WorldWideScience

Sample records for research group bpe

  1. Breast MRI background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) correlates with the risk of breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telegrafo, Michele; Rella, Leonarda; Stabile Ianora, Amato Antonio; Angelelli, Giuseppe; Moschetta, Marco

    2016-02-01

    To investigate whether background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and breast cancer would correlate searching for any significant difference of BPE pattern distribution in case of benign or malignant lesions. 386 patients, including 180 pre-menopausal (group 1) and 206 post-menopausal (group 2), underwent MR examination. Two radiologists evaluated MR images classifying normal BPE as minimal, mild, moderate or marked. The two groups of patients were subdivided into 3 categories based on MRI findings (negative, benign and malignant lesions). The distribution of BPE patterns within the two groups and within the three MR categories was calculated. The χ2 test was used to evaluate BPE type distribution in the three patient categories and any statistically significant correlation of BPE with lesion type was calculated. The Student t test was applied to search for any statistically significant difference between BPE type rates in group 1 and 2. The χ2 test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the distribution of BPE types in negative patients and benign lesions as compared with malignant ones (p0.05). Normal BPE could correlate with the risk of breast cancer being such BPE patterns as moderate and marked associated with patients with malignant lesions in both pre and post-menopausal women. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Simplified basic periodontal examination (BPE) in children and adolescents: a guide for general dental practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Emma; Ray-Chaudhuri, Arijit; Vaidyanathan, Mina; Johnson, Joanna; Sood, Sanjeev

    2014-05-01

    Dental plaque-induced periodontal diseases are common in children and adults. Guidelines were previously not available for the periodontal screening of under 18s. However, new guidelines have been introduced by the British Society of Periodontology and the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry which set out recommendations for the periodontal screening and management of under 18s in primary dental care. This article provides a practical guide for general dental practitioners on how to use the BPE in children and adolescents, and highlights the importance of early detection and management of periodontal diseases in this age group. A failure to use the modified BPE in a young patient who is later diagnosed with periodontitis may leave a dentist vulnerable to a medico-legal complaint or claim. New BPE guidelines for children and adolescents have been introduced by the BSPD and BSP; it is important that all dentists are aware of these guidelines and how to implement them in general practice.

  3. PACKAGE OF BIRTHING BALL, PELVIC ROCKING, AND ENDORPHIN MASSAGE (BPE DECREASE THE FIRST STEP LABOR PAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nila Marwiyah

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Labor pain is unpleasant and frightening experience for birth mother. In addition, labor pain cause exhaustion and childbirth trauma.Birthing ball, pelvic rocking, and endorphin (B.P.E massage are emerging as non-pharmacology methods of pain management in labor. The aimed of this study was to investigate the effect of package of BPE on labour pain during the first stage of labor. Method: This study was quasi-experiment. Total numbers of samples were 23 mothers who were in the first stage of labor. Samples were selected by using quota sampling technique. Instrument of this study was numeric rating scale (NRS. Result: Data analysis by using paired sample t-test revealed that there were significantly different between before and after the intervention of BPE on labour pain during the first stage of labor in this study (p <0.01.  Conclusion and recommendation: This study showed that BPE is effective as non-pharmacology methods on pain relieve of first stage of labor. Further study need to investigate other variables such as anxiety of birth mother. Key Words: labor pain, package of birth ball, pelvic rocking, and endorphin massage(BPE, labor process.

  4. ASTM and ASME-BPE Standards--Complying with the Needs of the Pharmaceutical Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huitt, William M

    2011-01-01

    Designing and building a pharmaceutical facility requires the owner, engineer of record, and constructor to be knowledgeable with regard to the industry codes and standards that apply to this effort. Up until 1997 there were no industry standards directed at the needs and requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to that time it was a patchwork effort at resourcing and adopting nonpharmaceutical-related codes and standards and then modifying them in order to meet the more stringent requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 1997 the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) published the first Bioprocessing Equipment (BPE) Standard. Through harmonization efforts this relatively new standard has brought together, scrutinized, and refined industry accepted methodologies together with FDA compliance requirements, and has established an American National Standard that provides a comprehensive set of standards that are integral to the pharmaceutical industry. This article describes various American National Standards, including those developed and published by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and how they apply to the pharmaceutical industry. It goes on to discuss the harmonization effort that takes place between the various standards developers in an attempt to prevent conflicts and omissions between the many standards. Also included are examples of tables and figures taken from the ASME-BPE Standard. These examples provide the reader with insight to the relevant content of the ASME-BPE Standard. Designing and building a pharmaceutical facility requires the owner, engineer of record, and constructor to be knowledgeable with regard to the industry codes and standards that apply to this effort. Up until 1997 there were no industry standards directed at the needs and requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to that time it was a patchwork effort at resourcing and adopting nonpharmaceutical-related codes and

  5. QUANTITATIVE (GIS AND QUALITATIVE (BPE ASSESSMENTS OF LIBRARY PERFORMANCE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wolfgang F.E. Preiser

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available This article accounts for the methodological approach used in the creation of the Facilities Master Plan for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in the United States. Libraries are undergoing significant changes with regards to their advancing functions. They have become community centers for learning, whether for children, teens, adults, or seniors. This study uses an approach combining GIS- Geographic Information System with BPE-Building Performance Evaluation to score and categorize branch libraries based on their level of performance. A number of recommended strategies are derived to achieve greater cost-effectiveness and improved service.

  6. Neutral coordination polymers based on a metal-mono(dithiolene) complex: synthesis, crystal structure and supramolecular chemistry of [Zn(dmit)(4,4'-bpy)]n, [Zn(dmit)(4,4'-bpe)]n and [Zn(dmit)(bix)]n (4,4'-bpy = 4,4'-bipyridine, 4,4'-bpe = trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bix = 1,4-bis(imidazole-1-ylmethyl)-benzene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhu, Vedichi; Das, Samar K

    2011-12-28

    This article describes a unique synthetic route that enables a neutral mono(dithiolene)metal unit, {Zn(dmit)}, to link with three different organic molecules, resulting in the isolation of a new class of neutral coordination polymers. The species {Zn(dmit)} coordinates with 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bpy), trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene (4,4'-bpe) and 1,4-bis(imidazole-1-ylmethyl)-benzene (bix) as linkers giving rise to the formation of coordination polymers [Zn(dmit)(4,4'-bpy)](n) (1), [Zn(dmit)(4,4'-bpe)](n) (2) and [Zn(dmit)(bix)](n) (3) respectively. Compounds 1-3 were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, diffuse reflectance and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Compounds 1 and 3 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n, whereby compound 2 crystallizes in triclinic space group P1[combining macron]. In the present study, we chose three linkers 4,4'-bpy, 4,4'-bpe and bix (see , respectively, for their structural drawings), that differ in terms of their molecular dimensions. The crystal structures of compounds 1-3 are described here in terms of their supramolecular diversities that include π-π interactions, not only among aromatic stacking (compounds 1 and 3), but also between an aromatic ring and an ethylenic double bond (compound 2). The electronic absorption spectroscopy of compounds 1-3 support these intermolecular π-π interactions. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

  7. Tuning of magnetic frustration in S = 1 / 2 Kagomé lattices {[Cu3(CO3)2(bpe)3](CLO4)2}n and {[Cu3(CO3)2(bpy)3](CLO4)2}n through rigid and flexible ligands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ajeesh, M. O.; Yogi, A.; Padmanabhan, M.; Nath, R.

    2015-04-01

    Single crystalline and polycrystalline samples of S = 1 / 2 Kagomé lattices { [Cu3(CO3)2(bpe)3 ](CLO4)2 } n and { [Cu3(CO3)2(bpy)3 ](CLO4)2 } n, respectively were synthesized. Their structural and magnetic properties were characterized by means of x-ray diffraction and magnetization measurements. Both compounds crystalize in a hexagonal structure (space group P-6) consisting of CuO4 Kagomé layers in the ab-plane but linked along c direction through either rigid bpy or flexible bpe ligands to form 3D frame works. Magnetic measurements reveal that both the compounds undergo ferromagnetic ordering (TC) at low temperatures and the TC and the extent of frustration could be tuned by changing the nature of the pillar ligands. {[Cu3(CO3)2(bpe)3](CLO4)2}n which is made up of flexible bpe ligands has a TC of 5.7 K and a Curie-Weiss temperature (θCW) of -39.7 K giving rise to a frustration parameter of |θCW | /TC ≃ 6.96. But the replacement of bpe by a more rigid and electronically delocalized bpy ligand leads to an enhanced TC ≃ 9.3 K and a reduced frustration parameter of |θCW | /TC ≃ 3.54.

  8. The Effector Protein BPE005 from Brucella abortus Induces Collagen Deposition and Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 Downmodulation via Transforming Growth Factor β1 in Hepatic Stellate Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arriola Benitez, Paula Constanza; Rey Serantes, Diego; Herrmann, Claudia Karina; Pesce Viglietti, Ayelén Ivana; Vanzulli, Silvia; Giambartolomei, Guillermo Hernán; Comerci, Diego José; Delpino, María Victoria

    2016-02-01

    The liver is frequently affected in patients with active brucellosis. In the present study, we identified a virulence factor involved in the modulation of hepatic stellate cell function and consequent fibrosis during Brucella abortus infection. This study assessed the role of BPE005 protein from B. abortus in the fibrotic phenotype induced on hepatic stellate cells during B. abortus infection in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that the fibrotic phenotype induced by B. abortus on hepatic stellate (LX-2) cells was dependent on BPE005, a protein associated with the type IV secretion system (T4SS) VirB from B. abortus. Our results indicated that B. abortus inhibits matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) secretion through the activity of the BPE005-secreted protein and induces concomitant collagen deposition by LX-2 cells. BPE005 is a small protein containing a cyclic nucleotide monophosphate binding domain (cNMP) that modulates the LX-2 cell phenotype through a mechanism that is dependent on the cyclic AMP (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway. Altogether, these results indicate that B. abortus tilts LX-2 cells to a profibrogenic phenotype employing a functional T4SS and the secreted BPE005 protein through a mechanism that involves the cAMP and PKA signaling pathway. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  9. Comprehensive analysis of shielding effectiveness for HDPE, BPE and concrete as candidate materials for neutron shielding

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dhang, Prosenjit; Verma, Rishi; Shyam, Anurag

    2015-01-01

    In the compact accelerator based DD neutron generator, the deuterium ions generated by the ion source are accelerated after the extraction and bombarded to a deuterated titanium target. The emitted neutrons have typical energy of ∼2.45MeV. Utilization of these compact accelerator based neutron generators of yield up to 10 9 neutron/second (DD) is under active consideration in many research laboratories for conducting active neutron interrogation experiments. Requirement of an adequately shielded laboratory is mandatory for the effective and safe utilization of these generators for intended applications. In this reference, we report the comprehensive analysis of shielding effectiveness for High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Borated Polyethylene (BPE) and Concrete as candidate materials for neutron shielding. In shielding calculations, neutron induced scattering and absorption gamma dose has also been considered along with neutron dose. Contemporarily any material with higher hydrogenous concentration is best suited for neutron shielding. Choice of shielding material is also dominated by practical issues like economic viability and availability of space. Our computational analysis results reveal that utilization of BPE sheets results in minimum wall thickness requirement for attaining similar range of attenuation in neutron and gamma dose. The added advantage of using borated polyethylene is that it reduces the effect of both neutron and gamma dose by absorbing neutron and producing lithium and alpha particle. It has also been realized that for deciding upon optimum thickness determination of any shielding material, three important factors to be necessarily considered are: use factor, occupancy factor and work load factor. (author)

  10. Risk factors for benign prostatic enlargement: The role of lifestyle habits at younger age. The #Controllati2017 initiative study group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirone, Vincenzo; Carrieri, Giuseppe; Morgia, Giuseppe; Carmignani, Luca; Vespasiani, Giuseppe; Parazzini, Fabio; Artibani, Walter

    2017-12-31

    The risk factors for benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) are not well understood and particularly few data are available from Italian population. This was an observational cross sectional study aimed to examine the association between several risk factors and BPE. During the "#Controllati2017" initiative, men aged 18 years or more were invited to attend participating urologic centers for a free of charge visit for counseling about urologic or andrologic conditions. Each participating man underwent a physical examination including digital rectal examination (DRE). Further he was asked about his medical history, urologic symptoms, sexual activity and related problems. Diagnosis of BPE was made by the urologist after DRE. Out of the 1902 [mean age 54 years (SD 12, range 18-92)] considered men, a total of 603 subjects (31.7%) had diagnosis of BPE. The diagnosis of BPE increased from 9.3% in men aged 60 years. A history of hypertension, diabetes, heart diseases, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were all significantly associated with an increased risk of BPE in the total series and, although not always in a statistically significant way, in strata of age. Physical activity (PA) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of BPE. We have further analyzed the risk of BPE in men with one or more of the identified risk factors (i.e. hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and low PA): the risk of BPE increased with number of risk factors reported by the subjects. The estimated risk were higher among younger men. In our study a history of hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia increased the risk and physical activity lowered the risk of BPE. This risk profile was observed also in men aged < 50 years.

  11. Effect of background parenchymal enhancement on breast cancer detection with magnetic resonance imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Telegrafo, M; Rella, L; Stabile Ianora, A A; Angelelli, G; Moschetta, M

    2016-03-01

    To investigate whether background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) may influence the sensitivity of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging in breast cancer detection. A total of 180 consecutive women with 194 breast cancers underwent MR imaging examination. Women were assigned to two different groups depending on the degree of BPE. Group 1 consisted of women with minimal or mild BPE and group 2 of women with moderate or marked BPE. The distributions of histotypes of tumors within the two groups were compared using the χ(2) test. Difference in sensitivities of DCE-MR imaging for tumor detection between the two groups was searched for using the Student t-test. No differences in terms of distributions of histotypes of tumors between the two groups of women were found (P=0.5). The 11% difference in sensitivity of DCE-MR imaging for tumor detection between group 1 (91/92; 99%; 95% CI: 94-100%) and group 2 (90/102; 88%; 95% CI: 80-94%) was statistically significant (P=0.0058). The sensitivity of DCE-MR imaging is significantly lower in women with moderate and marked BPE as compared with women with minimal and mild BPE regardless of cancer histotype. BPE could represent a limitation for breast MR imaging interpretation and should be indicated in MR imaging reports. Copyright © 2015 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Quantitative analysis of background parenchymal enhancement in whole breast on MRI: Influence of menstrual cycle and comparison with a qualitative analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Yongsik; Jeong, Seong Kyun; Kang, Doo Kyoung; Moon, Yeorae; Kim, Tae Hee

    2018-06-01

    We quantitatively analyzed background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) in whole breast according to menstrual cycle and compared it with a qualitative analysis method. A data set of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) from 273 breast cancer patients was used. For quantitative analysis, we used semiautomated in-house software with MATLAB. From each voxel of whole breast, the software calculated BPE using following equation: [(signal intensity [SI] at 1 min 30 s after contrast injection - baseline SI)/baseline SI] × 100%. In total, 53 patients had minimal, 108 mild, 87 moderate, and 25 marked BPE. On quantitative analysis, mean BPE values were 33.1% in the minimal, 42.1% in the mild, 59.1% in the moderate, and 81.9% in the marked BPE group showing significant difference (p = .009 for minimal vs. mild, p quantitative BPE (r = 0.63, p Quantitative analysis of BPE correlated well with the qualitative BPE grade. Quantitative BPE values were lowest in the second week and highest in the fourth week. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. 2002 results: TotalFinaElf makes a ''much better performance'' than the overall international oil groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salles, E.

    2003-01-01

    T. Desmarest, head of TotalFinaElf oil and gas company, has presented the 2002 results of his company in the particular context of a moving international oil situation (the Iraq crisis and the situation in Venezuela) with important consequences on markets. At the same time, the company decided to change its name into 'Total' and to adopt a new logo. The results show a 17% drop with respect to 2001 but a 10% increase of the production. The high rate of exploration successes has led to the discovery of about 1 billion of bpe with a 0.8 US$ cost per bpe, which represents the best performance of the 5 world oil majors. The rate of reserves renewal reached 151% (11.2 billions of bpe at the end of 2002). The downstream activities (refining/distribution and basic chemistry) encountered much more problems for various reasons: low economic growth, climate warmth, international instability etc.. (J.S.)

  14. Small Group Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath, Joseph E.

    1978-01-01

    Summarizes research on small group processes by giving a comprehensive account of the types of variables primarily studied in the laboratory. These include group structure, group composition, group size, and group relations. Considers effects of power, leadership, conformity to social norms, and role relationships. (Author/AV)

  15. Could parenchymal enhancement on contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) represent a new breast cancer risk factor? Correlation with known radiology risk factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savaridas, S L; Taylor, D B; Gunawardana, D; Phillips, M

    2017-12-01

    To compare background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on contrast-enhanced (CE) spectral mammography (CESM) with CE magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and evaluate how these relate to hormonal status, mammographic breast density (MBD) and MRI fibroglandular tissue volume (FGTV). Between June 2012 to October 2015, participants in a cancer staging study underwent full-field digital mammography (FFDM), CEMRI, and CESM. Two readers independently rated FGTV, MBD, and BPE using the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) criteria. Inter-reader reliability was estimated using weighted kappa (k) and correlations between BPE, MBD, and FGTV calculated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Associations with hormonal status were evaluated using multilevel ordinal regression analysis. Of the 96 eligible participants, 66 women (35-77 years) underwent CESM and CEMRI. Reasons for exclusion were declined or withdrawn consent (n=18), inadequate renal function (n=2), claustrophobia (n=2), previous reaction to contrast medium (n=2), mild reaction to contrast medium following CESM (n=2), lack of vascular access (n=1), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n=1), CESM equipment failure (n=1), and unclear in one case. Inter-reader agreement was substantial (k=0.67) for CESM BPE, slight (k=0.19) for CEMRI BPE, moderate (k=0.57) for MRI FGTV and fair (k=0.35) for MBD. CESM BPE showed significant correlation with MBD (rho=0.36, p<0.0001), FGTV (rho=0.52, p<0.0001), and MRI BPE (rho=0.49, p<0.0001). BPE was significantly reduced in the post-menopausal group for CEMRI and CESM (p<0.05). CESM BPE did not significantly fluctuate during the menstrual cycle. CESM BPE is correlated with MBD, FGTV, and CEMRI BPE, has better inter-reader reliability than CEMRI, and is not influenced by the menstrual cycle. Grading the degree of BPE on CESM could be a useful addition to breast cancer risk assessment tools. Copyright © 2017 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights

  16. Background parenchymal enhancement in preoperative breast MRI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kohara, Satoko; Ishigaki, Satoko; Satake, Hiroko; Kawamura, Akiko; Kawai, Hisashi; Kikumori, Toyone; Naganawa, Shinji

    2015-08-01

    We aimed to assess the influence of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on surgical planning performed using preoperative MRI for breast cancer evaluation. Between January 2009 and December 2010, 91 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (mean age, 55.5 years; range, 30-88 years) who underwent preoperative bilateral breast MRI followed by planned breast conservation therapy were retrospectively enrolled. MRI was performed to assess the tumor extent in addition to mammography and breast ultrasonography. BPE in the contralateral normal breast MRI at the early dynamic phase was visually classified as follows: minimal (n=49), mild (n=27), moderate (n=7), and marked (n=8). The correlations between the BPE grade and age, menopausal status, index tumor size, changes in surgical management based on MRI results, positive predictive value (PPV) of MRI, and surgical margins were assessed. Patients in the strong BPE groups were significantly younger (p=0.002) and generally premenopausal (p<0.001). Surgical treatment was not changed in 67 cases (73.6%), while extended excision and mastectomy were performed in 12 cases (13.2%), each based on additional lesions on MRI. Six of 79 (7.6%) patients who underwent breast conservation therapy had tumor-positive resection margins. In cases where surgical management was changed, the PPV for MRI-detected foci was high in the minimal (91.7%) and mild groups (66.7%), and 0% in the moderate and marked groups (p=0.002). Strong BPE causes false-positive MRI findings and may lead to overly extensive surgery, whereas MRI may be beneficial in select patients with weak BPE.

  17. Homogeneous group, research, institution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Natascia Vasta

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The work outlines the complex connection among empiric research, therapeutic programs and host institution. It is considered the current research state in Italy. Italian research field is analyzed and critic data are outlined: lack of results regarding both the therapeutic processes and the effectiveness of eating disorders group analytic treatment. The work investigates on an eating disorders homogeneous group, led into an eating disorder outpatient service. First we present the methodological steps the research is based on including the strong connection among theory and clinical tools. Secondly clinical tools are described and the results commented. Finally, our results suggest the necessity of validating some more specifical hypothesis: verifying the relationship between clinical improvement (sense of exclusion and painful emotions reduction and specific group therapeutic processes; verifying the relationship between depressive feelings, relapses and transition trough a more differentiated groupal field.Keywords: Homogeneous group; Eating disorders; Institutional field; Therapeutic outcome

  18. Background {sup 99m}Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile uptake of breast-specific gamma imaging in relation to background parenchymal enhancement in magnetic resonance imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoon, Hai-Jeon; Kim, Bom Sahn [Ewha Womans University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yangchun-Ku, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yemi [Ewha Womans University, Clinical Research Institute and Department of Conservative Dentistry, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jee Eun [Ewha Womans University, Department of Radiology, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-01-15

    This study investigated factors that could affect background uptake of {sup 99m}Tc- methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) on normal breast by breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI). In addition, the impact of background {sup 99m}Tc-MIBI uptake on the diagnostic performance of BSGI was further investigated. One hundred forty-five women with unilateral breast cancer who underwent BSGI, MRI, and mammography were retrospectively enrolled. Background uptake on BSGI was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Patients were classified into non-dense and dense breast groups according to mammographic breast density. Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) was rated according to BI-RADS classification. The relationship of age, menopausal status, mammographic breast density, and BPE with background {sup 99m}Tc-MIBI uptake was analyzed. Heterogeneous texture and high background uptake ratio on BSGI were significantly correlated with younger age (p < 0.001, respectively), premenopausal status (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003), dense breast (p < 0.001, respectively), and marked BPE (p < 0.001, respectively). On multivariate analysis, only BPE remained a significant factor for background MIBI uptake (p < 0.001).There was a significant reduction in positive predictive value (p = 0.024 and p = 0.002) as background MIBI uptake and BPE grade increased. BPE on MRI was the most important factor for background MIBI uptake on BSGI. High background MIBI uptake or marked BPE can diminish the diagnostic performance of BSGI. (orig.)

  19. Organization of an undergraduate research group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hill, J.; Noteboom, E.

    1995-01-01

    Traditionally, research groups consist of senior physicists, staff members, and graduate students. The physics department at Creighton University has formed a Relativistic Heavy Ion physics research group consisting primarily of undergraduate students. Although senior staff and graduate students are actively involved, undergraduate research and the education of undergraduates is the focus of the group. The presentation, given by two undergraduate members of the group, will outline progress made in the group's organization, discuss the benefits to the undergraduate group members, and speak to the balance which must be struck between education concerns and research goals

  20. Research group librarian – a cooperating partner in research?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heidi Kristin Olsen

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Academic libraries encounter many challenges when providing services for researchers and it is evident that use of the library in information searches has reduced significantly over time and continues to decrease.However, a study in Norway in 2007, at Vestfold University College (VUC, demonstrated that there is great potential to increase faculty staff’s use of the library’s digital resources with the right form of engagement. The findings led VUC’s library to focus on its services for this particular user group.In 2009, VUC library initiated a study to investigate the possible effects of a librarian participating as a ‘Research Group Librarian’.The research project, in which this new role was tried out, was called ‘Kindergarten space, materiality, learning and meaning-making’. This was a three year project, funded by the Research Council of Norway. There were eight part time researchers involved in this project, two senior researchers and the research group librarian.The study adopted an ethnographic approach. The research group librarian was a fully participating member of the research team throughout the project.The empirical sources for the study included:semi-structured interviews with the project leader and the participating researchers: short individual interviews at the beginning of the project with each of the research group participants; several group interviews with the majority of the research team midway in the project;observation and field notesThe results are presented under the following categories:implications for the researcher; emphasising behaviour in relation to information search and reference management skills;communication and information within, and evolving from, the project;collaboration in writing a review article;implications for the library – internal, and at VUC in general;the librarian’s role – a ‘boundary worker’?The study demonstrated that as a member of a research group a librarian can

  1. Research program of the Neutrino Research Group. Year 2004

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    For the last two decades, neutrino physics has been producing major discoveries including neutrino oscillations. These results gave clear confirmation that active neutrinos oscillate and therefore have mass with three different mass states. This is a very important result showing that the Minimal Standard Model is incomplete and requires an extension which is not yet known. The neutrino research field is very broad and active, at the frontier of today's particle physics. The creation of a Neutrino Research Group (GDR) was proposed in 2004 with the aim of gathering CEA and CNRS research teams working on Neutrino Physics on experimental or theoretical level. This document presents the Research program of the Neutrino Research Group which is divided into 5 working groups with the following activities: 1 - Determination of neutrino parameters; 2 - Physics beyond the standard model; 3 - Neutrinos in the universe; 4 - Accelerators, detection means, R and D and valorisation; 5 - Common tools to all working groups. The research group participating laboratories and teams are listed at the end of the document

  2. The Dose-Response Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Body Composition and Breast Tissue among Women at High Risk for Breast Cancer: A Randomized Trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Justin C; Kontos, Despina; Schnall, Mitchell D; Wu, Shandong; Schmitz, Kathryn H

    2016-07-01

    Observational data indicate that behaviors that shift energetic homeostasis, such as exercise, may decrease the risk of developing breast cancer by reducing the amount of energy-dense, metabolically active adipose tissue. Between December 2008 and April 2013, we conducted a single-blind, 5-month, clinical trial that randomized premenopausal women at high risk of developing breast cancer to one of three groups: 150 min/wk of aerobic exercise (low dose), 300 min/wk of aerobic exercise (high dose), or control. Body composition was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) was quantified using computerized algorithms on breast dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Over 5 months, compared with the control group: the low-dose and high-dose groups lost -1.5 ± 0.5 and -1.3 ± 0.5 kg of body mass (linear Ptrend = 0.032); -1.5 ± 0.4 and -1.4 ± 0.3 kg of fat mass (linear Ptrend = 0.003); -1.3 ± 0.3 and -1.4 ± 0.3% of body fat (linear Ptrend body composition outcomes did not significantly correlate with changes in BPE. These mechanistic data support observational evidence that shifting energetic homeostasis through exercise may alter the risk of developing breast cancer. Additional adequately powered studies are needed to confirm and expand upon our findings that changes in body composition are associated with changes in BPE. Cancer Prev Res; 9(7); 581-8. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

  3. Is transition zone index useful in assessing bladder outflow obstruction due to benign prostatic hyperplasia?: A prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S L Sailo

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Benign prostatic enlargement (BPE is the commonest cause of bladder outlet obstruction in men above 50 years of age. Though pressure-flow study is the gold standard in establishing outlet obstruction, it is associated with definite morbidity. Several noninvasive parameters are described to diagnose outlet obstruction due to BPE and evaluate treatment efficacy. AIM: We studied the role of transitional zone index (TZI in assessing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO due to BPE. SETTING AND DESIGN: Prospective hospital-based cross-sectional diagnostic study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five men aged between 50 and 77 years with untreated lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPE were studied. Patients with prostate cancer, prostatitis, active UTI urethral stricture, neurovesical dysfunction and diabetes mellitus were excluded. All patients underwent a standard assessment using the American Urological Association (AUA symptom score, uroflow, pressure-flow (PF study and transrectal ultrasound (TRUS estimation of TZI. Investigators undertaking PF studies and TRUS were blinded to the investigation of others. From the PF studies, Abrams Griffith (AG number was calculated. Based on this, patients were grouped into obstructed (AG>40 and unobstructed (AG< 40 groups. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: TZI was calculated and compared with PF studies using Mann-Whitney U test, logistic regression analysis and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC. RESULTS: The mean age was 63.2 years (SD. The mean AUA scores and peak flow rate were 16.7 and 7.5 ml/sec, respectively. Of the 35 men, 21 were obstructed and 14 were unobstructed. TZI was not significantly different between the two groups, while the differences in age, AUA symptom score, prostate volume and TZ volume were statistically significant. Logistic regression model did not show any independent effect of TZI in predicting obstruction. ROC curve showed a poor overall accuracy in diagnosing obstruction due

  4. Including Everyone in Research: The Burton Street Research Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abell, Simon; Ashmore, Jackie; Wilson, Dorothy; Beart, Suzie; Brownley, Peter; Butcher, Adam; Clarke, Zara; Combes, Helen; Francis, Errol; Hayes, Stefan; Hemmingham, Ian; Hicks, Kerry; Ibraham, Amina; Kenyon, Elinor; Lee, Darren; McClimens, Alex; Collins, Michelle; Newton, John; Wilson, Dorothy

    2007-01-01

    In our paper we talk about what it is like to be a group of people with and without learning disabilities researching together. We describe the process of starting and maintaining the research group and reflect on the obstacles that we have come across, and the rewards such research has brought us. Lastly we put forward some ideas about the role…

  5. Association between mammogram density and background parenchymal enhancement of breast MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aghaei, Faranak; Danala, Gopichandh; Wang, Yunzhi; Zarafshani, Ali; Qian, Wei; Liu, Hong; Zheng, Bin

    2018-02-01

    Breast density has been widely considered as an important risk factor for breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between mammogram density results and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) of breast MRI. A dataset involving breast MR images was acquired from 65 high-risk women. Based on mammography density (BIRADS) results, the dataset was divided into two groups of low and high breast density cases. The Low-Density group has 15 cases with mammographic density (BIRADS 1 and 2), while the High-density group includes 50 cases, which were rated by radiologists as mammographic density BIRADS 3 and 4. A computer-aided detection (CAD) scheme was applied to segment and register breast regions depicted on sequential images of breast MRI scans. CAD scheme computed 20 global BPE features from the entire two breast regions, separately from the left and right breast region, as well as from the bilateral difference between left and right breast regions. An image feature selection method namely, CFS method, was applied to remove the most redundant features and select optimal features from the initial feature pool. Then, a logistic regression classifier was built using the optimal features to predict the mammogram density from the BPE features. Using a leave-one-case-out validation method, the classifier yields the accuracy of 82% and area under ROC curve, AUC=0.81+/-0.09. Also, the box-plot based analysis shows a negative association between mammogram density results and BPE features in the MRI images. This study demonstrated a negative association between mammogram density and BPE of breast MRI images.

  6. Bipolar Electrode Sample Preparation Devices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi (Inventor); Song, Hongjun (Inventor); Pant, Kapil (Inventor)

    2017-01-01

    An analyte selection device can include: a body defining a fluid channel having a channel inlet and channel outlet; a bipolar electrode (BPE) between the inlet and outlet; one of an anode or cathode electrically coupled with the BPE on a channel inlet side of the BPE and the other of the anode or cathode electrically coupled with the BPE on a channel outlet side of the BPE; and an electronic system operably coupled with the anode and cathode so as to polarize the BPE. The fluid channel can have any shape or dimension. The channel inlet and channel outlet can be longitudinal or lateral with respect to the longitudinal axis of the channel. The BPE can be any metallic member, such as a flat plate on a wall or mesh as a barrier BPE. The anode and cathode can be located at a position that polarizes the BPE.

  7. A T4SS Effector Targets Host Cell Alpha-Enolase Contributing to Brucella abortus Intracellular Lifestyle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchesini, María I; Morrone Seijo, Susana M; Guaimas, Francisco F; Comerci, Diego J

    2016-01-01

    Brucella abortus , the causative agent of bovine brucellosis, invades and replicates within cells inside a membrane-bound compartment known as the Brucella containing vacuole (BCV). After trafficking along the endocytic and secretory pathways, BCVs mature into endoplasmic reticulum-derived compartments permissive for bacterial replication. Brucella Type IV Secretion System (VirB) is a major virulence factor essential for the biogenesis of the replicative organelle. Upon infection, Brucella uses the VirB system to translocate effector proteins from the BCV into the host cell cytoplasm. Although the functions of many translocated proteins remain unknown, some of them have been demonstrated to modulate host cell signaling pathways to favor intracellular survival and replication. BPE123 (BAB2_0123) is a B. abortus VirB-translocated effector protein recently identified by our group whose function is yet unknown. In an attempt to identify host cell proteins interacting with BPE123, a pull-down assay was performed and human alpha-enolase (ENO-1) was identified by LC/MS-MS as a potential interaction partner of BPE123. These results were confirmed by immunoprecipitation assays. In bone-marrow derived macrophages infected with B. abortus , ENO-1 associates to BCVs in a BPE123-dependent manner, indicating that interaction with translocated BPE123 is also occurring during the intracellular phase of the bacterium. Furthermore, ENO-1 depletion by siRNA impaired B. abortus intracellular replication in HeLa cells, confirming a role for α-enolase during the infection process. Indeed, ENO-1 activity levels were enhanced upon B. abortus infection of THP-1 macrophagic cells, and this activation is highly dependent on BPE123. Taken together, these results suggest that interaction between BPE123 and host cell ENO-1 contributes to the intracellular lifestyle of B. abortus .

  8. Brazilian pediatric research groups, lines of research, and main areas of activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priscila H.A. Oliveira

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: The Brazilian scientific production in the pediatrics field has been increasing significantly. It is important to identify the distribution and activity of these groups in the country and the main study areas, contributing with data for better resource allocation by institutions. METHODS: An active research was conducted in the National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq] website, using as filters the macro area of the research group (Health Sciences, the area (Medicine, and descriptors related to pediatrics. Research lines and main area of pediatric research groups were classified according to the subject predominantly studied by each group. The scientific production of the leader of the pediatric research group between 2011 and 2014 was also analyzed. RESULTS: Most pediatric research groups in Brazil have more than five years of activity and are concentrated in the Southeast and South regions of the country; São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, and Minas Gerais are the states with most groups. Of the 132 specific pediatric research groups analyzed, 14.4% have lines of research in multiple areas and 11.4% in child and adolescent health. Among the 585 lines of research of these groups, the most prevalent areas were: oncology, infectious diseases, epidemiology, and gastroenterology. CONCLUSIONS: The pediatric research groups in Brazil have relevant scientific production, including works published in international publications, and are concentrated in regions with higher socioeconomic index. Most groups registered in CNPq started their activity in the last five years (46%, reflecting the recent growth of scientific production in this area.

  9. Amelioration of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity by ethanolic extract of Bauhinia purpurea: An in vivo study in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rana, Md Azmat; Khan, Rahat Ali; Nasiruddin, Mohammad; Khan, Aijaz Ahmed

    2016-01-01

    Our objective is to study the nephroprotective activity and antioxidant potential of Bauhinia purpurea unripe pods and bark against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Healthy adult albino rats of either sex (150-200 g) were randomly divided into six groups of six animals each Group I (vehicle control) and Group II (negative control). Group III (BBE200) and Group IV (BBE400) were administered the ethanolic extract of Bauhinia purpurea bark in doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day p.o., respectively, and Group V (BPE200) and Group VI (BPE400) were administered the ethanolic extract of Bauhinia purpurea unripe pods at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg/day p.o., respectively. All the treatments were given for nine days. Cisplatin in a single dose of 6 mg/kg i.p. was given on the 4 th day to all groups, except the vehicle control group. On the 10 th day, blood and urine were collected for biochemical tests and the rats were sacrificed. The kidney was removed for histology and lipid peroxidation-antioxidant test. Cisplatin caused nephrotoxicity as evidenced by elevated blood urea, serum creatinine and urine glucose, and there was decreased creatinine clearance in Group II as compared with Group I. Administration of BBE and BPE at doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg in Group III and Group VI caused a dose-dependant reduction in the rise of blood urea, serum creatinine and urine glucose, and there was a dose-dependant increase in creatinine clearance compared with Group II. There was increased catalase and glutathione and decreased malondialdehyde levels in Group II, while BBE 400 (Group IV) and BPE 400 (Group VI) treatments significantly reversed the changes toward normal values. Histological examination of the kidney revealed protection in Group IV and Group VI compared with Group II. The ethanolic extract of Bauhinia purpurea unripe pods and bark has a nephroprotective activity against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats.

  10. Practices for caring in nursing: Brazilian research groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdmann, A L; de Andrade, S R; de Mello, A L Ferreira; Klock, P; do Nascimento, K C; Koerich, M Santos; Backes, D Stein

    2011-09-01

    The present study considers the production of knowledge and the interactions in the environment of research and their relationships in the system of caring in nursing and health. To elaborate a theoretical model of the organization of the practices used for caring, based on the experiences made by the research groups of administration and management in nursing, in Brazil. The study is based on grounded theory. Twelve leaders of research groups, working as professors in public universities in the south and the south-east of Brazil, distributed in sample groups, were interviewed. The core phenomenon 'research groups of administration and management in nursing: arrangements and interactions in the system of caring in nursing' was derived from the categories: conceptual bases and contexts of the research groups; experiencing interactions in the research groups; functionality of the research groups; and outputs of the research groups. The research groups are integrated in the system of caring in nursing. The activities of the Brazilian administration and management in nursing research groups are process oriented and in a process of constant renovation, socially relevant, operate in a complex scenario and contribute to the advancement of the organizations of the system of caring in nursing through strengthening the connection among academia, service and community. © 2011 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2011 International Council of Nurses.

  11. Research Groups & Research Subjects - RED | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available rch Groups & Research Subjects Data detail Data name Research Groups & Research Sub... Number of data entries 174 entries Data item Description Research ID Research ID (Subject number) Institute...tion Download License Update History of This Database Site Policy | Contact Us Research Groups & Research Subjects - RED | LSDB Archive ... ...switchLanguage; BLAST Search Image Search Home About Archive Update History Data List Contact us RED Resea... Organization Section Section (Department) User name User name Experimental title Experimental title (Rese

  12. Alternative Growth Promoters Modulate Broiler Gut Microbiome and Enhance Body Weight Gain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salaheen, Serajus; Kim, Seon-Woo; Haley, Bradd J.; Van Kessel, Jo Ann S.; Biswas, Debabrata

    2017-01-01

    Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) are frequently used to enhance weight-gain in poultry production. However, there has been increasing concern over the impact of AGP on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens in the microbial community of the poultry gut. In this study, we adopted mass-spectrophotometric, phylogenetic, and shotgun-metagenomic approaches to evaluate bioactive phenolic extracts (BPE) from blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) pomaces as AGP alternatives in broilers. We conducted two trials with 100 Cobb-500 broiler chicks (in each trial) in four equal groups that were provided water with no supplementation, supplemented with AGP (tylosin, neomycin sulfate, bacitracin, erythromycin, and oxytetracycline), or supplemented with 0.1 g Gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/L or 1.0 g GAE/L (during the last 72 h before euthanasia) of BPE for 6 weeks. When compared with the control group (water only), the chickens supplemented with AGP and 0.1 g GAE/L of BPE gained 9.5 and 5.8% more body weight, respectively. The microbiomes of both the AGP- and BPE-treated chickens had higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios. AGP supplementation appeared to be associated with higher relative abundance of bacteriophages and unique cecal resistomes compared with BPE supplementation or control. Functional characterization of cecal microbiomes revealed significant animal-to-animal variation in the relative abundance of genes involved in energy and carbohydrate metabolism. These findings established a baseline upon which mechanisms of plant-based performance enhancers in regulation of animal growth can be investigated. In addition, the data will aid in designing alternate strategies to improve animal growth performance and consequently production. PMID:29123512

  13. Alternative Growth Promoters Modulate Broiler Gut Microbiome and Enhance Body Weight Gain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serajus Salaheen

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs are frequently used to enhance weight-gain in poultry production. However, there has been increasing concern over the impact of AGP on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens in the microbial community of the poultry gut. In this study, we adopted mass-spectrophotometric, phylogenetic, and shotgun-metagenomic approaches to evaluate bioactive phenolic extracts (BPE from blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus pomaces as AGP alternatives in broilers. We conducted two trials with 100 Cobb-500 broiler chicks (in each trial in four equal groups that were provided water with no supplementation, supplemented with AGP (tylosin, neomycin sulfate, bacitracin, erythromycin, and oxytetracycline, or supplemented with 0.1 g Gallic acid equivalent (GAE/L or 1.0 g GAE/L (during the last 72 h before euthanasia of BPE for 6 weeks. When compared with the control group (water only, the chickens supplemented with AGP and 0.1 g GAE/L of BPE gained 9.5 and 5.8% more body weight, respectively. The microbiomes of both the AGP- and BPE-treated chickens had higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratios. AGP supplementation appeared to be associated with higher relative abundance of bacteriophages and unique cecal resistomes compared with BPE supplementation or control. Functional characterization of cecal microbiomes revealed significant animal-to-animal variation in the relative abundance of genes involved in energy and carbohydrate metabolism. These findings established a baseline upon which mechanisms of plant-based performance enhancers in regulation of animal growth can be investigated. In addition, the data will aid in designing alternate strategies to improve animal growth performance and consequently production.

  14. Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group: Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estes, John E.; Smith, Terence; Star, Jeffrey L.

    1987-01-01

    Information Sciences Research Group (ISRG) research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. Particular focus in on the needs of the remote sensing research and application science community which will be served by the Earth Observing System (EOS) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The areas of georeferenced information systems, machine assisted information extraction from image data, artificial intelligence and both natural and cultural vegetation analysis and modeling research will be expanded.

  15. Neutrino Research Group. 2011-2014 activity report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2014-01-01

    For the last two decades, neutrino physics has been producing major discoveries including neutrino oscillations. These results gave clear confirmation that active neutrinos oscillate and therefore have mass with three different mass states. This is a very important result showing that the Minimal Standard Model is incomplete and requires an extension which is not yet known. The neutrino research field is very broad and active, at the frontier of today's particle physics. The Neutrino Research Group (GDR) was created in January 2005 with the aim of gathering CEA and CNRS research teams working on Neutrino Physics on experimental or theoretical level. This document is the 2011-2014 activity report of the research group, ten years after its creation. It presents the results of the 5 working groups: 1 - Determination of neutrino parameters; 2 - Physics beyond the standard model; 3 - Neutrinos in the universe; 4 - Accelerators, detection means, R and D and valorisation; 5 - Common tools to all working groups. The research group structure, participating laboratories and teams and the neutrino physics road-map are presented in appendixes

  16. Group functioning of a collaborative family research team.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, S K; Halm, M A; Titler, M G; Craft, M; Kleiber, C; Montgomery, L A; Nicholson, A; Buckwalter, K; Cram, E

    1993-07-01

    Collaborative research teams are an attractive means of conducting nursing research in the clinical setting because of the many opportunities that collaboration can supply. These opportunities include a chance to: (1) network with other nurses who have similar interests, (2) share knowledge and expertise for designing clinical studies that directly affect daily practice, (3) develop instruments, (4) write grant proposals, (5) collect and analyze data, and (6) prepare manuscripts for publication. The effectiveness of research teams, however, is strongly influenced by group functioning. This article describes the functioning of a collaborative family interventions research team of nursing faculty members and CNSs at a large Midwestern university setting. The formation of the group and membership characteristics are described, along with strategies used to identify the research focus and individual and group goals. Aspects related to the influence of the group on members and the internal operations of the group are also addressed. Future strategies to be explored will focus on the size of the group and joint authorship issues. The authors also set forth a number of recommendations for development of collaborative research groups.

  17. Energy Innovation. IVO Group`s Research and Development Report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salminen, P.; Laiho, Y.; Kaikkonen, H.; Leisio, C.; Hinkkanen, S. [eds.

    1996-11-01

    This annual booklet of the IVO Group`s research and development activities presents a number of articles, written by experts from IVO. The products described are examples of the environmentally-oriented selection made available by the IVO Group. In fact, the entire energy technology developed in Finland is environmentally oriented, if seen from the international perspective. The new business potential of environmental technology is great, and it is believed that in the year 2000, exportation of Finnish know-how in the field of energy-saving and efficiency will exceed the value of out energy imports

  18. Energy Innovation. IVO group`s research and development report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salminen, P.; Laiho, Y.; Kaikkonen, H.; Leisio, C.; Hinkkanen, S.; Fletcher, R. [eds.

    1997-11-01

    This annual booklet of the IVO Group`s research and development activities presents a number of articles, written by experts from IVO. The products described are examples of the environmentally-oriented selection made available by the IVO Group. In fact, the entire energy technology developed in Finland is environmentally oriented, if seen from the international perspective. The new business potential of environmental technology is great, and it is believed that in the year 2000, exportation of Finnish know-how in the field of energy-saving and efficiency will exceed the value of out energy imports

  19. Summary of Research 1997, Interdisciplinary Academic Groups

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Boger, Dan

    1999-01-01

    This report contains information of research projects in the interdisciplinary groups, Command, Control, and Communications Academic Group, Information Warfare Academic Group, Space Systems Academic...

  20. Decreased background parenchymal enhancement of the contralateral breast after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy is associated with tumor response in HER2-positive breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    You, Chao; Gu, Yajia; Peng, Wen; Li, Jianwei; Shen, Xuxia; Liu, Guangyu; Peng, Weijun

    2018-07-01

    Background Several recent studies have focused on the association between background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC), but early prediction of tumor response based on BPE has yet not been investigated. Purpose To retrospectively investigate whether changes in the BPE of the contralateral breast following NAC could help predict tumor response in early stage HER2-positive breast cancer. Material and Methods Data from 71 patients who were diagnosed with unilateral HER2 positive breast cancer and then underwent NAC with trastuzumab before surgery were analyzed retrospectively. Two experienced radiologists independently categorized the patients' levels of BPE of the contralateral breast into four categories (1 = minimal, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = marked) at baseline and after the second cycle of NAC. After undergoing surgery, 34 patients achieved pathologic complete response (pCR) and 37 patients had residual disease (non-pCR). The association between BPE and histopathologic tumor response was analyzed. Result The level of BPE was higher in premenopausal than post-menopausal women both at baseline and after the second cycle of NAC ( P < 0.005). A significant reduction in BPE ( P < 0.001) was observed after the second NAC cycle; however, a more obvious decrease in BPE was identified in premenopausal relative to post-menopausal women ( P = 0.041). No significant association was identified between pCR and baseline BPE ( P = 0.287). However, after the second NAC cycle, decreased BPE was significantly associated with pCR ( P = 0.003). Conclusion For HER2-positive patients, changes in BPE may serve as an additional imaging biomarker of treatment response at an early stage.

  1. Research groups in biomedical sciences. Some recommendations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Cardona

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Despite the growing number of scientific publications reflecting a greater number of people interested in the biomedical sciences, many research groups disappear secondary to poor internal organization. From the review of the available literature, we generate a series of recommendations that may be useful for the creation of a research group or to improve the productivity of an existing group. Fluid communication between its members with a common overall policy framework allows the creation of a good foundation that will lead to the consolidation of the group.

  2. Ethical Issues in the Research of Group Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodrich, Kristopher M.; Luke, Melissa

    2017-01-01

    This article provides a primer for researchers exploring ethical issues in the research of group work. The article begins with an exploration of relevant ethical issues through the research process and current standards guiding its practice. Next, the authors identify resources that group work researchers can consult prior to constructing their…

  3. Relation Analysis of Knowledge Management, Research, and Innovation in University Research Groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heyder Paez-Logreira

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Knowledge is a competitive advantage for companies. Knowledge Management helps to keep this competitiveness. Universities face with challenges in research, innovation and international competitiveness. The purpose of this paper includes studying Knowledge Management Models, and Innovation Models apply to Research Groups of Universities, through an analysis of relation in inter-organizational level. Some researchers and leaders of research groups participated in a survey about knowledge management and innovation. Here we show the relationship between knowledge management, innovation and research, including processes and operations performed by universities around these. We organize the results in three dimensions: Knowledge Management perception, the relationship between Knowledge Management and Innovation, and Strategic Knowledge organization. Too, we identify a generality of good practices, challenges, and limitations on Research Groups for Knowledge Management.

  4. Focus Group Interview in Family Practice Research: Implementing a qualitative research method

    OpenAIRE

    Wood, Marjorie L.

    1992-01-01

    Focus group interviews, described as a qualitative research method with good potential in family medicine, are traced from their origins in market research to their growing role in sociology and medicine. Features of this method are described, including design, conduct, and analysis. Both proven and potential areas for primary care research using focus groups are outlined.

  5. Oral intake of Boesenbergia pandurata extract improves skin hydration, gloss, and wrinkling: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Do Un; Chung, Hee Chul; Kim, Changhee; Hwang, Jae-Kwan

    2017-12-01

    Photoaging is a severe skin damage that occurs as a result of exposure to external elements, primarily ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. Chronically, UV-irradiated skin exhibits the signs of sunburn and hyperpigmentation with the destruction of connective tissues. Previously, Boesenbergia pandurata (B. pandurata) and its active compound panduratin A showed antiphotoaging activities in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of B. pandurata intake on skin hydration, gloss, wrinkling, and elasticity. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted to clinically evaluate the effect of B. pandurata ethanol extract (BPE) containing 8% of panduratin A on human skin hydration, gloss, wrinkling, and elasticity. Ninety-two subjects were randomly assigned to receive tablets containing either BPE or placebo for 12 weeks. The test group had significantly increased skin hydration and gloss and decreased wrinkling compared to the placebo group at 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in skin elasticity between the two groups; however, the increment rate in the test group was higher than that in the placebo group at 12 weeks. None of the subjects developed adverse symptoms during the study period. These results suggest that BPE can be used as a nutraceutical or nutricosmetic material for improving human skin hydration, gloss, and wrinkling. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Using Focus Group Research in Public Relations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunig, Larissa A.

    1990-01-01

    Analyzes a recent instance of focus group research applied to a public relations case (rather than a marketing case). Reviews the advantages and disadvantages of this qualitative method, and describes the case of a county department of mental health relying on focus group research to help plan a program aimed at reducing the stigma of mental…

  7. Qualitative Research in Group Work: Status, Synergies, and Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubel, Deborah; Okech, Jane E. Atieno

    2017-01-01

    The article aims to advance the use of qualitative research methods to understand group work. The first part of this article situates the use of qualitative research methods in relationship to group work research. The second part examines recent qualitative group work research using a framework informed by scoping and systematic review methods and…

  8. Background parenchymal enhancement on breast MRI and mammographic breast density: correlation with tumour characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, M.Y.; Choi, N.; Yang, J.-H.; Yoo, Y.B.; Park, K.S.

    2015-01-01

    Aim: To investigate the relationship between mammographic breast density (MGD) and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) at breast MRI and histopathological features of invasive breast cancers. Materials and methods: A total of 178 women with unilateral invasive breast cancer who preoperatively underwent mammography and breast MRI were included in the study. Two radiologists rated MGD and BPE according to BI-RADS criteria in consensus. The relationship between MGD and BPE was investigated, and compared with histopathological features of invasive breast cancers according to the level of MGD and BPE. Results: At MRI, there is no significant difference in the distribution of MGD and BPE of the contralateral breast in women with invasive breast cancer according to menopausal status (p=0.226, 0.384). Women with high MGD (>50% glandular) were more likely to have oestrogen-receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer (p=0.045) and progesterone receptor (PR)-positive breast cancer (p=0.020). With regard to BPE, PR positivity correlated with moderate or marked BPE with borderline significance (p=0.054). Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed that women with high MGD were less likely to have triple-negative (i.e., a cancer that is ER negative, PR negative, and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 [HER2] negative) breast cancer compared with ER (+)/HER2 (−) cancer (OR=0.231, 95% CI: 0.070, 0.760; p=0.016). No association between the histological tumour characteristics and BPE was observed. Conclusion: In women with invasive breast cancer, high MGD is associated with ER positivity of the invasive breast cancer. However, at MRI, BPE of the contralateral breast seems to be independent of tumour characteristics. -- Highlights: •There is no difference in distribution of MGD and BPE of contralateral breast on MRI. •High MGD is associated with ER positivity of the invasive breast cancer. •BPE of the contralateral breast on MRI is independent of tumor

  9. The correlation of background parenchymal enhancement in the contralateral breast with patient and tumor characteristics of MRI-screen detected breast cancers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vreemann, Suzan; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; Borelli, Cristina; Bult, Peter; Karssemeijer, Nico; Mann, Ritse M

    2018-01-01

    Higher background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) could be used for stratification of MRI screening programs since it might be related to a higher breast cancer risk. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to correlate BPE to patient and tumor characteristics in women with unilateral MRI-screen detected breast cancer who participated in an intermediate and high risk screening program. As BPE in the affected breast may be difficult to discern from enhancing cancer, we assumed that BPE in the contralateral breast is a representative measure for BPE in women with unilateral breast cancer. This retrospective study was approved by our local institutional board and a waiver for consent was granted. MR-examinations of women with unilateral breast cancers screen-detected on breast MRI were evaluated by two readers. BPE in the contralateral breast was rated according to BI-RADS. Univariate analyses were performed to study associations. Observer variability was computed. Analysis included 77 breast cancers in 76 patients (age: 48±9.8 years), including 62 invasive and 15 pure ductal carcinoma in-situ cases. A negative association between BPE and tumor grade (p≤0.016) and a positive association with progesterone status (p≤0.021) was found. The correlation was stronger when only considering invasive disease. Inter-reader agreement was substantial. Lower BPE in the contralateral breast in women with unilateral breast cancer might be associated to higher tumor grade and progesterone receptor negativity. Great care should be taken using BPE for stratification of patients to tailored screening programs.

  10. UCLA Particle Physics Research Group annual progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nefkens, B.M.K.

    1983-11-01

    The objectives, basic research programs, recent results, and continuing activities of the UCLA Particle Physics Research Group are presented. The objectives of the research are to discover, to formulate, and to elucidate the physics laws that govern the elementary constituents of matter and to determine basic properties of particles. The research carried out by the Group last year may be divided into three separate programs: (1) baryon spectroscopy, (2) investigations of charge symmetry and isospin invariance, and (3) tests of time reversal invariance. The main body of this report is the account of the techniques used in our investigations, the results obtained, and the plans for continuing and new research. An update of the group bibliography is given at the end

  11. The sustainable development thematic in the research groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Cristina Comunian Ferraz

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available The technological innovation brought for the debate the question of the sustainable technological development. The article presents an entirety of theoretical reflections on the science, technology and sustainable development themes and to aim the contributions of the Information Science, while interdisciplinary science, with respect to the understanding of the sustainable development. With basis in this reference it was carried through the investigation of descriptive exploratory nature with quanti-qualitative boarding, having as main objective to identify the presence of the sustainable development thematic in research groups of the UFSCar registered in cadastre in the National Directory of Research Groups of the CNPq. The results had shown that the sustainable development thematic is present in eleven researchgroups of the UFSCar distributed in different knowledge areas. Comparing the data gotten with the research groups of the country that had participated of 2004 Census of the National Directory of Research Groups of the CNPq it was verified that it has similarity between both the data. In accordance with scientific literature, confirms that the sustainable development thematic is interdisciplinar and that the knowledge production of the research groups is result to know articulated in some of the knowledge areas.

  12. A speculation on the debate about the future electricity demand in Korea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Chae Young; Moon, Kee Hwan

    2005-01-01

    Since 1991, Korean government established the Long term Power Development Plan(LPDP) to secure a stable electricity supply. With the introduction of market mechanism into electricity supply sector, that plan has been changed into the Basic Plan of the Electricity supply and demand(BPE), which plays a role as a nonbinding guideline or a reference rather than the implementation plan. The BPE still has its importance as a tool providing market participants with appropriate information of future electricity market. According to the second BPE, released at the end of 2004, electricity demand is projected to grow at 2.5% per annum and reach 416.5TWh in 2017 from 293.6TWh in 2003. Based on the projected demand, power expansion plan provided by utilities has established. In the process of formulating the BPE, there were hot debates on the excess capacity margins for certain period of planning time. Some people, especially from environmental groups maintained that many Koreans were wasteful with electricity so that stronger policy for curbing the electricity consumption should be introduced rather than commissioning of additional power plants. They referred to relatively high number of the electricity intensity of Korea as the grounds of their argument. However, electricity intensity in a region or a country is influenced by various factors and higher intensity does not necessarily mean more wasteful consumption of electricity. We have compared various aspects of electricity demand in Korea with other countries to speculate the argument that electricity consumption in Korea is too high. We have also discussed electricity projection in the BPE

  13. Activity report of the Neutrino Research Group. Year 2006

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2007-01-01

    For the last two decades, neutrino physics has been producing major discoveries including neutrino oscillations. These results gave clear confirmation that active neutrinos oscillate and therefore have mass with three different mass states. This is a very important result showing that the Minimal Standard Model is incomplete and requires an extension which is not yet known. The neutrino research field is very broad and active, at the frontier of today's particle physics. The Neutrino Research Group (GDR) was created in January 2005 with the aim of gathering CEA and CNRS research teams working on Neutrino Physics on experimental or theoretical level. This document is the 2006 activity report of the research group, two years after its creation. It presents the results of the 5 working groups: 1 - Determination of neutrino parameters; 2 - Physics beyond the standard model; 3 - Neutrinos in the universe; 4 - Accelerators, detection means, R and D and valorisation; 5 - Common tools to all working groups. The proposed neutrino physics road-map and the actual and future short-, medium- and long-term projects are presented in appendixes. The Neutrino research group organization, the Memphys specific mission group, the research group participating laboratories and teams, as well as the Memphys project are presented too

  14. Impact of menopausal status on background parenchymal enhancement and fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    King, Valencia; Gu, Yajia; Kaplan, Jennifer B.; Morris, Elizabeth A.; Brooks, Jennifer D.; Pike, Malcolm C.

    2012-01-01

    To evaluate the effect of menopausal status on the background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) on breast MRI. Retrospective review identified 1,130 women who underwent screening breast MRI between July and November 2010. In 28 of these women, breast MRI was performed both at one time point while pre- and one time point while post-menopausal (median interval 49 months). Two independent readers blinded to menopausal status used categorical scales to rate BPE (minimal/mild/moderate/marked) and FGT (fatty/scattered/heterogeneously dense/dense). Consensus was reached when there was disagreement. The sign test was used to assess changes in rating categories, and the Spearman rank and Fisher's exact tests were used to measure correlations and associations between variables. Significant proportions of women demonstrated decreases in BPE and FGT on post-menopausal breast MRI (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0009). BPE category was unchanged in 39 % (11/28) and decreased in 61 % (17/28) of women. FGT category was unchanged in 61 % (17/28) and decreased in 39 % (11/28) of women. Age, reason for menopause, or interval between MRIs had no significant impact on changes in BPE and FGT. On MRI, BPE, and FGT decrease after menopause in significant proportions of women; BPE decreases more than FGT. (orig.)

  15. Exploring Forms of Triangulation to Facilitate Collaborative Research Practice: Reflections From a Multidisciplinary Research Group

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tarja Tiainen

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available This article contains critical reflections of a multidisciplinary research group studying the human and technological dynamics around some newly offered electronic services in a specific rural area of Finland. For their research, the group adopted ethnography. On facing the challenges of doing ethnographic research in a multidisciplinary setting, the group evolved its own breed of research practice based on multiple forms of triangulation. This implied the use of multiple data sources, methods, theories, and researchers, in different combinations. One of the outcomes of the work is a model for collaborative research. It highlights, among others, the importance of creating a climate for collaboration within the research group and following a process of individual and collaborative writing to achieve the potential benefits of such research. The article also identifies a set of remaining challenges relevant to collaborative research.

  16. Research collaboration in groups and networks: differences across academic fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kyvik, Svein; Reymert, Ingvild

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to give a macro-picture of collaboration in research groups and networks across all academic fields in Norwegian research universities, and to examine the relative importance of membership in groups and networks for individual publication output. To our knowledge, this is a new approach, which may provide valuable information on collaborative patterns in a particular national system, but of clear relevance to other national university systems. At the system level, conducting research in groups and networks are equally important, but there are large differences between academic fields. The research group is clearly most important in the field of medicine and health, while undertaking research in an international network is most important in the natural sciences. Membership in a research group and active participation in international networks are likely to enhance publication productivity and the quality of research.

  17. Comparison of Background Parenchymal Enhancement at Contrast-enhanced Spectral Mammography and Breast MR Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sogani, Julie; Morris, Elizabeth A; Kaplan, Jennifer B; D'Alessio, Donna; Goldman, Debra; Moskowitz, Chaya S; Jochelson, Maxine S

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To assess the extent of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) at contrast material-enhanced (CE) spectral mammography and breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, to evaluate interreader agreement in BPE assessment, and to examine the relationships between clinical factors and BPE. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective, institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant study. Two hundred seventy-eight women from 25 to 76 years of age with increased breast cancer risk who underwent CE spectral mammography and MR imaging for screening or staging from 2010 through 2014 were included. Three readers independently rated BPE on CE spectral mammographic and MR images with the ordinal scale: minimal, mild, moderate, or marked. To assess pairwise agreement between BPE levels on CE spectral mammographic and MR images and among readers, weighted κ coefficients with quadratic weights were calculated. For overall agreement, mean κ values and bootstrapped 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The univariate and multivariate associations between BPE and clinical factors were examined by using generalized estimating equations separately for CE spectral mammography and MR imaging. Results Most women had minimal or mild BPE at both CE spectral mammography (68%-76%) and MR imaging (69%-76%). Between CE spectral mammography and MR imaging, the intrareader agreement ranged from moderate to substantial (κ = 0.55-0.67). Overall agreement on BPE levels between CE spectral mammography and MR imaging and among readers was substantial (κ = 0.66; 95% confidence interval: 0.61, 0.70). With both modalities, BPE demonstrated significant association with menopausal status, prior breast radiation therapy, hormonal treatment, breast density on CE spectral mammographic images, and amount of fibroglandular tissue on MR images (P spectral mammographic and MR images. © RSNA, 2016.

  18. Research activities of the nuclear graphite research group at the University of Manchester, UK

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsden, B.J.; Fok, A.S.L.; Marrow, J.; Mummery, P.

    2004-01-01

    In 2001 the Nuclear Safety Division (NSD) of the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) decided to underwrite the Nuclear Graphite Research Group (NGRG) at the University of Manchester, UK with the aim of providing a source of independent research and advice to the HSE (NSD). Since then the group has rapidly expanded to 16 members and attracted considerable funding from the nuclear power industry and the regulator for a wide range of research and consultancy work. It is now also part of the Material Performance Centre within the BNFL Universities Research Alliance. Extensive collaboration exists between the group and other nuclear research institutes, both in the UK and overseas. This paper briefly describes some of the research programmes being carried out by the NGRG at Manchester. (author)

  19. Group-effort Applied Research: Expanding Opportunities for Undergraduate Research through Original, Class-Based Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Sean D.; Teter, Ken

    2014-01-01

    Undergraduate research clearly enriches the educational development of participating students, but these experiences are limited by the inherent inefficiency of the standard one student-one mentor model for undergraduate research. Group-effort applied research (GEAR) was developed as a strategy to provide substantial numbers of undergraduates with…

  20. Impact of menopausal status on background parenchymal enhancement and fibroglandular tissue on breast MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    King, Valencia [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Breast Imaging Section, New York, NY (United States); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, New York, NY (United States); Gu, Yajia [Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Shanghai (China); Fudan University, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Shanghai (China); Kaplan, Jennifer B.; Morris, Elizabeth A. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Radiology, Breast Imaging Section, New York, NY (United States); Brooks, Jennifer D.; Pike, Malcolm C. [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, New York, NY (United States)

    2012-12-15

    To evaluate the effect of menopausal status on the background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT) on breast MRI. Retrospective review identified 1,130 women who underwent screening breast MRI between July and November 2010. In 28 of these women, breast MRI was performed both at one time point while pre- and one time point while post-menopausal (median interval 49 months). Two independent readers blinded to menopausal status used categorical scales to rate BPE (minimal/mild/moderate/marked) and FGT (fatty/scattered/heterogeneously dense/dense). Consensus was reached when there was disagreement. The sign test was used to assess changes in rating categories, and the Spearman rank and Fisher's exact tests were used to measure correlations and associations between variables. Significant proportions of women demonstrated decreases in BPE and FGT on post-menopausal breast MRI (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.0009). BPE category was unchanged in 39 % (11/28) and decreased in 61 % (17/28) of women. FGT category was unchanged in 61 % (17/28) and decreased in 39 % (11/28) of women. Age, reason for menopause, or interval between MRIs had no significant impact on changes in BPE and FGT. On MRI, BPE, and FGT decrease after menopause in significant proportions of women; BPE decreases more than FGT. (orig.)

  1. Energy Innovation 1998. IVO group`s research and development report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salminen, P; Laiho, Y; Kaikkonen, H; Leisio, C; McConchie, R; Fletcher, R [eds.

    1998-07-01

    The IVO Group is a Finnish company mastering all aspects of the entire energy chain, and also operating extensively on the international market. The Group`s operations concentrate on five business areas: energy, engineering, operation and maintenance, grid services, and energy measurement. The personnel numbers well over 8 800, and the turnover is about FIM 14 billion. The services to customers include the supply of electricity and heat, the planning, construction, operation and maintenance of power plants and transmission systems, the transmission of power, and other services requiring expertise in all the key fields of energy engineering. Mastery of the entire energy chain gives us a substantial competitive edge on international markets, where the IVO Group has been a player for decades. The operations have expanded to the other Nordic countries, which now constitute the home market. Focal areas also include Great Britain, Central and Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. The IVO Group annually invests some FIM 250 million in research and development. A large proportion of this money is used for the development of environmentally benign solutions

  2. Journal Club: a group of research experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Draganov, Patricia Bover; Silva, Maria Regina Guimarães; Neves, Vanessa Ribeiro; Sanna, Maria Cristina

    2018-01-01

    the Journal Club (JC) is a teaching and learning strategy developed by individuals who meet to discuss scientific articles in periodicals. to describe the experience of the JC strategy at the Group for Studies and Research in Health Services Administration and Nursing Management (Gepag). case studies or scientific research demonstration mode of practical experience for the understanding and justification of facts. Gepag JC emerged in 2008 and, in 2014, was computerized with the Google Drive®, in order to increase its scope and optimize the Group›s meetings. From April to May 2014, the instrument was tested and adjusted, resulting in advancements. the advantages involved optimizing the time of meetings, facilitation of access to publications of interest to the Group and creating the database to support future research.

  3. Brazilian research groups in nursing: comparison of 2006 and 2016 profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erdmann, Alacoque Lorenzini; Peiter, Caroline Cechinel; Lanzoni, Gabriela Marcellino de Melo

    2017-07-13

    To compare the profile of nursing research groups registered at the CNPq Research Groups Directory in 2006 and 2016. Descriptive and documentary analysis, The data has been collected in 2006 and in 2016, with parameterized search with the term "nursing" at the CNPq Research Groups Directory. The selected variables have been organized in a Microsoft Office Exce spreadsheetl. The research groups have increased from 251 in 2006 to 617 in 2016, with important increase of the number of participants, among students and researchers. There was a decrease of the number of groups without students. However, 22% remain without undergraduate students' participation. It has been observed an important increase regarding the interest on research activities, when comparing both scenarios. The nursing research groups reflect structural and political advances in generation of science, technology and innovation, however, the undergraduate students' and the foreign researchers' participation should still be encouraged.

  4. A study on optimization of photoneutron shielding in a medical accelerator room by using Monte Carlo simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yong Nam; Jeong, Kyoungkeun; Kim, Joo Young; Lee, Chang Geol; Seong, Jinsil; Choi, Sang Hyun; Kim, Chan Hyeong

    2008-01-01

    Medical linear accelerators operating above 10 MV require door shielding for neutrons in addition to photons. A criterion for choice of optimal configuration of lamination of BPE (Borated Polyethylene) and lead is not clear. Moreover, optimal configuration cannot be determined by the conventional method using an analytical formula and simple measurement. This study performs Monte Carlo simulation of radiation field in a commercial LINAC room with 15 MV X-ray sources. Considering two configuration of lamination such as 'lead-BPE' and 'lead-BPE-lead', dose equivalents are calculated by using the MCNPX code and comparative analyses are performed with each other. The obtained results show that there is no significant difference in neuron shielding between both configurations, whereas lead-BPE-lead is more effective for photon shielding. It is also noted that the absolute values of neutron doses are much greater than that of photon doses outside as well as inside the door, by three orders of magnitude. As a conclusion, the laminating of lead-BPE is suggested as the optimal configuration from the viewpoint of simplicity in fabrication and handling, even though it has no significant difference from lead-BPE-lead in terms of total dose equivalent. (author)

  5. Outcomes of Mixed-Age Groupings. Research Highlights.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stegelin, Dolores A.

    1997-01-01

    A review of the literature on mixed-age settings reveals benefits in the areas of social and cognitive development. Research on the psychosocial advantages of mixed-age groupings is less consistent. Factors such as group size, age range, time together, and context-specific curriculum activities may have a relationship to the level of success and…

  6. Journal Club: a group of research experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Patricia Bover Draganov

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: the Journal Club (JC is a teaching and learning strategy developed by individuals who meet to discuss scientific articles in periodicals. Objective: to describe the experience of the JC strategy at the Group for Studies and Research in Health Services Administration and Nursing Management (Gepag. Method: case studies or scientific research demonstration mode of practical experience for the understanding and justification of facts. Results: Gepag JC emerged in 2008 and, in 2014, was computerized with the Google Drive®, in order to increase its scope and optimize the Group›s meetings. From April to May 2014, the instrument was tested and adjusted, resulting in advancements. Final considerations: the advantages involved optimizing the time of meetings, facilitation of access to publications of interest to the Group and creating the database to support future research.

  7. Research groups: How big should they be?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Isabelle; Grange, Sam; Eyre-Walker, Adam

    2015-01-01

    Understanding the relationship between scientific productivity and research group size is important for deciding how science should be funded. We have investigated the relationship between these variables in the life sciences in the United Kingdom using data from 398 principle investigators (PIs). We show that three measures of productivity, the number of publications, the impact factor of the journals in which papers are published and the number of citations, are all positively correlated to group size, although they all show a pattern of diminishing returns-doubling group size leads to less than a doubling in productivity. The relationships for the impact factor and the number of citations are extremely weak. Our analyses suggest that an increase in productivity will be achieved by funding more PIs with small research groups, unless the cost of employing post-docs and PhD students is less than 20% the cost of a PI. We also provide evidence that post-docs are more productive than PhD students both in terms of the number of papers they produce and where those papers are published.

  8. Research groups: How big should they be?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Isabelle Cook

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Understanding the relationship between scientific productivity and research group size is important for deciding how science should be funded. We have investigated the relationship between these variables in the life sciences in the United Kingdom using data from 398 principle investigators (PIs. We show that three measures of productivity, the number of publications, the impact factor of the journals in which papers are published and the number of citations, are all positively correlated to group size, although they all show a pattern of diminishing returns—doubling group size leads to less than a doubling in productivity. The relationships for the impact factor and the number of citations are extremely weak. Our analyses suggest that an increase in productivity will be achieved by funding more PIs with small research groups, unless the cost of employing post-docs and PhD students is less than 20% the cost of a PI. We also provide evidence that post-docs are more productive than PhD students both in terms of the number of papers they produce and where those papers are published.

  9. Focus Group in Community Mental Health Research: Need for Adaption.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zupančič, Vesna; Pahor, Majda; Kogovšek, Tina

    2018-04-27

    The article presents an analysis of the use of focus groups in researching community mental health users, starting with the reasons for using them, their implementation in mental health service users' research, and the adaptations of focus group use when researching the experiences of users. Based on personal research experience and a review of scientific publications in the Google Scholar, Web of Science, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Scopus databases, 20 articles published between 2010 and 2016 were selected for targeted content analysis. A checklist for reporting on the use of focus groups with community mental health service users, aiming to improve the comparability, verifiability and validity was developed. Adaptations of the implementation of focus groups in relation to participants' characteristics were suggested. Focus groups are not only useful as a scientific research technique, but also for ensuring service users' participation in decision-making in community mental health and evaluating the quality of the mental health system and services .

  10. Banana peel extract mediated synthesis of gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bankar, Ashok; Joshi, Bhagyashree; Kumar, Ameeta Ravi; Zinjarde, Smita

    2010-10-01

    Gold nanoparticles were synthesized by using banana peel extract (BPE) as a simple, non-toxic, eco-friendly 'green material'. The boiled, crushed, acetone precipitated, air-dried peel powder was used to reduce chloroauric acid. A variety of nanoparticles were formed when the reaction conditions were altered with respect to pH, BPE content, chloroauric acid concentration and temperature of incubation. The reaction mixtures displayed vivid colors and UV-vis spectra characteristic of gold nanoparticles. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) studies revealed that the average size of the nanoparticles under standard synthetic conditions was around 300nm. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) confirmed these results. A coffee ring phenomenon, led to the aggregation of the nanoparticles into microcubes and microwire networks towards the periphery of the air-dried samples. X-ray diffraction studies of the samples revealed spectra that were characteristic for gold. Fourier transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated the involvement of carboxyl, amine and hydroxyl groups in the synthetic process. The BPE mediated nanoparticles displayed efficient antimicrobial activity towards most of the tested fungal and bacterial cultures.

  11. A two-dimensional bilayered Cd(II) coordination polymer with a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture incorporating 1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene and 2,2'-(diazenediyl)dibenzoic acid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lei-Lei; Zhou, Yan; Li, Ping; Tian, Jiang-Ya

    2014-02-01

    In poly[[μ2-1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene-κ(2)N:N'][μ2-2,2'-(diazenediyl)dibenzoato-κ(3)O,O':O'']cadmium(II)], [Cd(C14H8N2O4)(C12H10N2)]n, the asymmetric unit contains one Cd(II) cation, one 2,2'-(diazenediyl)dibenzoate anion (denoted L(2-)) and one 1,2-bis(pyridin-4-yl)ethene ligand (denoted bpe). Each Cd(II) centre is six-coordinated by four O atoms of bridging/chelating carboxylate groups from three L(2-) ligands and by two N atoms from two bpe ligands, forming a distorted octahedron. The Cd(II) cations are bridged by L(2-) and bpe ligands to give a two-dimensional (4,4) layer. The layers are interlinked through bridging carboxylate O atoms from L(2-) ligands, generating a two-dimensional bilayered structure with a 3(6)4(13)6(2) topology. The bilayered structures are further extended to form a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture via a combination of hydrogen-bonding and aromatic stacking interactions.

  12. Group heterogeneity increases the risks of large group size: a longitudinal study of productivity in research groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, Jonathon N; Kiesler, Sara; Bosagh Zadeh, Reza; Balakrishnan, Aruna D

    2013-06-01

    Heterogeneous groups are valuable, but differences among members can weaken group identification. Weak group identification may be especially problematic in larger groups, which, in contrast with smaller groups, require more attention to motivating members and coordinating their tasks. We hypothesized that as groups increase in size, productivity would decrease with greater heterogeneity. We studied the longitudinal productivity of 549 research groups varying in disciplinary heterogeneity, institutional heterogeneity, and size. We examined their publication and citation productivity before their projects started and 5 to 9 years later. Larger groups were more productive than smaller groups, but their marginal productivity declined as their heterogeneity increased, either because their members belonged to more disciplines or to more institutions. These results provide evidence that group heterogeneity moderates the effects of group size, and they suggest that desirable diversity in groups may be better leveraged in smaller, more cohesive units.

  13. Quantitative Approaches to Group Research: Suggestions for Best Practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, Christopher J.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Boyle, Lauren H.; Eyal, Maytal

    2017-01-01

    Rigorous scholarship is essential to the continued growth of group work, yet the unique nature of this counseling specialty poses challenges for quantitative researchers. The purpose of this proposal is to overview unique challenges to quantitative research with groups in the counseling field, including difficulty in obtaining large sample sizes…

  14. MRI Background Parenchymal Enhancement Is Not Associated with Breast Cancer.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Bennani-Baiti

    Full Text Available Previously, a strong positive association between background parenchymal enhancement (BPE at magnetic resonance imaging (MRI and breast cancer was reported in high-risk populations. We sought to determine, whether this was also true for non-high-risk patients.540 consecutive patients underwent breast MRI for assessment of breast findings (BI-RADS 0-5, non-high-risk screening (no familial history of breast cancer, no known genetic mutation, no prior chest irradiation, or previous breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent histological work-up. For this IRB-approved study, BPE and fibroglandular tissue FGT were retrospectively assessed by two experienced radiologists according to the BI-RADS lexicon. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to explore associations between BPE, FGT, age and final diagnosis of breast cancer. Subsequently, multivariate logistic regression analysis, considering covariate colinearities, was performed, using final diagnosis as the target variable and BPE, FGT and age as covariates.Age showed a moderate negative correlation with FGT (r = -0.43, p<0.001 and a weak negative correlation with BPE (r = -0.28, p<0.001. FGT and BPE correlated moderately (r = 0.35, p<0.001. Final diagnosis of breast cancer displayed very weak negative correlations with FGT (r = -0.09, p = 0.046 and BPE (r = -0.156, p<0.001 and weak positive correlation with age (r = 0.353, p<0.001. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the only independent covariate for prediction of breast cancer was age (OR 1.032, p<0.001.Based on our data, neither BPE nor FGT independently correlate with breast cancer risk in non-high-risk patients at MRI. Our model retained only age as an independent risk factor for breast cancer in this setting.

  15. Activity report of the Neutrino Research Group. Year 2010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2011-01-01

    For the last two decades, neutrino physics has been producing major discoveries including neutrino oscillations. These results gave clear confirmation that active neutrinos oscillate and therefore have mass with three different mass states. This is a very important result showing that the Minimal Standard Model is incomplete and requires an extension which is not yet known. The neutrino research field is very broad and active, at the frontier of today's particle physics. The Neutrino Research Group (GDR) was created in January 2005 with the aim of gathering CEA and CNRS research teams working on Neutrino Physics on experimental or theoretical level. This document is the 2010 activity report of the research group, six years after its creation. It presents the results of the 5 working groups: 1 - Determination of neutrino parameters; 2 - Physics beyond the standard model; 3 - Neutrinos in the universe; 4 - Accelerators, detection means, R and D and valorisation; 5 - Common tools to all working groups. The proposed neutrino physics road-map and the actual and future short-, medium- and long-term projects are presented in appendixes

  16. Bridging the practitioner-scientist gap in group psychotherapy research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Mark A; Ogrodniczuk, John; Joyce, Anthony S; Sochting, Ingrid

    2010-04-01

    Bridging the practitioner-scientist gap requires a different clinical research paradigm: participatory research that encourages community agency-academic partnerships. In this context, clinicians help define priorities, determine the type of evidence that will have an impact on their practice (affecting the methods that are used to produce the evidence), and develop strategies for translating, implementing, and disseminating their findings into evidence-based practice. Within this paradigm, different roles are assumed by the partners, and sometimes these roles are blended. This paper will consider the perspectives of people who assume these different roles (clinician, researcher, and clinician-researcher) with group psychotherapy as the specific focus. Finally, the establishment of a practice-research network will be discussed as a potentially promising way to better engage group therapists in research.

  17. Brazilian pediatric research groups, lines of research, and main areas of activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Priscila H.A. Oliveira

    2015-05-01

    Conclusions: The pediatric research groups in Brazil have relevant scientific production, including works published in international publications, and are concentrated in regions with higher socioeconomic index. Most groups registered in CNPq started their activity in the last five years (46%, reflecting the recent growth of scientific production in this area.

  18. Group-Effort Applied Research (GEAR): Expanding Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Through Original, Class-Based Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Sean D.; Teter, Ken

    2014-01-01

    Undergraduate research clearly enriches the educational development of participating students, but these experiences are limited by the inherent inefficiency of the standard one student - one mentor model for undergraduate research. Group-Effort Applied Research (GEAR) was developed as a strategy to provide substantial numbers of undergraduates with meaningful research experiences. The GEAR curriculum delivers concept-driven lecture material and provides hands-on training in the context of an active research project from the instructor's lab. Because GEAR is structured as a class, participating students benefit from intensive, supervised research training that involves a built-in network of peer support and abundant contact with faculty mentors. The class format also ensures a relatively standardized and consistent research experience. Furthermore, meaningful progress toward a research objective can be achieved more readily with GEAR than with the traditional one student - one mentor model of undergraduate research because sporadic mistakes by individuals in the class are overshadowed by the successes of the group as a whole. Three separate GEAR classes involving three distinct research projects have been offered to date. In this paper, we provide an overview of the GEAR format and review some of the recurring themes for GEAR instruction. We propose GEAR can serve as a template to expand student opportunities for life science research without sacrificing the quality of the mentored research experience. PMID:24898007

  19. [The virtual environment of a research group: the tutors' perspective].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prado, Cláudia; Casteli, Christiane Pereira Martins; Lopes, Tania Oliveira; Kobayashi, Rika M; Peres, Heloísa Helena Ciqueto; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

    2012-02-01

    The Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas de Tecnologia da Informação nos Processos de Trabalho em Enfermagem (Study and Research Group for Information Technology in the Nursing Working Processes, GEPETE) has the purpose of producing and socializing knowledge in information technology and health and nursing communication, making associations with research groups in this field and promoting student participation. This study was performed by the group tutors with the objective to report on the development of the virtual learning environment (VLE) and the tutors' experience as mediators of a research group using the Moodle platform. To do this, a VLE was developed and pedagogical mediation was performed following the theme of mentoring. An initial diagnosis was made of the difficulties in using this technology in interaction and communication, which permitted the proposal of continuing to use the platform as a resource to support research activities, offer lead researchers the mechanisms to socialize projects and offer the possibility of giving advice at a distance.

  20. Graphite paper-based bipolar electrode electrochemiluminescence sensing platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Ding, Shou-Nian

    2017-08-15

    In this work, aiming at the construction of a disposable, wireless, low-cost and sensitive system for bioassay, we report a closed bipolar electrode electrochemiluminescence (BPE-ECL) sensing platform based on graphite paper as BPE for the first time. Graphite paper is qualified as BPE due to its unique properties such as excellent electrical conductivity, uniform composition and ease of use. This simple BPE-ECL device was applied to the quantitative analysis of oxidant (H 2 O 2 ) and biomarker (CEA) respectively, according to the principle of BPE sensing-charge balance. For the H 2 O 2 analysis, Pt NPs were electrodeposited onto the cathode through a bipolar electrodeposition approach to promote the sensing performance. As a result, this BPE-ECL device exhibited a wide linear range of 0.001-15mM with a low detection limit of 0.5µM (S/N=3) for H 2 O 2 determination. For the determination of CEA, chitosan-multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CS-MWCNTs) were employed to supply a hydrophilic interface for immobilizing primary antibody (Ab 1 ); and Au@Pt nanostructures were conjugated with secondary antibody (Ab 2 ) as catalysts for H 2 O 2 reduction. Under the optimal conditions, the BPE-ECL immunodevice showed a wide linear range of 0.01-60ngmL -1 with a detection limit of 5.0pgmL -1 for CEA. Furthermore, it also displayed satisfactory selectivity, excellent stability and good reproducibility. The developed method opened a new avenue to clinical bioassay. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Focus groups in organizational research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Kamfer

    1989-05-01

    Full Text Available Focus groups are commonly used in marketing research. In this article an application of the focus group technique within an organizational context is described. Nine focus groups were conducted during the planning stage of a survey intended to establish employee perceptions of advancement policies and practices in a major South African manufacturing company. Fourteen themes emerged from a content analysis of the discussions. Two of these reflected aspects requiring commitment decisions from management toward the survey. The others indicated areas of concern which should be included in the survey. In this way, the focus groups contributed useful information for the subsequent sample survey. Opsomming Fokusgroepe word algemeen in bemarkingsnavorsing aangewend. In hierdie studie word 'n toepassingvan die fokusgroeptegniek in die konteks van 'n opname binne 'n organisasie beskryf. Nege fokusgroepbesprekings is gevoer tydens die beplanningstadium van 'n opname wat binne 'n Suid-Afrikaanse vervaardigingsonderneming gedoen is. Die doel van die opname was om die persepsies van werknemers teenoor die bestaande personeel- en bestuursontwikkelingsbeleid en -praktyke van die maatskappy te bepaal. Veertien temas is deur middel van 'n inhoudontleding gei'dentifiseer. Twee hiervan het aspekte aangedui waaroor bestuur beginselbesluite t.o.v. die opname sou moes neem. Die ander het probleemareas aangedui wat by die ondersoek selfingesluit behoort te word. Sodoende het die fokusgroepe inligting verskafwat vir die latere vraelysopname belangrik was.

  2. Revisiting the use of focus group in social research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Betina Freidin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The methodological reflections on focus groups presented in this article draw from a research project on middle-class people living in Metropolitan Buenos Aires. The study addresses health discourses and practices in the contemporary scenario characterized by the diversification of specialists, the growing media coverage of recommendations of healthy living and wellbeing, the implementation of public policies on health promotion, and the expansion of the industry of related products and services.  The objective of the article is to reflect, based on our fieldwork experience, on two aspects that have received special attention in the recent methodological literature: the criteria to compose the groups and their consequences on the conversational dynamic, and the strategies to account for the group interaction in data analysis. Included in the latter, we explore the potential of GF research to observe health identity work. We frame our study and the decisions about design issues into the current debates on the variety of uses of the research group methodology.

  3. Journal Club: a group of research experience

    OpenAIRE

    Draganov, Patricia Bover; Silva, Maria Regina Guimarães; Neves, Vanessa Ribeiro; Sanna, Maria Cristina

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Introduction: the Journal Club (JC) is a teaching and learning strategy developed by individuals who meet to discuss scientific articles in periodicals. Objective: to describe the experience of the JC strategy at the Group for Studies and Research in Health Services Administration and Nursing Management (Gepag). Method: case studies or scientific research demonstration mode of practical experience for the understanding and justification of facts. Results: Gepag JC emerged in 2008...

  4. Research Activities of Geotechnical Research Group of NIIS from the Past to Present

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horii, N.; Toyosawa, Y.; Tamate, S.; Itoh, K.

    In this paper, firstly the memories of Prof. Tatsuoka's laboratory and research works carried out when the first author visited Prof. Tatsuoka's laboratory as a visiting researcher from May 1986 for about 1 year are described. Secondly, the research activities of Geotechnical Research Group of NIIS are introduced. Main emphasis is given on the research activities conducted using old geotechnical centrifuge (NIIS Mark-I centrifuge) and newly developed geotechnical centrifuge (NIIS Mark-II centrifuge).

  5. UCLA Particle Physics Research Group annual progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nefkens, B.M.K.

    1981-08-01

    The objectives, basic research programs, recent results and continuing activities of the UCLA Particle Physics Research Group are presented. The objectives of the research are to discover, to formulate, and to elucidate the physics laws that govern the elementary constituents of matter and to determine basic properties of particles. A synopsis of research carried out last year is given. The main body of this report is the account of the techniques used in our investigations, the results obtained, and the plans for continuing and new research

  6. Research Award: Policy and Planning Group (PPG) Deadline: 12 ...

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

    Jean-Claude Dumais

    2012-09-12

    Sep 12, 2012 ... mentorship in research, research management, and grant administration allows research awardees to pursue their research goals in a dynamic team environment in one of the world's leaders in generating new knowledge to meet global challenges. The Policy and Planning Group (PPG) is responsible for ...

  7. Bee pollen extract of Malaysian stingless bee enhances the effect of cisplatin on breast cancer cell lines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wan Adnan Wan Omar

    2016-03-01

    Conclusions: Our study therefore suggested that BPE of Malaysian stingless bee, L. terminata is a potential chemopreventive agent and can be used as a supplementary treatment for chemotherapy drugs. BPE might be able to be used to potentiate the effect of chemotherapy drugs with the possibility to reduce the required dose of the drugs. The molecular mechanisms of how the BPE exerts antiproliferative activity will be a much interesting area to look for in future studies.

  8. Medical Genetics at McGill: The History of a Pioneering Research Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canning, Christopher; Weisz, George; Tone, Andrea; Cambrosio, Alberto

    2013-01-01

    The McGill Group in Medical Genetics was formed in 1972, supported by the Medical Research Council and successor Canadian Institutes for Health Research until September 2009, making it the longest active biomedical research group in the history of Canada. We document the history of the McGill Group and situate its research within a broader history of medical genetics. Drawing on original oral histories with the Group's members, surviving documents, and archival materials, we explore how the Group's development was structured around epistemological trends in medical genetics, policy choices made by research agencies, and the development of genetics at McGill University and its hospitals.

  9. Repeated surgeries in invasive lobular breast cancer with preoperative MRI: Role of additional carcinoma in situ and background parenchymal enhancement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Preibsch, H; Richter, V; Bahrs, S D; Hattermann, V; Wietek, B M; Bier, G; Kloth, C; Blumenstock, G; Hahn, M; Staebler, A; Nikolaou, K; Wiesinger, B

    2017-05-01

    Analysing the influence of additional carcinoma in situ (CIS) and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) in preoperative MRI on repeated surgeries in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast. Retrospective analysis of 106 patients (mean age 58.6±9.9years) with 108 ILC. Preoperative tumour size as assessed by MRI, mammography and sonography was recorded and compared to histopathology. In contrast-enhanced MRI, the degree of BPE was categorised by two readers. The influence of additionally detected CIS and BPE on the rate of repeated surgeries was analysed. Additional CIS was present in 45.4% of the cases (49/108). The degree of BPE was minimal or mild in 80% of the cases and moderate or marked in 20% of the cases. In 17 cases (15.7%) at least one repeated surgery was performed. In n=15 of these cases, repeated surgery was performed after BCT (n=9 re-excisions, n=6 conversions to mastectomy), in n=2 cases after initial mastectomy. The initial surgical procedure (p=0.008) and additional CIS (p=0.046) significantly influenced the rate of repeated surgeries, while tumour size, patient age and BPE did not (p=ns). Additional CIS was associated with a higher rate of repeated surgeries, whereas BPE had no influence. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Collecting School Counseling Group Work Data: Initiating Consensual Qualitative Research through Practitioner-Researcher Partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Springer, Sarah I.; Land, Christy W.; Moss, Lauren J.; Cinotti, Daniel

    2018-01-01

    Group counseling interventions can be complex to assess and research. Over the years, The "Journal for Specialists in Group Work" ("JSGW") has highlighted many of these challenges and offered valued approaches to designing projects that promote the efficacy and meaningfulness of group work in various settings. Similarly, school…

  11. Lysimeter Research Group - A scientific community network for lysimeter research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cepuder, Peter; Nolz, Reinhard; Bohner, Andreas; Baumgarten, Andreas; Klammler, Gernot; Murer, Erwin; Wimmer, Bernhard

    2014-05-01

    A lysimeter is a vessel that isolates a volume of soil between ground surface and a certain depth, and includes a sampling device for percolating water at its bottom. Lysimeters are traditionally used to study water and solute transport in the soil. Equipped with a weighing system, soil water sensors and temperature sensors, lysimeters are valuable instruments to investigate hydrological processes in the system soil-plant-atmosphere, especially fluxes across its boundary layers, e.g. infiltration, evapotranspiration and deep drainage. Modern lysimeter facilities measure water balance components with high precision and high temporal resolution. Hence, lysimeters are used in various research disciplines - such as hydrology, hydrogeology, soil science, agriculture, forestry, and climate change studies - to investigate hydrological, chemical and biological processes in the soil. The Lysimeter Research Group (LRG) was established in 1992 as a registered nonprofit association with free membership (ZVR number: 806128239, Austria). It is organized as an executive board with an international scientific steering committee. In the beginning the LRG focused mainly on nitrate contamination in Austria and its neighboring countries. Today the main intention of the LRG is to advance interdisciplinary exchange of information between researchers and users working in the field of lysimetry on an international level. The LRG also aims for the dissemination of scientific knowledge to the public and the support of decision makers. Main activities are the organization of a lysimeter conference every two years in Raumberg-Gumpenstein (Styria, Austria), the organization of excursions to lysimeter stations and related research sites around Europe, and the maintenance of a website (www.lysimeter.at). The website contains useful information about numerous European lysimeter stations regarding their infrastructure, instrumentation and operation, as well as related links and references which

  12. Relationship between Background Parenchymal Enhancement on High-risk Screening MRI and Future Breast Cancer Risk.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grimm, Lars J; Saha, Ashirbani; Ghate, Sujata V; Kim, Connie; Soo, Mary Scott; Yoon, Sora C; Mazurowski, Maciej A

    2018-03-27

    To determine if background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on screening breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in high-risk women correlates with future cancer. All screening breast MRIs (n = 1039) in high-risk women at our institution from August 1, 2004, to July 30, 2013, were identified. Sixty-one patients who subsequently developed breast cancer were matched 1:2 by age and high-risk indication with patients who did not develop breast cancer (n = 122). Five fellowship-trained breast radiologists independently recorded the BPE. The median reader BPE for each case was calculated and compared between the cancer and control cohorts. Cancer cohort patients were high-risk because of a history of radiation therapy (10%, 6 of 61), high-risk lesion (18%, 11 of 61), or breast cancer (30%, 18 of 61); BRCA mutation (18%, 11 of 61); or family history (25%, 15 of 61). Subsequent malignancies were invasive ductal carcinoma (64%, 39 of 61), ductal carcinoma in situ (30%, 18 of 61) and invasive lobular carcinoma (7%, 4of 61). BPE was significantly higher in the cancer cohort than in the control cohort (P = 0.01). Women with mild, moderate, or marked BPE were 2.5 times more likely to develop breast cancer than women with minimal BPE (odds ratio = 2.5, 95% confidence interval: 1.3-4.8, P = .005). There was fair interreader agreement (κ = 0.39). High-risk women with greater than minimal BPE at screening MRI have increased risk of future breast cancer. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Wellness and multiple sclerosis: The National MS Society establishes a Wellness Research Working Group and research priorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Motl, Robert W; Mowry, Ellen M; Ehde, Dawn M; LaRocca, Nicholas G; Smith, Kathy E; Costello, Kathleen; Shinto, Lynne; Ng, Alexander V; Sullivan, Amy B; Giesser, Barbara; McCully, Kevin K; Fernhall, Bo; Bishop, Malachy; Plow, Matthew; Casaccia, Patrizia; Chiaravalloti, Nancy D

    2018-03-01

    People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have identified "wellness" and associated behaviors as a high priority based on "social media listening" undertaken by the National MS Society (i.e. the Society). The Society recently convened a group that consisted of researchers with experience in MS and wellness-related research, Society staff members, and an individual with MS for developing recommendations regarding a wellness research agenda. The members of the group engaged in focal reviews and discussions involving the state of science within three approaches for promoting wellness in MS, namely diet, exercise, and emotional wellness. That process informed a group-mediated activity for developing and prioritizing research goals for wellness in MS. This served as a background for articulating the mission and objectives of the Society's Wellness Research Working Group. The primary mission of the Wellness Research Working Group is the provision of scientific evidence supporting the application of lifestyle, behavioral, and psychosocial approaches for promoting optimal health of mind, body, and spirit (i.e. wellness) in people with MS as well as managing the disease and its consequences.

  14. [A study of the occupational stress norm and it' s application for the technical group and scientific research group].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Xin-wei; Liu, Ze-jun; Zhao, Pei-qing; Bai, Shao-ying; Pang, Xing-huo; Wang, Zhi-ming; Jin, Tai-yi; Lan, Ya-jia

    2006-11-01

    A study of the occupational stress norm and it' s application for the technical group and scientific research group. In this study, cross-sectional study method is used, and a synthetic way of sorting and randomized sampling is adopted to deal with research targets(235 scientific research group, 857 technical group). Descriptive statistics for OSI-R scale scores for the technical group and scientific research group were modulated. Scale raw score to T-score conversion tables derived from the OSI-R normative sample for technical group and scientific research group were established. OSI-R profile from for technical group and scientific research group were established. For the ORQ and PSQ scales, scores at or above 70T indicate a strong levels of maladaptive stress and strain. Score in the range of 60T to 69T suggest middle levels of maladaptive stress and strain. Score in the range of 40T to 59T indicate normal levels of stress and strain. Score below 40T indicate a relative absence of occupational stress and strain. For the PRQ scales, score below 30T indicate a significant lack of coping resources. Score in the range of 30T to 39T suggest middle deficits in coping resources. Score in the range of 40T to 59T indicate average coping resources. Scores at or above 60T indicate a strong levels of coping resources. Different intervention measure should be take to reduce the occupational stress so as to improve the work ability.

  15. RESEARCH AND UNIVERSITY IN BRAZIL: organization and institutionalization of research groups in Geography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janaina Francisca de Souza Campos Vinha

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents reflections on the still poorly treated and discussed theme. The formation of research groups is a "new" form of organization of academic and scientific work that has recently been institutionalized by the major institutions of higher education, research and development agencies in Brazil. The research groups in Geography were treated mainly on two aspects: as important spaces for socialization of knowledge that has been growing steadily and that subsidize the training of future teachers, foster critical and reflective stance, highlighting the collective work in the study of common themes; and as important socialization spaces of knowledge that has been growing steadily, and as part of the restructuring process initiated in the 1990s, a period that the Groups Directory Research of Brazil (DGPB formalizes the groups with CNPq. By analyzing the role of postgraduate research and its relation to the formation of research groups have demonstrated that besides the expressiveness achieved with the increase of the groups in all regions of the country, this form of organization also brought repercussions to the fields of education and research segments that incorporated resets the world of work and readjusted neoliberal policies. Este artigo apresenta reflexões sobre uma temática ainda pouco tratada e discutida. A formação de grupos de pesquisa é uma “nova” forma de organização do trabalho acadêmico e científico que recentemente foi institucionalizado pelos principais centros de Ensino Superior, pesquisas e agências de fomento no Brasil. Os grupos de pesquisa em Geografia foram tratados, sobretudo, diante de dois aspectos: como espaços importantes de socialização do conhecimento que vem crescendo progressivamente e que subsidiam a formação do futuro docente e fomentam a postura crítica e reflexiva, com destaque ao trabalho coletivo no estudo de temas em comum; e como parte do processo de reestruturação produtiva

  16. Virtual Focus Groups: New Frontiers in Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lyn Turney

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available New information and communication technologies in the form of learning management systems provide unique and inventive opportunities for qualitative researchers. Their intrinsic ability to record discursive data in text format accurately and to provide safe, secure, and anonymous environments for participants makes them amenable for use as advanced research tools. In this article, the authors report on a collaborative project that tested the potential of online discussion boards for use in virtual focus groups. What the researchers found was that not only was the method theoretically sound, it actually enhanced their ability to connect with difficult-to-access populations that were disparately spread.

  17. Fostering Undergraduate Research Experiences in Management Information Systems through the "Research Group" Framework

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartkus, Ken; Mills, Robert; Olsen, David

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative approach to engaged learning. Founded on the principles of a scholarly think-tank and administered along the lines of a consulting organization, the proposed "Research Group" framework is designed to facilitate effective and efficient undergraduate research experiences in Management…

  18. ETSON strategic orientations on research activities. ETSON research group activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Van Dorseelaere, J.P.; Barrachin, M. [IRSN, Saint Paul les Durance (France). Centre de Cadarache; Millington, D. [Wood RSD, Warrington (United Kingdom); and others

    2018-01-15

    In 2011, ETSON published the ''Position Paper of the Technical Safety Organizations: Research Needs in Nuclear Safety for Gen 2 and Gen 3 NPPs''. This paper, published only a few months after the Fukushima-Daiichi severe accidents, presented the priorities for R and D on the main pending safety issues. It was produced by the ETSON Research Group (ERG) that has the mandate of identifying and prioritizing safety research needs, sharing information on research projects in which ETSON members are involved, defining and launching new research projects and disseminating knowledge among ETSON members. Six years after this publication, many R and D international projects finished in diverse frames, and other ones have started. In particular a lot of work was done (and is going on..) on the analysis of the Fukushima-Daiichi severe accidents. Meanwhile a roadmap on research on Gen. 2 and 3 nuclear power plants (NPP), including safety aspects, was produced by the NUGENIA association, followed by a more detailed document as ''NUGENIA global vision''. It was also demonstrated that the ETSON R and D priorities were consistent with the implementation of the 2014 Euratom Directive on safety of nuclear installations.

  19. Biomedical Research Group, Health Division annual report 1954

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Langham, W.H.; Storer, J.B.

    1955-12-31

    This report covers the activities of the Biomedical Research Group (H-4) of the Health Division during the period January 1 through December 31, 1954. Organizationally, Group H-4 is divided into five sections, namely, Biochemistry, Radiobiology, Radiopathology, Biophysics, and Organic Chemistry. The activities of the Group are summarized under the headings of the various sections. The general nature of each section`s program, publications, documents and reports originating from its members, and abstracts and summaries of the projects pursued during the year are presented.

  20. Doing focus group research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindegaard, Laura Bang

    2014-01-01

    Scholars of ethnomethodologically informed discourse studies are often sceptical of the use of interview data such as focus group data. Some scholars quite simply reject interview data with reference to a general preference for so-called naturally occurring data. Other scholars acknowledge...... that interview data can be of some use if the distinction between natural and contrived data is given up and replaced with a distinction between interview data as topic or as resource. In greater detail, such scholars argue that interview data are perfectly adequate if the researcher wants to study the topic...... of interview interaction, but inadequate as data for studying phenomena that go beyond the phenomenon of interview interaction. Neither of these more and less sceptical positions are, on the face of it, surprising due to the ethnomethodological commitment to study social order as accomplished in situ...

  1. Developing a physics expert identity in a biophysics research group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Idaykis; Goertzen, Renee Michelle; Brewe, Eric; Kramer, Laird H.

    2015-06-01

    We investigate the development of expert identities through the use of the sociocultural perspective of learning as participating in a community of practice. An ethnographic case study of biophysics graduate students focuses on the experiences the students have in their research group meetings. The analysis illustrates how the communities of practice-based identity constructs of competencies characterize student expert membership. A microanalysis of speech, sound, tones, and gestures in video data characterize students' social competencies in the physics community of practice. Results provide evidence that students at different stages of their individual projects have opportunities to develop social competencies such as mutual engagement, negotiability of the repertoire, and accountability to the enterprises as they interact with group members. The biophysics research group purposefully designed a learning trajectory including conducting research and writing it for publication in the larger community of practice as a pathway to expertise. The students of the research group learn to become socially competent as specific experts of their project topic and methodology, ensuring acceptance, agency, and membership in their community of practice. This work expands research on physics expertise beyond the cognitive realm and has implications for how to design graduate learning experiences to promote expert identity development.

  2. Web-conferencing as a viable method for group decision research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel J. J. Handgraaf

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Studying group decision-making is challenging for multiple reasons. An important logistic difficulty is studying a sufficiently large number of groups, each with multiple participants. Assembling groups online could make this process easier and also provide access to group members more representative of real-world work groups than the sample of college students that typically comprise lab Face-to-Face (FtF groups. The main goal of this paper is to compare the decisions of online groups to those of FtF groups. We did so in a study that manipulated gain/loss framing of a risky decision between groups and examined the decisions of both individual group members and groups. All of these dependent measures are compared for an online and an FtF sample. Our results suggest that web-conferencing can be a substitute for FtF interaction in group decision-making research, as we found no moderation effects of communication medium on individual or group decision outcome variables. The effects of medium that were found suggest that the use of online groups may be the preferred method for group research. To wit, discussions among the online groups were shorter, but generated a greater number of thought units, i.e., they made more efficient use of time.

  3. A fully automated system for quantification of background parenchymal enhancement in breast DCE-MRI

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ufuk Dalmiş, Mehmet; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; Borelli, Cristina; Vreemann, Suzan; Mann, Ritse M.; Karssemeijer, Nico

    2016-03-01

    Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) observed in breast dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has been identified as an important biomarker associated with risk for developing breast cancer. In this study, we present a fully automated framework for quantification of BPE. We initially segmented fibroglandular tissue (FGT) of the breasts using an improved version of an existing method. Subsequently, we computed BPEabs (volume of the enhancing tissue), BPErf (BPEabs divided by FGT volume) and BPErb (BPEabs divided by breast volume), using different relative enhancement threshold values between 1% and 100%. To evaluate and compare the previous and improved FGT segmentation methods, we used 20 breast DCE-MRI scans and we computed Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) values with respect to manual segmentations. For evaluation of the BPE quantification, we used a dataset of 95 breast DCE-MRI scans. Two radiologists, in individual reading sessions, visually analyzed the dataset and categorized each breast into minimal, mild, moderate and marked BPE. To measure the correlation between automated BPE values to the radiologists' assessments, we converted these values into ordinal categories and we used Spearman's rho as a measure of correlation. According to our results, the new segmentation method obtained an average DSC of 0.81 0.09, which was significantly higher (p<0.001) compared to the previous method (0.76 0.10). The highest correlation values between automated BPE categories and radiologists' assessments were obtained with the BPErf measurement (r=0.55, r=0.49, p<0.001 for both), while the correlation between the scores given by the two radiologists was 0.82 (p<0.001). The presented framework can be used to systematically investigate the correlation between BPE and risk in large screening cohorts.

  4. Refractory Research Group - U.S. DOE, Albany Research Center [Institution Profile

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bennett, James P.

    2004-09-01

    The refractory research group at the Albany Research Center (ARC) has a long history of conducting materials research within the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and more recently, within the U.S. Dept. of Energy. When under the U.S. Bureau of Mines, research was driven by national needs to develop substitute materials and to conserve raw materials. This mission was accomplished by improving refractory material properties and/or by recycling refractories using critical and strategic materials. Currently, as a U.S. Dept of Energy Fossil Energy field site, research is driven primarily by the need to assist DOE in meeting its vision to develop economically and environmentally viable technologies for the production of electricity from fossil fuels. Research at ARC impacts this vision by: • Providing information on the performance characteristics of materials being specified for the current generation of power systems; • Developing cost-effective, high performance materials for inclusion in the next generation of fossil power systems; and • Solving environmental emission and waste problems related to fossil energy systems. A brief history of past refractory research within the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the current refractory research at ARC, and the equipment and capabilities used to conduct refractory research at ARC will be discussed.

  5. Background parenchymal enhancement in breast MRI before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy: correlation with tumour response

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Preibsch, H.; Wanner, L.; Bahrs, S.D.; Wietek, B.M.; Nikolaou, K.; Wiesinger, B. [University Hospital Tuebingen, Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Tuebingen (Germany); Siegmann-Luz, K.C. [Diagnostic Center for Breast Cancer and Screening Mammography Brandenburg Ost, Koenigs Wusterhausen (Germany); Oberlecher, E.; Hahn, M. [University Hospital Tuebingen, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Tuebingen (Germany); Staebler, A. [University Hospital Tuebingen, Institute of Pathology and Neuropathology, Tuebingen (Germany)

    2016-06-15

    To correlate the decrease in background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) and tumour response measured with MRI in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). One hundred and forty-six MRI examinations of 73 patients with 80 biopsy-proven breast cancers who underwent breast MRI before and after NAC were retrospectively analysed. All images were reviewed by two blinded readers, who classified BPE into categories (BEC; 1 = minimal, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = marked) before and after NAC. Histopathological and morphological tumour responses were analysed and compared. The distribution of BEC 1/2/3/4 was 25/46/18/11 % before and 78/20/2/0 % after NAC. On average, BPE decreased by 0.87 BEC. Cohen's kappa showed substantial agreement (k = 0.73-0.77) before and moderate agreement (k = 0.43-0.60) after NAC and moderate agreement (k = 0.62-0.60) concerning the change in BEC. Correlating the change in BPE with tumour response, the average decrease in BEC was 1.3 in cases of complete remission, 0.83 in cases with partial response, 0.85 in cases with stable disease and 0.40 in cases with progressive disease. Correlation analysis showed a significant correlation between the decrease in BEC and tumour response (r = -0.24, p = 0.03). BPE decreased by, on average, 0.87 BEC following NAC for breast cancer. The degree of BPE reduction seemed to correlate with tumour response. (orig.)

  6. Global Manufacturing Research: Experience Exchange Group (EEG) contributions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun, Peter

    1998-01-01

    of preliminary studies found interesting to set upan EEG composed of representatives from industry and a researcher. Inthe paper some general research methods pertinent to the areaindustrial management is discussed. The EEG concept is introduced andcharacterised in comparison with the other methods. EEG...... activities aredescribed and a tentative coupling to the phases in a research processis proposed. Following this is a discussion of methodological andquality requirements. It is considered how EEG activities couldpossible contribute to an industrial rooted research. The paper endsup looking at future research......The intention of this paper is to clarify if and how an ExperienceExchange Group (EEG) can be involved in a research process in the areaof industrial management. For exemplification of the topic an ongoingresearch in global manufacturing is referred to. In this research itwas after a series...

  7. Societal output and use of research performed by health research groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van Ark Gerrit

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The last decade has seen the evaluation of health research pay more and more attention to societal use and benefits of research in addition to scientific quality, both in qualitative and quantitative ways. This paper elaborates primarily on a quantitative approach to assess societal output and use of research performed by health research groups (societal quality of research. For this reason, one of the Dutch university medical centres (i.e. the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC was chosen as the subject of a pilot study, because of its mission to integrate top patient care with medical, biomedical and healthcare research and education. All research departments were used as units of evaluation within this university medical centre. The method consisted of a four-step process to reach a societal quality score per department, based on its (research outreach to relevant societal stakeholders (the general public, healthcare professionals and the private sector. For each of these three types of stakeholders, indicators within four modes of communication were defined (knowledge production, knowledge exchange, knowledge use and earning capacity. These indicators were measured by a bottom-up approach in a qualitative way (i.e. all departments of the LUMC were asked to list all activities they would consider to be of societal relevance, after which they were converted into quantitative scores. These quantitative scores could then be compared to standardised scientific quality scores that are based on scientific publications and citations of peer-reviewed articles. Based on the LUMC pilot study, only a weak correlation was found between societal and scientific quality. This suggests that societal quality needs additional activities to be performed by health research groups and is not simply the consequence of high scientific quality. Therefore we conclude that scientific and societal evaluation should be considered to be synergistic in terms

  8. Ganando Confianza: Research Focus Groups with Immigrant Mexican Mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hausmann-Stabile, Carolina; Zayas, Luis H; Runes, Sandra; Abenis-Cintron, Anna; Calzada, Esther

    2011-03-01

    Immigrant families with children with developmental disabilities must be served using culturally sensitive approaches to service and research to maximize treatment benefits. In an effort to better understand cultural issues relevant to the provision of parenting programs for immigrant Mexican mothers of children with developmental disabilities, we conducted sustained focus groups through which we could learn more about our participants and thereby improve services. This paper reports on the challenges and lessons learned from these groups. We characterize the key lessons as (a) recruitment and retention is more than agreement to participate; (b) confidentiality is not just a word but an activity; (c) the complicated nature of language; (d) cultural norms shape the group process; (e) appreciating the value of taking time; and (f) gender issues and group interaction. Service providers and researchers who work with Mexican families may benefit from our experiences as they promote and develop programs and projects in the developmental disabilities field.

  9. An ethnographic study: Becoming a physics expert in a biophysics research group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Idaykis

    Expertise in physics has been traditionally studied in cognitive science, where physics expertise is understood through the difference between novice and expert problem solving skills. The cognitive perspective of physics experts only create a partial model of physics expertise and does not take into account the development of physics experts in the natural context of research. This dissertation takes a social and cultural perspective of learning through apprenticeship to model the development of physics expertise of physics graduate students in a research group. I use a qualitative methodological approach of an ethnographic case study to observe and video record the common practices of graduate students in their biophysics weekly research group meetings. I recorded notes on observations and conduct interviews with all participants of the biophysics research group for a period of eight months. I apply the theoretical framework of Communities of Practice to distinguish the cultural norms of the group that cultivate physics expert practices. Results indicate that physics expertise is specific to a topic or subfield and it is established through effectively publishing research in the larger biophysics research community. The participant biophysics research group follows a learning trajectory for its students to contribute to research and learn to communicate their research in the larger biophysics community. In this learning trajectory students develop expert member competencies to learn to communicate their research and to learn the standards and trends of research in the larger research community. Findings from this dissertation expand the model of physics expertise beyond the cognitive realm and add the social and cultural nature of physics expertise development. This research also addresses ways to increase physics graduate student success towards their PhD. and decrease the 48% attrition rate of physics graduate students. Cultivating effective research

  10. Angels and demons are among us: assessing individual differences in belief in pure evil and belief in pure good.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webster, Russell J; Saucier, Donald A

    2013-11-01

    We conducted five studies to demonstrate that individuals' beliefs in pure evil (BPE) and in pure good (BPG) are valid and important psychological constructs. First, these studies together demonstrated that BPE and BPG are reliable, unitary, and stable constructs each composed of eight theoretically interdependent dimensions. Second, these studies showed that across a wide variety of different measures, higher BPE consistently related to greater intergroup aggression (e.g., supporting the death penalty and preemptive military aggression) and less intergroup prosociality (e.g., opposing criminal rehabilitation, proracial policies, and beneficial social programs), while higher BPG consistently related to less intergroup aggression (e.g., opposing proviolent foreign relations and torture) and greater intergroup prosociality (e.g., supporting criminal rehabilitation and support for diplomacy). In sum, these studies evidence that BPE and BPG relate to aggressive and prosocial orientations toward others and have strong potential to advance current theories on prejudice, aggression, and prosociality.

  11. Sensitive electrochemiluminescence biosensor based on Au-ITO hybrid bipolar electrode amplification system for cell surface protein detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Mei-Sheng; Yuan, Da-Jing; Xu, Jing-Juan; Chen, Hong-Yuan

    2013-12-17

    Here we developed a novel hybrid bipolar electrode (BPE)-electrochemiluminescence (ECL) biosensor based on hybrid bipolar electrode (BPE) for the measurement of cancer cell surface protein using ferrocence (Fc) labeled aptamer as signal recognition and amplification probe. According to the electric neutrality of BPE, the cathode of U-shaped ITO BPE was electrochemically deposited by Au nanoparticles (NPs) to enhance its conductivity and surface area, decrease the overpotential of O2 reduction, which would correspondingly increase the oxidation current of Ru(bpy)3(2+)/tripropylamine (TPA) on the anode of BPE and resulting a ∼4-fold enhancement of ECL intensity. Then a signal amplification strategy was designed by introducing Fc modified aptamer on the anode surface of BPE through hybridization for detecting the amount of mucin-1 on MCF-7 cells. The presence of Fc could not only inhibit the oxidation of Ru(bpy)3(2+) because of its lower oxidation potential, its oxidation product Fc(+) could also quench the ECL of Ru(bpy)3(2+)/TPA by efficient energy-transfer from the excited-state Ru(bpy)3(2+)* to Fc(+), making the ECL intensity greatly quenched. On the basis of the cathodic Au NPs induced ECL enhancing coupled with anodic Fc induced signal quenching amplification, the approach allowed detection of mucin-1 aptamer at a concentration down to 0.5 fM and was capable of detecting a minimum of 20 MCF-7 cells. Besides, the amount of mucin-1 on MCF-7 cells was calculated to be 9041 ± 388 molecules/cell. This approach therefore shows great promise in bioanalysis.

  12. Background parenchymal enhancement over exam time in patients with and without breast cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melsaether, Amy; Pujara, Akshat C; Elias, Kristin; Pysarenko, Kristine; Gudi, Anjali; Dodelzon, Katerina; Babb, James S; Gao, Yiming; Moy, Linda

    2017-01-01

    To compare background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) over time in patients with and without breast cancer. This retrospective Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant study included 116 women (25-84 years, mean 54 years) with breast cancer who underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging at 3T between 1/2/2009 and 12/29/2009 and 116 age and date-of-exam-matched women without breast cancer (23-84 years, mean 51 years). Two independent, blinded readers (R1, R2) recorded BPE (minimal, mild, moderate, marked) at three times (100, 210, and 320 seconds postcontrast). Subsequent cancers were diagnosed in 9/96 control patients with follow up (12.6-93.0 months, mean 63.6 months). Exact Mann-Whitney, Fisher's exact, and McNemar tests were performed. Mean BPE was not found to be different between patients with and without breast cancer at any time (P = 0.36-0.64). At time 2 as compared with time 1, there were significantly more patients, both with and without breast cancer, with BPE >minimal (R1: 90 vs. 41 [P mild (R1: 59 vs. 10 [P breast cancer were significant only for R2 and ranged up to 7.67 (1.49, 39.5; P mild at time 2. BPE changes between the first and second postcontrast scans and stabilizes thereafter in most patients. Further investigation into the most clinically relevant timepoint for BPE assessment is warranted. 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;45:74-83. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  13. Sustainable Transportation Systems Research Group: Ongoing and Past Activities

    OpenAIRE

    Gkritza, Konstantina "Nadia"; Hurtado, Davis Chacon; Gkartzonikas, Christos; Ke, Yue; Losada, Lisa L

    2017-01-01

    This presentation describes the ongoing and past activities of the Sustainable Transportation Systems Research (STSR) group at Purdue University (https://engineering.purdue.edu/STSRG). The STSR group aims to achieve green, safe, efficient, and equitable transportation systems by studying and modeling transportation externalities, using state of the art statistical, econometric, and economic analysis tools.

  14. Control group design: enhancing rigor in research of mind-body therapies for depression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kinser, Patricia Anne; Robins, Jo Lynne

    2013-01-01

    Although a growing body of research suggests that mind-body therapies may be appropriate to integrate into the treatment of depression, studies consistently lack methodological sophistication particularly in the area of control groups. In order to better understand the relationship between control group selection and methodological rigor, we provide a brief review of the literature on control group design in yoga and tai chi studies for depression, and we discuss challenges we have faced in the design of control groups for our recent clinical trials of these mind-body complementary therapies for women with depression. To address the multiple challenges of research about mind-body therapies, we suggest that researchers should consider 4 key questions: whether the study design matches the research question; whether the control group addresses performance, expectation, and detection bias; whether the control group is ethical, feasible, and attractive; and whether the control group is designed to adequately control for nonspecific intervention effects. Based on these questions, we provide specific recommendations about control group design with the goal of minimizing bias and maximizing validity in future research.

  15. Group-Advantaged Training of Research (GATOR): A Metamorphosis of Mentorship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, Thea M.; Smith, Barbara K.; Watts, Danielle L.; Germain-Aubrey, Charlotte C.; Roark, Alison M.; Bybee, Seth M.; Cox, Clayton E.; Hamlin, Heather J.; Guillette, Louis J., Jr.

    2011-01-01

    We describe Group-Advantaged Training of Research (GATOR), a yearlong structured program at the University of Florida that guided graduate student mentors and their undergraduate mentees through the mentored research process. Using the national Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences for an academic year, we found that outcomes for our…

  16. Perspectives of Community Co-Researchers About Group Dynamics and Equitable Partnership Within a Community-Academic Research Team.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Lisa M; Jacquez, Farrah; Zhen-Duan, Jenny

    2018-04-01

    Equitable partnership processes and group dynamics, including individual, relational, and structural factors, have been identified as key ingredients to successful community-based participatory research partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the key aspects of group dynamics and partnership from the perspectives of community members serving as co-researchers. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 Latino immigrant co-researchers from an intervention project with Latinos Unidos por la Salud (LU-Salud), a community research team composed of Latino immigrant community members and academic investigators working in a health research partnership. A deductive framework approach guided the interview process and qualitative data analysis. The LU-Salud co-researchers described relationships, personal growth, beliefs/identity motivation (individual dynamics), coexistence (relational dynamics), diversity, and power/resource sharing (structural dynamics) as key foundational aspects of the community-academic partnership. Building on existing CBPR and team science frameworks, these findings demonstrate that group dynamics and partnership processes are fundamental drivers of individual-level motivation and meaning making, which ultimately sustain efforts of community partners to engage with the research team and also contribute to the achievement of intended research outcomes.

  17. The characteristics of SPECT images in childhood benign partial epilepsy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jia Shaowei; Liao Jianxiang; Liu Xiaoyan; Zheng Xiyuan; Qin Jiong; Pan Zhongyun; Zuo Qihua

    1998-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate childhood benign partial epilepsy (BPE) with SPECT. Methods: Double SPECT imaging was performed on 21 cases of BPE at the stage of wake (interval spike discharge) and sleep (spike discharge), under EEG monitoring. The transverse images were reconstructed after digital image subtraction. The quantitative analysis was conducted with brain flow change rate (BFCR) % mathematical model. Results: EEG monitoring demonstrated approximately normal background of 21 cases of BPE during the stage of wake, and spike discharge frequency markedly increased during the stage of sleep, 117 foci were showed by SPeCT in cases of BPE, and the average was 5.6 +- 1.6 foci/case. The characteristics of SPECT transverse images were 1) multiple foci of mirror, 2) mostly seen in Rolandic region, 3) circular symbol, 4) the radioactivity in foci decreased during the stage of wake (interval spike discharge) and increased during the stage of sleep (spike discharge). The concordance of SPECT and EEG was 93.1% (109/117 foci). The BFCR% of all epileptogenic foci exceeded normal limit (99% confidence interval). There was no correlation between the spike discharge frequency and BFCR% (r = 0.45, P>0.05). Conclusions: Regional cerebral blood flow and function were abnormal during the epileptogenic foci were discharging abnormally in BPE

  18. The efficiency of using different mulch films in the cultivation of yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea L. in Serbia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radanović Dragoja

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Field trial with yellow gentian was established (11.1 plants per m2 at 1004 m.a.s.l., in order to assess the effect of black PE (bPE, silver PE (sPE, and black permeable biodegradable (bPB mulching films on the root yield and development during six years. The highest crop density measured prior to the root harvest (sixth year, was obtained in the plot with bPB film (84%, while in the plot with bPE and in control (without mulch number of plants was reduced by 34.2% and 45%, respectively. In addition, application of the bPB film proved to be the most effective treatment; in the fifth and sixth year root yields per m2 increased by 92.3% and 106.0%, respectively, in comparison to bPE, and by 78.9% and 69.2%, respectively, in comparison to sPE, and by 184.4% and 169.6%, respectively, in comparison to control. Application of bPE had a lower positive effect on YG root yield than control (-18.6%-54.95%, whereas the effect of sPE was higher than the bPE and control; the achieved root yields were higher, 29.7% and 70.6%, respectively.

  19. Impact of fibroglandular tissue and background parenchymal enhancement on diffusion weighted imaging of breast lesions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Iacconi, Chiara, E-mail: chiara.iacconi@tin.it [Breast Unit, USL1 Massa-Carrara, Piazza Monzoni 2, Carrara 54033 (Italy); Thakur, Sunitha B., E-mail: thakurs@mskcc.org [Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Dershaw, David D., E-mail: dershawd@mskcc.org [Department of Radiology – Breast Imaging Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Brooks, Jennifer, E-mail: brooksj@mskcc.org [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, 307 East 63rd Street, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Fry, Charles W., E-mail: charles_fry@nymc.edu [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States); Morris, Elizabeth A., E-mail: morrise@mskcc.org [Department of Radiology – Breast Imaging Center, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NY 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065 (United States)

    2014-12-15

    Highlights: • Aim of the paper is to evaluate if the amount of fibroglandular breast tissue (FGT) and the background enhancement(BPE) influence the detection of lesions and their quantitative analysis in diffusion weighted imaging(DWI) • The structure of the breast, including both FGT and BPE, as well as the menopausal status of the patient are not a relevant factor for lesion identification in DWI. • Quantitative analysis of normal breast is not uniform and is influenced by the amount of fibroglandular tissue,while there is no influence of background parenchymal enhancement. - Abstract: Purpose: To evaluate the influence of the amount of fibroglandular breast tissue (FGT) and background-parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on lesion detection, quantitative analysis of normal breast tissue and of breast lesions on DWI. Materials and methods: IRB approved this retrospective study on focal findings at contrast-enhanced (CE) breast MR and DWI performed during July–December 2011. Patients with cysts, previous irradiation, silicone implants and current chemotherapy were excluded. DWI with fat suppression was acquired before dynamic acquisition (b factors: 0.1000 s/mm{sup 2}) using 1.5 and 3 T scanners. Using correlation with dynamic and T2 images, ROIs were drawn free-hand within the borders of any visible lesion and in contralateral normal breast. Fisher's exact test to evaluate visibility and Wilcoxon-rank-sum test for comparison of ADC values were used. The amount of FGT and BPE was visually assessed by concurrent MRI. Analysis was stratified by menopausal status. Results: 25/127 (20%) lesions were excluded for technical reasons. 65/102 (64%) lesions were visible on DWI (median diameter: 1.85 cm). Mass lesions (M) were more visible (43/60 = 72%) than non-mass enhancement (NME) (22/42 = 52%) and malignant lesions were more visible (55/72 = 76%) than benign (10/30 = 33%). BPE and FGT did not influence visibility of M (p = 0.35 and p = 0.57 respectively) as well

  20. Gclust Server: 201459 [Gclust Server

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available 201459 Bpe_BP2567 Cluster Sequences - 127 hypothetical protein 1 1.00e-70 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.23 0.0 Show 2014...59 Cluster ID 201459 Sequence ID Bpe_BP2567 Link to cluster sequences Cluster Seque

  1. Cycloaddition Reaction of Hydrogen-Bonded Zn(II)

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Solid-state Photochemical [2+2] Cycloaddition Reaction of ... and free bpe and lattice water molecules shows face-to-face, π ··· π stacking of two of the four free bpe molecules with coordinated .... were decanted and dried in air. [Yield: 0.068 g ...

  2. A social epistemology of research groups collaboration in scientific practice

    CERN Document Server

    Wagenknecht, Susann

    2016-01-01

    This book investigates how collaborative scientific practice yields scientific knowledge. At a time when most of today’s scientific knowledge is created in research groups, the author reconsiders the social character of science to address the question of whether collaboratively created knowledge should be considered as collective achievement, and if so, in which sense. Combining philosophical analysis with qualitative empirical inquiry, this book provides a comparative case study of mono- and interdisciplinary research groups, offering insight into the day-to-day practice of scientists. The book includes field observations and interviews with scientists to present an empirically-grounded perspective on much-debated questions concerning research groups’ division of labor, relations of epistemic dependence and trust.

  3. Are Qualitative Assessments of Background Parenchymal Enhancement, Amount of Fibroglandular Tissue on MR Images, and Mammographic Density Associated with Breast Cancer Risk?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dontchos, Brian N.; Partridge, Savannah C.; Korde, Larissa A.; Lam, Diana L.; Scheel, John R.; Peacock, Sue; Lehman, Constance D.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To investigate whether qualitative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging assessments of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE), amount of fibroglandular tissue (FGT), and mammographic density are associated with risk of developing breast cancer in women who are at high risk. Materials and Methods In this institutional review board–approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective study, all screening breast MR images obtained from January 2006 to December 2011 in women aged 18 years or older and at high risk for but without a history of breast cancer were identified. Women in whom breast cancer was diagnosed after index MR imaging comprised the cancer cohort, and one-to-one matching (age and BRCA status) of each woman with breast cancer to a control subject was performed by using MR images obtained in women who did not develop breast cancer with follow-up time maximized. Amount of BPE, BPE pattern (peripheral vs central), amount of FGT at MR imaging, and mammographic density were assessed on index images. Imaging features were compared between cancer and control cohorts by using conditional logistic regression. Results Twenty-three women at high risk (mean age, 47 years ± 10 [standard deviation]; six women had BRCA mutations) with no history of breast cancer underwent screening breast MR imaging; in these women, a diagnosis of breast cancer (invasive, n = 12; in situ, n = 11) was made during the follow-up interval. Women with mild, moderate, or marked BPE were nine times more likely to receive a diagnosis of breast cancer during the follow-up interval than were those with minimal BPE (P = .007; odds ratio = 9.0; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 71.0). BPE pattern, MR imaging amount of FGT, and mammographic density were not significantly different between the cohorts (P = .5, P = .5, and P = .4, respectively). Conclusion Greater BPE was associated with a higher probability of developing breast cancer in women at high risk for cancer and warrants further study. © RSNA

  4. GRIP LANGLEY AEROSOL RESEARCH GROUP EXPERIMENT (LARGE) V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment (LARGE) measures ultrafine aerosol number density, total and non-volatile aerosol number density, dry aerosol size...

  5. The ethics of research using electronic mail discussion groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kralik, Debbie; Warren, Jim; Price, Kay; Koch, Tina; Pignone, Gino

    2005-12-01

    The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss the ethical considerations that have confronted and challenged the research team when researchers facilitate conversations using private electronic mail discussion lists. The use of electronic mail group conversations, as a collaborative data generation method, remains underdeveloped in nursing. Ethical challenges associated with this approach to data generation have only begun to be considered. As receipt of ethics approval for a study titled; 'Describing transition with people who live with chronic illness' we have been challenged by many ethical dilemmas, hence we believe it is timely to share the issues that have confronted the research team. These discussions are essential so we can understand the possibilities for research interaction, communication, and collaboration made possible by advanced information technologies. Our experiences in this study have increased our awareness for ongoing ethical discussions about privacy, confidentiality, consent, accountability and openness underpinning research with human participants when generating data using an electronic mail discussion group. We describe how we work at upholding these ethical principles focusing on informed consent, participant confidentiality and privacy, the participants as threats to themselves and one another, public-private confusion, employees with access, hackers and threats from the researchers. A variety of complex issues arise during cyberspace research that can make the application of traditional ethical standards troublesome. Communication in cyberspace alters the temporal, spatial and sensory components of human interaction, thereby challenging traditional ethical definitions and calling to question some basic assumptions about identity and ones right to keep aspects of it confidential. Nurse researchers are bound by human research ethics protocols; however, the nature of research by electronic mail generates moral issues as well as ethical

  6. Prolonged use of indwelling urinary catheter following acute urinary ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    J.O. Bello

    prolonged use of urinary catheters following acute urinary retention secondary to benign prostate enlarge- ment (BPE) and urethral ... indwelling urinary catheter for >3 months following acute urinary retention due to BPE or USD. The study .... the major health-care financing strategy in Nigeria and accounts for more than ...

  7. The protocols for the 10/66 dementia research group population-based research programme

    OpenAIRE

    Salas Aquiles; Rodriguez Juan; McKeigue Paul; Jacob KS; Krishnamoorthy ES; Huang Yueqin; Guerra Mariella; Gavrilova Svetlana I; Dewey Michael; Arizaga Raul; Albanese Emiliano; Acosta Daisy; Ferri Cleusa P; Prince Martin; Sosa Ana

    2007-01-01

    Abstract Background Latin America, China and India are experiencing unprecedentedly rapid demographic ageing with an increasing number of people with dementia. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group's title refers to the 66% of people with dementia that live in developing countries and the less than one tenth of population-based research carried out in those settings. This paper describes the protocols for the 10/66 population-based and intervention studies that aim to redress this imbalance. Meth...

  8. Building Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research Networks: Reflections on Qualitative Research Group (QRG) at the University of Manitoba

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roger, Kerstin Stieber; Halas, Gayle

    2012-01-01

    As qualitative research methodologies continue to evolve and develop, both students and experienced researchers are showing greater interest in learning about and developing new approaches. To meet this need, faculty at the University of Manitoba created the Qualitative Research Group (QRG), a community of practice that utilizes experiential…

  9. SU-E-T-267: Construction and Evaluation of a Neutron Wall to Shield a 15 MV Linac in a Low-Energy Vault.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Speiser, M; Hager, F; Foster, R; Solberg, T

    2012-06-01

    To design and quantify the shielding efficacy of an inner Borated Polyethylene (BPE)wall for a 15 MV linac in a low energy vault. A Varian TrueBeam linac with a maximum photon energy of 15 MV was installed in asmaller, preexisting vault. This vault originally housed a low-energy machine and did not havesufficient maze length recommended for neutron attenuation. Effective dose rate calculationswere performed using the Modified Kersey's Method as detailed in NCRP Report No. 151 andfound to be unacceptably high. An initial survey following the machine installation confirmedthese calculations. Rather than restrict the linac beam energy to 10 MV, BPE was investigatedas a neutron moderating addition. An inner wall and door were planned and constructed using4'×8'×1″ thick 5% BPE sheets. The resulting door and wall had 2″ of BPE; conduits and ductwork were also redesigned and shielded. A survey was conducted following construction of thewall. The vault modification reduced the expected effective dose at the vault door from 36.23to 0.010 mSv/week. As specific guidelines for vault modification are lacking, this project quantitativelydemonstrates the potential use of BPE for vault modification. Such modifications may provide alow-cost shielding solution to allow for the use of high energy modes in smaller treatment vaults. © 2012 American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  10. Hábitos alimentarios del venado cola blanca Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae en el Parque Natural Sierra Nanchititla, Estado de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulises Aguilera-Reyes

    2013-03-01

    Nanchititla Park in the State of Mexico, from June 1990 to May 1992. A total of 104 deer pellet-groups were collected, and histological analysis for herbivores was used and compared with stock samples of plant tissues collected from the study area. We applied the Spearman correlation and Morisita index to determine alimentary preference. The results showed that the deer consumes 79.44% of plant species from BMM and 20.56% of the BPE. There is a selectivity tendency for 12 of the 14 plant species located in the BMM, while for BPE no tendency was observed. Key species that are part of the elemental diet of the deer in these areas were: Acalypha setosa, Smilax pringlei, Psidium sartorianum and Dendropanax arborea. The consumption of plants did not differ significantly between the dry and rainy seasons in terms of biological form, however, during the dry season there is a tendency to consume trees, and by the end of the rainy season to consume herbs. The data indicate that the deer can be selective with BMM plants, while for the BPE tends to be opportunistic.

  11. Bubble Chamber Research Group Microcomputer Unit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bairstow, R.; Barlow, J.; Mace, P.R.; Seller, P.; Waters, M.; Watson, J.G.

    1982-05-01

    A distributed data acquisition system has been developed by the Bubble Chamber Research Group at the Rutherford Appleton laboratory for use with their film measuring machines. The system is based upon a set of microcomputers linked together with a VAX 11/780 computer, in a local area computer network. This network is of the star type and uses a packet switching technique. Each film measuring machine is equipped with a microcomputer which controls the function of the table, buffers data and enhances the interface between operators and machines. This paper provides a detailed description of each microcomputer and can be used as a reference manual for these computers. (author)

  12. Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: behavioral science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noll, Robert B; Patel, Sunita K; Embry, Leanne; Hardy, Kristina K; Pelletier, Wendy; Annett, Robert D; Patenaude, Andrea; Lown, E Anne; Sands, Stephen A; Barakat, Lamia P

    2013-06-01

    Behavioral science has long played a central role in pediatric oncology clinical service and research. Early work focused on symptom relief related to side effects of chemotherapy and pain management related to invasive medical procedures. As survival rates improved, the focused has shifted to examination of the psychosocial impact, during and after treatment, of pediatric cancer and its treatment on children and their families. The success of the clinical trials networks related to survivorship highlights an even more critical role in numerous domains of psychosocial research and care. Within the cooperative group setting, the field of behavioral science includes psychologists, social workers, physicians, nurses, and parent advisors. The research agenda of this group of experts needs to focus on utilization of psychometrically robust measures to evaluate the impact of treatment on children with cancer and their families during and after treatment ends. Over the next 5 years, the field of behavioral science will need to develop and implement initiatives to expand use of standardized neurocognitive and behavior batteries; increase assessment of neurocognition using technology; early identification of at-risk children/families; establish standards for evidence-based psychosocial care; and leverage linkages with the broader behavioral health pediatric oncology community to translate empirically supported research clinical trials care to practice. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  13. Medicinal Plant Research Group, School of Pharmacy, College of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Medicinal Plant Research Group, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi,. P.O. Box 19676-00202, ... of plant used, the dosage form and procedures for preparation and ... by thermal gravimetric methods. In finely.

  14. Factors affecting research productivity of production and operations management groups: An empirical study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper identifies factors that promote research productivity of production and operations management (POM groups of researchers in US business schools. In this study, research productivity of a POM group is defined as the number of articles published per POM professor in a specific period of time. The paper also examines factors that affect research quality, as measured by the number of articles published per POM professor in journals, which have been recognized in the POM literature as an elite set. The results show that three factors increase both the research productivity and the quality of the articles published by professors of a POM group. These factors are (a the presence of a POM research center, (b funding received from external sources for research purposes, and (c better library facilities. Doctoral students do assist in improving research quality and productivity, but they are not the driving force. These results have important implications for establishing policy guidelines for business schools. For example, real-world problems are funded by external sources and have a higher probability of publication. Furthermore, schools could place more emphasis on external funding, as most engineering schools do, since groups receiving external funding are more productive in terms of research.

  15. Systematic review of control groups in nutrition education intervention research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Wu, FanFan; Spaccarotella, Kim; Quick, Virginia; Martin-Biggers, Jennifer; Zhang, Yingting

    2017-07-11

    Well-designed research trials are critical for determining the efficacy and effectiveness of nutrition education interventions. To determine whether behavioral and/or cognition changes can be attributed to an intervention, the experimental design must include a control or comparison condition against which outcomes from the experimental group can be compared. Despite the impact different types of control groups can have on study outcomes, the treatment provided to participants in the control condition has received limited attention in the literature. A systematic review of control groups in nutrition education interventions was conducted to better understand how control conditions are described in peer-reviewed journal articles compared with experimental conditions. To be included in the systematic review, articles had to be indexed in CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, WoS, and/or ERIC and report primary research findings of controlled nutrition education intervention trials conducted in the United States with free-living consumer populations and published in English between January 2005 and December 2015. Key elements extracted during data collection included treatment provided to the experimental and control groups (e.g., overall intervention content, tailoring methods, delivery mode, format, duration, setting, and session descriptions, and procedures for standardizing, fidelity of implementation, and blinding); rationale for control group type selected; sample size and attrition; and theoretical foundation. The search yielded 43 publications; about one-third of these had an inactive control condition, which is considered a weak study design. Nearly two-thirds of reviewed studies had an active control condition considered a stronger research design; however, many failed to report one or more key elements of the intervention, especially for the control condition. None of the experimental and control group treatments were sufficiently detailed to permit replication of the

  16. Online Facebook Focus Group Research of Hard-to-Reach Participants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anastasia Aldelina Lijadi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Conducting discovery-oriented qualitative research about the life experiences of hard-to-reach individuals posed several challenges for recruiting participants and collecting rich textual data. In a study pertaining the experiences of Third Culture Kids (TCKs, we explored the benefits of the social media, such as Facebook as a platform to collect data. TCKs are individuals who define their sense of belonging to the third culture trailing their parents moving across borders during their developmental years. Adult TCKs live in many different countries, and accessing and interviewing respondents could be a difficult and costly endeavor. In this article, the authors share their experience conducting online, asynchronous focus groups using a Facebook platform. We reflect upon the process of setting up a secret Facebook focus group for research purposes, recruiting participants, rapport building between facilitator and participants, monitoring and keeping track of participants’ responses, and the dynamics emerging within an online focus group. We also discuss the novelty, limitations, and benefits of the Facebook focus group as an emerging mode for collecting qualitative data from hard-to-reach participants.

  17. Safety Research Opportunities Post-Fukushima. Initial Report of the Senior Expert Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baek, Won-Pil; Yang, Joon-Eon; Ball, Joanne; Glowa, Glenn; Bisconti, Giulia; Peko, Damian; Bolshov, Leonid; Burgazzi, Luciano; De Rosa, Felice; Conde, Jose M.; Cook, Gary; Evrard, Jean-Michel; Jacquemain, Didier; Funaki, Kentaro; Uematsu, Mari Marianne; Miyoshi, Katsumasa; Tatematsu, Atsushi; Hirano, Masashi; Hoshi, Harutaka; Kawaragi, Chie; Kobayashi, Youko; Sakamoto, Kazunobu; Journeau, Christophe; Kim, Han-Chul; Klein-Hessling, Walter; Sonnenkalb, Martin; Koganeya, Toshiyuki; White, Andrew; ); Lind, Terttaliisa; Zimmermann, Martin; Lindholm, Ilona; Castelo Lopez, Carlos; Nagase, Fumihisa; Washiya, Tadahiro; Oima, Hirofumi; Okada, Hiro; Richards, Stuart; West, Steven; Sandberg, Nils; Suzuki, Shunichi; Vitanza, Carlo; Yamanaka, Yasunori

    2017-02-01

    One of the imperatives following the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station is for the nuclear science and industry communities to ensure that knowledge gaps in nuclear safety are identified and that research programs to address these gaps are being instituted. In recognition of broad international interest in additional information that could be gained from post-accident examinations related to Fukushima Daiichi, Japan recommended to the Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (CSNI) in June 2013 that a process be developed to identify and follow up on opportunities to address safety research gaps. Consequently, a Senior Expert Group (SEG) on Safety Research Opportunities post-Fukushima (SAREF) was formed. The members of the group are senior technical experts from technical support organisations, nuclear regulatory authorities and Japanese organisations responsible for planning and execution of Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning. The domain of interest for the group is activities that address safety research knowledge gaps and also the needs of Fukushima Daiichi decommissioning. SEG on SAREF identified areas where these two interests intersect or overlap, and activities that could be undertaken to generate information of common benefit. The group's output is documented in this report; Chapter 2 describes the current status of the damaged units at Fukushima Daiichi NPS; Chapter 3 summarises safety research areas of common interest; Chapter 4 summarises the safety research activities recommended as short-term projects; Chapter 5 summarises those as long-term considerations; Chapter 6 supplies conclusions and recommendations. The appendix contains detailed information compiled by the SEG members on all safety research areas of interest

  18. Factors affecting research productivity of production and operations management groups: An empirical study

    OpenAIRE

    George C. Hadjinicola; Andreas C. Soteriou

    2006-01-01

    This paper identifies factors that promote research productivity of production and operations management (POM) groups of researchers in US business schools. In this study, research productivity of a POM group is defined as the number of articles published per POM professor in a specific period of time. The paper also examines factors that affect research quality, as measured by the number of articles published per POM professor in journals, which have been recognized in the POM literature as ...

  19. Group Organization and Communities of Practice in Translational Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Victor J. Krawczyk

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The collective lived experience of translational research teams requires further appreciation, particularly at the stages of group formation. To achieve this, we conducted a case study of a translational research team (n = 16. Through the case description and then discussing case-based themes with community of practice theory, themes such as “Being Open” and “Working as a Group” found that this team’s mutual respect, cooperation, and their sharing of knowledge uncovered an alternative way that professionals organize themselves for translational research projects. In conjunction to this finding, our analysis showed that the team has qualities of a community of practice.

  20. Final report of the group research. Advanced Technology for Medical Imaging Research. 1996-2000 FY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2002-03-01

    This report involves the organization of the research groups (4 units of radiopharmaceutical chemistry, radiotracer and radiopharmacology, clinical imaging, and molecular informative research), 5 research reports and 38 published research papers. The research reports concern Fundamental researches on the availability and production of PET radiopharmaceuticals using the National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) cyclotron, Design and evaluation of in vivo radiopharmaceuticals for PET measurement (kinetics and metabolism in small animals and primates), Fundamental studies on development of technique radiation measurement, Clinical application of medical imaging technology in the fields of neuroscience, cardiovascular, cancer diagnosis and others, and A study to establish and evaluate a lung cancer screening system using spiral CT units which is in pilot-progress in Kanto and Kansai regions. (N.I.)

  1. Safety research needs for Russian-designed reactors / report by an OECD Support Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-01-01

    Seven Task Teams were formed within the OECD Support Group, addressing the following topics: Thermal-Hydraulics/Plant Transients for VVERs, Integrity of Equipment and Structures for VVERs, Severe Accidents for VVERs, Operational Safety Issues, Thermal-Hydraulics/Plant Transients for RBMKs, Integrity of Equipment and Structures for RBMKs, Severe Accidents for RBMKs. Each Task Team prepared and presented its report to the Support Group as a whole for review and approval. Consequently, the report represents a consensus of the Support Group that outlines the arguments for the safely research needs with the focus on the main technical issues that justify the need and urgency. The written text addresses three basic questions: What is the safety concern? What are the open issues? What are the safety research needs? The safety research needs as identified by the seven Task Teams, and approved by the Support Group, are reflected in the structure of the report. The chapter on the Uses of Safety Research provides examples on how Western research has been applied to improve the safety of nuclear power plants. In addition, the chapter emphasises the need for a national safety research policy

  2. UCLA Particle and Nuclear Physics Research Group, 1993 progress report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nefkens, B.M.K.; Clajus, M.; Price, J.W.; Tippens, W.B.; White, D.B.

    1993-09-01

    The research programs of the UCLA Particle and Nuclear Physics Research Group, the research objectives, results of experiments, the continuing activities and new initiatives are presented. The primary goal of the research is to test the symmetries and invariances of particle/nuclear physics with special emphasis on investigating charge symmetry, isospin invariance, charge conjugation, and CP. Another important part of our work is baryon spectroscopy, which is the determination of the properties (mass, width, decay modes, etc.) of particles and resonances. We also measure some basic properties of light nuclei, for example the hadronic radii of 3 H and 3 He. Special attention is given to the eta meson, its production using photons, electrons, π ± , and protons, and its rare and not-so-rare decays. In Section 1, the physics motivation of our research is outlined. Section 2 provides a summary of the research projects. The status of each program is given in Section 3. We discuss the various experimental techniques used, the results obtained, and we outline the plans for the continuing and the new research. Details are presented of new research that is made possible by the use of the Crystal Ball Detector, a highly segmented NaI calorimeter and spectrometer with nearly 4π acceptance (it was built and used at SLAC and is to be moved to BNL). The appendix contains an update of the bibliography, conference participation, and group memos; it also indicates our share in the organization of conferences, and gives a listing of the colloquia and seminars presented by us

  3. Lin Receives 2010 Natural Hazards Focus Group Award for Graduate Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-01

    Ning Lin has been awarded the Natural Hazards Focus Group Award for Graduate Research, given annually to a recent Ph.D. recipient for outstanding contributions to natural hazards research. Lin's thesis is entitled “Multi-hazard risk analysis related to hurricanes.” She is scheduled to present an invited talk in the Extreme Natural Events: Modeling, Prediction, and Mitigation session (NH20) during the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting, held 13-17 December in San Francisco, Calif. Lin will be formally presented with the award at the Natural Hazards focus group reception on 14 December 2010.

  4. Energy Innovation 1996. IVO Group's Research and Development Report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Salminen, P.; Laiho, Y.; Kaikkonen, H.; Leisio, C.; Hinkkanen, S.

    1996-01-01

    This annual booklet of the IVO Group's research and development activities presents a number of articles, written by experts from IVO. The products described are examples of the environmentally-oriented selection made available by the IVO Group. In fact, the entire energy technology developed in Finland is environmentally oriented, if seen from the international perspective. The new business potential of environmental technology is great, and it is believed that in the year 2000, exportation of Finnish know-how in the field of energy-saving and efficiency will exceed the value of out energy imports

  5. Science Research Group Leader's Power and Members' Compliance and Satisfaction with Supervision

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Yi; He, Jia; Luo, Changkun

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated the correlations between science research group members' perceptions of power bases used by their group (lab, team) leader (coercive, reward, legitimate, expert and referent) and the effect of those perceptions on group members' attitudinal compliance, behavioral compliance, and satisfaction with supervision. Participants…

  6. Use of the Web by a Distributed Research group Performing Distributed Computing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, David A.; Peterkin, Robert E.

    2001-06-01

    A distributed research group that uses distributed computers faces a spectrum of challenges--some of which can be met by using various electronic means of communication. The particular challenge of our group involves three physically separated research entities. We have had to link two collaborating groups at AFRL and NRL together for software development, and the same AFRL group with a LANL group for software applications. We are developing and using a pair of general-purpose, portable, parallel, unsteady, plasma physics simulation codes. The first collaboration is centered around a formal weekly video teleconference on relatively inexpensive equipment that we have set up in convenient locations in our respective laboratories. The formal virtual meetings are augmented with informal virtual meetings as the need arises. Both collaborations share research data in a variety of forms on a secure URL that is set up behind the firewall at the AFRL. Of course, a computer-generated animation is a particularly efficient way of displaying results from time-dependent numerical simulations, so we generally like to post such animations (along with proper documentation) on our web page. In this presentation, we will discuss some of our accomplishments and disappointments.

  7. NAMMA LANGLEY AEROSOL RESEARCH GROUP EXPERIMENT NAVIGATION DATA V1

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The NAMMA Langley Aerosol Research Group Experiment Navigation Data is the DC-8 NAV data (ICATS) extracted into columns with time correction. These data files were...

  8. Focus group interview: an underutilized research technique for improving theory and practice in health education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basch, C E

    1987-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to increase awareness about and stimulate interest in using focus group interviews, a qualitative research technique, to advance the state-of-the-art of education and learning about health. After a brief discussion of small group process in health education, features of focus group interviews are presented, and a theoretical framework for planning a focus group study is summarized. Then, literature describing traditional and health-related applications of focus group interviews is reviewed and a synthesis of methodological limitations and advantages of this technique is presented. Implications are discussed regarding: need for more inductive qualitative research in health education; utility of focus group interviews for research and for formative and summative evaluation of health education programs; applicability of marketing research to understanding and influencing consumer behavior, despite notable distinctions between educational initiatives and marketing; and need for professional preparation faculty to consider increasing emphasis on qualitative research methods.

  9. The use of a new radioactive-iodine labeled lipid marker to follow in vivo disposition of liposomes: comparison with an encapsulated aqueous space marker

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abra, R.M.; Schreier, H.; Szoka, F.C.

    1982-01-01

    The in vivo disposition of multilamellar liposomes extruded at 0.6 micrometers (PC/DPPA/CH/ alpha-T . 4:1:5:0.1 molar ratio) when injected i.v. into mice has been examined utilizing a novel iodinatable phospholipid derivative as a lipid phase marker (p-hydroxybenzamidine phosphatidylethanolamine: 125 I-BPE) and compared to that using 14 C-inulin as an aqueous phase marker. At times up to 5 h post-dose the disposition of both markers was essentially identical with the exception of blood and intestine, where 125 I-BPE levels were consistently higher than 14 C-inulin levels. At time intervals from 5-72 h post-dose 125 I-BPE levels in all the organs examined were lower than those of 14 C-inulin. These differences in the behaviour of the two labels may be explained in terms of exchange of the iodinated lipids, excretion of released inulin and long term metabolism of the lipid marker. We conclude tha 125 I-BPE is a useful marker for following liposome disposition in short-term studies particularly in view of the easily quantifiable nature of gamma-radioactivity which obviates the need for sample preparation

  10. Evaluation of the Potential of Brazilian Propolis against UV-Induced Oxidative Stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yris Maria Fonseca

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This study investigated the potential use of topically and orally administered propolis extracts to prevent UV irradiation-induced oxidative stress in skin. The results illustrated that green propolis extract (GPE contained greater amounts of polyphenols, coumaric acid, drupanin, baccharin and artepillin C than did brown propolis extract (BPE. GPE showed higher antioxidant activity than BPE when the IC50 (concentration that caused 50% inhibition values were compared. Interesting, the oral treatment of hairless mice demonstrated a recovery of 30.0% for GPE and 22.8% for BPE with respect to UV irradiation-induced GSH depletion. The topical pretreatment of animals with both propolis extract solutions recovered around 14.0% of the depleted GSH. However, the employed treatments did not inhibit the increase of cutaneous proteinase secretion/activity caused by irradiation. These findings indicate that despite differences in composition and antioxidant properties, GPE and BPE both successfully prevent UV-induced GSH depletion in vivo and are both promising antioxidant systems against oxidative stress in skin. Based on these findings, complementary studies should be performed to enhance our understanding of the protective effects of propolis extracts in skin.

  11. Group Development and Integration in a Cross-Disciplinary and Intercultural Research Team

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk-Lawlor, Naomi; Allred, Shorna

    2017-04-01

    Cross-disciplinary research is necessary to solve many complex problems that affect society today, including problems involving linked social and environmental systems. Examples include natural resource management or scarcity problems, problematic effects of climate change, and environmental pollution issues. Intercultural research teams are needed to address many complex environmental matters as they often cross geographic and political boundaries, and involve people of different countries and cultures. It follows that disciplinarily and culturally diverse research teams have been organized to investigate and address environmental issues. This case study investigates a team composed of both monolingual and bilingual Chilean and US university researchers who are geoscientists, engineers and economists. The objective of this research team was to study both the natural and human parts of a hydrologic system in a hyper-arid region in northern Chile. Interviews ( n = 8) addressed research questions focusing on the interaction of cross-disciplinary diversity and cultural diversity during group integration and development within the team. The case study revealed that the group struggled more with cross-disciplinary challenges than with intercultural ones. Particularly challenging ones were instances the of disciplinary crosstalk, or hidden misunderstandings, where team members thought they understood their cross-disciplinary colleagues, when in reality they did not. Results showed that translation served as a facilitator to cross-disciplinary integration of the research team. The use of translation in group meetings as a strategy for effective cross-disciplinary integration can be extended to monolingual cross-disciplinary teams as well.

  12. Group Development and Integration in a Cross-Disciplinary and Intercultural Research Team.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirk-Lawlor, Naomi; Allred, Shorna

    2017-04-01

    Cross-disciplinary research is necessary to solve many complex problems that affect society today, including problems involving linked social and environmental systems. Examples include natural resource management or scarcity problems, problematic effects of climate change, and environmental pollution issues. Intercultural research teams are needed to address many complex environmental matters as they often cross geographic and political boundaries, and involve people of different countries and cultures. It follows that disciplinarily and culturally diverse research teams have been organized to investigate and address environmental issues. This case study investigates a team composed of both monolingual and bilingual Chilean and US university researchers who are geoscientists, engineers and economists. The objective of this research team was to study both the natural and human parts of a hydrologic system in a hyper-arid region in northern Chile. Interviews (n = 8) addressed research questions focusing on the interaction of cross-disciplinary diversity and cultural diversity during group integration and development within the team. The case study revealed that the group struggled more with cross-disciplinary challenges than with intercultural ones. Particularly challenging ones were instances the of disciplinary crosstalk, or hidden misunderstandings, where team members thought they understood their cross-disciplinary colleagues, when in reality they did not. Results showed that translation served as a facilitator to cross-disciplinary integration of the research team. The use of translation in group meetings as a strategy for effective cross-disciplinary integration can be extended to monolingual cross-disciplinary teams as well.

  13. Group Work. Research Brief

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, Karen

    2010-01-01

    According to Johnson and Johnson, group work helps increase student retention and satisfaction, develops strong oral communication and social skills, as well as higher self-esteem (University of Minnesota, n.d.). Group work, when planned and implemented deliberately and thoughtfully helps students develop cognitive and leadership skills as well as…

  14. Optimal materials selection for bimaterial piezoelectric microactuators

    OpenAIRE

    Srinivasan, P.; Spearing, S.M.

    2008-01-01

    Piezoelectric actuation is one of the commonly employed actuation schemes in microsystems. This paper focuses on identifying and ranking promising active material/substrate combinations for bimaterial piezoelectric (BPE) microactuators based on their performance. The mechanics of BPE structures following simple beam theory assumptions available in the literature are applied to evolve critical performance metrics which govern the materials selection process. Contours of equal performance are p...

  15. ORGANIC RESEARCH AND STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVEMENT: THE IFOAM EU REGIONAL GROUP CONTRIBUTION

    OpenAIRE

    Gonzalvez, Mr V; Schlueter, Mr M; Slabe, Ms A; Schmid, Mr O

    2006-01-01

    The paper presents the concepts, criteria, procedures and some methodologies to increase stakeholders involvement and participatioin in organic research Projects in the European Union, based on the experiencie and practise of the IFOAM EU Regional Group (IFOAM-EURG), in transnational Organic research Projects, enfatising in achivements, dificulties and trends for the future

  16. Effects of hot-water extract of banana (Musa acuminata) fruit's peel on the antibacterial activity, and anti-hypothermal stress, immune responses and disease resistance of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbegii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattanavichai, Wutti; Cheng, Winton

    2014-08-01

    The hot-extracts isolated from fruit's peel of banana, Musa acuminata, was evaluated on the antibacterial activity to pathogens from aquatic animals, and immunostimulating potential, disease resistance and anti-hypothermal stress in giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii through injection administration. The banana peel extract (BPE) showed good activity against 1 Gram-positive and 3 Gram-negative pathogens, including Lactococcus garvieae, Photobacteria damsella, Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio parahemolyticus especially in prawn pathogen of L. garvieae strain, which were carried out by a disk diffusion method. Prawn received BPE via injection administration at 1-6 μg (g prawn)(-1) significantly increased total haemocyte count (THC), hyaline cell (HC), granular cell (GC), phenoloxidase (PO) activity and phagocytic activity against L. garvieae from 3 to 6 days, and significantly increased clearance efficiency against L. garvieae and a significantly decreased coagulation time of prawn from 1 to 6 days. Prawn injected with BPE at 6.0 μg (g prawn)(-1) for 6 days showed significantly increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, but significantly decreased respiratory bursts (RBs) of per haemocyte. Survival rates of M. rosenbergii injected with BPE at concentrations of 1, 3 and 6 μg (g prawn)(-1) were significantly higher than those injected with saline control after challenge with L. garvieae for 4-6 days, and the respective relative survival percentages of prawn were 28.6%, 38.1%, and 47.8%, respectively at 6 days. The sublethal time of prawns that had received saline and BPE at 1, 3 and 6 μg (g prawn)(-1) for 6 days and then were transferred from 28 °C to 14 °C were 69.4, 79.8, 83.6, and 90.2 h, respectively. It was concluded that the BPE can be used as the bacteriostat, and immunostimulant and physiological regulator for prawn through injection administration to enhance immunity, physiological responses, and resistance against L. garvieae

  17. Gas adsorption/separation properties of metal directed self-assembly of two coordination polymers with 5-nitroisophthalate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Arıcı, Mürsel [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26480 Eskişehir (Turkey); Yeşilel, Okan Zafer, E-mail: yesilel@ogu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26480 Eskişehir (Turkey); Keskin, Seda [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koç University, İstanbul (Turkey); Şahin, Onur [Scientific and Technological Research Application and Research Center, Sinop University, 57010 Sinop (Turkey)

    2014-02-15

    Two new coordination polymers, namely, [Co(µ-nip)(µ-bpe)]{sub n} (1) and [Zn(µ-nip)(µ-bpe)]{sub n} (2) (nip: 5-nitroisophthalate, bpe: 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermal analysis. Moreover, atomically detailed simulation studies of complex 2 for CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} adsorption and separation were performed. Complex 1 consists of two dimensional (2D) (4,4) grid networks with the point symbol of 4{sup 4}.6{sup 2}. Complex 2 exhibits a 3-fold interpenetrating 3D framework with 6{sup 5}.8-dmp topology. Thermal properties of the complexes showed that both complexes were stable over 320 °C. Simulation studies demonstrated that complex 2 can separate CO{sub 2} from CH{sub 4} at low pressures at 273 K. - Graphical abstract: In this study, two new coordination polymers, namely, [Co(µ-nip)(µ-bpe)]{sub n} (1) and [Zn(µ-nip)(µ-bpe)]{sub n} (2) (nip: 5-nitroisophthalate, bpe: 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane) were hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermal analysis. Moreover, atomically detailed simulation studies of complex 2 for CO{sub 2}/CH{sub 4} adsorption and separation were performed. Complex 1 consists of two dimensional (2D) (4,4) grid networks with the point symbol of 4{sup 4}.6{sup 2}. Complex 2 exhibits a 3-fold interpenetrating 3D framework with 6{sup 5}.8-dmp topology. Simulation studies demonstrated that complex 2 can separate CO{sub 2} from CH{sub 4} at low pressures at 273 K. Display Omitted - Highlights: • Two new coordination polymers with 5-nitroisophthalate and 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane. • Atomically detailed simulation studies of the complexes. • Complex 2 can be proposed as molecular sieve to separate CO{sub 2} from CH{sub 4} at low pressures.

  18. On the tenth value distance of the photon field along the maze of high-energy linear accelerator vaults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Han, Zhaohui; Chin, Lee M

    2018-03-01

    There is a wide range in the reported photon tenth value distance (TVD) in the maze of high-energy linear accelerator vaults. In order to gain insight into the appropriate use of the TVD value during door design, we performed measurements of the photon dose in the maze of four vaults. In addition, our study represents the first to describe a scenario where an inner borated polyethylene (BPE) door for neutron shielding is installed in the maze downstream to Point A, the point on the maze centerline that is just visible from the isocenter. The measurements were made along the maze centerline at 1 m above the floor. In all cases, the accelerator operated at a nominal energy of 15 MV. Of the four vaults, three were equipped with an inner BPE door at a distance of 1.0-2.1 m downstream to Point A. The door was made of 10.16 cm (4″) BPE sandwiched between two 0.635 cm (1/4″) steel face plates. The photon dose in the maze without a BPE door decreases exponentially with a characteristic TVD of 6 m beyond a distance of 2.5 m from Point A. The presence of a BPE door in an identical vault not only reduces the photon intensity in the maze by about an order of magnitude, but also softens the energy spectrum with a shortened TVD of 4.7 m, significantly lessening the shielding burden at the outer maze entrance. In contrast to the common use of Point A as the reference point to specify distance, the photon dose in the maze with a BPE door located downstream to Point A can be satisfactorily described as exponential functions of the distance measured from the door, which shows good consistency among the three vaults of different room parameters. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

  19. Developing an organizing framework to guide nursing research in the Children’s Oncology Group (COG)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelly, Katherine Patterson; Hooke, Mary C.; Ruccione, Kathleen; Landier, Wendy; Haase, Joan

    2014-01-01

    Objectives To describe the development and application of an organizing research framework to guide COG Nursing research. Data Sources Research articles, reports and meeting minutes Conclusion An organizing research framework helps to outline research focus and articulate the scientific knowledge being produced by nurses in the pediatric cooperative group. Implication for Nursing Practice The use of an organizing framework for COG nursing research can facilitate clinical nurses’ understanding of how children and families sustain or regain optimal health when faced with a pediatric cancer diagnosis through interventions designed to promote individual and family resilience. The Children’s Oncology Group (COG) is the sole National Cancer Institute (NCI)-supported cooperative pediatric oncology clinical trials group and the largest organization in the world devoted exclusively to pediatric cancer research. It was founded in 2000 following the merger of the four legacy NCI-supported pediatric clinical trials groups (Children’s Cancer Group [CCG], Pediatric Oncology Group [POG], National Wilms Tumor Study Group, and Intergroup Rhabdomyosarcoma Study Group). The COG currently has over 200 member institutions across North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe and a multidisciplinary membership of over 8,000 pediatric, radiation, and surgical oncologists, nurses, clinical research associates, pharmacists, behavioral scientists, pathologists, laboratory scientists, patient/parent advocates and other pediatric cancer specialists. The COG Nursing Discipline was formed from the merger of the legacy CCG and POG Nursing Committees, and current membership exceeds 2000 registered nurses. The discipline has a well-developed infrastructure that promotes nursing involvement throughout all levels of the organization, including representation on disease, protocol, scientific, executive and other administrative committees (e.g., nominating committee, data safety monitoring

  20. A standard for test reliability in group research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, Jules L

    2013-03-01

    Many authors adhere to the rule that test reliabilities should be at least .70 or .80 in group research. This article introduces a new standard according to which reliabilities can be evaluated. This standard is based on the costs or time of the experiment and of administering the test. For example, if test administration costs are 7 % of the total experimental costs, the efficient value of the reliability is .93. If the actual reliability of a test is equal to this efficient reliability, the test size maximizes the statistical power of the experiment, given the costs. As a standard in experimental research, it is proposed that the reliability of the dependent variable be close to the efficient reliability. Adhering to this standard will enhance the statistical power and reduce the costs of experiments.

  1. Initial experience with a group presentation of study results to research participants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bent Stephen

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite ethical imperatives, informing research participants about the results of the studies in which they take part is not often performed. This is due, in part, to the costs and burdens of communicating with each participant after publication of the results. Methods Following the closeout and publication of a randomized clinical trial of saw palmetto for treatment of symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, patients were invited back to the research center to participate in a group presentation of the study results. Results Approximately 10% of participants attended one of two presentation sessions. Reaction to the experience of the group presentation was very positive among the attendees. Conclusion A group presentation to research participants is an efficient method of communicating study results to those who desire to be informed and was highly valued by those who attended. Prospectively planning for such presentations and greater scheduling flexibility may result in higher attendance rates. Trial Registration Number Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT00037154

  2. The Mela Study: exploring barriers to diabetes research in black and minority ethnic groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hood, Gillian A; Chowdhury, Tahseen A; Griffiths, Christopher J; Hood, Rosie K E; Mathews, Christopher; Hitman, Graham A

    2015-01-01

    Black and minority ethnic (BME) groups are particularly susceptible to diabetes and its vascular complications in the United Kingdom and most western societies. To understand potential predisposition and tailor treatments accordingly, there is a real need to engage these groups in diabetes research. Despite this, BME participation in research studies continues to remain low in most countries and this may be a contributory factor to reduced health outcomes and poorer quality of life in these groups. This study explores the barriers BME groups may have towards participation in diabetes research in one area of East London, and includes local recommendations on how to improve this for the future. A questionnaire designed from previously reported exploratory work and piloted in several BME localities was distributed at the East London Bangladeshi Mela and similar cultural and religious events in London, UK. People were asked opportunistically to complete the survey themselves if they understood English, or discuss their responses with an advocate. The purpose of the questionnaire was to understand current local awareness with regards to diabetes, identify specific BME barriers and attitudes towards diabetes research by ethnicity, gender and age, and gain insight into how these barriers may be addressed. Of 1682 people surveyed (16-90 years; median age 40 years), 36.4% were South Asian, 25.9% White, and 11.1% Black and other ethnicities; 26.6% withheld their ethnicity. Over half cited language problems generally (54%) and lack of research awareness (56%) as main barriers to engaging in research. South Asian groups were more likely to cite research as too time consuming (42%) whereas Black groups were more concerned with potential drug side effects in research (39%). Participants expressed a general mistrust of research, and the need for researchers to be honest in their approach. Recommendations for increased participation in South Asian groups centred round both helping

  3. Bipolar electrochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fosdick, Stephen E; Knust, Kyle N; Scida, Karen; Crooks, Richard M

    2013-09-27

    A bipolar electrode (BPE) is an electrically conductive material that promotes electrochemical reactions at its extremities (poles) even in the absence of a direct ohmic contact. More specifically, when sufficient voltage is applied to an electrolyte solution in which a BPE is immersed, the potential difference between the BPE and the solution drives oxidation and reduction reactions. Because no direct electrical connection is required to activate redox reactions, large arrays of electrodes can be controlled with just a single DC power supply or even a battery. The wireless aspect of BPEs also makes it possible to electrosynthesize and screen novel materials for a wide variety of applications. Finally, bipolar electrochemistry enables mobile electrodes, dubbed microswimmers, that are able to move freely in solution. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Redesign of students’ worksheet on basic physics experiment based on students’ scientific process skills analysis in Melde’s law

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nugraha, M. G.; Utari, S.; Saepuzaman, D.; Nugraha, F.

    2018-05-01

    Scientific process skills (SPS) are an intellectual skill to build knowledge, solve problems scientifically, train thinking skills as well as a very important part of the inquiry process and contribute to scientific literacy. Therefore, SPS is very important to be developed. This study aims to develop Student Worksheets (SW) that can trace SPS through basic physics experiments (BPE) on Melde’s law. This research uses R&D method involving 18 physics education department students who take the BPE course as a sample. The research instrument uses an SW designed with a SPS approach that have been reviewed and judged by expert, which includes observing, communicating, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting, identifying variable, constructing hypothesis, defining variable operationally, designing experiment, acquiring and processing data to conclusions. The result of the research shows that the student’s SPS has not been trained optimally, the students’ answers are not derived from the observations and experiments conducted but derived from the initial knowledge of the students, as well as in the determination of experimental variables, inferring and hypothesis. This result is also supported by a low increase of conceptual content on Melde’s law with n-gain of 0.40. The research findings are used as the basis for the redesign of SW.

  5. How to conduct focus groups: researching group priorities through discussion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-01-01

    Focus groups serve to uncover priorities and beliefs of a target group, but health project designers do not always take the time to seek this information beforehand. Focus groups also allow various local subgroups to communicate their concerns before the project starts. Focus groups can also breed ideas and dialogue that individual interviews cannot and they provide baseline information so managers can determine if attitudes or priorities have resulted from the project. Diverse people have different beliefs, e.g., women who have young children view oral rehydration therapy differently from women with no children. Project designers can use these basic differences to arrive at some conclusions about general attitudes. Focus group facilitators should have a discussion outline to help keep the group on the topic of concern. They should limit sessions to 60-90 minutes. Each focus groups should include 8-10 people. It is important to have members of various community subgroups in each group. Yet group designers should be careful not to include within the same group, those who may intimidate other people in the group, e.g., in situations where farmers depend on middlemen, farmers may not be open if middlemen are also in the focus group. Facilitators should launch each session with an attempt to encourage the members to be open and to feel comfortable. For example, in Malawi, a facilitator leads her focus group discussions with songs. Stories are another icebreaker. It is important that all focus groups centering around a certain project discuss the same topics. Facilitators need to stress to the group that all discussions are to be kept confidential. The designers should also carefully word the questions so that facilitators will not impart their bias. Facilitators should not direct the group to certain conclusions, but instead keep the discussions focused.

  6. Theoretical and experimental study of fenofibrate and simvastatin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicolás Vázquez, Inés; Rodríguez-Núñez, Jesús Rubén; Peña-Caballero, Vicente; Ruvalcaba, Rene Miranda; Aceves-Hernandez, Juan Manuel

    2017-12-01

    Fenofibrate, an oral fibrate lipid lowering agent, and simvastatin, which reduces plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, are active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), currently in the market. We characterized these APIs by thermal analysis and conducted X-ray powder diffraction techniques. Studies should be carried out in the formulation stage before the final composition of a polypill may be established. Thus, it was found in thermochemical studies that both compounds present no chemical interactions in an equimolar mixture of solid samples at room temperature. Theoretical studies were employed to determine possible interactions between fenofibrate and simvastatin. A very weak intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed between the hydroxyl group (O5H5) of the simvastatin with chlorine and carbonyl group (C11O4, C1O2) of the fenofibrate molecule. These weak energy hydrogen bonds have no effect on the chemical stability of the compounds studied. The results were obtained using Density Functional Theory methods; particularly the BPE1BPE and B3LYP functional and 6-31++G** basis set. The values of energy show good approximation when are compared with similar calculations previously reported. Infrared spectra of monomers and dimers were obtained via theoretical calculations.

  7. Methodological Reflections on the Use of Asynchronous Online Focus Groups in Health Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Williams PhD

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The Internet is increasingly used as a tool in qualitative research. In particular, asynchronous online focus groups are used when factors such as cost, time, or access to participants can make conducting face-to-face research difficult. In this article we consider key methodological issues involved in using asynchronous online focus groups to explore experiences of health and illness. The written nature of Internet communication, the lack of physical presence, and the asynchronous, longitudinal aspects enable participants who might not normally contribute to research studies to reflect on their personal stories before disclosing them to the researcher. Implications for study design, recruitment strategies, and ethics should be considered when deciding whether to use this method.

  8. What Really Happens in Quantitative Group Research? Results of a Content Analysis of Recent Quantitative Research in "JSGW"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Lauren H.; Whittaker, Tiffany A.; Eyal, Maytal; McCarthy, Christopher J.

    2017-01-01

    The authors conducted a content analysis on quantitative studies published in "The Journal for Specialists in Group Work" ("JSGW") between 2012 and 2015. This brief report provides a general overview of the current practices of quantitative group research in counseling. The following study characteristics are reported and…

  9. Collaborating in Life Science Research Groups: The Question of Authorship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, Ruth

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study explores how life science postdocs' perceptions of contemporary academic career rationales influence how they relate to collaboration within research groups. One consequential dimension of these perceptions is the high value assigned to publications. For career progress, postdocs consider producing publications and…

  10. The expert group health research and care after disasters and environmental crises: an analysis of research questions formulated by Dutch health authorities for the expert group between 2006 and 2016.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Alting, D.; Dückers, M.L.; Yzermans, J.

    2017-01-01

    Study/Objective: The aim of this study is (1) to examine developments in the research questions, submitted to the Expert Group Health Research and Care after Disasters and Environmental Crises between 2006 and 2016, and (2) to explore implications of the research questions for the nature of advice

  11. Planning focus group interviews with asylum seekers: Factors related to the researcher, interpreter and asylum seekers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eklöf, Niina; Hupli, Maija; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

    2017-10-01

    The aim of this article was to discuss factors related to the researcher, interpreter and asylum seekers when planning focus group interviews with asylum seekers. Focus group interview is one of the basic data collection methods in descriptive nursing and health research. It has been used in multicultural research, allowing an opportunity to participate without literacy and to have linguistic and cultural support from other participants. Asylum seekers form a specific, vulnerable group, and the growing number of asylum seekers increases the need for research related to them. A culturally, methodologically and ethically high-quality focus group interview is based on the researcher's special knowledge and skills, acknowledgement of asylum seekers as both individuals and part of cultural and communal groups, and careful planning of the interpreter's role during the interviews. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Clinical gait analysis : A review of research at the Interdepartmental Research group of Kinesiology in Leiden

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Daanen, H. A M

    1990-01-01

    In this article the methodology used in the Interdepartmental Research Group of Kinesiology to quantify (clinical) human gait is elaborated upon. Four methods are described: analysis of temporal parameters, goniometry, accelerometry and electromyography. A correct representation of electromyographic

  13. Report for Working Group 1: Design Research in Civil and Environmental Engineering

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thompson, Mary Kathryn; Paradisi, Irene

    2013-01-01

    The first 2013 DCEE working group meeting focused on issues associated with design research in civil and environmental engineering. It addressed some of the motivation for establishing design as a research discipline in CEE and some of the challenges and outstanding questions about how to do so....

  14. Editorial: introduction to group research projects developed within an intensive programme in railway and logistics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marin MARINOV

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces a special issue of the Journal Transport Problems on group research projects developed within the RailNewcastle summer school organised and held in Newcastle upon Tyne, North East England. The participants (both educators and students worked together in multinational and multidisciplinary groups to produce research projects. The topics of the group research projects were based around railway and logistics-related problems. As a result a collection of the best articles is produced for the purposes of this special issue.

  15. Report of the National Technical Planning Group on Uranium Tailings Research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lapp, P.A.

    1981-09-01

    The National Technical Planning Group on Uranium Tailings Research was formed in 1980 to review present activities and plan a research program on the management of wastes after a mine and mill have shut down. At present there are more than 100 million tonnes of uranium tailings on the surface in Canada. Most of these are under management; however, some 8 million tonnes have been abandoned completely. The group concluded that: 1) there has been no systematic attempt to collect and organize the results of measurements already made on tailings; 2) there is an inadequate understanding of the processes that take place in tailings and in the pathways to the biosphere; 3) there is insufficient evidence on the extent of the long-term problem in the closeout of a uranium tailings basin; 4) there is a need to establish standardized measurement methodologies to improve the quality of data taken at different sites across Canada; 5) generic research and development on tailings disposal technology should be within the scope of a national program, whereas site-specific work is the purview of the mines and regulatory agencies; and 6) the uranium producers' contribution to the national tailings program should be their research on site-specific disposal alternatives. The first of these conclusions leads to the proposal to establish a national uranium tailings research program. The second suggests the need for a modelling program, the third and fourth for a national measurement program, and the remaining conclusions refer to disposal technologies research. The conclusions form the basis for a set of recommendations on uranium tailings research

  16. Action research in gender issues in science education: Towards an understanding of group work with science teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nyhof-Young, Joyce Marion

    Action research is emerging as a promising means of promoting individual and societal change in the context of university programmes in teacher education. However, significant gaps exist in the literature regarding the use of action research groups for the education of science teachers. Therefore, an action research group, dealing with gender issues in science education, was established within the context of a graduate course in action research at OISE. For reasons outlined in the thesis, action research was deemed an especially appropriate means for addressing issues of gender. The group met 14 times from September 1992 until May 1993 and consisted of myself and five other science teachers from the Toronto area. Two of us were in the primary panel, two in the intermediate panel, and two in the tertiary panel. Five teachers were female. One was male. The experiences of the group form the basis of this study. A methodology of participant observation supported by interviews, classroom visits, journals, group feedback and participant portfolios provides a means of examining experiences from the perspective of the participants in the group. The case study investigates the nature of the support and learning opportunities that the action research group provided for science teachers engaged in curiculum and professional development in the realm of gender issues in science education, and details the development of individuals, the whole group and myself (as group worker, researcher and participant) over the life of the project. The action research group became a resource for science teachers by providing most participants with: A place to personalize learning and research; a place for systematic reflection and research; a forum for discussion; a source of personal/professional support; a source of friendship; and a place to break down isolation and build self-confidence. This study clarifies important relational and political issues that impinge on action research in

  17. New shielding material development for compact accelerator-driven neutron source

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guang Hu

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The Compact Accelerator-driven Neutron Source (CANS, especially the transportable neutron source is longing for high effectiveness shielding material. For this reason, new shielding material is researched in this investigation. The component of shielding material is designed and many samples are manufactured. Then the attenuation detection experiments were carried out. In the detections, the dead time of the detector appeases when the proton beam is too strong. To grasp the linear range and nonlinear range of the detector, two currents of proton are employed in Pb attenuation detections. The transmission ratio of new shielding material, polyethylene (PE, PE + Pb, BPE + Pb is detected under suitable current of proton. Since the results of experimental neutrons and γ-rays appear as together, the MCNP and PHITS simulations are applied to assisting the analysis. The new shielding material could reduce of the weight and volume compared with BPE + Pb and PE + Pb.

  18. Present status of research activities conducted by research group for heavy elements microbiology in JAERI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohnuki, Toshihiko; Ozaki, Takuo; Yoshida, Takahiro

    2004-01-01

    It has been recognized that microbial transformations of radionuclides and toxic metals could be significant in the environment, but there is a paucity of information on the mechanisms of biotransformation of radionuclides by the microorganisms. An understanding at the fundamental level the mechanisms of mobilization, immobilization and bioavailability of radioactive elements in particular the actinides is important from the standpoint of mobility of actinides in the environment, disposal of radioactive wastes in deep geological formation, remediation of contaminated soils and materials, and development of strategies for the long-term stewardship of the contaminated sites. The microbiology research group in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) is conducting basic scientific research on microbial interactions with actinides. Fundamental research on microbial transformations of actinides include elucidation of the mechanisms of dissolution and precipitation of various chemical forms such as ionic, oxides, organic and inorganic complexes of actinides by aerobic or anaerobic microorganisms under relevant microbial process conditions. State-of-the-art analytical techniques are used to determine the interaction of actinides with microorganisms at the molecular level to understand the structure function relationship. These techniques include time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy (TRLFS) to determine the coordination number, oxidation states and the nearest neighbor by X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at the Synchrotron Light Source, identification of functional groups by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), determination of chemical forms by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and genomic (DNA) manipulation by molecular techniques. We here report the present status of our research activities on accumulation of lanthanides(III) by microorganisms, application of micro-particle induced X

  19. 75 FR 57768 - Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group and Its Identified...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-22

    ... Business Information by Eastern Research Group and Its Identified Subcontractor AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: EPA has authorized its contractor, Eastern Research Group... the information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business Information (CBI). DATES...

  20. Preparing School Leaders: Action Research on the Leadership Study Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamler, Estelle

    2016-01-01

    This article reports an action research study that examined the Leadership Study Group, one learning activity designed to build knowledge and skills for aspiring school leaders and implemented in a six-credit introductory course for school leader certification. Through analysis of a variety of qualitative data collected over nine semesters, I…

  1. About the Nutritional Science Research Group | Division of Cancer Prevention

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Nutritional Science Research Group (NSRG) promotes and supports studies establishing a comprehensive understanding of the precise role of diet and food components in modulating cancer risk and tumor cell behavior. This focus includes approaches to characterize molecular targets and variability in individual responses to nutrients and dietary patterns. |

  2. Three-level multilevel growth models for nested change data: a guide for group treatment researchers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasca, Giorgio A; Illing, Vanessa; Joyce, Anthony S; Ogrodniczuk, John S

    2009-07-01

    Researchers have known for years about the negative impact on Type I error rates caused by dependencies in hierarchically nested and longitudinal data. Despite this, group treatment researchers do not consistently use methods such as multilevel models (MLMs) to assess dependence and appropriately analyse their nested data. The goals of this study are to review some of the study design issues with regard to hierarchically nested and longitudinal data, discuss MLMs for assessing and handling dependence in data, and present a guide for developing a three-level growth MLM that is appropriate for group treatment data, design, and research questions. The authors present an example from group treatment research to illustrate these issues and methods.

  3. Report of short term research group on environment safety in nuclear fuel cycle, 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1984-01-01

    The research group on environment safety in nuclear fuel cycle was organized in fiscal 1979 as the research group in the range of the common utilization of Yayoi, and this is the third year since it developed into the short term research group in the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory. The results obtained so far were summarized in three reports, UTNL-R110, 134 and 147. In this fiscal year, ''The chemistry of reprocessing'' is the subtheme, and this short term research is to be carried out. The meeting is held on March 23 and 24, 1984, in this Laboratory, and the following reports are presented. The conference on institutional stability and the disposal of nuclear and chemically toxic wastes held at MIT, the social scientific analysis of nuclear power development, the present status of reprocessing research in foreign countries, the problems based on the operation experience of actual plants, the chemistry of fuel dissolution, the chemistry of solvent extraction, reprocessing offgas treatment and problems, the chemistry of fixing Kr and I in zeolite, waste treatment in the Tokai Reprocessing Plant of Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corp., the chemistry of actinoids, denitration process and the chemistry of MOX production, and future reprocessing research. (Kako, I.)

  4. 78 FR 67139 - Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group and Its Identified...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-08

    ... Business Information by Eastern Research Group and Its Identified Subcontractor, Energy Services, Inc..., Eastern Research Group (ERG) of Chantilly, VA, and subcontractor Energy Services, Inc., of Tallahassee, FL... Control Act (TSCA). Some of the information may be claimed or determined to be Confidential Business...

  5. [Analysis of scientific production and bibliometric impact of a group of Spanish clinical researchers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miró, O; Burbano Santos, P; Trilla, A; Casademont, J; Fernandez Pérez, C; Martín-Sánchez, Fj

    2016-01-01

    To study the behaviour of several indicators of scientific production and repercussion in a group of Spanish clinical researchers and to evaluate their possible utility for interpreting individual or collective scientific pathways. We performed a unicentric, ecological pilot study involving a group of physicians with consolidated research experience. From the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded) database, we obtained the number of publications of each author (indicator of production) and the number of citations, impact factor and h index (indicators of repercussion). These indicators were calculated individually for each of the years of research experience and we assessed the relationship between the experience of the researcher and the value of the indicator achieved, the relationship between these indicators themselves, and their temporal evolution, both individually and for the entire group. We analysed 35 researchers with a research experience of 28.4 (9.6) years. The h index showed the lowest coefficient of variance. The relationship between the indicators and research experience was significant, albeit modest (R2 between 0.15-0.22). The 4 indicators showed good correlations. The temporal evolution of the indicators, both individual and collective, adjusted better to a second grade polynomial than a linear function: individually, all the authors obtained R2>0.90 in all the indicators; together the best adjustment was produced with the h index (R2=0.61). Based on the indicator used, substantial variations may be produced in the researchers' ranking. A model of the temporal evolution of the indicators of production and repercussion can be described in a relatively homogeneous sample of researchers and the h index seems to demonstrate certain advantages compared to the remaining indicators. This type of analysis could become a predictive tool of performance to be achieved not only for a particular researcher, but also for a homogeneous group of resear-chers

  6. Microstructuring of thermo-mechanically highly stressed surfaces final report of the DFG research group 576

    CERN Document Server

    Rienäcker, Adrian; Knoll, Gunter; Bach, Friedrich-Wilhelm; Maier, Hans; Reithmeier, Eduard; Dinkelacker, Friedrich

    2015-01-01

    This contributed volume presents the final research results of the DFG Research Group 576, which is a joint initiative of five different institutes of the Leibniz Universität Hannover and the Universität Kassel, Germany. The research of the DFG Research Group 576 focuses on improving the tribological behavior of thermomechanically highly stressed surfaces, particularly on cylinder liner for combustion engines. The target audience primarily comprises researchers and experts in the field but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students who want to specialize in the field.

  7. Structural archetypes in nickel(II) hybrid vanadates. Towards a directed hydrothermal synthesis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luis, R. Fernandez de; Urtiaga, M.K.; Mesa, J.L.; Rojo, T.; Arriortua, M.I.

    2009-01-01

    In the present work, we relate the modifications of the initial synthesis parameters (pH value, stoichiometry and concentration) with the different structural archetypes obtained in the {Ni/Bpy/VO} and {Ni/Bpe/VO} systems (4,4'-bipyridine (Bpy), 1,2-di(4-pyridyl) ethylene (Bpe)). The vanadium coordination is partially controlled by the hydrothermal synthesis conditions, and the final crystal structures depend on the synergetic interaction between the metal-organic subnets and the vanadium oxide subunits.

  8. Web-based management of research groups - using the right tools and an adequate integration strategy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barroso, Antonio Carlos de Oliveira; Menezes, Mario Olimpio de, E-mail: barroso@ipen.b, E-mail: mario@ipen.b [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Grupo de Pesquisa em Gestao do Conhecimento Aplicada a Area Nuclear

    2011-07-01

    Nowadays broad interest in a couple of inter linked subject areas can make the configuration of a research group to be much diversified both in terms of its components and of the binding relationships that glues the group together. That is the case of the research group for knowledge management and its applications to nuclear technology - KMANT at IPEN, a living entity born 7 years ago and that has sustainably attracted new collaborators. This paper describes the strategic planning of the group, its charter and credo, the present components of the group and the diversified nature of their relations with the group and with IPEN. Then the technical competencies and currently research lines (or programs) are described as well as the research projects, and the management scheme of the group. In the sequence the web-based management and collaboration tools are described as well our experience with their use. KMANT have experiment with over 20 systems and software in this area, but we will focus on those aimed at: (a) web-based project management (RedMine, ClockinIT, Who does, PhProjekt and Dotproject); (b) teaching platform (Moodle); (c) mapping and knowledge representation tools (Cmap, Freemind and VUE); (d) Simulation tools (Matlab, Vensim and NetLogo); (e) social network analysis tools (ORA, MultiNet and UciNet); (f) statistical analysis and modeling tools (R and SmartPLS). Special emphasis is given to the coupling of the group permanent activities like graduate courses and regular seminars and how newcomers are selected and trained to be able to enroll the group. A global assessment of the role the management strategy and available tool set for the group performance is presented. (author)

  9. Web-based management of research groups - using the right tools and an adequate integration strategy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barroso, Antonio Carlos de Oliveira; Menezes, Mario Olimpio de

    2011-01-01

    Nowadays broad interest in a couple of inter linked subject areas can make the configuration of a research group to be much diversified both in terms of its components and of the binding relationships that glues the group together. That is the case of the research group for knowledge management and its applications to nuclear technology - KMANT at IPEN, a living entity born 7 years ago and that has sustainably attracted new collaborators. This paper describes the strategic planning of the group, its charter and credo, the present components of the group and the diversified nature of their relations with the group and with IPEN. Then the technical competencies and currently research lines (or programs) are described as well as the research projects, and the management scheme of the group. In the sequence the web-based management and collaboration tools are described as well our experience with their use. KMANT have experiment with over 20 systems and software in this area, but we will focus on those aimed at: (a) web-based project management (RedMine, ClockinIT, Who does, PhProjekt and Dotproject); (b) teaching platform (Moodle); (c) mapping and knowledge representation tools (Cmap, Freemind and VUE); (d) Simulation tools (Matlab, Vensim and NetLogo); (e) social network analysis tools (ORA, MultiNet and UciNet); (f) statistical analysis and modeling tools (R and SmartPLS). Special emphasis is given to the coupling of the group permanent activities like graduate courses and regular seminars and how newcomers are selected and trained to be able to enroll the group. A global assessment of the role the management strategy and available tool set for the group performance is presented. (author)

  10. Analytical Chemistry Section Chemistry Research Group, Winfrith. Report for 1982 and 1983

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Amey, M.D.H.; Capp, P.D.; James, H.

    1984-01-01

    This report reviews the principal activities of the Analytical Chemistry Section of Chemistry Research Group, Winfrith, during 1982 and 1983. The objectives of the report are to outline the range of chemical analysis support services available at Winfrith, indicate the research areas from which samples currently originate, and identify instrumental techniques where significant updating has occurred. (author)

  11. Influence of benefits, results and obstacles’ perceptions by research groups on interactions with companies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veneziano de Castro Araujo

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to investigate how expected perceptions of academic research groups about results, benefits and obstacles influence the number of interactions with firms, based on a survey of university-industry interactions in Brazil. For this purpose, by means of a nonparametric Item Response Theory (NIRT, non ad hoc clusters were created from patterns of survey answers related with the analyzed perceptions. Using these clusters, a model was estimated to identify how perceptions influence the number of interactions of research groups. The results indicate that research groups that perceive intangible benefits and knowledge results as more important tend to have more interactions with firms. In addition, transactional obstacles imply in less interactions with firms. Finally, some implications on public policies are presented.

  12. The network researchers' network: A social network analysis of the IMP Group 1985-2006

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Henneberg, Stephan C. M.; Ziang, Zhizhong; Naudé, Peter

    The Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group is a network of academic researchers working in the area of business-to-business marketing. The group meets every year to discuss and exchange ideas, with a conference having been held every year since 1984 (there was no meeting in 1987......). In this paper, based upon the papers presented at the 22 conferences held to date, we undertake a Social Network Analysis in order to examine the degree of co-publishing that has taken place between this group of researchers. We identify the different components in this database, and examine the large main...

  13. An acqueous extract of Bidens pilosa L. protects liver from cholestatic disease: experimental study in young rats Um extrato aquoso de Bidens pilosa L. protege o fígado da doença colestática: estudo experimental em ratos jovens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marta Izabel Suzigan

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: To test the hepatoprotective effect of water extract from Bidens Pilosa L. (BPE in cholestatic liver disease induced by ligature and resection of the common bile ducts (LRBD in young rats. METHODS: We studied four groups of ten 21 days old (P21 Wistar rats, Group SW: sham operation and water; Group SD: sham operation and BPE (160 mg of fresh leaves/100 g of body weight/day; Group LW: LRBD and water and Group LD: LRBD and BPE daily. Pentobarbital sleeping time (PST and serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST and of alanine aminotransferase (ALT were determined after the sacrifice (P70. A Ruwart's score for hepatic fibrosis (RS was given to each animal. Were employed two way ANOVA and the test of Tukey or a non-parametric test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences between LW and LD in the measurements of the PST ((means LW=390; LD=173, AST (means LW=8, LD=5, ALT (medians LW=2; LD=1 e RS (medians LW=2; LD=1. CONCLUSION: BPE could be used in the phytotherapy of the hepatic damage induced by chronic obstructive cholestasis, because protects liver function, decreases the rate of necrosis and liver fibrosis in cholestatic liver disease.OBJETIVO: Testar o efeito hepatoprotetor do extrato aquoso de Bidens pilosa L. (EBP na doença hepática induzida pela ligadura e ressecção do ducto biliar comum (LRDBC em ratos jovens. MÉTODOS: Estudamos ratos Wistar com 21º. dia de vida (P21 divididos em quatro grupos de 10 animais, Grupo SA: operação simulada e água; Grupo SD: operação simulada e EBP (160mg de folhas frescas/100g de peso corporal/dia; Grupo LA: LRDBC e água e Grupo LD: LRDBC e EBP diariamente. O tempo de sono por pentobarbital (TSP, aspartato (AST e alanina (ALT aminotransferase foram determinadas após o sacrifício (P70. O Score de Ruwart (SR para fibrose hepática foi atribuído para cada animal. Foi realizada análise de variância com dois fatores e pelo teste de Tukey

  14. Focus group positioning and analysis: a commentary on adjuncts for enhancing the design of health care research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, B C

    1990-01-01

    As health care competition increases, and as the penalties for making poor decisions become potentially more devastating, market research continues to play an increasingly important role in the decision-making process for hospitals. Concern over the appropriate use of market research and the costs related to it remains high. As such, efficiency in research design and clarity in research outcome are clearly the goals. This paper examines the focus group process and its adjunctive role in enhancing the overall design of health care market research. Specifically, the function and placement of focus groups within the research plan as well as several methods of creative focus group analysis are considered within the context of an effective research design.

  15. Vascular endothelial growth factor and protein level in pleural effusion for differentiating malignant from benign pleural effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Da-Wei; Chang, Wei-An; Liu, Kuan-Ting; Yen, Meng-Chi; Kuo, Po-Lin

    2017-09-01

    Pleural effusion is associated with multiple benign and malignant conditions. Currently no biomarkers differentiate malignant pleural effusion (MPE) and benign pleural effusion (BPE) sensitively and specifically. The present study identified a novel combination of biomarkers in pleural effusion for differentiating MPE from BPE by enrolling 75 patients, 34 with BPE and 41 with MPE. The levels of lactate dehydrogenase, glucose, protein, and total cell, neutrophil, monocyte and lymphocyte counts in the pleural effusion were measured. The concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon γ, transforming growth factor-β1, colony stimulating factor 2, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were detected using cytometric bead arrays. Protein and VEGF levels differed significantly between patients with BPE and those with MPE. The optimal cutoff value of VEGF and protein was 214 pg/ml and 3.35 g/dl respectively, according to the receiver operating characteristic curve. A combination of VEGF >214 pg/ml and protein >3.35 g/dl in pleural effusion presented a sensitivity of 92.6% and an accuracy of 78.6% for MPE, but was not associated with a decreased survival rate. These results suggested that this novel combination strategy may provide useful biomarkers for predicting MPE and facilitating early diagnosis.

  16. [Role of multicenter study groups for clinical research in hematology and oncology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gökbuget, N; Hoelzer, D

    2009-04-01

    During the past 25 years a highly effective infrastructure for clinical trials was developed in hematology. Following initial funding by the BMFT (Ministry for Research and Technology) a number of large multicenter study groups for leukemia and lymphoma were developed. Treatment results from these studies often represent the"gold standard". However, since no standard therapy is defined for these diseases, the study groups aim to treat all patients within treatment optimization trials (TOT) to combine research and care. They contribute considerably to quality control in therapy and diagnostics, e.g., by establishing central reference laboratories. The regulatory requirements for clinical trials were extended considerably after the activation of the 12th drug law and TOTs now have to fulfill requirements similar to registration trials in the pharmaceutical industry. Due to the considerable bureaucratic effort and increased costs, only few large multicenter trials could thereafter be initiated and a substantial disadvantage for independent academic research becomes clearly evident.

  17. 75 FR 8330 - Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-24

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OPPT-2003-0004; FRL-8812-4] Access to Confidential Business Information by Eastern Research Group AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. [[Page 8331

  18. Precincts and Prospects in the Use of Focus Groups in Social and Behavioral Science Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sagoe, Dominic

    2012-01-01

    Over the past few years, the focus group method has assumed a very important role as a method for collecting qualitative data in social and behavioural science research. This article elucidates theoretical and practical problems and prospects associated with the use of focus groups as a qualitative research method in social and behavioural science…

  19. Academic research groups: evaluation of their quality and quality of their evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berche, Bertrand; Holovatch, Yuri; Kenna, Ralph; Mryglod, Olesya

    2016-02-01

    In recent years, evaluation of the quality of academic research has become an increasingly important and influential business. It determines, often to a large extent, the amount of research funding flowing into universities and similar institutes from governmental agencies and it impacts upon academic careers. Policy makers are becoming increasingly reliant upon, and influenced by, the outcomes of such evaluations. In response, university managers are increasingly attracted to simple metrics as guides to the dynamics of the positions of their various institutions in league tables. However, these league tables are invariably drawn up by inexpert bodies such as newspapers and magazines, using arbitrary measures and criteria. Terms such as “critical mass” and “h-index” are bandied about without understanding of what they actually mean. Rather than accepting the rise and fall of universities, departments and individuals on a turbulent sea of arbitrary measures, we suggest it is incumbent upon the scientific community itself to clarify their nature. Here we report on recent attempts to do that by properly defining critical mass and showing how group size influences research quality. We also examine currently predominant metrics and show that these fail as reliable indicators of group research quality.

  20. [μ2-trans-1,2-Bis(pyridin-4-ylethene-κ2N:N′]bis{[1,2-bis(pyridin-4-ylethene-κN]bis[N-(2-hydroxyethyl-N-isopropyldithiocarbamato-κ2S,S′]cadmium} acetonitrile tetrasolvate: crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukesh M. Jotani

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Cd2(C12H10N23(C6H12NOS24]·4C2H3N, comprises a CdII atom, two dithiocarbamate (dtc anions, one and a half trans-1,2-dipyridin-4-ylethylene (bpe molecules and two acetonitrile solvent molecules. The full binuclear complex is generated by the application of a centre of inversion. The dtc ligands are chelating, one bpe molecule coordinates in a monodentate mode while the other is bidentate bridging. The resulting cis-N2S4 coordination geometry is based on an octahedron. Supramolecular layers, sustained by hydroxy-O—H...O(hydroxy and hydroxy-O—H...N(bpe hydrogen bonding, interpenetrate to form a three-dimensional architecture; voids in this arrangement are occupied by the acetonitrile solvent molecules. Additional intermolecular interactions falling within the specified framework have been analysed by Hirshfeld surface analysis, including π–π interactions.

  1. Bench press exercise: the key points.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padulo, J; Laffaye, G; Chaouachi, A; Chamari, K

    2015-06-01

    The bench press exercise (BPE) is receiving increasing interest as a field testing, training/therapeutic modality to improve neuromuscular performance or to increase bone mass density. Several studies have been performed using BPE as a standard for increasing upper-limb strength. For this purpose, the position of the bar, the loads, the sets, the number of repetitions, the recovery time in-between sets, the movement speed, the muscular work and the use of the determination of the one repetition maximum (1-RM) are the classical tools investigated in the literature that have been shown to affect the BPE effect on neuromuscular. The goal of the present short review is to make a picture of the current knowledge on the bench press exercise, which could be very helpful for a better understanding of this standard movement and its effects. Based on the related literature, several recommendations on these key points are presented here.

  2. Seminar Cum Meeting Report: Codata Task Group for Exchangeable Material Data Representation to Support Research and Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T Ashino

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available On March 4-5, 2008, the CODATA Task Group for Exchangeable Material Data Representation to Support Research and Education held a two day seminar cum meeting at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL, New Delhi, India, with NPL materials researchers and task group members representing material activities and databases from seven countries: European Union (The Czech Republic, France, and the Netherlands, India, Korea, Japan, and the United States. The NPL seminar included presentations about the researchers' work. The Task Group meeting included presentations about current data related activities of the members. Joint discussions between NPL researchers and CODATA task group members began an exchange of viewpoints among materials data producers, users, and databases developers. The seminar cum meeting included plans to continue and expand Task Group activities at the 2008 CODATA 21st Meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine.

  3. Comparison Groups in Yoga Research: A Systematic Review and Critical Evaluation of the Literature

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groessl, Erik; Maiya, Meghan; Sarkin, Andrew; Eisen, Susan V.; Riley, Kristen; Elwy, A. Rani

    2014-01-01

    Objectives Comparison groups are essential for accurate testing and interpretation of yoga intervention trials. However, selecting proper comparison groups is difficult because yoga comprises a very heterogeneous set of practices and its mechanisms of effect have not been conclusively established. Methods We conducted a systematic review of the control and comparison groups used in published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of yoga. Results We located 128 RCTs that met our inclusion criteria; of these, 65 included only a passive control and 63 included at least one active comparison group. Primary comparison groups were physical exercise (43%), relaxation/meditation (20%), and education (16%). Studies rarely provided a strong rationale for choice of comparison. Considering year of publication, the use of active controls in yoga research appears to be slowly increasing over time. Conclusions Given that yoga has been established as a potentially powerful intervention, future research should use active control groups. Further, care is needed to select comparison conditions that help to isolate the specific mechanisms of yoga’s effects. PMID:25440384

  4. 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,…

  5. Promoting group empowerment and self-reliance through participatory research: a case study of people with physical disability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, R; Bhagwanjee, A

    1999-07-01

    Despite the growing popularity of the empowerment construct among social scientists, relatively few empowerment studies involving groupwork with people with physical disabilities exist. This article accordingly describes and analyses the organic development of the empowerment process within a spinal cord injury self-help group, set against the backdrop of policy imperatives for disability in post-apartheid South Africa. The treatise on the group empowerment process is located within the context of a group evaluation conducted within a participatory research framework. Key variables informing the research approach included: quality of participation, control over resources and decision-making, shift in critical consciousness and understanding, malleability of roles within the group and role of the health professional. Group members assumed ownership of group management and decision-making and shifted from a professionally-led to a peer-led self-help group. Group objectives changed from providing mutual support to community education and outreach activities. The role of the health professional shifted from group facilitator to invited consultant. This case study demonstrates how group participation, promoted by a critically informed therapeutic and research praxis, can unlock the inherent potential for self-reliance and empowerment of socially marginalized collectives. It offers important insights with regard to group process, participatory research and the role of the health professional in creating opportunities for empowerment and self-reliance of people with disability.

  6. Using Focus Groups to Research Sensitive Issues: Insights from Group Interviews on Nursing in the Northern Ireland “Troubles”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanne Jordan

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article the authors discuss the usefulness of focus groups for researching sensitive issues using evidence from a study examining the experiences of nurses providing care in the context of the Northern Ireland Troubles. They conducted three group interviews with nurses during which they asked about the issues the nurses face(d in providing nursing care amid enduring social division. Through a discursive analysis of within-group interaction, they demonstrate how participants employ a range of interpretive resources, the effect of which is to prioritize particular knowledge concerning the nature of nursing care. The identification of such patterned activity highlights the ethnographic value of focus groups to reveal social conventions guiding the production of accounts but also suggests that accounts cannot be divorced from the circumstances of their production. Consequently, the authors argue that focus groups should be considered most useful for illuminating locally sanctioned ways of talking about sensitive issues.

  7. Academic Procrastination and the Performance of Graduate-Level Cooperative Groups in Research Methods Courses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Qun G.; DaRos-Voseles, Denise A.; Collins, Kathleen M. T.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

    2011-01-01

    This study examined the extent to which academic procrastination predicted the performance of cooperative groups in graduate-level research methods courses. A total of 28 groups was examined (n = 83 students), ranging in size from 2 to 5 (M = 2.96, SD = 1.10). Multiple regression analyses revealed that neither within-group mean nor within-group…

  8. The role of multiple-group measurement invariance in family psychology research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kern, Justin L; McBride, Brent A; Laxman, Daniel J; Dyer, W Justin; Santos, Rosa M; Jeans, Laurie M

    2016-04-01

    Measurement invariance (MI) is a property of measurement that is often implicitly assumed, but in many cases, not tested. When the assumption of MI is tested, it generally involves determining if the measurement holds longitudinally or cross-culturally. A growing literature shows that other groupings can, and should, be considered as well. Additionally, it is noted that the standard techniques for investigating MI have been focused almost exclusively on the case of 2 groups, with very little work on the case of more than 2 groups, even though the need for such techniques is apparent in many fields of research. This paper introduces and illustrates a model building technique to investigating MI for more than 2 groups. This technique is an extension of the already-existing hierarchy for testing MI introduced by Meredith (1993). An example using data on father involvement in 5 different groups of families of children with and without developmental disabilities from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort dataset will be given. We show that without considering the possible differential functioning of the measurements on multiple developmental groups, the differences present between the groups in terms of the measurements may be obscured. This could lead to incorrect conclusions. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  9. How to Research People's First Impressions of Websites? Eye-Tracking as a Usability Inspection Method and Online Focus Group Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herendy, Csilla

    The visual surface of the Hungarian governmental portal - magyarorszag.hu - was inspected in 2007 with two different inspection methods: Eye tacking research and Online focus group research. Both methods help to understand and to chart not only the usability of different websites but also the affective imp ressions associated with the websites. In this study, an Experimental and a Control-group were tested to assess the usability of the site and the emotional re actions to it. The results reveal that the Hungarian government website is too complicated, dull and difficult to apprehend at a glance.

  10. Computer Support of Groups: Theory-Based Models for GDSS Research

    OpenAIRE

    V. Srinivasan Rao; Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa

    1991-01-01

    Empirical research in the area of computer support of groups is characterized by inconsistent results across studies. This paper attempts to reconcile the inconsistencies by linking the ad hoc reasoning in the studies to existing theories of communication, minority influence and human information processing. Contingency models are then presented based on the theories discussed. The paper concludes by discussing the linkages between the current work and other recently published integrations of...

  11. Structural archetypes in nickel(II) hybrid vanadates. Towards a directed hydrothermal synthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luis, R. Fernandez de; Urtiaga, M.K. [Dpto. Mineralogia y Petrologia, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Universidad del Pais Vasco/UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Mesa, J.L.; Rojo, T. [Dpto. Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Universidad del Pais Vasco UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain); Arriortua, M.I. [Dpto. Mineralogia y Petrologia, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologia, Universidad del Pais Vasco/UPV/EHU, Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao (Spain)], E-mail: maribel.arriortua@ehu.es

    2009-07-01

    In the present work, we relate the modifications of the initial synthesis parameters (pH value, stoichiometry and concentration) with the different structural archetypes obtained in the {l_brace}Ni/Bpy/VO{r_brace} and {l_brace}Ni/Bpe/VO{r_brace} systems (4,4'-bipyridine (Bpy), 1,2-di(4-pyridyl) ethylene (Bpe)). The vanadium coordination is partially controlled by the hydrothermal synthesis conditions, and the final crystal structures depend on the synergetic interaction between the metal-organic subnets and the vanadium oxide subunits.

  12. Creating and sustaining a military women's Health Research Interest Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Candy; Trego, Lori; Rychnovsky, Jacqueline; Steele, Nancy; Foradori, Megan

    2015-01-01

    In 2008, four doctorate military nurse scientists representing the triservices (Army, Navy, and Air Force) identified a common interest in the health and care of all women in the armed forces. For 7 years, the team's shared vision to improve servicewomen's health inspired them to commit to a rigorous schedule of planning, developing, and implementing an innovative program that has the capability of advancing scientific knowledge and influencing health policy and practice through research. The ultimate goal of the Military Women's Health Research Interest Group (MWHRIG) is to support military clinicians and leaders in making evidence-based practice and policy decisions. They developed a 4-pronged approach to cultivate the science of military women's healthcare: evaluate the existing evidence, develop a research agenda that addresses gaps in knowledge, facilitate the collaboration of multidisciplinary research, and build the bench of future researchers. The MWHRIG has been a resource to key leaders; its value has been validated by multiservice and multidisciplinary consultations. However, the journey to goal attainment has only been achieved by the enduring commitment of these MWHRIG leaders and their passion to ensure the health and wellbeing of the many women who serve in the United States military. This article describes their journey of dedication.

  13. The Symposium Proceedings of the 1998 Air Transport Research Group (ATRG). Volume 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reynolds-Feighan, Aisling (Editor); Bowen, Brent D. (Editor)

    1998-01-01

    The Air Transport Research Group of the World Conference on Transportation Research (WCTR) Society was formally launched as a special interest group at the 7th Triennial WCTR in Sydney, Australia in 1995. Since then, our membership base has expanded rapidly, and now includes over 400 active transportation researchers, policy-makers, industry executives, major corporations and research institutes from 28 countries. It became a tradition that the ATRG would hold an international conference at least once a year. In 1998, the ATRG organized a consecutive stream of 14 aviation sessions at the 8th Triennial WCTR Conference (July 12-17: Antwerp). Again, on 19-21 July, 1998, the ATRG Symposium was organized and executed very successfully by Dr. Aisling Reynolds-Feighan of the University College of Dublin. The Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has published the Proceedings of the 1998 ATRG Dublin Symposium (being co-edited by Dr. Aisling Reynolds-Feighan and Professor Brent Bowen), and the Proceedings of the 1998 WCTR-ATRG Conference (being co-edited by Professors Tae H. Oum and Brent Bowen).

  14. The OMERACT MRI in Arthritis Working Group - Update on Status and Future Research Priorities

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, Mikkel; Bird, Paul; Gandjbakhch, Frédérique

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To provide an update on the status and future research priorities of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in arthritis working group. METHODS: A summary is provided of the activities of the group within rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic...

  15. Mechanisms of catalytic cleavage of benzyl phenyl ether in aqueous and apolar phases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Jiayue; Lu, Lu; Zhao, Chen; Mei, Donghai; Lercher, Johannes A.

    2014-03-01

    Catalytic pathways for the cleavage of ether bonds in benzyl phenyl ether (BPE) in liquid phase using Ni- and zeolite-based catalysts are explored. In the absence of catalysts, the C-O bond is selectively cleaved in water by hydrolysis, forming phenol and benzyl alcohol as intermediates, followed by alkylation. The hydronium ions catalyzing the reactions are provided by the dissociation of water at 523 K. Upon addition of HZSM-5, rates of hydrolysis and alkylation are markedly increased in relation to proton concentrations. In the presence of Ni/SiO2, the selective hydrogenolysis dominates for cleaving the Caliphatic-O bond. Catalyzed by the dual-functional Ni/HZSM-5, hydrogenolysis occurs as the major route rather than hydrolysis (minor route). In apolar undecane, the non-catalytic thermal pyrolysis route dominates. Hydrogenolysis of BPE appears to be the major reaction pathway in undecane in the presence of Ni/SiO2 or Ni/HZSM-5, almost completely suppressing radical reactions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations strongly support the proposed C-O bond cleavage mechanisms on BPE in aqueous and apolar phases. These calculations show that BPE is initially protonated and subsequently hydrolyzed in the aqueous phase. Finally, DFT calculations suggest that the radical reactions in non-polar solvents lead to primary benzyl and phenoxy radicals in undecane, which leads to heavier condensation products as long as metals are absent for providing dissociated hydrogen.

  16. FOCUS-GROUP AND ITS IMPACT IN THE QUESTIONNAIRE OF MARKETING RESEARCH ON THE ROMANIAN CAR MARKET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MANEA Constantin

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Designing a questionnaire is the most profound activity which makes an impact on a research in marketing. The investigation instrument finally determines the quality of this type of research. Never will a market research be able to exceed its questionnaire in point of quality. The present contribution succinctly itemizes a research project for the Romanian car market, emphasizing the importance of focus group, and appends, at the end, the concrete result, applied to the Romanian car market. The first part describes the hypotheses and sets out the objectives of the research, focusing on the market leader, i.e. Automobile Dacia Renault. The second section describes the practical process of designing the questionnaire, with a special stress laid on the impact of focus-group in the final version. The synthesis of focus group is materialized through a number of final remarks on the manner of concretely writing the questionnaire, which was put to practical use on the Romanian car market.

  17. Conducting cancer control and survivorship research via cooperative groups: a report from the American Society of Preventive Oncology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palesh, Oxana; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Mustian, Karen; Minasian, Lori; Rowland, Julia; Sprod, Lisa; Janelsins, Michelle; Peppone, Luke; Sloan, Jeff; Engquist, Karen Basen; Jones, Lee; Buist, Diana; Paskett, Electra D

    2011-05-01

    As the number of cancer survivors expands, the need for cancer control and survivorship research becomes increasingly important. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cooperative Groups may offer a viable platform to perform such research. Observational, preventive, and behavioral research can often be performed within the cooperative group setting, especially if resources needed for evaluation are fairly simple, if protocols are easily implemented within the typical clinical setting, and if interventions are well standardized. Some protocols are better suited to cooperative groups than are others, and there are advantages and disadvantages to conducting survivorship research within the cooperative group setting. Behavioral researchers currently involved in cooperative groups, as well as program staff within the NCI, can serve as sources of information for those wishing to pursue symptom management and survivorship studies within the clinical trial setting. The structure of the cooperative groups is currently changing, but going forward, survivorship is bound to be a topic of interest and one that perhaps may be more easily addressed using the proposed more centralized structure. ©2011 AACR.

  18. Long-term program for research and development of group separation and disintegration techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    In Japan, the basic guidelines state that high-level radioactive wastes released from reprocessing of spent fuel should be processed into stable solid material, followed by storage for cooling for 30-50 years and disposal in the ground at a depth of several hundreds of meters. The Long-Term Program for Research and Development of Group Separation and Disintegration Techniques is aimed at efficient disposal of high-level wastes, reutilization of useful substances contained, and improved safety. Important processes include separation of nuclides (group separation, individual nuclide separation) and conversion (disintegration) of long-lived nuclides into short-lived or non-radioactive one. These processes can reduce the volume of high-level wastes to be left for final disposal. Research and development projects have been under way to provide techniques to separate high-level waste substances into four groups (transuranic elements, strontium/cesium, technetium/platinum group elements, and others). These projects also cover recovery of useful metals and efficient utilization of separated substances. For disintegration, conceptual studies have been carried out for the application of fast neutron beams to conversion of long half-life transuranium elements into short half-life or non-radioactive elements. (N.K.)

  19. Researching Style: Epistemology, Paradigm Shifts and Research Interest Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rayner, Stephen

    2011-01-01

    This paper identifies the need for a deliberate approach to theory building in the context of researching cognitive and learning style differences in human performance. A case for paradigm shift and a focus upon research epistemology is presented, building upon a recent critique of style research. A proposal for creating paradigm shift is made,…

  20. Summary of the 2017 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hulsebus, Holly J; Curtis, Brenda J; Molina, Patricia E; Afshar, Majid; Boule, Lisbeth A; Morris, Niya; Keshavarzian, Ali; Kolls, Jay K; Yeligar, Samantha M; Price, Michael E; Wyatt, Todd A; Choudhry, Mashkoor A; Kovacs, Elizabeth J

    2018-06-01

    On June 24, 2017, the 22nd annual Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting was held as a satellite conference during the annual Research Society on Alcoholism (RSA) Scientific Meeting in Denver, Colorado. The 2017 meeting focused broadly on mechanisms that link alcohol to tissue injury and inflammation, and how this research can be translated to improve human health. Two plenary sessions composed the meeting, which first explored the association between alcohol and trauma/tissue injury, and finished with a discussion of alcohol and mucosal inflammation. The presentations encompassed diverse areas of alcohol research, from effects on the brain, to airway and pulmonary systems, to gut barrier disruption. The discussions also thoughtfully highlighted how current laboratory and clinical research can be used to prevent or treat alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Preliminary results from the U.S. participation in the 2000 Beam Park Experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stansbery, Gene

    2001-10-01

    The United States participated in the 2000 Beam Park Experiment (BPE) conducted in late October, 2000 under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). The U.S. participated using several sensors which have participated in previous campaigns: Haystack, TRADEX, and COBRA DANE radars, and the Liquid Mirror Telescope. New to the BPE experiments this time are the GBR-P radar located at Kwajalein Atoll and the Haystack Auxiliary (HAX) radar located in Massachusetts. This paper will present and discuss preliminary results from each of the participating U.S. sensors.

  2. Comparison study of photon attenuation characteristics of Lead-Boron Polyethylene by MCNP code, XCOM and experimental data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Lei; Jia, Mingchun; Gong, Junjun; Xia, Wenming

    2017-08-01

    The linear attenuation coefficient, mass attenuation coefficient and mean free path of various Lead-Boron Polyethylene (PbBPE) samples which can be used as the photon shielding materials in marine reactor have been simulated using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP)-5 code. The MCNP simulation results are in good agreement with the XCOM values and the reported experimental data for source Cesium-137 and Cobalt-60. Thus, this method based on MCNP can be used to simulate the photon attenuation characteristics of various types of PbBPE materials.

  3. Recommendations for the Involvement of Patient Research Partners (PRP) in OMERACT Working Groups. A Report from the OMERACT 2014 Working Group on PRP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Peter P; de Wit, Maarten; Bingham, Clifton O; Kirwan, John R; Leong, Amye; March, Lyn M; Montie, Pam; Scholte-Voshaar, Marieke; Gossec, Laure

    2016-01-01

    Patient participation in research is increasing; however, practical guidelines to enhance this participation are lacking. Specifically within the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) organization, although patients have participated in OMERACT meetings since 2002, consensus about the procedures for involving patients in working groups has not been formalized. The objective is to develop a set of recommendations regarding patient research partner (PRP) involvement in research working groups. We conducted a systematic literature review on recommendations/guidelines of PRP involvement in research; elaborated a structured consensus process involving multiple participants to develop a set of recommendations; and sought endorsement of recommendations by OMERACT. In the 18 articles included in the literature review, there was general agreement on the broad concepts for recommendations covering PRP involvement in research although they were heterogeneous in detail. Most considered PRP involvement in all phases of research with early engagement, training, and support important, but details on the content were scarce. This review informed a larger consensus-building process regarding PRP inclusion in OMERACT research. Three overarching principles and 8 recommendations were developed, discussed, and refined at OMERACT 2014. The guiding principles were endorsed during the OMERACT plenary session. These recommendations for PRP involvement in OMERACT research reinforce the importance of patient participation throughout the research process as integral members. Although the applicability of the recommendations in other research contexts should be assessed, the generalizability is expected to be high. Future research should evaluate their implementation and their effect on outcome development.

  4. Bipolar Electrode Array Embedded in a Polymer Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cell.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Jun; Chen, Shulun; AlTal, Faleh; Hu, Shiyu; Bouffier, Laurent; Wantz, Guillaume

    2017-09-20

    A linear array of aluminum discs is deposited between the driving electrodes of an extremely large planar polymer light-emitting electrochemical cell (PLEC). The planar PLEC is then operated at a constant bias voltage of 100 V. This promotes in situ electrochemical doping of the luminescent polymer from both the driving electrodes and the aluminum discs. These aluminum discs function as discrete bipolar electrodes (BPEs) that can drive redox reactions at their extremities. Time-lapse fluorescence imaging reveals that p- and n-doping that originated from neighboring BPEs can interact to form multiple light-emitting p-n junctions in series. This provides direct evidence of the working principle of bulk homojunction PLECs. The propagation of p-doping is faster from the BPEs than from the positive driving electrode due to electric field enhancement at the extremities of BPEs. The effect of field enhancement and the fact that the doping fronts only need to travel the distance between the neighboring BPEs to form a light-emitting junction greatly reduce the response time for electroluminescence in the region containing the BPE array. The near simultaneous formation of multiple light-emitting p-n junctions in series causes a measurable increase in cell current. This indicates that the region containing a BPE is much more conductive than the rest of the planar cell despite the latter's greater width. The p- and n-doping originating from the BPEs is initially highly confined. Significant expansion and divergence of doping occurred when the region containing the BPE array became more conductive. The shape and direction of expanded doping strongly suggest that the multiple light-emitting p-n junctions, formed between and connected by the array of metal BPEs, have functioned as a single rod-shaped BPE. This represents a new type of BPE that is formed in situ and as a combination of metal, doped polymers, and forward-biased p-n junctions connected in series.

  5. Remote Sensing Information Sciences Research Group, Santa Barbara Information Sciences Research Group, year 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estes, J. E.; Smith, T.; Star, J. L.

    1986-01-01

    Research continues to focus on improving the type, quantity, and quality of information which can be derived from remotely sensed data. The focus is on remote sensing and application for the Earth Observing System (Eos) and Space Station, including associated polar and co-orbiting platforms. The remote sensing research activities are being expanded, integrated, and extended into the areas of global science, georeferenced information systems, machine assissted information extraction from image data, and artificial intelligence. The accomplishments in these areas are examined.

  6. X-ray fluorescence in Member States: Philippines. XRF activities at Analytical Measurements Research Group, Philippine Nuclear Research Institute

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pabroa, Corazon B.; Castaneda, Soledad S.; Almoneda, Rosalina V.; Sucgang, Raymond J.; Racho, Joseph Michael D.; Morco, Ryan P.; Cuyco, Danilo; Jimenez, Gloria; Santos, Flora L.

    2008-01-01

    Full text: XRF analysis and activities of the Analytical Measurements Research (AMR) Group (see Fig.1) of the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) focus on both research and analytical services. Air pollution research, in particular source apportionment studies, requires multi-elemental data for a substantial number of samples. In the PNRI, energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) has been used as an effective tool for providing such multi-elemental data. With the latest acquisition of the Panalytical Epsilon 5 (E5) EDXRF system, the process of quantification has become easier and faster with the auto-quantify method. Other research involvements of the group are in the analysis of samples in relation to mineral explorations and the elemental characterization of water in support for isotope hydrology research. The AMR group, as part of its function to provide analytical services, offers qualitative or semi quantitative analysis of solid samples using the auto quantify method, quantitative analysis of environmental samples using the emission-transmission method and quantitative analysis of air particulate matter collected on filters. Telephone wire materials sold in junkshops (alleged to have been pilfered from installed telephone lines of a major telecommunications company in the country) and materials being assessed in relation to patent claims are other examples of samples submitted for analytical services. As mentioned, a useful feature of the E5 system is the use of the auto-quantify (AQ) method. Calibration lines used for this type of application are obtained using the fundamental parameter (FP) model. For AQ applications, accurate results are obtained for samples prepared as fused glass beads in which the whole matrix is known. However, only qualitative or semi quantitative analysis can be applied for other types of solid samples. The AQ method was adapted for the multi-elemental analysis of air particulates using the MicroMatter standards to set

  7. Supporting the Thesis Writing Process of International Research Students through an Ongoing Writing Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Linda Y.; Vandermensbrugghe, Joelle

    2011-01-01

    Evidence from research suggests writing support is particularly needed for international research students who have to tackle the challenges of thesis writing in English as their second language in Western academic settings. This article reports the development of an ongoing writing group to support the thesis writing process of international…

  8. Comparative antioxidant effect of BHT and water extracts of banana and sapodilla peels in raw poultry meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Devatkal, Suresh K; Kumboj, Ritu; Paul, Devosmita

    2014-02-01

    Antioxidant properties of banana (Musa paradisiaca) and Sapodilla/Chikoo (Manilkara zapota) peel extracts in chicken patties were evaluated. Four treatments viz., I. Control (meat + 2% salt), II.BHT (meat + 2% salt + 0.1% BHT), III. BPE (meat + 2% salt + 2% banana peel extract) and IV. SPE (meat + 2% salt + 2% sapodilla/chikoo peel extract) were compared for changes in colour and lipid oxidation during 8 days refrigerated storage (4 ± °C). The average phenolic content was 550.2 and 550.8 mg gallic acid equivalent per 10 g peel in BPE and SPE respectively. Free radical scavenging activity was 66.9 and 67.8% in BPE and SPE respectively. Banana peel extract had significantly (P peel extract (0.91). During refrigerated storage period, all color parameters decreased significantly in all treatments. Observation on lipid oxidation showed a significantly (P banana and sapodilla peels could be explored as natural antioxidants in poultry meat and meat products.

  9. A Resettable Keypad Lock with Visible Readout Based on Closed Bipolar Electrochemistry and Electrochromic Poly(3-methylthiophene) Films.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Lian, Wenjing; Liu, Hongyun

    2016-03-24

    A closed bipolar electrode (BPE) system was developed with electrochromic poly(3-methylthiophene) (PMT) films electropolymerized on the ITO/rGO electrode as one pole of BPE in the reporting reservoir and the bare ITO electrode as another pole of BPE in the analyte reservoir, in which rGO represents reduced graphene oxide. Under a suitable driving voltage (Vtot), the electrochemical reduction/oxidation of electroactive probes, such as H2O2/glutathione (Glu), in the analyte reservoir could induce the reversible color change of PMT films in the reporting reservoir between blue and red. Based on this, a keypad lock with H2O2 , Glu, and Vtot =-3.0 V as the three inputs and the color change of PMT films as the visible output was established. This system was easily operated and did not need to synthesize the complex compounds or DNA molecules. The security system was easy to reset and could be used repeatedly. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. Review: Prevalence and co-occurrence of addictions in US ethnic/racial groups: Implications for genetic research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luczak, Susan E; Khoddam, Rubin; Yu, Sheila; Wall, Tamara L; Schwartz, Anna; Sussman, Steve

    2017-08-01

    We conducted a review of the prevalence and co-occurrence of 12 types of addictions in US ethnic/racial groups and discuss the implications of the results for genetic research on addictions. We utilized MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases to review the literature on alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, illicit drugs, gambling, eating/food, internet, sex, love, exercise, work, and shopping. We present results for each addiction based on total US prevalence, prevalence within ethnic groups, and co-occurrence of addictions among ethnic groups when available. This review indicates very little research has examined the interrelationships of addictive behaviors among US ethnic groups. The studies that exist have focused nearly exclusively on comorbidity of substances and gambling behaviors. Overall findings suggest differences among US ethnic groups in prevalence of addictions and in prevalence of addiction among those who use substances or engage in gambling. Almost no ethnic group comparisons of other addictive behaviors including eating/food, internet, love, sex, exercise, work, and shopping were identified in the literature. Despite large-scale research efforts to examine alcohol and substance use disorders in the United States, few studies have been published that examine these addictive behaviors among ethnic groups, and even fewer examine co-occurrence and comorbidity with other addictions. Even with the limited studies, these findings have implications for genetic research on addictive behaviors. We include a discussion of these implications, including issues of population stratification, disaggregation, admixture, and the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in understanding the etiology and treatment of addictions. (Am J Addict 2017;26:424-436). © 2016 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

  11. Two Decades of Funded Research Goals and Achievements on Inquiry by the High Ability and Inquiry Research Group (HAIR) at McGill University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gube, Maren; Shore, Bruce M.

    2018-01-01

    From the 1990s until 2017 the High Ability and Inquiry Research Group (HAIR) at McGill University in Montreal, received C$1.3M in research funds from Canadian, Quebec, and US agencies to support its research and graduate training in education and educational psychology. Their research encompassed two principal areas, Inquiry in Education and…

  12. IGORR-IV -- Proceedings of the fourth meeting of the International Group on Research Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenbalm, K.F. [comp.

    1995-12-31

    The International Group on Research Reactors was formed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among those institutions and individuals who are actively working to design, build, and promote new research reactors or to make significant upgrades to existing facilities. Twenty-nine papers were presented in five sessions and written versions of the papers or hard copies of the vugraphs used are published in these proceedings. The five sessions were: (1) Operating Research Reactors and Facility Upgrades; (2) Research Reactors in Design and Construction; (3) ANS Closeout Activities; (4) and (5) Research, Development, and Analysis Results.

  13. IGORR-IV - Proceedings of the fourth meeting of the International Group on Research Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenbalm, K.F.

    1995-01-01

    The International Group on Research Reactors was formed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among those institutions and individuals who are actively working to design, build, and promote new research reactors or to make significant upgrades to existing facilities. Twenty-nine papers were presented in five sessions and written versions of the papers or hard copies of the vugraphs used are published in these proceedings. The five sessions were: (1) Operating Research Reactors and Facility Upgrades; (2) Research Reactors in Design and Construction; (3) ANS Closeout Activities; (4) and (5) Research, Development, and Analysis Results

  14. Supporting self-management by Community Matrons through a group intervention; an action research study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkham, Abigail M; Ersser, Steven J

    2017-07-01

    The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and impact of a group intervention by Community Matrons to support those living with multiple long-terms conditions. Little evidence exists as to how the role of the Community Matron (CM) should be delivered to effectively enhance disease self-management and levels of self-efficacy for the service users. This qualitative participatory action research study explored the use of group work as a method of intervention by CMs. A purposive sample of 29 participants was recruited. Each patient group had 8-10 participants, led by a CM working in both the researcher and practitioner role, operating over 12-month period. Data were collected by participant observation, researcher reflexive account and interviews. Grounded theory method was used to systematically analyse the data. Three main data categories emerged: (i) comparison by patients that leads to re-motivation of the self; (ii) learning, leading to enhanced self-management techniques, through storytelling and understanding of each other's experiences; and (iii) ownership that resulted in the self-awareness, cognisance and insight into the role of the support group they were based in and how it benefited them. The core category of 'Taking back the self - understanding the whole,' conveyed the impact that this care delivery method had upon readjusting the balance of power between health professional and service users and its consequence in refreshing and improving their self-management and the patients' self-efficacy. It was concluded that CM intervention using a model of group learning can lead to more effective and efficient support, through improving self-efficacy and patients' related self-management ability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Composition-Graded MoWSx Hybrids with Tailored Catalytic Activity by Bipolar Electrochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tan, Shu Min; Pumera, Martin

    2017-12-06

    Among transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD)-based composites, TMD/graphene-related material and bichalcogen TMD composites have been widely studied for application toward energy production via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, scarcely any literature explored the possibility of bimetallic TMD hybrids as HER electrocatalysts. The use of harmful chemicals and harsh preparation conditions in conventional syntheses also detracts from the objective of sustainable energy production. Herein, we present the conservational alternative synthesis of MoWS x via one-step bipolar electrochemical deposition. Through bipolar electrochemistry, the simultaneous fabrication of composition-graded MoWS x hybrids, i.e., sulfur-deficient Mo x W (1-x) S 2 and Mo x W (1-x) S 3 (MoWS x /BPE cathodic and MoWS x /BPE anodic , respectively) under cathodic and anodic overpotentials, was achieved. The best-performing MoWS x /BPE cathodic and MoWS x /BPE anodic materials exhibited Tafel slopes of 45.7 and 50.5 mV dec -1 , together with corresponding HER overpotentials of 315 and 278 mV at -10 mA cm -2 . The remarkable HER activities of the composite materials were attributed to their small particle sizes, as well as the near-unity value of their surface Mo/W ratios, which resulted in increased exposed HER-active sites and differing active sites for the concurrent adsorption of protons and desorption of hydrogen gas. The excellent electrocatalytic performances achieved via the novel methodology adopted here encourage the empowerment of electrochemical deposition as the foremost fabrication approach toward functional electrocatalysts for sustainable energy generation.

  16. Diseases and their management strategies take top research priority in watermelon research and development group member’s survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watermelon is an important crop grown for its delicious fruit in the U.S. and in many countries across the world. A survey of members of Watermelon Research and Development Group (WRDG) was conducted via email and during WRDG meetings in 2014 and 2015 in an effort to identify and rank important rese...

  17. Implementation intention and planning interventions in Health Psychology : Recommendations from the Synergy Expert Group for research and practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hagger, M.S.; Luszczynska, A.; de Wit, J.; Benyamini, Y.; Burkert, S.; Chamberland, P.-E.; Chater, A.; Dombrowski, S.U.; van Dongen, A.; French, D.P.; Gauchet, A.; Hankonen, N.; Karekla, M.; Kinney, A.Y.; Kwasnicka, D.; Lo, S.H.; López-Roig, S.; Meslot, C.; Marques, M.M.; Neter, E.; Plass, A.M.; Potthoff, S.; Rennie, L.; Scholz, U.; Stadler, G.; Stolte, E.; ten Hoor, G.; Verhoeven, A.A.C.; Wagner, M.; Oettingen, G.; Sheeran, P.; Gollwitzer, P.M.

    2016-01-01

    The current article details a position statement and recommendations for future research and practice on planning and implementation intentions in health contexts endorsed by the Synergy Expert Group. The group comprised world-leading researchers in health and social psychology and behavioural

  18. Implementation intention and planning interventions in Health Psychology: Recommendations from the Synergy Expert Group for research and practice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hagger, M.S.; Luszczynska, A.; de Wit, J.; Benyamini, Y.; Burkert, S.; Chamberland, P.E.; Chater, A.; Dombrowski, S.U.; van Dongen, A.; French, D.P.; Gauchet, A.; Hankonen, N.; Karekla, M.; Kinney, A.Y.; Kwasnicka, D.; Lo, S.H.; López-Roig, S.; Meslot, C.; Marques, M.M.; Neter, E.; Plass, A.M.; Potthoff, S.; Rennie, L.; Scholz, U; Stadler, G.; Stolte, E.; Ten Hoor, G.; Verhoeven, A.; Wagner, M.; Oettingen, G.; Sheeran, P.; Gollwitzer, P.M.

    2016-01-01

    The current article details a position statement and recommendations for future research and practice on planning and implementation intentions in health contexts endorsed by the Synergy Expert Group. The group comprised world-leading researchers in health and social psychology and behavioural

  19. Summary of presentation for research on social structure, agreement, and conflict in groups in extreme and isolated environments

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-01-01

    Despite a vast amount of research, little is known concerning the effect of group structure, and individuals' understanding of that structure, on conflict in Antarctic groups. The overall objective of the research discussed is to determine the interrelationships of group structure, social cognition, and group function and conflict in isolated and extreme environments. In the two decades following WWII, a large body of research focused on the physiological, psychological, and social psychological factors affecting the functioning of individuals and groups in a variety of extreme and isolated environments in both the Arctic and Antarctic. There are two primary reasons for further research of this type. First, Antarctic polar stations are considered to be natural laboratories for the social and behavioral sciences and provide an opportunity to address certain theoretical and empirical questions concerned with agreement and conflict in social groups in general and group behavior in extreme, isolated environments in particular. Recent advances in the analysis of social networks and intracultural variation have improved the methods and have shifted the theoretical questions. The research is motivated by three classes of questions: (1) What are the characteristics of the social relations among individuals working and living together in extreme and isolated environments?; (2) What do individuals understand about their group, how does that understanding develop, and how is it socially distributed?; and (3) What is the relationship between that understanding and the functioning of the social group? Answers to these questions are important if we are to advance our knowledge of how individuals and groups adapt to extreme environments. Second, although Antarctic winter-over candidates may be evaluated as qualified on the basis of individual characteristics, they may fail to adapt because of certain characteristics of the social group. Consequently, the ability of winter-over-groups

  20. Being scientifical: Popularity, purpose and promotion of amateur research and investigation groups in the U.S

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Sharon A.

    21st century television and the Internet are awash in content regarding amateur paranormal investigators and research groups. These groups proliferated after reality investigation programs appeared on television. Exactly how many groups are active in the U.S. at any time is not known. The Internet provides an ideal means for people with niche interests to find each other and organize activities. This study collected information from 1000 websites of amateur research and investigation groups (ARIGs) to determine their location, area of inquiry, methodology and, particularly, to determine if they state that they use science as part of their mission, methods or goals. 57.3% of the ARIGs examined specifically noted or suggested use of science as part of the groups' approach to investigation and research. Even when not explicit, ARIGs often used science-like language, symbols and methods to describe their groups' views or activities. Yet, non-scientific and subjective methods were described as employed in conjunction with objective methods. Furthermore, what were considered scientific processes by ARIGs did not match with established methods and the ethos of the scientific research community or scientific processes of investigation. ARIGs failed to display fundamental understanding regarding objectivity, methodological naturalism, peer review, critical thought and theoretical plausibility. The processes of science appear to be mimicked to present a serious and credible reputation to the non-scientific public. These processes are also actively promoted in the media and directly to the local public as "scientific". These results highlight the gap between the scientific community and the lay public regarding the understanding of what it means to do science and what criteria are necessary to establish reliable knowledge about the world.

  1. Drug utilization research in primary health care as exemplified by physicians' quality assessment groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Ferber, L; Luciano, A; Köster, I; Krappweis, J

    1992-11-01

    Drugs in primary health care are often prescribed for nonrational reasons. Drug utilization research investigates the prescription of drugs with an eye to medical, social and economic causes and consequences of the prescribed drug's utilization. The results of this research show distinct differences in drug utilization in different age groups and between men and women. Indication and dosage appear irrational from a textbook point of view. This indicates nonpharmacological causes of drug utilization. To advice successfully changes for the better quality assessment groups of primary health care physicians get information about their established behavior by analysis of their prescriptions. The discussion and the comparisons in the group allow them to recognize their irrational prescribing and the social, psychological and economic reasons behind it. Guidelines for treatment are worked out which take into account the primary health care physician's situation. After a year with 6 meetings of the quality assessment groups the education process is evaluated by another drug utilization analysis on the basis of the physicians prescription. The evaluation shows a remarkable improvement of quality and cost effectiveness of the drug therapy of the participating physicians.

  2. "Spurring You on and Rooting for Each Other"--The Potential Value of Group Research Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hebron, Clair L.; Morris, Dinah J.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study explored students' experience of collaborating to undertake a neuromusculoskeletal group research project which was conducted in partial fulfilment of their MSc course. A phenomenological approach was adopted to gain insight into participants' experience of learning and working in a group. Six participants who were all…

  3. IGORR 2: Proceedings of the 2. meeting of the International Group On Research Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1992-07-01

    The International group on Research Reactors was formed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among those institutions and individuals who are actively working to design, build, and promote new research reactors or to make significant upgrades to existing facilities. Sessions during this second meeting were devoted to research reactor reports (GRENOBLE reactor, FRM-II, HIFAR, PIK, reactors at JAERI, MAPLE, ANS, NIST, MURR, TRIGA, BR-2, SIRIUS 2); other neutron sources; and two workshops were dealing with research and development results and needs and reports on progress in needed of R and D areas identified at IGORR 1.

  4. IGORR 2: Proceedings of the 2. meeting of the International Group On Research Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The International group on Research Reactors was formed to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among those institutions and individuals who are actively working to design, build, and promote new research reactors or to make significant upgrades to existing facilities. Sessions during this second meeting were devoted to research reactor reports (GRENOBLE reactor, FRM-II, HIFAR, PIK, reactors at JAERI, MAPLE, ANS, NIST, MURR, TRIGA, BR-2, SIRIUS 2); other neutron sources; and two workshops were dealing with research and development results and needs and reports on progress in needed of R and D areas identified at IGORR 1

  5. IGORR-IV: Proceedings of the fourth meeting of the International Group On Research Reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosenbalm, K.F.

    1995-01-01

    The fourth meeting of the International Group on Research Reactors (IGORR-IV) was attended by was good 55 registered participants from 28 organizations in 13 countries, which compares well with the previous meetings. Twenty-nine papers were presented in five sessions over the two-day meeting. Session subjects were: Operating Research Reactors and Facility Upgrades; Research Reactors in Desin and Construction; Research, Development, and Analysis Results of Thermal Hydraulic Calculations, U 3 Si 2 Fuel Performance and Faibrication; Structural Materials Performance; Neutronics; Severe Accident analysis. Written versions of the papers or hard copies of the viewgraphs used are published in these Proceedings

  6. Teachers' Commitment To, and Experiences of, the Teaching Profession in Tanzania: Findings of Focus Group Research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mkumbo, Kitila A. K.

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study examined teachers' commitment to, and experiences of, the teaching profession in six regions of Tanzania. The study used focus group discussions as research method and data collection tool. Twenty four groups were conducted, with group membership ranging from five to nine participants. The results show that the teachers'…

  7. The OMERACT MRI in Arthritis Working Group - Update on Status and Future Research Priorities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Østergaard, Mikkel; Bird, Paul; Gandjbakhch, Frédérique; Eshed, Iris; Haugen, Ida K; Haavardsholm, Espen A; Lillegraven, Siri; Foltz, Violaine; Glinatsi, Daniel; Peterfy, Charles; Ejbjerg, Bo; Bøyesen, Pernille; Mease, Philip J; Hermann, Kay-Geert; Emery, Paul; Genant, Harry K; Conaghan, Philip G

    2015-12-01

    To provide an update on the status and future research priorities of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in arthritis working group. A summary is provided of the activities of the group within rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and osteoarthritis (OA), and its research priorities. The OMERACT RA MRI score (RAMRIS) evaluating bone erosion, bone edema (osteitis), and synovitis is now the standard method of quantifying articular pathology in RA trials. Cartilage loss is another important part of joint damage, and at the OMERACT 12 conference, we provided longitudinal data demonstrating reliability and sensitivity to change of the RAMRIS JSN component score, supporting its use in future clinical trials. The MRI group has previously developed a PsA MRI score (PsAMRIS). At OMERACT 12, PsAMRIS was evaluated in a randomized placebo-controlled trial of patients with PsA, demonstrating the responsiveness and discriminatory ability of applying the PsAMRIS to hands and feet. A hand OA MRI score (HOAMRIS) was introduced at OMERACT 11, and has subsequently been further validated. At OMERACT 12, good cross-sectional interreader reliability, but variable reliability of change scores, were reported. Potential future research areas were identified at the MRI session at OMERACT 12 including assessment of tenosynovitis in RA and enthesitis in PsA and focusing on alternative MRI techniques. MRI has been further developed and validated as an outcome measure in RA, PsA, and OA. The group will continue its efforts to optimize the value of MRI as a robust biomarker in rheumatology clinical trials.

  8. Report of the Independent Expert Group on the Future of European Public Health Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Olsen, Jørn

    2013-01-01

    Directorate General has set up an independent expert group. Its task was to take stock of the impacts, challenges and limitations of EU-funded public health research under the current and previous research framework programmes, and to identify priorities for future research. The experts, who worked in two...... agendas and national policy agendas? How to improve the uptake of evidence generated from public health research in the development of public health policy? This report summarises the recommendations from Subgroup 2.......The next EU research and innovation framework programme 'Horizon 2020' will address a number of important societal challenges including health, demographic changes and well-being. To prepare the work in these areas, the Health Directorate of the European Commission's Research & Innovation...

  9. Improving the Grade Point Average of Our At-Risk Students: A Collaborative Group Action Research Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saurino, Dan R.; Hinson, Kenneth; Bouma, Amy

    This paper focuses on the use of a group action research approach to help student teachers develop strategies to improve the grade point average of at-risk students. Teaching interventions such as group work and group and individual tutoring were compared to teaching strategies already used in the field. Results indicated an improvement in the…

  10. Conducting Cancer Control and Survivorship Research via Cooperative Groups: A Report from the American Society of Preventive Oncology

    OpenAIRE

    Palesh, Oxana; Demark-Wahnefried, Wendy; Mustian, Karen; Minasian, Lori; Rowland, Julia; Sprod, Lisa; Janelsins, Michelle; Peppone, Luke; Sloan, Jeff; Engquist, Karen Basen; Jones, Lee; Buist, Diana; Paskett, Electra

    2011-01-01

    As the number of cancer survivors expands, the need for cancer control and survivorship research becomes increasingly important. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cooperative Groups may offer a viable platform to perform such research. Observational, preventive, and behavioral research can often be performed within the cooperative group setting, especially if resources needed for evaluation are fairly simple, if protocols are easily implemented within the typical clinical setting, and if in...

  11. International piping integrity research group (IPIRG) program final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, R.; Wilkowski, G.; Scott, P.; Olsen, R.; Marschall, C.; Vieth, P.; Paul, D.

    1992-04-01

    This is the final report of the International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG) Programme. The IPIRG Programme was an international group programme managed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and funded by a consortium of organizations from nine nations: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United states. The objective of the programme was to develop data needed to verify engineering methods for assessing the integrity of nuclear power plant piping that contains circumferential defects. The primary focus was an experimental task that investigated the behaviour of circumferentially flawed piping and piping systems to high-rate loading typical of seismic events. To accomplish these objectives a unique pipe loop test facility was designed and constructed. The pipe system was an expansion loop with over 30 m of 406-mm diameter pipe and five long radius elbows. Five experiments on flawed piping were conducted to failure in this facility with dynamic excitation. The report: provides background information on leak-before-break and flaw evaluation procedures in piping; summarizes the technical results of the programme; gives a relatively detailed assessment of the results from the various pipe fracture experiments and complementary analyses; and, summarizes the advances in the state-of-the-art of pipe fracture technology resulting from the IPIRG Program

  12. International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG) Program. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkowski, G.; Schmidt, R.; Scott, P.

    1997-06-01

    This is the final report of the International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG) Program. The IPIRG Program was an international group program managed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and funded by a consortium of organizations from nine nations: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The program objective was to develop data needed to verify engineering methods for assessing the integrity of circumferentially-cracked nuclear power plant piping. The primary focus was an experimental task that investigated the behavior of circumferentially flawed piping systems subjected to high-rate loadings typical of seismic events. To accomplish these objectives a pipe system fabricated as an expansion loop with over 30 meters of 16-inch diameter pipe and five long radius elbows was constructed. Five dynamic, cyclic, flawed piping experiments were conducted using this facility. This report: (1) provides background information on leak-before-break and flaw evaluation procedures for piping, (2) summarizes technical results of the program, (3) gives a relatively detailed assessment of the results from the pipe fracture experiments and complementary analyses, and (4) summarizes advances in the state-of-the-art of pipe fracture technology resulting from the IPIRG program

  13. International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG) Program. Final report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilkowski, G.; Schmidt, R.; Scott, P. [and others

    1997-06-01

    This is the final report of the International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG) Program. The IPIRG Program was an international group program managed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and funded by a consortium of organizations from nine nations: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The program objective was to develop data needed to verify engineering methods for assessing the integrity of circumferentially-cracked nuclear power plant piping. The primary focus was an experimental task that investigated the behavior of circumferentially flawed piping systems subjected to high-rate loadings typical of seismic events. To accomplish these objectives a pipe system fabricated as an expansion loop with over 30 meters of 16-inch diameter pipe and five long radius elbows was constructed. Five dynamic, cyclic, flawed piping experiments were conducted using this facility. This report: (1) provides background information on leak-before-break and flaw evaluation procedures for piping, (2) summarizes technical results of the program, (3) gives a relatively detailed assessment of the results from the pipe fracture experiments and complementary analyses, and (4) summarizes advances in the state-of-the-art of pipe fracture technology resulting from the IPIRG program.

  14. The use of Facebook for virtual asynchronous focus groups in qualitative research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biedermann, Narelle

    2018-02-01

    The Internet and the development of more user-engaging applications have opened a whole new world for researchers as a means of recruitment and data collection source. This paper describes the methodological approach of a research study that explored the experiences of Australian military spouses who packed up their family and home to accompany their spouse on an overseas posting. The study used Facebook as a recruitment tool and then as a data source through the conduct of an asynchronous virtual focus group. This paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of this unique data source as a means of capturing the voices of a hard-to-reach population.

  15. Facilitating practitioner research into strategies for improving communication in classroom groups: Action research and interaction analysis — A reconciliation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadler, Jo; Fawns, Rod

    1993-12-01

    This study involved collaborative classroom-based observation of student communication and cognition in small groups after the implementation of two management strategies in science departments in several schools. The paper presents the data and provides insights into the conduct of research and teacher development in the midst of educational change.

  16. A study of the bibliometry and areas of the research groups of Archivos de Bronconeumología (2003-2007).

    Science.gov (United States)

    González-Alcaide, Gregorio; Aleixandre-Benavent, Rafael; de Granda-Orive, José Ignacio

    2010-02-01

    Scientific cooperation is essential for the advance of biomedical research. Scientists set up informal groups to work together on common issues, who are the main units in the research funding system. Bibliometric and Social Network Analysis methods allow informal groups in scientific papers to be identified and characterised. The objective of the study is to identify research groups in Archivos de Bronconeumología between 2003 and 2007 period with the aim of characterizing their scientific collaboration patterns and research areas. Co-authorships, institutional collaboration relationships and the main research areas of papers published in Archivos de Bronconeumología have been identified. Co-authorship networks and institutional collaboration networks have been constructed by using Pajek software tool. A total of 41 research groups involving 171 investigators have been identified. The Collaboration Index for articles was 5.59 and the Transcience Index was 73.11%. There was institutional collaboration in 60.33% of papers. The collaboration between institutions of the same region prevails (41.03%), followed by collaborations between departments, services or units of the same institution (39.74%), inter-regional collaboration (14,97%) and international collaboration (6.83%). A total of 83.03% of articles were cited. The main research areas covered by groups were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, lung neoplasm, bronchogenic carcinoma, smoking and pulmonary embolism. The scientific production of a large number of Respiratory System Spanish research groups is published in Archivos de Bronconeumología. A notable collaboration and citation rate has been observed. Nevertheless, it is still essential to encourage inter-regional and international collaboration. Copyright 2009 SEPAR. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  17. Reaching the hard-to-reach: a systematic review of strategies for improving health and medical research with socially disadvantaged groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Background This study aims to review the literature regarding the barriers to sampling, recruitment, participation, and retention of members of socioeconomically disadvantaged groups in health research and strategies for increasing the amount of health research conducted with socially disadvantaged groups. Methods A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted. Searches of electronic databases Medline, PsychInfo, EMBASE, Social Science Index via Web of Knowledge and CINHAL were conducted for English language articles published up to May 2013. Qualitative and quantitative studies as well as literature reviews were included. Articles were included if they reported attempts to increase disadvantaged group participation in research, or the barriers to research with disadvantaged groups. Groups of interest were those described as socially, culturally or financially disadvantaged compared to the majority of society. Eligible articles were categorised according to five phases of research: 1) sampling, 2) recruitment and gaining consent, 3) data collection and measurement, 4) intervention delivery and uptake, and 5) retention and attrition. Results In total, 116 papers from 115 studies met inclusion criteria and 31 previous literature reviews were included. A comprehensive summation of the major barriers to working with various disadvantaged groups is provided, along with proposed strategies for addressing each of the identified types of barriers. Most studies of strategies to address the barriers were of a descriptive nature and only nine studies reported the results of randomised trials. Conclusions To tackle the challenges of research with socially disadvantaged groups, and increase their representation in health and medical research, researchers and research institutions need to acknowledge extended timeframes, plan for higher resourcing costs and operate via community partnerships. PMID:24669751

  18. IGORR-IV: Proceedings of the fourth meeting of the International Group On Research Reactors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rosenbalm, K F [comp.

    1995-07-01

    The fourth meeting of the International Group on Research Reactors (IGORR-IV) was attended by was good 55 registered participants from 28 organizations in 13 countries, which compares well with the previous meetings. Twenty-nine papers were presented in five sessions over the two-day meeting. Session subjects were: Operating Research Reactors and Facility Upgrades; Research Reactors in Desin and Construction; Research, Development, and Analysis Results of Thermal Hydraulic Calculations, U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} Fuel Performance and Faibrication; Structural Materials Performance; Neutronics; Severe Accident analysis. Written versions of the papers or hard copies of the viewgraphs used are published in these Proceedings.

  19. Return of individual research results and incidental findings in the clinical trials cooperative group setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferriere, Michael; Van Ness, Brian

    2012-04-01

    The National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded cooperative group cancer clinical trial system develops experimental therapies and often collects samples from patients for correlative research. The cooperative group bank (CGB) system maintains biobanks with a current policy not to return research results to individuals. An online survey was created, and 10 directors of CGBs completed the surveys asking about understanding and attitudes in changing policies to consider return of incidental findings (IFs) and individual research results (IRRs) of health significance. The potential impact of the 10 consensus recommendations of Wolf et al. presented in this issue are examined. Reidentification of samples is often not problematic; however, changes to the current banking and clinical trial systems would require significant effort to fulfill an obligation of recontact of subjects. Additional resources, as well as a national advisory board would be required to standardize implementation.

  20. The energy market research of 1991. Method of segmenting households into ''life style groups''

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ljones, A.; Doorman, G.

    1992-09-01

    The report discusses a method of classifying households into life style groups based on the individuals' needs, wishes and attitudes. Seven such groups have been defined based on nation-wide research among 1022 households in 1991. These groups are described with respect to a number of factors of attitude, housing conditions, socio-economic characteristics, use of media etc. This way of segmenting the households may give the power companies a better understanding of what kind of ''products'' and services their customers would like to have and how to market them efficiently. 5 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs

  1. Secure Group Communications for Large Dynamic Multicast Group

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    Liu Jing; Zhou Mingtian

    2003-01-01

    As the major problem in multicast security, the group key management has been the focus of research But few results are satisfactory. In this paper, the problems of group key management and access control for large dynamic multicast group have been researched and a solution based on SubGroup Secure Controllers (SGSCs) is presented, which solves many problems in IOLUS system and WGL scheme.

  2. The effect of banana (Musa acuminata) peels hot-water extract on the immunity and resistance of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii via dietary administration for a long term: Activity and gene transcription.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rattanavichai, Wutti; Chen, Ying-Nan; Chang, Chin-Chyuan; Cheng, Winton

    2015-10-01

    The non-specific immune parameters, disease resistance and immune genes expressions in Macrobrachium rosenbergii were evaluated at 120 days of post feeding the diets containing the extracts of banana, Musa acuminate, fruit's peel (banana peels extract, BPE) at 0, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 g kg(-1). Results showed that prawns fed with a diet containing BPE at the level of 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 g kg(-1) for 120 days had a significantly higher survival rate (30.0%, 40.0% and 56.7%, respectively) than those fed with the control diet after challenge with Lactococcus garvieae for 144 h, and the respective relative survival percentages were 22.2%, 33.3%, and 51.9%, respectively. Dietary BPE supplementation at 3.0 and/or 6.0 g kg(-1) for 120 days showed a significant increase total haemocyte count (THC), granular cell (GC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, phenoloxidase (PO) activity, transglutaminase (TG) activity, and phagocytic activity and clearance efficiency to L. garvieae infection, and meanwhile, the significant decrease in haemolymph clotting times and respiratory bursts (RBs) per haemocyte of prawns were revealed. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of prophenoloxidase (proPO), lipopolysaccharide and β-1,3-glucan binding protein (LGBP), peroxinectin (PE), transglutaminase (TG), and crustin (CT) were significantly increased. We therefore recommend that BPE can be used as an immunomodulator for prawns through dietary administration at 6.0 g kg(-1) for a long term (over 120 days) to modify immune responses and genes expression following the enhanced resistance against pathogens. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Learning of N-layers neural network

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimír Konečný

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available In the last decade we can observe increasing number of applications based on the Artificial Intelligence that are designed to solve problems from different areas of human activity. The reason why there is so much interest in these technologies is that the classical way of solutions does not exist or these technologies are not suitable because of their robustness. They are often used in applications like Business Intelligence that enable to obtain useful information for high-quality decision-making and to increase competitive advantage.One of the most widespread tools for the Artificial Intelligence are the artificial neural networks. Their high advantage is relative simplicity and the possibility of self-learning based on set of pattern situations.For the learning phase is the most commonly used algorithm back-propagation error (BPE. The base of BPE is the method minima of error function representing the sum of squared errors on outputs of neural net, for all patterns of the learning set. However, while performing BPE and in the first usage, we can find out that it is necessary to complete the handling of the learning factor by suitable method. The stability of the learning process and the rate of convergence depend on the selected method. In the article there are derived two functions: one function for the learning process management by the relative great error function value and the second function when the value of error function approximates to global minimum.The aim of the article is to introduce the BPE algorithm in compact matrix form for multilayer neural networks, the derivation of the learning factor handling method and the presentation of the results.

  4. College Students' Interpretation of Research Reports on Group Differences: The Tall-Tale Effect

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogan, Thomas P.; Zaboski, Brian A.; Perry, Tiffany R.

    2015-01-01

    How does the student untrained in advanced statistics interpret results of research that reports a group difference? In two studies, statistically untrained college students were presented with abstracts or professional associations' reports and asked for estimates of scores obtained by the original participants in the studies. These estimates…

  5. Engaging families in physical activity research: a family-based focus group study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Helen Elizabeth; Schiff, Annie; van Sluijs, Esther M F

    2015-11-25

    Family-based interventions present a much-needed opportunity to increase children's physical activity levels. However, little is known about how best to engage parents and their children in physical activity research. This study aimed to engage with the whole family to understand how best to recruit for, and retain participation in, physical activity research. Families (including a 'target' child aged between 8 and 11 years, their parents, siblings, and others) were recruited through schools and community groups. Focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured approach (informed by a pilot session). Families were asked to order cards listing the possible benefits of, and the barriers to, being involved in physical activity research and other health promotion activities, highlighting the items they consider most relevant, and suggesting additional items. Duplicate content analysis was used to identify transcript themes and develop a coding frame. Eighty-two participants from 17 families participated, including 17 'target' children (mean age 9.3 ± 1.1 years, 61.1% female), 32 other children and 33 adults (including parents, grandparents, and older siblings). Social, health and educational benefits were cited as being key incentives for involvement in physical activity research, with emphasis on children experiencing new things, developing character, and increasing social contact (particularly for shy children). Children's enjoyment was also given priority. The provision of child care or financial reward was not considered sufficiently appealing. Increased time commitment or scheduling difficulties were quoted as the most pertinent barriers to involvement (especially for families with several children), but parents commented these could be overcome if the potential value for children was clear. Lessons learned from this work may contribute to the development of effective recruitment and retention strategies for children and their families. Making the wide

  6. Phenolic Extracts from Clerodendrum volubile Leaves Inhibit Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Enzymes Relevant to the Management of Some Neurodegenerative Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oboh, Ganiyu; Ogunruku, Omodesola O; Oyeleye, Sunday I; Olasehinde, Tosin A; Ademosun, Ayokunle O; Boligon, Aline Augusti

    2017-05-04

    This study investigated the inhibitory effects of phenolic-rich extracts from Clerodendrum volubile leaves on cholinergic [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)] and monoaminergic [monoamine oxidase (MAO)] enzymes' activities and pro-oxidants [Fe 2+ and quinolinic acid-(QA)] induced lipid peroxidation in rats brain homogenates in vitro. Free phenolic extracts (FPE) and bound phenolic extracts (BPE) were obtained via solvent extraction, and the total phenol and flavonoid contents were evaluated. The phenolic constituents of the extracts were also determined using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Our findings revealed that FPE had higher AChE (2.06 μg/mL), BChE (2.79 μg/mL), and MAO (2.81 μg/mL) inhibitory effects than BPE [AChE, 2.80 μg/mL; BChE, 3.40 μg/mL; MAO, 3.39 μg/mL]. Furthermore, FPE also had significantly (P rich extracts from C. volubile could be part of the mechanism of actions behind its use for memory/cognitive function as obtained in folklore. However, FPE exhibited significantly higher enzymes, inhibitory and antioxidant potentials than BPE.

  7. First epidemiological study of contact dermatitis in Spain - 1977. Spanish Contact Dermatitis Research Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camarasa, J M

    1979-01-01

    The present work is the first epidemiological study carried out by the Spanish Contact Dermatitis Research Group during 1977. During this year 2806 patients were studied with patch test among 30873 dermatological patients. The 60-62% of the totality had reactivity to one or more patches. Four major groups of allergens were able to consider, following the incidence in their power of sensitize. First group with strong incidence include: Nickel, Chromate, Cobalt, T.M.T.D.,P.P.D.A., Mercapto mix., and Wood tars. Second and third groups with medium incidence contain: Caines, Carbonates, Neomycin, Balsam of Peru, Mercury, Lanolin, Naphtyl mix., Formaldehyde, Benzalkonium chloride, P. P. D. A. mix, and Turpentine. Four group show very low incidence substances, as: Epoxi, Sulfonamides, Etilendiamine, Parabens, Chinoform, Colophony and Cinnamon oil. Few comments about age and occupations are included.

  8. Abstracts of the 15. annual workshop of the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) : peatland event 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-01-01

    The Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) deals with the integrated sustainable management of Canadian peatlands, with projects involving the development of ecological restoration of peatland ecosystems after peat mining; reclamation of abandoned peatlands; hydrology, geochemistry, microbiology of natural, harvested and restored peatlands; peatland conservation strategies; and Sphagnum moss ecology and productivity. The Group has established a method for the re-establishing vegetation on mined peatlands. Research by PERG has initiated the development of global peatland conservation strategies. This workshop featured 35 presentations, of which 9 have been catalogued separately for inclusion in this database

  9. The State of Group Support System Research through a Survey of Papers 1980 to 1991

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-09-01

    and Beauclair (1990) develop the second point even further by introducing a scheme for codifying the "distance" between experiments based on their...repeatability. That is the apparent strength of the taxonomy proposed by Gray, Vogel and Beauclair (1990) in their Assessing GDSS Empirical Research... BEAUCLAIR RESEARCH MODEL (reproduced from Gray, et al., 1990) METAVARIABLES VARIABLES INDICATORS PERSONAL FACTORS (group member attitudes

  10. Classroom management of situated group learning: A research study of two teaching strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smeh, Kathy; Fawns, Rod

    2000-06-01

    Although peer-based work is encouraged by theories in developmental psychology and although classroom interventions suggest it is effective, there are grounds for recognising that young pupils find collaborative learning hard to sustain. Discontinuities in collaborative skill during development have been suggested as one interpretation. Theory and research have neglected situational continuities that the teacher may provide in management of formal and informal collaborations. This experimental study, with the collaboration of the science faculty in one urban secondary college, investigated the effect of two role attribution strategies on communication in peer groups of different gender composition in three parallel Year 8 science classes. The group were set a problem that required them to design an experiment to compare the thermal insulating properties of two different materials. This presents the data collected and key findings, and reviews the findings from previous parallel studies that have employed the same research design in different school settings. The results confirm the effectiveness of social role attribution strategies in teacher management of communication in peer-based work.

  11. Summary of the 2016 Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boule, Lisbeth A; Ju, Cynthia; Agudelo, Marisela; Parira, Tiyash; Cannon, Abigail; Davis, Booker; Eby, Jonathan; Cresci, Gail; Samuelson, Derrick R; Shukla, Pradeep; Alrefai, Waddah A; Sureshchandra, Suhas; Pandey, Subhash C; Schnabl, Bernd; Curtis, Brenda J; Wyatt, Todd A; Choudhry, Mashkoor A; Kovacs, Elizabeth J

    2018-02-01

    On November 18, 2016 the 21st annual Alcohol and Immunology Research Interest Group (AIRIG) meeting was held at the Center for Translational Research and Education at Loyola University Chicago's Health Sciences Campus in Maywood, IL. The 2016 meeting focused broadly on alcohol and inflammation, epigenetics, and the microbiome. The four plenary sessions of the meeting were Alcohol, Inflammation, and Immunity; Alcohol and Epigenetics; Alcohol, Transcriptional Regulation, and Epigenetics; and Alcohol, Intestinal Mucosa, and the Gut Microbiome. Presentations in all sessions of the meeting explored putative underlying causes for chronic diseases and mortality associated with alcohol consumption, shedding light on future work and potential therapeutic targets to alleviate the negative effects of alcohol misuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Patient Engagement Practices in Clinical Research among Patient Groups, Industry, and Academia in the United States: A Survey.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sophia K Smith

    Full Text Available Patient-centered clinical trial design and execution is becoming increasingly important. No best practice guidelines exist despite a key stakeholder declaration to create more effective engagement models. This study aims to gain a better understanding of attitudes and practices for engaging patient groups so that actionable recommendations may be developed.Individuals from industry, academic institutions, and patient groups were identified through Clinical Trials Transformation Initiative and Drug Information Association rosters and mailing lists. Objectives, practices, and perceived barriers related to engaging patient groups in the planning, conduct, and interpretation of clinical trials were reported in an online survey. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of survey data followed a literature review to inform survey questions.Survey respondents (n = 179 valued the importance of involving patient groups in research; however, patient group respondents valued their contributions to research protocol development, funding acquisition, and interpretation of study results more highly than those contributions were valued by industry and academic respondents (all p < .001. Patient group respondents placed higher value in open communications, clear expectations, and detailed contract execution than did non-patient group respondents (all p < .05. Industry and academic respondents more often cited internal bureaucratic processes and reluctance to share information as engagement barriers than did patient group respondents (all p < .01. Patient groups reported that a lack of transparency and understanding of the benefits of collaboration on the part of industry and academia were greater barriers than did non-patient group respondents (all p< .01.Despite reported similarities among approaches to engagement by the three stakeholder groups, key differences exist in perceived barriers and benefits to partnering with patient groups among the

  13. Using Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis to Evaluate Cross-Cultural Research: Identifying and Understanding Non-Invariance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Gavin T. L.; Harris, Lois R.; O'Quin, Chrissie; Lane, Kenneth E.

    2017-01-01

    Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA) allows researchers to determine whether a research inventory elicits similar response patterns across samples. If statistical equivalence in responding is found, then scale score comparisons become possible and samples can be said to be from the same population. This paper illustrates the use of…

  14. Green Approach To Synthesize Crystalline Nanoscale ZnII-Coordination Polymers: Cell Growth Inhibition and Immunofluorescence Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukherjee, Somali; Ganguly, Sumi; Manna, Krishnendu; Mondal, Sanchaita; Mahapatra, Supratim; Das, Debasis

    2018-04-02

    Five new coordination polymers (CPs) namely, [{Zn(μ 2 -H 2 O) 0.5 (5N 3 -IPA)(2,2'-bpe)}] ∞ (1), [{Zn(μ 2 -H 2 O) 0.5 (5N 3 -IPA)(1,10-phen)}] ∞ (2), [{Zn(5N 3 -IPA)(1,2-bpe)}] ∞ (3), [{Zn(5N 3 -IPA)(1,2-bpey)}] ∞ (4), and [{Zn(H 2 O)(5N 3 -IPA)(4,4'-tme)}(H 2 O) 0.5 ] ∞ (5) (5N 3 -H 2 IPA = 5-azidoisophthalic acid, 2,2'-bpe= 2,2'-bipyridine, 1,10-phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, 1,2-bpe = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, 1,2-bpey = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene, 4,4'-tme = 4,4'-trimethylenedipyridine), have been synthesized based on a mixed ligand approach adopting a solvothermal technique. Depending upon the intrinsic structural flexibility of the bis-pyridyl coligands, interesting structural topologies have also been observed in the resulting CPs: Sra SrAl2 type topology for 3 and a 3-fold interpenetrated dmp topology for 4. A green hand grinding technique has been implemented to reduce the particle size of the CPs to generate nanoscale CPs (NCPs). SEM studies of NCPs reveal the formation of square and spherical particles for NCP 1 and 2, respectively, and nano rod for NCP 3, 4, and 5. Remarkably, when scaled down to nano range all the NCPs retain their crystalline nature. The cytotoxic activity of the NCPs (1-5) has been studied using human colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT 116). Significant cell death is observed for NCP 2, which is further corroborated by cell growth inhibition study. The observed cell death is likely to be due to mitochondrial-assisted apoptosis as is evident from immunofluorescence study.

  15. Light-induced energetic decoupling as a mechanism for phycobilisome-related energy dissipation in red algae: a single molecule study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lu-Ning Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Photosynthetic organisms have developed multiple protective mechanisms to prevent photodamage in vivo under high-light conditions. Cyanobacteria and red algae use phycobilisomes (PBsomes as their major light-harvesting antennae complexes. The orange carotenoid protein in some cyanobacteria has been demonstrated to play roles in the photoprotective mechanism. The PBsome-itself-related energy dissipation mechanism is still unclear. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, single-molecule spectroscopy is applied for the first time on the PBsomes of red alga Porphyridium cruentum, to detect the fluorescence emissions of phycoerythrins (PE and PBsome core complex simultaneously, and the real-time detection could greatly characterize the fluorescence dynamics of individual PBsomes in response to intense light. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data revealed that strong green-light can induce the fluorescence decrease of PBsome, as well as the fluorescence increase of PE at the first stage of photobleaching. It strongly indicated an energetic decoupling occurring between PE and its neighbor. The fluorescence of PE was subsequently observed to be decreased, showing that PE was photobleached when energy transfer in the PBsomes was disrupted. In contrast, the energetic decoupling was not observed in either the PBsomes fixed with glutaraldehyde, or the mutant PBsomes lacking B-PE and remaining b-PE. It was concluded that the energetic decoupling of the PBsomes occurs at the specific association between B-PE and b-PE within the PBsome rod. Assuming that the same process occurs also at the much lower physiological light intensities, such a decoupling process is proposed to be a strategy corresponding to PBsomes to prevent photodamage of the photosynthetic reaction centers. Finally, a novel photoprotective role of gamma-subunit-containing PE in red algae was discussed.

  16. A Study for Appropriateness of National Nuclear Policy by using Economic Analysis Methodology after Fukushima accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shim, Jong Myoung; Roh, Myung Sub

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to clarify the appropriateness of national nuclear policy in BPE of Korea from an economic perspective. To do this, this paper only focus on the economic analysis methodology without any considering other conditions such as political, cultural, or historical things. In a number of countries, especially Korea, nuclear energy policy is keeping the status quo after Fukushima accident. However the nation's nuclear policy may vary depending on the choice of people. Thus, to make the right decisions, it is important to deliver accurate information and knowledge about nuclear energy to the people. As proven in this paper, the levelized cost of nuclear power is the most inexpensive among the base load units. As the reliance on nuclear power is getting stronger through the economic logic, the nuclear safety and environmental elements will be strengthened. Based on this, national nuclear policy should be promoted. In the aftermath of the Fukushima accident recognized as the world's worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl, there are some changes in the nuclear energy policy of various countries. Germany, for example, called a halt to operate Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) which accounts for about 7.5% of the national power generation capacity of 6.3GW. In developing countries such as China and India they conducted the safety check of the nuclear power plants again before preceding their nuclear business. Korea government announced 'The 6th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand (BPE)', considering the safety and general public acceptance of the nuclear power plants. According to BPE, they postponed a plan for additional NPP construction, except for constructions that had been already reflected in the 5th BPE. All told, the responses for nuclear energy policy of countries are different depending on their own circumstances

  17. Hábitos alimentarios del venado cola blanca Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae en el Parque Natural Sierra Nanchititla, Estado de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulises Aguilera-Reyes

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available El venado cola blanca es una especie con una gran plasticidad conductual y de adaptación en diferentes hábitat. En el Parque Sierra Nanchititla en el Estado de México se realizó un estudio para determinar los hábitos alimentarios en el bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM y bosque de pino-encino (BPE. De junio 1990 a mayo 1992 se recolectaron 104 muestras de excremento de venado en las dos zonas de estudio. Aplicamos el índice de Morisita y la correlación de Spearman para determinar la preferencia alimentaria. Se utilizó el análisis histológico de heces fecales para herbívoros las cuales se compararon con muestras de tejidos vegetales de plantas de la zona de estudio. Los resultados muestran que consume el 79.44% de especies vegetales del BMM y 20.56% del BPE. Existe cierta tendencia en la selectividad de 12 de las 14 especies de plantas localizadas en el BMM, mientras que para el BPE no se aprecia tal tendencia. Las especies clave que for- man parte de la alimentación elemental del venado fueron: Acalypha setosa, Smilax pringlei, Psidium sartorianum y Dendropanax arborea. El consumo de plantas no varió sig- nificativamente entre la época seca y lluviosa en función de la forma biológica (X2=12, p=0.21. Sin embargo, durante la época seca existe cierta tendencia a consumir árboles y a finales de la época de lluvia a consumir hierbas (Z=1.61, p=0.95. Los datos indican que el venado puede ser selecti- vo con plantas del BMM, mientras que para el BPE tiende a ser oportunista.

  18. A Study for Appropriateness of National Nuclear Policy by using Economic Analysis Methodology after Fukushima accident

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shim, Jong Myoung; Roh, Myung Sub [KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School, Ulsan (Korea, Republic of)

    2013-10-15

    The aim of this paper is to clarify the appropriateness of national nuclear policy in BPE of Korea from an economic perspective. To do this, this paper only focus on the economic analysis methodology without any considering other conditions such as political, cultural, or historical things. In a number of countries, especially Korea, nuclear energy policy is keeping the status quo after Fukushima accident. However the nation's nuclear policy may vary depending on the choice of people. Thus, to make the right decisions, it is important to deliver accurate information and knowledge about nuclear energy to the people. As proven in this paper, the levelized cost of nuclear power is the most inexpensive among the base load units. As the reliance on nuclear power is getting stronger through the economic logic, the nuclear safety and environmental elements will be strengthened. Based on this, national nuclear policy should be promoted. In the aftermath of the Fukushima accident recognized as the world's worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl, there are some changes in the nuclear energy policy of various countries. Germany, for example, called a halt to operate Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) which accounts for about 7.5% of the national power generation capacity of 6.3GW. In developing countries such as China and India they conducted the safety check of the nuclear power plants again before preceding their nuclear business. Korea government announced 'The 6th Basic Plan for Long-term Electricity Supply and Demand (BPE)', considering the safety and general public acceptance of the nuclear power plants. According to BPE, they postponed a plan for additional NPP construction, except for constructions that had been already reflected in the 5th BPE. All told, the responses for nuclear energy policy of countries are different depending on their own circumstances.

  19. Growing researchers from the historically disadvantaged groups ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This article provides an overview of the nature and quality of research supervision and mentorship practices employed by supervisors and mentors of interns in a South African research council in an attempt to increase the pool and change the face of researchers in the country. Through a series of studies conducted by the ...

  20. Outlining and dictating scientific manuscripts is a useful method for health researchers: A focus group interview.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andresen, Kristoffer; Laursen, Jannie; Rosenberg, Jacob

    2018-01-01

    Young researchers may experience difficulties when writing scientific articles for publication in biomedical journals. Various methods may facilitate the writing process including outlining the paper before the actual writing and using dictation instead of writing the first draft. The aim of this study was to investigate the experiences and difficulties for young, experienced researchers when writing articles using a detailed outline and dictation of the first draft. We used qualitative focus group interviews and the study was reported according to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research guideline. Participants were sampled from a group of researchers participating in a writing retreat/course. The interviews were recorded on a digital recorder and transcribed. The text was analyzed according to content analysis and coded and condensed into themes and subthemes. Groups of participants were added until data saturation was reached. A total of 14 researchers participated (9 women and 5 men). Their clinical experience was median (range) of 6 (1-11) years since graduation from medical school. Two themes arose during the analyses of the data: "Process guidance with the outline as the map" and "arrival at dictation." The outline was used in the preparation phase leading up to the day of dictation and was used in collaboration with co-authors and supervisors. The participants found it to be a useful tool for preparing the manuscript and dictating their initial first full draft. Experienced young researchers found beneficial effects of using a structured outline to prepare for dictation of scientific articles. The outline was a tool that would develop in close collaboration with co-authors and mentors. With dictation, a full first draft of a manuscript can be produced in a few hours. Participants positively evaluated this structured and reproducible way of producing scientific articles.

  1. An action research project aimed at raising social consciousness amongst women attending transactional analysis group psychotherapy in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jane Maria Pancinha Costa

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Based on awareness of material by Gramsci (1978, 1982 on hegemony, Freire (1979a, 1979b on cooperative contact, and Steiner (1975 on radical psychiatry, action research methodology was used by the researcher, who was also a psychotherapist, with 12 women attending two ongoing weekly psychotherapy groups in Brazil in order to raise their social consciousness of culturally-based oppression of women, particularly relating to work; to apply life script analysis as a therapeutic intervention within the groups; and to facilitate recognition by the women of the benefits of cooperative contact when seeking to liberate themselves from oppression.  Individual structured interviews were conducted and the data from these was discussed within the groups, leading to the development of a model containing 6 levels of consciousness of oppression.  Examples of oppression identified by the women are provided, with only 17% relating directly to sexual discrim-ination at work.  Although the research was conducted many years ago (1987-1989, it is shown that problems still exist and the research method-ology could usefully be applied elsewhere.

  2. Experience Exchange Group (EEG) Approach as a Means for Research to be rooted in Industry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun, Peter

    1997-01-01

    of preliminary studies found interesting to set up an EEG composed of representatives from industry and a researcher. In the paper some general research methods pertinent to the area industrial management are discussed. The EEG concept is introduced and characterised in comparison with the other methods. EEG...... activities are described and a tentative coupling to the phases in a research process is proposed. Following this is a discussion of methodological and quality requirements. It is considered how EEG activities could possibly contribute to an industrial rooted research. The paper ends up looking at future......The intention of this paper is to clarify if and how an Experience Exchange Group(EEG) can be involved in a research process in the area of industrial management. For exemplification of the topic an ongoing research in global manufacturing is referred to. In this research it was after a series...

  3. Ecofriendly Synthesis of nano Zero Valent Iron from Banana Peel Extract

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sunardi; Ashadi; Budi Rahardjo, Sentot; Inayati

    2017-01-01

    In this study, nano Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) were synthesized from banana peel extract (BPE) and ferrous sulfate. During the synthesis of nZVI both the precursor and the reducing agent were mixed in a clean sterilized flask in 1:1 proportion. For the reduction of Fe ions, 5 ml of filtered BPE was mixed to 5 ml of freshly prepared 0.001 M - 0.005 M aqueous of FeSO4 solution with constant stirring at room temperature. Within a particular time change in colour from brown to black color obtained by nanoparticles synthesis. A systematic characterization of nZVI was performed using UV-Vis. UV-visible absorption is used to investigate SPR. Characteristic surface plasmon absorption band was observed at 210 nm for the black colored nZVI synthesized from 0.001-0.005 M ferrous sulfate with BPE concentration 5 ml. It has been found that the optimum concentration for the synthesis of nZVI is 0.001M Fe2+ ions. There is small decrease in the intensity of SPR band from 0.001 to 0.005 M. The characterization size of nZVI was performed using TEM. The result shows that formation of particles size of nZVI was more 100 nm.

  4. Ecofriendly Synthesis of nano Zero Valent Iron from Banana Peel Extract

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sunardi; Ashadi; Rahardjo, Sentot Budi; Inayati

    2017-01-01

    In this study, nano Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) were synthesized from banana peel extract (BPE) and ferrous sulfate. During the synthesis of nZVI both the precursor and the reducing agent were mixed in a clean sterilized flask in 1:1 proportion. For the reduction of Fe ions, 5 ml of filtered BPE was mixed to 5 ml of freshly prepared 0.001 M – 0.005 M aqueous of FeSO 4 solution with constant stirring at room temperature. Within a particular time change in colour from brown to black color obtained by nanoparticles synthesis. A systematic characterization of nZVI was performed using UV-Vis. UV–visible absorption is used to investigate SPR. Characteristic surface plasmon absorption band was observed at 210 nm for the black colored nZVI synthesized from 0.001–0.005 M ferrous sulfate with BPE concentration 5 ml. It has been found that the optimum concentration for the synthesis of nZVI is 0.001M Fe 2+ ions. There is small decrease in the intensity of SPR band from 0.001 to 0.005 M. The characterization size of nZVI was performed using TEM. The result shows that formation of particles size of nZVI was more 100 nm. (paper)

  5. Collaborative translational research leading to multicenter clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group (CINRG).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Escolar, Diana M; Henricson, Erik K; Pasquali, Livia; Gorni, Ksenija; Hoffman, Eric P

    2002-10-01

    Progress in the development of rationally based therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has been accelerated by encouraging multidisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration between basic science and clinical investigators in the Cooperative International Research Group. We combined existing research efforts in pathophysiology by a gene expression profiling laboratory with the efforts of animal facilities capable of conducting high-throughput drug screening and toxicity testing to identify safe and effective drug compounds that target different parts of the pathophysiologic cascade in a genome-wide drug discovery approach. Simultaneously, we developed a clinical trial coordinating center and an international network of collaborating physicians and clinics where those drugs could be tested in large-scale clinical trials. We hope that by bringing together investigators at these facilities and providing the infrastructure to support their research, we can rapidly move new bench discoveries through animal model screening and into therapeutic testing in humans in a safe, timely and cost-effective setting.

  6. Efficacy and safety of drug with plant extract of saw palmetto in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms because of benign prostatic enlargement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bojan Tršinar

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Benign prostatic enlargement (BPE is the most frequent cause of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS in men. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Prostasan, the plant extract of saw palmetto in men with LUTS/BPE.Methods: The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Republic of Slovenia. In a prospective, open clinical study, men between 45 and 80 years of age with at least moderate LUTS/BPE, normal serum PSA, in a good physical condition were included after having given their written informed consent . At the beginning of this study, the digito-rectal examination of the prostate was performed together with the evaluation of IPSS and quality of life, total PSA in serum, uroflow and transabdominal US measurement of prostate volume. They were also asked about their erectile dysfunction and libido. All patients received Prostasan 320 mg per day for 12 months. The same parameters as at the beginning of the study were assessed after 6 and 12 months. The subjective assessments of the efficacy and safety of the drug were also recorded byinvestigators and by patients. The side effects of the treatment were recorded at both follow-ups. For statistical analyses, t-test and chi-square tests were used.Results: 72 men out of 76 (94.7 % with LUTS/BPE completed the trial. They were 62.7 ± 8.54 years old. IPSS score and quality of life were reduced from 14.46 ± 5.36  to  11.08 ± 3.92 (p = 0.0000  and  from  2.72 ± 0,96  to  2.25 ± 1.05 (p = 0.0001 respectively after 12 months of treatment. The uroflow increased from 13.94 ± 5.00 to 15.34 ± 4.07 ml/s (p = 0.0005. Total PSA did not change significantly. After 12 months, prostate volume decreased by 3 % (p = 0.0392. Prostasan had no important influence on erectile function or libido. The majority of patients and doctors rated the efficacy of drug as good (69.7 % and 72.4 % and safe (86.8 % and 88.2 %, respectively. Seven patients (9.2 % reported

  7. Focus group discussions

    CERN Document Server

    Hennink, Monique M

    2014-01-01

    The Understanding Research series focuses on the process of writing up social research. The series is broken down into three categories: Understanding Statistics, Understanding Measurement, and Understanding Qualitative Research. The books provide researchers with guides to understanding, writing, and evaluating social research. Each volume demonstrates how research should be represented, including how to write up the methodology as well as the research findings. Each volume also reviews how to appropriately evaluate published research. Focus Group Discussions addresses the challenges associated with conducting and writing focus group research. It provides detailed guidance on the practical and theoretical considerations in conducting focus group discussions including: designing the discussion guide, recruiting participants, training a field team, moderating techniques and ethical considerations. Monique Hennink describes how a methodology section is read and evaluated by others, such as journal reviewers or ...

  8. Two new Co(II)-MOFs based on polymeric chain building units: Crystal structures, and magnetic properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, Min-Le [College of Materials & Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Microgrid of New Energy of Hubei Province, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002 (China); Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069 (China); Wu, Ya-Pan; Zhao, Jun [College of Materials & Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Microgrid of New Energy of Hubei Province, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002 (China); Li, Dong-Sheng, E-mail: lidongsheng1@126.com [College of Materials & Chemical Engineering, Collaborative Innovation Center for Microgrid of New Energy of Hubei Province, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002 (China); Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069 (China); Wang, Yao-Yu [Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Natural Functional Molecule Chemistry of the Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry & Materials Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069 (China)

    2015-10-15

    Two new Co(II) metal-organic frameworks, namely [Co{sub 2}(bpm)(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}(L)]{sub n} (1) and ([Co(bpe)(H{sub 2}O)(H{sub 2}L)]·(bpe){sub 0.5}·(H{sub 2}O)){sub n} (2), (H{sub 4}L=1,1′:2′,1″-terphenyl-3,3″,4′,5′-tetracarboxylic acid, bpm=bis(4-pyridyl)amine, bpe=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene), have been obtained under hydrothermal conditions. Both complexes 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Complexes 1 and 2 consist of 1D Co(II) chains bridging by carboxylate groups in syn-anti fashion. 1 shows a novel 3D tri-nodal (4,6,10)-connected net with a (3.4{sup 3}.5{sup 2}){sub 2}(3{sup 2}.4{sup 14}.5{sup 12}.6{sup 12}.7{sup 4}.8)(3{sup 2}.4{sup 2}.5{sup 5}.6{sup 4}.7{sup 2}) topology. While 2 exhibits a 2D sql layer. Magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that both 1 and 2 show weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the adjacent Co(II) ions in 300–8 K for 1 and 300–16 K for 2, respectively, and then 2 also displays ferromagnetic coupling at lower temperatures. - Graphical abstract: Two Co(II) coordination polymers with similar metal chain bridging by carboxylates in syn-anti fashion have been synthesized. Both 1 and 2 show weak antiferromagnetic interactions in high temperature, and then 2 also displays ferromagnetic coupling at lower temperatures. - Highlights: • Two Co(II) coordination polymers with similar metal chain bridging by carboxylates. • A novel 3D (4,6,10)-connected net and a 2D sql layers. • A antiferromagnetic coupling at high temperature for 1 and 2. • A ferromagnetic coupling at lower temperature for 2.

  9. Diagnostic value of soluble receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells and carcinoembryonic antigen in differentiating malignant from benign pleural effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Jiahui; Sun, Gengyun; Zhu, Hongbin

    2016-03-01

    Diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) remains a major clinical challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of combined detection of receptor-binding cancer antigen expressed on SiSo cells (RCAS1) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in patients with MPE and benign pleural effusion (BPE). The serum and pleural fluid samples were collected from 53 patients diagnosed with MPE and 49 patients with BPE. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the concentration of RCAS1 in serum and pleural effusion. The clinical data and laboratory information, including CEA levels, were gathered from these cases. The concentration of RCAS1 in MPE was significantly higher than that of BPE (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two serum groups. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid RCAS1 were 67.92 and 81.63 %, respectively, at the optimized cutoff value of 7.326 U/mL; meanwhile, the sensitivity and specificity of pleural fluid CEA were 83.02 and 91.84 % at the cutoff value of 3.93 ng/mL. The specificity could be elevated to 98.50 % in serial detection, while the sensitivity may be improved to 94.55 % in parallel detection. Serum RCAS1 concentration was only detected in 53 serum samples out of the 102 samples, indicating that serum RCAS1 may not be a better option in differential diagnosis of malignancies compared with serum CEA, of which the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 64.15 and 83.67 % at the cutoff value of 3.90 ng/mL. No significant differences were found in pleural fluid RCAS1 concentration in MPE patients with different ages, gender, and pathological types of lung cancers. The detection of RCAS1 concentration in pleural fluid is informative for the diagnosis of MPE. Joint detection of RCAS1 and CEA can improve the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity. However, the diagnostic value of RCAS1 is not higher than that of CEA.

  10. Technical Note: Harmonizing met-ocean model data via standard web services within small research groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Signell, Richard; Camossi, E.

    2016-01-01

    Work over the last decade has resulted in standardised web services and tools that can significantly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of working with meteorological and ocean model data. While many operational modelling centres have enabled query and access to data via common web services, most small research groups have not. The penetration of this approach into the research community, where IT resources are limited, can be dramatically improved by (1) making it simple for providers to enable web service access to existing output files; (2) using free technologies that are easy to deploy and configure; and (3) providing standardised, service-based tools that work in existing research environments. We present a simple, local brokering approach that lets modellers continue to use their existing files and tools, while serving virtual data sets that can be used with standardised tools. The goal of this paper is to convince modellers that a standardised framework is not only useful but can be implemented with modest effort using free software components. We use NetCDF Markup language for data aggregation and standardisation, the THREDDS Data Server for data delivery, pycsw for data search, NCTOOLBOX (MATLAB®) and Iris (Python) for data access, and Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service for data preview. We illustrate the effectiveness of this approach with two use cases involving small research modelling groups at NATO and USGS.

  11. Phase 2 of the International Piping Integrity Research Group programme

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darlaston, B.J.

    1994-01-01

    The results of phase 1 of the International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG-1) programme have been widely reported. The significance of the results is reviewed briefly, in order to put the phase 2 programme into perspective. The success of phase 1 led the participants to consider further development and validation of pipe and pipe component fracture analysis technology as part of another international group programme (IPIRG-2). The benefits of combined funding and of the technical exchanges and interactions are considered to be of significant advantage and value. The phase 2 programme has been designed with the overall objective of developing and experimentally validating methods of predicting the fracture behaviour of nuclear reactor safety-related piping, to both normal operating and accident loads. The programme will add to the engineering estimation analysis methods that have been developed for straight pipes. The pipe system tests will expand the database to include seismic loadings and flaws in fittings, such as bends, elbows and tees, as well as ''short'' cracks. The results will be used to validate further the analytical methods, expand the capability to make fittings and extend the quasi-static results for the USNRC's new programme on short cracks in piping and piping welds. The IPIRG-2 programme is described to provide a clear understanding of the content, strategy, potential benefits and likely significance of the work. ((orig.))

  12. Strategic Plans to Promote Head and Neck Cancer Translational Research Within the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group: A Report From the Translational Research Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chung, Christine H.; Wong, Stuart; Ang, K. Kian; Hammond, Elizabeth H.; Dicker, Adam P.; Harari, Paul M.; Le, Quynh-Thu

    2007-01-01

    Head and neck cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United States, with an overall survival rate of approximately 40-50%. In an effort to improve patient outcomes, research efforts designed to maximize benefit and reduce toxicities of therapy are in progress. Basic research in cancer biology has accelerated this endeavor and provided preclinical data and technology to support clinically relevant advances in early detection, prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Recent completion of the Human Genome Project has promoted the rapid development of novel 'omics' technologies that allow more broad based study from a systems biology perspective. However, clinically relevant application of resultant gene signatures to clinical trials within cooperative groups has advanced slowly. In light of the large numbers of variables intrinsic to biomarker studies, validation of preliminary data for clinical implementation presents a significant challenge and may only be realized with large trials that involve significant patient numbers. The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) Head and Neck Cancer Translational Research Program recognizes this problem and brings together three unique features to facilitate this research: (1) availability of large numbers of clinical specimens from homogeneously treated patients through multi-institutional clinical trials; (2) a team of physicians, scientists, and staff focused on patient-oriented head-and-neck cancer research with the common goal of improving cancer care; and (3) a funding mechanism through the RTOG Seed Grant Program. In this position paper we outline strategic plans to further promote translational research within the framework of the RTOG

  13. Representation Theory of Algebraic Groups and Quantum Groups

    CERN Document Server

    Gyoja, A; Shinoda, K-I; Shoji, T; Tanisaki, Toshiyuki

    2010-01-01

    Invited articles by top notch expertsFocus is on topics in representation theory of algebraic groups and quantum groupsOf interest to graduate students and researchers in representation theory, group theory, algebraic geometry, quantum theory and math physics

  14. Application of adult attachment theory to group member transference and the group therapy process.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markin, Rayna D; Marmarosh, Cheri

    2010-03-01

    Although clinical researchers have applied attachment theory to client conceptualization and treatment in individual therapy, few researchers have applied this theory to group therapy. The purpose of this article is to begin to apply theory and research on adult dyadic and group attachment styles to our understanding of group dynamics and processes in adult therapy groups. In particular, we set forth theoretical propositions on how group members' attachment styles affect relationships within the group. Specifically, this article offers some predictions on how identifying group member dyadic and group attachment styles could help leaders predict member transference within the therapy group. Implications of group member attachment for the selection and composition of a group and the different group stages are discussed. Recommendations for group clinicians and researchers are offered. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved

  15. Health incentive research and social justice: does the risk of long term harms to systematically disadvantaged groups bear consideration?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wild, Verina; Pratt, Bridget

    2017-03-01

    The ethics of health incentive research-a form of public health research-are not well developed, and concerns of justice have been least examined. In this paper, we explore what potential long term harms in relation to justice may occur as a result of such research and whether they should be considered as part of its ethical evaluation. 'Long term harms' are defined as harms that contribute to existing systematic patterns of disadvantage for groups. Their effects are experienced on a long term basis, persisting even once an incentive research project ends. We will first establish that three categories of such harms potentially arise as a result of health incentive interventions. We then argue that the risk of these harms also constitutes a morally relevant consideration for health incentive research and suggest who may be responsible for assessing and mitigating these risks. We propose that responsibility should be assigned on the basis of who initiates health incentive research projects. Finally, we briefly describe possible strategies to prevent or mitigate the risk of long term harms to members of disadvantaged groups, which can be employed during the design, conduct and dissemination of research projects. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  16. Recommendations for the Return of Research Results to Study Participants and Guardians: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Conrad V.; Ruccione, Kathleen; Wells, Robert J.; Long, Jay B.; Pelletier, Wendy; Hooke, Mary C.; Pentz, Rebecca D.; Noll, Robert B.; Baker, Justin N.; O'Leary, Maura; Reaman, Gregory; Adamson, Peter C.; Joffe, Steven

    2012-01-01

    Purpose The Children's Oncology Group (COG) strongly supports the widely recognized principle that research participants should be offered a summary of study results. The mechanism by which to do so in a cooperative research group setting has not been previously described. Methods On the basis of a review of the available empirical and theoretic literature and on iterative, multidisciplinary discussion, a COG Return of Results Task Force (RRTF) offered detailed recommendations for the return of results to research study participants. Results The RRTF established guidelines for the notification of research participants and/or their parents/guardians about the availability of research results, a mechanism for and timing of sharing results via registration on the COG public Web site, the scope of the research to be shared, the target audience, and a process for creating and vetting lay summaries of study results. The RRTF recognized the challenges in adequately conveying complex scientific results to audiences with varying levels of health literacy and recommended that particularly sensitive or complex results be returned using direct personal contact. The RRTF also recommended evaluation of the cost, effectiveness, and impact of sharing results. Conclusion These recommendations provide a framework for the offering and returning of results to participants. They can be used by individual investigators, multi-investigator research collaboratives, and large cooperative groups. PMID:23109703

  17. Supervision of School and Youth Groups on Lift-Served Ski Slopes: A Research Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brookes, Andrew; Holmes, Peter

    2014-01-01

    Supervised practice is a common feature of many snow sports excursions to downhill ski resorts by school or youth groups, often in combination with lessons from a ski school. What is the role of supervision in preventing mishaps, injury, or fatalities? This article presents results of a search of published snow sports safety research for evidence…

  18. Prologue: 2017 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Helliwell, Philip S; Gladman, Dafna D; Gottlieb, Alice B

    2018-06-01

    The 2017 Annual Meeting of the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and was attended by rheumatologists, dermatologists, representatives of biopharmaceutical companies, and patients. As in previous years, GRAPPA members held a symposium for trainees to discuss their research in psoriatic disease with experts in the field. Other subjects featured during the annual meeting included a discussion of the history, clinical features, controversies, and immunogenetics of juvenile psoriatic arthritis; updates from working groups in Outcome Measures in Rheumatology and International Dermatology Outcome Measures; a discussion of the benefits and challenges of setting up a longitudinal psoriatic arthritis (PsA) database; 3 separate discussions of the effects of the microbiome on skin and joints in psoriasis and PsA; a discussion of options for assessing joints and entheses in PsA by ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging; an update on GRAPPA's research and educational projects; a discussion of patient centricity, including the incorporation of patient research partners (PRP) into psoriasis and PsA research and educational efforts, from GRAPPA's PRP; and a discussion of the GRAPPA-Collaborative Research Network's inaugural meeting. In this prologue, we introduce the papers that summarize that meeting.

  19. Contributions of Kinanthropometry in Brazil: research groups and scientific production. DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n4p306

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sueyla Ferreira da Silva dos Santos

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Kinanthropometry is a study area that provides a rich source of information about human body measurements, including body composition, proportion and somatotype. This study provides an overview of the scientific contributions of kinanthropometry in Brazil. For this purpose, the database of the 2008 Census, available at the site of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, was searched. The existing research groups were analyzed regarding their composition, geographic location, and institutional affiliation. Studies published between 2007 and June 2010 were also analyzed, as well as the correlation between the number of doctors and the number of publications of the research group. The results indicated that the number of research groups increased from 1996 to 2008, mainly after 2001. Most groups are found in the northeastern and southern regions of Brazil. In addition, a positive relationship was observed between the increase in the scientific production of the research groups and the number of researchers with a doctoral and post-doctoral degree. These findings demonstrate the scientific contribution of kinanthropometry and its increasing importance at the national level.

  20. Contributions of Kinanthropometry in Brazil: research groups and scientific production. DOI: 10.5007/1980-0037.2011v13n4p306

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sueyla Ferreira da Silva dos Santos

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available Kinanthropometry is a study area that provides a rich source of information about human body measurements, including body composition, proportion and somatotype. This study provides an overview of the scientific contributions of kinanthropometry in Brazil. For this purpose, the database of the 2008 Census, available at the site of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq, was searched. The existing research groups were analyzed regarding their composition, geographic location, and institutional affiliation. Studies published between 2007 and June 2010 were also analyzed, as well as the correlation between the number of doctors and the number of publications of the research group. The results indicated that the number of research groups increased from 1996 to 2008, mainly after 2001. Most groups are found in the northeastern and southern regions of Brazil. In addition, a positive relationship was observed between the increase in the scientific production of the research groups and the number of researchers with a doctoral and post-doctoral degree. These findings demonstrate the scientific contribution of kinanthropometry and its increasing importance at the national level.

  1. The EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research Group (EUSTAR): an international framework for accelerating scleroderma research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tyndall, Alan; Ladner, Ulf M; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco

    2008-11-01

    Systemic sclerosis has a complex pathogenesis and a multifaceted clinical spectrum without a specific treatment. Under the auspices of the European League Against Rheumatism, the European League Against Rheumatism Scleroderma Trials And Research group (EUSTAR) has been founded in Europe to foster the study of systemic sclerosis with the aim of achieving equality of assessment and care of systemic sclerosis patients throughout the world according to evidence-based principles. EUSTAR created the minimal essential data set, a simple two-page form with basic demographics and mostly yes/no answers to clinical and laboratory parameters, to track patients throughout Europe. Currently, over 7000 patients are registered from 150 centres in four continents, and several articles have been published with the data generated by the minimal essential data set. A commitment of EUSTAR is also to teaching and educating, and for this reason there are two teaching courses and a third is planned for early in 2009. These courses have built international networks among young investigators improving the quality of multicentre clinical trials. EUSTAR has organized several rounds of 'teach the teachers' to further standardize the skin scoring. EUSTAR activities have extended beyond European borders, and EUSTAR now includes experts from several nations. The growth of data and biomaterial might ensure many further fruitful multicentre studies, but the financial sustainability of EUSTAR remains an issue that may jeopardize the existence of this group as well as that of other organizations in the world.

  2. Cohort Profile: The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carsley, Sarah; Borkhoff, Cornelia M; Maguire, Jonathon L; Birken, Catherine S; Khovratovich, Marina; McCrindle, Brian; Macarthur, Colin; Parkin, Patricia C

    2015-06-01

    The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!) is an ongoing open longitudinal cohort study enrolling healthy children (from birth to 5 years of age) and following them into adolescence. The aim of the TARGet Kids! cohort is to link early life exposures to health problems including obesity, micronutrient deficiencies and developmental problems. The overarching goal is to improve the health of Canadians by optimizing growth and developmental trajectories through preventive interventions in early childhood. TARGet Kids!, the only child health research network embedded in primary care practices in Canada, leverages the unique relationship between children and families and their trusted primary care practitioners, with whom they have at least seven health supervision visits in the first 5 years of life. Children are enrolled during regularly scheduled well-child visits. To date, we have enrolled 5062 children. In addition to demographic information, we collect physical measurements (e.g. height, weight), lifestyle factors (nutrition, screen time and physical activity), child behaviour and developmental screening and a blood sample (providing measures of cardiometabolic, iron and vitamin D status, and trace metals). All data are collected at each well-child visit: twice a year until age 2 and every year until age 10. Information can be found at: http://www.targetkids.ca/contact-us/. © The Author 2014; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association.

  3. Two novel penetrating coordination polymers based on flexible S-containing dicarboxylate acid with sensing properties towards Fe3+ and Cr2O72- ions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhiwei; Mi, Xiuna; Wang, Suna; Lu, Jing; Li, Yunwu; Li, Dacheng; Dou, Jianmin

    2018-05-01

    Two new coordination polymers (CPs), namely, {[Zn(L)(bpp)]·DMF}n (1) and {[Zn(L)(bpe)]·DMF}n (2) (L = 2,2'-[benzene-1,3-diylbis(methanediylsulfanediyl)]dibenzoic acid, bpp= 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane, bpe = 1,2-Bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene, DMF = N,N-Dimethylformamide), have been solvothermally synthesized and fully characterized. Complex 1 displays a 2D→2D three-fold"false" interpenetrating structure while complex 2 possesses a novel 3-D 4-connected structure with fascinating self-penetrating moieties. The luminescence studies reveal that these complexes exhibited excellent selectivity for Fe3+ and Cr2O72- ions in DMF. The sensing mechanism was investigated through PXRD, XPS , EDS mapping measurements, and discussed in details.

  4. Patient informed governance of distributed research networks: results and discussion from six patient focus groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mamo, Laura A; Browe, Dennis K; Logan, Holly C; Kim, Katherine K

    2013-01-01

    Understanding how to govern emerging distributed research networks is essential to their success. Distributed research networks aggregate patient medical data from many institutions leaving data within the local provider security system. While much is known about patients' views on secondary medical research, little is known about their views on governance of research networks. We conducted six focus groups with patients from three medical centers across the U.S. to understand their perspectives on privacy, consent, and ethical concerns of sharing their data as part of research networks. Participants positively endorsed sharing their health data with these networks believing that doing so could advance healthcare knowledge. However, patients expressed several concerns regarding security and broader ethical issues such as commercialism, public benefit, and social responsibility. We suggest that network governance guidelines move beyond strict technical requirements and address wider socio-ethical concerns by fully including patients in governance processes.

  5. Ethics and equity in research priority-setting: stakeholder engagement and the needs of disadvantaged groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhaumik, Soumyadeep; Rana, Sangeeta; Karimkhani, Chante; Welch, Vivian; Armstrong, Rebecca; Pottie, Kevin; Dellavalle, Robert; Dhakal, Purushottam; Oliver, Sandy; Francis, Damian K; Nasser, Mona; Crowe, Sally; Aksut, Baran; Amico, Roberto D

    2015-01-01

    A transparent and evidence-based priority-setting process promotes the optimal use of resources to improve health outcomes. Decision-makers and funders have begun to increasingly engage representatives of patients and healthcare consumers to ensure that research becomes more relevant. However, disadvantaged groups and their needs may not be integrated into the priority-setting process since they do not have a "political voice" or are unable to organise into interest groups. Equitable priority-setting methods need to balance patient needs, values, experiences with population-level issues and issues related to the health system.

  6. Linking self and group: cognitive routes to self-group overlap as driving forces of group phenomena

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Veelen, Ruth; Otten, Sabine

    2014-01-01

    Group affiliation implies that there is overlap in the mental representations of seld and group. Combining research on social cognition and group processes, this symposium brings together various perspectives on self-group overlap and its consequences for intra- and intergroup phenomena.

  7. The Use of the Delphi and Other Consensus Group Methods in Medical Education Research: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphrey-Murto, Susan; Varpio, Lara; Wood, Timothy J; Gonsalves, Carol; Ufholz, Lee-Anne; Mascioli, Kelly; Wang, Carol; Foth, Thomas

    2017-10-01

    Consensus group methods, such as the Delphi method and nominal group technique (NGT), are used to synthesize expert opinions when evidence is lacking. Despite their extensive use, these methods are inconsistently applied. Their use in medical education research has not been well studied. The authors set out to describe the use of consensus methods in medical education research and to assess the reporting quality of these methods and results. Using scoping review methods, the authors searched the Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, and ERIC databases for 2009-2016. Full-text articles that focused on medical education and the keywords Delphi, RAND, NGT, or other consensus group methods were included. A standardized extraction form was used to collect article demographic data and features reflecting methodological rigor. Of the articles reviewed, 257 met the inclusion criteria. The Modified Delphi (105/257; 40.8%), Delphi (91/257; 35.4%), and NGT (23/257; 8.9%) methods were most often used. The most common study purpose was curriculum development or reform (68/257; 26.5%), assessment tool development (55/257; 21.4%), and defining competencies (43/257; 16.7%). The reporting quality varied, with 70.0% (180/257) of articles reporting a literature review, 27.2% (70/257) reporting what background information was provided to participants, 66.1% (170/257) describing the number of participants, 40.1% (103/257) reporting if private decisions were collected, 37.7% (97/257) reporting if formal feedback of group ratings was shared, and 43.2% (111/257) defining consensus a priori. Consensus methods are poorly standardized and inconsistently used in medical education research. Improved criteria for reporting are needed.

  8. Strategies for Sharing Scientific Research on Sea Level Rise: Suggestions from Stakeholder Focus Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeLorme, D.; Hagen, S. C.; Stephens, S. H.

    2013-12-01

    This presentation reports results of focus groups with coastal resource managers on suggestions for effectively sharing sea level rise (SLR) scientific research with the public and other target audiences. The focus groups were conducted during three annual stakeholder workshops as an important and innovative component of an ongoing five-year multi-disciplinary NOAA-funded project, Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (EESLR-NGOM). The EESLR-NGOM project is assessing SLR risks to the natural and built environment along the Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida Panhandle coasts. The purpose was to engage stakeholders (e.g., coastal resource managers) in helping target, translate, and tailor the EESLR-NGOM project's scientific findings and emerging products so they are readily accessible, understandable, and useful. The focus groups provided insight into stakeholders' SLR informational and operational needs, solicited input on the project's products, and gathered suggestions for public communication and outreach. A total of three ninety-minute focus groups of between eight and thirteen participants each were conducted at annual workshops in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. The moderator asked a series of open-ended questions about SLR-related topics using an interview guide and encouraged participant interaction. All focus group audio-recordings were transcribed, and analyzed by carefully reading the 102 total pages of transcript data and identifying patterns and themes. Participants thought outreach about SLR impact and the EESLR-NGOM project scientific research/products was vital and acknowledged various communication challenges and opportunities. They identified three target audiences (local officials, general public, coastal resource managers themselves) that likely require different educational efforts and tools. Participants felt confident the EESLR-NGOM project products will benefit their resource planning and decision making and

  9. The optimal fuel mix and redistribution of social surplus in the Korean power market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyunsook; Kim, Sung-Soo

    2010-01-01

    This paper investigates the difference between the optimal fuel mix incorporating a pre-installed generation capacity constraint and the actual fuel mix in the Korean power market. Since the restructuring of the market, the fuel mix has been determined partly by investors and partly by the Basic Plan for Long-Term Electricity Supply and Demand (BPE). Both the system marginal price (SMP), and the capacity payment (CP), which has been based on the fixed cost of a specific gas turbine generator, were intended to provide an investment incentive in the market; however, they did not bring about an optimal fuel mix in Korea. Under the circumstances of a shortage of base load generators, these generators may garner excessive profits due to a high SMP level. However, the adjustment scheme of profit between KEPCO and Gencos left scant profit for generators. This paper suggests that a contract is needed to create the appropriate profit and tax levels for these base load generators. The redistribution of profit improves equality between consumers and generators, and the proper margin creates incentives for base load technology investment in Korea. - Research highlights: → This paper aims to determine the optimal fuel mix in Korea and shows the difference between the optimal and actual fuel mix; → We discovered that the optimal fuel mix ratio should be 63.5%:20.5%:16.0%for nuclear energy, coal, and LNG, respectively; → Because the pre-installed capacity is taken as given, the optimal fuel mix under the given installed capacity is an addition of a new nuclear unit to the current fuel mix; → The additional profit above the profit margin in the BPE should be collected and redistributed to consumers; → While we provide an incentive to build nuclear and coal units in Korea, we also suggest that a contract is needed to guarantee the profit level for generators based on a government regulation constraint, the BPE, to achieve a fair treatment.

  10. Cooperative Group Performance in Graduate Research Methodology Courses: The Role of Study Coping and Examination-Taking Coping Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jiao, Qun G.; Collins, Kathleen M. T.; Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.

    2013-01-01

    This study seeks to examine the extent to which cooperative group members' levels of coping strategies (study and examination-taking coping strategies) and the degree that heterogeneity (variability of study coping strategies and examination-taking coping strategies) predict cooperative groups' levels of achievement in research methodology…

  11. The Alsep Data Recovery Focus Group of NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagihara, S.; Lewis, L. R.; Nakamura, Y.; Williams, D. R.; Taylor, P. T.; Hills, H. K.; Kiefer, W. S.; Neal, C. R.; Schmidt, G. K.

    2014-12-01

    Astronauts on Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 deployed instruments on the Moon for 14 geophysical experiments (passive & active seismic, heat flow, magnetics, etc.) from 1969 to 1972. These instruments were called Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Packages (ALSEPs). ALSEPs kept transmitting data to the Earth until September 1977. When the observation program ended in 1977, a large portion of these data were not delivered to the National Space Science Data Center for permanent archive. In 2010, for the purpose of searching, recovering, preserving, and analyzing the data that were not previously archived, NASA's then Lunar Science Institute formed the ALSEP Data Recovery Focus Group. The group consists of current lunar researchers and those involved in the ALSEP design and data analysis in the 1960s and 1970s. Among the data not previously archived were the 5000+ 7-track open-reel tapes that recorded raw data from all the ALSEP instruments from April 1973 to February 1976 ('ARCSAV tapes'). These tapes went missing in the decades after Apollo. One of the major achievements of the group so far is that we have found 450 ARCSAV tapes from April to June 1975 and that we are extracting data from them. There are 3 other major achievements by the group. First, we have established a web portal at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, where ~700 ALSEP-related documents, totaling ~40,000 pages, have been digitally scanned and cataloged. Researchers can search and download these documents at www.lpi.usra.edu/ lunar/ALSEP/. Second, we have been retrieving notes and reports left behind by the now deceased/retired ALSEP investigators at their home institutions. Third, we have been re-analyzing the ALSEP data using the information from the recently recovered metadata (instrument calibration data, operation logs, etc.). Efforts are ongoing to get these data permanently archived in the Planetary Data System (PDS).

  12. The good and bad of group conformity: a call for a new programme of research in medical education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beran, Tanya N; Kaba, Alyshah; Caird, Jeff; McLaughlin, Kevin

    2014-09-01

    Given that a significant portion of medical education occurs in various social settings (small groups, large classes, clinical environments), it is critical to examine how group members interact. One type of influence on these interactions is conformity, whereby an individual changes his or her own behaviour to match incorrect responses of others in a group. Conformity to peer pressure has been replicated in experimental research conducted in many countries over the last 60 years. There is newly emerging empirical evidence of this effect in medical education, suggesting that subtle motivations and pressures within a group may prevent students from challenging or questioning information that seems incorrect. This narrative review aims to present an overview of theory and findings in research into conformity in the fields of social psychology, business, sociology and aviation theory to demonstrate its direct relevance to medical education and the health professions. We searched online databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO and ProQuest) from the University of Calgary catalogue. We also searched citations in articles reviewed and references provided by colleagues. We limited our narrative review to publications released between 1950 and 2012. Group conformity behaviour may be one of a number of communication challenges associated with interprofessional care, and may represent a factor contributing to the burden of adverse events. This paper calls for a new programme of research into conformity in medical education that provides systematic empirical evidence of its relevance and applications in education, health care and practice. This review reveals decades of anecdotal and empirical evidence that conformity is a pervasive phenomenon across disciplines. Further research is needed to elucidate which situations pose the greatest risk for the occurrence of conformity, how to manage it in practice and its implications for patient safety. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Group typicality, group loyalty and cognitive development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, Meagan M

    2014-09-01

    Over the course of childhood, children's thinking about social groups changes in a variety of ways. Developmental Subjective Group Dynamics (DSGD) theory emphasizes children's understanding of the importance of conforming to group norms. Abrams et al.'s study, which uses DSGD theory as a framework, demonstrates the social cognitive skills underlying young elementary school children's thinking about group norms. Future research on children's thinking about groups and group norms should explore additional elements of this topic, including aspects of typicality beyond loyalty. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  14. Modern International Research Groups: Networks and Infrastructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Katehi, Linda

    2009-05-01

    In a globalized economy, education and research are becoming increasing international in content and context. Academic and research institutions worldwide try to internationalize their programs by setting formal or informal collaborations. An education that is enhanced by international experiences leads to mobility of the science and technology workforce. Existing academic cultures and research structures are at odds with efforts to internationalize education. For the past 20-30 years, the US has recognized the need to improve the abroad experience of our scientists and technologists: however progress has been slow. Despite a number of both federally and privately supported programs, efforts to scale up the numbers of participants have not been satisfactory. The exchange is imbalanced as more foreign scientists and researchers move to the US than the other way around. There are a number of issues that contribute to this imbalance but we could consider the US academic career system, as defined by its policies and practices, as a barrier to internationalizing the early career faculty experience. Strict curricula, pre-tenure policies and financial commitments discourage students, post doctoral fellows and pre-tenure faculty from taking international leaves to participate in research abroad experiences. Specifically, achieving an international experience requires funding that is not provided by the universities. Furthermore, intellectual property requirements and constraints in pre-tenure probationary periods may discourage students and faculty from collaborations with peers across the Atlantic or Pacific or across the American continent. Environments that support early career networking are not available. This presentation will discuss the increasing need for international collaborations and will explore the need for additional programs, more integration, better conditions and improved infrastructures that can encourage and support mobility of scientists. In addition

  15. The Hampstead Clinic at work. Discussions in the Diagnostic Profile Research Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Ehud

    2012-01-01

    Minutes of the Hampstead Clinic's Diagnostic Profile Research Group during a fifteen-month period (1964-1965) are reviewed and discussed. A wide range of topics were considered and discussed, with a special focus on the affective life, object relations, and ego function of atypical children in comparison to the early ego functions and differentiation of normal and neurotic children. These lively clinical and theoretical discussions and their implications for therapeutic work with a wide range of children, demonstrate the multifaceted leadership and contributions of Anna Freud as teacher, clinician, and thinker, and of the Hampstead Clinic as a major center for psychoanalytic studies.

  16. Report of 6th research meeting on basic process of fuel cycle for nuclear fusion reactors, Yayoi Research Group; 3rd expert committee on research of nuclear fusion fuel material correlation basis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-03-01

    In this report, the lecture materials of Yayoi Research Group, 6th research meeting on basic process of fuel cycle for nuclear fusion reactors which was held at the University of Tokyo on March 25, 1996, are collected. This workshop was held also as 3rd expert committee on research of nuclear fusion fuel material correlation basis of Atomic Energy Society of Japan. This workshop has the character of the preparatory meeting for the session on `Interface effect in nuclear fusion energy system` of the international workshop `Interface effect in quantum energy system`, and 6 lectures and one comment were given. The topics were deuterium transport in Mo under deuterium ion implantation, the change of the stratum structure of graphite by hydrogen ion irradiation, the tritium behavior in opposing materials, the basic studies of the irradiation effects of solid breeding materials, the research on the behavior of hydroxyl group on the surface of solid breeding materials, the sweep gas effect on the surface of solid breeding materials, and the dynamic behavior of ion-implanted deuterium in proton-conductive oxides. (K.I.)

  17. IGORR-1: Proceedings of the first meeting of the international group on research reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    West, C.D.

    1990-05-01

    Many organizations, in several countries, are planning or implementing new or upgraded research reactor projects, but there has been no organized forum devoted entirely to discussion and exchange of information in this field. Over the past year or so, informal discussions resulted in widespread agreement that such a forum would serve a useful purpose. Accordingly, a proposal to form a group was submitted to the leading organizations known to be involved in projects to build or upgrade reactor facilities. Essentially all agreed to join in the formation of the International Group on Research Reactors (IGORR) and nominated a senior staff member to serve on its international organizing committee. The first IGORR meeting took place on February 28--March 2, 1990. It was very successful and well attended; some 52 scientists and engineers from 25 organizations in 10 countries participated in 2-1/2 days of open and informative presentations and discussions. Two workshop sessions offered opportunities for more detailed interaction among participants and resulted in identification of common R ampersand D needs, sources of data, and planned new facilities. Individual papers have been cataloged separately

  18. The protocols for the 10/66 dementia research group population-based research programme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Salas Aquiles

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Latin America, China and India are experiencing unprecedentedly rapid demographic ageing with an increasing number of people with dementia. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group's title refers to the 66% of people with dementia that live in developing countries and the less than one tenth of population-based research carried out in those settings. This paper describes the protocols for the 10/66 population-based and intervention studies that aim to redress this imbalance. Methods/design Cross-sectional comprehensive one phase surveys have been conducted of all residents aged 65 and over of geographically defined catchment areas in ten low and middle income countries (India, China, Nigeria, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina, with a sample size of between 1000 and 3000 (generally 2000. Each of the studies uses the same core minimum data set with cross-culturally validated assessments (dementia diagnosis and subtypes, mental disorders, physical health, anthropometry, demographics, extensive non communicable disease risk factor questionnaires, disability/functioning, health service utilisation, care arrangements and caregiver strain. Nested within the population based studies is a randomised controlled trial of a caregiver intervention for people with dementia and their families (ISRCTN41039907; ISRCTN41062011; ISRCTN95135433; ISRCTN66355402; ISRCTN93378627; ISRCTN94921815. A follow up of 2.5 to 3.5 years will be conducted in 7 countries (China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina to assess risk factors for incident dementia, stroke and all cause and cause-specific mortality; verbal autopsy will be used to identify causes of death. Discussion The 10/66 DRG baseline population-based studies are nearly complete. The incidence phase will be completed in 2009. All investigators are committed to establish an anonymised file sharing archive with monitored public access. Our

  19. The protocols for the 10/66 dementia research group population-based research programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prince, Martin; Ferri, Cleusa P; Acosta, Daisy; Albanese, Emiliano; Arizaga, Raul; Dewey, Michael; Gavrilova, Svetlana I; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Jacob, K S; Krishnamoorthy, E S; McKeigue, Paul; Rodriguez, Juan Llibre; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Sousa, Renata M M; Stewart, Robert; Uwakwe, Richard

    2007-07-20

    Latin America, China and India are experiencing unprecedentedly rapid demographic ageing with an increasing number of people with dementia. The 10/66 Dementia Research Group's title refers to the 66% of people with dementia that live in developing countries and the less than one tenth of population-based research carried out in those settings. This paper describes the protocols for the 10/66 population-based and intervention studies that aim to redress this imbalance. Cross-sectional comprehensive one phase surveys have been conducted of all residents aged 65 and over of geographically defined catchment areas in ten low and middle income countries (India, China, Nigeria, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina), with a sample size of between 1000 and 3000 (generally 2000). Each of the studies uses the same core minimum data set with cross-culturally validated assessments (dementia diagnosis and subtypes, mental disorders, physical health, anthropometry, demographics, extensive non communicable disease risk factor questionnaires, disability/functioning, health service utilisation, care arrangements and caregiver strain). Nested within the population based studies is a randomised controlled trial of a caregiver intervention for people with dementia and their families (ISRCTN41039907; ISRCTN41062011; ISRCTN95135433; ISRCTN66355402; ISRCTN93378627; ISRCTN94921815). A follow up of 2.5 to 3.5 years will be conducted in 7 countries (China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Peru and Argentina) to assess risk factors for incident dementia, stroke and all cause and cause-specific mortality; verbal autopsy will be used to identify causes of death. The 10/66 DRG baseline population-based studies are nearly complete. The incidence phase will be completed in 2009. All investigators are committed to establish an anonymised file sharing archive with monitored public access. Our aim is to create an evidence base to empower advocacy, raise

  20. Research Data Alliance's Interest Group on "Weather, Climate and Air Quality"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bretonnière, Pierre-Antoine; Benincasa, Francesco

    2016-04-01

    Research Data Alliance's Interest Group on "Weather, Climate and Air Quality" More than ever in the history of Earth sciences, scientists are confronted with the problem of dealing with huge amounts of data that grow continuously at a rate that becomes a challenge to process and analyse them using conventional methods. Data come from many different and widely distributed sources, ranging from satellite platforms and in-situ sensors to model simulations, and with different degrees of openness. How can Earth scientists deal with this diversity and big volume and extract useful information to understand and predict the relevant processes? The Research Data Alliance (RDA, https://rd-alliance.org/), an organization that promotes and develops new data policies, data standards and focuses on the development of new technical solutions applicable in many distinct areas of sciences, recently entered in its third phase. In this framework, an Interest Group (IG) comprised of community experts that are committed to directly or indirectly enable and facilitate data sharing, exchange, or interoperability in the fields of weather, climate and air quality has been created recently. Its aim is to explore and discuss the challenges for the use and efficient analysis of large and diverse datasets of relevance for these fields taking advantage of the knowledge generated and exchanged in RDA. At the same time, this IG intends to be a meeting point between members of the aforementioned communities to share experiences and propose new solutions to overcome the forthcoming challenges. Based on the collaboration between several research meteorological and European climate institutes, but also taking into account the input from the private (from the renewable energies, satellites and agriculture sectors for example) and public sectors, this IG will suggest practical and applicable solutions for Big Data issues, both at technological and policy level, encountered by these communities. We

  1. Group X

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fields, Susannah

    2007-08-16

    This project is currently under contract for research through the Department of Homeland Security until 2011. The group I was responsible for studying has to remain confidential so as not to affect the current project. All dates, reference links and authors, and other distinguishing characteristics of the original group have been removed from this report. All references to the name of this group or the individual splinter groups has been changed to 'Group X'. I have been collecting texts from a variety of sources intended for the use of recruiting and radicalizing members for Group X splinter groups for the purpose of researching the motivation and intent of leaders of those groups and their influence over the likelihood of group radicalization. This work included visiting many Group X websites to find information on splinter group leaders and finding their statements to new and old members. This proved difficult because the splinter groups of Group X are united in beliefs, but differ in public opinion. They are eager to tear each other down, prove their superiority, and yet remain anonymous. After a few weeks of intense searching, a list of eight recruiting texts and eight radicalizing texts from a variety of Group X leaders were compiled.

  2. Effect of Standardized Boesenbergia pandurata Extract and Its Active Compound Panduratin A on Skin Hydration and Barrier Function in Human Epidermal Keratinocytes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woo, Seon Wook; Rhim, Dong-Bin; Kim, Changhee; Hwang, Jae-Kwan

    2015-03-01

    The skin plays a key role in protecting the body from the environment and from water loss. Cornified envelope (CE) and natural moisturizing factor (NMF) are considered as the primary regulators of skin hydration and barrier function. The CE prevents loss of water from the body and is formed by cross-linking of several proteins. Among these proteins, filaggrin is an important protein because NMF is produced by the degradation of filaggrin. Proteases, including matriptase and prostasin, stimulate the generation of filaggrin from profilaggrin and caspase-14 plays a role in the degradation of filaggrin. This study elucidated the effects of an ethanol extract of Boesenbergia pandurata (Roxb.) Schltr., known as fingerroot, and its active compound panduratin A on CE formation and filaggrin processing in HaCaT, human epidermal keratinocytes. B. pandurata extract (BPE) and panduratin A significantly stimulated not only CE formation but also the expression of CE proteins, such as loricrin, involucrin, and transglutaminase, which were associated with PPARα expression. The mRNA and protein levels of filaggrin and filaggrin-related enzymes, such as matriptase, prostasin, and caspase-14 were also up-regulated by BPE and panduratin A treatment. These results suggest that BPE and panduratin A are potential nutraceuticals which can enhance skin hydration and barrier function based on their CE formation and filaggrin processing.

  3. Hydrodynamic model research in Waseda group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Muroya, Shin

    2010-01-01

    Constructing 'High Energy Material Science' had been proposed by Namiki as the guiding principle for the scientists of the high energy physics group lead by himself in Waseda University when the author started to study multiple particle production in 1980s toward the semi-phenomenological model for the quark gluon plasma (QGP). Their strategy was based on three stages to build an intermediate one between the fundamental theory of QCD and the phenomenological model. The quantum theoretical Langevin equation was taken up as the semi-phenomenological model at the intermediate stage and the Landau hydrodynamic model was chosen as the phenomenological model to focus on the 'phase transition' of QGP. A review is given here over the quantum theoretical Langevin equation formalism developed there and followed by the further progress with the 1+1 dimensional viscous fluid model as well as the hydrodynamic model with cylindrical symmetry. The developments of the baryon fluid model and Hanbury-Brown Twiss effect are also reviewed. After 1995 younger generation physicists came to the group to develop those models further. Activities by Hirano, Nonaka and Morita beyond the past generation's hydrodynamic model are picked up briefly. (S. Funahashi)

  4. Industrial Informatics & Signal Processing Research Group (iisp) 1995 -2015 - celebrating 50 years of engineering at Sussex University

    OpenAIRE

    Chatwin, Chris; Young, Rupert; Birch, Philip; Yang, Tai

    2015-01-01

    The presentation gives a partial summary of some of the research conducted by the Industrial Informatics & Signal Processing Research Group over the last 20 years. This was to celebrate 50 years of Engineering at Sussex University; many of our past graduates attended. The conference was a great success and culminated in a very enjoyable dinner with all the delegates and presenters.

  5. The value of evaluating parenting groups: a new researcher's perspective on methods and results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabral, Judy

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this research project was to evaluate the impact of the Solihull Approach Understanding Your Child's Behaviour (UYCB) parenting groups on the participants' parenting practice and their reported behaviour of their children. Validated tools that met both the Solihull Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and academic requirements were used to establish what changes, if any, in parenting practice and children's behaviour (as perceived by the parent) occur following attendance of a UYCB parenting group. Independent evidence of the efficacy of the Solihull Approach UYCB programme was collated. Results indicated significant increases in self-esteem and parenting sense of competence; improvement in the parental locus of control; a decrease in hyperactivity and conduct problems and an increase in pro-social behaviour, as measured by the 'Strength and Difficulties' questionnaire. The qualitative and quantitative findings corroborated each other, demonstrating the impact and effectiveness of the programme and supporting anecdotal feedback on the success of UYCB parenting groups.

  6. Globus Nexus: A Platform-as-a-Service Provider of Research Identity, Profile, and Group Management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chard, Kyle; Lidman, Mattias; McCollam, Brendan; Bryan, Josh; Ananthakrishnan, Rachana; Tuecke, Steven; Foster, Ian

    2016-03-01

    Globus Nexus is a professionally hosted Platform-as-a-Service that provides identity, profile and group management functionality for the research community. Many collaborative e-Science applications need to manage large numbers of user identities, profiles, and groups. However, developing and maintaining such capabilities is often challenging given the complexity of modern security protocols and requirements for scalable, robust, and highly available implementations. By outsourcing this functionality to Globus Nexus, developers can leverage best-practice implementations without incurring development and operations overhead. Users benefit from enhanced capabilities such as identity federation, flexible profile management, and user-oriented group management. In this paper we present Globus Nexus, describe its capabilities and architecture, summarize how several e-Science applications leverage these capabilities, and present results that characterize its scalability, reliability, and availability.

  7. Globus Nexus: A Platform-as-a-Service provider of research identity, profile, and group management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chard, Kyle; Lidman, Mattias; McCollam, Brendan; Bryan, Josh; Ananthakrishnan, Rachana; Tuecke, Steven; Foster, Ian

    2016-03-01

    Globus Nexus is a professionally hosted Platform-as-a-Service that provides identity, profile and group management functionality for the research community. Many collaborative e-Science applications need to manage large numbers of user identities, profiles, and groups. However, developing and maintaining such capabilities is often challenging given the complexity of modern security protocols and requirements for scalable, robust, and highly available implementations. By outsourcing this functionality to Globus Nexus, developers can leverage best-practice implementations without incurring development and operations overhead. Users benefit from enhanced capabilities such as identity federation, flexible profile management, and user-oriented group management. In this paper we present Globus Nexus, describe its capabilities and architecture, summarize how several e-Science applications leverage these capabilities, and present results that characterize its scalability, reliability, and availability.

  8. Learning Transurethral Resection of the Prostate: A Comparison of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2018-01-30

    Jan 30, 2018 ... benign prostate enlargement (BPE) are of limited use in the resource‑poor ... trans‑urethral resection of the prostate, resected weight, retropubic prostatectomy ..... digital rectal examination and total prostate specific antigen.

  9. FAA and NASA UTM Research Transition Team: Communications and Navigation (CN) Working Group (WCG) Kickoff Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Jaewoo; Larrow, Jarrett

    2017-01-01

    This is NASA FAA UTM Research Transition Team Communications and Navigation working group kick off meeting presentation that addresses the followings. Objectives overview Overall timeline and scope Outcomes and expectations Communication method and frequency of meetings Upcoming evaluation Next steps.

  10. Netball team members, but not hobby group members, distinguish team characteristics from group characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stillman, Jennifer A; Fletcher, Richard B; Carr, Stuart C

    2007-04-01

    Research on groups is often applied to sport teams, and research on teams is often applied to groups. This study investigates the extent to which individuals have distinct schemas for groups and teams. A list of team and group characteristics was generated from 250 individuals, for use in this and related research. Questions about teams versus groups carry an a priori implication that differences exist; therefore, list items were presented to new participants and were analyzed using signal detection theory, which can accommodate a finding of no detectable difference between a nominated category and similar items. Participants were 30 members from each of the following: netball teams, the general public, and hobby groups. Analysis revealed few features that set groups apart from teams; however, teams were perceived as more structured and demanding, requiring commitment and effort toward shared goals. Team and group characteristics were more clearly defined to team members than they were to other participant groups. The research has implications for coaches and practitioners.

  11. Patterns of hydrogen bonding involving thiourea in the series of thioureaṡtrans-1,2-bispyridyl ethylene cocrystals - A comparative study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kole, Goutam Kumar; Kumar, Mukesh

    2018-07-01

    Thiourea is known to act as a template to preorganise a series of trans-1,2-bispyridyl ethylenes (bpe), where the thiourea molecules present in an infinite zigzag chain with R22(8) graph set (the β-tape) which offers three different types of hydrogen bonding [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 132 (2010) 13434]. This article reports a new cocrystal of thiourea with 3,4‧-bpe and acts as a 'missing link' in the series. In this cocrystal, thiourea present in an infinite corrugated chain with R21(6) graph set, a rarely observed thiourea synthon i.e. α-tape. A comparative study has been discussed which demonstrates various types of hydrogen bonding that exist in the series and their impact on the parallel stacking of the pyridyl based olefins.

  12. Virtual communities, research groups and projects on IMS Learning Design. State of the art, key factors and forthcoming challenges

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burgos, Daniel; Koper, Rob

    2005-01-01

    Burgos, D., Koper, R. (2005) Virtual communities, research groups and projects on IMS Learning Design. State of the art, key factors and forthcoming challenges. In E-Journal of Educational Research, Assessment and Evaluation, vol. 11, issue 2 [www.uv.es/RELIEVE]. Available at

  13. EXPERIENTIAL GROUPS IN THE TRAINING OF GROUP COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS: A VIEW FROM TRAINEES PERSPECTIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Birutė Jakubkaitė

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Many theorists and practitioners believe that integration of theoretical knowledge, observation of proficient group counselor work, supervision of personal work with groups and personal experience as a group member help future group therapists to acquire skills necessary for group counseling. Personal experience can be acquired through participation in experiential groups. As it is little known of the personal experience of experiential group members, it is not sufficiently clear whether insights and opinions of these members are consistent with those emphasized in the literature about experiential groups in the training context. The aim of this research is to provide a structured description of experiences of experiential group participants in the training context: how trainees perceive experiential groups in the training context. To achieve this aim, a qualitative study strategy was employed which is particularly appropriate in cases when a research object has been little explored and results of available studies are controversial. The research was organized and carried out on the basis of the principles and requirements of thematic analysis. Students from one and the same Group Therapy training program of the Institute of Humanistic and Existential Psychology (Birštonas, Lithuania were chosen for this research. In addition to theoretical lectures, program participants went through three experiential groups that were led by experienced group counselors. The work of the group was observed by two program supervisors. Participants of the research were 8 persons aged from 29 to 48. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather research data. The participants were asked to share their experiences, mostly focusing on experiential groups. The analysis of the gathered data crystallized around 5 themes: preliminary expectations; goals of the experiential group; weakness and unsafety of the experiential group; experiential group process continuity

  14. Use of formative research and social network theory to develop a group walking intervention: Sumter County on the Move!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forthofer, Melinda; Burroughs-Girardi, Ericka; Stoisor-Olsson, Liliana; Wilcox, Sara; Sharpe, Patricia A; Pekuri, Linda M

    2016-10-01

    Although social support is a frequently cited enabler of physical activity, few studies have examined how to harness social support in interventions. This paper describes community-based formative research to design a walking program for mobilizing naturally occurring social networks to support increases in walking behavior. Focus group methods were used to engage community members in discussions about desired walking program features. The research was conducted with underserved communities in Sumter County, South Carolina. The majority of focus group participants were women (76%) and African American (92%). Several important themes emerged from the focus group results regarding attitudes toward walking, facilitators of and barriers to walking, ideal walking program characteristics, and strategies for encouraging community members to walk. Most noteably, the role of existing social networks as a supportive influence on physical activity was a recurring theme in our formative research and a gap in the existing evidence base. The resulting walking program focused on strategies for mobilizing, supporting and reinforcing existing social networks as mechanisms for increasing walking. Our approach to linking theory, empirical evidence and community-based formative research for the development of a walking intervention offers an example for practitioners developing intervention strategies for a wide range of behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Perspectives on Research Participation and Facilitation Among Dialysis Patients, Clinic Personnel, and Medical Providers: A Focus Group Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flythe, Jennifer E; Narendra, Julia H; Dorough, Adeline; Oberlander, Jonathan; Ordish, Antoinette; Wilkie, Caroline; Dember, Laura M

    2017-12-19

    Most prospective studies involving individuals receiving maintenance dialysis have been small, and many have had poor clinical translatability. Research relevance can be enhanced through stakeholder engagement. However, little is known about dialysis clinic stakeholders' perceptions of research participation and facilitation. The objective of this study was to characterize the perspectives of dialysis clinic stakeholders (patients, clinic personnel, and medical providers) on: (1) research participation by patients and (2) research facilitation by clinic personnel and medical providers. We also sought to elucidate stakeholder preferences for research communication. Qualitative study. 7 focus groups (59 participants: 8 clinic managers, 14 nurses/patient care technicians, 8 social workers/dietitians, 11 nephrologists/advanced practice providers, and 18 patients/care partners) from 7 North Carolina dialysis clinics. Clinics and participants were purposively sampled. Focus groups were recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis. We identified 11 themes that captured barriers to and facilitators of research participation by patients and research facilitation by clinic personnel and medical providers. We collapsed these themes into 4 categories to create an organizational framework for considering stakeholder (narrow research understanding, competing personal priorities, and low patient literacy and education levels), relationship (trust, buy-in, and altruistic motivations), research design (convenience, follow-up, and patient incentives), and dialysis clinic (professional demands, teamwork, and communication) aspects that may affect stakeholder interest in participating in or facilitating research. These themes appear to shape the degree of research readiness of a dialysis clinic environment. Participants preferred short research communications delivered in multiple formats. Potential selection bias and inclusion of English-speaking participants only. Our findings

  16. The Conference Proceedings of the 1998 Air Transport Research Group (ATRG) of the WCTR Society. Volume 4

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bowen, Brent D. (Editor); Oum, Tae Hoon (Editor)

    1998-01-01

    The Air Transport Research Group of the WCTR Society was formally launched as a special interest group at the 7h Triennial WCTR in Sydney, Australia in 1995. Since then, our membership base has expanded rapidly, and now includes over 400 active transportation researchers, policy-makers, industry executives, major corporations and research institutes from 28 countries. It became a tradition that the ATRG would hold an international conference at least once a year. In 1998, the ATRG organized a consecutive stream of 14 aviation sessions at the 8th Triennial WCTR Conference (July 12-17: Antwerp). Again, on 19-21 July, 1998, the ATRG Symposium was organized and executed every successfully by Dr. Aisling Reynolds-Feighan of the University College of Dublin. The Aviation Institute at the University of Nebraska at Omaha has published the Proceedings of the 1998 ATRG Dublin Symposium (being co-edited by Dr. Aisling Reynolds-Feighan and Professor Brent Bowen), and the Proceedings of the 1998 WCTR- ATRG Conference (being co-edited by Professors Tae H. Oum and Brent Bowen).

  17. Optimizing trial design in pharmacogenetics research: comparing a fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection design on sample size requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boessen, Ruud; van der Baan, Frederieke; Groenwold, Rolf; Egberts, Antoine; Klungel, Olaf; Grobbee, Diederick; Knol, Mirjam; Roes, Kit

    2013-01-01

    Two-stage clinical trial designs may be efficient in pharmacogenetics research when there is some but inconclusive evidence of effect modification by a genomic marker. Two-stage designs allow to stop early for efficacy or futility and can offer the additional opportunity to enrich the study population to a specific patient subgroup after an interim analysis. This study compared sample size requirements for fixed parallel group, group sequential, and adaptive selection designs with equal overall power and control of the family-wise type I error rate. The designs were evaluated across scenarios that defined the effect sizes in the marker positive and marker negative subgroups and the prevalence of marker positive patients in the overall study population. Effect sizes were chosen to reflect realistic planning scenarios, where at least some effect is present in the marker negative subgroup. In addition, scenarios were considered in which the assumed 'true' subgroup effects (i.e., the postulated effects) differed from those hypothesized at the planning stage. As expected, both two-stage designs generally required fewer patients than a fixed parallel group design, and the advantage increased as the difference between subgroups increased. The adaptive selection design added little further reduction in sample size, as compared with the group sequential design, when the postulated effect sizes were equal to those hypothesized at the planning stage. However, when the postulated effects deviated strongly in favor of enrichment, the comparative advantage of the adaptive selection design increased, which precisely reflects the adaptive nature of the design. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. THE USE OF FACEBOOK GROUP DISCUSSION TO IMPROVE READING STRATEGIES, AN ACTION RESEARCH

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Endang Yuliani

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The rapid development of technology influence people‘s life in many aspects including the process of teaching and learning in university, school etc. Some social medias are popular in society, one of them is Facebook. This social networking can be used for any purposes Such as interacting, marketing, publishing, learning etc. The study aims to prove whether Facebook‘s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies which are normally developed through classroom interaction. It is an action research design involving one group consisting of 37 students randomly sampled out from a population of 198 students. A plan-act-observe-reflect design of the study will be carried out in two cycles. Each cycle involves pretest, treatment and post test. Cycle 1 is undertaken to see if there is a significant difference between the pretest and post test upon treatment. The indicator of success of the treatment is that the post test outscores the pretest. If it does, then Cycle 2 will be conducted to convince the results. If the two cycles show an increase in the mean scores, it can be claimed that the method is effective. In other words, Facebook‘s group discussion can be effectively used to improve reading strategies.

  19. Nuclear decay data files of the Dosimetry Research Group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eckerman, K.F.; Westfall, R.J.; Ryman, J.C.; Cristy, M.

    1993-12-01

    This report documents the nuclear decay data files used by the Dosimetry Research Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the utility DEXRAX which provides access to the files. The files are accessed, by nuclide, to extract information on the intensities and energies of the radiations associated with spontaneous nuclear transformation of the radionuclides. In addition, beta spectral data are available for all beta-emitting nuclides. Two collections of nuclear decay data are discussed. The larger collection contains data for 838 radionuclides, which includes the 825 radionuclides assembled during the preparation of Publications 30 and 38 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and 13 additional nuclides evaluated in preparing a monograph for the Medical Internal Radiation Dose (MIRD) Committee of the Society of Nuclear Medicine. The second collection is composed of data from the MIRD monograph and contains information for 242 radionuclides. Abridged tabulations of these data have been published by the ICRP in Publication 38 and by the Society of Nuclear Medicine in a monograph entitled ''MIRD: Radionuclide Data and Decay Schemes.'' The beta spectral data reported here have not been published by either organization. Electronic copies of the files and the utility, along with this report, are available from the Radiation Shielding Information Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

  20. Group Psychotherapy in Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giannone, Francesca; Giordano, Cecilia; Di Blasi, Maria

    2015-10-01

    This article describes the history and the prevailing orientations of group psychotherapy in Italy (psychoanalytically oriented, psychodrama, CBT groups) and particularly group analysis. Provided free of charge by the Italian health system, group psychotherapy is growing, but its expansion is patchy. The main pathways of Italian training in the different group psychotherapy orientations are also presented. Clinical-theoretical elaboration on self development, psychopathology related to group experiences, and the methodological attention paid to objectives and methods in different clinical groups are issues related to group therapy in Italy. Difficulties in the relationship between research and clinical practice are discussed, as well as the empirical research network that tries to bridge the gap between research and clinical work in group psychotherapy. The economic crisis in Italy has led to massive cuts in health care and to an increasing demand for some forms of psychological treatment. For these reasons, and because of its positive cost-benefit ratio, group psychotherapy is now considered an important tool in the national health care system to expand the clinical response to different forms of psychological distress.

  1. Maatehingute arvu langus osutus suurimaks / Dea Hüvonen

    Index Scriptorium Estoniae

    Hüvonen, Dea

    2007-01-01

    BPE Kinnisvaraeksperdi uuest turuülevaatest selgub, et Eesti majanduskasvu aeglustumine on mõjutanud kinnisvarasektorit. Diagramm: Elamumaa hinnad Tallinnas ning lähiomavalitsustes 2006. a I kv - 2007. a II kv (keskmine tehinguhind, kr/m2)

  2. From research to self-reflection: learning about ourselves as academics through a support group's resistance to our intervention.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scherr, Courtney Lynam; Mattson, Marifran

    2012-01-01

    Purdue University's Center for Healthcare Engineering developed a computer-assisted technology hub (CATHUB) designed to aid individuals with disabilities. Upon realizing the lack of input from the very individuals they were trying to help, Marifran approached the developers of CATHUB and offered to engage a group of amputees to aid in the design and implementation of the hub. In this essay, Courtney and Marifran recount, each from their own perspective, their experiences working with Amputees in Action as participants in their research project. Ultimately the researchers discovered their research agenda was not compatible with the amputees' needs, resulting in enlightened self-reflection by the researchers and abandonment of the research project.

  3. Research ethics in Canada: experience of a group operating a human embryo and fetal tissue bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milos, N; Bamforth, S; Bagnall, K

    1999-04-01

    A Canadian research group is establishing a human embryo and fetal tissue bank. Its purpose is to provide researchers with frozen or fixed tissue specimens for use in protein and gene expression studies. Several legal and ethical issues have arisen, including questions about consent, use of these rare tissues, cost recovery, and profit-making. These issues are discussed here in light of the present lack of legislation in Canada. We make recommendations in these areas, and suggest that the bank's operations could legally fall under the jurisdiction of the Human Tissue Gift Act.

  4. Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rom, Maximilian; Waldert, Matthias; Schatzl, Georg; Swietek, Natalia; Shariat, Shahrokh F; Klatte, Tobias

    2014-07-01

    To evaluate the frequency of bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and detrusor overactivity (DO) in patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Our prospective urodynamics database was queried. Inclusion criteria were CRPC and an International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) ≥ 20. Exclusion criteria were previous local therapy to the prostate gland, known urethral stricture disease, and a neurological component of LUTS. Twenty-one patients were identified. Urodynamic findings were analysed and compared with those of a matched cohort of 42 patients with benign prostatic enlargement (BPE). The median age of patients in the CRPC group was 74 years, and the median prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level at the time of the urodynamic study was 90 ng/mL. According to the BOO index, three patients (14%) were obstructed, three were equivocally obstructed (14%) and 15 were unobstructed. DO was seen in 12 patients (57%). Compared with the BPE group, patients with CRPC had lower cystometric bladder capacities (P = 0.003), were less likely to have BOO (14 vs 43%, P = 0.009) and more likely to have DO (57 vs 29%, P = 0.028). This study generates the hypothesis that only a minority of CRPC patients with LUTS have BOO, and that more than half of patients have DO. LUTS in CRPC may therefore be seldom attributable to BOO, but are, at least in part, related to DO and reduced cystometric capacity. A urodynamic investigation may be necessary before palliative transurethral resection of the prostate to select appropriate candidates. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings. © 2013 The Authors. BJU International © 2013 BJU International.

  5. Web-conferencing as a viable method for group decision research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Handgraaf, M.J.J.; Milch, K.F.; Appelt, K.C.; Schuette, P.; Yoskowitz, N.A.; Weber, E.U.

    2012-01-01

    Studying group decision-making is challenging for multiple reasons. An important logistic difficulty is studying a sufficiently large number of groups, each with multiple participants. Assembling groups online could make this process easier and also provide access to group members more

  6. Healthy lifestyle: Perceptions and attitudes of students (the results of a focus group research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zh V Puzanova

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The article presents the results of the research conducted in December 2013 at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia with the method of focus groups. The study aimed at identification not only the differences in understanding healthy lifestyles among students and their attitudes to a healthy lifestyle, but also its components, obstacles for the realization and opportunities to overcome them. The focus group research was just another stage of the project aimed at studying health and healthy lifestyles as values and the characteristics of the formation and manifestation of a health-preserving behavior. Despite many opportunities to motivate a health-preserving behavior among students, we still see obstacles for its formation due to both social and cultural characteristics. The study revealed that the value of health at this stage of life is rather declarative: only a small percentage of respondents are fully aware of the necessity of a health-preserving behavior and do really adopt a healthy lifestyle. The basic factors influencing the formation of the healthy lifestyle among the youth are the family, social environment and mass media. The respondents, in particular, confirm the significant impact of their social circle on the commitment to the bad habits as well as to healthy hobbies. The main factors hindering the healthy lifestyles among students include lack of free time, welfare, Internet addiction, lack of sufficient motivation and self-organization.

  7. The Conference Proceedings of the 1997 Air Transport Research Group (ATRG) of the WCTR Society. Volume 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oum, Tae Hoon (Editor); Bowen, Brent D. (Editor)

    1997-01-01

    The UNO Aviation Institute has published the 1997 Proceedings of the Air Transport Research Group of the World Conference on Transportation Research (WCTR) Society. Items published in this three volume, seven monograph series were presented at the triennial ATRG Conference held at the University of British Columbia, June 25-27, 1997. A wide variety of policy issues are discussed including the following: open- skies agreements, liberalization, globalization, airline competition, airport performance, pricing, hubs, and safety, among others.

  8. Research on group enterprise multimedia information publishing system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhimin Dong

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available A electric power group enterprises to actively explore the innovation of enterprise culture management, making full use of modern information and communication technologies, construction of trans-regional multimedia information publishing platform. Construction of a municipal pilot units in Group region, for example, through consolidation, Office LANs, corporate networks in electric power communication network, cable TV network, realized with pictures, video, PPT, FLASH animations, WORD documents, WEB pages, video conference streams, radio, television, and other media as the carrier’s digital communications.

  9. Towards a new understanding of cohabitation: Insights from focus group research across Europe and Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brienna Perelli-Harris

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Across the industrialized world, more couples are living together without marrying. Although researchers have compared cohabitation cross-nationally using quantitative data, few have compared union formation using qualitative data. Objective: We use focus group research to compare social norms of cohabitation and marriage in Australia and nine countries in Europe. We explore questions such as: what is the meaning of cohabitation? To what extent is cohabitation indistinguishable from marriage, a prelude to marriage, or an alternative to being single? Are the meanings of cohabitation similar across countries? Methods: Collaborators conducted seven to eight focus groups in each country using a standardized guideline. They analyzed the discussions with bottom-up coding in each thematic area. They then collated the data in a standardized report. The first and second authors systematically analyzed the reports, with direct input from collaborators. Results: The results describe a specific picture of union formation in each country. However, three themes emerge in all focus groups: commitment, testing, and freedom. The pervasiveness of these concepts suggests that marriage and cohabitation have distinct meanings, with marriage representing a stronger level of commitment. Cohabitation is a way to test the relationship, and represents freedom. Nonetheless, other discourses emerged, suggesting that cohabitation has multiple meanings. Conclusions: This study illuminates how context shapes partnership formation, but also presents underlying reasons for the development of cohabitation. We find that the increase in cohabitation has not devalued the concept of marriage, but has become a way to preserve marriage as an ideal for long-term commitment.

  10. Digitization as a Method of Preservation? Final Report of a Working Group of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Association).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Hartmut; Dorr, Marianne

    The German Research Association (DFG) is actively involved in preservation of research materials; it takes the view that in preservation, the enormous potential of digitization for access should be combined with the stability of microfilm for long-term storage. A working group was convened to investigate the technical state of digitization of…

  11. Examining Data Processing Work as Part of the Scientific Data Lifecycle Comparing Practices Across Four Scientific Research Groups

    OpenAIRE

    Paine, Drew; Lee, Charlotte

    2015-01-01

    Slides from Charlotte P. Lee's presentation at the 2015 iConference on our paper "Examining Data Processing Work as Part of the Scientific Data Lifecycle: Comparing Practices Across Four Scientific Research Groups".

  12. Research program at CEBAF (III): Report of the 1987 summer study group, June 1--August 28, 1987

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkert, V.; Gross, F.; Mecking, B.; Mougey, J.; Nanda, S.; Whitney, R.

    1988-01-01

    An informal Study Group consisting of the CEBAF scientific staff and about 43 visiting scientists met during the summer of 1987 to discuss issues of importance to planning the CEBAF scientific program. The contributions to this volume grew out of these discussions, and out of additional discussion with the User community and with CEBAF's new Associate Director for Research, John Domingo, which extended into the fall of 1987. Reports of the 1985 and 1986 Summer Study Groups have been previously published by CEBAF under the title Research Programs at CEBAF (RPAC) and hence it is appropriate to refer to this volume as RPAC III. The contributions to this volume have been organized into the following six general areas reflecting the focus of principle activities during this period: High Resolution Spectrometers; Large Acceptance Spectrometer; Out-of-Plane Experiments at CEBAF; Neutron Detection at CEBAF; Illustrative Experiments and Experimental Design; and Theory

  13. Recent activities of the international Group on Research Reactors (IGORR) and of the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    West, C.D.

    1992-01-01

    The International Group on Research Reactors (IGORR) was formed in 1990 to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience among those institutions and individuals who are actively working to design, build, and promote new research reactors or to make significant upgrades to existing facilities. The Advanced Neutron Source Project expects to complete conceptual design in mid-1992. In the present design concept, the neutron source is a heavy-water-cooled, moderated, and reflected reactor of about 350 MW(f) power. (author)

  14. Teaching - methodical and research center of hydrogen power engineering and platinum group metals in the former Soviet Union countries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Evdokimov, A.A; Sigov, A.S; Shinkarenko, V.V.

    2005-01-01

    Full text: Teaching - Methodical and Research Center (TMRC) 'Sokolinaja Gora' is founded in order to provide methodical-information and scientific support of institutes of higher education in the field of hydrogen power engineering and platinum group metals in Russia and in the countries of the Former Soviet union. It is independent association of creative communities of scientist of higher educational specialists. The main directions of the Center activity are: 1. Teaching-methodological support and development of teaching in the field of hydrogen power engineering and platinum group metals in Russia in the countries of the Former Soviet Union. Themes of teaching includes the basic of safe using of hydrogen technologies and devices, ecological, economic and law aspects of new hydrogen power engineering, transition to which in 21 century is one of the central problems of mankind survival; 2. Organizing of joint researches by independent creative communities of scientists in the field of hydrogen power engineering and platinum group metal; 3. Independent scientific examination, which is made by Advisory Committee of High Technologies consisting of representatives of the countries of Former Soviet Union, which are standing participants of an Annual International Symposia 'Hydrogen Power Engineering and Platinum Group Metals in the Former Soviet Union Countries'. Structure of the Center: 1. Center of strategic development in the field of high technologies; 2. Scientific Research Institute of Hydrogen Power Engineering and Platinum Group Metals; 3. Teaching-Methodical Association in specialization 'Hydrogen Power Engineering and economics' and hydrogen wide spread training; 4. Media Center 'Hydrogen Power Engineering and Platinum Group Metals', 5. Organizational Center; 6. Administrative Center. The Center will be established step-by-step in 2005-2010 on the basis of the following programs: Teaching-methodological program. On the basis of this program it is planned to

  15. Group performance and group learning at dynamic system control tasks

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drewes, Sylvana

    2013-01-01

    Proper management of dynamic systems (e.g. cooling systems of nuclear power plants or production and warehousing) is important to ensure public safety and economic success. So far, research has provided broad evidence for systematic shortcomings in individuals' control performance of dynamic systems. This research aims to investigate whether groups manifest synergy (Larson, 2010) and outperform individuals and if so, what processes lead to these performance advantages. In three experiments - including simulations of a nuclear power plant and a business setting - I compare the control performance of three-person-groups to the average individual performance and to nominal groups (N = 105 groups per experiment). The nominal group condition captures the statistical advantage of aggregated group judgements not due to social interaction. First, results show a superior performance of groups compared to individuals. Second, a meta-analysis across all three experiments shows interaction-based process gains in dynamic control tasks: Interacting groups outperform the average individual performance as well as the nominal group performance. Third, group interaction leads to stable individual improvements of group members that exceed practice effects. In sum, these results provide the first unequivocal evidence for interaction-based performance gains of groups in dynamic control tasks and imply that employers should rely on groups to provide opportunities for individual learning and to foster dynamic system control at its best.

  16. Management and storage of spent nuclear fuel at research and test reactors. Proceedings of an advisory group meeting

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-08-01

    Irradiated fuel from research and test reactors has been stored at various facilities for several decades. As these facilities age and approach or exceed their original design lifetimes, there is mounting concern about closure of the fuel cycle and about the integrity of ageing fuels from the materials point of view as well as some concern about the loss of self-protection of the fuels as their activity decays. It is clear that an international effort is necessary to give these problems sufficient exposure and to ensure that work continues on appropriate solutions. The future of nuclear research, with its many benefits to mankind, is in jeopardy in some countries, especially countries without nuclear power programmes, because effective solutions for extended interim storage and final disposition of spent research reactor fuels are not yet available. An advisory Group meeting was convened in Vienna to consider a Database on the Management and Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel from Research and Test Reactors. Sixteen experts from sixteen different countries participated in the Advisory Group meeting and presented country reports, which together represent an overview of the technologies used in spent fuel management and storage at research and test reactors world-wide. The sixteen country reports together with the database summary are presented in this publication. Refs, figs, tabs

  17. Promoting human subjects training for place-based communities and cultural groups in environmental research: curriculum approaches for graduate student/faculty training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Quigley, Dianne

    2015-02-01

    A collaborative team of environmental sociologists, community psychologists, religious studies scholars, environmental studies/science researchers and engineers has been working together to design and implement new training in research ethics, culture and community-based approaches for place-based communities and cultural groups. The training is designed for short and semester-long graduate courses at several universities in the northeastern US. The team received a 3 year grant from the US National Science Foundation's Ethics Education in Science and Engineering in 2010. This manuscript details the curriculum topics developed that incorporate ethical principles, particularly for group protections/benefits within the field practices of environmental/engineering researchers.

  18. Social Network Analysis as an Analytic Tool for Task Group Research: A Case Study of an Interdisciplinary Community of Practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockhart, Naorah C.

    2017-01-01

    Group counselors commonly collaborate in interdisciplinary settings in health care, substance abuse, and juvenile justice. Social network analysis is a methodology rarely used in counseling research yet has potential to examine task group dynamics in new ways. This case study explores the scholarly relationships among 36 members of an…

  19. Theory Loves Practice: A Teacher Researcher Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hochtritt, Lisa; Thulson, Anne; Delaney, Rachael; Dornbush, Talya; Shay, Sarah

    2014-01-01

    Once a month, art educators from the Denver metro area have been gathering together in the spirit of inquiry to explore issues of the perceived theory and daily practice divide. The Theory Loves Practice (TLP) group was started in 2010 by Professors Rachael Delaney and Anne Thulson from Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU) and now has 40…

  20. Tidally-modulated high frequency internal waves in Gautami-Godavari estuary, East coast of India

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Sridevi, B.; Murty, T.V.R.; Sadhuram, Y.; Sarma, V.V.S.S.; Murty, V.S.N.; Prasad, K.V.S.R.

    At these modes, IW parameters viz., wave length (L), wave number (k), potential energy (PE), baroclinic potential energy (BPE) and phase speed (ci) and displacement function (n(z,t)) have been computed (with salinity and currents data) objectively...

  1. Synthesis of bio-inspired Ag–Au nanocomposite and its anti-biofilm ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Nanocomposite; biological method; anti-biofilm; SEM; TEM; XRD. 1. Introduction ... [13] and banana peel extract (BPE) [14] have been reported. ∗ ... gation at 10,000 rpm for 30 min and air-dried to obtain dry ... Further, 150 μl of ethanol.

  2. Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: acute myeloid leukemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gamis, Alan S; Alonzo, Todd A; Perentesis, John P; Meshinchi, Soheil

    2013-06-01

    For the 365 children diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in the US annually, 5-year survival for patients on COG trials with low, intermediate, and high risk disease is 83%, 62%, and 23%, respectively. Recent advances include improved therapeutic stratification, improved survival with dose intensification, and further elucidation of the heterogeneity specific to childhood AML. These discoveries now guide current strategy incorporating targeted agents to pathways specific to childhood AML as well as evaluating methods to increase the sensitivity of the leukemic stem cell, first in Phase II feasibility trials followed by Phase III efficacy trials of the most promising agents. Acute myeloid leukemia in children, though with similar subgroups to adults, remains uniquely different based upon quite different prevalence of subtypes as well as overall response to therapy. The Children's Oncology Group's research agenda builds upon earlier efforts to better elucidate the leukemogenic steps distinct to childhood AML in order to more scientifically develop and test novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment and ultimate cure for children with this disorder. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 964-971. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Invasive Species Working Group: Research Summary and Expertise Directory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jack Butler; Dean Pearson; Mee-Sook Kim

    2009-01-01

    Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) personnel have scientific expertise in widely ranging disciplines and conduct multidisciplinary research on invasive species issues with emphasis in terrestrial and aquatic habitats throughout the Interior West, Great Plains, and related areas (fig. 1; Expertise Directory; appendix). RMRS invasive species research covers an array...

  4. Group Work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Kristy J.; Brickman, Peggy; Brame, Cynthia J.

    2018-01-01

    Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics faculty are increasingly incorporating both formal and informal group work in their courses. Implementing group work can be improved by an understanding of the extensive body of educational research studies on this topic. This essay describes an online, evidence-based teaching guide published by…

  5. Geometric group theory

    CERN Document Server

    Bestvina, Mladen; Vogtmann, Karen

    2014-01-01

    Geometric group theory refers to the study of discrete groups using tools from topology, geometry, dynamics and analysis. The field is evolving very rapidly and the present volume provides an introduction to and overview of various topics which have played critical roles in this evolution. The book contains lecture notes from courses given at the Park City Math Institute on Geometric Group Theory. The institute consists of a set of intensive short courses offered by leaders in the field, designed to introduce students to exciting, current research in mathematics. These lectures do not duplicate standard courses available elsewhere. The courses begin at an introductory level suitable for graduate students and lead up to currently active topics of research. The articles in this volume include introductions to CAT(0) cube complexes and groups, to modern small cancellation theory, to isometry groups of general CAT(0) spaces, and a discussion of nilpotent genus in the context of mapping class groups and CAT(0) gro...

  6. Culture and group-based emotions? : Could group-based emotions be dialectical

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lu, M.; Hamamura, T.; Doosje, B.; Suzuki, S.; Takemura, K.

    2016-01-01

    Group-based emotions are experienced when individuals are engaged in emotion-provoking events that implicate the in-group. This research examines the complexity of group-based emotions, specifically a concurrence of positive and negative emotions, focusing on the role of dialecticism, or a set of

  7. Combining PPI with qualitative research to engage 'harder-to-reach' populations: service user groups as co-applicants on a platform study for a trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, Heather; Thomson, Gill; Crossland, Nicola; Dykes, Fiona; Hoddinott, Pat

    2016-01-01

    It is recommended that research studies are carried out with or by patients and the public through their involvement from the beginning and in as many stages as possible (known as PPI). Some studies formally invite patients and the public to participate in interviews and focused group discussions to collect views about topics (known as qualitative research). In our study on financial incentives for giving up smoking in pregnancy and breastfeeding, we combined both PPI and qualitative research to include the views of women with a range of experiences of smoking and breastfeeding. We involved two mother and baby groups in disadvantaged areas of North East Scotland and North West England as research partners on our team. First, we asked members to comment on our research plans and documents, which is standard PPI. Second, we asked members to participate in voice recorded discussions, contributing to qualitative research data. These discussions revealed different views from those that we heard through research interviews. They allowed us to develop more relevant research tools and resources. Members also helped us to identify people outside the groups who we could interview. Combining involvement and participation helped us to include the views of a wide range of women from 'harder-to-reach' groups who don't usually take part in research. This was important because the research was intended for women who could benefit from incentives to stop smoking in pregnancy and breastfeed, often present in such groups. Positive continuing relationships and trust improved on involvement or participation alone. ᅟ. Patient and public involvement (PPI) in all research studies is recommended from the earliest point and in as many stages as possible. Qualitative research is also recommended in the early stages of designing complex intervention trials. Combining both together might enable inclusion of 'harder-to-reach' perspectives from the target population(s), particularly when the

  8. Exploring the disruptive effects of psychopathy and aggression on group processes and group effectiveness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baysinger, Michael A; Scherer, Kelly T; LeBreton, James M

    2014-01-01

    The present research examines the influence of implicit and explicit personality characteristics on group process and effectiveness. Individuals from 112 groups participated in 2 problem-solving tasks and completed measures of group process and effectiveness. Results indicated that groups characterized by higher levels of psychopathy and implicit aggression tended to have more dysfunctional interactions and negative perceptions of the group. In addition, task participation and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality traits and group commitment and cohesion, and negative socioemotional behaviors fully mediated the relationship between group personality and performance on both tasks. Implications of antisocial traits for group interactions and performance, as well as for future theory and research, are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved

  9. Researcher-researched relationship in qualitative research: Shifts in positions and researcher vulnerability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Råheim, Målfrid; Magnussen, Liv Heide; Sekse, Ragnhild Johanne Tveit; Lunde, Åshild; Jacobsen, Torild; Blystad, Astrid

    2016-01-01

    The researcher role is highly debated in qualitative research. This article concerns the researcher-researched relationship. A group of health science researchers anchored in various qualitative research traditions gathered in reflective group discussions over a period of two years. Efforts to establish an anti-authoritarian relationship between researcher and researched, negotiation of who actually "rules" the research agenda, and experiences of shifts in "inferior" and "superior" knowledge positions emerged as central and intertwined themes throughout the discussions. The dual role as both insider and outsider, characteristic of qualitative approaches, seemed to lead to power relations and researcher vulnerability which manifested in tangible ways. Shifting positions and vulnerability surfaced in various ways in the projects. They nonetheless indicated a number of similar experiences which can shed light on the researcher-researched relationship. These issues could benefit from further discussion in the qualitative health research literature.

  10. The Δ a research group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maitzen, H. M.; Paunzen, E.; Pöhnl, H.; Rode-Paunzen, M.; Netopil, M.; Stütz, Ch.; Baum, H.

    2004-12-01

    We summarize of more than 25 years of research with the three filter, intermediate-band, Δ a photometric system. It investigates the flux depression at λ 5200 found in magnetic chemically peculiar (CP) objects. Starting with photoelectric measurements it has steadily developed introducing new and more efficient filters as well as the modern CCD technique. So far more than twenty papers were devoted to searching for new CP stars in our Milky Way up to distances of 5000 pc and even in the Large Magellanic Cloud. In the latter, the first extragalactic CP stars were detected. In addition, we have presented theoretical isochrones and synthetic colors from the latest available stellar atmospheres. The theoretical predictions agree very well with observations allowing not only to determine the reddening and age of open clusters from our photometry but also to investigate the flux depression at λ 5200 in more detail. As an outlook, we present a new approach to search for chemically peculiar horizontal branch stars in globular clusters and to detect stellar variability of various objects observed during our photometric observations.

  11. Diagnostic value of soluble B7-H4 and carcinoembryonic antigen in distinguishing malignant from benign pleural effusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Xiaogang; Wei, Fei; Li, Jing; Dai, Lingling; Wang, Xi; Jia, Liuqun; Wang, Huan; An, Lin; Yang, Yuanjian; Zhang, Guojun; Cheng, Zhe

    2018-03-01

    To explore the diagnostic value of joint detection of soluble B7-H4 (sB7-H4) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in identifying malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from benign pleural effusion (BPE). A total of 97 patients with pleural effusion specimens were enrolled from The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between June 2014 and December 2015. All cases were categorized into malignant pleural effusion group (n = 55) and benign pleural effusion group (n = 42) according to etiologies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was applied to examine the levels of sB7-H4 in pleural effusion and meanwhile CEA concentrations were detected by electro-chemiluminescence immunoassays. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established to assess the diagnostic value of sB7-H4 and CEA in pleural effusion. The correlation between sB7-H4 and CEA levels was analyzed by Pearson's product-moment. The concentrations of sB7-H4 and CEA in MPE exhibited obviously higher than those of BPE ([60.08 ± 35.04] vs. [27.26 ± 9.55] ng/ml, P = .000; [41.49 ± 37.16] vs. [2.41 ± 0.94] ng/ml, P = .000). The AUC area under ROC curve of sB7-H4 and CEA was 0.884 and 0.954, respectively. Two cutoff values by ROC curve analysis of sB7-H4 36.5 ng/ml and CEA 4.18 ng/ml were obtained, with a corresponding sensitivity (81.82%, 87.28%), specificity (90.48%, 95.24%), accuracy (85.57%, 90.72%), positive predictive value (PPV) (91.84%, 96.0%), negative predictive value (NPV) (79.17%, 85.11%), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) (8.614, 18.327), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) (0.201, 0.134). When sB7-H4 and CEA were combined to detect pleural effusion, it obtained a higher sensitivity 90.91% and specificity 97.62%. Furthermore, correlation analysis result showed that the level of sB7-H4 was correlated with CEA level (r = .770, P = .000). sB7-H4 was a potentially valuable tumor marker in the differentiation between BPE and MPE. The combined detection of sB7-H4 and

  12. Inclusion of underserved racial and ethnic groups in cancer intervention research using new media: a systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Hayley S; Shelton, Rachel C; Mitchell, Jamie; Eaton, Tara; Valera, Pamela; Katz, Anne

    2013-12-01

    An increasing number of behavioral and psychosocial cancer interventions incorporate new media elements that are digital, networked, and interactive. However, it is unclear to what extent new media is being leveraged to benefit underserved racial and ethnic groups who disproportionately bear the burden of cancer. This inquiry is timely in light of growing evidence that these groups are receptive to new media. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the inclusion of these groups in research on cancer-related new media interventions and use of new media to reduce racial and ethnic cancer disparities. A systematic search of three databases was conducted for articles published between January 2000 and March 2012 that presented studies of user experience with a behavioral or psychosocial cancer-related intervention with at least one new media component. Thirty-six articles were included in the final review. In about one-quarter of the studies, less than 20% of participants were African American, Latino, Asian American, or American Indian. In less than 10% of the studies, 80% or more of the samples were members of the aforementioned groups. Almost one-third of the studies reviewed were categorized as disparity focused but limited data were available on racial and ethnic differences in responses to new media interventions. Findings suggest that the promise and potential of new media cancer interventions are largely unrealized among the underserved. Additional research is needed to investigate a wide range of issues related to the development and delivery of such interventions in diverse racial and ethnic groups.

  13. CLASSIFICATION OF CRIMINAL GROUPS

    OpenAIRE

    Natalia Romanova

    2013-01-01

    New types of criminal groups are emerging in modern society.  These types have their special criminal subculture. The research objective is to develop new parameters of classification of modern criminal groups, create a new typology of criminal groups and identify some features of their subculture. Research methodology is based on the system approach that includes using the method of analysis of documentary sources (materials of a criminal case), method of conversations with themembers of the...

  14. Structural optimization of interpenetrated pillared-layer coordination polymers for ethylene/ethane separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kishida, Keisuke; Horike, Satoshi; Watanabe, Yoshihiro; Tahara, Mina; Inubushi, Yasutaka; Kitagawa, Susumu

    2014-06-01

    With the goal of achieving effective ethylene/ethane separation, we evaluated the gas sorption properties of four pillared-layer-type porous coordination polymers with double interpenetration, [Zn2(tp)2(bpy)]n (1), [Zn2(fm)2(bpe)]n (2), [Zn2(fm)2(bpa)]n (3), and [Zn2(fm)2(bpy)]n (4) (tp = terephthalate, bpy = 4,4'-bipyridyl, fm = fumarate, bpe = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene and bpa = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethane). It was found that 4, which contains the narrowest pores of all of these compounds, exhibited ethylene-selective sorption profiles. The ethylene selectivity of 4 was estimated to be 4.6 at 298 K based on breakthrough experiments using ethylene/ethane gas mixtures. In addition, 4 exhibited a good regeneration ability compared with a conventional porous material. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Standing in the middle: Insider/outsider positionality while conducting qualitative research with opposing military veteran political groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    David Flores

    2018-01-01

    This case study describes the process and challenges of conducting qualitative research on two opposing military veteran political groups: Iraq Veterans Against the War and Vets for Freedom. The discussion is based on a dissertation project that compelled me to reflect on my simultaneous "insider" status as a military veteran and "outsider" status...

  16. Development of a one-group cross section data base of the ORIGEN2 computer code for research reactor applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Jung Do; Gil, Choong Sub; Lee, Jong Tai [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Hwang, Won Guk [Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1992-03-01

    A one-group cross section data base of the ORIGEN2 computer code was developed for research reactor applications. For this, ENDF/B-IV and -V data were processed using the NJOY code system into 69-group data. The burnup dependent weighting spectra for KMRR were calculated with the WIMS-KAERI computer code, and then the 69-group data were collapsed to one-group using the spectra. The ORlGEN2-predicted burnup-dependent actinide compositions of KMRR spent fuel using the newly developed data base show a good agreement with the results of detailed multigroup transport calculation. In addition, the burnup characteristics of KMRR spent fuel was analyzed with the new data base. (Author).

  17. Development of a one-group cross section data base of the ORIGEN2 computer code for research reactor applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jung Do; Gil, Choong Sub; Lee, Jong Tai; Hwang, Won Guk

    1992-01-01

    A one-group cross section data base of the ORIGEN2 computer code was developed for research reactor applications. For this, ENDF/B-IV and -V data were processed using the NJOY code system into 69-group data. The burnup dependent weighting spectra for KMRR were calculated with the WIMS-KAERI computer code, and then the 69-group data were collapsed to one-group using the spectra. The ORlGEN2-predicted burnup-dependent actinide compositions of KMRR spent fuel using the newly developed data base show a good agreement with the results of detailed multigroup transport calculation. In addition, the burnup characteristics of KMRR spent fuel was analyzed with the new data base. (Author)

  18. The Visual Matrix Method: Imagery and Affect in a Group-Based Research Setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lynn Froggett

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The visual matrix is a method for researching shared experience, stimulated by sensory material relevant to a research question. It is led by imagery, visualization and affect, which in the matrix take precedence over discourse. The method enables the symbolization of imaginative and emotional material, which might not otherwise be articulated and allows "unthought" dimensions of experience to emerge into consciousness in a participatory setting. We describe the process of the matrix with reference to the study "Public Art and Civic Engagement" (FROGGETT, MANLEY, ROY, PRIOR & DOHERTY, 2014 in which it was developed and tested. Subsequently, examples of its use in other contexts are provided. Both the matrix and post-matrix discussions are described, as is the interpretive process that follows. Theoretical sources are highlighted: its origins in social dreaming; the atemporal, associative nature of the thinking during and after the matrix which we describe through the Deleuzian idea of the rhizome; and the hermeneutic analysis which draws from object relations theory and the Lorenzerian tradition of scenic understanding. The matrix has been conceptualized as a "scenic rhizome" to account for its distinctive quality and hybrid origins in research practice. The scenic rhizome operates as a "third" between participants and the "objects" of contemplation. We suggest that some of the drawbacks of other group-based methods are avoided in the visual matrix—namely the tendency for inter-personal dynamics to dominate the event. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs150369

  19. A Novel Supercapacitor/Lithium-Ion Hybrid Energy System with a Fuzzy Logic-Controlled Fast Charging and Intelligent Energy Management System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Adil Khan

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The electric powered wheelchair (EPW is an essential assistive tool for people with serious injuries or disability. This manuscript describes the validation of applied research for reducing the charging time of an electric wheelchair using a hybrid electric system (HES composed of a supercapacitor (SC bank and a lithium-ion battery with a fuzzy logic controller (FLC-based fast charging system for Li-ion batteries and a fuzzy logic-based intelligent energy management system (FLIEMS for controlling the power flow within the HES. The fast charging FLC was designed to drive the voltage difference (Vd among the different cells of a multi-cell battery and the cell voltage (Vc of an individual cell. These parameters (voltage difference and cell voltage were used as input voltages to reduce the charge time and activate a bypass equalization (BPE scheme. BPE was introduced in this paper so that the battery operates within the safe voltage range. For SC/Li-ion HES, the FLIEMS presented in this paper controls the bi-directional power flow to smooth the power extracted from Li-ion batteries. Moreover, a dual active bridge isolated bidirectional DC converter (DAB-IBDC was used for power conversion. The DAB-IBDC presented in this paper has the characteristics of galvanic isolation, and high power conversion efficiency compared to the conventional converter circuits due to the reduced reverse power flow and current stresses.

  20. On the Question of Methodological Support of Research on Relationships of Interpersonal Significance in Kindergarten Groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iliyn V.A.

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper focuses on the importance of in-depth research (in particular, employing an algorithm developed by M.Yu. Kondratyev for defining integral status of an individual on child-child interpersonal relationship in kindergarten groups. Although relationships with significant adults are by all means essential for preschool children, interpersonal relation- ships on the child-child level to a great extent shape the content of the social situation of development in general. Still, when it comes to revealing status and role position of the child in the structure of interpersonal relationships within the kindergarten group, there’s the challenge of defining informal intragroup structure of power in contact community (due to the age specifics. The paper suggests how this challenge may be addressed and provides a version of the technique suitable for preschoolers that helps overcome age restrictions implied by the original technique. Also, the paper reports on the outcomes of approbation of this version which proved its heuristic nature. For instance, the outcomes show a high degree of correlation between the results of kindergarten group members ranking in accordance with their influence upon peers carried out by teachers working in these groups.

  1. Coligand-regulated assembly, fluorescence, and magnetic properties of Co(II) and Cd(II) complexes with a non-coplanar dicarboxylate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xin, Ling-Yun; Liu, Guang-Zhen; Ma, Lu-Fang; Wang, Li-Ya

    2013-01-01

    A non-coplanar dicarboxylate ndca (H 2 ndca=5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid), combining with various dipyridyl-typed tectons, constructs six Cd(II)/Co(II) coordination polymers under hydrothermal conditions, namely [Co(ndca)(H 2 O)] n (1), ([Co(ndca)(bpe)(H 2 O)]·H 2 O) n (2), [Co(ndca)(bpa) 0.5 (H 2 O)] n (3), [Cd(ndca)(bpe)(H 2 O)] n (4), ([Cd(ndca)(bpa)(H 2 O)]·0.5H 2 O) n (5), and ([Cd(ndca)(bpp) (H 2 O)]·H 2 O) n (6) (bpe=1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, bpa=1,2-bi(4-pyridyl)ethane, and bpp=1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane). All these compounds contain various metal(II)–carboxylate motifs, including carboxylate binuclear (2, 4, 5), carboxylate chain (1, 6) and carboxylate layer (3), which are further extended by dipyridyl-typed coligands to afford a vast diversity of the structures with 2D pyknotic layers (1, 6), 2D open layer (5), 2D→3D interpenetrated networks (2,4), and 3D pillared-layer framework (3), respectively. In addition, fluorescent spectra of Cd(II) complexes and magnetic properties of Co(II) complexes are also given. - Graphical abstract: Six various cadmium(II)/cobalt(II)–organic frameworks were constructed by 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid and different bis(pyridine) rod-like tectons, and Cd (II) complexes exhibit blue–violet emissions, whereas Co (II) complexes show antiferromagnetic behaviours. Display Omitted

  2. Lower urinary tract symptoms are associated with low levels of serum serotonin, high levels of adiponectin and fasting glucose, and benign prostatic enlargement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haghsheno, Mohammad-Ali; Mellström, Dan; Peeker, Ralph; Hammarsten, Jan; Lorentzon, Mattias; Sundh, Valter; Karlsson, Magnus; Ohlsson, Claes; Damber, Jan-Erik

    2015-04-01

    The aim of this study was to test whether lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and urinary incontinence are associated with the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The association between LUTS and benign prostatic enlargement (BPE) was also investigated. A cross-sectional, representative risk factor analysis of LUTS, as measured by the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), and urinary incontinence was conducted. Among 950 representative individuals, aged 69-81 years, the association between clinical, anthropometric, endocrine, metabolic and inflammatory factors on the one hand, as both major and minor aspects of MetS, and LUTS and urinary incontinence, on the other hand, was analysed. The prostate gland volume was measured in a subgroup of 155 randomly selected individuals and the association between LUTS and BPE was estimated. No significant association was found between LUTS or urinary incontinence and the major aspects of the MetS. However, in a multivariate analysis, serum serotonin showed an independent negative correlation with LUTS and with urinary incontinence while fasting serum glucose and serum adiponectin showed a positive correlation with LUTS. Furthermore, in a subgroup of 155 individuals, the prostate gland volume correlated positively with LUTS. The study did not show an association between LUTS or urinary incontinence and the major components of the MetS. However, serum serotonin showed an independent negative correlation with LUTS and with urinary incontinence while fasting serum glucose and serum adiponectin showed a positive correlation with LUTS. The data confirm the general knowledge that BPE may be one of the causative factors of LUTS.

  3. Integrating Research, Theory-Building, Training, and Practice in CBT Group Therapy for Children and Adolescents with anxiety

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thastum, Mikael

    This presentation will describe how the model developed in Esben Hougaard's Adult CBT Therapy Program at Aarhus University - which integrates research, theory-building, training, and practice - has beenadapted to work with children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and their parents. The res......This presentation will describe how the model developed in Esben Hougaard's Adult CBT Therapy Program at Aarhus University - which integrates research, theory-building, training, and practice - has beenadapted to work with children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and their parents....... The resulting Youth CBT Therapy Program at Aarhus is organized around a short-term, 10-session, evidence-based, manualized, family-based, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) group program, called "Cool Kids" for children and "Chilled Adolescents" for adolescents, and derived from Ronald Rapee's work in Australia....... A distinctive aspect of the work of the Youth CBT Therapy Program is their incorporation of a case-study perspective into a series of group designs, including:(a) a randomized treatment vs. waitlist-control efficacy study (n=120); (b) an open, naturalistic effectiveness study of the program in two mental health...

  4. Groups, graphs and random walks

    CERN Document Server

    Salvatori, Maura; Sava-Huss, Ecaterina

    2017-01-01

    An accessible and panoramic account of the theory of random walks on groups and graphs, stressing the strong connections of the theory with other branches of mathematics, including geometric and combinatorial group theory, potential analysis, and theoretical computer science. This volume brings together original surveys and research-expository papers from renowned and leading experts, many of whom spoke at the workshop 'Groups, Graphs and Random Walks' celebrating the sixtieth birthday of Wolfgang Woess in Cortona, Italy. Topics include: growth and amenability of groups; Schrödinger operators and symbolic dynamics; ergodic theorems; Thompson's group F; Poisson boundaries; probability theory on buildings and groups of Lie type; structure trees for edge cuts in networks; and mathematical crystallography. In what is currently a fast-growing area of mathematics, this book provides an up-to-date and valuable reference for both researchers and graduate students, from which future research activities will undoubted...

  5. Management of prostate enlargement with acute urinary retention: Diode laser vaporization in combination with bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kai-Yi Tzou

    2016-03-01

    Conclusion: DV + bTURP is comparable with monopolar TURP for relieving acute urinary retention in men with BPE in terms of complications and functional outcomes. The combined technique can provide better intraoperative hemostasis and shorter catheterization time, with no significant postoperative irritative symptoms.

  6. Sustaining exercise participation through group cohesion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estabrooks, P A

    2000-04-01

    The general hypothesis to be examined by this article is that increased group cohesion leads to an increase in adherence to an exercise program over time. Although preliminary research is promising, there is a need for further research aimed at examining the model of group development in exercise classes, the impact of group cohesion on both group and individual exercise behavior, and the measurement of group cohesion.

  7. What Is a Group? Young Children's Perceptions of Different Types of Groups and Group Entitativity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Plötner

    Full Text Available To date, developmental research on groups has focused mainly on in-group biases and intergroup relations. However, little is known about children's general understanding of social groups and their perceptions of different forms of group. In this study, 5- to 6-year-old children were asked to evaluate prototypes of four key types of groups: an intimacy group (friends, a task group (people who are collaborating, a social category (people who look alike, and a loose association (people who coincidently meet at a tram stop. In line with previous work with adults, the vast majority of children perceived the intimacy group, task group, and social category, but not the loose association, to possess entitativity, that is, to be a 'real group.' In addition, children evaluated group member properties, social relations, and social obligations differently in each type of group, demonstrating that young children are able to distinguish between different types of in-group relations. The origins of the general group typology used by adults thus appear early in development. These findings contribute to our knowledge about children's intuitive understanding of groups and group members' behavior.

  8. Research of the origin of a particular Tunisian group using a physical marker and Alu insertion polymorphisms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wifak El Moncer

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to show how, in some particular circumstances, a physical marker can be used along with molecular markers in the research of an ancient people movement. A set of five Alu insertions was analysed in 42 subjects from a particular Tunisian group (El Hamma that has, unlike most of the Tunisian population, a very dark skin, similar to that of sub-Saharans, and in 114 Tunisian subjects (Gabes sample from the same governorate, but outside the group. Our results showed that the El Hamma group is genetically midway between sub-Saharan populations and North Africans, whereas the Gabes sample is clustered among North Africans. In addition, The A25 Alu insertion, considered characteristic to sub-Saharan Africans, was present in the El Hamma group at a relatively high frequency. This frequency was similar to that found in sub-Saharans from Nigeria, but significantly different from those found in the Gabes sample and in other North African populations. Our molecular results, consistent with the skin color status, suggest a sub-Saharan origin of this particular Tunisian group.

  9. Stimulating high impact HIV-related cardiovascular research: recommendations from a multidisciplinary NHLBI Working Group on HIV-related heart, lung, and blood disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Monica R; Cook, Nakela; Wong, Renee; Hsue, Priscilla; Ridker, Paul; Currier, Judith; Shurin, Susan

    2015-02-24

    The clinical challenges confronting patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have shifted from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related illnesses to chronic diseases, such as coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, and chronic anemia. With the growing burden of HIV-related heart, lung, and blood (HLB) disease, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recognizes it must stimulate and support HIV-related HLB research. Because HIV offers a natural, accelerated model of common pathological processes, such as inflammation, HIV-related HLB research may yield important breakthroughs for all patients with HLB disease. This paper summarizes the cardiovascular recommendations of an NHLBI Working Group, Advancing HIV/AIDS Research in Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases, charged with identifying scientific priorities in HIV-related HLB disease and developing recommendations to promote multidisciplinary collaboration among HIV and HLB investigators. The working group included multidisciplinary sessions, as well as HLB breakout sessions for discussion of disease-specific issues, with common themes about scientific priorities and strategies to stimulate HLB research emerging in all 3 groups. Copyright © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (16th, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, November 5-8, 1994). Volume 1: Plenary Sessions, Technology Focus Groups, Discussion Groups and Research Papers, Oral Reports and Posters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirshner, David, Ed.

    This volume contains the full text of 2 plenary papers and 26 research reports. In addition, brief, usually one-page, reports are provided for 6 discussion groups, 10 technology focus groups, 7 symposiums, 7 oral presentations, and 17 position sessions. The two full plenary reports are: (1) "Problems of Reification: Representations and…

  11. Fuel safety research 1999

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uetsuka, Hiroshi (ed.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    2000-07-01

    In April 1999, the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory was newly established as a result of reorganization of the Nuclear Safety Research Center, JAERI. The laboratory was organized by combining three laboratories, the Reactivity Accident Laboratory, the Fuel Reliability Laboratory, and a part of the Sever Accident Research Laboratory. Consequently, the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory is now in charge of all the fuel safety research in JAERI. Various types of experimental and analytical researches are conducted in the laboratory by using the unique facilities such as the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR), the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR), the Japan Research Reactor 3 (JRR-3) and hot cells in JAERI. The laboratory consists of five research groups corresponding to each research fields. They are; (a) Research group of fuel behavior under the reactivity initiated accident conditions (RIA group). (b) Research group of fuel behavior under the loss-of-coolant accident conditions (LOCA group). (c) Research group of fuel behavior under the normal operation conditions (JMTR/BOCA group). (d) Research group of fuel behavior analysis (FEMAXI group). (e) Research group of FP release/transport behavior from irradiated fuel (VEGA group). This report summarizes the outline of research activities and major outcomes of the research executed in 1999 in the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory. (author)

  12. Is self-esteem predictor of in-group bias and out-group discrimination?

    OpenAIRE

    Jelić, Margareta

    2009-01-01

    Previous research has found that, in cases of intergroup conflict, people are likely to evaluate their groups more positively than the groups they do not belong to, but are also more ready to derogate the out-group. Two important factors need to be taken into consideration to explain these processes: self-esteem and group status. We explored the role of personal and social self-esteem in predicting in-group bias and out-group discrimination on two conflicted ethnic groups living in Vukovar. C...

  13. Transactive memory in organizational groups: the effects of content, consensus, specialization, and accuracy on group performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Austin, John R

    2003-10-01

    Previous research on transactive memory has found a positive relationship between transactive memory system development and group performance in single project laboratory and ad hoc groups. Closely related research on shared mental models and expertise recognition supports these findings. In this study, the author examined the relationship between transactive memory systems and performance in mature, continuing groups. A group's transactive memory system, measured as a combination of knowledge stock, knowledge specialization, transactive memory consensus, and transactive memory accuracy, is positively related to group goal performance, external group evaluations, and internal group evaluations. The positive relationship with group performance was found to hold for both task and external relationship transactive memory systems.

  14. The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) Working Group: 15 years of collaborative focal species research and management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simons, Theodore R.

    2017-01-01

    The American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) Working Group formed spontaneously in 2001 as coastal waterbird biologists recognized the potential for American Oystercatchers to serve as focal species for collaborative research and management. Accomplishments over the past 15 years include the establishment of rangewide surveys, color-banding protocols, mark-resight studies, a revision of the Birds of North America species account, and new mechanisms for sharing ideas and data. Collaborations among State, Federal, and private sector scientists, natural resource managers, and dedicated volunteers have provided insights into the biology and conservation of American Oystercatchers in the United States and abroad that would not have been possible without the relationships formed through the Working Group. These accomplishments illustrate how broad collaborative approaches and the engagement of the public are key elements of effective shorebird conservation programs.

  15. Group Composition of Cooperative Learning: Does Heterogeneous Grouping Work in Asian Classrooms?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thanh, Pham Thi Hong; Gillies, Robyn

    2010-01-01

    Constructing an appropriate group is important to teamwork success. Although, heterogeneous grouping is widely recommended in Western countries, this method of grouping is questioned in Asian classrooms because Asian and Western students have different cultures of learning. Unfortunately, this issue has not been addressed in any research to date.…

  16. The research group, the conference programme and academic training in safety promotion - a report of the activities at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hörte, Lars-Gunnar; Jansson, Bjarne; Svanström, Leif

    2012-01-01

    The research group was established in 1967 at Lund University and moved to Karolinska Institutet in 1980. Work began with epidemiological studies of all injuries in the local community in support of various experimental local interventions. An important element was the creation of 'surveillance systems' in healthcare. The work resulted in the establishment of a WHO Collaborating Centre and an international safety-building programme called 'Safe Communities'. In parallel, training at both master's and doctoral level and the building of a conference programme were embarked upon. The research group consists of three sections. Specific efforts are being made by some countries to address their own injury problems.

  17. Crystal structure of a two-dimensional grid-type iron(II coordination polymer: poly[[diaquatetra-μ-cyanido-diargentate(Iiron(II] trans-1,2-bis(pyridin-2-ylethylene disolvate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jintana Othong

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In the title compound, {[Ag2Fe(CN4(H2O2]·2C12H10N2}n, the asymmetric unit contains one FeII cation, two water molecules, two dicyanidoargentate(I anions and two uncoordinating 1,2-bis(pyridin-2-ylethylene (2,2′-bpe molecules. Each FeII atom is six-coordinated in a nearly regular octahedral geometry by four N atoms from dicyanidoargentate(I bridges and two coordinating water molecules. The FeII atoms are bridged by dicyanidoargentate(I units to give a two-dimensional layer with square-grid spaces. The intergrid spaces with interlayer distance of 6.550 (2 Å are occupied by 2,2′-bpe guest molecules which form O—H...N hydrogen bonds to the host layers. This leads to an extended three-dimensional supramolecular architecture. The structure of the title compound is compared with some related compounds containing dicyanidoargentate(I ligands and N-donor organic co-ligands.

  18. Anisotropic Metal Deposition on TiO2 Particles by Electric-Field-Induced Charge Separation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiewcharoen, Supakit; Warakulwit, Chompunuch; Lapeyre, Veronique; Garrigue, Patrick; Fourier, Lucas; Elissalde, Catherine; Buffière, Sonia; Legros, Philippe; Gayot, Marion; Limtrakul, Jumras; Kuhn, Alexander

    2017-09-11

    Deposition of metals on TiO 2 semiconductor particles (M-TiO 2 ) results in hybrid Janus objects combining the properties of both materials. One of the techniques proposed to generate Janus particles is bipolar electrochemistry (BPE). The concept can be applied in a straightforward way for the site-selective modification of conducting particles, but is much less obvious to use for semiconductors. Herein we report the bulk synthesis of anisotropic M-TiO 2 particles based on the synergy of BPE and photochemistry, allowing the intrinsic limitations, when they are used separately, to be overcome. When applying electric fields during irradiation, electrons and holes can be efficiently separated, thus breaking the symmetry of particles by modifying them selectively and in a wireless way on one side with either gold or platinum. Such hybrid materials are an important first step towards high-performance designer catalyst particles, for example for photosplitting of water. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. N-donor co-ligands driven two new Co(II)- coordination polymers with bi- and trinuclear units: Crystal structures, and magnetic properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhi-Hang; Han, Min-Le; Wu, Ya-Pan; Dong, Wen-Wen; Li, Dong-Sheng; Lu, Jack Y.

    2016-10-01

    Two new Co(II) coordination polymers(CPs), namely [Co2(bpe)2(Hbppc)]n (1) and [Co3(μ3-OH)(bppc)(bpm)(H2O)]·3H2O (2) (H5bppc=biphenyl-2,4,6,3‧,5‧-pentacarboxylic acid, bpe=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethene, bpm=bis(4-pyridyl)amine), have been obtained and characterized by elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), IR spectra and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). 1 shows a binodal (4,6)-connected fsc net with a (44·610·8)(44·62) topology, while 2 shows a binodal (5,7)-connected 3D network based on trinuclear [Co3(μ3-OH)]5+ units with unusual (3.46.52.6)(32.46.57.65.7) topology. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements reveals that complex 1 shows ferromagnetic interactions between the adjacent Co(II) ions, whereas 2 is a antiferromagnetic system.

  20. U.S.-GERMAN BILATERAL WORKING GROUP: International Research Cooperation to Develop and Evaluate Tools and Techniques for Revitalization of Potentially Contaminated Sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. German Bilateral Working Group originated in 1990 in order to share and transfer information, ideas, tools and techniques regarding environmental research. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/Office of Research and Development (ORD) and the German Federal Mini...

  1. What Is a Group? Young Children’s Perceptions of Different Types of Groups and Group Entitativity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plötner, Maria; Over, Harriet; Carpenter, Malinda; Tomasello, Michael

    2016-01-01

    To date, developmental research on groups has focused mainly on in-group biases and intergroup relations. However, little is known about children’s general understanding of social groups and their perceptions of different forms of group. In this study, 5- to 6-year-old children were asked to evaluate prototypes of four key types of groups: an intimacy group (friends), a task group (people who are collaborating), a social category (people who look alike), and a loose association (people who coincidently meet at a tram stop). In line with previous work with adults, the vast majority of children perceived the intimacy group, task group, and social category, but not the loose association, to possess entitativity, that is, to be a ‘real group.’ In addition, children evaluated group member properties, social relations, and social obligations differently in each type of group, demonstrating that young children are able to distinguish between different types of in-group relations. The origins of the general group typology used by adults thus appear early in development. These findings contribute to our knowledge about children's intuitive understanding of groups and group members' behavior. PMID:27010484

  2. Smoking Cessation among Low-Socioeconomic Status and Disadvantaged Population Groups: A Systematic Review of Research Output

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ryan J. Courtney

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Smoking cessation research output should move beyond descriptive research of the health problem to testing interventions that can provide causal data and effective evidence-based solutions. This review examined the number and type of published smoking cessation studies conducted in low-socioeconomic status (low-SES and disadvantaged population groups. Methods: A systematic database search was conducted for two time periods: 2000–2004 (TP1 and 2008–2012 (TP2. Publications that examined smoking cessation in a low-SES or disadvantaged population were coded by: population of interest; study type (reviews, non-data based publications, data-based publications (descriptive, measurement and intervention research; and country. Intervention studies were coded in accordance with the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care data collection checklist and use of biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence was assessed. Results: 278 citations were included. Research output (i.e., all study types had increased from TP1 27% to TP2 73% (χ² = 73.13, p < 0.001, however, the proportion of data-based research had not significantly increased from TP1 and TP2: descriptive (TP1 = 23% vs. TP2 = 33% or intervention (TP1 = 77% vs. TP2 = 67%. The proportion of intervention studies adopting biochemical verification of self-reported abstinence had significantly decreased from TP1 to TP2 with an increased reliance on self-reported abstinence (TP1 = 12% vs. TP2 = 36%. Conclusions: The current research output is not ideal or optimal to decrease smoking rates. Research institutions, scholars and funding organisations should take heed to review findings when developing future research and policy.

  3. Research on same-gender grouping in eighth-grade science classrooms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friend, Jennifer Ingrid

    This study examined two hypotheses related to same-gender grouping of eighth-grade science classes in a public middle-school setting in suburban Kansas City. The first hypothesis, male and female students enrolled in same-gender eighth-grade science classes demonstrate more positive science academic achievement than their male and female peers enrolled in mixed-gender science classes. The second hypothesis, same-gender grouping of students in eighth-grade science has a positive effect on classroom climate. The participants in this study were randomly assigned to class sections of eighth-grade science. The first experimental group was an eighth-grade science class of all-male students (n = 20) taught by a male science teacher. The control group used for comparison to the male same-gender class consisted of the male students (n = 42) in the coeducational eighth-grade science classes taught by the same male teacher. The second experimental group was an eighth-grade science class of all-female students (n = 23) taught by a female science teacher. The control group for the female same-gender class consisted of female students (n = 61) in the coeducational eighth-grade science classes taught by the same female teacher. The male teacher and the female teacher did not vary instruction for the same-gender and mixed-gender classes. Science academic achievement was measured for both groups through a quantitative analysis using grades on science classroom assessment and overall science course grades. Classroom climate was measured through qualitative observations and through qualitative and quantitative analysis of a twenty-question student survey administered at the end of each trimester grading period. The results of this study did not indicate support for either hypothesis. Data led to the conclusions that same-gender grouping did not produce significant differences in student science academic achievement, and that same-gender classes did not create a more positive

  4. Review: Ralf Bohnsack, Aglaja Przyborski & Burkhard Schäffer (Eds. (2010. Das Gruppendiskussionsverfahren in der Forschungspraxis [The Group Discussion Technique in Research Practice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Schmidt-Pfister

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available This edited volume comprises a range of studies that have employed a group discussion technique in combination with a specific strategy for reconstructive social research—the so-called documentary method. The latter is an empirical research strategy based on the meta-theoretical premises of the praxeological sociology of knowledge, as developed by Ralf BOHNSACK. It seeks to access practice in a more appropriate manner, namely by differentiating between various dimensions of knowledge and sociality. It holds that habitual collective orientations, in particular, are best accessed through group discussions. Thus this book does not address the group discussion technique in general, as might be expected from the title. Instead, it presents various contributions from researchers interpreting transcripts of group discussions according to the documentary method. The chapters are grouped into three main sections, representing different frameworks of practice and habitual orientation: childhood, adolescence, and organizational or societal context. A fourth section includes chapters on further, potentially useful ways of employing this particular technique and approach, as well as a chapter on teaching it in a meaningful way. Each chapter is structured in the same way: introduction to the research field and focus; methodological discussion; exemplary interpretation of group discussions; and concluding remarks. Whilst the transcripts referred to by the authors are very helpfully presented in the chapters, there is a lack of methodological reflection on the group discussion technique itself, which, as mentioned above, is only evaluated in regard to the documentary method. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs110225

  5. FAR Research Project: What do we know about group audits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hanes Downey, Denise; Gold, A.H.

    Despite concerns about the quality of group audits, recently raised by practice, inspectors, regulators, and standard setters, only a limited number of academic studies have specifically examined these engagements to date. This paper first describes some of the concerns about group audits to explain

  6. A temática do desenvolvimento sustentável em grupos de pesquisa The sustainable development thematic in the research groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Cristina Piumbato Innocentini Hayashi

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available A inovação tecnológica trouxe para o debate a questão do desenvolvimento tecnológico sustentável. O artigo apresenta um conjunto de reflexões teóricas sobre os temas ciência,tecnologia e desenvolvimento sustentável e aponta as contribuições da Ciência da Informação, enquanto ciência interdisciplinar, para a compreensão do desenvolvimento sustentável. Com base neste referencial foi realizada uma investigação, de natureza exploratória descritiva comabordagem quanti-qualitativa, tendo como objetivo principal identificar a presença da temática do desenvolvimento sustentável em grupos de pesquisa da UFSCar cadastrados noDiretório de Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil/CNPq. Os resultados apontaram que a temática do desenvolvimento sustentável está presente em onze grupos de pesquisa da UFSCar distribuídas em diferentes áreas de conhecimento. Comparando os dados obtidos com os grupos de pesquisa do país que participaram do Censo 2004 do Diretório de Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil/CNPq verificou-se que há similaridade entre ambos os achados. De acordo com a literatura científica, confirma-se que a temática do desenvolvimento sustentável é interdisciplinar e que a produção de conhecimento dos grupos de pesquisa é fruto de saberesarticulados entre várias áreas do conhecimento.The technological innovation brought for the debate the question of the sustainable technological development. The article presents an entirety of theoretical reflections on the science, technology and sustainable development themes and to aim the contributions of the Information Science, while interdisciplinary science, with respect to the understanding of the sustainable development. With basis in this reference it was carried through the investigation of descriptive exploratory nature with quanti-qualitative boarding, having as main objective to identify the presence of the sustainable development thematic in research groups of the UFSCar

  7. Fuel safety research 2000

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uetsuka, Hiroshi (ed.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    2001-03-01

    In April 1999, the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory was newly established as a part of reorganization of the Nuclear Safety Research Center, JAERI. The new laboratory was organized by combining three pre-existing laboratories, Reactivity Accident Laboratory, Fuel Reliability Laboratory, and a part of Severe Accident Research Laboratory. The Fuel Safety Research Laboratory becomes to be in charge of all fuel safety research in JAERI. Various experimental and analytical researches are conducted in the laboratory by using the unique facilities such as the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR), the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR), the Japan Research Reactor 3 (JRR-3) and hot cells in JAERI. The laboratory consists of following five research groups corresponding to each research fields; (a) Research group of fuel behavior under the reactivity initiated accident conditions (RIA group). (b) Research group of fuel behavior under the loss-of-coolant accident conditions (LOCA group). (c) Research group of fuel behavior under the normal operation conditions (JMTR/BOCA group). (d) Research group of fuel behavior analysis (FEMAXI group). (e) Research group of FP release/transport behavior from irradiated fuel (VEGA group). The research activities in year 2000 produced many important data and information. They are, for example, failure of high burnup BWR fuel rod under RIA conditions, data on the behavior of hydrided Zircaloy cladding under LOCA conditions and FP release data from VEGA experiments at very high temperature/pressure condition. This report summarizes the outline of research activities and major outcomes of the research executed in 2000 in the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory. (author)

  8. Symposium by NATO Defense Research Group Panel VIII on Computer-Based Instruction in Military Environments

    CERN Document Server

    Weddle, Peter

    1987-01-01

    This collection of papers is the result of a symposium sponsored by NATO's Defense Research Group Panel VIII in the Spring of 1985. The symposium came into being when it became obvious to the NATO countries that research, development and utilization of advanced technologies for training was the best means of increasing both training effectiveness and efficiency. This symposium was the second in a series of three devoted to training. The series was structured to cover all aspects of training. The first series addressed the value of training, the second one dealt with the application of training technologies and the third and last of the series focused on academic issues concerned with the effect of prior learning on subsequent learning. The fact that a major American publisher has determined that computer based instruction is the technology of greatest interest to the NATO community is not surprising. Advances in microprocessor technology have revolutionized both how and where we train. During this symposium t...

  9. Emotional collectives: How groups shape emotions and emotions shape groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Kleef, Gerben A; Fischer, Agneta H

    2016-01-01

    Group settings are epicentres of emotional activity. Yet, the role of emotions in groups is poorly understood. How do group-level phenomena shape group members' emotional experience and expression? How are emotional expressions recognised, interpreted and shared in group settings? And how do such expressions influence the emotions, cognitions and behaviours of fellow group members and outside observers? To answer these and other questions, we draw on relevant theoretical perspectives (e.g., intergroup emotions theory, social appraisal theory and emotions as social information theory) and recent empirical findings regarding the role of emotions in groups. We organise our review according to two overarching themes: how groups shape emotions and how emotions shape groups. We show how novel empirical approaches break important new ground in uncovering the role of emotions in groups. Research on emotional collectives is thriving and constitutes a key to understanding the social nature of emotions.

  10. Fuel safety research 2001

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Uetsuka, Hiroshi (ed.) [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

    2002-11-01

    The Fuel Safety Research Laboratory is in charge of research activity which covers almost research items related to fuel safety of water reactor in JAERI. Various types of experimental and analytical researches are being conducted by using some unique facilities such as the Nuclear Safety Research Reactor (NSRR), the Japan Material Testing Reactor (JMTR), the Japan Research Reactor 3 (JRR-3) and the Reactor Fuel Examination Facility (RFEF) of JAERI. The research to confirm the safety of high burn-up fuel and MOX fuel under accident conditions is the most important item among them. The laboratory consists of following five research groups corresponding to each research fields; Research group of fuel behavior under the reactivity initiated accident conditions (RIA group). Research group of fuel behavior under the loss-of-coolant accident conditions (LOCA group). Research group of fuel behavior under the normal operation conditions (JMTR/BOCA group). Research group of fuel behavior analysis (FEMAXI group). Research group of radionuclides release and transport behavior from irradiated fuel under severe accident conditions (VEGA group). The research conducted in the year 2001 produced many important data and information. They are, for example, the fuel behavior data under BWR power oscillation conditions in the NSRR, the data on failure-bearing capability of hydrided cladding under LOCA conditions and the FP release data at very high temperature in steam which simulate the reactor core condition during severe accidents. This report summarizes the outline of research activities and major outcomes of the research executed in 2001 in the Fuel Safety Research Laboratory. (author)

  11. Students' Educational Use of Facebook Groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalsgaard, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the article is to explore educational use of student-managed Facebook groups in upper secondary education (in Denmark). Much research on educational potentials of Facebook has studied groups managed by teachers. However, there is a lack of in-depth research on Facebook groups managed by students and without participation from teachers.…

  12. Within-group competition reduces cooperation and payoffs in human groups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Barker, Jessie; Barclay, Pat; Reeve, H. Kern

    2012-01-01

    Social organisms in many taxa cooperate to produce resources that are shared among group members. Some cooperatively produced resources may be monopolized by individuals who invest in within-group competition, but these have largely been overlooked in empirical and theoretical research on human c......, and demonstrates unifying principles in cooperation and competition across the animal kingdom....

  13. EULAR recommendations for the treatment of systemic sclerosis: a report from the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research group (EUSTAR)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kowal-Bielecka, O.; Landewé, R.; Avouac, J.; Chwiesko, S.; Miniati, I.; Czirjak, L.; Clements, P.; Denton, C.; Farge, D.; Fligelstone, K.; Földvari, I.; Furst, D. E.; Müller-Ladner, U.; Seibold, J.; Silver, R. M.; Takehara, K.; Toth, B. Garay; Tyndall, A.; Valentini, G.; van den Hoogen, F.; Wigley, F.; Zulian, F.; Matucci-Cerinic, Marco

    2009-01-01

    The optimal treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a challenge because the pathogenesis of SSc is unclear and it is an uncommon and clinically heterogeneous disease affecting multiple organ systems. The aim of the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) Scleroderma Trials and Research group

  14. Research nurse manager perceptions about research activities performed by non-nurse clinical research coordinators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Carolynn Thomas; Hastings, Clare; Wilson, Lynda Law

    2015-01-01

    There has been limited research to document differences in roles between nurses and non-nurses who assume clinical research coordination and management roles. Several authors have suggested that there is no acknowledged guidance for the licensure requirements for research study coordinators and that some non-nurse research coordinators may be assuming roles that are outside of their legal scopes of practice. There is a need for further research on issues related to the delegation of clinical research activities to non-nurses. This study used nominal group process focus groups to identify perceptions of experienced research nurse managers at an academic health science center in the Southern United States about the clinical research activities that are being performed by non-nurse clinical research coordinators without supervision that they believed should only be performed by a nurse or under the supervision of a nurse. A total of 13 research nurse managers volunteered to be contacted about the study. Of those, 8 participated in two separate nominal group process focus group sessions. The group members initially identified 22 activities that they felt should only be performed by a nurse or under the direct supervision of a nurse. After discussion and clarification of results, activities were combined into 12 categories of clinical research activities that participants believed should only be performed by a nurse or under the direct supervision of a nurse. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. Photon emission induced by brittle fracture of borosilicate glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shiota, Tadashi, E-mail: tshiota@ceram.titech.ac.jp [Department of Metallurgy and Ceramic Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Sato, Yoshitaka [Department of Metallurgy and Ceramic Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Kishi, Tetsuo [Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan); Yasuda, Kouichi [Department of Metallurgy and Ceramic Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8550 (Japan)

    2016-05-15

    Photon emission (PE) at wavelength ranges of 430–490 nm (B-PE), 500–600 nm (G-PE) and 610–680 nm (R-PE) caused by brittle fracture was simultaneously measured in the nanosecond-to-microsecond and millisecond time domains for two types of borosilicate glasses: Pyrex-type Tempax glass and BK7 glass. The results were compared to those for silica and soda lime glasses. The time dependence of the PE of Tempax glass was similar to that of silica glass, while the PE intensity was lower. Because Tempax glass contains both silica-rich and borate-rich amorphous phases, the PE must be mainly produced by the fracture of the silica-rich phase. Moreover, the proportion of B-PE of Tempax glass was higher than that of silica glass. This suggests that the measured B-PE might also include very weak PE caused by the fracture of the borate-rich phase. The PE time dependence of BK7 glass was similar to that of soda lime glass, which was different from the case for Tempax glass. The PE intensity of BK7 glass was slightly higher than that of soda lime glass, but much lower than that of Tempax glass. The result indicates that non-bridging oxygen in the glasses affects crack propagation behavior and reduces the PE. - Highlights: • Photon emission (PE) upon brittle fracture of borosilicate glasses was measured. • Pyrex-type Tempax and BK7 glasses showed different PE characteristics. • The rupture of Si–O bonds produces much stronger PE than that of B–O bonds. • Non-bridging oxygen in glass affects crack propagation behavior and reduces the PE.

  16. Coligand-regulated assembly, fluorescence, and magnetic properties of Co(II) and Cd(II) complexes with a non-coplanar dicarboxylate

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xin, Ling-Yun [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022 (China); Liu, Guang-Zhen, E-mail: gzliuly@126.com [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022 (China); Ma, Lu-Fang [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022 (China); Wang, Li-Ya [College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471022 (China); College of Chemistry and Pharmacy Engineering, Nanyang Normal University, Nanyang 473061 (China)

    2013-10-15

    A non-coplanar dicarboxylate ndca (H{sub 2}ndca=5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid), combining with various dipyridyl-typed tectons, constructs six Cd(II)/Co(II) coordination polymers under hydrothermal conditions, namely [Co(ndca)(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (1), ([Co(ndca)(bpe)(H{sub 2}O)]·H{sub 2}O){sub n} (2), [Co(ndca)(bpa){sub 0.5}(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (3), [Cd(ndca)(bpe)(H{sub 2}O)]{sub n} (4), ([Cd(ndca)(bpa)(H{sub 2}O)]·0.5H{sub 2}O){sub n} (5), and ([Cd(ndca)(bpp) (H{sub 2}O)]·H{sub 2}O){sub n} (6) (bpe=1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene, bpa=1,2-bi(4-pyridyl)ethane, and bpp=1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane). All these compounds contain various metal(II)–carboxylate motifs, including carboxylate binuclear (2, 4, 5), carboxylate chain (1, 6) and carboxylate layer (3), which are further extended by dipyridyl-typed coligands to afford a vast diversity of the structures with 2D pyknotic layers (1, 6), 2D open layer (5), 2D→3D interpenetrated networks (2,4), and 3D pillared-layer framework (3), respectively. In addition, fluorescent spectra of Cd(II) complexes and magnetic properties of Co(II) complexes are also given. - Graphical abstract: Six various cadmium(II)/cobalt(II)–organic frameworks were constructed by 5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboxylic acid and different bis(pyridine) rod-like tectons, and Cd (II) complexes exhibit blue–violet emissions, whereas Co (II) complexes show antiferromagnetic behaviours. Display Omitted.

  17. Focus Groups as Transformative Spiritual Encounters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharon Moloney PhD

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Focus groups are a valuable method for exploring the construction and negotiation of meanings. In her doctoral research the author explored how Australian women's experiences of menstruation, birth, and spirituality are invested with meaning and how that meaning influences and shapes those experiences. The focus group has been described as a potentially liminal space, which enables the discussion of taboo subjects by breaking the ice and giving people permission to comment. In addition, she discovered that the groups could be occasions of empowerment and transformation for both participants and researcher. In a way that far exceeded her expectations, the group format was ideally suited to feminist research and the organic inquiry methodology she used. Some groups became deeply spiritual encounters that were nourishing and transformative for all. This article explores how focus groups can be vehicles of spiritual transformation, examining one group in particular to highlight the points raised.

  18. Recent Advances in Sarcopenia Research in Asia: 2016 Update From the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Liang-Kung; Lee, Wei-Ju; Peng, Li-Ning; Liu, Li-Kuo; Arai, Hidenori; Akishita, Masahiro

    2016-08-01

    Sarcopenia was recently classified a geriatric syndrome and is a major challenge to healthy aging. Affected patients tend to have worse clinical outcomes and higher mortality than those without sarcopenia. Although there is general agreement on the principal diagnostic characteristics, initial thresholds for muscle mass, strength, and physical performance were based on data from populations of predominantly Europid ancestry and may not apply worldwide. The Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) issued regional consensus guidelines in 2014, and many more research studies from Asia have since been published; this review summarizes recent progress. The prevalence of sarcopenia estimated by the AWGS criteria ranges between 4.1% and 11.5% of the general older population; however, prevalence rates were higher in Asian studies that used European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People cut-offs. Risk factors include age, sex, heart disease, hyperlipidemia, daily alcohol consumption, and low protein or vitamin intake; physical activity is protective. Adjusting skeletal muscle mass by weight rather than height is better in showing the effect of older age in sarcopenia and identifying sarcopenic obesity; however, some Asian studies found no significant skeletal muscle loss, and muscle strength might be a better indicator. Although AWGS 2014 diagnostic cut-offs were generally well accepted, some may require further revision in light of conflicting evidence from some studies. The importance of sarcopenia in diverse therapeutic areas is increasingly evident, with strong research interest in sarcopenic obesity and the setting of malignancy. Pharmacologic interventions have been unsatisfactory, and the core management strategies remain physical exercise and nutritional supplementation; however, further research is required to determine the most beneficial approaches. Copyright © 2016 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc

  19. Research on Group Operation Mode of Once-through Steam Generator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hao, Cheng Ming; Liu, Xinkai; Peng, Min Jun; Xia, Genglei

    2011-01-01

    Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) owns more than one once-through steam generators (OTSGs). Flow instability may occur in secondary side of OTSG under certain conditions. Trying to avoid the occurrence of flow instability is of great important for the safe and stable operation of OTSG. Because of the fact that flow instability often occurs in certain regions, so when OTSGs operate with low load, OTSGs can be separated into several groups, which can avoid flow instability. In this paper, operational characteristics of IPWR are analyzed by RELAP5/MOD3.4 code and during the discussion of group operation, a rapid change load operation scheme using OTSG group operation mode which can be used in IPWR is proposed

  20. Research on Group Operation Mode of Once-through Steam Generator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hao, Cheng Ming; Liu, Xinkai; Peng, Min Jun; Xia, Genglei [Harbin Engineering University, Harbin (China)

    2011-08-15

    Integrated Pressurized Water Reactor (IPWR) owns more than one once-through steam generators (OTSGs). Flow instability may occur in secondary side of OTSG under certain conditions. Trying to avoid the occurrence of flow instability is of great important for the safe and stable operation of OTSG. Because of the fact that flow instability often occurs in certain regions, so when OTSGs operate with low load, OTSGs can be separated into several groups, which can avoid flow instability. In this paper, operational characteristics of IPWR are analyzed by RELAP5/MOD3.4 code and during the discussion of group operation, a rapid change load operation scheme using OTSG group operation mode which can be used in IPWR is proposed.

  1. MSUD Family Support Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... The Treatment Of MSUD The MSUD Family Support Group has provided funds to Buck Institute for its ... of the membership of the MSUD Family Support Group, research for improved treatments and potential cure was ...

  2. Propensity scores as a basis for equating groups: basic principles and application in clinical treatment outcome research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Stephen G; Cham, Heining; Thoemmes, Felix; Renneberg, Babette; Schulze, Julian; Weiler, Matthias

    2014-10-01

    A propensity score is the probability that a participant is assigned to the treatment group based on a set of baseline covariates. Propensity scores provide an excellent basis for equating treatment groups on a large set of covariates when randomization is not possible. This article provides a nontechnical introduction to propensity scores for clinical researchers. If all important covariates are measured, then methods that equate on propensity scores can achieve balance on a large set of covariates that mimics that achieved by a randomized experiment. We present an illustration of the steps in the construction and checking of propensity scores in a study of the effectiveness of a health coach versus treatment as usual on the well-being of seriously ill individuals. We then consider alternative methods of equating groups on propensity scores and estimating treatment effects including matching, stratification, weighting, and analysis of covariance. We illustrate a sensitivity analysis that can probe for the potential effects of omitted covariates on the estimate of the causal effect. Finally, we briefly consider several practical and theoretical issues in the use of propensity scores in applied settings. Propensity score methods have advantages over alternative approaches to equating groups particularly when the treatment and control groups do not fully overlap, and there are nonlinear relationships between covariates and the outcome. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

  3. Tackling fuel poverty through facilitating energy tariff switching: a participatory action research study in vulnerable groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lorenc, A; Pedro, L; Badesha, B; Dize, C; Fernow, I; Dias, L

    2013-10-01

    A fifth of UK households live in fuel poverty, with significant health risks. Recent government strategy integrates public health with local government. This study examined barriers to switching energy tariffs and the impact of an energy tariff switching 'intervention' on vulnerable peoples' likelihood to, success in, switching tariffs. Participatory Action Research (PAR), conducted in West London. Community researchers from three voluntary/community organisations (VCOs) collaborated in recruitment, study design, data collection and analysis. VCOs recruited 151 participants from existing service users in three groups: Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities, older people (>75 yrs) and families with young children. Researchers conducted two semi-structured interviews with each participant, a week apart. The first interview asked about demographics, current energy supplier, financial situation, previous experience of tariff-switching and barriers to switching. Researchers then provided the 'intervention' - advice on tariff-switching, printed materials, access to websites. The second interview explored usefulness of the 'intervention', other information used, remaining barriers and information needs. Researchers kept case notes and a reflective log. Data was analysed thematically and collaboratively between the research coordinator and researchers. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS, with descriptive statistics and Chi-squared tests. A total of 151 people were interviewed: 47 older people over 75 years, 51 families with young children, 51 BME (two were missing demographics). The majority were not White British or UK-born. Average household weekly income was £230. Around half described 'difficult' financial situations, 94% were receiving state benefits and 62% were in debt. Less than a third had tried to find a better energy deal; knowledge was the main barrier. After the intervention 19 people tried to switch, 13 did. Young families were most likely to

  4. Report on the activities of the ASME-NQA Committee Working Group on Quality Assurance Requirements for Research and Development, April 1990 to August 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dronkers, J.J.

    1991-09-01

    This report transmits to the public eye the activities of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers-Nuclear Quality Assurance (ASME-NQA) Committee Working Group on Quality Assurance Requirements for Research and Development. The appendix lists the members of this group as of August 1991. The report covers a period of 17 months. The working group met eight times in this period, and much intellectual ground was traversed. There was seldom agreement on the nature of the task, but there was no doubt as to its urgency. The task was how to adapt the nuclear quality assurance standard, the NQA-1, to research and development work. 1 fig., 7 tabs.

  5. Researching College- and Career Ready Standards to Improve Student Outcomes: Technical Working Group Meeting. Meeting Summary (Washington, DC, August 19-20, 2013)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Institute of Education Sciences, 2013

    2013-01-01

    In August, IES worked with the National Science Foundation and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to convene a technical working group to discuss research objectives related to college- and career-ready standards in English language arts and mathematics. Forty people (including researchers,…

  6. Translational Researchers' Perceptions of Data Management Practices and Data Curation Needs: Findings from a Focus Group in an Academic Health Sciences Library

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bardyn, Tania P.; Resnick, Taryn; Camina, Susan K.

    2012-01-01

    How translational researchers use data is becoming an important support function for libraries to understand. Libraries' roles in this increasingly complex area of Web librarianship are often unclearly defined. The authors conducted two focus groups with physicians and researchers at an academic medical center, the UCLA David Geffen School of…

  7. Sharing Research Findings with Research Participants and Communities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    LE Ferris

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available In occupational and environmental health research, individual, group and community research participants have a unique and vested interest in the research findings. The ethical principles of autonomy, non-maleficence and beneficence are helpful in considering the ethical issues in the disclosure of research findings in occupational and environmental health research. Researchers need to include stakeholders, such as groups and communities, in these discussions and in planning for the dissemination of research findings. These discussions need to occur early in the research process.

  8. Research Note: Headteacher Support Groups Initiative within the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Eastern Africa Social Science Research Review. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 18, No 1 (2002) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

  9. Group supervision for general practitioners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Galina Nielsen, Helena; Sofie Davidsen, Annette; Dalsted, Rikke

    2013-01-01

    AIM: Group supervision is a sparsely researched method for professional development in general practice. The aim of this study was to explore general practitioners' (GPs') experiences of the benefits of group supervision for improving the treatment of mental disorders. METHODS: One long-establish......AIM: Group supervision is a sparsely researched method for professional development in general practice. The aim of this study was to explore general practitioners' (GPs') experiences of the benefits of group supervision for improving the treatment of mental disorders. METHODS: One long...... considered important prerequisites for disclosing and discussing professional problems. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that participation in a supervision group can be beneficial for maintaining and developing GPs' skills in dealing with patients with mental health problems. Group supervision...... influenced other areas of GPs' professional lives as well. However, more studies are needed to assess the impact of supervision groups....

  10. Abelian groups

    CERN Document Server

    Fuchs, László

    2015-01-01

    Written by one of the subject’s foremost experts, this book focuses on the central developments and modern methods of the advanced theory of abelian groups, while remaining accessible, as an introduction and reference, to the non-specialist. It provides a coherent source for results scattered throughout the research literature with lots of new proofs. The presentation highlights major trends that have radically changed the modern character of the subject, in particular, the use of homological methods in the structure theory of various classes of abelian groups, and the use of advanced set-theoretical methods in the study of undecidability problems. The treatment of the latter trend includes Shelah’s seminal work on the undecidability in ZFC of Whitehead’s Problem; while the treatment of the former trend includes an extensive (but non-exhaustive) study of p-groups, torsion-free groups, mixed groups, and important classes of groups arising from ring theory. To prepare the reader to tackle these topics, th...

  11. The Conference Proceedings of the 1998 Air Transport Research Group (ATRG) of the WCTR Society. Volume 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oum, Tae Hoon (Editor); Bowen, Brent D. (Editor)

    1998-01-01

    This report (Volume 1) is comprised of 5 sessions of the Air Transport Research Group (ATRG) Conference held in Antwerp, Belgium, July 1998. The sessions contain 3-4 papers (presentations) each. The session numbers and their respective headings are: (1) Airline alliances; (2) Airline Competition and Market Structure; (4) Liberalization, Open Skies, and Policy Issues; (5) Yield Management and Other Models; and (11) Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Air Navigational Systems (ANS).

  12. Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group to play a leading role in guiding the production of informed high-quality, timely research evidence syntheses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garritty, Chantelle; Stevens, Adrienne; Gartlehner, Gerald; King, Valerie; Kamel, Chris

    2016-10-28

    Policymakers and healthcare stakeholders are increasingly seeking evidence to inform the policymaking process, and often use existing or commissioned systematic reviews to inform decisions. However, the methodologies that make systematic reviews authoritative take time, typically 1 to 2 years to complete. Outside the traditional SR timeline, "rapid reviews" have emerged as an efficient tool to get evidence to decision-makers more quickly. However, the use of rapid reviews does present challenges. To date, there has been limited published empirical information about this approach to compiling evidence. Thus, it remains a poorly understood and ill-defined set of diverse methodologies with various labels. In recent years, the need to further explore rapid review methods, characteristics, and their use has been recognized by a growing network of healthcare researchers, policymakers, and organizations, several with ties to Cochrane, which is recognized as representing an international gold standard for high-quality, systematic reviews. In this commentary, we introduce the newly established Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group developed to play a leading role in guiding the production of rapid reviews given they are increasingly employed as a research synthesis tool to support timely evidence-informed decision-making. We discuss how the group was formed and outline the group's structure and remit. We also discuss the need to establish a more robust evidence base for rapid reviews in the published literature, and the importance of promoting registration of rapid review protocols in an effort to promote efficiency and transparency in research. As with standard systematic reviews, the core principles of evidence-based synthesis should apply to rapid reviews in order to minimize bias to the extent possible. The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group will serve to establish a network of rapid review stakeholders and provide a forum for discussion and training. By facilitating

  13. Students’ educational use of Facebook groups

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dalsgaard, Christian

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the article is to explore educational use of student-managed Facebook groups in upper secondary education (in Denmark). Much research on educational potentials of Facebook has studied groups managed by teachers. However, there is a lack of in-depth research on Facebook groups managed......,018 replies within five Facebook groups, and partly on a questionnaire answered by 1463 students and 148 teachers. The results of the study show that whereas LMSs were seen by students primarily as institutional systems of the teacher, Facebook groups have an educational potential to be used by students...

  14. Research on sequence stratigraphy of Shuixigou group, jurassic in Yili basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Shengfu; Wang Guo; Wei Anxin; Qi Junrang; Zhang Zhongwang

    2006-01-01

    The Shuixigou Group, Jurassic in Yili basin is a set of coal-bearing clastic formation formed under basically consistent tectonic stress and sedimentary environment. In the middle of the Group (Sangonghe Formation) abrupt changes appear in the lithology and the colour of rocks, and an abrupt turning in logging curve appears correspondingly. Using the point view of sequence stratigraphy, the authors analyse the above phenomenon in aspects of the chrono-stratigraphy, the lithology, the sedimentary system tract, the sedimentary rhythum, as well as the interpretation of logging curves, and suggest that a unconformity surface (or a sequence boundary) exists in the middle of the Group, and try make a re-division of sequence stratigraphy for the Shuixigou Group. (authors)

  15. When Do Low Status Groups Help High Status Groups? The Moderating Effects of Ingroup Identification, Audience Group Membership, and Perceived Reputational Benefit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chuma Kevin Owuamalam

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Previous research has demonstrated that, when negative metastereotypes are made salient, members of low status groups help members of high status groups in order to improve the reputation of their low status group and its associated social identity. The present research investigated three potential moderators of low status groups’ outgroup helping: ingroup identification, audience group membership, and perceived reputational benefit. In Study 1 (N = 112 we found that members of a low status group (Keele University students were most likely to offer to help raise funds for a high status group (University of Birmingham students when they were high identifiers who had considered a negative metastereotype and believed that their responses would be viewed by an outgroup member. In Study 2 (N = 100 we found a similar effect in an intergroup context that referred to psychology students (low status ingroup and junior doctors (high status outgroup, showing that the effect was limited to people who perceived reputational benefit in helping the outgroup. The practical and social implications of these findings are discussed in relation to intergroup contact and international relations.

  16. Research, development and demonstration. Issue paper - working group 3; Denmark. Smart Grid Network; Forskning, udvikling og demonstration. Issue paper, arbejdsgruppe 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balasiu, A [Siemens A/S, Ballerup (Denmark); Troi, A [Danmarks Tekniske Univ. Risoe Nationallaboratoriet for Baeredygtig Energi, Roskilde (Denmark); Andersen, Casper [DI Energibranchen, Copenhagen (Denmark); and others

    2011-07-01

    The Smart Grid Network was established in 2010 by the Danish climate and energy minister tasked with developing recommendations for future actions and initiatives that make it possible to handle up to 50% electricity from wind energy in the power system in 2020. The task of working group 3 was defined as: - An overview of the Danish research and development of smart grids and related areas; - Conducting an analysis of the research and development needs required for the introduction of a smart grid in Denmark. Based on this analysis, provide suggestions for new large research and development projects; - Provide recommendations on how the activities are best carried out taking into account innovation, economic growth and jobs. In the analysis it is explained that Denmark so far has a strong position in several elements of RD and D activities. This position will soon be threatened as several European countries have launched ambitious initiatives to strengthen the national position. The working group recommends that Denmark gives priority to Smart Grids as a national action in order to solve the challenge of technically and economically efficient integration of renewable energy. Smart Grid is a catalyst that strengthens a new green growth industry (cleantech) in Denmark. Research and development has an important role to play in this development. A common vision and roadmap must be established for research institutions, energy companies and industries related to research, development and demonstration of Smart Grid, which can maintain and expand Denmark's global leadership position. As part of this, there is a need to strengthen and market research infrastructures, which can turn Denmark into a global hub for smart grid development. There is a current need to strengthen the advanced technical and scientific research in the complexities of the power system, research on market design, user behavior and smart grid interoperability. (LN)

  17. Research, development and demonstration. Issue paper - working group 3; Denmark. Smart Grid Network; Forskning, udvikling og demonstration. Issue paper, arbejdsgruppe 3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Balasiu, A. (Siemens A/S, Ballerup (Denmark)); Troi, A. (Danmarks Tekniske Univ.. Risoe Nationallaboratoriet for Baeredygtig Energi, Roskilde (Denmark)); Andersen, Casper (DI Energibranchen, Copenhagen (Denmark)) (and others)

    2011-07-01

    The Smart Grid Network was established in 2010 by the Danish climate and energy minister tasked with developing recommendations for future actions and initiatives that make it possible to handle up to 50% electricity from wind energy in the power system in 2020. The task of working group 3 was defined as: - An overview of the Danish research and development of smart grids and related areas; - Conducting an analysis of the research and development needs required for the introduction of a smart grid in Denmark. Based on this analysis, provide suggestions for new large research and development projects; - Provide recommendations on how the activities are best carried out taking into account innovation, economic growth and jobs. In the analysis it is explained that Denmark so far has a strong position in several elements of RD and D activities. This position will soon be threatened as several European countries have launched ambitious initiatives to strengthen the national position. The working group recommends that Denmark gives priority to Smart Grids as a national action in order to solve the challenge of technically and economically efficient integration of renewable energy. Smart Grid is a catalyst that strengthens a new green growth industry (cleantech) in Denmark. Research and development has an important role to play in this development. A common vision and roadmap must be established for research institutions, energy companies and industries related to research, development and demonstration of Smart Grid, which can maintain and expand Denmark's global leadership position. As part of this, there is a need to strengthen and market research infrastructures, which can turn Denmark into a global hub for smart grid development. There is a current need to strengthen the advanced technical and scientific research in the complexities of the power system, research on market design, user behavior and smart grid interoperability. (LN)

  18. The effect of excellence funding on academic research prac-tices: comparing 16 Dutch research groups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholten, Wout; Hessels, Laurens; van Drooge, L.

    2017-01-01

    In the last 25 years academic research in The Netherlands has seen a rise of excellence oriented research policy instruments. These excellence funding schemes aim to selectively support high-performing and high-potential individuals or organizations, in order to increase differentiation within the

  19. New Frontiers in Heart Rate Variability and Social Coherence Research: Techniques, Technologies, and Implications for Improving Group Dynamics and Outcomes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rollin McCraty

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Concepts embraced by the term coherence have been identified as central to fields such as quantum physics, physiology, and social science. There are different types of coherence, although the term always implies a harmonious relationship, correlations and connections between the various parts of a system. A specific measure derived from heart rate variability (HRV provides a measure of physiological coherence. Another type of coherence, social coherence, relates to the harmonious alignment between couples or pairs, family units, small groups, or larger organizations in which a network of relationships exists among individuals who share common interests and objectives. A high degree of social coherence is reflected by stable and harmonious relationships, which allows for the efficient flow and utilization of energy and communication required for optimal collective cohesion and action. Social coherence requires that group members are attuned and are emotionally connected with each other, and that the group’s emotional energy is organized and regulated by the group as a whole. A number of studies are reviewed which have explored various types of synchronization in infants, pairs and groups, indicating that feelings of cooperation, trust, compassion and increased prosocial behaviors depends largely on the establishment of a spontaneous synchronization of various physiological rhythms between individuals. This article discusses a new application using HRV monitoring in social coherence research and the importance of physiological synchronization in group developmental processes and dynamics. Building on the extensive body of research showing that providing feedback of HRV coherence level at the individual level can improve self-regulation, we suggest the following hypotheses: (1 providing feedback of individual and collective HRV coherence and the degree of heart rhythm synchronization will increase group coherence, and heart rhythm synchronization

  20. Facebook Groups for the Management of Chronic Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Partridge, Stephanie R; Gallagher, Patrick; Freeman, Becky; Gallagher, Robyn

    2018-01-17

    The use of Facebook groups by health care researchers and professionals for chronic disease management, namely type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease, is in its early stages and challenges are emerging. While Facebook groups offer great potential to deliver health support, research of Facebook groups for chronic disease management remains in its infancy, with robust evidence not yet available. Designing Facebook groups that are acceptable to users, health care researchers as well as health care professionals is a challenge, and there is a poor fit with traditional research and evaluation methods. Key recommendations for future research of Facebook groups for chronic disease management include: (1) iterative content development with input from the target patient population; (2) further understanding of the potential role of group "champions"; (3) ensuring the social media policies of health care institutions allow for real time online communication; and (4) utilizing comprehensive evaluation strategies, including the use of process evaluations. ©Stephanie R Partridge, Patrick Gallagher, Becky Freeman, Robyn Gallagher. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 17.01.2018.

  1. Investigating the relationship between leader behaviours and group cohesion within women's walking groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Caperchione, Cristina; Mummery, W Kerry; Duncan, Mitch

    2011-07-01

    Early research has shown that leadership behaviour is viewed as a crucial factor in successfully developing team cohesion, effectively resulting in greater team satisfaction and more positive team outcomes. However, little is understood if these same factors have an impact on physical activity groups. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between leader behaviours and group cohesiveness within women's physical activity groups. Participants (N = 95) included a sub-sample of adult women who were previously involved in a women's physical activity/walking program. Participants assessed their groups' leader behaviour using items pertaining to enthusiasm, motivation, instruction and availability, and their groups' cohesiveness using the Physical Activity Group Environment Questionnaire (PAGEQ). Canonical correlation analysis was used to determine the strength of association between the four concepts of group cohesion (ATG-T, ATG-S, GI-T and GI-S) and the four items pertaining to leadership behaviour. A significant multivariate relationship was revealed between group cohesion and leadership behaviour, Wilks' lambda = 0.43, F(16,170) = 5.16, p cohesion. Although a cause-effect relationship cannot be determined, the current study can serve as a valuable template in guiding future research in examining potential mechanisms that may assist with physical activity sustainability. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Group Psychotherapy in Denmark.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, Lars Bo; Thygesen, Bente; Aagaard, Søren

    2015-10-01

    This is a short article on the history and training standards in the Institute of Group Analysis in Copenhagen (IGA-CPH). We describe theoretical orientations and influences in the long-term training program and new initiatives, like courses in mentalization-based group treatment and a dynamic short-term group therapy course, as well as research in group psychotherapy in Denmark. Some group analytic initiatives in relation to social issues and social welfare are presented, as well as initiatives concerning the school system and unemployment.

  3. A Tentative Research on the Education of Teacher by "Adlerian Psychology" (II) : Using Structured Group Encounter Method

    OpenAIRE

    柴山, 謙二; シバヤマ, ケンジ; Shibayama, Kenji

    1998-01-01

    This is a tentative research on the education of teacher explored in Adlerian Psychology that used the structured group encounter method. The purpose of teacher education by Adlerian Psychology is to develop and deepen social interests of teachers, and to learn this theory and psychological techniques at school. The process of short-time workshop for teachers who were specialized in guidance for pupils was designed and documented for the education of teacher, and the author participated in th...

  4. Spiritually and religiously integrated group psychotherapy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Viftrup, Dorte Toudal; Hvidt, Niels Christian; Buus, Niels

    2013-01-01

    WE SYSTEMATICALLY REVIEWED THE RESEARCH LITERATURE ON SPIRITUALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY INTEGRATED GROUP PSYCHOTHERAPY TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS: first, how are spirituality and religiosity defined; second, how are spiritual and religious factors characterized and integrated into group......, 8 articles were considered eligible for the review. Findings from the evaluation suggested that the concepts of spirituality and religiosity were poorly conceptualized and the way in which spiritual and religious factors were integrated into such group psychotherapies, which distinguished it from...... for spiritually or religiously integrated group psychotherapy and conducting research in this field are propounded....

  5. The work of the 'Irradiation Damage' sub-group of the EURATOM Working Group on Research Reactor Dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Genthon, J.P.

    1975-01-01

    The EURATOM Working Group on Reactor Dosimetry is investigating the problems of the dosimetry of radiation damage experiments. Papers have been published on the dosimetry of graphite and irradiation of metals: the model chosen, the quantities employed to express the fluences, numerical values, measurements, and measurement techniques. The ensuing work of the EURATOM Working Group of Reactor Dosimetry in these areas will deal with the measurement methods required for the dosimetry of radiation damage. (Auth.)

  6. The Multiple In-group Identity Framework

    OpenAIRE

    Lock, Daniel; Funk, D.C.

    2016-01-01

    The effects of team identification on sport consumer behaviour are well established. Recent research, however, has moved beyond this perspective to examine how groups within and beyond the team identity influence consumption. Assimilating previous research findings, we advance a Multiple In-group Identity Framework (MIIF), which consists of three levels: (1) superordinate (e.g., team identity), (2) subgroup (e.g., specific stadium area), and (3) relational group (e.g., friends or family). In ...

  7. Wireless Spectrum Research & Development Senior Steering Group's Testbed Information Portal

    Data.gov (United States)

    Networking and Information Technology Research and Development, Executive Office of the President — This application contains a list of Federal R&D sites that are available for public-private collaborative research efforts in the field of spectrum and wireless...

  8. Transforming Catholic Education through Research: The American Educational Research Association Catholic Education Special Interest Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Shane

    2014-01-01

    Catholic schools in the United States and abroad face numerous financial, cultural, and structural challenges due to contemporary education policies and economic trends. Within this climate, research about Catholic education is often conducted and leveraged in efforts to serve schools' most immediate needs. To be certain, research aimed at finding…

  9. Group Process as Drama.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLeod, John

    1984-01-01

    Suggests that drama, as well as training or therapy, may be employed as a useful research and practice paradigm in working with small groups. The implications of this view for group development as a whole, and for member and leader participation, are explored. (JAC)

  10. Group Supervision in Psychotherapy. Main Findings from a Swedish Research Project on Psychotherapy Supervision in a Group Format

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogren, Marie-Louise; Sundin, Eva C.

    2009-01-01

    Psychotherapy supervision is considered crucial for psychotherapists in training. During the last decades, group supervision has been a frequently used format in many countries. Until recently, very few studies had evaluated the small-group format for training of beginner psychotherapists and psychotherapy supervisors. This article aims to…

  11. Group learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pimentel, Ricardo; Noguira, Eloy Eros da Silva; Elkjær, Bente

    The article presents a study that aims at the apprehension of the group learning in a top management team composed by teachers in a Brazilian Waldorf school whose management is collective. After deciding to extend the school, they had problems recruiting teachers who were already trained based...... on the Steiner´s ideas, which created practical problems for conducting management activities. The research seeks to understand how that group of teachers collectively manage the school, facing the lack of resources, a significant heterogeneity in the relationships, and the conflicts and contradictions......, and they are interrelated to the group learning as the construction, maintenance and reconstruction of the intelligibility of practices. From this perspective, it can be said that learning is a practice and not an exceptional phenomenon. Building, maintaining and rebuilding the intelligibility is the group learning...

  12. Editorial research and the publication process in biomedicine and health: Report from the Esteve Foundation Discussion Group, December 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marušić, Ana; Malički, Mario; von Elm, Erik

    2014-01-01

    Despite the fact that there are more than twenty thousand biomedical journals in the world, research into the work of editors and publication process in biomedical and health care journals is rare. In December 2012, the Esteve Foundation, a non-profit scientific institution that fosters progress in pharmacotherapy by means of scientific communication and discussion organized a discussion group of 7 editors and/or experts in peer review biomedical publishing. They presented findings of past editorial research, discussed the lack of competitive funding schemes and specialized journals for dissemination of editorial research, and reported on the great diversity of misconduct and conflict of interest policies, as well as adherence to reporting guidelines. Furthermore, they reported on the reluctance of editors to investigate allegations of misconduct or increase the level of data sharing in health research. In the end, they concluded that if editors are to remain gatekeepers of scientific knowledge they should reaffirm their focus on the integrity of the scientific record and completeness of the data they publish. Additionally, more research should be undertaken to understand why many journals are not adhering to editorial standards, and what obstacles editors face when engaging in editorial research. PMID:24969914

  13. Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of silver(I) complexes based on N-benzoyl-L-glutamic acid and N-donor ligands with different flexibility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Ming-Jie; Feng, Qi; Song, Hui-Hua

    2016-05-01

    By changing the N-donor ancillary ligand, three novel silver (I) complexes {[Ag(HbzgluO) (4,4‧-bipy)]·H2O}n (1), {[Ag2(HbzgluO)2 (bpe)2]·2H2O}n (2) and {[Ag(HbzgluO)(bpp)]·2H2O}n (3) (H2bzgluO = N-benzoyl-L-glutamic acid, 4,4‧-bipy = 4,4ˊ-bipyridine, bpe = 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethane, bpp = 1,3-di(4-pyridyl)propane) were synthesized. Their structures have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses and further characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectra, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA). In this study, the N-donor ligands are changed from rigidity (4,4‧-bipy), quasi-flexibility (bpe) to flexibility (bpp), the structures of complexes also change. Complex 1 features a 1D chain structure which is further linked together to construct a 2D supramolecular structure through hydrogen bonds. Complex 2 is a 1D double-chains configuration which eventually forms a 3D supramolecular network via hydrogen bonding interactions. Whereas, complex 3 exhibits a 2D pleated grid structure which is linked by hydrogen bonding interactions into a 3D supramolecular network. The present observations demonstrate that the modulation of coordination polymers with different structures can accomplish by changing the spacer length of N-donor ligands. In addition, the solid-state circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated that compound 2 exhibited negative cotton effect which originated from the chiral ligands H2bzgluO and the solid-state fluorescence spectra of the three complexes demonstrated the auxiliary ligands have influence on the photoluminescence properties of the complexes.

  14. Neutron-induced electronic failures around a high-energy linear accelerator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kry, Stephen F.; Johnson, Jennifer L.; White, R. Allen; Howell, Rebecca M.; Kudchadker, Rajat J.; Gillin, Michael T.

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: After a new in-vault CT-on-rails system repeatedly malfunctioned following use of a high-energy radiotherapy beam, we investigated the presence and impact of neutron radiation on this electronic system, as well as neutron shielding options. Methods: We first determined the CT scanner's failure rate as a function of the number of 18 MV monitor units (MUs) delivered. We then re-examined the failure rate with both 2.7-cm-thick and 7.6-cm-thick borated polyethylene (BPE) covering the linac head for neutron shielding. To further examine shielding options, as well as to explore which neutrons were relevant to the scanner failure, Monte Carlo simulations were used to calculate the neutron fluence and spectrum in the bore of the CT scanner. Simulations included BPE covering the CT scanner itself as well as covering the linac head. Results: We found that the CT scanner had a 57% chance of failure after the delivery of 200 MUs. While the addition of neutron shielding to the accelerator head reduced this risk of failure, the benefit was minimal and even 7.6 cm of BPE was still associated with a 29% chance of failure after the delivery of 200 MU. This shielding benefit was achieved regardless of whether the linac head or CT scanner was shielded. Additionally, it was determined that fast neutrons were primarily responsible for the electronic failures. Conclusions: As illustrated by the CT-on-rails system in the current study, physicists should be aware that electronic systems may be highly sensitive to neutron radiation. Medical physicists should therefore monitor electronic systems that have not been evaluated for potential neutron sensitivity. This is particularly relevant as electronics are increasingly common in the therapy vault and newer electronic systems may exhibit increased sensitivity.

  15. Selective hydrogenolysis of Α–O–4, Β–O–4, 4–O–5 C–O bonds of lignin-model compounds and lignin-containing stillage derived from cellulosic bioethanol processing

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gómez-Monedero, B.; Ruiz, M. P.; Bimbela, F.; Faria, J.

    2017-01-01

    Benzyl phenyl ether (BPE), phenethyl phenyl ether (PPE) and diphenyl ether (DPE) have been selected as model compounds of the most abundant and significant ether linkages found within the complex structure of lignin (e.g. α–O–4, β–O–4, and 4–O–5, respectively). The catalytic hydrogenolysis of these

  16. Retained gas inventory comparison

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    BARTON, W.B.

    1999-01-01

    Gas volume data derived from four different analytical methods were collected and analyzed for comparison to volumes originally used in the technical basis for the Basis for Interim Operations (BIO). The original volumes came from Hodgson (1996) listed in the reference section of this document. Hodgson (1996) screened all 177 single and double-shell tanks for the presence of trapped gas in waste via two analytical methods: Surface Level Rise (SLR), and Barometric Pressure Effect (BPE). More recent gas volume projections have been calculated using different analytical techniques along with updates to the parameters used as input to the SLR and BPE models. Gas volumes derived from new analytical instruments include those as measured by the Void Fraction Instrument (VFI) and Retained Gas Sampler (RGS). The results of this comparison demonstrate that the original retained gas volumes of Hodgson (1996) used as a technical basis in developing the BIO were conservative, and were conservative from a safety analysis standpoint. These results represent only comparisons to the original reported volumes using the limited set of newly acquired data that is available

  17. Patients’ and caregivers’ needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care: A focus group study across nine countries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Selman, Lucy Ellen; Brighton, Lisa Jane; Sinclair, Shane; Karvinen, Ikali; Egan, Richard; Speck, Peter; Powell, Richard A; Deskur-Smielecka, Ewa; Glajchen, Myra; Adler, Shelly; Puchalski, Christina; Hunter, Joy; Gikaara, Nancy; Hope, Jonathon

    2017-01-01

    Background: Spiritual distress is prevalent in advanced disease, but often neglected, resulting in unnecessary suffering. Evidence to inform spiritual care practices in palliative care is limited. Aim: To explore spiritual care needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in an international sample of patients with life-limiting disease and family caregivers. Design: Focus group study. Setting/participants: Separate patient and caregiver focus groups were conducted at 11 sites in South Africa, Kenya, South Korea, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Finland and Poland. Discussions were transcribed, translated into English and analysed thematically. Results: A total of 74 patients participated: median age 62 years; 53 had cancer; 48 were women. In total, 71 caregivers participated: median age 61 years; 56 were women. Two-thirds of participants were Christian. Five themes are described: patients’ and caregivers’ spiritual concerns, understanding of spirituality and its role in illness, views and experiences of spiritual care, preferences regarding spiritual care, and research priorities. Participants reported wide-ranging spiritual concerns spanning existential, psychological, religious and social domains. Spirituality supported coping, but could also result in framing illness as punishment. Participants emphasised the need for staff competence in spiritual care. Spiritual care was reportedly lacking, primarily due to staff members’ de-prioritisation and lack of time. Patients’ research priorities included understanding the qualities of human connectedness and fostering these skills in staff. Caregivers’ priorities included staff training, assessment, studying impact, and caregiver’s spiritual care needs. Conclusion: To meet patient and caregiver preferences, healthcare providers should be able to address their spiritual concerns. Findings should inform patient- and caregiver-centred spiritual care provision, education and

  18. Partnerships for the Design, Conduct, and Analysis of Effectiveness, and Implementation Research: Experiences of the Prevention Science and Methodology Group

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, C. Hendricks; Kellam, Sheppard G.; Kaupert, Sheila; Muthén, Bengt O.; Wang, Wei; Muthén, Linda K.; Chamberlain, Patricia; PoVey, Craig L.; Cady, Rick; Valente, Thomas W.; Ogihara, Mitsunori; Prado, Guillermo J.; Pantin, Hilda M.; Gallo, Carlos G.; Szapocznik, José; Czaja, Sara J.; McManus, John W.

    2012-01-01

    What progress prevention research has made comes through strategic partnerships with communities and institutions that host this research, as well as professional and practice networks that facilitate the diffusion of knowledge about prevention. We discuss partnership issues related to the design, analysis, and implementation of prevention research and especially how rigorous designs, including random assignment, get resolved through a partnership between community stakeholders, institutions, and researchers. These partnerships shape not only study design, but they determine the data that can be collected and how results and new methods are disseminated. We also examine a second type of partnership to improve the implementation of effective prevention programs into practice. We draw on social networks to studying partnership formation and function. The experience of the Prevention Science and Methodology Group, which itself is a networked partnership between scientists and methodologists, is highlighted. PMID:22160786

  19. 'Putting Life in Years' (PLINY) telephone friendship groups research study: pilot randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mountain, Gail A; Hind, Daniel; Gossage-Worrall, Rebecca; Walters, Stephen J; Duncan, Rosie; Newbould, Louise; Rex, Saleema; Jones, Carys; Bowling, Ann; Cattan, Mima; Cairns, Angela; Cooper, Cindy; Edwards, Rhiannon Tudor; Goyder, Elizabeth C

    2014-04-24

    Loneliness in older people is associated with poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We undertook a parallel-group randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of telephone befriending for the maintenance of HRQoL in older people. An internal pilot tested the feasibility of the trial and intervention. Participants aged >74 years, with good cognitive function, living independently in one UK city were recruited through general practices and other sources, then randomised to: (1) 6 weeks of short one-to-one telephone calls, followed by 12 weeks of group telephone calls with up to six participants, led by a trained volunteer facilitator; or (2) a control group. The main trial required the recruitment of 248 participants in a 1-year accrual window, of whom 124 were to receive telephone befriending. The pilot specified three success criteria which had to be met in order to progress the main trial to completion: recruitment of 68 participants in 95 days; retention of 80% participants at 6 months; successful delivery of telephone befriending by local franchise of national charity. The primary clinical outcome was the Short Form (36) Health Instrument (SF-36) Mental Health (MH) dimension score collected by telephone 6 months following randomisation. We informed 9,579 older people about the study. Seventy consenting participants were randomised to the pilot in 95 days, with 56 (80%) providing valid primary outcome data (26 intervention, 30 control). Twenty-four participants randomly allocated to the research arm actually received telephone befriending due to poor recruitment and retention of volunteer facilitators. The trial was closed early as a result. The mean 6-month SF-36 MH scores were 78 (SD 18) and 71 (SD 21) for the intervention and control groups, respectively (mean difference, 7; 95% CI, -3 to 16). Recruitment and retention of participants to a definitive trial with a recruitment window of 1 year is feasible. For

  20. National nostalgia : A group-based emotion that benefits the in-group but hampers intergroup relations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smeekes, A.N.

    2015-01-01

    Social psychological research on nostalgia has mainly considered this emotion at the individual level rather than the group level. The current paper proposes that group-based nostalgia for the nation (i.e., national nostalgia) is likely to be related to a positive in-group orientation and a negative

  1. Renormalization Group Theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stephens, C. R.

    2006-01-01

    In this article I give a brief account of the development of research in the Renormalization Group in Mexico, paying particular attention to novel conceptual and technical developments associated with the tool itself, rather than applications of standard Renormalization Group techniques. Some highlights include the development of new methods for understanding and analysing two extreme regimes of great interest in quantum field theory -- the ''high temperature'' regime and the Regge regime

  2. A new tool for converting food frequency questionnaire data into nutrient and food group values: FETA research methods and availability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulligan, Angela A; Luben, Robert N; Bhaniani, Amit; Parry-Smith, David J; O'Connor, Laura; Khawaja, Anthony P; Forouhi, Nita G; Khaw, Kay-Tee

    2014-03-27

    To describe the research methods for the development of a new open source, cross-platform tool which processes data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Norfolk Food Frequency Questionnaire (EPIC-Norfolk FFQ). A further aim was to compare nutrient and food group values derived from the current tool (FETA, FFQ EPIC Tool for Analysis) with the previously validated but less accessible tool, CAFÉ (Compositional Analyses from Frequency Estimates). The effect of text matching on intake data was also investigated. Cross-sectional analysis of a prospective cohort study-EPIC-Norfolk. East England population (city of Norwich and its surrounding small towns and rural areas). Complete FFQ data from 11 250 men and 13 602 women (mean age 59 years; range 40-79 years). Nutrient and food group intakes derived from FETA and CAFÉ analyses of EPIC-Norfolk FFQ data. Nutrient outputs from FETA and CAFÉ were similar; mean (SD) energy intake from FETA was 9222 kJ (2633) in men, 8113 kJ (2296) in women, compared with CAFÉ intakes of 9175 kJ (2630) in men, 8091 kJ (2298) in women. The majority of differences resulted in one or less quintile change (98.7%). Only mean daily fruit and vegetable food group intakes were higher in women than in men (278 vs 212 and 284 vs 255 g, respectively). Quintile changes were evident for all nutrients, with the exception of alcohol, when text matching was not executed; however, only the cereals food group was affected. FETA produces similar nutrient and food group values to the previously validated CAFÉ but has the advantages of being open source, cross-platform and complete with a data-entry form directly compatible with the software. The tool will facilitate research using the EPIC-Norfolk FFQ, and can be customised for different study populations.

  3. Research on Group Decision-Making Mechanism of Internet Emergency Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Kefan; Chen, Gang; Qian, Wu; Shi, Zhao

    With the development of information technology, internet has become a popular term and internet emergency has an intensive influence on people's life. This article offers a short history of internet emergency management. It discusses the definition, characteristics, and factor of internet emergency management. A group decision-making mechanism of internet emergency is presented based on the discussion. The authors establish a so-called Rough Set Scenario Flow Graphs (RSSFG) of group decision-making mechanism of internet emergency management and make an empirical analysis based on the RSSFG approach. The experimental results confirm that this approach is effective in internet emergency decision-making.

  4. Different Approaches to Cross-Lingual Focus Groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maira Quintanilha

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Focus groups are a useful data-generation strategy in qualitative health research when it is important to understand how social contexts shape participants’ health. However, when cross-lingual focus groups are conducted across cultural groups, and in languages in which the researcher is not fluent, questions regarding the usefulness and rigor of the findings can be raised. In this article, we will discuss three different approaches to cross-lingual focus groups used in a community-based participatory research project with pregnant and postpartum, African immigrant women in Alberta, Canada. In two approaches, we moderated focus groups in women’s mother tongue with the support of real-time interpreters, but in the first approach, audio recording was used and in the second approach, audio recording was not used. In the third approach, a bilingual moderator facilitated focus groups in women’s mother tongue, with transcription and translation of audio-recorded data upon completion of data generation. We will describe each approach in detail, including their advantages and challenges, and recontextualize what we have learned within the known literature. We expect the lessons learned in this project may assist others in planning and implementing cross-lingual focus groups, especially in the context of community-based participatory research.

  5. Nurturing a Self-Help Group

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marsha A. Schubert

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available In April 1987, the parent of a child who was both learning disabled and intellectually gifted and talented and a professional educator (the author founded Parents of Gifted and Learning-Disabled Students of Northern Virginia, a self-help group for people who were dealing with the challenges posed by such children. The article begins with a background explaining the need for such a group followed by a history of the group and a description of how it functioned. It then details ways in which the author and the group interacted over the course of 5 years. A major component of this interaction was the members’ partnering in a research study with the author—a process now known as participatory action research (PAR—and the outcomes of that partnership.

  6. 78 FR 75905 - Credit for Increasing Research Activities: Intra-Group Gross Receipts

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-13

    ... the laws of Country. F does not conduct a trade or business within the United States, Puerto Rico, or... trades or businesses under common control (intra-group transactions) for purposes of determining the... will affect controlled groups of corporations or groups of trades or businesses under common control...

  7. Interim report on research and development of super heat pump energy accumulation system by the evaluation working group; Super heat pump energy shuseki system hyoka work group chukan hyoka hokokusho

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1990-03-01

    The evaluation working group of the Large-scale Energy-saving Technology Research and Development Promotion Council has made an interim evaluation of the results obtained so far by the R and D project for the super heat pump energy accumulation systems. The working group evaluates the bench plant operation test results comprehensively, covering technical, economic and social aspects, and R and D promotion methodology. The working group has concluded that a significant technological break-through is made for the super high performance compression heat pumps, and the technological groundwork is now established for the future pilot system. For the chemical heat storage technologies, it is concluded that system feasibility is demonstrated, and the technological groundwork for the future development is established. The super heat pump is evaluated to potentially realize significant economic superiority over the conventional devices both in the domestic and industrial areas, and to be highly rated potentially in the areas of energy-saving, power load leveling and environmental preservation. (NEDO)

  8. Involving children and young people in clinical research through the forum of a European Young Persons' Advisory Group: needs and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaillard, Segolene; Malik, Salma; Preston, Jenny; Escalera, Begonya Nafria; Dicks, Pamela; Touil, Nathalie; Mardirossian, Sandrine; Claverol-Torres, Joana; Kassaï, Behrouz

    2018-02-19

    Children and young people are seen as fundamental to the design and delivery of clinical research as active and reflective participants. In Europe, involvement of children and young people in clinical research is promoted extensively in order to engage young people in research as partners and to give them a voice to raise their own issues or opinions and for their involvement in planning and decision making in addition to learning research skills. Children and young people can be trained in clinical research through participation in young person advisory groups (YPAGs). Members of YPAGs assist other children and young people to learn about clinical research and share their experience and point of view with researchers, thereby possibly influencing all phases of research including the development and prioritization of research questions, design and methods, recruitment plans, and strategies for results dissemination. In the long term, the expansion of YPAGs in Europe will serve as a driving force for refining pediatric clinical research. It will help in a better definition of research projects according to the patients' needs. Furthermore, direct engagement of children and young people in research will be favorable to both researchers and young people. © 2018 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

  9. Retinitis pigmentosa in Spain. The Spanish Multicentric and Multidisciplinary Group for Research into Retinitis Pigmentosa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ayuso, C; Garcia-Sandoval, B; Najera, C; Valverde, D; Carballo, M; Antiñolo, G

    1995-09-01

    Retinitis pigmentosa is a term commonly given to a group of inherited and progressive disorders which affect the photoreceptors of the retina. As part of an ongoing research programme throughout Spain, clinical, epidemiological, and genetic studies have been carried out on these diseases. Here, we report the relative frequencies of the different genetic types in 503 non-syndromic and 89 syndromic RP families of Spanish origin. The most frequent syndromic RP forms were Usher syndrome type 1 (20/89 families = 30%) and Usher syndrome type 2 (44 families = 49%). Among non-syndromic RP forms, 12% were autosomal dominant, 39% autosomal recessive and 4% X-linked. Forty-one percent were isolated or simplex cases and in 4% the genetic type could not be established.

  10. Group 4 metallocene complexes with pendant nitrile groups

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pinkas, Jiří; Gyepes, R.; Kubišta, Jiří; Horáček, Michal; Lamač, Martin

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 696, 11-12 (2011), s. 2364-2372 ISSN 0022-328X R&D Projects: GA ČR GPP207/10/P200; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06070 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : metallocene * group 4 elements * nitrile Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 2.384, year: 2011

  11. Characterization of plasticized PEO-PAM blend polymer electrolyte system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dave, Gargi; Kanchan, Dinesh

    2017-05-01

    Present study reports characterization studies of NaCF3SO3 based PEO-PAM Blend Polymer Electrolyte (BPE) system with varying amount of EC+PC as plasticizer prepared by solution cast technique. Structural analysis and surface topography have been performed using FTIR and SEM studies. To understand, thermal properties, DSC studies have been undertaken in the present paper

  12. Journal of Chemical Sciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Out of eight bpe molecules, six are aligned in parallel fashion withshort C・ ・ ・ C distances of 3.663–3.814Å and they undergo photochemical [2+2] cycloaddition reaction. The photoreaction conducted on ground sample of 1 in the solid-state affords rctt-tetrakis(4-pyridyl)cyclobutane (rctt-tpcb) product in 75% yield.

  13. A Grounded Theory of Western-Trained Asian Group Leaders Leading Groups in Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taephant, Nattasuda; Rubel, Deborah; Champe, Julia

    2015-01-01

    This grounded theory research explored the experiences of Western-trained Asian group leaders leading groups in Asia. A total of 6 participants from Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand were interviewed 3 times over 9 months. The recursive process of data collection and analysis yielded substantive theory describing the participants' process of reconciling…

  14. A Little Help from My Friends: Testing the Utility of Facebook Groups as Online Communities in an Undergraduate Research Internship

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brobst, Joseph Arthur

    2013-01-01

    This Executive Position Paper describes the findings of a study investigating the utility of Facebook Groups in fostering community among participants in the Delaware INBRE and EPSCoR undergraduate research internship programs. In the first phase of the study, findings from the existing evaluation of the programs and themes from the literature…

  15. Groups and Geometries : Siena Conference

    CERN Document Server

    Kantor, William; Lunardon, Guglielmo; Pasini, Antonio; Tamburini, Maria

    1998-01-01

    On September 1-7, 1996 a conference on Groups and Geometries took place in lovely Siena, Italy. It brought together experts and interested mathematicians from numerous countries. The scientific program centered around invited exposi­ tory lectures; there also were shorter research announcements, including talks by younger researchers. The conference concerned a broad range of topics in group theory and geometry, with emphasis on recent results and open problems. Special attention was drawn to the interplay between group-theoretic methods and geometric and combinatorial ones. Expanded versions of many of the talks appear in these Proceedings. This volume is intended to provide a stimulating collection of themes for a broad range of algebraists and geometers. Among those themes, represented within the conference or these Proceedings, are aspects of the following: 1. the classification of finite simple groups, 2. the structure and properties of groups of Lie type over finite and algebraically closed fields of f...

  16. Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis/Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Consensus-Based Recommendations and Research Agenda for Use of Composite Measures and Treatment Targets in Psoriatic Arthritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Coates, Laura C; FitzGerald, Oliver; Merola, Joseph F

    2018-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: A meeting was convened by the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (GRAPPA) and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) to further the development of consensus among physicians and patients regarding composite disease activity measures and targets i...

  17. Profinite graphs and groups

    CERN Document Server

    Ribes, Luis

    2017-01-01

    This book offers a detailed introduction to graph theoretic methods in profinite groups and applications to abstract groups. It is the first to provide a comprehensive treatment of the subject. The author begins by carefully developing relevant notions in topology, profinite groups and homology, including free products of profinite groups, cohomological methods in profinite groups, and fixed points of automorphisms of free pro-p groups. The final part of the book is dedicated to applications of the profinite theory to abstract groups, with sections on finitely generated subgroups of free groups, separability conditions in free and amalgamated products, and algorithms in free groups and finite monoids. Profinite Graphs and Groups will appeal to students and researchers interested in profinite groups, geometric group theory, graphs and connections with the theory of formal languages. A complete reference on the subject, the book includes historical and bibliographical notes as well as a discussion of open quest...

  18. White paper report from working groups attending the international conference on research and educational opportunities in bio-fuel crop production

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morgan, K.T. [University of Florida, Soil and Water Science Dep., Southwest Florida Res. and Educ. Center, Immokalee, FL 34142 (United States); Gilbert, R.A. [University of Florida, Agronomy Dep., Everglades Res. and Educ. Center, Belle Glade, FL 33430 (United States); Helsel, Z.A. [Rutgers University, Plant Biology and Pathology Dep., New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8520 (United States); Buacum, L. [University of Florida, Hendry County Extension, LaBelle, FL 33935 (United States); Leon, R.; Perret, J. [EARTH University, Apto. 4442-1000, San Jose (Costa Rica)

    2010-12-15

    A conference on current research and educational programs in production of crops for bio-fuel was sponsored and organized by the EARTH University and the University of Florida in November, 2008. The meeting addressed current research on crops for bio-fuel production with discussions of research alternatives for future crop production systems, land use issues, ethics of food vs. fuel production, and carbon sequestration in environmentally sensitive tropical and sub-tropical regions of the Americas. The need and potential for development of graduate and undergraduate curricula and inter-institutional cooperation among educational institutions in the region were also discussed. Delegations from Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, The Dominican Republic, and the United States including ministers of Agriculture and Energy attended this meeting. Over a two-day period, four working groups provided a framework to facilitate networking, motivate task oriented creative thinking, and maintain a timely accomplishment of assigned duties in the context of the conference themes. Participants in the conference were assigned to one of four working groups, each following given topics: Agronomy, Environment, Socio-Economics and Education/Extension. It was the consensus of representatives of industry, academic and regulatory community assembled in Costa Rica that significant research, education and socio-economic information is needed to make production of bio-fuel crops sustainable. Agronomic research should include better crop selection based on local conditions, improved production techniques, pest and disease management, and mechanical cultivation and harvesting. Another conclusion was that tailoring of production systems to local soil characteristics and use of bio-fuel by-products to improve nutrient use efficiency and reduction of environmental impact on water quantity and quality is critical to sustainability of bio-fuel crop production. (author)

  19. Association of complementation group and mutation type with clinical outcome in fanconi anemia. European Fanconi Anemia Research Group.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faivre, L; Guardiola, P; Lewis, C; Dokal, I; Ebell, W; Zatterale, A; Altay, C; Poole, J; Stones, D; Kwee, M L; van Weel-Sipman, M; Havenga, C; Morgan, N; de Winter, J; Digweed, M; Savoia, A; Pronk, J; de Ravel, T; Jansen, S; Joenje, H; Gluckman, E; Mathew, C G

    2000-12-15

    Fanconi anemia (FA) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder. Clinical care is complicated by variable age at onset and severity of hematologic symptoms. Recent advances in the molecular biology of FA have allowed us to investigate the relationship between FA genotype and the nature and severity of the clinical phenotype. Two hundred forty-five patients from all 7 known complementation groups (FA-A to FA-G) were studied. Mutations were detected in one of the cloned FANC genes in 169 patients; in the remainder the complementation group was assigned by cell fusion or Western blotting. A range of qualitative and quantitative clinical parameters was compared for each complementation group and for different classes of mutation. Significant phenotypic differences were found. FA-G patients had more severe cytopenia and a higher incidence of leukemia. Somatic abnormalities were less prevalent in FA-C, but more common in the rare groups FA-D, FA-E, and FA-F. In FA-A, patients homozygous for null mutations had an earlier onset of anemia and a higher incidence of leukemia than those with mutations producing an altered protein. In FA-C, there was a later age of onset of aplastic anemia and fewer somatic abnormalities in patients with the 322delG mutation, but there were more somatic abnormalities in patients with IVS4 + 4A --> T. This study indicates that FA patients with mutations in the FANCG gene and patients homozygous for null mutations in FANCA are high-risk groups with a poor hematologic outcome and should be considered as candidates both for frequent monitoring and early therapeutic intervention. (Blood. 2000;96:4064-4070)

  20. Group Projects in Social Work Education: The Influence of Group Characteristics and Moderators on Undergraduate Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postlethwait, Ariana E.

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the impact of group size, group formation, group conflict, and division of labor on student outcomes in a group project for a sample of 112 BSW research seminar students at a large university in the Midwest. Students completed surveys on their experiences with the group project at the end of the semester. Multiple regression…

  1. Culture and group-based emotions: could group-based emotions be dialectical?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Minjie; Hamamura, Takeshi; Doosje, Bertjan; Suzuki, Satoko; Takemura, Kosuke

    2017-08-01

    Group-based emotions are experienced when individuals are engaged in emotion-provoking events that implicate the in-group. This research examines the complexity of group-based emotions, specifically a concurrence of positive and negative emotions, focusing on the role of dialecticism, or a set of folk beliefs prevalent in Asian cultures that views nature and objects as constantly changing, inherently contradictory, and fundamentally interconnected. Study 1 found that dialecticism is positively associated with the complexity of Chinese participants' group-based emotions after reading a scenario depicting a positive intergroup experience. Study 2 found that Chinese participants experienced more complex group-based emotions compared with Dutch participants in an intergroup situation and that this cultural difference was mediated by dialecticism. Study 3 manipulated dialecticism and confirmed its causal effect on complex group-based emotions. These studies also suggested the role of a balanced appraisal of an intergroup situation as a mediating factor.

  2. Ultrafilters and topologies on groups

    CERN Document Server

    Zelenyuk, Yevhen

    2011-01-01

    This book presents the relationship between ultrafilters and topologies on groups. It shows how ultrafilters are used in constructing topologies on groups with extremal properties and how topologies on groups serve in deriving algebraic results aboutultrafilters. Topics covered include: topological and left topological groups, ultrafilter semigroups, local homomorphisms and automorphisms, subgroups and ideal structure of ßG, almost maximal spaces and projectives of finite semigroups, resolvability of groups. This is a self-contained book aimed at graduate students and researchers working in to

  3. Are groups more rational than individuals? A review of interactive decision making in groups.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kugler, Tamar; Kausel, Edgar E; Kocher, Martin G

    2012-07-01

    Many decisions are interactive; the outcome of one party depends not only on its decisions or on acts of nature but also on the decisions of others. Standard game theory assumes that individuals are rational, self-interested decision makers-that is, decision makers are selfish, perfect calculators, and flawless executors of their strategies. A myriad of studies shows that these assumptions are problematic, at least when examining decisions made by individuals. In this article, we review the literature of the last 25 years on decision making by groups. Researchers have compared the strategic behavior of groups and individuals in many games: prisoner's dilemma, dictator, ultimatum, trust, centipede and principal-agent games, among others. Our review suggests that results are quite consistent in revealing that group decisions are closer to the game-theoretic assumption of rationality than individual decisions. Given that many real-world decisions are made by groups, it is possible to argue that standard game theory is a better descriptive model than previously believed by experimental researchers. We conclude by discussing future research avenues in this area. WIREs Cogn Sci 2012, 3:471-482. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1184 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Research reactor utilization. Summary reports of three study group meetings: Irradiation techniques at research reactors, held in Istanbul 15-19 November 1965; Research reactor operation and maintenance problems, held in Caracas 6-10 December 1965; and Research reactor utilization in the Far East, held in Lucas Heights 28 February - 4 March 1966

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1967-01-01

    The three sections of this book, which are summary reports of three Study Group meetings of the IAEA: Irradiation techniques at research reactors, Istanbul, 15-19 November 1965; Research reactor operation and maintenance problems, Caracas, 6-10 December 1965; and Research reactor utilization in the Far East, Lucas Heights, Australia, 28 February - 4 March 1966. These meetings were the latest in a series designed to promote efficient utilization of research reactors, to disseminate information on advances in techniques, to discuss common problems in reactor operations, and to outline some advanced areas of reactor-based research. (author)

  5. Group work as an incentive for learning – students’ experiences of group work

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hammar Chiriac, Eva

    2014-01-01

    Group work is used as a means for learning at all levels in educational systems. There is strong scientific support for the benefits of having students learning and working in groups. Nevertheless, studies about what occurs in groups during group work and which factors actually influence the students’ ability to learn is still lacking. Similarly, the question of why some group work is successful and other group work results in the opposite is still unsolved. The aim of this article is to add to the current level of knowledge and understandings regarding the essence behind successful group work in higher education. This research is focused on the students’ experiences of group work and learning in groups, which is an almost non-existing aspect of research on group work prior to the beginning of the 21st century. A primary aim is to give university students a voice in the matter by elucidating the students’ positive and negative points of view and how the students assess learning when working in groups. Furthermore, the students’ explanations of why some group work ends up being a positive experience resulting in successful learning, while in other cases, the result is the reverse, are of interest. Data were collected through a study-specific questionnaire, with multiple choice and open-ended questions. The questionnaires were distributed to students in different study programs at two universities in Sweden. The present result is based on a reanalysis and qualitative analysis formed a key part of the study. The results indicate that most of the students’ experiences involved group work that facilitated learning, especially in the area of academic knowledge. Three important prerequisites (learning, study-social function, and organization) for group work that served as an effective pedagogy and as an incentive for learning were identified and discussed. All three abstractions facilitate or hamper students’ learning, as well as impact their experiences with

  6. Nonverbal communication in the focus-group

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina Simona TECĂU

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In the process of analysing the information obtained through focus group qualitative marketing research, a very important source of data is represented by non-verbal communication. Although the literature reveals an abundance of published material that describes how data obtained through focus group should be analysed, one of the least addressed issue is the interpretation of signals from participants: gestures, posture, dynamic and rhythm of speech or even the silence. This Article addresses precisely aspects of non-verbal communication in the focus group's and although not intended to examine in detail the results of a focus group, it shows how some of signals transmitted by participants of such research have been analysed and interpreted.

  7. Grupo focal em pesquisa qualitativa sobre leitura com jovens Focus groups in qualitative research about reading with youths

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Márcia Cabral da Silva

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo trata de uma experiência em pesquisa qualitativa sobre leitura com jovens na área da Educação, utilizando-se como método de coleta de dados o grupo focal. O método foi descrito e analisado à luz da abordagem sócio-histórica da linguagem. Além disso, o texto discute os desafios e as reflexões éticas em relação à utilização do método.This paper describes a qualitative research about reading with youths in the educational fields using focus groups methodology. The concept of focus groups was described and analyzed in the light of the social historical perspective of language. Furthermore, this text discusses the challenges and the ethical concerns regarding this methodology.

  8. Comments on report ''The impact of nuclear waste disposals to the marine environment'' by Political Ecology Research Group (RR-8)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1982-06-01

    A series of statements made by the Political Ecology Research Group in a report ''The Impact of Nuclear Waste Disposals to the Marine Environment'' are commented on by British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. Areas covered include radioactive discharges, health effects, recommendations for reducing discharge arising from the Windscale Inquiry and solid waste disposal to the deep ocean. (author)

  9. Clinical education and training: Using the nominal group technique in research with radiographers to identify factors affecting quality and capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, P.L.; White, N.; Klem, R.; Wilson, S.E.; Bartholomew, P.

    2006-01-01

    There are a number of group-based research techniques available to determine the views or perceptions of individuals in relation to specific topics. This paper reports on one method, the nominal group technique (NGT) which was used to collect the views of important stakeholders on the factors affecting the quality of, and capacity to provide clinical education and training in diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy and oncology departments in the UK. Inclusion criteria were devised to recruit learners, educators, practitioners and service managers to the nominal groups. Eight regional groups comprising a total of 92 individuals were enrolled; the numbers in each group varied between 9 and 13. A total of 131 items (factors) were generated across the groups (mean = 16.4). Each group was then asked to select the top three factors from their original list. Consensus on the important factors amongst groups found that all eight groups agreed on one item: staff attitude, motivation and commitment to learners. The 131 items were organised into themes using content analysis. Five main categories and a number of subcategories emerged. The study concluded that the NGT provided data which were congruent with the issues faced by practitioners and learners in their daily work; this was of vital importance if the findings are to be regarded with credibility. Further advantages and limitations of the method are discussed, however it is argued that the NGT is a useful technique to gather relevant opinion; to select priorities and to reach consensus on a wide range of issues

  10. Partitioning and transmutation. Current developments - 2007. A report from the Swedish reference group on P-T-research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahlstroem, Per-Eric; Blomgren, Jan; Eriksson, Marcus; Seltborg, Per; Wallenius, Jan; Westlen, Daniel

    2007-06-01

    This report is written on behalf of the Swedish reference group for research on partitioning and transmutation. The reference group has been assembled by SKB and its members represent the teams that are active in this field at Swedish universities. The present report summarises the progress in the field through the years 2004-2006. A prerequisite for transmutation by irradiation with neutrons is that the nuclides to be transmuted are separated (partitioned) from the other nuclides in the spent fuel. In particular the remaining uranium must be taken away unless you want to produce more plutonium and other transuranium elements. Separation of the various elements can at least in principle be achieved by mechanical and chemical processes. Currently there exist some large scale facilities for separation of uranium and plutonium from the spent fuel-reprocessing plants. These can, however, not separate the minor actinides - neptunium, americium and curium - from the high level waste that goes to a repository. Plutonium constitutes about 90% of the transuranium elements in fuel from light water reactors. The objective of current research on partitioning is to find and develop processes suitable for separation of the heavier actinides (and possibly some long-lived fission products) on an industrial scale. The objective of current research on transmutation is to define, investigate and develop facilities that may be suitable for transmutation of the aforementioned long-lived radionuclides. The research on partitioning has made important progress in recent years. In some cases one has succeeded to separate americium and curium. Many challenges remain however. Within hydrochemistry one has achieved sufficiently good distribution and separation factors. The focus turns now towards development of an operating process. The search for ligands that give sufficiently good extraction and separation will continue but with less intensity. The emphasis will rather be on improving

  11. Partitioning and transmutation. Current developments - 2007. A report from the Swedish reference group on P-T-research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ahlstroem, Per-Eric (ed.) [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Blomgren, Jan [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Neutron Research; Ekberg, Christian; Englund, Sofie; Fermvik, Anna; Liljenzin, Jan-Olov; Retegan, Teodora; Skarnemark, Gunnar [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Goeteborg (Sweden); Eriksson, Marcus; Seltborg, Per; Wallenius, Jan; Westlen, Daniel [Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2007-06-15

    This report is written on behalf of the Swedish reference group for research on partitioning and transmutation. The reference group has been assembled by SKB and its members represent the teams that are active in this field at Swedish universities. The present report summarises the progress in the field through the years 2004-2006. A prerequisite for transmutation by irradiation with neutrons is that the nuclides to be transmuted are separated (partitioned) from the other nuclides in the spent fuel. In particular the remaining uranium must be taken away unless you want to produce more plutonium and other transuranium elements. Separation of the various elements can at least in principle be achieved by mechanical and chemical processes. Currently there exist some large scale facilities for separation of uranium and plutonium from the spent fuel-reprocessing plants. These can, however, not separate the minor actinides - neptunium, americium and curium - from the high level waste that goes to a repository. Plutonium constitutes about 90% of the transuranium elements in fuel from light water reactors. The objective of current research on partitioning is to find and develop processes suitable for separation of the heavier actinides (and possibly some long-lived fission products) on an industrial scale. The objective of current research on transmutation is to define, investigate and develop facilities that may be suitable for transmutation of the aforementioned long-lived radionuclides. The research on partitioning has made important progress in recent years. In some cases one has succeeded to separate americium and curium. Many challenges remain however. Within hydrochemistry one has achieved sufficiently good distribution and separation factors. The focus turns now towards development of an operating process. The search for ligands that give sufficiently good extraction and separation will continue but with less intensity. The emphasis will rather be on improving

  12. International topical meeting. Research Reactor Fuel Management (RRFM) and meeting of the International Group on Reactor Research (IGORR)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2007-07-01

    Nuclear research and test reactors have been in operation for over 60 years, over 270 research reactors are currently operating in more than 50 countries. This meeting is dedicated to different aspects of research reactor fuels: new fuels for new reactors, the conversion to low enriched uranium fuels, spent fuel management and computational tools for core simulation. About 80 contributions are reported in this document, they are organized into 7 sessions: 1) international topics and overview on new projects and fuel, 2) new projects and upgrades, 3) fuel development, 4) optimisation and research reactor utilisation, 5) innovative methods in research reactors physics, 6) safety, operation and research reactor conversion, 7) fuel back-end management, and a poster session. Experience from Australian, Romanian, Libyan, Syrian, Vietnamese, South-African and Ghana research reactors are reported among other things. The Russian program for research reactor spent fuel management is described and the status of the American-driven program for the conversion to low enriched uranium fuels is presented. (A.C.)

  13. Group work as an incentive for learning – students’ experiences of group work

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva eHammar Chiriac

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Group work is used as a means for learning at all levels in educational systems. There is strong scientific support for the benefits of having students learning and working in groups. Nevertheless, studies about what occurs in groups during group work and which factors actually influence the students’ ability to learn is still lacking. Likewise, the question of why some group work is successful and other work results in the opposite is still unsolved. The aim of this article is to add to the current level of knowledge and understandings regarding the essence behind successful group work in higher education. This research is focused on the students’ experiences of group work and learning in groups, which is an almost non-existing aspect of research on group work prior to the beginning of the 21st century. A primary aim is to give university students a voice in the matter by elucidating the students’ positive and negative points of view and how the students assess learning when working in groups. Furthermore, the students’ explanations of why some group work ends up being a positive experience resulting in successful learning, while in other cases, the result is the reverse, are of interest. Data were collected through a study-specific questionnaire, with multiple choice and open-ended questions. The questionnaires were distributed to students in different study programs at two universities in Sweden. The present result is based on a reanalysis and qualitative analysis formed a key part of the study. The results indicate that most of the students’ experiences involved group work that facilitated learning, especially in the area of academic knowledge. Three important prerequisites (learning, study-social function and organization for group work that served as an effective pedagogy and as an incentive for learning were identified and discussed. All three abstractions facilitate or hamper students’ learning, as well as impact their

  14. Cognitive synergy in groups and group-to-individual transfer of decision-making competencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curşeu, Petru L.; Meslec, Nicoleta; Pluut, Helen; Lucas, Gerardus J. M.

    2015-01-01

    In a field study (148 participants organized in 38 groups) we tested the effect of group synergy and one's position in relation to the collaborative zone of proximal development (CZPD) on the change of individual decision-making competencies. We used two parallel sets of decision tasks reported in previous research to test rationality and we evaluated individual decision-making competencies in the pre-group and post-group conditions as well as group rationality (as an emergent group level phenomenon). We used multilevel modeling to analyze the data and the results showed that members of synergetic groups had a higher cognitive gain as compared to members of non-synergetic groups, while highly rational members (members above the CZPD) had lower cognitive gains compared to less rational group members (members situated below the CZPD). These insights extend the literature on group-to-individual transfer of learning and have important practical implications as they show that group dynamics influence the development of individual decision-making competencies. PMID:26441750

  15. Cognitive synergy in groups and group-to-individual transfer of decision-making competencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Curşeu, Petru L; Meslec, Nicoleta; Pluut, Helen; Lucas, Gerardus J M

    2015-01-01

    In a field study (148 participants organized in 38 groups) we tested the effect of group synergy and one's position in relation to the collaborative zone of proximal development (CZPD) on the change of individual decision-making competencies. We used two parallel sets of decision tasks reported in previous research to test rationality and we evaluated individual decision-making competencies in the pre-group and post-group conditions as well as group rationality (as an emergent group level phenomenon). We used multilevel modeling to analyze the data and the results showed that members of synergetic groups had a higher cognitive gain as compared to members of non-synergetic groups, while highly rational members (members above the CZPD) had lower cognitive gains compared to less rational group members (members situated below the CZPD). These insights extend the literature on group-to-individual transfer of learning and have important practical implications as they show that group dynamics influence the development of individual decision-making competencies.

  16. Identifying User Profiles from Statistical Grouping Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francisco Kelsen de Oliveira

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available This research aimed to group users into subgroups according to their levels of knowledge about technology. Statistical hierarchical and non-hierarchical clustering methods were studied, compared and used in the creations of the subgroups from the similarities of the skill levels with these users’ technology. The research sample consisted of teachers who answered online questionnaires about their skills with the use of software and hardware with educational bias. The statistical methods of grouping were performed and showed the possibilities of groupings of the users. The analyses of these groups allowed to identify the common characteristics among the individuals of each subgroup. Therefore, it was possible to define two subgroups of users, one with skill in technology and another with skill with technology, so that the partial results of the research showed two main algorithms for grouping with 92% similarity in the formation of groups of users with skill with technology and the other with little skill, confirming the accuracy of the techniques of discrimination against individuals.

  17. The Areva Group; Le groupe Areva

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2004-08-01

    This document provides information on the Areva Group, a world nuclear industry leader, offering solutions for nuclear power generation, electricity transmission and distribution and interconnect systems to the telecommunications, computer and automotive markets. It presents successively the front end division including the group business lines involved in producing nuclear fuel for electric power generation (uranium mining, concentration, conversion and enrichment and nuclear fuel fabrication); the reactors and services division which designs and builds PWR, BWR and research reactors; the back end division which encompasses the management of the fuel that has been used in nuclear power plants; the transmission and distribution division which provides products, systems and services to the medium and high voltage energy markets; the connectors division which designs and manufactures electrical, electronic and optical connectors, flexible micro circuitry and interconnection systems. Areva is implemented in Europe, north and south america, africa and asia-pacific. (A.L.B.)

  18. Categorization by Groups

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.W. Hamilton (Rebecca); S. Puntoni (Stefano); N.T. Tavassoli (Nader)

    2006-01-01

    textabstractCategorization is a core psychological process central to consumer and managerial decision-making. While a substantial amount of research has been conducted to examine individual categorization behaviors, relatively little is known about the group categorization process. In two

  19. Storytellers - a women group experience

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stela Nazareth Meneghel

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper reports some psychosocial interventions in which were exploited the “storytelling", in workshops aimed at social workers and women in situation of vulnerability. The workshops were organized from the demands of social movements to combat violence and other extreme situations. The group was the field of intervention, from the demands, lived experiences of participants, based on methodological choice of narratives, life histories and stories of oral culture. We believe that groups of storytellers performed with women allow an exercise of critical reflection and change, as well as being an option for methodological research and practice feminist. Storytellers groups performed with women allow an exercise of critical reflection and change, as well as being a methodological option for feminist practice and research.

  20. Minimal groups increase young children's motivation and learning on group-relevant tasks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Master, Allison; Walton, Gregory M

    2013-01-01

    Three experiments (N = 130) used a minimal group manipulation to show that just perceived membership in a social group boosts young children's motivation for and learning from group-relevant tasks. In Experiment 1, 4-year-old children assigned to a minimal "puzzles group" persisted longer on a challenging puzzle than children identified as the "puzzles child" or children in a control condition. Experiment 2 showed that this boost in motivation occurred only when the group was associated with the task. In Experiment 3, children assigned to a minimal group associated with word learning learned more words than children assigned an analogous individual identity. The studies demonstrate that fostering shared motivations may be a powerful means by which to shape young children's academic outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Child Development © 2012 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.