily C; Greiner, Melissa A; Xian, Ying; Fonarow, Gregg C; Olson, DaiWai M; Schwamm, Lee H; Bhatt, Deepak L; Smith, Eric E; Maisch, Lesley; Hannah, Deidre; Lindholm, Brianna; Peterson, Eric D; Pencina, Michael J; Hernandez, Adrian F

2015-10-13

In patients with ischemic stroke, data on the real-world effectiveness of statin therapy for clinical and patient-centered outcomes are needed to better inform shared decision making. Patient-Centered Research Into Outcomes Stroke Patients Prefer and Effectiveness Research (PROSPER) is a Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded research program designed with stroke survivors to evaluate the effectiveness of poststroke therapies. We linked data on patients ≥65 years of age enrolled in the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Registry to Medicare claims. Two-year to postdischarge outcomes of those discharged on a statin versus not on a statin were adjusted through inverse probability weighting. Our coprimary outcomes were major adverse cardiovascular events and home time (days alive and out of a hospital or skilled nursing facility). Secondary outcomes included all-cause mortality, all-cause readmission, cardiovascular readmission, and hemorrhagic stroke. From 2007 to 2011, 77 468 patients who were not taking statins at the time of admission were hospitalized with ischemic stroke; of these, 71% were discharged on statin therapy. After adjustment, statin therapy at discharge was associated with a lower hazard of major adverse cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.87-0.94), 28 more home-time days after discharge (PStatin therapy at discharge was not associated with increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-1.23). Among statin-treated patients, 31% received a high-intensity dose; after risk adjustment, these patients had outcomes similar to those of recipients of moderate-intensity statin. In older ischemic stroke patients who were not taking statins at the time of admission, discharge statin therapy was associated with lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and nearly 1 month more home time during the 2-year period after hospitalization. © 2015 American Heart Association

The chilling effect: how do researchers react to controversy?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Kempner

2008-11-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Can political controversy have a "chilling effect" on the production of new science? This is a timely concern, given how often American politicians are accused of undermining science for political purposes. Yet little is known about how scientists react to these kinds of controversies. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Drawing on interview (n = 30 and survey data (n = 82, this study examines the reactions of scientists whose National Institutes of Health (NIH-funded grants were implicated in a highly publicized political controversy. Critics charged that these grants were "a waste of taxpayer money." The NIH defended each grant and no funding was rescinded. Nevertheless, this study finds that many of the scientists whose grants were criticized now engage in self-censorship. About half of the sample said that they now remove potentially controversial words from their grant and a quarter reported eliminating entire topics from their research agendas. Four researchers reportedly chose to move into more secure positions entirely, either outside academia or in jobs that guaranteed salaries. About 10% of the group reported that this controversy strengthened their commitment to complete their research and disseminate it widely. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence that political controversies can shape what scientists choose to study. Debates about the politics of science usually focus on the direct suppression, distortion, and manipulation of scientific results. This study suggests that scholars must also examine how scientists may self-censor in response to political events.

About the Associate Director for Health of EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL)

Science.gov (United States)

Dr. Ronald Hines serves as Associate Director for Health for the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development (ORD).

Cellular mechanism underlying hypothermia-induced ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation in the setting of early repolarization and the protective effect of quinidine, cilostazol, and milrinone.

Science.gov (United States)

Gurabi, Zsolt; Koncz, István; Patocskai, Bence; Nesterenko, Vladislav V; Antzelevitch, Charles

2014-02-01

Hypothermia has been reported to induce ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation (VT/VF) in patients with early repolarization (ER) pattern. This study examines the cellular mechanisms underlying VT/VF associated with hypothermia in an experimental model of ER syndrome and examines the effectiveness of quinidine, cilostazol, and milrinone to prevent hypothermia-induced arrhythmias. Transmembrane action potentials were simultaneously recorded from 2 epicardial and 1 endocardial site of coronary-perfused canine left ventricular wedge preparations, together with a pseudo-ECG. A combination of NS5806 (3-10 μmol/L) and verapamil (1 μmol/L) was used to pharmacologically model the genetic mutations responsible for ER syndrome. Acetylcholine (3 μmol/L) was used to simulate increased parasympathetic tone, which is known to promote ER. In controls, lowering the temperature of the coronary perfusate to induce mild hypothermia (32°C-34°C) resulted in increased J-wave area on the ECG and accentuated epicardial action potential notch but no arrhythmic activity. In the setting of ER, hypothermia caused further accentuation of the epicardial action potential notch, leading to loss of the action potential dome at some sites but not others, thus creating the substrate for development of phase 2 reentry and VT/VF. Addition of the transient outward current antagonist quinidine (5 μmol/L) or the phosphodiesterase III inhibitors cilostazol (10 μmol/L) or milrinone (5 μmol/L) diminished the ER manifestations and prevented the hypothermia-induced phase 2 reentry and VT/VF. Hypothermia leads to VT/VF in the setting of ER by exaggerating repolarization abnormalities, leading to development of phase 2 reentry. Quinidine, cilostazol, and milrinone suppress the hypothermia-induced VT/VF by reversing the repolarization abnormalities.

The effect of recent amblyopia research on current practice in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Newsham, D

2010-10-01

Several studies have recently provided insights into how amblyopia may be most effectively managed. Despite the new evidence, a US study reported that a recent randomised controlled trial had made little influence on clinical practice. The aims of this research are to assess current practice of amblyopia management in the UK and to determine the comparability with the evidence-based recommendations. A questionnaire was constructed to assess current amblyopia management practice, particularly in relation to areas investigated by recent research and emailed to every head orthoptist within the UK. There was a great deal of variability in the amount of occlusion that was prescribed for moderate and severe amblyopia. Sixty per cent of clinicians indicated that the maximum they would prescribe was in excess of the 6 h recommended by research. Atropine was rarely recommended as a first-line treatment, with occlusion generally being considered to be more effective. Despite recommendations regarding education as a means of reducing non-compliance, only 39% of clinicians always gave written information, although various other methods of enhancing compliance were used. A period of refractive adaptation was allowed by most clinicians but often far less than recommended. The uptake of recent research evidence into clinical practice is sporadic and incomplete with one-third of respondents indicating that following the studies, they had made no changes whatsoever to their practice. This is similar to other areas of medicine; the reasons are likely to be varied, and is an area that would benefit from greater attention.

Effective Online Interaction: Mapping Course Design to Bridge from Research to Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Thorpe, Mary

2008-01-01

Quantitative and qualitative research of a case study course confirmed that the course achieved a highly interactive learning experience, associated with more effective student support and high student retention. Computer conferencing achieved high participation from the beginning and evidence of dialogue and argumentation within online tutor…

Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maas, Andrew I R; Menon, David K; Steyerberg, Ewout W

2015-01-01

in process and clinical care. Results will be integrated with living systematic reviews in a process of knowledge transfer. The study initiation was from October to December 2014, and the recruitment period was for 18 to 24 months. EXPECTED OUTCOMES: Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research...

The research on the health effects of low-level radiation in Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hattori, Sadao [Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry (Japan)

1998-07-01

Professor Don Luckey identified the phenomenon of 'radiation hormesis' and he described it in a paper in the Health Physics Society Journal, in 1982. (He also authored two books on this subject.) CRIEPI initiated a research program on radiation hormesis following this publication to confirm, 'Is it true or not?' After nearly ten years of research activities on data surveys and animal tests with many universities, we are realizing the scientific truth of bio-positive effects caused by low-level radiation exposures. The interesting bio-positive effects we found could be categorized in the following five groups: rejuvenation of cells, such as increase of SOD and cell membrane permeability; moderation of psychological stress through response of key enzymes; suppression and therapy of adult diseases, e.g., diabetes and hypertension; suppression of cancer through enhancement of immune systems, such as lymphocytes; suppression of cancer and radio-adaptive response by activation of DNA repair and apoptosis. (author)

Therapist effects on dropout from a college counseling center practice research network.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Henry; Castonguay, Louis G; Janis, Rebecca A; Youn, Soo Jeong; Hayes, Jeffrey A; Locke, Benjamin D

2017-07-01

Dropout has been a pervasive and costly problem in psychotherapy, particularly for college counseling centers. The present study examined potential predictors of dropout using a large data set (N = 10,147 clients, 481 therapists) that was gathered through a college counseling center practice research network as a replication and extension of recent findings regarding therapist effects on dropout. The final model resulted in a dropout rate of 15.9% and a therapist effect of 9.51% on dropout variance. Therapist demographic variables were investigated, though none were found to be significant. Variables found to be predictive of increased likelihood of dropping out included higher levels of general presenting concerns, alcohol-related distress, and current financial stress. Ultimately, this study showed that therapists may play an important role in the likelihood of client dropout, and that additional research should be conducted to identify additional predictors, particularly at the therapist and center level. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The research on the health effects of low-level radiation in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hattori, Sadao

1998-01-01

Professor Don Luckey identified the phenomenon of 'radiation hormesis' and he described it in a paper in the Health Physics Society Journal, in 1982. (He also authored two books on this subject.) CRIEPI initiated a research program on radiation hormesis following this publication to confirm, 'Is it true or not?' After nearly ten years of research activities on data surveys and animal tests with many universities, we are realizing the scientific truth of bio-positive effects caused by low-level radiation exposures. The interesting bio-positive effects we found could be categorized in the following five groups: rejuvenation of cells, such as increase of SOD and cell membrane permeability; moderation of psychological stress through response of key enzymes; suppression and therapy of adult diseases, e.g., diabetes and hypertension; suppression of cancer through enhancement of immune systems, such as lymphocytes; suppression of cancer and radio-adaptive response by activation of DNA repair and apoptosis. (author)

76 FR 77670 - Research Area Within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary; Notice of Effective Date

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-14

.... 070726412-1300-02] RIN 0648-AV88 Research Area Within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary; Notice of Effective Date AGENCY: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric... final rule for the establishment of a research area within the Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary on...

Failure to Report Effect Sizes: The Handling of Quantitative Results in Published Health Education and Behavior Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Adam E; Szucs, Leigh E; Reyes, Jovanni V; Ji, Qian; Wilson, Kelly L; Thompson, Bruce

2016-10-01

Given the American Psychological Association's strong recommendation to always report effect sizes in research, scholars have a responsibility to provide complete information regarding their findings. The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the frequencies with which different effect sizes were reported in published, peer-reviewed articles in health education, promotion, and behavior journals and (b) discuss implications for reporting effect size in social science research. Across a 4-year time period (2010-2013), 1,950 peer-reviewed published articles were examined from the following six health education and behavior journals: American Journal of Health Behavior, American Journal of Health Promotion, Health Education & Behavior, Health Education Research, Journal of American College Health, and Journal of School Health Quantitative features from eligible manuscripts were documented using Qualtrics online survey software. Of the 1,245 articles in the final sample that reported quantitative data analyses, approximately 47.9% (n = 597) of the articles reported an effect size. While 16 unique types of effect size were reported across all included journals, many of the effect sizes were reported with little frequency across most journals. Overall, odds ratio/adjusted odds ratio (n = 340, 50.1%), Pearson r/r(2) (n = 162, 23.8%), and eta squared/partial eta squared (n = 46, 7.2%) accounted for the most frequently used effect size. Quality research practice requires both testing statistical significance and reporting effect size. However, our study shows that a substantial portion of published literature in health education and behavior lacks consistent reporting of effect size. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Health effects[1997 Scientific Report of the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahieu, L.

1998-07-01

The objectives of the research in the field of epidemiology , performed at the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK-CEN are (1) to study cancer mortality and morbidity in nuclear workers in Belgium; (2) to document the feasibility of retrospective cohort studies in Belgium; (3) to participate in the IARC study. For radiobiology, the main objectives are: (1) to elucidate the mechanisms of the effects of ionizing radiation on the mammalian embryo during the early phase of its development, (2) to assess the genetic risks of maternal exposure to ionizing radiation, (3) to elucidate the mechanisms by which damage to the brain and mental retardation are caused in man after prenatal irradiation. The main achievements in these domains for 1997 are presented.

The Hawthorne effect in direct observation research with physicians and patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Meredith A; Stange, Kurt C; Zyzanski, Stephen J; Crabtree, Benjamin F; Borawski, Elaine A; Flocke, Susan A

2017-12-01

This study examines the degree to which a "Hawthorne effect" alters outpatient-visit content. Trained research nurses directly observed 4454 visits to 138 family physicians. Multiple data sources were used to examine the Hawthorne effect including differences in medical record documentation for observed visits and the prior visit by the same patient, time use during visits on the first versus the second observation day of each physician, and report by the patient, physician, and observer of the effect of observation. Visits on the first versus the second observation day were longer by an average of 1 minute (P effect of the observer on the interaction was reported by 74% of patients and 55% of physicians. Most of those that reported an affect indicated it was slight. Patients with non-White race, lower-educational level, and poorer health were more likely to report being affected by the observer. In a study that was designed to minimize the Hawthorne effect, the presence of an observer had little effect on most patient-physician visits but appeared to at least slightly effect a subgroup of vulnerable patients. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Research

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A descriptive qualitative research design was used to determine whether participants ... simulation as a teaching method; a manikin offering effective learning; confidence ..... Tesch R. Qualitative Research: Analysis Types and Software Tools.

Community Research Contributing to Effective Risk Governance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kelly, Neale; Forsstroem, Hans [European Commission, Brussels (Belgium). DG Research

2001-07-01

Research in the field of risk assessment and management has had a prominent role in the Commission's nuclear research programme, especially in the area of radiation protection. In the 1980s, the research had a largely technical focus. Through the 1990s, this focus shifted and greater attention was given to broader, less technical, issues, in particular those concerned with risk perception and communication, risk governance and the role of public participation in the process. This trend will continue within the Commission's 6th Framework Programme (FP6) given the increasing recognition of the importance of these broader socio-economic issues for decision making related to both nuclear and other technologies. The paper summarises the main outcomes of Commission sponsored research in the above areas, how this has influenced research currently being carried out in the Sth Framework Programme (FP5) and that being considered for inclusion in FP6. Two aspects are given particular attention: firstly, research into risk governance (both in the nuclear field in general and the waste management area in particular), especially the importance of social trust and participation of all relevant stakeholders in terms of achieving efficient and acceptable decisions when addressing complex, contentious issues; secondly, research into the social and psychological factors that influenced the efficacy and acceptance of measures taken to mitigate the long term impact of areas in the Former Soviet Union contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. There are important lessons here for the management of any future accident that may affect Europe, especially the need for those affected locally to have a role in the decision process and to be able to exercise at least partial control over their own welfare. While this research was largely carried out in a 'nuclear' context, its findings are more generally applicable.

Community Research Contributing to Effective Risk Governance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, Neale; Forsstroem, Hans

2001-01-01

Research in the field of risk assessment and management has had a prominent role in the Commission's nuclear research programme, especially in the area of radiation protection. In the 1980s, the research had a largely technical focus. Through the 1990s, this focus shifted and greater attention was given to broader, less technical, issues, in particular those concerned with risk perception and communication, risk governance and the role of public participation in the process. This trend will continue within the Commission's 6th Framework Programme (FP6) given the increasing recognition of the importance of these broader socio-economic issues for decision making related to both nuclear and other technologies. The paper summarises the main outcomes of Commission sponsored research in the above areas, how this has influenced research currently being carried out in the Sth Framework Programme (FP5) and that being considered for inclusion in FP6. Two aspects are given particular attention: firstly, research into risk governance (both in the nuclear field in general and the waste management area in particular), especially the importance of social trust and participation of all relevant stakeholders in terms of achieving efficient and acceptable decisions when addressing complex, contentious issues; secondly, research into the social and psychological factors that influenced the efficacy and acceptance of measures taken to mitigate the long term impact of areas in the Former Soviet Union contaminated as a result of the Chernobyl accident. There are important lessons here for the management of any future accident that may affect Europe, especially the need for those affected locally to have a role in the decision process and to be able to exercise at least partial control over their own welfare. While this research was largely carried out in a 'nuclear' context, its findings are more generally applicable

Becoming a More Effective Research Mentor for Your Trainees: Undergraduates to Post-docs

Science.gov (United States)

Hooper, Eric J.; Mathieu, R.; Pfund, C.; Branchaw, J.; UW-Madison Research Mentor Training Development Team

2010-05-01

How do you effectively mentor individuals at different stages of their careers? Can you learn to become a more effective mentor through training? Does one size fit all? Are you ready to address the NSF's new requirement about mentoring post-docs in your next proposal? For many academics, typical answers to these questions include, "I try to make adjustments based on the trainee, but I don't have a specific plan” "Yeah, I'd better start thinking about that” and "There's training?” Scientists often are not trained for their crucial role of mentoring the next generation. The University of Wisconsin-Madison has developed, field tested, and publicly released research mentor training materials for several STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines, including astronomy, to help fill this gap and improve the educational experience and ultimate success of research trainees at several career stages, from high school students to post-doctoral scholars. While initially aimed at the mentoring of undergraduate researchers at research extensive institutions, the topics are broad enough (e.g., expectations, communication, understanding, diversity, ethics, independence) to be applicable to mentoring in a wide range of project-based educational activities. Indeed, these materials have been modified, only modestly, to prepare graduate students and undergraduates to mentor high school students. In this session, we will describe the UW-Madison research mentor training seminar and illustrate how the training can be adapted and implemented. We will introduce an interactive "shopping cart” style website which allows users to obtain the materials and instructions on how to run the program at their institution. Most of the session will be devoted to an interactive implementation of elements of research mentor training using small discussion groups. Participants will experience the training seminar in practice, come face-to-face with some common mentoring

Recollections of parental behaviour, adult attachment and mental health: mediating and moderating effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gittleman, M G; Klein, M H; Smider, N A; Essex, M J

1998-11-01

Attachment theory posits links between early experiences with parents, adult relationships and adult mental health, but does not specify whether these are independent, mediating, or moderating effects. Associations of parent's behaviour on the Parental Bonding Instrument, adult attachment styles and three dimensions of mental health were investigated in a large sample of women and men. Men and women with secure styles recalled higher levels of care from both parents than those with fearful styles. Maternal and paternal control were more consistent predictors of increased distress for men than for women. Fearful and preoccupied adult styles were associated with higher levels of distress in both men and women. While adult styles had few mediating effects on the association of parental behaviour and mental health, interactions between the fearful style and parental variables suggested that this form of insecurity sometimes accentuated the impact of high parental care or low paternal control on mental health in both men and women; among women, however, the secure style seemed to buffer somewhat the negative effect of high parental control. Although the amount of variance explained by either parental behaviour or adult styles was modest, patterns of moderating effects of adult styles on associations between parental behaviour and mental health suggested that both continuity and discontinuity principles can be applied to understanding these links.

Review of Research Projects on Qualitative and Quantitative Effects of Radiation on Haematopoietic Tissue in Man and Experimental Animal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hilberg, A. W. [Division of Radiological Health, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Rockville, MD (United States)

1967-07-15

By way of introduction to a review of Research Projects of the Division of Radiological Health concerned with effects of radiation on the haematopoietic tissue in man and the experimental animal, I should like first to discuss briefly the organization of research. Our research is organized into three major disciplines: (1) Epidemiology, (2) Radiation biology, and (3) Environmental sciences. Briefly, epidemiology is concerned with studies, of populations and effects of radiation in.man; radiation biology is concerned with effects in the experimental animal under controlled situations and also concerned with basic research in cellular and sub-cellular effects; and environmental science is concerned with transport mechanisms in the biosphere and how these mechanisms may operate and be interrupted to reduce radiation hazard to man.

Biological effects of embedded depleted uranium (DU). Summary of Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClain, D.E.; Dalton, T.K.; Emond, C.A.; Hodge, S.J.; Kalinich, J.F.; Landauer, M.A.; Miller, A.C.; Stewart, M.D.; Villa, V.; Xu, J.; Benson, K.A.; Ejnik, J.; Pellmar, T.C.

2001-01-01

The Persian Gulf War resulted in injuries of US Coalition personnel by fragments of depleted uranium (DU). Fragments not immediately threatening the health of the individuals were allowed to remain in place, based on long-standing treatment protocols designed for other kinds of metal shrapnel injuries. However, questions were soon raised as to whether this approach is appropriate for a metal with the unique radiological and toxicological properties of DU. The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) is investigating health effects of embedded fragments of DU to determine whether current surgical fragment removal policies remain appropriate for this metal. These studies employ rodents implanted with DU pellets as well as cultured human cells exposed to DU compounds. Results indicate uranium from implanted DU fragments distributed to tissues far-removed from implantation sites, including bone, kidney, muscle, and liver. Despite levels of uranium in the kidney that were nephrotoxic after acute exposure, no histological or functional kidney toxicity was observed. However, results suggest the need for further studies of long-term health impact, since DU was found to be mutagenic, and it transformed human osteoblast cells to a tumorigenic phenotype. It also altered neurophysiological parameters in rat hippocampus, crossed the placental barrier, and entered fetal tissue. This report summarizes AFRRI's depleted uranium research to date

Effective implementation of research into practice: an overview of systematic reviews of the health literature

OpenAIRE

Boaz, Annette; Baeza, Juan; Fraser, Alec

2011-01-01

Abstract Background The gap between research findings and clinical practice is well documented and a range of interventions has been developed to increase the implementation of research into clinical practice. Findings A review of systematic reviews of the effectiveness of interventions designed to increase the use of research in clinical practice. A search for relevant systematic reviews was conducted of Medline and the Cochrane Database of Reviews 1998-2009. 13 systematic reviews containing...

Post-fire drought effects and their legacy on soil functionality and microbial community structure in a Mediterranean shrubland

Science.gov (United States)

Belen Hinojosa, M.; Parra, Antonio; Laudicina, V. Armando; Moreno, José M.

2017-04-01

Climate change in subtropical areas, like the Mediterranean, is projected to decrease precipitation and to lengthen the seasonal drought period. Fire danger is also projected to increase under the most severe conditions. Little is known about the effects of increasing drought and, particularly, its legacy when precipitation resumes to normal, on the recovery of burned ecosystems. Here we studied the effects of post-fire drought and its legacy two years after it stopped on soil microbial community structure and functionality of a Cistus-Erica shrubland. To do this, a manipulative experiment was setup in which rainfall total patterns were modified by means of a rain-out shelters and irrigation system in a fully replicated set of previously burned plots. The treatments were: environmental control (natural rainfall), historical control (average rainfall, 2 months drought), moderate drought (25% reduction of historical control, 5 months drought) and severe drought (45% reduction, 7 months drought). One set of unburned plots under natural rainfall served as an additional control. Availability of the main soil nutrients and microbial community composition and functionality were monitored over 4 years under these rainfall manipulation treatments. Thereafter, treatments were discontinued and plots were subjected to ambient rainfall for two additional years. Post-fire drought had not effect on total C or N. Fire increased soil P and N availability. However, post-fire drought reduced available soil P and increased nitrate in the short term. Post- fire reduction of available K was accentuated by continued drought. Fire significantly reduced soil organic matter, enzyme activities and carbon mineralization, mainly in drought treated soils. Fire also decreased soil microbial biomass and the proportion of fungi, while that of actinomycetes increased in the short term. Post-fire drought accentuated the decrease of soil total microbial biomass and fungi, with bacteria becoming more

A translation table for patient-centered comparative effectiveness research: guidance to improve the value of research for clinical and health policy decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Tunis, Sean R; Messner, Donna A; Mohr, Penny; Gliklich, Richard E; Dubois, Robert W

2012-05-01

This article provides background and context for a series of papers stemming from a collaborative effort by Outcome Sciences, Inc., the National Pharmaceutical Council and the Center for Medical Technology Policy to use a stakeholder-driven process to develop a decision tool to select appropriate methods for comparative effectiveness research. The perceived need and origins of the 'translation table' concept for method selection are described and the legislative history and role of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute are reviewed. The article concludes by stressing the significance of this effort for future health services and clinical research, and the importance of consulting end-users--patients, providers, payers and policy-makers--in the process of defining research questions and approaches to them.

School effectiveness research: a review of criticisms and some proposals to address them.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres Sandoval-Hernandez

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Based on Lakato’s notion of research programmes, the paper analyses the structure of the School Effectiveness Research (SER programme and reviews the main criticisms that have arisen, stressing those regarding its objectivity and theoretical limitations. Then, some proposals are made to address these criticisms, namely: to adopt a critical realist approach to the study of SE and an Abductive Theory of Scientific Method that lead to the development of sound theory in the field. Based on this analysis the paper concludes that, in terms of Lakatos, a movement towards a new research programme is needed in order to ensure that the main objectives originally set for SER can be eventually reached.

Radiation research contracts: Biological effects of small radiation doses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hug, O.

1959-01-01

According to its Statute the IAEA has to fulfil a dual function - to help individual countries in solving their specific problems and to undertake tasks in the common interest of all its Member States. With this latter aim in mind the Agency has placed a number of research contracts with national research institutes. The purpose and scope of two of them is described below by the scientists responsible for their execution. The Agency has contributed to this work by putting at the institutes' disposal scientists from its own staff apparatus and financial aid.IAEA placed a research contract concerning the effects of small radiation doses on cells, in particular on nervous cells, with the Pharmacological Institute of the University of Vienna. This Institute appeared well suited to deal with the problem owing to the type of its previous research work. The Director, Prof. Franz Bruecke, and his collaborator Dr. Otto Kraupp, have long been interested in the functioning of the nervous system and in the influence of different drugs upon it. It was particularly fortunate that the electrical properties and functions of cells had been measured by a method specially developed at this Institute. From the above mentioned observations one could expect that instantaneous reactions of cells to radiation would also lead to changes of the electrical status. Consequently, this method is now being applied to the research undertaken for IAEA. Different cells of plants and animals, ranging from algae to muscle fibres of mammals, were chosen as objects. So far changes of potentials-had been observed only during irradiation with very high doses. During these investigations another useful test for small radiation doses was developed, namely the measurement of the through-flow of an artificial blood solution through the blood vessels of an intestinal loop. It was observed that a few seconds after irradiation the flow rate diminishes, and returns to its normal level only when irradiation ends

Radiation research contracts: Biological effects of small radiation doses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hug, O

1959-01-15

According to its Statute the IAEA has to fulfil a dual function - to help individual countries in solving their specific problems and to undertake tasks in the common interest of all its Member States. With this latter aim in mind the Agency has placed a number of research contracts with national research institutes. The purpose and scope of two of them is described below by the scientists responsible for their execution. The Agency has contributed to this work by putting at the institutes' disposal scientists from its own staff apparatus and financial aid.IAEA placed a research contract concerning the effects of small radiation doses on cells, in particular on nervous cells, with the Pharmacological Institute of the University of Vienna. This Institute appeared well suited to deal with the problem owing to the type of its previous research work. The Director, Prof. Franz Bruecke, and his collaborator Dr. Otto Kraupp, have long been interested in the functioning of the nervous system and in the influence of different drugs upon it. It was particularly fortunate that the electrical properties and functions of cells had been measured by a method specially developed at this Institute. From the above mentioned observations one could expect that instantaneous reactions of cells to radiation would also lead to changes of the electrical status. Consequently, this method is now being applied to the research undertaken for IAEA. Different cells of plants and animals, ranging from algae to muscle fibres of mammals, were chosen as objects. So far changes of potentials-had been observed only during irradiation with very high doses. During these investigations another useful test for small radiation doses was developed, namely the measurement of the through-flow of an artificial blood solution through the blood vessels of an intestinal loop. It was observed that a few seconds after irradiation the flow rate diminishes, and returns to its normal level only when irradiation ends

Direct block scheduling technology: Analysis of Avidity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felipe Ribeiro Souza

Full Text Available Abstract This study is focused on Direct Block Scheduling testing (Direct Multi-Period Scheduling methodology which schedules mine production considering the correct discount factor of each mining block, resulting in the final pit. Each block is analyzed individually in order to define the best target period. This methodology presents an improvement of the classical methodology derived from Lerchs-Grossmann's initial proposition improved by Whittle. This paper presents the differences between these methodologies, specially focused on the algorithms' avidity. Avidity is classically defined by the voracious search algorithms, whereupon some of the most famous greedy algorithms are Branch and Bound, Brutal Force and Randomized. Strategies based on heuristics can accentuate the voracity of the optimizer system. The applied algorithm use simulated annealing combined with Tabu Search. The most avid algorithm can select the most profitable blocks in early periods, leading to higher present value in the first periods of mine operation. The application of discount factors to blocks on the Lerchs-Grossmann's final pit has an accentuated effect with time, and this effect may make blocks scheduled for the end of the mine life unfeasible, representing a trend to a decrease in reported reserves.

Personality, relationship conflict, and teamwork-related mental models.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delia Vîrgă

Full Text Available This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models. Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models.

Personality, Relationship Conflict, and Teamwork-Related Mental Models

Science.gov (United States)

Vîrgă, Delia; CurŞeu, Petru Lucian; Maricuţoiu, Laurenţiu; Sava, Florin A.; Macsinga, Irina; Măgurean, Silvia

2014-01-01

This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models). Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models. PMID:25372143

Personality, relationship conflict, and teamwork-related mental models.

Science.gov (United States)

Vîrgă, Delia; Curşeu, Petru Lucian; CurŞeu, Petru Lucian; Maricuţoiu, Laurenţiu; Sava, Florin A; Macsinga, Irina; Măgurean, Silvia

2014-01-01

This study seeks to explore whether neuroticism, agreeableness, and conscientiousness moderate the influence of relationship conflict experienced in groups on changes in group members' evaluative cognitions related to teamwork quality (teamwork-related mental models). Data from 216 students, nested in 48 groups were analyzed using a multilevel modeling approach. Our results show that the experience of relationship conflict leads to a negative shift from the pre-task to the post-task teamwork-related mental models. Moreover, the results indicate that conscientiousness buffered the negative association between relationship conflict and the change in teamwork-related mental models. Our results did not support the hypothesized moderating effect of agreeableness and show that the detrimental effect of relationship conflict on the shift in teamwork-related mental models is accentuated for group members scoring low rather than high on neuroticism. These findings open new research venues for exploring the association between personality, coping styles and change in teamwork-related mental models.

Oxidized low-density lipoproteins induced inflammatory process during atherogenesis with aging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larbi, Anis; Khalil, Abdelouahed; Douziech, Nadine; Guerard, Karl-Philippe; Fueloep, Tamas

2005-01-01

Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease developing through decades with two life-threatening complications: myocardial infarction and stroke. Oxidized low-density lipoproteins (oxLDL) produced by oxidative modifications of LDL in the subendothelial space have been demonstrated to be critically involved in atherogenesis through their intensive pro-inflammatory activity. Recently, it was shown that oxLDL have an apoptosis-inducing effect in T cells depending on time and degree of oxidation. The goal of the current study is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the apoptotic-inducing effects of oxLDL on T lymphocytes. T cells of young and elderly subjects were incubated for various periods of time with LDL oxidized to various degrees. The proliferation, the apoptosis, the MAPK ERK1/2 activation and the expression of the Bcl-2 protein family members were measured upon different LDL treatments. Thus, more the LDL are oxidized more they induce apoptosis and this effect is highly accentuated with aging. The oxLDL decrease the activation of the surviving molecule ERK1/2 and modulate the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 towards a pro-apoptotic profile, which is also accentuated with aging. These results partly explain why atherosclerosis is increasing with aging concomitantly to its complications

Restriction of Variance Interaction Effects and Their Importance for International Business Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cortina, Jose M.; Köhler, Tine; Nielsen, Bo Bernhard

2015-01-01

A recent Journal of International Business Studies editorial on interaction effects within and across levels highlighted the importance of and difficulty associated with justifying and reporting of such interaction effects. The purpose of this editorial is to describe a type of interaction...... hypothesis that is very common in international business (IB) research: the restricted variance (RV) hypothesis. Specifically, we describe the nature of an RV interaction and its evidentiary requirements. We also offer several IB examples involving interactions that could have been supported with RV...

Magnetic properties of CE(Fe sub(1-x) Al sub(x))2 for x<=0.20

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franceschini, D.F.; Cunha, S.F. da.

1985-01-01

Magnetization measurements of the system Ce(Fe sub(1-x) Al sub(x)) 2 for x 2 has not a simple dilution effect. Together with a accentuated decrease in the iron mean magnetic moment and in Curie temperatures was observed, above a certain concentration, a transition from ferromagnetism to a canted spin phase upon decreasing temperature. For the higher concentration range the system exhibits magnetic freezing effects. A preliminary magnetic phase diagram was proposed. (Author) [pt

A Review of Epidemiological Research on Adverse Neurological Effects of Exposure to Ambient Air Pollution

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaohui; Ha, Sandie Uyen; Basnet, Rakshya

2016-01-01

There is a growing body of epidemiological research reporting the neurological effects of ambient air pollution. We examined current evidence, identified the strengths and weaknesses of published epidemiological studies, and suggest future directions for research in this area. Studies were identified through a systematic search of online scientific databases, in addition to a manual search of the reference lists from the identified papers. Despite being a relatively new area of investigation, overall, there is mounting evidence implicating adverse effects of air pollution on neurobehavioral function in both adults and children. Further research is needed to expand our understanding of these relationships, including improvement in the accuracy of exposure assessments; focusing on specific toxicants and their relationships to specific health endpoints, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases; investigating the combined neurological effects of multiple air pollutants; and further exploration of genetic susceptibility for neurotoxicity of air pollution. In order to achieve these goals collaborative efforts are needed from multidisciplinary teams, including experts in toxicology, biostatistics, geographical science, epidemiology, and neurology. PMID:27547751

Effect of core configuration on the burnup calculations of MTR research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, H.M.; Amin, E.H.; Sakr, A.M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • 3D burn-up calculations of MTR-type research reactor were performed. Examination of the effect of control rod pattern on power density and neutron flux distributions is presented. • The calculations are performed using the MTR P C package and the programs (WIMS and CITVAP). • An empirical formula was generated for every fuel element type, to correlate irradiation to burn-up. - Abstract: In the present paper, three-dimensional burn-up calculations were performed using different patterns of control rods, in order to examine their effect on power density and neutron flux distributions through out the entire core and hence on the local burn-up distribution. These different cores burn-up calculations are carried out for an operating cycle equivalent to 15 Full Power Days (FPDs), with a power rating of 22 MW. Calculations were performed using an example of a typical research reactor of MTR-type using the internationally known computer codes’ package “MTR P C system”, using the cell calculation transport code WIMS-D4 with 12 energy groups and the core calculation diffusion code CITVAP with 5 energy groups. A depletion study was done and the effects on the research reactor fuel (U-235) were performed. The burn-up percentage (B.U.%) curves for every fuel element type were drawn versus irradiation (MWD/TE). Then an empirical formula was generated for every fuel element type, to correlate irradiation to burn-up percentage. Charts of power density and neutron flux distribution for each core were plotted at different sections of each fuel element of the reactor core. Then a complete discussion and analysis of these curves are performed with comparison between the different core configurations, illustrating the effect of insertion or extraction of either of the four control rods directly on the neutron flux and consequently on the power distribution and burn-up. A detailed study of fuel burn-up gives detailed insight on the different B.U.% calculations

An overview of current research on EU ETS: Evidence from its operating mechanism and economic effect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yue-Jun; Wei, Yi-Ming

2010-01-01

The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is supposed to be an important mechanism for addressing climate change. Up to now, the theoretical foundation of EU ETS has been widely acknowledged, but empirical research on its current situation has only been published recently or is forthcoming. Therefore, this paper is aimed to summarize the main arguments of empirical studies on the EU ETS, in terms of two aspects, i.e., the operating mechanism and economic effect of the EU ETS, which are two crucial topics and have been attached much attention. Based on the shortcomings of current research and future requirements of the EU ETS evolution, finally, we also present some further directions of the EU ETS research. Overall, the research overview here may be helpful to recognize the features of the EU ETS and its effect on others. (author)

The Effects of Different Teaching, Research, and Service Emphases on Individual and Organizational Outcomes in Higher Education Institutions

Science.gov (United States)

Terpstra, David E.; Honoree, Andre L.

2009-01-01

The authors investigated the relative emphasis that educators give to teaching, research, and service in the business discipline and 4 other academic disciplines. The authors also investigated the effects of different faculty activity emphases on faculty teaching effectiveness, research performance, service levels, job and pay satisfaction,…

Guide to effective research-management collaboration at long-term environmental research sites

Science.gov (United States)

Frederick J. Swanson; Steve Eubanks; Mary Beth Adams; John C. Brissette

2010-01-01

The Forest Service system of experimental forests and ranges (EFRs) and other sites of long-term silvicultural, watershed, and ecological research have contributed to science and natural resource management for more than a century. An important aspect of the success of EFR programs is strong collaboration between the research and land manager communities. This guide...

Scientific Research Competencies of Prospective Teachers and their Attitu des toward Scientific Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Hüseyin Şahan

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Present study has been constructed to determine scientific research competencies of prospective teachers and identify the extent of effect of prospective teachers’ attitudes toward scientific research and scientific research methods course on their research skills and attitudes towards research. This study has two dimensions: it is a descriptive study by virtue of identifying prospective teachers’ research skills and attitudes toward research, also an experimental study by virtue of determining the effect of scientificresearch methods course on prospective teachers’ skills and their attitudes toward research. In order to obtain the data related to identified sub-problems “Scale for Identifying Scientific Research Competencies” and “Scale for Identifying the Attitude toward Research” have been utilized. Data collection tools were applied to 445 prospective teachers. It has thus been concluded in this study that scientific research methods course had no significant effect in gaining scientific research competencies to prospective teachers and that this effect demonstrated no differentiation with respect to departments. On the other hand it has been explored that scientific research methods course had a negative effect onthe attitudes of prospective teachers toward research and that there was a differentiation to the disadvantage of prospective teachers studying at Primary Education Mathematics Teaching Department.

The long-term effects of undertaking a research course on clinical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Hazel, Rangeley; Joyce, Arthurs

2004-03-01

Purpose. The aim of the study was to examine the students perceptions of the long-term effectiveness of the English National Board (ENB) 870 course (Understanding and Application of Research). Method. Both quantitative and qualitative strategies examined four objectives focusing on: research utilisation, usefulness of the course in the "real world", factors affecting research use and student support. A total sample comprised all 315 students from 1995 to 1998. Data were collected by postal questionnaires and by two focus group interviews. The responding sample of nurses, midwives and health visitors, all with a minimum of one years practice since completing the course totaled 145, achieving a response rate of 45%. Results. Evidence identified that practitioners were using research at a variety of levels to inform everyday practice. The skills developed in the course had transferred well to real life practice and a critical, confident, proactive approach within and across professional boundaries was demonstrated. A generally supportive culture was identified in the workplace but a lack of time and staff had prevented optimum utilisation of the new skills. A much more positive approach to research-based care was reported and many respondents stated that they had become more autonomous, accountable and better practitioners.

[Cost-effectiveness research in elderly residents in long-term care: prevention is better than cure, but not always cheaper].

Science.gov (United States)

Achterberg, Wilco P; Gussekloo, Jacobijn; van den Hout, Wilbert B

2015-01-01

Cost-effectiveness research in elderly residents in long-term care facilities is based on general principals of cost-effectiveness research; these have been developed primarily from the perspective of relatively healthy adults in curative medicine. These principals are, however, inadequate when evaluating interventions for the fragile elderly in long-term care, both in terms of the value attached to the health of patients and to the specific decision-making context of the institution. Here we discuss the pitfalls of cost-effectiveness research in long-term care facilities, illustrated by two prevention interventions for prevalent conditions in nursing homes: pressure ulcers and urinary tract infections. These turned out to be effective, but not cost-effective.

From Multidisciplinary to Interdisciplinary Research: Effects of Information Systems on Formal Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

Studer, Paul A.

1972-01-01

The purpose of this work is to help build and bridge between total overviews of the fields of information science and empirical research. This is done by building a model for linking multidisciplinary approaches into a relevant and effective whole, and for deriving testable propositions from this new framework. (63 references) (Author/KE)

Effects of Self-Efficacy on Social Entrepreneurship in Education: A Correlational Research

Science.gov (United States)

Konakll, Tugba

2015-01-01

The aim of this research is to determine the effects of pre-service teachers' self-efficacy on their social entrepreneurship characteristics. The population of this study consisted of 220 randomly selected pre-service teachers in Kocaeli University Faculty of Education in Turkey. General Self Efficacy Scale-Turkish Form and Pre-service Teachers'…

The sea as science: ocean research institutions and strategies in Portugal in the twentieth century (from the First Republic to democracy).

Science.gov (United States)

Rollo, Maria Fernanda; Queiroz, Maria Inês; Brandão, Tiago

2014-01-01

Historical perspective has revealed the many aspects of Portugal's interest in the sea, evident in a series of initiatives and entities throughout the twentieth century. From the beginning of the century until the 1974 Revolution, the genesis of organizations devoted to the scientific study of the sea is analyzed, observing their specific missions in the context of the formulation of science policy, and more specifically "ocean policies." The Portuguese valued knowledge of the sea due to their maritime vocation, coastal life and geographic position. Traversing different historical and political contexts and development cycles, the assumptions and political implications that accentuate the strategic dimension of science policy, visible in the geopolitical affirmation of oceanography, are studied.

From Translational Research to Translational Effectiveness: The “Patient-Centered Dental Home” Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Chiappelli

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Toward revitalizing the Nation’s primary medical care system, the Agency for Health Research & Quality (AHRQ stated that new foundational measures must be crafted for achieving high-quality, accessible, efficient health care for all Americans. The efficiency of medical care is viewed along two dimensions: first, we must continue to pursue translational research; and second, we must translate research to optimize effectiveness in specific clinical settings. It is increasingly evident that the efficiency of both translational processes is critical to the revitalization of health care, and that it rests on the practical functionality of the nexus among three cardinal entities: the researcher, the clinician, and the patient. A novel model has evolved that encapsulates this notion, and that proposes the advanced pri-mary care “medical home”, more commonly referred to as the “patient-centered medical home” (PCMH. It is a promising model for transforming the organization and delivery of primary medical care, because it is not simply a place per se, but it is a function-ing unit that delivers medical care along the fundamental principles of being patient-centered, comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible. It is energized by translational research, and its principal aim and ultimate goal is translational effectiveness. The PCMH is a model that works well within the priorities set by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and the Health Care Reform Act of 2010. However, while dentistry has a clearly defined place in both Acts, the PCMH is designed for medical and nursing care. A parallel model of the “patient-centered dental home” (PCDH must be realized.

Experimental research of the effects of different shields on power frequency electric field mitigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nahman Jovan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes experimental research on the effects of different shields on power frequency electric field mitigation. This research was performed in order to determine those materials that may be used for electric field mitigation in cases where the reference level is exceeded. Using measured results, the value of the shielding factor has been calculated for all tested shields and the most efficient shields were determined.

Estrous cycle fluctuations in sex and ingestive behavior are accentuated by exercise or cold ambient temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdulhay, Amir; Benton, Noah A; Klingerman, Candice M; Krishnamoorthy, Kaila; Brozek, Jeremy M; Schneider, Jill E

2014-06-01

This article is part of a Special Issue "Energy Balance". In female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), low circulating levels of ovarian steroids are associated with increased food hoarding and decreased sexual motivation, but these effects are exaggerated in food-restricted females. To determine whether cold ambient temperature has the same effects as food restriction, groups of hamsters were fed ad libitum while they were housed at either 5 °C or 22 °C, and then tested for behavior for 90 min on each day of the estrous cycle. In females housed at 22 °C, high levels of sexual motivation and low levels of food hoarding were seen every day of the estrous cycle. In females housed at 5 °C, high levels of sexual motivation were restricted to the periovulatory day. On the three nonestrous days, these females showed high levels of food hoarding, but not food intake. A separate cohort of females were provided with access to running wheels and housed at 22 °C. They showed high levels of sexual motivation restricted to the periovulatory day, similar to the pattern of sexual motivation seen in cold-housed females. Unlike cold-housed females, those with running wheels showed low levels of food hoarding and high levels of food intake. Food restriction, cold housing, and access to wheels had no significant effect on plasma estradiol or progesterone concentrations, but significantly decreased plasma leptin concentrations. All three energetic challenges unmask estrous cycle fluctuations in sexual motivation that are obscured in laboratory conditions, i.e., isolation in a small cage with an overabundance of food. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ICBEN review of research on the biological effects of noise 2011-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Basner, Mathias; Brink, Mark; Bristow, Abigail; de Kluizenaar, Yvonne; Finegold, Lawrence; Hong, Jiyoung; Janssen, Sabine A; Klaeboe, Ronny; Leroux, Tony; Liebl, Andreas; Matsui, Toshihito; Schwela, Dieter; Sliwinska-Kowalska, Mariola; Sörqvist, Patrik

2015-01-01

The mandate of the International Commission on Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN) is to promote a high level of scientific research concerning all aspects of noise-induced effects on human beings and animals. In this review, ICBEN team chairs and co-chairs summarize relevant findings, publications, developments, and policies related to the biological effects of noise, with a focus on the period 2011-2014 and for the following topics: Noise-induced hearing loss; nonauditory effects of noise; effects of noise on performance and behavior; effects of noise on sleep; community response to noise; and interactions with other agents and contextual factors. Occupational settings and transport have been identified as the most prominent sources of noise that affect health. These reviews demonstrate that noise is a prevalent and often underestimated threat for both auditory and nonauditory health and that strategies for the prevention of noise and its associated negative health consequences are needed to promote public health. PMID:25774609

Research Training, Institutional Support, and Self-Efficacy: Their Impact on Research Activity of Social Workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Thomas Lynch

2009-11-01

Full Text Available While the expectations for social work practitioners to do research have increased, their involvement is still limited. We know little about what factors influence involvement in research. The present study proposes a theoretical model that hypothesizes research training and institutional support for research as the exogenous variables, research self-efficacy as an intervening variable, and research activity as the endogenous variable. The study tests the model using data collected from a random sample of social workers. To a large degree the data support the model. Research self-efficacy has a significant effect on research activity. It is also an important mediating variable for the effect of institutional support on research activity. Although institutional support for research has no direct effect, it has an indirect effect via self-efficacy on research activity. However, research training has no effect on research activity and self-efficacy in research. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Fundamental remote sensing science research program. Part 1: Scene radiation and atmospheric effects characterization project

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, R. E.; Deering, D. W.

1984-01-01

Brief articles summarizing the status of research in the scene radiation and atmospheric effect characterization (SRAEC) project are presented. Research conducted within the SRAEC program is focused on the development of empirical characterizations and mathematical process models which relate the electromagnetic energy reflected or emitted from a scene to the biophysical parameters of interest.

Nuclear methods in entomological investigations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sethi, G.R.; Bhatia, Parvathy

1979-01-01

Insect pests of crops are responsible for immense crop losses in agriculture. Ever since the release of high yielding varieties and improved crop husbandry practices the problems posed by insect pests have been accentuated, as these conditions provide ideal environment for their development. Effective control of insect pests can help greatly in achieving a breakthrough in agricultural production. In order to sustain production and reduce crop losses entomologists all over the world have continued their efforts to devise and develop methods of pest control taking full advantage of the advances made in other branches of science. Consequently, avenues opened by the developments in the field of nuclear energy have also been fully exploited in investigating various pest problems. This communication briefly highlights the various areas of research in which nuclear toots have been fruitfutty used in investigating problems posed by insect pests. (auth.)

The Electronic Data Methods (EDM) forum for comparative effectiveness research (CER).

Science.gov (United States)

Holve, Erin; Segal, Courtney; Lopez, Marianne Hamilton; Rein, Alison; Johnson, Beth H

2012-07-01

AcademyHealth convened the Electronic Data Methods (EDM) Forum to collect, synthesize, and share lessons from eleven projects that are building infrastructure and using electronic clinical data for comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). This paper provides a brief review of participating projects and provides a framework of common challenges. EDM Forum staff conducted a text review of relevant grant programs' funding opportunity announcements; projects' research plans; and available information on projects' websites. Additional information was obtained from presentations provided by each project; phone calls with project principal investigators, affiliated partners, and staff from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ); and six site visits. Projects participating in the EDM Forum are building infrastructure and developing innovative strategies to address a set of methodological, and data and informatics challenges, here identified in a common framework. The eleven networks represent more than 20 states and include a range of partnership models. Projects vary substantially in size, from 11,000 to more than 7.5 million individuals. Nearly all of the AHRQ priority populations and conditions are addressed. In partnership with the projects, the EDM Forum is focused on identifying and sharing lessons learned to advance the national dialogue on the use of electronic clinical data to conduct CER and PCOR. These efforts have the shared goal of addressing challenges in traditional research studies and data sources, and aim to build infrastructure and generate evidence to support a learning health care system that can improve patient outcomes.

"Who's gonna plant the trees?!?": Creating effective synergies between community and research goals in scientist-community partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Declet-Barreto, J.; Johnson, C.

2017-12-01

Harnessing science into effective, community-focused action requires ongoing partnerships that increase both understanding and trust between communities and scientists. One hurdle to overcome is that often, research questions and goals do not line up with the most pressing perceived or objective issues that a partner community faces. Another barrier is that community members often do not have a clear idea of how communities could benefit from the research, an issue that can create confusion and undermine community support for a partnership. In this session, we will discuss some of our successes and misses in developing research partnerships and actionable science for the benefit of communities. We will share stories on how we crafted effective actionable research products in partnership with Environmental Justice and other vulnerable communities.

Overview of Gas Research Institute environmental research programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evans, J.M.

1991-01-01

The Gas Research Institute (GRI) is a private not-for-profit membership organization of natural gas pipelines, distribution companies and natural gas producers. GRI's purpose is to plan, to manage and to develop financing for a gas-related research and development (R and D) program on behalf of its members and their customers. GRI does not do any research itself. GRI's R and D program is designed to provide advanced technologies for natural gas supply, transport, storage, distribution and end-use applications in all markets. In addition, basic research is conducted for GRI in these areas to build a foundation for future technology breakthroughs. Work in the Environment and Safety Research Department includes sections interested in: supply related research, air quality research, end use equipment safety research, gas operations safety research, and gas operations environmental research. The Natural Gas Supply Program has research ongoing in such areas as: restoration of pipeline right-of-ways; cleaning up town gas manufacturing sites; the development of methanogenic bacteria for soil and groundwater cleanup; development of biological fluidized carbon units for rapid destruction of carbonaceous compounds; research on liquid redox sulfur recovery for sulfur removal from natural gas; research on produced water and production wastes generated by the natural gas industry; environmental effects of coalbed methane production; and subsurface effects of natural gas operations. The western coalbed methane and ground water programs are described

Lessons learned in research: an attempt to study the effects of magnetic therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Szor, Judy K; Holewinski, Paul

2002-02-01

Difficulties related to chronic wound healing research are frequently discussed, but results of less-than-perfect studies commonly are not published. A 16-week, randomized controlled double-blind study attempted to investigate the effect of static magnetic therapy on the healing of diabetic foot ulcers. Of 56 subjects, 37 completed the study. Because of the small sample size, randomization did not control for differences between the two groups, and the data could not be analyzed in any meaningful way. The challenges of performing magnetic therapy research are discussed and considerations for future studies are noted.

Stakeholder priorities for comparative effectiveness research in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a workshop report.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Jerry A; Lindenauer, Peter K; Au, David H; Carson, Shannon S; Lee, Todd A; McBurnie, Mary Ann; Naureckas, Edward T; Vollmer, William M; Mularski, Richard A

2013-02-01

Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is intended to address the expressed needs of patients, clinicians, and other stakeholders. Representatives of 54 stakeholder groups with an interest in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) participated in workshops convened by the COPD Outcomes-based Network for Clinical Effectiveness and Research Translation (CONCERT) over a 2-year period. Year 1 focused on chronic care and care coordination. Year 2 focused on acute care and transitions in care between healthcare settings. Discussions and provisional voting were conducted via teleconferences and e-mail exchanges before the workshop. Final prioritization votes occurred after in-person discussions at the workshop. We used a modified Delphi approach to facilitate discussions and consensus building. To more easily quantify preferences and to evaluate the internal consistency of rankings, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was incorporated in Year 2. Results of preworkshop and final workshop voting often differed, suggesting that prioritization efforts relying solely on requests for topics from stakeholder groups without in-person discussion may provide different research priorities. Research priorities varied across stakeholder groups, but generally focused on studies to evaluate different approaches to healthcare delivery (e.g., spirometry for diagnosis and treatment, integrated healthcare strategies during transitions in care) rather than head-to-head comparisons of medications. This research agenda may help to inform groups intending to respond to CER funding opportunities in COPD. The methodologies used, detailed in the online supplement, may also help to inform prioritization efforts for CER in other health conditions.

A systematic review of stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research.

Science.gov (United States)

Concannon, Thomas W; Fuster, Melissa; Saunders, Tully; Patel, Kamal; Wong, John B; Leslie, Laurel K; Lau, Joseph

2014-12-01

We conducted a review of the peer-reviewed literature since 2003 to catalogue reported methods of stakeholder engagement in comparative effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research. We worked with stakeholders before, during and after the review was conducted to: define the primary and key research questions; conduct the literature search; screen titles, abstracts and articles; abstract data from the articles; and analyze the data. The literature search yielded 2,062 abstracts. The review was conducted on 70 articles that reported on stakeholder engagement in individual research projects or programs. Reports of stakeholder engagement are highly variable in content and quality. We found frequent engagement with patients, modestly frequent engagement with clinicians, and infrequent engagement with stakeholders in other key decision-making groups across the healthcare system. Stakeholder engagement was more common in earlier (prioritization) than in later (implementation and dissemination) stages of research. The roles and activities of stakeholders were highly variable across research and program reports. To improve on the quality and content of reporting, we developed a 7-Item Stakeholder Engagement Reporting Questionnaire. We recommend three directions for future research: 1) descriptive research on stakeholder-engagement in research; 2) evaluative research on the impact of stakeholder engagement on the relevance, transparency and adoption of research; and 3) development and validation of tools that can be used to support stakeholder engagement in future work.

Radiation Effects Research Foundation bibliography of published papers, 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-08-01

The report lists the titles and authors of the reports of studies made under the Radiation Effects Research Foundation. The list include 87 studies, which cover 'immunological diagnosis of lung cancer', 'electrophoretic variants of haptoglobin found in the children of atomic bomb survivors', 'rogue cells in the general human population', 'host variation of X-ray sensitivity among atomic bomb survivors with or without breast cancer', 'disorders in the endocrine gland and gonad of A-bomb survivors', 'incidence of vertebral compression fractures among atomic bomb survivors', 'measurement of the frequency of in vivo somatic mutation in atomic bomb survivors by T-cell cloning', 'mechanism of carcinogenesis in A-bomb survivors', 'effects of aging on blood pressure', 'expediting factors of blood sedimentation of heavily exposed survivors', 'record linkage between local cancer registry and tumor and tissue registries', 'reclassification of diagnosis and types of leukemia in atomic bomb survivors in Hiroshima', 'cytogenetic study in utero exposed individuals', 'estimation of indoor and outdoor A-bomb gamma-ray doses by thermoluminescence measurement', and many other studies. (N.K.) 87 refs

Levels of analysis in neuroscientific studies of emotion: Comment on "The quartet theory of human emotions: an integrative and neurofunctional model" by S. Koelsch et al.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuiken, Don; Douglas, Shawn

2015-06-01

In the conduct of neuroscience research, methodological choices and theoretical claims often reveal underlying metamethodological and ontological commitments. Koelsch et al. [1] accentuate such commitments in their description of four "neuroanatomically distinct systems," each the substrate of "a specific class of affects" (p. 1). Explication of those classes of affect require theoretical integration across methodologically diverse disciplines, including "psychology, neurobiology, sociology, anthropology, and psycholinguistics" (p. 3). (Philosophy is noticeably missing from this list, but several aspects of the authors' stance indicate that it is not ignored.)

A tool for assessing the feasibility of comparative effectiveness research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walker AM

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Alexander M Walker,1 Amanda R Patrick,2 Michael S Lauer,3 Mark C Hornbrook,4 Matthew G Marin,5 Richard Platt,6 Véronique L Roger,7 Paul Stang,8 Sebastian Schneeweiss21World Health Information Science Consultants, Newton, MA; 2Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; 3National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD; 4The Center for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Portland, OR; 5Department of Medicine, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ; 6Department of Population Medicine, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 7Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN; 8Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Titusville, NJ, USABackground: Comparative effectiveness research (CER provides actionable information for health care decision-making. Randomized clinical trials cannot provide the patients, time horizons, or practice settings needed for all required CER. The need for comparative assessments and the infeasibility of conducting randomized clinical trials in all relevant areas is leading researchers and policy makers to non-randomized, retrospective CER. Such studies are possible when rich data exist on large populations receiving alternative therapies that are used as-if interchangeably in clinical practice. This setting we call “empirical equipoise.”Objectives: This study sought to provide a method for the systematic identification of settings it in which it is empirical equipoise that offers promised non-randomized CER.Methods: We used a standardizing transformation of the propensity score called “preference” to assess pairs of common treatments for uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia and new-onset heart failure in a population of low-income elderly people in Pennsylvania, for whom we had access to de-identified insurance records. Treatment

Techniques for the research on mass deposition effects in the bio-materials induced by heavy ion implantation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Shibin; Wei Zengquan; Li Qiang